Shrimp Fried Rice, Ice Baths, and Yes, I'm Alive

Yes, yes, yes, I am alive.  Call off the search party...  What is odd though is that once I hadn't posted in a few days, I found myself not knowing how to resume.  So, I will just start.  That's probably the best way.

This weekend, I got the Asian pack from the co-op.  Unfortunately, I was in a hurry to unload everything because I was headed out of town, and failed to store things the right way.   A lot of stuff was just stuffed into the fridge.  Whoops.  So today when I pulled out the huge bunch of celery, it almost folded in half it was so limp.  It was pretty comical and I could actually hear a cartoon-style wilting noise as it happened.  Luckily, I knew how to revive it...  Ice bath.

If you have lettuce, cabbage, green onions, or celery that has wilted, it isn't garbage.  It can be brought back to life with an ice bath.  If you live in a cold climate, sometimes it will be sufficient just to run it under really cold water.  If that doesn't work or if you don't have cold tap water like we don't in Arizona, then you can give it an ice bath.  There are a couple of different ways to do it.  You can submerge it in a bowl of water with ice cubes for a few minutes and it will perk back up.  You can also get a little more drastic and cut off the end, submerge that end in the water/ice cubes ((think of it like putting a flower in a vase)), and watch it come back to life.

I had some leftover white rice, so I opted to make shrimp fried rice.

What you need for 2 main course servings or 4 side servings:

12 large COOKED shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

2 large eggs
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1/2 of a small onion, chopped
1 tablespoon of peeled and minced ginger
4 stalks of celery, chopped
4 cups of napa cabbage, chopped
1 cup of shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup of chicken broth
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon of red pepper flakes
3 cups cooked white rice

What to do:

Start by marinating the shrimp in a little bit of soy sauce and the red pepper flakes and set aside.

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl with a little bit of salt.  Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a saute pan.  Add the eggs and let cook for one minute, without stirring, until it is almost set.  Flip it over and cook on the other side for about 30 seconds,  Remove to a cutting board and slice into strips.

Add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add most of the scallions, setting a few aside for garnish, the onion, and the ginger.  Let cook over a medium heat for a few minutes, until they start to get tender.  Add the celery and saute for about a minute.  Add the cabbage, the shiitakes, and a little chicken broth and allow it to steam and wilt, about 3-4 minutes.

Add in the shrimp, rice, and some additional soy sauce and stir until heated through.  Finally, add the egg back in and stir it around.  Remove to the plates and garnish with the remaining scallions.

**Obviously, you can add basically any veggies that you have to this...  Carrots, snap peas, or whatever.

Nutritional Info:  About 350 calories and 10 grams of fat as two main course servings.

*****

I will be wittier tomorrow...  I'm still recovering from the long weekend.  Add in the 108 degree heat and I'm spent.  I feel like the celery.  Maybe an ice bath would help me.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Balsamic and Basil, The Best Surprise EVER, and 6,000

I have been blatantly manipulated and lied to.  For months.  By my mother. ((Referred to around this place as Deb.))  And today I got the shock of a lifetime.  This:

That would be her grand piano that was forced to be abandoned in South Dakota a few years ago when she moved to Arizona.  The crazy broad ((HI DEB)) secretly had it shipped here over the past few months.  It apparently took quite the journey: South Dakota, Oregon, Washington, KENTUCKY (WTF?), and then finally Arizona.  I have to say I first screamed obscenities, then almost fainted, then had to get confirmation that was actually it, and then resisted the urge to burst into tears.  Apparently, half my family knew about it too and has shockingly been able to keep it quiet.  CRAZY.  They were also placing wagers on what my reaction would be...  I suspect my brother is probably the closest.

*****  

Want to see something else pretty?  Roasted cherry tomatoes with balsamic and fresh basil.

What you need:  ((Warning: very precise measurements ahead.  Write this down.))

1 big bunch of cherry tomatoes
1 sizeable drizzle of olive oil
1 sizeable drizzle of balsamic vinegar
A few cracks of pepper
A few cracks of sea salt
A handful or two of fresh basil

This couldn't be easier:

Preheat the oven to 400.

