Why do I need to be reminded that spaghetti squash ROCKS?!!!!

I admit it.  I don't eat spaghetti squash often enough.  I actually hardly ever eat it and I'm not sure why, because every time I eat it I LOVE it!  Tonight we had spaghetti and spicy Italian sausage over spaghetti squash and it was FANTASTIC!  It was beyond fantastic.  I could actually see myself give up the pasta version and only eat it a traditional spaghetti meal with squash.  That's pretty surprising, because I have an addiction to carbs. :)

Squashy Spaghetti...bad name, hu?
Italian Sausage and Marinara Over FREAKING AWESOME Spaghetti Squash..much better!
1 - medium spaghetti squash
salt and pepper
1/2 lb. spicy Italian sausage, cooked
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, warmed


Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cut spaghetti squash in half, cut the stem off and scoop out the seeds.  Salt and pepper to taste and drizzle with a little olive oil.  Place squash cut side down on the pan and cook for 30-40 minutes until the squash is tender when you put a knife through it.

When squash has been cooked, take a fork and shred the "meat" off the squash.  Serve with spicy Italian sausage and marinara.

I have to add the "technique" I use when cooking sausage because I always used to have trouble cooking sausage in the pan and having the center not cooked all the way through.  I place the sausage in a frying pan with a tablespoon of oil, a half a cup of water, cover and cook until the water is gone, then brown the sausage on all sides.  I learned this "technique" from the Johnsonville Sausage container. It pays to read the meat packaging when you are cooking. LOL!!!

Pressure Cooker Pork

I love pork.  Pork tacos, Cuban sandwiches, pork salad from Cafe Rio, carnitas...you name it, I LOVE it!  Alex LOVES Cuban sandwiches and I wanted to surprised him with a yummy Cuban sandwich panini when he got home for work the other day.  I have always failed miserably when making the pork for Cuban sandwiches so I was more than a little worried.  To make matters worse, I was running behind on getting the meal ready and didn't have time to put the meat in the crock pot.  ENTER Pressure Cooker!  I'm not kidding you, if you don't own a pressure cooker...GET ONE!!!!  My parents had one growing up and they only ever made potatoes in it for potato salad (?), so I had NO IDEA you could cook meat, beans, desserts (!) in it until I bought my own (thinking I needed it to make potato salads...really!) that came with a cook book with tons of recipes in it.  I didn't get this recipe from that book, but from Tyler Florence.

Tyler is all about the Ultimate this... or the Ultimate that...  I even own his Ultimate cookbook and have been so-so about his clams of being Ultimate.  That is, until NOW!!!  This pork recipe is the BEST I HAVE EVER MADE AT HOME!!!  That is saying a LOT because I have made more recipes than I care to think about and I can never get that just right taste or the fall apart texture that is so yummy.  In fact, I almost missed the mark with the texture on these tacos, but cooked them a little longer in the pressure cooker and VOILA!  KICK ASS pork!  

Tyler Florence Ultimate Cuban Sandwiches:

1 pound boneless pork shoulder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed with the side of your knife
1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 lime, juiced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 long Cuban bread roll
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
1 cup bread and butter pickles
8 thin slices deli ham
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil

Begin by braising the pork shoulder. Tie the shoulder in 4 places with kitchen twine so it will hold its shape while being cooked or ask your butcher to do this for you. Season the pork with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Set the base of a pressure cooker over low-medium heat and add a 2 count of olive oil.

Add garlic and chili flakes and as the oil heats up it will become fragrant and infuse the oil. Add the pork. Add onions around the pork and brown slightly before adding orange juice, lime juice, stock and bay leaves.

Secure the lid of the pressure cooker and cook for 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of your pressure cooker. The pork should be tender when done. When done allow to cool in juices before removing twine and slicing.

To prepare Cuban sandwiches, split bread in half then layer the sandwich with mustard, cheese, pickles, ham, pork then cheese again (the cheese glues everything together). Season with salt and pepper in between the ham and pork layers. (Optional: drizzle a little of the pork braising liquid over the meat as well).

