Ericka's Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice

2 Tbls vegetable oil

1 C uncooked long grain rice

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 ½ C water

2 Tsp salt

½ Tsp chili flakes or powder

1/8 Tsp garlic powder two cloves or 2 Tbls garlic paste

1 medium bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 box tomato puree or can of tomato sauce / paste (about 8 oz)

In a 10 inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Saute rice and onion stirring frequently until golden (about 5 minutes). Stir in other spices and heat. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed to prevent sticking. The liquid should evaporate and the rice should become tender. Add additional seasoning to taste.

Ericka's Baked Tortilla Chips

Baked Tortilla Chips

4 corn or flour tortillas

Melted butter / margarine, oil or non-stick spray such as Pam

Salt

Heat over to 375F or 180C. Lightly brush or spray tortillas with oil. Then cut into triangle wedges. Place in single layer on ungreased pans.

(will continue to crisp as they cool). Serve warm or cool and store in covered container up to 3 weeks at room temperature. These chips can be used with salsa or dips, for nachos or taco salads.

Ericka's Refried Beans

Refried Beans

1-1¼ c. dried beans (if you can find white rajma these work good, shaped like kidney beans but speckled like pinto beans)

1 c. finely chopped onions

2 t. salt

¼ t. cumin

2 garlic cloves minced or 1 T. garlic paste or 1/8 t. garlic powder

¼ t. chili powder

3 T. olive oil or vegetable oil

Wash beans and cover with water (about two inches above beans) and soak overnight. The following morning drain the beans. Put beans in a pot or pressure cooker. Cover with water 2-3 inches above beans. Bring to a boil and lower heat. In pressure cooker, add weight and cook 45 minutes up to 1 hour. In a pot, simmer uncovered for 11/2 – 2 hours. Add more water as needed to keep beans covered. Cook until very soft. When beans are mushy, mash with a spoon or potato masher. Remove from heat.

In large skillet, heat oil on medium heat (can also use bacon grease). Cook onions until soft (about 10 minutes). Add garlic and other spices (adjust to taste – may add more at the end of cooking after tasting it). Add beans and any liquid. Stir to combine. Cook until a past forms (5 to 10 minutes). If beans begin to dry, add water 1 Tbls at a time.

Taste to see if anything else is needed. Beans are ready to eat, but plain yogurt and cheese can also be added to taste. These are great as a side, in bean burritos, taco salads or other Mexican dishes. These can be stored in the fridge for about a week or frozen for a few months.

Ericka's Chicken Quesadillas

Chicken Quesadillas

(This should feed one person – maybe two if they are not hungry or eating other things as well. You can also substitute spinach instead of chicken, but I do not know exact measurements – try 1 to 1 1/2 C uncooked spinach and pretty much follow the recipe. You may need to drain liquid off spinach after cooking it.)

2 flour tortillas

1 medium to large chicken breast

1/3 C chopped onion

½ C grated cheddar cheese (can use Monterey Jack or Mozzarella)

¼ Tsp salt

1/8 Tsp Cumin

2 Tbls oil

Salsa

Sour cream

Cut chicken breast into small pieces. In a small skillet heat 1 Tbls oil. Add onions, salt, and cumin (can add chili flakes if desired). Once hot add in raw chicken pieces. Cook over low heat until chicken begins to brown. Lay each tortilla flat and put half the chicken mixture on each. Place chicken on one side of tortialls in order to fold the tortillas in half. Then put equal parts of grated cheese on each tortilla (about ¼ C). Fold the tortillas in half. Add ½ Tbls of oil to small cleaned skillet. Cook one tortilla over medium heat until one side is brown. Flip the quesadilla and brown the other side. Repeat with the second quesadilla. Cut each quesadilla into thirds (3 triangles each). Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Cream Tacos

Growing up, this was a Sunday night tradition in our family. My mom would throw everything in the crockpot in the afternoon, we'd go to church, and come home to Cream Tacos. I love this recipe, and last year was really missing it. So I figured out how to adapt it to South Asia.

Cream Tacos

1/2 kg. hamburger*

2 small onion, chopped

2 small green peppers, chopped

1 box processed Britannia Cheddar, cut into small cubes

2-3 T. American chili powder (Don't use Indian chili powder!!!)

