adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant collection
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas5 cups peeled cubed sweet potatoes
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. canola or other vegetable oil
3 ½ cups diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp. minced fresh green chile
4 tsp. ground cumin
4 tsp. ground coriander
4 ½ cups cooked black beans (three 15oz cans, drained)
2/3 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
16 oz. enchilada sauce (canned or homemade)
shredded cheddar cheese to taste
8 eight-inch flour tortillas
Fresh tomato salsa
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Place the sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan with the salt and
water to cover. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer until tender, about
10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium
skillet or saucepan and add the onions, garlic, and chile. Cover and cook
on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender.
Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 – 3 minutes longer, stirring
frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, lemon juice,
salt, and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth.
Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a large mixing
bowl and mix in the cooked onions and spices.
Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to ¾ cup of the
filling in the center of each tortilla, roll up and place, seam side down, in
the baking dish. Pour the enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle
with cheddar cheese if you wish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for
about 30 minutes, until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa.
What I did: I used Olive Oil. I did not use that many onions. I like onions but thought that was excessive, even for me. I only used one can of Black Beans. I mashed the potatoes and black beans with a potato masher kind of tool. I didn't mash them completely. Because I don't like the flavour of enchilada sauce I used a 8 oz jar of homemade tomato sauce and a can of Ro-Tel Tomatoes, blended together in a food processor. I put grated cheddar in each enchilada and on top before baking. I served it with some homemade guacamole and for my family some chicken lightly sauteed in olive oil seasoned with salt and chili powder. I cooked it in the same skillet I cooked the onions and garlic in for the enchiladas. This made enough filling for 8 well filled enchiladas.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
BLT Pasta
The one thing I always seem to have from the garden is Flat Leaf Parsley. You just can't kill the stuff. It grows all winter, and right now (early March) it is about the only thing harvestable from my garden. I always have parsley and have several other recipes that use a tablespoon here or there, but this recipe uses ½ a cup of Flat Leaf Parsley! It is a delicious recipe, I hope you will try it. It would be awesome in the Summer with garden fresh tomatoes.
BLT Pasta the original recipe was found here http://www.letsdishrecipes.com/2011/01/blt-pasta.html.
I made a few adaptations and next time will make a few more, I'll tell you about those in a minute.
As the recipe appeared above:
Ingredients
16 oz. dry pasta
12 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Slice the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Cook in a large skillet until crispy. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Leave about 1 tablespoon of drippings in skillet. Cook pasta according to package directions until just al dente; drain. Add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes to bacon drippings in skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until onions are soft. Stir in chicken broth and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add cubed cream cheese and stir until cream cheese is melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add pasta, grape tomatoes, bacon and parsley and cook until heated through, about 2 more minutes. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Let's Dish
This was a big hit at my house! Okay, some of my picky eaters removed the tomatoes, but they don't know what they were missing. I love that this dish uses fresh tomatoes in addition to the canned, and the cream cheese adds just a touch of creaminess to the sauce. There isn't any lettuce in this BLT pasta, but let's be honest, that would just be weird. The parsley adds a nice touch of green though. This recipe makes enough to feed a crowd, so if you're feeding less than that, you might want to consider making half. Although, the leftovers are pretty good!
16 oz. dry pasta
12 slices bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cubed
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Slice the bacon into 1/2 inch pieces. Cook in a large skillet until crispy. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Leave about 1 tablespoon of drippings in skillet. Cook pasta according to package directions until just al dente; drain. Add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes to bacon drippings in skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until onions are soft. Stir in chicken broth and diced tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add cubed cream cheese and stir until cream cheese is melted and smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add pasta, grape tomatoes, bacon and parsley and cook until heated through, about 2 more minutes. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Let's Dish
This was a big hit at my house! Okay, some of my picky eaters removed the tomatoes, but they don't know what they were missing. I love that this dish uses fresh tomatoes in addition to the canned, and the cream cheese adds just a touch of creaminess to the sauce. There isn't any lettuce in this BLT pasta, but let's be honest, that would just be weird. The parsley adds a nice touch of green though. This recipe makes enough to feed a crowd, so if you're feeding less than that, you might want to consider making half. Although, the leftovers are pretty good!
Now, What I did:
Because I have a fairly big crew or big eaters at my house, and because I have a son who could and would live on bacon alone; I cooked more bacon. Due to the amount of bacon and the fact that I like my bacon crisp, I didn't cut it in pieces or cook it in a skillet. I laid it in strips on a cookie sheet and cooked it in a 400 degree oven. When the bacon was crisp I removed it to a plate covered with paper towels to drain and when cool, I crumbled it. The bacon grease on the cookie sheet I then used in my skillet to saute the onions, garlic, and red pepper. I used about twice that much garlic. We like garlic and I always have a ton of it from my garden. Then I used a quart of chicken broth (I like my pasta saucy) and 8 ounces of cream cheese. I also used a large can of diced tomatoes. I didn't add the bacon to the pasta, we served it on top. Like I said, I like my bacon crisp. It was delicious!
What I would do different next time:
I will probably use more garlic and more red pepper. “Tomato haters” live in my house, so I will take the diced tomatoes and blend them. Then I will take the grape tomatoes and saute them briefly in some olive oil and serve on the side along with the bacon. It is best not to add the pasta until just prior to serving to preserve the al dente texture. For leftovers, at our house, there are never any bacon leftovers, so serve leftover pasta with purchased bacon bits instead. Yummy! Hope you enjoy!
Monday, March 5, 2012
Enchiladas and Mexican Potatoes
This is super easy! You will be amazed at how easy it is.
Enchiladas
12 corn tortillas
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 jar of enchilada sauce
1 can of sliced black olives
1 onion
Cheddar cheese, grated
Brown the ground beef with the onion, chopped. Salt and pepper the beef to taste. Drain the olives, set aside. Heat the enchilada sauce until warm. Dip tortillas in sauce. Place a couple of spoonfuls of ground beef in the tortilla. Add a few sliced olives and some cheddar cheese. Roll so that the seam is on the bottom. Place in a 9 x 11 baking dish, spayed with Pam. Repeat until all tortillas or meat is gone. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the rolled tortillas. Top with cheese and olives. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
Mexican Potatoes
2 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes
Cheddar Cheese, grated
Canned Jalepenos, sliced
1 Onion, chopped
Peel and cube potatoes, into 1/2 inch cubes. You can use russet potatoes, but Yukon Gold hold their shape better when cooked. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet, about 1/4-1/2". When olive oil is hot, add potatoes and onions. Allow potatoes to brown on one side, then turn gently. Try not to turn them very often, the fewer the better. When the potatoes are browned well on most sides, add the Jalepenos and cheese. Allow cheese to melt.
