I Dare You To Eat It

Fresh Ingredients

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

2 green onion, thinly sliced (or 1/4 cup red onion, diced)

5 small tomatoes, chopped

5 leaves of Romaine Lettuce, torn into bit-size pieces

3 boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

Storage Ingredients

2 cups cooked brown rice (mine had wheat berries mixed in)

1 cup canned corn

1/4 cup black olives, sliced

French Dressing

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

Make the French dressing right in a large salad bowl. Stir in cooled rice, corn, celery, onions, and egg. Toss with lettuce and tomatoes immediately before serving. Serves 4.

I wasn’t planning on boiling any eggs for Easter this year but then my dear friend, Kathryn, forwarded me this fun rice salad recipe. It comes via Diane at Heart-to-Heart and she originally received it from Josey and Pierre, in Paris. (Phew!) The words that have been used to describe it are: fresh, wholesome, filling, and yum. As Diane suggests, “This is a filling, full-meal salad.” “Serve it with strawberries and French bread and you can feel very French!”

We loved it because it was refreshingly different from our usual salad recipes, used a couple of canned goods combined with rice, was simple to prepare, and tasted great. The recipe also called for basic fresh ingredients that I almost always have on hand. It’s an easy way to make a delicious dish without having to run to the store. I would definitely serve this to company. It would be excellent for a summer BBQ or pot-luck dinner.

Thanks Kathryn!

Fresh Ingredients

2 lb. ground beef, or substitute 2 cups cooked whole wheat berries for one lb. of the meat

1 medium chopped onion

Storage Ingredients

1/4 c. vinegar

1/2 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. ground pepper

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. catsup

1/2 tsp. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)

1 can water

Brown beef with onion and drain fat. Add all the other ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over hot rice and garnish with grated cheese, kidney beans, shredded lettuce or cabbage, diced celery, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, sour cream, and corn chips.

Thank you to my friend Kris for sharing this family favorite recipe. Back in the early 70’s it won a weekly contest in the Deseret News!

Fresh Ingredients

4-6 pork sirloin boneless chops

1/2 c. onion, diced

1/2 c. celery, diced

2 Tbsp. butter

Storage Ingredients

2 c. rice

1/2 c. golden raisin

1/2 c. orange marmalade

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1 can chicken broth (14.5 oz.)

1/2 c. evaporated canned milk

1/4 c. rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Cut pork chops into 1″ chunks. Saute onion and celery with butter in a large frying pan until just slightly cooked. Remove vegetables and add pork chunks to frying pan and quickly brown on high. Mix all the ingredients and transfer to a lightly oiled 9″ x 13″ cake pan. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

This is a great one pan meal deal. I’ve made the full recipe and divided it into small freezer bag portions for many delicious microwaveable lunches or dinners. I love being able to steam carrots and broccoli and have an instant homemade meal, from food storage! If you want to be extra fancy, garnish with a little fresh orange zest, toasted slivered almonds, or cilantro on top.

Fresh Ingredients

• ¼ c. butter

Storage Ingredients

• 1 c. rice
• 1 can beef consume soup (10 ¾ oz.)
• 1 can French onion soup (10 ¾ oz.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter and mix with rice and soups in a casserole dish. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.

This yummy rice can be served as a side for beef or turned into a complete meal by adding a little cooked meat and frozen veggies. I like to stir in frozen peas and serve it with strips of sautéed steak over a bed of mixed greens for a nice summer salad.