Mexi Fried Rice

Rice is something I always have on hand. I love it's fluffy texture and ability to take on so many flavors. And lets face it, when you order Chinese food, there is always a bin of the stuff left. I use it for desserts, breakfasts, dinners and sides. One of my all time favorite things to make is fried rice.

Asian style fried rice always has a home in my fridge, but once you have the basics down, fried rice can be anything. The difference is oils and add-ins. The best advice I can give you is to start with cold rice, ideally made at least a day ahead.

Unlike traditional Mexican Rice dishes, this doesn't involve a can of tomatoes and sauce. The tomatoes here are just used for topping. The color comes from the spices!

Mexi Fried Rice

4 cups cooked rice, cold
1/2 cup sweet corn kernels
1/2 cup pigeon peas (or regular)
1/2 cup mixed bell pepper strips
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion (aprox 1/2 small onion)
3 roasted red peppers, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp turmeric
1 dried chili*
1 small tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
Garlic Cilantro Balsamic
2 tbsp Garlic Olive Oil
1 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Heat the oils in a large pan to medium high. Add the onions and saute until just translucent, 1-3 minutes. Add the dried chili and the pigeon peas and cook for one more minute.

Add a pinch of salt and the bell pepper strips and stir well. Add the rice and mix together. Cover and let cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the spices over everything and give it a good toss. Cook stirring occasionally another 5 minutes. Remove the chili.

Stir in the sweet corn and roasted peppers and stir until heated all the way through. Serve with a small mound of diced avocado and tomatoes on each portion and a drizzle of Garlic Cilantro Balsamic on each.

* If you want it spicier, leave in the seeds. For less spice, take them out.  For no spice, leave it out entirely and use all Garlic Oil.

Turkey Tacos

I hope everyone is recovering from the cold. Yes, I know it's still cold...but it's just spring-ier. No, I don't know how to explain that. It just is.

I wanted to make something themed for the Oscars, but all I could think of was Golden Beets for the golden Oscar and something with chicken for Birdman. This year's movies weren't exactly lending themselves to recipes.

So I went with this instead. It's not themed or season-appropriate. Except that every season is the season for tacos and all themes could be taco if you like.

And I do. This recipe has more steps than most of the ones I post. And as I look over the steps, well, huh, that's not a lot. You guys have been getting off easy with one or two step meals. We may have to change that! So be prepared to dirty more than one pan for this one!

Turkey Tacos

2 lbs ground turkey
2 tbsp Taco Blend Seasoning
2 tsp Garlic Pate
1 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil
1 tbsp Traditional Balsamic
1 tsp Cumin Olive Oil
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes with chilies
2 tbsp Persian Lime Olive Oil
Pepper Citrus Sea Salt
Avocados
Sour Cream
Tortillas

Put the tomatoes and chilies into a bowl, draining, but saving about half the liquid out. Set aside.

Heat a large saute pan to medium heat with the Chipotle and Cumin olive oils and the liquid reserved from the tomatoes and chilies. Add the ground turkey and cook, stirring often to break up into small crumbles. Cook through and stir in the Taco Seasoning. Set aside.

In a smaller pan, heat the Lime Olive Oil and Garlic Pate. Cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes. Rinse and drain the black beans and add them gently. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Top with the Pepper and Citrus Salt and Traditional Balsamic and remove from the heat. Mash lightly with a spoon, muddler or fork.

Fill your taco how you like, but don't forget the creamy avocados!

If you want it spicier, please feel free to sub in the Citrus Habanero Olive Oil. I also chose a pretty medium can of tomatoes. When tomatoes are back in season, I'll give you my recipe for diced tomatoes and chilies that will knock this out of the park! 

Or, I'll work on a roasted tomato one....

Okay. Now I have ideas.

Coconut Curry and a Coupon

I had some small potatoes leftover from the Mint and Lemon Potatoes I made a bit ago. They are potatoes, so they stay good for a long time, but I felt the urge to use them up.

