Hott Mama's in The Kitchen

Cheesy Potato & Corn Chowder

2012-02-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

This was really good and easy to make! (the girls didn't care for it, but whatever, they never like anything!) ☺

Ingredients

2 tablespoons margarine or butter
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth (or vegetable broth if u really wanna make it vegetarian)
3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 (2.5 ounce) package country style gravy mix
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Mexican-style processed cheese food (IDK what this even means! LOL, I just used shredded Pepper Jack Cheese and it was yummy!)

Directions

In large saucepan, melt margarine over medium high heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.
Stir in corn and chiles; return to boiling. Dissolve gravy mix in milk; stir into boiling mixture. Add cheese; cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted.

Here's the link to the recipe as well. Enjoy!

Ratatouille Polenta Bake

2012-02-08T07:09:00.000-08:00

This is what we are having for dinner tonight. I'm excited to try it. :)

Ingredients

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)

1 medium bell pepper, coarsely chopped (1 cup)

1 small unpeeled eggplant, (1 pound), diced (2 cups)

1 medium zucchini, diced (1 cup)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 tube (16 ounces) refrigerated plain polenta (or any flavor) - I'm making my own.

2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Step 1 - Heat oven to 375ºF. Spray 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook onion and bell pepper in skillet 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in eggplant, zucchini, salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes, breaking up with spoon; reduce heat to low. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 2 - Spray rectangular baking dish, 11x7x1 1/2 inches, with cooking spray. Cut polenta into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange slices on bottom of dish, overlapping and cutting to fit where necessary. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Spoon vegetable mixture evenly over top.

Step 3 - Cover and bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and parsley. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Cheese Enchiladas Verde

2012-02-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

So we have decided to stop eating meat at night for the most part. Only because we generally eat really late and it's not very good for the body to try and digest meat when you are sleeping. Does this mean we are NEVER eating meat at night? No, of course not. Occasionally we will and in all reality we will still eat it on the weekends as we USUALLY eat earlier in the day and I have time to prepare. During the week it's sometimes like running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Yes I do prepare, no it's not always the greatest preparation, and sometimes I am just exhausted and meat takes much longer to prepare anyways so ha!

With all of that being said here is the recipe we tried last night. For the most part we really liked it. Sam and I did. The girls somewhat picked at the salsa, I don't know why they usually like it. Maybe because Jadyn wasn't feeling well and was being grouchy and Jakayla was... I dunno being a weirdy LOL!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican 4-cheese blend (6 ounces)

1 small zucchini, shredded (3/4 cup)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

8 soft corn tortillas (5 or 6 inch)

1/3 cup soft cream cheese with roasted garlic

1 jar (16 ounces) green salsa (salsa verde) (2 cups)

1 medium avocado, diced

4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

Directions

Step 1 - Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray rectangular baking dish, 11x7x1 1/2 inches, with cooking spray. Mix shredded cheese, zucchini and cilantro.

Step 2 - Spread each tortilla with about 2 teaspoons cream cheese. Spoon about 1/3 cup shredded cheese mixture onto each tortilla; spread to within 1 inch of edge. Roll up tortillas; place seam sides down in baking dish. Pour salsa over tortillas.

Step 3 - Cover and bake about 25 minutes or until hot. Top with avocado and onions.

SPAGHETTI AGLIO, OLIO, E PEPERONCINO

2012-01-24T15:11:00.000-08:00

I came across this recipe on pinterest and decided to try it. SOOOO glad I did, it was AWESOME. I made a single serving, so I will give you exactly how I made it and the link to the original recipe as well.

2oz uncooked whole wheat thin spaghetti (I'm watching my protions, so I used a scale and actually measured)

1/4-1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic - use as much garlic as you like

1/2 - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil - make it as oily as you like

2-3 shakes of red pepper flakes - make it as hot as you like

2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese (I only had the Kraft style, so it was a couple of shakes from the shaker, I can't wait to try it with real freshly grated Parmesan cheese)

salt and pepper to taste (I used neither)

Cook spaghetti to al dente - don't over cook the pasta, that would not be good for this dish

Drain and put back in pan, turn heat on low

Add garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes, stir and cook just until all is heated together.

Turn into a bowl, add cheese, salt and pepper, stir together

NOTE: Parmesan cheese was not part of the original recipe, so to save on calories, you could leave this out. I'm glad I added a little :)

ENJOY!!

Full Recipe Here

Black Bean Burgers

2012-01-03T17:33:00.000-08:00

I'm just adding the link to the recipe I like.

Black Bean Burgers

Salsa Chicken

2011-12-27T14:32:00.000-08:00

This is a rip off of a Pinterest recipe I found, with a few mods of my own

I made it today and it was darn good.

