Apricot and Almond Rice Pilaf from the Prince

Two of my fav romantic suspense books are THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE and TO CATCH A PRINCESS. I love stories with siblings like Prince Alexander and Princess Tatiana. Mix in action, romance, arranged marriages, a royal jewel heist, money laundering, and secret identities and you’ve got two fun stories!

There is a scene in THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE where Prince Alexander decides to show FBI Agent Kathleen Martinez just how liberated a man he can be by making her dinner. I guess he hoped to woo his way into her heart by way of her stomach!

Today I’m going to share the recipe for the apricot and almost rice pilaf he made! You can download THE PRINCE’S GAMBLE at https://books2read.com/PrincesGamble.

Apricot and Almond Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

2 cups rice (you can use brown rice. I also wash the rice several times but that is a matter of choice)
4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1-2 onions (medium to small. You can substitute shallots here!)
1/2 cup diced apricots
1/3 toasted slivered almonds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:

Heat the butter and olive oil in a pot. Add onions and sauté until onions are translucent, but not brown. Add the rice and cook until just turning golden. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce to a low simmer and add the diced apricots. Once all the liquid is absorbed, fluff with a fork and add the toasted almonds. You don’t want to add them too early because they will get mushy!

Serve with the sour cream chicken or any kind of chicken. You can also use brown rice or quinoa in the recipe. Possibly even check out using couscous.

November 20, 2023November 17, 2023

Tasty Apple or Savory Pumpkin

One of the hardest things about Thanksgiving dinner is leaving enough room for dessert after eating all that amazing turkey, cranberry sauce, and all the appetizing side dishes. Somehow I manage to do it but now it’s time for the hard choice: tasty apple pie or savory pumpkin? Yes, I know many of you will say both, but I’m still trying to lose weight and have been stuck at 45 pounds lost for the last three months. Sigh. Also, I really prefer pecan pie (or sweet potato pie) and hope that will be on the Thanksgiving table as well. But back to today’s This or That. Will you choose apple or pumpkin? A la mode or just pie all alone?

apple or pumpkin

November 14, 2023November 13, 2023

Tasty Corn Casserole

With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, I thought I’d share a couple of my fav dishes that I love to have on our Thanksgiving table. Ages ago my sister gave me a recipe for a corn casserole that’s incredibly easy to make, has only six basic ingredients, and is absolutely packed with flavor. I hope you’ll try to make it yourself and if you do, I’d love to hear what you think about it!

Carmen’s Corn Casserole

One 15 ounce can cream corn
One 15 ounce can kernel corn drained
One pint low fat sour cream
One stick melted butter
One package Jiffy corn muffin mix
One cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine first 5 ingredients. Grease casserole or brownie pan with butter. Pour ingredients into pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes until firm.

Sprinkle cheese over the top and melt the cheese for about another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let casserole sit for 10 minutes. (If you can wait that long! LOL) Enjoy! If you want some variations on this, add some chopped roasted jalapeno peppers for some heat or double up on the cheese by mixing some into the batter. If you like it “sweeter”, add chopped roasted red peppers to the batter.

corn casserole

March 3, 2020

Chicken Enchilada Casserole #TuesdayTip #TuesdayTransformation

Good morning! I am so excited to share with you that I’ve hit my next goal! I have now lost 50 – YES FIFTY – pounds. I’m feeling great with all the healthier foods I’m eating and my daily workouts. I think one of the reasons I’ve managed to get to this stage in my journey is that I’ve learned how to cook meals that satisfy but are healthier and today I am sharing one of those recipes with you — an easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole. This recipe uses a lot of low-calorie vegetables to create a more substantial dish that will satisfy without adding calories.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients

2 cups shredded cooked chicken**
1 1/2 cups cubed zucchini
1 onion chopped
1 poblano pepper chopped
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable if you don’t like olive oil)
2 cloves garlic minced
1 large jar salsa (either salsa verde or regular salsa; heat level is up to you)
8-12 soft corn tortillas (They have fewer calories than flour ones and are gluten-free if that’s an issue for you)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup cotija cheese for garnish (If you can’t find this, some grated feta will work)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro for garnish
1/2 cup chopped scallions for garnish
Lime wedges for garnish

**You can use one of those rotisserie chickens. We have soup pretty often so when I make it I poach extra chicken to make other dishes during the week.

Directions

I used a 9×9 casserole which let me use 4 tortillas for the base and top of the casserole. If you use a larger pan you will need to use more tortillas and you may have a thinner casserole.

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly grease the bottom of the casserole and spread a small amount of the salsa on the bottom. Lay your corn tortillas to form a base. For extra flavor try a little char on your tortillas by running them over your gas grill or toasting them in the oven.

Saute the mushrooms at high heat in the olive oil. Mushrooms have a lot of water so you want to get that out of them so you won’t be steaming the rest of the vegetables. Then add your peppers and cook them for about 3 to 5 minutes before adding the onions. Continue cooking until the onions are golden and then add the zucchini and the garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes or until zucchini is softened (but not total mush).

Take the vegetable mix off the heat and add the chicken and about 1 cup of the salsa. You can use either salsa verde or regular tomato salsa. I like the verde but it’s just as tasty with the tomato salsa. Heat level is up to you. I happen to like a little hotter and don’t worry about the poblano. It’s not a very hot pepper.