You can serve the meal with refried beans and tortilla chips and a nice tossed salad.
Hope you enjoy!
Enchiladas
12 corn tortillas
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 jar of enchilada sauce
1 can of sliced black olives
1 onion
Cheddar cheese, grated
Brown the ground beef with the onion, chopped. Salt and pepper the beef to taste. Drain the olives, set aside. Heat the enchilada sauce until warm. Dip tortillas in sauce. Place a couple of spoonfuls of ground beef in the tortilla. Add a few sliced olives and some cheddar cheese. Roll so that the seam is on the bottom. Place in a 9 x 11 baking dish, spayed with Pam. Repeat until all tortillas or meat is gone. Pour remaining sauce over the top of the rolled tortillas. Top with cheese and olives. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
Mexican Potatoes
2 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes
Cheddar Cheese, grated
Canned Jalepenos, sliced
1 Onion, chopped
Peel and cube potatoes, into 1/2 inch cubes. You can use russet potatoes, but Yukon Gold hold their shape better when cooked. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet, about 1/4-1/2". When olive oil is hot, add potatoes and onions. Allow potatoes to brown on one side, then turn gently. Try not to turn them very often, the fewer the better. When the potatoes are browned well on most sides, add the Jalepenos and cheese. Allow cheese to melt.
You can serve the meal with refried beans and tortilla chips and a nice tossed salad.
Hope you enjoy!
Monday, February 27, 2012
"Hot Chicken" and Individual Monkey Breads...
The other night I wanted to try these "individual monkey breads" I had read about.
This is what I did:
2 cans of biscuits (I used Buttermilk Biscuits)
2 sticks of butter, melted
8 cloves of garlic, minced (adjust to taste, I like garlic)
1-2 tsp Basil
1/2 cup Parmesan
More Parmesan for rolling...
Cut the biscuits each into four pieces each, using kitchen shears. You should have 80 pieces of biscuits.
Melt the butter. Mix with the garlic, Basil, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan. In another bowl put about 1 cup of Parmesan, all by itself. Spray a muffin tin with Pam. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dip each piece of biscuit in the butter mixture, then roll in Parmesan, then place in muffin tin. Approximately 9-10 pieces per muffin. When all biscuit pieces are in muffin cups, pour the leftover butter mixture over the top. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown . Makes 9-11 Monkey Breads.
For the Hot Chicken:
Chicken pieces for your family, I used about 7 chicken breast strips.
apx 2 cups of Corn Flake crumbs*
Garlic Salt, apx. 4 tsp.
Pepper to taste, to make it hot use 4-6 tsp of black pepper
Mix cornflake crumbs and seasonings. I put it all in a ziploc baggie.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking pan with Pam. Roll each piece of chicken in the cornflake crumb mixture. (If using the ziploc method, put all chicken in the baggie with the cornflake mixture. Zip. Shake, until well coated.) Place chicken in the baking pan. Bake for 1 hour.
The measurements in this recipe are "iffy." What I really do is, pour some cornflake crumbs in a ziploc. Pour in some garlic salt. I want to be able to see it pile up. Pour in some pepper, enough to see, but not too much.
*Cornflake Crumbs come in a box and can usually be found on the baking aisle.
Then I made Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
Peel, cut in pieces, and bowl 8-10 potatoes with 4-6 cloves of garlic (smashed).
Drain. Add 1 stick of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Mash potatoes. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Stir well.
This is what I did:
2 cans of biscuits (I used Buttermilk Biscuits)
2 sticks of butter, melted
8 cloves of garlic, minced (adjust to taste, I like garlic)
1-2 tsp Basil
1/2 cup Parmesan
Cut the biscuits each into four pieces each, using kitchen shears. You should have 80 pieces of biscuits.
For the Hot Chicken:
Chicken pieces for your family, I used about 7 chicken breast strips.
apx 2 cups of Corn Flake crumbs*
Garlic Salt, apx. 4 tsp.
Pepper to taste, to make it hot use 4-6 tsp of black pepper
Mix cornflake crumbs and seasonings. I put it all in a ziploc baggie.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking pan with Pam. Roll each piece of chicken in the cornflake crumb mixture. (If using the ziploc method, put all chicken in the baggie with the cornflake mixture. Zip. Shake, until well coated.) Place chicken in the baking pan. Bake for 1 hour.
The measurements in this recipe are "iffy." What I really do is, pour some cornflake crumbs in a ziploc. Pour in some garlic salt. I want to be able to see it pile up. Pour in some pepper, enough to see, but not too much.
*Cornflake Crumbs come in a box and can usually be found on the baking aisle.
Then I made Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
Peel, cut in pieces, and bowl 8-10 potatoes with 4-6 cloves of garlic (smashed).
Drain. Add 1 stick of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Mash potatoes. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Stir well.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Squash: How Many Ways Can I Prepare Thee? Let Me Count the Ways...
Squash, it sounds like something really horrible. Like a "squashed" bug or something. No wonder my children don't want to eat it. What is it? According to Wikipedia, "In North America, squash is loosely grouped into summer squash or winter squash, depending on whether they are harvested as immature fruit (summer squash) or mature fruit (autumn squash or winter squash)." Around here when we say squash we are usually referring to Yellow Summer Squash, but it can also loosely include Zucchini. In other countries it is often referred to as "Courgettes", which specifically refers to Zucchini in Italy and my favorite, France. So, I have taken to calling them, "Courgettes." Around here in the Summer time, if you have a garden you have a plethora of courgettes! So, it becomes a challenge to see how many ways they can be prepared....
1. Fried, traditional method of preparation, dipped in flour, seasoned with salt and pepper and fried in a skillet until browned and crisp.
2. A couple of variations on fried, batter dipped, and fried like fried potatoes with no flour.
3. Grilled, this is one of our favorites... cut them up chunky style, like 3-4 inch chunks sliced in half lengthwise, toss them on the grill, cook until tender. Or you can marinate them before hand in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Or for another variation add lemon juice and Oregano to the above marinade. Place it in a ziploc baggie with the Courgettes and let marinate until ready to grill, turning the baggie occasionally.