Spread the tomatoes out on a cookie sheet, and how about you use one that has sides on it?  Drizzle them with olive oil and balsamic and give them a roll around.  Crack on some salt and pepper.

Roast for about 15 minutes.

When done, add the basil.

THAT'S IT.

This is good warm, at room temp, or refrigerated.  

*****

Additional Business:  Someone remarked to me over the weekend that she has a hard time remembering to click on over to this wealth of knowledge...  You can subscribe via email ((there is a button to do that in the upper corner)) and new posts will be delivered to your inbox.  Do it.  Right now.  You wouldn't want to miss a bit of what is coming up...

Oh and did you know?  I'm sure you didn't...  In under 4 months, I have had 6,000 UNIQUE page views.  That's some effing crazy talk right there.  Hell, imagine if I actually got organized!  Until next time!

Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes", Immersion Blenders, and Apropos of Nothing

Some days just call for mashed potatoes.  However, most days do not call for the calorie bomb that is mashed potatoes.  I had come across bloggers talking about using cauliflower as a substitute and was, frankly, really damn skeptical.  However.  However, however, however. This works.  I almost think you could fake someone out entirely with this recipe.

Mock Mashed Taters, Real Butter

I started with The Food Network's recipe for "Mock Garlic Mashed Potatoes" but then decided to make some modifications. 

What you need to serve 4-6:

1 medium-sized head of cauliflower, washed and cut into chunks

1 tablespoon cream cheese

1 teaspoon of minced garlic

1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper

1 tablespoon of butter

What to do:

In a large stock pot, boil the cauliflower, in pieces, for 6 minutes.  Remove to a strainer and drain as best as you can. ((TFN says you actually "dry" it by like wiping it down or something, but then says to add back in some broth.  Cut out the middle-man.  Don't dry it.  Eff that.))

Put the cauliflower into a large bowl and add the cream cheese, garlic, and parmesan.  Using an immersion blender* ((or a food processor if you don't have an immersion blender)), whip it together thoroughly until it is a creamy consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste and then top with a pat of butter.  Maybe two.

*Immersion blenders are cool.  You should have one.  WTF is an immersion blender?  It is a hand-held wand thingy with blending attachments that you can put right into the bowl, pot, or whatever to blend things.  They come in useful for soups, mashed potatoes, fake mashed potatoes, blended drinks, and a bunch of other stuff.  There are pictures at the bottom...

The consistency of this is a LOT like mashed potatoes and honestly, it doesn't taste like cauliflower.  Give it a shot.  Don't tell your husband/kids what you are up to and see if they figure it out.  ((You can always break them in by using more cream cheese or butter.  Butter makes everything better.))  IF you follow the directions above, the entire bowl has only 500 calories.  Leave off the butter and you can save some more.  

***** 

And now, apropos of nothing, here is a picture from my yard.

I have not retouched the color on this or increased the contrast or saturation...  There are about 50 of these puppies blooming right now. 

All right.  I have more writing to do tonight and tomorrow is going to be kind of brutal so we can chat more later.  Happy Short Work Week!

*****

Sauteed Fiddlehead Ferns with Brussel Sprouts, Maryland Drivers, and an Intervention

This is a special guest post from the one and only Jessica!  Jess has a slight cooking and baking addiction, a resume that will stop traffic, and abandoned me for the East Coast this year.  Sigh.  I conned her into telling us about when she created a scene in a Farmers' Market over Fiddlehead Ferns.  Hmmm.  Who does that sound like?  No wonder we are friends!  

***** 

I need help…  I don’t  know if I can be helped…

I’m a foodie.  I’ve been a foodie ever since I can remember.  Growing up I would eat anything and everything; if it was put in front of me, I ate it.  In college, my budget was so strict that I taught myself how to cook and I learned that I love to cook.  However, my passion did not turn into obsession until I met Ms. Cooking is Alchemy (Ms. CiA is my nickname for her, tee hee.)  One day when I was complaining about how expensive fresh fruit and veggies are in the grocery she introduced me to Bountiful Baskets and hence an obsession was born.

