Spanish Rice

Ingredients
2 T oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 c chopped green pepper
19-oz. can tomatoes (about 2 1/4 cups)
7.5-oz. can tomato sauce (a little less than 1 cup)
1 1/2 t sugar
1 t salt
a few grains of cayenne
1 1/3 c regular long-grain rice

Method
Heat oil, saute onion and green pepper until tender.
Drain tomatoes, reserving liquid. Add water to liquid to make 1 3/4 cups. Add to onion and pepper. Add the tomatoes, chopped, along with tomato sauce, sugar, salt and cayenne. Heat to boiling, stir in rice, and pour into greased 6-cup casserole dish. Cover and bake at 350 °F (180 °C) about 30 to 35 minutes, until rice is tender. Fluff rice with fork. Makes 6 servings.

Source
Clipped from newspaper. Where? When? Probably 1960s or very early 1970s. That’s all I know.

Comments
I must have saved this when I was quite young, and rice cooked any way other than plain and white had an exotic appeal. A little research shows that it’s probably called Spanish rice because it’s meant to imitate Mexican rice, and they speak Spanish in Mexico. Real Mexican rice with tomato is quite different though.

Lunch Box Ideas

Peanut butter date spread
1/2 c peanut butter (no salt added type)
1/2 c chopped dates
3 Tbsp orange juice
1/4 tsp grated orange rind

Mix all together until smooth.


Raisin lunchbox cookies
3/4 c butter, softened
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c honey
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 c rolled oats
3/4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c non-fat dry milk powder
1 1/2 c raisins
1 c chopped walnuts
2 c bran flakes

Cream together butter, sugar and honey. Beat eggs, then vanilla, salt and baking soda. Mix in oats, flour and milk powder and blend well. Mix in raisins and walnuts, then gently mix in bran flakes.
Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets, spacing to allow for spreading. Bake at 350°F (175°C) 15 to 20 minutes until set, and edges lightly browned. Loosen from baking sheet, let cool 10 minutes, and finish cooling on racks. Makes about 5 dozen.

Comments: Odd to add the salt and baking soda before the dry ingredients. Why not just combine them with the oats, flour and milk powder as in the usual method for cookies.

Animal cheese crisps
1 lb bread dough, white or whole wheat
1 egg
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
OR 1 c shredded Cheddar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley, crumbled

If using frozen bread dough, let thaw until pliable. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch (a little more than .5 cm) thickness.. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and arrange on greased baking sheets, spaced to allow for rising. Brush with beaten egg. Sprinkle generously with combined cheese, garlic powder and parsley. Let stand 15 minutes. Bake at 350°F (175°F) 15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Makes 2 1/2 dozen (that’s 30, btw).

Comments: If you follow this method, you’ll have garlic-cheese-parsley sprinkles all over the baking sheet between the crisps. Must think of a better way…

Brown Bag Fruit Mix
1/2 c unpared apple, diced
1/2 c sliced banana
1/2 c cut up grapefruit sections
2 Tbsp juice from grapefruit or pineapple
1/3 c grapes, halved
1/2 c pineapple tidbits, juice-packed, drained

Mix apple, banana and grapefruit sections with juice. Add grapes and pineapple. Chill.
Other fresh fruit in season may be used; e.g. peaches, nectarines, melon, berries, apricots.

Comments: You don’t really need a recipe for this, but having one helps remind you of this lunch option. Just be sure to first mix the juice with any fruits that are subject to oxidation.

Apple kebabs
1 apple, peeled, cored and cubed
1/4 c fresh lemon juice
1 c cubed mild Cheddar or Swiss cheese

Dip the apple cubes in the juice to keep them from darkening. Alternate cubes of apple and cheese on small wooden skewers.

Comments: Or don’t bother with the skewers, and just pack apple and cheese slices or cubes!

Date oatmeal cookies
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
3 Tbsp wheat germ
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c orange honey
1 c butter, at room temperature
3 c rolled oats
1 c chopped dates

Combine flour, wheat germ baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg; set aside.
Cream butter with honey and brown sugar. Beat in eggs. Add flour mixture, then stir in rolled oats and dates.
Drop spoonfuls onto greasted baking sheet, spacing them for spreading. Back at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden. Cool on wire rack.

Comments: The original method was for food processor, but I’ve rewritten it for you in case you don’t have one (like me). Orange honey? No idea.

