This cheesy broccoli and rice recipe was a BIG HIT with the family.  It made a perfect side to a batch of crispy, chicken.  It, also, made a filling vegetarian lunch the next day.  I thought it was even better the next day.
Broccoli rice recipes I've tried in the past left me with overcooked broccoli and dried out rice.  I like my broccoli to have a bite and I want the rice to blend with the creamy cheese sauce that holds it all together.

Well, I was so impressed with the creaminess of the Smoked Gouda and Cheddar Mac with Spinach recipe, I thought I'd follow it again to make my own creamy, cheesy broccoli rice recipe. The results yielded a dish full of broccoli goodness and soul satisfying creaminess.

Precooking the long grain rice gave me control to have a moist, fluffy and flavorful rice.  Blanching the broccoli ensured I would have the right bite to my vegetable.  Then baking it off in the oven for 20 minutes brought all the ingredients together under a topping of sharp cheddar cheese.  Mmmmm...

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

First, fill a large saucepan with water, set to boil over medium-high heat for blanching the broccoli.
Then, get the rice started.

• 1 cup long grain rice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons oil
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 2 cups hot water

In a medium saucepan, lightly brown rice and sliced garlic in oil for 3 to 5 minutes on medium heat; constantly stirring.  Add hot water, stir; cover with lid.  Reduce heat to low and cook 12 minutes, or until water is absorbed.

PREHEAT OVEN 400ºF. Grease 8 x 8 x 2-inch pan.

While you're waiting for the rice to absorb the water,
blanch the broccoli.

• 3 small to medium crowns of broccoli, cut into 2 to 3-inch pieces

Blanch 4 minutes in boiling water.  Use a slotted spoon to lift out broccoli to a strainer set over a bowl to drain.  Allow broccoli to cool enough to handle.  Roughly chop into small pieces about 3/4 to 1-inch in size. Transfer to large mixing bowl.

Bring it all together.

• 2 1/2 cups cooked rice from above
• 1 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 cup Monterrey jack cheese, grated
• 1 (12 ounce) can CARNATION Evaporated Milk
• 2 tablespoons  yellow onion, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Measure out the rice. (You'll have leftover rice.)

In the mixing bowl with the broccoli, add measured rice, 1 cup cheddar, all the jack cheese, evaporated milk, onion, salt and pepper.  Transfer to 8-inch pan.  Top with remaining cheddar.
Bake 20 minutes.

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Campers Casserole is simple to bring together and I could totally imagine it being cooked in a dutch-oven over a campfire.  Since I was home, I used my trusty casserole dish.  You may want to salt & pepper this dish to your taste.  My husband and son enjoyed this dinner with ketchup on top.  It was very filling and I enjoyed trying this new recipe.  But I'll be honest, it needed an extra spice, maybe oregano or cumin or maybe a green bell pepper?

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 1 pound extra lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 1 can (14oz) or 2 cups kidney beans or pinto, drained and rinsed
• 1 bigger can (28oz) diced tomatoes, pureed or use tomato sauce
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

HEAT OVEN 350ºF.

In a large pan or dutch oven over medium heat, brown the beef, onion and garlic.  Season with chili powder.  Stir in cooked rice then transfer mix to a greased 13-inch by 9-inch casserole dish.

Add one layer of beans then pour on pureed tomatoes. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with cheese.  Return to oven and bake, uncovered for 10 minutes or so, until cheese is melted.  Serves 4 to 6 campers.

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I introduced this layered casserole to my family last night. It was a simple casserole recipe to bring together. And I liked that it called for everyday pantry items.  Once out of the oven, the aroma of beef, tomatoes and potato reminded us of meatloaf.  We all had the natural urge to squeeze a little ketchup over our plates.  My 9-year old son and husband went back for seconds, if that means anything to you.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 2 cups or 2 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cups or 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef  (85/15)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 normal size red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 cups or 1 can (19oz) kidney beans or pinto, drained & rinsed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 can (19oz) diced tomatoes

HEAT OVEN to 350ºF

In a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch casserole dish, arrange the potatoes on the bottom of the dish.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Layer the celery followed by a layer of uncooked ground beef.  Sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce.

Add onions, red pepper and beans in separate layers.  Sprinkle the thyme and oregano.  Top with the tomatoes.  Cover and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Serves 6.

