Christmas 2009

We had a wonderful Christmas with family. This year we celebrated Christmas Eve due to our flight leaving at 6:30 Christmas day.
The funny thing is Tom and I decided we needed to acquire a tan in a day. WE HAD THE GRAND IDEA OF GOING TO TWO TANNING BEDS IN A DAY! Did I mention we were white as ghost? Not only did we tan twice in a day but we also decided we should try the spray on tan! Too funny...as you will see our family Christmas photo will reflect the stupidity of this decision! I highly recommend not doing this!
We ordered Chinese food, drank wine and had a wonderful time with the kids. Eliot is in California trying to be an actor, so he wasn't with us this year. Rayn got a computer, I made a scrapbook of wedding photos for Josh and Tiffany. Josh got tickets to the Colts game. Sammy is really in to making videos, he got a camcorder this year.
I loved spending time with the kids.

Great Football Party Recipe...SAUSAGE POTATO PEPPER BAKE

This is a great simple recipe to serve at your next football party. You can prepare two sheets enough to serve a good size crowd.
My sister is the one that found this recipe and I have made it on a busy work night as well. This is great for a party because you can slice everything ahead of time, pop it into the oven and you are done. Be sure to make everything into bite size pieces all the same size so they cook evenly. This is great served with a crusty bread. I use sweet italian sausage, when I slice it I remove the casings. I also love jalapenos, so I add plenty of those as well. I have made this throwing in califlower and mushrooms as well.
You are sure to score big at your next football bash when you serve this. NO BULL....try it!


SIMPLE SAUSAGE POTATO PEPPER BAKE

1 Pkg of sweet italian sausage cut into bite size pieces
1 Red Pepper cut in chunks
1 Yellow Pepper cut in chunks
! Green Pepper cut in chunks
Potatoes cut in chunks
Onion cut in chunks
Jalapenos if you like
1 Head of garlic
Olive Oil
Basil
Salt and Pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil for easy clean up. Combine all of the veggies and sausage, drizzle with olive oil sprinkle with dried basil, salt and pepper. Cook for 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

PECAN-CHOCOLATE SQUARES

If you love pecan pie, and chocolate you will flip for this recipe. I was skimming through that awesome magazine where I found the Black Bean Chili Recipe and stumbled upon this. I wanted to make something using the stuff that I had on hand. I had a half bag of pecans and some Ghirardelli Chocolate, so I thought I would give it a try. I actually made a few mistakes while making this, but they turned out so good I'm going to submit this recipe the way I made it! NO BULL these things are amazing. I usually don't get to excited about my own cooking, but this one I highly recommend trying. My husband loves pecan pie, so I know he will love this simple recipe. It sure beats making a pie crust let me tell ya! These would be great to take for Thanksgiving to share. I really hope you try this recipe! It is super simple, plus you get to use your food processor...I love that thing! Especially when making doughs and pastries. Something about pulsing butter and flour is thrilling to me! I know I need to get a life! Hope you enjoy this sweet treat.

PECAN-CHOCOLATE SQUARES
For The Cookie Base:
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2 pieces
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 oz. 1/2 cup finely grated unsweetened chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 100 % Cacao)

For The Pecan Topping
3 cups of Pecans toasted
1/2 unsalted butter
1 cup of light brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp. Dark Molasses
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/2 tsp. salt

Make the cookie base:
Position rack in middle of oven, heat to 350. Put all of the ingredients for the cookie base in your food processor and pulse for about 20 times. It will appear well combines and crumble, don't over mix you want the butter to be a crumble texture for a tender base. Scatter the dough in in a 9x9 baking pan and press evenly. (wipe out the food processor but don't bother washing it yet.) Bake the base for 25 minutes, remove from oven but don't turn oven off.

Making the pecan topping:
As the cookie base bakes toast the pecans in a dry teflon skillet. Put into food processor and pulse until you get a course chop. In a medium saucepan melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, honey, cream and salt. Simmer for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in the pecans. Pour the mixture over the cookie base spreading evenly. Bake until much of the filling is bubbling ( not just the edges) 16 to 18 minutes. Let cool completly in pan. When ready to serve cut into 16 squares. Bars will keep for 5 days if tightly covered.

