Apple Crisp

Last year for Corey's Thanksgiving carry in at work he asked me to make a dessert. I found this recipe online somewhere. It is super simple. I hadn't made it for home, so I hadn't tried it. A couple days ago I made it for a dessert. We ate it warm from the oven. It was so good. I used red delicious, that is what I had on hand. Corey asked me to make peach crisp next time. Hopefully it will be as good as the apple crisp was.

Apple Crisp

Filling
5 or 6 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4 inch slices. (about 7 1/2 cups)
3 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping
1 1/3 cups flour
1 1/3 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prep apples. Add sugar and cinnamon, toss to coat apples. In separate bowl mix all topping ingredients. Using a fork mix until well combined. Spread over top of apples in a 9 inch square pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

**I just washed and used my hands for mixing the topping.

Bolognese Sauce

I know it's been a while since I posted. I just sort of fell back into cooking cheap, quick meals. I found this in a magazine and just ripped the page out, so can't remember which one it was in. I have had it on my menu, but just kept pushing it to the back. Today I finally pulled it out and made it. It was good. Corey and I both really liked it. It will be on the menu again in the future.

Bolognese Sauce

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 Lb lean ground beef
salt and pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup whole milk
1 cup white wine
2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring until vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Turn heat to high, add beef and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour in milk and wine and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook at a lively simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to slow cooker, stir in tomatoes, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove cover, stir and cook until sauce is slightly thickened, about 30 minutes longer.

**The cans of tomatoes I had on hand were 35 ounces each, so I used more two ribs celery and two carrots. It was good but next time I will be sure to get the right size cans.
**This recipe makes a lot of sauce. Since there is just two of us, next time I will cut the recipe in half. Of course I have enough that I am going to vacuum pack the rest into two servings. Yes, there really is that much left.

Southwest Egg Rolls / Avocado Dipping Sauce

This recipe was found at couponqueendiaries.com. It was really good. The sauce was excellent. I have never had an avocado before so didn't really know what to expect. I used my stick blender to make the dipping sauce, because just mashing it seemed still too lumpy to me. I cooked my chicken in my Pampered Chef Micro Cooker, then just shredded it. I only rolled and cooked 7 rolls. I still have plenty of the mixture left for lunch tomorrow. Corey lately hasn't been in the mood for corn. He said it was good but he would like some without the corn sometime. I think next time I will make half with the corn and half with spinach so that we will both be happy.

Southwest Egg Rolls with Avocado Dipping Sauce

2 1/2 cups chicken
1 1/2 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
2/3 cup corn, drained
2/3 cup black beans, drained
5 green onions, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp grated lime peel
1 package egg roll wrappers
vegetable oil

Cook the chicken, shred or cut into chunks. In a large bowl, combine all. Place 1/4 cup of the mixture into the center of a wrapper and roll up. Use a pastry brush dipped in water to seal. Prepare all egg rolls. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry 2 to 3 egg rolls at a time for 2 minutes on each side. When golden brown, remove and allow to drain on paper towel.

Avocado Dipping Sauce

1 ripe avocado
1 cup ranch dressing
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 Tbsp lime juice

Peel and mash the avocado. Mix in rest of ingredients.

**I did not use fresh cilantro, I used half as much dried cilantro.

Melting Moments

This is another recipe that I found at bakerlady.wordpress.com. It's a pretty simple recipe, bake the cookies, make the filling, sandwich together. Even though my filling didn't set up right, the flavor was awesome. The only thing I did different was I added a little lime zest to the filling. I will for sure make these again. The blog where I found the recipe, she said on the filling she used 1 cup unpacked sugar instead of the powdered sugar, I think I will try it that way next time.

Melting Moments

13 T butter, softened (if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon fine table salt with the butter)
1/3 cup, lightly packed powdered sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/3 cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

Lemon Filling
3/4 cup, very firmly packed powdered sugar
4 T butter, softened
3 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 300°. Line two large baking trays with parchment paper.

Using an electric mixer or electric hand-held beaters, beat butter, sugar and vanilla together until creamy. Stop the machine and use a spatula to scrape down the side and base of the bowl. Continue beating until the mixture is completely smooth. Add cornstarch and beat until combined. Add flour and beat until just combined. Roll into one inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets. Use a flat surface (such as the base of a glass) to gently flatten the balls to form discs. Press a fork into each disk making small indentations. Bake for about 20 minutes, until cookies are golden on the underside and just firm to the touch. Cool cookies on trays for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Make the lemon filling. Place a heaped teaspoon of the filling on the flat side of one biscuit. Top with the flat side of another cookie and gently press together. Repeat with remaining cookies. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature, in the refrigerator or freezer.

Lemon Filling
Using an electric mixer or electric hand-held beaters, beat powdered sugar, butter and lemon juice together until smooth and creamy.

**As you can see by the picture the filling didn't set up. Hopefully if you try these, your filling will set up right. If you want to see how they should really look here is the link to the page where I found the recipe. http://bakerlady.wordpress.com/2010/12/28/melting-moments/#more-1808

Reese Dessert

This recipe is something that was served at my school, let's just say twentysomething years ago. It was always on the menu as Reese Dessert. But after getting the recipe it could just be called peanut butter dessert. Whatever you call it it is good.

I'm going to type it as it was written as I think it will be easier. It is a recipe that is done in steps.

Reese Dessert

2 cups graham crackers, crushed
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Mix all together, press into a 9 x 13 pan. Freeze until set.

2 cups peanut butter
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup powdered sugar

Mix together, add enough vegetable oil to spread easily. Spread mixture over crust. Return to freezer until set.

Cover with 2 cans Thank You brand chocolate pudding.


