Real World Wednesday - Bacon & Spinach Beans

This is a delicious side dish that my grandma used to make. I wasn't sure if it would be too spicy for Michaela, but at a friends house earlier that week she had become addicted to salsa so I thought it was worth a try. Apparently she takes after her mama because she loved it!

Ingredients

4 c Pinto Beans, cooked

1/2 c Onions, diced

1/2 package Bacon

2 c Spinach, steamed

1 T Red Chile Powder

Directions

Fry the bacon until crispy, then drain it, crumble it and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Saute the onion in the drippings, then add spinach, chile, and beans, mixing together. Sprinkle the top with bacon and serve.

Source

Family Recipe

Lemon & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

This is a light pasta dish, perfect for summer. It would pair well with chicken or steak and a light side salad. This is quite lemony, so if you want a more subtle flavor, add the lemon juice to taste (or none at all).

Ingredients
1/4 c garlic, lemon and basil infused olive oil
1/2 box spaghetti, cooked according to package directions
1/2 c sun dried tomatoes, julienned
juice from 1 lemon (optional)
parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions
Combine all ingredients and serve.

Source
Inspired by The Entertaining Kitchen

Zucchini "Cookies"

These were really good. I really enjoyed the way these tasted even though Philip said they weren't his favorite. Michaela absolutely loooooved these little things. Shhh, come close and I'll tell you why.

I may have told her they were cookies.

Yeah, I know that tricking your kids into eating vegetable by telling them they are something else isn't the best idea. But she ate them. 'Nuf said.

I may have also coerced her into eating the rest of dinner by telling her she could have more cookies if she finished. Don't judge, she actually ate meat because of this!

Ingredients

1 zucchini, shredded finely

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup cheese, shredded

Directions

Mix all ingredients together, then form into patties. Fry the patties in a skillet in a scant amount of canola oil until browned.

Source

Itty Bitty Bistro

Real World Wednesday - Calabazitas

This is one of my favorite side dishes to make whenever we have enchiladas. I love squash and that taste mixed with corn and green chile is oh so delicious. Not to mention this is super easy to put together!

Ingredients*
1/4 c onion
1 clove garlic
1 zuchinni
1 yellow crookneck squash
1/2 c corn (frozen or stripped from the cob)
1/4 c green chile, roasted, peeled, and chopped
1/8 c milk
1/2 c cheese (cheddar or pepperjack)

Directions
Saute the onion, garlic, squashes and green chile in a little bit of olive oil. When tender, add corn & stir. Put in a casserole dish or pyrex bowl, add milk, cover with cheese, and place in 350 oven just until cheese is melted.

*Measurements in this recipe are approximate. I just do it to taste, and adjust the measurements based on how many I'm serving, their tolerance for green chile, etc. Trust me, there's not much you can do too mess up this dish. Any combination of the ingredients would be tasty!

Bacon & Spinach Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients

8 oz pasta (I used Rotini)

6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces

1/2 c onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs

2 tbsp white wine

salt

pepper

2-3 c spinach

1/4 c cilantro

parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Brown bacon in a skillet, then add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent. Mix the eggs with the wine, salt, and pepper. Add the drained pasta, egg mixture, spinach and cilantro and cook for just a little bit more, stirring constantly, until spinach is slightly wilted. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve.

Source

Adapted from Tiny Morsels

Real World Wednesday - Fried Pineapple Rice

This was one of those "clean your fridge and pantry out" type of meals. I just started throwing things together and hoping they would come out allright. I'm quite proud of how this dish turned out, considering I am usually lost without a recipe. I think the sausage may have been a little out of place, but other than that, this was the perfect middle-of-the-week meal. This would also be a good side dish without the meat.

Ingredients

2 turkey sausage links, sliced

1 chicken breast, diced

1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp ginger

2 tbsp fish sauce

1/4 c onion

1 1/2 c rice, cooked

2 eggs

1/2 c toasted almonds

1/2 c peas

1 c pineapple, chopped

Directions

Slice and brown the sausage and chicken breast in a skillet. Add the remaining ingredients and stir-fry until cooked through and all flavors are nicely mingled.

So Good They Taste Like They're Deep Fried Oven Fries

Whew! Yes that's a long title, but it is completely accurate. Every time I've made oven fries before they have been just ok. They're always a little mushy and they taste nothing like the deep fried sticks of artery clogging yumminess that you get at fast food joints. Not these. I followed this recipe and they came out perfectly golden and slightly crispy. These were a hit with the entire family!

Ingredients
russet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries or wedges
olive oil
cooking spray
salt and pepper

Directions
Soak potatoes in hot water for 10-30 minutes. Meanwhile spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Toss with a small amount of olive oil and place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil and bake in a 475 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15-20 minutes. Flip the fries over and bake another 5-10 minutes until golden and crisp. When finished, place on a paper towel to drain any additional grease and serve.

Sweet Pea Risotto

I've never had risotto, but it sounded really fancy, so I wanted to try making it. The only changes I made to this recipe is in the proportions of ingredients. I liked the flavor combination of the rice with the sweet peas, and I loooooved the texture. Michaela didn't eat it on it's own, but when I put it in a tortilla with cheese she ate a few bites. I wonder how long I'll have to make quesadillas to get her to eat what I make?

Ingredients
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup onion, chopped finely
1 cup arborio rice
1 tablespoon butter
2/3 cup peas
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions
In a large skillet, saute the onion in a little bit of olive oil. Add the rice and stir until nicely browned. Add the vegetable stock 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until the liquid has absorbed before adding the next cup. This process should take about a half an hour. When all the liquid is absorbed, the texture should be moist and creamy. Add butter, peas, and parmesan and stir to combine.

Notes

• On Hell's Kitchen they always make a green risotto, but I'm not sure what vegetable it is. I think next time I would puree the peas so that the whole dish is green, then maybe I could add some fresh herbs into the puree as well.
• I 'm sure you could make this with any type of rice, you just wouldn't get the same creamy texture.