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!

Throw Together Chili!

I don't know what it is about chasing after a two year old, but I am not motivated to take a lot of time with dinner these days.  As a result, I stumbled upon a SWEET concoction (yeah, that means I actually made a recipe up all by myself!).

I found a recipe for the world's BEST Fajita Seasoning in the October 2009 Edition of Cuisine at Home.  I LOVE getting flank steak at Costco and using this seasoning on Fajita's.  I'm surprised I haven't posted the Fajita's on my blog yet....but all you really need is the seasoning...which you'll get because it was part of my Throw Together Chili.

Throw Together Chili
2 Tablespoons Fajita Seasoning (See recipe below)
1/2 white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 pound chorizo
1-14 oz. can pinto beans with chili sauce
1-12 oz. can navy beans (or other white beans), drained and rinsed
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 can tomato sauce

On medium heat in a large pan add oil and onions.  Cook until soft.  Add chorizo and Fajita Seasoning, crumble meat while cooking through.  Add beans, tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Let simmer for 20 minutes to 1 hour.

Fajita Seasoning:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon of EACH paprika, onion powder, dried oregano and kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of EACH ground coriander, garlic powder, and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of EACH red pepper flakes, ground ginger and cayenne pepper

This chili is great stand alone and ROCKS over tortilla chips for chili cheese nachos!  OH YEAH!

Mesa Grill....my new favorite restaurant I've never visited.

This last week I wanted some Southwestern cooking, so I broke Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill cookbook.  I am not a huge Bobby Flay fan.  I think he is loud, cocky and obnoxious.  His food is loud, flavorful and bold, which is PERFECT when we are talking about food, so I'll forgive him his shortcomings. :)

I wanted to make something unusual, but tasty and I found his recipe for Fry Bread Taquitos with Jerk Chicken, Red Cabbage-Jicama Slaw, and Mango Habanero Hot Sauce.  VERY unusual, but very TASTY!!!!

This recipe sounds time consuming, but I assure you, it isn't as bad as it sounds.  From start to finish this took me about an hour and a half.  So I guess if you think a 30 minute meal is time consuming, this might be too much for you.

Fry Bread Taquitos with Jerk Chicken, Red Cabbage-Jicama Slaw, and Mango Habanero Hot Sauce
Fry Bread Taquitos
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon dry milk powder
Kosher Salt
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening or lard
2 cups canola oil

To make taquitos, combine the flour, baking powder, milk powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.  Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture is crumbly, add 3/4 cup cold water.  Place on a lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a large high sided saute pan until it reaches 360 F as measured on a deep-frying thermometer (or just wing it!  That's what I did).

Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll out each piece into a four inch circle about 1/8 of an inch thick.  Fry the bread in batches in the oil until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a sheet pan lined with paper towels and season with salt.

Jerk Rubbed Chicken Breasts:
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon habanero chile powder (I substituted guallio chile powder because I had it on hand)
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
4 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons canola oil

To make the jerk rub, combine the coriander, ginger, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, habanero powder, black pepper, thyme, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves in a small bowl.  the rub will keep for up to 6 months in an air tight container.

Rub the top of each breast with 1 heaping tablespoon of the jerk rub.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Pace the chicken in the pan, rub side down, and cook until golden brown and the crust has formed, about 3 minutes.  Turn the breasts over and continue cooking until just cooked through, about 5 minutes.

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing each breast on the bias into 1/4 - in warm tacquitos, topped with red cabbage-jicama slaw and drizzled with mango-habenero hot sauce.

Red Cabbage-Jicama Slaw:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder (I also substituted guallio here too)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground back pepper
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 small head of cabbage, thinly shredded
1 small jicama, peeled and thinly shredded
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Whisk together the lime juice, ancho powder, salt, pepper, honey, and oil in a large bowl.

Add the cabbage, jicama, and cilantro and toss well to combine.  Let sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes and up to 4 hours in the refrigerator before serving.