To cook, heat a large cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat and lightly coat with olive oil. Place the sandwiches on the skillet and top with another heavy skillet and a couple of heavy weights (bricks, or cans of tomatoes work well). Press down firmly and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side until the sandwich has compressed to about a third of its original size and the bread is super-crispy. Serve with beans, rice and plantain chips.

Cuban Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

Did you know you can check out cook books from the library electronically on your iPad?!  YAY!!!!  The only draw back is I don't have the book in front of me to make a copy of the recipe or put the book on my book shelf to refer back.  Thank goodness for a blog!  This way I can track my favorite recipes...which is also handy when you're at the grocery store and didn't bring the recipe with you. :)

Cuban Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup
adapted from 50 Simple Soups for the Slow Cooker by Lynn Alley
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 can black beans
4 cups chicken stock
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium green (or any color) bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Pinch of chile flakes
Salt, to taste

In a large pan on medium heat, cook the onions in olive oil for about 10 minutes until lightly browned.  Add the celery, carrots, tomatoes, black beans, sweet potato, bell pepper, and spices.  Add water and bring to a boil.  Turn heat down and simmer until the sweet potatoes are super tender.

I thought this soup sounded unique when I came across it, but was truly amazed how sweet it turned out!  It was almost as though I had added some lime at the end.  I even got my four year old to eat this soup and she begrudgingly said she liked it.  SCORE!!!!

Empadas

This fall I visited the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City. They had a fun exhibit of American Indian musicians from 1900 to current.  It was fascinating to see how many artists are of American Indian decent.  It also encouraged me to add some music to my iPod that I normally wouldn't have on my playlist.  The BEST part of the visit was the American Indian Museum was the cookbook I found. :)  Yes, I added another cook book to my growing collection.  It is called Foods of the Americas, Native Recipes and Traditions by Fernando and Marlene Divina. I am blown away by how many of the recipes I want to make in this book!  The influences from this book are far reaching from South America to Canada.  The first recipe I tried out of this book is for Empadas.  They are best described as meat pies.  They remind me of Samosa's from Asian restaurants.  The flavor was UNIQUE!  I was half expecting a Mexican flare...which it had, but there was a major twist.  You CERTAINLY need to check this recipe out!

Empada's modified recipe:
Dough:
Pre-made Pie Filling

Filling:
1/4 cup tomato salsa
1 tablespoon corn oil
1 small white onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb ground beef
3/4 cup diced russet potato
1/3 teaspoon ground allspice
1 small chile, seeded and minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sea or kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chicken stock

Flour for dusting
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
Pinch of sea or kosher salt

Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.  Add the oil, onion, and garlic and cook without browning for about 5 minutes.  Add the salsa, beef, potato, allspice, chile, bay leaf, salt, pepper and chicken stock.  Cook, stirring often for 15 to 20 minutes, until the meat is browned and cooked through and the liquid has nearly evaporated.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.  Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Lightly oil and flour a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

To assemble the empadas, lightly flour a work surface.  Cut the dough in half horizontally and cover one half with a clean kitchen towel to keep moist.  Roll the other half of the dough out to about 1/8 inch think.  Cut into 12 squares or rounds about 3 1/2 inches wide.  Place a generous tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center of each piece of dough.  Roll Out and cut the other portion of the dough in the same manner.  Whisk the egg with the water and salt to make an egg wash.  Brush the edges of the bottom dough pieces with the egg wash.  top each with another dough piece and drip the edges with the tines of a fork or your fingertips.  Place the empadas on the prepared baking sheet.  Brush the tops with the remaining egg wash.  Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown.  Serve warm.

A Little Skirt Steak!

I am always looking for new and yummy things to do with skirt steak and was happy to find a yummy recipe in the October 2012 edition of Food Network Magazine.  The Almost-Famous Steak Taco Salad is a slimmed down remake of a taco salad from Moe's Southwest Grill which is a franchise primarily found on the East Coast with a few locations West of the Mississippi.  I just realized as I was researching that there is a Moe's location not far from my house! I'll have to check it out!

Almost-Famous Steak Taco Salad:
For the Tortilla Bowls:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 10-12 inch flour tortillas
kosher salt

For the Steak:
1 teaspoon dried minced garlic or garlic flakes - I used fresh garlic
1 teaspoon dried minced onion or onion flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder
3 scallions, finely chopped
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound sirloin steak (about 1 inch think)
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

For the Salad:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup buttermilk - I would HIGHLY suggest using 1/3 cup unless you like runny dressing.
1 English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
2 romaine lettuce hearts, roughly chopped
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 2/25-ounce cans sliced black olives, drained
2 ounces cheddar or monterey jack cheese, shredded
Fresh salsa, for topping

To make the tortilla bowls, position a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 450F.  Put 4 empty cans (labels removed) or 4 small oveproof bowls upside down on the baking sheet.  Drape a square of foil over each can and coat with cooking spray.

Fill a shallow bowl with 1/2 inch warm water; whisk in the olive oil.  Soak each tortilla in the water until soft, about 5 seconds, then drape over the prepared cans, pleating as needed.  Bake until golden, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven and invert the tortilla bowls onto the baking sheet; remove the cans and foil.  Spray the inside of the tortilla bowls with cooking spray, season with salt and continue baking until crisp, 4 to 5 more minutes; let cool.

Meanwhile, make the steak by whisking the dried garlic, onion and oregano, cumin, chile powder, scallions, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl.  Put the steak in a shallow dish and run with 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture (reserve the rest for the dressing). Add the bell pepper and sliced onion and toss.  Add the bell pepper and sliced onion and toss.  cover and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

Heat a large cast-iron skilled over high heat.  Add the steak and scatter the bell pepper and onion around it.  Sear the steak about 5 minutes on each side, then transfer to a cutting board.  Continue cooking the pepper and onion until just tender, about 3 more minutes.  Thinly slice the steak against the grain, then cut into 1-inch pieces.

Wish the mayonnaise, buttermilk and the reserved spice mixture in a large bowl until smooth.  Add cucumber, lettuce, beans and olives and toss.  Divide the salad among the tortilla bowls.  Top with the steak, bell pepper, onion, cheese and salsa.

I didn't make the tortilla shells...even though they sound SUPER yummy!  I have to admit, I was surprised by the lack of taste in the salad dressing since it got the lion's share of the seasoning mix.  I wanted to LOVE this meal, but it was O.K.  Now that I know there are Moe's Southwestern Grill's near my home, I am going to try it out there and see what is missing from this recipe!

Indian Curry...YUM!

I LOVE curry!  I especially LOVE creamy curry with potatoes and onion and carrots and chicken...hmmmm...I'm having a moment remembering one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Layton, Utah called Pad Thai.  They had some of the BEST creamy Masaman Curry I have ever had.  When I found this recipe I was hoping it would be a similar creamy curry, because that was what I was craving.  While it was SUPER flavorful, it missed the creamy boat a little.  It also stunk up my kitchen to high heaven!!!  I cooked this recipe a week ago and my house STILL smells like curry!

• Indian Curry
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• salt to taste
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Saute onion until lightly browned.  Stir in garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, ginger, sugar and salt.  Continue stirring for 2 minutes.  

Add chicken pieces, tomato paste, yogurt and coconut milk. (I also added carrots to offer some hidden veggies to my family).  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove bay leaf and stir in lemon juice and cayenne pepper.  Simmer 5 more minutes.  Serve over rice.

The left overs of this dish were even better than the original meal.  I would highly consider making this meal and eating it the next day to get some serious flavor!  

Thai Stir Fry...Hey, That Rhymes!

I LOVE cook books.  In fact, I collect cookbooks.  Whenever I visit a new city, museum or even a cool book store, I like to leave with a cookbook to remind me of my visit.  That's how I connect with people and place...FOOD!  I pulled out a SUPER old Thai cook book I bought in my early early twenties that I purchased at Barnes and Noble when I was starting to grow my cook book collection and found a GREAT recipe for stir fry.  I changed it up a bit because I didn't grab all the necessary ingredients at the grocery store to make the recipe in the book.