1 T. cumin powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. black pepper

1/2 t. garlic powder, optional

200 grams tomatoes, chopped (about 3-4 tomatoes)

2 small boxes Amul cream (or you can substitute 1/2 cup milk for one box to cut down on fat)

1-2 bags Senor Pepitos, or homemade tortilla chips**

Chopped lettuce

Shredded cheddar cheese

Chopped tomatoes

Brown beef and chopped onion and green peppers together in bottom of a Dutch oven. Add cheese cubes and stir till melting. Add the rest of ingredients, stirring occasionally until blended. Serve over crushed Senor Pepitos/chips. Top with chopped lettuce/spinach, onions, grated cheese, tomatoes, as desired. Serves at least 6.

*If you don't have access to beef, you can substitute either minced chicken or 1/2 cup uncooked kidney beans/pinto beans (rajma) cooked in the pressure cooker before hand.

**For homemade tortilla chips:

1 cup maida (white flour)

1 cup makka atta (ground corn)

1 T. salt

Mix together and add water 1/4 c. at a time until the dough is stiff but soft. Divide into 8 pieces, roll into tortilla size. Cut each tortilla into 8 triangles. Then either bake in oven till crispy, or deep fry in hot oil till puffed.

Meal Planning

After the first few months of living in South Asia, I found that meal planning was totally necessary to my mental sanity. :) It's really a lot of work to cook American meals, and in order not to be running to the store everyday or even three times a week, planning helps me so much. So I thought I'd start sharing our weekly meal plans from time to time.

For awhile I set up a rotation of 28 dinners and had them on four weekly spreadsheets, complete with grocery lists for each week. Then I'd just have to print that week's grocery list and go shopping. But after a few months, we got bored of those same 28 dinners and I needed to branch out. So I don't use them much anymore, but I do still plan week by week.

Here's this week's menu:

Monday- L: Loki Masala and chapatis

D: Jambalaya and Cornbread

Tuesday- L: Daal Chawal

D: Beef Enchiladas, Corn and Bean Salad, Chips

Wednesday- L: Rajma and Rice

D: Chicken Pot Pie

Thursday- L: Aloo Shimla Mirch and Chapatis

D: Spaghetti and Italian Salad

Friday- L: Who knows!

D: Falafel and Pita bread, with Spinach, Couscous and Lentil Salad

I'd love to hear some of your weekly meal plans as well! I always need new ideas! :)

Make-Your-Own Enchilada Sauce

I made enchiladas last night for some friends who really liked them, so I figured I'd post the recipe here today! About a year into our term I got a craving for enchiladas and got online to see if you could make your own enchilada sauce. I found this recipe and we've had enchiladas regularly ever since! :) Where we live we can get beef for these, but they'd be just as good with shredded chicken, beans or just plain cheese.

Enchilada Sauce

2 T. oil

1 small white onion, finely minced

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 T. chili powder, to taste (Make sure it's American, not Indian!)

½ t. oregano

1 t. cumin

½ t. salt

3 boxes of tomato puree

Heat cooking oil in heavy saucepan. Add onion and garlic, sauté until soft. Add tomato sauce, chili powder, oregano, cumin and salt. Cover and simmer approximately 30 minutes.

Here's my Enchilada Recipe as well.

Beef Enchiladas

1 lb. lean ground beef

½ c. chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, crushed

½ t. salt

¼ t. pepper

1 recipe Enchilada sauce

10-12 small corn or flour tortillas (6-7 inch diameter) (I use flour)

¾ c. shredded Cheddar cheese (or more, you know, never enough cheese!)

1 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. In a large non-stick skillet, brown ground beef, onion and garlic over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Pour off grease.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in ½ cup enchilada sauce. Dip tortillas, one at a time, into sauce to coat both sides. Spoon beef mixture evenly down the center of each tortilla and roll up. Place beef enchiladas seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Cover dish and bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Uncover enchiladas. Spoon the rest of the enchilada sauce over beef enchiladas. Sprinkle with the cheese. Continue baking uncovered for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle liberally with cilantro. Serve with sour cream.

Alterations: If you are making cheese enchiladas, just shred more cheese, about 2 cups more, and fill them tortillas with cheese instead of the beef mixture. If substituting beans or black lentils, cook the onions and garlic, add the beans/lentils, add the enchilada sauce, and then spoon into the tortillas.