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Jasmine Rice Pilaf with Asparagus and Sun-dried Tomatoes

April 2, 2013 · by · 5 Comments
Jasmine Rice Pilaf with Asparagus & Sun Dried Tomatoes from ItsYummi.com

Jasmine Rice Pilaf with Asparagus & Sun Dried Tomatoes from ItsYummi.com

 

When I think of the word spring (as in the season, not the coils inside of your mattress), it conjures up photographs in my mind of renewal, new life and growth...a fresh start after a cold, dark winter.

Budding flowers in Spring

Photo Credit: Dreamstime.com

 

A fresh start is what I really desire the most for in my life right now.  I've screwed up in so many different ways over the past year that I've lost count.  I made poor food & diet choices, I made poor money decisions, I didn't spend as much time with God in prayer as I should have, nor did I trust Him enough to put my life COMPLETELY into His hands.  My list goes on and on.  One year later, my poor life choices have done a 180 and are all coming back to haunt me.  C'est la vie...  I made my proverbial bed and now I must lie in it... or I get the heck up out of that bed of disaster and FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT to get things back into order.  THAT'S what I  plan to do!

I've decided to start with the health issues first.  I believe that once I'm healthier, my outlook on everything else that's wrong in my life will improve.  I need to stay spiritually strong, too.  No more trying to "row my own boat".  I'm crappy at navigating rough waters...but my God isn't!  I'm going to pass over the oars to Him and trust that He knows where I'm headed and how to get me there!

I need to be realistic and honest with myself, though.  There's no way that I can right all of the wrongs in my life overnight.  I've packed on 50 extra pounds since my hysterectomy last August.  It's going to be a long, tedious process to remove...especially since I have physical limitations that will restrict the type and duration of exercise that I'm able to do.  There are, however, some basic lifestyle changes that I can and will be taking on.  Here are a couple that I'm starting with right away:

  • Eliminate caffeine - I gave up Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi last year and swapped it for water that I was flavoring with True Lemon products.  I am not a lover of plain water, and I really enjoyed the flavor varieties from True Lemon.  The Raspberry Lemonade is my favorite.  I got lazy and just started buying pop again.  It's gotta go.  I can see a bit of a challenge coming on in the mornings, since I ADORE coffee, but after the initial withdrawal headaches have passed, I'm sure that I'll be fine.
  • Limit intake of sugar/carbohydrates  - Notice I said LIMIT.  There's no way in high Heaven that I'll EVER be able to maintain a complete carb-free eating plan, so I'm not even going to try.  I'm committed to shedding weight without feeling deprived of things that I love.  I just need to work on portion control and avoid mindless eating.
  • Increase fruit & veggies - I also plan to increase my intake of foods that are high in fiber and iron, as well as increasing the amount of fruit and veggies that I consume every day.  I really enjoy them, but again, the lazy slug inside of me just turns her nose up at the thought of anything that requires prep work.  Well boo flippin' hoo, Ms. Lazy Butt..... it's time to shape up or ship out!!

 

Give this somewhat healthy, but UBER delicious Jasmine rice pilaf a try.  I served it as a side dish with our Easter lamb and ended up with NO leftovers of this dish and more lamb than I know what to do with!

ARE THERE ANY RECIPES USING LEFTOVER LAMB THAT YOU RECOMMEND??  I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO SHARE THEM WITH ME!!

 

Jasmine Rice Pilaf with Asparagus and Sun-dried Tomatoes
 
Created By:

Recipe Category: Side Dish
Cuisine: Rice
Serves: 4-6
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
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A bright, flavorful Jasmine rice pilaf with the spring flavors of asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes makes this side dish a wonderful accompaniment
WHAT'S NEEDED
  • 1 cup Jasmine rice
  • 1.5 cups vegetable stock, at room temperature or warmer
  • 2 Tablespoons salted butter (I use Land O' Lakes Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt)
  • 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
  • 5 stalks asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped finely
  • 1/4 teaspoon Mystic Blue Spice Red Chili & Lemongrass Sea Salt

HOW TO MAKE IT
  1. Melt butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and onion and saute for 2 minutes, until rice begins to develop a nutty aroma.
  2. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to medium low. Cover saucepan and simmer rice for 12 minutes. Remove lid and add asparagus and sun-dried tomato. Stir briefly, then cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes, or until rice and vegetables are cooked al dente.

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I linked up this recipe at What's Cookin' Wednesday at Buns in My Oven

Buns In My Oven Linky Party

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Cherry Glazed Pork Tenderloin and Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes

July 30, 2012 · by · 2 Comments
Cherry Glazed Pork Tenderloin from ItsYummi.com

As I continue to recover from the hysterectomy I had earlier this month, I've been trying to figure out why such a simple procedure caused so much grief on my body.  I've had PLENTY of surgical procedures in my life time, but I had such a strange reaction to the anesthesia this time.  I was lethargic for almost a week post-op.  It was a TOTAL bummer for someone like me who constantly has a list of "to-do's" waiting to be accomplished.  I felt like someone had tied concrete blocks to my feet or something.  It was just weird, I tell ya.

