Moving On…Sort Of…

Yes, it’s me. It’s been a long while since I’ve posted anything in here. Life kind of got in the way and before I knew it, it had been a few years in fact. I wanted to start fresh so to speak, so I have started a new blog at http://afoodieinthesouth.wordpress.com . It’s still pretty new and it’s still a work in progress. Of course I will continue to have recipes, but I’d also like to venture outside of my kitchen and blog about other food adventures and topics.

I had every intentions of deleting My Little Corner Of The Kitchen, but this was my very first blog venture so I’m still a little sentimental with it. I will continue to keep it up a while longer. I hope you will check out A Foodie In The South and maybe even stay awhile. I’d love to know what you think and I hope you join me in this next venture.

Red Beans and Rice with Cajun Chicken

I was never a big fan of red beans and rice until a few years ago. Hubby loves it. The few times I had tried it, I found it to be bland and to be honest, there are not many beans that I do like. (Yes, I was one of those bean haters as a child.) Then one day hubby and I tried a new little Southern resturant and that had opened near our house. What did they have on the menu, but you guessed it, red beans and rice. It sounded pretty tastey so I broke down and tried it. Wow, smack my moma it was delicious. Ok, I would never smack my moma because one, I love my moma and I could never do that and two, I want to live another day. So, this is my version with some chicken thrown in as well. So here you have it folks. This makes one hearty meal.

Here’s what you need:

Basmati Rice, can of red beans, one onion, one clove of garlic, chicken broth, boneless skinless chicken breasts, dried Thyme, paprika, cumin, Cajun seasoning and a Bay leaf.

Start by sprinkling 2 tsp. paprika, 1Tbs. Thyme, 1/2 tsp. Cumin, 2 tsp. Cajun seasoning or more to taste, depending on how spicy you like your chicken and 1 tsp. salt (poor little guy I left that out of the picture) onto 2 chicken breasts.

 

Rub mixture onto chicken, coating both sides. If you think the seasoning mixture is not enough to suit your taste, then by all means add more. I usually do before it’s all said and done.

 

Heat 2 Tbs. of olive oil or canola oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Add chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink (about 10 to 15 minutes), turning chicken over at least once during cooking time. If the spices on the chicken appear to become to brown during cooking time, turn heat down to medium.

After chicken is cooked, cut into bite size pieces and set aside. Leave any drippings from the chicken in the pan.

In a medium to large pot or dutch oven, heat 1 Tbs. of olive oil on medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and one minced clove of garlic. Saute’ until onion becomes soft and translucent.

Add 2 Cups of chicken broth to the pot; heat until boiling.

Rinse 1 Cup of Basmati rice and add to the pot with the chicken broth.

Next, add all of that tasty chicken drippings to the rice and chicken broth. We can’t let that go to waste.

Add one Bay leaf.
Cover pot and simmer until rice is done, about 20 minutes.

Rinse the beans….

and add to the rice. Be sure to take out the Bay leaf so no one has a surprise later.

 

Then stir in the chicken and gently mix well.

Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes and serve.

 

 

Red Beans and Rice with Cajun Chicken

Ingredients:

1 C. Basmati Rice
2 C. Chicken, preferably low sodium
1 Can of Red Beans; drained
1 small onion; chopped
1 garlic clove; minced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 Tbs. dried Thyme
1 Tbs. Paprika
1 Tbs. Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. salt
1 Bay Leaf

Directions:

Rub Thyme, Paprika, Cajun Seasoning, Cumin and salt onto both chicken breasts, coating both sides. You can use more spices, depending on your taste.

Heat 2 Tbs. of olive oil or canola oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Add chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink (about 10 to 15 minutes), turning chicken over at least once during cooking time. If the spices on the chicken appear to become to brown during cooking time, turn heat down to medium.

After chicken is cooked, cut into bite size pieces and set aside. Leave any drippings from the chicken in the pan.

In a medium to large pot or dutch oven, heat 1 Tbs. of olive oil on medium heat. Add 1 chopped onion and one minced clove of garlic. Saute’ until onion becomes soft and translusent.

Add chicken broth to the pot; heat until boiling.

