Texas Caviar...

This is a Texas favorite, you can either use this as dip with tortilla chips or use as a side salad with barbeque. I use one jalapeno pepper, but if you prefer spicy food add another. Make sure you make ahead time, the longer the beans, onion and peppers marinate in the salad dressing, the better it gets!

Ingredients:

½ onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

2 Tablespoons garlic, minced

8 ounces of Newman’s Family Italian Dressing

15 ounce (1 can) Ranch Style Black Beans, drained

15 ounce (1 can) black-eyed peas, drained

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 pint of cherry tomatoes

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together onion, green bell pepper, green onions, jalapeno pepper, garlic, cherry tomatoes, Italian dressing, black beans, and black-eyed peas. Cover and chill in the refrigerator 2 hours. Toss with fresh cilantro to serve.

Pork Tenderloin with Bourbon Sauce

 

 1/3 cup Kentucky Bourbon
 1/3 cup light soy sauce
 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
 3 large cloves garlic, minced
 1/3 cup Dijon mustard
 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, or 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh ginger
 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
 1/3 cup vegetable oil
 dash hot sauce
 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds

In blender or food processor, combine bourbon, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, mustard, ginger, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and oil; pulse until smooth. Place tenderloin and marinade in a food storage bag; refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight. Cook 4 inches from a hot charcoal fire for 15 to 25 minutes or until the pork has reached 165° internally and is no longer pink in the center. Baste occasionally while cooking. Slice in 1/2-inch thick slices to serve.

If you prefer not to grill, cook terderlion in a low casserole dish on the top rack of the oven for 30 minutes on 400F. Turning once, baste twice.

Easy Baked Tortellini…

 

Sunday afternoon, my husband asked me what I was planning for dinner. I just spent most of the early afternoon making  and canning BBQ sauce, so I gave him two options. Either BBQ chicken on the grill, (there is nothing like grilling in 36°F weather) or baked tortellini.

My lovely husband put a screwed up looked on his face, and asked what kind of weird stuff I was going to feed him for dinner. He then played twenty questions, as to why would I bake tortellini and not just cook it as I normally do.

 This is typical in our house when I try to cook something he is not sure he will like. I learned early in our marriage, if he has not tried something, my husband will say he either does not like or is allergic to it. My best accomplishment was getting him to try Chinese food; it is now his favorite food!

I used two different types of tortellini both made by Buitoni brand. I used 9-ounce package of spinach tortellini and a 9-ounce package of cheese and sausage tortellini. You can use any variety you chose, I chose mine for the color. Since I used a meat tortellini, I did not add any additional meat, but you could add pound of a ground meat to the sauce.

You can used frozen spinach if you would like. I used a combination of garlic and onions, sautéed with oregano, basil, and ground thyme. If you use spinach, defrost then squeeze out excess liquid. I would add it to the pan with the onions and garlic mixture.

I served the baked tortellini with tossed salad and fresh bread sticks. What did my husband think of dinner? He went back for seconds… *Smile*

Ingredients:

18 ounces of tortellini

1 jar of spaghetti sauce, I use Prego Traditional sauce

Small onion, diced

2 Tablespoons garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon ground thyme

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded cheese variety your choice, I actually used a 4 cheese Mexican blend by Kraft.

Directions:

Preheat to 450°F

Cook tortellini per package instructions while in a small pan sauté onions and garlic. When onions are almost translucent, add basil, oregano and thyme.

Spray a 9X11 glass-baking dish with non-stick cooking spray like Pam.

Transfer onion and spices mixture to the glass dish, spread evenly on the bottom.

Drain tortellini, then pour on to the onion mix, pour spaghetti sauce over tortellini then top with cheese.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Crockpot Breakfast Casserole...

