easy recipe – Page 2 – Hoots of a Night Al

February 17, 2014 4 Comments

This Classic Baked Ziti is delicious, filling, comfort food. Who doesn’t love cheesy, meaty pasta? I’m pretty sure my mom pinned and cooked this first, and it was so yummy, I had to try making it myself! The original recipe is from Budget Savvy Diva, but mine below is halved. I think these portions would easily feed a group of 3-4.

As always, you can change these ingredients to fit your needs. If you want a healthier option, substitute ground beef for ground turkey (yuck.) and select a wheat pasta to cook. If you love spinach, add a few chopped handfuls. Make it your own! Or, if you’re like me, follow the recipe exactly and still probably screw it up.

First,preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Next, in a large skillet, heat oil, and cook onions for about eight minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for about a minute.

Next, you’ll cook your ground beef, drain the fat and add your sauce, broth, and spices. Make sure you thoroughly stir them together and heat it throughout.

Stir one cup of your sauce mixture into the cooked ziti pasta. Make sure to coat all of the noodles.

Place half of the ziti into a baking dish. I use the 1.9L Pyrex that came in my Pyrex set, and it works perfectly. Sprinkle 3/4 mozzarella and 1/4 parmesan over the pasta. Next top with the remaining sauce, and, lastly, top with the remaining pasta.

Cover (or don’t if you can’t find your Pyrex lid for the life of you) and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan and cook until cheese is golden brown.

That’s it! On nights when I’m not sure what time Louis will be home, I’ll do all the prep work earlier, and simply pop it in the oven when he’s heading home. Feel free to add some garlic bread or a side salad if you’re fancy. Or just enjoy the ziti because it’s definitely filling enough on its own! If you’re just cooking for two like me, you’ll definitely have enough leftovers for another meal!

Hope you enjoy!

Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice

January 4, 2014 2 Comments

I don’t know about y’all, but one of our favorite places to eat is Chipotle. It always tastes fresher than other “fast food” options, and we love their food. My husband orders their bowl, but he only asks for LOTS of rice and steak. He is always raving about how much he loves their rice, so one day I decided to try and recreate it at home. This recipe seems pretty close to what they offer in their restaurant, and it has become one of our “staple” sides for dinner. Plus, it’s almost impossible to screw up, which is always my #1 factor in selecting recipes.

The ingredients you need are:

1 tbsp butter
2/3 cup white basmati rice (I always use the Mahatma brand pictured below and love it)
Juice of 1 lime (remember to roll the lime firmly on the counter with your hands to get maximum juice out)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (I’ve left this out before if I don’t have any cilantro at home, and the rice still tastes great)

1. In a saucepan, melt the 1 tbs butter over low heat. Make sure to keep the butter moving, so it doesn’t burn.

2. Slice your lime and squeeze as much juice out as possible. Feel free to add additional limes if you enjoy the flavor.

3. Add 2/3 cup of basmati rice, and stir it in the lime juice and butter for 1 minute to ensure all of the grains are coated.

4. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and 1 cup of water. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pan, turn heat down to low, and simmer until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed. I’ve found that if I keep my stovetop on the lowest setting, this should take about 25 minutes.5. Once the rice is cooked, add in 2 tsp of fresh chopped cilantro. Again, I have left this step out before, and the rice is still delish. Also, feel free to add more cilantro if you’re a fan.

And you’re done! How simple was that? I know we enjoy beef with this flavor of rice, so I grabbed some marinated steak at our local grocery store, chopped it up, and cooked it on the stovetop over medium-high heat while my rice was simmering.

This is a simple quick (about 30-minute) meal, that is a great standby. We’ve enjoyed this rice with chicken fajitas, baked chicken, tacos, and more! Like I said, it’s one of our favorites! Hope you like it, too!