Corn Bread With Scallions and Bacon

I found this recipe being served with the Black bean chipolte chili and decided to make the complete meal. I thought the addition of bacon to corn bread was pretty tasty. Let's face everything taste better with bacon! NO BULL this corn bread has a moist tender crumb, and gets a crisp crust in a cast iron skillet.

CORNBREAD WITH SCALLIONS AND BACON

1 cup of all purpose flour
1 cup of yellow cornmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/1/4 cup milk
2 Tbs. honey
1 large egg
1/3 cup of corn oil
8 scallions ( while and light green part only) chopped thinly
fresh ground pepper
3 thick slices of bacon

Heat the oven to 400. In large bowl whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. In med. bowl wisk the milk , honey, egg corn oil,\ scallions and 2 grinds of pepper until well combined. In a 10 inch oven proof skillet (cast iron if you have it) cook the bacon over med heat. Remove bacon from pan. Do not drain bacon fat. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just blended. Crumble bacon and fold in. Don't overmix.
Pour the batter into the hot skillet with the bacon fat bake until the top is golden brown, firm and springy to the touch about 25 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Turn out onto a rack and serve cut into wedges.

Beef and Black Bean Chili with Chipolte and Avocado.

I think this is the first time I have ever made chili with an actual recipe. NO BULL, usually I just throw what I like into a pot ,top it with cheese, jalapenos and sour cream and call it chili. Chili is a great food for tailgating. It is a quick simply dish to prepare, can be made ahead of time the perfect food for a football party or tailgating outdoors. . This black bean chili is sure to heat up the crowd with the addition of chipolte peppers. The photo of this chili got my attention as well as the title "Beef and Black Bean Chili and Avacado". I love chipolte peppers as well as avocado and black bean soup, so this combination made sense to me. I decided to make this and watch my favorite football team the Indianapolis Colts play. Needless to say they won, and you can be a winner too when you serve this delicious spicy chili at your next football party. I served it with the Cornbread with scallions and bacon. My husband loved this chili, I have to agree it was pretty tasty.

BEEF AND BLACK BEAN CHILI WITH CHIPOLTE AND AVOCADO
3 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 1/2 can diced tomatoes
1 medium chipolte plus 2 TBS> adobe sauce (from a can of chipoltes in adobe sauce)
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
kosher salt
1 large red onion, finely diced
1 1/2 Tbs. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 lime juiced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup of water
freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe avocado cut into medium dice

Put one-third ot the black beans into the bowl of a food processor, along with the tomatoes and their juices, the chipolte, and the adobe sauce. Process until smooth and set aside.
Heat the oil in a 5 to 6 quart dutch oven heat until it's shimmering hot about 2 minutes. Add the beef season with 1/2 tsp. salt and cook, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until it loses it's raw color , about 3 minutes. Transfer the beef to a large plate using a slotted spoon. Add 1/2 the onion and 1/4 tsp. salt, cook stirring until it begins to brown and soften about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add chili powder, cumin cook for 20 seconds. Add the remaining black beans, the pureed black bean mixture and the beef. Simmer for 10 minutes stirring frequently. Add 1/2 of the lime juice 1/2 of the cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the cup of water , you can add more or less to make it thinner if you prefer.
Meanwhile in a small bowl mix remaining lime juice, onion, avocado, cilantro season with salt and pepper. Serve the chili topped with the avocado mixture.

Rhonda's Magic Pumpkin Bread

My son Sammy loves my sisters pumpkin bread. Every time we visit my sister she is always baking something. Flavored breads seem to be her speciality. Sammy begged me to get the recipe and make it. I have since made it 3 times. I had to make another batch this morning because I tried it yesterday using the nuts. Sammy is not a fan of nuts, so I told him I would make another batch. I love the way this stuff makes the house smell. NO BULL, fall is in the air!

