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Butternut Squash Dip

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Friday night I had my best friend and her family over for dinner. My BFF has two boys who are the same ages as my two boys, and as luck would have it, they’re all best buds. So, every other Friday night the grown ups huddle in the kitchen (more than likely serving as my guinea pigs) while the kids eat pizza and tear up the house.


Since I knew the weather was going to be really crappy, I threw my Turkey-Butternut squash Chili in the crock pot and let it roll. As usual, I had a big chunk of Butternut squash left over and I thought, hmmmm, I bet I could make a dip out of you. And sure enough, thanks to my favorite cooking tool, the internet, I landed on the one below originally from Cooking Light Magazine. The original recipe called for crème fresh or sour cream. Since I didn’t have either and there was no way I was going to the store in the aforementioned crappy weather, I substituted about 3/4 of a 5.2 oz container of Boursin Garlic and Herb Cheese. I’ve obviously never tried the original recipe, but I bet the cheese made the dip even better. You be the judge. Below is the original recipe. Try them both and send Jersey Bites the results.


Ingredients

1 (2-pound) butternut squash
1 small Walla Walla or other sweet onion, trimmed and quartered (I just used a regular yellow onion and it was great)
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons crème fraîche or whole sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
a Tablespoon of snipped chives (this was my addition. I thought it needed a little contrast in color.)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane. Brush cut sides of squash halves, cut sides of onion quarters, and garlic cloves with oil. Arrange squash halves, cut sides down, on a jelly-roll pan; arrange onion quarters and garlic cloves on pan. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly. Peel squash. Squeeze garlic cloves to extract pulp.

Place squash, onion, and garlic pulp in a food processor; process until smooth. Add crème fraîche and remaining ingredients; process to combine. Serve warm.

Serve with Pita Chips, toasted French bread slices, or really good potato chips.

New Jersey State Chili and Salsa Cook Off in Toms River

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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It was a gorgeous day for a Chili Cook Off in downtown Toms River yesterday. I’d been waiting practically all year for this event. What can I say, I’m a freak about food, especially Chili. I did have a fleeting fantasy a few months ago about entering this year, but quickly realized I would never be able to get it together in time. And, since I had never attended a chili cook off, I rationalized that is was best to go as a spectator first to see what Jersey Bites would be up against should we dare to enter next year.

As you can see, there are some serious competitors (granted goofy-hat-wearing competitors) but serious none-the-less. These cooks and the rules regulating this competition are not to be messed with.

The People’s Choice category requires the Chili to contain beans or pasta. The chili that is entered into the International Chili Society competition must not contain beans or pasta. The Toms River event is the only Chili Competition in New Jersey that is sanctioned by the International Chili Society. (Who knew there was an International Chili Society?)


Traditional Red Chili is defined by the International Chili Society as any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with red chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients, with the exception of BEANS and PASTA which are strictly forbidden. Chili Verde is defined by the International Chili Society as any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with green chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients, with the exception of BEANS and PASTA which are strictly forbidden. No chili that is being entered in the ICS competition can be precooked in any way prior to the official cookoff.


The People’s Choice award is obviously based on the votes cast by the 6000 attendees. Tasting kits were $9. You get a small Styrofoam cup and spoon, and two tickets to cast your votes for your favorite Chili and Salsa. Every booth has a can where you can deposit your vote. Entries in the Peoples Choice award are required to bring a minimum 2 gallons of chili , however, they are encouraged to bring 15 gallons because that is what former contestants have reported going through by the end of the event. If you are serious about winning the people’s choice award it would make sense to bring enough to keep feeding the crowd as long as you can.


First place for the People’s Choice Chili entry wins $1000, the winner of the Salsa category wins $500. First place winners in the ICS Red Chili competition receive $1500. Green Chili winner receives $300.

The top winner of the ICS Red Chili category was Linda Eckley. Green Chili was Dirty Kurty.


For the People’s Choice Award first place went to the WRAT Radio station. Second went to Firm 4 and third went to Gunny Mikes Devil Dog. Of these three we only tasted Gunny Mikes and it was very good. I’m so sorry I didn’t

realize that WRAT was actually competing with their own chili. I thought they were just promoting the radio station, my loss. Firm 4’s line was way too long for us. We only had one hour to cover the whole event. There were 38 contestants in all. A few were from out of state, but most were locals. In addition to the contestants there were vendors selling food, jewelry, even Senator Adler’s people were there pushing the Legislator’s own special Salsa. (I’ll leave that one alone.)

So, end result? Great day. Will Jersey Bites compete next year? Let’s just say, my friends and family are going to be eating a lot of chili over the next year.

