Friday, January 27, 2012

January 2012

Not sure where the time goes.   It's been quite awhile since I've sat down to share any recipes with you, so you should be more then ready to try some new ones out.

I have added 7 new recipes, all with 100% family approval ratings!

  • Cornbread (so much better then the little Jiffy box & just as easy)
  • Huevos Rancheros (A bit of work, but so so so worth it)
  • Chicken Souvlaki Pitas
  • Pancakes (you won't use a mix again once you try this)
  • Taco Soup
  • Salt & Vinegar Chip Crusted Fish
  • Home Made Granola
Happy Cooking, I hope you try at least one recipe next week!
Jen

Corn Bread

Ingredients
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch round cake pan.   (I use 8" square glass pan)
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Huevos Rancheros

Breakfast for Dinner!   Too much work for the morning, but really worth the effort.

Ingredients

  • 1 (15-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
  • 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1 jalapeno pepper (seeded if desired, I skipped it entirely)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 5 ounces chorizo, casings removed, diced
  • Vegetable oil
  • 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas,
  • 1 (16-ounce) can refried beans, optional
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and diced, for garnish
  • 3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled queso fresco or grated Monterey Jack, for serving
  • Sour cream, for serving

Directions

1.  In a food processor, combine the tomatoes (with juices), onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; puree until smooth. Transfer mixture to a small skillet and simmer over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Cover and keep warm over low heat.

2.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chorizo until browned. Add to the sauce and cover again.
3.  Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the fat in the large skillet. Place a tortilla in the skillet and cook until light golden but not crisp, about 30 seconds. Flip and cook for 30 seconds more. Transfer to an individual plate. Cook the remaining tortillas, adding a bit more oil to the pan, if necessary.

4.  Heat the refried beans (if using..I think you must!) in a large skillet. Spread the beans on the tortillas.
5.  Add another tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Working in batches, crack the eggs into the pan. Cook until the bottoms are set and the edges golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until set, about 1 minute more.
6.  Place one egg on each tortilla and spoon the warm sauce over the eggs. Sprinkle with the avocado, cheese, and additional cilantro. Top with a dollop of sour cream

Chicken Souvlaki Pitas with Tahini Sauce

 
INGREDIENTS:
 
 6 tablespoons plain fat-free Greek yogurt ***
2 tablespoons shredded cucumber ***
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (roasted sesame seed paste) ***
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice,
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken tenderloins
4 soft pita breads
toppings of your choice - lettuce, tomato slices, cucumber slices, crumbled feta, red onions

*** Last time I made this we substitued Wegmans tzatziki sauce & it was delicious

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine yogurt, shredded cucumber, tahini, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl; set aside.
2. Combine remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice, olive oil, and next 4 ingredients (through chicken) in a small bowl.
3.  Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
4.  Coat grill pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 10 minutes or until done, turning every 2 minutes.
5.  Divide chicken among pitas, top with toppings of your choice.

Pancakes

We haven't used a mix since I discovered this recipe!

Ingredients (makes about 10-12 pancakes)

3/4 cup milk
2 Tbl white vinegar
1 cup flour
2 Tbl sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbl butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine milk and vinegar, let sit 10 minutes
2. Combine dry ingredients
3. Whisk melted butter into milk, then whisk in egg and vanilla
4. Pour wet mixture into dry mixture
5. Mix until blended, the batter will be very fluffy... don't stir once you start cooking the pancakes
6.  Pour about 1/4 cup for each pancake onto preheated griddle

Taco Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 (16-oz.) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 diced red pepper
  • 1 (15-oz.) can ranch beans, undrained (I used Bush's Ranchero beans)
  • 1 (14.5-oz.) can stewed tomatoes
  • 1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 (12-oz.) package frozen whole kernel corn
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 (1-oz.) envelope taco seasoning mix
  • 1 (1-oz.) envelope Ranch dressing mix
  • Toppings: Fritos, shredded Cheddar cheese, sour cream

Preparation

  1. Brown ground beef in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Return to Dutch oven.
  2. Stir pinto beans, next 8 ingredients, and 2 cups water into beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Serve with desired toppings.

Salt & Vinegar Chip Crusted Fish

INGREDIENTS

4 (6-ounce) cod fillets (or tilapia)
  • 2 teaspoons canola mayonnaise

  • 1/8 teaspoon salt

  • 1 (2-ounce) package salt and vinegar kettle-style potato chips, crushed

  • 1/2 cup light ranch dressing


  • Preparation

    1. Preheat oven to 400°.
    2. Arrange fillets on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush 1/2 teaspoon mayonnaise over top of each fillet; sprinkle evenly with salt. Gently press about 2 tablespoons crushed chips evenly on top of each fillet. Cook fish at 400° for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with ranch dressing.
    NOTE;   I had to put the fish under the broiler for a minute to get it to brown nicely

    Great Granola

    INGREDIENTS

    4 cups rolled oats
    1 tsp cinnamon
    1/2 tsp salt
    1 cup dried fruit
    1/4 cup coconut flakes
    1 cup nuts
    5 tablespoons melted coconut oil or olive oil
    1 tsp vanilla
    1/3 – 1/2 cup real maple syrup or honey
    2 egg whites, lightly beaten

    DIRECTIONS:
  • Preheat oven to 300°

  • Mix together: oats, cinnamon, salt, fruit and nuts in a big bowl

  • In a separate bowl, whisk together maple syrup, oil, egg whites, and vanilla until smooth.

  •  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir, making sure all dry ingredients are well coated.

  •  Split mixture between two baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray


  •  Spread evenly and press down firmly into a thin “donut” shaped single layer with a spatula. (This prevents an uncooked middle.)

  • Bake in preheated oven for 25-35 minutes until granola is golden brown and crisp at the edges. Do not stir while baking.

  • Allow to cool for 15 minutes on baking sheet before breaking into clusters.