Mom's Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

1 ham bone or 3-4 ham hocks
1 16 ounce bag of red beans
2 stalks of celery chopped
1 red or green bell pepper chopped
1 roasted jalapeno pepper (canned) chopped
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic miinced
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of cumin
1 bay leaf
2 tsp Worcestershire sacue
1/4 tsp of tabasco
Juice eof one lemon.

Directions:

Do not add salt until the very end because ham will be salty and the beans will not cook thoroughly if water is salted.

Wash the beans in several rinses. Cover with cold water and soak over night. Discard the water used to soak the beans. Put the means in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add all the ingredients except the lemon juice. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for several hous until beans are cooked.

After about 2 hours, when tender, remove the ham bones from the pot. Debone the ham and reserve.

Remove cover and cook until the thickend to desired consistency.

Add the deboned ham and the lemon juice to the mixture and adjust the seasonings to your taste. Serve hot over white rice. 

Lemon Rice Salad with Capers and Pine Nuts

 Ingredients:

3/4 cup of pine nuts
6 cups of cooked rice
2 cups (1/2 dice) roast chicken or pork
1/2 cup minced Italian Parsley
1 small orange or red bell pepper, cored seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground pepper
6 leaves butter lettuce

Directions:

• Toast the pine nuts in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until nicely browned. set aside to cool.
• Combine the rice, chicken or pork, parsley, bell pepper, green onions, capers, lemon zest, and pine nuts in a large bowl. Toss lightly to combine.
• Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, salt, sugar, and pepper totaste in a 2-cup measuring cup. Add the dressing to the rice mixture and toss to mix. place a lettuce leaf on each plate, top it with a mound of rice salad, then serve immediately

Skillet Spanish Chicken and Rice

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/3 cups instant brown rice (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1 quart canned tomatoes with liquid
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 cup pitted and sliced green olives
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled queso fresco

Directions

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Transfer to skillet, and sauté until lightly browned, 4–5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add garlic and onion to skillet, and sauté for 1 minute. Add bell pepper, and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add rice, and stir until lightly toasted and combined with vegetables.

Add tomatoes with liquid, chili powder and cumin to skillet and stir to combine. Using the edge of a wooden spoon, break apart any larger tomato pieces. (If rice is not covered by tomato liquid, add an additional 1/4 cup water.) Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer.

Place chicken on top of tomato-rice mixture. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat, and let sit on stovetop, covered, for 5 minutes.

Add olives and cilantro to chicken-rice mixture, and toss and fluff with a fork. (If desired, remove chicken to ease stirring, then return to skillet.) To serve, sprinkle queso fresco over top of chicken-rice mixture and divide evenly among serving plates.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 4 |  Serving Size: 1 cup rice mixture + 1 Spanish chicken breast

Per serving: Calories: 333; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 4g; Cholesterol: 68mg; Sodium: 363mg; Carbohydrate: 21g; Dietary Fiber: 3g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 39g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 332mg; Iron: 8%; Vitamin A: 18%; Vitamin C: 52%; Calcium: 8%

Mexican Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 medium white onion diced
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 3 cloves finely chopped garlic
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup plain tomato sauce (I used El Pato Salsa De Chili tomato sauce)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 4 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the oinion. Saute for 1-2 minutes until softenend. Add dry rice and cook with the onions for about 5 minutes or until rice become a golden brown color. Add the garlic to the rice and saute for one more minute.

Add in the broth and tomato sauce and cumin and parsley if using. Bring to a boil then cover the rice and reduce the heat to low and allow to cook for 20 minutes.

Cilantro Lime Rice (Rice Cooker)

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 (15 ounce) can vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
4 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

Directions:

Follow the direction on your rice cooker. Here is what I do for mine:

1. Rinse the rice and soak for 15 minutes in cold water. (This is done in the bowl of my rice cooker)

2. Add the appropriate amount of vegetable broth for the amount of rice. (again follow the directions on your rice cooker)

3. Add a teaspoon of butter for each cup of rice.

4. Add two cloves of minced garlic for each cup of uncooked rice.

5. Add two teaspoons of fresh lime juice for each cup of uncooked rice

Make a mixture of 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice, 2 teaspoons sugar, and 4 tablespoons of chopped cilantro. Adjust the amount of this mixture if you cook more than one cup of rice.

At this time you can start your rice cooker and cook the rice. When the rice has finished cooking transfer to a serving bowl and fold in the mixture of lime juice, sugar and copped cilantro.