Some of the competitors and vendors we chatted with are listed below: Toms River Fire Company #2; Gunny Mike’s; Chili Headz ;Gloucester Chamber of Commerce; Pop’s Hots; Mary Miranda Elmo; Matt’s Red Hot Chili Peppers; and the Habanero Brothers.


Personal Disclaimer: I don’t know what is going on with Blogger today, but the Fonts will not cooperate no matter what I try. Just wanted you to know its not because I’m sloppy.


Asparagus with Wasabi-Mayonnaise Dip

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Here’s a quick and semi-nutritious appetizer. I had this recipe sitting in my “on deck” file for about 2 years now. The on deck file is the pile of recipes I’ve clipped or printed out with the intentions of trying. I am determined to start chipping away at the pile, so here is my first chip.

I really didn’t know what to expect but it was a huge success. Actually, the asparagus ran out so everyone started dipping the pita chips which were intended for the hummus.

One tip, Wasabi pastes vary. I made the first batch using Wasabi powder and creating a paste. It was fairly mild so I used 4 teaspoons in the recipe. Today I decided I would alter this recipe a tad and try make Wasabi Coleslaw. I bought the Wasabi paste from the Chinese food counter at Shopright and it was a lot thicker and a lot stronger than what I used the first time, so I only used 2 teaspoons. I found some black sesame seeds on sale so decided they would be a nice finishing touch. I think I will add water chestnuts before serving. Next time I also will go a little more sparingly on the sauce. A little too drowned for my taste but you get the picture.

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs. thin to medium asparagus
1 cup mayonnaise
4 tsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. lime juice
2 – 4 tsp. wasabi paste

Blanche the asparagus in 2 batches in a large saucepan of boiling salted water 1 – 2 minutes.
Drain and submerge in ice bath. Drain and pat dry.

Whisk together mayo, soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, and wasabi paste until sugar is dissolved.

Coleslaw:
Add 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar to sauce
1 bag prepared coleslaw
1 can Water chestnuts, drained
Black Sesame Seeds

Ode to Charcoal

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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I can remember the exact day I fell in love with grilling. OK, wait, I must clarify. I don’t actually cook the meat on the grill. That’s Peter’s job. 

So when I say that I fell in love with grilling, I’m referring to the luscious smoky taste of meat cooked over hardwood charcoal, not the square, lighter-fluid-infused stuff.

It happened in 2006. I had just bought my house, and after spending all of March and April stripping wallpaper and painting, buying the basics to furnish a house and stock a kitchen, we finally had a warm, sunny day, and I wanted to grill.
 
The only problem was that I did not have said grill, and it was 4 pm when I got this urge. So, I figured I’d hop on over to Shop-Rite and pick up a little disposable charcoal grill and a bag of aforementioned square things.
 
Well, as luck would have it, Shop-Rite had no such supplies and now with steaks in hand, I was desperate. Where was I going to find a grill? As more luck would have it, here in Mayberry (our nickname for my sweet little town) we have a good old-fashioned hardware store. (You know the kind of place that has everything from coffee makers to paint stripper to lawn ornaments.) Bill, the owner, is a character and without a shy bone in his body.
 
I called Bill from the Shop-Rite parking lot.

“Hello?”
“Can I help you?”
“Yes, how late are you open?” (Oh, I forgot to mention, it was Sunday on Memorial Day weekend. Hey, the queen needs her grill, dammit.)
“That depends, what do you need?” good old Bill.
“I’m looking for a grill.”
“I’m not scared yet.” exact words.
“Great, I can be there in 10 minutes.”
“We’ll wait.”

Don’t you just love small towns?

So, off I raced to the hardware store. When I got there Bill was waiting to escort me to the grill section. He asked me with an intense stare, “How serious of a griller are you?”

Geez, I’d never thought about it before. Grilling was flicking on the gas grill and throwing marinated meat on until it was done, no? But, being that I love to cook and it appeared this man knew something that I didn’t know about superior outdoor cooking, I was going to find out all that he knew.

Bill proceeded to show me the different types of charcoal (huh, different types of charcoal?) and the basic Weber grill. Seeing that I was planning to spend about $20 on a throwaway grill, the $150 version sent me reeling. Looking back, had I known that I was going to fall in love, I would have spared no expense. But, being a cheap queen, I bought the baby Weber for $75.

I also invested in a charcoal chimney, which is that rusted thing sitting inside the grill, pictured above. (Note to you: do not leave chimney out in rain.) The chimney helps get the coals going quicker and with no lighter fluid needed.

Once they are all glowing red, dump them (carefully!) into the bottom of your grill. This last time we also threw in a hand full of hickory chips. Just soak in water for half an hour and chuck them in with the hot coals.