In January 2012, on a whim, I moved to Maryland (who moves 2,500 miles away on a whim?  I do, that’s who).  January in Maryland is so grey, bland, and blah.  Not only was I missing my friends and family but I was missing Bountiful Baskets and Fresh & Easy.  In a fit of desperation, I searched for farmers' markets.  I thought that farmers' markets would not be open because it’s January, but I was wrong!  

That was when I was introduced to the 32^nd Street Farmers Market in the Waverly neighborhood in Baltimore and all my sensibilities disappeared.  Every other Saturday I go South on I-95 to Baltimore (by the way, I have come to the conclusion that Marylanders really don’t know how to drive.  There is a major car accident on I-95 every week and when I say major, I mean *cars flipped over and on fire* major.  Every – Single - Week. But I digress, Ms. CiA and I tend to do that.  You should be in the same room with us when we are having a conversation…I don’t think a story’s ever been finished) and the 32^nd Street Farmers' Market armed with cash, my reusable bags, a list, and my mantra “only buy what’s on the list.”  The list, the damn list never does its job; the damn list is never good enough.  As soon as I step within the border of the farmers' market, I turn into Head Monster Gatherer and I go crazy! Strawberries! Tomatoes! Grapes! Rhubarb! It’s all there and I can’t help myself.  I get into a zone that I can’t control and I have to visit every last booth!  Today I bought a bunch of celery. CELERY!  I don’t even like Celery and, to make matters worse, I don’t remember buying it!  IT’S NOT EVEN SOUP SEASON!  I told you, I need help…

Fiddlehead Ferns.  See? Aren't these so cute?  Looks like something Fern Gully would eat!

With my cash dwindling, I remembered that I had to buy almonds.  As I stepped away from the main part of the farmers' market, I ran into a tiny booth specializing in fungi.  My curiosity snapped me out of my gatherer zone and I stood there and spoke with the woman about the different mushrooms she had.  That’s when my eye caught the box of Fiddlehead Ferns and excitedly remarked- ok yelled- “THOSE ARE FIDDLEHEAD FERNS!”  The woman laughed and small group gathered to see what I was so excited about.  Fiddlehead Ferns are very rare, found in the wild in Vermont, and have a very short season (3 weeks in May!)  Awhile ago, I was introduced to Fiddlehead Ferns on Pinterest and I repinned never really believing that I would ever come across Fiddlehead Ferns.  Since they look so intriguing, I couldn’t walk away without them, so I bought some ($5 for 1 oz!).  I naturally posted my excitement of finding Fiddlehead Ferns on Facebook (haha “finding Fiddlehead Ferns on Facebook” say that five times fast!) and Ms. CiA asked me to write a guest post.  So, here you go.  My first guest post ever! Since I only bought one ounce, I’ve decided to sauté them with the two handfuls of Brussel Sprouts I grabbed as well.

Don't turn your nose up!  Brussel Sprouts are good and good for you!

Sauteed Fiddle Ferns and Brussel Sprouts

(I don’t use measurements so these measurements are approximate and I do all my cooking by “instinct” so times are approximate as well)

1 oz Fiddle Ferns

2 handfuls of Brussel Sprouts

2 Garlic Cloves, minced (I love garlic so I add more)

1 small onion, chopped

Olive oil – about 2 circles around the pan

½ cup of water

Salt and Pepper

Half a lemon (use the other half for a brown sugar whisky sour!)

1.      First, you need to clean the Fiddlehead Ferns under warm water and snip off any black spots.  Be sure to handle them with care as they are a bit tender.  Clean the Brussel Sprouts and cut off the bottoms.

2.     Put the Fiddlehead Ferns and Brussel Sprouts with ½ cup water in a sautee pan fitted with a lid.  Cover and steam over medium heat until slightly soft.  Feel free to shake the pan every so often (not too hard, remember, the ferns are tender.)  Steam for about 5 minutes.

3.     Remove from sauté pan and drain sauté pan of the water.

4.     Put sauté pan back on the heat and add extra virgin olive oil.  Once the olive oil is hot (not smoking) add your garlic and onions (don’t forget to stand there and smell the blissful scent of garlic sautéing in olive oil.) 

5.     Once the garlic and onions are soft, add the Brussel Sprouts. Sauté Brussel Sprouts until you can pierce with a fork (I like my Brussel Sprouts super soft so I sautéed these for a good ten minutes, at least.)

6.     Add the Fiddlehead Ferns and stir with Brussel Sprouts.

7.     Once the Fiddlehead Ferns and Brussel Sprouts are done, squeeze in lemon juice from the half a lemon, take off heat and stir up.

8.     Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

9.     Serve and enjoy!

The Puerto Rican Papi, one of the pickiest eaters I know, said that they tasted like sautéed spinach and he actually liked them!  I enjoyed them as well, they are crispy and bright.  They are pretty filling with the Brussel Sprouts and I will definitely make them again next May!

Mmmmmm, yummy!

*****

Jules here...  Thanks Jess!  Those look super good but frankly I think you should have delivered a sample to Arizona.  Oh well, next time.  

Side note:  If anyone makes anything fun or different or creates any scenes in any markets, we all want to hear about it!  Either leave a comment or email me at juliasteele12@gmail.com and I will get back to you!

Lemon Risotto, Mother's Day Menu, and All at Once

I discovered today that my kitchen is sufficiently organized that if I put a bar stool in the center, I can reach everything without standing up.  No, this is not pure laziness; this is my lower back being in total, absolute, complete revolt.  Oddly, I have full range of motion while sitting, so I can actually dry dishes and put them into the lower cabinets; twist around behind me to grab something from over the microwave; etc.  Just don't ask me to stand up for more than about 4 out of 10 consecutive minutes.  Awesome, huh?  It's getting better.  ((Fingers crossed.))

*****

I'm taking a little break from the Mother's Day Feast preparation...  Tonight's menu includes ((did I write this last night?  Can't remember....)) chicken breasts stuffed with proscuitto and mozzarella with an orange buerre blanc, lemon risotto, roasted green beans, caprese salad, French bread with a special French butter, and Grand Marnier souffles with a blackberry/orange reduction.

A quick aside before we get to the risotto recipe.  People ask me constantly how to pull off doing numerous things with a relatively high degree of difficulty all at once.  The key is to be able to tell what you can reheat and what you can't.  Also, what you can do ahead and what you can't.  For example, because I didn't know what I was doing, I made the blackberry reduction last night.  It was experimental and so if it didn't turn out, I still had time to go back to my original plan of creme anglaise.  Obviously, the blackberry sauce can be reheated at a low heat without changing it.  The caprese salad will be better after several hours in the fridge.  The chicken can be stuffed ahead of time and kept in the fridge until ready to bake.  Veggies can almost always be prechopped and seasoned.  The risotto can be rewarmed in the oven with another little splash of chicken broth and some more butter.  The souffles?  Notsomuch.  It spreads out the "work" ((or the fun, if you are me)) and takes the stress out of something surprising you by not working out.

ANYWAY, lemon risotto.  I might have eaten a bite of this that I spilled off the floor.  If you either know me in real life or "know" me through this site, you understand I am a carbaholic.  I'm not sure I have met a carb or a starch that I didn't like.  This is still rich and creamy and carbalicious, but is spring-y-er with the lemon.  Yes, that's a word.

Risotto does NOT photograph well, but this site isn't about pretty pictures.  Those are just a very occasional benefit.  This is about the food and how to turn someone who can't make Mac and Cheese from a box into someone that can pull off a dinner party.  So there.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

What you need:


Makes 6 first-course or 4 main-course servings.

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large shallots, chopped
2 cups arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

What to do:

Here's the thing with risotto.  It's not like regular rice where you just dump the water in and let it go wild.  You actually have to work with it to get it to release and turn into something awesome.  It is kind of a little work, but it is totally worth it.

