VAL'S LEGGY SPANISH RICE; Coalinga-CA

Val's Leggy Spanish Rice.

September 27th:  My husband has spent the bulk of his life living in, and working in, the American Southwest - where mexican food on is the stable of every region & easily attainable. He loves mexican food.

And having lived on the road most of his life, he is a fan of prepackaged food mixes that are lightweight and easy to prepare after a hard day's work; so, the other day he bought this packet of dry spanish rice mix … and I'm going to jazz it up with a bit more flavor: and pair it with chicken legs & potatoes, tonight; for something a little different 😁

The ingredients for this meal came from various places: the butter came from Ocean Park-WA, where we had set up Independence from April to August. The rice packet from Tillamook-OR, as we passed through there on our way here a month ago. The carrots from Hanford-CA, a couple weeks ago when we were there visiting relatives. The bulb onion came from a hispanic farmer's market set up in Huron-CA, every Friday afternoon. And the chicken, potatoes, & garlic came from Coalinga-CA, just the other day. The cilantro (snipped & frozen, at home), came from Bouse-AZ - bought before we left there for WA, about 6 months ago. And the spices are holdovers from my Past Life, which add flavor to my Present Life (the dried leafy herbs came from my home gardens & dried for storage), and the ground spices were bought in bulk: both are stored to last forever, which works well for a road gypsy lifestyle 😉

I prepare as much as possible ahead; setting everything aside until I am  ready to cook the meal: this is easier for me, and things just flow easier in the kitchen.

Ingredients.

Prep work done.

Val's Leggy Spanish Rice ~serves 3 

4 Chicken Legs * 1 pkt. Clover Valley Spanish Rice, dry mix * 1 TBSP Butter or margarine * 6 Bulb Green Onions (save chopped greens aside) * 1 cloves Garlic, pressed * 2 small Carrots, peeled and shredded * 6 Baby Gold potatoes, whole * 3 cups Water * 1 tsp. Chicken Bullion * 1 tsp Adobo Seasoning * Fresh Cilantro, chopped (optional) * 1 lrg. Skillet w-lid * Cooking Tongs * Lrg. Liquid Measuring Cup * 1 lrg. Cooking Spoon * 2 Dinner Plates

(1)  Place skillet on stovetop, over medium-high heat; add chicken legs & potatoes, to brown on all sides - undisturbed for about 6-7 minutes per side.

Chicken browning & potatoes cooking.

With cooking tongs, remove chicken to drain on paper towels.

(2) Blend dry sauce mix with spices - add water, and pour into the skillet; stir well.

Dry sauce mix & spice blend; combined.

Add whole onion bulbs to the skillet, cover with lid, & cook on medium heat for the next 20 minutes (or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork).

Add spice blend, carrots, garlic, and onions to potatoes in skillet.

Add rice blend & green onion leaves, Stir. Reduce hear & simmer covered 7 minutes - or until rice is tender.

Add rice mix & green onion leaves; stir to blend - add browned chicken.

Supper cooking, scented the house wonderfully.

Let stand at least 2 minutes; stir & serve.

Yum! 👏

VAL'S 4Patriot's SPANISH RICE w-CHICKEN Recipe; Ocean Park-WA

Betsy & Independence~2; Ocean Park-WA

My Farmhouse style kitchen space is small - but, it's adequate for putting together good meals.

I usually make my Spanish Rice with hamburger, tomatoes, & tomato sauce - but, I have all this 4Patriots dry mix pkt's. to use, and it's chicken based.

I have the 4Patriots dry mix pkt.

I have the left-over chicken breast in the freezer.

I have stored spices, galore.

I have fresh veggies, onion, & garlic.

I have frozen peas … and some frozen cilantro I have hoarded since we left Bouse-AZ: it's time tonight to break some of that out of the freezer baggie, and enjoy it 😉

This recipe tonight is different; and that's okay. When I started this New Chapter of my New Life 31 months ago, I decided it would be different than my previous life: that includes foods I sample, cook, and share with my new husband 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

Spanish Rice with Chicken kinda fit's 😉

Most of our meals are eaten from bowls - bowls fit our lifestyle on the road; and we eat to stay healthy. We don't eat according to presentation. Good, and tasty meals satisfy - no matter where, or how, they are served 👍

I open the dry mix pkt., remove the bullion clump and break it up … picking the rice out as the tedious task progresses, & placing the picked rice back into the pkt. with the rest of the rice. As I remove the rice, I place the bullion bits into a measuring cup filled with 1/2 c. of the water called for in the recipe: this softens the bullion clumps and loosens the dried pepper bits embedded in the sticky clumps. This does take time, but the sauce blends & cooks much smoother; and the water-softened pepper bits are more enjoyable.

