ELEIN'S Cuban Chicken

Cuban Chicken

Happy Tuesday!!

 I hope that tonight's dinner gets you out of your comfort zone and introduces you to some cuisine that I learned from my very good friend Elein. 

Once upon a time around 6 years ago..I lived next door to a beautiful and very spicy cuban girl named Elein :) Elein and I had much in common including- our love for wine and cooking. We would take turns a few nights a week cooking dinner at each others houses. Sometimes it would be a recipe I came up with and sometimes it would be hers. She taught me some absolutely FABULOUS recipes..and this cuban chicken happens to be one of them. Over the duration of the 4 years we lived next door to one another we enjoyed wonderful conversation, laughs, lots of wine, and most of all the love we had for cooking other people food. One of the most beautiful friendships that I possess was born right in my very first kitchen. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and friends have!

Ingredients:

BONE IN and SKIN ON leg quarters and drumsticks- I buy a big Package of each

You can also just buy 1 lb of skin on thighs if you are cooking for a smaller family

Soy sauce or liquid aminos

Lowrys Teryaki marinade

1 can crushed pinapple

Pre heat oven to 425

In a small bowl mix together the lowrys teriyaki marinade ( 1/3 a jar)

a few glugs of soy

the can of crushed pinapple

in a baking dish lay your chicken and season them with back pepper and maybe a pinch of salt. pour the marinade over the chicken taking care that each chicken is well coated. ( I actually massage each chicken breast to ensure that it is well marinated. I am also aware this may freak some of you out!) 

Preheat oven to 425

cover your baking dish with foil and place in the oven for one hour-1.15 check your chicken after an hour as it should be starting to slightly brown. Pull the chicken out and take the foil off. Pop the chicken back in and set the oven to broil until it is a dark golden brown on top ( maybe 3-5 minutes)

We serve this meal alongside

Tomato Avocado Salad 

Black beans

and Cilantro Rice 

Steelhead Trout with a Lemon Butter and Dill topping

So normally I don't post two food posts in one day but ...friends...oh.my. 

This was something I had to blog about as soon as it hit my mouth!

During the Summer Brandon and I typically eat a lot more fish than we do in the Winter just because its lighter, healthier..that sort of thing. However, we tend to stick with the SAME OLE BORING FISH. 

Salmon. 

Yes I love salmon! It is healthy, easy, can be cooked with only a few simple ingredients..but after a while it got a little bit boring. So after talking with my fish monger at my local grocer..he recommended steel head trout ( which looks and tastes similar to salmon) I have only had rainbow trout and love it however I wanted something easier to prepare. Steel head has a light, flavor but at the same time a dense richness to it that makes it versatile to cook with! This is the recipe I came up with and it was so good!

Shopping List

2 8 oz filets of steelhead trout

fresh Dill

One Lemon

Zest of 1/2 a lemon

1/4 stick of butter ( could sub olive oil)

salt and pepper

one shallot chopped and minced

two garlic cloves  chopped and minced

Procedure

Preheat your oven to a nice and hot 450 degrees

meanwhile in your pan over med. high heat, place your butter and let it melt a little. Then add your chopped shallot and garlic..once they start to soften add your lemon zest and lemon juice let the flavors cook for about three minutes.

on a baking sheet, salt and pepper your fish then once the shallot and garlic is finished cooking ..pour the buttery sauce on top of the fish and finally place the chopped fresh dill on top. 

Pop in the oven for 15 minutes ...

you will have a perfect, flaky, moist and delightful fish dinner!!!

We served ours with a side of halved brussels and chopped butternut squash. 

Caprese Chicken with Zoodles

Caprese Chicken with Zoodles

Yes you read that right...zoodles. Interesting word...think of it as the combination of Zuchinni and Noodles..:) Healthy and fabulous. Don't fret if you do not have a zoodle maker because you can totally swap out the zucchini for a spaghetti squash and make veggie noodles as well.

First off...invest in one of these you will totally love it!!!

This one is sold on Amazon for 14.99.  This is what I ordered and what I will be cooking with tonight :) Here are other options that have great reviews

Also sold on Amazon this one is hand held and even cheaper!!!! 8 bucks people!!!!

