Mexican Rice in a Toaster Oven

I've made this version of Mexican Rice for years.  In fact, I'll make a batch just for me, and eat it all.  My late husband didn't care for rice that much, so I made it to my taste.  Which as we all know, if you're making something just for you, you should make it to your taste as well. 

And while I made this in my toaster oven, you can make rice this way in a regular oven as well.   In fact when I used to volunteer at the Senior Center and we served rice, I'd bake it in the regular oven, and it always worked out.  

But this is Multicooker Monday, and so I decided to make rice in the toaster oven.  And it worked, really well. 

There are two steps to my Mexican Style rice, but you can totally omit the browning portion, but I don't think it tastes as good.  

Here's few pictures of the process. 

Browning the rice

After the water and salsa has been added

The rice in the toaster oven container

And the finished rice

Mexican Style Rice in Toaster Oven

Yield: 2 Servings

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking -

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 35 Min

This makes two generous servings. You can also double or triple the recipe. It makes a great side, or as a filling for a burrito.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white rice  ( I like converted rice for this)
• 1/2 cup jarred or home made salsa
• 3/4 cup water - divided  in half or so 
• 1/4 cup water (optional)
• 1/2-1 tsp. EVOO
• Non stick spray

Instructions

1. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the EVOO.  Pour the rice in and let brown a little, keeping a close eye on it and stirring often.  
2. While it is browning, spray a pan that can go in the toaster oven with a little non-stick spray.
3. Continue to cook the rice in the pan until evenly browned.  Turn off the heat and pour in the 3/4 cup water.  It will bubble and steam, but that's ok.  Add the 1/2 cup of salsa and stir through.  Pour into the pan which has been sprayed with the non stick spray.  If it looks a little dry, add the additional 1/4 cup of water.  Place a piece of aluminum foil over and seal the pan well.  Place into the Toaster Oven and set the temp to 375 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.  Take out of the oven, remove the foil and fluff with a fork, and replace the foil.  You can serve this with refried beans, top with cheddar cheese or use as part of a filling in a burrito.

 Note:  You do not need to brown the rice first for this dish, but it does taste better.  

If cooking regular rice, you don't need as much water, but an extra 1/4 cup of water per half cup of regular rice will ensure that the rice is fully hydrated and cooked.  A little of moisture will escape in the form of steam. 

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sidsseapalmcooking on instagram and hashtag it #Sidsseapalmcooking

 

Multicooker Monday

• • Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings by Karen's Kitchen Stories
  • Fryer Tofu 65- Vegan by Sneha’s Recipe
  • Instant Pot Kheer by Magical Ingredients
  • Slow Cooker Barbecue Green Beans by Palatable Pastime
  • Slow Cooker Steak Fajitas by A Day in the Life on the Farm
  • Toaster Oven Mexican Rice by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

Corn and Pepper Medley Pierogi Casserole (with Seafood) for Baking Bloggers

 It's time for Baking Bloggers and I'm ready.   Sue Lau of Palatable Pastime is our hostess and this month we were tasked with making something with corn.  As Sue said,  "Join us in baking up some sweet corn in our recipes.
You can use fresh, frozen or canned sweet corn in your recipe", but it had to be baked, hence the name of the group, Baking Bloggers.

I missed the past couple of months of Baking Bloggers,  I'm still trying to get my head together over suddenly becoming a widow.  Not an easy task.  

However, I happened to have the ingredients for this on hand and decided to throw it all together and see how it turned out. 

I googled ideas and got some inspiration from here, this lady added pierogi's, and made a casserole.  

I immediately jumped on that one, cause I've got lots of Pierogies in my freezer, from the last time I made them.  

I may have found a new way of eating  Pierogies.  Although my favorite way is probably still the classic one.  But this comes a close second. 

I made a single serving, cause there's only me now to eat it.  And since I had made some large pierogi's two was more than enough for me.  I think you can use commercial Pierogi's if you wish, I'm sure it will be just fine. 

Because my Pierogi's were homemade, they're thicker and more substantial than commercial ones.  Which meant that I felt the need to cook them first before baking them in the casserole.  And it was a good thing.  That thick outer shell actually could have cooked a little more, it was kinda chewy, but delicious.  

I also happened to have a couple of crab legs and a few cooked shrimp in the freezer, so I added them in the last few minutes of the bake.  

I'm so glad I did, they enhanced the entire dish to an absolutely amazing meal.  

In fact, I'm thinking of doing a repeat this coming week.  I still have some crab left...  