**Since my blender decided to die this week I just pounded to crush the graham crackers. I didn't do a great job, had several pieces that were still a little large. When I put them into a 9 x 13 it just seemed like way too little. So I transferred them to a 9 inch square pan. Seemed like a better fill.
**As you can see by making it in a 9 inch pan the peanut butter layer is a little thick.
**I didn't use Thank You brand. I just made two of the small boxes of instant pudding mix. But after starting to spread it on, I only used about have, so one box should be good if using the 9 inch pan. Of course those who actually had this in school said it was good, but the pudding just wasn't the same. Note to self: next time don't be so frugal (ok cheap) buy the Thank You brand.
**My suggestion to cut corners would be to get a ready made pie crust. I think cutting the recipe in half would fit the crust ok. I think I will try it next time, of course with the Thank You brand chocolate pudding.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

I can across this recipe at Hellmanns.com. Four ingredients and one of those is the meat itself. Super easy and tasty. Of course they push for their name brand mayonnaise. I used the salad dressing type (Miracle Whip for example) that most people generically call mayonnaise. I served it with onion rings with dipping sauce, but would be great with any vegetable.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 tsp Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese in medium bowl. Arrange chicken on baking sheet. Evenly top with mayonnaise mixture, then sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

**I spread on a little too much of the mayonnaise mixture. Although it was good, it was a little thick.
**I would also suggest giving the bread crumbs a gentle pat into the mayonnaise mixture. While cutting the meat I was losing crumbs.
**Be sure to check your chicken for doneness. I had one breast that was fairly thick and was not done at the 20 minute mark. Since Corey likes his food well done, I gave it an extra 15 minutes.

Chicken with Creamy Mustard Herb Sauce

This recipe comes from Frenchs.com. This was another very easy recipe with few ingredients. The sauce was a little thicker then I expected, but the taste was excellent. Next time I will soften the cream cheese more, I still had several lumps when finished. In the recipe they add the garlic last, I just added it right in when making the sauce. As for the tablespoon of herbs, I used 1/2 Tbsp parsley and 1/2 Tbsp basil. I served it with baked potatoes and corn. I put a little sauce on my potato and it tasted good on that also.

Chicken with Creamy Mustard Herb Sauce

1/2 cup chicken broth
6 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/3 cup cream cheese spread, softened
1 Tbsp minced herbs (parsley, basil or chives)
1 Tbsp oil
4 (6 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp minced garlic

Mix broth, mustard, cream cheese and herbs until well blended, set aside. Cook chicken in hot oil in nonstick skillet until browned on both sides, about 15 minutes. Stir in mustard sauce and garlic. Simmer over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly and flavors are blended.

Chewy Brownies

I was looking for a dessert that was quick and easy tonight. Corey always seems to want sweets on the weekends. Anyway, I came across this one in my recipe box. I have everything on hand so gave em a try.

Chewy Brownies

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix all until well blended. Pour into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

**These were very thin. I would suggest doubling the recipe or using an 8 or 9 inch square pan.
**I added some milk chocolate chips and walnuts. I can't give measurements, I just poured until I thought there was enough.

Onion Dipping Sauce / Caesar Dressing

This week I have made two new things. Tonight I made some onion dipping sauce to go with my onion rings. It is a very easy recipe. Just put everything into a small bowl and mix well. There has been a few recipes where I try a few different ones before I find THE ONE. But with this one I found it on the first try.

Onion Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp ketchup
2 Tbsp horseradish
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp dried oregano
dash pepper
dash cayenne pepper

Combine all in small bowl and mix well.

**You may want to give it a taste before serving. The only thing I may change next time is add a tiny more horseradish.
**This is the horseradish I used, not the sauce in the squeeze bottle. I found this at my grocery in the aisle by the mustard.

The next new recipe I tried this week was Caesar dressing. Corey loves Romaine lettuce. Back in the days when we would go out he would order a Caesar salad without the dressing but with ranch. The wait staff would look at him like he was crazy. I would just say he wants the Romaine not iceberg lettuce. But then he started eating it with the Caesar dressing. Last week I had a coupon for a salad kit, so I picked the Caesar kit. The dressing was creamy and really tasty. I still had plenty of Romaine left so searched for a dressing recipe. I found this one at hillbillyhousewife.com. It is really good. I didn't let it get as creamy as I would have liked, but soon I hope to have a blender that works right so next time it should be perfect.

Caesar Dressing

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dry mustard
3 to 4 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 oz can anchovies OR 1 Tbsp anchovy paste (optional)
1 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Put garlic, mustard, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and anchovies (if using) in blender until smooth. With blender still running add oil. Turn blender off when creamy. Add pepper, Parmesan cheese (if using) and salt to taste (if didn't use anchovies)about 1/2 to 1 tsp. Blend to mix in seasonings.

Mountain Bar Bars

I haven't made a dessert in a long time. I found this one at bakerlady.wordpress.com. It is really simple and quick to put together. The only thing I changed was I had milk chocolate chips, so used those instead of semi sweet. The flavor is really good. I will for sure make these again. Next time I may double it and make it in a 9 x 13 pan.

Mountain Bar Bars

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chip0s
1/2 cup peanut butter

Grease a 9 inch square pan. Melt butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and vanilla. Mix in the oats. Cook over low heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until ingredients are well blended. Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture into the bottom of prepared pan. Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth. Pour this mixture over the crust in the pan. Spread evenly with a knife or the back of a spoon. Crumble reserved oat mixture over chocolate layer, pressing in gently. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Bring to room temperature before cutting into bars.

**I didn't grease the pan. I put foil in the bottom, extending over the edge to lift it out.

Savory Salmon

This recipe is from Paula Deen off the Food Network site. This isn't my usual type of recipe. There are several ingredients, and more prep then I usually like to do. Corey has been on a healthier, more white meat and fish kick lately. With all there is to this recipe it will be a long time before he gets it again. He gave the flavor an A+. The recipe says to serve with rice, I served with broccoli. As you will see by the picture I served it with all the topping still on. But trust me there is salmon underneath all that stuff. For the House Seasoning, I saved a spice bottle that I emptied a few weeks ago. I cut the recipe for the seasoning in half.

