Category: Recipes & Crafts

Spicy Mexican Rice

If you read my last post for Tequila Lime Chicken, you saw that I promised the recipe for the Mexican Rice that I served along side of it.  Well, you will not be disappointed!  This rice was very tasty!!  This recipe can also be found in the Pioneer Woman’s cookbook and here on her blog.

I halved her recipe since I was just making it for my hubby and me, but there was still enough for 4 people!  I’ll list the ingredients that she includes, and you can tweak it from there.  Just know that this quantity will probably serve 6-8 people.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups long-grain rice
  • One 10 oz. can Rotel Diced Tomatoes w/ Green Chiles
  • One 14 oz. can whole tomatoes (I used crushed tomatoes because we don’t like big chunks of tomato)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (a little goes a long way with this!)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2-3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Chop onion (the smaller the dice the better, in my opinion)

and garlic

and add to the hot canola oil.  Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onions are nice and translucent.

Reduce your heat to low and add the rice.

Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly so the rice doesn’t burn.

Add Rotel,

canned tomatoes,

yummy cumin,

salt and cayenne pepper.  Stir to combine and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the chicken broth,

and bring to a boil.  Once your rice is boiling, turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until rice is tender.  Once all the liquid is absorbed, give the rice a little taste to see if you need to add more liquid.  Once rice is cooked thoroughly, you can add the chopped cilantro for garnish.

Doesn’t that look tasty?!  Well, it was!  I hope you enjoy!

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Tequila Lime Chicken

I’m always looking for new ways to make chicken, so when I saw this recipe in the Pioneer Woman’s new cookbook, I knew I just had to try it out!  As with most of my recipes, I made enough just for my husband and me, so if you are making this for more than 2 people, you’ll want to adjust the quantities.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 3 limes
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1 jalapeño, sliced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 3/4 cup tequila
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

This marinade quantity can be used for up to 6 chicken breasts.  Since I only had two, I poured what I needed and saved the rest for next time.

Start by slicing your limes in half.  Squeeze the juice of all the limes into a food processor or blender.

Add the peeled garlic.

Slice your jalepeño, with the seeds and membranes intact,

and add it to the blender.

Next add cilantro and olive oil.  I forgot to take a picture of the cilantro.  Oops!

Now it’s time for the tequila!!!!!  It’s amazing how much flavor this adds.

Blend until thoroughly pureed.

Add chicken to a Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over it.  Seal and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

When your chicken is done marinating, grill over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes on each side.  I’m a big fan of only flipping your meat once, so make sure you cook it long enough on the first side before you flip it.

Look at those beautiful grill marks!  And you can still see some of the green marinade in the cracks!

Once your chicken is done cooking, remove it from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing it into strips.

Serve along side some Mexican rice (recipe to follow), refried beans, and some warmed flour tortillas.  I added some freshly grated cheddar cheese on the side as well.  You could also include some pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream.  Hope you enjoy!!

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Homemade Marinara Sauce

If you’re in need of a quick and easy pasta dish, canned marinara sauce is probably the way to go.  But nothing beats the taste of homemade marinara sauce, and if you have the time, I would highly suggest trying this recipe before heading to your pantry to grab that jar of the pre-made stuff.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans of stewed tomatoes
  • 1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
  • 4 Tbsp chopped, fresh parsley
  • 1 – 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • Extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of your pan)
  • Half an onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 cup of white cooking wine
  • 6 – 8 leaves of fresh basil

Add stewed tomatoes (including juice) to a food processor or blender.

Then add your tomato paste.

Finely chop or mince your garlic and add it to the tomatoes.  I think the more garlic the better!

If you’ve never cooked with fresh herbs before, this is flat leaf (a.k.a. Italian) parsley.  I think it has more flavor than the curly style parsley, but you can use either variety.

Give the parsley a rough chop and add it to the tomatoes and garlic.

Next, add the dried oregano.

And finally, season with salt and pepper.

Blend until totally combined and smooth.

Add your finely diced onion to a skillet coated in olive oil.  Cook at medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until your onions become nice and translucent.

Once your onions have been cooking for a couple minutes and are nice and soft, pour in your blended sauce.

Next add the white wine and stir to combine.  Once your sauce is bubbling, turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When your sauce has finished simmering, turn off the heat and grab a nice handful of fresh basil leaves.  Fresh basil has the most wonderful smell!

Tear leaves into small pieces and add to the sauce.  You can also chop the basil with a knife, but I like tearing it to give it a more homemade look.  Give the sauce a stir to wilt in the basil.

And there you have it!  You’ve made delicious, homemade marinara sauce!  Make it in bulk to freeze so you’ll never have to resort to the pre-packaged, processed stuff again!  Hope you enjoy!

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