The best part about weekend is having a time to cook breakfast. What if you could get the big breakfast during the week without cutting into that precious morning time. Well you can with a little pre-planning in the evening and using your crockpot or slow cooker. I found this recipe over at fit and fab living and it is a great way to make sure your kids get a good meal before heading out for school.  The recipe calls for ham or bacon, I have used pre cooked ground sausage and it turns out well. You can omit the onion and green pepper if you wish, but it is better with onion. Ingredients * 1 32 oz. bag frozen hash brown potatoes * 1 lb. bacon, diced, cooked and drained or 1 lb. cooked ham, cubed * 1 med. onion, diced * 1 green bell pepper, diced * 1 1/2 C. cheddar or Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded * 1 dozen eggs * 1 C. milk * 1 tsp. salt * 1 tsp. pepper (more or less to taste) Directions 1. Place a layer of frozen potatoes on the bottom of the slow cooker (Crockpot), followed by a layer of bacon then onions, green pepper and cheese. 2. Repeat the layering process two or three more times, ending with a layer of cheese. 3. Beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. 4. Pour over the Crockpot mixture, cover and turn on low. 5. Cook for 10-12 hours.

Your Top Five...

I have posted 130 recipes. I thought that today, I would repost the five most popular ones.

Ron's Cajun Meatball Stew...

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
5 green onion, tails, chopped
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning
1 teaspoons of Mrs. Dash seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
8 cups of water / half gallon
4 cups of cooked white rice
1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:
In a large bowl mix eggs, ½ of the onion, crushed Ritz crackers, 2 teaspoons of Tony Chachere’s and ground beef together until well blended
Form meat mixture into 2-inch meatballs
In a large soup pot, bring water to boil over medium heat
Add 1 tablespoon of Roux at time; stir until dissolved. Make sure the Roux does not sit on the bottom of the pot. When the Roux is completely dissolved you should have a nice dark sauce. If need be lower heat to prevent boil over
Reduce heat to a simmer and add all ingredients except meatballs and rice. Stir well to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Gently add meatballs and cook for ten minutes. Give a light stir to make sure there is not sticking.
Partially cover pot and simmer for half hour.
Spoon over cooked white rice and serve with cornbread.

 

 

Sweet Potato Cornbread…

Ingredients:

5 eggs, beaten

½ cup melted butter

2 cups self rising cornmeal

2 cups sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled cooled and mashed

1 cup sour cream

3 Tablespoon of white sugar

¼ each of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F

Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl, set a side

In separate bowl combine eggs, sour cream and butter until smooth. This will look like yellow cake batter when combined well

Add sweet potatoes to the liquid mixture until well blended

add to dry and beat until smooth

 

Pour into a lightly greased 9 X 13 pan.

Let rest five minutes before placing in oven

Bake for 35 minutes

 

The Zombie…

Ingredients:

2 Cups warm water
1½ Tablespoons yeast
6 Cups bread flour
¼ Cup sugar
1 Teaspoons salt
¼ Cup butter

Small box of Velveeta Cheese cut into 1 ½ to 2 oz portions

Directions:
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add remaining ingredients and mix with dough hook about 10 minutes until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.
Dough should be soft and pliable.

Let dough rest a few minutes then divide into 1-pound portions. Roll the portions into logs. Cut each log into 5 equal pieces.

Place your favorite filling on top of each dough slice, then pull dough up from the sides to cover filling. Pinch closed very carefully.

Place zombies pinched side down on parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet pan (parchment works best). If desired, brush with egg wash.

Let rise until almost doubled in size.

Bake @350 degrees until brown on top, about 15 to 20 minutes.

 

Chinese Cocktail Buns…

For the dough:

· 1/3 cup (75 ml) very warm water

· 1 teaspoon (5 ml) granulated sugar

· 2 teaspoons (10 ml) active dry yeast

· 1/3 cup (75 ml) granulated sugar

· 1/2 teaspoon (2 ml) salt

· 3 tablespoons (50 ml) cooking oil

· 1/4 cup (60 ml) boiling water

· 1 large egg, fork-beaten

· Approximately 2 1/4 cups (550 ml) white bread flour

1. Stir warm water and first amount of sugar in small dish until sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle yeast over top. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast.
2. Stir second amount of sugar, salt and cooking oil in large bowl. Add boiling water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in egg and yeast mixture.
3. Slowly work in enough flour until soft dough forms. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place dough in large greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with greased waxed paper and tea towel. Let stand in oven with light on and door closed for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until doubled in bulk. Punch dough down. Cover. Let rest for 5 minutes. Shape into 12 inch (30 cm) log. Cut into 12 pieces. Fill, shape and bake buns according to desired recipes. Makes 12 buns.

