Tag: spicy
Thai Cucumber Salad
I just got back from Vegas, and it was hot as f%^#*@((%. I totally forgot what Vegas summer is like, and I think I almost died. There is no escape. It’s like being under a blowdryer. It’s that feeling of when you open the oven and it burns your face. It’s like your body is turning to dust and also you’re pouring a waterfall of sweat at the same time. But!!! I had so much fun. I got to go shopping with my grandma and spent probably three days worth of work on sandals. My grandpa took me to breakfast at the golf club on multiple occasions. I went to the second tiki bar of my life (the first being in Bergen, Norway, fun fact), and I drank all kinds of rum drinks and laughed with my friends. Then, I woke up with my first Vegas hangover. I breathed in a whole lot more cigarette smoke than I have ever wanted to. I also got lost in my own hometown, and I was offended. When did Vegas change the roads?? And, I found a lovely specialty coffeeshop near my childhood home, which didn’t even open until after I moved away! Continue reading “Thai Cucumber Salad”
Healthy Dirty Rice
I know, it’s been like, a month.
But on the bright side, I got great grades from all of the finals I was studying for. When I say that, I mean that somehow I got a full 100 on my calculus exam. If you’re sitting here stunned, just know that I have been feeling that way since I found out two weeks ago.
I seriously don’t know how that happened.
Another plus is that I’m doing great in my three week mini class.
Three weeks, three credits. No biggie.
(Kind of a biggie).
On the bright side, I have definitely not forgotten all about the blog. I actually have a bunch of great stuff coming up for you guys. And in approximately a week and a half, I will be completely off of school and lots of great stuff will be coming your way!
But first, let’s start off with dirty rice. I can recall a few times when I was little where my mom made the boxed Zattaran’s stuff on super busy nights, but we realized pretty soon after that we were not huge fans of the boxed dinners.
Luckily, dirty rice is super easy to make at home and tastes 10x better than Zattaran’s. This is easily a 30 minute meal (excluding the rice prep but still…). And, if you didn’t already expect this, the recipe is healthy. Shocker right?
*Disclaimer: This is NOT traditional dirty rice. Traditional stuff uses chicken gizzards and livers and other leftover chicken parts. Now, I know that they’re just some chicken parts, but they are just chicken parts I can not wrap my head around eating. So therefore, I went the Zattaran’s route and used ground beef. Also, this recipe was created completely according to taste/whatever I had in my kitchen so the spices may or may not be traditional. End of disclaimer.*
Ingredients:
2 c. cooked long grain brown rice
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. ceyenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dried mustard
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 beef bouillon cube, dissolved in 1/4 c. hot water
Cook rice according to package directions. Set aside when finished.
Chop up veggies! Yes, those are dried onions. Yes, I forgot to buy a real onion.
Saute the veggies until soft.
Brown the beef. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. (Blurry picture alert. Whoops!)
Oh yeah, and dissolve that little guy.
Add rice and spices to the mixture.
Mix it all together and add beef bouillon mixture. Let simmer until the liquid is absorbed!
Serve to a group of very happy peeps.
Also, please note that you should adjust spices as needed for your tastes. I decided to not use much salt since I used a beef bouillon cube. Just taste and adjust accordingly.
Serve this with a nice little side salad and you have a delicious dinner that will make the whole family happy!
*Vegetarian/Vegan: Replace ground beef with zucchini, tofu, eggplant, and other veggies. Replace beef broth with veggie broth.
*Gluten Free: This recipe is gluten free
*Paleo: Replace rice with cauliflower “rice”.
XOXO Sara