Truthfully, the extra rest wasn't nearly as bad as not being able to drive has been.  I'm counting down the hours until Wednesday, when I'll have my doctor's release to drive again and I'll FINALLY have his "all clear" to go back to work!

In the mean time, I've been trying to make meals that don't require a lot of preparation or effort on my part.  Like this pork tenderloin dinner...

In a year with NORMAL temperatures, Wisconsin has a delightful cherry crop.  This year... meh... not so much.  We had far too many days with temps of high heat and humidity and not nearly enough rain.  The crops were available, but scarce, and the farmers that did have a crop were charging outrageous prices for them!  So what's a girl to do when she's craving Door County cherries and she's on a low grocery budget?  Use cherry juice!

 

This recipe comes together fast and easy.  If it's a hot day and you don't want to use your oven, you can easily cook this on a grill.  I served it up with cheesy hasselback potatoes, which I have to say, I failed miserably at.  When they're prepared correctly, the potatoes end up with crispy slices of potato covered in cheesy goodness.  If you look at my photo, use it as an example of what NOT to do.  My slices should have been half that width.  This was my first attempt at making them, and they really were great, but I'm going to try again and see if I can get the desired result.  This is what they're SUPPOSED to look like when prepared properly.  Regardless of their pale and chunky appearance, they really did taste yummy.  Just more like a baked potato with cheese than crispy loveliness.  Whatever the case... it was yummilicious food!

 

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Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes

10 minutes

40 minutes

6 servings

Serving Size: 1 potato

WHAT YOU\'LL NEED

  • 6 medium-sized Idaho potatoes
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (flat leaf or curly)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Peccarino, Romano, Parmesan or similar hard white cheese
  • 1 gallon cold water
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

HOW TO MAKE IT

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

On the stove top, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the parsley, salt, and pepper and set aside.

Wash and peel the potatoes. As you peel them, place them into a gallon of cold water that's been mixed with a 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice. Doing so will prevent them from turning brown as you peel the rest of the potatoes.

Remove one potato from the water and pat dry. Using a sharp knife, make thin slices in the potato to a depth of about 3/4 of the way down. Do NOT cut all the way through the potato. This is what gives the potato a fan effect during the cooking process. Place the potato onto the prepared baking sheet and use a pastry brush or spoon to cover the potato with the melted butter mixture. Repeat with this step with the remaining potatoes.

Bake in the heated oven for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle some grated cheese over the top of each potato. Place back into the oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and browned lightly and the potato is tender.

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Cherry Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Rating: 51

10 minutes

30 minutes

6 servings

Serving Size: 3 ounces

173

4 grams (1 gram saturated)

Cherry Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Juicy pork tenderloin that's been covered in a blanket of sweet, Asian-inspired cherry glaze.

WHAT YOU\'LL NEED

  • 1 cup cherry juice or other fruit juice blend
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 pork tenderloins (3/4 pound each)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

HOW TO MAKE IT

In a small saucepan, combine the cherry juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, cornstarch and ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, place tenderloins on a rack in a foil-lined roasting pan; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside 1/4 cup glaze for serving. Spoon half of the remaining glaze over pork.

Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 25-30 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 145°, basting occasionally with remaining glaze. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with reserved glaze.

Notes

adapted from Taste Of Home[http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cherry-Glazed-Pork-Tenderloin]

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Zucchini Bacon and Potato Pancakes

July 15, 2012 · by · 20 Comments
Zucchini Bacon and Potato Pancakes from ItsYummi.com

It's Sunday!  In my yummilicious world, there are three givens that I adore about Sundays:

 

~~ SLEEPING IN!  Rolling over in the morning and finding the love of my life lying next to me in bed.  Not having his alarm clock making annoying buzzy noises at 5:15 a.m. once a week is beyond blissful!

 

Incidentally, I have no idea whose baby that is, but I secretly hope that the next time I open my front door, I find that sweet angel swaddled in a basket with a note that says, "take me in and love me forever".  I think I'm addicted to those chubby arms and that sweet pouty lip... or maybe I'm just overly hormonal and waxing poetic because I'm going in for a hysterectomy on Tuesday.  Bye-bye uterus.  You've served me well.  Now get lost.

~~ BRUNCH!   Since we usually attend church services on Saturday night, Brian and I are able to stay lazy in bed for a while on Sunday and then treat ourselves with a wonderful late morning brunch.  Nothing says HELLO SUNDAY like comfort food in my face.  It's the WOO to the HOO and the piggy to my pork fat.

 

~~ SUNDAYS WITH JOY!  Every Sunday for the past couple of months, a group of wonderful food bloggers and I have been creating delicious meals using recipes from Joy the Baker's latest cookbook, "100 Simple and Comforting Recipes".  I adore everything about the book, right down to Joy's loverly face on the cover.  She's just so sweet!

 

Please click here to buy yourself a copy of this wonderful book. In full disclosure, if you do, I'll receive a teeny tiny bit of compensation for it.

 

I think t's a wonderful coincidence that today's recipe for zucchini bacon and potato pancakes, which I adapted a bit from Joy's recipe, fits perfectly into the Sunday brunch category.  Serve these beauties up with some over easy eggs and you've got yourself a double score bonus!!  CHA-CHING!

 

So please do me a favor, won't you?  Leave a comment below and tell me...what's YOUR favorite thing about Sundays?

 

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Zucchini Bacon and Potato Pancakes

Rating: 51

15 minutes

15 minutes

4-6 pancakes

Serving Size: 2 pancakes

Zucchini Bacon and Potato Pancakes

These pancakes are crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, and packed with comforting flavors that will compliment almost any dish!

WHAT YOU\'LL NEED

  • 2-3 slices bacon, diced and crisply cooked
  • 1 Tablespoon salted or unsalted butter, if needed
  • 1 small yellow or white onion, finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 2 medium zucchini, grated (I used a box grater)
  • 2 medium potatoes (approx. 5 ounces each), peeled and grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/8 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • Sour cream or crème fraiche for serving (optional)

HOW TO MAKE IT

Place zucchini and potato into a colander over a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat. Let the mixture sit in the colander for about 10 minutes, then press down with a clean towel to squeeze out the excess water.

While you’re waiting for the mixture to drain, place a medium-sized sauté or fry pan over medium heat. Place diced bacon into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until some of the bacon has rendered and there are approximately 1-2 Tablespoons of grease in the pan. Add onion and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the bacon is almost crispy. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Remove bacon, onion, and garlic from the pan with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain. Remove the pan from the heat, but do not remove grease from the pan.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the egg, flour, baking powder, pepper, and paprika. Add the bread crumbs, cooked bacon mixture, and the zucchini and potato mixture and stir to combine. Fold in the Parmesan cheese until everything is well combined.

Place the sauté pan you used to cook the bacon back over medium heat. If the pan seems dry, add 1 Tablespoon of butter. Once the pan has reheated, drop in the batter 1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) at a time. Flatten each pancake gently with a fork. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Flip the pancakes over and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Place on an oven-safe plate and keep the cooked pancakes warm at 200 degrees until you’re ready to serve them. If desired, top with sour cream or crème fraiche before serving.

Notes

Recipe adapted from "Joy the Baker Cookbook - 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes" by Joy Wilson

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Just an FYI - I won't have access to my computer while I'm in the hospital this week, but if all goes well, I should be home sometime on Thursday.  I'll have another yummilicious recipe posted for you as soon as this old body allows me to get back into the kitchen.  In the meantime, I'll make sure that someone is posting updates on my condition over on my Facebook fan page.  I adore you for being a part of my world.  Please come back and visit me again soon, ok?

 

Until we meet again, may your heart and stomach both be well fed, and may you be blessed with all things yummilicious!  ~~ Becca

 

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Asiago Vegetable Risotto

September 10, 2010 · by · 2 Comments
Asiago vegetable risotto

Having been born and raised in Wisconsin (The Dairyland State) pretty much attests to the fact that I am a lover of all things cheese.  Throughout the years, I have found ways to incorporate cheese into breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.

Typically, I favor semisoft and fresh cheeses like provolone, marscapone, and farmers cheese more so than the hard "stinky" cheeses like bleu, stilton, and feta.  However, I'm working towards developing my palate so that I can experience all of the wonderful tastes and textures available!

In honor of my favorite fat-laden protein, here is an incredibly easy and delicious recipe for you to try.  I found this recipe (and the gorgeous picture) at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board website

 

 

Asiago Vegetable Risotto

Serves 8

Ingredients:
2/3 cup (6 ounces) butter, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
Pinch of saffron threads
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch half-rounds
1 cup asparagus, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup red pepper, diced2 green onions, sliced
1 teaspoon black pepper1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup (4 ounces) Asiago Cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 ounces bacon, preferably Applewood-smoked bacon

Cooking Directions:

In 3-quart pan, heat 1 tablespoon butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add rice and stir continuously until edges of kernels are translucent; about 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth and stir until it is absorbed; about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add another 1/2 cup broth, saffron, zucchini, asparagus, red pepper, onions and pepper. Cook until all liquid is absorbed; stirring frequently. Continue to add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, cooking until liquid is absorbed each time. When all liquid has been added and absorbed, stir in lemon juice, Asiago and remaining butter. Mixture should be creamy and rice should be al dente. Before serving, stir in basil, pine nuts and bacon

Doesn’t that look YUMMILICIOUS?!  I can’t wait to use up some fresh veggies from the garden on this dish VERY soon!

 

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