Cinco De Mayo-Nachos

Nacho - Copy Cat (Serendipity)

I don't go to Vegas very often, only for certain sporting events, visiting friends, or stopping through on our way to CA.  I am not a gambler but there are certain things that I love in Vegas like the fountains and gardens at the Bilago, and particular restaurants.  My daughter loves the frozen hot chocolate drinks at "Serendipity" but I love the Nachos! In celebration of Cinco De Mayo I once again attempted to make my version of Serendipity's Nachos.  My first try was the best, this time they were not as goopy!  But still a fun treat once in awhile.

Nachos

tortilla chips, I love the Juanita's brand
ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, chopped fine
black beans, rinsed and drained
Tostido's Salsa Con Queso, med or mild
tomato, chopped
green Chiles, optional
guacamole. as desired (previously posted)
sour cream
cheddar cheese, grated (to top)
green onions, chopped

Layer tortilla chips with beans, ground beef, green Chiles, the salsa con queso (generously, after warming), tomato, and guacamole. Repeat layers one or two more times, top with sour cream, cheddar cheese and green onion. 

These chips are fabulous, more like I have had in a good Mexican restaurant than any other store bought chip.  Served warm they are even better and they are also gluten free.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Tex-Mex Tortilla Soup

2 whole large chicken breasts, skinned  and boned,                                   

2 c. water                                                                                     
1 14.5 oz. can beef broth                                                  
1 14.5 oz. can chicken broth                                             
1 14.5 oz. can tomatoes, cut up                                                     
½ c. onion, chopped                                                                       
½ c. green pepper, chopped                                               
1 8 &2/4 oz. whole kernel corn, drained                                       
1 t. chili powder
½ t. cumin
1/8 t. black pepper
Tortilla chips, 3 c. coarsely crushed
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, about 1 c., grated
1 avocado, peeled, pit removed and cut up
 

Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes; set aside.  In a large saucepan combine water, chicken broth, beef broth, undrained tomatoes, onion, and green pepper. Bring to boiling.  Add chicken; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 10 mins.  Add corn, chili powder, cumin, and pepper. Simmer, covered, for 10 mins more.  To serve, place crushed tortilla chips into each bowl.  Ladle soup over tortilla chips.  Sprinkle with cheese, avocado, and cilantro if desired.  Serve with lime wedges, if desired.  Makes 6 servings.

 This is one of my favorite go to recipes because I have all of the ingredients in my pantry 98% of the time and because literally everyone in my family loves this soup.  I make a double batch because it is great for leftovers and or freezes really well, minus the cheese, for another time.

Pasta Shells

This is one of the cookbooks I have collected over the years.  I chose this recipe because I literally had all of the ingredients in my pantry/fridge.  I only had the medium shells so it took longer to stuff them than it would have with the larger shells.  I also put the meat in with the cheese mixture and pulled some of my own homemade marinara sauce (recipe on the bottom of the blog as Lauri's Italian Sauce) out of the freezer.  What I realized is that the reason I chose this recipe on the fly is because I always have these ingredients in stock and it tasted much like my own. I would also use Sweet Italian Sausage rather than the ground beef in the future.  This is so close to the way I make my own Manicotti, not very risky but good flavors and seemed comfortable.

(From the Cookbook-Church Suppers)
 Stuffed Shells

25 jumbo shell
2 c. ricotta cheese
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 t. salt
1/8 t black pepper
1 t dried parsley
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 . ground beef
1 28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce.

Cook shells according to the package directions; drain.  In a large bowl, combine the cheeses, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and oregano.  Preheat the oven to 350. Fill each shell with 2 T of the mixture.  In a large skillet, brown the beef and mix with the spaghetti sauce.  Spread a thin layer of sauce in 3 qt. rectangular baking dish.  Place the shells 1 deep in the dish and cover with sauce.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Make 6 servings. 

