Pineapple Fried Rice

Recipe and picture from Pioneer Women.  I served this with BBQ pulled pork and even the little baby ate it!  Must repeat this meal.

Pineapple Fried Rice

1/2 whole Pineapple, Cut Into Spears And Skewered

2 cups Brown Rice, Cooked

6 whole Pork Chops

1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil

1 whole Large Onion, Sliced

6 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (more To Taste, Or If More Liquid Is Needed)

1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Honey

1 Tablespoon Sriracha, Or Other Hot Sauce

Salt To Taste

3 cloves Minced Garlic

2 whole Eggs

1 cup any vegitable (I used spinach, broccoli and carrot)

Black Beans and Quinoa

Found a good one on allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.
2. Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
3. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Sugar Cookies

These are the best sugar cookies!  The almond extract is what sets these apart from all others.  I haven't exactly found an easy and tasty frosting recipe, so I buy that!

Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
3 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 c sugar (I use sugar that I've stored vanilla beans in)
 2 sticks (salted) butter, cold & cut into chunks
 1 egg
 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.

The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling.

Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets and freeze for 5 minutes prior to cooking and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

 

Green Bean and Feta Salad

This is SOOOOO good!

Green Bean and Feta Salad

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
• 1 sweet onion, peeled
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 dash hot sauce
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

1. Thinly slice the onion and place into a colander over the sink. Add the cleaned green beans to a large pot of boiling water and boil until crisp tender (about 4 minutes). When the beans are done, drain the water into the colander to slightly cook the onions. Immediately rinse all in cold water to stop the cooking process.
2. For the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk together the garlic, rice wine vinegar, cider vinegar, oil, sugar, salt, pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Add beans, onions and cheese and stir until combined. Place in a nonreactive container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Enjoy!    

Ambrosia Fruit Salad

A Ruelas Holiday favorite.

Ambrosia Fruit Salad
1 lg can fruit cocktail, juice half drained
1 lg can chopped pineapple, juice half drained
12 marashino cherries
1/2 cup coconut
2/3 container whipped topping
4 oz sour cream
1 package mini marshmellows

Blend and sit 4 hours to allow marshmellows to absorb liquid.

Homemade Nutrigrain Bars

Instead of 43 ingredients like the brand name bar, make these 9 ingredient healthy ones:

Homemade Nutrigrain Bars
Filling:
Low sugar organic jelly

Dough:
2 cups flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
2 tbsp quick oats
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup milk

Homemade Granola Bars

Homemade Granola Bar Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup wheat germ

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup raisins or chocolate chips (optional)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup honey

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, raisins and salt. Make a well in the center, and pour in the honey, egg, oil and vanilla. Mix well using your hands. Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

Garlic Knots

Garlic knots recipe re-created to be like the goodness from C & O's trattoria in Venice Beach.  Yum.

Pizza dough tied into knots.  Dump them into this butter/olive oil concoction after baking.  

Garlic Coating
1/8 c (30ml) Olive Oil
2 T (30g) unsalted Butter
4 cloves Garlic, finely crushed
1/4 c (60ml) finely chopped fresh Italian Parsley
Sea Salt to taste