Green Beans, Onions, and Bacon

This is a recipe that my Mom taught Kyle when he was younger and first started growing his garden. Kyle told me that it is a recipe that has been around for a long time and that he has seen numerous places. As I was rather picky when I was little there was no way that I was going to sample anything that had GREEN BEANS and ONIONS!! He made it again tonight and I LOVED it! So good and simple.

Green Beans, Onions, and Bacon

2-3 Slices Bacon

1 lb Green Beans

1 Medium Onion

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1. Cut bacon into 1/4 inch pieces, cook until crispy.

2. Chop onions- medium/fine pieces.

3. Remove bacon from pan. Cook onions in bacon fat until soft and mostly transparent.

4. Meanwhile, steam beans for 12-15 minutes until al dente.

5. Combine all ingredients in pan over heat until flavors are combined.

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Healthy Crunchy Onion Rings

I first clicked on this recipe because I know that my LOVES onion rings and if they were a healthier version that is always a plus. I didn't have any panko which I think might have been a negative, they weren't as crunchy as I hoped they would be, plus I think that next time I would add a bunch more spices because it seemed kind of bland. Mom and Libbey liked them and thought that they were good otherwise.

Healthy Crunchy Onion Rings

Recipe Came From How Sweet It Is

Healthy Crunchy Onion Rings

serves 2-4

2 large vidalia onions

1 quart of buttermilk

4 egg whites

1 cup medium ground cornmeal

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

12-24 hours ahead of time, slice onions into 1/2-inch thick rings. Season the onion rings with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper each. Place in a baking dish and pour buttermilk over top. Let soak for 12-24 hours.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 450 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk egg whites. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour and panko with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon paprika. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the wire rack with non-stick spray.

Remove each onion ring from the buttermilk and dip in egg whites. Immediately dip in the breadcrumb mixture and press to coat. If bread crumbs won’t adhere, dip in egg whites and try again. Lay each ring on the wire rack. When all rings are ready, give each a quick spritz with olive oil or non-stick spray. Bake for 15 minutes, then gently flip with tongs and spray again with olive oil or non-stick spray. Bake for 10 minutes more.

Sweet Potato Fries

These Sweet Potato Fries are almost like my Oven Fries, so simple and delicious. I'm not sure which one that I like better. I remember when I was little that if anyone mentioned sweet potatoes my face immediately scrunched up and I would give you a very loud "ewwww," who would have ever thought that I would like them and even get excited about them. If you are like I used to be, give sweet potatoes a try (and I would strongly suggest this be where you start!)

Sweet Potato Fries

Recipe Came From Eat At Home

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper

Wash the sweet potatoes and cut them into sticks. Put them in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place them on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Sumptuous Sunday

I can't believe that it has almost been a month since I last posted...terrible! I have been working almost everyday and as such haven't had as much time for the cooking/baking/blogging world, but I'm working on getting back on the wagon again. I may not have had the time to try new recipes but I definitely have a very long list to share, so here it it...

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Mississippi Mud Brownies

Pepperoni Pizza Monkey Bread

Oreo Brownies

Easy Ice Cream Without a Machine

Southern Skillet Corn

Fruited Chicken Pasta

S'More Stars

Corn Potato Chowder

Stove Top Macaroni and Cheese

Pizza Bagel Bites

Berry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

Chicken Bacon Avocado Quesadillas

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Gooey White Chocolate Fluffernutter Bars

Creamy Swiss Chicken Bake

Mashed Potato Chicken Bowl

Homade Cheeze-Its

Roasted Potato Tacos

Triple Layer Bars

Chicken, Apple, Cheddar Sandwiches

Peach Bread

Grilled Breakfast Pizza

Sumptuous Sunday

Chunky Pecan Pie Bars

Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Frosting

Cake Batter Cinnamon Rolls

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Chocolate Cheesecake Frosting

Rhubarb, Coconut and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lemonade Cupcakes

Peanut Butter Jelly Bars

Cast Iron Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

Pulled Chicken Suiza Sandwiches

Brown Sugar Blueberry Cookies

Gluten Free Rhubarb, Almond, and Lemon Cake

BBQ Chicken Burgers

Crunchy Onion Rings

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

Chicken Empenadas

Easy Raspberry Lemonade

Grilled Quesadillas

Mandarin Orange Pie

Mormon Potatoes

In LDS culture (aka Mormon) we have several things people see as standard "Mormon." To name a few...jell-o, Mormon-Standard-Time, and Mormon (or Funeral) Potatoes. Last week someone passed away in my Mom's ward and today was her funeral. My Mom signed up to make some Funeral Potatoes for the luncheon after the viewing and funeral. We got this recipe a couple of years ago from a friend of ours (who happens to be not LDS), they were super yummy and easy (plus a little fattening too :D). The picture doesn't look like much but trust me when I say they are delicious!