Coconut Curry

1 can coconut milk
1 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
1 cup peas
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
2 cups diced potato
1/4 cup thick coconut flake, chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
a pinch of allspice
1 tsp black pepper
Spicy Curry Sea Salt to taste
thin toasted coconut for garnish

Add the olive oil to a large shallow pan and heat to medium. Cook the diced onion until it starts to caramelize, 2-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potato and the coconut milk and stir. Be sure to scrape up anything that has stuck to the pan. Stir in the coconut flake and let simmer for 6-10 minutes. If your potato pieces are small, it shouldn't take very long.

Add the spices, the peas and the tomato, stirring until it is all mixed. Simmer until the peas are tender, 2-5 minutes.

Serve with a sprinkle of toasted coconut.

Chipotle Chorizo Sandwich

Hm, I've noticed that everything so far this month has been a bit spicy. It is supposed to be good for your heart, but I'll try to mix it up a bit for the next recipe.

This one is no exception to the spicy rule however. It's tasty and spicy, and while there is cheese and fried things....well, okay, this one isn't great for you. And it's not really a neat meal. You could put it in a pita instead of having it open faced, but as a date food, it really depends on what you are going for. Messy food is suitable when you have been dating for a while. Because you may drop some on yourself, you may laugh, and if he laughs back...maybe he needs a little chorizo and cheese on his shirt too...

Or you guys could just eat it.

Chipotle Chorizo Open Faced Sandwich

1/2 lb chorizo
4 slices bread
4 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil, divided
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
handful of french fried onions

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan to medium heat. Add the onions and green peppers. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are softening and becoming translucent. About 5 minutes.

Slice open the chorizo casing and discard. Add the meat into the pan with the onions and peppers, breaking it up well. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the meat is cooked through. About 10 minutes.

Stir in the cheddar cheese. Cover and let melt. Spread the last 2 tbsp of oil on your bread and put in the oven on broil until it just starts to brown. 1-2 minutes. The cheese should be melted by now as well. Stir the meat and cheese mixture to really distribute everything evenly.

Serve over the toasted bread with a sprinkle of fried onions on top of each slice.

Chocolate Chip Chipotle Cookies

Okay, this one might not be as heart healthy...But its cookies! And we should never apologize for cookies. Unless you don't tell someone what is in these and make them eat them anyway... Then apologize. A lot. And get that person a glass of milk stat!

Chocolate Chip Chipotle Cookies

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Chipotle Olive Oil
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips.

Heat the oven to 350degrees.

Cream the butter, oil and sugars together until it is nice and creamy. Add the egg.

Sift the dry ingredients together, except for the chips. Slowly add to the wet ingredients, stirring well until everything is well combined. Fold in the chips.

On lightly greased cookie sheets, place little balls of dough 1 inch apart. You probably want to make these a little smaller than usual cookies. Bake about 12 minutes.

Cool for at least five minutes. Serve, with a warning.

Slow Cooked: Spicy Sausage Dip

I made this dish over the weekend. We were supposed to all hang out and watch football. That did not happen and my husband and I were left with all this food to eat. What a shame!

Spicy Sausage Dip

2 16oz packs of spicy italian sausage
2 15oz cans diced tomatoes with chilies
4 8oz packs cream cheese
Zesty Onion, Chipotle or Citrus Habanero Olive Oil

Slit open the sausage casing and crumble the sausage into a large pan. If needed, add a little olive oil. Brown the meat, stirring frequently. Should be about 10 minutes. Drain out the fat and toss the meat in the crock pot.

Stir in the tomatoes with chilies and cube the cream cheese and add that too. Drizzle in some of the olive oil, 1-2 tbsp at first and stir to coat everything well.

Turn the crock pot to low and let cook for 1 hour. Stir occasionally to really mix in the cream cheese. Taste for spice and add a little more olive oil if desired.

Cook for 1 more hour and serve. Great with crackers, or veggies, dip away!

Spicy Pumpkin Pockets

I bought some pie crust on sale this week and thought that it would be great to make a pumpkin pie. A pocket pie!

Pocket pies, or hand pies are probably my favorite species of pie. You can fill them with anything and they are portable. And there is a great ratio of filling to crust.

I think that the Rosemary Olive Oil would be great with this as well.

Spicy Pumpkin Pockets

1/2 pkg refrigerated pie crust
2-4 turkey slices, optional
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
1 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil + 1 tbsp for brushing
1 tsp minced garlic
2 slices provolone cheese
pinch ground sage
pinch nutmeg

Bring the sleeve of pie crust to room temperature and unroll it. If there are any breaks, dip your finger in warm water and gently smooth it over the break to join the broken places back together. Slice in half and set aside.