Savory Salmon

1 (2Lb) salmon fillet

house seasoning (see recipe below)

1 small red bell pepper, julienne

1 small green bell pepper, julienne

1 medium onion, sliced thin

1 medium orange, sectioned and seeded

1 pint strawberries, cleaned and sliced

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup chopped fresh chervil or baby dill

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp chopped green onion

2 lemons, juiced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place salmon on foil lined pan. Season with house seasoning, then cover and surround with red and green peppers, onion and sectioned orange slices. Mix berries, water, honey, chervil, garlic and green onions together. Pour lemon juice over salmon. Ladle berry mixture evenly over salmon. Cover with foil and pierce foil allowing steam to escape. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with rice.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix well. Store in shaker near stove for convenience.

**I couldn't find chervil or baby dill where I live. I found a substitute online. For 1 tsp of chervil substitute 1 tsp dried parsley and 1/8 tsp rubbed, dried sage.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

I have seen this recipe on several sites but always passed it over. But while searching for new recipes it popped up on the Kraft website. I decided I would give it a try. Even though I don't like spinach, Corey loves it. I think he would have it several nights a week if he was in charge of meals. So this one was for Corey. When I served it to him he looked at it kind of funny. He saw that I had lasagna noodles out so that is what he thought we were having, of course I didn't tell him any different. After a couple bites he said it was delicious. I served it with a grilled chicken breast. Even though it could be a main dish, Corey is the type who wants meat at every meal.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
2 cups spaghetti sauce

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella and Parmesan cheese until well blended. Spread onto noodles and roll tightly.

Place seam side down in a 9 inch square baking dish. Top with sauce and remaining cheese.

Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

**The only change I made was the cheese I used was a mozzarella and cheddar blend.

Chicken Chimichangas

I posted a recipe before for Skinny Chimichangas, this is my little twist on that recipe. The original recipe calls for ground turkey breast. When I made these before I just used ground beef. Today I shredded chicken for the recipe. They turned out excellent. This is for sure a make again recipe. Corey really liked them with chicken instead of beef.

Chicken Chimichangas

1/2 Lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp chopped mild green chilies
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 (8 inch) flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray pan with non stick spray. Cook and shred chicken breasts. Add onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano and cumin over medium heat. Stir in tomato sauce and chilies, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in cheese. Warm tortillas in oven for about 10 minutes, wrapped in foil. Spoon about 1/2 cup filling into each shell. Fold in sides and roll. Place seam side down in baking pan. Lightly spray tops with non stick spray. bake until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Top with salsa and sour cream.

**Once again I'm gonna praise my Pampered Chef micro cooker. I love it, well them since I have two. This is how I cooked my chicken. I put two breasts into the cooker and microwaved about 4 minutes. Took them out and rinsed off them off and rinsed out the cooker. Cut them in half lengthwise,then just used my fingers to shred. I then put the chicken back into the cooker. I just added the spices to the cooker and back into the microwave for about 3 minutes. Then added the sauce and chilies, stirred every together. Back into the microwave another 3 minutes. Added the cheese and began the rolling.
**The original recipe calls for 4 eight inch tortillas. I used 8 burrito sized tortillas. I used my spoon to roughly divide the meat while in the cooker into 8 portions. I think it gave a nice amount of filling with seeping out the sides.
**When I roll, I roll one side barely over the filling and pull it back toward me. Roll once, then fold in the sides and continue rolling.

Salmon Spirals with Cucumber Sauce

This is another recipe from tasteofhome.com. It is super simple. I did make a couple changes. I don't buy the whole fillet, I buy salmon cut into small portions. So I didn't roll it to make the spiral, I just marinated it. I also didn't use fresh dill sprigs, so I cut the amount down and used dried dill. Corey said it is wonderful. He really liked the cucumber dressing.

Salmon Spirals with Cucumber Dressing

1 salmon fillet (1Lb)
8 fresh dill sprigs
1/4 cup lime juice
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard

Remove skin and cut lengthwise into four strips. Place 2 dill sprigs on each strip, roll up. Thread onto four skewers, metal or soaked wooden. In large resealable bag, combine juice, oil and mustard, add salmon. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Drain and discard marinade. Using long handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat grill rack. Grill salmon, covered, over high heat or broil 3 to 4 inches from heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with sauce.

Cucumber Sauce

8 oz fat free plain yogurt
1/4 cup fat free mayonnaise
2 Tbsp finely chopped, seeded, peeled cucumber
2 Tbsp snipped fresh dill
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Combine all, mix well, serve with salmon.

**I used dry dill so cut the amount in half.

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake

I found this recipe at dozenflours.com. It sounded like something I would like so I decided to give it a try. It turned out really good. The only thing I would do different would be I would swirl the cinnamon/sugar through the batter. Next time I will put in some batter, then some cinnamon/sugar, then swirl. Then repeat.

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake

2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup full fat sour cream, room temperature

In small bowl mix 1 cup white sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. Mix well and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray bundt pan with cooking spray, be sure to spray center tube. Gently dust with the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Coat evenly including the center tube. Save this mixture, set aside. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside. Beat butter on medium speed for one minute. Add white sugar and mix three minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape sides of bowl and blades, add brown sugar. Mix for two minutes, until uniform brown color. Add eggs one at a time, beat well after each. Stir in vanilla. Alternate adding flour mixture and sour cream, beat well. Put half the batter into the pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Spread the rest of the batter into the pan. Sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before inverting over wire rack to cool completely.

**I don't have a wire rack. I turn it out onto my cake holder.
**When turning, any cinnamon/sugar mixture that didn't absorb (not sure what else to call it) into the cake top will fall. Not thinking about the loose mixture when I turned, my kitchen floor now has cinnamon and sugar in front of the counter.