Mango Habanero Hot Sauce:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
1 habenero chile, chopped
2 to 4 tablespoons honey, depending on the sweetness of the mangoes
1 cup white wine vinegar (I used straight up whine vinegar)

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the mangoes, habanero, and 1 cup of water and cook stirring often, until the mangoes get very soft and the water evaporates, 8-10 minutes.  Add the honey and vinegar and cook over low heat until the mixture thickens slightly, 5-7 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.  If the mixture is too thick to pour, add a few more tablespoons of water.  Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer set over a small bowl; season with salt.


This is what I have to say about this recipe and most Bobby Flay recipes I have come across: If you want rid your cabinets of spices, make one of his recipes!

The overall tastes of this recipe are out of this world when combined together.  I snatched a taste of the fry bread before everything else was finished and it was heavy on the oil because it has vegetable shortening in it. I did omit the milk powder because I didn't have any...I wonder if it would have made a difference? But with the chicken, slaw and mango habanero sauce it was divine!

I seeded the habanero for the sauce and I was kicking myself when it was all done.  I was so worried it would overheat the sauce.  Keep the habanero whole!

My husband was over the moon about this recipe!  He told me to add it to our guest repertoire.  So if you come to dinner at my house, you might get lucky enough to have this recipe!

A Taste of Santa Fe

Alex and I just got back from a trip to Santa Fe.  Oh GOODNESS, do I LOVE that town!  I think it is most appropriate for cities to put in place ordinances requiring builders to stay with the same general design when constructing buildings.  It gives the location a unified feel.  I dig it! 

While we were in Santa Fe we hit several FABULOUS restaurants, museums, shops, cathedrals, art galleries, ancient indian dwellings and a SWEET outdoor concert featuring Cuban music.  I wanna move to Santa Fe!  Since I can't do that right now, I'll settle on a reminder of the yummy food we had.

On our first day cruising around Santa Fe we visited a restaurant called, Cafe Pasqual.  The main dining room was a decent size and they were able to fit an inordinate number of people for the lunch service.  They offer organic soda's, organic food AND a kick ass cookbook so you don't have to miss out on the experience. 

The first recipe that caught my eye in Cafe Pasqual's cook book was the Chorizo Quiche with Cornmeal Crust.  I LOVE chorizo.  And if this cook book isn't cool enough, they have a recipe to make your OWN chorizo!!!  SWEET!!!!!

Chorizo Quiche with Cornmeal Crust:
Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
1 large organic egg - you can use the straight up hormoned eggs if you don't have organic. :)
1 teaspoon ice water, plus more if needed

Chorizo Filling:
3 large organic eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
8 oz chorizo sausage, crumbled and uncooked - I JUST BARELY noticed this says to use uncooked chorizo.  I cooked mine up because I didn't think it would cook fully in the quiche otherwise.
1/2 cup chopped green onions, green and white parts
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

To Make the Crust:
Lightly butter a glass baking dish 9 inches in diameter by 2 1/2 inches high.  Put the flour, cornmeal and butter into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Process in short bursts until it has the consistency of small peas.  Add in the egg and egg yolk and process again for a moment.  Turn this mixture out onto a work surface and add in just as much ice water as it takes to work the dough into a firm ball....I didn't need to add any additional water because it was pretty warm when I made the dough and the butter was all the moisture I needed. :)

Flour your work surface and a rolling pin.  Roll out the dough until it is 1/8 inch thick and fit it into the glass dish.  Crimp th edges of the dough and refrigerate the crust for at least 20 minutes before baking to allow the gluten in th edough to relax.  Prepare the filling while the crust chills.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Filling:
Put the eggs and the heavy cream into a bowl and which together.  Add the chorizo and green onions and which again.  (I highly suggest cooking the chorizo before hand - I think it is weird it doesn't require it.)

Preheat the crust for 5 minutes (it is funny to have to re-type a recipe after I have made it, because I TOTALLY missed this step when I was making it), then sprinkle the bottom of the shell with half of the cheese.  Pour the filling mixture over it and top with the rest of the cheese.  Sprinkler the top with the cayenne pepper.  Bake for about 40 minutes, until the custard is set, the top is a light golden color, and a knife inserted into the center comes out cleen.  Allow for about 30 minutes of cooling time.  Serve while warm.  DON'T SKIMP ON THE COOLING TIME.  When mine came out of the oven it was all puffed up.  It needed the full 30 minutes to sink and set completely.

I was kind of surprised this recipe didn't have any salt and pepper in it.  I added a tiny bit while I was cooking it.  I LOVED the cornmeal crust on this quiche.  What an ingenious idea!  The ingredients for this dish are so simple, I was a little surprised at the burst of flavor when I tasted it.  This is DEFINITELY going into my repetoire of recipes for future use!

Just Answer the Economy Question

I don't know if you had the chance to watch the presidential debate, but I was pretty put out that after the moderator asked the question about the economy THREE TIMES...neither candidate appropriately answered the question. I am afraid for my financial investments! So it is a good thing I was reading the Purple People Eatery blog this week. She more than answered the question of the economy with her Poor Man's Meal.

This meal was something they served us in elementary school as 'hot lunch'. I LOVED IT! My mom would never make it because of the FRITO factor...ohhhhh, they are sooooo gooooood! If she could have made this with Lay's potato chips, you can guarantee we would have had this all the time! :)

I created my own recipe for this nostalgic dish...I expect to make this a lot more if our government doesn't pull their heads out, go to an economics class and learn more about our capitalistic market.

Failing Economy Poor Man's Meal:

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 medium white onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 serrano pepper (optional) - but why would I leave it out when I love it so HOT?

15 oz. can chili beans

15 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 packet of chili seasoning or taco seasoning

1 tablespoon ground chipotle (We bought dried chipotles and ground them in our coffee grinder)

Small bag of Frito's

Brown ground turkey on medium heat. Drain fat from turkey and add onion and red pepper. Cook for two minutes. Add serrano, beans, and tomatoes, cook until warmed through.

Fold in chili seasoning and ground chipotle until combined.
Serve immediately over a couple of handfuls of Frito's. I served this up with a little cheese and homemade guacamole. Hmmmmmmmm....
I am pleased to say that I spent $10 to make this meal...that doesn't count the cheese and guacamole fixings...but those are added bonuses.

Speedy Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast during the week usually equates to a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats with soy milk and dried cherries or blueberries. Occasionally I have dreams of a hot breakfast but always write it off because I think it will take too long to cook up. It doesn't.

I LOVE going to Cafe Rio and seeing them cook up the homemade tortillas. I can't make them from scratch if my life depended on it. Fortunately for me, our buddies at Costco sell uncooked tortillas that are PERFECT! Throw it into a frying pan (no oil) and cook about two minutes on both sides on medium heat. Be careful, because they can burn easily.

Cook up a single egg and scramble...it is speedy and beats trying to cook it over hard fast. I threw some black beans into the frying pan after the egg cooked up just to warm them through.

One of my other favorite Costco treats are Laughing Cow spreadable swiss cheese. THEY ARE PERFECT FOR EVERYTHING!!! They make for yummy cheese and crackers, quesadilla's, AND come to find out, Speed Breakfast Burritos! I spread a packet of Laughing Cow on my tortilla, stacked the egg, beans and salsa, wrap and munch! MMMMMMHH! It was fast and yummy!

Good Ol' Days...Southwestern Cobb Salad

I whipped out the first cookbook I ever bought and made one of my favorite recipes. Martha Stewart...yeah, baby! Back before Martha did time and her magazine was still cool, I used to have a monthly subscription to Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Each year Martha came out with an annual cookbook with all the recipes from the magazine for the year. This gem comes from Martha Stewart Living 2002 Annual Recipes.

Southwestern Cobb Salad:

1/4 freshly squeezed lime juice, plus juice of 2 limes

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

4 large eggs

8 ounces thickly sliced bacon

1 yellow pepper

1 poblano chile (I used a serrano for more heat)

1 tomato, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pitted black olives

1 sweet onion, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 ripe but firm Hass avocados, peeled and cut into 1/2 -inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)

1 fifteen-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 small head romaine, torn in 1-inch pieces

Green Goddess Dressing

Combine 1/4 cup lime juice, 1/4 cup oil, the soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and the red-pepper flakes in a small bowl. Place the chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade into the bag and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Lift the chicken from the bag allowing the excess marinade to drain off. Place on the grill, and cook until grill marks appear and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Cool the chicken completely, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.