THIS ONE didn't have a picture but its William Sonoma..and I mean do I need to say more? I am obsessed with their products!!!

So why am I using a zoodler do you ask?? Well because I am limiting my carbs..and the zoodler allows your veggies to take the shape of pasta and trick you into thinking you are eating the bad stuff :) I think its such a great neat trick to eat an extra scoop of vegetables during meal times. 

Now for the dinner...

Shopping List

Three boneless skinless chicken breasts

olive oil

1/4 stick of butter

S&P

Dry oregano

Dry basil

garlic powder

red pepper flakes

balsamic vinegar

buffalo mozzarella cheese ( big slab)

Procedure

place your chicken on a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil

sprinkle seasonings on top and rub thoroughly to coat the chicken in the seasonings. 

on a pan of high heat drop the butter and allow to melt before placing each chicken in the pan. Only place chicken in the pan enough for it to brown both sides then place back on the pan and into a 400 degree oven for about 35 minutes. Searing the chicken locks in the flavor and keeps it really juicy while its baking in the oven :) Once the chicken is cooked ( no pink and only clear juices when pierced with a fork) place a slab of buffalo mozzarella on top and a few torn leaves of basil. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, S/P, and balsamic vinegar!

Since this is a new post and you may or may not have the zoodler yet I will leave that option up to you. I can also tell you that serving this chicken over a bed of Spaghetti squash or placed next to a caesar salad is absolutely amazing!!!!

Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

Happy Tuesday Everyone!!!

Today I am coming at you with a totally new spin on the boring old meatloaf...I have transformed the so called "loaf" into muffins!!!! This way they are portioned out and I can stick them in my lunchbox for lunch. They also freeze really easily!!!!!! I used turkey to keep things a little bit on the lean side however you can used 100 percent ground angus beef and they would be amazing. 

Shopping List:

two tubes 85 % lean ground turkey

one tube of regular pork sausage

fresh parsley 

1/2 cup shredded white cheddar

one egg

one cup breadcrumbs

1/3 cup ketchup

few gluts of worstechire sauce

salt/pepper

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped zucchini and squash

1/2 cup chopped onion.

greased muffin tin

two sweet potatoes peeled and chunked

Procedure

preheat oven to 350

In a bowl combine your tubes of turkey and about a third of the tube of pork

mix in your egg ( this is your binder) cheese, and bread crumbs...you can go ahead and season the meat the way you would like as well. I generously salt and pepper it.

Wash your hands and start sautteeing the veggies. In a pan over med. high heat start by adding a third of a stick of butter to warm the pan up then pour all of the veggies in and coat with the butter... add some salt and pepper. Cover and cook for about 7 minutes... once veggies are soft add the ketchup and worstechire. Coat well. Pour veggies into the meat mixture and mix well. add the parsley and fold in with your hands. Next place the mixture into the muffin dish filling the cups all the way to the top. Squirt a little more ketchup on top for good measure :) Im a ketchup freak. 

Stick the meatloaf muffins in the oven for a good 45-55 minutes. Mean while boil your potatoes until soft..add butter and salt and pepper and give them good mashing. 

Once your meat loaf muffins are done pull them out and they should slide out of the tin relatively easy ....top with the mashed potatoes and serve with a side of veggies :) Done!!!! aren't they cute?? I love cute food! 

Citrus Infused Pulled Pork Tacos

Citrus Infused Pulled Pork Tacos

OH....My....

GOSH.

These were good.

I made a HUGE batch so I had both my neighbors and my mom come for dinner..  everyone had seconds and thirds and everyone asked for the recipe. It felt amazing to know I thought up and cooked this wonderful recipe and everyone loved it!!! I should write a book!! JK..
Kind of.