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (3 plump breasts)
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup (I used the healthy no fat cream of chicken)
1 cup salsa (make sure you like the salsa you use, it's going to have this flavor)
1 package taco seasoning (or it could have been this taste, make sure you like this too lol)
1 cup sour cream or greek yogurt (I use greek yogurt everywhere I can in place of sour cream)
1 can black beans (because black beans should go in everything lol)
cilantro to taste
shredded cheddar-jack cheese

Directions:

Put chicken, soup, and salsa in crock pot. Sprinkle taco seasoning over everything. Cook on low for 8 hours. If shredding the chicken, pull the breasts out and shred; return back to crock pot. Stir in black beans, greek yogurt (sour cream) and cilantro and heat just until everything is combined.

Serve over rice, it will be "soupy" and rice absorbs it nicely. Sprinkle on desired amount of cheese.

I couldn't think of a gluten free idea for this one, it needs to be served on something because of the consistency.

Chicken Avocado Salad

2011-12-26T08:44:00.000-08:00

Since 2011 is almost over and there hasn't been a recipe yet, I thought I better get one in there.

This one goes in the "fast, easy, and yummy" category.

Chicken Avocado Salad

1 can canned chicken
1 ripe avocado
1/2 bag shredded lettuce (I cheat and buy already shredded lettuce)
mayo - just a little (you could use greek yogurt, that's good too)
salt and pepper to taste

optionals, all to taste
green onions
celery
cilantro

Drain and flake chicken. Dice avocado into small bite sized pieces, add lettuce, stir to combine.
Add mayo, salt, pepper and cilantro to taste.

You can leave the shredded lettuce out, but I like to add lettuce to recipes like this to make them go further.

Put on bread or crackers or if looking for gluten free, grab a fork and eat it right out of the bowl.

Mint Chocolate - Or Chocolate - Cheesecake

2010-11-27T06:48:00.000-08:00

I made this for my work party a couple of weeks ago & it was a HIT!! :) (In fact it was gone before I could have a piece.....)

Ingredients:

3 Packages (8 oz.) of Reduced Fat Cream Cheese

1/2 c. Sugar

1 Container (8 oz.) of Reduced-Fat Whipped Topping (Thawed)

1 1/2 c. Chopped 3 Musketeers or 3 Musketeers Mint

Graham Cracker Pie Crust (You can either make or buy)

Directions:

Beat cream cheese & sugar together until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Fold in whipped topping & 3 musketeers into the cream cheese mixture.

Spoon mixture over Graham Cracker Pie Crust (You can make your own or buy it.) Refrigerate until set (About 4 hours)

Serve & enjoy.

Cinnamon Sensation Cake

2010-11-27T06:40:00.000-08:00

Now that the holidays are here you might all enjoy making this cake - I know I do!

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. Butter

1/4 c. Packed Brown Sugar

1/2 c. Pecan Halves (Optional)

1 Tube of Cinnamon Rolls (I use the Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls w/icing)

1 Hershey's Chocolate Bar

1 bag of Snicker's Mini's - or 3 King size Snicker's Bars (chopped)

Directions:

Melt butter & brown sugar together. Spread across bottom of a greased 8-inch round pan. Spread pecans across the bottom of the pan. Unroll cinnamon rolls place Snicker's evenly between the cinnamon roll & roll back up. (You can put as many or as little as you like here - I used the chopped snickers the first time but liked the Mini's better because there was less mess & less clean-up) Place the cinnamon rolls around the pan.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until golden. (About 20 - 25 minutes). Let cool for 5 minutes then tranfer to serving plate. (I flip them upside down so all of the stuff on the bottom ends up on top. :) )

Place Hershey's chocolate bar (broken up) into a microwave safe cup/bowl - along with either the icing that came with the cinnamon rolls - or with 2 tbs. of powdered sugar & 2 tbs. of milk. Heat until chocolate is melted (about 35-40 seconds). Stir until all the ingredients are mixed well then take your spoon & drizzle the chocolate over the top.

Cut like you would a cake/pie & enjoy!!

(Serves about 12)

Rosemary Sweet-potato Steak Fries

2010-09-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

For all of those who don't like sweet potatoes give these a try. My husband hates sweet potatoes and he couldn't get enough of these. We ate them with ranch dressing I made myself with light sour cream and the hidden valley ranch dry packet mix.

You will need

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into steak fry sized pieces
1 1/2 TBSP freshly minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 tsp EVOO
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste

Preheat oven to 450

Place sweet potatoes in a zip lock bag and add the garlic, rosemary, EVOO, and salt. Seal bag and toss until the potatoes are evenly coated. Arrange in a single layer, not touching, on a large nonstick baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn the potato pieces and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until tender inside.

Makes 6 servings

Again I got this from the Biggest Loser cookbook, I am loving it by the way :).

Per serving there are 120 cal, 2 g protein, 24 g carbs, 2 g fate (trace saturated) 0 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 169 mg sodium.