Thai Stir Fry:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp ginger puree
3/4 cup carrots cut into 'batons'
1 cup zucchini cut into 'batons'
1 chicken breast, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cups fresh spinach
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsbp rice vinegar

Heat olive oil in frying pan on medium-high heat.  Add garlic, ginger, carrot and zucchini.  Cook until slightly brown.

Add Chicken and cook through.

Add cilantro, spinach, soy sauce, sugar and vinegar.  Cook until the spinach is wilted.  Serve immediately over white rice.

This didn't last long enough for me to get pictures of the final product.  It was AWESOME!!!  The sauce was FANTASTIC!...even if it was a tiny bit sweet.  I will TOTALLY make this recipe again.  I was even able to get my 3 year old to eat her veggies with this meal!

"I miss my neighbor" meal...

While moving to the D.C. area has been chalked full of fun, historical visits, we have been missing our friends back in Colorado.  Tonight I decided to make a meal my neighbor, Rachael, made for us right before we moved.  This is some SERIOUS comfort food, whether it is coming from a good neighbor or because it just makes you feel homey and happy.  It is SUPER SIMPLE cooking and SUPER TASTY!!!

Comfort Food a la Rachael:
1 lb ground hamburger
1/2 a large onion, chopped
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 packet sazon seasoning salt
salt and pepper to taste

Cook onions in a frying pan until translucent. 

Add ground meat and cook until meat is nearly cooked through.

Drain excess fat...or you could keep it for additional flavor.  Add tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are wilted.  Add cilantro and seasonings, cook for additional 5 -10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.

Serve with rice.  You could totally use this to make as the meat base for tacos, but I definitely prefer it with rice...just like Rachael served it.

Note the SWEET pan I am using to cook this meal.  I bought this pan from the same neighbor who gave me this recipe.  She sells Princess House products and they ROCK!!!  This is the BEST pan I have ever owned!  It cooked everything so evenly and it is HUGE!!!!  Want to try it out?  Check out Rachael's web site.

Thanks for sharing your AWESOME recipe with me Rachael!  Here is to you...sure wish you were here to enjoy a glass of wine with me!

Unintentional One Pan Meal

We arrived in the D.C. area at the beginning of August and signed a lease within days of arriving.  Unfortunately, the movers can't deliver our stuff for TWO WEEKS!!!  I have been cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner in a sauce pan.  Yes, you read that right...a SAUCE PAN!  Not to mention cutting everything with a plastic knife.  Where is my Santoku knife when I need it?  The freaking movers have it in storage!  I told Alex this week that whenever he gets mad at me, he better remember this time in our marriage when I used a plastic knife to slice red peppers.

Being the want-to-be-gourmet that I am, I didn't let the lack of tools keep me from feeding my family healthy, home-cooked meals.  I actually made some pretty ROCKIN' meals with my sauce pan...well, rockin' considering I only had a sauce pan and limited spices because those are packed up too.  I did find my kosher salt, but I missed my olive oil and pepper something awful!

One pan...well, sort of one pan...Chicken, Bean and Rice Burritos:

1 chicken breast

1 packet taco seasoning

1 small can corn

1 can chili beans

1 1/2 cups instant rice

Flour tortillas

Cheese (optional)

Salsa (optional)

Using your trusty sauce pan, place chicken in the pan and cover with water, adding taco seasoning packet and bring to a boil.  Cook for 10 minutes. Strain corn and beans and add to boiling chicken mixture in your handy sauce pan.  Cook for 3-5 minutes to warm through corn and beans.  

Strain out the solids, retaining 1 1/2 cups taco seasoning broth mixture.  Add 1 1/2 cups instant rice to taco seasoning broth mixture.  I was able to do this in the only tupperware container I have on hand.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes.  

Place tortilla on plate and load up with chicken, corn and bean mixture, rice, cheese and salsa.

