Garlic Rice

I'm finally back (for a post, anyway) and I'm posting such a no-brainer that I probably should just keep it in my head! I just started at a new school and am coaching tennis, so this past month has been pretty wild. I absolutely love my new school and have lots of great kids. Tennis is far more fun than I imagined it to be, too! Great way to meet more kids from the school, also. Love those connections that come with working with kids outside of the classroom. Speaking of the classroom, my classes are really great and they are totally on board with the ProStart program, since this is the first year to have it there. They are excited and engaged (for the most part....working for 100%!) and doing a great job. They're learning big and small lessons and learning to work with people they don't want to work with. One thing I really love about teaching culinary classes is that so many students who don't have success in a traditional paper/pencil (or ebook, whatever) classroom find success in my kitchens. They learn math, how to follow instructions, and how to get along with other people. They listen and watch closely so they can see what happens when you don't follow instructions or don't get your math right (rather than get the problem wrong, you can see the reaction....a recipe that doesn't turn out quite right!). Definitely not knocking the math teachers, because they taught them the foundation to it, but it's so fun to see math, science, and reading "come alive".
Anyway, this was supposed to be about rice. We are using this rice in class to serve under our beef kebabs with maple coriander ketchup. Yum!!

Garlic Rice

2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic
1 cup brown or white long grain rice
2 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat butter over medium heat in small saucepan. Saute garlic until lightly browned, then add rice and stir until it absorbs the butter. Stir in the stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Shrimp Stuffed Squash

This is another great summer dinner (and one that makes me wish I had my own garden since I keep using things from other people's gardens...thanks, friends and family!). It was light, but filling, and bursting with flavor. I kept telling Norris how much I loved it. You could adapt the filling however you'd like...omit tomatoes, add more cheese, use garlic powder instead of fresh, use crab, go meatless, use shallot instead of onion...whatever you have and love will probably work! Enjoy!

Shrimp Stuffed Squash

Serves 1 entree or 2 sides

1 large zucchini or yellow squash, split in half longways and seeds/pulp scooped out
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
3 Tbsp chopped red onion
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
dried or fresh basil, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
dash of cayenne

Preheat the broiler to high and adjust rack to about six inches below heating element.
Brush squash with 1 tsp of olive oil and broil, cut side down, for about 8 minutes, or until it is releasing moisture beads. Remove squash from oven.
Reduce heat to 450 F.
Heat remaining olive oil in small saute pan over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion for about two minutes, or until soft.
Combine garlic, onion, tomato, shrimp, 1 Tbsp of cheese  basil, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stuff into the squash halves and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until cheese is browned and filling is cooked and hot, about 20 minutes.

adapted from allrecipes

Creamy Radish Dip

After being gone for almost two weeks, I just went to the grocery store for the first time in quite a while! I was checking out summer's bounty in the produce department and got some juicy peaches and cherries. Love this time of year! I also spotted radishes on super sale, so I picked up a bag. I thought I'd just put them on salads, but that gets boring, so I found this dip and it's awesome. I made a dinner out of this with cucumbers and wheat crackers dipped in it. I think even non radish lovers would like this. You could use greek yogurt or sour cream or a mixture of the two, which is what I did. Wish I would have found this before we just went to all of the get togethers that are perfect to bring dips to! (although then I would have had to share....:)

Creamy Radish Dip

1 cup radishes, diced
1/2 cup low fat sour cream, 2% plain Greek yogurt, or a combo of the two
8 green onions, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
dried dill, to taste (optional...I liked it both ways)

Combine all ingredients and serve with crackers and/or cucumbers. On the site I found the recipe, she suggested putting it as a spread on wrap, which I also think would be really great!
Oh, and according to the source I got this from, the whole recipe has under 110 calories, so it's okay to eat up!:)


slightly adapted from Prevention RD and Taste of Home

Summer Corn Salad

I recently got together with some girlfriends for a Pinterest party where everyone brought the ingredients to make something they found on Pinterest. Everyone picked a number to find out what course they got and then picked something from Pinterest (which could really be anything from the internet since you can "pin" from any site). We didn't put a theme to it and wound up with some really great dishes.

