Hominy make you love me.

So I am going to continue with my carne asada dinner post. I absolutely love this next dish. I don't really have exact measurements to give you but this is tasty and special. My Grandma Maggie used to make this on occasion when she was forced to cook. Since she has been gone for many years you'll just have to bear with me while I try and work out this recipe (and IF I miss something please leave a comment so I can make changes.) No from the research I've done it looks like this is supposed to be a hot casserole but I've NEVER had it baked so I can only assume my Grandma Maggie had the baked version but preferred hers cold so that's how we end up with this:
1 large can of Hominy
1 small carton of sour cream (Go for the name brand kind people. Knudsen is superior to the grainy brands people get to save money)
1-2 cans of green chilies (Diced or chopped work, I like the fire roasted version)
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 tsp onion juice (My grandma was the only one I know who had this lovely little potion. I cannot find this anywhere! So I use the small side of my grater and grate a quarter onion into the mix.)
Salt and Pepper to taste ( I prefer to use Montreal Steak Seasonings. Hear me out though, it punches up flavor by adding dehydrated garlic, paprika, and all other kinds of goodies. In a batch this big I use about a table spoon but it works. Try it and trust me,)

T minus 23 to Spanish Rice

So the best Spanish Rice I've ever had is from a recipe my Uncle Ernie makes. It's awesome. Very flavorful and pretty easy to make. It does have some pretty precise requirements though: cold beer and the patience to not open the pot of rice for exactly 23 minutes. Not 24 or 22. It mus be 23 minutes exactly. The man has done experiments! He has perfected this rice over like 20 years by messing around with ingredients and measurements. He studied and asked 10 people how to make their special Spanish Rice and combined the recipes to creaate this masterpiece. It is phenomenal and comforting and just plain AWESOME...Just like my Uncle Ernie.

So this summer I was really lucky to be invited to a Carne Asada at my Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Ernie's house. I was very excited because I knew that this meant Spanish Rice. Ooh Spanish Rice, how I love thee with all the carbs that will end up on my nalgas. In any case I begged to watch the master, Uncle Ernie, at his craft. This was a great honor since he once taught me to make home made spaghetti sauce when I was younger and after I played around with the recipe he (jokingly) refused to teach me to cook ever again because I made it better.

So with my cold beer in hand and a hot pink note-card I experienced the cooking of the best Spanish Rice ever.


3 Tbl Vegetable Oil
4 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)
1 Yellow Onion (Sliced)
1 Large Tomato (Sliced)
14.5 oz Can of Tomato Sauce
2 1/2 - 3 C Rice
1 Lemon (Halved)
2 Tbl Chicken Bullion
1 1/4 Tbl each Salt, Pepper and Garlic Salt (Divided)
1 bunch Cilantro (Chopped)
*2 C water per cup of rice
*Cold Beer to drink

Heat a medium pan over high heat, pour 2 1/2 Tbl of vegetable oil in the pan. Saute a sliced onion (yellow preferred) with 2 cloves of garlic (minced). Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste (I'd approximate at least a teaspoon of each the onions will be heavily speckled with black pepper as they should be) and cook for 3-5 minutes. Open a 14.5 oz can of tomato sauce. Take the onions out of the pan (a good place to put them is on the lid of the pan. saves dirty dishes). Add 1 Tbl vegetable oil to the hot pan and scrape up the seasoning bits. Add 2 1/2 -3 cups of rice to the oil and brown for approximately 3 minutes. Return the onion and garlic to the pan and mix. Add 1/2 a lemon (juiced) to the rice and onion mix and continue to stir and brown. Add the tomato sauce and 2 cups of water per cup of rice and mix. Stir to combine and boil uncovered adding 1 TBl each salt, pepper, and garlic salt, 2 Tbl chicken bullion to the boiling rice and 2 more cloves of garlic (minced). Top the rice with the slices of tomato (usually 1 large tomato), cilantro (Optional) and the juice of the other half of the lemon. Cook on Medium low with the lid for 23 minutes exactly. DO NOT LIFT THE LID!

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot German Potato Salad

Today was my baby brother's 25th birthday. This called for a celebration and that mean I get to cook! I was very excited because I was in charge of the side dishes and I had the perfect one that was calling me from the cooking binder. Since the main meal was burgers and brats I figures potato salad and coleslaw were good compliments. I have a coleslaw recipe that Nick, the birthday boy, particularly likes and I found Grandma Helen's handwritten recipe for Hot German Potato Salad in a stack of old recipes. It's a beautiful color copy of a weathered and beaten 5x8 yellow legal note paper with splotches of smeared ink where water or oil had fallen. Her penmanship looks rushed but I can tell that she was using her favorite cheap blue papermate pens.

(Click Image for larger view)

All I can say about this recipe is that it was very easy to make and everyone really liked it (unless they lied). It's the perfect accompaniment for a BBQ. It's a HOT (as in warm) potato salad that is dairy free so you won't have to worry about it getting warm or poisoning people with bad mayo.


I should note I edited it a bit because it only called for 3 medium potatoes and it doesn't mention how many servings....Also, I had to assume a few things based on unclear direction and use of short hand. Don't worry, my notes are listed with logic.

Hot German Potato Salad - I assume this can feed 6 - 8 people
3 Med Potatoes ( I used 9 potatoes and the rest of the recipe as is. )
4 Bacon slices diced (This is raw bacon)
1 Small Onion
1 Tab Flour
1 Tab Sugar
1 Tea Dry Mustard
1 Tea Salt
1/4 Tea Pepper
1/2 c Water
1/4 Vinegar (I assumed white vinegar)
1/2 Tea Celery Seeds
1 Tab Chopped Parsley

Cut potatoes in half. Place in plastic bag, cut side down - Leave end of bag open. Cook on HIGH 10 min or til tender. (Again, I assume she means cooking in a microwave since boiling and baking makes no sense). Remove skins (I left them on since now we know a lot of nutrition is removed with the skins), slice potatoes - place in a bowl. in a four cup measure (or a large microwave safe bowl), cook the bacon & onion High 4-5 minutes (Yes, the bacon will look very uncooked, it's meant to look pink and weird, you can cook it a little longer if you feel the necessity).
Stir in flour, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper (This means add it to the bacon and onions)
Stir in water, vinegar & celery seeds. Stirring once, cook on HIGH 4 mins (I wasn't sure what was really meant by this but I literally only stirred it once and placed it in the microwave). Pour over cooked sliced potatoes. (This is where you sprinkle the parsley...it was listed on the ingredients but never used....oh well, nice tasty flourish)

Here's what it'll look like. It was really tasty and a nice way to have Grandma at the birthday party. I know she'd have had a blast tonight and be really proud of the man my brother has become. Happy Birthday Nicky. I love you!