Peppered Pot Roast

2010-09-24T17:12:00.000-07:00

Ok so pot roast in the slow cooker is great but it takes forever! I discovered this new recipe in the biggest loser cookbook. It's super yummy and is HEALTHY :)

1 tsp EVOO
1 (1 3/4 lb) trimmed top round roast
2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
salt, to taste ( I didn't use and it was great)

Preheat oven to 350

Rub the olive oil evenly over the roast and season with the pepper and seasoned salt. Let stand for 15 minutes

Place a medium nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the roast and sear on all sides, including the ends, until just browned, 45-60 second per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for about 15-20 minutes for medium rare.

Take out of oven and loosely place a piece of foil over the roast (not the whole pan just the roast) and let stand for 10 minutes.

Slice the roast against the grain into thin slices and serve immediately.

This makes about 6 4-oz servings.

137 cal, 28 g protein, trace carbs, 5 g fat (2 g saturated), 58 mg cholesterol, trace fiver, 123 mg sodium.

I paired this with Rosemary sweet-potato steak fries with ranch, and about a half cup of steamed zucchini with a touch of smart balance. The whole dinner was only 431 calories. Not to shabby and it was plenty filling. :)

Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap

2010-07-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 teaspoons finely chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, (see Note)

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded red cabbage

1 medium carrot, shredded

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed

1 ripe avocado

1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons minced red onion

4 8- to 10-inch whole-wheat wraps, or tortillas

Preparation

1.Whisk vinegar, oil, chipotle chile and salt in a medium bowl. Add cabbage, carrot and cilantro; toss to combine.

2.Mash beans and avocado in another medium bowl with a potato masher or fork. Stir in cheese and onion.

3.To assemble the wraps, spread about 1/2 cup of the bean-avocado mixture onto a wrap (or tortilla) and top with about 2/3 cup of the cabbage-carrot slaw. Roll up. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut the wraps in half to serve, if desired.

Tips & Notes

Ingredient Note: Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce are smoked jalapeños packed in a flavorful sauce. Look for the small cans with the Mexican foods in large supermarkets. Once opened, they'll keep at least 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 6 months in the freezer.

Stuffed Jalepenos.

2010-07-20T19:09:00.000-07:00

Ok so after the Auntious posted her recipe for stuffed jalepenos it made me think of one of our favorite appetizers called La Bomba's they are jalepenos stuffed with cheese bacon and a whole shrimp. I decided to look and see if I could find a recipe that was kind of like them to try and I found a recipe but I modified it a bit and this is what I came up with.

12 oz softened cream cheese
4 oz shredded pepper jack cheese
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 pieces of bacon crisped and chopped
1-2 c flour
1-2 c milk
1-2 c bread crumbs
15-20 large jalepenos halved and seeded

Combine the first 4 ingredients. Stuff your jalepenos with this mixture. Dip the stuffed jalepenos in milk and then roll in flour covering them completely. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Dip them in the milk again and roll them in the bread crumbs. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Dip them again in milk and roll again in bread crumbs, making sure it is completely covered. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. If you want to give them a crisp outer cover you can either spray them with Pam before putting them in the oven or you can deep fry them for a couple of minutes after taking them out of the oven.

These are great served with ranch! I didn't stick the shrimp in them but it would be so easy to do. They are a little spicy so you can always cut out the pepper jack and just use cheddar or whatever other type of cheese you would like.

The resting time in between the steps is crucial! Also please remember to wear gloves when handling the peppers!

Easy-Cheesy Stuffed Jalapenos

2010-07-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 2 x 1/2 x 1/4-inch strips
15 jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup real bacon bits

Be VERY careful when you handle jalapeno peppers. Use gloves and be sure to NOT touch your eyes

Place a cheese strip in each pepper half; sprinkle with bread crumbs and bacon. Grill peppers, covered, over medium-hot heat for 4-6 minutes or until peppers are tender and cheese is melted.

Hunny's Yummy Tri-Tip

2010-05-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

Get a tri-tip roast poke holes all over in it with a big serving sized fork and set aside.
Mix (in a BIG bowl) 1 large bottle of Famous Dave's Original BBQ and a 1/2 bottle of the Zesty.
Add about 2/3 cup of no pulp orange juice, 1/3 cup honey, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon each of onion powder and garlic powder.
Put the roast in and cover completely then cover the bowl and let it marinate for at least 6 hrs but overnight is better. Grill it outside turning it often. The sugar in the sauce carmelizes and makes a REALLLLLLY yummy crust type outside and juicy tender inside. It's the BEST!!!!!!! Slice thick and ENJOY!! :)

Low Carb Cheesecake Cupcakes

2010-05-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

These are soooo easy and really good!

For Cupcakes:
3-8oz packages of cream cheese
1 cup Splenda
5 eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

For Filling:
6 oz Sour Cream
5 tsp Splenda
1/8 tsp vanilla

Brink cream cheese to room temperature. Place cream cheese in a bowl and add one egg at a time beating with a mixer. Slowly add the Splenda and vanilla. *The batter will be thin* Pour into cupcake liners about an 1/8 inch from the top. Bake in a 300F oven for 30-35 minutes or until large cracks appear on the top. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.

Mix all ingredients for filling in a small bowl.

