Cheesy Zucchini Rice

I was a very (very) lazy cook this summer but one of my favorite new discoveries was this cheesy zucchini rice. For starters, it's so simple- you can't mess it up. Then there's the benefit that there's a veggie hidden in my cheesy delicious rice, so it MUST be healthy, right? I love side dishes more than main meals in almost all instances and this is a side dish worth celebrating!

Source: A Taste of Home Cooking, originally from Pink Parsley

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium zucchini, grated on the large holes of a cheese grater then wrung dry
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1- Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in the rice, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

2- Remove from heat, add the butter and zucchini, and cover. Allow to stand 5 minutes, then stir to incorporate. Stir in the cheese, season liberally with salt and pepper, and serve.

Pineapple Salsa Rice

Sorry I disappeared last week! I was somewhat busy, but mostly lazy ::wink wink:: I did have one exciting event to share with you from last week though. I attended a pizza making class at a beautiful cooking studio and I will be sharing it with you later this week!

Onto the rice. I'll admit I'm not above convenience. I greatly prefer food cooked completely from scratch and I can taste the difference, but I grew up eating a lot of Rice-A-Roni type things and sometimes I just want them! For a long time whenever I made Mexican food I made Knorr's Mexican Rice. However, when I saw this recipe for pineapple salsa rice I knew it was time to say goodbye to my beloved mix and make a similar version from scratch. Honestly, this tasted like a healthier, less salty, and more flavorful version of the rice mix I so enjoy. John was raving about it and had the leftovers the next day for lunch, reporting that they were just as good the next day. Can't beat that!

Source: Slightly adapted from Good Thymes and Good Food

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
½ medium sweet bell pepper, any color, diced
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 cup prepared salsa
1 cup long grain white rice
1 cup fresh pineapple, diced
½ cup cilantro, minced

Directions:
1- In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add oil. Once oil is hot, add onion, bell pepper, and salt and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. 

2- Stir in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken stock and salsa, cover and bring to a boil. Add in uncooked rice and stir. 

3-Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until rice is tender, 20-25 minutes. (Check liquid level toward the end of cooking and add more chicken stock as needed.)
4- Stir in pineapple and cilantro, season to taste with additional salt.

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

Ok so I disappeared again. But let me tell you... it's been insane 'round here lately. I was dealing with kidney stones, then there was the holiday craziness that comes every year, and now for the past three days my son has been so sick with a stomach virus. There's been minimal cooking and zero blogging (as you can tell) but I figured I better come back with something before you think I forgot about you. I will never forget you... fear not my good friends.

 So anyway, this chicken and rice came about because I wanted something creamy and ricey, but I didn't want to use a can of cream of mushroom/chicken soup because they all have soy protein in them which means they are not allowed in this house due to Landon's allergies. This version was much healthier while still creamy and delicious. Best of all it can be made ahead of time and thrown in the oven when needed. That's my kind of meal!

...and for those of you celebrate, a very Merry Christmas to you! I will be back on the 26th and I plan to get back to my regularly scheduled blogging at that point!

Source: Adapted from How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken (I used rotisserie)
4 cups cooked brown rice
3/4 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup chunky salsa
1 cup grated cheddar & monterey jack cheese+ more for topping if desired

Directions:

1- Preheat oven to 350. 

2- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients  and mix thoroughly to combine. Make sure the yogurt and cheese is stirred in throughout the entire bowl. 

3- Season with salt and pepper if desired. 

4- Transfer to an oven-safe dish and top with extra cheese if you would like.

5- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through. 

Chicken and Shrimp Scampi Bake

This is the dinner that almost didn't happen. As in I called John and said, "Do you want pizza or sandwiches tonight? I think I'm ordering in... this dinner looks like it's not working out." He told me to persevere (he's quite the cheerleader) so I listened... and I triumphed. Victoriously. Because for real, this is GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD. Yes, all caps, extra "o"s, good. But let's rewind to why I thought it wouldn't work. For starters I used too much liquid (don't worry- the recipe is modified so you won't have the same issue). Due to the liquid surplus it took forever for the rice to absorb it all. I then got somewhat impatient (me???) and threw the shrimp in too early. On top of that I realized my panko mixture had soy protein in it (Landon's allergic to soy) and had to toss my breading and start again with a soyless breading. After all of this I was seriously envisioning a pizza on the couch. But I didn't give up. I let it keep going. I stopped checking every five minutes and grunting when it still looked like gross rice soup. And eventually... eventually it worked. And when it worked, boy did it work.