4. Slice them very thin (I use a mandolin). On a griddle drizzle a little Olive Oil and add a couple of cloves of minced garlic. Let heat until the garlic "speaks". Coat the courgettes with Chile Lime Rub from Williams-Sonoma. Place in hot oil, cook until browned, turning once. This is another favorite way to cook them.
5. Stuffed, mix the stuffing using dried bread crumbs, basil, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and of course, garlic, you can also add a little onion if you like. Slice a courgette in half lengthwise. Scoop out a little of the center, the part with the seeds. Fill with stuffing, top with more Parmesan, place in oven at 350 degrees. Bake until tender.
6. Slice courgettes in half lengthwise, slash the top of each piece of courgette. Spread some butter on each piece. Salt and Pepper. Top with Parmesan cheese. Broil until cheese is browned and courgette is tender.
7. Shred. Shred peeled courgettes. Freeze for later use. I use it to make Zucchini Bread, put in soups.
8. Our latest favorite way is to cut it up in about 1 inch chunks. In a skillet drizzle some olive oil, place 4-5 or more cloves of minced garlic. Heat until garlic "speaks." Add courgettes. Salt and Pepper to taste. I use Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Saute until tender.
9. Tried Zucchini Strings...think Onion Strings... those were pretty good.
How many ways do you prepare courgettes? Add your own methods below in the comments. I am sure I will need some more ways to prepare them. ; )
So what's for dinner? Courgettes, of course!
1. Fried, traditional method of preparation, dipped in flour, seasoned with salt and pepper and fried in a skillet until browned and crisp.
2. A couple of variations on fried, batter dipped, and fried like fried potatoes with no flour.
3. Grilled, this is one of our favorites... cut them up chunky style, like 3-4 inch chunks sliced in half lengthwise, toss them on the grill, cook until tender. Or you can marinate them before hand in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Or for another variation add lemon juice and Oregano to the above marinade. Place it in a ziploc baggie with the Courgettes and let marinate until ready to grill, turning the baggie occasionally.
4. Slice them very thin (I use a mandolin). On a griddle drizzle a little Olive Oil and add a couple of cloves of minced garlic. Let heat until the garlic "speaks". Coat the courgettes with Chile Lime Rub from Williams-Sonoma. Place in hot oil, cook until browned, turning once. This is another favorite way to cook them.
5. Stuffed, mix the stuffing using dried bread crumbs, basil, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and of course, garlic, you can also add a little onion if you like. Slice a courgette in half lengthwise. Scoop out a little of the center, the part with the seeds. Fill with stuffing, top with more Parmesan, place in oven at 350 degrees. Bake until tender.
6. Slice courgettes in half lengthwise, slash the top of each piece of courgette. Spread some butter on each piece. Salt and Pepper. Top with Parmesan cheese. Broil until cheese is browned and courgette is tender.
7. Shred. Shred peeled courgettes. Freeze for later use. I use it to make Zucchini Bread, put in soups.
8. Our latest favorite way is to cut it up in about 1 inch chunks. In a skillet drizzle some olive oil, place 4-5 or more cloves of minced garlic. Heat until garlic "speaks." Add courgettes. Salt and Pepper to taste. I use Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Saute until tender.
9. Tried Zucchini Strings...think Onion Strings... those were pretty good.
How many ways do you prepare courgettes? Add your own methods below in the comments. I am sure I will need some more ways to prepare them. ; )
So what's for dinner? Courgettes, of course!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Dr. Pepper Pork Roast and Rosemary Garlic Fries
While this menu does not really fall in the guidelines for this blog (Dinner in a hour)... it is really easy and yummy. If you are going to be home anyway it doesn't require more than an hour of attention from you, so I thought I would share.
The Dr. Pepper Pork Roast recipe can be found here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/03/spicy-dr-pepper-shredded-pork/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+pwcooks+%28The+Pioneer+Woman+Cooks!%29
I added about 4 cloves of garlic, smashed with the onions. It takes 6 hours to cook. Don't rush it, but don't stand by the oven for six hours either. It could easily be done with beef or with steaks instead of roast. Actually, I added 4 pork chops to the roast because the roast was small and I was afraid it wouldn't be enough.
For my birthday a friend took me to lunch to SmashBurgers. It was delicious. Loved the fries.
So, I came home and made Rosemary Garlic Fries
Rosemary Garlic Fries
4-5 Potatoes, sliced thin, fry like (I used my mandoline and the thin blade)
4-5 Cloves of Garlic minced
3 Stems of Rosemary, leaves removed and chopped (chop the leaves throw out the stems)
Olive Oil
Oil for frying, I use crisco and a cast iron skillet
After slicing fries, toss them with the Rosemary, Garlic, and a drizzle of Olive Oil. Coat the fries well. Add more olive oil if needed.
Fry in small batches until crisp. After removing from skillet, drain on paper towels and salt well. Salt immediately after removing from skillet, don't wait! Don't skimp on the salt, Rosemary seems to sap the salt of its saltiness.
The rest of the menu could include:
Guacamole (find the recipe on this blog)
Black Beans
Homemade Tortillas (to put the Pork on) or Buns
or
Salad
Corn on the cob
Your family will thank you, they can't wait to eat it.
The Dr. Pepper Pork Roast recipe can be found here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/03/spicy-dr-pepper-shredded-pork/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+pwcooks+%28The+Pioneer+Woman+Cooks!%29
I added about 4 cloves of garlic, smashed with the onions. It takes 6 hours to cook. Don't rush it, but don't stand by the oven for six hours either. It could easily be done with beef or with steaks instead of roast. Actually, I added 4 pork chops to the roast because the roast was small and I was afraid it wouldn't be enough.
For my birthday a friend took me to lunch to SmashBurgers. It was delicious. Loved the fries.
So, I came home and made Rosemary Garlic Fries
Rosemary Garlic Fries
4-5 Potatoes, sliced thin, fry like (I used my mandoline and the thin blade)
4-5 Cloves of Garlic minced
3 Stems of Rosemary, leaves removed and chopped (chop the leaves throw out the stems)
Olive Oil
Oil for frying, I use crisco and a cast iron skillet
After slicing fries, toss them with the Rosemary, Garlic, and a drizzle of Olive Oil. Coat the fries well. Add more olive oil if needed.
Fry in small batches until crisp. After removing from skillet, drain on paper towels and salt well. Salt immediately after removing from skillet, don't wait! Don't skimp on the salt, Rosemary seems to sap the salt of its saltiness.
