A Homemade Life in Fast Food Time
I found a nice recipe for Cowboy Caviar but honestly – they make SO MUCH and I really didn’t need to have so much in my fridge. I cut the recipe here and there and it still made quite a bit – great for a couple or small gathering.
Hubby hates cilantro – so I made it optional here. Use whatever bell pepper you have on hand, I like yellow, orange & red better than green – but green would work okay as well. I do think that red onion is a must, a regular yellow onion would be too strong.
I have posted previously about my dislike for fruit and meat combos, and I’ll stick to that in MOST cases – but last night I made a mango salsa that was amazing with grilled chicken. Coconut rice was the perfect accompaniment – its not overpowering, and it was really tasty on a piece of Naan Bread with the salsa and chicken.
I bet this salsa would be good with fish, too. I’m not a huge fish fan – but if I get some nice Cod, Halibut or something else I’ll try it grilled with this salsa.
I’m always on the prowl for tasty veggie sides that aren’t frozen or canned. I refuse to buy anything but canned corn – and frozen veggies are okay – but fresh is best. We love asparagus and brussels sprouts but they’re seasonal and sometimes VERY expensive. One thing that seems to be available year around, and is quite inexpensive, is cabbage. Aside from coleslaw, I never really gave it much thought as a side dish – and then I saw oven roasted cabbage on Youtube and I had to try it myself. Continue Reading
This soup is one that is super easy to throw together and offers a great way to use up vegetables you might have over stocked on. You can also supplement with frozen or canned if you feel the need. Mom likes to add a can of black beans for added fiber and protein – I try to keep it LOW fat and low cal – so adding calories is not my goal.
Yum! I love wild rice – a love that probably traces back to my upbringing in northern Minnesota. My grandpa used to harvest wild rice and we always had it in the pantry. These days it’s a bit harder to find, and more expensive – but it’s SO WORTH IT!
First you must endure a little lesson about wild rice – because it is one of my favorite things. Fact #1 – It’s a grain – not a rice. Fact #2 – It has been found in layers of the earth dated as far back as 12,000 years. It is most definitely an ancient grain.
Fact #3 – Any wild rice that is actually growing wild in Minnesota’s state waters can only be harvested with a permit -and must be harvested the same way the First Nation tribes harvested it years ago. Which is actually a pretty cool process.
I love the flavor of wild rice, but it does take awhile to cook – so plan accordingly – 1 cup of wild rice in about 3-4 cups water cooks in about 45-55 minutes. If you’ve never made, or eaten, wild rice – this recipe is an amazing intro – it’s easy, flavorful, and good for you. Get adventurous and trade out the orzo for another ancient grain – maybe faro or barley would be good! Continue Reading
I’m always looking for ways to eat chicken that are a) tasty; b) healthful; and c) not grilled chicken breast. To be honest, chicken breast is probably my least favorite cut – I’m a thigh girl. But sometimes they’re on sale – or that’s what you have – so here’s a great recipe to transform a dry, boring chicken breast into a yummy dinner.
This is a fairly healthy recipe – using Wheaties or bran cereal like AllBran creates a crisp coating that is complimented with some spices – yum!