Cilantro Rice

Living at a fire station, I get to eat a lot of different food, and if I’m lucky, steal the good recipes.  The following recipe is a variation on Spanish rice that I stole from Firefighter Eric G.  OK, I actually got his permission – he’s a pretty nice guy.

Ingredients:

1 Carrot, finely diced 

1 Bunch of cilantro leaves, diced

1 Bunch of green onion, diced – the white and green parts

2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil

2 Cups of white rice

4 Cups of water

Carrots, green onions and cilantro sauteing.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Add the carrots and cook until they are caramelized. Add the green onions and cook for about two more minutes. Finish with the cilantro and remove from heat after two minutes. 

To the rice cooker add the rice, carrots, cilantro and onion mixture. Pour in the water and turn it on.  Depending on your rice cooker, it should be done within 20-30 minutes, but do consult your cooker’s directions to be sure.  Fluff with a fork prior to serving.

This works well as a side dish to enchiladas, tacos, burritos or any meal you would eat with Spanish rice.

Chicken Twice Baked Potato Dinner

This recipe is from my sister Carrie T.  She normally likes to “hide” zucchini or wheat germ in everything.  I checked the recipe twice there isn’t any zucchini or wheat germ in this one.

Ingredients:

4 med size brown potatoes

2 chicken breasts (or leftover chicken)

½ to ¾ cup Greek yogurt

1 cup cheddar cheese (separated)

salt to taste

pepper to taste

2 green onions diced

½ cup cilantro chopped

your favorite salsa to taste

Directions:

4 med size potatoes – Wash them and bake them at 350 for about an hour. Cool for 10 minutes. Slice in half long ways. Scoop out insides. Save skins.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.  Bake the chicken at 350 for 45 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes then shred and set aside.

In a bowl place the cooked potato flesh

½ cup to ¾ cup Greek yogurt

½ cup to ¾ a cup cheddar cheese

Salt pepper to taste

Mash potatoes and mix everything together re-stuff skins

Top with shredded chicken and a little more cheese.

Place on a baking sheet and bake 350 for 10 min until everything is hot again and the cheese is melted.

Top with scallions cilantro and salsa and serve.

 Goes great with a salad.

I normally fix this with “planned over*” chicken but I have also made it with left over chili, taco meat, sautéed veggies, and pork when I do not have chicken.

*a planned over is when you know that you are going to use something like chicken twice in a few days and you cook enough for both nights and only have to clean once*

Send in your recipes

Have a favorite recipe that you are dying to see featured?

Email them to me at Justfoodonthestove@gmail.com and I will try it out at the station. If the guys like it, I'll post it! Keep in mind I need to keep the whole meal to about $7 per person.

Please include your name and where you got the recipe from so I can give you credit.

Fire Safety Tips

Now, being a firefighter I thought some fire safety tips were in order before we get ahead of ourselves.

Don’t leave pots and pans alone if you are cooking.  Feel free to leave them alone if you are NOT cooking, they like to cool down by themselves. (See what I did there?)

If your pot or pan catches fire:

• Don’t panic.
• Do NOT use water for a oil/grease fire it will spatter and burn you!
• Put on an oven mitt.
• With your oven mitt protected hand, cover the pot or pan with the proper lid.  If you don’t have the proper lid handy, try a cooking sheet or larger lid.
• Turn off the stovetop.
• Leave the pan alone until it completely cools down.
• NEVER move a burning pot or pan.  You might fan the flames, making the fire bigger, or you might drip hot oil on yourself or catch your clothes on fire!
• If the fire has spread, have everyone EXIT your house.
• Once outside, call 911 or your local fire department. Don’t search the house for your cell phone! If it isn’t handy, knock on your neighbor’s door.

Most importantly you need to have a plan before it happens, because if you wait until it happens, you won’t know what to do.

For more information, please visit these websites:

http://www.usfa.fema.gov/citizens/home_fire_prev/cooking.shtm

http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/causes/cooking

Quick Cornbread

I was watching Alton Brown's show, Good Eats, the other day and he had a tip that I have been doing for years (thus confirming that I’m a genius and probably should have my own show). He said that cornbread should be baked in an iron skillet, and I couldn’t agree more. Now, if you don't have one, you can pick them up at any kitchen supply/cooking store or check your local-second hand store for some cheap used ones. Treat these pans well and they will last you a lifetime.

