Not So Plain Brown Rice

Just a little twist on boring old rice. Cooking it in chicken broth adds lots of flavor. This makes about 4 servings.

2 T olive oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped mushrooms
2 c. chicken broth
2 c. instant brown rice
2 T fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in medium saucepan. Add onion and celery. Saute for about 3-4 minutes, then add mushrooms for another few minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add rice; cover. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Stir in parsley and salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Buttermilk Biscuits

4 1/2 c. flour
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2/3 c. shortening
2 c. buttermilk
melted butter for brushing tops

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Mix first four ingredients in bowl.
3. Cut in shortening with fork or pastry cutter until shortening is little pea sized and well blended into flour mixture.
4. Pour in buttermilk a little at a time until all has been incorporated.
5. Flour flat surface or counter and knead dough with hands for about a minute. You can keep adding flour if necessary to keep from sticking to your hands or counter. With rolling pin, roll dough until about 1 inch thick. If you roll it too thin, you will have flat biscuits. (This has happened to me many times!)
6. Cut dough with about a 2 inch round cutter or use the top of a cup if you don't have a cutter. Place on ungreased pan. (I use my baking stone.)
7. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake for about 12 minutes or until tops are lightly browned. I flip mine and make sure the bottom is done also for another few minutes.

Sausage Gravy

1 roll sausage
3 T butter
1/2 c. flour
1-2 c. milk OR 1 c. chicken broth and 1 c. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Brown sausage in large pan. Once sausage is cooked, remove from pan, leaving fat from sausage. Melt butter in pan with remaining fat on medium heat. Whisk in flour until well incorporated. Stir constantly for a few minutes to prevent burning. Whisk in milk (or broth) a little at a time. Keep adding milk (and/or broth and buttermilk) a little at a time until it is the consistency you like. Add less milk for thicker gravy or more milk for thinner gravy. Add sausage back into gravy with salt and pepper. Let cook on low for about 5 minutes or until you are ready to serve. Pour over biscuits.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Very yummy fluffy pancakes!

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. cake flour
2 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 T sugar
1/4 c. canola oil

1. Mix dry ingredients in bowl.

2. Separate eggs. Put egg yolks in bowl with other wet ingredients. Whip whites in bowl by themselves until light and fluffy. Beat with mixer for a minute or two until fluffy and somewhat stiff.

3. Stir in wet ingredients into dry ingredients until well blended.

4. Fold in egg whites carefully so that they don't lose their air.

5. Preheat griddle or nonstick pan on medium heat. Pour about 1/4 pancake batter on hot pan or griddle. When top is all bubbly (about 2-3 minute), flip over. Cook for another minute or two. Enjoy!

Coleslaw

This recipe is another one of the Houston's copycat recipes. Very yummy!

5 c. green cabbage, chopped in small pieces
1/4 c. green onions, finely chopped
3/4 c. parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt

Dressing:
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. mayo
1 T honey mustard
1 1/2 T white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Mix dressing ingredients together. Then pour over coleslaw ingredients in a big bowl until well blended. Chill for 30 minutes or serve at room temperature.

Chicken Florentine Lasagna

I got this recipe from a friend at church. This is a GREAT recipe for a twist on lasagna.

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded into pieces
1 6 oz. can sliced mushrooms
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. sour cream
2 cans cream of mushroom
salt and pepper to taste

1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles

1 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil noodles according to package directions. Mix first 7 ingredients in a bowl. In 9 x 13 pan, spray with nonstick spray first, then put the first later of noodles down on bottom of pan. Layer on chicken mixture, then repeat 2 more times. Top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for first 45 minutes covered with aluminum foil, then another 15 minutes uncovered. Enjoy!

Apple Pork Chops

4 boneless pork chops
salt, pepper, rubbed sage
olive oil
1 onion, sliced thinly
2 Granny Smith apples, cut into 1/2 in. chunks
3/4 c. apple cider

Preheat cast iron skillet with olive oil to medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork chops with salt, pepper, and rubbed sage. Brown pork chops on both sides in skillet for about 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Drizzle some more olive in pan. Add onion and apples. Brown for about 5 minutes, add salt and pepper, then pour in apple cider. Put pork chops back in pan, covering with apples and onions. Cover for about 5 minutes or until chops are fully cooked. Cook for a few more minutes until most of cider has evaporated. Serve and enjoy!