RHONDA'S MAGIC PUMPKIN BREAD

2 cups sugar
1 16 oz can pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
2 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup finely chopped pecans ( optional) (i use my mini chopper)

I also add dashes of pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg


Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs in bowl. Beat until blended. Add oil, beat. Blend in flour, soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Stir in pecans.

Divide into 4 greased mini loaf pans.
Bake at 350 for 50 minute

Oven Roasted Tomatoes With Garlic

I was so surprised by this simple recipe. I really didn't think I would like cooked tomatoes, NO BULL this was my favorite part of the meal! I served this with the blue cheese butter stuffed fillets. It was great paired up with a loaf of rosemary bread. I love roasted garlic, pairing this up with the roasted tomatoes is an awesome combination. Next time I make this I will be sure to add more cloves of garlic.

OVEN ROASTED TOMATOES WITH GARLIC

1 pkg. of grape tomatoes
12 cloves of garlic
olive oil
course salt
pepper

Arrange tomatoes in a single layer in an oven proof dish. Arrange garlic with tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Blue Cheese Stuffed Fillets

I was watching a cooking show this morning, and decided to make the exact meal minus the dessert. I figure I will be eating Halloween Candy later tonight. This meal was amazing I made the Blue Cheese Stuffed Fillets, creamed spinach, and the roasted grape tomatoes with garlic that I loved! I don't think I have ever really had coked tomatoes before, they were delicious.
Anyway getting back to the steaks.
This is such a simple recipe, that cooks quickly and perfectly....NO BULL!
You will be amazed how easy it is to prepare.

Blue Cheese Butter

1 stick of unsalted butter
6 oz. of really good blue cheese

Pulse quickly in a food processor. Do not cream completely, you will want to have chunks of blue cheese and chunks of butter. Remove from food processor and form a log with plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Fillets With Blue Cheese Stuffing

Slit Fillets with a knife, be sure not to go completely through.
Stuff with a slice of the Blue Cheese Butter. Tie steaks with cooking twine to keep the shape. Heat olive oil in a pan until very hot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add fillets cook until a nice brown carmel crust forms, then turn to brown the other side.
Put pan in a 400 degree oven and top with another slice of the blue cheese butter. Continue to cook for another 8 minutes. Remove from oven and and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

POLISH CABBAGE NOODLES

I know this will sound like a strange recipe, but it is one I make a couple of times a year. I guess I am one of the strange few that loves cabbage. I happened to find this recipe on the web and gave it a try. NO BULL it is pretty tasty. You can use wide noodles, or any type that you have on hand. It is a simple dish, that cooks up quickly. My husband really likes this as well. Let me know if you try it!
Enjoy!

POLISH CABBAGE NOODLES


1 med head cabbage shredded
2 red onions cut into strips
1 16 oz pkg. wide egg noodles
4 slices bacon
2 tbs sugar
1 pkg smoked sausage sliced
1/2 butter

Cook bacon, set aside add butter to pan saute cabbage and onions add sausage.
Cook pasta drain, add to cabbage mixture with remaining ingredients season with salt and pepper.

It calls for red onion...I have always used white and it is fine.
I love cabbage and am always looking for ways to cook it.

CHICKEN CHIPOLTE TOMATO SOUP

One of my favorite foods SOUP! I could seriously live on soup. I get so excited when I find a new soup recipe! This is a really good one I found on the web. I tweeked it a bit. I think that is one of the things that I enjoy about making it, you can get a basic recipe and make it your own. This recipe incorporates one of my favorite new flavors spicy smoky chipolte peppers. You can make this soup as spicy as you like. Of course I like mine pretty spicy so I add more of the peppers and gravy. I suggest you taste this as you make it. Add a little or a lot. NO BULL, if you have never cooked with these tasty peppers you are going to love it.
I served this soup topped with a dollop of soup cream, cheddar cheese, sprinkled with fresh chopped cilantro. My husband said it must be served with warm tortillas instead of bread. I must admit it did go pretty well together.

CHICKEN CHIPOLTE TOMATO SOUP

3 Tbs. Butter
4 stalks celery diced
1 onion diced
4 cloves garlic diced
salt and pepper

Saute above ingredients in large stock pot until tender.