Val's 4Patriots Spanish Rice With Chicken.

VAL'S 4Patriot's SPANISH RICE w-CHICKEN ~serves 3

1/2 4Patriot's pkt. Spanish Rice w-Chicken dry mix * 1/2 boneless, Chicken Breast, diced into 1-inch pieces (I left the skin on for added flavor) * 1/2 tsp. Butter & 1/2 tsp. Margarine * 1/4 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt * 1/4 tsp Black Pepper, grnd * 1 tsp. Paprika, powder * 1/2 tsp. Cumin, powder * 1/2 tsp. Coriander, powder * 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder * 1 small Bay Leaf * 1 medium Sweet Yellow Onion, sliced * 1 cloves Garlic, pressed * 2-1/2 c. Water * 1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped * 3/4 c. Peas (I used frozen) * 1/2 c. Tomato, fresh & diced * 1 Lrg. Skillet, with lid * 1 large Cooking Spoon * Cooking Spray (I used Butter flavor)

Half a chicken breast, sliced - then diced - I placed the Bay leaf into a tea ball; I try to prepare everything in advance so time in the kitchen is bare minimal 😉

1) Turn range heat up to medium. Spray skillet with cooking oil, ad add sliced onion & pressed garlic.

Sear together for a couple minutes, then lower hear to simmer and cook until onion is translucent:

Spray skillet with cooking oil - gently cook onion & garlic until soft and tender.

2) Stir the 1/2 c. water, bullion, and pepper bits - add to skillet.

Continue to simmer and cook until pepper bits are tender; every stove cooks differently, so gauge pepper softness accordingly:

Add softened bullion & dried peppers; simmer until peppers are tender.

3) When desired pepper softness is reached, add the rest of the water & all of the rice to the skillet.

Turn heat up to a medium-high heat; stir mixture frequently to keep rice from sticking.

When a boiling heat has been reached, reduce the heat back to medium:

Add remaining water & rice; stir. Bring to a boil - then, lower heat to medium.

4) Add spices (if you used a tea ball for the Bay leaf, add that too), and chicken pieces.

Bring blended mixture to a gentle boil:

Add spices & chicken pieces … carefully blend together so chicken bits remain firm, & bring to a gentle boil.

5) Reduce heat to medium-low, and cover with lid - cook 15 minutes:

Lower heat to medium-low, cover with lid; cook 15 minutes.

6) Remove lid, add tomatoes & peas to skillet; place lid back on skillet, and cook another 10 minutes - or until rice is softened:

Remove lid; add tomatoes & peas - gently blend into mixture. Place lid back on skillet, & cook another 10 minutes - or until rice is tender to the bite.

7) Turn heat off.

Remove lid from skillet; serve and enjoy  👍

Dish up, serve with biscuits, & enjoy! 

My husband liked this dish, so it's a repeat 😘

VAL'S 4Patriots MAC, CHEESE & SPAM HOT POT FOR 2 Recipe; Ocean Park-WA

Mac & Cheese is best made from scratch - but that is a lot of work, and there was no time for that today in my tiny kitchen; so, I relied on our ever present handy 4Patriots meals that my husband bought specifically for quick and easy RV meals on wheels 😉

Betsy & Independence~1; Ocean Park-WA

4Patriots Survival Food Packets.

The 4Patriots meal packets are very basic, but you can give them some oomph by adding spices, flavorings, meats, and veggies - and that's what I do. I have all that stuff on hand anyway because I like flavor. And I like color; combining the two is not a hardship for me.

The meat I added was Spam; we both like Spam, and we both needed the smooth soothe of a comfort food dish, tonight 🤗

This one-pot meal is a new taste for Holland - but it's not new to me … however, I've never made it with a 4Patriots meal packet, so tonight's combination is new to me too. Because the sauce is a dry mix base, it comes together quickly & easily - and the tasty ingredients make it delicious and satisfying: nothing will be left over 😁

The thing I do to keep the sauce smooth, is separate the noodles and dry sauce mixture; then I whisk it together with the water before I add it to the pot.

Val's 4Patriots Mac, Cheese, & Spam Hot Pot.