I took the first taste of the rice and I said, "Even if the shrimp and chicken are horrible I can live on this rice." John came in and stole some rice and we both agreed it was a party in our tummy- so yummy, so yummy! (If you don't get that reference you don't have a young child at home- but believe me, you're not missing much.) This dinner ended up being really special. It had so many layers of flavor and it felt like a fancy dinner, when really the oven does all the work!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
6 ounces chicken, diced into bite sized pieces
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup rice
2 cup chicken broth
8-10 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail removed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tbsp butter, softened
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
Dried parsley

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- In a small bowl combine the paprika, parsley, onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir well.
3- Press the chicken into the rub mixture and set aside.
4- In a medium sized baking dish pour in the dry rice. Top with the chicken. Cover with the 2 cups of chicken broth. Bake, covered, until the rice is almost fully cooked and the broth is almost completely absorbed, about 30-35 minutes.
5- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the shrimp, garlic, and oil. Pour the shrimp mixture over the rice mixture, being sure to evenly distribute the shrimp. Bake an additional 5-7 minutes, until the shrimp are almost completely cooked.
6- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the softened butter and breadcrumbs with a fork until the butter and crumbs create a crumble. Remove the dish from the oven, top with the crumb butter and a dash of dried parsley, and set under the broiler for about 2 minutes, until the butter is melted and the crumbs are golden. Keep a close eye on it.

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

Seriously, stuffed peppers is a meal my mom used to make that I never, I repeat NEVER, thought I'd try. For starters as a child vegetables were my enemy, and still to this day I don't eat ground meat, so there goes traditional stuffed peppers. I am proud that I've come a long way with food but a traditional stuffed pepper still isn't likely to grace my table. This meal, however, for unstuffed bell peppers made with chicken was right up my alley. We both really enjoyed this. Rice+chicken is usually a winning combo as far as I'm concerned. This was a great one pot/pan meal- definitely give it a shot!

Source: Adapted from Heat Oven to 350

Ingredients:
2 slices bacon
1/2 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tsp minced garlic
3/4 cup white rice
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup pureed tomatoes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 bell peppers, sliced thin
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions:
1- Cook bacon in a large skillet. Remove from pan. Add chicken, cook until browned, but not cooked through, and remove.
2- Add the onion, cook five minutes. Add garlic, cook about 30 seconds.
3- Add rice, basil, thyme, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, broth, tomatoes, and brown sugar. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook about 15 minutes, or until rice is tender.
4- Add the chicken and bell peppers, cook an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese and bacon.

Chicken Marsala Casserole

I know I often say how much I love this meal, or that meal, or these cookies, etc. The thing is, I don't blog something we didn't like! If I cook something and it comes out poorly you'll never see it here. Therefore it's hard for me to not be excited about the food I share with you! With that said- I can't say enough about this casserole. The word "casserole" stirs up bad images, right? You think mushy veggies, overcooked grains, and gloppy sauce. I challenge you then to reverse your image of the casserole and try this. TRY THIS. Please do. It quickly became one of my all time favorite meals. I can't wait to make this again (and again and again). The sauce is so delicious and the texture of the rice when it cooks in the sauce... perfect. It really was just so good. So please, whatever you're doing, stop and add this to your next dinner menu. It's just that good.

