Source: not really sure who to credit for this one - my mom made it quite a bit and we always loved it
Ingredients:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can shredded chicken (or you can use 1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded)
1 cup salsa
1 packet taco seasoning
1/2 onion, diced, optional
Directions:
Brown onion in a little bit of oil in a frying pan. Add chicken, beans, salsa and taco seasoning. Heat through and serve with your favorite taco toppings in a warm tortilla.
Notes:
Quick. Easy. Delish. What more can you ask for? I also like to use these leftovers as a quesadilla filling.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Mexican Sweet Potato Skins
. . . or Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes (if you don't eat the skins - are you supposed to eat the skins? I just don't know about that . . .)
Source: slightly modified (because I didn't have everything that was needed but wanted to eat them anyway) from pinchofyum.com (via Pinterest)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 can corn, rinsed and patted dry (forgot the rinsing and patting step - whoops!)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2-4 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced or pureed (didn't have this - but subbed in a roasted chile pepper that I've had in my freezer since last fall)
1 ounce light cream cheese (didn't have this either - just bumped up the sour cream a titch instead)
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon salt (+ more to taste)
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
6 Tablespoons shredded cheese (Pepperjack, Cheddar, Colby Jack… anything will work)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes.
While sweet potatoes are baking, place corn in a heavy cast-iron skillet (didn't have one - and while my corn wasn't quite as lovely and roasted as the original author's, I think it smelled and tasted quite divine anyway) over medium-high heat with no butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt and other Mexican seasoning (as much as you want) (I used a few shakes of homemade taco seasoning). Do not stir! Let corn roast for several minutes before stirring. Let it roast for a few more minutes before stirring again. Continue this for about 10 minutes, until corn is browned and roasted on the outside. Set aside in a small bowl with the black beans.
Saute the onion in the butter over medium heat until soft and translucent. Set aside.
Remove sweet potatoes from the oven when fork-tender. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut the sweet potatoes in half. Scrape the flesh of the sweet potatoes out, leaving the skins intact. Sometimes leaving a thin layer of potato inside of the skins helps them hold together better.
Mix the flesh of the sweet potatoes with the cream cheese, sour cream, chipotle peppers, and salt. You can use a mixer or just a spoon (or a potato masher worked awesome!), depending on how soft the potatoes are. When well-mixed, gently stir in the black beans, roasted corn, sauteed onions, and cilantro.
Scoop the filling into the skins and top each with 1 tablespoon shredded cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Notes:
We had sweet potato fries one night for dinner while I was in Virginia with Victoria and Ryan and it reminded me how much I love sweet potatoes. So much, in fact, that after I got home I bought some, fully intending to make some fries myself. Then, I saw this recipe on pinterest and I knew I had to try it with my newly acquired sweet potatoes from City Market. Black beans plus corn plus anything is lovely in my book, so I knew it would be a winner. I was a bit hesitant about the whole "twice baked" idea, thinking that it would be kind of a pain and take a long time. Don't be scared! This really was a pretty simple recipe to throw together - just be sure to give the potatoes enough time to bake (ours took about an hour) and you're set. Mmm . . . super filling and super delicious.
Source: slightly modified (because I didn't have everything that was needed but wanted to eat them anyway) from pinchofyum.com (via Pinterest)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes
1 can corn, rinsed and patted dry (forgot the rinsing and patting step - whoops!)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tablespoon butter
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2-4 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced or pureed (didn't have this - but subbed in a roasted chile pepper that I've had in my freezer since last fall)
1 ounce light cream cheese (didn't have this either - just bumped up the sour cream a titch instead)
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon salt (+ more to taste)
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
6 Tablespoons shredded cheese (Pepperjack, Cheddar, Colby Jack… anything will work)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes.
While sweet potatoes are baking, place corn in a heavy cast-iron skillet (didn't have one - and while my corn wasn't quite as lovely and roasted as the original author's, I think it smelled and tasted quite divine anyway) over medium-high heat with no butter or oil. Sprinkle with salt and other Mexican seasoning (as much as you want) (I used a few shakes of homemade taco seasoning). Do not stir! Let corn roast for several minutes before stirring. Let it roast for a few more minutes before stirring again. Continue this for about 10 minutes, until corn is browned and roasted on the outside. Set aside in a small bowl with the black beans.
Saute the onion in the butter over medium heat until soft and translucent. Set aside.
Remove sweet potatoes from the oven when fork-tender. Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut the sweet potatoes in half. Scrape the flesh of the sweet potatoes out, leaving the skins intact. Sometimes leaving a thin layer of potato inside of the skins helps them hold together better.
Mix the flesh of the sweet potatoes with the cream cheese, sour cream, chipotle peppers, and salt. You can use a mixer or just a spoon (or a potato masher worked awesome!), depending on how soft the potatoes are. When well-mixed, gently stir in the black beans, roasted corn, sauteed onions, and cilantro.
Scoop the filling into the skins and top each with 1 tablespoon shredded cheese. Broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Notes:
We had sweet potato fries one night for dinner while I was in Virginia with Victoria and Ryan and it reminded me how much I love sweet potatoes. So much, in fact, that after I got home I bought some, fully intending to make some fries myself. Then, I saw this recipe on pinterest and I knew I had to try it with my newly acquired sweet potatoes from City Market. Black beans plus corn plus anything is lovely in my book, so I knew it would be a winner. I was a bit hesitant about the whole "twice baked" idea, thinking that it would be kind of a pain and take a long time. Don't be scared! This really was a pretty simple recipe to throw together - just be sure to give the potatoes enough time to bake (ours took about an hour) and you're set. Mmm . . . super filling and super delicious.
Homemade Fajita Seasoning Mix
Source: adapted from about.com
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons crushed chicken bouillon cube
1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (didn't have it so left it out)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (upped it to 1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon cumin (upped it to 1 teaspoon)
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container (I used an empty chili powder bottle that I had lying around) in a cool dry place (like the spice cupboard).
When making fajitas, mix 3 Tablespoons seasoning mix plus 1/2 cup water. Add to your browned chicken (or beef or whatever you're making into fajitas) and let it simmer for a few minutes until nice and thickened. Mix the chicken/sauce mixture into your sauteed bell pepper and onions and serve it all up with sour cream, salsa, tomato, cheese and lettuce (or any combination of toppings that you love best - if I had avocado, it'd be on there!) on a warm tortilla.
Notes:
We love fajitas around here - if not for their deliciousness (which is true) then for the sheer ease and speed it takes in getting them prepped, cooked and in our bellies. It has been a while since we've eaten them, however, because we've been out of fajita packets. (For some reason they never make it to the grocery shopping list either.) Well, last night I decided I wasn't going to let that little fact deter me any longer - and I used my friend Google to find this here recipe for my own seasoning mix. Voila! Perfect. And it really tastes just like the stuff in the envelope you get at the store - at a fraction of the cost. Love that.
Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons crushed chicken bouillon cube
1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (didn't have it so left it out)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (upped it to 1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon cumin (upped it to 1 teaspoon)
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container (I used an empty chili powder bottle that I had lying around) in a cool dry place (like the spice cupboard).
When making fajitas, mix 3 Tablespoons seasoning mix plus 1/2 cup water. Add to your browned chicken (or beef or whatever you're making into fajitas) and let it simmer for a few minutes until nice and thickened. Mix the chicken/sauce mixture into your sauteed bell pepper and onions and serve it all up with sour cream, salsa, tomato, cheese and lettuce (or any combination of toppings that you love best - if I had avocado, it'd be on there!) on a warm tortilla.
Notes:
We love fajitas around here - if not for their deliciousness (which is true) then for the sheer ease and speed it takes in getting them prepped, cooked and in our bellies. It has been a while since we've eaten them, however, because we've been out of fajita packets. (For some reason they never make it to the grocery shopping list either.) Well, last night I decided I wasn't going to let that little fact deter me any longer - and I used my friend Google to find this here recipe for my own seasoning mix. Voila! Perfect. And it really tastes just like the stuff in the envelope you get at the store - at a fraction of the cost. Love that.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Oven-Ready Bran Muffins
Source: Hodgson Mill (on the box of bran)
Ingredients:
3 cups Unprocessed Wheat Bran
1 cup boiling water
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 and 1/2 cups White flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs beaten
2 cups buttermilk
Directions:
Mix 1 cup wheat bran with 1 cup boiling water; stir and let water absorb into bran.
In a separate bowl blend sugar and butter
Measure and combine flour, baking soda and salt
Combine the moist bran with beaten eggs, the remaining 2 cups of bran, buttermilk, blended sugar-butter mixture, and flour, soda, and salt mixture..
Stir until well blended
Place in the refridgerator for future use or bake at once.
400 degrees for 15 minutes
Can store in airtight container for 2-4 weeks
Yield: 2 dozen
Notes: I love bran muffins, but a good bran muffin is hard to find (or make). I've found that recipes that use bran cereal instead of bran in it's original state aren't as good to me. This recipe is fabulous, the trick is finding the bran. (So far 2 grocery stores in my town don't carry it.) My mom made these with my last bit of bran a few weeks ago and they were so good. She also added raisins (soaked in water for a few minutes to help them get softer before baking).
Ingredients:
3 cups Unprocessed Wheat Bran
1 cup boiling water
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 and 1/2 cups White flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs beaten
2 cups buttermilk
Directions:
Mix 1 cup wheat bran with 1 cup boiling water; stir and let water absorb into bran.
In a separate bowl blend sugar and butter
Measure and combine flour, baking soda and salt
Combine the moist bran with beaten eggs, the remaining 2 cups of bran, buttermilk, blended sugar-butter mixture, and flour, soda, and salt mixture..
Stir until well blended
Place in the refridgerator for future use or bake at once.
400 degrees for 15 minutes
Can store in airtight container for 2-4 weeks
Yield: 2 dozen
Notes: I love bran muffins, but a good bran muffin is hard to find (or make). I've found that recipes that use bran cereal instead of bran in it's original state aren't as good to me. This recipe is fabulous, the trick is finding the bran. (So far 2 grocery stores in my town don't carry it.) My mom made these with my last bit of bran a few weeks ago and they were so good. She also added raisins (soaked in water for a few minutes to help them get softer before baking).
Friday, March 2, 2012
Garlic Knots
Source: adapted ever-so slightly from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water
3/4 Tablespoon instant yeast (or 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast)
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour, give or take a few tablespoons (I used half whole wheat flour)
4-6 garlic cloves, finely minced
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
a few shakes of dried parsley flakes (for color)
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let the yeast mixture proof for 3-5 minutes until it is foamy and bubbly. Add oil, salt and 2 cups of the flour. Begin mixing and continue to add the rest of the flour gradually until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft and smooth but still slightly tacky to the touch.
Knead the dough until it is very smooth and elastic, for 8-10 minutes. Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel. Let the dough rise until it has doubled (this usually takes about an hour).
Lightly punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12-15 equal pieces, roll each piece into a four to six-inch rope and form into a knot, tucking the loose ends into the center of the knot. Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet about an inch or two apart. Cover the rolls with a towel. Let the towel gently hang over the sides of the pan to fully cover the rolls but not press them down. Let the rolls rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the melted butter, garlic and parsley, and allow it to sit on the warm stovetop to stay melty.
After they have risen, bake rolls for 12-14 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through. Immediately after the rolls come out of the oven brush the garlic butter mixture over the rolls. These are best eaten warm!
Notes:
This recipe is quite versatile - I've made a number of times into a braid, and just last night finally made it as rolls like it was originally intended, though with a twist. :) These garlic knots smelled and tasted heavenly and just looked so pretty. They were a delightful little treat to go along with our Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups warm water
3/4 Tablespoon instant yeast (or 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast)
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour, give or take a few tablespoons (I used half whole wheat flour)
4-6 garlic cloves, finely minced
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
a few shakes of dried parsley flakes (for color)
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let the yeast mixture proof for 3-5 minutes until it is foamy and bubbly. Add oil, salt and 2 cups of the flour. Begin mixing and continue to add the rest of the flour gradually until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be soft and smooth but still slightly tacky to the touch.
Knead the dough until it is very smooth and elastic, for 8-10 minutes. Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel. Let the dough rise until it has doubled (this usually takes about an hour).
Lightly punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12-15 equal pieces, roll each piece into a four to six-inch rope and form into a knot, tucking the loose ends into the center of the knot. Place the rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet about an inch or two apart. Cover the rolls with a towel. Let the towel gently hang over the sides of the pan to fully cover the rolls but not press them down. Let the rolls rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the melted butter, garlic and parsley, and allow it to sit on the warm stovetop to stay melty.
After they have risen, bake rolls for 12-14 minutes until lightly browned and cooked through. Immediately after the rolls come out of the oven brush the garlic butter mixture over the rolls. These are best eaten warm!
Notes:
This recipe is quite versatile - I've made a number of times into a braid, and just last night finally made it as rolls like it was originally intended, though with a twist. :) These garlic knots smelled and tasted heavenly and just looked so pretty. They were a delightful little treat to go along with our Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup.
Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup
Source: adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking (which was recommended to me by my aunt Nikie)
Ingredients:
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice (I used one can Hunt's Green Pepper, Celery and Onion and one can Hunt's Spicy Red Pepper (which gave the soup quite the nice little kick))
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano
1 Tablespoon dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups (or ~2 cans) chicken broth
½ bay leaf
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups milk, warmed
¼ tsp black pepper
Directions:
Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft. Add half the soup to a blender and blend for a few seconds to make the soup a creamy consistency. Add blended soup back to the remaining soup and allow it to heat through again. (You could also blend the whole pot if you prefer a more uniform consistency.)
About 30 minutes before serving add the Parmesan cheese, warmed milk, and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don't be afraid to always season to taste at the end). Cover and cook on low for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.
Makes about 2 quarts.
Notes:
Nikie and family raved about this soup recipe, so I knew I had to try it. As I was reading the recipe, however, I became a little wary of the roux. Notice I don't mention anything about a roux in the recipe above? That's because I left it out. Yep, I did. I adapted a recipe as I was making it - Gregg is so proud! (I did ask my mom her thoughts, since she had made it recently, so it wasn't completely from my head.) If you're interested, check out the original recipe. But I didn't even miss it (and neither will my hips, I'm sure!). Serve with these yummy garlic knots and you've got a winner of a meal for a snowy, winter evening.
Ingredients:
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice (I used one can Hunt's Green Pepper, Celery and Onion and one can Hunt's Spicy Red Pepper (which gave the soup quite the nice little kick))
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano
1 Tablespoon dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups (or ~2 cans) chicken broth
½ bay leaf
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups milk, warmed
¼ tsp black pepper
Directions:
Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft. Add half the soup to a blender and blend for a few seconds to make the soup a creamy consistency. Add blended soup back to the remaining soup and allow it to heat through again. (You could also blend the whole pot if you prefer a more uniform consistency.)
About 30 minutes before serving add the Parmesan cheese, warmed milk, and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don't be afraid to always season to taste at the end). Cover and cook on low for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.
Makes about 2 quarts.
Notes:
Nikie and family raved about this soup recipe, so I knew I had to try it. As I was reading the recipe, however, I became a little wary of the roux. Notice I don't mention anything about a roux in the recipe above? That's because I left it out. Yep, I did. I adapted a recipe as I was making it - Gregg is so proud! (I did ask my mom her thoughts, since she had made it recently, so it wasn't completely from my head.) If you're interested, check out the original recipe. But I didn't even miss it (and neither will my hips, I'm sure!). Serve with these yummy garlic knots and you've got a winner of a meal for a snowy, winter evening.
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