Saturday, February 27, 2016

Chipotle Pork Enchiladas



Yes, with one simple 2.5 pound Boston Butt we have had three different meals. Leftovers don't have to be boring or the same meal you had on Day 1. With this delicious recipe we had pork sandwiches, filled a huge baked potato and now we're enjoying the pork rolled in flour tortillas with cheese and then baked. I'd say that's pretty good.

Because this recipe is based on left over pork, you may have more or less enchiladas than I had, but with my leftovers I had 8 extra large enchiladas. Your mileage may vary.

1 T. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 small cans diced green chilies 
3-4 cups pulled pork
2 10 oz. cans green enchilada sauce
3 cups shredded cheese (Monterey jack, pepper jack, cheddar, Mexican blend, etc., your choice)
large tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a large skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 - 5 minutes. Add green chilies and pork. Stir to combine and let cook for another 3 - 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup enchilada sauce and 1/2 cup cheese. Stir to combine and remove from heat.

Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.

Take one tortilla at a time and spread the pork mixture over the tortilla leaving 1 inch all the way around. Sprinkle with cheese and roll up tortilla sealing the edges carefully by folding the tortilla so it is sealed. Place in baking dish seam side down.

Continue with the tortillas until remaining pork is used.

Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with any remaining cheese. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Remove from oven and uncover. Return to oven for a few minutes to allow cheese to brown.

Serve with sour cream, additional cheese, salsa, guacamole.....any of your favorite toppings.




Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Loaded Southwestern Baked Potato


Remember last night's Chipotle Slow Cooker Pork? I told you we would enjoy it in an entirely different way tonight. 


Tonight I baked two HUGE baking potatoes. Please don't wrap in foil to bake them. They will only steam inside their foil wrapping. Lightly coat the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt. Pierce a few times with a fork and bake in a 400 degree oven for an hour or so until cooked all the way through.

I have found my new favorite cheese! This has so much potential! Tacos, burritos, chili topping....see?  YUM! But for tonight, it was PERFECTION on this loaded baked potato.


When the potatoes are baked then the "loading" can begin.  You can go hog wild with toppings. See what I did there?  Hog wild....I used pork as a topping..well, there ya go.

I used a little butter and salt and pepper to begin the process. After warming a serving of the chipotle pork it was layered on the potato, covered with a nice handful of the hot habanero cheese, a little sour cream, another sprinkling of pepper and how about some chives?

If you've got some jalapenos and want to really raise the heat level, add them! 

And yes, there's STILL chipotle pork remaining for another meal....TBA of course!

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Chipotle Slow Cooker Pork


Have I convinced you yet to get out the slow cooker for easy smeasy meals? If I haven't, maybe this recipe will. This is a recipe that you can easily adjust the heat level by adding more or less chipotle peppers depending on the size of the Boston butt you use. An added bonus is that you will be seeing this shredded pork in another dish in a day or two. Yes, it's a Round Two recipe!

2 - 3 lb. Boston butt
Granulated garlic
Onion powder
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I used about 3/4 of a can)
12 oz. Dr. Pepper

Liberally coat the pork with garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Place pork in slow cooker.

Place as many (or few) of the peppers in adobo sauce on top of pork.

Slowly add Dr. Pepper to slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low 8 - 10 hours or high 6 - 8 hours.

Remove bone from pork. Using two forks, shred meat and peppers and stir to combine with the liquid in the slow cooker.

I served tonight's portion on buns. Round Two of this meal will be used as topping for backed potatoes. You could also place in tortillas and top with your favorite Mexican toppings.


Friday, February 19, 2016

Ritzy S'mores


My mom used to make these as a bedtime snack for us when I was a little girl. She used regular sized marshmallows instead of miniatures. With the granddaughters visiting today, I decided it was time to continue the tradition. My mom never really had an official name for these little goodies, but I thought since Ritz crackers are the base and Granddaughter #1 took one bite and said will you make some more......well, the name was a given.

Ritz crackers
Peanut butter
Marshmallows

Spread peanut butter on Ritz crackers and place on a baking sheet. Top with either a whole regular sized marshmallow or a few miniature. Place under the broiler just until the marshmallows begin to brown. The peanut butter will be soft and gooey. 

Enjoy!

