Sour Cream Hamburgers

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
1 8 oz carton sour cream
1 1 ounce packet dry onion soup mix
2/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. black pepper
8 hamburger buns

Directions

1. In bowl, combine beef, sour cream, dry onion soup mix, breadcrumbs, egg and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. While your grill is heating up, form beef mixture into patties. Grill patties about 7 minutes on each side.

2. Place patties on buns and top with your favorite toppings.

Source: Best Burger Cookbook, Mad Puddle Books, 2007.

Review: It was juicy, creamy, and soft especially for a burger. The sour cream obviously did that. I made sweet potato fries with them. I tried mixing sour cream with cinnamon, it was a great condiment for the fries.

Easy Thai Coconut Rice

Ingredients

2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice
2 cups coconut milk
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coconut oil, canola, or other vegetable oil
Optional: 1 tsp. white or brown sugar
Optional: 1/2 tsp. coconut flavoring
Optional: 1-2 Tbsp. toasted coconut (baking type) for garnish

Directions

1) Rub oil over the bottom of a deep-sided pot. Note: the pot will need a tight-fitting lid.

2) Place rice, coconut milk, water, and salt in the pot. Place pot on the stove over medium to high heat. Stir well.

3) Add the sugar and flavoring, if using. Continue to stir occasionally until the coconut milk & water come to a gentle boil (stirring will keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning).

4) Once the coconut-water has begun to gently bubble, stop stirring and turn down the heat to medium-low (around 2.5 on the dial). Place lid askew on the pot, allowing some of the steam to escape.

5) Cook in this way for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all (or nearly all) of the coconut-water.

6) Now turn off the heat, but leave the pot on the burner. Cover the pot tightly with the lid and allow to rest 5-10 minutes, or until you are ready to eat. The rice will "steam" and have a nice, slightly sticky texture).
Tip: Your Coconut Rice can stay warm this way for up to 1 hour.

7) When ready to serve, remove the lid and "fluff" rice with a fork or chopsticks. Serve right out of the pot, or place in another serving bowl. If desired, top with a sprinkling of toasted coconut.

Source

Review: Great side dish! You do not need the Jasmine rice, regular white rice worked fine with for. I had this the pineapple party pork shown in my previous entry. I will definitely make this again. I did without the optional ingredients.

Pineapple Party Pork

Ingredients

6 oz can frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed
2 5 oz can pineapple chunks, drained
1 boneless pork loin, 3lb
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

Dump the juice, soy sauce, and garlic powder into a large ziploc bag. Drop in the pork and stick it in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight, turning over occasionally. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the pork on the pan that came with your toaster oven (save the marinade). Roast for ten minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast for another 2.25 hours, until the meet thermometer registers 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Boil the marinade in a saucepan for 5 minutes, until it thickens into a sauce. Chop 1/2 can of pineapple chunks and stir into the sauce. Pour some sauce over the pork, and garnish with the remaining pineapple. Serve with the remaining sauce.

Source: A Man, A Can, A Plan, Rodale Books, 2002.

Review: The pork was very juicy! The outside had a nice dark crust! Cooking it for the suggested time was plenty, I have no thermometer. This is the second pork recipe I made and they are great! The inside of the pork had no taste of the marinade but it was definitely moist.

Delicious Easy Chicken Francese

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs, beaten
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter
2 lemons, juiced
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions

Coat chicken with flour, then egg beat, then saute in a large skillet until almost cooked through. Drain on paper toweling.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

In a medium saucepan combine the wine, broth, parsley, salt and pepper to taste, butter or margarine and lemon juice over medium low heat. Stir together while heating slowly. When butter or margarine has melted, slowly stir in cornstarch until sauce thickens slightly. Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish and pour sauce over all.

Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Source

Review: Me and my friends made this tonight. My friend Mary Beth called me and was like I am making you dinner

Cream Cheese and Olive Spread

Ingredients

1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
1/2 c. chopped olives (very fine)

Directions

Combine ingredients and blend well. Use as a spread for party sandwiches, stuffed celery or on crackers.

