Beefy Rice with Veggies

One pot skillet dishes are great in theory. Sometimes, however, I find the recipes and the final results to be vastly different. With a collection of veggies building up in the fridge, a one pot skillet dish was needed. Finding nothing stimulating on any of the recipes feeds, a new dish was created to meet our tastes and needs. Something without tomatoes or tomato sauce. A dish built upon a T&T staple, Porky Rice but slightly tweaked. Thus, Porky Rice Vegetable Medley.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 cup each carrots, corn, bell peppers, chard, onion (diced bite size)
1 cup rice
Tony Chachere seasoning
2.5 cups water

Instructions:
In large dutch over, brown ground beef. Set aside to drain very well. To beef fat in dutch oven, cook veggies (except chard) to soft. Return beef, add rice, water, and seasoning. Cook until rice is absorbed checking for seasoning and water level occasionally. When water is absorbed, toss in finely sliced chard and mix into rice to soften. Let dish rest for 10 minutes, test for seasoning.

Scaled for Likability: Good
It was everything I hoped it would be. Easy to cook, easy to modify with leftover veggies or meat, and easy to store/reheat the next day. The issue arose in the cooking of the rice. Rice in a pot cooks in 15 minutes with 5 minutes rest time. This dish was cooked for close to 45 minutes and the rice was still slight crunchy. If made again, and it is possible a need will arise to cook again, the rice will be seasoned and cooked separately and then added to the dish before serving.

Better Than Campbell's Old Fashion Vegetable Soup

Went to the store with the hopes of gathering fresh produce for soup. With more than 45 people in line for two packages of any meat product and the produce section containing only avocado, orange, and most randomly, strawberries, I settled upon canned soup. Well not canned soup since that section was still void of food, too. Instead soup made from canned goods as the canned vegetable section had been mostly restocked. Soups like this 15 Minute Vegetable Soup are ideal in dire food situations such as current times. Modifications Made: Plain petite diced tomatoes omitted, frozen carrots instead of canned, green beans and corn undrained, peas omitted (gross, nasty little pods), one cup celery, three cups diced potatoes, one can tomato sauce, two beef and two pollo de tomate bouillon cubes, six cups water. Once onions were softened, carrots/celery/potatoes/juice of green beans and corn, sauce, bouillon cubes, water were added and allowed to simmer until carrots almost tender. Green be

Papas a La Mexicana (Ranchera)

It is a crying shame that there are six hens and not a egg in sight. What am I supposed to do with homemade ranchero sauce? Thankfully with a few quick searches of the internet a recipe from my hometown newspaper was discovered: Papas Ranchera . Not once in the thirty years I lived in my hometown did I ever eat at a local food joint serving papas rancheras. No time like the present to remedy this cultural dish. Because this recipe is hidden behind a paywall (grrr...) I have included it here for you: Servings: 4-6 Ingredients: 1 pound potatoes, diced 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 large onion 1 1/2 medium tomatoes 3 jalapenos 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup juice from canned tomatoes Instructions: Fry potatoes in vegetable oil until lightly browned (about 4-6 minutes). Saute onions, tomatoes, jalapenos until soft. Add garlic powder and salt. Add tomato juice until vegetables are covered (may need to add water). Bring to a boil and then add potatoes. Cover and reduc

Sour Cream & Chive Scalloped Potatoes

Can't believe the Month of the Potato is over. There are so many more potato recipes saved. Guess I will have to work them into another month. Last week's scalloped potatoes were one of the best new recipes during the month of potatoes. With today being the last day in the Month of Potatoes, I decided to go out with a bang by cooking another batch of scalloped potatoes but this time sour cream and chive. The Best Scalloped Potatoes , or so they said. Modifications Made: Recipe was reduced by half. Mayo was omitted and one entire package of chives were chopped and added to sauce before pouring onto layers. Scaled for Likability: Good Betty Crocker Sour Cream and Chive Box Scalloped Potatoes were the standard for this recipe. These were a family favorite for years but have long since been discounted. Bummer. Trying to replicate this seemed easy enough. Alas, it was not. These had a nice texture but were too oily from the cheese and did not contain enough onion, garlic,

Eating Waffles

Search This Blog