Source: Slightly adapted from Rachel Ray

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
10 oz sliced mushrooms
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup marsala wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken broth
1tsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper
1 cup long rain rice, uncooked
2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken (or any cooked chicken)
2 tbsp parmesan cheese

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350.
2- Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the flour and stir well to coat.
3- Stir in the marsala wine and cream, allowing to cook and thicken, about 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, parsley, and season with salt and pepper.
4- In a 9x 13 dish, spread the rice in an even layer over the bottom of the dish. Top with the chicken.
5- Pour the mushroom gravy over the chicken and rice mix. Cover tightly with foil.
6- Bake 35 minutes, until bubbling.
7- Remove foil, sprinkle on parmesan cheese, and bake 5 minutes uncovered.

Crockpot Chicken and Wild Rice

I'm going to be honest with you- this meal was a complete and utter mistake. A delicious mistake, but a mistake. It was supposed to be soup. Cream of chicken and wild rice soup. But... it doesn't look at all like soup to me... how about you? No? Ok... moving on.

The crockpot is my best friend these days. It's super easy for me to throw ingredients in it and let it go while I tend to my beautiful newborn son. I had seen a recipe for chicken and wild rice soup on pinterest as well as this version from Lauren's Latest and decided to combine the two and throw it in the crockpot. While the end results are not soup (in any way shape or form) it was delicious! John described it perfectly- it tasted like risotto. Risotto that I didn't have to do any work for. Best of all it made a lot so I froze a huge chunk of this for us for another night. The crockpot and the freezer... a new mom's two best friends!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup with Garlic (or the original if you can't find it)
1 6 oz box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice mix, rice and seasoning packet*
1/2 cup baby carrots, diced small
6 ounces cooked chicken

Directions:
1- Combine the broth, canned soup, rice and seasoning packet, and carrots in the crockpot. Cook on low for 5 hours.
2- Stir in the cooked chicken and allow it to cook for an additional 30 minutes.
3- Stir well and serve hot.

*I took the advice from Lauren's blog (linked above) and bought this specific brand of rice. As she explained the seasoning packet is responsible for the flavor of the dish, so I can't attest to how it would be if you used a different type.

Bacon Shrimp Risotto

I'm baaacckkkkk! I'm going to try my best to post regularly but if I miss a day here and there while I adjust to motherhood please be patient with me. I'm amazed how much I missed cooking/blogging. I made dinner after he was one week old and typed up this post shortly after. I just needed a bit of a return to normalcy amongst all the newness of a newborn. It doesn't hurt that he is an amazing baby so far (knock on wood!) and is very easy going!

So onto the food! I really find risotto to be such a versatile and delicious dish. It's almost like pasta- a solid base that you can build upon. What's better than cheesy rice? Oh.. I know... cheesy rice with bacon! Yeaaah... that's better! I can't even remember when I made this because it was weeks ago, I know I was very pregnant and cursed myself for taking on a dish that took so much time, but the end results were to die for. I loved the combination of the shrimp with the cheesy rice and the contrast of the crisp salty bacon. This meal is perfect when paired with a nice green salad. You can't go wrong here!

Source: Adapted from How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 clove garlic
3-4 cups chicken broth, heated
6 ounces shrimp, kept warm (cooked)*
1 cup fresh shredded pecorino romano OR parmesan cheese
1 tbsp dried parsley
Salt/pepper

Directions:
1-In a large skillet cook the bacon. Remove the bacon and all except about 1 tbsp of the bacon drippings.
2- Add the garlic and rice to the skillet. Stir and cook until the rice is lightly toasted. Begin adding broth to the skillet, 1 cup at a time, and heating over low/medium heat until the liquid is all absorbed, stirring frequently. Then add more broth, continuing the process until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
3- Remove the rice from the heat, stir in the cheese and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in the cook shrimped and half the bacon.
4- Top the risotto with the remaining bacon when serving.

*I cooked my shrimp in the bacon drippings after seasoning them with garlic powder/onion powder/salt/ and pepper. I then removed the shrimp and drained the bacon with the exception of 1 tbsp as stated in step 1. You can also use precooked shrimp if you desire, in that case just add them warm.