Lunchbox kebabs
wooden skewers
cheese chunks (4)
ham or lunch meat cubes (3)
pitted olives (green or black) (3)
pickles, baby dill or sweet (2)
cherry tomatoes (2)
radish, cut into slices (1 large)

The amount in brackets is per kebab. Can also add vegetables such as sweet peppers, hot peppers, broccoli, or cauliflower; or fruits. To avoid cracking cheese or meat, twist skewer while inserting.

Comments: Like the apple and cheese kebabs above, I’d rather have it without the stick. I think the age range overlap between old enough not to use your skewer as a weapon and young enough to find this concept fun might be dangerously narrow. But YMMV.

Cucumber dip
1/4 c cucumber (peeled & finely grated)
1/4 c low-fat plain yogurt
1/4 c light sour cream
1/4 tsp cumin
1 Tsp fresh cilantro, minced
1/4 tsp hot pepper, chopped (optional)
dash cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

Squeeze cucumber to remove excess moisture. Mix all ingredients well and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve with cut vegetables, chips or crackers.

Vegetable sandwich spread
4 oz (115 gr) light cream cheese, at room temperature
2 radishes, chopped
2 Tbsp celery, chopped
2 Tbsp carrot, finely grated
2 Tbsp sweet pepper, chopped
1 small green onion, thinly sliced
3 or 4 drops Tabasco sauce
salt and freshly ground pepper
chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Combine all ingredients. Spread on crackers, pita bread, bagels or lettuce leaves.

Comments: Or you could just mix in a couple tablespoons of chopped parsley. Alternatives for the Tabasco sauce could be Worcestershire sauce, A-1 sauce, Maggi...

Gobble-it-up chili
3/4 lb (12 oz / 340 gr.) ground raw turkey
1 large onion, coarsley chopped, about 1 cup
1 small green pepper, chopped, about 1/2 cup
1 clove garlic, minced
2 15-oz cans pinto beans
1 14 1/2-oz can tomatoes, cut up
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

Sauté turkey, onion, green pepper and garlic until no longer pink and vegetables are tender, about 10 min. Drain. Stir in remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, over low heat 15 to 20 min. To take for lunch, ladle hot chili into vacuum bottles. Add cheese if desired.

Comments: Any chili would do. This seems like a good basic recipe for an easy, low-fat chili.

Source: Clipped from the Ottawa Citizen, Sept. 20, 1989. I didn’t keep the first page of the article (which was entitled Hey Kids! Eat healthy!) where the recipes were introduced, so I can’t credit the article’s writer, sorry.

Comments (general): Good ideas for any age, and there’s no reason why you can’t eat them at home, too. I clipped this article when I had a 2-year-old and a newborn, and I could see lunch boxes in my future. Hi, guys! Now you’re old enough that you’ve been fixing your own lunches for several years. I hope you like these.

Mexican Lima Chiles

Ingredients
1 lb dry large lima beans
3 c water
1 Tbsp butter
1 small onion, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, smashed
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
2 (4-oz) cans whole mild green chiles
2 c grated cheddar cheese
3/4 c sour cream

Method
Rinse lima beans, soak overnight, drain. Cook with the butter, onion, salt, pepper, garlic and bouillon cubes until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup liquid.
Spread one third of the beans in a shallow casserole. Sprinkle with half the basil and oregano. Cut chiles lengthwise, then crosswise. Arrange over the beans, and spread one third of the cheese over top. Repeat layers, ending with the beans and the last portion of the cheese.
Mix bean liquid and sour cream until smooth. Pour evenly over top. Bake uncovered at 325 °F (160–165 °C) for 30 to 40 minutes or until beans are tender. Makes 8 servings.

Source
Clipped from newspaper. Probably sometime in the 1970s or early 1980s.

Comments
Not Mexican at all in spite of the name, but looks tasty anyway. I can see why I clipped this so many years ago. Still intend to try it.
Why this dish is clearly not Mexican:

• lima beans (do they even exist in Mexico? Not as far as I know.)
• beans cooked with butter (not done)
• basil and oregano (never used in dishes of this type)
• cheddar cheese (not used in Mexico, is an exotic import)

When I make it, I will have to use fava beans  (habas) or alubias; these are the closest thing we have to lima beans. For the chiles, I’ll buy poblano chiles in the market, and toast, sweat and peel them.

UPDATE: I made this recipe (sort of) and it was very good. See this post.