Zucchini and Rice

Back in my Vegetarian days of cooking this recipe was one of our favorite main dishes. With a loaf of warm bread and a salad it makes a great meal. We really like this as a side dish also. It complements many different meals.

• 2 cups cooked rice
  
• 1.5 pound zucchini
  
• juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup lemon juice)
  
• 1 cup cottage cheese
  
• 1 tsp salt/pinch of pepper
  
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar
  
• 1/2-3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
• Oven 350 degrees
  

Slice zucchini in 1/4 inch thick rounds and steam until done but still firm
While zucchini steams, mix cooked rice with lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper.
In a casserole dish make a layer of rice, then cottage cheese and Parmesan, then zucchini. Repeat. Top with cheddar. Bake 10-15 minutes. YUM!

Experimenting with the site design

let me know what you think, I would like to edit it more but will need Tim's help. Let me know if you don't like it and I will put it back =D

Bacon and eggs cups

So I made these little egg muffins and while they were not as i expected they open up a lot of possibilities. I really recommend her site, she has a lot of great ideas and it is where i got the recipe from. Please check her site
http://www.howto-simplify.com/2010/08/bacon-and-egg-cups.html
Bacon and Egg Cups

Ingredients:

• 1 slice of bread per muffin cup
• 2 slices of bacon per muffin cup
• 1 egg per muffin cup
• 1 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese per muffin cup (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Use a cookie cutter to cut circles out of each piece of bread.
3. Grease a muffin tin and press circles of bread in the muffin cups. Place in the oven and bake for 5 minutes or until bread is slightly toasted. Remove from the oven.
4. Cook bacon in a skillet until halfway cooked (approximately 3-4 minutes).
5. Place 2 slices of bacon on top of the pieces of bread to form a cup (the bacon should cover the bread and the sides of each cup).
6. Crack an egg into each muffin cup (on top of the bacon). It helps to discard a little bit of the egg white after cracking and before pouring into the muffin cup.
7. Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the eggs are set.
8. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over each egg and continue to bake until cheese is melted (this step is optional).
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

I am enclosing a picture of the meal. so you can see what they looked like.

Easy Pork (Carnitas) for burritos or tacos

Crock Pot Pork for Burritos.
I use a chunk of Pork (Cost Co has a 4 pack-use one freeze the rest)
Place in crock Pot
Cover with favorite Salsa.
Cook on low 10-12 hours
Shred pork, add more salsa or taco seasoning to taste
Place on tortillas and add your favorite toppings!
EASY

CPK's Pasta Jambalaya

I found this recipe online from the California Pizza Kitchen and it's soooo good!
Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients, it's actually fairly easy to make!
Slight modifications by me, mostly to make it easier and faster to make =D

CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN JAMBALAYA
Makes 4-6 servings

Chicken Marinade:
2 Boneless skinless chicken breast - cut into cubes
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
In a mixing bowl combine the olive oil, garlic, soy sauce and salt. Add the cubed chicken and let marinate room temperature for 10-20 minutes. You can do this part for longer, just put the chicken in the marinade then put in the fridge until you are ready to use.

Jambalaya Sauce:
1 pound linguine
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 # Andouille sausage or Louisiana hot links (2-3 hot links depending on how much you want in the dish). I like to cut them in quarters but you can cut each sausage in half and then into slices.
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes (I take a can of diced tomatoes and slightly puree them)
3 ounces canned tomato paste (half of a small can)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you want more kick bump it up to a 1/2 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 bay leaf
In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the chicken and saute, then add the sausage and cook for a couple minutes more. Add the garlic and saute for about another minute. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, until sauce thickens a bit. Remove bay leaf before using.

Caribbean Peppers and Onions:
1/4 cup bottled sweet chili sauce
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper
1 medium yellow bell pepper
1 large red onion
Large Dice the bell peppers and onion. In a medium size bowl, stir together the chili sauce, soy sauce and olive oil until well combined. Toss the peppers and onion with the sauce until well coated. Heat a saute pan, I like to use a cast iron skillet, and saute the peppers and onions. Set aside.

Cook the Linguine until just done, do not overcook the pasta, you want the pasta to absorb some of the sauce. Toss the pasta with the Jambalaya sauce and Caribbean peppers and enjoy!

This goes really well with the Disney Cornbread ;)