Shopping List
*** CROCK POT

1 large Pork Butt ( aka Boston butt, pork shoulder roast)
one large naval orange
sea salt and black pepper
BBQ sauce
one cup water
green onion
Mexican blend cheese
cayenne
cumin
smoked chili powder ( this was a specialty item found in the health aisle of HEB)
one large yellow onion -sliced
one package of corn tortillas

Procedure

Before placing your pork in the crockpot you will want to vigorously rub the meat down with all of the above spices. Start with your salt and pepper, then add the cayenne, cumin, and chili powder...rub it all over so it has a nice coating.
Place in crock pot and add one cup of water
slice the Naval orange in half and then squeeze the life out of it all over the pork. Place the rinds inside the crock pot. Next add your sliced onion and gently lay it all round the pork...layer the top with BBQ sauce and set the lid on top. Cook on low for 8 hours. 

Once the pork is finished cooking you will want to drain all excess liquid from the inside. Shred the pork ( "pull the pork) until you have the desired amount you wish. Inside a warm corn tortilla add a scoop of pork, green onion, shredded cheese, and maybe some avocado and top with a dollop of BBQ sauce and you will thank me forever and ever and ever for this recipe.

 

Buffalo Turkey Meatballs

UM seriously all you buffalo sauce lovers you can just thank me for this recipe it is SOOO worth making!!! At our house we have a slight addiction with Franks red hot sauce as well as their buffalo sauce.. its a little much. I mean we buy them in bulk.. like FOUR of the HUGE bottles at a time. I know its weird..but I have an obsessive personality so whatev. Anyways I stumbled across this recipe on pinterest of course, and knew immediately that we would be having these the next night for dinner. Everyone loved it!!! So I wrote it down in my "Caleins" cook book for a staple recipe.
** Side note.. try not to get the "extra hot" version of franks buffalo sauce.. I didn't read the label very well and ended up having some serious issues. " Think Will Smith in the movie Hitch after he eats shellfish." yep.

 

 

Shopping List:

 

1 1/2 lb ground turkey ( the recipe calls for ground chicken but I used turkey)

one jar of Franks Buffalo Sauce

Green onions chopped

blue cheese

one cup plain bread crumbs

celery salt

salt/pep

one egg

onion powder

crockpot

 

 

Procedure: * preheat oven to 350
Combine the following ingredients in a large bowl:

ground turkey, all of the spices listed, green onions, one egg, and the breadcrumbs

once the mixture is very well mixed together, start balling them up into meatballs(whatever size you want: I did larger sized ones since it was our main dish for dinner but you could do small ones if you are making a superbowl appetizer!!) and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Cook in the oven for about 7 minutes.

Once they are slightly browned on the outside pop those babies in the crockpot and pour the ENTIRE bottle of franks on them. Cook on low for about 2 hours.

garnish with blue cheese dressing and some extra green onions.

 

AMAZING I TELL YA!

 

 

 



Healthy Enchilada Bake

My absolute favorite type of food is obviously Mexican food. From my previous taco posts...and Mexican stuffed peppers it may be pretty easy to figure that out. However even though we LOVEEEEE Mexican food and are in the heart of the most fabulous Tex Mex restaurants  ...we don't necessarily love the calories. Biting into those delicious Salsa Verde Enchiladas and sipping on an ice cold margarita doesn't sound to shabby right? Well my friend pinterest came up with a very yummy QUICK AND EASY Mexican dish that you don't have to feel guilty about!!! It was a huge hit in  my house last night and I definitely plan on making it in the near future. The cool thing about this dish is that you can switch out the meats in order to make it your own creation. We used elk hamburger as our meat since that's what we had but it would also be delicious with chicken, pork, or even as a vegetarian dish.

 

 

Shopping List:

 

1 cup quinoa

one can of green chilies

one can of enchilada sauce

one can of black beans

one small onion diced and chopped

three cloves of garlic chopped

olive oil

chili pepper cumin and cayenne.

salt/pep

Monterrey jack cheese

fresh cilantro

sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

 

Procedure:

 

preheat your oven to 375

in a large skillet start sautéing your onions and garlic with a little bit of olive oil

once they start to become fragrant add your meat of choice and cook through

then add your green chilies, beans ,cooked  quinoa, and enchilada sauce and mix well.

add your spices ( I eyeball them but I would say a teaspoon of each will do)

allow the flavors to marry for a little while.

