Mexican Rice Casserole

I found this recipe at For the Love of Cooking and decided to try it because the ingredients were very economical and it looked yummy. This recipe is also very forgiving, as it allows you a lot of room to play with it. For example, I can't make anything too spicy or else my husband won't eat very much leaving me with lots of leftovers to eat all by myself. So I added half of the red pepper flakes, and instead of using spicy tomato sauce, I used mild salsa. If you wanted to make it even more economical, you could omit the ground beef. (Honestly, I couldn't really even tell it was in the recipe. If you do this, just season the beans with the seasoning instead.) This was really good, however, and I served it with cornbread and salad. It was also filling. I made a whole batch this time around, and my husband and I only ate 1/4 of it. Next time I'll probably do a half recipe to have some for dinner and then a little left over instead of most of a pan.

Mexican Rice Casserole

1 1/2 cups of white rice, prepared per instructions

1 tsp of olive oil

1 lb lean ground beef

1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp paprika***

1 tsp chili powder***

1 tsp dried cumin***

1 tsp garlic powder***

1 tsp dried oregano***

1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes***

salt and pepper, to taste

1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed (I made my own)

1 8 oz can of tomato sauce

1 8 oz can of spicy tomato sauce (such as El Pato- or you could use 1 cup of salsa)

3-4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (divided) (I didn't use this)

1-2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

3-4 tomatoes, sliced thickly (I didn't use these either. I'm not a huge fan of large tomato chunks)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare rice per instructions. While the rice is cooking heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the ground beef, making sure to break it up into crumbles. Cook the beef for 3-4 minutes then add the diced onion and all of the seasonings. Stir until well combined and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the beef is cooked through and the onion is tender. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly for an additional 60 seconds. Add the cooked rice, drained and rinsed black beans, tomato sauce and a bit of cilantro (reserving some for garnishing) to the beef and onion mixture. Mix the ingredients thoroughly, taste and re-season if needed.

Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray and pour the rice mixture into the dish, spreading it evenly. Place the tomato slices on top of the rice mixture then top with cheddar cheese.

Spray a piece of tin foil with cooking spray (so the cheese won't stick) and cover the baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes (at 350 F) then remove the tin foil. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Top with a dollop of sour cream and the remaining chopped cilantro. Enjoy.

***Or you can use 1 packet of taco seasoning instead of individual spices.

Cheesy Ranch Chicken Casserole

For this recipe, I started out by collecting the ingredients for this recipe at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures. However, as I started to assemble the casserole, I looked in my refrigerator and made some substitutions and omitted a lot as well. It was pretty tasty- we just needed to add some salt and pepper to it in order to bring out some of the taste of the casserole (probably because I made white sauce instead of using canned soups). Next time, I'll probably double the ranch (mostly because you couldn't taste it at all, and it'll add a little more salt to the dish to help with the flavor) and double the cheese I sprinkled on the top (my husband is a cheese fanatic, and while he was glad it made it into the dish, he was disappointed there wasn't more), as well as add some more salt and pepper.

Cheesy Ranch Chicken Casserole

1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup diced carrots, cooked until fork tender
1-1/2 to 2 cups diced cooked chicken
2 cups dried macaroni noodles (or any other pasta you want)
2 batches of white sauce (or 2 cans of your favorite cream soup)
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup cheese (I like cheddar)
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs (or you can use crushed crackers or even just regular bread crumbs- you'll just want to add some spices/herbs to help with the flavor)

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Combine everything except cheese and bread crumbs, then place in a greased 9"x13" casserole dish. Bake at 350 F for about 40 minutes, or until bubbly. Sprinkle cheese on top of casserole and bread crumbs on top of cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Chilean Pevre

This makes A TON! My mum, who still has five kids at home, cuts it in half when she makes it for our family, so you can adjust it accordingly. This is really a party-sized amount, but it's the recipe Vero gave us.

NOTE: Pevre is kind of like a salsa, which means you can chop the ingredients as big or as small as you want. Vero keeps them fairly small, but they're still definitely chunks.

2 white onions, chopped
10 tomatoes, peeled and chopped (again, adjust according to your family)
fresh cilantro - rinse in cold water; twist off stems; twist to tear in half; chop
2 lemons, juiced
1/4 c. olive oil
1/2 c. salt - I know it's a lot. You'll really use it to taste
Mexican style tomato sauce, to taste (typically between 1/4 and 1/2 cup

1. Combine onions with salt (to taste). Mix and let set for 10 minutes.
2. Peel tomatoes, chop cilantro, mix together.
3. Squeeze out excess moisture in onions. Mix with tomatoes and cilantro.
4. Add rest of ingredients and mix together.

It's really good on chips, french bread, or you could even toast the bread a little to make a sort of bruschetta. Tasty!

Great-Grammie Boone's Date Squares

My mum's family has always been known for being great cooks - especially bakers - and this recipe proves it! Baking wise, it really doesn't use a lot of anything, so it's not too pricey, although it's also not too healthy. (At least not physically. I think it's very emotionally and mentally healthy!)

