sweet pepper rice

we love rice at our house.  it's always a crowd pleaser.  not-so-fried rice.  mexican rice.  cilantro lime rice.  cuban black beans with yellow rice.  and let's be honest - unless i really mess it up my kids will always eat it.  always.  the other night they ate it for dinner my favorite way - with cider vinegar, salt and pepper - since mom's curry was a little slow going (i'll post that recipe soon - yum!).

here's our new favorite rice around here.  i obtained this recipe from a friend this summer who told me about it over a year ago and i was suddenly needing the recipe.  i was drooling for this rice i'd never had.

and it was totally drool-worthy.

a perfect side dish for any mexican meal, your family will gobble this one down!  and of course, yours truly lightened it up a bit by cutting the butter in half.  it doesn't need the extra.  it's perfect with less.

you're welcome.

sweet pepper rice

from dish delish

6 side dish servings

1 sweet onion (yellow onion), finely chopped
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup long grain white rice
3 cups chicken stock

1. in a large pan, melt butter & add onion & pepper. cook until soft & onion is translucent. add cilantro & salt & garlic powder, cook another minute. add rice & brown. watch closely as not to burn.

2. dissolve sugar into chicken stock. when completely dissolved, add to rice. bring to a simmer, turn to low & cover. cook covered for 30 minutes. fluff with fork.

chipotle roasted vegetable layered salad

here's another delicious way to eat some roasted veggies. i love cafe rio-style salads more than almost any food on this earth (except cheeseburgers, i've made that confession before). mexi-style salads with beans, rice, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, cilantro lime ranch dressing.... and now chipotle roasted veggies - all over a warm, toasted, cheesy tortilla.

i may even like this better than the meat in these salads. and when you roll up the tortilla at the end with the leftovers still in the tortilla after the lettuce is gone, the flavors are just perfect.

chipotle roasted vegetable layered salad

cilantro lime rice
ala a friend of the skinny bovine

3 cups cooked white rice (1 1/2 cups uncooked)
1 cup loosely packed cilantro
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil

pulse cilantro, onions, lime juice, salt and oil in blender, scrapping down the sides as needed, until well combined. fold mixture into warm rice.

chipotle roasted veggies
from perry's plate

1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 poblano pepper, cut into matchsticks (i used green here once and it was great!)
1 medium zucchini, cut into matchsticks
1 medium onion, halved and sliced very thinly
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
3 T olive oil
1-2 tsp minced or pureed chipotles in adobo sauce (see note here)
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper, to taste

place all sliced vegetables on a large rimmed baking sheet. in a small bowl whisk together the oil, chipotles, and cumin. pour over the vegetables and sprinkle a pinch or two of salt and pepper, to taste. using your hands, toss the vegetables in the oil mixture and ensure that everything is coated well. spread evenly in the pan and roast for 35-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so and shaking the pan to redistribute the vegetables evenly.

black beans
from perry's plate

1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp ground cumin
pinch of salt
1/2 cup salsa or pico de gallo

to prepare the beans, place the drained and rinsed beans in a small saucepan with about 2-3 tablespoons of water. stir in cumin, salsa, and season to taste. let them simmer over medium heat until they're heated through.


i posted this dressing below a few years ago, but i've since refined it a bit by thinning it with salsa verde and milk. i've tried a few of the tomatillo-based cafe rio-style dressings and still like this one better!

cilantro lime ranch dressing
ala skinny bovine

1 1/3 cup fat free sour cream
3/4 cup low fat mayo
1 bunch cilantro
1 package ranch dressing mix
4 tablespoons salsa verde (green salsa)
1 clove garlic
1/8 teaspoon tabasco sauce (or more to taste if you want it spicier)
juice of 1 lime

blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. thin to your liking with milk and more salsa verde and blend again.

putting it all together...
toast a tortilla on your stove top in a pan. flip the tortilla and spread cheese to melt on the other side. when cheese is melted remove from heat.

on the tortilla, place a spoonful of rice, beans and roasted veggies. top with lettuce to your liking. add cilantro lime ranch dressing and any other toppings you desire - sour cream, guacamole, tortilla strips, etc.

sweet and sour pineapple chicken

remember my not-so-fried orange chicken? this is a sweet and sour version of that. i really like asian food, but i really don't like how greasy it is. this version is delicious with almost no oil... it doesn't just taste good, but it will make you feel good too.

sweet and sour pineapple chicken
4+ large servings

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

stir fry in:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple)
1/2 teaspoon sugar

sauce:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ginger
rest of the juice from the can of pineapple (minus the above 2 tablespoons)

1 20 oz can chunk pineapple
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, sliced thin
2 carrots, julienned
1-2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow squashed, thinly sliced

cornstarch

1. combine flour, salt and pepper in a bag. add chicken pieces and mix them around to coat.

