Cilantro Lime Rice

This rice is so yummy with Cafe Rio style sweet pork tacos. I don't make it every time we have them, but I miss it when I don't. It's super easy, so if you have the ingredients, whip some up and enjoy on your tacos or as a side. 

1 cup white rice

2 cups water

1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp lime juice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Bring water and salt to a boil. Add rice. Cover and cook until done (about 14 minutes). Add in lime juice and cilantro. Stir to incorporate and fluff with fork. That's all there is to it! Enjoy :)

Glazed Carrots

This recipe from Lil' Luna has changed my go-to veggie side dish from broccoli to carrots. These are so satisfying and easy to prepare. Yum!

16 oz. bag of baby-cut carrots

1/2 c. water

1 1/2 Tbsp. butter

1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Bring carrots, water, butter and brown sugar to a boil in a pan over medium-high heat. Turn to low and simmer for approximately 6 minutes.

Here is where I sometimes venture off the directions for a bit. Not all baby-cut carrots are created equal. Sometimes they are thin and petite. In that case, skip this paragraph. The recipe, as written, will work just fine. But sometimes baby-cut carrots are short but very fat and will take longer to soften up. In that case, I cover the pan and simmer (on low or medium low) for an additional 6 minutes or so. Then remove the lid and continue on with the final phase. 

Turn back to high and cook until all the water is evaporated and carrots are tender, usually another 5-6 minutes. I like to stir occasionally to give every carrot a turn in the sweet glaze. Remove from heat. Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper and enjoy!

According to Lil' Luna, this makes 4 servings (94 calories each).

Mashed Potatoes

Sadie is our mashed potato maker around here. She definitely knows what she's doing. :)

5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (or Russets, if preferred) 

1/2 c. butter (1 stick) 
1/2 c. milk or heavy cream

1/2 c. sour cream

Salt and Pepper 

        Peel and chop potatoes into chunks. In a large pot, cover potatoes with water and add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until totally soft, 16-18 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to pot. Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until smooth.
        Melt butter and milk until warm. Pour over potatoes and stir until completely combined and creamy. Add sour cream and stir until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Butter Rich Roll Dough / Orange Sweet Rolls

This recipe from my mom makes some pretty great dinner rolls, but once you make Orange Sweet Rolls with the dough, you'll never look back. 

Butter Rich Roll Dough

1 c. milk
1 stick butter or margarine, softened
¼ c. sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ tsp. salt
4 c. all-purpose or bread flour
2 generous tsp. Instant yeast
        Combine ingredients. Mix well with dough hook in Bosch or Kitchen Aid, 5-7 minutes. Remove from bowl and let rest for 10 minutes. Form into rolls. Let rise until double in size. Preheat oven to 375° and bake about 10 minutes. Rolls are very light and buttery. Can be made into cinnamon rolls as well.

Orange Sweet Rolls
        Make a batch of Butter Rich Roll Dough. Roll it out, less than ¼” thick. Spread with ¼ c. butter then a filling of ~¾ c. sugar and the zest of one orange. (Reserve about ½ tsp. zest for glaze.) Sprinkle with a dash of salt to offset the sweetness.
        Gradually roll the dough into one long log. Pinch the seam to seal. Use dental floss or string to cut the dough into 1” slices and lay on greased baking sheet. (You can fit all the rolls on the same sheet – about 20-24 rolls.) Allow to rise. Bake at 375° for 10-15 minutes or until just starting to brown on top. Don’t over bake.
        While rolls are baking, mix up a glaze of powdered sugar, the juice of one orange and the reserved zest. Drizzle over the rolls while they are still warm.

Potato salad

This is my friend, Dana's recipe. It's really good, but you might need to wait for a large gathering to make it. It makes a LOT!

12 large potatoes
12 hard boiled eggs, chilled
1 cup mayo & mustard mixture (maybe more)
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 large red onion, finely chopped
5 pickles, cubed
        Peel potatoes and cut in half. Boil until tender. Cool and cube. Shell hard boiled eggs and cut into cubes. Cut pickles, onions and celery and add to eggs and potatoes. Mix the mayo/mustard with about ¼ c. pickle juice and salt to taste. Mix into potato mixture. Pour into a clean bowl and sprinkle with paprika. If desired, garnish with egg slices. Adjust amounts as needed.

Funeral Potatoes

If we changed the name of this dish, would people make it more often? It's yummy and comforting, but kind of sad that it's mostly eaten only as after-funeral food. :(

22-32 oz. frozen hashbrowns

2 cans cream of chicken soup

16 oz. sour cream (2 cups)

1 c. grated cheese

½ c. melted margarine

1/3 c. finely chopped onion

2 c. finely crushed cornflakes

2 Tbsp. melted margarine

Combine all ingredients except cornflakes and last 2 Tbsp. margarine. Put in 9x13 baking dish. Combine cornflakes and margarine and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes.

Green Bean Casserole

This recipe is from Campbell's. It just feels like Thanksgiving or Christmas which happen to be the only times we even think about making it. :)

2 cans (10 ¾ oz. each) Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 cup milk

2 tsp. soy sauce

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

8 cups cooked cut green beans (can use canned, too)

2 2/3 c. French’s French Fried Onions

Mix soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 1 1/3 c. onions in 3-qt. casserole. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until hot. Stir. Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 minutes. Serves 10.

Homemade Baked French Fries

A yummy snack or side from my friend, JaNae.

