TMTT ~ Breakfast, Dinner & Bread

Wow what a day Monday I woke up going set up and made my first call to find I didn't have a voice?? What the heck just happened there? I don't talk to anyone before I have to start work so no sounds came out of me until then and let's just say it wasn't a pleasant sound, I sounded like a cross between a frog and a man! I'm on the tea, orange juice and salt water diet! UGH let's hope it comes back by Tuesday so I'm not out another day of work, my checkbook can't handle two days of no work :(.

Now onto some yummy recipes! Saturday my dad took me and the boys out and we stopped to have breakfast and we had Eggs Benedict. I haven't had this in so long I had to go home and make it.

Eggs Benedict from Rachel Ray

(click the link to find a cool video how to poach and egg)

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 ounces turkey Canadian bacon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 4 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 2 whole wheat English muffins, split and toasted

• DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 150°. Fill a large, deep skillet with enough salted water to reach a depth of

     1 inch and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes; drain.

     Reserve the skillet.
     

  2. Heat the reserved skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey bacon and cook, turning,

     until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer the bacon and the asparagus to an ovenproof dish

     and place in the oven to keep warm; reserve the skillet.
     

  3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook,

     stirring, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook,

     whisking, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the 2 egg yolks,

     1 at a time. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Strain the sauce into a bowl.
     

  4. Fill the reserved skillet with enough water to reach a depth of 1 inch and

     bring to a boil. Crack the 4 whole eggs into the skillet and poach for 2 minutes for soft-set.
     

  5. Place an English muffin half on each of 4 plates. Divide the bacon among the

     muffins and top each with asparagus, a poached egg and some sauce. Season with pepper.

ALEXIS NOTES: I used whole wheat flour and added a little dijon mustard for the sauce.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next for dinner we have our staples here chicken and rice :).

Broccoli Chicken Casserole from Family Oven

Ingredients

• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup dry stuffing mix
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 pound broccoli florets, cooked

Instructions

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
   2. Boil chicken until tender and shred or cut into bite size pieces. Meanwhile, steam broccoli until crisp but tender.
   3. In a small bowl mix together the soup and mayonnaise. Set aside. In a 9x13 inch baking dish layer the chicken, broccoli, soup mixture, and cheese. Sprinkle dry stuffing mix over the top and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes.

ALEXIS NOTES: I used brown rice and fresh broccoli in the steamer also we didn't have stuffing so I used bread crumbs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And we end with a yummy bread, I had 2 zucchini that had to be used up and it was time to feed the neighbors :). My weekly thing I do for them.

Zucchini Bread with Crumble Top from Recipe Tips

Ingredients:

-		3 eggs
-		1 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
-		2 cups sugar
-		3 cups grated zucchini
-		2 teaspoons vanilla
-		3 cups flour
-		1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
-		3 teaspoons cinnamon
-		1 teaspoon baking soda
-		1/4 teaspoon baking powder
-		1 teaspoon salt
		TOPPING:
-		3/4 cup brown sugar
-		3/4 cup flour
-		3 tablespoons butter or margarine
-		2 teaspoons cinnamon
-		1/2 cup chopped pecans - chopped medium fine

Directions

• Grate zucchini. If using larger zucchini, cut out any large seed sections from the middle before grating. When the 3 cups are grated, set the zucchini aside.
• Grease and flour 2 loaf pans. Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Mix all topping ingredients together. Mix butter into other ingredients using your fingers. When mixed, set aside.
• Add eggs to a large mixing bowl and beat together until slightly foamy.
• add the oil and sugar to the beaten eggs; beat with the mixer until well blended.
• Add the grated zucchini and vanilla; stir by hand until it is well mixed into the egg and sugar mixture.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir to mix evenly.
• Add the flour mixture to the egg and zucchini mixture; stir just until evenly mixed.
• Pour even amounts of the batter into the prepared loaf pans. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the top of the batter in each pan. The crumble topping provides for a thick layer over the top of the loaves. If you do not want the topping that thick, don't add all of it.
• Place the loaves into the preheated oven and bake for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Remove loaves from the oven and allow them to cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely before storing.

ALEXIS NOTES: I used my pan that has 4 and overflowed a bit next time I will just scrap the extra. I added a little pumpkin pie spice because I love it. I had extra of the crumble also, I should have to filled it so full made them hard to come out and I had to scrap two of the loaves. I also used half whole wheat flour. I also skipped the nuts.

TMT ~ 3 Rice Dinners

Nothing new times are a little tight so I've been using up everything I can in the house and still trying to stick to my mission of always making something new for dinner. Rice has become a HUGE hit in the house, Cole actually ask for it several times a week so I'm trying to find new ways to bring it in the meals.

I'm back logged on recipes so here is 3 to choose from :).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cheesy Broccoli Rice Recipe from Taste of Home

Cheesy Broccoli Rice

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 cups cooked long grain rice
• 2 cups fresh or frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• In a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the rice, broccoli and cheddar cheese.
• Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 4 servings.
  
