Chili Relleno Rice

I have to confess that I did a very bad thing. I was browsing around Barnes and Noble this week and I came across Tyler Florence's new Cookbook, Family Meal. While I flipped through it I came across a recipe that sounded soooo good, and would match perfectly with the Ribeye Steak and Corn on the Cob Meal I was planning to cook for my family who was visiting from Colorado. I didn't want to be obvious (not sure on the rules about stealing a recipe without buying the book); which, by the way, is fabulous and is on the top of my Christmas list this year. So as I was trying to memorize the recipe, I decided to do this:

Camera phones come in handy sometimes. Is this illegal? Should I not be airing my dirty laundry on this blog? Well, either way, I will buy the book, I promise. And I feel much better now.
Amen.

Chili Relleno Rice

2 Cups Cooked Rice
2 Cups Sour Cream
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
2 (7 oz) Cans Chopped Green Chili's
2 1/4 Cups Cubed Monterey Jack Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375.
In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, cream of chicken soup, green chili's, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
In a casserole dish, add rice. Pour cream mixture and over the rice. Drop in cubes of cheese and stir to combine. Cover and bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until warm and bubbly and slightly brown on top. Delicious!!
Recipe from Tyler Florence Cookbook, Family Meal

Burger Throw down!!

Last weekend, my husband's work friends came over for a BURGER THROW DOWN!

It was so much fun, and such good food - there were all kinds of burgers... but our camera was (always is) on the fritz ~ so I am posting the pictures that are actually focused.

There were burgers stuffed with portobello mushrooms, sauteed white onion and marscapone cheese (one of my favorites...)

Another burger was blended with steak sauce and smeared with a jalapeno ranch secret sauce and topped with spicy pepper relish and sat on a hawaiian bread sandwich roll.

The winning burger (I know, I can't believe I didn't get a good picture of it) was made with ground rib-eye, smeared with a horseradish cream sauce and topped with sauteed mushrooms and swiss cheese. The rib-eye was so rich and delicious and the sauteed mushrooms were very flavorful.

I hope these burgers inspire you to make something a little different...

The health-nuts of the group made this one. It was a bison burger - with some dried cranberries in the burger (sounds weird, but was really good), topped with spinach, sprouts, avocado, red onion... They cooked it perfectly, it was very tender.

These were lamb burgers/sliders. Mixed inside the meat was chopped mint and some garlic. They were cooked over a charcoal BBQ instead of the gas grill. Then topped with feta, rosemary and more mint, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The marble rye bread was brushed with olive oil and lemon zest and broiled. Again - cooked perfectly and so many fresh flavors.

This was one of my husbands burgers -- inspired by a Cricket Burger he had on his trip to Denver, CO recently. It was a half pound burger of lean ground beef, seasoned with tapatio sauce, salt & pepper. Then topped with (gulp) cream cheese and fresh diced jalapenos! The spicy hot was cooled by the creamy cream cheese... good job babe!

ok, this is the other burger entry by my husband - inspired by our favorite appetizer at our favorite family restaurant, Outback Steak House.

Again, a half pound burger made with lean ground beef seasoned the same way. Then topped with (drum roll, please!), CHEESE FRIES!! French fries fried to golden perfection (by me), then smoked cheddar and crumbled bacon were piled on top. He popped them under the broiler to melt the cheese a bit... ooohhh -- heart attack on a plate, but so good!

Carrot Coriander Soup

This one comes from my friend Gretchen Buegge -- I knew her in San Diego and now she and her family live in Yakima, Washington...

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups of carrots (peeled and cut into chunks)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

3 Tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

1 stick of celery (sliced), plus 2-3 pale leafy celery tops

2 small potatoes, peeled and sliced

4 cups of stock (vegetable or chicken)

3 tsp ground coriander

1 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander (also known as cilantro)

3/4 cup of milk

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Peel and chop carrots. Heat the oil and 2 Tbsp of butter in a large saucepan. Saute onion over gentle heat for 3-4 minutes, until slightly softened. Do not allow to brown.

2.) Slice the celery and chop the potatoes. Add them to the onions and cook for a few minutes, then add the carrots. Continue to cook over a gentle heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring and then cover.

3.) Reduce the heat even further and sweat vegetables for about 10 minutes. Shake the pan or stir occasionally so the vegetables do not stick to the bottom of the pan.

4.) Add the stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Half cover the pan and simmer for a further 8-10 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes are tender.

5.) Remove 6-8 tiny celery leaves for garnish and finely chop the remaining celery tops. Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan and saute the ground coriander for about 1 minute, stirring constantly.

6.) Reduce the heat and add the chopped celery tops and fresh coriander and saute for about 1 minute - set aside.

7.) Process the soup in a food processor or blender and pour into a clean saucepan. Sitr in the milk and coriander mixture. Season, heat gently, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve the soup garnished with the reserved celery leaves.

*** also tastes good garnished with a bit of sour cream, cheese or hot pepper sauce.

I got this recipe from "The Complete Vegetarian" cookbook. I tweaked it just a tad. :)

PW's Corn Chowder with Chili's

I made Pioneer Woman's Corn Chowder with Chili's for dinner tonight. It was so good! She is such a fabulous cook! I have loved every recipe I have ever tried. Which is a lot. This was great for a nice Fall meal. I served it with a baby green salad with a honey vinaigrette, and crusty sourdough bread. Delicious! You can find the recipe HERE

Menu #51

Monday: Caramelized Onion & Proscuitto Pizza

Green Salad

Tuesday: Chili

Cornbread

Wednesday: Pasta w/ Gorgonzola & Beef Tenderloin

Asparagus

Thursday: Hamburgers

(with smoked cheddar, bacon & jalapeno's)

Baked Beans

Friday: Ravioli w/ Browned Butter, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, & a vegetable

Garlic Bread

Saturday: Mom's out of town!

Menu #50

Monday: Chicken, Brie, & Fig Panini

Corn Salad (corn, bacon, blue cheese, grape tomatoes)

Tuesday: Caramelized Onion & Proscuitto Pizza

Green Salad

Wednesday: Lasagna

Garlic Bread

Thursday: Roast Beef

Carrots & Potatoes

Friday: Spaghetti with Meatballs & Kielbasa Sausage

Green Salad

Garlic Bread

Saturday: Hamburgers

(with smoked cheddar, bacon & jalapeno's)

Baked Beans

Recipe Revisited

Fall is my favorite season. I love the cool air, the smells, the colors...
I made these today and thought we should revisit this yummy recipe to celebrate Fall
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting