Pilaf and Veggie Toss

Pilaf is something my Grandma taught me to make.  It always turned out so yummy when she made it.  And I was truly delighted when she taught me her secrets.  I hope she does not mind my sharing them now.

First you need to know how to make pilaf (at least our version of pilaf). 
~ Very thin pasta.  Grandma taught me Vermicelli but sometimes that is not around I have found Angel Hair and Thin Spaghetti work OK too.
~ Butter, real butter.  Please do not try anything else because it just does not taste as good and you might be sorry.  (Grandma did try this once).
~ Minute rice
~ Bullion.  We moved from cubes to paste.  But stock works too
~Salt.  Just to taste.

I have no real measurements for this recipe so if you like more of this or less of that go for it.  I have found that what started as a recipe Grandma taught me has really turned into a technique that I have built on over the years.

I recommend first breaking your pasta.  Break them into about 1 inch pieces.  This does not have to be perfect.  I use the first section of my thumb to measure this and it works great every time.

Have ingredients ready.  Melt a half stick of butter (4oz) in a nice big skillet (I prefer non stick) on a medium heat.  Butter will burn so try not to be in too much of a hurry.  Once butter is melted add about 2 cups of rice and 3 cups of broken up pasta (more or less you decide).  Stir gently until you start seeing beautiful golden hues in your pasta mixture.  Then add about 5 cups of liquid.  Now you can choose to use your favorite stalk here or you can simply add water and bullion.  If you have a paste such as "Better than Bullion" (which I love) use a couple of good sized Tbsps.  Stir together until all is combined and bullion is thoroughly mixed in, throw in a dash of salt too.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low (here you can kick the heat up and get the liquid moving).  Cover with a lid and stir occasionally.  Pilaf is done when rice and noodles are cooked and liquid has been absorbed.

Now that you know how to make a quick pilaf let's play with it.  Let's add your veggies,  whatever you have.  Broccoli, peppers, peas, etc.  You could even add meat if you like.  I usually throw frozen veggies in with a bit of extra liquid before bringing it to a boil.  Then it is all done together. (If you use canned veggies drain them first and remember that they are already soft you might want to add them closer to the end of boiling.)  Once the Pilaf and Veggies are cooked you can add different things to change it up.  Italian dressing and Parmesan cheese or a Feta.  I like Yoshida's Gourmet Sauce if I use stir fry veggies for an Oriental flavoring.  The sky is the limit.  Play with this and let me know what you came up with.

Chicken Nugget Parm

One day I looked at the clock and realized it was 5 pm and I had not thought of dinner yet.  I could change diapers on the babies, pack a diaper bag and load 3 kids into my car and go grab something quick or I can look around my kitchen.  Really looking around my kitchen would be faster and a lot less stressful so I looked.

Freezer looked like payday was about 4 days away and there are only 7 chicken nuggets left.  Fridge had a few remnants of things and only 3 string cheeses left.  What to do?   Time to look in the pantry and this is where our recipe begins:

7 chicken nuggets
3 string cheeses
1 pound of pasta
1 jar of favorite spaghetti sauce
sprinkle with parmesan at the end.

I got my water boiling for my pasta and pulled out another pan.  I lightly toasted the chicken nuggets.  While those are cooking I cut the string cheeses into small rounds.  Then cut each nugget into 4-6 pieces.   Drained my pasta, placed it back in my warm pan (which helps to evaporate left over water drips). Open jar of spaghetti sauce and dump over pasta, add in string cheese pieces and chicken nugget pieces.  Place on plates or in bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Quick, easy and a crowd pleaser.

Food

While talking to my Husband the other day I had to come up with dinner. In a few minutes I decided on meatless spaghetti.  He told me he would have figured there was nothing to cook at the last minute.

This got me thinking.  As a Navy wife I am often home alone with our three young children.  Because they are young they do not always enjoy food that I like.  And making a big meal often turns into making enough to feed us for longer then we want to eat it.  I had to learn how to use what I have creatively and resourcefully.  Three children also means I do not want to be at the store more then need be.

From this have come my quick go to recipes like:
Chicken Nugget Parm
Pilaf and Veggie Toss
Hot Dog Bar
Baked Potato Bar
Mexi Pizzas (great left over dish)

I am going to work on posting the recipes to these over this weekend.  I hope the next time you are low on energy and need to make dinner these will inspire you to look no further then your own kitchen.

books

I love books.  I have lots of them and I am always adding more to my reading list.  Some of my favorite authors are John Grisham, Maeve Binchy, Steve Berry and Nicholas Sparks.  I am currently reading The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks.  It seems to be a great read so far.  But once I finish this book there will only be 1 book left in my stack waiting for me to read them I suppose it will be time to look for more books again.