Baked Garlic Rice Pilaf

If you read many food blogs you are aware that recipes get trendy, you see them on every food blog for a few weeks, and then they slowly disappear. Some people hate this and refuse to blog "trendy" recipes- meh. To each his own. I cook what I like, I like what I cook, and then I blog it. Ok? Ok! With that said, this recipe was trendy reallyyyyy long ago. It kept popping up on blog after blog. It looked interesting but I had my own garlic rice pilaf recipe I loved and wasn't interested in straying.

The other night though for some strange reason this recipe popped in my head completely out of the blue. I decided to try it and seriously... oh... mah...gosh. I get it. I do. I get why this is so popular. It was delicious- perfectly seasoned, nice texture, and a nice golden color. I ate so much of this... more than I'll every admit to you. It's my new favorite side dish and I'm already dying to make it again. Will it replace my love for my old rice pilaf? Well... let's just say... they need to share my love evenly now. ::wink wink::

Oh and by the way- I was out of fresh lemons so I skipped the lemon juice and it was still amazing. I can't wait to try it with the lemon!

Source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup long-grain white rice
2½ cups chicken broth, divided
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice


Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 375° F.  Have ready a covered casserole dish.  

2- In a saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and rice to the pan and cook until both are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. 

3- Stir in 1 cup of the chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.  Pour the mixture into the casserole dish, cover, and bake for 25 minutes.  

4- Stir in the remaining 1½ cups chicken broth and bake, covered, for another 45 minutes.  About 15 minutes before it is finished baking, stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Note: This recipe can be doubled without increasing the baking time.

One Dish Chicken and Rice

I don't do the dishes in our house. John does. It's just an agreement we made years ago- I cook, he cleans. While John loves the way I cook, enjoys eating food made from scratch and tons of homemade baked goods, I drive him insane with dishes! And if I'm being quite honest with you I don't blame him. I'd hate to wash those dishes too. Every now and then I try to go easy on the poor guy and help do the dishes or make a meal that really requires very few dishes. This recipe is one where you can get away with just a skillet and a cutting board. He can't complain about that, can he?! That's minimal dishes as far as I'm concerned! Now this dinner isn't fancy but it is delicious. It really is easy, a true beginner meal, but the taste is excellent. If you're looking for an easy meal (with easy clean up!) this is for you.

**Just a tip- follow the directions on the rice package as far as the quantities of water, but watch it. Since you have the pepper in there it may need some additional water. If you see it's drying out and not cooked just add water, about 1/2 cup at a time, until the rice is cooked. 

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 small yellow onion, diced small
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced small
1 large tomato, diced small
1 box yellow rice mix (I used a 5 oz package but you can use bigger or smaller)
1.5 cups diced cooked chicken, rotisserie/grilled/or baked

Directions:
1- In a large skillet add the olive oil and heat. Add the onion and garlic, stirring until fragrant. Add the pepper, stirring for 2-3 minutes.
2- Add the yellow rice mix and the amount of water the box calls for. Follow the directions on the rice package. Add the tomato once the rice is 1/2 way done.
3- After the rice is fully cooked add the chicken and allow it to heat in the rice mixture, 5-7 minutes. Serve hot.

Summer Risotto

Risotto isn't something I typically think of as a summer dish. It's cheesy rice, which to me says "heavy", which in turn screams winter or fall. Yet lately I've been dreaming of risotto. There's some therapeutic about making risotto, pouring the broth into the rice, watching it absorb, adding more broth, etc. It takes awhile but it's so easy that it's almost mindless.

This risotto recipe was really lovely. The tomatoes popped, releasing a lot of their juice into the risotto. This made it lighter and bit more summery. I used tomatoes and zucchini, but if you have a plentiful garden you could add whatever you have on hand. Also, I roasted my veggies because I'm a fan of the affect roasting has on vegetables, but if you don't want to heat up your kitchen you can easily just cook them in a pan. The flavor of this was excellent with a nice tomato/cheese harmony. I am excited about the leftover risotto, I will be turning it into risotto cakes for lunch tomorrow and I'm already psyched to do it!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half (about 1 cup)
1 zucchini, sliced in coins and cut in half
Olive oil
Salt/garlic powder