While this reason won't be winning any awards, it certainly was a great stomach filler after a long day of moving boxes in the Eastern humidity.  And once I get all my spices back, I might try this one out again.

Sloppy Erica's...I mean Sloppy Joes!

When I was a kid, my parents used to make Sloppy Joe's from that canned Manwich (that we called Mammwich) stuff.  I was never very fond of Sloppy Joe's as a result.  This week my friend invited us over to dinner and told me when we arrived that we were having Sloppy Joe's.  My stomach immediately seized and I was worried I was going to gag.  LOL!!!  But when I saw fresh ingredients on the counter top, my stomach unclenched a little.  This is a fun recipe my friend Erica found from a crock pot cook book (Crock Pot's Busy Family Recipe's), but being impatient like me, we cooked it on the stove top to make it a faster recipe.  HOLY MOSES!!!  I am a fan of Sloppy Joe's...in fact, I think I'll stop calling them Sloppy Joe's and call them Sloppy Erica's to honor my friend for introducing me to this recipe!

Campfired -Up Sloppy Erica's Joes:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (we used KC's Masterpiece)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 can (8 ounces) baked beans
6 kaiser rolls, split and warmed
Shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (optional)

Brown ground beef, onion, bell pepper and garlic 6 to 8 minutes in large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break up meat.  Drain and discard excess fat.  Transfer to Crock Pot Slow Cooker (which we neglected to do).

Combine ketchup, barbecue sauce, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and chili powder in a small bowl.  Transfer to Crock Pot slow cooker (we just added this to the meat).

Add baked beans.  Stir well to combine.  cover, cook on HIGH 3 hours.  Or just simmer on the stove until you so damn hunger you can't stand it!

To serve, place 1/3 cup Sloppy Joe/Erica mixture on bottom halves of rolls.  Sprinkle with cheese, if desired, before covering with roll top.

ENJOY YOUR SLOPPY MESS!!!

The BBQ flavor through out this recipe takes these Sloppy Joe's OVER THE TOP!!!  I am a sucker for BBQ so this made me feel like I was eating BBQ beef.  Hmmmm....now I want more!!!


Thanks so much for having us to dinner, Erica!!!!

Lesson Learned!

Crash and burn!  Not really something you want to read in a cooking blog.  Some people put signs for no solicitation on their front door, but I should have a sign that reads, 'Upon entering this house you agree to be a guinea pig for all food concoctions that enter your mouth.'  Oh yes, I even invited people over to my house for this one.

Come friends, come to my house and learn to make pizza...ON THE GRILL!!!  Oh, it will be spectacular!  Nice smokey flavor, melted cheese, grills marks on the pizza dough!  Guess what I learned about grilling pizza?  DON'T DO IT ON A CHARCOAL GRILL WITH HOT COALS!!!! Know what ELSE I learned?  don't put olive oil on the dough before you put it on the grill.  Oh yeah, I did that too. 

I had seen this recipe cooked on a gas grill a week ago, I grilled pizza dough using my indoor grill pan, but I hadn't made this recipe on a charcoal grill.  Thank goodness I had extra dough.  I was able to recover by using my indoor grill pan, but didn't have a lid big enough to cover it once I had the toppings on so I found myself...oh the shame...I MICROWAVED  it so the cheese would melt.  *sigh*  Pure embarrassment.  LOL!!!

Now don't discount this recipe because I am a schmuck!  When it was made it on a gas grill it turned out really good!

Grilled Veggie Pizza
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1/4 of a white onion
1/2 red pepper
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic infused olive oil - or regular olive oil
1 loaf of Rhoades frozen bread
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Defrost bread according to package instructions.  Slice zucchini and yellow squash into thin equal size pieces. Cut onion into half moons and red pepper into small bite sized pieces.  Place cut veggies into bowl and toss with Italian seasoning, olive oil and cheese.  At this point you can put the veggies in a grill basket or you can saute them in a pan on the stove top.

