Mexican Spanish Rice

This was a really yummy recipe I made the other night.  Just wanted to write it down so I would have it in case I didn't want to make rice a roni. HAHA

2 Ripe Tomatoes
1 small white onion
1 jalepeno
2 cups long grain white rice - rinsed
1/3 cup canola oil
4 cloves garlic- minced
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbs tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
lime

You will need an oven safe pot to use on the stove and in the oven.

Heat oven to 350

Roughly chop tomatoes and onion and throw into blender or food processor.  Puree until smooth.  Measure out 2 cups of the puree and set aside.  The remaining can be thrown away.

Chop jalepeno removing all seeds.

Heat oil in pot on stove over med/high heat.  Drop 3 to 4 grains of rice in the oil after a few minutes.  If they sizzle, it is ready.  Add rice and fry, stirring,  until rice is light golden and translucent in color about 6-8 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and jalepeno cook about a minute.

Stir in onion/tomato puree, chickn brother, tomato paste, and salt.  Increase heat to med/high and bring to a boil.  Cover and transfer to oven.

Bake about 30 minutes.

Stir in cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

SPICE-RUBBED PORK CHOPS

SPICE-RUBBED PORK CHOPS

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄2Tbsp
  chili powder
• 1Tbsp
  unpacked brown sugar
• 2tsp
  ground cumin
• 1tsp
  garlic powder
• 2Tbsp
  Worcestershire sauce
• 20oz
  uncooked lean boneless pork chop(s), four 1/2-inch thick chops
• 1pound(s)
  uncooked green snap beans, steamed
• 1⁄2tsp
  fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1

Preheat broiler and coat broiler pan with cooking spray.

2

In a small bowl, combine chili powder, sugar, cumin and

 garlic powder. Add Worcestershire sauce and stir until paste 

forms.

3

Rub paste onto both sides of each pork chop, place on

 prepared pan and broil 4 minutes on each side until 

inside is no longer pink.

4

Serve with string beans drizzled with fresh lemon juice.

Mississippi Roast

Mississippi Roast

Ingredients:

• 1 3-pound chuck roast
• 1 1-ounce packet of dry ranch seasoning mix
• 1 1-ounce packet of dry au jus gravy mix
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 5-6 pepperoncini

Instructions

1. Sprinkle the dry ranch seasoning mix on top of the chuck roast, then sprinkle the dry au jus mix on top, then place 6 tbsp. of butter on top of the roast, and finally 5-6 pepperoncini around the roast.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours.
3. Shred and serve with gravy.

Notes:

You can serve this with a side of mashed potatoes and vegetables, or serve it on top of white/brown rice, or make a sandwich out of it. The gravy can get pretty salty by itself so I'd go light on the salt for the side dishes that you're serving with this roast.

Yes, if you want to add vegetables to the slow cooker to cook along with the roast, you can certainly do so. I would add it in 2-3 hours before the roast is done. Potatoes, carrots, celery, whatever you like!

Strawberry Cupcakes from Scratch

CAKE
24oz fresh really ripe strawberries.
Hull strawberries and cut up in to pieces.  Add 1 to 2 tsp sugar and let sit in bowl at room temperature for a few hours.  Blend/puree in food processor to make strawberry puree

2 cubes butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 egg whites
3 cups flour sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup strawberry puree (save leftover puree for frosting or to cook down for filling)
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla

Cream butter 1 to 2 minutes.  Slowly add sugar.  Add eggs and egg whites.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a sifter.  Add half of the dry mixture to the eggs/butter mixture.  Add milk and vanilla to strawberry puree.  Slowly add to mixture.  Add remaining dry ingredients.  Scrape down sides as you go.

Bake at 325 until cooked.  (For cupcakes I set the timer at 12 minutes and watch them until they are done.  For cake, start at 20 minutes and watch.)

FILLING
1 1/2 cups strawberry puree
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp corn starch

Whisk water and cornstarch together in saucepan.  Add strawberries and sugar.  Cook over medium heat until thick, about 10 minutes.  Cool completely.  I do this the night before and let sit in the frigde.  Then I add to the cupcakes center before frosting them.

FROSTING
I use this Cream Cheese frosting recipe.  Add strawberry puree to the frosting... start with 1/2 cup and add more if needed.

Katie's Cinnamon Buns

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Salt

2 Cups Warm Water (want it bath water warm, not too hot or it will kill your yeast)

1 1/2 Tbsp Yeast

1/2 Cup Oil

2 Eggs

4-5 Cups Flour

Dissolve Sugar and salt in warm water.

Add yeast and mix together.

While yeast is dissolving, mix oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  

Add yeast mixture to oil/egg mixture.

Add flour.  Start with 4 Cups.  Add a little more at a time until it's consistency is good.  You want it to be a workable dough with a little bit of stickiness to it still, but not super sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough raise 1 hour.

While dough is raising, make filling.

1 Cube Butter (softened, not melted)

3/4 Cup packed brown sugar (Or 1 Cup white sugar with 1 Tbs molasses)

2 1/2 Tbsp Cinnamon

Combine softened butter, sugar and cinnamon in mixer and mix until smooth.

Roll dough out onto floured surface area about 1/2 inch thick.  (I make a rectangle around the size of 11x9. Spread sugar/cinnamon mixture on top of dough.  Roll up dough into jelly roll shape and cut with large pizza cutter or string into 1 1/2 in pieces.  I make 12 pieces all the same size using a pizza cutter... cut into long strips and roll them up one at a time. 

Grease 11x13 pan or large circle pan with butter or oil spray.  Place dough in pan.  (12 fit perfectly on an 11x13 pan). Let rise another hour until the dough is poofing really big and looks ready to bake.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.... they will be browned on top, don't worry they aren't burned.

While baking make frosting.

2 Cups powdered sugar

2 oz butter

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 tsp vanilla

If the frosting is too stiff add a little milk until it's the right consistency to spread easily over of the rolls.  Spread it on right when they come out and are still pretty warm so that it melts down in all the cracks.

Makes 12 rolls. 

RASPBERRY FILLING

Follow the same dough instructions. 

While the dough is raising make the filling. 

4 Tbsp butter softened

1/2 cup brown sugar 

Mix until smooth and set aside.

In a bowl stir to combine

2 cups frozen raspberries (they need to be frozen or mostly frozen.... or it gets too wet)

1/4 cup white sugar

Zest of a small lemon

1tsp corn starch.  

When your dough is rolled out, spread the brown sugar and butter evenly across. Then add the raspberry mixture on top spreading out evenly. 

These ones are a little messier so it’s best to roll up all together and use a string or floss to cut evenly into 12 rolls. 

Continue following the instructions above to finish. 

*For the frosting, I use fresh squeezed lemon juice instead of vanilla and milk. About half a lemon.

ORANGE ROLLS 

Follow the same dough instructions except add the zest of one large orange and 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice. 

While the dough is raising make the filling.

4Tbsp soft butter

1/2 cute white sugar 

Zest of large orange. 

Combine ingredients in the mixer to make a paste.

Roll out your dough and spread the filling on evenly. Follow the directions above for rolling and baking. 

For the frosting you can use the same cream cheese frosting or add a bit of fresh orange juice to it for more orange flavor. 

MAKE AHEAD ROLLS!!!

There are a few methods to making cinnamon rolls ahead of time. My favorite way is to make the rolls the night before all the way up until they are rolled and sitting on the pan. Instead of letting them raise, cover them tightly with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking oil. Put them directly in the fridge. They can stay in the fridge to raise for up to 24 hours. 

When ready to bake them..

Pull out the rolls and remove the plastic wrap. Place the cold pan into the cold oven. Preheat the oven to 350 with the rolls inside. Once the oven is preheated, leave the rolls in and set the timer to bake for 23 minutes. Check them and make sure they look ready or give them a few more minutes if needed. 