After the cupcakes have cooled for five minutes add 1 tsp to the top of each cupcake and stick back in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

I would put them in the fridge or freezer and keep them cold until you eat them. Mine were a bit soggy on the bottom but they were sitting on the counter and I used cream cheese that was previously frozen so that may have been a factor as well. They were still good.

This makes 15 cupcakes. I calculated the nutrition for each and they come out to be 200.9 Calories, 19.9 g of Fat, 125.8 mg of Cholesterol, 161.4 mg of Sodium, 91.4 mg of Potassium, 4.1 g Total Carbohydrates and 5.9 g of Protein.

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

2010-03-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

Directions: combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

This makes 18 servings :)

Chicken Salad with Mango Salsa

2010-03-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

Chicken filling/topping ingredients:

Mango Salsa

half of a mango, cubed

Chicken filling - Cube the chicken and cook in a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tsp of garlic and 1 tsp of lime juice while cooking.
Start your rice cooking (if you are doing instant should be about 10 minutes if not then you need to start it about 45 minutes prior to cooking your chicken)
When the chicken is done add the salsa and the can of beans, lower heat, cover and simmer until the rice is done.

Pico de gallo -
Chop one tomato, half of an onion and 2 tbs of cilantro. Combine in a bowl add 1 tsp of garlic and 1 tsp of lime juice. Let sit to let the flavors combine.

Mango Salsa -
Chop one half of a large mango, a third of a large red onion, and half of a medium sized tomato. Combine in bowl with 1 tbs chopped fresh cilantro, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp of lime juice.

Divide the lettuce among four plates. Add 1/4 of the chicken mixture, 1/4 of the pico and 1/4 of the mango salsa. Top with 2 tbsp Tomatillo Ranch Dressing.

This only has 256 calories, 2.7 g fat, 232.3 mg sodium, 45.9 g carbs (and complex ones at that) and 14.9 g protein per serving :) and that includes the Tomatillo Ranch Dressing in the other post :)

Beer Cheese Dip

2010-02-04T20:35:00.000-08:00

Another dip recipe that is sooooo easy and sooooo yummy. I am all about easy and yummy when it comes to entertaining.

Ingredients:

16 oz of cream cheese
16 oz of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 c beer

Directions:
1. Put cheeses in a sauce pan and heat over med/low heat until melted
2. pour cheese mixture, beer and garlic powder in a large bowl and blend with an electric mixer until smooth. (you can also skip step one and just mix every thing in a large bowl with a mixer until smooth, doesn't get much easier than that.)

You can garnish with green onions and shredded cheese. Its great served inside of a bread bowl, with pretzels or even fresh veggies!

Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

2010-02-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

This dip is so easy and so great! People often ask me for the recipe. I love putting this in a bread bowl :)

Ingredients:
1/2 c frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 c artichoke hearts, chopped
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 t salt
1/8 t garlic powder
dash ground pepper

Directions:
1. Simmer the spinach and artichoke hearts in a cup of water in a small sauce pan over med heat until tender (about 10 minutes)
2. Drain in colander when done
3. Heat the cream cheese in a small bowl in the microwave for one minute (high setting) or use a sauce pan to heat the cheese over med heat just until soft.
4. Add spinach and artichoke hearts to the cream cheese and stir well
5. Stir in the parmesan cheese, pepper flakes, salt, garlic powder, and ground pepper combining well.

Serve hot with crackers, or toasted bread for dipping. Works great with untoasted bread too.

San Remo Seafood Dip

2010-02-04T20:15:00.000-08:00

Here is another good party recipe.

Ingredients:

6 oz can of tiny shrimp, drained, reserve the liquid
6 oz can crab meat, drained, reserve the liquid
2 oz cream cheese, room temp and cubed
2 T olive oil
2 T flour
1/4 t salt
1/8 t crushed garlic
1 t prepared horseradish
1/3 c asiago cheese, grated
2 T parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 - 3/4 c half and half
1 1/2 c pasta sauce, drained to remove excess liquid
1/4 c fresh parmesan cheese, finely shredded for topping

Directions:
1. Put the pasta sauce in a colander to drain and preheat the oven to 325 F
2. In a 2 qt sauce pan over med/low heat olive oil and blend in flour.
3. Add the reserved liquid from the shrimp and crab, stir well.
4. Add cubed cream cheese, salt, crushed garlic, horseradish, and stir until smooth
5. Add shrimp and crab, blend well
6. Simmer until heated through
7. Add half & Half a little at a time until it starts to simmer and begins to resemble warm pudding.
8. Continue to simmer for an additional 12-15 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't scorch on the bottom.
9. Spray a shallow 9" baking dish with non stick cooking spray.
10. Add drained pasta sauce and then carefully spoon the seafood mixture on top.
11. Sprinkle with fresh parmesean and place in oven and bake 10-15 minutes or until heated through. (Dip should not brown on top)

Serve with bread.