Roll out dough and shape by preference.  Grill on low heat for 3-5 minutes on each side.  Take off grill and load up with veggie and cheese mixture.  Put back on covered grill until cheese is melted.

Grilled pizza is fun and creative.  Learn from my mistakes and enjoy! :)  And to my friends...thanks for continuing to be my friend after this fiasco!

Crunched for Time!

I hate when the 4pm hour hits at my house.  Invariably, I have put off making a decision about what to cook for dinner and my stomach is starting to grumble.  DOH!  Today was no different.  I had left overs from taco's I was considering making stuffed baked potatoes with, but I didn't want to go to the hassle of baking the potatoes.  LAZY!  A couple of months ago I purchased the Deep Dish Baker from Pampered Chef.  This INGENIOUS product allows you to cook recipes you would normally make in the oven...IN THE MICROWAVE!  It ROCKS!!!!  You can roast a whole chicken in the microwave in 25-35 minutes using this product!!!  It saved my day!  Pampered Chef also sells a recipe book specifically for recipes you can make using the Deep Dish Baker.  I scored a SWEET recipe from it that would use up my taco leftovers!

Family Burrito Bake
1 medium onion
1 lb 90% lean ground beef
2 tbsp Southwestern Seasoning Mix
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 can Mexican-style corn
1 jar chunky salsa, divided
1 can refried beans
3 tbsp water
7 6-inch corn corn tortillas
2 cups shredded Colby & Monterey Jack cheese blend, divided

Coarsely chop onion.  In Deep Covered Baker, combine onion, beef, seasoning mix and pressed garlic; mix well.  Microwave, covered on High for 6-8 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking crumbles halfway through.  Drain beef mixture.  Combine beef mixture, corn and 1 cup of the salsa, mix well.  combine refried beans and water, mix well.

To assemble, place two tortillas over bottom of baker.  Cut one tortilla to fill any gaps as layers are assembled.  Spread one-third of the beans evenly over tortillas.  Top with one-third of the beef mixture and one-third of the cheese.  Repeat layers one time.  Arrange remaining two tortillas over cheese.  Top with remaining beans and beef mixture.

Microwave, covered, on High for 12-15 minutes or until center is hot.  Carefully remove baker from microwave using oven mitts.  Top evenly with remaining salsa and cheese.  Let stand, covered for 10 minutes before serving.

HOLY MOLY!!!!  This recipes was AWESOME!!!!  It was CRAZY fast and pretty healthy at 340 calories per serving (assuming 8 servings).  If you don't have a Pampered Chef Deep Dish Baker...get yourself one!!!  I can't believe how fast and easy it was to use the Deep Dish Baker.  Because it is stoneware and has a lid, it quickly cooks meals evenly in the microwave.  I'm looking forward to making more meals with this dish!!!

Chicken Divan...with inpromptu ingredients.

When I was a kid my mom used to make chicken divan a lot.  I remember disliking the exotic taste of the curry at first, but over time it grew on me.  Now I consider it comfort food.  I was craving some comfort the other day and decided to make some.  After my visit to the Costco to pick up a rotisserie chicken I realized I didn't have any cream of chicken soup to start the base of my sauce.  DAMN!!!  Lightening fast thinking...make my own cream of chicken!  And that is just what I did.  I don't think I will EVER use cream of chicken again. 

Chicken Divan - made up style:
1/2 Rotisserie Chicken - I always get mine at Costco and they are GIANORMOUS so I only used half. 
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon corn starch
2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup cheese
2 cups broccoli - frozen or fresh

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. 

Cut up half a rotisserie chicken into small bite sized pieces and set aside. 

In medium saucepan melt butter.  Add flour and cook for a minute.  Add milk, cornstarch and curry.  Allow sauce to thicken.

Add cheese and  stir until melted. 

 In medium to large baking dish combine chicken and broccoli. Pour sauce over top and stir to combine.

 Cook for 25 minutes.