Rinse rice and add to the chicken broth.

Add drippings from the chicken to the rice/ chicken broth mixture along with Bay Leaf. Cover and simmer until rice is done, about 20 minutes.

Once the rice is done, rinse the beans and add to the rice, making sure to remove Bay Leaf.

Stir in the chicken and gently mix well.

Cook until heated through, about 5 minutes and serve.

Enjoy!

BACK IN THE KITCHEN

I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus here, ok almost a year long hiatus it seems. I have been struggeling with some health issues that have kept me away from my love of cooking. For a while now, I have been dealing with arthritis in both knees and ankles, the kind that was limiting my ability to be able to stand for long periods of time. Well, honestly after 20 minutes of being on my feet, I was done. But low and behold, now with my Doctors care I am now able to start cooking again. I know hubby is happy, because those frozen dinners and quickly thrown together meals were getting quite old and boring. I have missed the pleasure of cooking for my family and friends, for me, that is comfort. So, once again I hope to bring some great tasting and satisfying meals here.

Prosciutto Wrapped Rosemary, Sage Chicken with Fontiago Cheese

This dish was inspired by one of my favorite meals at an Italian restaurant that I would frequent a few times a month. They called it Emily Anna. I called it Heaven on a plate. Imagine a large chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto and fontina cheese and grilled to perfection, then topped with a mouth watering lemon basil sauce. Sadly, the place has been closed for a few years now, but I still get a craving for that delicious chicken dish. So, I came up with my own version.

Instead of stuffing the prosciutto inside the chicken, I wrapped it around the chicken to give it a nice, crispy texture. No, there is no basil lemon sauce here, but a butter rosemary-sage compound that is smeared…can’t think of a more elegant word than smeared…all over the top of the chicken, then stuffed with Fontiago cheese. No, that is not a typo. I myself had never heard of Fontiago cheese before until we had a chance meeting at my local gourmet grocery store. It’s a combination of Fontina and Asiago cheese. The best of both cheese worlds in my opinion.

Hubby has asked for this chicken version several occasions, so to me that’s two forks up in my kitchen. I hope you feel the same.

Here’s what you need:

 

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, dried sage, dried cracked rosemary, butter, Fontiago or Fontina cheese, thin slices of prosciutto.

Set out 3 Tbs. of butter for about 30 minutes to soften.

You can try softening it in the microwave, but if you are like me, it ends up going way beyond soft….more like an exploding melted puddle.

 

Place butter in a small dish, and add sage and rosemary.

Mix to incorporate the herbs into the butter.

I know, looking at the picture it does look a little…well…non desirable. But I can assure you, the taste is amazing.

Cut a small pocket on one side of a chicken breast.

This, for me, took practice. Those cooking shows make it look so easy don’t they? Most of the time I ended up cutting through the pocket and just made a huge hole. I learned that for me, it’s easier to use a small knife instead of a larger one, like a paring knife.

Look ma, no holes.

Take one slice of cheese and insert it into the pocket.

As I know you have probably noticed my fingers are covered in butter and you are probably thinking…hmmm she didn’t say rub the butter onto the chicken yet. I have to admit that when I made this, I smeared the butter onto the chicken before adding the cheese, and..well…it was messy. Then I had that -waaaait a minute duh- moment when I realized I should add the cheese, then the butter.

Next, smear the butter on top of the chicken.

 

 

Lay one slice of proscuitto over the chicken breast. If the slice is too short to wrap around the whole breast, tuck the edges under the chicken.

 

Then take another slice and lay it across the first slice of prosciutto, also tucking the edges under the chicken breast if it does not go completely around.

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large oven proof pan, add 1 Tbs. of butter and olive oil. Heat to medium high.

Add the chicken with the prosciutto covered side down, in the pan. Cook about 5 minutes, then carefully turn the chicken over and cook 5 minutes more on the other side.

Turn chicken over one more time and place into the oven. Cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

Serve with your favorite side dish.

Enjoy!