Corn and Pepper Medley Pierogi Casserole

Yield: 1 serving (although it can be doubled or quadrupled very easily)

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking - Adapted from several online recipes.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min

This was such an awesome casserole, quick and easy to put together and baked beautifully in my toaster oven. No need to turn the big one on in the summer heat. This is substantial enough for a hearty appetite.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup corn - fresh or frozen
• 1/3 cup mixed red, green and orange peppers - frozen works great here
• 1/3 cup Heavy cream
• 2-3 frozen pierogies - homemade or commercial
• Optional:
• 3-5 shrimp - cooked and shelled
• 1-2 crab legs - meat only
• Non-stick spray

Instructions

1. If using a conventional oven, preheat to 350 degrees. If using a toaster oven, you can wait to heat the oven until you place the casserole dish inside.
2. Spray a heavy pan with some non-stick spray, and heat the pan over medium high heat. Add the corn and pepper medley, and saute' for a couple of minutes, just til the pepper softens a little.  Add the cream and heat to boiling. 
3. While the corn and pepper medley is saute'ing, heat some water to boiling for the pierogies.  If using homemade ones.  If using frozen commercial pierogies you can skip this step.  Let the home made pierogies simmer for a couple of minutes, take out and let drain.
4. Spray a baking dish with some non-stick spray and place the pierogies into the dish.  Pour the corn mixture over top, and if desired, place a lid or piece of aluminum foil over top. 
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.   If adding the seafood, uncover and place the seafood on top for the last 5-7 minutes and let heat through. 
6. Serve with a nice chilled glass of white wine if desired. (I like a mildly sweet wine rose wine myself.)

Estimate only

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sidsseapalmcooking on instagram and hashtag it #Sidsseapalmcooking

Baking Bloggers: Baking with Sweet Corn

• • Bacon Corn Puddings by Food Lust People Love
  • Baked Corn Pudding by A Day in the Life on the Farm
  • Breakfast Strata with Corn and Chiles by Karen's Kitchen Stories
  • Corn and Pepper Medley Pierogi Casserole by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
  • Street Corn Baked Empanadas by Magical Ingredients
  • Taco Noodle Hot Dish by Palatable Pastime

/>

Cornish Game Hen for one

 I recently became a single person, not by choice but by the death of my husband.  I don't say this to garner sympathy, but as a simple statement of fact.  

I'd been used to making food for us as a couple, and loved the convenience of making enough food for multiple meals, freezing a lot of food for easy future meals.  I still have lots of Spaghetti Sauce in the freezer.  It was one of my go-to, easy to get on the table fast meals. 

But I won't be doing much of that anymore.   While I'm fond of Spaghetti, it's really not something I want on a weekly basis, and in fact, I have about a year's supply of it in the freezer right now.  

I'm in a new phase of my life now, and I thought I'd go ahead and share meals you can make for one or two people.  

I love a little Cornish Game hen, and used to make them on a semi regular basis, until the day my husband told me that he really did not care for them.  So I stopped buying them.   

I think this is a perfect, semi indulgent meal for one person, and depending on the sides, enough leftovers to make another meal. 

Or throw a couple more hens into the oven and have company over.   If you feel like having company that is. 

I personally love adding a touch of sweet to poultry of any sort and this recipe takes full advantage of that.  I also got to use some of the Mango Chutney I'd made and frozen a few months ago.   However, it would be totally awesome with some bottled commercial Mango Chutney as well.

I roasted the hen first, and then added the chutney to the breast area, and roasted it an additional 10 minutes or so at 400 degrees.  Just long enough to caramelize the chutney a little and brown the chicken.  

After it was cooked, I let it rest a good 20 minutes, and then cut it in half with my kitchen shears.  I had some chicken gravy in a packet, I also added some more chutney to the gravy, and let it simmer a bit.  While the chicken was resting, I made up the gravy and also baked a small Yorkshire Pudding wrap.

I roasted some broccoli, while the Yorkshire pudding was baking and had an amazing dinner, perfect for one person.  

    I did still have the other half of the hen, so a couple days later, I added the meat, which I'd taken off the bone, to the leftover gravy, and added even more chutney.  I enjoyed it served over some Basmati rice and steamed broccoli. 

 

Cornish Game Hen with Chutney

Yield: 1-2

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking -

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 Hourinactive time: 20 MinTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

This little Cornish Game Hen is a perfect size for one or two people. Adding Chutney to the hen as it roasts, adds a lovely fruity note.

Ingredients

Roast Hen

• 1 Cornish Game Hen
• 1/4 cup Mango Chutney
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Gravy

• 1 packet dry chicken gravy mix, that makes 2 cups.
• 1/4 cup Mango Chutney

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place chicken in a shallow pan with a rim.  Salt and Pepper the outside and roast for 45 minutes or until a thermometer reaches 165 degrees and the juices run clear.   Remove from oven, and spoon the 1/4 cup chutney over the breast, smoothing it out evenly.  Turn the oven up to 400 degrees and place the chicken back in the oven.  This allows the chutney to add the flavor and caramelize a little.  If needed, you can add a little water to the pan. 
2. Remove from oven and let stand for about 15-20 minutes before carving or cutting it up.  This ensures that the meat is moist and tender.  And it's also easier to handle.
3. Serve with your choice of carbs and vegetable. 

