Spanish Rice with Beef

Ingredients:
1. 1 Pound ground hamburger meat
2. 1 Can diced tomatoes
3. 1/2 Medium onion, finely chopped
4. 2 Tablespoons butter
5. Salt and pepper
6. 2 Cups hot water
7. 1 Box Rice-A-Roni Spanish Rice (Do Not Use A Substitute)

Directions:
1. In a large sauce pan, heat several tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter.
2. Add 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped with salt and pepper, cook until tender.
3. Add 1 pound ground hamburger meat, brown and drain fat. Set aside.
4. In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 box Rice-A-Roni Spanish Rice. Brown until golden, mixing constantly.
5. Add hamburger meat, canned tomatoes, 2 cups hot water, seasoning packet, and bring to a boil stirring often.
6. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
7. Serve with Smashed Potatoes or Steamed Veggies.

ENJOY!!!



 

The Perfect BLT Wedge Salad

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 Slice lettuce wedge
2. 6 Grape tomatoes halved
3. 3 Lightly cooked stripes of turkey or regular bacon, chopped
4. 4 tablespoons cheddar cheese
5. 1/4 tablespoons sunflower seeds
6. 2 tablespoons ranch dressing

Directions:

1. Slice lettuce wedge and make a bed where ingredients can rest.
2. Slice tomatoes and lay on and around lettuce wedge.
3. Cook, chop and crumble bacon around salad.
4. Add cheddar cheese and sunflower seeds to the top.
5. Drizzle ranch dressing on top and serve.

ENJOY!!!

Creative Soft Taco's

Ingredients:

1. 1 pound ground beef, pork or turkey
2. 3- soft taco shells
3. 4- tablespoons taco seasoning
4. 1/4 cup melted nacho cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. In a large skillet brown 1 pound ground beef, pork or turkey and drain fat. Return to skillet.
3. Add taco seasoning and 1 cup hot water
4. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes until sauce thickens.
5. In a glass pie plate, layer 1 soft taco shell on the bottom and then 1/3 the meat mixture and repeat until all taco shells and meat mixtures are gone.
6. On the very top, add melted nacho cheese sauce that has been first added to a sandwich bag and one corner cut to spread evenly.
7. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes, serve hot.

ENJOY!!!

Semi-Homemade Spaghetti with Fresh Herbs

Wheat Pasta:

• In a large pot bring water and salt to boil
• Add wheat pasta ( I like wheat pasta for the flavor, as well as, the nutrition value but you can use regular pasta if you prefer.)
• Boil until Ala dent te (firm but tender)
• Drain and place back into the pot that the pasta was cooked in so that excess water can be absorbed

Meat Sauce:

• In a sauce pan add a few sprinkles of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of garlic, allow to cook over medium heat for a few minutes.
• Add 1 pound ground beef, pork or turkey. Brown meat and drain excess fat.
• Add favorite spaghetti sauce or homemade sauce (see separate blog for homemade sauce) and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer.
• Add freshly chopped basil and oregano to sauce as it simmers, can also garnish with just before serving.
• Before serving toss noodles with spaghetti sauce and serve or serve with noodles on bottom, whichever way you prefer.

Brushetta For True Italians

Ingredients:
1. 1 cup halved Ripe Grape Tomatoes
2. 1 Glove Minced Garlic
3. 1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil
4. 3 tablespoon olive oil
5. 1 1/2 tablespoon vinegar
6. Salt and pepper to taste
7. Freshly baked Italian bread, sliced

Preheat oven to broil and bake at high temperature to crisp very fast, watch carefully or it will burn. Mix together sliced tomatoes, minced garlic, chopped basil, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Allow to sit covered in refrigerator until ready to use. Once bread has finished baking and is crisp, place tomato mixture on top and serve.

Serve as a meal with a salad or side dish!

ENJOY!!!

Homemade Pizza and Salad

Salad Ingredients:
1. Baby Spinach
2. Various Lettuce (Whatever you Prefer, Darker the better)
3. Purple Cabbage
4. Carrots
5. Celery
6. Radishes
7. Orange Tomatoes

Dice all ingredients into bite size pieces. Place in a separate bowl. In a medium size mason jar add 2/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, salt, and pepper. Shake to mixed well and pour over all veggies. Toss to mix all ingredients well. Serve once dressing has been added, if not ready to serve, place veggies in a separate bowl and cover and leave dressing in mason jar until ready to serve.



Pizza Ingredients: (For 3 small Pizza's)
1. Hand Bought Pizza Crust -mini's (3)
2. 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese   **Shred at home
3. 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese Also   **Shred Yourself
**I suggest freshly shredding your own cheeses because many of the cheeses that you buy that are already shredded have added ingredients that make the cheeses taste overly processed and they don't melt as well. Plus, you get to determine exactly what kinds of cheese to use.
4. Pizza Sauce -either canned like Ragu or freshly made - See on another blog.
5. Pepperoni

*There are also other alternatives for pizzas and pizza crust that I will explore during other blogs coming very soon; including Pesto with Roma Tomatoes and Basil, Olive Oil with Bruschetta and Basil/Garlic both of these with Italian Bread Crust. More to come

Preheat oven to 375 F. Select your favorite crust, pizza sauce and toppings. If choosing the one from the picture, which kids and men love, lay hand bought pizza crust on baking sheets, smooth with a good amount of hand made or bought pizza sauce. Lay a flat layer of pepperoni's over the sauce and cover with two layers of freshly graded cheese. 

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is completely melted at 375 F.

 ENJOY!!!

Italien Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1. 1 box fusilli or like pasta
2. 1 basket grape tomatoes sliced in half
3. 2 1/2 peeled, seeded and sliced cucumbers
4. 1/2 can sliced black olives
5. 1/2 can thinly sliced roasted, red peppers
6. 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
7. 1 1/2 cup Italian dressing
8. Lightly Salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Cook pasta until firm but done, al a dente.
2. Drain, rinse and allow to dry completely
3. Slice all vegetables into bite size pieces
4. Add pasta and vegetables together, then add cheese and Italian dressing.
5. Mix well.
6. Allow to sit in the refrigerator over night till chilled before serving. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
ENJOY!!!