3 can Great Northern White Beans rinsed and drained
1 lg. can plus on small can whole stewed tomatoes
2 tsp. of ground cumin

Add to pot bring to boil and turn down simmer 10 minutes. Then mash some of the tomatoes and beans with a potato masher.

Here is the spice...I added 3 chipolte peppers chopped with some of the gravy. You can start out with one and keep adding until it get to the spicy you desire. Be sure to chop these fine.

Now add about 2 or 3 cups of chicken broth, and about 4 cups of cooked chicken. I used frozen chicken tenders and simmered them until tender then added to pot. I did not measure, just guessed on the size of our family how much to add. You could also shred a rotisserie chicken for this recipe.

Ladle in bowels top with sour cream, chopped cilantro and cheddar cheese. Serve with corn chips or warm tortillas.

Tomato And Corn Salad

This is a delicious fresh tasting side dish perfect for the summer months! Sweet corn when in season is one of my favorite things to eat. This is a recipe that I actually came up with by modifying one that had you actually stuffing a tomato with the corn mixture. I decided it would be much easier to prepare by simply combining all ingredients and using sweet cherry tomatoes instead. Tonya and Casey really loved this recipe. NO BULL, it is a GREAT summer side dish.


TOMATO AND CORN SALAD

This recipe is amazing when fresh corn is in season!

8 ears of corn removed from husk
2 tbs. butter
1 pkg. grape tomatoes
3 TBS. olive oil
1/2 C blue cheese
2 Tbs. White wine vinegar
coarse salt and pepper
8 slices cooked chopped bacon
1/2 c scallions

Saute corn in butter for about 7 min. transfer to a bowl add remaining ingredients and toss!
This is so good in the summer with steaks on the grill! Everyone always wants this recipe! Even my kids love it.
Enjoy

Pigin' Out With Friends On Memorial Day Weekend!

One of our traditions has has been getting together with our good friends Trent and Tonya for Memorial Day weekend. It seems during the winter we don't see each other as much, once the weather breaks it is about every weekend! We love to just to hang out, try new cocktails, float in the pool, play corn hole and of course eat! This year we had ribs, hamburgers, corn salad, potatoes roasted on the grill. We started out by sharing this crunchy bean dip served with corn chips. This is a light, crispy appetizer. NO BULL, you actually feel like you are eating something healthy! Everyone seemed to really enjoy it.

Crispy Cool Bean Dip

1 can pinto beans
1 can light kidney beans
1 can dark kidney beans
2 ears of white corn (can use a can of white corn)
1 onion
1 green pepper
5 stalks of celery
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar

Drain and rinse all beans (if you are using can corn drain as well). If using fresh corn remove corn from the cob. Mix all in a bowl. Finely dice green pepper, celery, and onion. Add to bean mixture.
In a sauce pan add oil, sugar and vinegar. Mix over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool. Once cooled pour over bean mixture and place in refrigerator for several hours or over night. To serve use a slotted spoon and drain mixture into serving bowel. Serve with corn chips.

Biscuits and Gravy!

I really hesitated to post this...lets face it the photo looks terrible, but it is so delicious! Everyone always asks me how do you make your biscuits and gravy. I find it hard to believe that anyone doesn't know how to make it. I have had people say " mine doesn't taste like yours"! NO BULL, I think some things just taste better if SOMEONE else prepares it! Even a sandwich taste great if your not the one making it! I think one of the keys to this recipe being so good is the biscuits I use! I LOVE the homestyle biscuits. They have a somewhat sweet taste. I also only use Bob Evans sausage. I also brown the flour with the cooked sausage for about 3 minutes before I add milk. Then simply stir, stir, stir!
Enjoy!

BISCUITS AND GRAVY

1 pkg. Bob Evans Sausage
1 pkg.Grands Buttermilk Southern Style Biscuits
2 or 3 heaping spoons of flour
Milk
salt and pepper

Brown sausage in a large skillet until brown, be sure to crumble as it cooks. Once sausage is browned add 2 or 3 large heaping spoonfuls of flour to skillet and lightly brown, cooking the flour and sausage mixture for about three minutes. Then add about 2 cups of milk and stir, stir, stir! Cook over medium high heat until thick and bubbly! You may need to add more milk to get to get the consistency you prefer.