FOR MY DIABETIC FRIENDS
Per Serving:

• Protein 21g
• Fat 16g
• Carbohydrates 36g
• Calories 367
• Dietary Fiber 8g

COOK'S NOTES:

• I would like to try this again with a small of can of tomato sauce or a little ketchup poured over the meat layer.  I kept wanting this to be a vegetable loaded meatloaf.
• 2 medium potatoes was not enough potato for my taste.  Next time, 4 medium or 2 large potatoes should make a creamy foundation.
• I didn't actually measure out the Worcestershire sauce.  I dashed it over all the beef to my taste.  I could have been more generous with it.
• The original recipe called for green bell pepper, but I was very glad that I had used a sweet red bell pepper.  Green bell peppers talk back long after dinner.
• It took the full 1 1/2 hours to fully cook the potatoes.  Even though I sliced them au gratin thin, they needed the full time to get tender.

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Back in the years of living single & carefree, I had a Summer when I barely had enough money to buy eggs, bread, and and a few vegetables.  Somehow, I look back on that time as the best time of my single life. Anyhoo.  Remember when I shared the Cheesey Zucchini and Squash recipe and told you that I would eat cheesey zucchini & squash when I grew tired of egg salad sandwiches?  Well here's my the egg salad sandwich I lived on.  I decided to call it Deviled Egg Sandwiches because I prep the egg in the same way I enjoy deviled eggs.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES TO MAKE ONE SIMPLE SANDWICH

• 1 boiled egg, chopped
• 1 to 2 teaspoons yellow onion, finely chopped
  
• 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 teaspoon spicy mustard
• pinch of salt
• dash of pepper
• 2 slices bread & butter pickles, either on the side or chopped into the filling
• 2 slices of sandwich bread

Mix all the ingredients together, except the bread of course.  Spread onto to bread and EAT UP!

One egg can make a pretty thick sandwich.  And like a tuna sandwich, it's filling and will hold you a while.  It's the perfect budget friendly and still healthy for you meal that takes a while to grow tired of eating.  Trust me on this one.

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Instead of the traditional mayonnaise-based dressing, Kim's Coleslaw Salad uses oil & vinegar with a touch of sugar.  It's zesty, fresh, crunchy and hard to stop eating.  This particular recipe is a BIG HIT for potluck meals.  Kim has told me that even when she has doubled the recipe for parties, hoping to bring home leftovers, she ends up bringing home an empty bowl.

Beside using oil & vinegar, this recipe calls for the uncooked noodles from a package of Ramen Noodles. Don't be put off, the noodles are delicious!  They absorb the dressing and soften without becoming too soft.  And this extra layer of texture just makes it harder to stop eating.

HERE'S ALL YOU DO
This could make 10 to 15 servings, folks will come back for seconds.

• 1 small green cabbage, shredded
• 1/4 small purple cabbage, shredded
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 package Ramen Noodles, crumbled, discard season packet
• 3 to 4 ounces sunflower kernels

Toss all the vegetables, crumbled noodles and sunflower kernels in a large salad bowl.

Mix the dressing in a separate bowl

• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup neutral tasting oil
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Add the dressing to the tossed coleslaw salad when ready to serve.  Toss well and serve.  Leftovers are delicious the next day and the next day after that.

Tastes wonderful on the side of any meal.  See?

Coffee-Cardamom Grilled Brisket with Chocolate-Cherry Barbecue Sauce

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You can't go wrong with this fresh and simple recipe.  Roasted vegetables make an excellent filling for quesadillas whenever you need to throw together an appetizer for guests, a light lunch for yourself, or a quick recipe for a large, hungry crowd of Main Street Farmers' Market Fans.  The kids down at market wanted to gobble them up.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED

• 20 homemade flour tortillas or store bought
• 2 (8 ounce) blocks Smoked Colby Cheese, grated
• 2 Cubenelle Peppers
• 2 Golden Zucchini
• 2 jalapenos
• 1 large green zucchini
• 1 large yellow onion
• olive oil
• salt & freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 425ºF.

Chop the golden and green zucchini, cubenelle pepper and onion into all the same size one-half inch pieces.  Remove the seeds from the jalapenos and mince.  Place all the vegetables on a large sheet pan, drizzle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper.  Flatten out vegetables on pan so they cook evenly.   BAKE 25 to 35 minutes, until zucchini are tender but not mushy.  Transfer to a bowl for your quesadilla assembly line.

While the vegetables are roasting, grate the cheese with a hand grater or a food processor. Set aside.

Time for assembling.  Heat a griddle pan over medium high heat.  Start with the flour tortilla, on one half of the tortilla add about 2 tablespoons of grated cheese, 3 to 4 tablespoons roasted vegetables, another tablespoon of cheese.  Fold tortilla in half and cook one minute on each side, until tortillas is crispy and golden.  Remove from pan and allow cheese to cool for a minute before cutting into servings.

YOU'RE READY TO EAT!