Place the mixture in a baking dish ( I used a circular baking dish)

top with the shredded Monterrey jack cheese and pop in the oven for ten minutes.

When the cheese is browned on the edges and bubbly take it out and top with fresh avocadoes, and sour cream.

ENJOY!!!

 

 

 

 



Low Carb-Spaghetti Squash Turkey Spaghetti

This is a super healthy and fun twist on the normal spaghetti and would be fun to try if your household is eating low carb! I made my tomato sauce in the food processer but you can totally just use canned to make dinner a little snappier!

 

 

 

 

Shopping List:

** if your going to make sauce homeade

 

one medium sized spaghetti squash

about 12 tomatoes*

one bunch basil**

garlic

one package of spinach

kosher salt

pepper

oregano

Italian spice

one package of ground turkey( I use 85-15)

one zuchinni

one yellow squash

one medium onion

 

 

Procedure:

 

*If you are going to make the sauce homemade you will need a food processer, about 12 medium sized tomatoes, fresh basil, three cloves of garlic, kosher salt, olive oil, half of the onion, and pepper. Basically chop everything up into 1 inch pieces and pulse until the consistency is what you want. Add olive oil to your sauce to make it creamy and not so watery.-I also added half a jar of tomato basil canned sauce to thicken it up just a little.

 

Take your spaghetti squash and cut it in half. Then scrape the middle out with all the seeds and discard. Once it is clear of the (goop) splash some olive oil salt and pepper in side and place FLESH SIDE DOWN on a baking sheet. Pop it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.

 

THEN-

 

Chop the other half of the onion into small pieces, throw some olive oil in the skillet and start to brown the onion. To the onion add the turkey and let it brown. When it looks browned add your squash, zucchini, and spinach and cook until soft/wilted. Turn the heat down low and add your sauce to the mixture.  allow the sauce to heat with the meat/veggie mixture. Then add your spices-salt/pepper/oregano/fresh basil/Italian seasoning. allow the spices to marry together-about 7 mins.

 

NEXT-

 

Take the spaghetti squash out of the oven and scrape ( you will see spaghetti flesh coming off of the squash) into a bowl or plate. Top with the meat sauce....add your favorite pecorino and enjoy!!!!!

 

 

Shrimp Creole

As far back as I can remember my Nana would always make this Shrimp Creole dish. We love spicy food in our family and this dish puts off just the right amount of heat to make your mouth do a little happy dance! Chocked full of veggies and sprinkled with the perfect amount of seafood, this supper is a crowd pleaser for sure!!!!

 

 

Shopping List

 

one half of a medium sized yellow onion-chopped

two cloves of garlic

one lb of shrimp( can be cooked or uncooked..I always buy cooked shrimp and just throw it in there last second)

one bag of frozen okra

one jar of tomato sauce

one jar of rotel

one green bell pepper-chopped

one package of bacon-chopped in to small bits

cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

tony sacherys or cajun all seasoning

cumin

 

 

Procedure

1. In a Cast iron skillet start by sautéing the bacon
2. to the bacon add the onions and garlic and sautee until clear and fragrant
3. add your chopped bell pepper and bag of frozen okra. Cook until wilted and soft
4. Once veggies are wilted and soft add your can of rotel and a HALF can of tomato sauce let simmer
5. once veggies are coated with the sauce and starting to simmer then flavor it with cayenne, salt, pepper, and Cajun all seasoning.. taste it until it is to your liking or spice level.
6. lastly once everything is tasting right add your shrimp. If you chose to do uncooked shrimp you will want it to cook in the pot for about 5-7 minutes(until pinked) if you used cooked shrimp like I do then you can just throw it in there for about three minutes.
7. Serve and Enjoy!

 

 

 



 



Pecan Crusted Trout & Cauliflower Cakes

Fish is one of my absolute favorite things to munch on in the summer months because it is so LIGHT easy/fast to cook! I love fresh caught fish so during the months of summer we like to head on down to our beach house and fish for our favorites ( Snapper, Redfish, Speckled Trout) and then eat them all summer long:) This recipe is really easy and will make you look like a total STAR in the kitchen!

