Ris Kreme (Almond Rice)

6 cups milk
2 cups rice
1 pod vanilla
1 almond
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream

Bring the milk to a boil, add the rice and cut up vanilla. Stir until the milk begins to boil again. Put a tight fitting lid on and let the rice simmer over a very low flame for 1 hour without touching it. Remove from heat and keep covered until ready to use. When completely cool add the sugar, the blanched almond and the stiffly whipped cream. It will be lumpy when cool but breaks apart when you add the sugar.

*To blanch an almond I put a cup of water in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Then place almond in water until skin becomes soft and can be slid off.

*I make half of this recipe for my family of young children.

15-Minute Soft Tacos

1 lb sirloin steak or chicken, cut into strips
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cups water
1 cup salsa
1 pkg taco seasoning
2 cups minute rice, uncooked
8 to 12 flour tortillas

Heat oil in skillet. Add meat; cook until lightly browned. Stir in water, salsa and taco seasoning. Heat to a boil. Stir in rice; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Spoon meat mixture evenly onto tortillas; top with shredded cheese if desired.

**This is one of my Quick meals. I also like to add a can of drained beans (black or pinto) and sometimes corn when I add the rice.

Hamburger Cabbage Casserole

1 pound hamburger
1 large onion, chopped
½ cup uncooked instant rice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper (I use 1/4 tsp so it's not so "spicy")
1 can tomato soup
¼ cup water
4 cups coleslaw mix or shredded cabbage

Cook hamburger and onion until meat is brown. Stir in rice, salt, pepper, soup, and water. Place cabbage in ungreased 2-quart dish. Spoon beef mixture over cabbage. Cover and bake about 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

**We had this for dinner last night. When cooking, the cabbage becomes much smaller due to the water content. The cabbage does not have a strong flavor and I'm able to get most of my family to eat this by not telling them that there's cabbage at the bottom. I serve it with mashed potatoes (cannery).

Marci's Chicken with Rice

1 cup rice
1 can French onion soup
1 (14 ½ oz) chicken broth
1/4 stick or less margarine, melted
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed.

Combine and cook covered at 400 for 50-60 minutes.