The rest of the menu could include:
Guacamole (find the recipe on this blog)
Black Beans
Homemade Tortillas (to put the Pork on) or Buns
or
Salad
Corn on the cob
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Surine a la Florentine
Sometimes I fix this when I make Stack Ups, as an "adult" meal when we have guests. It is really yummy. Serve with sides of homemade Guacamole and Salsa.
Surine a al Florentine
4 flour tortillas
Chicken, cooked and shredded, about one chicken breast
10 oz. or less of frozen Spinach
1 jar of Artichoke Hearts
Green Sauce
Cheddar Cheese, grated
Sliced Tomatoes
Parmesan Cheese, grated
First prepare the Spinach. Cook in the microwave for 6 minutes in a bowl. Turn bowl over onto paper towels. Add to Spinach a handful of grated Parmesan Cheese, stir. Set aside. Spray a griddle with Pam or spray oil. Place one tortilla at a time on the griddle, set a empty pan on top of the tortilla. Cook until browned and crisp, turn. Replace pan on top of tortilla. Cook until both sides are brown and crisp. Be careful, watchful or they will burn really fast. Repeat with the other 3 tortillas.
Take a cake pan, spray with Pam. Place one crisp tortilla in the bottom. Spread Green Sauce on the tortilla, not too much but cover the tortilla well. Spread some Spinach over the Green Sauce, completely covering the tortilla. Spread half of the chicken on the Spinach. Add a layer of sliced Artichoke Hearts and a layer of sliced Tomatoes. Top with a generous sprinkling of grated Cheddar Cheese. On top of the cheese place another crisp tortilla. Press down gently. Repeat to make a second pan. Place in the oven at 400 degrees. Bake until hot and cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven, run a knife around the edge and turn pan over on a cutting board. Cut into four pieces. Feeds 4, unless you are really hungry. This is a wonderful Summertime meal. Serve with Tortilla chips, guacamole, and salsa.
Surine a al Florentine
4 flour tortillas
Chicken, cooked and shredded, about one chicken breast
10 oz. or less of frozen Spinach
1 jar of Artichoke Hearts
Green Sauce
Cheddar Cheese, grated
Sliced Tomatoes
Parmesan Cheese, grated
First prepare the Spinach. Cook in the microwave for 6 minutes in a bowl. Turn bowl over onto paper towels. Add to Spinach a handful of grated Parmesan Cheese, stir. Set aside. Spray a griddle with Pam or spray oil. Place one tortilla at a time on the griddle, set a empty pan on top of the tortilla. Cook until browned and crisp, turn. Replace pan on top of tortilla. Cook until both sides are brown and crisp. Be careful, watchful or they will burn really fast. Repeat with the other 3 tortillas.
Take a cake pan, spray with Pam. Place one crisp tortilla in the bottom. Spread Green Sauce on the tortilla, not too much but cover the tortilla well. Spread some Spinach over the Green Sauce, completely covering the tortilla. Spread half of the chicken on the Spinach. Add a layer of sliced Artichoke Hearts and a layer of sliced Tomatoes. Top with a generous sprinkling of grated Cheddar Cheese. On top of the cheese place another crisp tortilla. Press down gently. Repeat to make a second pan. Place in the oven at 400 degrees. Bake until hot and cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from oven, run a knife around the edge and turn pan over on a cutting board. Cut into four pieces. Feeds 4, unless you are really hungry. This is a wonderful Summertime meal. Serve with Tortilla chips, guacamole, and salsa.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Stack-ups
Stack-ups
1 can of refried beans, or make your own about 2 cups
4 Flour tortillas
1 can of green chiles, chopped or one bunch of green onions, chopped (both are optional, for my kids I leave it out)
1-2 cups of grated cheddar
Spray a 9" cake pan with Pam. Spread refried beans on one tortilla. Top with at least a 1/3 cup of cheese, 1/3 of the green onions or chiles if using. Repeat two more times. Top with plain tortilla.
Bake in oven at 400 degrees, until golden brown on top, tortilla should be crisp. Turn upside down on a cutting board, cut in six pieces like pie. Serve with Salsa, Guacomole, and Tortilla Chips.
This is a really quick meal. Make as many as you need to feed your family. One pan feeds two people around here, usually. You can also leave the beans out and just do cheese if you like. Jerry and I like fresh tomatoes from the garden sliced and on them. Make them your own.
How to make your own refried beans... Take about 2 cups of cooked and seasoned pintos. Heat, mashing with a potato masher occasionally. Add a sprinkle of garlic salt and chili powder. Stir. Cook until hot and semi-smashed.
1 can of refried beans, or make your own about 2 cups
4 Flour tortillas
1 can of green chiles, chopped or one bunch of green onions, chopped (both are optional, for my kids I leave it out)
1-2 cups of grated cheddar
Spray a 9" cake pan with Pam. Spread refried beans on one tortilla. Top with at least a 1/3 cup of cheese, 1/3 of the green onions or chiles if using. Repeat two more times. Top with plain tortilla.
Bake in oven at 400 degrees, until golden brown on top, tortilla should be crisp. Turn upside down on a cutting board, cut in six pieces like pie. Serve with Salsa, Guacomole, and Tortilla Chips.
This is a really quick meal. Make as many as you need to feed your family. One pan feeds two people around here, usually. You can also leave the beans out and just do cheese if you like. Jerry and I like fresh tomatoes from the garden sliced and on them. Make them your own.
How to make your own refried beans... Take about 2 cups of cooked and seasoned pintos. Heat, mashing with a potato masher occasionally. Add a sprinkle of garlic salt and chili powder. Stir. Cook until hot and semi-smashed.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
What's for Breakfast?
Sausage Cheese Muffins
2 cups flour, 1/2 of it whole wheat
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp Baking Powder
6 Tbsp Butter
1/2 lb. sausage, crumbled, browned, and drained
1 cup grated cheese, (we use cheddar)
1 3/4 -2 cups milk
Spray muffin tins with Pam or grease lightly. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix together the dry ingredients. With a pastry blender or fork add butter. Chop butter in small slices before adding to make it easier to mix. Butter should be chilled. When it is crumbly, add the sausage and cheese. Mix well. Add the milk. Mix only until combined. The mixture should be gloppy, but not runny. Fill muffin tins half full. Any empty tins (unfilled in the tray, because you ran out of dough) fill halfway with water. This makes them bake evenly. Don't over mix after adding the milk. Over mixing makes the muffins tough. Bake until golden brown on top. Delicious! Makes approximately 18 muffins.