Shopping list:

Fish of choice ( I used trout)

Two cups of honey roasted Pecans!!

Flour

Two eggs beaten slightly in a shallow bowl

salt and pepper

A lemon wedge

 

Procedure:

preheat oven to 400 degrees*

 

 

First and foremost, if your fish has a nasty skin on its backside..peel it off!!!!

Then take your pecans and place them in a food processer and process slowly until they are fine but still have a bit of pecan texture.( If you do not have a food processer you can use a veggie chop or finely chop them with a butcher knife..just get them really small so that they stick to the fish!)

 

Now that your fish is clean on both sides you can salt and pepper him.

Once seasoned, sprinkle flour on both sides of the fish until you get an even coating then shake for excess flour to fall off.

Then dip your fish in the egg mixture and coat it well.

Following that, coat the fish in the pecans until covered well. Pat to make sure the pecans are compact around your fish.

Place on a baking sheet lined with foil, squeeze the lemon juice on both filets and bake for twelve minutes.

DONE!

 

 

Cauliflower cakes

 

 

This recipe is absolutely one of our household favorites, kin to the "potato cake" this recipe is actually a lot healthier and has more give when it comes to caloric intake. I love that this reminds me of eating something unhealthy but its actually SO healthy :)

 

Shopping list:

 

One head of cauliflower ( cut into florets)

two large eggs

1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup diced green onions

1 cup bread crumbs

salt and pepper/cayenne

olive oil

 

Procedure:

place the cauli florets into boiling water until softened and ready to mash ( about 10 mins)

Drain and mash the cauliflower while it is still warm

stir in bread crumbs, cheese, green onions, salt and pepper, and cayenne.

wait until the mixture has cooled just a little and then form patties ( I usually make eight because I make them small, however you can make less if you form them larger)

then over a hot skillet pour a little olive oil and place cakes on top

cook until both sides are browned ( about three mins each side) and set aside to cool.

ENJOY!

 

 

 

 

 

BBQ Chicken Tacos

Last night for dinner I wanted to make something quick, easy, and simple. I recently re-read my Rachel-Ray 30 minute meals cook book for the hundredth time and came across a pretty yummy sounding taco recipe. While I always make my own little spin on things (BBQ was my idea:)) I loved the spices she used to marinate her chicken and thought it sounded very appealing! A quick side of sautéed zucchini and squash medley was my side of choice and also pretty quick and easy..which we love!!! For this recipe you will need"

Four boneless skinless chicken breasts
two zucchini and two squash
cumin, cayenne, chili pepper
salt/pepper
BBQ sauce of your choice ( I use sweet baby rays)
one can of black beans
1/2 of a yellow onion chopped
tortillas ( I love the black bean tortillas from artisan!)


Directions:
** If you have a crockpot marinate your chicken the day before and pop them in the crock pot to let them cook all day. That way when you are ready for your dinner you only have a few steps to follow!

marinate your chicken with a little salt/pep, cumin, cayenne, and chili pepper, and BBQ sauce. Be sure and rub them really good so the spices settle in and really make your chicken tasty! Then pop those chicken in the crock pot and let them sit with a little chicken stock.  Cook for about 6-8 hours. Once the chicken is cooked you can take two forks and shred them...

NEXT

pour your beans (drained and rinsed) into a sauce pan with your chopped onions and let the onions cook with the beans. Add a couple of glugs of BBQ sauce to give them a smoky flavor! Once the beans are cooked, take your shredded chicken and add it to the beans and onions.. mix them all around until the chicken is coated with the beans and onions.. the spices from the chicken will marry with the BBQ flavors of the black beans and make for a great taco filling!!!!

Fill your tacos up with the mixture and top with fresh tomatoes and romaine lettuce!!!! YUM!


For the squash and zucchini medley

I simply sliced them in rounds then quartered them to make them into smaller bites.
Then I sautéed them in EVOO, salt and pepper and cooked until browned.

EASY!!