2. combine 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple) and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in large skillet or wok. heat for a minute.

3. add flour-coated chicken to skillet/wok. stir to coat with sauce. let chicken brown on one side, then stir and let brown again. repeat until chicken is almost done inside. add the pineapple, garlic, green pepper, carrots, onions and squash. stir to coat then cover and let steam for 2-3 minutes.

4. combine all sauce ingredients (ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, ginger, pineapple juice) and pour over contents of skillet/wok. let sauce get hot and help finish cooking the veggies until they are crisp-tender.

5. add cornstarch a little at a time to thicken sauce.

6. serve with steamed white rice.

five ingredient fridays: make-ahead lunch wraps

happy friday! and happy blogging. summer is too much fun to find time to blog much. i'm sorry for abandoning you so much!

i've recently ventured into the land of crisped wraps. they are great for summer since they require minimal cooking. the thing i like best about these, though, is that i can freeze them and they make a perfect lunch to-go for my hubby for work.

here is a 5-ingredient variation first and then another that we liked. the possibilities are endless with these. combine some of your favorite ingredients and i'm sure they'll be a winner at your house too!

make-ahead lunch wraps
from allrecipes.com

4 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
cooked brown rice (amount suggested - 2 cups rice cooked in 5 cups water for 45 minutes)

cheese and tortillas

1. combine beans, corn tomatoes, rice and desired amount of cheese. may season with chili powder, cumin or garlic if desired. roll up in tortillas and crisp on both sides in pan on stove to seal ingredients inside.
2. let cool. wrap in plastic wrap and then tin foil. store in freezer. reheat in microwave. serve with salsa, sour cream.... or ketchup if you're ridiculous like my husband.
here's another recipe we love at our house. these freeze pretty well, too, but they are extra yummy fresh!! i made them for while i was gone this last week and my husband was in heaven every day for lunch!

crispy southwest chicken wraps
see recipe at mel's kitchen cafe

mexican rice

you know that delicious, fluffy, reddish-colored rice you get at mexican restaurants? it isn't spanish rice. it isn't a cilantro-lime type rice. it's a perfect side dish with burritos, tacos or its great in salads. you know the one i'm talking about.

well, i found it. then i made it healthier. and quicker. you're welcome. :)

mexican rice
8-10 side dish servings
modified from here, where everyone said it was the mexican rice they'd been looking for for years!

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1 medium white onion
2-3 medium jalapenos
2 cups long grain white rice
1 tablespoon olive oil (or none if you prefer really low cal - original recipe was 1/3 cup!)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
1 lime (optional)

1. process tomato and onion in processor or blender until pureed and smooth. transfer mixture to measuring cup and reserve exactly 2 cups. save excess to use in something else (a smaller batch of rice, the filling for your enchiladas, dump it into a tortilla soup).
2. remove ribs and seeds from 2-3 jalapenos and discard. mince flesh and set aside.
3. place rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear - about 1 1/2 minutes. shake rice vigorously to remove excess water. this step removes the starch from the rice so it will not stick. if you omit this step your rice will not be dry and fluffy.
4. heat oil in large skillet (or just heat skillet) over medium heat. add rice and stir fry until rice is light golden and translucent, about 5 minutes.
5. reduce heat to medium, add garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minutes.
6. stir in broth, pureed mixture and salt. increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil.
7. cover pan with tight fitting lid and reduce heat to low. cook 20-25 minutes until liquid is gone and rice is done.
8. stir in cilantro and squeeze lime over the top if desired.

this rice is amazing in a cafe rio style salad with this sweet and spicy slow cooker chicken and cilantro lime vinaigrette dressing. okay, now i'm drooling.

up next - a super yummy 4th of july desert i made 4 years ago... yes it will include a terrible picture of the skinny bovine. :) look for it thursday so you have time to make it for this weekend's festivities!

recipe of the week: coriander chicken with mango salsa and coconut rice

i promised avocados, so here's a fun one i whipped up a few weeks ago with an avocado option! feel free to leave it out if avocados aren't as cheap where you are as they are where i am (2 non-walmart grocery stores have 25c avocados this week for me! yahoo!). don't leave the mango out, but watch for sales. i found mine 3 for $1. :)

this barely sweet coconut rice is a perfect compliment to the sweet and spicy salsa on your chicken. and i'm a believer that there's no exact recipe for salsa, so below is just what i used in mine.