I got the side for the main dish and knew I wanted something summery. This salad tasted like summer to me (not like sand and suntan lotion, but the food of summer!) and we polished off a big bowl of it. I've made it a few times since then and some of the other girls have made it--it's a definite crowd pleaser!

Summer Corn Salad

6 ears of corn, shucked (I also supplemented with steamed frozen corn when I didn't have enough fresh and it turned out fine), cooked, cooled, and cut off the cob (I like some chunks...to cook it I boil it for about 14 minutes)

1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chiffonade fresh basil leaves

Combine vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add onions, corn, and tomatoes and toss in dressing. Stir in basil just before serving and adjust salt and pepper to your taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

This is how Bear makes sure he isn't left behind (he hasn't ever been left, but I think sometimes he just wants to be sure). Lay by my stuff and hook his leg in my purse!

Barley Salad

We kicked off summer with a trip to the lake. It was too windy to be out on the boat much, but it was fun and relaxing. We floated around in the lake since we couldn't be out on the boat, so it gave me my water fix for the weekend. My friend Allyson made a pasta salad with a little extra pesto she had around and chopped zucchini, and I was craving it when I got home. I had barley in the cabinet, which is a great grain, so decided to use her idea and make my own spin. This made a great light, refreshing summer lunch with a piece of fruit.

Barley Salad

1 cup pearled barley

2 cups water or chicken stock

grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

feta cheese, to taste

zucchini, quartered and chopped

1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp prepared pesto

salt, pepper, and dried basil, to taste

Bring water/stock to a boil, add barley, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes. Remove from heat (still covered) and let stand for about five minutes. Remove lid, fluff with fork, and set aside to cool.
Combine oil, vinegar, pesto, and seasonings. Pour over cooled barley. Mix in veggies and cheese. Chill before serving.

The "dog spot" at the lake. Bruno and Bear love this spot, and Norris and Deb tell me that their dogs growing up loved the same spot. In the shade, but with a view of the action!

Dear friends and college roommates at Stacy's wedding in Hays in May!

Mexican risotto

This dish drew in the judges and had them wishing they could go to the back to try it. The floor judges watch preparation, safety and sanitation, teamwork, communication, etc., while the tasting judges are separated into another room where all they do is taste food all day and don't see any of the prep. The reason I explain that is that after the kids were finished with their hour prep time, the floor judges all told them that was the best looking risotto they had seen all day and they wished they could try it, loved the smell, on and on. The first comment from one of the tasting judges was "this is not a risotto". They're all chefs at pretty big-time places (for our area anyway), but they couldn't agree on a lot of things that day, so we weren't too surprised. It's prepared using the risotto method, so I'm going to continue to call it risotto. The floor judges that watched the prep and didn't even know what we were calling it called it a risotto themselves, so we'll stick with it! That being said, this stuff is great. A few of the kids were making it at home for their families because they loved it so much (and when you're making the same dishes three times a week for three weeks, you don't typically want to make the same thing when you get home!). You can adjust the vegetables and amount of cheese to your liking. This is another side that easily makes a meal for me and was good hot, cold, and room temperature (seeing it so many times meant I was sometimes eating it leftover for lunch:).

Mexican Risotto

Serves 3 hearty side portions


1/2 cup arborio rice
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 red pepper, brunoise (tiny dice)
1/3 green pepper, brunoise
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1/3 zucchini, julienne (matchstick cuts)
4 oz frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

 Pour chicken stock into a medium size saucepan. Heat and add chili powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes.

Heat olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté for about 2-3 minutes or until onion softens.
Add rice and stir until coated, about one minute.
Add 1/4 cup of chicken stock and stir until the rice absorbs it.
Add red pepper, green pepper, and jalapeno.
Add broth one ladle at a time, letting rice absorb it before adding the next ladle. Stir continuously.
Before adding the last ladle of broth, add corn and zucchini. Add remaining broth and stir.
Add cheese and stir to melt. Serve.

from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Toasted lemon pinenut couscous

Israeli couscous is one of my favorite forms of pasta. The other is cavatappi...love that stuff for mac and cheese.  Every year for the grains section, I teach the kids how to make homemade pasta and we make something with Israeli couscous as well as some other grains they aren't as familiar with as boxed, dried pasta. When ProStart competition time or their final meal assignment comes around (when they can make what they want), a lot of them go back to the couscous for their grain because they like it and it's something a little different. When you make couscous with chicken stock instead of water, you add so much flavor (just like preparing rice the same way). Combined with toasted pinenuts and lemon, this is a great refreshing side that pairs well with a spicy meat or a sauce that can also be used with the couscous. Add in some sauteed veggies and I could definitely make a meal out of this, hot or cold. This went well with their ribeye with orange cider glaze and broccoli with pecan butter.

