Necessary tools - Cesar Salad, and Rice Pudding

Yesterday I wrote about stocking your pantry.  There are a few other non food staples you need in your kitchen to be able to make fast easy meals.

• Parchment paper - if you have been following my blog you will have noticed I line everything with Parchment paper, my mother turned me onto this helpful tool many years ago, it wasn't as easy to find then, now you can get it anywhere.  Here's the reason that it is such a useful tool:   Nothing sticks to parchment paper, not baked goods, not potatoes or chicken...nothing sticks.  Best of all you have to do to clean up is throw away the parchment paper and rinse the pan, again nothing sticks!  I am all for anything that makes clean ups easier.
• Non stick spray -  Use the good brand name one.  I am all for saving money and using generic if they work the same.  My experience in the case of non stick sprays they don't.  It lasts a long time and is a worthwhile investment.  I spray my pans when baking then line with parchment, sort of a "belt and suspenders".  The spray makes the parchment stay in place.
• Tin Foil - Any meats you roast or barbeque should sit tented with foil for at least ten minutes before serving.  I also use foil to cover casseroles when baking
• Wax Paper - I got all these emails explaining the evils of using plastic wrap in the microwave - so I cover my dishes with Wax Paper (tear off a piece big enough to allow you to wrap the dish and tuck it under).
• Plastic wrap - The worst thing with plastic wrap is cutting it.  There is a big box of a "yellow" (you know which I mean) plastic wrap that has a piece you attach that has a slide cutter on the top.  I don't know if I am explaining this well but it does work and makes it much easier to use.
• Zip lock bags - Generic here is just fine it is more the sizes than the brand in this case.  There are extra large bags that will hold a casserole dish (and can be reused) or a large bread.  Large that I use for freezing meat or storing leftovers and medium for smaller stuff.  Suck the air out with a straw when you are freezing foods to reduce freezer burn.

Tonight I am finally making my husband's favorite as over the holidays everyone got to choose a favorite meal, last but not least it is his turn.  So it is Steak on the barbeque  tonight with his favorite Cesar Salad, and baked potato.
Not a healthy meal but a once in a while treat.  The girls are out tonight so while the cats are away, we eat beef!

The rice pudding is for when the girls come home from work so they can have a warm treat.   My youngest is always asking for it and it is really simple to prepare and it uses ingredients I always have on hand.  I like to use Italian rice but any rice will do.  It takes three hours to cook which is the only reason I don't make it more often.   It is a low fat and fairly healthy as desserts go.  The sugar caramelizes to make it rich and gooey.  The kids fight over the "skin" which forms on the top.  You can double the recipe which I am doing tonight.  When you make a double recipe add 1/2 hour to the cooking time

Rice Pudding


Ingredients
3 cups milk (I use 1% the recipe originally called for whole milk - you choose)
1/2 cup sugar
4 heaping tablespoons short or long grain rice (yes only 4 tablespoons)

Directions
Preheat oven to 300
Use any baking dish that can hold 3 cups of milk
Add milk, sugar and rice, stir
Place in the oven.  After one hour stir (to keep rice from settling on the bottom)
Remove from oven and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
You can serve it warm (our favorite) or cold - either way it is creamy and delicious.

Cesar Salad

I have been making this salad dressing with a raw egg in it for 37 years and never has anyone had a problem.

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (Spell check helped out - so I hope I got it right!)
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese
1 large peeled garlic clove
about 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cups Romaine lettuce torn up (you can buy it in a bag already washed or you can use Baby Romaine - as I did today because the store was out of the regular)
2 strips crisp chopped bacon
1/2 cup croutons

Directions

In a food processor or a blender add lemon juice, red wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and egg.  While machine is running drop in garlic clove through the feed tube then add oil in a thin stream until mixture is thickened (like a runny mayonnaise).

Toss lettuce, bacon and croutons together and enjoy.

You will have enough dressing for two salads


I add grilled chicken or either grilled or cold cooked shrimp to make it a meal