  Making Cheesy Broccoli Rice for a holiday dinner? Give it a festive look by stirring in some drained pimientos.

ALEXIS NOTES: I used the brown rice I have it tasted great and used the cheese I had on hand which was the Colby Jack. This was super yummy!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe by Simply Recipes

Chicken & Rice Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch pieces, patted dry
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 lb cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
• 1 1/3 cups* chicken stock**
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 cup raw, medium or long grain, white rice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon each of Italian seasoning and poultry seasoning (or 2 teaspoons of one of these herb mixes, or 2 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, and basil)**
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

*This recipe assumes the rice requires approx 1 1/2 cups liquid per cup of rice to cook. Some rice varieties, such as brown rice, require more liquid (and a longer cooking time). Adjust recipe accordingly.

**If you are cooking gluten-free, use homemade stock or gluten-free packaged stock, use gluten-free packaged herbs and spices.

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high or high heat (hot enough to brown but not burn). Sprinkle a dash of salt on the bottom of the pan. Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces on two sides, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Add a little more salt to the pan (and more olive oil if needed) after every batch. This will help prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. Remove chicken pieces and set aside in a bowl. Note that the chicken does not have to be cooked through, only browned.

2 In the same sauté pan add 1 Tbsp olive oil, lower the heat to medium, add the onions, and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds more. Remove onions and garlic to a shallow (9 x 13 x 2) casserole dish.

3 Raise heat to medium high, add the sliced mushrooms. Dry sauté them (no need to add butter or oil), allowing the mushrooms to brown lightly, and release some of their moisture. Add the mushrooms to the casserole dish.

4 Add 1/4 cup dry sherry or dry white wine to the pan to deglaze the pan, scraping off the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. (At this point, if you are making ahead, reduce the sherry to 1 Tbsp and pour off into the casserole dish. Refrigerate cooked onions, garlic, mushrooms, and browned chicken pieces until you are ready to make the casserole.) Let the sherry reduce to about 1 Tbsp, then add the chicken stock, and remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, the cream, and the sour cream. Add the raw rice to the casserole dish. Then pour the stock, sherry, cream, sour cream mixture over the rice. Add the Italian and poultry seasonings (or fresh herbs) and paprika to the dish. Stir the rice, onion, mushroom, herb mixture so that they are evenly distributed in the casserole dish.

5 Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice mixture (in a single layer if you can, they will be crowded). Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in a 375°F oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil. If the casserole is still too liquidy, let it cook a few minutes more, uncovered, until the excess liquid has evaporated away.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

Serves 6 (with leftovers)

ALEXIS NOTES: I used my Fat Free Half & Half, skipped the mushrooms and used the white wine I had left over (remember you can sub with more broth). As you'll see I added in some carrots & celery got to sneak them in where I can :). Ok don't freak when you remove the foil and it's really liquid. I promise it will firm up. I used brown rice so I used more stock.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And my last addition is this great addition!!!

Naked Chicken Burrito Bowls by Relish.com

Naked Chicken Burrito Bowls

4	boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1	packet taco seasoning
1 1/2	cups basmati rice, uncooked
2	tablespoons cilantro, chopped, more for garnish
3	tablespoons lime juice
1	15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1	cup shredded cheddar cheese
2	avocados , peeled and sliced
2	green onions , sliced
1/4	cup prepared chunky salsa
1/4	cup sour cream
	coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

[1] Mix taco seasoning with water as directed on package. Place chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag, pour seasoning mixture over top and turn to coat. Refrigerate for approximately 2 hours or all day.

[2] Heat grill to medium-high or heat a grill pan until hot but not smoking.

[3] Cook rice according to package instructions. When done, toss rice with chopped cilantro and the lime juice. Keep warm.

[4] Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Grill chicken, turning once, 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into 1-inch chunks. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

[5] Heat beans in microwave or in a small saucepan.

[6] Assemble burrito bowls: in each bowl, layer rice, chicken, beans, cheese, avocado slices and green onions. Top with a dollop of salsa and sour cream. Garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.

ALEXIS NOTES: Of course I was running late so I cut up the chicken add the seasoning and water and cooked it that way ... it rocked! Out of black beans so I used pinto beans, use what you got :). No avocados and green onions hello on a budget! But at Caden's request added corn :). ENJOY

Make sure to check out more recipes at:

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday ~ Hamburger Rice Skillet (2 Ways)

My girl Heidi posted a wonderful recipe that I had to make for the boys, yes we added corn per Caden's instance :). This was super easy and made such a big batch that I had left overs for a Round 2 Recipe (Thank you Sandra Lee for the idea). Cole loved this one so much he asked for it to be his warm up the next day for school. He even had it when he came home from school snack! Yup it was yummy!

HAMBURGER RICE SKILLET by Heidi @ Tried-and-True cooking with Heidi.

