Portuguese Rice

This comes from my Aunt Lisa and Uncle David! This dish goes so well with so many things and it's a step above your regular sticky white rice as a side dish! It almost shines on its own as an independent dish! I LOVE IT!

What You'll Need
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups long grain white rice
3 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 can black beans
(one of my favorite things to pair this recipe with is the Greek Chicken - I'll put that recipe up as soon as I finish posting this one!)

Aaaand...GO!!
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add garlic. Cook until crisp; remove garlic before it starts to brown. (Or you can just add some minced garlic that'd be equivalent to that, cause I don't always have fresh garlic on me) Turn heat to high and add rice. STir constantly. When rice begins to look "tweedy" (meaning when some of the grains go white and some become almost clear. DO NOT LET THE RICE BROWN!) Add water, salt and pepper; stir and reduce heat to medium high. Simmer for five minutes. DO NOT STIR!!!! Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover until ready to serve. Heat beans with juice in a small saucepan at medium heat until warmed through. Slap some of them beans on top of your rice and you have a masterpiece! Enjoy!

Squash Medley

This is a fun side dish to add! It's bright, festive, and definitely adds color to a meal (plus a flavorful punch!) I love pairing this with a good salad or some chicken.

What You'll Need:
2-3 yellow squash
1/2 yellow onion
garlic
butter (or vegetable oil, but I think butter gives it a better flavor)
2 Roma tomatoes
2-3 mushrooms
salt


Ready, Set, Saute!
Melt the butter and throw in the garlic. Slice up the squash (pretty thin slices so it goes farther, you can even cut them in half too) and the onion (doesn't matter how big or small you slice your onion really). Slice up your mushrooms and throw them in too. Saute them for a while until their either soft or they start to brown (personal preference). After they have cooked for a while, slice up your tomatoes and throw them in as well just so you can get the flavor. You don't want it to be too liquidy. Put in as much or as little salt as you want, that one kind of depends, but its always safer to do less (I put in about 1/2 tsp).  Remember, it's fun to experiment with stuff like this. If you feel like you want to try zucchini instead of squash or maybe throw in some broccoli or other spices, go for it and tell us how it came out! Enjoy!

Watergate Salad

This is a recipe from the kitchen of my dear friend Kelsey Packham (thank you dearest!) I was quite skeptical at first to try this because of the color and the fact that it looked like something from the Black Lagoon, but looks are definitely deceiving! This is honestly one of my new favorite recipies. It's so delicious and a perfect side dish to bring to any potluck or function you may be attending! Its quick and easy to make, which is a bonus for us college kids :) Also, it could be great for kids because of all the different textures it has and it looks fun! Great for a Halloween party in that respect (zombie brains or slime supreme haha!)


What You'll Need:
1 pkg pistasscio pudding mix
1 can crushed pineapple
1 container Cool Whip (probably 8oz)
1 cup marshmallow
1 cup chopped walnuts (this really brings the whole thing together!)

Easy as Pie!
Throw everything into a bowl and stir basically. Don't make the pudding, just pour the powder into the bowl! Let it chill in the fridge for about 4 hours and then enjoy!