Story:
This recipe I'm putting on here so I don't have to google and scroll "how to cook quinoa" every time I make it. This is for my quick reference and convenience. These specific instructions I found from cookieandkate.com so I give thanks to them for making quinoa different ways to be able to teach me their favorite way! Here's the link to their quinoa recipe that I'm referencing.
Ingredients:
quinoa (1 part)
water (to 2 parts)
salt (about 1/4 t per cup of dry quinoa)
Directions:
1. Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh colander under running water for at least 30 seconds and then drain well.
2. Put the one part quinoa to two parts of water into a saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat a bit to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the quinoa has absorbed all the water (small amounts: 10ish minutes, larger amounts: 15-20 minutes). Reduce the heat as time goes on to maintain that gentle simmer.
3. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and then let the quinoa steam for another 5 minutes. (This part gets it nice and fluffy!) Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Season it with salt... or proceed to the recipe you're using the quinoa in.
Note: 1 C of dry quinoa will yield about 3 C of cooked quinoa.
Showing posts with label side dishes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label side dishes. Show all posts
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Saturday, October 19, 2019
Oven-cooked Bacon
Story:
Whenever my family travels to San Diego County, we get to stay with my amazing parents. They are wonderful and generous. Over the years, the tradition has evolved that my dad often makes breakfast for all of us. He is quite the chef when it comes to blueberry pancakes and smoothies. He knows how to cook the eggs just right so that the yolk is perfect for toast dipping. It's the best.
We also all always love his bacon. He cooks it in the oven on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet. It always turns out perfectly. However, as we all know, ovens cook differently. And even though he told me how he makes it, and I wrote down the instructions, and I followed them exactly, and I even bought the same bacon at Costco... my bacon in my oven did not taste like Grandpa's bacon. It came out overcooked and sandy-textured every time. So I hopped on Pinterest and I tried a few different options and I came across the recipe that works perfectly in my oven! Yay! Hooray for amazing bacon!
Ingredients:
Bacon :)
Instructions:
Line a sheet pan with foil.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Put the sheet in the oven for 20 minutes.
(Check it sooner if you like the bacon a little on the not-crispy side.)
Use tongs to move the bacon onto a paper towel lined plate.
Drain the grease from the foil to save for cooking in other recipes.
So, this is pretty straightforward and nothing too amazing, but I had to write down somewhere:
375 for 20 minutes
so I could remember what works for my oven. :)
Whenever my family travels to San Diego County, we get to stay with my amazing parents. They are wonderful and generous. Over the years, the tradition has evolved that my dad often makes breakfast for all of us. He is quite the chef when it comes to blueberry pancakes and smoothies. He knows how to cook the eggs just right so that the yolk is perfect for toast dipping. It's the best.
We also all always love his bacon. He cooks it in the oven on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet. It always turns out perfectly. However, as we all know, ovens cook differently. And even though he told me how he makes it, and I wrote down the instructions, and I followed them exactly, and I even bought the same bacon at Costco... my bacon in my oven did not taste like Grandpa's bacon. It came out overcooked and sandy-textured every time. So I hopped on Pinterest and I tried a few different options and I came across the recipe that works perfectly in my oven! Yay! Hooray for amazing bacon!
Ingredients:
Bacon :)
Instructions:
Line a sheet pan with foil.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Put the sheet in the oven for 20 minutes.
(Check it sooner if you like the bacon a little on the not-crispy side.)
Use tongs to move the bacon onto a paper towel lined plate.
Drain the grease from the foil to save for cooking in other recipes.
So, this is pretty straightforward and nothing too amazing, but I had to write down somewhere:
375 for 20 minutes
so I could remember what works for my oven. :)
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Refried beans
Story:
The young women (youth group) in our congregation have done a fundraiser for their summer camp two years in a row. They do a Mexican Fiesta-themed bean burrito dinner. They include homemade salsa, tortilla chips, and bean and cheese burritos. This year they included a dessert option of Rice Krispie treats or brownies! I heard this was their biggest fundraiser last year. I'm curious to hear how they did this year. There was a long line-up of cars in front of the Santiago's house at 5:30 last night waiting to pick up their food at the "drive-up" table the girls had set up.
They asked the girls (or their parents) to help provide some of the food this year, and they sent home a recipe for homemade refried beans. I had never made homemade refried beans before! It was super easy and I found it surprisingly satisfying when they actually turned out! So I'm including the recipe here.
