Ham and Swiss Poppy Seed Sliders

I wanted to try this recipe because it looked like such a quick and easy dinner. Plus, I am a sucker for a sandwich. Not only was the dinner prep simple, these were delicious. I had to take a quick picture with my phone because we had to put them on the blog before they got gobbled up. I can't wait to make this for our next party as an appetizer. They are soooo good. Even my kids liked them. When the whole family is eating, that is success!!!!

Ham and Swiss Poppy Seed Sliders

The Slider
Ingredients:

24 good white rolls

24 pieces good honey ham

24 small slices Swiss cheese

1/3 mayo

1/3 cup miracle whip

 

 

Poppy Seed Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 TBSP poppy seeds

1 1/2 TBSP yellow mustard

1 stick butter, melted

1 TBSP minced onion

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

 

 

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix together mayo & miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham & a slice of swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls & place into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet, very close together.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients and pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. Let sit 10 minutes, or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil & bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover & cook for 2 additional minutes and serve warm.

Recipe Source: The Sister's Cafe

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe

So I can't say that I have actually eaten this beef at P.F. Chang's, but regardless, this recipe was really good.  Plus, it's so quick and easy to make.  My whole family enjoyed it.  The sauce didn't thicken up for me as much as I would have liked, but the end result was still delicious.  We will definitely be making this again.   

P.F. Chang's Mongolian Beef Copycat Recipe

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
½ cup water
¾ cup dark brown sugar
vegetable oil, for frying (about 1 cup)
1 lb flank steak
¼ cup cornstarch
2 large green onions, chopped

Directions:

Sauce:
Heat 2 tsp. of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Don't get the oil too hot.
Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.
Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then increase the heat to medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat.

Beef:
Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts. Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks. As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil). Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and sauté until brown. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly. After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels. Dab excess oil off meat with a paper towel and add to medium saucepan with the sauce in it. Put the pan back on the oven over medium/low heat. Add chopped green onions and let sauce simmer until warm. Serve over rice.

Recipe Source:  Six Sisters' Stuff

Spider Web Pizza

It has been way too long since I last posted on my food blog.  But the fact is I have not cooked in my kitchen for like 6 weeks.  Sad, I know!  Especially since I have a cooking blog.  But honestly, the food I love has become the food I hate.  Ugh!  I haven't been cookin' because I have a bun in my personal oven and have been so sick.  So sick.  It's hard to enjoy food period.  This is my favorite time of year to make food too.  I love fall food, pumpkins, creating Halloween dinners.  Oh, I'm in mourning about my generally nausea.  But thank heavens that I make things and sometimes never post them. I actually made this last year, but never posted it.   So I am finally getting around to posting something.  Hopefully I will be able to get back into the kitchen soon.  I miss it!

This is a spider web pizza.  It is really easy and fun to make with kids.  You simply place all the toppings under the tomato sauce.  This pizza was a pepperoni pizza.  Add a cute olive spider to the top for added decoration.  My hubs hates olives so I didn't put one on, but I'm wishing I would have for the picture. 

Spider Web Pizza

Ingredients:

Crust (Click here for a super easy, fast, and tasty crust recipe.)

Mozzarella Cheese

Pepperoni

Pizza Sauce

Alfredo Sauce from a jar

Olives for a spider

Any other toppings

Directions:

Make crust.  Place pepperoni, mozzarella, and any other toppings on top of crust.  Then put on your pizza sauce.  For the alfredo sauce, place the sauce in a ziploc bag.  Cut a small corner off the bag.  Squeeze alfredo sauce from the hole creating a spider web.  Create a spider out of olives if desired. Then cook the pizza according to the directions that go with your crust.  Enjoy!

Linked to:  These Chicks Cooked, Full Plate Thursday

Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Sauce and Grilled Veggies

The only thing I could have wished about this meal is that I could have taken a better picture.  It was DE-licious!  Everything was perfect from the fantastic grilled and seasoned veggies to the juicy and savory meat all topped off with the SAUCE!  Oh my!  The sauce.  Boy, oh boy, was it delectable.  If you like blue cheese, you will love this sauce.  I was tempted to dip in there with my fingers it was so good.  Oh, I'm still dreaming about that sauce.  It was the perfect match with the meat and veggies.  Oh the sauce....mmmmm....it was so good.  Still thinking about it.  Mmmmm.....

