Rhonda's Kitchen (2026)

13/10/2024

Autumn Cucumber And Tomato Salad

INGREDIENTS:

3 medium sized cucumbers, peeled and sliced
5 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 medium sized red onion, sliced
1 each of green, yellow, and orange bell peppers, cut into half strips
1 package of Good Seasons Italian dressing and seasoning mix
Apple cider vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the Good Seasons Italian dressing according to the directions on the package, and set aside.
Wash and prep your vegetables.
Once you slice the cucumbers, you will need to use a strainer and some paper towels to get as much water out of them as you can, or your salad will be to watery.
Toss all of your vegetables together in a large bowl and salt and pepper to taste.
DO NOT skip the salt and pepper, together they bring out a fantastic flavor in the vegetables.
Pour in the dressing and stir until all the vegetables are completely coated.
Store in the refrigerator in a container that has an airtight lid
Because olive oil solidifies when refrigerated, you may need to set this out on the countertop for half an hour before serving, if it's been left in the refrigerator for more than a couple of hours.

NOTE: in the salad I took the picture from, I used red bell pepper instead of yellow - then I decided that along with the red tomatoes, the red bell pepper added too much red. You want your salad to have a nice array of fall colors.

Enjoy!

12/09/2024

Health Benefits of Raw Onions:
I know a lot of people don't like onions, especially raw onions - but this heart-healthy SuperFood is packed with nutrition!

Onions are high in vitamin C, which may help regulate your immune health, collagen production, and iron absorption.

Onions also contain flavonoids, a powerful antioxidant that could help protect your cells from unstable, damaging molecules called free radicals - that can help fight against certain types of cancers, like stomach, lung, and prostate.

Onions are rich in B vitamins, including folate and vitamin B6. These play key roles in metabolism, red blood cell production, and nerve function

Onions are also a good source of potassium, a mineral that may help with
cellular function
fluid balance
nerve transmission
kidney function
muscle contraction
The average potassium intake of Americans is less than half the recommended DV of 4,700 milligrams (mg). So, adding onions to your diet is a great way to increase your potassium intake.

Some of the other nutrients found in onions are also calcium, iron, and protein.
Other health benefits include promoting heart health, boosting bone density, and helping to regulate blood sugar.

All types of onions are packed with these nutrients, but the red/purple onions have the highest concentration of antioxidants.

06/09/2024

Cowboy Beans

INGREDIENTS:

1lb of ground beef
2 15 oz cans of pinto beans, drained
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 thick cut slices of bacon, cut into pieces
1 cup of ketchup
1 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of yellow mustard
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon of chili powder
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of canola oil

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet and saute the onions until they are tender and translucent.
Add the ground beef to the skillet, brown and drain off the grease.
Stir in the chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
Place the contents of the skillet in a 3 quart covered baking dish.
Stir in the beans, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce.
Cover the top with the pieces of bacon.
Bake, covered, In a 400° oven for 1 hour.
Remove the lid during the last 15 minutes of baking, so the bacon can get brown and crisp.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Service with some homemade cornbread and collard greens and you will have a delicious meal of southern comfort food

NOTE: if you would like a little heat, add a dash or two of Tabasco sauce.

Enjoy!

28/08/2024

I've made it easier for you to find the recipes you want. I've created a photo album for each category of food. Select the category you want, click on the picture you want, and the recipe will come up.

28/08/2024

Spinach Dip
( my way)

INGREDIENTS:

2 10 Oz boxes of frozen chopped spinach
1 8 oz can of water chestnuts (drained and
finely chopped)
1/2 cup of finely chopped green onions (about four whole medium-sized stalks)
2 pkgs of Hidden Valley original ranch dressing mix (do not use bottled)
1/4 lb (4 oz) of bacon (cooked and crumbled)
1 cup of real mayonnaise
1 pint (16 oz) of sour cream
Fresh ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Remove the spinach from the boxes and place in a colander set on top of a bowl. As the spinach thaws, some of the liquid will drain out. Once the spinach is thoroughly thawed, use paper towels and your hands to squeeze as much of the remaining liquid out as you can. You want the spinach to be as dry as possible.
Combine the spinach and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, stirring until completely mixed. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, for several hours before serving, in order to let all the flavors come together. I usually make it the day before and let it sit overnight.

I serve it with French baguette slices, or an Italian loaf cut into chunks, but you can also serve it with cut up vegetables, crackers, tortilla chips or anything else that you desire.

Enjoy!

28/08/2024

Buffalo Chicken Dip
(man dip)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 cup buffalo wing sauce
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
Veggies, crackers, or tortilla chips for dipping

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375°.
Cut the cream cheese into small pieces.
Combine all ingredients in a 2 quart baking dish.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
If the cheese has not completely melted, stir and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

NOTE: the blue cheese taste is strong in this, so if you are not a fan, then cut it in half, leave it out, or substituted for your favorite type of cheese.

Enjoy!

28/08/2024

Deviled Eggs

INGREDIENTS:

One dozen hard boiled eggs peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons of grated or very finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Scoop the egg yolks out of each egg, and into a bowl.
Place the egg halves on a platter or egg plate.
Mash the yolks thoroughly with a fork.
Stir in the pickle relish and onion.
Mix in the mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar, stirring until completely blended.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Place the mixture in a ziplock bag, snip off one corner and squeeze the contents into each egg half. If you have one, you can also use a piping bag with your choice of tip, or you can just use a spoon.
Cover with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours.
Garnish with Paprika right before serving.

