Monday, July 13, 2009

Grandma Merri's Spanish Rice Dinner

Cooking was not one of my Mom's favorite things, but there were several things she made and enjoyed making. Spanish rice was certainly one of them, and I always loved it when she made it.
I have made it so many times myself that the little card it is typed on sits unused in my recipe file card box. Now I just make it as I do so many other things, adding this or that, changing something here or there.

This is a main-dish, not a side dish like Mexican rice. Its one of the very few things I find any use for "minute rice" for.

I'm reprinting the recipe exactly as it is on her recipe card. It is delicious.

SPANISH RICE
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. crisco oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. green pepper
1 1/2 c. instant rice
Brown above until golden in color
Add:
1 c. HOT water
2 -8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. pepper
Bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 5 minutes.
She has a note that says: (I usually add a dash or so of catsup and stir it together before removing from the heat)

My own notes now:
Unless you buy really lean meat, you certainly don't need the vegetable oil. That stuff will kill you!
I haven't used sugar in it in years.
I often use diced tomatos in place of the tomato sauce.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

For the 4th of July... Mom's potato salad

In the spirit of this article by Garrison Keillor, lets make some potato salad for the 4th of July!
I know it would never occur to you to buy potato salad.... would it? Uh... I must confess to having bought macaroni salad before. From Walmart. I'm sorry. There's really no excuse for that, is there? Especially when homemade is so easy and so, so much better tasting and better for you. Yeah, better for you. Read the ingredient label on store bought macaroni or potato salad. I guarantee you will find stuff on the list that you would not put in your homemade salad. If its not something your great grandmother would have recognized as food, it probably aint good for you!
So! Potato salad! Lets make some!

Boil about 3 pounds of potatoes. Drain. Now you come to a fork in the road... do you like chunky potato salad, or do you like it smooth? Up to you here, whether you chunk 'em up or mash.
I like to add a couple stalks of celery, some onion, sometimes a couple hard boiled eggs, just whatever you like in there, add it!
Now in a bowl, mix some REAL Mayonnaise, around a cup, with a tablespoon or so of spicy brown mustard. Mix well, and add to your potato mixture. Mix well and add more if needed. Add salt and pepper, taste, add more if needed. Chill well, its better after it sits in the fridge a while. Good stuff, and if you have used REAL mayonnaise, Great Grandma would approve of it!