Place the eggs in a saucepan with cold water cover the pan and bring to a boil. (Note the bit about putting the eggs in COLD water and THEN bring to a boil. Alex pointed this out to me when I started out too and I shrugged him off...FYI, put the eggs in cold water and THEN bring to a boil)Remove from the heat. Let sit about 11 minutes. Drain; rinse under cold running water until cooled. Peel and coarsely chop the eggs; set aside.

Instead of cooking the bacon in a frying pan. I stole this idea from Ina Garten. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, until the bacon begins to brown. Remove the pan carefully from the oven; there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and serve warm. This method is the ONLY way I am EVER going to cook bacon ever again!

The recipe calls to roast the peppers, which I didn't do...too much effort. I am glad now I didn't roast the peppers. It would have made the salad to mushy in consistency.

In a bowl, combine the yellow pepper, tomato, olives, half the onion. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

In another bowl, combine the poblano (serrano) with the avocados, 1/4 cup cilantro, remaining juice of 2 limes, cayenne pepper (if using), and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Combine the black beans with the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and onion. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and season with salt and pepper; set aside.

Arrange the romaine on a platter and serve with additional ingredients. Drizzle with dressing.

Green Goddess Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 sour cream ( I used a 1/3 cup of each mayonnaise, sour cream and plain yogurt - it is what I always do to cut back on calories)

2 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk

1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 bunch chives, coarsely chopped (1/3 cup)

2 scallions, white and green parts coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon sugar - I would omit this next time

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 3 days.

I would love to say that this is is a healthy salad recipe...but you can tell from the bacon, eggs mayo, sour cream...But hello yummy!!! And at least you get your serving of veggies!

Fish Tacos with Dad

Saturday Alex and I went over to my Dad's house and cooked his version of fish tacos. I was hesitant to post this meal since I did my fish tacos last month, but the cabbage mixture he makes with these tacos ROCKS!!!

My Dad doesn't use recipes. He is one of those truly talented people that just makes recipes up based off what he thinks is pure yummy! I have always been envious of his cooking talents. He is a large part of the reason I LOVE to cook.

My Dad starts his fish taco recipe out with Tilapia instead of the salmon I use in mine. You can use any kind of fish you like. He also cooked the tilapia in a frying pan with a little oil and seasoning (I suspect the seasoning was Lowry's - which is a joke because my Dad put Lowry's Seasoning Salt on EVERYTHING when I was a kid. As a result, I can't stand the stuff and made Alex throw his out when I moved in with him.) My Dad rough broke up the tilapia to prepare it for fish taco eating.

The creme de la creme of this recipe is the creamy cabbage mixture that accompanies the fish tacos. My Dad used about 2-3 cups of cabbage, 1/2 cup of white onion, 1/3 cup chopped cilantro 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise. Mix it all together and season with salt and pepper. I think it would rock to add a jalapeno or Serrano for some added heat...just because Alex and I LOVE spicy food.

My Dad heated up white corn tortilla's in a little bit of oil in a frying pan to make them more pliable. Just add the tilapia, cabbage and top with avocados and salsa. These babies turned out FANTASTIC! I was pleasantly surprised by the cabbage cilantro mixture. THANKS, Dad! It was fun to hang out and cook together!

Spicy Hot Wings!

These hots wings are the BEST! I LOVE a good hot wing and these are the best. Why are they the best? THEY AREN'T FRIED!!! Serious. I scored this recipe from my Food Network Favorites cookbook. On a side note, now that I have been checking out food blogs, I see that there are a bunch of complainers about Food Network. Who the hell cares if these chef's wash their hands after touching chicken on their shows...you aren't eating it! I could watch Food Network ALL DAY, and some days I do! I am a Food Network Junkie! Which is an added bonus for all of you.

Now, back to these KICK ASS Hot Wings! The recipe is from Dave Lieberman. Alex and I argue all the time as to whether or not Dave Lieberman is gay. Alex thinks he is and I disagree...I'm curious for your feedback. :) One way or the other, Dave Lieberman has hit the Jackpot with his Hot Wings and we love him!