Low Cal Tostadas - Pantry Staples

I have been watching recipes on Pinterest for new or improved recipes.  I have noticed a lot that are called Mexican Pizza's or Mediterranean Taco's or something similar.  I came up with something from my pantry.
I always have corn and flour tortillas in my fridge as well as salsa's or my own Pico.  In my freezer I have chicken breasts, chicken thighs, drumsticks, and whole chickens.  I also have cooked chicken, sometimes grilled, baked or boiled, cut up into pieces ready for certain recipes.  In food storage I have my home canned salsa, green chilie's, black beans, as well as frozen chilie's from my garden. so this is my version of Low Cal Tostada's

2-4 corn tortillias
olive or canola oil
black beans, warmed and drained of most liquid, mashed
1 c. cooked chicken, cubed
1/3 med. onion, chopped finely
1 t. cumin, more if desired
tomato, cut in pieces
1/2 half avocado, sliced

 Place tortillas on a foil lined baking sheet and brush with olive or canola oil.  Bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes to turn crisp, a shorter time will make them tough.  Put black beans into a pan and heat thoroughly, drain leaving a small amount of the liquid to mash.  In a skillet place a small amount of oil and saute the onion until transparent, add the chicken, the green chilie's, and cumin and warm through.  Place the beans on top of the shell then the chicken, avocado, and tomatoes.  Additonal toppings if desired.



other possible ingredients: (this would add calories and no longer be dairy free)
sweet corn
cheese
sour cream
olives

Roasted Beet Salad (My Copy Cat)

While visiting Seattle in March the "Gourmet Guy" and I went to Ivar's on the wharf.  We of course had some delicious fresh seafood that night but we also shared a salad the we both talked about for a couple of days.  For a few weeks I tried to find a recipe and then I finally broke it down and found or made up my own version of, here is my Roasted Beet Salad

Roasted Beets

1 gold beet
1 red beet  

Remove the greens and wash thoroughly, cover in foil separately so that the red color doesn't bleed into the pretty color of the yellow.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 50-55 mins. depending on the size of the beets.  Cool, remove the skin, and cut into 3/4 inch cubes.

Vanilla Vinaigrette

1/3 c. olive oil
3 T white vinegar
1 T sugar
1/4 t ground pepper
2 t pure vanilla extract
1/2 t. salt

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Chill.  Shake vigorously before serving

Candied Cashews

1/4 c. sugar
2 T water
1 1/4 c lightly toasted cashews

Dissolve sugar in water and bring to a boil.  Add the nuts and coat evenly place on parchment and let stand.


Add the above recipes to a bed of mixed greens and slivers of white cheddar cheese, serve. 

(On the spring salad menu we noticed the same vinaigrette with strawberries instead of beets and  candied almonds instead of cashews.  Oh the possibilities.)

Cheese Enchiladas (Gourmet Guy)

Cheese and Onion Enchiladas

Gourmet Guy here. The key to this recipe is the sauce! We've made enchiladas at home with canned sauce before and they are never anything like what you get in a good Mexican restaurant. These are different and it is all about the sauce!

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons lard, bacon drippings or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano, crumbled
2 tablespoons flour
¼ cup pure red chile powder (not cayenne)
2 cups chicken stock or water
salt to taste (3/4 teaspoon)

Instructions:
Heat fat in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté briefly, then stir in cumin and oregano. Sprinkle in flour and cook for a minute or two. Stir in chili powder and immediately add the stock or water, stirring to break up any lumps. Continue stirring until the sauce nearly comes to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about two minutes so flavors blend. Season well with salt. Remove from heat.

To assemble the enchiladas, coat the bottom of a 9 X 9 baking dish with the sauce. Working one at a time, spread about a teaspoon of sauce on each of six corn tortillas. Microwave each tortilla about 10 seconds to soften, place a generous amount of grated cheese in center of warmed tortilla, add chopped onion to taste (I like lots of onion), and roll enchilada. Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining enchiladas. Pour remaining sauce evenly over the enchiladas, top with grated cheese and sprinkle a few more onions on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Serve with Spanish rice and beans. Top with guacamole and sour cream if desired.
 