 

Prosciutto Wrapped Rosemary, Sage Chicken with Fontiago Cheese

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 1/2 tsp. dried sage
2 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
3 Tbs. butter plus 1 Tbs
Fontiago or Fontina cheese, sliced
Thinly sliced prosciutto

Directions:

Set out 3 Tbs. of butter for about 30 minutes to soften. Place butter in a small dish, and add sage and rosemary; mix to incorporate the herbs into the butter.

Cut a small pocket on one side of a chicken breast. Take one slice of cheese and insert it into the pocket. Next, smear the butter mixture on top of the chicken.

Lay one slice of prosciutto over the chicken breast. If the slice is too short to wrap around the whole breast, tuck the edges under the chicken.Place another slice across the first slice of prosciutto, also tucking the edges under the chicken breast if it does not go completely around.
Preheat oven to 400.

In a large oven proof pan, add 1 Tbs. of butter and olive oil. Heat to medium high.
Add the chicken with the prosciutto covered side down, in the pan. Cook about 5 minutes, then carefully turn the chicken over and cook 5 minutes more on the other side.

Turn chicken over one more time and place into the oven. Cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.

 

 

 

Stove Top Mac and Cheese

 

I am always on the look out for a good mac and cheese recipe. Back in December I had posted my grandmother’s mac and cheese, but I do like trying different ones. A few weeks back I bought a 2 quart cast iron dutch oven as a birthday gift for myself. That got me thinking, why couldn’t I make some of that cheesey goodness in this little cast iron pot. So this was my own stove top version.

 

You will need:

some elbow noodles of course ( shells might be pretty nifty as well), milk, evaporated milk, mustard, an egg, paprika, salt and shredded cheese. I used a blend of cheddar and colby/monterray jack cheese.

In a bowl pour in 1 cup of the evaporated milk and 1/2 C. of milk.

Add in an egg…..

some mustard…..

and paprika.

Whisk it all together.

In a large bowl add the cheese.

Pour the milk mixture over the cheese, add salt to taste and mix well.

Boil noodles until halfway done. This will ensure that the noodles do not become too over cooked later.

Drain noodles and add to the bowl with the milk and cheese mixture; gently stir to mix.

Coat dutch oven with a thin layer of butter.

Pour the macaroni mixture in to the dutch oven.

Turn the heat to high just until mixture starts to bubble, then cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

 

Stove Top Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

8 oz. box of elbow macaroni
1 C. evaporated milk
1/2 C. milk
1 egg
1 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. paprika
2 C. of shredded cheddar and colby/monterray jack cheese blend
salt to taste
butter to grease the dutch oven

Directions:

In a bowl whisk together evaporated milk, milk, egg, mustard and paprika.

In a larger bowl add the cheese. Pour the milk mixture over the cheese, add salt to taste and mix well.

Boil noodles until halfway done. This will ensure that the noodles do not become too over cooked later. Drain noodles and add to the bowl with the milk and cheese mixture; gently stir to mix.

Coat dutch oven with a thin layer of butter. Pour the macaroni mixture in to the dutch oven. Turn the heat to high just until mixture starts to bubble, then cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook about 30 minutes.

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Hashbrown Bake

Pintrest has become a bit of an addiction for me. Last week as I was glancing at the delicious recipes there, I came across this one that looked rather interesting: Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole. Who doesn’t love anything that’s smothered in cheese, toss in some bacon and I’m drooling. Not to mention the ease of throwing it all in the slow cooker. So this is my spin on this recipe. I’m still tweaking it a bit, but this seemed to be a winner with hubby, so that’s a thumbs up in my book.

Here’s what you need:

 

skinless chicken tenders (boneless, skinless chicken breasts will work also), onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cracked pepper, shredded hash browns, milk, shredded cheese ( I used a blend of sharp cheddar, american and mozzarella plus some Colby jack) and bacon.

First off you need to crisp up some of that beautiful bacon. You can fry the strips in the pan, but when I need to cook a lot of bacon at one time, I like doing it in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cooling rack with no stick spray, then place the cooling rack on top of the baking sheet. Place the bacon on the cooling rack. I used about 7 slices. Cook for about 15 minutes or longer depending on how crispy you like your bacon.

Let it cool….

then crumble into pieces and place in a bowl; set aside
Yes, I did steal a few bites of bacon. What can I say, I’m weak when it comes to this stuff.

