San Antonio Beef Bowls

with Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, Fresh Salsa & Lime Crema

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 1 tomato
• 1 red onion
• 1 lime
• 1 jalapeño
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ cup jasmine rice
• 10 ounces ground beef
• 1 tablespoon Southwest spice blend
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 beef stock concentrate
• 1½ tablespoons sour cream
• ¼ cup Monterey Jack cheese
• 1.5 ounces blue corn tortilla chips
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the produce. Dice the tomato, slice the onion, mince the garlic, and finely chop the jalapeño (remove seeds if desired). Zest and juice the lime.
2.  Cook the rice with ¾ cup water and a pinch of salt until tender (15–18 minutes).
3.  Make the salsa by combining the tomato, chopped onion, half the lime zest, a squeeze of lime juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and jalapeño to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
4.  Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion until softened. Add the garlic,    Southwest spice blend, and another pinch of salt.
5.  Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Stir in the tomato paste, beef stock concentrate, and ¼ cup water. Simmer until slightly thickened. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter.
6.  Mix the sour cream with a squeeze of lime juice and a little water until it reaches a drizzling consistency.
7.  Fluff the rice with the remaining lime zest and 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper.
8.  Divide rice into bowls. Top with beef, Monterey Jack cheese, salsa, and lime crema. Serve with tortilla chips and remaining lime wedges.

 

Ginger Soy Beef Bowls

with Jasmine Rice, Sriracha Mayo, Cilantro & Crispy Fried Onions

Ingredients (2 servings)

• ½ cup jasmine rice
• 10 ounces ground beef
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha (or to taste)
• 4 ounces shredded carrots
• 4 tablespoons Kikkoman® Sweet Soy Glaze
• 4 tablespoons umami ginger sauce
• ½ ounce cilantro
• 1 package crispy fried onions
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Cooking oil
• Salt
• Black pepper

Instructions

- Cook the rice with 1¼ cups water and a pinch of salt until tender (about 15–18 minutes). Keep covered.
- While the rice cooks, roughly chop the cilantro. In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise with Sriracha to taste.
- Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and a large pinch of salt. Cook until browned, breaking into pieces.
- Stir in the shredded carrots, Sweet Soy Glaze, and umami ginger sauce. Cook until the carrots soften and the sauce thickens, about 2–4 minutes.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper.
- Divide rice between bowls. Top with the beef mixture, drizzle with Sriracha mayo, and finish with crispy fried onions and cilantro.

Honey Garlic Chicken

Stumbled across making this one day when we were tired of "the usual" and had limited ingredients to make dinner. Typical though, amIright? Anyway, I found a few ideas online, but this is the hybrid version that I have been making recently. Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

-Oil for pan searing (I use Avocado Oil these days, it has a high temperature tolerance, so my oil doesn't burn.)

-1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes

-Salt/ Pepper

-1 lb russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut in 1" cubes (about 4 medium potatoes)

-Carrots, peeled and sliced thick

Glaze

-1/4 cup honey

-1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-Pinch of red pepper flakes

Optional for serving

-Rice

-Chow mein noodles

-Coconut

-Slivered almonds

-Cashews

-Sliced green onions

Instructions

1) Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat

2) Whisk together ingredients for glaze until well combined, then set aside

3) Add chicken and lightly season (easy on the salt, because we're using soy sauce in the recipe), cook until chicken is browned then remove and set aside.

4)  Add potatoes and carrots to same skillet and saute several minutes until mostly soft

5) Add chicken back in to skillet, mixing in glaze. Reduce heat and let simmer for several minutes until potatoes and carrots are soft and ready to eat.

6) Serve over rice. Top with desired toppings. 

Cafe Rio Rice

3 c. water
4 tsp. chicken boullion
4 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 can green chilis
3/4 tsp. salt
1 Tb. butter
1/2 onion
3 c. rice
Blend cilantro, chilis, and onion in processor or blender. Boil water, add all ingredients, simmer covered 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. 

Jambalaya

3 c. diced chicken breast, uncooked
2 TBS. butter
1 lb. smoked pork sausage, sliced 1/2" thick--I love kielbasa!
1 lb. cleaned, raw shrimp
1 med. onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (28oz.) can diced tomatoes or 3 med. fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1/2 bunch green onion, chopped
1 1/2 c. uncooked rice
creole seasoning, such as Tony Chachere's

In a large stock pot melt butter; add diced chicken & season with creole seasoning. Remove chicken when done. Saute onion & garlic until transparent. Add tomato sauce & tomatoes. Add 43oz. water (amount of water=# of oz. of tomato sauce & diced tomatoes). Add sliced sausage, bell pepper, green onion & rice. Stir well. Bring to a boil; cover & simmer on low heat for approx. 20-25 min, or until rice is tender. Stir in shrimp & add back the diced cooked chicken. Season with more creole seasoning & cook for 1-2 min. or until the shrimp is done.
*I half this recipe for my family & it nearly fills my 6qt. stock pot. I would estimate that the whole recipe serves 12-15.

Lime Rice

Lime Rice

in a sauce pan, saute

2 Tbs butter
1 yellow onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced

In a large pot bring to boil:
6 2/3 cups water
8 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 bunch of cilantro ( i didn't have any and so i didn't put this in)
2 tsp cumin
2 small cans diced green chili's
1 Tbs lime juice
1/2 tsp pepper

Add three cups of rice, and the butter/garlic/onion mixture. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 min. (stir occasionally so rice doesn't stick to bottom of pan)

Thai Peanut Chicken and Coconut Rice

This is one of our family favorites. Seriously. TJ and I love it, and I love than I can serve it all deconstructed and the kids still eat most everything. It works out well for everyone really!


Thai Coconut Rice:

1 Cup uncooked rice (basmati, jasmine or long grain)
1 14 oz can coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger
1/4 cup coconut flakes


Cooking Directions:
-Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan.
-Stir well to combine
-cook over medium-high hear, stirring until mixture comes to a low boil.
-Immediately reduce heat to low
-cover and cook for 18 minutes
-fluff with fork.
-cover and let sit for 5 minutes
-garnish rice with additional coconut

Peanut Sauce:

I buy this packet. I know, sweet, huh? But I'm very specific on which one I like, this is the one. Only one HEB around here sells it (As far as I know.) and all other stores have stopped carrying it. I buy all they have when I go in (now, I'm extra lame). You could try making your own peanut sauce, I think I have before in a pinch, just like the coconut milk, peanut butter, red pepper flakes....

Anyway, just follow directions, it's simple, but you will need another can of coconut milk for the sauce, along with meat and vegetable of your choice.