This method isn’t fool proof, but I’ve never had any problems with them raising. 

If you don’t want to chance that method.... take the rolls out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature. Takes a little over an hour. Then place them in a preheated oven as normal to bake. 

Beef Bulgogi

Beef Bulgogi (Wagner version)

Flank Steak cut into length-wise strips.  (with the grain)
1/4 C Soy Sauce
2 Tb Green onions chopped
2 Tb Brown Sugar
2 Cloves Garlic
1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
1 - 16oz can Bartlett Pears

Smash Pears. Add other ingredients. Marinate.  Flash grill.

Asian Beef with Mushrooms & Snow Peas

Ingredients

Homemade Asian Sauce:
• 1/2 cup tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce)
• 5 tablespoons brown sugar
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
Beef:
• 10 oz snow peas
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 10 oz mushrooms, sliced thinly
• 1 pound beef, thinly sliced (sirloin steak strips, flank steak, or any other steak)
• 2 cups cooked rice

Roll Out The Red Carpet for These Recipes

 

Instructions

1. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl - whisk to combine. Set aside.
2. Bring water in a medium pan to boil. Add snow peas, boil them for 5 minutes, drain. Set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet until hot, add 2 tablespoons olive oil - it should sizzle. Immediately add thinly sliced mushrooms - cook them on high heat, turning occasionally, until they brown nicely. Salt them midway, a little bit (not too much salt, as you will be adding tamari sauce later). Remove mushrooms to a bowl.
4. To the same skillet, on high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, which will sizzle right away. Immediately add thinly sliced meat. You might want to do this in 2 batches, because you will want each slice of meat to touch the bottom of the skillet and for meat slices not to be crowded. This will ensure that meat will brown on high heat. Cook meat on one side until it browns nicely. Turn over all meat slices to the opposite side, and cook more, on high heat, until all slices brown nicely. Remove this batch to a bowl. Add a second batch of meat, and repeat.
5. Return all of the cooked meat back to the skillet. Add the snow peas and cooked mushrooms, then the sauce. On high heat - stir everything to combine, for about 1 minute. Turn off heat. Cover the skillet with a lid.
6. Serve over rice

7-Ingredient Vegan Gluten-Free Waffles

7-Ingredient Vegan Gluten-Free Waffles
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk + 1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive, canola, or melted coconut oil
1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
Heaping 1/2 cup gluten free rolled oats
1 3/4 cups gluten free flour blend
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Pinch sea salt

Optional Add-Ins:
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp flax seed meal
1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped bananas or other fresh fruit

Flourless Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Flourless Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yields: 9 muffins

Ingredients

• ½ cup almond butter*
• 1 ripe medium/large banana
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ cup chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling on top

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F and prepare a muffin pan by spraying 9 cavities with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Add all ingredients except for chocolate chips to a blender and blend on high until batter is smooth and creamy. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
3. Pour batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cavity until it is about ¾ full.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops of your muffins are set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in pan for ~10 minutes before removing. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week.

Hawaiian Chicken

Hawaiian Chicken

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup pineapple juice

5 cloves of garlic, minced (or 2 1/2 Tbsp garlic paste)

1 1/2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger or ginger paste

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

1 stick unsalted butter

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Prepare the marinade: Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl or plastic bag. In a bowl, mix the brown sugar with the soy sauce and pineapple juice until almost all of the sugar has dissolved. Add the garlic, ginger and onion; mix well. Add to the chicken and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, up to 24 hours.  Grill the chicken: Place a 13x9" baking dish on the grill or in the oven (on "Warm") if you don't have room. Add the butter and let it melt. Let the chicken come to room temperature for about 30 minutes.  Grill the chicken over indirect heat for about 30-45 minutes or until done. Remove the grilled chicken from the grill and place in the melted butter, turning each piece to coat completely.  Garnish the chicken with green onions and serve.