As a side note, when Megan (now a senior in high school who recently found out she was accepted to BYU-Hawaii for college!) came home from school and was starving and walked in the kitchen while I was finishing up some Rice Krispie treats and the refried beans, said, "Mom, I think the food plan in the dorms is gonna suck." I said, "No, there will be lots of options and there will always be something you'll like." She said, "Yeah, but you're over here making homemade refried beans and Rice Krispie treats." I think she might have been saying that she might miss me a little bit. ;)
Ingredients:
3 C dry pinto beans
1 cube butter
1 T salt
10 C water
Directions:
Put the beans in a crock pot with the 10 cups of water and cook for about 8-9 hours on HIGH. Make sure the beans are always covered with water. You may need to add more water during the cooking process.
Once cooked, save 1 1/2 C of water from the beans and drain off the rest. Mix the beans, the 1 1/2 cups of bean-water, salt, and butter with an immersion blender--or in a regular blender. I used my immersion blender right in the crockpot.
Return to the crockpot to keep warm or refrigerate until you are ready to eat.
Delicioso!
The young women (youth group) in our congregation have done a fundraiser for their summer camp two years in a row. They do a Mexican Fiesta-themed bean burrito dinner. They include homemade salsa, tortilla chips, and bean and cheese burritos. This year they included a dessert option of Rice Krispie treats or brownies! I heard this was their biggest fundraiser last year. I'm curious to hear how they did this year. There was a long line-up of cars in front of the Santiago's house at 5:30 last night waiting to pick up their food at the "drive-up" table the girls had set up.
They asked the girls (or their parents) to help provide some of the food this year, and they sent home a recipe for homemade refried beans. I had never made homemade refried beans before! It was super easy and I found it surprisingly satisfying when they actually turned out! So I'm including the recipe here.
As a side note, when Megan (now a senior in high school who recently found out she was accepted to BYU-Hawaii for college!) came home from school and was starving and walked in the kitchen while I was finishing up some Rice Krispie treats and the refried beans, said, "Mom, I think the food plan in the dorms is gonna suck." I said, "No, there will be lots of options and there will always be something you'll like." She said, "Yeah, but you're over here making homemade refried beans and Rice Krispie treats." I think she might have been saying that she might miss me a little bit. ;)
Ingredients:
3 C dry pinto beans
1 cube butter
1 T salt
10 C water
Directions:
Put the beans in a crock pot with the 10 cups of water and cook for about 8-9 hours on HIGH. Make sure the beans are always covered with water. You may need to add more water during the cooking process.
Once cooked, save 1 1/2 C of water from the beans and drain off the rest. Mix the beans, the 1 1/2 cups of bean-water, salt, and butter with an immersion blender--or in a regular blender. I used my immersion blender right in the crockpot.
Return to the crockpot to keep warm or refrigerate until you are ready to eat.
Delicioso!
Monday, April 2, 2018
Roasted Green Beans
Story:
You know it's bad when your teenagers say they don't think we are eating enough vegetables. Oops. I go through stages with a lot of my cooking, and apparently, veggies have taken a back seat to convenience lately. I was humbled enough to know they spoke truth and I am now trying to feed my family (including myself) more veggies! I tend to be a fan of fresh veggies. Never canned, occasionally frozen. But sometimes I feel stumped on what to do besides steaming broccoli again, ya feel? So I've been perusing the internet and the bottomless pit of ideas called Pinterest for new ideas on preparing vegetables. I know I can pin the good ones (and I do), but I hate all the ads... so I'm back here on the blog to post some of my favorite finds in order to remember and access the real "keepers" in one safe place.
So that is why I am bringing to you today this recipe for Roasted Green Beans. YUM! The first time I made them, Ethan (now 15), went over to the leftovers on the pan and asked, as he was picking them up and eating them right there over the counter, "Why are these so good??" Yes, green beans. I found the recipe here. I didn't do much to tweak it or anything. It's good just as it is.
I've served them with a tangy pork roast. I've served them with chicken. Tonight I'll be doing up a batch to go with leftover Easter ham. They are always good! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh green beans
1-2 T olive oil (enough to lightly coat the beans)
1 or 1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t fresh ground pepper (8-10 turns of the grinder)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400ยบ.
I like to put down parchment paper on my roasting pan (large cookie sheet).