Beef Tenderloin with Blue Cheese Sauce and Grilled Veggies
Ingredients:
1  3 1/2-4 lb. beef tenderloin, trimmed (I couldn't find tenderloin, so I used tri-tip.)
2  Tb. extra virgin olive oil
1-2  tsp. seasoned salt
1-2  tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4- 1  tsp. granulated garlic powder

Blue Cheese Sauce:
4  oz. blue cheese, crumbled
1/2  cup mayonnaise
1/2  cup sour cream
1  Tb. freshly grated lemon zest (zest of 1 lemon)
1/8-1/4  tsp. salt (to taste)
1/8-1/4  tsp. freshly ground pepper (to taste)

Directions:
Preheat your grill for high heat grilling.  Wash the tenderloin and pat dry.  Ligerally coat with olive oil.  Season with the seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic.  Grill for 20 minutes on high heat and then check witha meat thermometer.  When the temperature reaches 125 degrees in a couple places, it is medium-rare.  If you want it more well done, cook it for a bit longer.  Remove from the grill and let rest for 10-20 minutes.  While the meat rests, combine the blue cheese, mayo, sour cream, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a bowl and mash to combine.  Slice the beef and serve witht  the sauce on the side. 

Grilled Veggies

Ingredients:
1  pt. cherry tomatoes
1  large sweet onion, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rings
1  medium-large zucchini, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
1  medium-large yellow squash, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices
2-3  TB. extra virgin olive oil
1/4-1/2  tsp. salt, to taste
1/4-1/2  tsp. pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Combine all of the vegetables in a large bowl.  Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Place the vegetables in a grilling basket or directly on the grill.  (We actually didn't have a grilling basket so we put ours directly on the grill.  Put them on skewers if you need to so they don't fall through the grates of the grill.)  Grill for 20-30 minutes (turn after 10 minutes) or until the vegetables are cooked to the desired tenderness.  Place on a serving platter, sprinkle with cheese and serve. 

Recipe Source:  Penzey's Spices

Linked to:  Full Plate Thursday

Spicy Honey Chicken

Wow!  This chicken is a fantastic summertime grillin' recipe.  It's not exactly spicy, it's just spiced well.  It's a delicious combination topped with a drippin' honey glaze.  I'm all about delicious spices topped with a little sweet.  Yummm!  This is definitely a keeper.  In this recipe, you coat the chicken with a spice rub and then, while grilling, you glaze the chicken.  You can also just marinate the chicken in the glaze and spice rub for at least one hour for equally delicious results.  Then you wouldn't have to glaze while grilling.  Either way the chicken ends up delicious. 

Spicy Honey Chicken


Ingredients:
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 2lbs
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Rub:
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

Glaze:
1/2 cup honey
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

Directions:
1. Combine the rub spices in bowl and mix well.
2. Use kitchen shears (or a pair of clean scissors) to trim off any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Pat dry. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub in with your hands to lightly coat all the pieces.
3. Toss chicken with the spice rub to coat all sides well.  Let the chicken marinate in the fridge with the spice rub for at least an hour.
4. Grill chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cooked through.

5. While chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave so it’s not so thick. Add the vinegar and combine well. Reserve 2 Tablespoons honey glaze for later. Take the rest of glaze and brush on chicken (both sides) in the final moments of grilling.
6.  Take the chicken off the grill and drizzle with the extra 2 Tablespoons of glaze.  Enjoy!

Recipe Source:  adapted slightly from Our Best Bites

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

We really enjoy a good chicken enchilada in our household.  These definitely fit in the category of DELICIOUS enchiladas.  It is a fabulous twist on the chicken enchilada.  The honey and lime balances out perfectly and the green enchilada sauce mixed with cream (oh my!) is fabulous.  I dare say this is my new favorite enchilada.  These enchiladas will thrill your guests and are easy to make, which leaves the cook very happy! 

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas


Ingredients:
6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
1 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 3 small chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (to lighten them up, I have substituted sour cream with good results)

Directions:
Mix the first four ingredients and toss with shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour or longer. Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Recipe Source:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs

These kabobs were zesty and refreshing.  It seems a little loco to describe meat that way, but I thought the lemon marinade with this chicken made it just that.  It was really yummy.  The marinade was so simple to make too.  Definitely a great and easy dinner.  Serve it up with a side of marinated, grilled veggies and you have a perfect summer dish. 

Garlic Lemon Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¾-inch pieces

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 8 hours.

Prepare a medium fire in a grill. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 20 minutes before use.

Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers and discard the excess marinade. Lightly oil the grill grates. Place the kabobs on the grill, cover, and cook until the chicken is opaque throughout, about 8-12 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking. Transfer to a warmed platter and serve immediately.  Makes about 4 skewers.

Recipe Source:  Annie's Eats

Linked to:  Made it on Monday, Full Plate Thursday

Spiced-Up California Burgers

By the time summer rolls around, all I want to do is grill, grill, grills.  For reals!  There is just something about that smoky, fresh, grill taste.  It makes everything taste better.  Food + Grill = Happiness for the Tastebuds and Drooling from the Neighbors.  Just the smell of someone grilling, makes me want to invite myself to their house.  I love it.  Since we are BARELY rolling into summer in the Pacific NW (Depressing, I know.  How's a Vegas girl supposed to live with no SUN?), we are finally trying out some new recipes.  These burgers are fabulous!  A perfect way to start our grillin' season.  For dessert with this, you have to try this Grilled Pineapple.  It is to die for or at least worth donating your liver for.

Spice-Up California Burgers

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
5 medium green onions, sliced (1/3 cup)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
4 slices pepper Jack cheese
4 hamburger buns
4 leaves romaine lettuce
4 slices tomato
1/2 cup French-fried onions

Directions:
1.  Heat gas or charcoal grill.  In large bowl, mix beef, green onions, salt and pepper.  Shape mixture into 4 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. 

2.  Place patties on grill over medium-high heat.  Cover grill; cook 8 to 12 minutes, turning once, until meat thermometer inserted in center of patties reads 160 degrees F.  Top each burger with 1 tablespoon barbecue sauce and 1 slice cheese.  Cover grill; cook about 30 seconds longer or until cheese begins to melt. 

3.  Remove burgers from grill; cover to keep warm.  Place buns, cut sides down on, on grill.  Cover grill; cook about 1 minute or until golden brown. 

4.  On bun bottoms, layer lettuce and tomato.  Top with burgers and French-fried onions.  Cover with bun tops. 

Recipe Source:  Betty Crocker's "Best Meal in Minutes"

Linked to:  Full Plate Thursday, Friday Potluck

Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork

Dear Sweet Pork, oh how I love you. I loved you enough to eat you for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the same day. Should I be admitting that? I had a salad with it, and I made a burrito with it. Then I made the same meal again the next week which we never do in our foodie home. That's how much I liked it. The second time I made it using homemade enchilada sauce which made it even more fabulous! I really adore Cafe Rio, but I don't live close enough to get any. Now I feel like I can bring Cafe Rio home anytime I want, and I have. : )

Cafe Rio's Sweet Pork

Ingredients:
2 pounds pork (boneless pork rib meat works great)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can diced green chilies
3/4 (10oz) can red enchilada sauce (or use homemade - half the recipe of the Quick Enchilada Sauce for the Sweet Pork)
1 c. brown sugar

Directions:
1. Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinate. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinate for a few hours or overnight.

2. Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

3. In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

4. Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

Recipe Source: Favorite Family Recipes

This is how we like to eat our Cafe Rio Sweet Pork:

In the tortilla:
Sweet Pork
Mexican Mix Cheese
Black Beans
Cilantro Rice

To the side:
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Lettuce

Linked to:  Hunk of Meat Mondays, Potluck Sunday

BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing

Talk about a PARTY in my "boca". This BBQ chicken salad with the incredible dressing was an explosively great combination of flavors in my mouth.  I adore this salad!  It has definitely become a favorite of mine.  The dressing seriously makes the salad....absolutely IRRESISTIBLE!

BBQ Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups BBQ sauce
½ head iceberg lettuce, cored and chopped
2 romaine hearts, chopped
1/2 red onion diced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cubed small or shredded
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cubed small or shredded

Directions:
1.  Combine the cooked chicken and BBQ sauce in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.

2.  In a large bowl, toss together the iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, red onion, cilantro, corn, black beans and cheese. Toss the mixed salad with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the dressing, if desired. Otherwise, you can serve the dressing on the side. Place salad on plates and top with the prepared BBQ chicken and additional dressing.

Creamy BBQ Cilantro Lime Dressing
Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise, light or regular
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 to 1/2 cup BBQ sauce

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients together and whisk (or shake, if using a jar) vigorously to combine. You could also run this through a blender to make it even more smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Recipe Source:  Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Linked to:  Tuesday Night Supper Club

BBQ Chicken Enchiladas

I am a total sucker for all things with BBQ in the title. This recipe had me from those 3 blessed letters.  Then you add chicken...and enchiladas???  Yep, I'm sold.  Well, do I even need to proceed and tell you how I much we enjoyed these?  They were fabulous and a good change from all our standard enchiladas we make around here.  I thought the addition of the BBQ sauce to the red enchilada sauce made the sauce way, WAY better than it is alone.  Made it...loved it...blogged it!

Quick Enchilada Sauce

When I decided to make this for dinner on a whim, I was so glad this recipe included a homemade enchilada sauce to go with it so I didn't have to run to the store to buy anything. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 16 oz. can tomato sauce

2 cups water or chicken broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin (I love cumin!  Anyone else feel the love?)

3-4 cloves garlic, freshly pressed

1 teaspoon onion powder or flakes

salt to taste

Directions:

1.  Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and stir in the flour and chili powder. Cook until lightly browned, stirring constantly to prevent burning. 

2.  Gradually add the rest of the ingredients, continuing to stir to prevent the sauce from sticking and burning.  Cook for approximately 10 minutes, or until sauce begins to thicken. 

BBQ Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

Enchilada Sauce, above (or a 28-ounce can of commercial sauce)

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

2 cans (14 ounces each) of shredded chicken or 1.5 pounds of boneless chicken, cooked and shredded

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

1 tablespoon BBQ seasoning

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

6 ounces of shredded cheese (I used cheddar, but feel free to mix it up a bit.)

10 tortillas

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375.

2.  Whisk the BBQ sauce into the enchilada sauce you just prepared or in a bowl with the canned sauce. 

3.  In a large skillet, saute the onion for 7 to 10 minutes or until it is soft.  Add the shredded chicken and spices to the onion.  Mix well.  Add 1/2 of the enchilada sauce and 1/2 of the shredded cheese to the chicken mixture and stir. 

4.  Coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with some enchilada sauce. 

5.  Fill each tortilla with about 1/3 cup of chicken mixture, roll it up, and place it seam side down in the baking dish.  Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the rolled up enchiladas, and top with the rest of the cheese. 

6.  Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until the cheese and sauce are bubbly. 

Recipe Source: http://www.feelslikehomeblog.com/2011/03/bbq-chicken-enchiladas/?pfstyle=wp

Linked to:  Tuesday Night Supper Club

Mexican Lasagna

This is another tried and true delicious meal that my kids always love.  This delicious plate was posted a long time ago and the photo, my oh my, did it need a make over.  I've determined that I have a love/hate relationship with lasagna.  I love the taste, but hate the hassle. Fortunately for me, this lasagna is not only tastalicious, but easy to make.  So it's the perfect meal!  Seriously, look at the cheese all hot and melty running over the edges of the filling and tortillas.  Mmmmmmm....so good.   

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 lb. hamburger
1 green pepper, diced
½ cup onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced (or ¼ tsp garlic powder)
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup salsa
1 tsp cumin powder
½ tsp salt
10-12 small tortillas (corn or flour)  *For gluten free, use corn tortillas. 
2 cups shredded cheese (Mexican mix)

Optional Toppings:
Lettuce
Tomato
Cilantro
Green Onion
Sour Cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Cook hamburger with green pepper, onion and garlic; drain. Add refried beans, tomato sauce, salsa, cumin and salt; simmer 15 minutes. Spoon small amount of meat mixture into 9x13 pan and spread to coat bottom of pan. Top with six tortillas or however many tortillas it takes to make a 1 layer covering over the meat. Top with half of meat mixture; sprinkle with one cups of cheese. Cover with remaining tortillas and meat mixture. Cover tightly with foil. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining cheese and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve with lettuce, tomato, cilantro, green onion, and/or sour cream.

Recipe Source:  My SIL Nicole Courtright

Linked to:  Full Plate Thursday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Saturday Swap, This Week's Cravings

Hamburger Stroganoff

Back when I first started this blog, I used to have a quote at the top that said, "If you are what you eat, I'm fast, cheap, and easy."  Well, this recipe fits all those qualities while still being a delicious, comforting, home cooked meal.  Kids love this stuff.  My daughter is going through a phase of severe pickiness, but she pounds down the ol' hamburger strogy.  Plus, it takes about 30 minutes to prepare, sometimes even less.  Ya gotta love that. 

Hamburger Stroganoff

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (8 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces or 4-8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup butter (You can reduce this or leave it out if you are wanting to cut a few calories.)
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic or 1 clove garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 soup can water
1 cup sour cream (can be light)
cooked noodles or rice
snipped parsley (optional)

Directions:
Brown ground beef with onion and mushrooms in the butter until onion is tender.  Stir in flour, salt, garlic, and pepper.  Cook 5 minutes stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in soup and water.  Simmer covered for 10 minutes.  Stir in sour cream; heat through.  Serve over cooked noodles or rice.  Sprinkle with snipped parsley.

Linked to: Frugal Food Thursday , Tasty Tuesday, Saturday Swap

St. Paddy's Day Corned Beef

So my first thought when anyone would mention Corned Beef was...that stuff is Nasty with a capital N.  How many of you think the same thing?  Okay people, 'fess up.  I'd only seen Corned Beef in a can and HELLO, it is a little cat foodish to me.  Don't get me wrong, I don't think I've ever even tried it from the can, but I just had this bad perception of Corned Beef.  Then we made this for the first time last year and oh, how my perceptions have changed.  Now I only have 100 % pure love for this Corned Beef.  In fact, after we made it last year, the hubs and I were dying to eat it again and again and again.  So let me just tell you...throw all perceptions aside and try this. 

St. Paddy's Day Corned Beef

Ingredients:
1 Corned beef brisket, flat cut (about 3 lbs.)
1/2 cup brown sugar
2-3 Tablespoons mustard
1 head of cabbage
9-10 small red potatoes
1/4 cup butter
parsley

Dipping Sauce:
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. horse radish
squirt of mustard

Directions:
1.  Cover the brisket with water in a kettle. Pour the spice packet in the water. (The corned beef comes with a spice packet.) Boil the brisket for about 4 hours.   When you boil it, be sure to check the water level occasionally.  You may need to add water throughout the 4 hours.  Bring the water to a boil and then you can reduce the heat to medium high so long as it continues to boil.  You can also use a crock pot instead of the kettle if you desire.  Follow the directions above and cook on high for 4 hours.  You probably will not need to add any water if you use the crock pot method. 

2.  After the meat is boiled, preheat the oven to 350.  Prepare a glaze by mixing about 1/2 cup of brown sugar with enough mustard to make a paste. Spread this glaze over the corned beef and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. The glaze will be bubbly.

3.  While the meat is cooking, wash, quarter and core the cabbage.  Cut the cabbage into smaller pieces.  Put the cabbage in a pot of water to boil.  I like to cook the cabbage in the excess water from the cooked meat because it has all the spices and flavors in it.  You can also boil it in fresh water if desired.  The water should come up at least halfway on the cabbage.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until it reaches your desired texture.  Some people like it crispier, some softer. 

4.  After putting the cabbage on to boil, peel off a little bit of skin from around the center of the baby red potatoes with a potato peeler.  (You don't have to do this.  It just makes it look pretty.)  : )  Boil the baby red potatoes for about 10-15 minutes or until tender when poked with a fork. 

5.  When everything is finished, arrange cabbage, potatoes and meat on a platter. Melt the butter in a small bowl and mix with some parsley.  Drizzle this mixture over the vegetables and potatoes (not the meat).  You can use as much or as little as you want.  Feel free to add more butter and even other spices.  *Leave out the butter to make it dairy free. 

6.  Dipping sauce:  Mix together the sour cream, horse radish sauce, and mustard in a small bowl for dipping.  (My husband liked the sauce for variety.  I preferred it the meat plain.  Yes, it was that good!)

7.  Enjoy, devour, make more!

Recipe Source:  Geri Rosequist, a dear family friend

 

Linked to: Potluck Sunday hosted by Mommy's Kitchen, Tuesday Night Supper Club hosted by Fudge Ripple, This Week's Cravings hosted by Mom's Crazy Cooking

Pastel de Choclo (Chilean corn and meat pie) and a Winner!

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the giveaway!  The winner was selected by random.org.  And the winner is...Rachel!  Rachel, I will be contacting you for your address to send you your Pillsbury prize package.  Now on to the main dish.

Once upon a time, I lived in Chile.  Southern Chile to be exact where it is cold and the penguins live.  Yes, penguins really do live in Chile.  Let me tell you, I loved Chile!  Besides being beautiful and breathtaking landscape, the Chileans are some of the best people on earth.  My favorite, favorite dish in Chile was this "Pastel de Choclo".  MMM...mmmm...MMMMM....it is so good.  Plus, it reminds me of one of my favorite places in the world.  The day I left Chile after a year and a half to come back to the states, I stopped by the house of some dear friends.  I walked in to see a surprise feast of Pastel de Choclo made by the wonderful Olga.  I definitely left Chile with some additional baggage as in 20 lbs. worth stuck to my body!

I made this for the first time for my hubs and kids.  I cannot believe I have not made this before for my family!  What was I thinking?  So this dish includes beef and chicken....and eggs.....and raisins....and olives.....and a corn crust....all topped off with powdered sugar.  Crazy?  Maybe.  Delicious!  Yes!!!  So this recipe includes the most traditional Chilean way of making this by adding all of the above, of course.  But if there is any ingredient you don't particularly like, you can leave it out.  The essentials are the meat mixture, the corn puree topping, and the powdered sugar.  The other stuff (eggs, raisins, olives, and chicken, can you believe you mix that in one dish?) really, really adds flavor though.  Seriously, you'd be surprised.  Now without further blah, blah, blah from me, I present to you my favorite, most beloved Chilean dish...Pastel de Choclo.

Pastel de Choclo Chilean Style

Ingredients:
Meat Filling:
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic minced
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 Tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup water or beef broth
1 Tablespoon flour (for gluten free, use rice flour)

Corn Topping:
1 lb. fresh or frozen corn
1/4 cup cornmeal
1-2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 Tablespoon butter
Milk (if needed)

Additional Toppings:
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 cup black olives
1/2 cup raisins
1-2 cups cooked chicken, shredded, cubed, or whole (seasoned with salt, pepper, and ground cumin, to taste)
2-3 Tablespoons powdered sugar (plus, more for sprinkling after)

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, beef, paprika, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and saute.  Cook until the beef is cooked through (about 6-8 minutes).
2.  Pour in the water or stock and bring to a simmer.  Sprinkle flour over the meat mixture and stir in well.  Simmer for another 5-8 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and set aside.
3.  Place the corn, cornmeal, cornstarch, granulated sugar, and basil in a food processor or blender and process until well pureed.  You want these ingredients to form a thick batter.  I didn't need to add milk to mine, but feel free to add milk little by little until you have a formed a thick batter.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
4.  Melt the butter over medium-low heat in the large saucepan.  Add the corn puree and cook, stirring constantly, until well thickened about 5-8 minutes.  Set aside. 
5.  Spread the beef mixture in the bottom of a greased casserole dish (can be an 8x8 or a larger pie dish with tall sides).  Arrange over the beef mixture the hard boiled egg slices, olives, and raisins.  Season the cooked chicken with salt, pepper, and oregano to taste.   Spread the chicken over the top of the eggs, olives, and raisins.  Cover that with the cooked corn puree and spread evenly over the dish.  Sprinkle the powdered sugar over the corn topping. 
6.  Set the dish in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until bubbling and golden brown on top. 

*In Chile, more powdered sugar is served on the side to sprinkle over the "pastel" (cake) as it is eaten.  Trust me, it's good!
*To make this dairy free, just leave out the hard boiled eggs, butter, and don't add any milk.

Here's the inside of this bad boy!

Recipe Source:  adapted from Nuevoanden and Whats4Eats

Linked to:  Tuesday Night Supper Club hosted by Fudge Ripple, Mouthwatering Mondays hosted by A Southern Fairytale

Honey Mustard Chicken

So I posted this recipe a long time ago, back before anyone read my blog (except for me, myself and I) and back before I gave my blog any love.  : )  The picture was horrible too.  I figured that this little dear needed a makeover being that it is one of our "Go to" recipes.  It is a crowd pleaser and yet so easy to make.  (I love those kinds of recipes!)  We love it!!!

Honey Mustard Chicken

Ingredients: 
6-8 small (4-5 oz.) chicken breasts or thighs (or use 3-4 large chicken breasts)
2-4 Tablespoons butter
¾ cup dried seasoned bread crumbs
¾ teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425.  Melt butter in a small bowl.  Then pour the butter into a 9x13 inch baking pan.  Spread butter until bottom of pan is coated.  Set aside. In a wide (wide enough to dip the chicken) shallow bowl or dish, combine the bread crumbs, salt, and pepper, and set aside. In another wide shallow bowl or dish, mix together the mustard, honey, lemon juice, and ginger. Dip the chicken in the honey-mustard mixture. Then roll in the crumb mixture. Put the chicken on top of the butter in the baking pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway...

Linked to: 
Mouthwatering Mondays hosted by A Southern Fairytale, Tuesday Night Supper Club hosted by Fudge Ripple, What's on the Menu Wednesday hosted by Dining with Debbie, Real Food Wednesday hosted by Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Saturday Swap hosted by Quit Eating Out

Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup with Spicy Relish

Before February ends, I've got to get one sweet potato recipe in before the end of National Sweet Potato Month.  Yes, I am definitely sweet on this spud.  I could eat them loaded with butter, loaded with sugar, in salad, as soup, or just plain.  I'll pretty much eat these little babies any way they are served. 

This soup was a perfect combination of two loves: soup and sweet potato.  When it comes to winter, I love soup because it is so warm and comforting.  I am not a lover of cold weather so soup helps me to remember what being warm feels like. : )  This soup was so creamy and yummy.  When I make this again, I will double the spicy relish.  That was the best part of the soup.  I would have loved to put even more in my bowl.  My sweet spud never disappoints me. 

Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup with Spicy Relish

Spicy Relish Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
1/2 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into a small dice
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Sweet Potato-Coconut Soup Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 small red onion, chopped
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
Pinch of red-pepper flakes
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into a large dice
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk (about 1 can)
1 Tbsp. honey
Large pinch of ground cinnamon

Directions:
1. For relish:  Heat oil and butter over medium heat.  Add red-pepper flakes; heat for 10 seconds.  Add the diced sweet potato, salt, and pepper.  Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, 15 minutes.  Uncover, increase heat to high, and cook until diced potatoes are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl; stir in the parsley.

2. For soup: Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and ginger; cook until soft, 5 minutes.  Add red-pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.  Add stock and water; bring to a boil.  Add sweet potatoes; bring to a simmer.  Cook until potatoes are soft, 20 to 30 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes. 

3.  Transfer mixture to a blender and process until smooth.  Return to saucepan; simmer over low heat.  Whisk in coconut milk, honey, and cinnamon.  Cook until thickened and warmed through.  Season with salt and pepper.  Ladle into bowls; top with a spoonful of the spicy relish.

Serves 4.  Per serving: 410 calories, 34g carbs, 5g protein, 30g fat, and 4g fiber.

Recipe Source:  Bobby Flay

Linked to:
Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods hosted by Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Tuesday Night Supper Club hosted by Fudge Ripple
Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage
Tasty Tuesday hosted by 33 Shades of Green
What's Cooking Thursday hosted by Feeding Four

Individual Beef Wellingtons

This was our homemade Valentine's meal this year.  Every year we usually go out together as a couple before or after Valentine's Day and then celebrate on Valentine's Day at home with the kids, by eating a special dinner and dessert.  I found this recipe in the Rachael Ray Look+Cook Recipe book, and it sang to me a song of taste bud desire.  All week, I thought about this meal and how it would turn out.  I purchase the meat from the "meat man" behind the deli counter which I never do.  And do you know what, this meal knocked our socks off!  It was absolutely, 100% fantastic.  It definitely tastes like something you would order at a high end restaurant and pay lots of money for.  The second it hit our mouths we were both like "Oh man...sigh,sigh...this is delicious!"  It is surprisingly easy to make too!  Definitely a great dish for special occasions or company. 

So I did cook my meat a little longer than the recipe called for, and I used Fontina cheese instead of mousse pate.  That was a great substitution for us.  As for cooking the recipe longer, I like my meat cooked medium well usually.  I can do medium, but medium rare, not so much.  The pictures I've seen of Beef Wellingtons were making them look really medium rare almost to the point that in one pic I swear the Beef Wellington was moving off the plate.  So I made the decision to cook mine just a bit longer.  The meat turned out perfectly for me and the hubs, and still super juicy, succulent and all those other words to describe delicious meat.  It was just our preference.  I included what I changed, but also left the original instructions too.  Seriously, TRY THIS AT HOME!

Individual Beef Wellingtons

Ingredients:
4 (1 1/2 inch thick) filet mignon steaks
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound button mushrooms and stems, cleaned and finely chopped in food processor
1 large shallot, finely chopped
3 to 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup dry cooking sherry
8 ounces of fontina cheese (This is my version.  Rachael Ray used 8 ounces of mousse pate instead.)
1 sheet frozen prepared puff pastry, 11 by 17 or two smaller sheets (depends on brand), defrosted
1 egg, beaten with a splash of water

Directions:
1. Bring the steaks to room temperature.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Heat the oil and butter in a small skillet over medium heat. When the butter melts into the oil, add the mushrooms and cook to darken for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the shallots, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes more.  Add the sherry and stir, cook for a minute or two, then remove the mushrooms from the heat and let cool.

3.  Drizzle the steaks with olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper.  Heat a skillet over high heat.  Add the steaks to the very hot pan and caramelize it for 2 minutes on each side.  From this point, I cooked my meat a little longer (5-10 minutes) in the pan on low.

4.  Cut cheese (or pate) into 4 pieces, 2 ounces each slice. Spread the puff pastry sheet out on to a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.  If using one large sheet of dough, quarter it with a sharp knife, or half two smaller sheets of dough.  On each rectangle of dough, place 1/4 of the cooked mushrooms. Top mushrooms with 2 ounces cheese (or pate) and 1 steak. Wrap dough up and over the meat, trim the excess dough (if any). Seal the dough with egg wash, using a pastry brush. (Use leftover dough bits to make decorative garnishes for the tops of your Wellingtons, if desired.) Turn the wrapped Wellingtons over on the lined baking sheet and brush evenly with egg wash.  Cut small vents into the tops with a knife.  I cut an x into the top center of the dough.  Bake Beef Wellingtons 10-15 minutes or until fluffed and golden. (I cooked mine for 20 minutes.) Let stand 5 minutes, then serve.

Recipe Source:  Rachael Ray's Look+Cook

Linked to:
What's Cooking Wednesday hosted by King's Court IV and Turning the Clock Back
Tuesday Night Supper Club hosted by Fudge Ripple
What's on your Plate hosted by Good Cheap Eats
Tasty Tuesday hosted by 33 Shades of Green
Full Plate Thursdays hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage
Saturdays with Rachael Ray hosted by Taste and Tell
Pot Luck Sunday hosted by Mommy's Kitchen 

Black Bean Soup

Have you ever had a day like this?  I walk into the kitchen and wonder what is smellin' funky.  Oh yeah, it's me because I haven't yet showered after chasing after the kids all day.  I look down at my pants and start picking of some white crusties on my leg.  What are those white crusties anyway?  Oh yeah, that would be my boy's snot as he pulls himself up using my pant leg.  Then I remember the 3 year old little lady in the house was wiping boogers on me just for fun.  Yes, we are disgusting in my house.  The fact that it is disgusting makes it even more fun.  (Yes, I am totally digressing.  We will get to food.)  So I'm still in the kitchen and I go to look at what I have on the menu.  It's already 6, and I realize that dinner takes an hour to cook and that's not counting prep time.  Okay then, leftover night.  I open the fridge to find that we've also eaten all the left overs.  Okay, now it's every man, woman, and child for himself.  Ever have one of those days?  So here is a recipe for one of those days, Black Bean Soup. This comes direct from the ladies at Our Best Bites!  Bless you lovely ladies!

Holy frijoles!  I never knew beans could taste so good.  So my hubs lived in Brazil and he lovas the black beans.  He said he ate them every day and still likes them.  So that's sayin' somethin'!  When I read the description of how this soup was reminiscent of Brazil I had to cook this soup for the hubs.  Plus, it is super  extra healthy and low cal.  I admit I was skeptical of this being the entire meal.  I thought maybe we should have something to go along with it, but oh my laws, did it sing a song of enchantment to my tastebuds.  I loved the soup.  The whole family loved it, and we almost finished the whole pot in one sitting.  That's with us two big peeps, a 3 year old, and a 9 month old.  It definitely reminded the hubs of Brazil and reminded me that beans are not just a musical fruit, but a magical one too. 

Black Bean Soup

1 T olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 C diced carrots (about 2 med carrots)
3/4 C diced celery (about 2 ribs)
1 C diced onion (about 1 med-large onion)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained 
1 3.5oz can green chilies
2 cans low-sodium beef broth (I didn't use low sodium.)
1 t kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t dry oregano leaves
1 bay leaf

Optional Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese, chopped cilantro, etc.

Directions:
Place a large stock pot on the stove-top and set to medium-high heat. When pan is warm, add olive oil. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes.

Add in the black beans, chilies, and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.

Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf from soup.

Place soup in a blender. Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the lid to let heat escape. Place a paper towel over the hole to avoid splatters.

Puree soup until completely smooth. Optionally you could pulse until a semi-chunky soup is achieved. Squeeze in the juice from one lime and pulse to combine.

Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings. Serve with extra lime wedges. Makes about 8 C soup.

Nutritional Information (1 C soup, w/o toppings):
125 calories, 2g fat, 8g fiber

*You can also used dried black beans and prepare them before hand and put them in the soup to make it even better!

Recipe Source:  Our Best Bites

Clam Chowder

My hubs has declared this to be his favorite clam chowder.  My dear friend Shauna invited us over for some soup on a chilly night.  She made this clam chowder for us, and it was delicious!  So she graciously shared  the recipe.  I generally don't like many seafood things because they always end up tasting "fishy" to me, but this little soupy was definitely an exception.  It was creamy and delicious!  Thanks Shauna for the fantastic recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cans minced clams (reserve liquid)
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups potatoes
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
3-4 cups milk
1 tsp. salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 can cream of mushroom
Dash of allspice
bacon bits (optional)
parsley (optional)

Directions:
Open can of clams and drain juice into a separate bowl.  In a sauce pan, place clams, onions, celery and potatoes in enough water to just cover them.  Bring to a boil and then simmer until soft.  Drain the water. 

In a large sauce pan or soup pot, melt butter and add flour to create a roux.  Add reserved clam juice, milk, cream of mushroom soup, and seasonings.  Mix until creamy over medium heat.  Add the drained veggies and clams.  Top with bacon bits and parsley if desired.  (If the soup is too thick for you or as it sits on the stove thickens more than you like, just add some milk.)