HAMBURGER RICE SKILLET

HAMBURGER RICE SKILLET
1/2 to 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1 onion, diced
2 cups cooked rice (leftover)
8 ounce can tomato sauce, or 1 cup chopped tomatoes (canned or fresh)
1/2 cup water
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded cheese

Brown and drain ground beef with onion. Add rice, tomato, water, salt and pepper. Mix up, breaking the rice into small pieces if it clumps. Cover the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes. Add a little more water if necessary. Sprinkle the cheese over top and serve.

ALEXIS NOTES: Added in the corn and I used brown rice.

I then made enchilada's with the left over's, super yummy and easy! Enchilada sauce, cheese and whole wheat tortillas.

Tuesday Recipe ~ Sour Cream and Bacon Chicken (Crockpot)

Chicken was on sale so I stocked up and as you know I love my crockpot. I ran out of crockpot liners I was about to cry, I had to soak the pot but I lived! I had some bacon left over that I didn't use for Easter and had to be used so I did a little search on my favorite meal planning site Relish! and tada here we go. I also had some Mahatma® Extra Long Grain Enriched Rice I wanted to use so it become a perfect combo for all!

Sorry my non pork lovers, it was super yummy :)!!!

Sour Cream and Bacon Chicken

Sour Cream and Bacon Chicken

Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 6-8 hours

4	bacon slices
4	boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1	10.75-ounce can roasted garlic cream of mushroom soup
1/2	cup sour cream
1/4	cup all purpose flour
1/4	cup Italian parsley, chopped
1	cup long grain rice

[1] Wrap one slice of bacon around each chicken breast and place in the slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine the soup, sour cream and flour. Mix well with a wire whisk to blend.

[2] Pour over the chicken, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours until the chicken and bacon are thoroughly cooked. Cook rice according to package instructions. Serve chicken mixture over rice and sprinkle with parsley.

ALEXIS NOTES: I used Healthy Choice Cream of Mushroom Soup I had on hand, I had the cheap bacon so it took 3 -4 pieces to cover each piece of chicken. I also started late in the day so I threw it on high for about 4 hours :). I also used Mahatma® Extra Long Grain Enriched Rice and it was perfect. Put it in my rice cooker, simple easy!

Mahatma Rice Pudding (BzzAgent Review)

Guess what I had a chance to review some yummy rice threw my BzzAgent account. I just love reviews that have to do with food, means I can try out new recipes. And so of course what type of recipe do I make but a dessert ... lol I know I'm bad :). But I did use it in the

Chicken and Rice

that I showed you a few weeks back, so put down the witching forks :).

My grandmother use to make rice pudding and mom would make it every once in a while it's a true comfort meal. I love it warm and even cold. Caden has voted on warm (he's a no cold food kid) and Cole just loved it either way! I think I'll try the Strawberry Parfait Rice Pudding next time. It's just a fancy way of layers of rice pudding and strawberries. I'll tell the boy it's like the parfait's at McD's :).

Mahatma was a perfect rice to cook with in both recipes, it wasn't mushy or flavorless. We tried the white and brown and the boys couldn't taste the difference with either of them. Easy to put in my rice cooker and go! I even picked up another bag when I was at Winco and found it's price to be about the same as the others but the quality is better!

Next time you're picking up rice I suggest you try Mahatma you will never go back! Now for a yummy recipe you're going to have to try. Now it's a little time consuming and you do need to keep an eye on it, I walked away at one point and the milk bubbled up and got a little brown on the bottom, so be careful! I also used golden raisins (we're not big raisins fans around here) from the bulk section. Again if you have a bulk grocery store go you'll save so much!

Classic Creamy Rice Pudding

Ingredients

1 1/2	qts	2% milk
1	cup	sugar
1/2	cup	Mahatma® White Rice
1/2	cup	raisins
1	tsp	vanilla extract

Directions

Combine milk, sugar and rice in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (The milk should just barely simmer, with bubbles breaking only at the outside edge of the surface. After an hour, the rice should be soft.)

Add raisins, increase heat to medium, cook, stirring frequently now, until rice has absorbed most of the rest of the milk - - but not all - - and the pudding is creamy, about 30 minutes longer.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. When cool, it will thicken, but still be very creamy - - with no cream. Serve warm or well chilled.

Here are some tasty variations to this "classic rice pudding" recipe ...

A Thai-Pudding Delight - substitute a 14 ounce can of coconut milk (not cream of coconut) for part of the milk. Fold in 1 tablespoon zest of lime and garnish with lime zest and shredded toasted coconut.

Mocha Rice Pudding - add 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder when adding vanilla extract. To cooled pudding add whipped topping and sprinkle with a mixture of sugar and espresso powder.

Swedish Rice Pudding - to cooked and cooled Classic Creamy Rice Pudding, fold in 3/4 cup whipped cream. Add 1 teaspoon almond extract with vanilla extract. Top with toasted almond slivers.

Strawberry Parfait Rice Pudding - in four parfait glasses, alternate Classic Creamy Rice Pudding with layers of fresh strawberries. Top with whipped cream and a dollop of strawberry jam

I was given two bags of rice to try out, The thoughts are my own from cooking with the rice for my family and friends.