Rice Pudding

medium grain white

my rice cooker/crockpot

rice pudding

I make a really awesome rice pudding on the stove that is creamy and delicious but it requires a LOT of work. So I have experimented with making some in the rice cooker/crockpot. It comes out MUCH drier which is ok. My son actually prefers it that way and has been gobbling this kind up. My recipe at the moment is sort of high calorie, but I will eventually experiment with non-fat or low-fat milk etc.

However this is how I have been making it in my new Aroma Rice Cooker/crockpot.

1 cup of medium grain white rice. I like the Hinode Calrose Rice shown above. Rinse it well first.
3/4 cup sugar
4 1/2 cups of whole milk
1 tablespoon of butter cut up (if it's cold, or just put in if it's room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg but not put in until later.

In my rice cooker bowl I mix the rice, sugar, milk, butter, vanilla and cinnamon. I put it on "HIGH" for 2 hours. When the cooker beeps that it is done I whip one egg with a fork in a small bowl, then add a spoonful of the hot rice mixture to the egg, stir that together and then dump that mixture into the rice cooker. Stir well and let the cooker sit on "Warm" for about 10 or 15 minutes. Remove from cooker and put in a bowl. Let cool and then cover and refrigerate.

I have also added a teaspoon of almond extract to it when I add the egg.

I think if you wanted it to stay creamier you could add more milk. But since David prefers it "dry" I have been making it this way.

It's fast, simple, easy, and delicious. Since my stomach has been bothering me, I have tried to eat mostly rice all the time and so this has been my breakfast. Delicious.

Fried Rice

fresh bean sprouts

green onions

Make rice night before

mushrooms

shredded carrot

Oyster sauce - secret ingredient

I have been craving some really good fried rice. I made some the other night using brown rice. Had to throw it all out. I'm sorry but white rice is essential for good fried rice.

So I made a pot of medium grain white rice the other night and put it in the fridge to get cold overnight.

Last night I came home and cooked one egg. Just heat the fry pan with a little bit of oil, get it hot, beat the egg with a fork but don't add anything to it. Pour in hot oil. let it cook a minute or two and flip over and cook the other side.  Set it aside. Heat some more oil in the fry pan (I used vegetable oil because it tastes better than olive oil. You could also use peanut oil. You only need a tablespoon or so. Stir fried chopped mushrooms, green onions, half a regular Vidalia onion,  bean sprouts, sliced napa cabbage, and carrots. Add a little soy sauce. Remove that from pan. Add a little more oil (maybe half a tablespoon)  and then fry the rice for a minute or two (you don't really want to make it crunchy fried, more like just heat it through.)  Chop up the cooked egg and add to rice, add the veggies back in. Then add a couple tablespoons of Oyster Sauce. That is the key ingredient.  Remove from heat. Eat.

Some granulated or fresh garlic would be good too. I don't like to add peas to mine. I will do some ham or pork that has been cooked and is left over, but this time I was in the mood for all veggie. I'm eating it for lunch right now and leftovers taste just as good as fresh.

I think I will make more tonight. Yum. Yum.

Turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese... I really think so......

Halloween Party 2013

Spider, Spider Creep behind her

what a cute smile

After the Sacrifice... bwhahahaha

Briparo... and a witch doctor

Spook Corner

We had our Halloween party on Friday. It was fun. We played "Cards Against Humanity" and David won.

We had Road Kill and Maggot Rice. Delicious. Still eating leftovers today. The longer the maggots ferment, the better. Bwhahaha.

I can't believe Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner. I still haven't given the girls the spa day that I gave them LAST Christmas!!!   I think I'm going to just re-wrap the same thing.... LOL.

Oh, and the highlight of the party was that grandbaby girl is doing "yay" on the potty. And she did REALLY good at Grandma's house and had not one, but TWO successful sits on the Minnie Mouse Throne.

Ahhh the joys of potty training. LOL.  I remember those days.

Tortilla Soup

The weather has turned chilly. Time to warm up with some soup. Tonight I'm making a slightly spicy Chicken tortilla soup.

Ingredients are:

1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB olive oil
2 tea chili powder
1 tea dried oregano
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups Mexican Tortilla Broth
1 can of corn
1 small white hominy (rinsed and drained)
7 oz can of diced green chilies
1 small can black beans, rinsed and drained
Meat off a whole rotisserie chicken
crushed tortilla chips, or strips
shredded cheese
chopped green onions (optional)
sliced avocado

Saute the onion and garlic in the oil til soft. Stir in the chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in corn, hominy, chilies, beans, and chicken.

BEST BROTH EVER!!!

Simmer another 15 to 20 minutes or until warmed through completely.

Ladle soup into a bowl and top with cheese, chopped green onions, tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips, and slices of avocado. Serve with warm cornbread or warmed corn tortillas.

Can add cilantro but I prefer not to.

Serves 8.

George likes to add fresh chopped jalapeno to his.

Best Beans ever

1 tsp baking powder for soaking

2 cups pinto beans

2 TBS pinto bean seasoning

GRANULATED garlic

Ham shanks

3 sliced jalapenos

roasted cumin

Sazon for all mexican food

Sweet onions - 2 of them

Here is how I made some amazing beans. Put two cups of pinto beans in a pot and cover with water and a tsp of baking soda. Stir. Let sit overnight. 

Next morning, drain the water and rinse the beans very well. 

In large pot, put the beans, and two sweet onions peeled and diced. Add three sliced jalapenos or more if you like it real spicy. 

Put two smoked ham shanks in it. (you can use ham hocks, but shanks have more meat. I find mine in the frozen meats section at Fresh Market). Cover with water, just barely covered. 

Add 2 TB Pinto bean seasoning. Stir in packet or two packets of Sazon seasoning. And add a good couple of shakes of granulated garlic. Do not use garlic salt or garlic powder. It has to be GRANULATED garlic. Add a couple of good shakes of ground roasted cumin. 

Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to lowest setting and cover the pot. Let it simmer for a good 6 to 7 hours. 

Turn heat off and let pot sit on stove for an hour. Then scoop out the ham bones and remove the meat. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and put back in the beans. Add salt if needed. 

OH MY delicious. 

Spanish Rice a la Hernandez

I'm brave. At least I think so. 

I have never used a rice cooker before and my first attempt at it.... I did not follow a recipe.

I created my own.

And it was AWESOME. 

Swanson now has this Mexican Tortilla soup broth, prepackaged. 

It is AMAZING.

So I created some absolutely delicious rice.

I took two cups of brown basmati rice. Rinsed it thoroughly (according to rice cooker directions). 

I put that in the cooker. 

Added four cups of the Mexican Tortilla soup broth.

And about half tablespoon of butter. 

Then about 3/4 of the can of Rotel (the 15 oz size can)

Stirred it up.

I shut the lid and hit the "Brown Rice" button.

And I thought "Is that it? Is that all I have to do to have perfect rice?" 

Can it really be that easy? 

Yes.... Yes it can.