Pineapple Mango Salsa

Pineapple Mango Salsa

from the Pioneer Woman

1 whole Pineapple, Peeled And Diced
1 whole Mango, Diced
½ whole Medium Red Onion, Finely Diced
1 whole Jalapeno, Seeded And Diced
Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 whole Lime, Juiced
Dash Kosher Salt
Dash Granulated Sugar (optional)

Preparation Instructions
Combine diced pineapple, mango, red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro. Squeeze in lime juice and add salt and sugar if needed. Stir to combine. Serve within an hour with tortilla chips or on top of chicken or fish.

{cookes note}

I love mango.  We eat at least one a day at my house.  Pineapple mango salsa is a great alternative to pico de gallo if you want to mix things up on your menu.  I like to serve mine with fish.

Baked Green Beans with Bacon and Cheese

{cooks note}


When I had Blake, my friend brought this as part of her dinner to me.  My family was immediately in love.  She told me how she did it, so there is really no "real" recipe.  I'll do my best to explain.  Either way, it's pretty easy to put together and everyone loves it.  Definitely not on weight watchers plan.


Baked Green Beans with Bacon and Cheese
from my friend Brooke


1 package frozen green beans
Shredded Cheddar cheese (I use a Mexican blend from Costco)
Cooked bacon, chopped (about 6 slices)
Olive Oil
fresh ground peper
Kosher or Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place frozen beans in a microwave safe bowl and add about half an inch of water.  Cover tightly with saran wrap and place in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, or until beans are not frozen anymore, but definitely not cooked.  Drain the water from the bowl and place the beans on a quarter baking sheet (half the size of a normal cookie sheet).  You can use a cookie sheet, but you will have more room on it.  I would use it if you double the recipe.  Drizzle about 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil over the beans and mix them so all the beans are lightly coated with oil.  Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top and bake in the oven for about 5-8 minutes.  Test one bean to make sure it's getting close to done.  Change oven temperature to a high broil  Add chopped bacon and put back in the oven for another 1-2 minutes. Take out and add the cheese.  Bake for another 1-2 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Times may vary for each oven.

Sometimes, very rarely, I buy this full cooked bacon from Costco.  It's a complete time saver in situations where I have no time.  Other times, I cook 3 pounds of bacon in batches in my oven and freeze it.  A how-to on that is coming up soon.

The six ingredients.

I like to buy my frozen vegetables at Costco.  They are much cheaper and I like the quality far better than most grocery stores offer.

Bacon is key to this dish.

This totally takes the healthiness out of eating your vegetables, but every once in a while it's okay.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Asparagus

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Asparagus
from Good Things Catered


2 pounds fingerling potatoes, washed and dried
1.5 pounds trimmed asparagus, washed and trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil
kosher salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Toss potatoes in olive oil and put into a large roasting pan.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper and place in oven to bake for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.  Remove from oven, add asparagus, butter and garlic cloves, toss to combine and add more salt and pepper if needed.  Place back into oven to bake until asparagus is tender and potatoes are roasted through, about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, toss to combine and place into serving bowl.   Serve immediately.

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{cooks note}

This dish is a great compliment to lot's of spring and summer dishes.  I made this to go along with barbequed salmon.  I did not use a roasting pan.  I used a white oven proof dish I had that is close to the size of a 9x13.

Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

from Favorites

1 large tomato

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons onion

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together in blender; set aside

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup rice (white, or brown or combination)

2 cups water

2 chicken bouillon cubes

Heat olive oil in large skillet and fry rice until brown.  Add tomato mixture and simmer until some of the moisture evaporates.  Mix in 2 cups water and bouillon cubes and bring to a rapid boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

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{cooks note}

I make this rice with every Mexican dish I make.  I personally like using Basmati rice over long white rice because of the non-sticky texture.  This is very easy to make in large quantities if you are serving a lot of people.  