Source

Review: I had kalamatta olives left over from this recipe so I decided to use them for this spread. Also yesterday I was craving a bagel so I spent three and change on one bagel when today I got six bagels and cream cheese for two dollars and change.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa

Ingredients

1 (1 ounce) envelope hot cocoa mix (milk chocolate , sugar free is fine!)
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup hot water (not boiling)
whipped topping (optional)
chocolate sprinkles (optional)

Directions

1. Place cocoa mix into a large mug.
2. Add peanut butter.
3. Gradually stir in hot water and mix until well blended.
4. Top with whipped topping and sprinkles if you desire.

Source

Review: I was cold at school so I decided to have hot cocoa. I love peanut butter so I found this recipe. It is good.

Rigatoni with Red Pepper, Almonds, and Bread Crumbs

Ingredients

1 pound rigatoni pasta
3 cups purchased garlic-flavored croutons, (about 5 ounces)
1/4 cup slivered almonds (about 1 ounce), toasted
1 cup julienned roasted red bell peppers
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl.

Place the croutons and the almonds in a food processor. Pulse until it becomes the texture of bread crumbs. Add the crouton and almond mixture to the hot pasta. Add the peppers and the olive oil. Toss to combine and serve.

Source: Food Network, Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian, Ingredients in 15 Minutes.

Review: Such an easy pasta dish with a lo of flavor. Took just a few minutes to prepare everything and the simply tossed everything together. Definitely make this!

Fresh Guacamole

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados
1 roma tomato
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 juice of a lime
1 jalapeno pepper
1 tbs. fresh cilantro

Directions

Peel and dice the onion and garlic cloves. Combine with diced jalapeno pepper, and avocado. Be sure to remove the white membrane and adjust the spiciness by removing the seeds. If you do not want spice, leave out the jalapeno. Mash to desired consistency. Add juice of one lime and fold in diced tomato. Add salt and pepper, season to taste. Add fresh cilantro if desired.

Source: Trader Joe's Guacamole Kit container

Review: Really easy to make! Be sure to season well with salt and pepper because avocado is very bland other wise. I heard if you put the pit of the avocado with the guacamole there is an enzyme that keeps the guacamole green.

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium sized yellow onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 package (14 oz.) firm tofu
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbs. black pepper
2 tsp. paprika
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (12 oz) tomato paste
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cans (15 oz) kidney beans rinse and drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinse and drained
1 can (15 oz) white beans, rinse and drained
1 can (15 oz) whole sweet corn, rinsed and drained
1 cup The Heat is On Peanut Butter
Crushed red pepper (optional)

Directions

1. In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, tofu, salt, pepper, and paprika and saute until the onions and garlic are translucent.

2. Add the diced tomatoes and their liquid to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and veggie stock and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the kidney beans, black beans, white beans, and corn and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Reduce the head to low and stir the peanut butter into the chili. Add additional crushed red pepper to increase the spiciness if desired.

Source: The Peanut Butter & Company Cookbook, Quirk Books, 2005.

Review: Really easy to make. The longer it simmers the better. Cutting the tofu was fun because it was spongy. The peanut butter really thickens the chili up. I had it over rice the first night. To change things up I got spaghetti to have it Cincinatti style. I also had it over mashed potatoes which I was not too crazy about. Also, I got cornbread to have it over and I also will make nachos. I also plan on taking boxed mac and cheese, adding chili, putting cheese on top and baking it.

Lemony Chicken with Capers and Kalamata Olives

Ingredients

2 boneless chicken breasts halved
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup halved and thinly sliced red onion
1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tbs. capers, rinsed
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved lengthwise

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Marinate the chicken breast with 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to two hours. Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle each chicken piece with 1/4 tsp. salt. Spread the onions in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Add the orange juice and place the chicken breasts on top of the onions. Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, the olive oil and oregano. Drizzle over the chicken. Sprinkle the garlic and capers over the chicken. Add the olives to the pan juice (don't put them on top, or they will leave their mark). Bake uncovered until the juices of the chicken run clear, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter with the pan juices, olives, and capers.

Source: my sister

Review: The chicken was very tasty, I love chicken with lemon. Although I felt the flavor of the onions, capers, and olives did not come through unless you take an actual bite of them. I think what I would do would make stuffed chicken breasts and stuff every thing in them. Then the actual Mediterrean flavor will come through.