Cheesy Mexican Rice

This is part recipe I found on the back of a shredded cheese bag, part taco seasoning recipe I found online, part me.

For every two servings,

1/2 cup (uncooked) brown rice

1/2 cup corn

1/2 cup shredded cheese, Mexican/fiesta blend

1/3 cup salsa

Generous amounts of chili powder, oregano, black pepper, and garlic

1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper

Salt to taste

Cook the rice according to the package. If you're using frozen corn, add it to the rice when the rice has around 20 minutes left to cook. If you're using canned, about 10 minutes should do. When the rice is cooked, add the salsa, spices, and cheese, and stir until the cheese melts.

Stir Fry of True Deliciousness

I'm behind in posting recipes I created but I made this yesterday and it was so good that I want to make sure I don't forget what I did. The only meat we had in the house was a single chicken breast, so I had to get creative. I was inspired by a recipe in one of the magazines we receive in the mail thanks to someone named Shaneka who apparently likes celebrity gossip but also Woman's Day.

I used
1 chicken breast
1/2 cup (before cooking) brown rice
1/2 a largish onion
1 small green bell pepper
Approximately half of what was probably a 16-oz package of frozen broccoli
A few tbsp. canola oil

and for the sauce,
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1-2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. mild Indian seasoning
1/2 tsp. spicy Thai seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. butter

This recipe makes enough for two people.

1. Cook the brown rice according to the package.
2. Cook the chicken in a few tbsp. of canola oil on a skillet on the stove. Once it's tender, cut it into small pieces and cook until a little brown and crispy.
3. While the chicken and rice are cooking, chop the onion into pieces, put it in another skillet with some canola oil, and cook until it starts browning. Then chop up the bell pepper and add it and the broccoli to the onion. Cook until the broccoli is hot.
4. Add all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl, stir some, and microwave it until the butter melts, then stir well.
5. Divide the rice, veggies, and chicken onto plates, and then pour the sauce over them.

"That was delicious. I didn't even mind that there were vegetables in it because it tasted so good." - my husband (he likes at least several vegetables but is not overly fond of broccoli)

Peanut Sauce

I looked at a few recipes online for a basic idea of the ingredients and made up my own.

I used

Approx. 1/2 cup peanut butter

Handful of peanuts

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup honey

1/4 tsp. Pampered Chef Indian Mild Curry Rub*

1/4 tsp. Pampered Chef Thai Red Curry Rub* 

1/4 tsp. dried cilantro

1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper
3 tsp. sesame seeds

*Substitute pinches of whatever you have of sugar, salt, garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, turmeric, cardamom, brown mustard seed, clove, curry powder, paprika, onion powder, lemongrass powder, and a bit of lime juice. Simplified, use garlic, cinnamon, ginger, and curry powder.

Combine the ingredients in a pot and heat on the stove, medium temperature, until hot, stirring constantly. Serve on chicken and rice or whatever.

Easy Meatball Soup

This is one of the easiest recipes I've come up with.

I used
14 frozen Italian-style meatballs
Approx. 1/2 cup (uncooked) brown rice
14.5 oz can of mixed vegetables
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 or 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 cup soy sauce
Approx. 6 cups water

1. Cut the meatballs into fourths.

2. Combine everything in a pot and turn the stove on high.

3. Wait for it to boil, turn the heat down to low-medium, put the lid on, and cook it for around half an hour, stirring occasionally.

Serves three or four.

Asian-ish Stir-fry

I used
4 frozen chicken tenders
8 oz. frozen green beans
3 eggs
4 servings brown rice
Reduced-sodium soy sauce (a few tbsp., maybe 1/4 cup)
A few tsp. Pampered Chef Asian seasoning mix
Water

1. Put the rice on to cook.

2. Cook the chicken with the soy sauce on a skillet on the stove. Sprinkle with 1 tsp or so seasoning. Add a little water as necessary to keep it from burning to the skillet. When it's mostly cooked, cut it into pieces, beat the eggs in a bowl, poor them in the skillet with the chicken, and scramble.

3. Cook the green beans in a pan with a little water and 1 tsp. seasoning.

4. Add the rice, green beans, and another tsp. seasoning to the skillet with the chicken and eggs. Stir well and serve.

Makes enough for 3 or 4 people (enough for us two to eat for dinner and my husband to take to work the next day).

Chicken & Veggies

I used
2 large chicken breasts
1 package of a frozen spring vegetables with peppercorn seasoning mix
Soy sauce (I know, I put it in everything)
1 tsp. dried cilantro
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1 pat butter

Cook the chicken breasts most of the way with the butter and some soy sauce, pull them into pieces using tongs and a knife or whatever's convenient (be careful; I scratched my nonstick skillet), and cook them through. Add the veggies, cilantro, and celery salt, and cook them together until the veggies are hot. Serve on brown rice (or tortillas or whatever strikes your fancy). This recipe makes enough for four people.

Stir-fry

I made a random stir-fry for dinner.

I used
4 servings brown rice
5 eggs
A third or a fourth of a 32 oz bag of green peas
Soy sauce (estimated 1/4 cup)
Coriander, maybe 1 teaspoon
Chives, around 2 teaspoons
A few tablespoons of butter

I cooked the rice and combined it in a skillet with the frozen peas, butter, and eggs, and while it cooked, added soy sauce, coriander, and chives. I put too much coriander in (more than 1 tsp.), but otherwise it was good. We ate it with a couple of tomatoes from the garden. This recipe sort of makes enough for two people for two dinners.

Pineapple Chicken

I found a can of pineapple in the fridge, so I made pineapple chicken. I looked at recipes online for inspiration and did my own thing based on the ingredients available and what I thought would taste good.

I used
1 large chicken breast
4 pineapple rings
Pineapple juice
Reduced-sodium soy sauce
Thyme
Salt
Pepper

I cooked the chicken breast in a little butter, and when it was partly done, I sprinkled thyme, salt, and pepper on top, and then added the pineapple rings and a couple of tablespoons each of soy sauce and pineapple juice. I added more of the latter two as it evaporated as the chicken cooked the rest of the way and made brown rice (the instructions are on the package, yo) and green peas (in a skillet with some butter) to go with it. This recipe makes enough for two people for one dinner.

Potato Soup

Potatoes are cheap and I love them, so I made potato soup. I looked at a recipe online for some basic guidelines and made it up from there.

I used
10 potatoes
1 can of corn
3/4 of an onion
2 cups shredded cheese (whatever kind you like)
1 cup milk
Sea salt (normal salt works fine...I just had some)
Chives
Water

Chop up the potatoes and onion and put them in a pot. Put enough water in that they're not quite covered. Bring it to a boil, put a lid on, turn the heat down, and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir it well, and heat it 'til the cheese melts. It's very tasty. This recipe makes enough for two people to eat for two or three dinners.

Edit 5/11: It's even better with a package of frozen broccoli and some red pepper, my husband's suggested additions when I taught him how to make it.

Hi There

Hi. I'm Kate, or Manwariel. I'm half of a young married couple. My husband and I take turns cooking. He makes good chicken tacos. I don't want to clutter my normal blog with recipes, so I decided to start a cooking blog.