Published by Rachel July 2nd, 2009
in Mexican/Southwest/Tex-Mex, Poultry, Fish, Quick and Easy, 5 Stars, Cooking Light, Family Recipe, Entertaining, Easy Preparation, Salad, Heart Healthy, Latin and Salsa.
I’m always will to try a great new salsa to top chicken tacos or fish tacos. This salsa is so summery and refreshing, and it went great as a topper for fish tacos.
I saw a recipe for jicama salad in the March 2009 issue of Cooking Light, which was the initial inspiration of my mango jicama salsa.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 c. jicama, julienne-cut
- 2-3 mangos, sliced or cubed
- 1/2 of a small red onion, sliced
- 1/2 of a red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, sliced
- 1 to 2 jalapenos, chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 tsp. sugar (more or less depending on how ripe the mangos are)
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
- Top your tacos, and enjoy.
Mango Jicama Salsa:
We had short ribs for dinner tonight, and I needed a quick side dish to go with it. This salad came out so delicious, and I will definitely make this one again!
Ingredients:
- 1 c. whole wheat cous cous
- 1 1/2 c. water
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- salt
- 1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 c. English cucumber, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 /2 of an orange, yellow, red, or green bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 c. artichoke hearts
- Juice of one lemon
- 1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 c. fresh herbs, minced (I used mint and basil)
Directions:
- In a covered saucepan, bring cous cous, water, olive oil, and salt to a boil; then turn off heat and keep on burner for 5 to 7 minutes. After 7 or so minutes fluff cous cous with a fork.
- Meanwhile, combine tomatoes through lemon juice in a bowl; then add the cous cous, and toss to combine; then add the feta cheese and herbs and toss once again. Taste and correct seasoning, if necessary.
Mediterranean Cous Cous Salad:
Published by Rachel June 20th, 2009
in Italian, Vegetarian, Quick and Easy, 4 Stars, Family Recipe, Entertaining, Easy Preparation, Salad, Sides, Pasta and Picnic/Potluck.
My mother-in-law started makes a delicious pasta salad during the summertime, and this is my version. It’s super tasty, and it works well as a main dish or a side dish.
Ingredients:
- 1/8 to 1/4 c. olive oil
- 8 to 10 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
- salt
- 1 lb. pasta
- 1 lb. fresh mozzarella, cubed
- 1/4 c. fresh basil, chiffonade
- 1 c. quartered artichoke hearts
Directions:
- Cook pasta according to package
- Put the tomatoes in a bowl and add some salt.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet; then add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes; then add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Put pasta in a big bowl, add the tomatoes and garlic with the oil and toss to combine. Then add the cheese, basil, and artichoke hearts and toss again.
Pasta Salad:
Published by Rachel June 10th, 2009
in Mexican/Southwest/Tex-Mex, Beef, 5 Stars, Family Recipe, Grill, Kid Approved, Entertaining, Easy Preparation, Sides, Latin and Salsa.
Here’s a tasty menu for a quick weeknight dinner. Top tacos with Mango Salsa and serve with Los Tios Mexican Rice.
Ingredients:
- 1 flank steak
- lime juice to marinate
- salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- ground ginger
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a dish or zip top bag and marinate for 30 minutes. Grill until desired doneness.
Serve:
Quick Steak Taco Dinner:
Our plan was to grill the fish and the corn. Then part way through grilling the corn, we ran out of gas…change of plans. We ended up baking the salmon and finishing the corn in a skillet. Regardless, this is a winner dish…so tasty and summery–especially if you use your grill.
You could easily use this relish on grilled chicken too.
Recipe from Bobby Flay’s Grill It!
Ingredients:
- 4 ears of corn, grilled and slightly cooled
- 1 pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
- 3 TBSP olive oil
- 2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
- 3 TBSP thinly sliced basil leaves
Directions:
- After corn is grilled and cooled, cut corn off the cob.
- Combine corn, tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and basil in a bowl.
- Serve over grilled salmon or chicken
Grilled Corn, Tomato, and Basil Relish:
These are the best homemade tortillas I have ever had!!!! They are delicious, and the search for tasty homemade tortillas ended last night! *swoon* The taste is so similar to Chuy’s tortillas, and Chuy’s flour tortillas are one of my favorite flour tortillas of all time!
Recipe courtesy of Homesick Texan
Ingredients:
- 2 c. of all-purpose flour (can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)
- 1 1/2 tsp. of baking powder
- 1 tsp. of salt
- 2 tsp. of vegetable oil
- 3/4 c. of warm milk
Directions:
- Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil; then slowly add the warm milk, and stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
- Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
- Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes. After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes. (It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)
- After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you’ll have no problem with this.) Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
- In a dry iron skillet heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.
- Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.
- Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.
- While you probably won’t have any leftovers, you can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.