Val's 4Patriots Mac, Cheese, & Spam Hot Pot For 2 Recipe ~serves 3

1/2 pkt. 4Patriots America's Finest Mac & Cheese * 2 c Water * 1 10-ounce-can Cream of Mushroom Soup * 1/2 Onion, sliced * 3/4 c. Peas * 1 stalk Celery, chopped fine * 2 cloves garlic, pressed * 2 TBSP Butter (or 1 TBSP Butter & 1 TBSP Margarine) * 1/8 tsp. Mustard, powdered * 1/2 tsp. Celery Salt * 1/2 tsp. White Pepper, ground * pinch of Paprika * 1/2 TBSP Parsley, dried * 1 12-ounce-can Spam, cut into 1-inch cubes * 1 lrg. Cooking Pot * 1 Cutting Board & Knife * Measuring Cups & Spoons * 1 Small Whisk * 1 Cooking Spoon

1) Gather, and prepare your ingredients, so the process will flow smoothly …

HALF a 4Patriots Mac & Cheese Pkt.

Onion, celery, & garlic … peas.

Butter & spice blend; Spam.

2) Place butter in pot and add onion, celery, & garlic: sauté until onions are translucent.

Melt butter in pan … sauté onions, celery, & garlic until onion is translucent.

3) Add meat & soup - blend thoroughly.

Add spam cubes to sautéed veggies; stir in soup.

4) Whisk dry sauce mixture into water; pour over blended veggies, meat, & soup. Stir until mixture is smooth.

Whisk water & sauce together - pour over meat mixture. Add noodles; stir the mixture to thoroughly blend.

5) Add spice blend, & gently stir in peas.

Add spice blend … stir peas in.

6) Bring mixture to a boil; then lower heat to medium-high and cook until noodles are soft - about 20 minutes.

Turn heat off and let sit for about 5 minutes to allow sauce to thicken up.

Husband says this is a repeat quick meal 👌😘

CHICKEN-RICE CASSEROLE; Shavua Tov~Ocean Park-WA

Betsy & Independence; Ocean Park-WA

I haven't made this casserole for some time … but I've been missing it - and tonight those left-over chicken bits in the freezer from a recent chicken meal served us again, in tonight's Supper dish 👌

I liberally sprinkled paprika over the surface of this casserole before popping it into the oven, to add flavor as well as a vibrant color; I like color 😉

But Paprika, derived from dried peppers, also holds a treasure trove of health benefits in it's vibrancy: it's a good source of vitamins A and E, which support eye health and immune function. Paprika is rich in calcium, potassium, and phosphorus, all of which are important for building strong teeth, bones, and muscle. Paprika contains zinc, a mineral crucial for collagen synthesis, which can support wound healing and skin health.

Paprika also contains capsaicin, a compound with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, potentially aiding in pain management; and may help improve heart health by potentially lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Capsaicin, found in paprika, may also have a positive impact on blood pressure and blood vessel health.

The capsaicin in paprika may have anti-obesity and appetite-suppressing properties. Studies have shown that it improves fat metabolism, especially the oxidation of abdominal fat. Capsaicin may also reduce appetite and caloric intake when incorporated as part of a healthy diet.

Other compounds in paprika called xanthophylls also show the ability to reduce abdominal fat and BMI.

Incorporating paprika into your diet may help protect your skin from UV-induced skin damage.

Chicken-Rice Casserole; with leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.

CHICKEN-RICE CASSEROLE  – 6 servings (about 1 cup EA)

¼ cup Margarine, reduced-calorie * 1/3 cup Flour, all-purpose * 3/4 teaspoon Salt Substitute * 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper * 1-1/2 cups Skim Milk * 1 cup Chicken broth * 2 cups COOKED chicken, cut into bite-size pieces * 1-1/3 cups COOKED white rice (to make 1-1/3 cups of cooked rice, you'll need approximately 1/2 cup of uncooked rice & 1 cup of water) * 1/3 cup Green Bell pepper, chopped * a drop of Almond Extract * 2 TBSP Pimento, chopped * 1/2 c. Mushroom pieces, chopped * 2 tsp. Paprika

Ingredients

1) Heat oven to 350-degrees.

2) Heat margarine in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour, salt & pepper and cook. Stirring constantly, until bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk & broth and heat to boiling – stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Move cooked rice off burner & to the side; melt margarine …

Whisk in the milk & broth - cook as directed.

3) Pour mixture into UNGREASED 2-quart casserole or square baking dish, 8 x 8 x 2 inches; sprinkle with paprika.

Casserole, oven ready.

RV Ovens are small things, & timing is everything: the casserole will be slipped into the oven as the biscuits are pulled & set on a cork hot mat; cover the biscuits with a kitchen towel to keep warm.

Bake UNCOVERED for 40 to 45 minutes … or until bubbly. Garnish with parsley if desired.

This casserole is not spicy - it's kinda bland; but my husband , who douses everything pretty liberally with black pepper, says this chicken casserole is "a repeat" 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

Holland's pepper-doused portion …