Simple Fried Rice and Chicken Spring Rolls....Leftover-Style

Ever get to the point where you have a fridge full of food, and yet nothing to eat? I found myself in such a situation over the weekend, which lead into a full-fledge fridge-busting operation. I had disposed of my half-head of cauliflower thanks to this soup that I made, but that didn't make much of a dent in my mish-mash of random ingredients. Or were they so random after all....?

I am occasionally amazed at how everything can come together, and this is one of those times. What started as "oh what the hell, just throw everything into a pot" turned into a rather cohesive meal, if I do say so myself. Leftover rice and ridiculous assortment of halves of veggies turned into fried rice. Cabbage slaw left over from one meal and chicken from another combined with a quick Asian dressing to make fresh spring rolls. I had myself a real dinner!

The final product will depend on the ingredients you have on hand, and I have left the ingredient lists somewhat vague to facilitate this. In the fried rice, I personally had on hand 1/2 zucchini, 1 carrot, half a jar of pickled baby corn, 1/4 of a red bell pepper, some celery, and half an onion. Your fridge contents and veggie preferences should lead you, though.This is one of the things that makes cooking fun!

Simple Fried Rice

Ingredients:

2 tbs peanut oil

3 c vegetables of choice, julienned or sliced to be about the same size

1 tbs tamari

1 tbs hoisin sauce

3 cups prepared rice

1 egg

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

2 tsp sesame oil

Directions:

Heat the peanut oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables, and stir fry for 5 minutes, or until they start to soften. Add tamari and hoisin sauce, stirring quickly to coat the vegetables. Stir in the rice and continue to stir-fry until rice is heated through (about 5 minutes).

Beat the egg, salt, and pepper together. Add into the rice, constantly stirring. Once egg is incorporated, drizzle sesame oil over rice and toss to coat rice evenly. Add additional seasoning to taste. Remove from heat and serve. Makes about 6 1-cup servings.

Leftover Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tbs ginger, grated

1 tbs hoisin sauce

1 tbs tamari

1 tbs oyster sauce

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 chicken breast, cooked, diced

2 c cabbage salad

8 spring roll wrappers, soaked according to package directions

Directions:

Whisk together garlic, ginger, hoisin, tamari, oyster sauce, oil, and cumin in a medium bowl. Toss the chicken with the dressing to coat. Add cabbage and toss to combine.

One at a time, lay a soaked spring roll wrapper flat on a cutting board. Using about half a cup at a time, arrange the filling on the rice paper to be wrapped. Roll the wrapper tightly around the filling, tucking the ends to the left and right toward the center as you go. Repeat until each wrapper has been filled.

At this point, you can deep fry the rolls to create a crispy texture, I personally prefer them as is. Makes 8 spring rolls.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

It's fall (my favorite season!), which means sometimes all a girl needs is a comforting bowl of soup, and what's more comforting than chicken soup? While all ingredients can be prepared fresh, I admit that I cheated some. I used one can (drained) of wild rice to avoid dirtying a second pot; I also used the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken. After all, there is little comfort to be had in a meal that you know you'll have to clean multiple pans after! Using my shortcuts turns this into a one pot meal.

I served this with some slices of Italian bread topped with fresh grilled tomatoes.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients:

5 tbs butter

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, finely chopped

4 tbs flour

1/2 tbs fresh cracked pepper

6 c chicken stock

1 c milk

1 c heavy cream

3 cups prepared chicken, cubed

8 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tbs fresh oregano leaves, chopped

1 bay leaf

2 c prepared wild rice

salt to taste

1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

In a large stock pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic, celery, and carrot and saute an additional 5 minutes. Stir in flour until thickenedy; add pepper.

Stir in stock, milk, and cream. Add chicken, thyme sprigs, oregano, and bay leaf. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fish out the thyme sprigs and strip the leaves off; return the thyme leaves to the soup and discard the stems. Add rice and simmer another 15 minutes. Salt to taste; stir in parsley just before serving. Makes about 8 servings of soup.

Thai Rice with Coconut Milk, Lemongrass, and Lime

For some reason, no matter what I am making, I seem to only be able to use half a can of coconut milk at a time. I searched for a support group to help me with this problem, but none were to be found. Where is Fight Club's "Jack" when you need him?

I'm not a huge fan of freezing leftovers (little freezer space to speak of), so just making a double-batch of my usual coconut milk-utilizing recipes isn't much of an option. In a mini fridge-busting session, I came up with this super-simple, one-pot, vegan way to get rid of the other half of the can.

