Coconut & Vanilla Rice Pudding

For the past week or so, I have had a craving for rice pudding. Since a little girl, I've always loved rice pudding. I don't know what it is, but it is so different from most desserts I usually have my eye on. Additionally, it can be easy to customize with your own favorite flavors. After this batch, I am curious to try swapping out the coconut milk for almond milk and seeing how that goes. Don't worry, I will make sure to keep you posted.

To get started you will need the following for about 6 servings.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cold cooked white rice
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 cups milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean
1/4 tsp salt

Scrape out the insides of the vanilla bean into a large sauce pot and toss in the remaining ingredients. Cook on medium-low heat at a simmer. Cook for 40-45 minutes until liquid is soaked up and mixture is creamy.

Remove into a serving dish and let rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before cooling in the refrigerator. Serve cold. I like to sprinkle a little cinnamon on top too! Enjoy!

Southwest Chicken & Rice Skillet

With Fall around the corner, and school back in session, we are all looking for hearty meals that can come together quickly and painlessly. This dish only requires one pan and very minimal prep work which makes it great for a weeknight dinner. Just throw everything into a big pan and let it work on its own. As a bonus, the leftovers make a great choice for lunch the next day.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb chicken breast
1/2 medium yellow onion
2 tsp taco seasoning (See here for my taco seasoning blend)
1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 cup long grain brown rice

Mix together all of your spices in a bowl before adding to the chicken. This will help to make sure the flavors are evenly distributed.

In the largest skillet you own, add your oil, sliced onions and cubes of chicken. Cook on medium-high heat so the outsides turn brown. Sprinkle on the seasonings and stir to combine.

Continue to sear the chicken for another minute or so until there are no longer signs of pink from the outside.

Now it is time to toss in the corn, black beans, salsa and chicken broth. Give everything a good stir and then bring it all to a boil. Once boiling, add the rice and put on the cover. Lower the heat and simmer for 35-40 minutes. (I used brown rice so the cooking time is a bit longer, if you chose to use white rice be sure to check the time on the package).

When time is up, your rice should be plump and most of the liquids should be all soaked up.

Remove the contents into a serving bowl and sprinkle with grated cheese if you prefer.

Serve with tortillas or on its own for a filling meal. Enjoy!

Taco Skillet Rice + Cinco de Mayo Dessert

I hope everyone enjoyed their Cinco de Mayo! This year, I whipped up some enchiladas (Click here!), this delicious and simple taco inspired rice and some homemade cinnamon sugar tortilla chips for dessert. What are some of your Mexican favorites that you may have enjoyed this year?

Recipe yields 6 servings

Ingredients
3 cups brown rice, cooked
1 medium green bell pepper
1 can pitted black olives
1 can corn
1 cup diced tomatoes in juice
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt

Finely dice the pepper and cut the olives.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix together.

Add the mixture to a hot cast iron skillet in an even layer.

Cook for 35 minutes, being sure to mix every 5 minutes and scrape up any bits on the bottom of the skillet. Serve hot alongside enchiladas or any of your favorite Mexican dishes.

As I mentioned, for dessert, whip up a batch of cinnamon sugar tortilla chips.

Fill a large skillet with canola oil about 1 1/2 inches deep. Slice corn tortillas into small triangles. Add pieces to skillet once the oil is hot and tortillas sizzle. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side and remove to a towel lined tray. Sprinkle with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon (1 cup sugar to 2 tablespoons cinnamon). Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Sausage & Shrimp Jambalaya

This is a simple, one-pot Jambalaya that is packed with your favorite Cajun flavors. It is balances by hearty sausage and light shrimp to fill you up. This is a great dish for a busy weeknight because the flavors come together in under 1 hour, there is only one pot to clean and everyone will surely leave the table with smiles on their face.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1 cup long-grain brown rice
2 cups water
8 oz can of tomato sauce
14 oz can of diced tomatoes
3 beef bouillon cubes (or 1 tbsp of beef bouillon granules)
1 medium yellow onion
1 tbsp parsley
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (bump it to 1/2 tsp if you like a nice kick)
1 bay leaf
1/2 lb smoked sausage (preferably kielbasa or andouille)
3/4 lb cleaned shrimp with no tails (these little guys snuck out of the picture)

Start by preparing your ingredients. Dice the onion and slice the smoked sausage into 1/2" slices.