 

For the filling,

½ cup of white sugar

2/3 cup flour

½ stick of butter, softened

2 egg yokes,

2/3 cup coconut, finely shredded

Mix all ingredients together with a mixer until light and fluffy

Spoon filling into dough

Let rise one hour

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

For a glossy coating, beat 1 egg in a bowl, and brush each bun with a little beaten egg. Sprinkle each bun with a few sesame seeds.

Bake in the preheated oven until the buns are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

 

Oven Roasted Green Beans Almondine…

 

¼ cup of butter or margarine

1 pound of green beans, whole

1 cup of slivered of sliced Almonds

2 Tablespoons of minced garlic

Preheat oven to 350°F

Wash and snap ends of bean, leaving whole.

Melt butter in a 2qt baking dish, add almonds and toast lightly. When almonds are brown, add garlic and beans to the dish, making sure beans are coated with remaining butter.

Bake for ten minutes before turning beans over, cook for another 5 to 8 minutes before removing from oven. Salt and pepper to taste, sometimes I will sprinkle crushed red peppers on beans. Beans should have a small amount of crispness to them.

1 clove garlic, minced
8 cups of water / half gallon
4 cups of cooked white rice
1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
In a large bowl mix eggs, ½ of the onion, crushed Ritz crackers, 2 teaspoons of Tony Chachere’s and ground beef together until well blended
Form meat mixture into 2-inch meatballs
In a large soup pot, bring water to boil over medium heat
Add 1 tablespoon of Roux at time; stir until dissolved. Make sure the Roux does not sit on the bottom of the pot. When the Roux is completely dissolved you should have a nice dark sauce. If need be lower heat to prevent boil over
Reduce heat to a simmer and add all ingredients except meatballs and rice. Stir well to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Gently add meatballs and cook for ten minutes. Give a light stir to make sure there is not sticking.
Partially cover pot and simmer for half hour.
Spoon over cooked white rice and serve with cornbread.

Dessert Pizza...

 

 

 

If you have been to CiCi’s or ordered, takeout most pizzerias now have a desert pizza. Usually a cinnamon or cinnamon apple concoction, that is warm, sweet, and full of cinnamon and brown sugar.  You can use any pizza dough you chose, either readymade, out of a packet or from scratch.

Pizza dough:

3 cups all purpose flour

2 ¼ teaspoon yeast or one packet

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 cup of warm water

 

If you have bread machine place on the dough setting and let it do it work.

 

To make by hand:

Combine water, yeast, and half of the flour in a large bowl. Mix well (I use my hands) Add remaining ingredients until the dough holds its shape.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. If dough is too sticky, lightly sprinkle with flour.

Transfer dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clean lint free kitchen towel and place in a warm area. Let dough rest until double its size. This usually takes an about 45 minutes to an hour.

See below for assembly…

Topping:

1 tablespoon of melted butter
¼ cup cinnamon
1/2 cup + 1/3 cup of flour
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of shortening
2 tablespoons of oil (I used vegetable oil)

Icing:
1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
3 tablespoons of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Directions:
 Roll out the pizza dough on a pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Perforate pizza dough with the dough.
Brush melted butter over the pizza dough.
Sprinkle all over the cinnamon dough.
Prepare the remaining topping ingredients by mixing all the ingredients using a fork
Pop into the oven (460 degrees) for 10-12 minutes.  

While pizza is cooking, make the icing. Mix all the ingredients together. If the icing is too thick, add extra milk.
 Remove from oven and drizzle icing all over the pizza.

Crock-Pot Sopa de Ajo (Castilian Garlic Soup)

This recipe was sent to me by a reader, the original recipe came from Fox News website. The soup is a chicken base and is made in a crock-pot. With little pre-planning you can come home to savory garlic and chicken soup.