There is nothing tastier than ribs, pork chops, steaks, burgers, you name it, cooked over hardwood charcoal. If you don’t believe me, go ask Bill or try it for yourself. There will be no turning back. (Damn, I should have bought the bigger grill.)

Tapas Time

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Tapas Time

So, I guess it was last Wednesday when I decided I wanted to have some company and put together a little Tapas menu. Now, for those of you who have yet to hear of Tapas, basically, they are a wide variety of Spanish appetizers. Truth be told, its just a trendy way to say “Cocktail Party” these days. I’ve been to one Tapas bar in my life. It was (is) never sure how long places last in Philidelphia. Peter and I absolutely cannot remember the name of the place. But, we ordered a Tapas for two, basically a smörgåsbord (did you ever have to spell that word?) We had no idea what each dish was as they came out so the bartender would kindly explain each one. The number of dishes never seemed to end.

So, since that was my only experience at a Tapas bar, it was all I had to go by. I really enjoyed the one dish at a time concept, so I tried doing this to some degree. My own made up tapas recipes were very loosely tied to the Mediterranean. We started with Prosciutto de Parma stuffed with goat cheese and another variety stuffed with roasted red peppers and fresh basil. After that I served smoked salmon wrapped around Boursin cheese and fresh basil. (This was one of the favorites of the night.) The salmon “Tapas” were served with a bed of arugula and orange balsamic vinaigrette which I just discovered at Shopright and highly recommend. As you can see, pretty simple ingredients and no cooking thus far. It is a little tedious rolling the prosciutto since its so delicate and breaks apart very easily. Garlic shrimp (which I unfortunately over cooked a little) is a classic Portugese menu item, so I thought it appropriate for our “Spanish-ish” line up.

The star of the evening was the Moroccan Glazed Lamb Chops. I’ve been making these babies for years now and I have no idea where the recipe came from, but it is still one of the best ways I have ever eaten lamb. So, I’m going to share my recipe below. I like to serve the lamb with Pepper Jelly that has a little heat to it, but if you prefer some other kind of jelly or chutney, have at it.

Moroccan Lamb Chops ingredientsMoroccan Glazed Lamb Chops

24 rib lamb chops (about 5 pounds) frenched
4 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. honey
2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons coarse salt
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
Pepper Jelly or spicy chutney

Up to 24 hours before serving, place the lamb chops in a large nonreactive baking dish. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients except for jelly. Pour marinade over chops to cover all over. Refrigerate until one hour before serving.

Preheat broiler. Place the lamb chops in one layer on baking sheets. For medium rare, broil 4 inches from the heat for four minutes. Turn chops and broil for two more minutes. These are best served warm but are still good at room temperature.

Serve with Jelly or chutney on the side. (I love pepper jelly with lamb.)

Crockpot Pig Roast with Insane Barbecue Sauce

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Friday night was Southern barbecue night here in my little corner of New Jersey. I don’t know why I had the hankerin’ for some smokey, sticky, utterly satisfying barbecue, but I did and it had to be sated. So, I started the 5 pound pork shoulder in the slow cooker at around 9am. By 5 o’clock, we had glorious pulled pork sandwiches and coleslaw with my new addiction, homemade mayo. As usual, the end result was a culmination of a few different recipes.

The insane barbecue sauce is from The Barefoot Contessa. I read all of the reviews on Foodnetwork.com, and then made some tweaks to the sauce based on the user comments. First, I doubled the recipe because there was a common complaint that it didn’t make enough. Doubling makes just the right amount for a 5 lb. shoulder with extra for dolloping on top. The recipe below has already been doubled. The only ingredients I didn’t double were the tomato paste and chili powder. I read several comments that these ingredients over powered the sauce. So, what you get in the end is a sauce with a very complex bite. It’s sweet with a vinegar tang and a lingering heat that is just right. We all sat around the table thinking about what other ways we could use it; on ribs of course, chicken, any kind of pork really. I have a feeling I will be making this sauce on a weekly basis during the summer.

I rubbed the meat on all sides with pork rub.(I use Pork Barrel BBQ All American Seasoning & Rub) You can certainly whip up your own flavorful rub based on the spices in your cabinet. 

Next, I sliced up two onions. Place one onion on the bottom of your slow cooker, place the pork on top of onions and spread the second batch of onion on top of the meat. Fill the slow cooker with water until it is approximately 2/3 up. I added one cap full of Liquid Smoke to the water. Next time I think I’ll add more. There wasn’t enough smokey flavor for me. Slow cook on Low for 8 hours. Take pork out and let cool until it is easy to handle. Shred with fingers or two forks. Throw out onions and water. Place pork back in your slow cooker and stir in desired amount of sauce. Pour the rest of sauce in bowl for individual dollops. Chop last onion and brown in a couple tablespoons of butter. Add to pork and mix well.

Pulled Pork Recipe

INGREDIENTS

5 lb. pork roast
3 onions (2 sliced, 1 chopped reserve)
Water
2 cap fulls of liquid smoke
Healthy sprinkle of Pork Rub on all sides

Barbecue Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large red onion, diced (2 cups)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. lime zest
2 Tbs. grated ginger
2/3 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup honey
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat and saute the onions and garlic for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the chili powder, ground cumin and red pepper flakes and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the zest and ginger and cook for an additional minute. Add the vinegar, tomato paste, honey, mustard, soy sauce and orange juice and simmer uncovered on low heat for 15 minutes, until thick.

Creamy Coleslaw

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
1/3 cup oil
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp celery salt
1 dash black pepper
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 large bag of shredded cabbage or 1 large head, shredded

Be sure to toss your cabbage with dressing and refrigerate for a few hours to soften the cabbage.

Serves 8.

 

 
 
 

Homemade Mayonnaise

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Ok, so the answer to this month’s “Myster Dish” is homemade Mayonnaise. The winning guess came from Dell of Cooking and the City.

If you have never tried it, I am insisting you do. That’s right, insisting. I am now leader of the “Homemade Mayonnaise Cult” and am converting all non-believers. You will never go back to that anemic bottled stuff every again. Here I am trying to lose 10 lbs. before the summer and I discover homemade Mayonnaise. The diet God (or is that the devil) is truly testing me.

I was myself converted after reading an article in bon appetit this month written by Molly Wizenberg who is a fellow food blogger at Orangette (I use the “fellow” term loosely, she’s big time). She graciously gave me permission to share her recipe for Mayonnaise. I have to tell you, it requires about 15 minutes of continuous whisking. My hand nearly fell off making the first batch, but it was well worth it. A fellow foodie left a comment recommending that I try a hand blender, so with the second batch I did just that with intermittent whisking. Same end result, amazing mayonnaise. So, take your pick, whisk or not to whisk. Molly believes “doing it by hand is especially gratifying” and I do tend to agree. I just wish my body did.

Molly Wizenberg’s Homemade Mayonnaise

1 large egg yolk *
1 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt plus more to taste (I never needed the plus more)
3/4 cup canola oil, divided

Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and 1/2 tsp. salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds.

Using 1/4 teaspoon measure and whisking constantly, add 1/4 cup oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time about 4 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8 minutes (mayo will be lighter in color). Cover and chill.

Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled

* Raw egg is not recommended for infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems. To avoid the risk of salmonella infection, you can use pasteurized egg yolk instead.

Mystery Dish of the month, what’s your guess?

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Every month I will try to present you with a “Mystery Dish or Ingredient” The person(s) who guesses correctly gets a huge virtual pat on the back and public kudos from Jersey Bites. How’s that for motivation.So, What could this gorgeous concoction be? Leave your guess in the comments below.

Wasabi-Crusted Cod

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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If you love wasabi like I do, you will love this recipe. Love the crunch of the panko bread crumbs. Even leftovers are crunchy. The original recipe called for Salmon, but I think it needs a milder fish that won’t compete with the wasabi.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Wasabi powder
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
4 (6 ounce) cod fillet pieces
1 teaspoon Emeril’s Original Essence, recipe follows
1 cup panko crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil Slowly add water to wasabi powder to form paste. If you like wasabi, go heavier with it.

Add the vinegar and soy, and whisk well. Place the fish in a glass dish and coat evenly on both sides with the wasabi mixture. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Season fish with seasoning mixture and dredge in panko crumbs. Heat oil in large skillet. Add fish and cook about 3 to 4 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the fish.

Essence (Emeril’s Creole Seasoning).

This make quite a bit of seasoning. If you don’t have plans to use it for anything else, divide in half.
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients and store in air tight container.

Shogun Legends in Wall New Jersey

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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Peter and I returned to one of our favorite sushi places the other night, Shogun Legends in Wall. Why we decided to have the Peking Duck instead of sushi is a mystery. I really like their sushi and their Green Curry Chicken which we have not been able to find anywhere else in Southern Monmouth – Ocean County suburbia.

So, the beautiful bird you see in the picture was carved out of a turnip and accompanied our very large plate of Duck. Being the total Goober that I am I had to leave with the stupid bird so I could take a picture for this post. By the next day he looked so sad and wilted, kind of gross.