CRUST & TOPPING
1 c. brown sugar
1 3/4 c. quick oats
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. melted butter

1. Mix all together really well and press half into a lightly greased 9 by 13 pan. (You may need to use a little more than half. The crust is the best part, so if you taste the uncooked thing and decide you want LOTS of topping, just add another 1/2 of everything.)

FILLING
1 1/2 c. chopped dates (this is done easiest by just snipping the dates with scissors if you haven't bought them chopped already, but DO buy them pitted! It's so much easier!)
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. hot water from the tap

1. Put all ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until nice and thick, stirring occasionally. This will take a few minutes, and it may still look a little watery, but it'll be good.
2. Pour over crust. Crumble the rest of the crust mixture on top of it.
3. Sprinkly with a bit of water. (This isn't really necessary. I forgot to do it last night. My mum and I can't figure out why Grammie did it.)
4. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Let cool some before cutting.

My husband and I think they would taste great with vanilla ice cream while they're still a little warm!

Oat Bread

This is another recipe my mom has shared with me. It is by far one of my favorite breads to eat. Not to mention all of the good-for-you fiber it packs!

Oat Bread

1 cup oats
2 cups boiling water
1/3 cup warm water (to activate yeast)
2 Tbl yeast (preferably rapid rise yeast)
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbl salt
2 Tbl melted butter (I always substitute vegetable oil and it works the same)
1-1/2 cups wheat flour
3 cups white flour (preferably bread flour)

In mixing bowl, add oats and boiling water to soak and soften. Meanwhile, place yeast and 1/3 cup water in a small bowl/mug to allow yeast to activate. Once the oats have softened a cooled a little, but are still warm, add the honey***, salt, butter and yeast mixture. Mix together, then add flours. Continue mixing until dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Let rise, covered, until doubled^^^. Spray 2 loaf pans with cooking spray and dust with oatmeal. Shape dough and place in pans. Lightly drizzle loaves with honey and then sprinkle with oats. Let rise again until the dough reaches the top of the pan. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 30-40 minutes (This crust stays soft, so just make sure that when you tap the top it doesn't sink and that the loaf is golden brown.).

*** To easily measure honey, spray the measuring cup with cooking spray.

^^^ This dough is sticky, so I like to place a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil in the bottom of the bowl I let the dough rise in. Not only does this keep the dough from sticking to the bowl, but it helps keep it moist.

How to Reconstitute and Use Powdered Milk

Powdered milk is an amazing thing to have in your food storage, especially if you bake and/or cook a lot. While I have never had a glass of reconstituted powdered milk to drink, I have used it several times as a substitute for store-bought milk products I thought I had on hand. (Does this happen to anyone else?) This information comes from a food storage book my mom gave me called Simple Recipes Using Basic Food Storage by Karen Keenan and a ward cookbook from a couple of years ago.

Here are a couple of bonuses for using powdered milk in your recipes:

1. Fewer calories and less cholesterol than if you were to use the store-bought alternative
2. You can add more nutritional value to foods by adding powdered milk (be creative!)
3. It's easy and doesn't spoil as fast as a gallon of milk or pint of cream. To use powdered milk in your recipes calling for milk, just include the powdered milk with the dry ingredients and then add the water with the wet ingredients (of course leaving out the real milk).
   

Recipes for Reconstituted Powdered Milk Products:

2% milk***
1/4 cup powdered milk
1 cup water

Mix well.

Whole Milk***
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 cup water

Mix well.

Buttermilk or Sour Milk
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 cup water
1 Tbl vinegar or lemon juice

Mix and let stand 10-15 minutes, or until milk is soured.

Evaporated Milk
2/3 cup powdered milk
1 cup water

Mix well.

Whipped Evaporated Milk
2/3 cup powdered milk
1 cup water
2 Tbl lemon juice

Cill evaporated milk completely. Add lemon juice and whip until stiff. Sweeten and flavor as desired.

Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup powdered milk
1 cup water

Blend completely in a blender. Can be stored in refrigerator or freezer.

*** To make powdered milk more palatable as a drink, you can mix it half and half with store bought whole or 2% milk. Or you can add a little sugar or vanilla, or even thoroughly chilling the combined milk improves the flavor.***

Fast Food Storage Fudge

I got this recipe from a church blog my mom has put together. Not only is it really fast (it only takes 2 minutes to cook without the use of a candy thermometer) but I had everything in my pantry that I needed to whip up a little chocolate craving cure. I also want to apologize for another treat recipe post. However, while making desserts less frequently is one way to master your budget, I think it's still important to indulge every now and then. Besides, this is pretty cheap, but yummy!

Fast Food Storage Fudge

1 pound powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup butter (one stick, unmelted)
1/4 cup milk (reconstituted powdered milk is fine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift powdered sugar and cocoa into a bowl. Add butter and milk. Do not stir. Microwave 2 minutes on high. Stir. Add vanilla, stir. Pour into 8" square baking dish (I lined mine with foil and sprayed it with cooking spray). Refrigerate 1 hour before cutting and serving. Serves 16.

I also added chopped almonds to my fudge (It sounded good and I had some I needed to use up!). You could add any other nut as well- just add it into the fudge when you stir in the vanilla.