2 lbs lean ground beef
1 T chili powder
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 (16 oz) cans dark red kidney beans
2 (16 oz) cans pinto beans
2 (15 oz) cans black beans
1 (14.5 oz) can tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 1/2 t salt
1 t garlic salt
1/2 t ground black pepper
1/2 t ground cumin
Cinnamon to taste
Sour Cream (optional)
Brown ground beef in a heavy dutch oven or soup pot. Add chili powder and mix well. Add onion and bell pepper to meat and cook for 2 minutes. Drain off excess grease. Stir in remaining ingredients except sour cream. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
8 servings Prep: 15 Minutes Cook: 25 Minutes
This dish was simple to make, and enjoyed by all. Great for a big get together or a family function. It is a more tangy chili, but good.
This is a good, quick soup.
Italian Cupboard Soup
2 boneless pork chops, cubed
2 14½oz. cans chicken broth
1 15oz. can cannellini or great Northern beans, drained
1 15oz. can chopped tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
8 oz. fresh spinach leaves, torn
Cooking Directions:In a deep saucepan, brown the pork in a little oil; add all ingredients except spinach; bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes; stir in torn spinach and cook for 2 minutes more. Top servings with grated Parmesan cheese and croutons.
Serves 4
2 eggs
3/4 c. milk
2/3 c. saltines
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 t. salt
1/2 t. rubbed sage
dash pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 c. ketchup
1/2 brown sugar
1 t. worcestershire sauce
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add milk, saltines, onion, sage & pepper. Add beef & mix well. Sahpe into an 8 1/2 in. by 4 1/2 in. loaf in an ungreased loaf pan Combine remaining ingredients; spread 3/4 c. over meat loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until no pink remains; drain. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining sauce.
This got rave reviews from Mike, Jeremy, & Stew so it must be good.
Ingredients-
1 pkg.( 18 1/4 oz) yellow cake mix
1 pkg.(3 1/2 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1/2 c. each vegetable oil & water
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 c. mini chocolate chips
vanilla butter glaze(recipe follows)
directions-
Beat all ingredients, except chips, in large bowl with mixer on low speed just to moisten. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Stir in chips. Pour into greased & floured 12 cup bundt pan.
Bake in 350 degree oven 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack. Cool completely. Drizzle with vanilla butter glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar , if desired .
vanilla butter glaze-
Mix 3 T. melted butter, 2 1/4 powdered sugar, 3 T. water & 1 1/2 t. vanilla extract until smooth.Let stand 3 minutes or until thickened.
Two in a row! These chops are delicious, enough said.
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 thick-cut pork chops, about 1 pound total
1-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup picante salsa
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons sour cream
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
1. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. Sprinkle both sides of chops evenly with mixture, pressing down to adhere. Let stand 15 minutes.
2. In large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil until hot. Add pork. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Reduce heat to medium. Cover tightly and cook 4 minutes more on each side or until barely pink in the center. Remove from skillet; set aside on plate.
3. Increase heat to medium-high. Add picante and water. Bring to a boil, scraping bottom and sides of pan. Boil 3 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 cup and thickened slightly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons oil. To serve, spoon sauce over pork. Top with cilantro, sour cream, and shredded jack cheese.
Next time I do these, I think I am going to cook the pork the same way, but then chop it off the bone and shred it, put it in a warm buttered tortilla, and then hit it with the sauce, cheese, and sour cream. And this is definitely one that I'll do again. Ring the bell!
Alright, I admit it. The picture for this one ain't exactly flattering to the dish. In fact, I wouldn't even be posting this if it weren't for the fact that this thing was so freaking good. I'm not new to
squash in general, but this was my first time with acorn squash. I don't know what anyone else's experience has been with it, but I found the flavor of baked, unseasoned acorn squash to be exactly like pumpkin mixed with roasted corn. Hell yeah. As soon as this casserole starts cooking, the whole house starts positively reeking of goodness. Even Amber thought it smelled great, and she's not exactly one for meals full of vegetables.
So without further ado:
2 large acorn squash (about 1-1/2 pounds)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons butter, or margarine
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper
2 eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) plain yogurt
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup sunflower kernels (I used roasted vegetable Ritz crackers)
Cut squash in half; discard seeds. Place squash cut side down in a greased baking pan. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes or until tender; cool slightly. Carefully scoop out squash; place in a bowl and mash.
In a skillet, saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add peppers; saute until crisp-tender. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and yogurt until blended. Stir in squash, onion mixture, feta cheese, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Transfer to a greased 11 in. x 7 in. x 2 in. baking dish. Sprinkle with sunflower kernels.
Cover and bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 25-30 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
2 thyme sprigs, stems removed
Prepare your fish first. Start by filleting both sides of the fish, this is done by inserting a sharp boning of fillet knife at the dorsal fin, on one side of the spine, and pressing the side of the knife against the bones as you slice down the fish from fin to tail - then lift the end of the filet to expose the bones and to help guide you as you filet from fin to gills. To avoid this all completely, ask your friendly fish monger to do this for you ... but do tell him to scale the fish very well for you, as you will be leaving the skin on when serving it. Also, don't let him throw away the bones or head, you'll want it for your stock. Once you've filleted and THOROUGHLY scaled each side of the snapper, cut it into 5-6 oz portions. Using a sharp knife or a razor blade, score the skin of the fish width ways. Start about 1/4 of an inch away from the side of the fish, you want to leave the skin untouched at the sides ( I'm sorry I don't have pictures for this one, I promise future posts will have some ). Either way, score the skin 4-5 times on each fillet and rub them with the olive oil and saffron threads and place them on a plate or in a dish covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour to allow the saffron to penetrate the flesh and release it's oils.
Meanwhile, get a medium sized sauce pan and add oil with medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add your fish bones, head, and trimmings. Brown each side of the carcass ( yes, I said carcass ) and season with salt and pepper. Add the onion and fennel and cook until the onions are slightly translucent - then add the garlic and cook until slightly darker in color, but not any darker than a slight beige. De glaze the pan with lemon juice, followed by the Sambucca, and allow the alcohol to burn off and reduce by 1/3 before adding the Chablis. Add the bay leaf, a few peppercorns and the water and allow to simmer ( not boil ) for at least an hour while you prepare the rest of the components to the meal. When ready, strain the stock and discard the bones and other ingredients - keeping only the stock.
For the bean puree, dice the onion and garlic and set aside while a saute pan comes up to heat with some oil. Dice the chorizo and add it to the pan first, cooking until its slightly browned and then add the onion - til translucence, and then the garlic. Once the garlic is cooked, open the cans of beans and drain and rinse them well - make sure there isn't excess water, and then add them to the pan and cook until they begin to break down. Once the beans are mashing easily with a spoon, transfer the mixture to a high powered blender and pulse until it begins to mesh. Set the blender to puree, slowly add the butter one tablespoon at a time and allow it to emulsify with the mixture. Season with sea salt ( or the fleur de sel if you're feeling ritzy ), pulse to incorporate. Remove from the blender and fold in the thyme leaves. Set aside, hot.
Making a roux is simple, cooking it long enough but not too long is the trick. Bring a saute pan up to medium heat and, in equal parts, butter until it melts followed by flour. Stir the mixture together to form a paste and cook it 5-8 minutes, or until "blonde" in color. The roux should have a slightly nutty aroma and flavor. Set aside to cool.
Take the vine tomatoes, drizzle them with olive oil and season with sea salt and cracked pepper. Either pan roast them stove top or place them in your oven at 375 degrees until the skins just start to pucker. Set aside, hot.
Bring a non-stick pan to medium-high heat with some good olive oil and remove the snapper from the fridge. Lightly dredge the skin side of the snapper with some flour if you desire ( but it's not required to achieve crispy skin, it just makes crispy skin easier to achieve for a first timer). Place the fillets skin side down in the pan, making sure there's enough oil to appropriately pan fry the fish. When the flesh begins to change from glossy to opaque, pay special attention to how far up the "opaque" flesh goes - when it's 3/4 the way up from the skin it's time to flip the fish for a final 2-3 minutes. The skin should be golden and crispy with nice saffron red tint. When the fish done, remove it from the pan and each fillet on a paper towel to absorb excess oils and to allow the fish to rest (reserve the oils in the pan, but pour them off into a bowl ). De glaze the pan you cooked the fish in with stock you made, bring it to a simmer and then slowly add a bit of the roux you made until it begins to thicken and make a sauce. The sauce should be just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
To plate, ladle a circle of sauce into the center of a large plate or shallow bowl and top it with a portion of the bean puree. Take the snapper fillet and place it atop the bean puree, remove the tomatoes from the oven and place a vine of 3-4 tomatoes to the side of the beans. Take the fleur de sel and sprinkle, as to season the dish, on the fish fillet. Garnishing could be left at that, or you could do something completely different if you desire - be creative, it's what makes cooking enjoyable after all.
I don't do "freu freu" food, it's elegant yet simple and the ingredients speak for themselves. The first step to becoming a good cook, even if you just want to be a good home cook, is to learn to appreciate quality ingredients that taste good on their own and don't need much done to them at all and let them be what makes the dish good. Don't over complicate things with clashing flavors, wild spices, 4 different herbs, or whatever - food doesn't need to have an ingredient list that's 20 items long to be delicious. I'll post the food I did at my last catering event in my next entry, I have pictures for them and I think you may enjoy them. I'll also post some more simple recipes sometime soon.
This is a dish I first ate when I was 13 and on a trip with my grandma through Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. At that time I was not what anyone could call an adventurous eater. When ever we sat down at a restaurant to eat, I scanned the menu for anything that resembled 'real' food, usually settling on a mushroom fillet mignon. At most places, however, they also served complimentary bowls of this cheesy potato soup/stew garnished with slices of avocado and cilantro. My first tastes were hesitant but I found it palatable and by the end of my 2 1/2 weeks vacation of only eating fillet mignon and drinking orange Fanta, my taste buds started to wander in search of a bit more variety. They landed on the locro, though at that time I didn't know what it was called. Through out my teenage years, I occasionally ate other dishes that reminded me of the stew that I learned to love long ago. I had tried to search the internet for a recipe for this dish whose name I didn't know but was unsuccessful.
But then about a month ago I performed another search and discovered the name locro. It turns out that this is a common dish through out all of South America and parts of Central America. I was very excited and was quick to try out a few recipes. This is the second time I've made this and it is just as good as I remember it. The only difference being that the original recipe calls for annatto oil which has a very mild flavor not too much unlike olive oil but does provide a deep yellow color to the recipe. I just used olive oil and got a slightly oatmeal color though the taste is dead on.
Recipe:
5 large potatoes (peeled and cut into chunks)
1 cup of milk
3-4 cups water or chicken broth
1/2 of an onion (minced)
3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 cup shredded muenster, queso fresco or mozzarella (or any meltey Mexican cheese like panela)
2 avocados
chopped cilantro
In a large pot, saute garlic and onions in oil.
Add in liquids, potatoes, and seasonings.
Heat on high until boiling, then reduce to low and simmer for 25-35 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
With the back of a slotted spoon or a masher, mash potatoes to release more starch but leave a few chunks for final texture.
While you are doing this, the liquid should start to thicken up. When it is as thick as you want it to be, turn off the heat and mix in all the cheese and stir until it is melted.
Half the avocado and remove the pit, slice out half and put in each bowl served.
Sprinkle on chopped cilantro.
Some extra stuff I like to do is to add some lemon or lime juice right before eating, or add it to the sliced avocado before doing anything else and let it sit until you are done. In the picture above, I dropped a bit of raspberry habenero jelly, and served with a side of cornbread with the same jelly.
I don't know how long this will last as leftover, though, because I have always finished it the night I made it.
Serves 4-6 people.
The basis for this recipe I got from a Rachel Ray recipe, but I've made some changes because I am all about the time saving techniques! This is a very yummy recipe, in my opinion (but I do love almost anything pumpkin!) Pairs very well with a side salad and some bread!