Combine the spices in a large bowl with the pumpkin puree. Stir until combined and taste for salt. Add the olive oil and stir.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or spray it with non-stick spray. Place the dough onto the dish. Layer 1/4 cup of the mixture and some turkey slices on one side of each of the dough half-rounds. Gently wet the very edge of the pastry and fold it in half, pinching or pressing to close. Brush the tops with the remaining olive oil.

Bake for 15-25 minutes. The filling doesn't need to be cooked, just the crust. Keep a watch on it so it doesn't get too brown.

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Chili

A little while ago, I made Pumpkin Hummus. It was very good. But I did have some leftovers, and while my grandfather visited last week, he thought that it was soup and heated it up and ate it. He said it was very good soup.

So pumpkin and beans and a little bit of sweetness in a soup... I can do that. This reminds me very much of African Groundnut Stew. Except with no chicken and a lot of beans! 

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Chili

2 cans black beans

1 can red kidney beans

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup prepared TVP*

12 oz pureed pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling

1 cup peanut butter or other nut butter

1/4 cup agave syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika, smoked

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tsp cumin

2 cups vegetable broth

1 6oz can tomato paste

1 12oz can of crushed or pureed tomatoes

4 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil

1 tsp minced garlic

Rinse and drain the beans and put them aside in a large bowl.

Put the TVP, garlic, onion and the olive oil in a large stock pot and heat to medium high. Saute around for 5-7 minutes. The garlic should be nice and fragrant, but the TVP should not be burning.

Add the vegetable stock and the ground spices. Bring it to a low simmer and stir until all the spices dissolve, or at least distribute well. Taste test for flavor and spiciness. Add a bit more cayenne if you want, and a bit more black pepper than you think you need.

Stir in the tomato paste slowly. When it has dissolved around, do the same with the pumpkin and the peanut butter. You want it to be pretty smooth at this point except for the TVP and onions floating around.

Now add the beans and tomatoes. Cover and bring to a high simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in the agave syrup in the last minute or two of cooking. Serve with pumpkin seeds, fried onion bits or really anything you want.

*TVP, or Textured Vegetable Protein is generally a soy based filler food. You find it in so many commercial products, including a lot of store brand chili's! But it is a good substitute for ground meat in recipes. It has lots of protein and takes on the flavor of whatever you are cooking it with. You can usually find it in the organic or natural aisles of your supermarket. Or you can just add another can of beans.

This is a vegan meal, but you could always play with that a bit. Instead of TVP, next time I am going to add some blended garbanzo beans. It worked for the hummus/soup, it will work for this. You can use ground meat if you want and meat broth instead of veggie broth. And if you don't have agave, honey is fine.

Pork Loin with Jerk Seasoning and Pan Sauce

I told you another pork loin was coming. Here it is! I went a little spicy with this, but the heat really cooks off and blends with the sauce. Besides, it's only a little spice.

I like the sauce right over top, but if you make a sandwich, it would make an awesome dipping sauce too.

Pork Loin with Jerk Seasoning and Pan Sauce

1 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil
2 tbsp Jerk Blend Spices
2 lbs pork loin
1/2 cup Fig Preserves
1 tsp minced garlic

Preheat your oven to 375degrees.

Spread the oil over the roast and sprinkle on the jerk spices. Pat them do to make sure they stick.  Place in a deep sided pan and roast for about 40-50 minutes. A thermometer inserted in the thickest part should read 145degrees.

Remove the roast from the pan and let rest, covered in foil for at least ten minutes.

Drain the juices from the pan into a large bowl. Add the garlic and the Fig Preserves. Whisk until you get an even consistency.

Serve.

Chili Rubbed Salmon

I love salmon. It is my favorite fish. I end up making more tilapia because my husband kind of likes it, and it is cheaper. But when I'm making fish just for me, salmon it is.

The measurements here are for one 5-6 inch filet. You can scale it up or down however you like it.

Chili Rubbed Salmon

1 piece of Salmon
1 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil, + 1tsp
1- 2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder

Set the oven to broil.