Grilled Chicken and Roasted Garlic Pizza

Grilled Chicken and Roasted Garlic Pizza

1 lb. pizza dough
1 T butter
8 cloves roasted garlic
2 T flour
1/2 t black pepper
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. half and half
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c. grilled chicken breast, cut into cubes
1/4-1/2 c. red onion, diced small
1 c. Mozzarella cheese
1 t fresh thyme (optional)
1/2 t oregano (optional)
fresh basil, chiffonade
1 t fresh Rosemary (or more to taste)

Preheat oven to 450.  On baking pan place cornmeal to ease in spreading.  Melt butter, saute garlic for a minute, and flour and mix well.  Whisk in milk and half and half.  Cook until mixture thickens add the pepper and Parmesan. Spread the sauce on the dough, top with onion, chicken, cheese and Rosemary if using.  Feta cheese can also be added if desired.  Bake approx. 18 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted sprinkle with remaining desired herbs.

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

Creamy Baked Potato Soup

2 med potatoes, baked
¼ c. butter
1/2- 1 c. onion, diced
1 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
2 c. chicken stock
4-5 slices bacon cooked and roughly cut
1 c. milk
1/3 c. flour
½ c. sour cream
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
2 T. green onions, sliced

In medium sized pot sauté onion, and garlic in butter until translucent. Dice potatoes into cubes. In a bowl whisk together milk and flour, add to the onion and butter mixture and thicken. Slowly, add the chicken stock and thicken. Stir in cheese and sour cream, top with green onions. (I like to out the soup in a bowl and add the toppings to garnish and serve.)

Enchiladas Con Pollo (revisited)

  Echiladas Con Pollos


 2 whole chicken breasts
water
½ small onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
8 peppercorns
salt ½ medium onion, chopped
3 T. Parmesan cheese
1 c. Monterey Jack Cheese

Cream Sauce
1 4 oz. can diced green chile's
1 13 oz. can tomatillos, drained or 1¾ can tomatoes, drained
1/4 c. cilantro
3/4 c. whipping cream
1 egg
salt
canola oil, for frying tortillas
8 corn tortillas
grated Cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
guacamole 3-4 radishes, sliced
2 c. shredded lettuce
12 ripe olives
Place chicken breasts in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add water to cover, onion, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or until tender. Cool chicken in broth. Drain. Shred chicken, mix with Parmesan cheese and 1 c. Monterey Jack cheese. Add salt if needed. Set aside. In blender or food processor, combine green chiles, tomatillos or tomatoes, cilantro, whipping cream, and egg. Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a skillet. With tongs place tortilla in oil 1 at a time, hold 3-5 seconds. Drain over skillet or on paper towels. Place 1/8 of the chicken mixture on each tortilla. Roll tightly and place seam side down in a 10x13 pan. Cover with cream mixture and sprinkle evenly with the Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 20 mins., or until heated through and bubbly. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, garnish with radishes and lettuce

Quatro Frijoles con Pollo Cantaro--slow cooker

Again I found this recipe and can't give credit for it but I recently tried it and like it. I would add jalapeno peppers to the recipe to give it a little kick. I would also use pork rather than chicken.

1 c. pitted black olives
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 16 oz. garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 16 oz. can Great Northern or navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 16 oz. can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 c. chicken stock, plus extra as needed
1 Tbsp. olive or canola oil
1 c. onion, minced
2 tsp. garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
hot sauce to taste
2 c. crushed corn chips
6 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
(small jalapeno seeded and minced finely, optional)

Combine olives, chicken, beans, chilies, and chicken stock in slow cooker. Mix well and set aside. Heat oil in large skillet, over medium heat. Cook onion, garlic, and cumin until onion is soft. Add to the chicken mixture. Cover, cook on low 4-5 hours. check liquid about halfway through, adding more hot broth as needed. Taste and add hot sauce, salt and pepper. Serve in warm bowls and garnish with corn chips and cheese.