Cut the chicken into bite size pieces.

Place the chicken pieces into a large bowl and sprinkle with salt……

then the pepper…..

then the onion powder and garlic powder.

Toss the chicken to coat…yes I used my hands. You can use a spoon if you prefer.

Spray the bottom of the slow cooker with no stick spray. Place enough hashbrowns to cover the bottom.

 

Place 1/2 of the bacon pieces on top of the hashbrowns.

Sprinkle some of the cheese over the bacon.

Next, add all of the chicken pieces on top of the cheese.

Add more cheese…..

then the rest of that yummy bacon.

Then yep, you guessed it, another layer….of hashbrowns. My this is a lot of layers.

Sprinkle more cheese on top of the hashbrowns.

Pour the milk over the cheese.

Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

Enjoy!

 

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Hashbrown Bake

Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen hashbrowns
Bacon pieces
1 Ib. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders, cut into bite size pieces
1 Tbs. onion powder or more to taste
1 Tsp. garlic powder or more to taste
salt and cracked ppepper to taste
1C. Milk
1C. shredded cheddar cheese or any other desired kind

Directions:

Crisp about 6 or more strips of bacon and tear into pieces; set aside. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl. Sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper; toss to coat.
Spray the bottom of a slow cooker with no stick spray. Place enough hasbrowns to cover the bottom. Place 1/2 of the bacon pieces ontop of the hasbrowns, then layer about 1/3 of the cheese.

Next, add all of the chicken pieces on top of the cheese. Add another 1/3C. of the cheese, then sprinkle in the rest of the bacon. Now add another layer of the hashbrowns. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese ontop, then pour the milk over the cheese.

Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

 

 

 

 

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Here it is June and this is my first post since April. I’ve been a busy gal….ok, a very tired gal and I’ve had to put some things on the back burner for a while. But alas, I’ve returned and trying to get things up and moving once again. Not only have these last few months flown by, but it feels like we are in the middle of summer down here in the good old South. 90 and 95 degree weather means cooking without heating up the house. So once again it’s time for another slow cooker meal…BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches.

Here’s What You Need:

a pork roast, one bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce, honey and BBQ rub (recipe will follow shortly).

I also like to add some of this little guy right here:

I like that sweet, but tangy with a little kick in your mouth kind of BBQ sauce on my pulled pork. You can use as much or as little as you like…or you can not use it at all.

Sprinkle the BBQ dry rub on both sides of the roast.

Then I like to rub it all over with my hands to make sure it’s evenly coated.

Place the pork roast into the slow cooker.

Then squirt a little honey over it.

 

 

 

Next is the hard part. Grab that bottle of BBQ sauce and pour half of the bottle over the roast.

I sometimes use Dad’s homemade BBQ sauce instead of the bottled kind, but I’m going for minimal fuss this time.

Add a few dashes of the hot sauce. Again you can skip this.

Stir the sauce around a bit to mix up the honey and hot sauce.

Throw on the lid to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.

Carefully remove the roast and place on a large dish. Using two forks, shred the pork. It’s ok to sample as you are shredding, just remember other people are eating this too so save some for them. If it’s just you….well…no one is looking.

Place the pork back into the slow cooker where all those yummy juices are still simmering around.

Add more BBQ sauce, this will help make the juices thicker. I also add a few more dashes of hot sauce as well.

Stir it all together once more, then continue to cook another 30 to 45 minutes.

Serve on hamburger buns.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 1/2 to 3 lb. pork roast, any desired cut.
honey, to taste
BBQ dry rub (recipe follows), to taste
1 bottle of BBQ sauce
hot sauce, to taste (optinal)

Ingredients for BBQ Rub:

2 TBS. brown sugar
2 TBS paprika
2tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. cajun spice
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together.

Directions:

Sprinkle the BBQ dry rub on both sides of the roast, rub evenly to evenly coat both sides. Place in slow cooker. Drizzle desired amount of honey, then pour 1/2 of BBQ sauce over pork. If desired, add hot sauce to taste, then stir sauce over the roast to mix all ingredients. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.