Anyway, enough about the dang bird. The duck was artfully prepared, as Peter described it, the skin looked surgically removed and then replaced in long rectangular strips. That’s part of the allure of Peking Duck, the crispy skin. The rice pancakes that came with it were like nothing I had ever had before. Very light, almost “marshmellowy” in texture but not sweet or sticky. Three sauces also accompanied the duck, if my memory serves me correctly (which is always a crap shoot) the sauces are duck sauce, plum sauce and a barbecue plum sauce.

Shogun is a huge place by comparison to any restaurant I can think of in the area. It reminds me of the restaurants in Downtown Disney, enormous. Rumor, from Red Bank Blues, is that they spent $3 million dollars to renovate it, and I believe it. The mammoth fish tank alone that separates the bar from dining area must have cost thousands.

Instead of describing the building to you, I was lucky enough to stumble on some photos taken by Tom and posted on Flickr. So, click this link and you’ll be able to check out the whole place.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualdistress/page2/

Peter and I are bar eaters. I guess, we find it much more entertaining than staring at each other through dinner. We have known each other since we were 15 after all. The bar at Shogun is pretty impressive, very large and elegant. I think they have at least 3 bar tenders back there on most nights.

I will add more to this string as we sample more items on the menu. Check out Red Bank Blues review by following the link above.

Shrimp with Alfredo Bowties and Spinach

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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This post was submitted by a fellow Jersey Biter and good friend, Jenny. Aunt Jenn as we like to call her. I can testify to the words below about her husband in addition to the fact that the man can fall asleep anywhere, anytime. And that’s not an exaggeration. Thanks for the post Jen. I hope this is the first of many.

Hi Everyone,

Before we get started there’s a few things you should know about my husband. First of all, he’ll pretty much eat anything I put in front of him. Secondly, no matter what it is, he’ll eat a lot of it! Normally, no matter what I throw together he, he tells me it’s wonderful. (Once I put frozen chunks of swordfish in the crockpot with BBQ sauce. I thought it was pork! He thought it was delicious! Eeeeww!) But this super-quick & easy meal was a huge hit. He must have told me 5 times how good it was, so I’m sure for a normal guy it would be acceptable. The reason I liked this dinner was because everything I used to make it I usually have in the house. I can’t even really call it a recipe because there’s no way to mess it up, it’s really just an idea. And it took me literally 15 minutes to make!

Here’s what I used:

• 1 Box of bowtie pasta
• 1 Jar of alfredo sauce
• 1 Bag of fresh spinach
• Frozen cooked & peeled shrimp
• Cajun spice
• Black pepper
• Parm/Romano grated cheese

Here’s what I did:
I boiled the pasta. I rinsed the shrimp to semi-thaw it. (I even pulled the tails off so that it wouldn’t slow down my husband!) I threw the shrimp in a frying pan with a little bit of butter, and sprinkled it with Cajun seasoning. Since the shrimp was already cooked it didn’t take long to heat it through. When the pasta was cooked and drained I threw it back in the pot and added the alfredo sauce. I put it on a low flame to heat up the sauce and sprinkled it with black pepper. I poked a few holes in the spinach bag and microwaved for about two minutes. That’s it! Layer and top with some parm/romano grated cheese. I’m not sure how many normal people this would serve, but like I said, my boy can EAT! His plate contained the entire bag of spinach, ½ lb of pasta & about 20 shrimp. Also for the real cooks out there I’m sure fresh shrimp would be better, but I’m all about the easy.

I’m looking forward to many different variations of this dish.
…Spinach, linguini, shrimp scampi…spinach, elbow mac & cheese with ham…spinach, ziti, tomato sauce & chicken…
Can you tell I love spinach? It’s a great veggie! If only it didn’t make my teeth feel funny. How about you?

Jen M.

Mexican Red Rice

Deborah Smith, Executive Editor
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I promised this recipe a while ago when I made it with the Chocolate Chicken Mole. Sorry its taken me this long. Actually, I have tinkered with it since then and ramped up the heat by using Rotel instead of diced tomatoes. If you don’t like it spicey, just use the original recipe. The original recipe came from The Food Network’s Ingrid Hoffman. Here it is pictured with the Citrus Pork Loin I made a few weeks ago.

INGREDIENTS

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups long-grain white rice
1 teaspoon achiote powder (this I found at a little Mexican grocery)
1 bay leaf
1 10 oz. can Rotel, Diced Tomates and Green Chilies
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onion is soft, about 2 minutes. Add the rice, achiote powder, and bay leaf. Cook and stir until the rice is opaque, about 2 minutes,

Add the Rotelle and broth, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the liquid evaporates to just below the level of the rice, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to the low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and serve

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