Monthly Archives: February 2016

Food for Thought

Sweet & Creamy Rice Pudding

BLOG rice pudding 2 19 16
There isn’t much I look forward to more than a creamy dessert waiting to be enjoyed and today that meant rice pudding with golden raisins. Make it early in the day and allow it to cool, on the countertop or in the fridge, and you’ll be rewarded in the evening with smiles all around.

This recipe, originally from Paula Deen, can be found in my “Missouri to Maui” cookbook. I altered the recipe only by using golden raisins instead of the dark as the golden variety always plumps better, retaining their burst of flavor. I also used short-grain rice; although the original recipe doesn’t mention what type of rice to use, I prefer short-grain sticky rice any time I’m cooking. Do use a double boiler to prepare this as the condensed milk cannot stand much heat. Don’t forget to keep an eye on it and stir frequently. Adding the vanilla after the pudding finishes cooking supplies both flavor and a hint of color to the dish.

If you’re a rice fan and a pudding person, combine those likes into a fabulous treat for yourself and those around your table. A healthy dollop of whipped cream or cool whip only adds to the fun. Enjoy!

Rice Pudding

Ingredients

½ cup uncooked rice
3 cups boiling water
½ t. salt
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
4 T (1/2 stick) butter
½ cup golden raisins
1 T. vanilla

Directions Measure rice, boiling water, and salt into top of double boiler. Cook over rapidly boiling water until rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in condensed milk, butter, and raisins. Cook, stirring frequently, over boiling water until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla Serve warm or chilled. Serves 8.

Share
Recipes - Entrees

Kielbasa & White Bean Cassoulet

BLOG cassoulet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A cold winter’s day is the perfect time for hauling out your slow cooker and readying ingredients for this thick creamy cassoulet. The recipe, from Simple Living’s January 2016 issue, is one that turned out a total winner last week. If you have a slow cooker, put it to use; set-it-and-forget-It, then thoroughly enjoy!

The prep for this recipe is 20 minutes, tops. Chop the onion and mince the clove garlic, slice the kielbasa and you are ready to go. With a cooking time of 5-7 hours, there is plenty of time for preparing the baguette croutons needed when you are ready to serve. This recipe is so easy that I decided to give it a try one minute and had the cassoulet in the crock pot, heating up, then simmering, 20 minutes later. Nothing could have been easier.  I did use both dried thyme and parsley flakes and not the fresh called for in the recipe and both were perfectly fine substitutions.

The smoky kielbasa is a perfect complement for the creamy white beans and the diced tomatoes add their own tart flavor to the mix. I found the buttered and toasted baguette pieces a worthy, and tasty, contrast to the dish. Whether you want to add another vegetable on the side, or just treat this dish as a complete meal in itself, you will be feeling very accomplished and very satisfied if you give this one a try.

Slow-Cooker Kielbasa & White Bean Cassoulet

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups dried white beans
1 lb. kielbasa, cut into 1” pieces
3 cups chicken broth
1-14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 t. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
8-1/2” slices of baguette, buttered & toasted, cubed
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions Combine beans, kielbasa, broth, tomatoes, onion, garlic, thyme, and ½ t. salt in a 4-to-6 qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook until the beans are creamy, on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 5 hours. Season with salt and pepper. Serve individual bowls of the cassoulet topped with baguette cubes and parsley.

Share