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Slow Cooker Barbacoa Brisket





What is Barbacoa?  Mexican barbacoa is meat prepared in a way that allows it to be very tender when it's cooked and shred very easily. Barbacoa is the root word for Bar B Q! This recipe is adapted from www.myrecipes.com and the beef brisket is cooked all day in the slow cooker. After a day spent in the slow cooker, the brisket is extremely tender and easy to shred to enjoy in tortillas for tacos or burritos.

1 T. finely chopped fresh Mexican oregano
1 T. dark brown sugar
2 T. olive oil
1 T. minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 T. adobo sauce
1 t. ground cumin
3/4 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, grated
1 pound trimmed beef brisket
1 (14 oz.) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

Combine the first 9 ingredients (through the garlic) in a medium bowl, stirring well to combine. Rub mixture into the brisket.

Spray the inside of a 6 quart slow cooker with non-stick spray and arrange tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, and jalapeno in the bottom of the slower cooker.

Place the brisket on top of the vegetables, and drizzle any remaining spice mixture over brisket and vegetables.


Cover and cook on LOW for 8 - 10 hours. This is the result after 10 hours.

 

Remove the brisket from the slow cooker and here are your delicious vegetables.



Place the brisket on a plate or shallow dish and shred meat with two forks.
 


Return brisket to cooker and stir to combine with the vegetables. Let it remain in the slow cooker until ready to serve.


When ready to serve, place in a serving bowl.

Serve in soft flour or corn tortillas, crunchy taco shells or tostada shells. Top with green and/or red onions, cilantro leaves, jalapenos and lots of fresh lime wedges for an extra pop of flavor.




Sunday, February 14, 2016

Flounder Milanese with Mediterranean Pasta


Here was our Valentine's Meal for this year.  I chose lightly seasoned and pan sauteed flounder fillets served with a Mediterranean style pasta. And yes, I made it up as I went along. Served in a silver chafing dish, this was an elegant meal which was ready to serve within an hour of beginning to chop the vegetables.  I'd say this one was a winner all the way around.


Let's begin with the sauce for the pasta.

2 T. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine
1 14.5 oz. diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
a few teaspoons of capers
a dozen give or take a few of pitted kalamata olives
1 T. Tones Tuscan Garlic Seasoning blend (or dried Italian seasoning)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 t. dried red pepper flakes

In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, onions and peppers.  Let vegetables begin to soften, 4 - 5 minutes.  Add garlic and let it cook for a minute or so.


Next add chicken broth (or wine), tomatoes, seasonings, caper and olives. If you don't like olives, no biggie. But if you do, these add a wonderful flavor to the sauce. Add the salt and pepper and seasonings and taste. You may want a little more seasoning than I used. It's very simple to add more to get it just the way you want. Lower heat to simmer and let it gently cook while you prepare the rest of the dish.


While the fish is being prepared, cook 8 oz. of spaghetti noodles according to package directions. I was able to get the last of the fish out of the skillet, right as the timer went off for the pasta being done. That's always your goal. To have everything prepared at the same time!

Now for the flounder.

1 lb. flounder fillets, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1 t. Italian seasoning blend or Tone's Tuscan Garlic Seasoning Blend
a dash or two or salt and pepper
olive oil
butter

Blend the seasoning with the flour in a shallow dish. Using a few pieces of fish at a time, lightly coat the fillets and set them aside on a rack or plate.

Heat equal parts (1 T. each) of olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add a few pieces of fish at a time to the skillet and let cook for 3 minutes per side. You want the fish to be a lovely golden brown on the outside and opaque on the inside. As the fish fillets are done, remove from the skillet and put on a rack so they don't get soggy. If needed, carefully wipe the skillet clean between batches, add additional oil and butter, and repeat the process.

When the pasta is cooked, drain and place in a large serving bowl or chafing dish as I did. Toss with the sauce and top with the fish fillets. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

And here was one of my diner's end result!




Saturday, February 13, 2016

Huevo Heart


Here's a fun breakfast idea for Valentine's weekend! These will work if you like sunny side up OR over easy eggs. I finished this one under the broiler to get the perfect egg for me.

This is a great breakfast to get the kids involved. They can help cut out the heart shapes in the tortillas and also gently pour the eggs into the cut out space to cook.

