Spanish Style Beef and Rice

I made this recipe for my family last night. Of course I can't leave well enough alone... I have to change it up a bit. Partially because I didn't have everything in stock and partially my family doesn't like everything in the recipe. Here is how I interpreted this recipe.

Ingredients

4 beef bullion cubes
3 3/4 cups water
2 cups white enriched rice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
1 2/3 pounds ground beef (80/20)
Salt and pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cups tomato sauce
2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/3 palmful, twice

Spicy Chopped Salad, recipe follows

Directions
Heat water and bullion cubes to a full boil. Add rice, reduce heat and cover pot. Cook 20 minutes, until tender and liquids are absorbed.

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and beef and season with salt and pepper. Brown meat, 2 or 3 minutes. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, Worcestershire. Cook together 5 to 7 minutes, until veggies are just tender. Add tomato sauce, and cumin. Bring mixture up to a bubble and reduce heat to low.

Combine cooked rice with meat mixture and serve with Spicy Chopped Salad,recipe follows.
{Reserve 1/2 of the beef and rice and freeze for stuffed peppers for another meal.}

Spicy Chopped Salad
1/4-1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives (from the olive bar next to the deli)
1 vine ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped super fine
2 tablespoons salsa
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil, eyeball it
Salt and pepper

Combine salad ingredients in a bowl.

I served it just like it is portrayed in the picture. A bed of rice, topped with meat and then a sprinkling of chopped salad. My 22 month old LOVED picking out the olives. This is a winner in our house!

Mexican Noodle Casserole

I found THIS recipe and thought I would give it a shot. My family of 4 does not like overly spicy things. So I just omitted the chipotles en adobo sauce. Besides I can't find them in my grocery store! You would think that with a city with a 25% Latino population the chain grocery store would carry chipotles en adobo sauce!! OK. On with how I also altered the recipe. My grocery store also doesn't carry fideos. Or at least not in a location that I am able to find them on the shelf. So I substituted fine egg noodles. I am sure they are cheaper than fideos but I don't have anything to compare them too! I also just sautéed a couple of chicken breasts in place of 2 cups shredded smoked turkey. My family never knew the difference! I didn't use new mexican chili powder, but used regular chili powder. And I used dried oregano from my herb garden from this past summer. Why pay for something if you can grow it for next to free!!?

So here is the recipe as I did it. To see the original click on the link above.

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for pan
12 ounces FINE egg noodles
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups canned whole tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 sautéed chicken breasts, cooked thoroughly and chopped
1 cup coarsely grated cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
Sour cream

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Brush a 9x13-inch square baking dish with oil. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the fine egg noodles and cook, turning them with tongs, until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the noodles and any broken pieces to a plate.

Add the onion to the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, coriander, oregano, chili powder, and bay leaf, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Crush the tomatoes over the pot with your hand and add them to the pot along with their juices. Cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water, the toasted fine egg noodles, salt, and pepper, to taste. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently, uncovered, breaking up the noodles with a spoon, for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked, chopped chicken.

Remove the bay leaf. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle the grated cheese over the top, and cover loosely with foil. Bake until the cheese melts and the casserole is hot through and through, about 20 minutes. If desired, serve with some sour cream drizzled over the top.

Limoncello

Limoncello. Just saying it makes me want to go to Italy.  But then again, it doesn't take much for me to WANT to go to Italy.  Limoncello is a fabulous lemon liqueur originating from southern Italy made from the rinds of lemons,  alcohol, sugar and water.  (There are just so many fabulous things about that last sentence!)  If you have not had the pleasure of having limoncello as an after dinner digestivo or over ice cream you need to try this recipe.  From what I have heard making your own is far better than what you can purchase at the liquor store.

After watching Michael Chiarello on the Food Network I was surprised at how easy it was to make!  I use vodka in my recipe because vodka is so cheap!  I find the cheapest bottle I can find because I am just going to be flavoring it, not enjoying it for the flavor of vodka. I was so cheap, yummy and easy to make, I made it for my husband to take to the office for Christmas presents.  It was well received!  If you are thinking of making this for Christmas presents I would get started very soon.  It takes 4 weeks to macerate.  So here you go:

Limoncello
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello Show: Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello Episode: Gaucho Gusto

Ingredients

12 Meyer lemons, or a mixture of lemons and limes, peel only, no pith
3 sprigs lavender, optional but lovely
2 liters light rum or vodka
6 cups sugar
3 cups water

Directions

Put the lemon peels, lavender, if using, and rum or vodka in a container and let stand for 4 weeks.

Strain the mixture into a decanter.

Mix the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool before adding to the rum mixture.

Serve in small aperitif glasses.

Store in the freezer for up to 1 year.

**If you are truly pinching pennies I found this recipe can be cut in 1/2 but if you are waiting 4 weeks for it to macerate you are going to want it more and more.