Toasted lemon pinenut couscous

1 cup chicken stock
2/3 cup Israeli couscous (the big kind)
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt


 Heat oil to medium heat in a small sauté pan. Toast pinenuts in oil for about four minutes, until golden brown.


Bring chicken stock to a boil in a small saucepan.  Stir in couscous and lemon rind.
Remove from heat; cover and let stand for five minutes.
Fluff with fork, then add toasted pinenuts.

Broccoli with pecan butter

This side dish was for a ProStart competition side dish. The kids tried a few different recipes for broccoli and some other sides and decided to come up with their own from a bunch of different ideas they had. It's pretty simple and the toasted pecan butter adds just a hit of extra flavor that makes it go above and beyond your regular broccoli side.

Broccoli with pecan butter

8 oz broccoli, trimmed
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped pecans
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper, to taste


Bring olive oil to medium high heat in a sauté pan.




Sauté garlic for thirty seconds, then add broccoli and chicken broth. Season with coarse salt and bring to a boil over high heat and cover.


Reduce heat and simmer until broccoli is tender but still bright green, about ten minutes. Remove broccoli from pan and shock in cold water to set color. Remove from cold water about thirty seconds later.


Add butter and pecans to pan and toast pecans and brown butter.


Add broccoli back to pan, heat thoroughly, and serve.


class-created recipe

Salt & Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

After smashing the first potato, I thought I was destined to be the next entry on craftfail. (If you have ever heard of Pinterest, or even if you haven't, you have to check out that site. hilarious!!) The directions specifically say that you should smash them but leave them in one piece. I am not a very gentle person, so smashing something to me means you should really smash it. It burst and spewed out all sides of the towel. I started using the side of my bench scraper and just slowly pressing down on that and it worked beautifully. Now don't get worried--this is not a difficult recipe!! In fact, I like that it is broken up into three fifteen minute chunks because I had time to do other stuff in between, like respond to a few emails, work on homework, and walk Bear around the block(not a long attention span for the first two items on that list!).
I LOVE vinegar. I used to think salt and vinegar chips and anyone who ate them were disgusting. Now I'm one of those disgusting people who loves them. My roommate in college (hi, Gma!) would tell me that they're so gross, they're good. Well they're totally not gross, but I can finally understand where she's coming from!
Good tip from Ms. Stewart herself (doubt she learned this in prison): you can boil and smash these, then refrigerate them until you're close to service time and bake them off when you're ready. Great for dinner parties or just planning ahead!
Well, enough dialogue about potatoes. I served them with some steamed peas and thyme roasted chicken drumsticks. And a couple thin mints for dessert:)

Salt & Vinegar Roasted Potatoes

serves 4

12 red, fingerling, or golden sweet yellow baby potatoes

Olive oil cooking spray or olive oil (time to get a Misto!!)

Sea or kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Malt vinegar, to taste (~1/4 cup)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, then reduce heat to a "rapid simmer" and cook potatoes in water for 15-20 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain potatoes.

While potatoes cook, preheat oven to 450 F.

Lay a dish towel or paper towel flat and place a few potatoes on it. Lay a paper towel over the top. Carefully (ha!) smash the potato with the heel of your hand or the side of a bench scraper. It should be kind of flat but all in one piece. Do this to all of the potatoes, then carefully place on a lined baking sheet. Spray the potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 15-20 minutes on each side, then sprinkle with malt vinegar, to taste.

found on Pinterest and traced back to Martha


Had a great time at the Martina McBride/George Strait concert this weekend! We had really good seats and as soon as I figured out the flash, I got some better pictures. Martina is so awesome in person. No zoom on that pic of George walking in...but yes, there was some zoom used on the singing shot! Great concert!