Potatoes
Olive oil
Braggs seasoning
        Cut potatoes into wedges. Coat lightly with olive oil. Spray with Braggs and/or other seasoning. Cook in oven at 400º for 30 minutes. You can broil them for a few minutes after baking to make them toasty!

Frog Eye Salad

This is from my SIL, Brenda. It's not at all complicated, but it's always satisfying.

¼ to ½ box (about 1 cup) Acini de Pepe or ABC pasta, cooked and cooled
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained (reserve ¼ c. juice)
8 oz. cool whip
1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix
Miniature marshmallows, optional
        Combine pudding mix with 1/4 c. pineapple juice. Stir in cool whip. Add other ingredients, stir well and refrigerate.

Layered Taco Dip

This is great to take to a potluck or to serve at a small party. 

Spread a large can of refried beans in a 9x13 glass baking dish. (I microwave the beans right in the pan so they are warm and easy to spread.) Next add browned ground beef prepared with taco seasoning. Cover with a layer of picante sauce or salsa, whatever chunkiness/texture/spiciness you like. Then spread sour cream, stirred smooth, over that. It gets a little messy, but it’s okay if the salsa and sour cream get mixed. Sprinkle the top with grated cheese. You can add diced tomatoes on top, or onions, olives, whatever you like. Dip/shovel with tortilla chips. It makes a great grazing or lunch snack.

Green Cottage Cheese Salad

Another flash from my past. I know this has a seemingly strange combination of ingredients, but I remember eating this various times when I was little and beyond and it's always a good memory, so here you go. :) This recipe was given to me by my friend, Shantell. 

Mix together:

1 small box lime Jell-o

16 oz. cottage cheese

1 can chunk pineapple, drained

Fold in 8 oz. cool whip.

Refrigerate.

Broccoli Bacon Salad

Hands down, this is the all-time best salad ever. I could eat this everyday. (Do I say that too much? I need to stop posting recipes when I'm hungry...) My friend, Marcia, gave me this recipe and I went for years thinking it was hard to make so, naturally, I never made it. Then one day I did. You know what? It's not hard. It's actually really easy and so delicious that I was mad at myself for waiting so long. Don't make the same mistake. 

6 cups broccoli florets, cut into small pieces

Half of a red onion, minced

16 oz. bacon, cut in small pieces and cooked crisp

1 pkg. craisins

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup salted sunflower seeds (wait and stir these in with the dressing to keep them crunchy.)

Mix altogether and refrigerate. About ½ hour before serving, wisk together dressing (recipe below) and pour over broccoli mixture. Stir together then serve.

Dressing:

1 ½ cups mayonnaise

¾ cup sugar

3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

Grandma's Dilly Dip

This yummy dip tastes like a visit to Grandma's house. I always remember it paired with Chicken in a Biskit crackers, but others in my family think of Wavy Lay's potato chips. Either way, this dip is so good and terribly addicting. Unfortunately, I didn't get the recipe from my grandma, but with input from my aunt and my sister and plenty of experimenting myself, what I've come up with tastes exactly the way I remember it!

4 oz. cream cheese (Use more if you want it thicker with a slightly more subtle flavor)

1 heaping Tbsp. mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh onion

¼ to ½ of a good sized green pepper

2 medium dill pickles (or ~1/2 cup dill pickle slices)

Blend in blender or use immersion blender. Add a splash of pickle juice if needed for consistency. Serve with Chicken in a Biskit crackers or wavy potato chips.

Veggie Egg Rolls

Okay, these are completely delicious. My friend, JaNae, posted the recipe on her blog and I could eat them everyday. They are pretty simple, but they don't skimp on flavor. Oh Yum!!

Saute 1 diced onion. To the pan of onions, add 2 shredded carrots, 2 shredded zucchinis, and 1 small head shredded cabbage. Very lightly sauté. Spray with Braggs liquid aminos. Wrap in egg roll wraps and fry in oil or bake in oven. Super delicious!!

Quick and Easy Black Beans

I have several favorites from the ladies at Our Best Bites. These beans are easy to whip up and they make a great addition to Mexican dishes. (See original recipe here.)

2 cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 T olive oil
2/3 C diced onion
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
2/3 C chicken broth or water (I use broth for extra flavor)
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t oregano
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 lime

In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 2 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to smoosh some of the beans. You don't want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken up the sauce. They will thicken more upon standing. If you want a more soupy consistency, just add a little more broth. Serve as a side dish, or over rice, in fajitas or tacos, or on top of chicken or steak. Makes six 1/3 cup servings.

Pasta with Spinach and Garlic

This is yummy freshly made or cold out of the refrigerator the next day. Two of my boys can't get enough. It works as a side dish or a light meal. A former colleague of Jeff's shared this recipe with us several years ago and we make it often. Thanks, Anu!

12 oz. spinach (or 9 oz. box of frozen chopped spinach)

16 oz. small pasta – shells or wagon wheels, etc.

1/3 c. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1/2 - 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

salt and black pepper

1/3 to 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese (the kind you buy in the refrigerator section)

Remove and discard any tough spinach stems; chop leaves coarsely and set aside (or just thaw chopped frozen spinach).

In a 6- to 8-quart pan, cook pasta in boiling water until tender according to package directions. Just before pasta is done, stir in spinach. Cook, uncovered, stirring to distribute spinach, just until water returns to a full boil. Drain pasta and spinach.

While pasta and spinach are draining, heat oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, uncovered, until garlic turns opaque (about 2 minutes). Stir into the pasta and spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in parmesan cheese. If desired, reserve some cheese to sprinkle on top before serving.