This recipe will make one serving.  Multiply as needed.  

2 corn or flour tortillas
3 T. butter, divided
1 egg
salt/pepper
salsa and/or shredded cheese


In a medium skillet, melt 1 T. of the butter over medium heat. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, carefully place the cutter in the middle of the tortillas and press through the tortillas. Place the cut out hearts into the skillet and let them brown for 15 - 20 seconds, turn over and let the other side brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Melt another tablespoon of butter in the skillet and place one tortilla at a time into the skillet and let brown for 45 seconds or so on each side. When both tortillas have browned, stack them on top of each other in the skillet.

Crack the egg into a small bowl and carefully pour the egg into the heart shaped cut out. Lightly salt and pepper the egg. Let the egg cook until the white is cooked through and the yolk is cooked to your desired doneness. If you want an over easy egg, carefully slide a spatula under the tortilla stack and flip.

OR

You can place the OVEN SAFE skillet under the broiler to finish cooking the yolk.

Garnish with thick and chunky salsa and/or shredded cheese.  And maybe some sour cream.  How about some diced jalapenos........You get the idea.

Valentine's Day Table Setting - 2016


I love decorating the table for Valentine's Day. Probably because red is my favorite color and it's so lively and vibrant. Silver and red are the primary colors for this Valentine's Table.

Square silver chargers from Old Time Pottery. The plates, of course, are my treasured Fiestaware.

See those candles? How about getting some cheap brandy sniffers from the dollar store and add some red candles?  

The silver pieces are from various antique stores and estate sales.

The table cloth is from Kohl's and the napkin rings are from Bed Bath and Beyond.

I took the leaf out of the table to make it more cozy for this meal. Do you like?

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Green Chile Queso Blanco Dip





This is a lighter version of your typical "cheese dip." With the addition of green chiles and mexicorn, this will become one of your favorite dips. Feel free to add some diced jalapenos for additional heat.

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese
16 oz. sour cream
1 can Mexi-corn
2 (4 oz.) cans diced green chiles
2 t. cumin
1 t. granulated garlic
1/2 t. onion powder
a few dashes hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste
diced jalapeno (optional)
2 cups Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (divided)

Preheat oven to broil. In a medium saucepan, add cream cheese and sour cream over medium heat. When cream cheese has softened sufficiently, stir to combine with the cream cheese.

Add corn and green chiles and stir to combine. Add seasonings and 1 cup pepper jack cheese.

Pour into a greased 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and place under broiler until cheese begins to bubble.

Remove from oven and serve with tortilla chips.  You can sprinkle some thinly sliced green onions or finely chopped cilantro on top if you'd like.




Carolina (Vinegar Based) BBQ Sauce


There are dozens, if not hundreds, of BBQ sauce recipes. And, of course, they vary in relation to what part of the country you're eating BBQ.  Mesquite, smoky, thick, thin, tomato based, mustard based, and then there's my favorite:  thin vinegar based sauce.  I love the tangy taste of vinegar anytime, but pair it with my favorite version of BBQ, pulled pork, I am in heaven.

I've adapted this one from several recipes found on the web and combined and mixed and tweaked until I have it just the way I like it...I hope you like it as well!

1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup yellow mustard
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 T. olive oil
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. ground cayenne
2 t. ground mustard
2 t. granulated garlic
1 t. onion powder

Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 - 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will reduce some and begin to thicken. 

Allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 weeks. 

Carolina Slaw Recipe


If you have been searching for a non-mayonnaise slaw, with TONS of tangy vinegar flavor, look no further. This sweet and tangy dressing is cooked for a few minutes on the stovetop to allow the sugar to dissolve and then poured over the shredded cabbage and vegetables.

Not only is this great as a side dish for BBQ meats, but it's also perfect for topping those BBQ sandwiches or as a topping for hot dogs.  YUM!

You can either use pre-shredded cabbage mix or make your own by shredded one large head of cabbage, finely chopping a green bell pepper and an onion and grating up a few carrots.

For the dressing:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 t. salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 t. dry mustard
1 t. celery seeds
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup apple cider vinegar

Combine the cabbage and vegetables in a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine dressing ingredients; bring to a boil. Whisk until dressing comes together and the oil and vinegar are thoroughly combined and the sugar has dissolved. Let the dressing cool slightly and then pour over the cabbage and vegetables. Toss well, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

This will make enough slaw for 8 - 10 servings.