Mexican Sour Cream Rice

Oh man, this stuff was good! (Dad, I always think of you when I say "oh man"!!)
I like that you can adapt this recipe to whatever you have on hand and whatever flavors you like. I would have LOVED it with roasted jalapeno peppers, but my husband wouldn't have appreciated that at all, so I had to settle for topping it with jalapenos. This is something I was actually excited to eat leftovers of.
When I was making the sour cream mixture in the beginning, it reminded me almost exactly of the dip Norris likes to make for tailgating and parties. It does taste pretty great! It's basically his dip mixed with cooked rice and baked. Add in some cooked chicken and dinner's ready!

Mexican Sour Cream Rice

from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

3/4 cup uncooked white rice
3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups light sour cream
6 oz light cream cheese, softened
1 c shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
(OR instead of the seasonings, you could use a packet of taco seasoning if that's more convenient for you)
2 jalapenos, roasted then chopped
2 c frozen corn
1/2 can black beans

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a square or 9x13 casserole dish.
Bring broth to a boil, stir in rice, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until broth is absorbed. Meanwhile, combine sour cream, cream cheese, seasnonings, corn, black beans, and 3/4 cup of cheese.

After rice is cooked, stir it into the sour cream mixture. Pour into greased pan and top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until liquid is semi-absorbed and it looks creamy, but not runny. OR if you bake this in a 9x13, bake for 30 minutes covered.

Smashed Red Potatoes

All summer long, we grill and roast chopped red potatoes to get a nice crispy skin and they taste so great. I was about to do the same for this meal when I realized I had just made the Smoky Grilled Red Potato Salad (one of my favorite dishes to bring to get togethers still!) and should probably change it up. I served this with the mushroom chicken, which was the worst picture I've seen in a while and should not be shared again. These were great to soak up the mushroom sauce on the plate!

Smashed Red Potatoes

10 medium sized red potatoes, diced (be sure to get uniform sizes so they cook evenly)
everything else is approximate; do it to taste, like every recipe!!
1/3 cup sour cream
3 tbsp skim milk
1/4 cup margarine or butter
2 tsp dried rosemary
salt
pepper

Boil red potatoes. Drain and smash. Keep some chunks in there for texture. Stir in all of the other ingredients, taste, and adjust. Serve with something saucy to soak up the sauce!

Mushroom Risotto

While I admit that a 112 degree day was not the ideal day to make risotto, it was worth every minute of standing by the stove. I don't typically go for hot filling meals in the summertime, but this creamy and hearty risotto was so good that I snuck a couple of extra bites while packaging up the leftovers (looking at a couple of uses for those right now!).
I made this from just knowing the basic risotto method, which is something I learned in culinary classes and books. You could substitue any kind of broth (mushroom broth, anyone??), add/subtract butter, change up/add/subtract the cheese, play with the spices, swap in different vegetables, add meat...you can do a lot of things with the basic recipe! I don't like wine in risotto, but many classical recipes call for it. If you are going to use wine, use about 1/2 cup of dry white and add it at the very beginning before any broth.

Mushroom Risotto

~5 cups hot chicken broth
~1 1/2 cups arborio rice (the bag at my store has a tiny bit over this, so I go with that)
1 small onion, finely minced
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
~2 tbsp butter
~1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
parsley for garnish
parmesan cheese for garnish

Saute mushrooms and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic powder. Saute onion for about two minutes.
Add rice and stir to coat.
This is the point where you start adding the broth--1 ladle or so at a time. As soon as the rice looks almost dry, add another ladle. Someone told me a great tip of setting your timer for 18 minutes when you start your rice because it does always take about that long to cook completely. The rice should be al dente (not mushy but not crunchy) and really creamy. It shouldn't be glue-y but it shouldn't be runny either.
When you have about two ladles of liquid left, stir in your mushrooms. Finish cooking the rice, then stir in the remaining butter and cheese. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Honey Lime Roasted Corn Salsa

After how much I loved the honey lime enchiladas from last week, I thought it would also be an excellent flavor combination in salsa. I like lime juice in my salsa, but hadn't thought of honey before, although I'm sure it's nothing new in the food world.
Norris' aunt and uncle grow corn so Norris brought some back for us last week. You can do whatever you like for the salsa--this is just my ideas and a flavor combination that I enjoyed!

