Cilantro and Lime Rice

For some reason I want Mexican food. Last week we picked up fresh flour tortillas from Don Pablo's (did you know you can buy a dozen for $2.50?). Anyway, we had the best tortillas EVER. Now I am making this delicious Pork Carnitas this week but was looking for a yummy side dish. Then I remembered the rice at Chipotle and Quedoba's. Cilantro and Lime ... oh yeah! So, here's the recipe that I found on line. Let me know what you think (oh and the Pork Carnitas is coming tomorrow).


Cilantro and Lime Rice Makes 4 servings (1/4 c. each)

1 T. butter
2 t. fresh cilantro
1 c. Basmati Rice
1 c. water
1/2 t. salt
1 fresh lime, juiced

1. Heat butter in a 2 quart heavy saucepan, over low heat until butter is melted. Add rice, salt and water. Bring to a full boil. At boiling, turn heat to low and cover with lid. Cook until rice is tender and water is all absorbed, about 25 minutes.
2. Add cilantro and lime juice. Fluff rice with fork before serving.

Peach Pie

It's not peach season, it's not that I saw peaches on sale this week, it's not even that I was craving peach pie. I have been doing spring cleaning which for me means EVERYTHING gets cleaned out. I admit I am a clutter bug when it comes to magazines. I save them and clip through them when I get a chance. Saving little bits of information as if I am going to make every single recipe I cut out or that we're going to vacation at each spot I keep or that my gardens will be overflowing with all the ideas I find. I made this pie a few times last summer and came across the recipe yesterday while filing stuff away. Here it is:

Peach Pie Makes 6 - 8 servings

1 egg white
1 unbaked pastry shell (9")
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. chilled butter, cut into 6 pieces
6 c. sliced peeled fresh peaches

1. Beat egg white until foamy; brush over the bottom and sides of the pastry shell.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour and sugars; cut in butter until mixtures resembles fine crumbs.
Sprinkle two-thirds of the mixture into the bottom of the pastry shell; top with peaches.
3. Sprinkle the remaining crumbs onto the peaches.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes or until filling is bubbly and peaches are tender.

Johnny Marzetti

My Father says that they used to serve this at Beavercreek High School in the early 60's (when he was a student). I myself always have called this macaroni with meat sauce. I don't remember my Mom calling it "Johnny Marzetti", but maybe she did and I don't recall. Either way; it's a very filling meal and very inexpensive to make. I suggest making it in (2) 13 x 9" pans and putting one pan into the freezer. I looked up why it's called Johnny Marzetti and found out that it originated at the Marzetti Restaurant in Columbus Ohio; but who really knows. Here it is:

Johnny Marzetti

3 T. olive oil
1 large onion
3/4 c. sliced mushrooms
2 lbs. ground beef
3 1/2 c. tomato sauce
1 1/2 lbs. cheddar cheese
1 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

1. Saute onion in oil; 3 minutes; add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove onion and mushrooms from the pan (place into a bowl).
2. Place beef into saute pan; brown beef; remove from heat and drain the fat.
3. Add onions and mushrooms back into pan with beef.
4. Add tomato sauce to mixture in pan. Stir in all but 1 c. of the cheddar cheese; add macaroni; stir.
5. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13" baking dish (I use 2 of these and freeze one). Top with 1 c. cheese (if I am freezing a portion, I will add more cheese when I bake it).
6. Bake for 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

*** I have also seen recipes that call for no mushrooms but green pepper. This is also yummy, but my kids don't care for green peppers. The above recipe I change 2 things. (1) I omit the mushrooms and I add a can of diced tomatoes. ***