Ingredients:
2T extra virgin olive oil, divided
1lb bulk sweet Italian sausage
2T minced garlic, (or 4 cloves for those who prefer fresh!)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1T dried bay leaf
2T dried sage leaves
1C dry white wine
1C chicken stock
1C canned pumpkin
1/2C heavy cream
1/8tsp ground cinnamon
1/2tsp nutmeg
Coarse salt and black pepper
1lb penne rigate, cooked
Grated Romano cheese
Directions:
Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, followed by the garlic and onion. Sauté 3-5 minutes until the onions are tender.
Add bay leaf, sage and wine to the pan. Cook until wine has been reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine. Cook and stir sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan; reduce heat and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5-10 minutes to thicken sauce.
Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over the pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of cheese and some sage leaves if desired.
1 jar ( 1 pound 10 oz Ragu Chunky Gardenstyle Pasta Sauce
1 can (19oz) white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
8 oz ditalini pasta, cooked and drained (reserve 2 cups pasta water)
In 6-quart saucepot, combine Pasta Sauce, beans, spinach, pasta and reserved pasta water; heat through.
Season, if desired, with salt, ground black pepper and grated Parmesan cheese
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
This makes more than 4 servings. It was a tasty and simple meal to feed many. I would actually add some garlic in the begginning to give it more flavor. Otherwise, we thought it was great!
So it's chicken you want? Fine, then it's chicken you'll get. This is what we cooked last night:
Buttermilk-brined Fried Chicken
3 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup coarse salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken pieces (drumsticks, breasts, thighs)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup buttermilk
Cooking Oil
1. For brine, in a resealable plastic bag set in a bowl combine the 3 cups buttermilk, the coarse salt, and sugar. Cut chicken breasts in half crosswise. It's important to do this with the thighs as well, if your pieces are pretty big. Add all chicken pieces to the brine, store refrigerated - still in brine - for 2 hours. Drain chicken; pat dry with paper towels. Discard brine.
2. In a large bowl stir together flour, the 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Place the 3/4 cup buttermilk in a shallow dish. Coat chicken with flour mixture, dip in the buttermilik, and coat again with flour mixture.
3. Meanwhile, in a deep, heavy Dutch oven, kettle, or deep-fat fryer heat 1 1/2 inches oil to 350 degrees Farenheit. We actually just filled up our fryer reservoir and submerged the chicken, foregoing the 1 1/2 inches rule.Using tongs, carefully add a few pieces of chicken to the hot oil. (Oil temperature will drop; try and maintain at 325 F.) Fry chicken for approx. 12-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and coating is golden, turning once if not fully submerged. Drain on a wire rack or on paper towels.
Rice and Vegetable Pilaf
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup uncooked regular brown rice
1/3 cup uncooked wild rice, rinsed and drained
1 14-ounce can chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded zucchini or frozen peas
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted
1. In a medium saucepan cook mushrooms, onion, and garlic in hot butter about 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in brown and wild rice. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Carefully add chicken broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 45-50 minutes or until rices are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in peas, carrot, and black pepper. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in walnuts.
We ended up substituting the brown and wild rice with plain old long-grain white rice. This time, however, their was no negative consequence. Not like that stupid crunchy risotto. That stupid, crunchy, delicious risotto. It is dead to me. Also, we opted for peas instead of zucchini, because we had peas, and we didn't have zucchini. You see? 1+1 really does equal 2.
We had a little bit of a problem getting the chicken cooked all the way through in the really big pieces, which is why I suggest you trim your pieces down to more manageable sizes. Also, with the temperature we were at, and the duration which we had the pieces in the oil, the skin came out a little crispier than I normally prefer; not bad at all, just a preference thing. The flavor of this chicken was really good. Don't short change your brine time. That's what makes it taste so good. Ring the bell!
1 avocado
This recipe has been derived from a Rachel Ray recipe that can be found here.
I've made a few changes in order to fit my family and mines taste.