When I type the recipe out it sounds all thought out and professional, but it couldn't be farther from the truth! When I realized I didn't have the cream of chicken I went to making a roux. I was only going to add one cup of milk because I was going to make a smaller batch, but then thought better of it when I saw how much sauce that would give me. I decided that AFTER I had added the milk. I was worried that making more roux would mess up the recipe at that point so I opted to add cornstarch to thicken it up. BINGO!!! I REALLY liked the taste of the sauce. Canned sauces are handy when you need them, but if you can avoid them...DO!!!

Jesus Pie!

Jesus was a Shepherd...and this shepherd's pie ROCKS...THE WORLD!!!!  I came up with a rather hair-brained idea of cooking a chicken, a pork roast AND a beef roast at the same time in a gianormous roasting pan.  The whole idea was to maximize my Mommy Time and spend less time on meals.  I was worried after I cooked up the meat that when I used it in another dish it would be overcooked and not taste good.  Oh goodness, was I WRONG!!!  The beef roast I used for this dish was HEAVENLY!!!

I searched recipes for left over beef roast and found a recipe by Paula Deen for a Shepherd's Pie.  I was worried when the recipe called for 14 tablespoons of butter.  SERIOUSLY...come on Paula Deen.  That is an utter JOKE!  So I modified the recipe.

Rock Your World Shepherd's Pie:
1/2 red onion, peeled and chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 pounds leftover pot roast, cubed
Salt and black pepper
5-6 medium red new potatoes
1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 cups milk
2 1/4 cups instant biscuit mix
1 1/2 cups niblet corn or mixed vegetables

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pot Roast Layer:
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute onion in olive oil. Add pot roast and cook until browned. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Potato Layer:
Place potatoes in pressure cooker and cook for 9 minutes at pressure until fork tender. Drain potatoes and transfer to a mixing bowl.  Scrape skins off potatoes and smash to a consistency you like.  Add 1/2 cup heated milk, 1/2 stick butter, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Whip until mixed. Adjust thickness by adding more milk, if desired.

Biscuit Layer:

Combine biscuit mix and 3/4 cups of milk.  Mix until combined. 

Spray a 9 by 9 by 2-inch pan (or any similar casserole dish) with cooking spray. Layer mashed potatoes halfway up the sides of the dish.

Next, spread a layer of corn or mixed vegetables on top of the potatoes. Then add the layer of pot roast and onions. 

Spread the biscuit mix over the meat. Bake for approximately 35 to 45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

I'm not kidding you...this is one of the best meals I have had in a LONG time!  AWESOME!!!!!  Do I hear angels singing? :)

Pure and Simple

I love fast and easy meals loaded with TASTE.  This dish is the ticket!  Alex made a rendition of this recipe on one of our first dates.  I am not normally a fan of Salami, but it TOTALLY rounds off this dish with a perfect salty flavor.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.  I was so impressed with Alex's coking abilities after this meal. :)  It has become a staple at our house. 

Simple Salami and Pasta:
1/2 box fettucine
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 small zucchini, sliced into thin strips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 lb Salami, sliced into thin strips
1 Tbsp capers (optional)

Cook fettucine according to directions on box.  In a saute pan add olive oil and cook zucchini for 3-5 minutes at medium heat.  Add garlic and heavy cream.  Cook until cream is heated through, 1-2 minutes.  Add salami, capers and cooked fettucine.  Toss dish to ensure everything is completely covered with cream.  Serve immediately.

The next time you want to impress, pull out this recipe and knock 'em dead.  :)

Caprese Chicken?

There is a KILLER little Italian cafe in the Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake that served me my first EVER Caprese sandwich with a gianormous piece of fresh mozzarella, thick slices of roma tomatoes, full leaves of basil and a to-die-for olive oil and balsamic vinegar to it top off between soft pieces of ciabatta bread.  This recipe reminds me of those sandwiches. 

I was looking for fresh ideas for dinner and stumbled upon a pretty cool website called http://www.momswhothink.com/.  They have weekly recipe ideas for those in need of suggestions...like me!  A lot of the recipes on this site remind me of the dishes I had growing up, like tuna casserole, beef stroganoff and meatloaf.   

Baked Pesto Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup basil pesto
2 plum tomatoes, diced
shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Cover cookie sheet with foil.

Put pesto and chicken in bowl. Toss until chicken is covered.  Place in cooking dish and top with diced tomatoes.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Sprinkle with cheese
Bake another 3-5 minutes.
Serve with a box of angel hair pasta.

To fancy up this dish a little I added two teaspoons each olive oil and butter to the angel hair pasta and a 1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese.  This is one of my new FAVORITE recipes!

Casserole, Chicken and Rice style!

Admit it...sometimes all you want is a straight up casserole, whether it be tuna casserole or one of those recipes from the Campbell's soup can. :)  I was in just that kind of mood when I made up the following recipe.  In college I used to buy those boxed recipes that you just added chicken to complete the meal to impress my boyfriend.  HA!  Funny enough, I was trying to recreate those meals. 

Chicken and Rice Casserole
2 cooked chicken breasts cubed
2 cups wild rice, cooked
1+ cup of cheese, to your preference
1 can cream of chicken
1 can cream of celery....I recall the recipe in college always had cream of mushroom, but Alex doesn't like mushrooms.  So use your best judgement.
3/4 cup salsa
1 medium onion...or less, keep on reading.

Combine all the ingredients in a baking dish. 

Set oven to 400 F and cook for 30 minutes until bubbly.

This recipe was SUPER yummy...except for one fact...you REALLY ought to cook the onions BEFORE you mix them with all the other ingredients.  I also added WAY too much onion.  I had to pick it out to keep it from over-powering the rest of the dish.  But, you live and you learn...which hopefully you learn from my mistake!

Slow Cooker...Jamaican Jerk Style

My mother-in-law gave me a Cuisine at Home Slow Cooker Menus cook book and it ROCKS!  Cuisine at Home offers healthy recipes with GREAT cooking tips in their magazines.  Alex really digs Jamaican Jerk seasoning so I thought I would surprise him Barefoot Contessa style (you know how Ina Garten always surprises her husband Jeffery with some yummy meal when he comes home from business trips?) with a Jamaican Jerk-Chicken Sandwich.

I am so-so when it comes to Jamaican food.  I dig all the spices in the food, but sometimes it is a little unusual on my taste buds.  This recipe was AWESOME!!!!!  FREAKIN' EASY, too!!!!  If you are thinking cole slaw is blech...think again.  The coleslaw on top of the sandwich COMPLETES this recipe.  Notice the coleslaw is on the side in the picture...I couldn't fit it on the sandwich for a pretty picture, but we DID eat the coleslaw on top of the sandwiches.

Jamaican Jerk-Chicken Sandwich
3 Tbsp purchased Jamaican Jerk seasoning
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp each kosher salt and black pepper
2 bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed - I couldn't find bone-in and it turned out GREAT
4 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
1 cup breked coffee
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp molasses
2 Tbsp seeded and minced jalapeno chile pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic
6 ciabatta rolls
Mango Coleslaw

Combine jerk seasoning, oil, salt and pepper in a bowl.  Coat chicken with seasonings.  Place chicken pieces, bone side down, in a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker.

Stir together coffee, lime juice, molasses, jalapeno, and garlic for the sauce in a measuring cup with a pour spout. 

Add sauce to the slow cooker.  cover, cook on low-heat for 4-5 hours.  Remove chicken from slow cooker.  Remove and discard bones, then shred chicken. 

Return meat to the slow cooker, mixing with sauce in the slow cooker.

Serve chicken on sliced ciabatta bread topped with Mango Coleslaw.

Mango Coleslaw
1 pkg coleslaw mix
2 fresh mangos, peeled, pitted and diced (two cups)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp minced jalapeno chile pepper
2 tspminced lime zest
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp each kosher salt and black pepper

Combine coleslaw mix, mangos and clinatro into a bowl. 

Whisk together sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, lime zest, jalapeno, garlic, salt and pepper;

stir into coleslaw mixture.