Strawberry Cream Shortcake!

This is one of my all time favorite desserts! NO BULL, I make this at least twice a month it is so easy and I love desserts that combine fruit...makes me feel as though it is somewhat healthy. It is light, fruity , cool, fluffy and delicious! It is one of Sammy's favorite desserts that I make. It is wonderful for a pitch in! Great during the summer months when you want something cool. It is somewhat similar to the banana pudding recipe I posted...but WAY better. I think the banana pudding was a little to rich due to the addition of cream cheese. Plus..I just like my banana pudding hot out of the oven. My husband really liked the banana pudding recipe...me not so much! I highly recommend you try this strawberry Cream Shortcake recipe! It is fabulicious!

STRAWBERRY CREAM SHORTCAKE

1 large Sara Lee Pound cake
1 5.1 ounce package of vanilla instant pudding mix
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
one 12 oz container of cool whip
2 cups of strawberries hulled and sliced

Slice cake very thin and cube. In a mixing bowl combine pudding, water, milk and vanilla mix with an electric mixer. Fold in cool whip. In a trifle bowl put a small amount of the pudding mixture in the bottom of the bowl. Add a layer of strawberries then a layer of cream. Continue layering ending with a layer of the pudding and top with strawberries. Refrigerate until well chilled!
Enjoy!!!

Tuna Casserole!

O.K, I can't believe I'm going to post a recipe for tuna casserole! Actually this is the first one I have ever made... NO BULL! We went to Sammy's concert this evening. By the time I got home I was trying to think of something fast to whip up. If you are like me, you open the cubbord...look to see what you could possible mix together and call it dinner. Well tonight I opened it up and that can of tuna jumped out at me. I knew I didn't want tuna salad sandwich, I mean how could I possible feed 5 people with a little can of tuna....but what else could I possible come up with. Well off to the Internet I went. I found a recipe that claimed to be the "Best Tuna Casserole Ever" so I thought I would give it a try. I of course decided to add my own twist to it. I included sour cream, sauteed mushrooms and onions and Cayenne pepper! The results were YUMMO! The whole family liked this recipe as well. Sammy even had a friend over for dinner, he looked at his plate in a strange way, took one bite, I informed him it was tuna casserole...he told me it was good and ate a plate full! SUCCESS!!!
This cooked up quick, and it looks as though there will be enough for my lunch tomorrow!

TUNA CASSEROLE


1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles( I used macaroni)
1/4 cup chopped onion ( I used red onion )
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup frozen green peas ( I DID NOT ADD THIS)
2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained
1 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can full of milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
1/2 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms ( I used fresh mushrooms)
1 cup crushed potato chips (I also added Panko crumbs)

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Saute mushrooms in butter with 1/4 cup of chopped red onion until tender.
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix soup, milk and sour cream add onion and mushroom mixture and seasonings , add cheese stir in noodles and transfer to a oval baking dish. Sprinkle with crushed potato chips and Panko crumbs, lightly spray with a cooking spray for browning.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is bubbly.

Kale Chips great cancer fighting food!