1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced dried onions
1 cup arborio rice
4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 cup pecorino romano cheese, freshly shaved
Salt/pepper

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350. In a small dish toss the tomatoes and zucchini together. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture, season with salt and garlic powder. Bake for 45 minutes or so.
2- Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer.
3- In a large skillet, heat the 1 tsp olive oil and add the onion. Once it's hot, add the rice and stir well. Once it begins to lightly toast, add 1 cup of broth and lower the heat to medium/low. Allow the rice to absorb the broth. Once it's absorbed, add another cup. Continue until all broth is added.
4- When the last cup of broth is cooking with the rice, remove the veggies from the oven and stir into the rice mixture. Add the cheese, stirring well. Season with salt and pepper.
5- Allow to continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed. Serve hot.

Pineapple Fried Rice

Sometimes inspiration is everywhere... and other times, inspiration is MIA. Lately, it's been the latter of the two. I feel like dinner is just a necessary evil, but hey, I'm sure I'll jump out of this funk soon. This dinner was made on one of those "I don't know what I want... I want something that I don't have... I just want a chef..." nights. I threw it together and as I was eating it and I suddenly felt better. Even though it wasn't what I had wanted it came out really good! The ingredients paired nicely together and really was delicious. John and I were both fans and it was a nice twist on the traditional fried rice!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

1 tsp. canola oil
1/2 small yellow onion, diced small
1 bell pepper, diced small (I used half red/half green)
3 ounces chicken, diced small
2 cups cooked white rice, day old is best
Soy sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup cashew nuts
1/4- 1/2 cup pineapple chunks- diced small

Directions:
1- Pour the oil in a nonstick skillet. Heat over medium heat.
2- Add the onion and peppers, stirring well to soften, about 5 minutes.
3- Stir in the diced chicken. Stir regularly, until cooked.
4- Remove the chicken/veggie mixture to a dish.
5- Add the rice to the skillet. Allow to heat. Do not stir.
6- After about 3 minutes, stir, and allow to sit again for about 3 minutes.
7- Add the soy sauce to taste (use less, you can always add more, you want it to coat but not soak the rice). Add the garlic powder. Stir well.
8- Add in the cashews and the pineapple. Return the chicken/veggies to the pan. Stir well and allow to heat together for about 4-5 minutes.
9- Serve hot.

Chicken and Carmelized Onion Risotto

Dearest Risotto,

 Sigh. I love you risotto. I really, really do. You are a combination of my favorite ingredients, namely cheese and rice, and I just love you. Please love me too.

Forever yours,

Stephanie

Now that we got that insanity out of the way, let me just tell you how amazing this dinner was. My friend Danielle at work was making an amazing dinner one night and she was talking about it at work. Her meal sounded so good, short ribs and mushroom risotto, that I had to make something special that night so I didn't go crash her dinner plans. I thought that might be crossing the line... no?

This dinner was really special. The flavors were fabulous and really complimented one another. I have become a big fan of carmelized onions so this meal was right up my alley. Truly this was one of those rare dishes where the leftovers taste just as good the next day. I could make this meal weekly and never get sick of it. Seriously. Just try it- you'll be glad you did. But also be aware that this is time consuming- the onions take about an hour to carmelize. So if you are making this in a weeknight make them the day before or leave yourself time. Believe me, it's worth the effort.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original, inspired by Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
1 large spanish onion
1 tsp. olive oil
4 ounces chicken breast, diced small
1 cup arborio rice
4 cups chicken stock
1 tsp. Italian herbs
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup pecorino romano cheese, shredded
Salt
2 scallions, finely diced

