Mexican Rice

Not Spanish rice... but Mexican rice, via Eva Longoria. Who knew she could cook?! I bought her cookbook awhile back and so far the things I have tried out of it have been good. This was a good accompanamient to my chicken enchiladas, a classic side. I would prefer a little more fluffy, less sticky, next time. Need to work on that textural aspect! I did leave out the chicken, there was plenty of chicken in my enchiladas that went with this. In my opinion, the best Mexican/Spanish rice is Cuca's in Redlands... preferably the downtown Redlands one. The most light and fluffy. It tastes like the use a peanut oil, maybe we will try that next time.  :-)

Mexican Rice via Eva's Kitchen:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe?id=13291342

Lemon Roasted Vegetables

I'm always looking for a way to gussy up some normally plain veggies and lemon zest has been on my mind as of late! Perfect pairing. The original recipe for this was just for lemon roasted potatoes, but I thought I would switch it up a bit and add some less starchy items to the mix. I did use some red potatoes, along with red and yellow bell peppers, and leeks. You can stick with just the potatoes like the recipe, or switch it up with your favorite veggies. This is a great pairing for a fish or chicken dish.

Lemon Roasted Potatoes via Bon Appetit:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lemon-Roasted-Potatoes-364596

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

These are one of those simple delicacies that really make you appreciate the easy things in life! These are great in pasta, as a salad topper, or as a quick snack all by themselves. The recipe says you can use various types of tomatoes. I used grape because I find them a bit sweeter than cherry tomatoes. They worked nicely, but they did take the full three hours of slow roasting. I would venture to say that if you wanted to use Roma they would take far longer than even the stated three hours. These are a lot less oily than the packed sundried tomatoes that I am used to. I can appreciate them for that. For my seasonings I used sea salt, cracked pepper, and an italian seasoning mix.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes via Panini Happy:

http://paninihappy.com/condiment-time-slow-roasted-tomatoes/

Grilled Corn & Chipotle Pepper Salad

PICTURE APOLOGIES! I promise my camera will be back in action very soon. This is another addition to my veggie themed week. I so wish my Blackberry would take better pictures because this salad is so gorgeous. This has an amazing flavor without needing any additions to the original recipe. The only thing I added was some delicious red quinoa to beef up the color contrast and protein. I prepared one cup of uncooked quinoa and just mixed it in with the rest of the ingredients. It didn't even need anything extra. INSANE FLAVOR!

Grilled Corn & Chipotle Pepper Salad via Aaron McCargo Jr.:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/grilled-corn-and-chipotle-pepper-salad-recipe/index.html

Smoky Kale Chips

Again, picture apologies. Kale chips have been all the rage on the food blog pages as of late. I figured I should check them out. They were especially appropriate for my veggie themed week. I found this gorgeous purple and green flowering kale at Safeway and decided it was a sign I needed to make these chips. These turned out very crispy and with a prominent smoky flavor. Just a note: I would probably go with the lesser baking time stated in the recipe. These seem to crisp up fairly quickly. Make sure you do an even layer on the cookie sheet. I lined with parchment paper, which also seemed to be helpful in the nonstick process. 

 Smoky Kale Chips via Ellie Krieger:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/smoky-kale-chips-recipe/index.html

Balsamic-Marinated Roasted Veggies

This is a quick, simple, healthy side that is really tasty. You can use any vegetables you like. I make this dish frequently, always changing up the veggies. This time I used zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash, snap peas, red onion, and red bell peppers. It was crunchy and packed with flavor. Try it out with your favorite veggies.

Balsamic-Marinated Roasted Vegetables via the Flick of my Wrist:
(4 generous servings)

4 cups of washed, cut veggies of your choice

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag. Shake up the vegetables well to ensure they are all coated with the marinade. You can marinate these at room temperature or in the fridge as well. I let them marinate for about an hour. Pour veggies on to a greased roasting pan or a greased, foil-covered cookie sheet. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  

Best Lasagna Ever + Oven-Roasted Asparagus

This was the last meal I cooked in my Redlands apartment before the big move to San Jose. It didn't disappoint! This is also one of those great meals that you can make ahead. The lasagna was equally as good the next day. This was paired with some Yellowtail Bubbles Champagne & Peach Cobbler, (recipe to follow.) Hopefully I can find a Norcal crew that will be equally as appreciative of my cooking. Parting is such sweet sorrow!

The Best Lasagna Ever via the Pioneer Woman:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_lasagn/

Oven-Roasted Asparagus via the Pioneer Woman:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/11/oven-roasted-asparagus/