- Makes eight tortillas
Flour Tortillas:
I came across this recipe in Easy Everyday Cooking. Since I love Cincinnati chili, and I’ve had hard time making one that I really like–this recipe is so much better than my last attempt. Our oldest loved it, and our youngest ate cheese, a few bites of meat, and some fruit. Since one child loved it, I say success! Even though our youngest didn’t eat much, I don’t too much stock in that since she really isn’t into eating dinner these days anyway.
We really enjoyed this dinner, and we will definitely be having this one again.
Here’s my adapted version.
Ingredients:
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 TBSP chili powder
- 2 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (I omitted)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 14 1/2 oz can stewed tomatoes
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1/2 c. water
- 1 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 1 TBSP molasses
- Hot spaghetti
- Toppings: kidney beans, grated cheddar cheese, chopped onion
Directions:
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat; then add the onion, garlic and ground turkey and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until meat is cooked through. Drain fat, if necessary.
Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ground red pepper, and bay leaf. Cook and stir for 3 minutes.
- Stir in undrained stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, red wine vinegar, and molasses. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer to desired consistency. Discard bay leaf.
- While chili is simmering uncovered, cook spaghetti.
- In a medium saucepan heat undrained kidney beans; drain.
- Serve Cincinnati Chili:
- Two Way: Chili over spaghetti
- Three way: Add cheese tot he two way
- Four way: Add onions to the three way
- Five Way: Add kidney beans to the four way
Cincinnati Chili:
I love fruit desserts. What happens when my kiddos pick out apples at the grocery store and then refuse to eat them when we get home? The apples find their way into something delicious, and tonight it was apple crisp. Delicious on its own or topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients:
- 5 c. apples, sliced thinly
- 4 TBSP white sugar
- 1 TBSP lemon (or lime) juice
- 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, divided
- 1/2 c. rolled oats (regular or instant)
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1/4 c. all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 c. cold butter, cut into small pieces
- Top with whipped cream or ice cream
Directions:
- In a large bowl combine the apples, white sugar, lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.
- Topping: in a small bowl combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, 1 tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter. Combine the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Spray a baking dish with cooking spray (I used a 7 x 9ish dish). Add apple mixture and top with the topping.
Bake uncovered in a 375 for 30 to 35 minutes, or until apples are tender and topping is golden.
- Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Apple Crisp:
Published by Rachel May 21st, 2009
in 5 Stars, Bread, Sides and Brunch.
These biscuits are sinfully delicious. The recipe comes from Stephan Pyles’ New Tables From Texas cookbook.
Ingredients:
- 8 TBSP unsalted butter
- 10 TBSP shortening
- 3 c. self-rising flour
- 1 1/3 c. buttermilk
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400F Place the butter in a 9 1/2 skillet and warm in the oven for 5 mintues to heat the pan and melt the butter.
- Using your fingertips, crumble the shortening in a medium bowl with the flour until crumby consistency, the size of small peas. Add the buttermilk in 3 or 4 additins, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon or spatula until the buttermilk is thoroughly incorporated. Do not overbeat; the dough should be quite sticky and hold together
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and lightly flour the top. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the biscuits into 2 1/2 inch circles. Dip each biscuit in the melted butter, coating all sides thoroughly, and arrange biscuits in the skillet.
- Bake in the oven on the middle rack for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the biscuits have risen and are lightly browned ont he bottom. Turn on the broiler, transfer the skillet tot he upper rack of the oven, and broil the biscuits for 4 to 5 minutes or until browned. Turn out onto a rack to cool.
Campfire Buttermilk Biscuits:
This chili is solid. I found the recipe and the always tasty fashionably foodie. You can cook on the stove-top or in the crock. It was also really good the next day on a taco salad with creamy jalapeno dressing.
Ingredients:
- 4 cans kidney beans, undrained (I used 2 cans)
or 1 pound dried kidney beans, soaked overnight and cooked until tender, with cooking liquid
- 1 lb. ground beef (I used turkey)
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper or jalapeno, chopped
- 2 TBSP chili powder
- 2 TBSP brown sugar
- 2 quarts tomatoes with juice (or two big 28 oz cans)
- 1 big (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. basil
- 1/8 tsp. allspice (the secret ingredient!)
- 1 bay leaf (I used more because mine weren’t that fresh)
- Grated cheese
Directions:
- In a large stockpot, cook ground beef/turkey, onion, and green pepper and/or jalapeno till meat is brown. Drain fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes, kidney beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil, salt, sugar, pepper, allspice and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover, simmer at least 45 minutes, until reduced and thickened, or cook in Crock Pot on LOW for 3-5 hours (for the crock pot, omit juice from one jar of tomatoes.) taste before serving, add a sprinkle of salt or sugar as needed.
- Top with cheese.
Cook Off Chili:
