Mexican Rice

This rice is so easy to make. Perfect every time and rivals the stuff you'd find at your favorite mexican restaurant.

Mexican Rice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.
Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

I love these. LOVE THEM. They're low fat too. Did I mention that I love them?

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

1/2 C chopped onion

1 Tblsp minced garlic

1 Tblsp olive oil

1/2 Tblsp chili powder

16oz jar of salsa

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tst ground cinnamon

1 pinch salt

2 1/2 C shredded, cooked chicken

8 tortillas

1 can fat free refried beans

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 F

In large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Take care not to burn the garlic. Stir in chili powder, salsa, cumin, cinnamon and salt. Stir in shredded chicken. Let cool slightly.

Spray rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray. Working with one tortilla at at time, spoon a heaping Tblsp of beans down center of tortilla. Top with 1/3 C of the chicken mixture. Fold up the bottom, top and sides of tortilla. Secure with toothpicks. Place chimichanga on cookie sheet seam side down. Spray all sides with cooking spray. Repeat for rest of tortillas. Bake in 450 F oven for 20-25 min or until golden brown and crisp, turning every 5 min.

Serve hot with shredded lettuce, fresh tomatoes, sour cream and salsa if desired.

Enchilada's Fantasticas

This recipe is near and dear to my heart. It was given to me many YEARS ago by a sweet woman named Betty Toppa. It was one of the 1st recipes I made my new husband after we got married. Betty was an amazing cook and I learned so many tips and tricks from her in addition to getting some delicious recipes. Betty has passed on but every time I make this, I think of her and smile.

Enchilada's Fantasticas

1lb. ground beef or turkey

2 C picante sauce

(1) 10oz pkg of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

(1) 8 oz pkg of cream cheese (use low fat, save where you can)

10 flour tortillas, warmed

(1) 14 1/2 oz diced tomatoes, un-drained

2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cook meat until browned, breaking into small pieces. Add 1 C picante sauce, spinach, 1 1/2 tsp cumin and salt. Cook and stir 5 min or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add cream cheese, stirring just until melted. Remove from heat and let cool sightly. Spoon 1/3 C filling into tortilla. Roll up and place in greased 13x9 baking dish. Combine tomatoes, remaining 1 C picante sauce and 1/2 tsp cumin. Mix well. Spoon over enchiladas. Bake at 350 F for 20 min. Sprinkle cheese over enchiladas and return to oven for 2 min or until cheese melts. Serve with additional picante sauce and sour cream if desired.

Crock Pot Peking Pork Chops

These are a family favorite. So easy to prepare and I use boneless frozen chops and cook 'em on low pretty much for 7 hours. We usually eat them with some mashed potatoes and a green veggie.

Crock Pot Peking Pork Chops

6 pork chops about 1" thick

1/4 C brown sugar

1 Tblsp ground ginger

1/2 C reduced sodium soy sauce

1/4 C ketchup

1-2 cloves garlic; pressed

salt and pepper to taste

Trim any excess fat from chops. Place chops in crock pot. Combine rest of ingredients and pour over chops. Cook on low 4-6 hours or until meat is tender (if using frozen chops, figure on about 7 hours on low).

Enjoy!

Blueberry Buckle

This BY FAR is the BEST coffeecake/dessert/brunch item/etc. I've ever had the pleasure of eating! It's best with fresh blueberries, although I've made it with frozen and it was good but the fresh takes it one step further on the yummy scale.

Blueberry Buckle

3/4 C white sugar

1/4 C butter, softened

1 Egg

1/2 C milk

1 1/2 C flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 C fresh blueberries

Topping:

1/4 C white sugar

1/4 C brown sugar

1/3 C flour

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 C butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 baking dish.

Cream together 3/4 C sugar, 1/4 C softened butter and egg.

In a separate bowl, combine 1 1/2 C flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into sugar mixture, alternating with milk. Gently stir in blueberries. Pour into greased 8x8 pan.

For topping, combine white and brown sugars, flour, cinnamon and cut 1/4 C butter into mixture to form coarse crumb like texture. Sprinkle over cake batter.

Bake at 375 for 30-40 min. making sure the topping doesn't brown too quickly and toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Use foil on top of cake towards the end of baking if needed to keep topping from browning too quickly.

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Easy Pleasing Meatloaf

I don't know if I've said this before but I don't eat red meat. I use to, before my gallbladder suddenly attempted to make an exit out of my body without my consent, but since that episode (or two), I stopped eating it and I feel better. One of the things I missed about not eating beef was this dish. It was one of my FAVORITE. I don't really like the taste of meat (yes, I'm perfectly aware that I have issues) but this meatloaf is soooo good. It's the stuffing that takes it one step further than any other meatloaf recipe I've tried. I now make this with ground turkey and I'm thrilled to say that it turns out just as good!!



Easy Pleasing Meatloaf

2 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce, divided

PLACE meat, stuffing mix, water, eggs and 1/4 cup barbecue sauce in bowl.
MIX just until blended.
SHAPE into loaf in 13x9-inch baking dish.
TOP with remaining barbecue sauce. Bake 1 hour or until done (160ºF).

Crock Pot Corn on the Cob

OK so I stumbled on the EASIEST was to cook corn on the cob!!! CROCK POT!! I had to make about 12 ears for a cookout and didn't want to boil them and heat up the house on a 90 deg. day and the last time I tried to grill them, I ended up with burnt popcorn smelling corn. Yuck. So I tried this was and the corn turned out PERFECT!! I will never go back to boiling.

Crock Pot Corn on the Cob

__ ears of corn (insert however many ears you want)

aluminium foil

Shuck and rinse your ears of corn. Wrap each one individually in a piece of aluminium foil. Put them in the crock pot, layered on each other if you have to. Cook on high for 2-3 hours depending on how many ears you have. I fit 9 into my crock pot so I cooked them for 3 hours on high and they turned out PERFECT!! They're super hot so be careful!