Little things we've done lately...

Trying to beat the Winter Blues, we've done a couple things lately that the kids found fun.
First we made Banana Men for our "Family Night" treat. Basically you cut the banana in half and decorate it with chocolate chips, candies, whipped cream for hair and mustaches, etc. And please don't be jealous of the fine china we use at our house. :)



Then, for dinner one night I let the kids make their own pizzas. I made up some pizza dough, rolled out individual sized circles, and let them pick from a variety of toppings. Fun for everyone.


Also, here is another little trick I used this week. Red food coloring and corn syrup mixed and brushed onto a bandage and then dried overnight makes awesome blood!


I'm not really into gory Halloween costumes, but our school does a "Fake an injury day" for part of our spirit week. This works great for some fake-out blood!

Chicken (Not So Crabby) Cakes

So, I was watching "The Best Thing I ever Ate" while holding a fevering toddler the other day. They featured some crab cakes in Maryland that they swore were to die for. So, I got out my notebook and wrote down all of the ingredients. Since I know my marriage would be in jeopardy if I ever served seafood in my house, I wondered how it would taste with shredded chicken instead of crab. I though they turned out really, really yummy.

The kid taste test was a little low (just keeping it real folks), but me and my husband and one out of three kids liked them. They were super easy too.

So the next time you wishing you lived closer to the sea, try these out!

Chicken (No so Crabby) Cakes

Canned, shredded chicken (of course you can cook and shred your own, and you can use real shredded crab t00)

Ritz Crackers (smashed into crumbs)

Mayo

Fresh parsley, chopped

Old Bay Seasoning

Worcestershire Sauce (I was out and used soy sauce and it worked great)

Lemon juice

Regular mustard

Mix everything but the chicken until it is almost a paste, then add your meat. From into balls. Melt butter on a skillet and put your cakes on and smash with a spatula. When they are golden brown, flip and cook the other side. Delish!

PS. Sorry, I hate seeing recipes without pictures. But I lack the camera, lighting, and know- how to make food look yummy in a picture. So, I figured no picture is better than a bad picture. But, trust me these are super yummy.

Grill once, eat (at least) thrice

Don't you love it when everyone likes (and eats) their dinner. This week we did something that saved time, and everyone likes all three meals.
We grilled chicken once and ate three meals off of it (and still have a little chicken left to freeze). We got Mexican, Italian and American out of it, so it didn't feel like we were eating the same thing every meal. And the best part of it, everyone liked all of them.

So, first grill ups lots of chicken. Some with instructions for the Grilled Chicken Quesadillas, and the rest seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic salt.

Night One:
Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

Night Two:
Ranch Chicken Pizza (I didn't use arugula)

Night Three:
Chicken Phillies Recipe (Sorry I couldn't find the source)

Grilled Chicken
Onion
Multi-colored peppers
Olive Oil
Shredded cheese
Hoagie Buns

Turn your oven on to broil. Slice the chicken, peppers, and onions thinly and saute them in olive oil. Place on your hoagie bun, add cheese and broil about 5 minutes until cheese is melted and heated through.

YUMMY!

Two-week menu

Monday-Enchiladas Rancheras with fruit
Tuesday-Pizza with green salad (for me only!)
Wednesday-Greek style chicken sandwiches-roughly based on this, but I will have to tone it down for the gringos
Thursday-Loaded chicken baked potatoes *make extra shredded chicken for Friday
Friday-Hawaiian Haystacks
Saturday-Dry Rub Ribs-(have made these before-to die for!!)
Sunday-Meatballs
Monday-Spagetti dinner fundraiser
Tuesday-Tacos
Wednesday-Pulled pork or chicken sandwhiches
Thursday-Chili-roughly based on this
Friday and Saturday-possibly out of town

*Loaded Baked Potatoes
Bake your potatoes and add shredded chicken tossed in BBQ sauce, cheese, ranch, and green onions

Philly Subs (Po' mans version of a Philly Cheesesteak)

The inspiration for this comes from one of our favorites-lasagna buns and something my brother-in-law said he had on his mission. I know- not an exciting story, but I am always curious how people come with recipes.
But it doesn't really matter the story, what matters is how yummy and easy this is. Once you try it, it might just become regular. I love a Philly Cheese steak. This is a simple, cheap yummy version that hits all the bells and whistles of the real deal.

Sorry-I'm not much of a measurer-so these are my closest guesses. I don't think you can screw this up too much.