Fried Chicken
Olive oil, for frying
1 pounds chicken breast tenders
Salt and pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten with 1/4 cup water
Breading:
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1 cup shredded Parmesan (half of a pre-shredded bag)
6 sprigs or stems fresh thyme leaves, stripped and chopped, 2 to 3 tablespoons
6 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped, 3 tablespoons
2 handfuls chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or 1 table spoon Tapatio hot sauce, or equivalent)
Other seasonings if you are feeling crazy
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place a nonstick cookie sheet in oven with a tin foil liner. Heat 1/2-inch oil in a large nonstick skillet or frying pan over medium to medium high heat. Season chicken tenders with salt and pepper. Wash hands. Place flour in a shallow dish. Beat eggs with water in a second dish along side the flour. In a third dish, combine the breading ingredients. Coat chicken in flour, then egg, then bread and cheese mixture. To keep your hands clean, ask for plastic gloves at the butcher counter. To ease your clean up, try using disposable tin pie tins for the flour, egg and bread crumbs. Cook chicken until deeply golden on each side, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to cookie sheet in preheated oven and finish off for another 5 minutes cooking time. Cook chicken 5 or 6 tenders at a time in a single layer, adding additional oil if necessary. If the chicken begins to brown too quickly lower heat slightly.
Chunky Pasta
Extra virgin olive oil
1 small white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can mushrooms
1 small can olives
1 (14 ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 cup chicken broth (or water)
A handful fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1 cup shredded Parmesan (other half of bag)
1 pound spaghetti (or any type of pasta)
Salt and Pepper
Saute onions in 2 table spoons olive oil until translucent. Add tomatoes, broth, mushrooms, olives, garlic, seasoning, but not Parmesan. Let simmer while cooking the chicken. If it begins to reduce too much, add more water. I often change up the veggies in this recipe. Sometimes I'll use artichoke hearts or sometimes chopped zucchini.
Cook pasta, al dente. Drain. Put 1 tablespoon olive oil into pasta pot and return pasta to pot. Mix in Parmesan and pepper to taste.
You can serve this in any way you want. You can chop up the chicken and add it to the sauce or mix it all in a blender. I usually server it in three layers; pasta, sauce, chicken.
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 35o F. Grease 9X5X2 inch nonstick loaf pan. Set aside.
In large bowl, or in larbe bowl of electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in eggs ! at a time, scraping bowl after each addition. Add vanilla and bananas. Beat until just combined.
In small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually beat dry mixture into banana mixture until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips, pineapple and coconut.
Spoon batter into prepared loaf pan. Top with walnuts, if desired. Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean. let cool 1 hour; remove from pan.
Amber and I will be taking turns posting the fruits of our culinary labor, and so it is that I take my turn first.
Here it goes:
Pear-Topped Ham Steak
1 can (15 -1/4 oz) sliced pears
1 fully cooked ham steak (about 1 lb and 1/2 inch thick)
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon cold water
1 to 3 teaspoons snipped fresh mint
Drain pears, reserving the juice; set the pears and juice aside. In a skillet, brown the ham steak on both sides in oil; remove and keep warm. Drain the skillet.
Combine cornstarch, ginger and water until smooth; stir in reserved pear juice. Add to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Add ham and reserved pears; heat through. Sprinkle with mint. Yield: 4 servings.
This part is super easy. I was a little worried at first that the ginger would be too strong, because once it was added to the skillet, the aroma was more perfume then food. That said, it mellows out considerably.
Creamy Mushroom Risotto
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
3 cups water
1 tablespoon Herb-Ox chicken flavored Bouillon granules
1/2 cup sherry or white cooking wine
1 cup shredded Fontina cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Diced fresh tomato (optional)
Heat oil in a large saucepan; saute mushrooms, onion, carrots and garlic until onion is tender. Add uncooked rice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or until rice is golden brown.
Meanwhile, in another saucepan, bring water, bouillon granules, and cooking wine to a boil. Slowly add 1 cup of the broth to the rice mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until liquid is absorbed. Continue to add 1/2 cup of broth at a time to rice mixture, stirring constantly, until all broth has been added and absorbed and the rice mixture is creamy. Add cheeses and stir until well blended. Garnish with fresh parsley and diced tomato, if desired. Yield: 6 servings. 
Overall, not too bad. I call it a success. Ring the bell!
