Tag: Cooking from Scratch

Tex-Mex Lazy Rice

I recently saw a post on Instagram that said one of the hidden facts about being an adult was figuring out what to eat for dinner everyday for the rest of one’s life… Isn’t that the truth! Who knew that a decision that should be so simple to make is in fact quite stressful. Sure, you could go with the old standby, a bowl of cereal, but that won’t always fill your stomach or satisfy your taste buds. It’s safe to say that we all want quick and easy dinners that are delicious, nutritious and filling. A surefire way to get the quick and easy checked off is to make one-pot/pan meals. And today’s Tex-Mex rice is just that. It’s made completely in one pot and it’s both delicious and nutritious.

The original recipe for this rice called for making it in a rice cooker. I do not own, nor do I have any plans to purchase one, so I adapted the recipe and made it as I make other rice dishes – in one large pot. I started off by browning ground beef and then adding in vegetables, beans and rice. And finally, water, taco seasoning and salt to taste and ended up with a delicious meal that was ready in less than an hour.

Tex-Mex Lazy Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups long grain white rice, rinsed

1 1-ounce package of taco seasoning

1 lb. ground beef*

1 15.5-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 8.75-ounce can corn, drained

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

Kosher salt

Pepper

Vegetable Oil

Water

1 lime, halved

Optional toppings:

Grated cheddar cheese

Sour cream

1 avocado, diced

*You could swap out the beef for ground turkey or chicken

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven (or other heavy bottom pot) heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until no longer pink. Add in the chopped red and green peppers. Sauté for a few minutes and then add in the black beans, corn and rice. Give everything a good stir to combine it all. Add 3 ½ – 4 cups of water (the water level should be about an inch above the rice) and the taco seasoning. Give everything a good stir and add salt to taste.

Increase the heat to high and allow to cook uncovered until most of the water has been absorbed. Cover and reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the rice is done. About 25 – 30 minutes.

Fluff the rice with a fork and squeeze the juice of one lime into the rice and stir with the fork again.

You can eat the rice as is or top with shredded cheese, sour cream and/or avocado.

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from Food Network

Spaghetti with Turkey Marsala Meatballs

I haven’t been posting many savory recipes… In other words, something I cooked instead of baked. That doesn’t mean I haven’t cooked. I cook every week, but lately I haven’t been trying new recipes. Just sticking with things that I know are good and are easy to make. Two important criteria when it comes cooking if you ask me. Last month though I finally tried a new recipe, and it was so good that I just made it again. So, what was so good that I had to make it again so quickly… Spaghetti with Turkey Marsala Meatballs.

Two quick things to note… While I do eat pasta, I normally don’t make spaghetti (not a fan of twirling to get it on the fork) and I never made meatballs before trying this recipe (I have eaten them though!). I was always concerned about getting the meat fully cooked. Silly, I know! Both of those things didn’t matter with this recipe though. The meatballs were super easy to make, and for peace of mind I left them in the oven a minute or two longer than the recipe suggested to ensure they were cooked. They didn’t dry out since the chopped mushrooms added to the meat helped to keep them moist. And twirling spaghetti isn’t that bad!

I started off by prepping the meatballs. Once they were formed, I baked them in the oven for about 15 minutes.

While the meatballs were in the oven (and for a little while after they came out) I worked on making the sauce for the pasta, boiled the pasta and tossed the pasta into the sauce.

I wasn’t planning on enjoying this the day I made it, so I packed it in containers and refrigerated it. I will say that it heats up very well and tastes better each day!

Spaghetti with Turkey Marsala Meatballs

Ingredients:

12 ounces cremini mushrooms*

1 pound ground turkey

1 large egg

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 small onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup Marsala wine

12 ounces spaghetti

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

*I used 10 ounces of baby bella mushrooms

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Finely chop a third of the mushrooms and thinly slice the rest.

In a medium bowl combine the chopped mushrooms, ground turkey, egg, panko breadcrumbs, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Use your hands to mix everything together. Roll into 18 to 22 meatballs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Use a cookie scoop (1 1/2 tablespoons) to make rolling the meatballs easier. Bake in the preheated oven 12 to 14 minutes, until the meatballs are browned and cooked through.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes so the mushrooms and onions can crisp. Stir and cook until browned, an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the Marsala wine and cook until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook for 6 minutes.

Add the chicken broth to the mushroom and onion mixture and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and let simmer until thickened, 5 minutes.

Drain the spaghetti and add to the skillet. Cook, tossing until al dente, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Toss the spaghetti until the butter has melted.

To serve, divide the pasta among bowls and top with the meatballs.

Recipe from Food Network