Directions:
1- Slice the ends off the onion, peel, cut it in half, and slice into even thin slices.
2- Heat a large nonstick skillet with the oil. Add the onions. To carmelize the onions leave the heat on medium-low and stir frequently. They will reduce down  and brown over time, in about an hour. Stir frequently to prevent burning. (You can add a tsp. of sugar to aide the carmelizing, I didn't and it was perfect.)
3- When the onions are carmelized add the chicken and raise the heat. Stir frequently until cooked through.
4- Remove the onion/chicken mixture from the pan and set aside in a covered bowl.
5- Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to a slow boil. Reduce the heat and keep it simmering over a low heat.
6- Add the arborio rice to the skillet and raise the heat to medium. Stir frequently until the rice begins to turn lightly golden, about 4 minutes. Add the Italian seasonings and garlic powder.
7- Add the broth, 1 cup at a time, allowing it to completely absorb before adding another cup. Stir frequently while it absorbs. Prior to adding the last cup of broth return the chicken and onions to the pan.
8- Once the mixture is cooked and all the liquid is absorbed add the cheese and stir well. Season with salt to taste.
9- Serve hot- top with some of the chopped scallions.

Chipotle's Cilantro Lime Rice

Have you ever been to Chipotle? If not- go. It's fast food, yes, but it's fast food with a heart. They use locally grown produce, they actually cook and chop their own food rather than it coming in bags, and they make this rice that seriously causes me to drool.

I had never been to Chipotle and truly never had an interest. But then... one amazing day in January... my niece was born. (And yes- these two stories do relate, so don't write me off for going off topic yet.) We went to see my niece at the hospital and we were all in love immediately. She's perfect. So we went around 11, and nobody wanted to leave... but it was getting close to 3... and EVIL STEPHANIE was starting to emerge. EVIL STEPHANIE is my dark side... and she only emerges when I haven't been fed in the past few hours. But she was quickly emerging and I didn't need to introduce her to my perfect niece. There was a Chipotle right by the hospital so we went there and I was ready to eat everything that wasn't tied down. When they gave me this chicken bowl thing with this rice on the bottom I swear I had almost a religious experience... I was in heaven.

I knew I needed to make the rice at home so I quickly googled and found this from one of my favorite bloggers. And it was so good you'd never know it wasn't from Chipotle. Honestly I thought it tasted exactly the same. Best of all, anytime I eat this stuff I will always think of my beautiful, wonderful, perfect niece Gracie, and how this rice saved her from meeting my dark side.

Source: Skinny Taste

Ingredients:
1 cup extra long grain rice or basmati rice
1/2 lime, juice of
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
4 tsp vegetable oil


Directions:
1- In a small pot add rice, water, 1 tsp. oil, and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates.
2- When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce to low and cover for about 15 minutes.
3- Shut off flame, cover an additional 5 minutes.
4- In a medium bowl combine the lime juice, cilantro, and remaining oil. Stir well. Add to rice, stirring until well coated.


** 3/4 cup for 5 point plus

Risotto Cakes

Whatever you're doing, stop. Stop. Seriously, stop doing it. If you're at work, leave and go home. If your home, get into the kitchen. You need to make these. It's not a matter of life or death, but it's a matter of happiness. Because these risotto cakes are happiness. Unless you eat too many like I did, then you won't be so happy.


I think risotto is a food that people tend to think is hard to make. It's not. Trust your little blogging friend- it's not. If you know how to pour liquid into a pan you can make risotto. But after you make risotto, you're often left with leftovers. And while leftover risotto is good, risotto cakes are GREAT.

The combination of crisp bread crumbs coating creamy cheesy rice is almost too much to handle. Almost. But I handled it like a champ. Here's the little catch- the risotto should be day old, or at least completely cold from the fridge. It just won't stick together otherwise. You can use any risotto you want but I think it's best to keep it a simple, cheesy risotto. My favorite one is linked below, but use whatever you like.

Just make these. They are the best thing I've made in a long time. I even immediately offered to host a dinner party just so I could make these. Anyone wanna come?! I'm cookin' these!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 batch of your favorite risotto, mine being this parmesan risotto, cold (preferably day old)
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
Olive oil

Directions:
1- Preheat your oven to 225.

2- Coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet with a thin layer of olive oil.

3- Place the bread crumbs on a plate next to a shallow dish with the beaten eggs.

4- Grab one handful of cold risotto and form into a round cake, slightly smaller than your palm, about 1 inch thick. Dip into the egg, then into the bread crumbs, coating both sides. Place on a large dish.

