Pilaf Style Rice with Cranberries and Tagine Chicken

I love the new ways to prepare rice other than steaming them in my old faithful rice cooker.
This is a dish I concocted with all the ingredients I have in my kitchen at the time.   Ingredients include dried cranberries, Jasmine rice,  chicken with skin (extra chickens from the tagine chickens,  finger shredded), cumin, red paprika, chili flakes,  onions, etc.   prepared in extra virgin Olive Oil.   Served with roasted butternut squash.   If you know the basic cooking method of making Pilaf or Risotto or Paella, you got it.     I prefer to use water as liquid, however, instead of using chicken stock or flavored stock as liquid. 

Curry Chicken Noodle Soup with Lentils and Bulgur

Soup is great for cold winter nights, and this particular Curry Chicken Noodle Soup with Lentils and Bulgur is just great to warm up your family's hearts at the dining table.   It's easy and a good way to extend a can of ordinary chicken soup into a meal.

Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 can of Progresso Lite Chicken Noodle Soup
1/4  to 1/3 Cup French green lentils, rinsed
1/2 Cup Bulgur prepared in hot boiling water already, and set aside
1 to 2 Cans of water
1/8 tsp to 1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp to 1 tsp curry powder

Add the soup into a quart size pot, add 1 to 2 cans of water.   Add French green lentils and bulgur into the soup.  Add cumin and curry powder.  Bring to boil and turn to simmer.   Cook until lentils are done.   Stir from time to time.  Adjust liquid level as needed enough to cook the lentils till done.    Approximately 30 min. cooking time depending on your stove.
No need to add salt.

Serve with homebaked bread.

Cherry Empanada and Arancini and Guacamole

Snack Attack!?  during the football game....  but my commitment is to use whatever I have in the kitchen.... So, I came up with Cherry Empanada made with Flour Tortilla and canned Cherry Pie filling.     Deep fry it.   Coat them with Ceylon Cinnamon and sugar mixture.    Oh, yes!  it is delicious.      It is one of my recipe that I prepared for my children for easy snack.     It's my turn to treat myself.

 And yes! those frozen Suppli al Telefono that I prepared a month ago for the just in case... snack.   I defrosted them, dipped in beaten egg and coated them with the bread crumbs.     Voila, another satisfying snacks.

 And while at it, why not cut 1 or 2 flour tortilla into strips and deep fry them?  Make my own chips.   Mash those Avocado, add some lime juice, finely chopped onions, cilantro.    Uh, huh... it is good.