Wash the beans, trim, and pat dry.
Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Get in there with your hands and make sure the beans are all coated nicely.
Spread in a single layer on the roasting pan.
Roast for about 15 minutes, and turn.
Roast for another 10, to your desired doneness.
They should be a little bit shriveled and have some brown spots.
That's it! I hope you like them as much as Ethan did.
Note:
I saw that some people liked to cook them a little less.
I saw that some people like them with a squeeze of lemon.
I saw that some people like them with parmesan cheese.
All of these options sound great!
You know it's bad when your teenagers say they don't think we are eating enough vegetables. Oops. I go through stages with a lot of my cooking, and apparently, veggies have taken a back seat to convenience lately. I was humbled enough to know they spoke truth and I am now trying to feed my family (including myself) more veggies! I tend to be a fan of fresh veggies. Never canned, occasionally frozen. But sometimes I feel stumped on what to do besides steaming broccoli again, ya feel? So I've been perusing the internet and the bottomless pit of ideas called Pinterest for new ideas on preparing vegetables. I know I can pin the good ones (and I do), but I hate all the ads... so I'm back here on the blog to post some of my favorite finds in order to remember and access the real "keepers" in one safe place.
So that is why I am bringing to you today this recipe for Roasted Green Beans. YUM! The first time I made them, Ethan (now 15), went over to the leftovers on the pan and asked, as he was picking them up and eating them right there over the counter, "Why are these so good??" Yes, green beans. I found the recipe here. I didn't do much to tweak it or anything. It's good just as it is.
I've served them with a tangy pork roast. I've served them with chicken. Tonight I'll be doing up a batch to go with leftover Easter ham. They are always good! Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh green beans
1-2 T olive oil (enough to lightly coat the beans)
1 or 1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/2 t fresh ground pepper (8-10 turns of the grinder)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400ยบ.
I like to put down parchment paper on my roasting pan (large cookie sheet).
Wash the beans, trim, and pat dry.
Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Get in there with your hands and make sure the beans are all coated nicely.
Spread in a single layer on the roasting pan.
Roast for about 15 minutes, and turn.
Roast for another 10, to your desired doneness.
They should be a little bit shriveled and have some brown spots.
That's it! I hope you like them as much as Ethan did.
Note:
I saw that some people liked to cook them a little less.
I saw that some people like them with a squeeze of lemon.
I saw that some people like them with parmesan cheese.
All of these options sound great!
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Korean: Ddeokbokki (spicy rice cake)
Story:
As I've mentioned before, my husband and I both served a mission for our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) in Seoul, South Korea. Of course, we weren't married then... but AFTER the missions, we started dating and we were married not long after. People often ask us if we speak Korean to each other. It would be great if we did, but, well, English is a whole lot easier! But we DO try sometimes. And we do try to read scriptures in Korean. And we have been known to occasionally get somewhat addicted to Korean dramas. And we do LOVE Korean food. For the record, I will admit that I was the world's pickiest eater before I lived in Korea for over a year (and I *may* have shed a tear when I was assigned to serve in Korea...mostly for fear of the food). But now, the smell of kimchi makes my mouth water and I keep dried seaweed in my pantry at all times.
I took a quick trip to the Asian Market last week to purchase some of the aforementioned kimchi... and I saw some dduk (pressed rice cakes) sitting there in a bag waiting for me to take some home to make ddeokbokki. Yum. It's not the healthiest of Korean foods (probably why I like it and my husband not-so-much), but it is tasty (and not too scary for you new-food-a-phobics). I'm going to make some tomorrow, and I wanted to go ahead and record the recipe here for easy access. I found a Korean food blog that is pretty fun... www.maangchi.com ... which is where I found this ddeokbokki recipe. I will record my simplified adaptation here (namely, I will not make the kelp and anchovy broth that she does... I'm sure it's awesome, but I'll just go with chicken broth. Sorry Maangchi! I'm sure it's fab.) And I'll go for the milder flavor recipe, because it might be tricky enough to get my kids to try it, and if it's too spicy, then it certainly won't fly.
Ingredients:
tube-shaped rice cakes for ddeokbokki
4 (to 6) T hot pepper paste
1 T sugar
4 green onions, cut into 1 or 2 inch pieces
4 C chicken broth
Directions:
Bring 4 cups of chicken broth to a boil.
