Hotplate: Faux Spanish Rice

Since rice can be the base for many meals. I needed to make a batch of rice.

So, I went back to my old Spanish rice recipe and made some adaptations.


Hotplate: Faux Spanish Rice
(Adapted from: Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook)


Ingredients:

2 TBspns Olive oil
1 Cup Uncooked white rice
1 Tspn Onion powder
1 Tspn Garlic powder
1 Tspn Oregano
1 Tspn Chili powder (optional)
 2 Cups Water
1 8 oz Can salsa
S/P to taste


Process:

Add oil to deep skillet.
Heat to medium.
Add rice. Stir to mix with oil.
Add seasonings. Stir.
Cook until rice is a bit brown. Stir occasionally.
Add water and salsa. Stir to mix well.
Add S/P to taste. Stir well.
Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes or until rice has absorbed the liquid.

FYI: To order a POD of Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook, go to:
http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/1597585

What's Next on the Blog

After announcing I was going to publish volume 2 of Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook based on my continuing experiments with cooking, I don't see another cookbook in all this because while I have expanded my repertoire, I have not elevated my cooking skills. I can still burn water.

Over the last few years, I tried to expand my cooking skills while still using a hotplate and a microwave.

I did increase my menu options to include: mug recipes, toast toppings, popsicles, salsas, crazy salads, slaws, and more.

Also, thoroughly enjoyed all the recipe and cookbook searches and research. Found a few gems like The Great Little Cookbook and Jack Monroe's cookbooks and website.

Learned to make a grilled cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and mac & cheese multiple ways.

Got more comfortable using substitutions and spices even if I got it wrong sometimes.

While I don't have another cookbook yet, I have enough ideas to continue writing about cooking for a long time.

Plus, I am expanding my topic choices to include a Staycation series, more articles about writing and publishing, and more.

Microwave: Small Bowl Cake

Microwave: Small Bowl Cake Recipe
(Excerpt from: Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook)

Searching for simple recipes or ones for one or two persons is like a treasure hunt. So, finding a recipe for Mug Cake on Fun Foods on a Budget was a find. But, I did not have chocolate chips. This is how my disasters usually start; I am missing one ingredient. But, I forged ahead with confidence because the recipe said the chips were optional.

Instead of chocolate chips I used 2 tablespoons of a dry chocolate milk mix. Mixing was the hard part. When done, it was like a brownie but it tasted good. Oh, my egg had two yolks; wonder if that made a difference?

This seemed like a simple recipe, so I tried again with one change. I did not use the dry chocolate milk mix, but it still came out like a brownie.

Now, I was determined to figure out how to get a more cake-like outcome. I made more revisions. I used 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder, 5 tablespoons of milk, and cocoa milk mix instead of cocoa. Through the microwave window, I watched wide-eyed as the mixture bubbled and spilled out over the mug. But, it worked! The result tasted like a wonderful piece of chocolate cake.

Then, I made another revision. Due to spillage, I used a small bowl instead of a mug, and surprise, I made a beautiful, small, chocolate cake.

Next, I will revise the recipe again, to get that cake back into a mug. Then, I may venture to make microwave “bread.”

As you can see, this recipe has many possibilities.

(Author’s Note: it was after I made these experiments I found a microwave cake recipe on Fun Foods on a Budget, mine is different.)

Microwave Small Bowl Cake

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons chocolate milk mix or cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
5 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons olive oil
dash of vanilla flavoring 

Process:

Add flour, sugar, chocolate milk mix, and baking powder into bowl. Stir well. 
Add egg and stir. Add milk and oil. Stir well. Add vanilla, then stir. 

Microwave: 3 minutes on high.

An eCookBook has been Born!

Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook has been published by Amazon.

A Cookbook for Non-Cooks?

It's no secret, I can't cook. But you gotta eat, so over the years I have developed some "simple" recipes to create a variety of menu choices other than peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and a bag of potato chips for dinner.

As mature Expat living in Mexico, I enjoy life and work on writing all those stories and books I put on hold. Also, as a print addict, former typesetter with some journalistic training, and booklover, I have found the world of epublishing an exciting adventure and an education. Who has time to cook?

Review by: Ted Summerfield on Dec. 20, 2013 :     
Ria has crafted a wonderful cookbook of flavourful and quick recipes for chili, salads, stews and other mouthwatering fare.

Ria included some personal stories in her cookbook, making it a treasure to read compared to some dry, "just the cooking facts" cookbooks I've read.

As an added bonus, you don't need to know how to cook to make any of these recipes. There are no weird ingredients found only at some artsy-fartsy, high-brow, high-priced, food emporium, just simple, easy to create food.

This collection of easy recipes is for non-cooks who feel like an alien in the kitchen.

Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook provide ideas for a variety of sandwiches from PB&J to Dagwood Sandwiches, and simple recipes like: Tomato Salad and Coleslaw.

Yet, with a skillet and pot with lids, a microwave and a crock pot, you can make most of the recipes in RKFNC.

Among the recipes are some basic ones like a spaghetti recipe with suggestions for a variety of toppings that can be used elsewhere.

Personal stories are included with some recipes as I navigates some of the Dangers! of cooking.

There are crock pot recipes like Two Bean Corn Chili and Pork and Pineapple Chili. Ria's Basic Skillet Recipe is for the more adventuresome. RKFNC has a few recipes using leftovers.

The egg, a beautiful product of nature, is used in many ways. See recipes for: making an omelet or using hard-boiled eggs for sandwiches or egg salad, or adding an egg to fried rice.

Try Ria Stone's Microwave Small Dish Cake! In addition to recipes, I promote my first eBook, Gina's Dream. Take a peek at the Bits, Bites & Books Café's menu for other ideas.

RKFNC is not a dieters cookbook. Olive oil is used in almost everything and cheese is a frequent ingredient.

As I writer, I see food everywhere.

Find Recipes from the Kitchen of a Frugal Non-Cook on Amazon and other eTailers.