Steak Roulade, Rosemary Sweet potatoes, and Sauteed Kale

With all the southern cooking I have been fixated on  lately I decided it was time to switch it up and lean on something a little more.. Italian :) crushed tomatoes, steak.. cheese.. more cheese.. all of this yummy goodness is tucked away inside of these amazing flank steak rolls also known as Steak Roulade. I was in the grocery store line when I saw one of my favorite magazines "food network" and as I was flipping through it I came across this amazing and EASY recipe. One word. Crockpot. Yep I was sold. I bought the magazine and went home to make this dinner. It turned out fabulous!!! For this recipe you will need:

Ingredients:

2 6 oz cans tomato paste
1 28 oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes, ( crush them with your hands)
1/2 tspn red pepper flakes
1/2 tspn sugar
1 small bunch of basil torn
1 1/2 pound flank steak- I was new to cooking a flank steak so mine actually were packaged with the label ( fajita steaks) ..basically its the same thing as a skirt steak.
kosher salt and fresh pepper
1 2/3 grated provolone cheese
2 small garlic cloves minced
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts or chopped walnuts
1 cup fresh parsley

*** when I made this dish I did not stick to what the measurements were. When I was placing the ingredients on top of my steak I just eyeballed it to see how much would fit.. do as you please since this is your dish!!!

procedure:

combine two cups hot water and the tomato pasted in your beloved crockpot. add the crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, sugar, and basil and stir to combine. Cook on high while you prepare the meat.

lay your flank steak out on a flat surface..season the steak with salt and pep. then scatter the provolone cheese evenly over the steak, then top with garlic, breadcrumbs, romano cheese, raisins, pine nuts and parsley.

start rolling up  your steak like a jelly roll and make sure you roll it tight so the goodie doesn't fall out! secure with twin or tooth picks.

place in the slow cooker and cook on high for about seven hours!!! YUM!

For the sweet potatoes:

peel and cut your potato into rounds..
place on a baking sheet with foil
drizzle olive oil over them and add salt pepper and rosemary
cook them at 400 degrees for 30 minutes

DONE!

Sautéed Kale
Pretty simple.
Place kale in pan..drizzle olive oil salt and pepper ..little lemon juice and fresh garlic
cook down

DONE!

Chicken and Sausage Etouffe'

Everyone from the south loves some good ole' Louisiana style cookin' every once in a while. I hope! Especially when this weather is as crazy as it has been.. hot one day..freezing the next. I just get a craving for something hearty and good for my soul :) For some people its fast food, for others its soup, but when you just feel like you need a dish that will instantly make you feel warm and fuzzy and happy.. this is the one. I collect cook books..and read them front to back like novels. Yes that may sound weird but when I started cooking at the age of 18 I started asking for cook books. At first my mom and grandma started me out with easy ones like the Gooseberry patch series. This has been by far the best cook book EVER. Go and get one now. Run. I also enjoy Southern Living and Rachael Ray. UM YUMMO! For this recipe you will need:

Disclaimer: For this recipe it asks you to cook the chicken while you are making the recipe..um I AIN'T GOT TIME FOR DAT! One simple trick I use all the time is putting my chicken in the crock pot in the morning with a little chicken stock and spices and let it cook on low all day that way whatever recipe I have that calls for chicken.. the chicken is done and waiting on ME. Not the other way around.

yields 4-6 servings:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion chopped ** I am not a huge onion fan so I tend to buy a large onion and then only use half
1 green pepper** I used two chopped and seeded
three celery ribs chopped
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 lb smoked sausage sliced** we used axis deer sausage and cooked it on the grill first. Fabulous.
2(10 oz) cans of tomatoes with green chilies-rotel
1(6 oz) can of tomato paste
2(10 0z) cans of cream of mushroom soup
salt/pepper
Cajun all seasoning


Preparation:

Heat oil in a large dutch oven and add the celery, onions, and peppers. Cook them until soft and juices run clear. Then add your chicken( remember you were all smart girls who cooked ahead of time and used that fabulous crock pot!!!) after you have added your chicken you can start adding your cans of tomatoes and chilies, tomato paste, and cream of mushroom soups. Finally add your already cooked or smoked sausage. let this mixture simmer until the mushroom soup is not so pasty and more soupy..also season it up a little to your taste. We love spicy over here so we add pepper and Cajun all seasoning ..a little paprika and salt.
Pour this mixture over hot cooked rice and enjoy. I got a thumbs up from my husband and BFF :):)

Hot cooked rice

Turkey and Sweet Potato Shepard's Pie!

