The essential spice for nearly all Mexican food. *I usually double the recipe listed below so that I always have it on hand.
Ingredients:
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
Source: We purchased this book years ago in downtown San Angelo, TX.
I first started making these way back when Chris and I were first engaged. I was going to school full time in Greeley finishing up my bachelor’s degree in Psychology, working full time on the psych unit, and living with Gino and crew in the house on Cranford Place. Chris was living in Denver going to A&P school full time, working evenings full time as an armed federal security guard, and renting a room from Josh and his dad, Gib. I would make this dish and rotate it out with a few other dishes, prep it in Greeley, travel the hour south and bake it at the apartment when I would stay the night at the bachelor pad. They were a happy bunch of guys when I brought real, home cooked food.
Since I’ve been making it for so long, there’s no “formal” recipe to base it off of. And, as I’ve made it through the years, you can be certain I’ve tweaked it along the way. I tried to pay more attention to specifics when I made this on Sunday, and like most things I cook, I base it off of taste and smell as I’m prepping. Hopefully, you’ll get the gist, & by all means, modify accordingly based on your preferred taste.
Ingredients:
Preparations:
Boil the chicken breasts until cooked all the way through. A fryer and/ or the meat from a rotisserie chicken, also works well. Once cooled, shred the chicken.
In a Ninja or other food processor, quarter the onion, toss in the garlic (I always buy a big bag of ready to use peeled garlic), deseeded & halved jalapeno, and cilantro and pulse a few quick times. Mix this into the shredded chicken, toss in the green chili, and season with S&P, cumin, & red pepper flakes. This is where I do my first taste testing to see if I’m happy with the level of seasoning – notice how I don’t have measurements for these. Once I’m satisfied, I pour about half a can of the green enchilada sauce into the chicken mixture. This prevents the chicken from drying out during the baking process. Set aside. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce in a 9×13 pan and spread across the surface.
In a small skillet, heat and melt a few tbsps. of refined coconut oil (the refined oil eliminates the coconut taste) or use Canola oil over medium heat. While heating, prep a large plate with a few paper towels to soak up any extra oil on the bottom of the tortilla and have a few on hand to dab up the oil as well from the top side of the corn tortillas. Once the oil is heated, submerge a corn tortilla, one at a time, and fry until golden brown and crispy. It should look like so:
After frying one or two, it will have cooled enough so that you can begin to assemble and roll the enchiladas all the while frying the tortillas as you go. For each tortilla, place approximately a 1/4 cup or 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture on the edge of the tortilla, roll, and place into the 9×13 pan. Repeat until you have no chicken left.
At this point, you can bake or cover and place in the refrigerator or even the freezer for a later date, thaw completely before baking. If you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake uncovered for 25 – 30 minutes. Remove from oven, top the enchiladas with the remaining can of green enchilada sauce and spread with cheese. Return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Once melted, turn on broil to low to toast the cheese a light golden color. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro, if desired.
Serve with beans and rice.
Oh, banana bread. How I love thee and all your diversity. What’s not to love about being able to use fruit that is past its prime? In fact, the browner the better. Not ready to use those browning beauties? Toss ’em in the freezer until you need them or the mood strikes. The mood struck when I opened the freezer and there were frozen “bad” bananas in every cubby of the door.
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Raise the lowest oven rack up a level. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. *Most recipes I’ve seen for bread lists 350 degrees for optimal baking. I have found, loaf after nearly burned bottom loaf, that it works best to raise the rack and lower the temp.*
Grease a loaf pan, or two, depending upon desired height of loaf and set aside. With this particular recipe, I’ve made one big loaf and six muffins, and I’ve also made two loaf pans with a smaller loaf height. Your choice.
If using walnuts, toast the desired amount for a few minutes in the preheated oven. Chop when cool.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together flour, soda, and salt until just combined.
In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the bananas (tossing any liquid that may have accumulated if using bananas that were frozen) and mix well. Slowly incorporate dry mix into the creamed mixture, until just combined. Stir in toasted walnuts.