5- Repeat until all cakes are formed.

6- Heat your oil. Once it's hot, cook the cakes 4 at a time (or more- just don't crowd your pan.)

7- Once browned, flip and repeat.

8- Remove from the skillet and place on a cookie sheet in your preheated oven to keep warm.

9- Repeat until all risotto cakes are cooked.

**Leftovers can be frozen. Wrap in plastic wrap then place in a freezer safe bag or container.**

Shrimp Fried Rice

I am not  a huge fried rice person. When we get Chinese food and my meal comes with fried rice I always substitute white or brown rice. However, for some reason a few weeks ago I had a craving for chicken fried rice so I ordered some when we got take out. I seriously let out a huge exhale as I took the first bite- why had I been denying myself the deliciousness that is fried rice?! I still think of it as a main course, and not a side dish, so I will probably continue to substitute white/brown rice with take out, but for an entree I am a fan!

One thing about fried rice that makes me cringe is the calorie count. Yikes. It's high. So when the craving stuck again recently I decided to try my hand at making is at home. I have made it before but I wasn't sold on that recipe so I tried a new one. This one here is a winner! I would consider this my new go-to recipe for fried rice. I can't wait to try it again with chicken! So stinking good!

And lastly, a giant THANK YOU to my wonderful, supportive, fabulous, loving husband who knew how desperately I wanted to improve the photography on here and surprised me with the lighting I needed to improve my pictures. You are my everything. 

Source: Adapted from Weightwatchers.com

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

2 tsp. canola oil

4 medium scallions, chopped

3/4 cup frozen peas

3/4 cup carrots, diced small

4 oz. frozen medium shrimp

2 cups cooked brown rice

3-4 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

Cooking spray

Directions:

1- Coat a large skillet or wok with cooking spray. Heat until the pan is hot.

2- Scramble the eggs in the skillet and remove from the pan once cooked.

3- Add oil, scallions, and carrots. Cook until heated throughout. Add shrimp and peas, cook until shrimp is cooked.

4- Remove all of the food from the skillet. 

5- Add rice in a single layer. Allow it to heat until you hear the rice sizzle, about 3-4 minutes. Stir. Allow it to sit again for 3-4 minutes until it sizzles. Repeat one more time.

6- Return the shrimp and veggies and eggs to the skillet. Add 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, stirring well. If it looks dry add a fourth.

Dos Amigos

This year John and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary while away on vacation. We went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner and split an entree called "Tres Amigos." It was a grilled steak, a grilled chicken breast, and a skewer of grilled shrimp over yellow rice with veggies. We both loved it- simple, healthy, natural flavors without a ton of added fat.

I had been craving this meal since we returned and decided it was time to make it here. I skipped out on the steak because John had red meat with lunch but you could easily grill up a little steak with this too. The rice was a show stopper- John and I both were obsessed. Very flavorful, very healthy, and truly very easy to make. If you're looking for something easy and healthy give this a shot.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original, Inspired by Agave in Newburyport, MA

Ingredients:

Meat

2 3-ounce chicken breast
6 peeled and deveined shrimp
1/8 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon taco seasoning

Rice

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup peas, frozen
1.5 cups yellow rice, prepared

Directions:

For the meat:
1- Combine the olive oil, juices, garlic and taco seasoning. Stir well.
2- Add the meat and fish to the marinade- allow to marinade approximately 30 minutes.
3- Grill the chicken until cooked through- about 2-3 minutes per side.
4- Grill the shrimp until they are pink on the outside and no longer transparent.

For the rice:
1- In a small skillet, heat the olive oil.
2- Add the shallot, stirring and cooking over medium heat until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
3- Add the bell pepper, allow to cook a minute.
4- Add the peas. Stir well. Cook over medium heat about 1 minute.
5- Add the cooked rice, mix well to combine. Lower the heat and keep warm until the meat is done.

Serve the chicken and shrimp over the rice.