Mexican Lasagna

Tonight for dinner I made Mexican Lasagna. I found the recipe online, are you surprised. It was pretty good. Corey said he like it. Of course there are things I would do differently. First, I would brown the meat with some onions and drain the excess grease. I found following the recipe as written there was too much grease on bottom. Next, in my opinion, there was too much bean flavor. I would cut down on the beans, maybe half as much. Two cups sour cream seemed like a lot to me, so I did cut that amount down. I just put a few random dollops then spread it out. I used the Monterey Jack that is called for, but would be good with your favorite taco blend cheese. The recipe calls for uncooked lasagna noodles, I used the no cook style noodles. OK, so now as I am writing this, I am thinking I could just do this like my taco casserole, but use the noodles instead of chips. http://gillwhatsfordinner.blogspot.com/2010/08/taco-casserole-burrito-bake.html, here is where you will find the taco casserole.

Mexican Lasagna

1 Lb hamburger
16 oz can refried beans
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp garlic powder
2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups salsa
2 cups sour cream
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
12 lasagna noodles, uncooked
scallions

Mix raw hamburger, beans and spices. Place four noodles in lasagna pan. Add 1/2 the meat mixture. Add four more noodles. Add remaining meat mixture. Add last four noodles. Mix water and salsa together and pour over top. Seal pan with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Spread sour cream and scallions on top. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 to 10 more minutes, until cheese melts.

Chipotle Teriyaki Pork Chops

This recipe comes from tasteofhome.com. The ingredient list seems HUGE. A lot more then I would usually want to use in one recipe. However, since most were things I have in my spice cabinet, I decided to give it a try. I would say this is a two part process. There is a basting sauce and a rub. It has a unique flavor. But a great flavor. I think it would be awesome on a steak also. I served it with mixed vegetables, but I think a big buttery baked potato would go nicely too.

Chipotle Teriyaki Pork Chops

basting sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp grated onion
1 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, drained
1 clover garlic, peeled
1/8 tsp ground ginger

rub
2 Tbsp ground ancho pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp coarsely ground pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin

4 boneless pork loins, about 8 oz
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

For the sauce combine ingredients into a blender. Cover and process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside. For the rub combine the ingredients, then gently rub over both sides of the meat. Grill, covered over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes or until 160 degrees, basting occasionally with 1/3 cup of the sauce. Sprinkle with the cheese and grill 2 to 3 more minutes. Serve with remaining sauce.

**I didn't serve with the remaining sauce. I think it had plenty of flavor. You may want to take a couple bites before you dip it into the sauce.

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

This recipe was found at ezrapoundcake.com. This is the first time I have attempted anything used egg roll wrappers. I should have just went to the Asian market that is close to my apartment to look for the wrapper instead of the regular grocery. Wal-Mart didn't have them, or any kind of wrappers. My grocery store didn't have the wrappers I wanted but had spring roll wrappers. I know they are different, but at least they are wrappers. Next time I guess I will drive the ten minutes, across the bridge, and try another store.
Anyway, this recipe is good, very good. It is a little hot, as in spicy hot. So if you don't care for the hotness, I would suggest cutting down on the cayenne pepper, cumin and chili powder. I don't like spinach, so I made some without the spinach. Then added the spinach to the filling to finish them.
If you can't find egg roll wrappers and use spring roll wrappers be sure to soak them good before rolling. No where on the package did it say to soak them. But I have watched some videos/shows and have seen people working with the wrappers. The first ones I didn't soak enough so they were hard to roll. After a couple I was letting the wrapper soak longer, until very flimsy. They rolled very easily.

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies, drained
4 green onions, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 package egg roll wrappers

In a large bowl, combine all but the wrappers. Mix well to blend. Lay a wrapper on your work surface so that one corner is pointed toward you. Place 1/4 cup filling in the center. Fold the tip closest to you over the filling, roll a lit. Take the outward corners and fold toward the center. Continue rolling into shape until small point is still free. Dip a finger in water or a beaten egg and lightly brush edges of the corner. Finish rolling and press to seal closed. Repeat with rest of filling and wraps. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray sheet pan with cooking spray. Place sealed side down. Spray tops with cooking spray. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly brown, turning half way through. Serve with warm salsa.

Lime & Ponzu Carne Asada Marinade

I don't know where this recipe originates from. One day my sister left a message on my Facebook page with this recipe saying I needed to try it. So after finding the right sauce, I finally made it. I will definitely be making this one again. It is a simple marinade then grill recipe. And with only four ingredients, simple. So thanks Tami for the recipe.

Lime & Ponzu Carne Asada Marinade

2 Lb flank or skirt steak
1 cup Kikkoman Lime Ponzu
2 limes, juiced
4 cloves garlic, crushed

Combine all, pout over steak. Marinate overnight.

**I just used some steaks that were on sale. I marinated them all day, not overnight.
**I put my garlic through a garlic press, so pieces got grilled right along with the meat.
**The Kikkoman sauce is not Lime Ponzu, it is now called Ponzu Citrus Seasoning.

Shredded Beef Sandwiches

This is another recipe from groceryshrink.com. Very simple crock pot recipe. I served them with a broccoli cauliflower blend. But would be great with fries or onion rings. My first thought was onion rings but I made them already this week, so went with the veges. Corey said it was good. I think it was good, but missing something. I guess I was expecting a little more flavor from the spices. I think next time I will add a little more of all the spices.

Shredded Beef Sandwiches

1 beef roast, any will do, it will tenderize as it cooks
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Place roast in a greased slow cooker. Pour vinegar over top. Sprinkle with spices and top with onion. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or high 4 to 6 hours. Tougher cuts will need longer to cook. Shred beef with two forks. Serve on buns with cheese and pickles. Add sliced tomatoes or grilled mushrooms if desired.

**I just sprayed my cooked with some cooking spray.
**I put a little shredded mozzarella on top, as that was what I had on hand.