I am Jack's satisfied hunger.

Thai Rice with Coconut Milk, Lemongrass, and Lime

Directions:

1/2 can coconut milk (about 3/4 c)

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer layers removed, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp lime zest

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 fresh chili, thinly sliced

1/2 c shredded carrots

1 c water

1/2 cup jasmine rice

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

lime wedges

Instructions:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the coconut milk in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the green onions and cook until soft (3-5 minutes). Add the lemongrass, zest, ginger, chile, carrots, remaining coconut milk, and water. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

Stir in the rice and salt. Cover and simmer on low heat another 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cilantro and finish with a squeeze of lime. Makes 2 servings.

Slow Cooked Chicken Verde Tacos with Mexican Rice and Black Beans

It was Taco Night in the anti-Chef household. I've been working a ridiculous number of hours lately, so I wanted a meal that required minimal effort on my part. This chicken uses a crock pot to achieve its slow-cooked status (and allows me to sleep while my electronic sous chef does all the work). The protein has a lot of flavor, so I recommend keeping the toppings simple. As you can see in the photo, I just used some fresh avocado and cilantro to finish my soft tacos. My oldest used some leftover Chilled Avocado Soup to top hers; the youngest didn't use any toppings at all.

Slightly more time-intensive were the side dishes. The black beans and Mexican rice were made for a potluck at work, and I was blessed to have some leftovers. I've included the recipes here, of course. Know that these work quite well made ahead of time! The microwave is my friend....

I finished off the meal with a little shredded cabbage slaw and some roasted bell peppers. Aside from the chicken, this meal counts as vegetarian and vegan. Perhaps some seitan instead for the non-carnivores out there?

Slow-Cooked Chicken Tacos in Verde Sauce

Ingredients:

6 tomatillos, husks removed and halved

2 serrano peppers, stems removed and halved lengthwise

1 small yellow onion, quartered

2 cloves garlic

3/4 c cilantro

1/4 c fresh oregano

zest and juice from 1 lime

2 tbs honey

2 tsp salt

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

12 corn tortillas

toppings of choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450F. Place tomatillos and serrano peppers, cut side down, on an oiled baking sheet. Roast in oven 15-20 minutes, or until skins start to blacken.

Place roasted produce in a blender with onion, garlic, herbs, lime juice and zest, and honey. Puree with 1 teaspoon of the salt until well blended. Season chicken with remaining salt and the pepper and place in the crockpot. Cover with the tomatillo blend and cook on "Low" for 6 hours.

Using two forks, shred chicken and stir to distribute the sauce. Allow to cook another hour or two. Serve shredded chicken on warmed corn tortillas with toppings of your choice. Served 6.

Mexican Rice

Ingredients:

1 tbs butter or olive oil

1 c uncooked rice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 15oz can corn, drained

1 8oz can diced tomatoes with chilis

1/2 c spicy tomato juice

1 1/2 c cold water

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp chili powder

salt to taste

1/4 c cilantro or parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

Heat butter or oil over medium heat in a large skillet (a wok works nicely for this). Cook rice in the oil for about 10 minutes, stiring frequently, until rice just starts to brown. Add the garlic and oregano; cook another minute.

Stir remaining ingredients in and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook for 20 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and salt to taste. Stir in cilantro. Makes about 5 cups of Mexican rice.

Mexican Black Beans

Ingredients:

1 tbs light olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs fresh oregano, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp lime zest

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 15oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 c Mexican lager of choice

salt to taste

1/4 c cilantro or parsley, finely chopped

lime wedges

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then add garlic, oregano, and cumin; saute one more minute.

Stir in zest, cayenne, beans, and beer. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and stir in cilantro. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over beans. Makes about 4 cups of black beans.

Fried Rice Balls, Chocolate Banana Muffins, and Bentos--oh my!

I've been experimenting with bento boxes lately. I happened into a beautiful bento box that I've been trying to use. I love the concept of the bento, and the gods know I could use help finishing up leftovers. I've put together a few so far that I'd like to share here, as well as a couple of recipes that have made it into my bentos.

This was my first bento lunch. I made a sushi roll of smoked salmon, avocado, and green onion with some leftover sushi rice and partial package of lox leftover from breakfast. I also had some grilled shrimp from the night before, so I rolled that up with shredded carrot into a spring roll. My teeny sauce bottles held soy sauce and my own plum dipping sauce. To round out my meal, I had miso soup and some watermelon in a separate container.