You are going to have two pots going.  Start by heating up the chicken broth in a large stock pot.  Once it starts simmering, turn the heat down.

Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with the olive oil in a second heavy, large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced shallots and saute until tender.  This will take about 5 minutes.  Don't burn them!

Add the rice into the pan with the shallots and stir for 1 minute. Then add the wine ((after taking a swig from the bottle)) and stir until evaporated.  It will take about 30 seconds. ((No, the wine will not result in one of those big flame thingies like you see on TV.))

Here is the part that gets a little long.  You are going to add your hot chicken broth to the pan slowly.  Start with about a cup.  Only once that is basically absorbed can you start adding the rest of the broth 1/2 cup at a time.  You HAVE to keep stirring it.  Not constantly, constantly, but pretty damn often.  Keep it up until all the broth is absorbed and the rice is creamy and tender, about 35 minutes.

Finally, stir in the cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Once the butter and cheese are melted, stir in the parsley, lemon juice, and lemon peel. For the love of carbs and Gaga don't get lemon seeds in there.  Use cheesecloth if  you must because they are REALLY fucking hard to distinguish from the rice and that shit is hot as you are digging around in there.  ((No, I didn't do that THREE TIMES, why do you ask?))  Season the risotto with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Voila!

Nutritional Info:  Holiday calories don't count.  This is really fracking high.  Probably 400 for a small serving.

*****

All right.  Time to get all Martha Stewart ((minus that prison part)) and decorate the table and maybe sneak another bite of risotto.

Mexican Quinoa Salad, Websites, and Yes and Yes

In keeping with the "It's almost Cinco de Mayo" theme, let's do something vegetarian, shall we?  How about a Mexican Quinoa Salad?

Black bean and corn quinoa salad

We have discussed this before, but I love quinoa.  It is an ancient cereal grain that has found a great deal of popularity in the last couple of years.  It is really easy to prepare and is kind of like rice or cous cous, but not.  ((Wow.  That was helpful.))

What you need for four servings:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1 can of black beans
1 large or 2 small ears of corn
3 green onions
2 tomatoes
1 jalapeno
A handful of cilantro
Balsamic vinegar
Lime
Salt

What to do:

Start by rinsing the quinoa in a very, very, very fine colander in cold water.  It has a bitter outer coating that needs to be washed off.  Drain it as much as possible and then add it to a small pot with two cups of water.  Bring it to a boil, uncovered and then simmer it covered for 10-15 minutes or until the water is absorbed.

The start

If you are using fresh corn on the cob, boil the water for that as well and then cook it for approximately 8 minutes.  ((If you are using stuff from a can or that is frozen, well, I can't help you.  I'm boycotting.))

While that is cooking, drain and rinse your black beans.  Chop up your tomato, removing the seeds.  Chop the green onions, jalapeno, and the cilantro.


Throw everything ((the black beans, the corn that you have taken off the cob, the tomatoes, the onion, the jalapeno, and the cilantro)) into a large bowl and mix it around.  Add about 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar ((maybe more, maybe less; I like more...)), a hearty squeeze of lime, and a few cracks of salt.  Stir it around again.    

So pretty

By about now, your quinoa should be finished.

The end

Add the quinoa to your bowl and stir to combine.  Taste test and add more lime, salt, or whatever you may think it needs.

Yum

Refrigerate it for a couple of hours or overnight and serve.  

Nutritional Information:  Approximately 280 calories and 1 gram of fat per serving.  And full of protein and antioxidants and other good stuff too!  Yes!

*****

That reminds me...  Yesterday, this little corner of the internet was linked to by Yes and Yes!  So exciting!  ((Waves vigorously at new people!))  