Funeral Sandwiches

This recipe was being discussed on a forum that I read. It seemed like everyone who had tried them love them. So I of course did a search to find the recipe. This one was found at sundaybaker.net. These would be perfect for a busy evening. You could easily make them up within a few minutes. Let them marinate until you are ready for them. Since they only take 15 minutes to cook, ready in no time. The flavor is really good. I could taste a bit of tang from the mustard and Worcestershire sauce, and a little sweetness from the sugar and the rolls. I served mine with mixed vegetables, but would go great with some chips or fries as well. The only thing I don't like about them is the name. I think I would have thought of something else to call them.

Funeral Sandwiches

1 package King Hawaiian rolls
1/2 to 1 Lb deli ham
Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp mustard
2 Tbsp brown sugar
dash onion powder

Cut rolls in half. Line baking pan with bottoms of rolls. Layer the ham them cheese and place the tops back on. Mix the butter, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, brown sugar and onion powder. Pour the whole mixture over the buns, drenching each one. Cover tightly and marinate 4 to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bun tops are a bit golden.

**Since there is only two of us, I used a 4 pack of the King Hawaiian sub buns.
**I had some mozzarella on hand so used that in place of the Swiss.
**I cut the marinade recipe in half.
**I would suggest using a pan with little extra space around the edges. My pan was a little bigger then needed and the marinade did run a little. I just used a spoon to scrape the marinade that ran and put it back on before baking.

Manicotti

This recipe was found at groceryshrink.com. It comes together very quickly. Corey and I both liked it. I didn't do very good with stuffing, some of the shells were ripping. So I just opened the ripped ones and stuffed. I was trying to use a fork to guide the filling in. I gave up, washed my hands and stuffed the shells using my fingers. After pulling the pan from the oven, I sprinkled a little more mozzarella over the top.

Manicotti

1 Lb ground beef, browned
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
manicotti shells

Cook shells per directions, drain and rinse with cool water until able to be handled. Stuff filling into cooked pasta. Place in a greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with a jar of spaghetti sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

**I added a little extra Worcestershire sauce to the filling.

Slow Cooker Sweet Mustard Roast

This is another very simple recipe. The flavor was excellent. I asked Corey on a scale of 1 to 5 how did it rate, he gave it a 6. I served it with some potatoes that I diced and made a packet with foil, added some butter and Italian seasoning, and set it on top of the roast in the cooker. I let it cook a couple hours then sliced it so that I could submerge it into the juices.

Slow Cooker Sweet Mustard Roast

3 Lb beef or pork roast
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp vinegar, white or apple cider

Put roast in cooker. Add all ingredients. Use tongs to flip meat, covering all sides. For a 4 quart cooker, cook on low 6 to 8 hours or high 4 hours. For a 6 quart cooker, cook on low 5 hours.

**I have a 6 quart cooker. I cooked mine for about 5 1/2 hours. My cooker has a 4 and 6 hour timer, so I set it for six but kept an eye on the clock.

Pound Cake

Corey has asked several times over the years for me pick up a pound cake when I go to the store. I decided to search this machine that is at my fingertips for a recipe. Well, I found one. Of course I should call my a Half a Pound Cake. I cut the recipe in half for us. This was the first time I had ever made one. It turned out really good. You could taste the hint of almond. It would be perfect with a dollop of whip cream and some berries.

Pound Cake

3 cups sugar
1 Lb margarine
6 eggs
3/4 cup milk
4 cups flour, unsifted
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond

Cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add flour and milk, 1/3 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and almond. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour and 35 minutes. Start checking around 1 hour 10 minutes.

**I cooked mine in a 350 degree oven for about an hour and 5 minutes.

Teriyaki Grilled Pork Chops

This is another very simple marinate and grill recipe. It was found at annieseats.com. Corey and I both liked it. He said it had a slight sweetness but was good. I served it with some broccoli and cauliflower. It was a good combination. I didn't not use pork chops, I used small pork loins.

Teriyaki Grilled Pork Chops

2/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled, finely chopped (or 1 1/2 tsp dried ginger)
4 to 6 pork chops

Combine all but meat in sauce pan. Bring to a boil, stir until sugar is dissolved. Cool completely. Put in resealable plastic bag, pour marinade over meat. Seal, press out excess air. Marinate at least 6 hours up to overnight, turning bag once or twice. Pour marinade into sauce pan and boil five minutes. Grill chops on an oiled rack 7 to 8 minutes per side, or until done. Baste with marinade during last five minutes.

Broiled Salmon with Spice Pomade

This recipe comes from foodnetwork.com, it is an Alton Brown recipe. It does have several spices. Some are things I don't keep on hand so had to purchase. The only one I couldn't find at any of the stores close to me was star anise pods. I searched online for a substitution. I used 1/2 tsp anise seeds instead. I also didn't use salmon, I used white fish. Corey said it was very good.

Broiled Salmon with Spice Pomade

1/3 cup canola oil, plus 2 tsp for sheet pan
1 side of salmon (app 3 Lbs) pins bones removed
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp whole coriander toasted
1 Tbsp whole fennel seed, toasted
1 tsp whole cumin seed, toasted
1 whole star anise pod
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Rub sheet pan with 2 tsp of oil and place side of salmon in pan. Salt and pepper salmon, set aside. Add coriander, fennel, cumin, anise, onion powder, garlic powder and cayenne to blender. Turn blender on high and process until whole spices become powder. With blender on high pour in 1/3 cup canola oil and blend until well combined. Stop blender to brush down sides if necessary. Brush salmon with spice mixture. Allow salmon to sit at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to high broiler setting. Place salmon in oven 6 inches from broiler. Cook until reaches 131 degrees, about 15 minutes. Remove and rest 10 minutes.

Carne Guisada

This is another recipe that I found online. It is a one pan meal. It does take about an hour and a half from prep to done. I chopped everything and had it ready to go before I started. It made it much easier for me. As for the flavor, very good. When it was almost done I tasted it. I did put a pinch more cumin into the pan. I served it with some mixed vegetables. But it does have green pepper and potatoes in it, so a vegetable on the side isn't necessary. Corey just like lots of vegetables. However, if you wanted some extra vegetables I think some corn would go nicely stirred in.