My next bento saw some more of the grilled shrimp, this time in its originally prepared state. With rice leftover from Chinese takeout, I made the fried rice balls you see in the top section (recipe below). The bottom section had a salad of shredded carrot and fresh mushrooms, and a few watermelon balls. Again, you see the teeny bottle of soy and plum sauce.

My youngest offspring expressed an interest in taking a bento lunch to school, so this is what I packed for her this morning. Once again, we had leftover shrimp (the mild version from last night's dinner). Also included are carrot sticks and broccoli, corn salad, whole wheat tortilla cut into fun shapes, and a Laughing Cow wedge of spreadable cheese. For dessert, she had grapes and a chocolate banana mini muffin (recipe below).

So far, I'm having a great time making these little lunches, and I will likely be making many more in the future. Now on the the recipes!

Fried Rice Balls

Ingredients:

2 c leftover long grain rice

1 c water

2 tbs cream

1 egg, beaten

3 tbs onion, finely chopped

2 green onion stalks, finely chopped

2 tbs seaweed, finely chopped

1 tsp red pepper powder

1 tsp baking powder

4 tbs protein of choice, cooked and finely chopped (suggestions below)

1 tbs sauce of choice (suggestions below)

1 tbs toasted sesame seeds

2 tsp salt

1/2-3/4 c flour

oil for frying

Directions:

Mix water with rice in a medium sauce pan and bring to a very low boil. Cook until water is absorbed; remove from heat.

In a large bowl, beat together cream, egg, onions, seaweed, red pepper, and baking powder. Stir in the rice until evenly coated. Mix protein, sauce, sesame seeds, and 1 tsp of the salt into the rice mixture. Stir in flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until mixture is thick enough to shape into balls.

Heat 1 inch of oil in a heavy pot over medium to medium-high heat. With floured hands, shaped the rice mixture into 2-inch diameter balls.

Fry the balls for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain the rice balls on paper towels. Sprinkle with remaining salt and serve.

Protein suggestions:

Salmon (used in the photo above)

Lentils

Shrimp

Edamame

Chicken

Tuna

Spam (a Korean favorite, of all things)

Sauce suggestions:

Plum sauce (used with the salmon in the photo above)

Teriyaki marinade

Fish sauce

Hoisin sauce

BBQ sauce

Sour cream

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 c flour

1/4 c cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c unsalted butter, melted

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and bananas.

Stir flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into greased muffin tins. For mini muffins, bake 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; standard muffin tins take about 25 minutes to bake.

Crab and Mushroom Stuffed Peppers with Citrus Tomato Rice

Once upon a time, there was a girl who was hungry. Her parents invited her over to eat, but only if she cooked it. And so she did.

That's an over-simplified version of the origins for this recipe, but it works. My dad bought the ingredients, and I packed up the offspring and the puppy and we made an evening of it (on a school night--gasp!). I combined cream cheese, crab meat, and mushrooms to stuff into anaheim pepper halves. The rice dish was added to make this a complete meal (mmmmm, carbs).

Crab and Mushroom Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

1 tbs light olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz baby portabella mushrooms, chopped

4 oz cream cheese, softened

8 oz crab meat, chopped

1 c red onion, diced

1 tbs fresh oregano, minced

1/2 c bread crumbs

1 tsp lemon zest

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 tsp salt (more or less to taste)

1/4 tsp pepper

dash hot sauce, if desired

6 large Anaheim peppers, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed

1/2 c shredded asiago cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F.

Heat medium saute pan over medium heat. Add oil and saute garlic for one minute. Add mushrooms and saute until soft, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, cream cheese, crab, onion, oregano, bread crumbs, zest, juice, pepper, and hot sauce (if desired). Mix until very well combined and salt to taste.

Arrange anaheim peppers on a lightly greased baking sheet. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the crab filling on each pepper half and top with asiago cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until filling is heated through and tops are a golden brown. Allow to rest 5 minutes, then serve. Serves 4-6 people as an entree. For hors d'ouerves, cut each pepper into 2" portions.

Citrus Tomato Rice:

Ingredients:

1 tbs light olive oil

1 med onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tbs fresh oregano, minced

2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 tsp lemon zest

2 c prepared rice

1/4 tsp salt

1 large tomato, diced

juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Saute onion 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and saute one more minute. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in oregano, paprika, cayenne, and zest. Stirring constantly, cook an additional 2 minutes and remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, combine rice and the sauteed onion. Stir in tomato and salt, adjusting seasoning to taste. Finish by stirring in fresh lemon juice. Makes 6 servings.