NOTE: These ingredients are a template, depending on the size of your egg yolks, and your taste, you may need to adjust the quantities.

Enjoy!

26/08/2024

Herb Crusted Pork Loin

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 lb boneless center-cut pork loin roast (not pork tenderloin)
1 pkg Good Seasons Italian dressing mix
3 pkgs Good Seasons garlic & herb dressing mix
1 heaping tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Rinse the pork roast and pat dry with paper towels
Lay it on a sheet of parchment paper, aluminum foil or wax paper and salt and pepper all sides, and place it in a large roasting pan, fat side up
Mix together the Good Seasons dressing packets, Dijon mustard and enough olive oil to make a paste
With your hands, rub the mixture into the top and sides of the pork
placed in the oven and cook 20-25 minutes per pound, depending on your oven and how done you like your pork. I usually cook a 4 lb pork roast for an hour and a half

NOTE: When buying your pork roast, make sure it has a layer of fat on top. This will help keep it moist during the cooking process and give it a nice crust. The larger your roast the better your outcome will be, because it will cook long enough to render the fat and ensure a crusty top. I suggest not using anything less than a 4 lb roast, and you can adjust your ingredients based on the size of your roast
You can also use dried herbs, of your choosing, in place of the Good Seasons

Enjoy!

22/08/2024

Filipino Chicken Adobo
(crock-pot recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

2 to 3 lbs of bone-in skin on chicken thighs.
2 tablespoons of canola oil
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 cups of soy sauce
1+1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup of low sodium chicken stock
8 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon of dried minced onion
2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, grated
1+1/2 teaspoons of whole black peppercorns
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
2 dried bay leaves

DIRECTIONS:

In a large skillet, heat the canola oil and butter.
Lightly salt and pepper the chicken thighs and place in the skillet and brown on both sides. You don't want to cook them, you just want to crisp up the skin and give it a nice golden brown color.
Place the chicken in the slow cooker, and in a large bowl whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, chicken broth, crushed garlic, peppercorns, minced onion, ginger and brown sugar.
Pour the mixture over the top of the chicken, put in the bay leaves, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
You will know when this is done, the chicken will be fork tender.
Serve over the rice of your choice.

Enjoy!

17/08/2024

American Goulash

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb of ground beef
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 dried bay leaf
3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 cups of beef broth or stock
1 15 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 24 oz jar of your favorite tomato based pasta sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups of elbow macaroni, uncooked

DIRECTIONS:

In a large dutch oven, brown the ground beef and remove it from the pan, discarding the drippings.
In the same pan, on medium-high heat, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil, toss in the onions and bell peppers and saute until they start to soften.
Stir in the garlic and saute for another minute.
Stir in the tomato paste and let it roast, stirring constantly, until it turns a dark rich brick red.
Add in the Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, cumin, and paprika. Toast them for a couple of minutes, constantly scraping the bottom of the pan so nothing burns.
Stir in the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, stirring thoroughly to scrape up anything that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Turn off the heat and add the meat back to the pan.
Mix in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, pasta sauce, Bay leaf, and salt and pepper.
On high heat, bring everything to a rolling boil.
Stir in the dried pasta, put a lid on the pot and reduce the heat.
Simmer on low until the pasta is cooked to your liking.
Once the pasta starts cooking and absorbing the liquid in the pot, you may need to add more beef broth, so keep an eye on it.

Enjoy!

17/08/2024

Honey Garlic Glazed Chicken Thighs

INGREDIENTS:

6 to 8 bone-in, skin on (or skinless) chicken thighs
2 or 3 tablespoons of Olive oil

(Spice Seasoning Blend)
2 tablespoons of onion powder
2 tablespoons of garlic powde
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of ground mustard
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

(Honey Garlic Glaze)
1 cup of honey
1/4 cup of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of chili sauce
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1 teaspoon of chili powder

DIRECTIONS:

Rub each chicken thigh with oil, thoroughly coating both sides.
Mix together the spice blend and liberally season both sides of the thighs, don't be stingy.
Let sit, covered, in the refrigerator for at least one hour
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Place the thighs in a baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, remove from the oven and mix together the glaze.
Pour the glaze over the top, making sure each thigh is coated.
Bake another 15 minutes, remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

NOTE: if you use boneless chicken thighs, you will need to reduce your initial cooking time to 20 minutes

Enjoy!

13/08/2024

Mississippi Pot Roast
(My way)

INGREDIENTS:

1 chuck roast
2 tablespoons of canola oil
1 pkg of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing & Seasoning mix
1 pkg of Beef Au Jus mix
1 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup mix
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup (1stick) of unsalted butter, cut into pieces
8 pepperoncini peppers
2 cups of beef broth
Kosher alt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a skillet.
Generously season the roast with salt and pepper, and brown on all sides.
Place the roast in a slow cooker and pour the Worcestershire sauce directly on top of the roast.
Sprinkle the roast with the garlic powder, ranch seasoning mix, au jus mix, and onion soup mix.
Put in the pepperoncini peppers and place the pieces of butter over everything.
Pour in the beef broth, cover and cook on low until the roast is falling apart, about 8 to 10 hours.
Serve on top of garlic mashed potatoes.
Garnish with freshly chopped Italian parsley, if desired.

Enjoy!

Rhonda's Kitchen

13/10/2024

12/09/2024

06/09/2024

28/08/2024

28/08/2024

28/08/2024

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26/08/2024

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