Pour into prepared loaf pans or muffin tins with papered liners. I sometimes sprinkle the top of the loaves with a little brown sugar before baking.
If baking muffins, bake for 17 – 20 minutes. For the loaves, bake for 60 minutes and/ or until set and when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Baking in additional 5 minute increments, as needed.
Notes/ Adjustments:
With this particular photo, the bread is darker than usual because I used coconut sugar in lieu of regular granulated sugar and this, in my experience so far of using coconut sugar, is the outcome in all of the baked goods I’ve tried. Also, with this particular photo, I used 1 cup of almond flour and just 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour. Any time I use almond flour, I typically have to allow for more bake time. I’ve found using almond flour works best with muffins.
This meal is a family favorite and one of Chris’s top favorite meals. It’s full of tomatoes, garlic, seasoning and flavor. I have to admit, I no longer follow the recipe and even when I did, I did so loosely. Most of the time, I’m cooking by smell, which has to be flavorful, and I heart garlic – big time! It’s not uncommon for me to double, possibly triple, the quantity of garlic and then add an extra clove or two for good measure. Also, through the years, I’ve definitely upped the amount of tomatoes, using as many as 18 Roma tomatoes and subsequently adjusting the remaining ingredients. More of one ingredient equals more of another. . . you get the idea. By all means, adjust to your taste and preferences.
Ingredients:
Directions:
In a large skillet, heat oil to medium heat. While oil is heating, using a food processor (I’m a fan of the Ninja) add peeled garlic and fresh basil and pulse a few times until chopped – such a time saver! Transfer garlic and basil into pan and sauté in oil until fragrant, but not browned. Add diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper until tomatoes are soft and heated through. At this point, I usually do the sniff test and find that I’m adding other seasonings. I’m a fan of this:
If I don’t have fresh basil, I’ve used the Litehouse Basil before and it works just as well. In this case, I had fresh basil and used it, but again, I wanted more of a flavorful taste and added a liberal amount of this Oregano. Incorporate chicken and heat thoroughly.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and make pasta according to package directions and then drain. Add desired amount of pasta to a plate and top with tomato/ chicken mixture and top with parmesan cheese.
It’s always a gamble trying out new recipes for the family and I thought for sure the girls, especially Bri, would like this one. And, no. I got the, “It’s all right, mom.” Translation: I tried a bite and now watch me make some scrambled eggs, so it’s all yours. All mine, indeed. I thought it was great. Wholesome. Toasted Pecans. Pumpkin Spice. It is Fall perfect. After it cooled, I cut the remaining pieces, wrapped them in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer. On those cool mornings, I pop it in the microwave for about a minute, drizzle with some pure maple syrup and voila! I have a hot and hearty breakfast in no time flat.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8×8 pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
Add pecans to a baking sheet and toast for 4-6 minutes. Cool and transfer to a cutting board to chop.
In a large bowl, mix together ingredients pumpkin through vanilla extract, beating until smooth. Blend in spices, oats, and pecans, incorporating well. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until set and lightly golden on top. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting. Drizzle with pure maple syrup. Enjoy.
Source: http://www.fivehearthome.com/2014/09/04/pumpkin-baked-oatmeal-with-maple-pecans-dairy-free/
Sweet caramel & a touch of salt to offset the sweet. Yes & yes.
For the cupcakes:
For the frosting:
For the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Cream together butter, cream cheese, sugar, brown sugar, and oil until lightly and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well until combined.
Beginning and ending with flour, alternate flour and buttermilk, mixing between each addition.
Distribute batter evenly amongst the cupcake liners. Bake for 17 – 20 minutes until inserted toothpick in the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.
Cool completely on wire rack before proceeding with frosting.
For the frosting:
Beat together butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, approximately 3 – 4 minutes. Add powdered sugar and 3 tbsp. of milk, beating well for 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate.
