Sunday, May 1, 2011

WHY DO WE COOK, CINCO DE MAYO, MEXICAN RICE, MEXICAN BEAN SALAD & MONTHLY GIVEAWAY WINNER!!




WHY DO WE COOK!

I believe that why we cook is as important as how and what we cook...We cook for the richness it brings to our lives and to why we cook is bigger than enjoying good food...Cooking, layered on day after day, builds a happiness for ourselves and the people around us that would not happen any other way...Some of our fondest memories involve cooking and our families.

Please leave a comment about your fondest memories involving cooking! If you do, you will get 3 extra chances in the monthly drawing. I will post tomorrow, what it will be.





CINCO DE MAYO MAY 5TH !!!!

The 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day, but it should be.
And Cinco De Mayo is not an American holiday, but it should be.

Mexico declared its independence from mother Spain on midnight, the 15th of September, 1810. And it took 11 years before the first Spanish soldiers were told and forced to leave Mexico.

So, why Cinco De Mayo?
And why should Americans savor this day as well?

Because 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862.
To help you celebrate Cinco De Mayo here are a couple recipes!




MEXICAN RICE

This is a wonderful side dish for any Mexican dinner.Rice is sauteed with salt, cumin and onion, then simmered with tomato sauce and chicken broth.

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups chicken broth

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.

Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.





MEXICAN BEAN SALAD

The dressing is absolutely sensational in this bean salad - so many taste sensations. It begins with oil and vinegar, but then it gets fancy. Let 's see, there 's lemon and lime juice, garlic, cilantro, sugar, cumin, hot sauce and chili powder to taste

INGREDIENTS:

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn kernels
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 dash hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine beans, bell peppers, frozen corn, and red onion.

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar, salt, garlic, cilantro, cumin, and black pepper. Season to taste with hot sauce and chili powder.

Pour olive oil dressing over vegetables; mix well. Chill thoroughly, and serve cold.

THE WINNER IS!



The winner of April's giveaway is Amy from Cottage Prims! Congratulations Amy. Will need your address for shipping.

9 comments:

Beckyjean said...

Sue~

Hope you are having a beautiful Sunday. My fondest memories are teaching my 2 boys how to make chocolate chip cookies. The cookie jar is always full in our home & the memories are many. I love all the recipes you share on your blog. I never have to look far when searching for something new to try. Congrats to Amy on the win!!

Enjoy the day~Becky

Domestic Goddess said...

My dad was a cook in the Army over in Vietnam. So we loved watching him make breakfast because he could break two or three eggs at a time in one hand! His specialty was fried potatoes and eggs and liver and onions. I use cast iron because that's what he used and everytime I smell onions frying in cast iron I remember him standing at the stove flipping potatoes. It didn't matter if he were cooking he would always have a free arm to give a hug. My dad died in an accident when I was 14 but I always remember him hugging me while cooking. His love of cooking was passed on to his children. My one brother is an executive chef at the Fernwood Resort, my other brother is a butcher and I love to cook for family and friends.

Rachel said...

One of my fondest memories of cooking was our yearly family reunions in KY~ we'd all camp out in a cow pasture & wake up early in the morning to all the women cooking on make-do stoves. They were amazing -we'd always have biscuits,gravy,potatoes, cooked apples & so on. I loved to watch all of them come together to cook & laugh & talk. I think that's part of why I love to cook. It feeds your soul to feed others ~to give them comfort & happiness. Thank you for always sharing such great recipes & giveaways. Congrats to Amy! Hope you have a great week!

gpc said...

My 'fond' memory was important to me because it changed the way I looked at food. My mom was a terrible (TERRIBLE!) cook. As I got older, every so often she made plans with a friend and left me detailed instructions as to how to make dinner for my dad and sibs. One night I asked him, "How is it?", and he gave me a droll look and said, "have you tasted it?" It had never occurred to me that food could be more than something to fill a need. I started experimenting and trying new spices and recipes, I never blindly followed anyone's instructions again. Now I don't have to ask how my food is; I know that I love the way it tastes.

Linda ★ Parker's General said...

Congrats to Amy!
And Happy Cinco de Mayo to you!
My favorite memory involving cooking is two-fold. First, when I was in 1st or 2nd grade, we all raced home after school and discovered our family kitchen completely covered in raising donuts! I can still remember the smell of the dough and the excitement in the air. Mom would pop them into the hot fryer. We girls helped with the draining and the shaking in sugar. It was such a wonderful family experience.
The second was when I was a sophomore in high school and taking Home Ec. I brought home a recipe we had worked on at school--Hamburger Supreme. I made it for my family. It was a big hit! Before that, I had cooked regularly for our family but there was no such thing as a recipe. Everything was simple and straight forward. But I had followed a recipe and presented a successful meal. I felt the power surge through me like a lightning bolt. I knew I could do this and I followed that up with many successful recipes after. I love cooking and I love being successful with new recipes and changes in old recipes. It does kind of build up inside you. The successes make you invincible in the kitchen and the failures keep you grounded, because there are failures no matter how good you get!
★Linda★

Sue said...

OMG! I have so enjoyed reading these...Wish I had done this sooner. Maybe will do with some other themes! These memories make me feel so much closer to you. Thanks for these fond memories of yours.
Sue

BumbleBeeLane said...

Oh my goodness! I'm excited to have won.Going to email you now.Baking cupcakes with my nieces is wonderful.But I enjoy making some type of special dessert to take to grandmas farmhouse on Sundays.As we gather around the table each week so many memories are made.Warm Blessings!~Amy

jderouin55 said...

the bean salad sounds very good extra spices to make it Mexican

Robin at The Primitive Hutch said...

Congrats to Amy! You lucky girl!
Thanks for hosting another wonderful giveaway!
I must admit I don't do much cooking, my husband does the cooking. But I do love to bake when I have the time. I fondest memories are baking cookies with my children when they were young and taking pictures of them with flour all over their faces. Now I enjoy the same memories with my grandchildren.

I do enjoy your recipes you share and sometimes I do attempt to make some. Thanks for sharing!
Prim Blessings
Robin