Italian Pasta Salad

One of my favorite salads to make is this Italian Pasta Salad, I just put it together one day for a party in the canyon.

I started with some tri-color macaroni, prepared, and one half of a red onion diced.

I love this new pepperoni that comes in small circles, they are great for the salad.

I add, hard boiled eggs, diced, sliced olives, Feta or Parmesan cheese. I have also added red or yellow peppers, chopped, cherry tomatoes and green peas.
Toss with Italian Dressing and chill.

Great for pot luck meals and summer barbeque's

Mushroom Omelet- Basil

I love omelets but wanted to stay away from some of the fats that we often put into them like bacon or sausage etc. I had this recipe tucked away and while sorting through some things on my recipe pile it caught my eye.

Fresh mushrooms, basil, and green onions for the main flavors.

Chopped tomato to top the omelet.

2-3 eggs

Blend the eggs with basil, salt and pepper.

In butter (so much for the fat!) saute the mushrooms and garlic until tender.

In a hot skillet add the eggs, stir gently until they start to become set.

Add the mushrooms and the green onion.

Top with the cheese. Fold one edge over to top of the other.

Slide onto a plate.
Top with chopped tomato and basil.

Mushroom Omelets

2-3 c. sliced Crimini mushrooms

3 T. sliced green onions

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

4-6 eggs, slightly mixed (the first time I used three, I will only use two per omelet now)

1T. fresh basil, chopped (1 t. dried)

1 T. olive oil or butter

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1 medium Roma tomato, chopped

(Makes two)

Morning "Glory"

When I bake potatoes I often bake one or two extra to do things with at a later date. One of the things we like to do is "Morning Ray." It is actually from a show that we watched on the food Network Rachel Ray's Travels. Rachel purchased Morning Ray at a place in Park City called Morning Ray and it is one of their specialties. She highlighted it and we decided to try a version of it on our own. Forgetting the name I called it "Morning Glory" and it has been nicknamed that in our family since then.

First we take a potatoes and dice them into 1/2 inch cubes.

We also cut up mushrooms, minced garlic onion, and peppers. I like to use the smaller peppers to get a variation in the color. My Home Ec. teacher would be proud!

While cutting up the veggies we brown 3-4 slices of thick cut bacon cut into small pieces.
(I love the bacon from our local grocery store that you get at the butcher's counter. It is thicker and a little more expensive but it doesn't shrink down as much so I feel it more than compensates for the cost.)

After frying the bacon drain it on a paper towel to get rid of the extra grease.

With the remaining bacon grease we brown the potatoes until they are golden on the edges.

The mushrooms take a little extra time so we start them before the rest of the vegetables. They do better if they are easily spread out in the skillet and not touching another.

When the mushrooms are soft and turning brown add the onion, garlic, and peppers and cook until they are translucent. In another pan make scrambled eggs. Grate the cheese.

First layer

Add the veggies

Next the bacon top with avocado or guacamole and salsa.

Finish up with the scrambled eggs and cheese. Enjoy. We don't make "Morning Glory' very often but it is sure a treat when we do.

Morning Glory

6 baked potatoes, cooled, peeled, coarse chopped
1-2 bell pepper, coarse chopped
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, coarse chopped
12 mushrooms, sliced
½ pound bacon, cut in ½ inch pieces
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs
2 tablespoons butter
salsa of your choice
grated cheddar cheese
guacamole

Fry bacon in skillet until done. Drain and set aside. Cook potatoes (hash brown style) in bacon fat until browned and crunchy. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In another skillet, heat olive oil and butter and saute the mushrooms until browned. Add the onions, garlic, and peppers and cook until just tender. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

In a third skillet, scramble the eggs.