This is the simplest recipe EVER! Check it out:

Spicy Chinese Five-Spice-Rubbed Chicken Wings

with Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce:

40 chicken wing pieces or 20 whole chicken wings

2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce (see recipe below)

Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce:

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup light sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup plain yogurt

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 500 F. If you have whole chicken wings, cut off wing tips and cut the wings in half at the joint. Discard wing tips or freeze to make stock. Place the wings in a large bowl. Sprinkle five-spice powder and cayenne on the wings; add generous pinches of salt and about 15 grinds of black pepper. Rub the mixture into all the wings until no more loose rub remains.

Line the wing pieces up on a baking sheets so the sides of the wing that has the most skin is facing up. Roast until cooked through, browned and crispy, about 25 minutes. Serve hot with Creamy Cilantro Dipping Sauce.

When you make this recipe, put tin foil down on the baking sheet so you don't end up with a huge mess! It makes clean up easy!

Southwestern Egg Rolls

I scored this recipe from http://www.myfoodstoragedeals.com/ (again, THANKS, Mindie!) This is a GREAT recipe! Alex and I LOVE Chili's Southwestern Egg Roll appetizers and this recipe nails it! Make if often and when you do, think of Alex and I...and the mormon house wifes we got the recipe from. LOL!

When Alex and I BBQ'd up the cedar smoked salmon from the 4th of July, we also cooked up some chicken breasts, spicy sausage links and pork
tenderloin. The grilled chicken worked wonderfully with this recipe. All I had to do was chop it up and throw it into the pan. I chopped the chicken up finely because I don't like big chuncks of meat. Alex and I dig spicy food so I added a red and green jalapeno for spicy factor leaving in all the seeds. I tell you, I am REALLY liking the red jalapenos. They have such amazing flavor. I used the fresh uncooked tortillas from Costco, they are PERFECT for this recipe. Since you are cooking them fresh...they are already nice and pliable.

When you add the chicken and veggie mixture, don't add too much. You'll be tempted, but they will get fat and squishy...not squishy as in wet squishy, but they hold to together better if they are smaller. I rolled them up like a burrito and put them on a cookie pan with a silpat and brushed the top with olive oil and cooked them for 7 minutes at 375 degrees with an additional 2 minutes on broil to make sure they are brown and crispy.

This picture here to the left is Alex's handy work. He thinks he should be taking pictures for William Sonoma cookbooks now. I have the cutest husband ever...and a fun new camera to share our cooking escapades!

Everything about this recipe ROCKS!!!!!!

Southwestern Egg Rolls & Avocado Dipping Sauce1 Chicken breast fillet
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons green onion, minced
1/3 cup corn
¼ cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 Tablespoons frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1 small can green chilies
½ Tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
flour tortillas

For eggrolls; grill or cook the chicken in a frying pan until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside. Saute the onion and red pepper in a saute pan with 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil, until tender. Cut the chicken into cubes and add to onions and peppers. Add the corn, black beans, spinach, chilies, parsley and seasoning and warm until spinach is separated and soft. Remove from heat and add cheese.

Warm the tortillas slightly so they are more pliable. In the center of the tortilla, put a large scoop of the mixture and wrap up very tightly. You can hold with a toothpick if you need. Preheat 4-6 cups of oil to 375 degrees. Deep fry the egg rolls in the hot oil for 12-15 minutes and remove to a paper towel or rack to drain for about 2 minutes. For a healthier version of these egg rolls, grill the tortilla wraps or put them on a George Forman with a little olive oil to give them nice grill lines and warm them up until cheese is melted. Slice each egg roll diagonally lengthwise and arrange on a plate around a small bowl of the dipping sauce.

Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce:

¼ cup smashed, fresh avocado (about half an avocado)

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

1 Tablespoon buttermilk

1 ½ teaspoon white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon dried parsley

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

dash dried dill weed

dash garlic powder

dash pepper

Blend all Ingredients of dipping sauce together until smooth.

4th of July

As far as 4th of July goes, this was a pretty SWEET 4th of July. I got an insane amount done today! I made three belated-birthday cards for my nieces, Megan and Erin and my nephew Sean. I hit the gym and ran 5K...without slowing down...except for the time I accidentally hit the stop button when I was peeling some tape off the tread mill...SERIOUSLY!!! I signed up for a web site http://www.myfoodstoragedeals.com/ (thanks Mindie!) that shows you the grocery deals around town and then went shopping! After dinner Alex and I hit the fireworks in Layton.

The recipes for today: Cedar Grilled Salmon Tacos with Mango Salsa & Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches on Chocolate Cookies.

I started with the Ice Cream so it could spend some time in the refrigerator before putting it into the ice cream maker. I always skip that step because I am so excited to have yummy ice cream! It definitely benefits the recipe to cool it before throwing it into the ice cream maker...it makes it thicker and more custard like.

I shaved a bitter sweet chocolate bar with a potato peeler...which irritated Alex because he wanted 'Big Chips' of chocolate in his ice cream. I don't like 'Big Chips', so we did it my way.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
4 Egg Yolks

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Mint Extract

2 cups Heavy Cream

2 cups Half and Half
½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 pinch Salt

1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Green & Blue Food Coloring

Beat the egg yolks, sugar, and mint extract together in a small bowl until smooth and pale yellow. Set aside.

Set aside 1/2 cup milk. Combine the cream, remaining milk and vanilla in a saucepan heat to not quite a boil and stir frequently for 5 minutes.

Prepare an ice bath by placing ice cubes in a large bowl and adding enough water to cover them. Set aside.

Whisking constantly, pour a small amount of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture. Then pour all the egg/cream mixture back into the remaining cream mixture. Stir constantly over medium-low heat until thickened. It should coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup milk.

Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and immerse it in the ice bath. Stir until completely chilled. Stir in the green and blue food coloring a few drops at a time until the mixture reaches the desired color (blue food coloring will give mixture a darker color of green). Chill the mixture for 4 hours….or less if you are impatient.

Transfer mixture to ice cream maker and follow manufacturer directions.

I found a great recipe for chocolate cookies at Christmas time and decided to use it for the cookie part of my ice cream sandwich. Since we were going with Mint Ice Cream, I thought it appropriate to add smashed candy canes left over from Christmas for added flavor. The only draw back from these cookies is that they don't spread out while cooking. I made this same mistake when I made them at Christmas...so I should have remembered, but they turned out stocky versus the flatter cookies I was hoping to turn into Sandwiches. When we tried to put the sandwiches together...yeah, it didn't work they way I wanted, so they will make a nice side to the Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream.

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

1/4 teaspoon salt1 cup sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 large egg

1/4 cup crushed red-and-white-striped candy canes or hard peppermint candies (about 2 ounces)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in medium bowl and set aside. In a separate larger bowl, beat sugar and butter until well blended. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients; beat until blended. Refrigerate dough 1 hour. Cook for 10-12 minutes.

Cedar Grilled Salmon Tacos with Mango Salsa

Normally when I make these fish tacos, I use tomatoes instead of mango, but Alex wanted mango salsa so I thought I would indulge. I also changed up the heat I normally use. I combined both red jalapenos and green jalapenos for some serious heat! But the flavor was HEAVEN!

Cedar Grill Salmon

2 pieces Salmon

Cedar Plank

Soak Cedar Plank in cold water for 20 minutes. Spray plank with pam to keep salmon from sticking to the plank while grilling. Put soaked plank on grill and cook for 12 minutes until salmon cooked through.

Mango Salsa

1 Mango cut into small pieces

1 small Red Onion diced

1 Red Jalapeno diced (with or without seeds)

1 Green Jalapeno diced (with or without seeds)

1/4 cup Cilantro roughly chopped

Juice of 1 Lime

Pinch of Salt

Combine all ingredients and let flavors meld together for 30 minutes.

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in frying pan and put corn tortilla into pan. Heat the tortilla through on both sides. Fill tortilla with cooked salmon, breaking into bite sized pieces and scoop salsa on top. ENJOY!!!