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

The Most Perfect Meal EVER

This is the ULTIMATE surf & turf. If you are planning on any kind of celebration feast, this is your meal! Pick your favorite dessert & wine and you are set for the ultimate feast. The flavors in this combination are undeniable. Each component is completely unique, but at the same time pairs together elegantly. Try this out for your next celebration and let me know about your response. Mine was a true crowd pleaser! Happy Valentines Day!

Lemon Risotto via Smitten Kitchen:

http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/06/catch-up-solstice-edition/

Roasted Broccoli with Garlic & Red Pepper via Epicurious:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roasted-Broccoli-with-Garlic-and-Red-Pepper-351031

Pancetta Wrapped Shrimp via Food Network:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/surf-and-turf-for-two-recipe/index.html

Porcini Crusted Filet Mignon with Fresh Herb Butter via Epicurious (& my previous blog entry)

http://ovenphilosophy.blogspot.com/2010/11/porcini-crusted-filet-mignon-with-fresh.html

Veggie Fried Rice

This little dish of heaven was actually just an attempt to not waste any food in my fridge. I had a bunch of leftover veggies that needed to be eaten along with some steamed rice from thai takeout the night before. Voila, fried rice! You could really use any veggies you like. I had carrots, celery, green onions, shallots, garlic, & cilantro on hand... so that's what I used! This turned out delicious & it was very satisfying to not waste any fridge items. Add a little Sriracha sauce for some extra spice. Try it out!

Veggie Fried Rice via The Flick of my Wrist:

1 1/2 cups cooked, steamed white rice

1 tbsp. chopped garlic

1 tbsp. chopped shallots

1 tbsp. olive oil

soy sauce to taste (1-2 tbsp.)

3/4 cup shredded carrots

2 celery stalks, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

2 eggs, scrambled

cilantro, chopped for garnish

Sriracha (optional, for some kick!)

Saute the garlic and shallots in olive oil just until fragrant in a medium sized frying pan. About 2 minutes. Add all other veggies and cook until tender, a few minutes. Add rice & soy sauce to taste. Let rice & soy sauce caramelize on the bottom of the pan a bit to make the rice nice and crunchy. Scoot the rice to one side of the frying pan to make a little room to cook your scrambled eggs. Scramble eggs by themselves, and then mix into rice once they are cooked to desired doneness. Serve immediately and garnish with cilantro & Sriracha if you like spicy. Makes 2 main dish servings.

Down South Comfort!

This has to be one of my all time favorite meals I've ever made! Lousiana Red Beans & Rice, Collard Greens, and Cornbread muffins with cinnamon honey butter! It really doesn't get much better than that! And to accompany the meal, a Laker victory! C'mon now... that's a great day! Enjoyed this meal with my Daddy. Let me tell you, he went back for seconds! This will not disappoint! I recommend Frank's Original Red Hot Sauce for a little kicker of a condiment, I like my nose to run! Take note of the excessive use of exclamation points in this post, this meal is THAT good!

*note: I substitued small red beans for kidney beans in this recipe. (I feel like if a recipe is titled "authentic," it should at least use the right bean!)

Authentic Louisiana Red Beans & Rice via All Recipes:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/authentic-louisiana-red-beans-and-rice/Detail.aspx 

Short-Cut Collard Greens via Ellie Krieger:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/short-cut-collard-greens-recipe/index.html

Cinnamon Honey Butter via Ina Garten:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cinnamon-honey-butter-recipe/index.html

The cornbread muffins were just from the good ole' Jiffy box... 99 cents folks! Cut your losses!