I stumbled upon a recipe for Kale Chips and became very curious about this food. It claimed to provided a satisfying crunchy salty taste comparable to potato chips! Well...I had to give it a try! NO BULL, these were delightfully crispy, salty and delicious. My husband walked in the house when they were baking and asked what the yummy smell was. I pulled them out of the oven and we ate both pans. They did remind me of a potato chip! Just thinking about them now makes me want to make another batch!
I also noticed that they were very filling, I felt quite full for hours after. They are low in calories...could it be I found a chip to help me lose weight? I started to wonder about the nutritional value as well and began to do some research. I was quite surprised to learn of all the cancer fighting benefits to this green leafy veggie! I learned that it is very beneficial in fighting breast, ovarian and colon cancer. Since my younger sister was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 years ago, also my step father was diagnosed with colon cancer as well, I wanted to learn more. Here is a small portion of the article I found. Please copy and paste this link into your search bar to learn more.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38
Exactly how kale's sulfur-containing phytonutrients prevent cancer is not yet fully understood, but several researchers point to the ability of its glucosinolates and cysteine sulfoxides to activate detoxifing enzymes in the liver that help neutralize potentially carcinogenic substances. (These detoxifying enzymes include quinone reductases and glutathione-S-transferases). For example, scientists have found that sulforaphane, a potent glucosinolate phytonutrient found in kale and other Brassica vegetables, boosts the body's detoxification enzymes, potentially by altering gene expression, thus helping to clear potentially carcinogenic substances more quickly.
Sulforaphane, which is formed when cruciferous vegetables such as kale are chopped or chewed, triggers the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer-causing chemicals, inhibits chemically-induced breast cancers in animal studies, induces colon cancer cells to commit suicide.
Sulforaphane may also offer special protection to those with colon cancer-susceptible genes, suggests a study conducted at Rutgers University and published online in the journal Carcinogenesis.

KALE CHIPS
1 bunch of kale
olive oil
Sea Salt

Remove large stems from kale. This can be done easily by simply pulling the the leafs off. The stem that is left when you pull will be tender enough to eat. Tear leaves into pieces. Drizzle kale with olive oil and massage each leaf until well coated. Be sure to take the time to do this, it is what provides the crispy crunch! Sprinkle with a course salt and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Be careful to not over lap the leaves this will cause it to steam rather than crisp up. I used two cookie sheets to prepare 1 bunch. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. The edges will become brown and crispy. You will be amazed at the crunch that these have.

Huevos Rancheros

This dish can be served for breakfast, brunch, or dinner. I made this evening and my whole family loved it. My 12 year old Sammy even ate it. I found this recipe on the Internet and thought it looked interesting and fun to make. The idea of cracking an egg onto a tortilla got my attention. I was amazed at how good this was. Be sure to use corn tortillas, NO BULL, it really adds a nice flavor and texture to this dish. They are a little time consuming making them one at a time in s Teflon skillet. Next time I think I will make them on my big griddle. I would be able to make 4 at a time using the griddle. I'm just going to give step by step instructions.
Take a corn tortilla and lightly brown in butter one side. Flip and sprinkle with cheese. Crack an egg into the center of the tortilla and let the white run off the edge of the tortilla. When the edge begins to turn white season with salt and pepper. Flip the tortilla and continue to cook the egg for a minute longer until set.
Warm black beans and spread a small spoon into the tortilla, top with sour cream, sliced avocado fresh cilantro and salsa.
I prepared homemade salsa for this dish, it was delicious!
Enjoy

HOME MADE SALSA!

I love making fresh salsa!
This is great served with chips, taco's I made a batch this evening to serve with my Huevos Rancheros!
This salsa is a snap to make if you purchase that handy dandy chopper I was talking about in an earlier post. You can see by the photo everything is evenly chopped. I slice my tomatoes and then pop the sliced into the chopper and press. Instant fine dice! NO BULL, this is the best tool ever! You can make this as spicy as you wish, you can make as much as you like. The longer this sits the better it gets. During the summer we have even made salsa dogs on the grill. This is a great salsa that can be added to many dishes.

SALSA

6 Tomatoes, I usually purchase Roma tomatoes for this.
1 small red onion
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 fresh jalapeno chopped/ can add more if you like it spicy!
juice of 1 lime
2 cloves of minced garlic
cilantro to taste
salt and pepper
1 tsp garlic salt

Dice all of the above into small bits, season and taste. I like mine spicy, so I taste then decide if I want more jalapeno peppers.

The BEST RIBS ever!