Rinse and pat your salmon dry. Take 1 tsp of the Chipotle oil and rub it on the skin side. This is to make sure it doesn't stick. Lay it on a baking pan.

Rub the 1 tbsp of oil on the top. Sprinkle the spices over and rub them in to coat every bit well.

Broil for about 10 minutes.

Voila! Fish!

Sticky Balsamic Chicken

I was craving fried chicken wings this week. I decided to be healthier and make this. It's pretty awesome and solved my craving. Yay chicken!

Sticky Balsamic Chicken

10 chicken drumsticks
3 tbsp Olive Oil*
1/4 cup Vanilla Balsamic
1/4 cup molassas
2 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Arrange your chicken in a large casserole pan. Brush the olive oil over them and bake 20 minutes. *I like to use the Jalapeno or Chipotle for this one. Gives it an extra zing!

Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a large bowl. Remove the chicken from the oven and pour the sauce over top. Turn them to coat and return to the oven for another 30 minutes. Turning once while cooking.

Chocpotle Chicken

I have been waiting to make this recipe for a long time. Someone came up with a Chocolate Balsamic and Chipotle Olive Oil combination a long time ago and I immediately thought: mole sauce.

Of course, when you look up a few recipes and realize how many ingredients and how long it takes to make a really authentic mole sauce.....

Torturous. 

So how did I get that list of ingredients down to something manageable for the home cook? Easy. I cheated. I found a jar of Dona Maria mole sauce in my market's international food aisle and it turned out to be the best base I could have gotten. I still ended up adding quite a bit of stuff and blending it all together, but it was certainly less intensive than an authentic recipe! I decided to make a red mole, mostly because I love tomatoes.

Chocpotle Chicken

Sauce:
1/2 jar Dona Maria mole sauce
1 onion, diced
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 can coconut cream
3 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil
3 tbsp Chocolate Balsamic
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

Chicken:
1 large package boneless chicken, diced or shredded
3-4 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Salt
Pepper

Make the sauce first!

In a medium saucepan, heat the Olive Oil to medium heat. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the chilies and coconut cream(shake before using). Simmer 5 minutes. Add the mole sauce and the Chocolate Balsamic. Simmer until the mole sauce is liquid and mixed through. Remove from heat and cool.

Add the tomatoes and the cooled sauce to the blender and process until smooth. There will be a lot of sauce. If there is too much for your dish, it will keep up to a week in the fridge, or it can be frozen for later use. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, oven safe pan. Add the spices and garlic. Let simmer 3-5 minutes or until very fragrant, stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken and cook until done. If using diced, cook 7-9 minutes. If shredding after, cook 7minutes per side. Cool slightly until manageable and shred using two forks. Return to pan.

Heat oven to 350degrees.

Top chicken with the sauce and stir until well mixed. Place in the oven and bake 15 minutes. The sauce should be bubbling.

Serve with rice and warm tortillas and butter.

Makes great leftover tacos!

Chicken Tacos

So this is my breakfast this morning. Sorry for the half-eaten look, I was on my way in to work.

Yesterday this was lunch. I find this recipe really useful to have in the fridge and have been keeping a container of it there all the time.

Easy Chicken Taco Filling

1 rotissere chicken, shredded
           or
1 pkg chicken breasts, roasted with Chipotle Olive Oil*
2-4 tsp Taco Blend seasoning
2 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil

Place your shredded chicken in a pan and turn it to med-low. Add the Basiks blend and 2 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil. Stir it around until well combined and piping hot.

Serve with taco fixings like sour cream, lettuce, beans, salsa, guacamole and cheese.

This breakfast wrap included a scrambled egg, some bell peppers, sour cream and cheese as well.

*Roasted chicken breasts in oil

Heat your oven to 400degrees. Brush both sides of your chicken in Chipotle Olive Oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put in the oven and wait 30minutes. Take them out and let them cool slightly. Shred using two forks. Make tacos using the above directions.

Hope everyone has a good time at the FACT Aids walk today!

Pomegranate Chipotle Pork

While my mom's favorite combination is the Chipotle Olive Oil with the Mango Balsamic, I prefer the Chipotle mixed with the Pomegranate.