Baked Asparagus

Baked Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus, washed and ends trimmed

olive oil

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

Turn oven to 425 degrees.  Lay asparagus on baking sheet (I use a half sheet) and sprinkle lightly with olive oil.  Lightly toss asparagus with hands to make sure olive oil is distributed evenly.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bake on middle rack for about 6-8 minutes, depending on how done you like them.  

Pretty easy, huh?  This isn't rocket science, people.

Asparagus lightly coated with olive oil.

Just after taking out of the oven.

Asparagus season is coming upon us.  Partake of the goodness before it's gone.

Oven Rice

Oven Rice

from my friend Jennie

2 cups white rice

3 cans Beef Consume (Campbell's brand)

1/4 cup butter, melted (half a cube)

2 tablespoons green onion, chopped

1 teaspoon oregano

1 cups water

Pour rice in a 9x13 glass baking dish.  Add the seasonings.  Pour liquids over rice.  Cover tightly with foil and cook in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

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{cooks note}

I love this rice!  It's so good and so easy.  You add everything together, pop it in the oven and forget about it for an hour.  You can also add mushrooms, but you all know how I feel about mushrooms.  My husband would love it if I put them in, but since I'm the one cooking, I get to rule the kitchen.  Ha! 

The ingredients, minus the green onions.  I've been seriously slacking lately. What can I say, I've got a bad case of the winter blues.  The Beef Consume can be found in the isle where you would find the soups.  I'm pretty sure you'll have everything else on hand.  

The rice with the seasonings.  Add the liquids last, cover tightly with foil and forget about it in the oven for 1 hour. 

When the rice is finished, it will come out looking like this.

This rice is good served with almost any type of barbecued meat.  You've got to try it.  The flavors are out of this world.

Croutons

Croutons

1 loaf of bread (french, sour dough, baguette)

6-8 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons Lawry's garlic salt

fresh ground pepper

Cut bread into 1"-2" cubes.  Heat a large skillet and add olive oil and butter.  You may decide to add more olive oil depending on how big your loaf of bread was.  Give the bread a good stir to try and coat each piece of bread with the oil/butter mixture.  Cook on medium heat.  Next add the garlic salt while gently stirring the bread.  Add pepper to taste.  Heat a large skillet on medium heat and lightly stir the bread until it starts to turn a golden brown color.  Once the bread looks evenly cooked, place on a parchment lined cooked sheet and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.  The croutons should be crunchy.

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{cooks note}

I know there are a variety of ways of making homemade croutons, but I have found this is the easiest for me.  They are super easy to make and last for quite a while in a zip lock bag or an air-tight container.  The great thing is, you can easily adjust the recipe.  Butter, or no butter.  More garlic salt, less garlic salt.  You do what you like.  I also use round sour dough bread loaves and the croutons turn out amazing.  Usually whatever bread is on sale at the time is what I get.

One loaf of French bread.

Cut bread into 1"-2" cubes.  Place in a large bowl.

Garlic salt and fresh pepper.  

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet on medium heat.  I like using butter because it helps give the croutons a great brown color that the olive oil can't achieve.

Add the cubed bread to the hot skillet and give it a good stir.  Measure in the 2 tablespoons garlic salt and pepper (to taste).  Stir to combine and cook until lightly browned.

Lay the croutons on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or until croutons are crunchy and golden brown.  I add this extra step because usually the skillet doesn't get the croutons crunchy enough.  Take it or leave it.

Homemade croutons are so good and worth the little effort they take to make.