2 cups flour, 1/2 of it whole wheat
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp Baking Powder
6 Tbsp Butter
1/2 lb. sausage, crumbled, browned, and drained
1 cup grated cheese, (we use cheddar)
1 3/4 -2 cups milk
Spray muffin tins with Pam or grease lightly. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix together the dry ingredients. With a pastry blender or fork add butter. Chop butter in small slices before adding to make it easier to mix. Butter should be chilled. When it is crumbly, add the sausage and cheese. Mix well. Add the milk. Mix only until combined. The mixture should be gloppy, but not runny. Fill muffin tins half full. Any empty tins (unfilled in the tray, because you ran out of dough) fill halfway with water. This makes them bake evenly. Don't over mix after adding the milk. Over mixing makes the muffins tough. Bake until golden brown on top. Delicious! Makes approximately 18 muffins.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Ranch Style Chicken, Rosemary Oven roasted Potatoes, Vermont Cheddar Bread and Broccoli
Yum! Although I will make a few changes to the recipes in this menu the next time I fix them. They were all good. They require a little planning ahead, which is not my normal way of fixing everyday meals. As we go along I will tell you what I would do different. I encourage you to make changes to suit your families tastes.
Ranch Style Chicken: To fix this in an hour or so you need to do part of it the night before.
The recipe is from Pioneer Woman Cooks (find it here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/ranch-style-chicken/ ) Thaw your chicken and fix the marinade, pound the chicken to the thinness described in the recipe, place in the marinade, refrigerate, overnight. (Now, what I did was follow the recipe, plus added a clove of minced garlic. I would marinate it longer, overnight and add more garlic when fixing it again. Also I think a little more crushed red pepper) The next day when ready to cook, follow the directions given. Cook your bacon in the oven. (Next time I will crumble the bacon and add a little more cheese. Be sure to use Sharp or Super Sharp Cheese. Why? The presentation is nice if you follow the instructions, but it is hard to eat. If the bacon were crumbled on top of the chicken then you could easily spread the cheese on without it falling off and it would be easier to cut. The cheese, it really needs the Super sharpness of the cheese.)
Rosemary Oven Roasted Potatoes: This is my recipe, however it needs some work. Let's get started with what I did. Peel and cut up several potatoes in approximately one inch cubes. Toss in olive oil, chopped fresh Rosemary, one clove of minced garlic, salt and pepper. Place baking sheet in oven at 400 degrees and let it get hot. Place potatoes on the baking sheet after it is good and hot and return to oven, stirring once or twice. (Next time I will use melted butter instead of olive oil, a lot more Rosemary and garlic and more salt. The butter will make them brown nicely. Rosemary seems to sap the saltiness, so don't skimp on the salt. I just flat didn't use enough garlic.)
3-4 peeled and chopped potatoes
3 Tbsps chopped Fresh Rosemary
3 cloves Garlic, minced
4-6 tbsp of melted butter
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper.
Roast in oven at 400 degrees, turning once or twice until tender and nicely browned.
The Vermont Cheddar Bread is from "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" on page 106-107
Just follow the directions, mix it up the night before (it serious takes 5 minutes to mix)
Refrigerate. Next day finish shaping the bread. Let rise, bake as directed.
(I would add more cheese.) To make this meal in about an hour, do the overnight things the night before (obviously, I know)
Then start the bread first. It takes 5 minutes from you but needs time to rise, then bake. Then do the potatoes and put in the oven. Get the broccoli ready to put on but don't start yet. Then start the chicken. Don't forget to turn the Broccoli on about 10 minutes before the chicken is done.
Ranch Style Chicken: To fix this in an hour or so you need to do part of it the night before.
The recipe is from Pioneer Woman Cooks (find it here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/01/ranch-style-chicken/ ) Thaw your chicken and fix the marinade, pound the chicken to the thinness described in the recipe, place in the marinade, refrigerate, overnight. (Now, what I did was follow the recipe, plus added a clove of minced garlic. I would marinate it longer, overnight and add more garlic when fixing it again. Also I think a little more crushed red pepper) The next day when ready to cook, follow the directions given. Cook your bacon in the oven. (Next time I will crumble the bacon and add a little more cheese. Be sure to use Sharp or Super Sharp Cheese. Why? The presentation is nice if you follow the instructions, but it is hard to eat. If the bacon were crumbled on top of the chicken then you could easily spread the cheese on without it falling off and it would be easier to cut. The cheese, it really needs the Super sharpness of the cheese.)
Rosemary Oven Roasted Potatoes: This is my recipe, however it needs some work. Let's get started with what I did. Peel and cut up several potatoes in approximately one inch cubes. Toss in olive oil, chopped fresh Rosemary, one clove of minced garlic, salt and pepper. Place baking sheet in oven at 400 degrees and let it get hot. Place potatoes on the baking sheet after it is good and hot and return to oven, stirring once or twice. (Next time I will use melted butter instead of olive oil, a lot more Rosemary and garlic and more salt. The butter will make them brown nicely. Rosemary seems to sap the saltiness, so don't skimp on the salt. I just flat didn't use enough garlic.)
3-4 peeled and chopped potatoes
3 Tbsps chopped Fresh Rosemary
3 cloves Garlic, minced
4-6 tbsp of melted butter
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper.
Roast in oven at 400 degrees, turning once or twice until tender and nicely browned.
The Vermont Cheddar Bread is from "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" on page 106-107
Just follow the directions, mix it up the night before (it serious takes 5 minutes to mix)
Refrigerate. Next day finish shaping the bread. Let rise, bake as directed.
(I would add more cheese.) To make this meal in about an hour, do the overnight things the night before (obviously, I know)
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| Ranch Style Chicken |
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| Vermont Cheddar Bread |
Friday, December 31, 2010
New Year's Eve
Cake Pops! These are so fun! And so delicious! Will have to try them again.We are also having White Lightning Chili and New Year's Eve Pizza, Cheese Balls, and assorted snack type foods.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Calamity!!
Warning: Not intended for those on "Low Cholesterol" diets. You have been warned!
Ingredients:
1 pound Bacon
1 large onion
8 to 12 eggs
2 to 4 potatoes or Frozen French Fries about 1/2 a bag
Grated Cheddar about 1 cup or more if you really like things cheesy
The range in ingredients is because Jerry likes more eggs, and I like more fries, onions, cheese, and other stuff, especially bacon.