So easy you will never want to buy store bought sauce again! I always make this when I have company during 4th of July! This sauce is so simple and delicious! To prepare the ribs I always do a brown sugar dry rub. I coat all of the ribs with this mixture and simply stack the ribs on top of each other and wrap tightly in a double layer of foil and stick in the oven. NO BULL, these ribs will fall right off the bone. This is a great thing to make for company because you can throw it in the oven and not worry about. Make the sauce ahead of time and you are set! Once the ribs are finished cooking remove and slice into individual servings and slather with the sauce and put under the broiler until it starts to caramelize. I love to sever this with oven roasted fries that are just tossed in olive oil plenty of garlic and minced onion. Everything cooks together...what could be easier.

DRY RUB

1 cup of brown sugar
2 Tbs. Cayenne pepper
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. onion powder
1 Tbs. oregano

Coat ribs with dry rub and stack ribs one on top of the other and wrap tightly in a double layer of foil. Ribs: this is so easy and you wont believe how tender they are!
Heat over to 400 season ribs with salt and pepper stack rib slabs on top of each other wrap in a double layer of foil tightly. Place on a baking sheet for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

SAUCE:

1 Tbs. Butter
1/2 small onion grated use your food processor !
2 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 C. ketchup
1/3 c cinder vinegar
2 Tbs. Worcester sauce
1/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper
1/2 C brown sugar
2 Tbs. Molasses
1 Tbs. yellow mustard
Salt and pepper

Melt butter add onion and garlic salt and pepper cook until soft. Add remaining ingredients and cook on low.

Remove ribs spread with sauce and slightly toast under broiler..be careful not to burn, but get a nice Carmel texture for the sauce!
YUMMY!!!

Cilantro Rice

This is a very flavorful rice, wonderful served with the Grilled Chipolte Chicken Thighs. NO BULL, even Sammy ate it!

Cilantro rice
Cook rice as usual, with 1 tsp. salt per cup of rice.
For each cup of rice:
2/3 cup cilantro, loosely packed

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1 jalapeno (or to taste)

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp olive oil
Puree the above in a blender, add to the cooked rice, stir well.

Spicy Grilled Chipotle Marinated Chicken Thighs

My WHOLE family loved this chicken recipe. Actually they thought it was the best grilled chicken I have ever made. I usually do not purchase chicken thighs to grill, but I thought I would give it a try. OMG...it was awesome. The chicken was extremely moist and tender. I believe cooking chicken with the bone and skin on is key! I have pretty much just gotten into the habit of buying boneless skinless chicken breast., which tends to be dry. Defiantly not a good choice when grilling I now believe. NO BULL, this had great flavor, the chipolte tabasco is awesome. I'm already trying to think of other ways to use it. I think another key ingredient in this marinade is the lime zest. The was a wonderful meal paired up with the cilantro rice!
Enjoy
** When grilling meat the key is to NEVER walk away from the grill! Fix a drink, do what every you need, but stay with the grill! It is worth the effort. Turn the chicken often and baste!

Spicy Grilled Chipotle Marinated Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:


1/2 bottle Chipotle Tabasco

1/4 cup worcestershire sauce

Juice and zest from 1 lime

1 tsp brown sugar

chicken thighs

1/4 cup water

kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper
Preparation:
Add first 4 ingredients to a sealable plastic bag. Stir to combine. Place chicken thighs in to bag with marinade. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible.

Shake the bag up to ensure evenly coated chicken. Allow chicken to marinate, refrigerated, for 2-24 hours until ready to grill.

Prepare grill for medium-high heat. 

Remove chicken from the marinade and pour the marinade into a small saucepan. Season both sides of the chicken with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Add 1/4 cup water to the saucepan containing the marinade and place over high heat. Bring to a boil then immediately remove from the heat and reserve for basting. 

Place chicken thighs skin-side down onto the grill over medium-high heat. Grill chicken for 8 minutes, then flip and grill for another 7 minutes or until cooked through. Use the reserved boiled marinade to baste the chicken frequently during the grilling process.

Once cooked through, remove from heat and allow chicken to rest for about 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanutbutter Bar w/ Pretzel Shortbread Crust

Everyone at my house thought these were great! Do not cut these into squares cut them into SMALL slice ...NO BULL they are rich!