Ingredients

• 2 heads of garlic (approximately 40 cloves)
• 4 Tablespoon olive oil
• salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3/4 Teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon paprika, plus more for garnish
• pinch of saffron
• 1/2 Teaspoon cayenne
• 3 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small chunks
• 4 Cup chicken broth
• 4 eggs, poached

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Step 2

In a small glass baking dish, place 30 unpeeled cloves of garlic. Drizzle over with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste, mixing to ensure that the garlic is evenly coated.

Step 3

Cover the dish with aluminum foil and roast the garlic for approximately 30 minutes, until it is soft and golden-hued.

Step 4

While the garlic is roasting, peel and mince the remaining 10 cloves of garlic.

Step 5

Heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan; once hot, add the garlic and onion and sauté over medium heat for around 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent and the garlic is fragrant (but not browned). Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Step 6

Once the garlic has finished roasting, remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Gently unpeel the cloves and set aside (the peels should come off very easily). Discard the garlic peels.

Step 7

In a crock pot, add the sautéed garlic and onion mixture, the roasted garlic, and all of the remaining ingredients, except for the eggs, and adding more salt and pepper to taste at this stage. Stir to ensure the ingredients are evenly combined.

Step 8

Cook in the crockpot on low heat for 6-8 hours, stirring very occasionally if possible, until the potatoes are falling apart. Break up any remaining large potato pieces with a wooden spoon or a fork.

Step 9

When the soup has finished cooking, ladle into 4 bowls. Top each with a freshly poached egg and an extra pinch of paprika for color.

Paddy’s Chocolate Cobbler…

Yummy, is all I can say about this scrumptious dessert! This is so simple to make. Those who do not usually cook, this would be a great surprise for your loved one on Valentine’s Day.

When I combined all the ingredients in the dish, it reminded me of a child’s mud pie!

I changed the recipe a bit, instead of adding 1 ½ cups water, I added 1 ¼ cup of water and ¼ cup of Hershey’s chocolate syrup… I like chocolate!

I did not have any self-rising flour, so I substituted it for 1 ½ cups of all purpose flour and added a teaspoon of baking powder.

Ingredients:

2 sticks of margarine

¾ cup chopped pecans

1 ½ cup self-rising flour

2 ½ cups white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ milk

5 Tablespoons of cocoa powder

1 ½ cups water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

In a 9X13 pan add pecans and sticks of margarine, melt in oven

In bowl mix flour, 1 ½ cups of sugar, vanilla and milk

In separate bowl, mix 1 cup sugar and cocoa powder, set aside.

When margarine is melted, evenly pour flour mixture into the pan

Top flour mixture with cocoa mixture, DO NOT STIR

Pour water onto of the cocoa mix again, DO NOT STIR…

Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes. If contents seem too fluid let cook five minutes longer. The mixture should firm and will not totally set up until completely cool.

You can serve with vanilla ice cream or top with whipped cream.

Apple Salad, well maybe dessert…

This is good salad, which can be served as a fruit dessert. I have paired this with both pork and chicken. You have to be careful not to curdle your egg when adding the warm pineapple juice. Go slowly and add small amounts of the juice if you have never tempered warm ingredients with eggs.

1 Tablespoon flour

1 cup white sugar

¾ cup pineapple juice

¼ cup water

1 egg yolk

1 Tablespoon vinegar

1 Tablespoon butter

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped nuts, I prefer pecans

1 cup grapes, green

1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

3 cups apples, chopped

Directions:

In small saucepan over medium heat, mix flour and sugar

Stir while slowly adding juice and water, bring to a boil

Let simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

In a bowl beat egg yolk, temper by slowly adding one spoonful at a time of pineapple mix, for a total of 5 spoonfuls. Stir well between spoonfuls.

Pour egg, juice mix into the remaining juice. Return to heat and cook for a minute. Add vinegar and butter, stir until combined.

In a large bowl, mix raisins, nuts, grapes, pineapple and apples. Pour juice mix over fruit, toss to coat, and then chill 30 minutes until ready to serve.