and sorry no pics. use your imagination!!

coriander chicken with mango salsa and coconut rice
4 servings

chicken:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and split (you'll have 4 pieces total)
coriander salt and pepper

1. grill chicken by method of choice sprinkled on both sides with coriander, salt and pepper.

mango salsa:
1 mango, peeled, cored and diced
1-2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 small/medium jalapeno, seeded, deveined and diced
a bit of diced red onion (go easy on the onion or it will overpower the other flavors)
1 avocado, diced (optional)
chopped cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper to taste

1. combine all ingredients. let marinate 30 at least 30 minutes before serving.

coconut rice:
1 cup long grain white rice
1 14 oz can lite coconut milk (always 99c at trader joe's if you're lucky enough to have one!)
1/4 cup water
dash salt
a few teaspoons sugar, to taste
a handful of chopped cilantro

1. boil water, coconut milk and salt. add rice, reduce heat. simmer covered for 20-30 minutes until rice is tender and all liquid is absorbed.
2. stir in sugar and cilantro.

serve salsa over chicken with the coconut rice on the side. enjoy!!

recipe of the week: cuban black beans and rice with balsamic avocado dressing

my 1/2 brother is 1/2 cuban - and happens to make delicious cuban food. he made a yummy combination like this one for our family about a year ago and i've been craving it ever since. so here's my version - might just be my favorite food right now. too good for words. and it may be one of the prettiest things i've ever put in my mouth - look at those colors!

cuban black beans and yellow rice with balsamic avocado dressing
4-6 servings

black beans:
1/3 medium onion
1 green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
dash of crushed red pepper (optional - my husband said it needed a tiny kick)
3 cans black beans, one drained
2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
a few dashes of black pepper

run onion, bell pepper and garlic through a small food chopper. heat a splash of olive oil in a medium/large pot. add onion, bell pepper, garlic and crushed red pepper (optional) and let cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until it has had time to soften. add black beans, cumin, garlic salt, salt and pepper. stir. let simmer on medium low until beans are heated through - 15-30 minutes.

yellow rice (adapted from emeril lagasse's from here - or make your own or buy some!):
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch cinnamon
3 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bullion
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups long grain rice

in a medium saucepan, heat the turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon over low heat until fragrant, stirring, about 30 seconds. add the water, salt, and butter and bring to a boil. add the rice and stir well. cover and reduce heat to a bare simmer. cook, covered, without stirring until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

remove from the heat and let sit, covered, without stirring, for 10 minutes. fluff with a fork.

balsamic avocado dressing:

approximately equal amounts of chopped tomatoes, chopped red onion and sliced avocado. (not the best the next day, but if you're going to eat it all without leftovers i'd use about 4 medium/large tomatoes, 2/3 of a red onion and 2 avocados - cut that in half if you're going for leftovers the next day and make a fresh batch of dressing to go with.) cover in a drizzle of olive oil and drench in balsamic vinegar. stir well and let marinate for a few minutes before serving.

put beans on rice and top with dressing. add additional balsamic vinegar to taste if you'd like.

recipe of the week: not-so-fried rice

i know.... more asian food. i think it's a pregnancy thing. my dad makes the most amazing bacon fried rice. the only problem is i don't feel amazing after i eat it because it is definitely super greasy. this fried rice is super yummy like my dad's but without the grease (and it has veggies)!! enjoy!

not-so-fried rice
makes a huge wok full (about 6 servings)

2 1/2 cups uncooked white rice, cooked according to directions (i want to try it with brown rice, but i was afraid of husband mutiny against the brown. hehe.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 of a medium onion, chopped
1 1/2-2 cups (or more if you aren't using meat) veggies of choice (i used carrots and broccoli)
1 1/2 cups cooked cubed turkey or chicken - optional (i used some leftover from a huge turkey breast i roasted a while ago and froze)
5 eggs, scrambled
3-4 tablespoons soy sauce
green onion tops, chopped

1. heat oil in wok on high. add onions and sautee 2 minutes or until soft. add veggies and sautee until whole mixture is damp from oil. cover and let steam until veggies are crisp-tender (open wok and stir once in a while). about half way through steaming, add meat (optional) and let sautee with the rest of the mixture.
2. add cooked rice to wok and pour soy sauce over the top. mix well. scramble eggs and add to wok. add green onions. mix well again. cover wok and let heat for a few minutes until hot throughout.
3. top with extra soy sauce if desired and very optional... tabasco - i love tabasco on my fried rice. strange i know! hope you like it!