Shrimp Skewers and Wild Rice, Grilled Eggplant, Mushrooms, and Arugula

I've been on a shrimp kick, and with a random assortment of half-used items in my kitchen that I needed to either use or send to the gods of wastefulness, my fridge was looking a bit desperate. This is a case of coming up with a side dish that has nearly everything but my kitchen sink in it....it's tasty, though (probably in no small part due to the omission of the kitchen sink).

As for the shrimp, this is a simple preparation that offers a tiny bit of heat from the chili pepper. The bell pepper offers crunch while the tomatoes give a tiny bit of sweet acidity to the skewer. The basil leaf folded in the center of each shrimp offers just a slight hint of fresh herbiness to compliment the chili. Should you be so fortunate, these would work beautifully on the grill!

Shrimp Skewers with Wild Rice, Grilled Eggplant, Mushrooms, and Arugula

Ingredients:

5 tbs light olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 small red chili, finely minced

salt

12 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on

1/2 large eggplant, cut into small cubes

8 oz mushrooms of choice, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used oyster and shiitake)

1/2 c dry white wine

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 c fresh baby arugula

12 leaves fresh basil

1/2 bell pepper, cut into 8 large chunks

8 cherry tomatos

2 c prepared wild rice mix

fresh tomato slices, if desired

lime wedges, if desired

Directions:

In a ziplock bag, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, minced chili, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Set aside, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, toss eggplant with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Season with salt and broil on the top rack for 4 minutes. Flip the eggplant, and broil an additional 3 minutes, or until soft and just turning brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

Combine the mushrooms and wine in a bowl with 1/4 tsp salt and allow to rest, stirring occeasionally.

Heat remaining 2 tbs oil over medium heat. Saute the onion until just turning golden. Add the remaining garlic and saute another minute. Add eggplant, wine, and mushrooms; allow to cook--stirring frequently--until mushrooms are soft and most the liquid has evaporated. Reduce heat to low and stir in arugula.

For the shrimp skewers, have the basil ready to skewer with the shrimp. You will place the skewer through the base of the tail, come out on the other side of the shrimp, skewer the basil leaf, and then skewer the shrimp again at the head.

Set up the shrimp skewers in this order: Bell pepper, shrimp (with basil leaf), tomato, shrimp, tomato, shrimp, bell pepper. Brush the skewers with remaining marinade and broil 2 minutes on the first side; flip, brush with additional marinade, and broil one more minute. Remove from oven.

To serve, place half a cup of the rice on a plate. Add a tomato slice on the rice (if desired), then top with the mushroom saute. Place one shrimp skewer on the dish and finish with a squeeze of lime. Serves 4.

Fiesta Lime Tilapia Tacos, Zesty Corn and Rice, and Kid-Friendly Coconut Mojitos

I don't typically go for spice blends (save the curry and masala blends I love so much!), but once in awhile one ends up in my possession. My sister dropped off a bunch of spices at my place. She travels for her job, and when her lease ended she didn't bother finding a new place since she lives out of hotels almost exclusively this time of year. This is how I came to know Mrs. Dash's Fiesta Lime seasoning blend.

I took the easy route and made tacos with the blend. I'm happy to say that they turned out quite flavorful with smoky lime tones. I've included a link to the ingredient list should you prefer to come up with your own blend.

I served the tacos with an old stand-by corn and rice dish that I use fairly often. It's a great use for leftover rice (this is where most of my Chinese take-out rice ends up). The beverage came about after I spent an evening watching baseball at a local hole-in-the-wall. The bartender and I were speculating what to do with the UV Coconut that had been sitting on the shelf untouched for several weeks. We decided that a coconut vodka mojito was the way to go. The next week I brought in some mint leaves and we tested the theory out. I worked, so I decided to make a non-alcoholic version that the spawn and I could both enjoy.

Sadly, my kids were less than thrilled with the "mojito" as it is presented here. For those that prefer a sweeter version, use half coconut water and half limeade.

Fiesta Lime Tilapia Tacos

Ingredients:

1 tbs tamari

1 tbs fresh lime juice

12 oz tiliapia filets

2 tbs Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning (ingredients here)

1 tbs peanut oil

8 whole wheat tortillas, warmed

1/2 c salsa

avocado, sliced

1 stalk green onion, finely sliced

2 tbs cilantro, finely chopped

1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

Whisk together tamari and lime juice. Brush tilapia with the tamari blend, then season well with the Fiesta Lime seasoning. Heat peanut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the fish and cook about 3 minutes each side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove from heat and allow to rest a few minutes. Cut fish into bite size pieces.