Broccoli Casserole…

Yummy and cheesy way to get kids to eat broccoli!

I like to add a cup of chopped cooked chicken breast to make it a one pot meal. Serve tossed salad and French bread.

20 ounces of frozen broccoli, thawed and chopped

1 10-3/4 ounce can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup

1 cup of mayonnaise

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup of cheddar cheese, grated

8 ounces Velveeta cheese, cubed

2 eggs

16 Ritz crackers, crushed

¼ cup Butter

Directions:

Butter or spray with cooking a 9X13X3 glass baking dish

Preheat oven 350°F

Mix broccoli, soup, mayonnaise, onion, garlic, eggs and cheeses in a medium bowl until blended.

Pour into buttered pan then sprinkle with crushed crackers, dot top of crackers with butter

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.

Baked Ziti...

.

1 pound dry ziti pasta

1 onion, chopped

1 pound lean ground beef

2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce

6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced

1 1/2 cups sour cream

6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

 

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

 

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

No Egg, No Oil, No Sugar Blueberry Muffins

I found this recipe on food.com and was interested in the fact of there are no eggs, oil or sugar.

The sweetener used is Agave nectar. Agave nectar comes a from 14 year old Agave plant. The nectar is about 1.5 times more sweeter than sugar and is a great substitute for sugar or honey. I used the amber variety of Madava brand, agave nectar.
The Amber has can be used as syrup and would not suggest using it for sweetening tea. I personally did not like taste. I should've used the light agave, since it almost tasteless. The recipe should make a dozen large muffins.

Ingredients

1 bananas

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup agave syrup

4 cups flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup almond milk

4 cups frozen blueberries

Directions

 Rinse frozen blueberries under water in strainer until thawed.

 In a mixer on high speed, whip the 1/2 banana and 1/2 cup applesauce until mixed without lumps.

 Add remaining ingredients except for blueberries. Mix until batter is combined. Add 1-2 tsp of almond milk if batter is too dry.

 Mix batter with blueberries by hand.

 Bake in preheated oven at 350F. Bake for 35 mins or until firm.

Southwestern Chicken & Bean Salad

This recipe is simple and healthy dish you can eat either as a side dish, salad, or as a meal. I like it with chicken, but feel free to use turkey breast if you prefer.

Ingredients:

1 can red kidney beans

1 can corn

1 small carrot, chopped

1 small red pepper, chopped

½ cup celery, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1 cup cooked chicken breast, chopped

Dressing:

1 teaspoon dried parsley

¼ cup red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Hot sauce to taste

Directions:

 In serving bowl, gently toss salad ingredients together.

 In separate small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss gently to combine.

 Chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour, occasionally stirring lightly.

La Madeline’s Tomato Basil Soup...

When I worked in downtown Fort Worth, once a month, I would take my employees out to lunch at La Madeline. La Madeline’s is a French Country Café, which has locations in Texas, Louisiana, Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC and Georgia.

One of my favorite items to order was the Tomato Basil Soup. Before tasting this soup, I did not know tomato soup could taste so wonderful!

This soup is so popular; in 1994, the Fort Worth Star Telegram food editor said she would get a minimum of 10 calls per week from people looking for this recipe. Oh yeah, you take a spoonful of this cream red soup in your mouth, and sigh with satisfaction it is that good.

You can use canned tomatoes for this soup, but if you have fresh, it will make a big difference. Make sure you also have a good fresh French Bread to eat along with the soup!

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh tomatoes, cored, peeled, and chopped (8-10) or canned whole tomatoes, crushed
4 cups tomato juice (or part vegetable or part chicken stock)
12-14 basil leaves, washed fresh
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 lb sweet unsalted butter
salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
lemon juice (optional)

Directions:

Combine tomatoes, juice/and or stock in saucepan.

 Simmer 30 minutes.

 Purees, along with the basil leaves, in small batches, in blender, food processor or use an immersion hand blenders. Return to saucepan and add cream and butter, while stirring, over low heat. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread.