Simple Mexican Rice

Simple Mexican Rice

1 1/2 cups converted rice
2 tablespoons butter
2 10-ounce cans tomatoes with green chilies (I use mild)
1 14.5 ounce can low sodium chicken broth
salt, to taste

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat; add butter and melt until it begins to sizzle. Add the rice and cook and stir for about 5 minutes until golden. Add the tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Season with salt to taste.

Serves 8

Medalions of Pork With Spicy Mushroom Sauce

Medalions of Pork With Spicy Mushroom Sauce

2 pork tenderloins
12 ounces mushrooms, cleaned & quartered
1 clove garlic, minced
5 green onions, sliced thin
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
5 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons oil
parsley for garnish

Trim all fat and silver skin from tenderloins. Slice 6 to 8 - 1 1/4 inch slices from each tenderloin...from large end. Place each tenderloin between a piece of plastic wrap and flatten to 3/8". Cover and set aside.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute mushrooms in butter until the juices start to flow, then add the garlic, green onions, and cajun seasoning, and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Add cream and reduce until thickened to a gravy like consistency; cover and keep warm.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat and melt remaining butter with the oil until bubbly. Season the tenderloins with salt and pepper and saute in butter and oil about 2 to 3 minutes per side, and until browned. Drain on paper towels. Place on serving platter and pour mushroom sauce over. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired, and serve.

Serves 4

Meat Loaves

Meat Loaves

3 pounds ground meat (1/3 ground pork)

4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups ketchup
6 to 7 slices fresh white sandwich bread, pprocessed into crumbs
1 cup minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
extra ketchup, to top loaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with the exception of the extra ketchup; mix well. Form into two or three loaves OR divide into smaller individual loaves (8 to 10). Place loaves on a lightly greased broiler pan and bake large loaves for 1 1/2 hours and smaller loaves for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Twenty minutes before end of baking time, top each loaf with ketchup (about a tablespoon for larger loaved and a bit less for the smaller ones).

Serves 8 to 10

Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Potatoes

6 medium baking potatoes, baked

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cool potatoes enough to be handled. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop pulp into a bowl. Put the scooped out potato skins into a casserole; set aside.
Mash the potato pulp with the butter, sour cream, 6 ounces of the cheese and salt and pepper. Fill the potato skins with the potato mixture. Divide the remaining cheese over each potato.

Cover casserole with foil; bake for 20 minutes. Uncover casserole and bake for another 10 minutes or until potatoes are puffed and beginning to brown.

Note: As a fun treat for your kids or grandkids...make little "sails" with a coctail straw and construction paper and insert into the potato (as shown above) when ready to serve...as a potato "boat".

Creamed Chicken

Creamed Chicken

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup flour
3 cups low sodium chicken broth (3 to 3 1/2)
1 cup heavy cream
3 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules (3 to 4)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups diced cooked chicken

Melt the butter in a large saute' pan or skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in three cups of the chicken broth until fully incorporated and smooth. Cook and stir until bubbly and thickened. Stir in the cream and heat until smooth. Stir in the chicken boullion and the cayenne and blend well. At this point, you may add more of the broth if you would like a slightly thinner gravy. Stir in the cooked chicken and heat through. Serve over hot steaming biscuits (recipe below this one), rice, or pasta.

Serves 4 generously

Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup shortening, cut into pieces, well chilled
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Stir flour and baking soda together; cut in shortening. Stir in buttermilk. Put dough onto a floured cloth and knead 3-4 times, then pat out to about 3/4" to 1" thick. Cut out with a floured cutter and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bruch tops with melted butter. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are golden. Serve immediately.

Coca Cola Cake

Coca Cola Cake

Cake:

1 cup cola

1 stick butter
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups marshmallows
2 cups sugar
2 cups self-rising flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Icing:
1/2 cup cola
1 stick butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 cup pecans, toasted (optional)

Cake:
Heat to boiling: 1 cup coke, 1 stick butter, 1/2 cup oil, and 1/4 cup cocoa. Add marshmallows; stir until dissolved. Pour mixture over the 2 cups sugar and self rising flour. Stir well. Add: eggs, buttermilk and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix well, then pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Icing:
Heat to boiling: 1/2 cup coke, 1 stick butter, 1/4 cup cocoa, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Pour over confectioner's sugar. Mix well. Add pecans, and pour over hot cake. Cool completely before serving.

Chicken Roulades

Chicken Roulades

4 8-ounce boneless chicken breast halves, skin on

4 ounces thinly sliced soppressata, or capicola
1 6 ounce jar sweet roasted peppers
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove tenders from chicken breasts and set aside. Place breasts skin side down on flat surface; flatten slightly with cleaver or mallet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover chicken with overlapping slices of soppressata. Place a roasted red pepper in center of chicken. Place chicken tender on top of pepper. Roll chicken breasts tight, jelly-roll style, to completely envelope filling. Place roulades in shallow baking pan.

Bake for 25 minutes, then place under broiler for 30 seconds to crisp skin. Remove from oven, let rest 5 minutes. Cut each into 6 slices. Serve with pan juices immediately.

Serves 4

Chicken Florentine Casserole

Chicken Florentine Casserole

4 cups cooked chicken, white and dark meat, chopped or shredded

1 10 ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup (4 ounces) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup fresh white breadcrumbs

Combine the chicken and spinach in a medium bowl.
In another bowl, combine the soup, cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, wine, lemon juice, curry powder, and salt and pepper. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken and spinach; mix well.

Place the mixture into a greased 9-inch square pan; smooth top. Combine the Parmesan and breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

To Freeze: Leave off the Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Wrap the uncooked casserole securely with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil. Place into freezer.
Allow casserole to thaw completely (about 24 hours) in refrigerator. When ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap and foil, and top with the Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Bake as directed.

Note: This makes a delicious dip for a party. Bake as directed and serve with corn chips and/or crackers.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2 8 ounce boneless chicken breasts

2 slices smoked ham (deli)
2 slices swiss cheese
1 egg beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons oil or clarified butter

Mornay Sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon grated swiss cheese
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar
1 beaten egg yolk

Butterfly the chicken breasts and lay out, cut side up. Cover with plastic wrap and pound to even out the thickness, to about 3/8" thick. Lay the ham and swiss cheese slices on one side of each chicken breast, folding as needed to fit. Fold over the other side of the chicken to cover the ham and cheese. Use toothpicks to seal the edges (took about 3 per breast for me). Refrigerate until ready to cook.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put the flour into a small flat dish and season with salt and pepper. Put the beaten egg and milk in a dish. Put the bread crumbs on a plate and season with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil or butter in a skillet over medium to medium high heat. Dredge each chicken breast in the flour mixture; shake off excess, then into the egg mixture, then into the bread crumbs. Place in the skillet and fry 3-4 minutes per side until medium brown.
Transfer the browned chicken breasts to a small baking pan and place into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the chicken bakes, make the mornay sauce:
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the milk and cook and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper; lower heat and add cheeses. Stir until melted. Add a small amount of sauce to the beaten egg yolk whisking to combine, then add the egg mixture to the saucepan. Add the lemon juice or vinegar. Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken and serve immediately.