Spanish Rice

1 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 TBS chopped garlic
1 cup of rice (use only a long cooking rice, such as Uncle Ben Long Grain 20 minute rice)
1/2 small can chopped green chili
1 (7oz) can Embasa brand Salsa Mexicana * see note below
1 3/4 cup water
Lawry's Course Ground Garlic Salt, to taste
Course Ground black pepper, to taste
2 stalks green onion, sliced thin
1/8 cup of cilantro, chopped

*found in the Mexican food section, comes in a can not a jar; if you can't find this or would like a mild rice, you can use a can of diced tomatoes. Don't use a regular salsa as the Embasa is more like canned tomatoes with a bit of added onion and jalapeños, it does not have the same consistency as a jarred salsa.

In a pot with a lid, heat the oil and add the white onion, garlic, and rice. Stirring constantly until onions are translucent. Add the salsa and water. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and place 3 paper towels folded in half one on top of the pot. Fit lid securely on top of paper towel. Do not walk away from the stove! The paper towel helps absorb extra steam so your rice will be loose and not sticky. This step is important. Cook 10 minutes, add garlic salt and pepper to taste, stir and continue cooking another 5 minutes, stir again, and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add chopped green onion and cilantro. Serve.

Serves 3-4

Garlic Cheese Bread

BREAD
1 box Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix (found in the cake mix aisle)
1 egg
2 TBS melted butter
1 cup hot water


TOPPING
2 TBS melted butter
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
6 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, thinly sliced and chopped

You will be dividing the above topping ingredients between the 2 breads.


DIRECTIONS

Follow directions 1 thru 3 on box. Cover dough and let rest for 5 minutes. Grease two round cake pans or pie plates (if you have stoneware ones or glass ones, use them). Divide dough in half and pat each half into one of the pans. Cover and let rise 20-30 minutes.

Uncover and bake at 375' for 15-20 minutes until light brown.

Remove from oven and brush each round with 1 TBS melted butter. Top each round of bread with the cheeses, then top with sliced garlic and parsley. Return to oven until cheese is melted and starting to bubble and garlic is softening. Remove and slice into wedges.

Grigg's Mexican Cole Slaw

This recipe for a very different cole slaw comes from one of my favorite restaurants in Texas. The restaurants were family owned over several generations, we knew the daughter who ran it last, but Mr Griggs was always there to greet the patrons. This recipe is from their cookbook penned by her mother in 1968. It is a wonderful accompaniment to enchiladas or tacos.

1 small head green cabbage or 2 cups shredded (I use the shredded cabbage in a bag)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBS white vinegar
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp course ground black pepper (I like more since it is key to the taste)

After cabbage is shredded, mix remaining ingredients together. Add to slaw, mix well, and chill well before serving. May be made several hours before, as is gives the flavors time to enhance.

Baked Potato Skins

6 small to medium sized russet baking potatoes
Olive oil
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Canola oil
salt
pepper
6 strips of bacon
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 green onions, thinly sliced, including the greens of the onions

Scrub the potatoes clean, place each potato on a square of foil, pour a small amount olive oil on each potato, sprinkle with Montreal Steak Seasoning, wrap each potato in the foil and place and bake in a 400°F oven for about an hour until the potatoes are cooked through and give a little when pressed.

While the potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon strips in a frying pan until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Let cool. Crumble.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool enough to handle. Cut in half horizontally. Use a spoon to carefully scoop out the insides, reserving the scooped potatoes for another use, leaving about 1/4 of an inch of potato on the skin.

Increase the heat of the oven to 450°F. Brush or rub canola oil (or another high smoke point oil, olive oil won't work) all over the potato skins, outside and in. Sprinkle with salt. Place on a baking rack in a roasting pan (don't use a cookie sheet, it will warp from the high heat, use a roasting pan or broiler pan).

Cook for 10 minutes on one side, then flip the skins over and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.

Arrange the potato skins skin-side down on the roasting pan or rack. Sprinkle the insides with black pepper, cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon. Return to the oven. Broil for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Remove from the oven. Using tongs to place the potatoes on a serving plate. Top with a dollop of sour cream on each skin, sprinkle with green onions. Serve.

Sweet Golden Cornbread

So much better than out of a box, and very easy to make.


1 C. all-purpose flour
1 C. yellow cornmeal
2/3 C. white sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 C. milk
1/3 C. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray or lightly grease a 9" round cake pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir ingredients until blended. Next, stir in the egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Oven Roasted Vegetables

1 medium zucchini
1 medium summer squash
1 medium red pepper
1 medium yellow pepper
1 lb. fresh asparagus
1 red onion
3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper


Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut all vegetables into bite sized pieces. Place vegetables onto a large roasting pan. Toss with olive oil, sal and pepper to mix and coat. Spread into t asingle layer on the pan. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and tender.

On occasion (if I have them on hands), I will coat some cherry tomatoes in olive oil and toss them in for the last 10 minutes of baking time.

Sweet Potato Casserole II

1 cup flour
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter (or margarine), melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon

4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and halved
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg white
1 (5 oz) can fat free evaporated milk


Place the sweet potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water and cook until very tender. Drain well and mash in a bowl. Combine the first 5 ingredients by hand until crumbly and set aside. Add 1 cup of the pecan brown sugar mixture to the the mashed sweet potatoes, add white sugar, extract, egg white, and evaporated milk. Spoon potato mixture into a 2q baking dish that has been coated with non-stick spray. Top with the remaining pecan-brown sugar mixture. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

[From Crescent City Collection by The Junior League of New Orleans]

Sweet Potato Casserole.

This is the one recipe that I am asked to bring to just about ever fall and winter dinner that we attend. There are never any leftovers.

1 (40 oz.) can cut sweet potatoes
1 C. white sugar
2 eggs
1/3 C. butter
1/3 C. milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

1 C. packed brown sugar
1 C. chopped pecans
1/3 C. all purpose flour
1/3 C. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 2 Qt. baking dish
Place sweet potatoes in their liquid in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, drain and mash. In a separate bowl mix the brown sugar, chopped pecans, flout and melted butter. In a medium bowl mix the mashed sweet potatoes, white sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Spread evenly in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over the mashed sweet potato mixture. Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.