Boneless Hot Wings (like Applebees)

2010-02-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

I am in love with the hot boneless wings at Applebees and wanted to find a way to make them at home. I found this recipe and it's pretty dang close and oh so good. My whole family loves them :)

Ingredients:
1 c butter
1/2 c Louisiana hot sauce
1/8 t ground black pepper
1/8 t garlic powder
2 c flour
1 t paprika
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t salt
15-20 chicken tenders cut into 1 inch pieces (or you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts)
vegetable oil, for frying

For the coating you will need:
1 c butter
1/2 c hot sauce
1/8 t garlic powder
1/8 t ground black pepper

Directions:
1. If your wings are frozen make sure to defrost
2. Combine the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt in a LARGE bowl.
3. Mix together in a seperate bowl 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup hot sauce. a dash of garlic powder and a dash of pepper. Heat in the microwave for about 20 seconds stir to mix well. Set aside.
4. Put the wings into the large bowl of flour mixture, coating each wing evenly.
5. Dip each wing into the butter mixture then back into the flour mixture.
6. Place all the wings on a plate or baking sheet and place them in the fridge for 60-90 minutes (this helps the breading stick to the wings when fried)
7. Heat oil in the deep fryer to 375 F (you want just enough oil to cover the wings entirely)
8. Fry the wings for 10-15 minutes or until some parts of the wings begin to turn dark brown.
9. Remove the wings with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. (don't let them sit too long as you want to serve them hot)

For the coating.
10. Combine the other cup of butter, 1/2 cup of hot sauce, ground pepper and garlic powder in a low sauce pan over low heat. Heat until the butter is melted and the ingredients are well blended.
11. Quickly put the wings into a large bowl or plastic container with a lid
12. Add the coating mixture and stir, coating all the wings evenly or you can shake them if your container has a lid.

These are great for that Super Bowl party you have coming up :)

Lime Chicken Chimichangas with Sweet Rice, Green Chile Chutney and Mango Salsa

2010-02-01T18:36:00.000-08:00

So I was craving Bajio, which they obviously don't have down here, and I thought why not make my own so I went on a hunt for some recipes. I didn't exactly duplicate it but it was mmm mmm good.

Ok... For the CHICKEN you need:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1/2 c freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 c oil
2-3 Tbsp honey
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
black pepper
salt

1. In a bowl whisk together everything but the chicken.
2. Place chicken in a ziploc bag or shallow baking dish
3. pour marinade over chicken and seal bag or cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours
4. grill or broil for about 2-4 minutes on each side or until chicken is cooked through.

SWEET RICE

You will need:
1/2-1 Tbs oil
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
1-1/3 c white rice
3 c chicken broth
1/4 c white sugar

1. heat oil in a pan over med/high heat.
2. Add chopped onion and cook until tender
3. Add chopped cilantro and cook for about 1 minute more
4. Add white rice and cook until light brown, be careful not to burn it
5. Combine chicken broth and sugar, letting sugar dissolve. Stir into the rice and let it come to a boil
5. Cover and reduce heat. Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until tender.
6. Fluff with fork before serving.

GREEN CHILE CHUTNEY

You will need:

3 large Anaheim Peppers, halved, seeds removed
2 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeds removed
5-7 tomatillos, husks removed
1 large white onion, halved
4 oz can diced green chiles
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1 c sugar (it was really sweet I may suggest reducing this by half)
dash chili powder
dash cumin
dash salt

1. Place peppers, tomatillos, & onion on baking sheet/rack. Roast at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Place tomatillos & 1/4 onion in a blender and process until smooth
3. Dice peppers
4. Add all ingredients except the remaining onion into a large pot and cook over med/low heat for about 20 minutes or until thickened and reduced.

Now for that remaining 1/4 onion you roasted slice it up and saute it with a bit of the green sauce and you will get nice carmelized onions you can top your chimi with or even place inside.

ENCHILADA SAUCE (for those that like it a bit more spicy and not as sweet)

You will need:

2 c chicken broth
4 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 heaping tsp of garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 pinch cinnamon
1/3 tsp sugar
5 Tbsp cold water
5 Tbsp white flour

1. Combine all ingredients except the cold water and flour in a pot on the stove.
2. Heat to a boil while whisking frequently to avoid lumps.
3. Reduce heat and continue with a low boil for 3 minutes, remember to keep whisking often.
4. While the sauce is on a low boil combine your flour with your cold water in a small bowl one Tbsp at a time making sure to whisk vigorously to avoid lumps.
5. Turn the heat back up on your sauce and SLOWLY add the flour mixture into the sauce making sure to whisk vigorously the entire time to avoid lumps.
6. After the flour mixture is in continue to whisk for one minute while the sauce is still boiling.
7. Remove from heat and serve.
*depending on how thick you want your sauce you don't have to add all of the roux. I only use about half or less but it's up to you*

MANGO SALSA

You will need:

1 Mango, peeled and chopped
1/2 c red onion, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp sugar
1/2 limes juice
1/8 tsp chili powder

Combine, let stand to let flavors mix. Store in an air tight container in fridge.