Philly Subs:
Hard dinner rolls
Approx 1 lb ground hamburger
About 1/2 of a medium onion, finely chopped
1 Small Red pepper (or green pepper, or any combination), finely chopped
Two wedges Laughing Cow Original Cheese
About 1/3 of a block of low-fat cream cheese
A little bit of garlic herb feta cheese-optional*

The method:
Preheat the oven to 350. Cut off the tops of your hard rolls (electric knifes work well), and pull the middle out of each roll. Put each roll in a muffin tin and set aside.
Brown your hamburger, and when it is almost done added your chopped onions and peppers and saute until tender.
Meanwhile, start heating your soft cheeses in another pot on low-to-med until melted together. Then add to the meat mixture and stir until combined well.
Fill each roll with your meat mixture and top with the roll lid. Put a peace of tin foil over the muffin pan and bake for about 15-20 minutes until the roll starts to get crunchy and the filling is warm. Enjoy!

Any combination of cream cheese, Laughing Cow cheese, add a little feta, even melted American singles or Velveeta would work well for the cheese portion.

Mexicali Burgers

Sorry, my mouth was watering too much to snap a photo before I devoured this delicious burger. You will have to let your taste buds picture it for you.

We got a BBQ Cookbook at a garage sales years ago, and this one of our favorite burgers. If you like Mexican and Burgers, this is the perfect marriage.

Mexicali Burgers
Adapted from Favorite Brand Name BBQ and outdoor Grilling

Guacamole (recipe follows)
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup salsa
1/3 cup crushed tortilla chips
2 tbs. finely chopped onion
3 tbs. finely chopped cilantro (optional)
1 tsp. ground cumin
4 slices cheese
hamburger buns
any other preferred toppings

1. Prepare grill. This tend to drip and fall apart easily, so you can use a drip pan.

2. Prepare guacamole.

3. Combine beef, salsa, tortilla chips, cilantro, onion and cumin in medium bowl.
Mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape mixture into 4 burgers.

4. Grill on covered grill about 8-10 minutes until desired doneness.

5. Place cheese on the burgers during last minute of grilling. Place on buns, top with guacamole and any other desired toppings.

Guacamole

1 ripe avocado
1 tbs. salsa
1 tsp. lime or lemon juice
1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1. Mash avocado, leaving it slightly chunky.
2. Add other ingredients and mix.

English Muffin BBQ Pizzas

Ingredients:

English Muffins

Shredded Cheese

Cooked, shredded chicken*

2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced

Desired amount of red Onion, finely chopped

EVOO

BBQ Sauce (I used KC Masterpiece)

Method:

Turn your oven on to broil. Saute your garlic and red onion in EVOO until tender. Then mix everything but the English Muffins and cheese together. Top the English muffin with BBQ chicken mixture, then cheese. Then broil for about 3 minutes or until cheese is melty.

*Chicken tips-I have been cooking up batches of chicken and then freezing them for quick meals like these. (We also did hamburger and seasoned it with taco seasonings for quick tacos, nachos, cassseroles-it makes crazy nights nice!)

Also-I shred the chicken in my mixer. It makes it easy and clean.

Everyone ate this meal without complaint and asked for more. Miracle.

Carne Asada Tacos

So, it must be Mexican week around here. I also got the Mexican pack from Bountiful Baskets like La Tisha, and I had no idea what to do with it. Maybe I should have saved my tomatillas for her recipe. Sounds yummy.
Anyway, I went on Allrecipes and did an ingredient search for what I had and the result was these tacos. Here is my version-I made a few tweaks. They were very yummy!

Carne Asada Tacos
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless beef top sirloin (can use pork sirloin), cut into thin bite-size slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
crushed red pepper to taste
Few Key limes
4 Fresh Tomatillas
1 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded, and chopped into big chunks
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
About 3/4 can of chicken broth

Flour tortillas
1 Green Onion, chopped
tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced, and chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions
Place sliced meat into a shallow bowl, and season with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Squeeze the lime juice over the meat, and turn until evenly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes ( I did for about 7-8 hours)
In a blender or food processor, combine tomatillos and jalapenos with enough water that it will puree (not very much water) . Puree for 15 to 20 seconds, or until thick. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Carefully pour in tomatillo mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until mixture coats a spoon. Transfer mixture to a serving dish.
Heat tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Stir in 1/3 of the beef, and saute for 1 minute. Transfer to serving dish. Repeat with remaining beef.

To serve fill a tortilla with desired amount of meat, spoon over some tomatillo mixture. Top with onions, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro as desired. Squeeze 1/2 of a key lime over your taco when you are ready to eat.

Serve with rice and beans.
Who needs to go to a Mexican Restaurant now? Yum!

Freezer meals

We are collecting the recipes that we are doing for freezer meals and posting them on here for all to share. Please feel free to check it out, use the recipes or even submit your own.

Tamales

I have been asked to share how to make tamales...so here goes. I don't have photos now, but I can add them in the next time that I make tamales.

What You Need
Corn husks
Large container or sink for soaking
Container or plastic bag for keeping the husks in
Tamale dough
Fillings
Steaming bucket or something you can steam them in

Tamale Dough
6 cups masa harina
5 cups warm water or broth
1 1/2 cups lard or shortening
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chile powder
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
In a mixing bowl combine masa and warm water or broth until combined. Let the mixture sit for 20 minutes or so to let the masa soften. Then mix it on low speed until a dough forms.
After Masa is prepared-
Gradually add in the salt, cumin and onion powder.
In a separate bowl, whip lard or shortening until fluffy. Add the lard to the dough a little at a time while mixing until well combined.The mixture should be about the consistency of peanut butter. If not, add more masa, water or broth as necessary. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

Tamale Fillings

Pork and Chicken
1 pork roast (6-8 pounds) cooked and shredded
1 large chicken (5 pounds) cooked and shredded
1/2 c corn oi
6 Tablespoon chili powder
2 Tablespoon garlic salt
3 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon (or less) black pepper
2 Tablespoon salt.

Beef filling
3 cups shredded beef
8 large roasted chiles- skin, seeds and veins removed and coarsely chopped.
1 white onion- peeled and coarsely chopped.
6 cloves of garlic- peeled and crushed.
1 jalapeno- seeded and diced
3 potatoes- peeled, boiled and chopped into large chunks.
1 cup homemade chile sauce or store bought.

Green Chile
1 cup green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
3 cups shredded Jack cheese
1/2 cup green chile sauce
1/2 cup whole corn kernels added to dough

México Del sur
2 cups shredded chicken, seasoned with hoja santa
1 cup fresh, whole corn kernels
1 cup finely diced tomatoes
1/2 cup red chile sauce

Yucutan
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken marinated in citrus flavors
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
2 serrano chiles, finely diced
1/4 cup orange juice

Black Bean and Cheese
2 cups seasoned black beans
1/4 cup liquid from beans (bean broth)
1/2 cup of cilantro
1 cup queso panela shredded
1/2 cup onion, peeled and coarsely chopped

Mariscos
2 cups cooked shrimp or lobster
1 cup shredded Jack cheese
1/2 cup mariscos sauce- 1/4 cup heavy cream mixed with 1/4 cup mayonnaise, seasoned with 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped.

How To Wrap a Tamale

Here's How:
Sort the husks
Go through the corn husks removing any debris. Separate the larger usable pieces from the smaller bits and pieces.

Soak the husks
Place the husks into a large bowl or sink. Cover husks with warm water. Set a heavy item (like a heavy bowl) on top of the husks to keep them submerged.

Prepare the husks
Remove the husks from the water and pat dry. Use only the larger and medium sized husks for the tamales. When looking at the husk, they have a narrow end, a broad end, and 2 long sides.

Adding the dough
Lay a husk on a flat surface. Place 1-2 tablespoons of dough onto the husk. When spreading the dough, leave a space of about 4 inches from the narrow end of the husk and about 2 inches from the other end. Spread the dough to the edge of one of the long sides and 2 inches away from the other long side. Try to keep the dough approximately 1/4 to a 1/2 inch thick.

Filling
Spread about a tablespoon of filling down the center of the dough.

Folding
Locate the long side with a 2 inch space with no masa. Fold that over, slightly overlapping the other side so the edges of the dough meet. Wrap the extra husk around the back. Fold the bottom empty part up.

Cooking
Set tamales upright in a steamer. You can buy large steamers made just for this purpose. You may have something else you can use to create the same effect. The key is to have a small amount of boiling water on the bottom of the pot and a colander or mesh of some sort to keep the tamales away from the water.
Steam for about 90 minutes

Tips:
Do not let the water boil up completely. Add hot water to the pot as necessary but keep it away from the tamales. If some of the husks are too small or you have trouble closing them, use extra pieces of husk to wrap around the open areas.