Real talk moment – I ran out of time today and had to make cornbread from a box.  It was easy to follow the directions on the box, but to change it up a little, you can add a buttery-honey topping. The sweetness pairs well with the heat from the chili.

Directions: 

1. Preheat an iron skillet in the oven to 400 degrees – really helps create a nice crust on the corn bread

2. Butter or oil the hot skillet before pouring in the batter

3. Bake until it is just about done (this will vary on your mix)

4. Melt about two Tbsp. of butter and mix with about ¼ cup of honey

5. Take a fork and poke holes in the top of the bread

6. Pour the melted butter and honey mixture over the top

7. Place the bread back in the oven until it is done

Roastin' Peppers

Firefighters like to play with fire – especially when it results in peppers this good

When roastin' peppers, I like to use the gas grill. You can do this on the stove top, but in Southern California the weather is pretty much always perfect for grilling and this keeps the heat and the smell of burning peppers outside.  This is so simple, but makes a world of difference in the Chicken and Turkey Chili.

With the grill on high, place the peppers on and turn them every five minutes or so until the skin is charred all the way around.  Then, to make the charred skin easy to remove, drop them in a plastic or paper bag and let them sit for a few minutes to steam.  Take them out of the bag and the skin should easily peel off. Chop them up and use!

Chicken and Turkey Chili

I can't say I love everything Guy Fieri does (ahem, Donkey Sauce anyone?), but this chili recipe -  Guy Fieri’s Dragon’s Breath Chili - is amazing. The original calls for bacon grease, beef and ground pork, but some of the guys at the station started talking about their health and I knew I had to make some tweaks. What follows has quickly turned into a favorite at the station, “Chicken and Turkey Chili.”

For normal people it should serve 10 to 15 ... We might get 8 servings.

Ingredients:

3-5 Tablespoons olive oil

4 Anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled and chopped (also called California, New Mexico or Magdalena)

2 Poblano chilies, roasted, peeled and chopped
2 Red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and chopped
1 Jalapenos chilies, roasted, peeled and minced (this is for a medium chili - use ½ for mild and 2 for hot)
2 Yellow onions, diced
1/2 Head garlic, minced
4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2.5 Pounds ground turkey
3 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 Teaspoons ground coriander
2 Teaspoons ground cumin
2 Teaspoons granulated garlic
2 Teaspoons granulated onion

2 Teaspoons hot paprika
2 Teaspoons kosher salt
2 Teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 Cups tomato sauce
1 Cup tomato paste
12 Ounces lager beer (if you don’t want to use beer, add a can of chicken broth)
1 Cup chicken stock
Two 15.5-ounce cans kidney beans, with juice
Two 15.5-ounce cans pinto beans, with juice

For the garnish:
1 Bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1 Cup shredded Cheddar
½ Yellow onion finely diced

Directions:

Add the olive oil to a large stockpot over med-high heat. Add all the chilies, red bell peppers, jalapenos and onions and cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Next, drop in the garlic and sauté for one minute.  Add the chicken to the stockpot and brown for about four minutes. Then stir in the ground turkey and brown, trying not to break up the ground turkey too much. Cook until the meat is nicely browned and cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the chili powder, coriander, cumin, granulated garlic, granulated onion, salt and black pepper, and cook until fragrant, about one minute.

Next goes the tomato sauce and paste, stirring until caramelized, about two minutes. Stir in the beer and stock. Finally, add in the cans of kidney and pinto beans; lower the heat and simmer, about two hours.

Notes:

This recipe is not chemistry. If you don't have a seasoning, buy it or just skip it.

If you don’t want to keep ½ a can of chicken stock, put the whole can in.

I like to use a cast iron Dutch oven for it.

About "Just Food on the Stove"

I am a firefighter with over 14 years of service in Southern California.  At my station, we have a plan of attack in the kitchen - I cook and the other guys clean up, eat and do dishes.  My meals are based on feeding six firefighters, so please take that into account if you follow the recipes (invite your friends over or have your Tupperware ready for leftovers).

You’d be surprised by how often we are dispatched to a reported structure fire or a smoke alarm and when we get there it is “just food on the stove.” For what it is worth, I haven’t set off the smoke detector in a really long time.