Carne Guisada

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Lbs sirloin tips, trim off fat and gristle, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 Lb small red potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 serrano chili, minced (or jalapeno)
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 Tbsp flour

Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add meat, brown 10 minutes. DO NOT DRAIN. Add bell pepper, onion, potatoes, garlic, chili and tomatoes, cook 10 minutes. Add spices, tomato sauce and 2 cups water. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1 hour or until meat is tender. Add water as needed. Season to taste. In small cup combine 3 Tbsp cooking liquid and flour. Stir to remove lumps. Add back to pan and mix well until evenly thickened.

Frozen Cherry Fluff

One of the ladies that used to work with Corey made cherry fluff. She gave him the recipe, and he wrote it down. Of course his shorthand makes no sense. Even to him it made no sense. So I looked online to try to find a recipe to compare what I could decipher with. But found this one instead. I just mixed everything in the bowl I was going to freeze it in. However, it was kind of hard to get out. So if I do make this again, I will do it in small paper cups. Maybe even put in a stick to make it like a popsicle.

Frozen Cherry Fluff

1 can (19 oz or close) cherry pie filling
1 can (14 oz or close) crushed pineapples, drained
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp almond flavoring
2 cups whipping cream

Mix all but whipping cream. Whip cream to stiff peaks and fold into mixture. Spoon into paper cups, in muffin tin or 9x9 glass pan and freeze.

**I did not use whipping cream, just thawed whip cream.

Robusto Chicken

This recipe was being discussed on a forum I read. Several ladies had tried it and liked it. It was a good meal. However my chicken was dry and overdone. So next time I will cut back on the time. I cooked it on low for 7 hours, next time I think I will start checking it at about five and a half hours.

Robusto Chicken

4 chicken breast halves
1 bottle 7 Seas Robusto Italian dressing
1 Lb bag egg noodles, cooked and drained
4 oz sour cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Pour Italian dressing over top. Cover and cook on low 7 hours or high 3 1/2 hours. Remove chicken from crock and leave crock turned on. Add half the sour cream and stir until dissolved. Add remaining sour cream and the Parmesan cheese to the noodles and mix until dissolved. Serve the chicken over the noodles. Pour the warm dressing over top. Sprinkle with Parmesan to taste.

**I did not use 7 Seas Robusto, I used a zesty Italian that I had on hand.

Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

This recipe was found at annieseats.com. Corey thought it was spicy. I didn't think it was spicy, just a different flavor then we are used to. It is a quick stir fry type recipe. Therefore, prep all your ingredients before turn on your pan. A couple of the ingredients are unusual for my pantry, so I got them after finding a few recipes that I could use them in so they wouldn't get wasted. The recipe calls for broccoli florets, I used chopped broccoli instead. In case you are not familiar with the difference, florets are a larger cut. Chopped is a fairly tiny cut. Don't think you need a wok for this recipe, a large skillet works fine.

Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cups broccoli florets
6 Tbsp chicken broth
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
3 scallions, chopped
sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Heat half the peanut oil and sesame oil in large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add chicken and saute until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a bowl using slotted spoon and cover with foil to keep warm. Add remaining oil to pan. Add garlic and ginger, saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add red pepper flakes and broccoli. Pour in about half the chicken broth, it should steam and boil quickly. Cook until broccoli is tender. Add the oyster and hoisin sauces. In a small bowl whisk soy sauce and cornstarch, add to pan. Stir in rest of chicken broth. Put chicken back in pan. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in scallions.

**I did not have scallions. I used about half a small onion, chopped pretty small. I added it when I added the garlic and ginger.

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

So, what do you do when you have a failure with your baking? In this case I just turned it upside down and ate it anyway. I have never made cupcakes that I have to put the "surprise" in before baking. I followed all the directions and all seemed good. Until I had to take the cupcakes out of the silicone cups. All the jam fell to the bottom. Corey said just make another batch and don't worry about it. I didn't want to make another batch. Besides I had to buy a couple items that I don't keep on hand, so couldn't make more unless I wanted to go to the store. I just stared at them for a couple minutes. I read the instructions again. Yes, I followed the directions. Why didn't they turn out right. Oh well, I was gonna move on and not be upset by it. I left the kitchen for a while. Then I told Corey I was just gonna turn them upside down. So that is what I did. So now the jam was sitting on top of the cupcake. But now I had to deal with the frosting. So I just put a dollop right on top of the jam. I split one with Corey. We both loved the flavor. I will for sure make them again.

After searching online a bit, I found some photos of step by step for filling cupcakes. All of them seemed to fill the cups about half full before putting in the filling. So next time I will put more batter in the bottom before the jam.

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

Cupcakes
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp grated lemon zest
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups self rising flour
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
12 tsp seedless raspberry jam

Frosting
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, powdered sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl until fluffy and well blended. Add eggs, beating to blend. Beat in half the flour, then buttermilk and lemon juice, then the remaining flour. Drop a spoonful of the cupcake batter into the bottom of each muffin cup. Spoon 1 tsp of raspberry jam on the top of the batter of each muffin cup. Divide remaining batter among muffin cups to top the jam. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.
Prepare the frosting, in a large mixing bowl, beat butter and raspberry jam together until will mixed and smooth. Add powdered sugar, a cup at a time, until you reach a consistency that you desire.

**This recipe was found at recipegirl.com

Sweet Potato Pie

I posted a recipe a few days ago for Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie. I still had plenty sweet potatoes left to make some more pies. So I went back to the recipe that I know I like.

Sweet Potato Pie

2 (9inch) deep dish crusts
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick melted butter
1 1/4 cups sweet potatoes puree
1 (5oz) can evaporated milk, chilled
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix all ingredients until well blended. Pour into crusts and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour.