Phew..... Ok once you get all of that made which sounds like a lot more than it is you need your tortillas, cheese, and your hot oil.

Take a warmed tortilla and put a little bit of cheese on it, a small bit of the rice and some of the chicken and roll it on up and fry in the oil until it's a golden brown.
Let it drain on a paper towel and then top with the green chutney, sour cream, salsa, enchilada sauce, a little bit more cheese, whatever you want. I know the chutney is really sweet so I put regular salsa on mine too and it brings the flavors together nicely.

Put a little more of the rice on the side and some refried beans and you have your self a YUMMY meal. Next time I will take pics LOL

Stuffed Burgers

2010-02-01T17:15:00.000-08:00

So I got this recipe from my mom and it was oh so delicious.... but I decided to put a new twist on it :)

You will need:

1.5 pounds ground beef
4-5 good sized strawberries
1 jalapeno
8 slices of pepper-jack cheese
creamy horseradish
canned mushrooms
diced green chiles
any seasonings and garnishes for your burgers you may want
4 buns

1. Take your strawberries and jalapeno and dice them really fine and combine them with your ground beef in a bowl

2. take a bit of the beef mixture roll it into a ball in your hand and then pat it out to make a patty. Repeat. It helps it you kind of make a lip around the bottom patty.

3. Spread a a bit of the horseradish on both patties and then add a slice of pepperjack cheese, a little bit of green chiles, and a few mushroom pieces. I did put two pieces of cheese in mine which is fine if you are planning on grilling them on a regular grill or even in a pan but if you are cooking them in a george foreman I don't recommend putting the other slice of cheese in but waiting until after and topping it. My grill kind of squished them and the cheese ran out :(

4. Slap the two patties together and seal them all up, season them if you would like, and throw them on the grill.

5. Top with whatever garnishments you want. Salsa is a great one. Tonight we just did lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, avocado, ketchup, mayo and mustard.

Ta-Da :)

Some may wonder why the heck I put strawberries in but they make the burgers really juicy and they give it just a bit of a sweet flavor. I know it sounds weird but seriously try it. When I use them with the jalapenos I don't season at all and they are oh so yummy.

Spicy Chicken Mac :)

2010-01-20T16:58:00.001-08:00

Ok I know that I'm lame and have never posted on here but I made something pretty good tonight! I have always seen the commercials for Rotel + Velveeta Spicy Mac but I could NOT for the life of me find the recipe.... so I made my own! But beware it's spicy :) I like it like that though!

1 12oz package of Wacky Mac or any type of pasta you'd like
16 oz Velveeta (the mexican kind)
1 Can of Rotel
1 lb. Chicken (I used tenders but doesn't matter what you use)

Cube the chicken and place in skillet until cooked thoroughly. Add Rotel and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Cube Velveeta and when chicken/Rotel mix is done simmering add a few cubes at a time stirring frequently.

While chicken is cooking in a deep sauce pan cook the pasta until done. Drain.

After the cheese is all melted with the chicken & Rotel add to the pasta. Stir well & it is ready to serve.

Fast, Easy & Spicy!!

(If the flavor is a little too dull for you add salt to taste!)

Yummy Hawaiin Chicken

2010-01-17T18:55:00.000-08:00

Lawry's Hawaiian 30 minute Marinade
1 Lime
1 Cup Rice
1 Chicken Breast
2 Cups Green Beans
1/2 Can Chopped Pineapple

1. Marinade chicken in Lawry's from 30 min to 12 hours (I like to throw it in a bag, in the morning).

2. Cook rice according to directions.

3. Zest, and juice a lime.

4. Steam green beans with 1/4 can of pineapples.

5. Grill /pan fry/foreman chicken with 1/4 can of pineapple.

6. Add lime zest and lime juice to the rice once cooked.

7. Plate everything!!!!

8. Yum.

Serves 2.

Easy Chicken Salad

2009-12-16T13:30:00.001-08:00

Canned chicken
Mayo
Sweet pickle relish
Onion Powder

Drain chicken, flake in bowl
add mayo, relish and onion powder to taste :)

Red-skinned Galic Mashed Potatoes

2009-12-16T04:36:00.000-08:00

perfect with the grilled pork tenderloin!!

1-1/4 lbs red skinned potatoes, washed and quartered - do not peel
2-1/2 cups water or enough to cover potatoes completely
3 cubes chicken flavored bouillon
6 to 8 cloves of roasted garlic
3 oz package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
3 TBL butter
Half & Half or milk
2 TBL chopped fresh parsley

Place washed, unpeeled potatoes in large saucepan. Add water, bouillon and roasted garlic, bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender but not mushy. Drain well

Mash potatoes with a potato masher (or beat with electric mixer for whipped, I prefer mashed potatoes, not whipped) Add cream cheese and butter to potatoes. Gradually add enough half and half or milk to make potatoes light and fluffy. Stir in parsley and serve immediately.