The rest of yesterday was spent working on my website for my other ventures...  It is still in the works but I am really happy because like a three-year-old I DID IT ALL BY MYSELF.  There are some things to work out, photos to add, general crap I don't understand at all, but I'm pretty impressed that I got as far as I did with it.  I didn't have a temper tantrum ONCE.  I don't know who the hell I am anymore!  Anyway, I'm sure you will figure out the link so you can go check it out.  For the time being, I am leaving this blog here.  I feel like that way I can still be kind of profane and post stupid pictures and be kind of random without people who are looking for my culinary business getting scared off.  We shall see as time goes on though.  

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries, New Toys, and No Tomatoes

This morning a friend of mine, who I will be very generous and just say is known for having a "colorful" sense of humor, informed me that he was bringing my belated birthday gift to me.  I will confess, I was more than a little concerned.  The possibilities of what this could be were pretty much endless and ranged, in my mind at least, from the slightly profane to the totally obscene.  However, what he brought me was a 1950's Cookie Cookbook written by his mother with a personal inscription to me.  I promptly sat there and looked at all the pictures and then flipped back through to read through all I could.  What a terrific gift.

*****

I love fries.  Fries don't love me like they used to.  Or maybe they do and that's why when I eat them they promptly take up residence on my thighs.  However, these are a great, low-cal/low-fat alternative that is maybe better than the real thing.

Maybe I should have called these sweet potato chunks.  Slices.  Wafers?  Nah, fries.

What you need for two big helpings:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
EVOO or cooking spray
*some* of the following: salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne and anything else that strikes your fancy, there, Fancy.

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into relatively uniform slices.  This makes sure that they are all done at about the same time as opposed to having one that is an inch thick that is raw and one 1/8 of an inch thick that is charred.  If you have a mandoline slicer, especially one with a crinkle cut blade, that would be the easiest way.  However, if you are like me and have a new set of knives that you got for FREE and want to play with them, you will bypass the mandoline and use those.  Yes, all of them.  On two potatoes.

Spread the potatoes out in a single layer on a large baking sheet or cookie sheet.  Either brush on a little extra virgin olive oil or spray them with cooking spray.  Yes, yes, yes, I know.  It sounds gross.  It's not.  It's good and saves you a crapload of lunges.  Then sprinkle on the spices in whatever proportion you prefer.  I like to use a lot of fresh cracked pepper.  Plus, some of it falls off during the process.

Because my psychic abilities are not intact, I cannot predict how thickly you will have sliced them.  Start with baking them for 8 minutes.  Flip them all over, give another spray, and sprinkle on some more spices.  Bake for an additional 5 or so minutes and then pull one out.  It should be forkable.  ((Forkable is Julia Lingo for you should be able to stab it with a fork easily.))  I actually like mine a little firmer ((quiet)) so I don't bake them as long.  If yours aren't forkable yet, put them back in for another 3-4 minutes and then check them again.

Spicy Sweet Taters

Nutritional Info:  You got this.  If you consider one large potato a serving and you use the cooking spray, it is only about 150 calories and 1 gram of fat.  Using EVOO would add about an additional 120 calories if you use a tablespoon.

*****

Want to see my new toys?  I thought so.

By Tuda Libby Crews

Don't break into my house.  I'll cut you.  

*****

Lots of big, big, exciting things going on that I can't quite talk about yet.  I know.  I hate when people do that.  Trust me, y'all will be the 300th or so to know.

Tomorrow, I'm planning a menu and shopping for a dinner for 50 on Saturday.  50 teenagers.  Italian food.  No tomatoes.  It is going to be a dairy-filled, cream-sauced party.  With absolutely no tomatoes.

Spanish Rice, Another Fattening Salad, and Gazpacho

Today we will finish up the dishes from Saturday's party and then we will talk some nonsense, because it is important for one ((meaning me)) to go with one's strengths ((meaning nonsense.))

*****

First, the Spanish rice.  I have tried countless of the "box" versions of Spanish or Mexican rice and always found them to be totally blah.  This, however, was miles apart from that and tastes like the stuff you get in a Mexican restaurant.  A real one.  Not some homogenized chain which relies on overly loud "festive" music to distract you and/or drive you to drinking twelve dollar margaritas.