Place small pile of hash browns on center of plate. Cover with vegetable mixture. Place eggs on top and sprinkle with grated cheese. Garnish with guacamole and salsa.

Lion House Potatoes/Funeral Potatoes

I love these potatoes and in this area they have become famous for serving at luncheons for families after a funeral. There are quite a few variations for this recipe and so you can see a huge variety when one of these meals are served. When my daughters were much younger and they were attending the funeral of their Great-Grandmother this was the case. They did not know many of those attending the funeral because is was a rather large extended family so they made a game out of tasting the potatoes and rating them. They would take a taste of each pan of potatoes and then rate them from one to five based on taste and appearance... As I recently took Lion House Potatoes to a luncheon for a friend of mine I smiled as I saw the variety of "funeral potatoes" being served and thought of my girls. The following is my favorite variation. (Funny sideline is that you can give the same recipe to ten different women and get ten variations of the same recipe!)

I got these great Idaho potatoes from a friend this fall, this is actually my second fifty pound bag of them! I peel them and cut them into small cubes to cook faster and then they just have to be drained.
The recipe says not to mix the sour cream mixture into the potatoes but to just put on top, my variation is to mix it in a little bit to give flavor to the potatoes. Top with cheese mixture and bake.

Lion House Potato Casserole

5 Large Potatoes, cubed or shredded (if shredded, cook potatoes whole then shred)
3 TBSP butter, melted
1 can (10 ½ ounces) cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
3 TBSP finely chopped green onions (this makes the whole dish even better!)
¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
¾ cup cornflake crumbs or dry bread crumbs
2 TBSP Butter, melted
3 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese

Boil potatoes until tender and drain. Place in 2 or 3 quart casserole dish. Pour melted butter over potatoes (3 TBSP). Mix together soup, sour cream, milk, green onions and cheese. Pour evenly over potatoes. Do not mix. Toss crumbs with remaining melted butter and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Eggs in a Nest

When we lived in Sequim Washington and our oldest daughter was in fifth grade at the middle school she had a unit on cooking. She was so excited to come home and make Eggs in a Nest for us. It was a family hit! Still a favorite for an occasional Saturday or Sunday breakfast!

Brown hash browns in a skillet until golden on one side, flip over.
Salt and pepper to taste, and crack eggs on top of the hash browns.

Cover and steam the eggs until set. Approx three to five minutes.

Top with grated cheese.

Plate and serve.

This is so easy to do and only takes one pan, in a large skillet you can cook up to six eggs at a time.

Potato Cheese Soup

I actually have had this soup posted with a bunch of my other favorite soups but one of my daughters complained that it was too hard to find so here it is by itself. I love this one but only fix it 2-3 times a year, usually when it is really cold outside and you want something warm and comforting.

Potato Cheese Soup

3 c. boiling water

3 chicken bouillon cubes

4 c. diced potatoes

½ c. chopped onion
½ c. chopped celery

½ c. chopped green pepper
½ c. chopped carrots

1 t. salt

½ c. flour
2 c milk
¼ c. butter
3 c. cubed Cheddar Cheese

Add veggies to boiling water, cook 20 mins or until done. Mix flour with milk and salt and thicken soup. Add butter and cheese and melt. Serve when cheese is fully melted.

Eggs In a Nest

When our oldest daughter, Jessica, was in fifth grade they did a unit on cooking. She came home and wanted to make dinner for us and proceeded to make Egg In a Nest. It has been a family favorite breakfast for us every since!

You start with frozen Hash Browns, enough to have a layer in the bottom of a skillet. Place 1-2 T. butter in the pan and heat when butter is melted place the hash browns in the pan and salt to taste. Cook until they are brown.

Turn and make an indention in the hash browns and crack the egg into that space. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook the eggs until the yolk is firm.
Turn onto a plate and top with grated cheddar cheese.