Meanwhile, melt the 15 caramels and the remaining milk in the microwave at 30 second intervals, until caramels are completely melted. Set aside to cool. Once the caramel is cooled enough so that it is soft and pliable, mix into frosting; combining well.
Refrigerate frosting for about 30 minutes prior to frosting to help set up. Frost cupcakes, place halved caramels on each cupcake, and sprinkle with sea salt.
Source: http://www.thekitchenismyplayground.com/2012/11/salted-caramel-cupcakes.html
Hearty and wholesome, these cookies can totally pass for breakfast.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, combine coconut oil and sugars, mix until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture to cream mixture until combined. Stir in oats, coconut, and chocolate chips.
Using a 2 inch cookie scoop, drop cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden and set. Cool on wire racks.
NOTE: These cookies are soft. They keep best in the refrigerator and they freeze well.
What’s not to love about this salsa?
Color? Check.
Loaded with veggies? Check
Taste? Checkity, check, check!
This recipe is easily modified, depending upon taste and preference.
Combine the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Mix well. Season with salt.
This salsa is versatile. Serve with chips, serve over grilled chicken breasts, add to your salad, or top a quesadilla.
This homemade granola reminds me of the kid cereal that turns the milk into chocolate milk except this one is free of preservatives and artificial flavors/ colors. Bonus!
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with either a silicone mat or parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together oats, coconut, and almonds.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the remaining ingredients and stir until dissolved. Pour the mixture over the oats. Stir well to incorporate throughout. Spread evenly over prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, stirring at 15 minute intervals. Cool completely. If needed, break into smaller clusters. Store in an airtight container.
Serve with milk or mix into vanilla yogurt.
This is the cake that people will pay you to make for them. True story. This cake is decadent, rich, and oh my, so indulgent. It’s a showstopper and will make you come back time and time again.
Note: This cake takes its time to come together. It may look daunting, but it can be broken down into two days if you don’t have the time to devote to it from start to finish. There’s been a number of times where I’ll bake the cake one day, place in the freezer, and then finish the frosting and glaze the following day. Either way, this cake is worth it. Trust me.
For the cake:
Place the oven rack in the second from the bottom level of the oven. Preheat to 325 degrees. Grease/ butter the bottom and sides of three 9-inch baking pans. Line each pan with circled parchment paper and butter the tops of these as well.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Blend in the oil and sour cream, gradually incorporate the water and beat together. Blend in the vinegar and vanilla extract. Whisk in the eggs, blend well, and be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Divide evenly amongst the three prepared pans.
Bake for 28-32 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Baking time varies by oven. I’ve discovered in my oven, I get the best results when I bake them for 24 minutes. Let the cakes cool in pans for 20 minutes before transferring to wire racks and place in the freezer to firm up for 30 minutes before proceeding with the frosting. These cakes are very soft and delicate. This is a good time to determine if you want to proceed with seeing the cake through to completion or waiting to finish the cake at a later date. I tend to make the cakes one day, freeze, and then frost the following day. So after freezing for 30 minutes, I remove them from the freezer and wrap them individually in plastic wrap, and place them back in the deep freezer.
Peanut Butter Frosting:
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time and beating well after each addition, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl down several times. After the final addition, beat on medium speed for 4 minutes. Add the peanut butter and blend thoroughly.
Take the frozen cake layers and assemble with equal parts of frosting between the layers. Coat the outside of the cake with a thin layer of frosting, creating a crumb coat. Return to the freezer for another 30 minutes. Once set, add the final layer of frosting, for a smooth, clean cover. Return to the freezer for another 20-30 minutes while you make the glaze as this will help with the drip effect of the glaze.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Glaze:
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Stir continually until chocolate is melted and smooth. Add in the half & half and whisk until smooth. While still warm, pour the glaze slowly over the top of the cake, allowing it to spill over the edges using an offset spatula to spread evenly over the cake to make drips. Refrigerate the cake 30 minutes prior to serving. Serve with a tall, cold glass of milk.
Source: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/08/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake/
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