Add the rice cakes (about a pound).
Add 4-6 tablespoons of the hot pepper paste and about 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Stir constantly. Stir until the sauce is thick and the rice cake is shiny.
Transfer onto a plate to serve.
*I've only made it once, and it was great. If it turns out okay tomorrow, I will add a picture here!*
As I've mentioned before, my husband and I both served a mission for our church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) in Seoul, South Korea. Of course, we weren't married then... but AFTER the missions, we started dating and we were married not long after. People often ask us if we speak Korean to each other. It would be great if we did, but, well, English is a whole lot easier! But we DO try sometimes. And we do try to read scriptures in Korean. And we have been known to occasionally get somewhat addicted to Korean dramas. And we do LOVE Korean food. For the record, I will admit that I was the world's pickiest eater before I lived in Korea for over a year (and I *may* have shed a tear when I was assigned to serve in Korea...mostly for fear of the food). But now, the smell of kimchi makes my mouth water and I keep dried seaweed in my pantry at all times.
I took a quick trip to the Asian Market last week to purchase some of the aforementioned kimchi... and I saw some dduk (pressed rice cakes) sitting there in a bag waiting for me to take some home to make ddeokbokki. Yum. It's not the healthiest of Korean foods (probably why I like it and my husband not-so-much), but it is tasty (and not too scary for you new-food-a-phobics). I'm going to make some tomorrow, and I wanted to go ahead and record the recipe here for easy access. I found a Korean food blog that is pretty fun... www.maangchi.com ... which is where I found this ddeokbokki recipe. I will record my simplified adaptation here (namely, I will not make the kelp and anchovy broth that she does... I'm sure it's awesome, but I'll just go with chicken broth. Sorry Maangchi! I'm sure it's fab.) And I'll go for the milder flavor recipe, because it might be tricky enough to get my kids to try it, and if it's too spicy, then it certainly won't fly.
Ingredients:
tube-shaped rice cakes for ddeokbokki
4 (to 6) T hot pepper paste
1 T sugar
4 green onions, cut into 1 or 2 inch pieces
4 C chicken broth
Directions:
Bring 4 cups of chicken broth to a boil.
Add the rice cakes (about a pound).
Add 4-6 tablespoons of the hot pepper paste and about 1 tablespoon of sugar.
Stir constantly. Stir until the sauce is thick and the rice cake is shiny.
Transfer onto a plate to serve.
*I've only made it once, and it was great. If it turns out okay tomorrow, I will add a picture here!*
Monday, June 4, 2012
Pearl Barley
Story:
My sisters taught me of a really yummy "Portuguese Soup" (spinach and sausage) which I'll post another time. My family likes it with barley. I am always trying to remember how long the barley takes to prepare, so I'm posting this here for my own convenience when I make it. I buy pearl barley in the bulk section at Sprouts, and this is simply their little brown "recipe card" that I am using.
Directions:
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
Add 1 cup of pearled barley.
Reduce heat to a simmer.
Cook 10 minutes and remove from heat.
Let set for 10-15 minutes. (This is when I dump it into the pot of soup...)
K. There. Now I will remember.
My sisters taught me of a really yummy "Portuguese Soup" (spinach and sausage) which I'll post another time. My family likes it with barley. I am always trying to remember how long the barley takes to prepare, so I'm posting this here for my own convenience when I make it. I buy pearl barley in the bulk section at Sprouts, and this is simply their little brown "recipe card" that I am using.
Directions:
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
Add 1 cup of pearled barley.
Reduce heat to a simmer.
Cook 10 minutes and remove from heat.
Let set for 10-15 minutes. (This is when I dump it into the pot of soup...)
K. There. Now I will remember.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Ham & Lemon Asparagus
Story:
I've made this several times over the last 3 months, but every time I have to turn on my Roku and go to the "AllRecipes.com" channel and scroll through to find the video to make it. So to make my life easier next time I want to make it, I thought I'd just post the recipe here. It's really good and a really easy way to make asparagus as a side dish.
Ingredients:
Olive oil
Ham (just some... diced, torn into pieces, chopped, whatever)
Asparagus (however much you want or have)
Minced garlic (I just use a little of the bottled kind)
Lemon wedge
Directions:
Heat a swirl of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Toss in your ham and fry it up for 3-4 minutes until ham is crisp.
Add your trimmed asparagus. Toss in the olive oil until coated.
Add 1/4 C water and put the lid on quirckly. Leave lid on for 1 minute to steam.
Take lid off and add some minced garlic. Then put the lid back on for 1 more minute.
Take off lid and toss some more until the asparagus is cooked how you like it. (I like mine a little more on the crisp side than soggy, so don't cook toooo much longer.)
Transfer the asparagus and the ham to your serving plate. Squeeze lemon over the top. (He says you can put on a little grated parmesan cheese too, but I keep forgetting to try that.)
It's delish! Even my kids love this... well, maybe they just pick off the fried ham... but I love it!
I've made this several times over the last 3 months, but every time I have to turn on my Roku and go to the "AllRecipes.com" channel and scroll through to find the video to make it. So to make my life easier next time I want to make it, I thought I'd just post the recipe here. It's really good and a really easy way to make asparagus as a side dish.
Ingredients:
Olive oil
Ham (just some... diced, torn into pieces, chopped, whatever)
Asparagus (however much you want or have)
Minced garlic (I just use a little of the bottled kind)
Lemon wedge
Directions:
Heat a swirl of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Toss in your ham and fry it up for 3-4 minutes until ham is crisp.
Add your trimmed asparagus. Toss in the olive oil until coated.
Add 1/4 C water and put the lid on quirckly. Leave lid on for 1 minute to steam.
Take lid off and add some minced garlic. Then put the lid back on for 1 more minute.
Take off lid and toss some more until the asparagus is cooked how you like it. (I like mine a little more on the crisp side than soggy, so don't cook toooo much longer.)
Transfer the asparagus and the ham to your serving plate. Squeeze lemon over the top. (He says you can put on a little grated parmesan cheese too, but I keep forgetting to try that.)
It's delish! Even my kids love this... well, maybe they just pick off the fried ham... but I love it!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Marinated Cucumbers
Story:
You know how I said that in Utah, we would have neighborhood BBQs sometimes? Well Tiffany S. brought this cucumber salad one time, and loving cucumbers like I do, I had to get the recipe from her.
Ingredients:
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1/3 C cider vinegar
1/3 C water
2 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
chopped fresh dill weed or parsley, if desired
Directions:
Place cucumbers in a small bowl.
Shake the remaining ingredients (except dill weed) in a tightly covered container.
Pour over cucumbers.
Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours to blend flavors.
Drain marinade off of cucumbers.
Sprinkle with dill weed.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Ham Fried Rice
Story:
I love Chinese food. Even when it's not "real" Chinese food... Americanized versions work just fine for me. And the fried kind is especially good!
I found a basic ham fried rice recipe in "The Domestic Diva's Party Cookbook." That's basically what I use, just tweaked a little.
Ingredients:
2 T butter
2 ribs celery, diced
1/2 C chopped onion
1 C frozen peas
2 C diced ham
6 C cooked rice
soy sauce
Directions:
Melt butter in a large frying pan; add celery and onion and cook until tender, but not brown. Add the ham, the rice, and the frozen peas. Stir until blended. Add soy sauce until mixture is a light brown, or to taste. Heat through.
Note:
The original recipe didn't call for the peas; I added those. I've also added shredded carrots before, mostly just for color. I am not real strict with the measurements of anything. I usually add more celery and onions... just 'cause I love 'em.
The recipe also said to use 6 cups of refrigerated cooked rice. I've never done that... so I don't know if that would improve the texture or something... But I just always do some up in my rice cooker and just add it to the skillet when it's ready.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
How I Do Brown Rice
Story:
I should probably call this "How Sarah E. Taught Me To Do Brown Rice". Thanks to my friend Sarah in South Ogden, brown rice has become one of my favorite side dishes.
Directions:
The trick she taught me is to add chicken bouillon to the water before adding the rice. In her words, "It keeps it from tasting like dirt."
So in one pot, boil the rice according to the package directions (but add some chicken bouillon to the water--just a couple of teaspoons). While that's boiling, in a separate pan or wok, melt about a tablespoon or two of butter. Then saute lots of chopped onion and chopped celery in butter. Add a little black pepper. Stir occasionally and just let it simmer there for a while. When the rice is done (it usually takes 45 minutes), stir in the celery and onions with the rice. Voila! Now you don't have just boring rice, but you it has a better flavor and a nice texture.
Thanks, Sarah! I miss you!
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