Garlic Rice Pilaf

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Garlic Rice Pilaf

This is one of those side dishes that have been a staple in our kitchen for a while now, but I’d never gotten around to sharing with you guys. Rice is so wonderful and versatile – accepts so many flavors into it’s little white grains.

This rice pilaf takes a little bit more time to put on the table than your standard white rice, due to the fact that it bakes in the oven. But, it’s not hands on – giving you time to finish up dinner while the rice is cooking. The burst of flavor from the garlic is unparalleled though, and well worth the extra time in the oven.

If I have leftovers, I’ll mix in some chopped up veggies and any make myself a make-shift fried rice for lunch the next day. If you’re feeding a larger crowd, the recipe can easily be doubled without having to increase the cooking time.

Garlic Rice Pilaf

2 tbsp. butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, divided
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Squeeze of lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  In a saucepan or skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and rice to the pan and cook until both are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup of the broth, salt and pepper; bring to a boil.  Pour the mixture into a 2 qt casserole dish, cover, and bake for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes, remove from the oven and stir in the remaining 1 1/2 cups broth. Re-cover and bake for another 45 minutes.  About 15 minutes before it is finished baking, stir in a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Source: slightly adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally from What’s Cooking in the Orange Kitchen?

Navy Bean Soup

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Navy Bean Soup

For a good chunk of my life, I was completely turned off by bean soup. Come to think of it, I was pretty much disgusted by all beans. Silly little girl. I’m happy to report that in the past couple years, beans have become a staple in my kitchen. I like to keep bagged dried beans on hand for meals like this, but also canned beans for a quick meal or side dish.

This navy bean soup is the first instance in which I “saw the light” in regards to how awesome beans can be. We were on a cruise, enjoying lunch in the dining room, and navy bean soup was one of the starter courses for the day. I tried it, and loved it. The flavor and texture just won me over completely. Not to mention how hearty and filling it is. Isn’t it funny with all the fancier things on the menu that day, I remember the humble bean soup? It definitely left an impression.

Anyways, I finally “borrowed” the Carnival cookbook from my mom (she’ll probably never see it on her bookshelf again), which has their navy bean soup recipe. After Christmas we were all kind of burnt out on ham leftovers, so I threw the bone into the freezer and took it out last week to make this soup. But, if you don’t have a ham bone laying around, then a smoked ham hock would work just fine. It doesn’t get much more filling, heartier, or economical than a big bubbling pot of bean soup folks!

Navy Bean Soup

1 lb. dried navy beans
1/4 cup bacon, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ham bone or ham hocks
8 cups water
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp paprika
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp parsley, chopped

Place beans in 5-quart Dutch oven; cover with cold water. Soak overnight; drain.

Heat the Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate to drain.

Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the hot bacon grease and cook for a few minutes, until starting to soften. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.

Slowly pour in the water. Add the ham bone, oregano, paprika, bay leaves, bacon, and drained beans. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 3 hours until beans are tender.Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove ham bone and bay leaves. If there’s any meat left on the bone, I’ll chop it up and throw it back in the soup. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Source: Carnival Creations, cruise cuisine from Carnival chefs

Classic Hot Fudge Sauce

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Classic Hot Fudge Sauce

Hot fudge has to be one of my favorite things on this planet. On ice cream, drizzled over cake or brownies, mixed into milk – you name it, I love it. Sadly, I’d always relied on the kind from the jar to get my fix. But, as with some of my other favorite store-bought items, I wanted to learn to make it at home.

I came across this recipe right before Christmas, and made it for Andrew’s teachers at school – along with some peanut brittle. It’s everything that hot fudge sauce should be. Thick, smooth, and chocolaty. The best part? It only uses 3 ingredients, all of which are pantry staples in my home.

I’m still trying to decide if this is a good thing, or a bad thing…

Classic Hot Fudge Sauce

1/2 cup butter
8 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate, chopped (chips work too)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

Melt butter and chocolate in medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the sweetened condensed milk and stir to combine. Don’t worry, it will take a couple of minutes to fully incorporate. Just keep stirring!

Remove from heat and store in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Source: adapted slightly from Simply Gourmet

Pomegranate Martinis

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Pomegranate Martinis

Today I’ve been busy in my kitchen preparing a New Year’s Eve feast for our little family tonight. But, I did want to take a quick minute to share a fun cocktail to celebrate with tonight!

We spend New Year’s Eve at home every year. We used to be big party people, but now in my mind there is nothing better than staying home with my boys, having a few cocktails, and waiting for the ball to drop.

Chances are you have most of what you need in your liquor cabinet already to make these, and they’re perfect for New Year’s Eve. I love the vivid hue, it’s just so festive! I hope that everyone has a happy & safe New Years Eve, full of fun and laughter. Here’s to a fabulous 2013!

Pomegranate Martinis

3 ounces pomegranate juice
2 ounces citrus-infused vodka
1 ounce Grand Marnier or Cointreau
lemon slices, for garnish
ice

Combine ice, as well as other ingredients in cocktail shaker. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled martini glass and garnish with lemon wedge.