A huge thank you to www.southernfood.com

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Chile Verde


For the Super Bowl, with Denver as one of the teams, I knew it had to be GREEN Chile.

This batch was cooked on low in the crock pot all day.  I cooled and refrigerated it overnight and rewarmed the next day for the game day party.  An overnight melding of flavors guaranteed this was delicious.

4 large Poblano peppers

3 T. vegetable oil
1/2 cup self rising flour
1/4 t. salt
few grinds of black pepper
2 pounds boneless pork chops, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 large can of tomatillos, drained
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
6 small cans of diced green chiles
1 can of Rotel tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. Mexican oregano
1/4 t. cayenne pepper

3 T. flour
3 T. water

First let's get the peppers ready. If you don't have a grill, you can carefully roast your peppers under the broiler. The main goal here is to char the outside of the peppers until the skin becomes black. Then remove from the flame, put inside a bag, close it tightly and allow the peppers to cool. The skin will simply slip off the peppers. Chop the peppers, discard the stem and set aside.





In a large skillet, over medium high heat, add the oil and let it heat until it shimmers. While the oil is heating, mix the flour with the salt and pepper and coat the diced pieces of pork. You will need to brown the pork cubes in batches, removing them as they become brown and adding more pork until all are cooked.

Place the tomatillos and red bell pepper in a food processor and process until they are in liquid form.

I cooked my chili in the slow cooker, but you could certainly cook in a large Dutch oven on top of the stove.

Add the tomatillo/red bell pepper mixture to the pot along with the browned pork and the chopped poblanos.

Next add in the remaining 8 ingredients.  Stir to combine everything and bring to a boil if you're cooking on top of stove.  Then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and stir often so the chile doesn't stick.  In about 2 - 3 hours, you'll be ready to eat!

If you're cooking in the slow cooker, cover and set to high for 5 - 6 hours or low for 6 - 8 hours.

This is a thick chile. If needed, mix together the flour and water in a small bowl to make a "slurry." Add to the chile to thicken if desired.

Top with chopped cilantro or sour cream. And it really IS better if you make it a day ahead of time.




Carolina Panther Punch


This is the perfect drink for Carolina Panther Football watching!  A word of caution....these will sneak up on you!  Drink responsibly please.

375 ml Blue Curacao (half of a 750 ml bottle)
1 liter mango vodka
175 L lemonade 
12 oz. Sprite
lemon slices, optional

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher, jug or punch bowl. Serve cold with lemon slices, if desired. These were great served in pint canning jars.



From www.lifeloveandsugar.com


Monday, February 8, 2016

Super Bowl 2016


For last night's Super Bowl game, I chose iconic foods from both team's locations.  I'll post all the goodies here and then post individual recipes in the next few days.  

The table!



Green Chili & Corn Queso Blanco Dip with Blue and Orange Tortilla Chips













Carolina pulled pork BBQ with Carolina vinegar based sauce and non-mayo cole slaw




Deviled Eggs


Chili Verde


Brownies


Krispy Kreme Doughnuts


Carolina Panther Punch


Coors and Orange Crush


Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Crockpot Italian Chicken and Vegetables





This is one of those weeks. You know the ones. The week where you have something going on every night and the last thing you have time for is to come home and cook a full meal. So, once again, the slower cooker (crockpot) to the rescue. Ten minutes of prep time in the morning before leaving home, and you can arrive home to a wonderful, delicious dinner.

Non-stick spray
4 boneless / skinless chicken breasts
Tone's Tuscan Garlic Seasoning or dried Italian Seasoning
2 small onions, peeled and quartered
3 medium carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
4 potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
1 t. salt
a few grinds of black pepper
3 T. olive oil
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 whole head of garlic, cloves peeled and separated
1 14.5 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes, Italian seasoned

Turn crock pot on low and spray with non-stick spray. Place chicken breasts into crock pot and sprinkle with seasoning of your choice.

Layer onions, carrots and potatoes on top of chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Drizzle olive oil and vinegar over chicken and vegetables.

Toss in garlic and pour in tomatoes with juice to cover the chicken and vegetables. 

Cover and cook on low 6 - 8 hours.