My sister-in-law sold Pampered Chef for a long time and my favorite of their products was the pomegranate chipotle sauce. It was smoky and sweet and something I would hoard away for special occasions that never seemed to come up. At twelve dollars for about 8 ounces, it was so hard to justify using it on things. And then, they stopped making it!

So now, I make my own-ish. It works out to much less cost per serving and is still just as good.

Pomegranate Chipotle Pork

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Pomegranate Balsamic
Salt and pepper
3 clove garlic, sliced
1 pork roast 2 1/2 pounds is a great size
Garlic Mashed Potatoes (recipe follows)

Heat your oven to 350degrees.

Place your roast in a roasting pan and cut slits in it. Then slide the garlic slices inside. Rub first with the Balsamic, then the Oil, making sure to get everything. Try to get some inside the slits with the garlic too.

Ahem, now go wash your greasy, spicy hands.

Place the roast in the oven and cook for about an hour. Flip it and cook for another hour.

Remove from the oven and let rest for about 15 minutes before serving.

Slice and drizzle with additional Chipotle and Pomegranate.



Basic Garlic Mashed Potatoes

1 box garlic mashed potatoes, sub in Garlic Olive Oil for 1/2 the butter

or, use Alton Brown's recipe. He's the best.

Salsa Chicken With Chipotle Fried Rice

I was in the mood for something spicy and easy tonight. So chicken and rice it is!

Salsa Chicken and Chipotle Fried Rice

Serves 4

For Chicken:

1 package chicken tenderloins

2 Tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil (or Jalapeno)

1/2 of a 16oz. jar of salsa, whatever heat level you prefer

Black Pepper to taste

Stream the Chipotle or Jalapeno oil into your pan. Season the chicken with pepper and saute about 4 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.

Add the salsa and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let simmer no more than 5 minutes.

For Rice:

4 Tbsp Chipotle Olive Oil

1 medium diced tomato

1/2 medium onion, diced

4 cups cooked white rice, cooled

Saute onion in 1Tbsp oil over medium heat until they have a little color. About  2-4 minutes. 

Add the rice and the remaining 3Tbsp oil. Toss to coat and leave alone for one or two minutes. You want to let the rice get some color too. Scrape the rice around. Keep doing this until most of the rice has some nice color. Add the tomato and keep stirring for another minute.

Serve with additional salsa on top and sprinkle with Jalapeno Sea Salt.

Chili-Lime Noodles

I have a deep love of Asian cuisine. When I am sick, the only foods I want to eat are lo-mein and wonton soup. I could eat sushi and things every day of the week. 

This habit can get a little expensive. So I am trying to get better at making these kinds of foods.

These are my Chili-Lime Noodles. I got this recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine. But I have adapted it in a few ways. It could also easily work with chicken in place of the tofu. (Even thin cut flank steak would be great with this!)

Chili-Lime Noodles
serves 4

4oz glass noodles- also called cellophane noodles or bean threads

• 3 Tbs. hoisin sauce

• 2 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce

• 3 Tbs. lime juice

• 2Tbs. Persian Lime Olive Oil

• 1 tsp. chile-garlic sauce

• 2Tbs. toasted sesame oil

• Chipotle Olive Oil, to taste

• 18 oz. pkg. plain tofu, diced (or other meats)

• 1 12 oz. pkg. mushrooms, sliced

• 1/2lb. baby bok choy, thinly sliced

• 2 carrots, cut into ribbons

• 2 1/2Tbs. minced fresh ginger

• 
  

1. Soak noodles in large bowl of hot water 10 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

2. Whisk together hoisin sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, and chile-
garlic sauce and Lime olive oil.

3. Heat 1 Tbs of sesame oil in skillet over high heat. Add tofu, and stir-fry 4 minutes, or until golden 
on all sides. Add 1/4 cup water, and cook 2 minutes, transfer 
to bowl.

4. Add remaining 1 Tbs. sesame oil to skillet. Add mushrooms and bok choy; stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in noodles and carrots, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in hoisin mixture, green onions, ginger, and tofu; stir-fry 1 minute. Taste. If desired, add some Chipotle Olive oil to kick up the heat. 

I sprinkled some Thai Ginger sea salt on before I served it. Have fun with it!