**If you prefer a stronger garlic flavor, do not add the garlic to the water when boiling. Drain the potatoes, mash then add cream cheese, butter and garlic to potatoes.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

2009-12-16T04:30:00.000-08:00

I love to grill in the winter :)

1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine (buy good wine, not the cheap cooking stuff)
3 TBL soy sauce
1 tsp grated fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp ginger
Dash of Chinese 5 spice (you can't skip this ingredient)
1-1/2 pound pork tenderloin
1 tsp cornstarch

Combine chicken broth, wine, soy sauce, ginger and 5 spice in a marinating dish or in a gallon zip lock bag. Shake until all ingredients are combined. Add pork tenderloin. Marinate at room temperature for 20-30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator. Rotate 2 or 3 times.

Remove tenderloin, reserving marinade. Grill tenderloin for approximately 20 minutes or until slightly pink in the center; turn every 5 minutes to cook evenly. Remove from grill and wrap in foil to finish cooking and seal in the juices.

In a small sauce pan, bring remaining marinade to a slow simmer. Gradullay add the cornstarch. Serve over sliced tenderloin medallions. GREAT with garlic mashed potatoes.

Death by Chocolate

2009-12-16T04:20:00.000-08:00

This is a dessert a co-worker of mine brings to all of our pot-luck luncheons. (We force him, he has no choice) The directions below are for a crowd, but you could cut it in half for a smaller group.

18oz box devil's food cake mix
7-1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup Kahlua
6 Heath candy bars
4 4-oz boxes of instant chocolate pudding
2 8-oz cartons of cool whip

Make the cake according to package directions. Bake in a 13 X 9 inch pan for 30-35 minutes. After cake cools, poke holes in the cake. Pour the Kahlua over the cake. Cover with a towel and place on counter overnight - do not refrigerate.

Layer 1
Cut the cake in half. Put half the cake in the bottom of a big punch bowl.

Layer 2
Combine the pudding mix and the milk. layer half on top of the cake

Layer 3
Break up the wrapped Heath bars until broken into smaller pieces. and place 3 of the bars on top of the pudding.

Repeat layers until all ingredients are gone.

Top with Cool Whip

Kettle Corn

2009-11-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

1/4 cup virgin light olive oil (veg oil will work, but I like the taste of olive oil better)
1/2 unpopped white popcorn kernels
1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar coarse salt

Heat oil over medium high heat
Add popcorn
When the popcorn is sizzling in the oil, sprinkle sugar over popcorn.
Stir quickly.
Cover with a tight fitting lid.
Move pan constantly over burner to prevent burning. (The sugar will burn quickly)
Reduce heat to medium as soon as it starts popping, keep shaking the pan
Remove from heat for the last few to pop, remove from pan quickly.

Salt to taste (be careful, coarse salt is really salty LOL)

Alfredo Sauce

2009-11-08T17:04:00.000-08:00

This is very similar to Olive Gardens and it it super yummy!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter (or one stick) use butter not margarine
8 oz of cream cheese
1 pint heavy cream ( I did 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup of half and half and it was fine don't use milk though)
1 tsp garlic powder
salt
black pepper
2/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Melt butter in med-large sauce pan
Add cream cheese and cook until soft ( I use a wire whip and kind of whipped mine to mix it better and make sure it was smooth)
Add heavy cream and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper
Simmer 15-20 minutes at least over low heat stirring constantly (the longer you can let it simmer the better)
Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan.

Super easy doesn't take much time! Serve over fettuccine noodles or whatever you want to serve it with. I served mine with sauteed shrimp :)

Cheesy Chicken Chili

2009-11-06T11:56:00.001-08:00

Ha I feel like all I post is Mexican/Tex-Mex dishes. We eat a lot of them but that's ok because my family loves them and I do cook other things :)

The other night I had some left over Velveeta so I figured I needed to use it and wanted a chicken dish so I searched and found this.

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 cans with beans, drained
1 can chicken broth or 2 cups
1 can green chilies, undrained
1/2 pound (8 oz) velveeta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Directions:
Cook chicken and onions in a large saucepan sprayed with cooking spray until chicken in done (about 7 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Stir in seasoning and cook while stirring for 1 minute
Add beans, broth and chilies, stir
Bring to boil and then simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in Velveeta; cook until melted stirring frequently.

I made a double batch of this too and froze about 8 cups. It was spicy and oh so good! The girls really liked it too. We topped it with sour cream.

Taco Soup

2009-11-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

Last night the girls and I had Taco Soup. Its super easy and I made a double batch and was able to freeze about 12 cups in addition to having it for dinner last night. I averaged out my cost and it ends up being about $2.25 for the whole meal for the 4 of us :) Not to bad at all.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup onions
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 16 oz can kidney beans
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes
1 16 oz can corn
1 8 oz can tomato sauce.

Directions:
Brown ground beef in pot, add onion and cook until tender.
Add rest of ingredients, do not drain or rinse anything, just dump them in there juices and all. Heat through. Serve with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips or Fritos. Simple and so tasty.

