Almond Rice Pilaf

I had planned on having Swai again (at my family's request) and wanted a good side dish. I usually just use a boxed wild rice as a side dish which works. But this week, I wanted something more. Somehow I stumbled upon a recipe for almond rice pilaf, and I knew I had found what I was looking for.

It was fast. Easy. And just the right complement to the meal.

Ingredients:
2 cups instant rice (though next time, I think I will just use my favorite regular rice and cook longer)

2 cups chicken broth

chopped onion to taste (I think the original recipe calls for 3/4 cup but I just added what I thought was a good amount, didn't measure at all)

1/2 cup slivered almonds (I just had sliced, so I used that)

1 tbsp butter or margarine (I did use Blue Bonnet Light)

Directions:
In a saucepan, brown almonds and cook the onion until tender in the butter.

Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Add rice, remove from heat, and let stand for 5-8 minutes.

Fluff with a fork.

I didn't remove mine immediately from the heat after adding the rice, so I burned the very bottom. But it didn't affect the taste at all.

It was a very nice side dish. But really, with almonds, how could you go wrong? :)

Reba

Pot Roast Pizzaiola

Did I mention I am not a professional photographer? I probably don't need to mention it...

Anywho, once again, I was browsing on Pinterest and saw a picture that caught my eye (and my stomach); obviously these people DO know how to take good food pictures. And I just knew I had to try it.

When I read through the recipe, it sounded very similar to a family recipe we have called "Pizza Steak". That was one of my favorite foods growing up, though I haven't had made it much as an adult for various reasons.

I will say that this recipe, other than the lack of cheese that Pizza Steak has, was equally as good and worked for us.

It is easy.

Simple.

And good.

I had a thumbs up from all at the table I believe. And at least two went back for more.

That is a success in my book.

Are you ready for this lengthy list of ingredients?

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, chopped (I knew my family would pick them out so I chopped big pieces just for flavor)

4 or 5 pound chuck roast (Mine was 3.6 lbs. Any bigger would NOT have fit in my crockpot. And my crockpot is not really small...)

1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I used Prego, a Chunky version with onion, garlic, and tomatoes I think)

Directions:
Layer in a crockpot: onions, chuck roast, spaghetti sauce.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 3-5 hours.

I served it with Schwan's Baby Roasted Bakers (lightly seasoned potatoes) and rolls.

I would have made a salad too but we were limited on time.

I made this meal, the family enjoyed it, and I found myself wondering, "Why did this never cross my mind before?"

Simple and easy.

And good.

My favorite combination.

Happy cooking!
Reba

English Muffin Bread

I have not been very brave in the breadmaking department. The only real experience I have had with yeast other than attempting pizza dough is the yeast I put in the breadmaker...the packet that comes with the breadmaker mix.

But when I saw a recipe on Pinterest for English Muffin Bread, I got brave.

Especially when Jillee, the author of "One Good Thing", promised it was easy.

Since it was spring break, I had a little more time on my hands during the day. I thought that was the perfect time to attempt this recipe.

The only disadvantage I had was that the weather was rainy and cool that day.

I am still not sure the dough rose like it was supposed to. I mean, it did some, but I wonder if it would have done better on a nicer day.

Still, I was VERY happy with the results and will make it again.

I served the bread with a couple of meals this week. I have also been using it for sandwiches. I cut thin slices (the whole counting calories thing) and then added my meat and other toppings. I really like it because it is heavier to me than just regular bread from the store, so I feel full when I finish eating it.

Here is Jillee's recipe; I take NO credit for this. I would encourage you to visit her site (just click on the words "Jillee's recipe") to see really good pictures and tips. The only changes I made were cutting the recipe in half. My mixer is not nearly that big and I only have two bread loaf pans. :)

Ingredients (for a full four loaves rather than two that I made):
5 1/2 cups warm water (I actually followed the yeast instructions as far as temperature range to make sure I did it okay)

3 packages Rapid Rise Yeast (that RAPID RISE part is important...it save you from having to make it rise twice) Oh, and yes, I really used one and a half packages of Rapid Rise yeast when doing mine.

2 tbsp salt

3 tbsp sugar

11 cups flour (you can use bread flour or all purpose...I used bread)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together. I used the dough attachment on my mixer. From what I read on Jillee's site (in the comments section), you can even use a spoon to mix.

Spoon mixture into well greased bread loaf pans.

Let the dough rise until it reaches the top of the pans. Mine didn't quite make it to the top, which may have been impatience on my part or the weather. But it got close.

Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.

Return to oven.

Bake for about 10 more minutes, until golden brown.

Allow to cool completely.

It is good stuff.

And best of all, I felt like a success in the bread department for the first time!

Thanks to "One Good Thing by Jillee" for the recipe!

Reba

A Menu for the Week...

Always subject to change. And it probably will. It usually does.

Sunday: Pot Roast Pizzaiola (new recipe), Cheesy Mashed Potato Bake, Martha Harp rolls, possibly a salad
Monday: Butter Cream Chicken over angel hair pasta (new recipe), carrots/Ranch, Parmesan-Herb Biscuits (new recipe)
Tuesday: Bubble Up Enchiladas
Wednesday: OYON (On Your Own Night)
Thursday: Swai, almond rice pilaf (new recipe), garlic bread, carrots and snap peas and Ranch
Friday: Lasagna in a Bun, chips
Saturday: Grilled pork tenderloin, black eye peas, roasted baby bakers (Schwans), Garlic Cheesy Bread (new recipe)

What are you having this week?

Reba

Sour Cream/Panko Chicken

I had a very busy day. Not necessarily productive but busy.

This morning, I (along with three helpful children) made homemade donut holes. We had quite an assembly line. I cut the biscuits into fourths. The four year old rolled them into balls. The 10 year old fried them in a pot of oil (using tongs :) because I hadn't cleaned the Fry Daddy. And the 7 year old added the toppings. The 13 year old just ate them. He is into sleeping in these days.

Anyway, tonight I decided to try a new recipe. I had spotted a recipe (probably via Pinterest) that looked good for Oma's Sour Cream Chicken. It looked like something we would like; I have made some similar recipes but not quite like this. I also had seen a recipe for Parmesan Crusted Chicken. So I played around with the recipes, combining the best of both worlds. Okay, I left out the Parmesan which would be in the best world. I was trying to watch calories today or I would have added them. :)

Ingredients:
Chicken breasts or tenderloins (I used about 1.5 lbs of tenderloins)
salt, pepper, garlic powder
8 oz. sour cream (yes, I used light :)
1 cup of Italian Panko breadcrumbs
4 tbsp butter cut up

Sidenote: Hubby and I really aren't sure how we went our whole lives without knowing about Panko. They are like "breadcrumbs" but with some crunch.

Directions:
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Put the chicken on a cookie sheet or in a glass dish. I started with the cookie sheet but had trouble with the next step (spreading sour cream) so I switched to a glass dish which contained them better.

Spread the sour cream over the top of the chicken.

Sprinkle the Italian Panko on top.

Place small pieces of butter over the top. (I think next time I might melt it ahead of time to cover more area...)

Bake at 375 for about 35 minutes (that was for tenderloins...I would guess longer for chicken breasts).

Enjoy!

It was quite a hit. We had only one small piece left. My four year old downed it like nobody's business.

The best part? It was easy. Quick. Simple. And delicious.

That is my kind of recipe.

Reba

Oreo Milkshake (a "light" version")

Last weekend, I was really craving a shake. But since I am counting calories, shakes are not on the friendly list. At least not friendly for my waistline. I found a recipe on Pinterest for a lowfat/low cal version. It involved ice, milk, and Oreos. I was so excited...a low calorie shake. Except I didn't like it. Not at all. The texture was really "off" to me. It gave me no feelings of having a shake.

So I browsed Facebook again and found another version. This version had non-fat frozen yogurt. I had a feeling this was more in line with what I wanted in my "shake". And it was. I really enjoyed it. My only issue was that I blended it for too long and got distracted with the dog so it wasn't as creamy as it could have been (a bit more melted :). Next time I will blend with care and vigilance. :)

This recipe came from the Weight Watchers website.

I halved the recipe which supposedly was "2" servings rather than "4". I just poured the whole "2" servings into my glass which is what you see above. Not alot! But still, it gave me a taste of a shake for fewer calories...

Ingredients:
1 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt (though chocolate would probably be good too :)
1/4 cup milk (I use 1%)
2 Oreos/chocolate sandwich cookies (I used the No Sugar Oreos just to lower calories a little)

The original recipe also calls for an optional mint extract addition (1/16 tsp) but I opted not to use it. :)

Directions:
Blend the yogurt and milk together.

Add the Oreos and blend a little longer.

Enjoy!

Reba

A Spring Break Menu

Here is my proposed menu for the week. Always subject to change. And, yes, I still cook, even on spring break.

Sunday: Eating out (though I did have the pizza grilled cheese and a strawberry smoothie for lunch)
Monday: Swai fish and wild rice (leftovers)
Tuesday: Braided Spaghetti Bread, Caeser salad
Wednesday: Green Eggs and Ham (it is child 3's week to choose...seriously, this is what she chose!), possibly an English Muffin type of bread (new recipe)
Thursday: Sour Cream Chicken (new recipe), carrots/ranch, rolls
Friday: Hamburgers, Fries
Saturday: On Your Own

Now the trick is going to be getting to the store before the monsoon arrives. :)

What are you having this week?
Reba