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When you barely have time to prepare something good to eat, make a batch of peppers and black bean soup.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• 2 (14 ounce) cans black beans
• 2 tablespoons butter or oil
• 1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed or minced
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon New Mexico Chile Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon Hot Spanish Paprika (optional)
• salt & pepper to taste
• smoked cheddar for topping

In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, warm the black beans with their liquid.

In a saute pan oven medium heat, heat butter or oil, add all the vegetables and spices.  Stir fry the vegetables until they become tender.  Add the cooked vegetables to the hot black beans, stir and allow to cook up to 10 minutes.  You're Ready to Eat!

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Ever have those days when you feel like grillin' ANYTHING, just so you can grill?

I threw on a couple of red bell peppers the other day, just because.  I took great pleasure in watching the skins turn black, knowing full well the inside was growing sweet and tender.  Turning every now & then, making sure to get all the sides good and black.  I didn't watch the time.  I watched the peppers.

After they were good and soft, I brought them inside to cool down enough for me to handle.  I've seen all different ways of removing the skins that involved paper towels and plastic bags.  That wasn't green thinking to me.  I just used my old fashion fingers and peeled the skin off.  It took no time all to strip the skins off, remove the seed core, then I quickly rinsed any sticky seeds off.  What little water I used, did NOT remove the smokey aroma that become part of the pepper's meat.

I proceeded to julienne the peppers, moved them to a small bowl, then poured a little oil over the top.  Covered tightly and stored them in the frig.

Later in the same week, I used them with pasta, over chicken soft tacos, and inside bean burritos.

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Inspired by Michael Chiarello's book Flavored Oils: 50 Recipes for Cooking with Infused Oils.

I have, rolling around my head, the idea to make a loaf of garlic bread.  Not the bread with garlic spread on it's slices.  Garlic stirred into the dough itself.  Is your mouth watering just thinkin' about it?  But first, I need to roast a few heads of garlic. And while I'm at it, I may as well make garlic olive oil, too. Right?

HERE'S WHAT I DID

• 4 or 5 whole garlic heads
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• a pinch or two Italian seasoning (optional)

Heat the oven to 375ºF.

Peel away the garlic skins and toss the clean cloves into a shallow baking pan.  Get your kids to help, they love to pick things. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper and optional seasonings, then pour the oil over the top.  Cover the pan, loosely, with aluminum foil, allowing for steam to escape.  Bake for 3o to 45 minutes.  (30 minutes produces a fork tender clove, 45 minutes produces a softer spreadable clove.)

Drain off the oil in a tightly covered, sterilized glass jar or bottle and USE WITHIN 1 WEEK.  Makes about 3/4 cup roasted garlic oil.

To make the paste, mash the cloves with a fork or give them a quick spin in a 1 cup food processor.  Makes about 1/2 cup garlic paste.

Last night, I put a dollop of roasted garlic paste on my pasta plate like a condiment; that was good.  I spread it over a fresh slice of Bran-Enriched Bread; that was good.  I stirred it into my homemade tomato sauce; lip smacking smooth.

The roasted garlic oil is said to be wonderful added to vinaigrettes, for sauteing vegetables, or in any recipe calling for roasted garlic oil.

COOK'S NOTES

If you have concerns or questions about storing garlic oil, or have only heard about botulism in homemade garlic oil.

PLEASE visit these links:

GARLIC,Safe Methods to Store, Preserve and Enjoy, Calaveras County Agriculture Extension

Cook's Illustrated Forum: Garlic oil & botulism

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Fast, healthy and filling!  It will take longer for the pasta to cook than the vegetables.  Don't let the simplicity of the dish trick you, it's loaded with flavor.  Using the freshest vegetables and a GOOD wedge of young Parmesan makes this dish a hit with everyone.

HERE'S ALL IT TAKES

• linguine cooked according to the package directions

• 1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large zucchini, quartered then cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• salt & fresh ground pepper
  
• 1 small wedge Parmesan, freshly shredded

Go ahead and chop the vegetables while you're waiting for the pasta water to boil.  I recommend start sauting the vegetables after the dried pasta has been added to the boiling pasta water.

For the vegetables
In a medium saute pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil then add the chopped onions.  Cook until they begin to soften.  Add the minced garlic, cook 1 to 2 minutes then finally add the zucchini and red bell pepper.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.  Quickly toss and coat the vegetables, cooking 3 to 5 minutes.  Sprinkle the vegetables with shredded Parmesan, as much as you care to taste.  Add 1/2 cup of pasta water to the sauted vegetables to prevent cheese from sticking.  Cover pan and turn off heat.  Leave in pan until pasta is drained and ready to eat.

After draining the pasta, drizzle it with a little olive oil, top with cooked vegetables then add a little more Parmesan for garnish.  You're Ready to Eat!

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