Chicken and Rice w/ Cilantro Base

I came across some Goya Recaito which is a cilantro based seasoning good for rice. I had to use it because I like rice and cilantro, so I came up with a simple recipe.

What you'll need:
- 1 cup Basmati Rice
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- package green onions (chopped)
- 1 can whole corn
- 1 lb chicken breast (cubed)
- 4 heaping tbsp Goya Recaito
- olive oil
- pepper
- chili powder
- garlic clove

Heat oil over medium/high heat. Add chopped onion and cook for several minutes. Add diced/pressed garlic clove and cook for another 30-60 seconds.

Add chicken and cook until no longer pink on the outside.

Add the basmati rice. Continually stir to coat with the oil/juices in the pot. Then add the chicken broth and the corn.

Lastly add the Goya and touch of pepper and chili powder (about 1 tsp of each). Cook until broth is evaporated. Then enjoy!

Quick Sausage Tomato Sauce

This is a really quick and easy sauce that tastes great. Good for 1lb of pasta.

One thing I recently learned is that it's worth it to pay an extra couple bucks for the better tasting tomatoes. It really makes the sauce that much better.

What you'll need:
1/2 sweet onion (chopped)
3-4 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 28-oz cans of large peeled tomatoes - drained - reserve liquid
5 sausage links
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
Italian Seasoning
Olive Oil
Optional: dash of red wine

1. Put whole sausage on gill pan or grill over med-high heat.


2. While sausage is cooking, add olive oil to large skillet.


3. Add onions and cook until starting to turn translucent - add garlic and cook a minute or two more.


4. Scoop in whole tomatoes and smush into pieces.


5. Add in seasoning and let simmer with top removed.


6. Check on sausage - when it is 90-95% cooked remove from heat and chop into large slices. Add to sauce and bring to high heat to cook sausage the rest of the way through.


7. while the sausage is cooking - add reserved tomato sauce as needed to keep sauce the desired consistency. Keep in mind it thickens up a bit when cooled.

Add to pasta and enjoy.

Can also be made without sausage - but if so be sure to add a little extra oil.

Pork Chops - "Italian" Style

This recipe works for both thick and thin pork chops - but best with thin.

Take a small pad of butter and put in frying pan. Melt over low heat.

Add Pork chop and raise heat to max. If thin, cook 5 minutes on one side, then 5 on the other. Sprinkle with salt. If thick, It'll be something like 10-15 minutes per side - with a lot of extra burned stuff in your pan.

Drain remaining pork chop fat into a bowl or other mixing device. Add a spoonful of tomato paste and a bit of water - just enough to make it pourable.

Put sauce over pork chop. Serve with noodles or bread and a veggie.

Cilantro Chicken And Rice

Fresh cilantro from the garden gives me the perfect excuse to try random cilantro recipes. This one was pretty good. Though might could use a bit more spices.

There's a lot of need to add ingredients in the right order at the right time, so be sure to measure everything out before you start.

1.5 cup basmati rice
1.5 cups water
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 pound skinless chicken breast - diced to 1" pieces
1 onion - diced
1 cup shredded carrots - about 2-3
3 cloves garlic
bunch cilantro
4-5 chopped scallions
1 teaspoon cumin
1.5 teaspoon salt
.5 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat half the oil in pot, then add the onion and cook till translucent

Add the chicken and cook till no longer pink. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add remaining oil during this step as needed.

Next add the rice and remaining seasoning. Leave some cilantro and scallions for garnish if desired. Cook for another two minutes - be sure to get the rice coated with the oil.

Next add the water and broth. Recipe I used said "Do not stir!" though i'm not sure why. I stirred a bit.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cover. Let sit till water evaporated - about 10-12 minutes.

Remove from heat, fluff with fork, top with remaining cilantro and scallions and enjoy.

Chicken Soup II

Made another batch of chicken soup to enjoy over the winter. This one had some odd ingredients that turned out well.

Ingredients
- 3 chicken breasts bone-in
- 2 carrot sticks (cut up)
- 2 celery sticks (cut up)
- 1 yam (cut into chunks)
- 1 - 1.5 cup brown rice
- salt & pepper
- chili powder
- red pepper flakes
- ground ginger
- chopped fresh cilantro
- chopped fresh parsley

Boil chicken breasts with skin on in water seasoned with salt and pepper until cooked - about 1 hour. Remove chicken from the newly created chicken broth. Remove the skin and shred the chicken and add back to the broth.

Add carrots, celery, yam, rice, red pepper flakes (add extra if you want spicy soup) dash of chili powder, dash of ground ginger. Add water if needed to replace water that may have boiled off.

Bring pot to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until carrots are soft (about 1.5 hours).

Remove from flame and stir in cilantro and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste.

Baked Panko Chicken Fingers

I've been hearing good things about Panko for about a year now. I finally saw it in the store, it was cheap, so I bought it.

I'd heard Panko chicken fingers and fish sticks are the best. I started with the chicken fingers since I had some honey mustard from Chick-fil-a (possibly the best honey mustard sauce ever - with Red Robin honey mustard coming in a close second).

Ingredients are easy:
Panko
Chicken strips
salt
pepper
dash paprika
dash chili powder
Eggs
Oven at 400

1) Depending on chicken, beat 1-2 eggs in bowl (about 2 eggs per pound).
2) Pour panko in another bowl.
3) Dip chicken in egg, dip in Panko, put on baking sheet (if you have a wire rack - use that, else you'll have to flip half way).
4) Sprinkle with seasoning.
5) Put in oven for 10 minutes at 400. Increase temp to 450 and cook another 10 minutes.
6) Serve with honey mustard and a veggie side. Enjoy.

Dill Salmon

This is my go to recipe whenever I want something nice that is also really easy to make.

You'll need the following:
Salmon
Olive Oil
Dill
Salt & Pepper
Veggie (asparagus, broccoli or spinach work best)
Quinoa

Preheat oven to 350.
Coat salmon in olive oil, then pat on dill. Add salt and pepper.
Cook uncovered till done (about 12 minutes)

Prepare Quinoa according to package. Add salt and pepper when done.

Steam the veggies while everything else is cooking. Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning.

If you do it right, everything will be done at the same time. Serve and enjoy.