Refried Beans

Refried Beans
 from my friend Heather


4 cups Pinto Beans

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 cups Mexican blend cheese

1/2 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 cup sour cream

Wash beans and soak in enough water to cover.  Add 1/2 tablespoon salt and soak overnight.  They soak up a lot of water, so be sure to keep adding it when needed.  They should always have 1-1 1/2 inches of water covering them.  About 3 hours before you need the beans prepared, start to cook them.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to simmer the remainder of the time.  Watch the water.  Once done, strain most of the water into a separate bowl, but DO NOT throw it away.  Begin mashing the beans with a potato masher.  Add water (that you took out before) until you reach your desired consistency.  Add the cheese, chili powder, garlic salt and sour cream.  Add more salt if needed.  Remember, the beans will continue to soak up the water, so you can continue to add more if needed.  Sprinkle with cheese just before serving.  

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{cooks note}

I make these about once a month and we eat them the week after in burritos or as a side to different dishes I prepare to go with the beans.  This is a great way to use those beans you have in your food storage.  These are so much better than canned refried beans.  I make mine in the crock pot because I have a hard time remembering to soak them the night before.  I cook them for about 6 hours on high, but every crock pot is different so you may have to adjust the time according to how your own crock pot cooks.  When I make these in the summer and it is 5 billion degrees outside, I cook them in the garage on a flat sturdy surface.  That way it doesn't heat my house up more than it already is.  I usually have to add water about 3 more times while they are cooking.  I do not drain the water when it is time to mash them.  I have made them so much, I know how much water I like in them when I start to mash.

I store my beans in a storage container that holds up to 25 pounds. 

Rinse beans thoroughly.  Lot's of times there will be large clumps of dirt, so make sure you go through them the best you can. I like using a sieve.

After washing, I transfer all the beans to my crock pot.

Add 1/2 tablespoon of salt.

Cover beans with 1-1 1/2 inches of water.  Continue to add water as the beans cook.

I cook my beans at high for 6 hours.  Adjust your time according to how your crock pot cooks.  Every one is different.

This is what your beans will look like just before mashing.  You want them to be really soft.  After mashing, add the rest of the ingredients, plus some salt if needed.  I forgot to take a picture of the mashing because I was busy.  Oops. 

Good ol' creamy refried beans.

Creamed Red Potatoes with Petite Peas

Creamed Red Potatoes with Petite Peas

8-10 red potatoes

16 ounce package of petite peas

4 cups of milk

1 cube of butter

salt and pepper to taste

Wash and cut your potatoes.  I cut mine in half and then in half again, so I get four wedges out of each potato.  Once they are cut, put them in a pot and fill half-way with water.  Salt.  Boil for 15-20 minutes.  While the potatoes are cooking, make your white sauce.

White Sauce:

Melt 1 cube of butter and add 1/2 cup of flour whisking until smooth.  Add 4 cups of milk and whisk until thickened.  Once thickened, add salt and pepper to taste.

While you are making the white sauce, cook the peas, but don't overcook them.  They will continue to cook a little more once you add them to the white sauce and potatoes.  Once everything is done, pour the peas into the white sauce, give it a little stir and pour over hot potatoes.  Serves 6.

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{cooks note}

I made this meal a lot in college.  I obviously scaled down the portions, but it was a great dinner for me.  I serve this with the Salmon Timballs and they go perfectly together.  Definitely a keeper in my book.

Washed red potatoes.  I really love red potatoes.

Potatoes cut up and placed in a large pot.

Add water and salt.  I covered these ones in water because I prepared them about 4 hours before we ate.  I didn't want the potatoes to turn brown from the cut parts being exposed to the air (oxygen in the air reacts with the starch found in the potato), so I covered them.  Once I was ready to cook them, I poured out half the water and added about 1 tablespoon of kosher salt.  Boil for 15-20 minutes.

Getting the white sauce started. Make sure your butter is nice and melted before adding the flour.  Once you add the flour give it a good stir with a wire whisk until there are no clumps then add the milk.

I love petite peas. If you do not like peas, then leave them out.  You will not hurt my feelings.  I think petite peas are the only way to go.

Add the peas to the white sauce and stir gently.  Once they are combined...

pour over the potatoes.  Wasn't that easy?  I thought so.  A delicious complement to many dishes.