recipe of the week: filipino chicken

my mom used to make this when i was growing up, and since my husband spent two years of his life in the philippines on an LDS mission i'd thought i'd try it out on him. he said it tasted just like the real thing. it was sooooo yummy, cheap and healthy! even my daughter, who we can rarely get to eat meat, loved it! (if you don't like vinegar, i wouldn't suggest this one, but if you do you'll love it!)

filipino chicken
6 servings

1 5lb chicken, disjointed (or cut into pieces)
1 1/2 teaspoons peppercorns
3/4 cup cider vinegar
6 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 bay leaves
6 medium cloves garlic, chopped

1. simmer all ingredients in a covered pot for 2 1/2 hours at low temperature. serve with rice (i used brown, but white is more traditional) and steamed/cooked veggies of choice. pour sauce over rice and veggies (i did carrots and green beans because it is what i had!) when serving.

crockpot option (more expensive): 4-6 breasts cooked in crockpot on low.

recipe of the week: cafe rio-style salads

sorry this took so long! we were trying to get moved into our new apartment...so with no more adieu... cafe rio-style salads!

as i mentioned in my last post, salad is my favorite lunch meal ever. why? you can get all of the food groups in one meal and it tastes soooo good! for those of you who have never eaten at cafe rio in utah, i'm so sorry for you because their salads are fabulous. since i can't eat there every day, i make myself a cafe rio-style salad at home for lunch... every day (that is really true some weeks!).

enjoy and add your own flair to your salad with whatever you have in your kitchen. thanks for your patience with my terrible food photography while i'm learning. :)

cafe rio-style salads

dressing:
1 1/3 cup fat free sour cream
3/4 cup low fat mayo
1 bunch cilantro
1 package ranch dressing mix
4 tablespoons salsa verde (i like herdez from wal-mart - it's yummy and cheap!)
1 clove garlic
1/8 teaspoon tabasco sauce
juice of 1 lime

blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.

rice:
cook 1 cup white rice in 2 cups chicken broth as you normally would.

when its done add 1/4 cup green enchilada sauce and any extra cilantro you have.

beans:
1 can black beans
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
dash of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
3/4 teaspoon cumin

simmer onions and garlic in a tiny bit of olive oil until tender. add the rest of ingredients and cook until beans are hot.

chicken:
cut a chicken breast through the middle to have 2 semetrical breasts. see picture below.


pan-cook in a little bit of oil, lime juice and salsa verde and sprinkle with garlic salt, cumin and black pepper. cut into thin slices.

putting it all together:

1. heat a tortilla in a pan until barely crisp on both sides. sprinkle with a little bit of cheese.
   
2. put rice, black beans and chicken on top of tortilla.
3. top with chopped romaine lettuce (no iceberg - it has NO redeeming nutritional value!), fresh salsa (chopped tomatoes and lime juice will suffice if your budget has no room for fresh salsa) and your homemade dressing.
   

all i can say is yummy!! i really can't get enough of these salads!

here's my silly husband in action... getting a salad ready for the camera. haha.


challenge: have extra ingredients from this recipe (like enchilada sauce, maybe)? visit the ingredient search at allrecipes.com and put your extras to good use!

also coming soon, learn about why ground turkey is totally skinny bovine-worthy. (and go buy some at macey's in provo - see sale alert!!! on side bar for details.)

i found the imitation cafe rio dressing online forever ago, but have never been able to find it again! it's somewhere out there in cyberspace without my modifications. :)

recipe of the week: crockpot chicken and rice

warm, hearty and delicious this recipe is skinny bovine-worthy not only because it's cheap and healthy, but it's crock pot-easy and it makes great left overs.

crockpot chicken and rice

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (adjust according to how hungry your diners are)
1/2 cup water
1 package dry zesty italian dressing mix

cook 4 hours on high; cut chicken into bite-sized pieces or shred it

add one can 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup (buy the Wal-Mart generic brand!), one 8 oz package 1/3 less fat or fat-free cream cheese

cook until hot; serve over rice

extra-healthy modifications: serve over brown rice instead of white and add fresh spinach when you add the last two ingredients. yum, yum!

recipe attribution: thanks, mom!
cook time: just minutes... yeah for crock pots! (and okay, the rice will take 20 minutes or so), makes lots!