 Honey Lime Roasted Corn Salsa

3 ears of corn, roasted (on the grill or microwave/boil first and then roast under broiler, then trim from ears)
1/2 fresh jalapeno, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pepper, finely chopped (I used a combo of green, yellow, red, and orange)
2 Tbsp lime juice
1-2 Tbsp honey
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 onion, finely chopped

Combine and let flavors marry in the fridge before serving. I think this would also be good warm or at room temperature.

Sauteed Summer Squash

Part of our girls' night menu, this side dish was even liked by one friend who doesn't like vegetables pretty much at all and another who doesn't like cooked vegetables! I was looking for dishes that could be made with ingredients that are in season right now, and squash and zucchini are abundant, so decided to go with them. The onions are from my grandparents' garden!

Sauteed Summer Squash

2 medium zucchini, halved and cut into 1/4-1/2 inch slices on the diagonal (makes it look prettier!)

2 medium yellow squash, halved and cut into 1/4-1/2 inch slices on the diagonal

2 small onions, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

~2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

crushed red pepper

Heat a pan large enough to fit your vegetables without crowding over medium high heat.

Add oil to pan and heat. Add all vegetables to pan at once and cook until crisp tender, stirring constantly. Season to taste, add balsamic vinegar, and cook for about 30 seconds to let vinegar heat. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and serve.

Couscous Tabouleh

I hope it's okay for me to still call this tabouleh even though I used couscous! I love tabouleh with bulgur wheat, but couldn't find it in the store I was in and decided I'd just go with couscous and it was delicious.

My first teaching job was at a school in a really diverse neighborhood with great ethnic restaurants nearby--specifically Thai and Mediterranean food. One of my favorite restaurants in Wichita was caddy corner from the school so we spent many inservice lunches there. I hadn't had tabouleh in a while and ate my fair share in Daytona. I was looking for something for lunches, made a big batch of this, and it lasted me through the week with leftovers to spare. I just made 3 servings of couscous and added in a bunch of vegetables and a dressing, similar to how I made panzanella. Adjust it to your tastes, but if you taste it and it's missing something, it's probably lemon juice and salt!

Couscous Tabouleh

cooked couscous (how easy....boil water, put couscous in water, stir, cover, remove from heat, and fluff after five minutes)

cucumber, seeded and chopped

tomatoes, seeded and chopped

lots of parsley

mint if you have it and like it

red onions, chopped*

green onions, chopped

green peppers, chopped*

feta cheese*

dressing:

olive oil

lemon juice

salt

pepper

*from what I understand, these aren't "traditional" ingredients, but there isn't much traditional about this, so add what you want!

Mix it all together. I think it's best after giving the flavors a chance to get to know each other for a day or so and I like it cold or room temperature.

Panzanella

I don't know about you, but I don't care to turn on the oven much in the summer time. I love the fresh tastes of summer and appreciate light lunches in the scorching Kansas heat. This panzanella salad was a perfect start to a nice day by the pool when we were home visiting my parents. (although I did turn on the oven to make croutons, but we did that at night when it was a touch cooler!) Can't wait to have it again soon!

Bonnie has put out a wonderful new cookbook. It's really beautiful and I am excited to try a lot of things out of it. This recipe is adapted from her new book.

Panzanella Salad

homemade croutons (always make extra because they are really tempting to snack on, especially for men passing through the kitchen)
cucumbers, seeded and diced
tomatoes, seeded and dices
bell pepper, chopped
minced red onion
chopped fresh basil leaves
chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
salt and pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
extra virgin olive oil
white wine vinegar
shredded Parmesan cheese

Yes, I noticed I didn't put amounts. I didn't measure and instead used what I had and then made the dressing to taste. If you love tomatoes, use more of those, if you hate peppers, don't use those. You get it.
For the dressing, as a rule of thumb, it's typically 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. In my world, it's more like 2 parts vinegar because I like vinegar. Add in your garlic, salt, and pepper to taste for your dressing, then drizzle it over everything.
I combined everything but the bread and cheese the night before to let the flavors mingle, then added the bread and cheese about a half hour before service. It would be really easy to eat this all week if you just did that every day. Enjoy!

Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes

The crispy sage leaves absolutely make this dish--do not skip out on them! The Greek yogurt gives it a touch of tanginess but not too much. I think we are all in agreement that these are the best mashed potatoes we have ever tasted!

Browned Butter Mashed Potatoes

Baking potatoes 1.5 lbs, diced
Unsalted butter ¼ cup
Sage leaves 12 fresh leaves
Whole milk ½ cup
Plain Greek yogurt ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp
Sea salt ¾ tsp
Freshly ground black pepper ¼ tsp





Put potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by half an inch.


Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until tender, about 15 minutes.


While the potatoes are cooking, heat the butter over medium-high heat in a medium skillet. When it begins to foam, add the sage leaves and gently fry until crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, place on a paper towel and reserve. Continue to cook the butter until it is golden brown and nutty, an additional two minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.


In a small saucepan, heat the milk over medium-high heat just until hot, careful that the milk does not boil. Remove from heat and reserve in a warm place.


Drain the potatoes and place them in a large bowl. Rice potatoes using potato ricer. Stir in milk, yogurt, salt, pepper, and brown butter, making sure to get all the dark butter solids.


Garnish with fried sage and serve.

Balsamic Glazed Asparagus

Rather than posting a picture of the meal every time, I'm going to just leave you with the first picture. I just like to post the recipes separately so they are easier for me to find in the search function later! This is great asparagus--even high school students are loving this stuff. One girl went home and made it for her family because she liked it so much, so that's definitely saying something about this recipe! It is very simple to put together. We got the idea from when we made soy glazed sauteed green beans in class and they all loved those. We needed a veggie side for our entree so we experimented a bit and wound up with this! I am so proud of them for getting creative and not just following recipes all the time--I feel like that means they're learning more.

Balsamic Glazed Asparagus

Asparagus ½ lb
Salt Pinch
Pepper Pinch
Butter 3 tbsp
Soy sauce 1 ½ tsp
Balsamic vinegar 1 ½ tsp
Honey 1 ½ tsp


Heat 1 tbsp butter in sauté pan over medium high heat.
Saute asparagus until crisp tender, about 6 minutes.
Remove asparagus from pan and set aside. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, honey, and balsamic vinegar.
Melt remaining 2 tbsp butter in same pan over medium heat. Remove from heat.
Pour sauce over top of asparagus. Keep warm until service.

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

Another picture-less recipe, but another one I felt I just had to share.
I love Mexican food, whether it's eaten at home or out. I rarely order the rice because I have found very few that I actually like. If they have black beans, I get more than a little excited!
We needed a rice recipe to serve with our beef enchiladas for the fundraiser lunch and tried four different recipes. This one was awesome! After making a bunch, we put it in the crockpot, poured some hot chicken stock over it, and kept it warm until we needed it, which was really handy. It had the perfect combination of flavors--try it with your next Mexican meal!

Restaurant Style Mexican Rice

Honey Glazed Steamed Carrots

These will add a little color and a sense of nutrition to your Thanksgiving table, although I plan to make them for dinners all year round. The first time I made these for the kids at school, they gobbled them up, which is always a good sign. After our Thanksgiving lunch, everyone wondered what the spice was on the carrots, and it's just honey! I think even non carrot lovers will enjoy this.


In the original recipe from Sunny Anderson, the carrots are cooked in the water, so if you don't have a steamer insert, you could do that. I prefer steamed carrots, so I steamed them. Up to you! Just don't over cook your carrots and wind up with mushy carrots!!
Honey Glazed Steamed Carrots
serves 4
salt and black pepper
1 lb baby carrots
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
parsley, for garnish
Steam carrots in a steamer insert over ~1 inch of boiling water for about 15 minutes, until carrots are tender but still have a bite. Drain the water and place the carrots in the pan. Add honey, butter, and lemon juice and combine. Cook until the ingredients have formed a glaze over the carrots, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.