Chocolate Peanutbutter Bar w/ Pretzel Shortbread Crust

Ingredients:
For the Pretzel Shortbread Crust:

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut in 1/2" cubes

2 cups pretzel crumbs, very course

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt


For the Filling:

1 18oz jar creamy peanut butter

2 cups confectioners sugar

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 3/4 cups pretzel crumbs (fine - not course)


For the top layer;

1 (11.5oz) bag semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup heavy cream
Preparation:
Make the Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients for the shortbread into the bowl of a food processor. Process on high until all off the butter has been incorporated and mixture begins to form pea sized lumps. If no food processor is available, simply add all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and blend the ingredients together using a pastry cutter or your bare hands. 

Pour mixture into a glass or ceramic 8" x 11.5" x 2" baking pan. Using the bottom side of a metal spatula, press the shortbread firmly into the pan, forming a level, compact layer.

Place shortbread into preheated 350 degree oven. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack.

Make the Filling:
Combine all ingredients for the filling in a mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, mix all ingredients together until thoroughly combined into a homogeneous mixture. Set aside.

Once the pretzel shortbread crust has cooled for about 30 minutes, make the chocolate top layer:
Place the chocolate chips in a mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it just begins to simmer, stir frequently. Pour cream over chocolate chips. Whisk until all chocolate has been melted and mixture is shiny and smooth. Do not over mix - this will create a grainy, less desirable texture.

Assemble the bars: 
Spread the peanut butter filling mixture evenly over the shortbread layer in the baking dish. Again, using the bottom of a metal spatula evenly press down the mixture and spread into 1 even, compact layer. (Try not to break the shortbread layer in the spreading process - I used my hands to crumble the peanut butter mixture evenly over the shortbread before compacting.)

Finally, pour the chocolate over the peanut butter layer. Use a rubber spatula to spread so that all areas are evenly covered with chocolate. Place pan into fridge. Chill for at least 1 hour, or until the chocolate has set before cutting into bars.

Philly Pasta Salad Supreme

O.K my husband came up with the name of this dish. My son Sammy was home sick from school today, so I wanted to prepare something that everyone could just grab when they are hungry. I knew I wanted to make a pasta salad, I decided to add diced rotisserie chicken that way my husband would feel like it was a "real meal" NO BULL, if it doesn't have meat then it just isn't dinner! I buy rotisserie chickens all the time, there are so many things you can use them for, and they are very affordable and quite tasty.
I will try to give the recipe for the dressing, the best that I can. I was basically just playing around, not really measuring just pouring into my food processor and mixing and tasting until I came up with what I liked. I suggest you start with the amounts I will give and adjust according to your taste. "Make It Your Own"! I bought an Artisian Rosemary Bread to serve with it. OMG THIS BREAD ROCKS! YOU HAVE TO RUN TO TARGET RIGHT NOW AND BUY A LOAF.. AMAZING! I Served it warm it really made this salad! Nice and crusty the way I like, loaded with flavor from the Rosemary!
Pasta salad is another one of those foods like soup...it gets better with time! This is a great thing to pack in your lunch the following day.


PHILLY PASTA SALAD SUPREME


1 pkg. pasta of your choice
1 rotisserie chicken diced
1 diced red pepper
1 diced cucumber
1 head of Broccoli
1/2 bag baby carrots diced
1 red onion diced
1 pkg cherry tomatoes sliced

Blanch the broccoli for about three minutes in boiling water. I love the way this makes the green burst! I think it taste so much better to do this when using broccoli in a salad, takes the bitter taste off. Be sure to run under cold water to stop the cooking process. I then sprinkled mine with some pepper flakes and salt, I would have added Parmesan cheese, but I did not have any handy. Toss all of the veggies in a 9 x 13 pan drizzle with dressing and let stand in the refrigerator.

Pasta Dressing

Start with 1 cup of good olive oil
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper


Combine all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until sugar is dissolved. ( Or you can wisk by hand , but I'm all about the tools!) Store in the fridge until your salad is ready to be mixed. This salad is best made ahead of time so the dressing has time to be absorbed into the pasta and veggies.