Roasted Vegetables with Rice

Source- Me!

I did have an inspiration for this recipe, but it called for cooking the tomatoes in an aluminum foil pouch on a grill.  Since I don't have an indoor grill or outdoor grill I decided that I'd cook them in the oven, and then I also added a zucchini and squash.  I was making pork loin and knew I needed some sort of side to go with the vegetables, so I opted for rice.  That is how this whole thing came together.

Ingredients

• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 yellow squash, chopped
• 2- 12oz bags of cherry tomatoes with stems removed
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• seasoning salt
• pepper
• 3 cups uncooked brown rice
• water for rice, or chicken stock/broth

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
• Place vegetables in bowl.
• Add oil, salt and pepper
• Mix until vegetables are well coated.
• Pour onto covered cookie sheet.
• Bake in oven about 20 minutes, or until vegetables are well cooked and tomatoes start to pop.  
• While vegetables are roasting, cook rice according to package directions.  I used minute rice so that I didn't have to wait so long.
• After rice has finished cooking and set, pour into large mixing bowl.  
• Add vegetables and any juices that have accumulated.
• Mix well and serve hot.

Review & Changes- I am a genius!  OK, maybe not really but this recipe was great.  I've never cooked with zucchini or squash but knew that I liked them because of trying them at restaurants in a mixed vegetable medley.  I'm glad I included the rice.  It made the vegetables a little bit more without overpowering them.  Plus having roasted veggies and brown rice as a side instead of a potato made me feel that we were eating healthy.

I'm sure you could change up the veggies or even add in different seasonings, but they aren't necessary.  After this success I will be using zucchini and squash again!

Crunchy Onion Potato Bake

Source- Betty Crocker

When making my weekly menu I decided to look into some of the side dish recipes I've bookmarked and make one of them.  Most of the recipes I post are a complete meal, or the main course, so I thought I'd change things up. 

I baked chicken in the oven with barbecue sauce to serve with these potatoes. 

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 box (7.2 oz) Betty Crocker® homestyle creamy butter or roasted garlic mashed potatoes
• 1 can (15.25 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)  (I used more)
• 1 can (2.8 oz) French-fried onions

Preparation

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• In 3-quart saucepan, heat milk, water and margarine to boiling.
• Stir in contents of both pouches of potatoes (from potatoes box) just until moistened; let stand 1 minute.
• Stir with fork until smooth.
• Stir in corn.
• Spoon half of potato mixture into dish.
• Sprinkle with 1/2 each of the cheese and onions.
• Top with remaining potatoes; sprinkle with remaining cheese and onions.
• Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and onions are golden.

Review and Changes-These potatoes were fabulous, and so easy to make.  I was sad when the leftovers were gone.   Definitely make these!!

Restaurant-Style Smashed Potatoes

Source- Pioneer Woman

The past few years H and I spend Christmas Day just the 2 of us, so I plan a special meal for just us.  Plans gotten shaken up a bit this year, so we had our special meal on Christmas Eve.  We had sirloin steak with these potatoes.  Amazing!!!

Ingredients

• 5 whole Large Red Potatoes
• 1 stick Butter, Softened And Cut Into Pieces
• 5 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 whole Green Onions, Sliced
• ¾ cups Sour Cream
• Salt To Taste (add Plenty!)
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper To Taste (ditto!)
• ¾ cups French Fried Onions, More For Topping

Preparation

• Nuke potatoes or bake in the oven until fork-tender. 
• Add to a large bowl and smash with a potato masher. 
• Immediately add softened butter, green onions, bacon, and sour cream and stir with a rubber spatula. 
• Add salt and pepper to taste. 
• Add french fried onions and fold in.
• Serve hot, sprinkling on extra french fried onions and green onions.

 Next Time- Nothing needs to be changed.  These are so good. 

Asian Orzo

Source-Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

I have come to love Mary Ellen's recipes.  I have never been steered wrong when I try something she has posted.  I knew I wanted to make the Chinese BBQ Pork Chops that I got from her website, and I went in search of a side dish to serve with them.  Lucky me my search found the side dish on her blog!

Ingredients

• 1 c dry orzo pasta
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 1/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp brown sugar

Preparation

• Heat olive oil in a small pot
• Add onion, saute 3-4 minutes or until soft.
• Add orzo, toss to coat/toast for 1 minute
• Mix the broth with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and brown sugar. Add the broth mixture to the pot, stir, bring to a simmer then lower heat and cover.
• Cook on low heat, covered, for about 15 minutes or until done. The broth should just be absorbed as the pasta finishes cooking.
• Stir to fluff and serve.

Next Time- This was easy to make, and had good flavor.  But it was just missing something.  I'm not a chef, so I don't know what it was missing.  I just know it needed something more.  Someone have an idea?

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

Source: My Original Creation!

I've been making mashed potatoes pretty much the whole time H and I have been together. I like variety, so I often change up what I use to make them. This is just one of my variations. I used buttermilk instead of milk since I had some leftover after making the Italian Buttermilk Pork Chops.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, with the skins on, cut into chunks so they are all the same size. Smaller means less cook time
  
• 1/2-1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2-4oz shredded mozzarella

Preparation

• Place potatoes in dutch oven, and add water to just cover the potatoes.
• Cook 30 minutes, or until fork inserted into a potato goes in easily.
• Strain potatoes and return to pan.
• Using a hand blender begin to mash potatoes.
• Gradually add buttermilk, butter, and garlic powder continuing to mix until desired consistency.
• Fold in shredded cheese.
• Serve.

Next Time- This recipe has so many variations. Usually I use red skin potatoes. Different cheeses are good, as is chopped scallions and bacon. I also normally use milk, but sour cream can also be used. Whatever you have on hand, or sounds good to you.

Garlic Parmesan Orzo

Source: Joelen's Culinary Adventure

I have a new love. It's called Orzo!
This recipe was great, and it went really well with the Chinese BBQ Pork that H and I have made numerous times.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

• Cook the orzo pasta according to package directions with water; drain.
• Place the orzo in a large bowl and add the minced garlic and butter.
  
• Stir until butter is fully melted.
  
• Add the parmesan cheese, parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Next Time- I wasn't a big fan of the fresh parsley, so perhaps either omit it or use dried next time. Otherwise this was fabulous.

Pepperoni and Parmesan Pasta Salad

Source: Central Cooking

This was the dish I chose for the family reunion potluck. I wanted something easy, unique, and relatively cheap. I searched through my Google Reader and came across this recipe. Figured it fit the bill and decided to give it a try.

Sorry for the lime green bowl. I forgot to take the picture at the reunion, and didn't remember till I was home about to eat the last of it.

Ingredients

• 16 ounces of pasta, cooked to your preference
• 1 16 ounce bottle Ken's Lite Northern Italian with Basil and Romano
• 3/4 quarters of a bag of pepperoni, cut up (used full pkg)
  
• 4 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese (used full 6oz container)
  

Preparation

• Combine drained pasta, 3/4 of the dressing, pepperoni and Parmesan
• Mix thoroughly
• Chill for 2 hours or overnight
• Mix in the remaining dressing before serving

Next Time- This dish was great and my family liked it.