Spoon the chicken/vegetable mix over the corn tortillas. Use half of the mozzarella and half of the cheddar to cover the chicken/vegetable mix.

Cover this chicken/vegetable/cheese layer with corn tortillas. Spoon another cup over the tortillas, making sure to cover every little bit of them with the salsa. Then top this with the remaining cheeses.

Bake at 350 for about 45-50 minutes or until cheese is beginning to get nice and toasty.

Serve with the various garnishes and more salsa if you’d like. The lime in particular will give it a nice fresh zip. A side salad of shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers is a nice accompaniment.

You’ll notice I haven’t included sour cream or Mexican Crema as one of the garnishes. I love sour cream but the calories… It’s a trade off and the dish is so flavorful that you really don’t need it, but feel free if you wish to add that as a garnish.

This recipe will serve 4 without a problem!

I hope you liked today’s Tuesday Tip!

November 15, 2019February 17, 2021

Zucchini Cheese Waffles #FoodieFriday

Admit it. We all have this gadget sitting in a cabinet somewhere and take it out once or twice a year. The waffle maker. The must-have gadget given at every bridal shower or wedding. I’m guilty of ignoring this poor kitchen appliance, but I’ve been inspired this week by two things: a recipe shared at one of my groups and the Food Network Ultimate Thanksgiving Challenge. In the show I watched while on the elliptical at the gym (yes, ironic much), the contestants were challenged to make a meal without using a stove or oven. So they had fryers, etc. and of course, the waffle maker. So here goes with my version of Zucchini Waffles. Want to make a full meal? About some grilled chicken served over the zucchini waffle? Want to make it keto? Substitute almond or some other kind of flour for the regular flour.

Ingredients

Directions

Grate/spiralize Zucchini. If you spiralize, chop the noodles down into manageable lengths. Place in colander and sprinkle with 1 tsp salt. Toss so salt gets all over. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. This is to take some of the moisture out of the zucchini.

Place zucchini in sturdy paper towels, clean dishcloth, or cheesecloth and strain out more moisture.

In mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients and remaining 1 tsp salt and mix. Then add two beaten eggs, cheese, and finally, the zucchini. Mix well.

Pre-heat your waffle maker and spray with cooking spray. Place about a cup of the zucchini/cheese/flour mixture in the middle and cook. Your waffle maker normally has a light that goes green when it’s done.

Top with parmesan cheese, spaghetti sauce or that grilled chicken I mentioned earlier!

Good eats, my friends!

Original Zucchini Image by Bruno GlÃ¤tsch from Pixabay

Original Waffle Image by Coco Zinva from Pixabay

May 28, 2019April 28, 2021

Hibiscus Lemonade

The first time I had anything with hibiscus was in a margarita while I was visiting Mexico. It was tasty and tart and who knew hibiscus was so good for you! Those colorful flowers are loaded with anti-oxidants and polyphenols which can help with lowering your blood pressure, losing weight, lowering bad cholesterol, and even boosting your immune system. So why not try this Hibiscus Lemonade recipe for a refreshing summer drink?

Hibiscus Lemonade

3 cups boiling water
3 hibiscus tea bags
2 cups cold water
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
sugar/honey to taste

Directions

Boil water and then add hibiscus tea bags and let the tea steep for at least 15 minutes (or even until the water is at room temperature). If you’re going to use sugar, add at this stage so it will dissolve in the warmer water.

Add cold water and lemon juice. Chill and serve. You can also add some sliced strawberries for some additional color and flavor! Change things up by using lime juice!

February 27, 2019

#WineWednesday – Sweet and Refreshing Sangria

I love the summer for a number of reasons, but when heat and humidity get to me, I settle back in a comfy chair in the shade with a good book and an icy cold glass of sangria. Yum! I just love the fruitiness and sweetness of it. I could definitely see some of my peeps from ONE SUMMER NIGHT or WHAT HAPPENS IN SUMMER indulging in a glass as well! LOL!

Caridad’s Sweet and Refreshing Sangria

Ingredients

Directions

Peel oranges. Cut into eighths and then cut the eighths in half. Cut grapes in half. Cut frozen strawberries in half.
Place fruit into a pitcher and add wine. Let fruit and wine macerate for at least 10 minutes in the refridgerator. If you can wait longer, the flavors will be better.
Add chilled sparkling cider to fruit and wine mixture.
Remove some fruit from this mix and place in individual glasses. Pour wine/cider mixture into the glass and serve.

What I like about this mix is that you get the extra fruitiness and sweetness with the addition of the cider and don’t have to add sugar to get that.

Some recipes call for lemon in the mix and also don’t ask you to peel the citrus, but I find that the lemon and the peels make the mix too acidic. For a change of pace, cube some apples and toss them in or go even more tropical with some pineapple and changing to a white wine.

For a slightly more alcoholic version, add some orange-flavored liqueurs like Drambuie, Aperol, or Cointreau.

You can find more sangria recipes at:

Delish: http://bit.ly/2UcahKe
Food and Wine: http://bit.ly/2Uc3fFo
Southern Living: http://bit.ly/2U9XVCD
Food Network: http://bit.ly/2UaPV4h
Better Homes & Gardens: http://bit.ly/2U5VBfP