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

Confession: I have never had jambalaya before. Living in the North East it just isn't as popular as it is in other regions. I have honestly never even seen it in a menu at a restaurant before! I know what it is and always thought it sounded like something I would like but never bothered to make it. When I came across this recipe I immediately added it to our menu. The more I cook the more heightened my awareness becomes of our palates. I am rarely negatively surprised by a recipe and when I am I typically assume I made an error. With that said I was pretty sure we would love this recipe and we both did. It was tasty, healthy, and a welcome addition to our meal plan! I will definitely make this again.

Source: Adapted from Weight Watchers Online

Yields 4 servings- 2 cups each

Ingredients:
2 tsp olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
8 ounces uncooked boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
2 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes with garlic, undrained
12 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp hot pepper sauce
4 cups cooked brown rice
Salt & pepper

Directions:
1- Add the oil to a large non-stick skillet. Add the onions and peppers, heat for about 5 minutes.
2- Add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.
3- Add the shrimp, cook about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir. Cook the mixture for 5 minutes or until shrimp are cooked through.
4- Stir in the rice. Continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes.

** 9 points per 2 cup serving

Chicken and Rice Soup

I briefly mentioned in a previous post that I now have to follow a low-fat diet for a surgery I will be having soon. While most people might be upset to hear this I was actually not. It's definitely a healthier way to live and I am happy to "have to" do this. Sure, I will have not-so-good things now and then but there are worse things in the world than eating healthy. Someone asked how it was going to affect my blog- not much at all! Most meals can be made low-fat through making healthier choices like lean meats, low fat cheeses, etc.

The hardest thing for me so far has been lunch at work.If not planned ahead lunch can become a messy time. I decided to plan ahead and make some low-fat soup for the week. I made up this recipe based on what I had on hand and let me just say- yum! I love chicken and rice soup and often get it when out to eat. I really loved this recipe and will make it often. I should also mention that this resulted in 3 lunch sized portions of soup. Enjoy!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 32oz carton of fat free chicken broth
3/4 cup chopped rotisserie chicken (or any precooked chicken)
1/2 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1/4 cup of long grain rice, uncooked
1 tablespoon of EVOO
Seasonings to taste (I used salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and parsley)

Directions:
1- In a deep pot heat the oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes.
2- Pour in the chicken broth and rice.
3- Cover, bring to a boil for about 10-15 minutes, or until rice is cooked.
4- Add the chopped chicken and seasonings, taste and adjust as needed.
5- Allow to simmer over low heat for about 5-10 minutes.
6- Serve hot.

Spicy Shrimp Fried Rice

Warning: If you do not like spicy food walk, no better yet RUN, from this post. This stuff was packing heat. I love spicy food and can really handle some kick but wow- this is hot. Not bad hot. Not why did I do this hot. Just hot.

I have been meaning to make this recipe for quite some time now. We love shrimp and I enjoy cooking with shrimp because it is the only seafood I really enjoy enough to make at home. John on the other hand will eat just about anything that lives and breathes in the ocean. When I think of shrimp dishes I often think of pasta so this was a little different from our normal shrimp dinners.

I will say it was quite tasty. Once you get over the initial "WOW!" you are sure to enjoy this. Be sure to pour yourself a tall glass of water and then dig in!

Source: Adapted from Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

3 cups rice, cooked
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 whole egg, scrambled
1/2 onion, chopped
2 gloves garlic, diced
5 scallions, chopped, whites and greens separated
oil spray
1/2 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp asian fish sauce (Oyster sauce)
salt and fresh pepper
In a bowl, season shrimp with cayenne pepper, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Scramble eggs with a drop of water and season with salt and pepper. In a hot wok, spray a little oil and cook the eggs. When cooked, remove from pan and set aside.

Let the wok get really hot. Add oil spray and saute onions, scallion whites red pepper flakes, and garlic for about 1-2 minutes. Add shrimp and saute until no longer translucent. Add rice and cooked egg along with soy sauce and fish sauce, mixing well for about 2 minutes. Add greens of the scallions and serve.

** 7 points per 1.5 cups