In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, add all of your ingredients (leaving out the shrimp). So into the pot goes the rice, water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chopped onion, sliced sausage, beef bouillon cubes, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, ground thyme, cayenne pepper, parsley and the bay leaf.

Give all the ingredients a good stir and place on the stove top.

Bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 35 minutes.

Once the time is up, your mixture should have thickened up and the rice should be plump and tender. At this point, toss in your shrimp and bring the heat up to medium/medium high.

Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.

Transfer to serving bowls and serve alongside a warm loaf of sourdough bread for dipping. Enjoy!

Chicken Fried Rice

I am bringing to you another easy Chinese take-out recipe that can easily be made in 15 minutes. If you take a few shortcuts (such as boil-in-bag rice, rotisserie chicken and frozen veggies) this delicious dish comes together in no time.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
2 bags of brown rice
1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
2 tbsp green onions
2-3 tbsp sesame oil
1 lb chicken breast (or a Rotisserie chicken, shredded - you can also swap in pork or shrimp for variety)
1 large egg
3-4 tbsp soy sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet or wok. Add the frozen vegetables and sliced green onions. Saute on medium heat until soft and tender.

If you are cooking your own chicken (or pork or shrimp) saute it in a pan with 1 tablespoon of oil.

Following the instructions on the box, prepare the rice in a pot of boiling water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon of oil. Create a space in the center of the skillet and pour in the egg. Scramble it and mix it together with the vegetables.

Add the cookie rice and shredded chicken (or any other protein you may want to use) into the pan. Add in the soy sauce and mix it all together to incorporate all ingredients with each other.

I served mine alongside my Take-out Fake-out: Chicken and Broccoli. If you add chicken, pork or shrimp, it can also be a meal in itself. Enjoy!

Spicy Cajun Shrimp Bowl

Happy Good Friday, Everyone! For our last meatless Friday of this Lenten season, how about some shrimp and rice? I am going to let you in on a little secret - you can prepare this in 10 minutes and it is going to taste like you were working on it all day! Can you ask for anything better? This dish packs a punch with its Cajun flavors and sauteed peppers and onions. If you like my Simple Shrimp & Rice Bowl, you are sure to enjoy this spicy, Cajun version.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
2 cups white rice
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 bag fire roasted bell peppers and onions (these are from Trader Joe's and help keep this dish within 10 minutes!)12 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp thyme
2-3 tsp cayenne pepper (add more if you like it spicy!)
2 lbs large shrimp, cleaned

Add your rice to boiling water and cook for 10 minutes. While rice is cooking, heat up your butter and oil in a large skillet and slice your garlic. Saute the garlic for a minute.

Add in your peppers and onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.

Toss in the diced tomatoes and half of your spices. Give it a good stir and bring it to a boil.

Once the vegetables are boiling, add your shrimp right on top. Sprinkle the tops with the other half of your seasoning before mixing everything together.

Keep the heat to a simmer and cook shrimp until pink (about 3-4 minutes).

We are about 9 minutes in now. Once your rice is done, empty it into a serving dish and pour your shrimp right on top.

Stir it all together and serve. Hope you enjoy this quick and delicious meal!

Simple Shrimp & Rice Bowl

Looking for the perfect weeknight meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes? Well it couldn't get much easier than this. This shrimp and rice bowl makes the perfect dish for any busy night, especially now during Lent, this is a filling dish perfect for any Friday night.

Recipe yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs large cleaned shrimp, tails off
1 cup long grain white rice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cups marinara sauce (I cheated and bought canned sauce - a sweet sauce like Vincent's goes really well with this dish)

In a medium sauce pan, bring rice, oil and 2 cups of water to a boil.

Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes or until most of the water is gone. Fluff up with a fork.

Remove from pot and move to a serving bowl. Set aside and reserve.

While the rice is cooking, bring a second pot of water to a boil. Add shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes. Shrimp will go from grayish in color to white and pink when they are ready.

Drain shrimp and add to the bowl with the rice.

Top the rice with the shrimp and then coat with marinara sauce. Stir well to evenly distribute sauce.

Serve and enjoy!