Gravy

1. Mix the gravy according to directions, and cook til thick.  Add the 1/4 cup chutney and heat through.
2. Serve with the Cornish game hen.

Estimate only

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sidsseapalmcooking on instagram and hashtag it #Sidsseapalmcooking

Mini Mushroom Burger Bites

 This week we're featuring Mushrooms for Sunday Funday.   And I decided to go for something I remembered sampling at the Cowichan Exhibition over many years ago.   So long ago, I'm not admitting how many years. 

I'd tried a sample of a mushroom burger at a stand promoting a vegetarian lifestyle and fell in love.  So, I decided to have some fun for today's event.

I probably buy and consume a pound or more of fresh button mushrooms every week.  I love mushrooms, and stick mostly with the white or button mushrooms, although if I can find baby portobello's I'll certainly grab them.  Our little town doesn't have a lot of choices, mushroom wise.  But that's OK, cause these little mushroom burger bites work so well with just plain old white button mushrooms. 

I also cooked and added some mung bean to the basic recipe, I was trying to amp up the protein level a bit.  

I ate some with just mango chutney on top, 

And some with Mango and Thai Green Curry Paste.  I liked the one with the Green Curry Paste the best. 

Check out some more fun recipes from some fellow bloggers. 

• Beef Stroganoff With Oyster Mushrooms from Sneha’s Recipe
• Butter-Braised Cardoons and Oyster Mushrooms from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Grilled Filet Mignon with Mushroom Cream Sauce from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Lentil Mushroom Feta Calzones from Food Lust People Love
• Matar Mushroom Curry from Palatable Pastime
• Mini Mushroom Burger Bites from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Mushroom Masala from Mayuri's Jikoni
• Noodle Soup with Enoki Mushrooms and Scallops from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Pork Chops with Garlic Butter Mushrooms from Amy's Cooking Adventures

Mini Mushroom Burger Bites

Yield: 12-16 appetizer size patties or 6 meal size patties

Author: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking -

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 15 Min

These are rich and full of mushroom flavor and are great paired with Green Thai Chile paste and Mango chutney.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mung beans, cooked in enough water to cover
• 8 oz. chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 small onion (think tennis ball size)
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 2 oz. sliced mushrooms, sauteed in butter, chopped
• Ghee for frying.
• Buns
• Thai Green Curry Paste
• Mango Chutney
• Butter Lettuce

Instructions

1. Cook the mung beans til tender, about 25 minutes, set aside.
2. Chop the mushrooms up, then process them along with the onion and cooked mung beans in a food processor til well mixed.
3. Add the eggs and bread crumbs and mix together, let sit while you saute the remaining mushrooms.
4. Saute the remaining mushrooms, and chop them up, and stir into the mushroom mixture. 
5. Melt the ghee over medium heat and spoon some of the mushroom mixture into a round form or make a patty.
6. Fry til golden brown on the outside, and serve on a toasted bun with some butter lettuce (if desired), and top with some Green Thai Curry Paste and some Mango chutney. 

Estimate only

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @sidsseapalmcooking on instagram and hashtag it #Sidsseapalmcooking

Created using The Recipes Generator

New Monthly Post

 I've been trying to figure out how to say this, so I'll just say it plainly. 

I'm a widow, a brand new widow, and I've gone from cooking for two people and friends to mostly cooking for one, myself. 

For the first time in many years, I'll get to cook meals that cater to my taste, and not my husband's taste.

He was as he put it, 'not very adventuresome' when it came to trying different foods.   And I cooked mostly for him. 

We had Taco's every single Tuesday, and he would happily eat that, every single week.  I rarely ate the same kind of taco's as him.  I like a lot of variety, so I'd make various kinds of Taco's, from Margarita Shrimp Taco's

to Grilled Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa 

and my latest fun taco, which is a baked taco, and was totally delish as well, Tacos de Jocoqui.  I also made some Slow Cooker Carnita's, most of which is currently residing, or resting if you will, in the freezer.  In single serving bags.

So where am I going with this?  

It's simple.  I'll be redoing some of my recipes to make them into single meals, as well as some that you can basically freeze and take out when you just want a good meal, and don't want to eat a commercial frozen dinner. 

I love cooking, but honestly, some nights I'd just like to grab something out of the freezer and heat it up. Easy peasy.

I plan on posting these 'Meal Makeovers' around the first of every month.  If I'm making a redo, I'll include the original recipe, and if it's a new one, I'll of course tell you how to make it for a family. 

Do expect more seafood recipes, along with more Danish recipes as well. 

Happy cooking, my philosophy is simple, If I can't have fun in the kitchen, I don't want to play.