Monday, October 10, 2011

Mexican Skillet Rice

This dish is so delicious and easy to make! Also makes a great Meal 2 just by wrapping it up in a tortilla and adding some cheddar cheese!

PREP/TOTAL TIME: 30 Min** |  Makes 6 Servings
** This is if your rice is already cooked- some long grain rices can take 20 min

INGREDIENTS:
1 egg, beaten
1 lb chicken tenderloins, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cooked jasmine or long grain rice
1 can (15oz) black beans, rinced and drained
1 can (11oz) mexicorn, drained
1 jar (7 oz) roasted sweet red peppers, drained and sliced
1 jar (8 oz) taco sauce
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large skilled coated with cooking sipray, cook and stir egg over medium-high heat until set. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, stir-fry chicken and onion in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the rice, beans, Meixicorn, peppers, taco sauce and green onions; heat through. Stir in the reserved egg. Sprinkle the rice with cilantro.

From Taste Of Home, May 2011 Issue

Friday, October 7, 2011

the ideal apple crisp

Prep: 30 Min
Bake: 50 Min
Cool: 1 hour

ingredients
  • 1-1/2
    cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1
    cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3
    cup packed brown sugar
  • 3/4
    tsp. freshly ground cinnamon* or cinnamon
  • 1/2
    tsp. kosher salt or 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2/3
    cup unsalted butter, cut in pieces
  • 8
    cups peeled apples, sliced 1/2 inch thick
  • 2
    Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1/4
    to 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1
    Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2
    tsp. kosher salt or 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/8
    tsp. freshly ground nutmeg **
  • Butter for baking dish


    directions
    1.Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl combine the 1-1/2 cups flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. With your fingers work the butter into the flour mixture until it just begins to cling together. "Work it just past the just crumbly stage," says Scott. The topping can be made in advance, store it for up to a week in the refrigerator or a month carefully wrapped and frozen. "I like to keep some on hand, then make an individual crisp using a single apple baked in a ramekin or custard cup."
    2.In a 4-quart bowl toss together apples and lemon juice. "I like my apples a little thicker than for a pie," Scott says. "Slice them too thin and the apples collapse and cook down to sauce." When adding lemon juice, forgo the squeezer and use your fingers to catch the seeds. "I love the efficiency and pleasure of using my hands to cook," Scott says. In a small bowl combine the 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, salt, and nutmeg. "A light grating of fresh nutmeg plays well against the acidity and sweetness of the apples." Use the lesser amount of sugar for sweeter apples, Scott says.
    3.Sprinkle apples with sugar-nutmeg mixture, then with your hands, mix together. Heap into a lightly buttered 2-quart baking dish. "Apples collapse a good bit during cooking, so it is important to pile them above the rim of the baking dish," says Scott. "Otherwise you can end up with a sunken crisp." Cover the top of the apples with the crumb mixture, breaking up large pieces as necessary to cover.
    4.Cover the crisp first with parchment, then foil. "This eliminates the chance of any 'tin can' flavor into the crisp," Scott says. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and paper from the opposite side of the pan (to keep steam away from your face and hands). Return to oven; bake 30 to 40 minutes more or until top is golden and apples are just tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. To ensure the flour in filling is cooked, bake until thickened juices bubble from the fruit. Let cool 15 to 30 minutes before serving. Serve with whipping cream or Scott's Rich Custard Sauce. Makes 10 servings.
    5.*To grind your own cinnamon, place a 1-1/2-inch section of stick cinnamon in a spice mill or a coffee grinder set aside just for spices; grind to a fine powder.
    6.**Grate nutmeg with a nutmeg grater (find at kitchenware shops and some supermarkets).


    nutrition facts
    • Calories368
    •  
    • Total Fat (g)13
    •  
    • Saturated Fat (g)8, 
    • Monounsaturated Fat (g)3,
    • Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1, 
    • Cholesterol (mg)33, 
    • Sodium (mg)237, 
    • Carbohydrate (g)64,
    • Total Sugar (g)46, 
    • Fiber (g)2, 
    • Protein (g)2, 
    • Vitamin C (DV%)8, 
    • Calcium (DV%)2, 
    • Iron (DV%)6, 
    • Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

    CREDIT: Better Homes and Gardens, August 2010, P. 152 or http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cobbler/american-classics-apple-crisp/