I did not post any recipes last week due to the fact that I could not stop vomiting enough to pick up a spatula and cook book bleh!! TMI sorry. We have had a yucky stomach bug floating around here and it landed on me. Needless to say..you are never to old for your mom when you are sick..and Brandon is not a good mom substitute. Onto more appetizing things!!


It has been such crazy bi-polar weather here in Texas that just as I am getting all ready for my Spring recipes and outfits.. winter appears leaving me hungry for comfort food and staying in my sweats. Since we have been on a health kick here lately I decided that whatever dish I made I wanted to tweak it and add healthier substitutes. That is the beauty of cooking.. its your creation!!! I love looking at old school southern recipes that are normally super fattening and tweaking them just enough that it still tastes like the same ole' good cookin'..except healthier. Here is my twist on Shepard's Pie. You will need:

Ingredients:

four sweet potatos: peeled and cubed
one ripened banana
two lbs of turkey( you can modify and just do 1 lb..I like to cook for leftovers)
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup frozen peas
Salt and fresh ground pepper
one package brown gravy mix ( or you can make your own-I save time and do the quickie version)
4 tablespoons butter
two cups shredded sharp yellow cheese

Directions:
Pre heat oven to 425 degrees
In a deep Dutch oven cover your potatoes with water and bring to a boil. Boil them until tender and then rinse and return to the pot. Then add your banana and mash together until mixed well. Add salt and pepper and butter to your taste and even a little dash of hot sauce.

While your potatoes are boiling you can grab a skillet and pour a dash of EVOO and crumble your meat along with the onions and brown them. Once browned then add the celery, carrots, and peas mix well until the veggies are TENDER.

Once the meat mixture is done pour into a casserole dish ( I use 9 by 12 but it doesn't matter) then add the cheese on top of the meat mixture and lastly pour the potato mixture over the meat and cheese and spread smooth. Pop into the oven until the cheese has melted!
YUM AND HEALTHY!

Snapper Tacos & creamy cilantro sauce

The weather has been so beautiful in San Antonio lately so I was inspired to make one of my favorite summer dishes. Normally all through the summer we are at my family beach house just lounging around and fishing or laying out. My dad always catches fresh fish and shrimp and makes the best tacos! Lucky for us our next door neighbor recently came back from a successful fishing trip with some FRESH snapper!!!! Even better then that news was that they shared some with us!!!!!

I make fish tacos of all different kinds however my favorite are snapper. If you don't have an ocean in your backyard to catch fresh delicious snapper from you can just go get some tilapia, halibut, or mahi mahi- these all make great tacos.

For the cilantro sauce you will need:

bunch of cilantro
8 oz of cream cheese
16 oz of  sour cream
one jalapeno pepper-(diced and seeded)-unless you like super spicy
two packets of the hidden valley ranch seasoning

place all of the ingredients in a food processer and process away!!!!!

It will look something like this

 

 

 

 

Next

 

 

Pico de gallo ( I really hope I am spelling * GIYO right)

 

one large tomato-chopped

1/2 cup chopped onion 

small bunch of cilantro chopped

2-3 limes juiced

salt/pep

jalapeño pepper-optional

 

place ingredients in a shallow bowl and squeeze the lime juice over then place in the refrigerator so it can marinade while you cook the rest of your dinner

 

*** I also make a small bowl of guacamole but will not include the recipe since everyone has their own way of making it

 

SNAPPER TACO TIME:

 

two large snapper filets or any fish of your choice

Seasoned with salt, pepper, and either lemon pepper or a seafood rub

Juice of one large lemon

pre cut cabbage for the tacos

Bake in the oven at 375 for 13 minutes OR my personal favorite is to grill them on the grill either or works great

 once the fish is cooked and flaky take it out of the oven and place on some delicious homemade corn tortillas and top with the pico, cilantro sauce, cabbage, and guacamole!