Carefully remove the roast into a large dish and shredd with two forks, then add back into slow cooker. Pour more of the BBQ sauce over the shredded pork, then add few more dashes of hot sauce if desired. Stir all together and continue cooking for 30 to 45 minutes.

Serve over hamburger buns.

 

 

Slow Cooker Beef Tips

Yep, I’m pulling out the slow cooker once again. This recipe goes along way, so it’s great when you are having family or friends over for dinner. I sometimes add mushrooms when hubby is away. White or red wine is great in this as well. Let’s get started.

Here’s what you need:

stew meat or a roast cut into bite sized chunks, sliced onion, flour, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, dried thyme, sage, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, cream of chicken soup, garlic clove, bay leaf, butter and olive oil.

Add butter to a sauce pot and melt over medium high heat.

Add onions. Don’t worry if the onions seem over crowded, as they cook they will reduce down. Reduce heat to medium low.

When onions are starting to soften and reduce down, stir to coat with the butter.

Add in the Thyme and Sage.

Stir to coat the onions with the herbs. Continue cooking about 2 more minutes.

 

Meanwhile, place the beef pieces in a large bowl.

Add paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and thyme.

Toss in the flour….carefully. There is nothing like trying to wipe up flour off the counter tops.

Start mixing….

Mix all ingredients to coat beef.

Add a thin layer of olive oil to a large skillet or cast iron frying pan. Heat on medium high heat.

Place beef in the pan a few at a time, making sure not to over crowd the pan. This will help the beef brown and not steam.

You may have to do this in several batches. Yes, this part is tedious, but the flavor is worth it.

Add beef to the bottom of the slow cooker.

Now Place onions on top of the beef.

In a large bowl add the cream of chicken soup. Yes, I know it doesn’t look that appealing, but as I have said before just go with it…..it’s all good.

Now pour in the beef broth…..

then a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.

Using a fine grater, grate in 1 garlic clove….

and some cracked black pepper.

Stir well with a whisk.

Pour mixture over the onions in the slow cooker.

Add bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. If possible, stir beef mixture halfway through.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef Tips

Ingredients:

2 to 21/2 pounds of stew meat or a roast cut into bite size chunks
1 large onion, sliced
2 Tbs. Butter
1/4 C. flour
1 tbs onion powder or more to taste
1 Tbs. garlic powder or more to taste
1 Tbs + 2tsp devided of thyme
1 Tbs. paprika
3 tsp. sage
1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup
1 C. beef broth
1 Tbs or more to taste of worstercershire sauce
cracked black pepper to taste
1 garlic clove
1 bay leaf

Directions:

Add butter to a sauce pot and melt over medium high heat. Add onions. Don’t worry if the onions seem over crowded, as they cook they will reduce down. Reduce heat to medium low. When onions are just starting to soften and reduce down, stir to coat with the butter. Add in Thyme and Sage, stir to coat the onions with the herbs. Continue cooking about 2 more minutes.

Place beef pieces into a large bowl. Add paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and thyme and flour. Mix all ingredients to coat beef. In a large skillet or cast iron frying pan, add enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Heat to medium high heat. Place beef in the pan a few at a time, making sure not to over crowd the pan and brown on all sides. This will help the beef brown and not steam. You may have to do this in several batches.

Add beef to the bottom of the slow cooker, then place onions on top of the beef.

In a large bowl add the cream of chicken soup, beef broth and worcestershire sauce. Using a fine grater, grate in garlic, then add cracked black pepper. Stir well with a whisk.

Pour mixture over the onions in the slow cooker. Add bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.If possible, stir beef mixture halfway through.

Serve over rice or noodles.

 

 

 

 

Rigatoni with a Sausage, Beef and Parmesan Sauce

I had some left over sausage and ground beef in the freezer that I needed to use, so I came up with this sauce to serve over Rigatoni.  You don’t have to use Rigatoni, you can use Penne or any other pasta that you prefer. This sauce was eaten pretty quickly so I’d say it was a hit with the family.

Here’s what you need:

a package of Rigatoni noodles, ground sausage, ground beef, chopped onion, minced garlic, two jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce ( I wont tell it’s not from scratch), white wine, dried cracked Rosemary ( you can use the whole Rosemary leaves if you prefer, I just don’t like biting down on what feels like pine needles), dried Thyme, sage, shredded Parmesan cheese and half and half.

Start by browning the ground sausage and beef on medium high heat  in a large pot or skillet.

Drain if needed, but make sure you have about 1 to 2 Tbs of oil left in the pan.

Take out the beef mixture, set aside for later.

Throw in the onions……

and then the garlic.

Cook on medium heat until onions start to soften. Stir often so you don’t burn the garlic.

Carefully pour in the wine.

Since my hubby doesn’t like wine, and I only drink it occasionally, a whole bottle would probably go to waste…well ok maybe not if it’s been one of those really bad days where a bottle might seem like a great idea. I like to keep these little single serving bottles on hand for cooking…and for when I do want that one glass of wine. I usually keep a variety of reds and whites.

Now back to the recipe……

Turn up the heat to medium high until the wine comes to a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes to reduce the liquid.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the beef mixture back to the pot.

Sprinkle in the Rosemary, Thyme and Sage.

Stir it all together. My this does smell good.

When no one is looking, pour the jars of sauce into the beef mixture.

Stir and continue cooking for another minute.

Add shredded parm…..

and stir to blend.

Next add the half and half.

Stir one more time. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Cook Rigatoni according to package directions.

Serve sauce over Rigatoni.

Enjoy!

Rigatoni with a Sausage and Beef Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 Ib. ground beef
1/2 Ib. ground sausage
2 jars of spaghetti sauce
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C. White Wine
1 Tbs. dried Thyme
1 Tbs. dried cracked Rosemary
2 tsp. sage
1 C. half and half
3/4C. Shredded parmesan cheese
1 pkg of Rigatoni noodles

Directions:

Brown the ground sausage and ground beef on medium high heat in a large pot or skillet. Drain if needed, but reserve 1 to 2 Tbs of oil left in the pan. Remove beef and sausage; set aside. Reduce heat to medium and add onions and garlic, cook stirring often until onions soften. Carefully pour in the wine. Turn up the heat to medium high until the wine comes to a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes to reduce the liquid.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the beef mixture back to the pot then add Rosemary, Thyme and sage. Pour in both jars of sauce, stir and continue cooking another minute.

Add in shredded Parmesan and half and half. Stir to mix well. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Cook Rigatoni according to package directions. Serve and enjoy.

Saffron Basmati Rice Pilaf

My Hubby loves rice pilaf. I have made just about every rice dish known to man, except a rice pilaf. So, I thought why not try it with saffron and onions that I had on hand. I have to say the end results was pretty good considering it was my first time.Even hubby went back for seconds. I think this one is a keeper.

Here’s what you need:

Basmati Rice, small onion chopped, Saffron, Chicken Broth, olive oil, bay leaf, butter, minced garlic clove and salt.

Rinse the rice under cold water. This will get rid of the starch.

Add butter and olive oil to a skillet and heat to medium heat.

Add onions to the pan….

then throw in the garlic.

Cook until onions become soft.

Next, add the rice.

Cook, stirring frequently, until rice becomes toasted. Be careful not to burn it.

Reduce heat to low and carefully add the broth. You can use can chicken broth or stock if you prefer.

I like to use this that comes in a bottle. Just add it to water. It’s concentrated so you can use as much or as little as you like.

Add in a nice pinch of Saffron and stir.

Then next add in a Bay leaf.

Turn the heat up to medium high until boiling, then cover and reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Enjoy!

Saffron Basmati Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

1 C. Basmati Rice
1 small onion, chopped
Saffron
1 1/2 Chicken Broth
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. butter
minced garlic clove
salt to taste
1 bay leaf

Directions:

Rinse the rice under cold water to get rid of the starch; set aside.

Add butter and olive oil to a skillet and heat to medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook until onions become soft. Add the rice and cook stirring frequently until rice becomes toasted. Reduce heat to low and carefully add the broth. Add in a nice pinch of Saffron and bay leaf and stir.

Turn the heat up to medium high until boiling, then cover and reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf, stir and serve.