Mexican Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Preparations:

1. Combine all ingredients into a medium, non-stick pot. 
2. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat and let rice stand with lid on for 10 minutes. Remove lid and fluff rice with a fork.

Rice and Chile Casserole

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked brown rice 
• 2 tbsp butter 
• Half a large onion, cut into 1 x 0.25 in pieces 
• 3 small chiles or 1 large chile, stemmed, seeded, and sliced. 
• 1 14oz can of diced tomatoes, drained  
• 1 cup corn kernels, fresh, thawed from frozen or canned and drained  
• 1 tsp kosher salt or to taste  
• 1/2 cup sour cream 
• 1/2 cup queso fresco (or half of grocery store wheel), can substitute with farmers, basket or ricotta cheese  
• 1 1/2 cup shredded 2% Mexican cheese

Preparations:

1. Place the butter in a saute pan set over medium heat.  Once it melts, add the slivered onion and allow it to sweat for about 12 minutes, until translucent and soft.  
2. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes.  Stir in the chile strips, corn, salt, and black pepper and cook for about 3 more minutes.  
3. Add the cream and queso fresco and continue cooking, stirring from time to time, until the sauce thickens a bit and seasons, for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Greased a 8 x11 or 9 x 9 baking dish.  Layer the rice in the baking dish and press it down gently with a spatula.  Pour the chile mixture on top.  For the last layer, sprinkle the shredded cheese on top.
5. Bake the casserole in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the cheese has completely melted and is golden brown.

Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8-10

Tofu with Thai Curry Sauce

Ingredients:

• Sauce
• 1 cup “lite” coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1 teaspoon red curry paste
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• Tofu and Vegetables
• 1 package (14 ounces) extra-firm tofu
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 bell peppers, chopped into 0.5"x1" pieces
• 2 cups uncooked brown rice, then prepared

Preparations:

1. To prepare sauce: Whisk coconut milk, cilantro, curry paste, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl.
2. To prepare tofu: Drain and rinse tofu; pat dry. Slice the block crosswise into eight 1/2-inch-thick slabs. Coarsely crumble each slice into smaller, uneven pieces, about an inch square.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add tofu and cook in a single layer, without stirring, until the pieces begin to turn golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Then, attempt to flip all the tofu crumbles and cook another 5 minutes. Stir and cook for a final 5 minutes. 
4. Reduce the heat to medium. Add bell pepper and the curry sauce and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are just cooked, 4 for 5 minutes more.
5. Serve over brown rice.