**I also use this recipe for pumpkin pies. Just substitute pumpkin puree in place of the potatoes. Everything else I leave the same.

Bacon & Cheese Chicken

I am a member of a cross stitching board. The topics are not just cross stitching. Sometimes I can't believe what people will say on the internet. A lot of the conversations I just back out of. I don't do much talking on the board, just sit back and watch the drama. There is so much arguing you would think the folks there weren't adults. But mixed in with all the topics will often be a recipe. Someone requesting help with ingredients. Or asking for a specific long lost recipe. Or even just posting one they have tried and enjoyed. I have gotten several recipe from the board over the years. This recipe comes from crockpot365.blogspot.com. It was mentioned by a couple of the ladies on the board. All who had tried it liked it, so I was willing to give it a try.

Bacon & Cheese Chicken

2 Tbsp olive oil
4 to 6 chicken breast halves
12 pieces cooked and crumbled bacon
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup ranch dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Put the oil in the bottom of the crock pot and spread around. Put the chicken in the crock. In a small bowl, combine the teriyaki and ranch. Pour sauce over top of chicken. Add the cheese and bacon to the crock. Try to get some between the chicken pieces. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or on high 3 to 4 hours. Time depends on low thick your pieces are and if fresh or frozen.

**I used mozzarella cheese instead of cheddar.
**I cooked mine on low for 7 hours. My chicken was partially frozen when I started cooking.
**Corey said it tasted a little too salty. I didn't think so, I thought it was fine. He pushed the bacon off and said that helped the saltiness. So I guess next time I will use a few less slices of bacon.
**Next time I think I will also leave the cheese off until about the last hour or so.

Ketchup

A few days ago I needed ketchup for a recipe. I would have had enough, but Corey wanted some tator tots as a evening snack. So he used my ketchup for tot dippin. I wasn't going to make a special trip to the store for ketchup. So of course I searched to see if I could find a recipe online. I found this one at hillbillyhousewife.com. She says use where ever ketchup is desired. Don't get me wrong it is good, but not sure I would want it in some ketchup situations. I would suggest making it for yourself and sample it with your food. I was using it for Tender Tangy Ribs. It was perfect for that recipe. The only thing I did different is I had tomato sauce not paste on hand. So as a substitute I reduced and water by 3 tablespoons.

Ketchup

6 oz tomato paste
1/4 to 1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp vinegar
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch cloves
1 pinch all spice
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar

In medium bowl combine all the ingredients with a wire whisk. Blend well. Scrape mixture into pint sized resealable container. Chill overnight, to blend the flavors. Use where ever ketchup is desired.

**I used 1/3 cup water, minus 3 tablespoons.

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie

My dad gave me some sweet potatoes from where he works. They are pretty much pureed. There were a few small lumps I had to mash out but not many. Every since he gave them to me I have wanted to make a pie. I just kept putting it off. Yes, sometimes I have a procrastination problem. I decided to just do it. So I made the pies. I have always sort of used sweet potatoes and pumpkin puree interchangeably. Many times I have made a sweet potato pie and passed it off as a pumpkin pie to my nephew. Not so sure how he would react to sweet potato, but pumpkin he likes. I have always used the recipe from Libby's, the pumpkin puree makers. But this time I decided to see if I could find something a little different.

I found this recipe on foodnetwork.com, it comes from Paula Deen. She tops it with a meringue. I'm more of a whipped cream person. I like meringue on lemon pie, not sweet potato. So I left it off. After reading some of the reviews I cut the amount of sugar in half. Next time, I'm going back to the Libby's recipe. I did not care for this one at all. I guess when I saw that several of the reviewers had made alterations I should have just stuck with the recipe that I know I like. Oh well, lesson learned.

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie

2 cups peeled, cooked sweet potatoes
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 stick melted butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup milk
9-inch unbaked pie crust
3 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the filling, using an electric hand mixer, combine the potatoes, 1 cup of the sugar, the butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add the milk and continue to mix. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pie on a rack and cool to room temperature before covering with meringue.

For the meringue, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy and stiff, but not dry. With a rubber spatula, spoon the meringue onto the pie, forming peaks. Make sure the meringue touches the crust all around. Sprinkle with a pinch of granulated sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until delicately browned. Cool and serve.

**UPDATE...Even though I thought the flavor was off, Corey loved it. He said it was great. Of course he wanted whip cream, and I didn't have any at the time he ate his.

Chulupas

I found this recipe at recipegirl.com. It is a very simple, quick meal. I didn't follow the recipe as written. I basically made a fajita filling first. I cooked some onions, red peppers and some thinly sliced steaks. I then lightly toasted the shells under the broiler. I spread some refried beans over the shells. Then put a little of the filling on. Then topped with cheese. I shred my own cheese. I used a blend of mozzarella and mild cheddar, with some oregano added in. I then put them back under the broiler for a couple minutes. Then a dollop of sour cream on top. Corey and I both just ripped them apart to eat. You could always use a pizza cutter and give them a couple slices if you wanted to be more proper about eating them. They were really good. They would be a quick snack for movie night or a slumber party. In those cases I would cut them into wedges for sharing.

Chalupas

non stick cooking spray
8 (6 inch) flour tortilla shells, or corn shells lightly fried first
2 cups refried beans
2 cups Monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend
1 cup salsa
1 cup sour cream
2 cups finely chopped lettuce (optional)
1 cup guacamole (optional)

Preheat broiler. Spray baking sheet with non stick spray. Place 4 tortilla on baking sheet and heat on center rack of oven for 4 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn the shells. Spread each with 1/4 cup bean and 1/4 cup cheese blend. Bake until cheese is hot and bubbly, and shells are crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes. Repeat with remaining shells. Serve immediately, topping with salsa and sour cream. Add lettuce and guacamole, if desires. Crumble taco meat on top if desired.