Arroz ((your Spanish lesson for the day))

What you need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chunky salsa ((I used Trader Joe's chunky medium salsa))

What you do:

This is easy...  Just heat the oil in a heavy pan and sautee the onion until it is translucent and soft, about 5 minutes.  Mix the rice into the skillet and allow the rice to start to brown, stirring frequently.  Stir in the chicken broth and bring it to a boil.  Reduce the heat, add the salsa, cover, and allow the rice to absorb the liquid.  This will take about 20 minutes.  Give it a stir every few minutes to be sure that it isn't sticking to the bottom.  Taste test liberally...  You can always top this with some shredded Mexican cheese, a squeeze of lime, some cilantro, or a dollop of sour cream.

I made a quadruple batch of this and it disappeared very quickly.

Nutritional Info:  260 calories and 6 grams of fat ((without add-ons like cheese, sour cream, etc)) for about a 1/3 cup serving.

This recipe is also slightly adapted from Allrecipes.com.

*****

How about a fattening salad?  I say, why not?

Fiesta Non-Salad Salad

What you need:

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
1 can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 can of black olives, sliced
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese ((I won't tell if you use 2 though))
4 tablespoons of cilantro, chopped
1/3 bottle or so of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing with bacon
1 cup of corn tortilla chips, smashed

What you do:

Throw all of the above in a bowl.  Shake the living hell out of it until it is thoroughly coated.  Hopefully you covered the bowl prior to the shaking.  

Nutritional Info:  Don't tell your trainer you had a salad.  They won't believe you.  Approximately 300 calories and 8 grams of fat for a 1/2 cup serving.

This recipe came out of my own noggin.  You can say you knew me when.

*****

Finally, the gazpacho.  Let me say this.  Gazpacho is not photogenic.  But it is really good and some people might have taken off on a wild hair and started dipping their chips in it.  Just go with it.

WTH is gazpacho, anyway?

Gazpacho is technically a tomato-based vegetable soup which is served cold.  I will confess that I had only maybe had it once before deciding to make it, but it turned out just lovely, if I do say so myself, and I do and I just did.

What you need:

1 cup of tomato juice
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
*Some* black pepper
4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large cucumber, finely chopped
2-3 tablespoons green chiles, chopped

What you do:

First, you think, "Huh.  That doesn't seem like it going to be very soup-like with only 1 cup of tomato juice."  Decide to cast that thought aside and have a little faith.

If the idea of peeling tomatoes leaves you cold, you can use a can of stewed tomatoes, if you must.

Basically, again, just throw everything in a large glass bowl, cover, and refrigerate for *at least* one hour, although overnight is better.  You can serve it in cups or bowls lined with lettuce leaves if you want to be fancy, and I'm sure you probably do.

Finally, think, "I guess it turns out to be a lot more than I thought it was going to.  Damn.  I shouldn't have doubted Jules."  Make mental note to send a nice gift of some sort.

This recipe came from a site called vivanewmexico.com and is filed under "caldos."  They claim this serves 10-12.  I'm not so sure about that.  I would say more like 8 with 3/4 cup servings.

Nutritional Info:  Sainthood:  Approximately 70 calories and maybe 1 gram of fat per 3/4 cup serving.  

*****

NONSENSE TIME!  I have a had a busy morning already with work-work and running some errands. This afternoon, I MUST get back on track with the studying for my certification exams.  What certifications you ask?  Oh, since you asked, I'm working on my certification to be a personal trainer and in fitness nutrition.  Once I have completed those, then it is on to the yoga/pilates certification.  The material is MUCH more dense than I had anticipated.  I really kind of thought the test might be how to count to 15 reps.  ((I'm joking, obviously.))  However, in the first ten pages when they started discussing mitochondrial functions in ATP/Creotine metabolism and I read the phrase "endoplasmic reticulum" for the first time in at least 15 years, my head about exploded.

Anyway, I'll be back later with the info on the Mayan Fudge Cupcakes with Cocoa-Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting because that ought to offset all my thinking about clean living.  Balance, friends, balance.