Fry 1 pound of bacon
I fry mine in the oven on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees. It stays flat, and I don't have to turn it that way. Wonderful. With the way my family eats bacon, this is indeed wonderful. They can go through 2 pounds in five minutes. Not kidding.
Drain on paper towels and set aside. Post a guard, or you won't have any left for the Calamity!
French Fries: You can use frozen fries, steak fries are what the recipe originally called for. However, at my house we do ever thing the hard way and from scratch. But feel free to use frozen, Real potatoes and freshly fried are so much better.
Peel and slice 2 to 4 potatoes like french fries. Fry in a cast iron skillet.
Drain on paper towels and set aside and allow to cool.
In a bowl scramble 8 to 12 eggs. Salt and pepper.
Chop a large onion.
Place some bacon grease in a large skillet, heat it until hot. Place french fries (even the frozen ones) and the onions in the bacon grease and cook until the onions are clear.
Pour scrambled eggs over the onions and fries and cook until done. Crumble bacon over the top, stir in. Add grated cheddar and stir until melted.
Serve immediately.
Also good cooked over a campfire.
Ingredients:
1 pound Bacon
1 large onion
8 to 12 eggs
2 to 4 potatoes or Frozen French Fries about 1/2 a bag
Grated Cheddar about 1 cup or more if you really like things cheesy
The range in ingredients is because Jerry likes more eggs, and I like more fries, onions, cheese, and other stuff, especially bacon.
Fry 1 pound of bacon
I fry mine in the oven on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees. It stays flat, and I don't have to turn it that way. Wonderful. With the way my family eats bacon, this is indeed wonderful. They can go through 2 pounds in five minutes. Not kidding.
Drain on paper towels and set aside. Post a guard, or you won't have any left for the Calamity!
French Fries: You can use frozen fries, steak fries are what the recipe originally called for. However, at my house we do ever thing the hard way and from scratch. But feel free to use frozen, Real potatoes and freshly fried are so much better.
Peel and slice 2 to 4 potatoes like french fries. Fry in a cast iron skillet.
Drain on paper towels and set aside and allow to cool.
In a bowl scramble 8 to 12 eggs. Salt and pepper.
Chop a large onion.
Place some bacon grease in a large skillet, heat it until hot. Place french fries (even the frozen ones) and the onions in the bacon grease and cook until the onions are clear.
Pour scrambled eggs over the onions and fries and cook until done. Crumble bacon over the top, stir in. Add grated cheddar and stir until melted.
Serve immediately.
Also good cooked over a campfire.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Breakfast for Supper
Menu
Waffles
Bacon
Omelettes
Fruit
First place one pound of bacon on a baking sheet, the slices can touch but not overlap. Put it in the oven at 400 degrees. Cook until desired doneness. I like mine crispy, all but burned.
Now plug in your waffle iron. Mix the waffles.
Waffles (from Joy of Cooking)
Mix together
2 cups flour
2 tsp Double acting Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp of sugar, plus a little extra if you like them sweet
Beat well
3 eggs
Add:
7 tbsp melted butter (use real butter, not that plastic stuff)
1 1/2 - 2 cups of milk
A splash of vanilla
Mix well.
Pour into hot waffle iron.
Remove when crisp and reheat waffle iron and repeat.
Omellettes
Crack 2-3 eggs per person into a bowl.
Beat well, until frothy. Beat, beat, beat, take out your frustrations.
Heat a skillet with a little bacon grease from the bacon.
Use a small skillet.
Pour enough eggs into the hot skillet enough to cover the pan and not too thick.
Salt and pepper.
As the eggs begin to firm and are not quite done on top, turn them over in one piece.
Add cheese, crumbled bacon or leftover ham, onions, tomatoes, whatever floats your boat. Fold half of the eggs over on top of the other. Turn over if necessary to finish cooking.
Drain bacon on paper towels.
Heat syrup in the microwave or a pan of boiling water.
Slice fresh oranges, apples (core them), and bananas in half.
Yummy. Breakfast for supper.
Waffles
Bacon
Omelettes
Fruit
First place one pound of bacon on a baking sheet, the slices can touch but not overlap. Put it in the oven at 400 degrees. Cook until desired doneness. I like mine crispy, all but burned.
Now plug in your waffle iron. Mix the waffles.
Waffles (from Joy of Cooking)
Mix together
2 cups flour
2 tsp Double acting Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp of sugar, plus a little extra if you like them sweet
Beat well
3 eggs
Add:
7 tbsp melted butter (use real butter, not that plastic stuff)
1 1/2 - 2 cups of milk
A splash of vanilla
Mix well.
Pour into hot waffle iron.
Remove when crisp and reheat waffle iron and repeat.
Omellettes
Crack 2-3 eggs per person into a bowl.
Beat well, until frothy. Beat, beat, beat, take out your frustrations.
Heat a skillet with a little bacon grease from the bacon.
Use a small skillet.
Pour enough eggs into the hot skillet enough to cover the pan and not too thick.
Salt and pepper.
As the eggs begin to firm and are not quite done on top, turn them over in one piece.
Add cheese, crumbled bacon or leftover ham, onions, tomatoes, whatever floats your boat. Fold half of the eggs over on top of the other. Turn over if necessary to finish cooking.
Drain bacon on paper towels.
Heat syrup in the microwave or a pan of boiling water.
Slice fresh oranges, apples (core them), and bananas in half.
Yummy. Breakfast for supper.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Chicken Parmigiano
This is super easy. It is a Rachel Ray recipe, from her book 30 Minute Meals The Original. The recipe is called Zesty Chicken Cutlets Parmigiana and Quick Marinara Sauce, on page 128. As such I can't give the exact recipe here. Here is what I do. I don't exactly follow the recipe anyway.
Bread chicken in bread crumbs, salt (don't under salt), pepper, red pepper, Flat Leaf Parsley, and Parmigiana cheese.
In a skillet (actually, I use a griddle) spread a little olive oil and two cloves of garlic, minced. Heat the oil until the garlic "speaks." Remove the garlic. Add breaded chicken breasts, brown on each side. Spray a baking dish with Pam. Place the chicken pieces in the baking dish and cover with sauce. My kids don't like the sauce on their chicken so I omit this part for them and just bake the chicken with the cheese on top. (Sauce follows) Slice fresh Mozzarella cheese and place on top of each chicken piece. Bake until chicken is done.