Mormon Potatoes
Recipe came from Scottie

1/2 cup Butter
8 ounces Cream Cheese
1 can Cream of Celery soup
2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
32 ounces Southern Frozen Hash Browns, thawed

Melt butter and cream cheese in large bowl. Cream cheese does not need to be entirely melted. Beat together. Add undiluted soup. Mix. Add cheddar cheese. Mix. Add potatoes (thawed), mix.

Scrape into a 9x13 pyrex dish.
Bake at 375*F for 30 to 45 minutes, or until bubbly.

*Any cream soup may be substituted.
**Sour cream may be substituted for cream cheese.

Copycat Cafe Rio Cilantro-Lime Rice

Another new recipe! Last time we had rice with our burritos but this time I decided to add the yummy rice like they have at Cafe Rio...super good and easy. We used the rice cooker but I'm sure it would still be super easy on the stove top.

Copycat Cafe Rio Cilantro-Lime Rice

Recipe came from Family Favorite Recipes

Copycat Cafe Rio Cilantro-Lime Rice

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)

1 tsp. butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

1 can (15 oz) chicken broth

1 cup water

1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tsp. sugar

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Copycat Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch Dressing

I'm kind of a dork, the first time I went to Cafe Rio I tried the Sweet Barbacoa Pork burrito and ever since I have always gotten when I have returned. I had never tried the salad before and as such had never tried the Cilantro Ranch Dressing. This time around when I made the Sweet Barbacoa Pork I decided to be different (and a little brave) and make this dressing. Because I knew it would make a bunch I invited Ben/Sonia/family over to join us. I had Sonia try the dressing and she said that it was really good (she had tried it before). I ended up not adding the jalapeño but I think that it was still really good.

Copycat Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch Dressing

Recipe came from Family Favorite Recipes

Copycat Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch Dressing

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)

1 c. mayonnaise

1 c. buttermilk

2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced

1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic

juice of 1 lime

1 jalepeno (we like it SPICY so we kept the seeds in it, if you like it mild, just remove the seeds)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!

Lemon-Dill Rice

My Mom wanted to add Lemon-Dill Rice as a side for the quiches but couldn't find her original recipe that she really likes so we went to the trusty google and found one that sounded good. I'm not the biggest fan of dill and was a little hesitant about this recipe, but it ended up being really good--just add or take away dill depending on your preference.

Lemon-Dill Rice
Recipe came from About: Mid East Food
Lemon-Dill Rice

Ingredients
2 cups uncooked White Rice
1 1/2 cups chopped Fresh Dill (or about 4 tablespoons Dried Dill)
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 cups Water or Chicken Broth
1 teaspoon Chicken Bouillon
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Directions:
1. Bring chicken broth to a boil and add bouillon.
2. Add rice, lemon juice and stir.
3. Add dill and salt. Stir and cover.
4. Reduce heat to low and allow to cook for 25 minutes or until rice is done.
5. Fluff with fork and serve immediately.

Oven Fries

I love making oven fries, they are so simple, delicious and the healthier route to go (as compared to deep fried or battered). I searched for a fry recipe several years ago and found one (now whenever I look I can find hundreds all just different variations of the same thing) that sounded really good, so I made them and haven't stopped making them since (picture me in Taiwan cooking them every other Sunday on a teeny tiny toaster oven).

Oven Fries
Potatoes
Vegetable Oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Garlic Salt, Mrs. Dash, Johnny's Seasoning, or something similar

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Scrub potatoes well and cut into 1/2 inch thick fries.
2. In a large mixing bowl, toss potatoes with oil, salt, pepper, and other seasonings. Spread on baking sheet in one layer.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven (turn once about half-way through), until potatoes are tender and browned. Serve immediately.

These fries are great served by themselves but added fry sauce makes them even better.

Fry Sauce
(all of these measurements aren't precise, add a little here and there until you get a taste that you like)
1/3 cup Ketchup
2/3 cup Mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip works too)
1/8 cup BBQ Sauce