Divide fish among the warmed tortillas and top as desired with salsa, avocado, green onion, and/or cilantro. Finish with a squeeze of lime and serve. Serves 4 (2 tacos per person).

Zesty Corn and Rice

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil

2 tbs onion, finely diced

1 15oz can unsalted corn, drained

1 small can of roasted green chiles, finely diced

1 tsp lime zest

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chile powder

2 tbs red bell pepper, diced

1 teaspoon serrano chile, finely diced (optional)

2 c prepared rice

juice of half a lime

salt to taste

fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion until just turning translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add corn and let it heat for 5 minutes. Add chilis, zest, and seasonings and cook an additional 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper, serrano (if desired), prepared rice, and lime juice. Heat through and salt to taste. Serve with cilantro, if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Coconut Mojito (non-alcoholic)

Ingredients:

1/4 c mint leaves, tightly packed

juice of 1 lime (about 2 tbs)

1 tbs sugar

2 c coconut water

16 oz club soda

ice

additional mint leaves and lime wedges for garnish

Directions:

Muddle the mint leaves with the sugar and lime juice. Place in a pitcher and pour in the coconut water. Allow to steep in the refridgerator at least an hour.

When ready to serve, fill 4 glasses with ice and divide the minty liquid among the glasses. Top with soda water and garnish with mint leaves and lime wedge. Makes 4 16oz servings.

Sole Florentine with Lemon Pepper Pilaf and Lemon-Dill Sauce

On a whim, I had purchased sole from the grocery store. It was on sale, so I figured what the hell? Having never prepared sole before, I did a fair amount of handling it before making up my mind.

Here's what I discovered: Sole is a very firm fish. I use tilapia so much that I've become accustomed to fish falling apart on me. These filets didn't do that, however, so I though I'd use this to my advantage. I still had a bunch of spinach left from my farmers market trip, so I decided it belonged rolled in my new (to me) fish.

When I originally prepared this meal, I used double the ingredients I have listed below. My plan was to have leftovers to take to work. Unfortunately (for me), the offspring had other plans. There were no leftovers!

Sole Florentine

Ingredients:

3 tbs olive oil

juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tsp)

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh cracked pepper

1 lb sole filets

1/4 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 c fresh spinach, chopped

1/2 red pepper, chopped

3 tbs fresh dill, chopped

Directions:

Whisk together 1 tbs of the oil, lemon juice, zest, 1/2 tsp of the salt, and 1/2 tsp of the pepper. Pour over sole filets and marinate 30 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium skillet, heat remaining 2 tbs olive oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Stir in spinach, red pepper, and dill. Cook and stir 2 minute; allow to cool. Evenly spoon spinach mixture onto each filet at the tapered end (if there is one). Roll fish around spinach mixture and place seam side down in greased glass baking pan. Sprinkle rolled fillets with remaining salt and pepper.

Bake in preheateed oven about 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with lemon dill sauce spooned over top (recipe below). Makes 4 servings.

Lemon Dill Sauce

Ingredients:

3/4 c dry white wine

1 shallot, finely chopped

juice of 2 lemons (about 2 tbs)

1/2 c unsalted butter

1 1/2 tbs fresh dill, finely chopped

2 tbs heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine wine, shallot, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to boil, and allow to boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Whisk in butter, 1 tbs at a time, making sure each tbs is melted before adding the next. Drizzle cream in slowly while whisking until all is combined. Remove pan from heat and stir in dill. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 3/4 c of sauce.

Lemon Pepper Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

1 tbs unsalted butter

1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chipped

3/4 c long grain rice

1/4 c dry white wine

3/4 c water

1/2 c lemon juice (because this dish is cooked quite a bit, I cheated and used bottled)

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

salt to taste

2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a medium oven-proof skillet (I used my cast-iron pan), melt butter over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add rice and stir to coat evenly with butter. Cook 3-5 minutes.

Add wine, water, lemon juice, zest, and pepper; increase heat to high and bring to boil. As soon as the water starts to boil, cover pan. Place in the oven and bake 18 minutes.

Remove rice from oven, sprinkle with salt and parsley, and fluff with fork. Makes 4 servings.