Sloppy Joes 2

I have posted a recipe for Sloppy Joes before. It was good but when I found this one I wanted to give it a try too. This one is from bakerlady.wordpress.com. It was very simple and tasty. The ingredients were things most people have on hand. I used my Pampered Chef Micro Cooker to make mine. I put the meat, onion, and bell pepper in the cooker. Cooked and drained the meat. Then added the other ingredients. Using a fork to break up the meat and combine the ingredients. Then put back in microwave about one and a half minutes. I served them with tator tots.

Sloppy Joes

1 Lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp yellow mustard
3/4 cup ketchup
3 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

In medium skillet, over medium heat, brown beef with onion and green pepper. Drain. Stir in garlic powder, mustard, ketchup and brown sugar, mix thoroughly. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Mozzarella Roll Ups

When I do searches for recipes I like to look at the pictures. It gives me a better idea of how it should look when finished. I read several cooking blogs. They all have wonderful pictures of their cooking. I also subscribe to several cooking/baking sites. Sometimes they are featuring one recipe but a picture for another recipe will catch my eye. That is how I found this recipe. It comes from tasteofhome.com. I clicked on the feature recipe because it looked good. But below it was a picture for this and it looked good, and it is. It is pretty simple to make. The taste was terrific.

Chicken Mozzarella Roll Ups

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz each)
1/2 tsp dried basil
pinch pepper
pinch salt
1/3 cup roasted red peppers, drained and julienned
3 Tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp paprika

Tomato Relish

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 fresh basil leaves, chopped, OR 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
pinch salt

For each chicken, make a horizontal cut along one long side almost to the other side; leave chicken breasts attached at opposite side. Open breast so it lies flat; cover with plastic wrap and flatten to 1/4-in. thickness. Remove plastic wrap.
Combine basil, pepper and salt; sprinkle over the cut side of each chicken breast. Top with red pepper strips and sprinkle with cheese. Fold in sides and roll up. Secure with toothpicks.
Combine oregano, garlic powder and paprika; sprinkle over the top of each chicken roll. Place chicken in a medium or large ZIPLOC Brand Zip "n Steam Bag. Seal bag and place in microwave.
Cook on high for 5-9 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. If needed, continue microwaving at 30-seconds intervals or until chicken is done. Let stand 1 minute before handling. Meanwhile, combine all Tomato Relish ingredients.
Carefully open bag and remove chicken. Serve with Tomato Relish.

**I did not cook mine in the microwave. I baked it in the oven at 450 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

With the recipe today I got to try a few new things. I have never had enchiladas, so of course have never had the green sauce. And I have also never had jalapeno jack cheese. This is for sure a keeper. Six ingredients, quick to make, very tasty.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

2 cups chopped or shredded chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 cups grated jalapeno jack cheese
16 oz green chile enchilada sauce
12 corn tortillas

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with non stick spray. Combine chicken, onion, tomatoes, cheese and half the sauce in large bowl. Place tortilla in plastic bag, microwave about 1 minute and 15 seconds, or until soft and pliable. Spread 1/4 cup mixture down center of each tortilla and roll tightly. Place seam side down in baking dish. Spray with non stick spray to keep moist. Stir other half of sauce into remaining mixture and pour down center of enchiladas. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

**I couldn't find a 16 ounce can/jar of the sauce. I had two 10 ounce can instead. I only used half on one of the cans. I think one can would have been plenty though. I thought the mixture was a little runny. Next time I think I will only use one can. **Corey doesn't like tomatoes. I left it out of the mixture. I only added it to a few of them before rolling. As I placed them in the pan I put a little piece of tomato on top to mark the ones with it added.

Chinese Pepper Steak

This is another recipe I found online. I'm not sure where I found it. This is a simple recipe. Prep everything before you heat your wok/pan. If serving over rice, start the rice before you start heating your pan. It comes together quickly. This was the first time I used oyster sauce. I wasn't sure about it. I have never had oysters so didn't know what to expect flavor wise. Once everything was cooked and combined the flavor was fantastic. Corey doesn't like tomatoes so I used a small plum tomato and picked it out of his bowl and put it all in mine. This one is a keeper.

Chinese Pepper Steak

1/2 Lb beef, sliced thin
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, wedged
1 medium tomato, wedged
1/4 cup beef broth
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce

Combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch in small bowl, set aside. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in wok on high heat. Add ginger and stir fry 10 seconds. Add garlic, fry another 10 seconds. Add beef, fry quickly until no more pink, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove beef and keep warm. Add 1/2 Tbsp oil and heat on high. Add green pepper and onion, fry 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomato, fry 1 to 2 minutes. Move vegetables to one side. Add beef to other. Pour sauce into center and stir a little, allowing it to thicken, about 2 to 3 minutes. Combine all, stir to coat. If serving with rice, start rice before heating wok.

**I don't have a wok so just used a large skillet.
**I couldn't find the original recipe. I don't have it written when to use the beef broth. I added to the oyster/soy mixture before adding it to the pan.

Asian Grilled Salmon

Yes, another fish recipe. As much as I hate fish, Corey loves it. I'm trying hard to eat less red meat and more chicken. But he wants more fish, so I make fish to keep him happy. This one comes from foodnetwork.com, from Barefoot Contessa. I don't have an outdoor grill so cooked it on my Foreman. I tasted the marinade before putting it on the fish. It had a unique flavor. Corey said it gets five out of five stars. That it was delicious.

Asian Grilled Salmon

1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp soy sauce
6 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Light charcoal briquettes in a grill and brush the grilling rack with oil to keep salmon from sticking. While grill is heating, lay salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle half the marinade over the salmon and allow to sit 10 minutes. Place skin side down on hot grill, discard marinade the fish was in. Grill 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness. Turn carefully and grill another 4 to 5 minutes. The salmon will be slightly raw in the center, but will keep cooking as it sits. Transfer fish to plate, skin side down.. Spoon the rest of the marinade over top. Rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, or at room temperature, or chilled.

**I did not use salmon, I used white fish.