Simple By Cindy

Homemade Rice Pilaf

Jul. 9
2018

This is the 3rd year anniversary of my blog! I simply cannot believe it! It has gone so fast and I have loved every minute I put into it. I want to thank you all for following me, even after I had to take a break when I remodeled my kitchen. I see all those familiar names on Facebook, and I feel like I know some of you. I am so grateful to everyone who shares my passion for cooking.

I love to read recipes and cookbooks. I devour them actually, which is why I have such a large collection. I know now that most people get their recipes off the internet nowadays. I do that as well, however, I know I will never stop buying cookbooks. I love to turn the glossy pages, see the covers and adore looking at the beautiful pictures that accompany them.

I read every book from front to back and mark the recipes I would like to try. I copy the recipe I am going to use so there is no chance I get my cookbooks dirty while I am making it. Before I did that, my cookbook pages, especially the ones I used repeatedly, became worn and dirty and yellow. But, not anymore! They stay clean and crisp and always feel brand new.

Usually, when I find a recipe I would like to use, I also search the internet for similar recipes. Then I write down all the ingredients I would like to add and make it my own. It takes time and effort, but I enjoy doing this and feel especially accomplished when my recipe turns out to be, as we call it in my home, “blog-worthy”. Sometimes it takes many tries to do this, and I have certainly made countless recipes that have ended up in the garbage.

This recipe is definitely blog-worthy. The chicken broth and onion soup flavoring provide an enormous amount of flavor. The peppers give it a sweet touch and the herbs add a savory hardiness. The parsley adds a beautiful color and depth of fragrance. Everyone here loved it. It is a must try!

This recipe will serve 5-6 people who will be wowed by this hearty, delightful dish.

Ingredients for Rice Pilaf

2 cups long grain white rice
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
4 mini sweet peppers, 2 red, and 2 orange or yellow
2 tsp. fresh thyme, (about 4 sprigs), chopped
1 tsp. fresh sage, (about 5-6 leaves), chopped
8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter, cut into cubes
5 cups chicken broth
2 packages onion soup mix
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. parsley, chopped

In a large skillet, over medium-low heat, melt the butter.

Turn the heat to medium-high and add the rice and onions and cook until rice is browned and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the celery and sweet peppers, and cook about 3-4 minutes.

Pour in the chicken broth, 2 packages of onion soup mix, and stir in the thyme and sage.

Cover and reduce heat to low or simmer.

Let cook for 30-40 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.

Remove from heat and let stand, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Fluff it with a fork.

Transfer to serving platter, dress with parsley and serve warm.

It’s that simple!

Herbs from my garden

Baked Cream Corn

Jul. 5
2018

Fresh produce is always the best choice when cooking. Using ingredients that you know have not come in contact with pesticides or other artificial substances is an excellent way of improving your health. You should also always try to avoid packaged foods, as they contain a lot of food dye, sugar or artificial sweeteners. Did you know that if “natural flavors” is listed under ingredients it is actually full of GMOs? A GMO is a plant, animal or organism whose makeup is modified in a laboratory using genetic engineering.

A general rule of thumb when looking at an ingredient list: anything you can’t pronounce is going to be bad for you. Some examples are erythrosine (food coloring), glyphosate (a chemical used to kill weeds) potassium benzoate (a preservative used to prevent mold from growing), and butylated hydroxyanisole (potentially cancer-causing preservative, and who can pronounce that?). You could be consuming these chemicals without even knowing! Is your stomach turning yet?

Oftentimes, processed foods and canned foods have many additives that are unacceptable and unhealthy for you. Although it will take a little more time, reading labels at the grocery store can help you make better choices. Not only do fresh ingredients provide more nutrients compared to processed foods, they also deliver truer flavor.

The purpose of food is to nourish you, so you should always buy fresh when you can. If you can’t buy fresh, buy frozen.

This dish offers natural and valuable nutrients, not to mention is it delicious! The sweet corn and cheddar cheese combination provide a sharp contrast that will tease and excite your taste buds. The eggs make it light and fluffy, and the jalapeno gives it the perfect amount of heat. Everything is favorable about this splendid, satisfying dish. This is one I am going to make again and again. By the way, it does not have cream in it!

This recipe is courtesy of Delish.com and will serve 6 people who will go corn-crazy!

Ingredients for Baked Creamed Corn

Cooking Spray

8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
3 cups corn kernels, (fresh, or frozen and thawed)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 jalapeno, minced
1 tbsp. sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup milk
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp.

Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, drain.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

Add corn, flour, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, sugar.

Add jalapeno.

Add bacon.

Pour in eggs, butter, and milk.

Season generously with salt and pepper and mix together until combined.

Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar.

Bake 1 hour, then let cool 20 minutes to firm up.

It’s that simple!

Flowers from my garden

Fabulous Potato Salad

Jul. 2
2018

I promised to give you all my potato salad recipe… and here it is. Just in time for your July 4th celebration!

There are so many different kinds of salad recipes out there. Salads are wonderful year-round, but I have one pet peeve that will ruin any salad for me. When it comes to salad dressing, it is important to remember that there is such thing as too much of a good thing. My nieces come and cook with me often, and one of the first things I taught them is how to dress a salad without overdoing it. This is a very important thing to know.

Most restaurants, even the best of them, will overdress a salad. Often, too much mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, or buttermilk is added. I recognize that these ingredients are important, however, they should be used with great restraint. Let’s face it, a soggy, overdressed salad is just not appealing!

Here are a few tips for dressing your salad:

You don’t have to prepare the recipe for the salad dressing exactly as it is written. Add the heavier ingredients slowly, just until you get the creamy consistency you prefer. The lighter the consistency, the better your salad will look and taste.

When you dress the salad, add the dressing a little bit at a time. When the salad is just glistening, stop! Do not add more. Lastly, taste it. Even if you think you should add more at first, wait. Once you take a few bites, you will realize it is perfectly dressed as is.

This recipe was such a hit on Father’s Day, and I was so surprised. Personally, I am not a fan of potato salad. I went to my supermarket to purchase it, looked at the ingredients, and just couldn’t buy it because some of them are so bad for you. I decided I would make it myself. I looked at a few recipes, took all the ingredients I thought would be good together, and I served it, not really giving it a second thought. To my surprise, everyone loved it, even me! Now I am happy to share it with you.

When you take a bite of this salad, the flavor practically shouts at you from the mustard grains. The sweet pickle relish adds sweet and tang at the same time. The eggs complete the taste sensation with a hardy texture. This is perfect for your July 4th barbeque. Try it for yourself and share it with friends, just like I am!

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This recipe will serve 6-8 people who will smile in between bites of this well-seasoned salad!

Ingredients for Fabulous Potato Salad

5 potatoes
5 eggs, hard-boiled, cut into medium-sized chunks
2 cups chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
3/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup (or more) sweet pickle relish
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. celery salt
2 (or more) tbsp. whole grain mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. kosher salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste)

Today’s Hint: To make an egg easier to peel, crack the top and bottom parts of the eggs first. Then roll the eggs gently on the countertop. The shells should peel away easily!

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15- 20 minutes.

Drain, cool and peel.

Chop into 1 -1 1/2-inch pieces.

Place eggs into saucepan.

Cover with water 1-inch above eggs.

Bring to a boil.

Remove eggs from heat, cover and set a timer for 12 minutes.

Drain and immediately place eggs in ice water.

Peel and cut into 1-inch pieces.

In an extra large bowl, combine the potatoes, celery.

Add the onion.

Mix carefully to combine. You do not want the potatoes to become smaller and mushy.

Add the mustard.

Carefully fold in the pickle relish, garlic, garlic salt, celery salt, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.

Add the eggs. Fold in gently.

Taste and add more of your favorites ingredients, if needed!

Transfer to serving platter and refrigerate until chilled.

It’s that simple!

Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes and Asiago Cheese

Jun. 28
2018

I am always in need of a light summer side dish. Chicken, burgers and hot dogs are summer barbeque classics, but you have to switch up the side dishes or it gets a little repetitive. It is hard to find something to compete with heavy sauce and rich meats. With all the fresh and beautiful produce available in the summertime, you can make a light and complementary dish that your guests will think is perfect.