Sauce
In a sauce pan drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Add two garlic cloves, minced and a sprinkle of red pepper. Heat until garlic speaks. Add a large can of tomatoes. Add the following (fresh if you have them on hand, it really is better that way, but I only had parsley, dried works) Basil, Oregano, and Flat Leaf Parsley. Add a little salt.
Heat on simmer while the rest of dinner is cooking.
Boil a large pot of water (surely I don't have to explain) for pasta.
Cook Pasta until al dente. Drain. Toss with remaining sauce.
Warm in the oven a loaf of Italian Bread.
Delicious.
Bread chicken in bread crumbs, salt (don't under salt), pepper, red pepper, Flat Leaf Parsley, and Parmigiana cheese.
In a skillet (actually, I use a griddle) spread a little olive oil and two cloves of garlic, minced. Heat the oil until the garlic "speaks." Remove the garlic. Add breaded chicken breasts, brown on each side. Spray a baking dish with Pam. Place the chicken pieces in the baking dish and cover with sauce. My kids don't like the sauce on their chicken so I omit this part for them and just bake the chicken with the cheese on top. (Sauce follows) Slice fresh Mozzarella cheese and place on top of each chicken piece. Bake until chicken is done.
Sauce
In a sauce pan drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Add two garlic cloves, minced and a sprinkle of red pepper. Heat until garlic speaks. Add a large can of tomatoes. Add the following (fresh if you have them on hand, it really is better that way, but I only had parsley, dried works) Basil, Oregano, and Flat Leaf Parsley. Add a little salt.
Heat on simmer while the rest of dinner is cooking.
Boil a large pot of water (surely I don't have to explain) for pasta.
Cook Pasta until al dente. Drain. Toss with remaining sauce.
Warm in the oven a loaf of Italian Bread.
Delicious.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Taco Soup and Mexican Cornbread
Taco Soup
1 can Chicken Broth (I used homemade, in a jar)
1 can Beef Broth (again with the homemade bit) I am trying not to buy so much canned and processed food from the store and it wasn't hard. Just took time and beef bones!
1 can pinto beans (again with the homemade)
1 can corn, I used frozen
1 can Ro-Tel Tomatoes
1 pkg. Ranch Dip Mix
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix
1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
Throw it all in a pot and cook until hot, then let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. To serve top with grated cheese and sour cream, guacamole if desired. Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread.
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| See, doesn't that look fun! |
Confession time: I think I really messed this up because I wanted to be cute and fun and cook it in a cast iron skillet on the stove. Jerry likes cornbread, which is why I make it, isn't that your reason. I didn't go back and read the directions I had seen for doing that the other day. So, I scorched it on the bottom and the top was not done. Ugh. Oh, well. I sprayed Pam in my normal cake pan for cooking cornbread, and just dumped the skillet upside down into the pan. Pulled off the scorched bottom and placed it back in the oven. Bother. It didn't look pretty, but it is edible. Disasters happen, get over it. Smile and move, be a smover!
Now for the recipe
Follow the directions on your cornbread mix or cornmeal. It doesn't matter which, and cornmeal is not much harder than the mix.
Then add
1/2 cup of corn (I just kept some out of the soup) drained and rinsed
1 can of green chiles, chopped, drained and rinsed
Bake according to directions.
Yummy.
Now for those who can't get the seasoning mixes or don't want to use them, I will list the spices here that are on the packages, not the other stuff, like "other spices" or "sodium biditrate"and other things you can't say or whatever. (Yes, I made that up.)
Taco Seasoning Mix
Chili Peppers
Corn Masa
Salt
Dried Onion
Dried Garlic
Paprika
Cocoa Powder (seriously, its in there, interesting though, huh?)
Ranch Dip Mix
Dried Onion
Dried Garlic
Buttermilk
"other spices"--guessing, parsley, dill, maybe basil, or thyme
One more side note: Ro-tel tomatoes are just tomatoes canned with green chiles.
Now back to my quilt making project!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Chili
Brown 1 lb. of ground beef in a skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Add 3 Tbsp of Williams Chili Seasoning. Williams is available at most grocery stores. I buy it in a jar from Sam's. But it comes in packets. Ignore the directions on the packet or jar.
Add to beans.
Add 2 small cans tomato sauce
Add 1 can of rotel tomatoes
Then add 3 more tbsp of Williams Chili Seasoning
Stir.
Simmer.
Sprinkle a little Cumin on top of the pot.
Stir.
Sometimes, I add some minced garlic. Depends on my mood. Some Turmeric is good too, but not too much.
The chili should have a deep reddish color. It should smell delicious. Your pan may be messy. Don't sweat it, it will wash. It is worth the effort.
Serve over Fritoes, top with grated cheddar, a little chopped onion, and some guacamole and sour cream. Yummy!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Pizza Pasta
Boil 2 cups of Penne Pasta (I did three)
While the Pasta is boiling cook the meat.
1lb. of Ground Beef or Sausage
Drain the pasta and the meat.
Mix together with a large jar of spaghetti sauce (feel free to make your own, you need two to three cups, its not hard) and about 2-3 cups of grated mozzarella cheese. I cheated and used jarred sauce, I was in a hurry. Stir well. Place in baking dish. Top with more cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted. About 20 minutes.
That's it! Serve with hot Italian Bread, or Garlic Bread or "The Bread" from the PioneerWomanCooks.
Add a Tossed Salad and you have a yummy meal.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Curried Pork Chops with Pineapple Salsa, Black Beans, Homemade Tortillas, and Guacamole
Black Beans
1 lb package of Black Beans, dried
Onion, chopped
Garlic, 2-3 cloves, smashed
Turmeric
Cumin
Salt and Pepper
Chicken Broth (optional)
I will give you two ways to cook these. I cooked them on my stove top. You can also put everything in a crock pot in the morning and the will be done by dinner. Put everything in a pot except the Turmeric and Cumin, and cover with water about 2-3 inches above the beans. If using Chicken Broth add it and then additional water as needed. Cook, slowly until beans are tender. Add water as needed if they boil dry, but before they scorch. (Yuck) About an hour before dinner, when you start to prepare the other dishes, add the Turmeric (just a little, about 1/4 tsp) and Cumin. Stir, and allow to simmer until dinner is ready.
Curried Pork Chops
(This is a recipe adapted from Southern Living Magazine along time ago)
2 tbsp of Curry Powder
1tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground Black Pepper
Mix together and Rub on both sides of Pork Chops.
Cover and let rest until time to cook.
Cook on the grill until done.
2 cups fresh Pineapple, chopped
1/2 red onion chopped
2-3 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
Salt and Pepper
Toss pineapple, onion and cilantro together. In a small bowl stir with a fork remaining ingredients together. Pour over pineapple mixture. Stir well. Let stand for 2 hours. (Or whatever.)
Homemade Tortillas
These are really easy, so don't freak out. They are worth the time. My kids eat them solo. Normally, I use Masa Harina (which is available at local markets) but I was out. I know not what it really is, it is just used to make tortillas, that is enough for me. Follow the directions on the package (like flour). Find it in the Mexican Food section of your market. No need to panic. I used the recipe from ThePioneerWomanCooks.com This recipe was easy too, and worked fine. I prefer the Masa Harina ones. Just my personal preference. However, it is just another ingredient to buy and Pioneer Woman's used regular flour and baking powder. So whatever makes you smile.
This is probably the hardest part. It is hard because I don't really measure. I do it by smell and looks. But mostly chopping.
4 Avacadoes
Cut in half, remove flesh with a spoon. Smash. (Side note: The avacadoes should be soft, yielding to gentle pressure. The ones I used tonight were not soft enough and made for some weird Guac)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
Cilantro, (I like the stuff so I use a lot, you use as much as you like),chopped (use your kitchen shears)
Mix Ingredients together, smashing the avocados as you stir.
Add:
A couple squirts of lime juice
Chili Powder
Cumin (I love Cumin, but don't use too much. One time the lid came off while I was sprinkling it in the Guac, and it was not good. There was no way to save it.)
Salt and Pepper
Stir Well.
This seems like a lot of cooking, but really it is not that bad. I always have someone else do the grilling. So the only thing that took time was the beans and those you can do in a crock pot, and the tortillas because there was so many of them. Tortillas are cooked one at a time. Hope you enjoy!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Ham and Baked Potatoes, Grilled Pineapple, Cheddar Bacon and Chive Biscuits
Glaze
1/4 to 1/2 cup orange juice
a handful of brown sugar
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
Mix together and spoon over ham before placing in the oven. And again about 15 minutes before the ham is done. Sorry for the vagueness, this is the way I cook most of the time. I usually smell it to see if it smells good.
I placed the ham in the dish and spooned some glaze over it, covered it with foil and put it in the oven to bake.
Baked Potatoes
Wash potatoes, then dry, rub all over with Crisco or other shortening.
Place in a cast iron skillet and bake at 400 degrees until tender when stabbed with a fork. The outside skin should get crisp. (yum!)
Grilled Pineapple
Slice Pineapple in rings about 1/4inch thick or so. You don't have to be exact.
Heat grill. When hot, toss the rings on the grill, turning once. You want grill marks on both sides, and for the Pineapple to caramelize.
Now for the biscuits.. I use the recipe for Drop (we call them Ugly) Biscuits in my "Joy of Cooking" cookbook. Any recipe will do, just add a little extra liquid. Add a handful of grated cheddar, 3-4 slices of bacon (cooked crisp and crumbled), and some chopped chives. I used Garlic Chives, it is what I had in the herb bed. You can bake them as drop biscuits, if you don't mind ugly or with a little extra liquid you can put them in muffin tins and bake. Either way, they will taste delicious.
For those who want a vegetable, add a salad or other veggie that is simple to cook. I will probably fix some broccoli. To cook broccoli... Take frozen broccoli place in pan. Run a little water over the top. Sprinkle with Kosher salt, red pepper and add two cloves of garlic, smashed. Heat with lid on until bright green. Remove from heat until ready to serve.
I cooked several slices of bacon, some for the biscuits and some for the baked potatoes. To do this, place sliced bacon on a baking sheet (it must have an edge) and place in oven on 400 degrees for 10 minutes or so, until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels on a plate to drain. Super easy way to cook lots of bacon, and another perk it comes out flat.
My kitchen helper (Molly Jo) made the biscuits.
Super easy meal that was delicious.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Pizza
The Crust Pizza Dough Recipe
2+cups of flour
a handful of Parmesan
about a tsp of salt
a sprinkle of dried Basil
2-3 tsps of yeast
1 1/2 cups of warm water
Mix all the dry ingredients with a fork, then slowly add the water while stirring. You may not need all the water. Then dump the dough on the counter sprinkled with a little flour and knead a few minutes, this is not hard, nor does it take long, just a few minutes. Fold the dough, press with the heel of your hand, turn the dough a quarter turn, repeat. Place in a bowl with a little olive oil in the bottom, use the dough to spread it all around the sides of the bowl, then turn the dough over. Cover with a towel, and set somewhere near the stove (not too near, you don't want the towel to catch fire), but somewhere a little warm to rise.
Parenthetical Note without Parentheses
In an effort to take pictures for this blog, I forgot to add the yeast until I started to knead the dough. Ugh. No worries. I hadn't used all the warm water so I put the yeast in the warm water, stirred. Sprinkled some extra flour on the counter and on the dough, made a dent in the dough and poured the yeast and water in it, then kneaded it some more. We will see if it works, if not... we will start over.
While the dough is rising...
Cook the meat. We are using hamburger, which was still frozen when I was ready to cook it, but that is okay, I cook it that way all the time. Salt and pepper it. You can use sausage, pepperoni, chicken, whatever. Just get it ready while the dough is raising.
The Sauce
1 can of tomato sauce (I used home canned tomato sauce in a jar)
A handful of Parmesan
1 tsp of Oregano
1/4 tsp of Basil (I put a little more, I like Basil)
1tsp Minced Garlic
3/4 tsp Onion Powder
A sprinkle of crushed red pepper
2 tbsp of honey
Stir together and let sit while the meat cooks and the dough raises. At this point you can make a salad if you like that kind of thing. We just eat pizza and sometime Nacho Cheese Doritoes.
When the dough is about twice as big, or to use the cooking term "doubled," you are ready to "roll" out the crust. I just use my hands to spread it and stretch it. I divide the dough into two equal portions to make two pizzas. Spread it to cover the entire pizza pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Spread half of the sauce on each pizza, add your meat and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 15 to 20 more minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. We like it a little browned. If you want a softer crust, skip the baking the crust before you put sauce on it.
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