 

TADA!!!!

 

Oh and a beach pic..because I am really missing the beach right now

 

 

DELICIOUS!



Crockpot Chicken Taco Bowls

I LOVE me a crockpot!!!! If you are working all day or busy with errands and don't have time to chef it up in the kitchen for a big ole' meal then your  new best friend is the crockpot. I cook approx. 2 dinners a week in this thing simply because its easy and I love the way my meals turn out! Chicken taco bowls are a  yummy Mexican and low carb bowl to make starting with:

four boneless skinless chicken breasts
two cans of black beans
1/2  cup of frozen corn
one jar of salsa-I use pace medium
cumin
chili powder
cayenne pepper
salt/pep
one clove of minced garlic
cilantro for garnish
shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Directions:
Simply place the chicken on the bottom of the crock pot-it doesn't matter if they are frozen or not
then add the beans and corn and pour over the chicken
pour the jar of salsa over
add the spices ( I typically add about two tspns of each however you can always add more)
add the garlic

place on low ( if not frozen)
place on high( if frozen)

for about 6-8 hours

once its done the chicken will easily shred with a fork and you will have a yummy delicious taco bowl!!!

garnish with my fave CILANTRO, some monterray jack cheddar, and hot sauce :)

* I apologize for my not -so -pretty- food picture.. I forgot to snap a picture and I had already begun eating my food!

Spicy Buffalo Turkey Burgers

When I say turkey burger I guess that could be defined as a rather loose term. These are more like Buffalo turkey sloppy Joe's but somehow the title sloppy Joe has never sounded yummy or appealing to me. So turkey burgers they are! My husband loves all things spicy and buffalo related and to be quite honest I do too! These were found off of a cute little bloggy recipe website. I just did a quick spin on them to make them a little more healthy. For those of you who GAG at bleu cheese ( AHEM ELEIN) you don't have to use it. I however LOVE that delicious bleu mold so my recipe will contain lots of it!

Ingredients you will need:

one pound of lean turkey meat ( I buy 85/15)
one five oz can of FRANKS hot sauce <<<<------- If you have never heard of this stuff I just became your new best friend.
mold, I mean bleu cheese
one chopped celery stalk for garnish
one can of tomato sauce
salt/pepper
Onion-optional
whole grain hamburger buns

Directions:
sauté  your ground turkey with 1/2 cup of an onion in a  skillet over medium
once its browned and the onion is clear pour an entire 5 oz bottle of franks and mix well
then add the tomato sauce
DONE.
yep its that easy.
Top onto a whole grain burger bun and garnish with chopped celery and BLEU cheese if you must :)

I added quinoa instead of a bun because we were out that's why my picture looks different.
YUM.
kinda spicy ;)

BBQ Pulled Pork Sweet Potato

Trust me when I say this is by far the easiest pulled pork recipe you will ever find! I had my neighbor and husband be my guinea pigs on this new little recipe and they devoured it.. seriously not even a scrap of pulled pork was left. That's when I know it's amazinggggggg!! I used to do pulled pork sandwiches in the little sweet hawaiian rolls however the Frankhouser's are on a health kick right now and those little buns will not be so cute for our little buns so sweet potato it is!

you will need:

A crockpot
salt/pepper
large pork shoulder
one can Dr. Pepper
one jug of BBQ sauce ( I love head country )
two sweet potatoes

THATS IT!

now for the cookin' part

Place your pork shoulder in the crock pot and season it with salt and pepper
pour one can of DP in the crock pot
add 1 1/2 cup BBQ sauce to the top of the pulled pork
place on low for about 8 hours until  pork slides off the bone

Sweet potato
drizzle with EVOO
salt and pepper it
place in the oven for 45 minutes

when the pulled pork is done cut open the sweet potato and stuff it in! Its seriously so good!!
Some of you probably think I am nuts for this Dr. Pepper tid bit as a part of this fabulous recipe but I promise its worth it. The enzymes in the Dr. P break down the meat until it is so moist that it just slides right on off that magnificent shoulder bone!