Coleslaw and potato salad are some of the usual expected sides. But you have to be careful when preparing them. You can lighten these dishes up by using less mayonnaise, more apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard or whole grain mustard. These ingredients provide a refreshing twist on these classic salads. My own recipe for a wonderful potato salad is coming soon!

You can also grill some vegetables with a little olive oil, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper. Make a vinaigrette to toss it in and top it off with a little Parmesan, feta, or Asiago cheese.

For this recipe, I roasted sweet grape tomatoes. I look forward to this every year when the tomato season arrives. If you have the time, slow roast grape tomatoes. The steady heat transforms the tomatoes into warm, caramelized morsels that burst with flavor when you bite down. You can pair them with pasta, as I did for this recipe, as well as chicken, salads, or other vegetables. It is hard to resist eating these right from the pan. Heat your oven to 225°F, toss with a little olive oil. salt and pepper and bake for 3 hours. And yes, it is worth turning on your oven in the summer to do it.

As per usual, the ingredients for this recipe are simple, yet they add complexity to the flavor in each bite. The basil pairs perfectly with the tomatoes, giving them a savory deliciousness, and the Asiago cheese adds a velvety essence. The result is an ideal side dish that can accompany any main course.

This recipe will serve 4 people who will delight in this mouth-watering, savory summer side.

Ingredients for Tomato-Basil Pasta with Asiago Cheese

2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
1 pound orecchiette pasta, or any pasta of your choice
2 garlic cloves, chopped, plus 1 set aside.
2 tbsp. olive oil, plus 2 tbsp. set aside
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup Asiago cheese, plus 1/4 cup set aside
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus 1 tsp. set aside
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a bowl, toss tomatoes with 2 chopped garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, basil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 20-30 minutes.

Cook pasta in well salted boiling water 2 minutes less than package instructions.

Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, and drain.

While pasta cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat.

Add the remaining garlic clove.

Cook for 1 minute.

Toss in the tomatoes, lemon zest and juice, and the remaining garlic clove.

Cook for 2 minutes.

Toss in the pasta and half of the reserved pasta water.

Add the remaining Asiago cheese and basil.

Continue to cook, until pasta water is absorbed.

Add more pasta water, until you get the thickness of sauce you prefer.

Transfer to a serving bowl, top with remaining Asiago cheese, and serve immediately.

It’s that simple!

Banana Chocolate Chip Dessert

Jun. 25
2018

This is my most favorite time of the year. All the dark, cold days of winter have passed, and summer is here. The once bare trees have blossomed, filling the warm air with their perfumes. The grass is once again plush and a beautiful shade of green. The flowers are starting to reach for the sky and fill each yard with every vibrant color you can imagine. Everything looks so lovely and charming. The temperature outside is perfect.

The bees float from flower to flower in search of honey. There are adorable butterflies to watch flutter to and fro. You can hear the sounds of the birds chirping happily in melody. There is so much to love about spring and summer. People are outside, walking, biking and running. I definitely have Spring fever, and it carries over until the Fall comes around.

Did you know that “spring fever” originally referred to an actual illness? When the weather turned warm, people would develop headaches, stuffy noses or sore throats. Then “spring fever” changed in meaning and it was used to describe newfound affections. Elvis uses it in one of his songs to describe this romantic feeling. Now it is used to describe a restless feeling after a long, dreary winter.

We usually use the summer to lighten up our diet. Salads, fruits, and vegetables become our diet regimen. But let’s be real here…we have to sneak in dessert once in awhile.

This recipe is a perfect choice if you indulge in cheat days. It is not a light or fluffy dessert, but it is certainly packed with flavor. It does not rise up as much as a cake, it bakes up to the same height as a breakfast bar. I love using bananas, they are so moist and luscious. The chocolate chips swirl into the banana to create an enticing, perfectly executed bakery-fresh dessert. And oh, the wonderful smell while it is cooking! It is so easy and satisfying to make, there is no reason for you not to. The author suggests topping it off with some chocolate syrup or whip cream.

This recipe is courtesy of allrecipes.com and will make 12-16 bars that will make your friends and family swoon with delight, just as the warm weather does!

Ingredients for Banana Chocolate Chip Dessert

3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup mashed bananas
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips