Homemade Tortilla Strips

10-12 corn tortillas
Olive oil for frying
Kosher salt

Cut tortillas into strips using a pizza cutter. You can cut 2-3 at a time pretty easily. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Place strips into hot oil and fry until they become crispy. When nice and crispy, remove from oil and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt after each batch.

Fresh Guacamole

Love FRESH guacamole with as many ingredients from the garden as possible? Try this, you'll love it. Add a few shakes of green Tabasco sauce.. Yum. 

3 avocados
Red onion, chopped (about 1/4 c.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped (or to taste)
1 large ripe garden tomato (or 2 smaller tomatoes), diced
juice of 1 lime
4-5 shakes green Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Pit avocados and mash in a bowl. If you like your guac kind of chunky, coarsely chop with the side of a fork instead of using the fork to mash it straight down. Carefully stir in remaining ingredients until well mixed. Devour!

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad

Do you love Cafe Rio and Costa Vida? Try this copy cat recipe.


It really is easier than it looks. It only took me about an hour to make (after the pork was in the crock pot). The rice and beans are SUPER easy, you definitely want the beans and rice to get the whole experience! Also, be generous with the cilantro! 

6 large Tortillas 
Shredded cheese, Mexican blend
Cafe Rio Rice 
Cafe Rio Black Beans 
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork 
Lettuce (NOT iceberg, use leafy green or Romaine)
Diced tomato, onion, and cilantro (pico de gallo)
Guacamole 
Sour cream
Tortilla Strips 
Cotija cheese, crumbled (or you can use Parmesan)
Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch 
OR ***NEW*** Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette 

Here is how we put it all together: First of all, we bought the aluminum deep-dish pans (they had these at the grocery store, you will know when you see them.. they look JUST like the Cafe Rio tins). Lay a tortilla in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle cheese on it, and put in the oven at 375 for about 5 min or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add beans, rice, pork, then lettuce and a little scoop of diced tomato and onions (pico de gallo). Add guacamole (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) and sour cream. Add crushed tortilla chips, a shake of Parmesan cheese, and top with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with the cilantro ranch or vinaigrette dressing and there you have it! (makes about 6 salads)

(scroll down to see the rice, beans, pork, and ranch recipes all together...)

SWEET PORK:
2 pounds pork (use boneless pork ribs)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can diced green chilies
3/4 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce (Old El Paso brand works well, medium spiciness)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry). Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

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.

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


CILANTRO-LIME RICE:
1 c. uncooked rice
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.


BLACK BEANS:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro. (**NOTE** you can add a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder if you like. It's not "traditional Cafe Rio", but it tastes great.)


CILANTRO RANCH:
1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (Want it SPICY? Keep the seeds in it. Want it mild, just remove the seeds.)

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!
Complements of Favorite Family Recipes.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

3 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. shortening
3/4 c. very hot water

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Cut in the shortening with your fingers or pastry cutter until the flour is crumbly. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in bowl, cover with a slightly damp dishtowel and let sit for an hour. Divide the dough into 5-6 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball (if you are making soft taco sized tortillas, divide it into 10-12 pieces).

Preheat a large skillet or pan to medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla (if you want it perfectly round, get a large round plate or serving platter, flip it upside down over the dough and cut out the circle). Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly, golden, and no appearance of doughy-ness, about 1 minute (DON'T OVERCOOK.. remember these are supposed to be soft flour tortillas, you don't want them to be crispy); flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer or on a large plate, covering with a slightly damp towel. Repeat with remaining dough.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Lemon Meringue Pie is my favorite. Say no more!

1 pre-baked pie crust (see pie crust recipe)
1 ½ c. sugar
½ c. cornstarch
¼ tsp. salt
2 ¼ c. water
1 Tbsp. grated lemon peel
4 egg yolks
1 baked pie crust
3 Tbsp. butter
½ c. lemon juice

For the meringue:
5-6 egg whites (at room temperature)
¼ tsp cream of tartar
½ c. sugar

In a medium-sized saucepot, bring sugar, cornstarch, salt, water, and lemon peel to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and mix in with wire whip 4 egg yolks. Return to heat for 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in 3 T. butter, then ½ c. lemon juice. Pour into pie crust and cool.

Meringue topping: In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add ½ c. sugar beating until stiff peaks form.

Top pie with meringue and bake at 325 about 10 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Chill until set.

Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken

This recipe is super easy and so good!  I always love a good crockpot recipe because usually all you have to do is dump everything in together and forget about it.  And who doesn't love that?  It's always a pain in the butt when 5:00 rolls around and you have to come up with something for dinner.  So, do something easy and try this recipe.  You'll be so happy when 5:00 rolls around and the yummy smell of dinner is permeating through your house.  The fact that you don't have to come up with something to eat will certainly make your day!  Enjoy!

Frozen Chicken Breasts(I just did two big ones)

8oz. cream cheese

10 oz. can Rotel

1 can Black Beans drained

shredded cheese

Spray crockpot with Pam, put Chicken breasts in first then top with remaining ingredients.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.  When the chicken gets tender, take a fork and shred.  You can serve this over rice or just eat with tortilla chips.  I added some green peppers and put a little cilantro in mine and it adds just the right touch!  Enjoy!

Chicken Enchiladas

This is my very favorite Chicken Enchilada recipe!  It is by far the best!  Never buy the gross red enchilada sauce that comes in a can at the store.  It is nasty and will ruin anything that comes in contact with it!  I love this recipe because it has a cream sauce instead of a red sauce.  It is super easy and super good.  Next time you are craving a little Mexican dish cook this up!  Yum!

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1/2 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp Butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tsp. chilli powder

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1 can chopped green chillies

 Tortillas

Shredded cheddar cheese

In a small bowl, stir together soup and sour cream until smooth.  In saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add onion and chilli powder.  Cook till onion is tender.  Stir in chicken, chillies, and 2 tablespoons of soup mixture.  Remove from heat.

Add 1/4 cup chicken to tortillas; fold and put seam side down in greased baking dish.  Spread remaining soup mixture over top of enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.  Cover and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Top with whatever you like:  Tomatoes, avocados, green peppers, etc.

Why Is It Love and Food Are Synonymous?

What's not to love about this?



Happy Luv Day!

Raspberry or Cherry Cobbler - Happy Luv Day

Valentines just wouldn't be Valentines with out cooking up something that was divinely chocolate and had a little berryness to it. Betty Crocker has done it again. Try out this delicious dish. And Happy Valentines Day!

Ingredients:

1 (21) oz can of Raspberry Pie filling or Cherry pie filling. Now I have a strong mind about pie filling. There are brands I simply hate and brands I love and it seems every time I go shopping I struggle finding that which I love. I like my berry pie filling to taste natural. Look for a natural looking brand, not one that is so thick with all the flavor removed. If you've ever bought pie filling, you know what I mean.

Sometimes I like to make my own, when it comes to Cherry. In that case here is the recipe:
Homemade Cherry pie filling.
Take 2 cups of fresh pitted cherries. I buy mine in Willard and you can buy them year round, they come frozen. Best Cherries ever! Add 1/2 cup of water, a little less if you are using them frozen and slushy. Bring that to a soft boil. In another bowl add 1/2 heaping cup of sugar if cherries are tart, and two TBSP of Cornstarch. Stir that up and mix well. Stir into boiling cherry mixture until thickens. Cool before serving.

1 pouch, (1lb 1.5oz) Betty Crocker Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix.

3/4 cup of melted butter.

Heat oven to 350 F. Spray bottom and sides of 11x7 inch glass baking dish with Pam. Spread berry or cherry pie filling in bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle cookie mix evenly over pie filling. Pour melted butter evenly over cookie mix. Using small metal spatula, (I like to use a fork.) gently spread melted butter over cookie mix just to cover the dry mix.

Bake 28-30 min. or until topping is set. To serve warm, cook 15 min. and scoop on the vanilla ice cream with it. YUM!

Overnight, Slow Cooker, Apple and Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

The other day I strolled into Kitchen Kneads. I went to buy raw peanuts but came home with much more. I am always looking for healthy ways of eating and as I was standing in the isle looking over all of the goods on the shelf, I over heard a lady talking all about the health benefits of steel cut oats. After she finished all of her selling points, I was surprised to find she was not an employee. On the contrary, she was just a customer raving about how much she loves steel cut oats.


Sold!


I walked over and picked up a bag and turned to this knowledgeable woman and asked her how to cook them. She whipped out three recipes and I was so excited to go home and try them. Here is the first.


Slow Cooker, Apple and Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal.


2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2-1/2 to 3 cups chopped)
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into 5-6 pieces
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground flax seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional garnishes: chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, additional milk or butter


Step 1. Assemble the ingredients: apples, skim milk, steel-cut oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, ground flaxseed, butter, nuts (optional.)


Step 2. Peel and core the apples; cut them into 1/2 inch pieces. You can leave the peel on for added fiber and nutrition. I don't care for the texture of cooked apple skin, so I peel mine; but that's a personal preference.


Step 3. Coat the slow cooker with cooking spray. Don't skip this step, or you will really regret it. You'

Step 4. Throw everything in the slow cooker. I have a 6-1/2 quart slow cooker, but 3-1/2 quarts is big enough for this recipe. I can double the recipe in my slow cooker when I'm feeding more than 4 or 5 people. 

Step 5. Stir it. Put on the lid. Set it to cook on low for 7 hours.

Step 6. Go to bed. Wake up to the sweet aroma of cinnamon and apples.ll need a hammer and chisel to get the slow cooker clean if it's not sprayed with oil first. 



Read here for the health properties of steel cut oats.