Pumpkins N Stuff

2009-10-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I decided to roast some pumpkins, make pumpkin puree, bottle it and freeze it. It wasn't too awfully bad I ended up getting 12 quarts of pumpkin puree and woke up this morning with about 4-6 cups of pumpkin butter.

To roast the pumpkins its quite easy. I just took 3 jack o lantern pumpkins (some people prefer to use pie pumpkins but the jacks worked fine for me and they were a lot cheaper) I washed them off and pierced the skin on the top with a knife (basically I stabbed the pumpkin about 10 times ha ha ) stuck it on a baking sheet and popped it in the oven for 2 hours at 300 F. Make sure your pumpkin doesn't touch the top of the oven! After two hours I took it out of the oven and took the pumpkin and put it on a rag used a knife to split it in half to let the water drain out. Watch out for the steam! Let it cool for about an hour maybe hour and a half, to where you can handle it without being burnt. Scoop out the inside pulp and seeds with a spoon, discard, peel the skin off, cut the flesh in to smallish pieces (mine were about 2" x 2") and put into a food processor and process until smooth. It should look like the consistency of applesauce. Store in mason jars (yes you can freeze these just remember to leave head space to let it expand when it freezes and be careful sticking the jars in the freezer next to previously frozen ones if they bang together to hard they can break!) or freezer bags. FDA states that you should store winter squash by freezing or refrigeration NEVER can it.

PUMPKIN BUTTER
Ingredients:
8 cups pumpkin puree
4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
4 lemons (juice of)

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook over night on low heat or in an oven on 300 F until it is smooth and creamy. Make sure to leave your lid slightly off on your slow cooker to allow the moisture out as you are cooking it down for the consistency... Just a couple of side notes this is the recipe I copied off of however I used 2 cups white sugar and 2 cups brown sugar, I increased my cinnamon to 2 tsp and I didn't have any nutmeg but it didn't seem to affect the taste in any way.

PUMPKIN ROLL
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 c sugar
2/3 c pumpkin puree
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 c flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Frosting:
Mix together
6 oz cream cheese
1 c powdered sugar
1/2 c margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat eggs for 3 minutes, add sugar, pumpkin, and lemon juice. Beat well
Beat together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt. Beat well
Grease a rigid cookie sheet, put wax paper on it then grease the wax paper.
Pour the batter on the wax paper.
Bake at 375 F for 10 minutes.
Cool for 5 minutes.
Have a dish towel covered with powdered sugar ready.
Place the cake on it and peel off the wax paper.
Roll up in the towel and cool for 30 minutes.
Unroll and frost.
Cover with foil and keep refrigerated.

Beef Tacos

2009-09-12T17:15:00.000-07:00

Chances are if you know me you have had these tacos. I always get asked for the recipe. It's quite simple and we eat these at my house about once a week. Ha ha they are the perfect greasy food :)

All you need is:

1lb of ground beef
1 24 oz jar of Herdez Med or Hot Salsa (I have used others but nothing comes out good like this brand)
Tortillas
Mexican Blend Cheese
Olive oil - approximately 1 cup
Paper towels

Taco Sauce -
1 can of tomato sauce
Salt
Pepper
Ground Oregano

Garnishments such as lettuce, tomato, avacado, onion, etc.

Brown ground beef
While beef is browning in a small sauce pan combine tomato sauce, about 1/2 cup or so of salsa (I just pour until it's a little underneath the neck of the bottle) salt, pepper and ground oregano. I always eyeball the spices so just whatever tastes good to you. Let this heat through and simmer while you are making the rest
In another pan heat olive oil over med heat
Once beef is cooked through add the rest of the salsa from the jar and stir. Heat thru.
Warm a tortilla up in the olive oil flip to heat both sides. Just enough to make it soft.
Remove from oil and place upon paper towel.
Spoon some of the beef mixture on to the tortilla add some of the shredded cheese on top, fold tortilla in half and wrap in paper towel.
Top with garnishments of your choice and taco sauce.

And yes I have taken step by step pictures for all of your enjoyment :)
Just FYI I do not drain my beef after cooking it :)

Jambalya

2009-09-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

Ok so tonight I experimented and made Jambalaya. It turned out good. Jadyn really gobbled it up :)

1 green pepper (sliced)
3 stalks celery (sliced)
1 onion (sliced)
2 tbsps olive oil
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 lb boneless chicken breasts
1 lb smoked sausage
2 (15 oz) cans stewed tomatoes (sliced)
2 c water
1 dash Tabasco sauce
1 tbsp cajun seasoning
1 c rice (uncooked)
1 lb shrimp (raw, peeled)

1 - Take pepper, onion, celery and garlic and saute them in the olive oil
2 - Remove vegetable from pan and set aside
3 - Cube chicken and cook through
4 - add the sauteed veggies, sausage, tomatoes, water, rice, Tabasco, and cajun seasoning to the chicken. Simmer for 30 minutes
5 - Add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes more.

Yum :)

Sorry these pics aren't that great took them with my phone