Lucia's Mexican Salsa

This is a yummy homemade salsa.


Lucia's Mexican Salsa
10 whole tomatoes
5 garlic cloves
1 onion
1/2 cup sliced pickled jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon salt

Preheat oven to "broil" and move an oven rack to the highest position in the oven closest to the broiler (I have an electric oven).


Place tomatoes on a sheet pan and broil in the oven until the skin on the tomatoes are charred and blackened.  This should only take about 5-10 minutes.  Flip them over and char the opposite side.

 In the mean time, chop garlic cloves and onion and place food processor.  Process until chopped finely.  You may need to wipe down the sides of your food processor bowl to make sure all the onion is chopped finely.

Add the hot tomatoes and jalapeno peppers to the onion and garlic and process until no longer lumpy.  (You may need to work in batches).

 Pour into bowl and stir in lime juice, cilantro and salt.  Cover with tight fitting lid and refrigerate overnight.  

Enjoy on anything and everything!

YUM!

Barb Jackson's Pasta Salad

Sister Jackson came to our congregation several years ago from California.  She makes this delicious pasta salad using McCormick's Salad Supreme seasoning.  I've never bought the seasoning but I found a way to make it so it tastes very similar.

Barb Jackson's Pasta Salad
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp celery seed*
1/2 tsp black pepper
dash cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese (or Romano if you have it)

Mix thoroughly and sprinkle over 1/2 pound of boiled spaghetti noodles.  Toss with your favorite Italian dressing and veggies.

YUM!

You and Hunter eat this for lunch during the summer months when the garden is producing bountifully with tomatoes and cucumbers.

*If you don't have celery seed, no worries, add a stalk of celery very finely chopped.

Pumpkin Oatmeal with Cardamom

I just love the Food Network.  And I love the show The Next Food Network Star.  Last season's winner was Aarti Sequeira.  She was my favorite from the very first episode.  She's different and has a unique point-of-view.  I just love her recipes too!  I'm most interested in using different spices to brighten up our everyday meals.  She shared a recipe a few weeks ago which used cardamom.  It's a floral scented spice and can be very strong and very expensive.  I went to Sevenanda and picked up a tiny bit for about $.45.  I figured I give it a try and see if I liked it.  Well, I love it.  Let me share my tweaked "pantry-friendly" version of the Aarti Party recipe.  It was so good!

Pumpkin Oatmeal with Cardamom (adapted from Aarti Party)

14 oz canned pumpkin puree (or about 2 cups)

2 cups water

2 cups vanilla almond milk, plus more for serving

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

chopped almonds

honey

In a large saucepan, whisk pumpkin puree, water, almond milk.  Bring to a boil.  Add cranberries, salt, pumpkin pie spices, cardamom and oatmeal.  Reduce heat and cook about 15 minutes.  Follow the directions on your oatmeal canister.  Stir frequently to avoid sticking on the bottom of the pot.

Serve with chopped almonds, a drizzle of honey and 1/4 cup almond milk.

This was so good!  I think she says there are 4 servings in the pot.  There is no way I could eat that much oatmeal!  I filled my bowl with about 1 cup of the oatmeal and couldn't even eat it all.  It's very filling.  I think it's pretty healthy.  I plugged this into sparkpeople and it came out to be 288.1 calories for 6 servings.  That's good in my book!  I divided the leftovers into 1 cup servings and stored them in the fridge.  I heated them up each morning in the microwave until warm and then drizzled with honey and milk.  Perfect make-ahead meal!  Super fast and healthy breakfast option.

 

 

Easy Salsa

This is the easiest way to make your own salsa:

Easy Salsa
2 cans Rotel (mild or regular), drain liquid from one can
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, pressed and minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
dash of black pepper
dash of salt

Process all ingredients in a food processor or use your Magic Bullet.

Serve with chips.

YUM!

Peanut Butter Smoothie

Y'all love smoothies.  But recently, your favorite smoothie has been a green smoothie.  It's pretty healthy but still has some calories, so be mindful.  I called it the "Elvis Smoothie" since we all know how much Elvis Presley loved Peanut Butter and Banana sandwiches.  



Green Elvis Smoothie
1 cup fresh spinach leaves*
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1 Tablespoon chocolate syrup
1 cup almond milk
1 frozen banana

Put everything into a blender or your Magic Bullet

and blend until smooth.

This makes 2 small smoothies or one large one.

2 small smoothies: calories 152.3, fat grams 5.8, carb 23.9 grams, 14.8 grams sugar

YUM!

*You can substitute 1/4 of a 10 oz box of frozen spinach.  Just be sure to thaw and squeeze out the water.

Veggie Pinwheels (Vegan)

This is a yummy "sandwich" to serve for a party or shower.  You can add cheese and deli meat if you like.

Veggie Pinwheels
flour tortillas
fresh spinach leaves
cucumbers, cut into sticks
roasted red peppers, cut into sticks
carrots, shredded finely
avocado, sliced into sticks

Layer spinach leaves over the tortilla.  Lay cucumber, peppers, carrots and avocado on the lower 1/3 of the tortilla.  Roll up tightly and cut into thirds.

Yum!

Shepherd's Pie

This is a yummy tummy warming meal.  I love the Worcestershire sauce in this.  It adds a little extra flavor.  This is one of Daddy's favorite things.  He just loves it!  In fact, when I make it, we never have leftovers!

Technically, Shepherd's Pie is made with ground lamb.  Hence, "shepherd".  I think this is actually termed Cottage Pie, but whatever. 

Just make it and eat it. 

You won't be disappointed.  

Shepherds' Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 can green beans
1 carrots chopped
1 pouch of instant potatoes or 3- 4 big potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 stick butter, plus 2 Tablespoons
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2-1 cup beef broth
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

Brown the ground beef, drain and add chopped carrots and 2 Tablespoons of butter.

Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of flour tossing to coat vegetables.

Stir in beef broth...

and Worcestershire sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.

Spread mixture into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. 

Drain green beans and layer them over the beef mixture. 

Follow the directions on the instant potatoes or if you are using real potatoes, mash them with the remaining stick of butter.  Season with salt and pepper and spread over the green beans. 

Using the back of a fork, create swirls in the potatoes.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. 

If the potatoes aren't browning enough, just broil the dish in the last few minutes.

This freezes really well too.  Make sure you double wrap it in tin foil and plastic wrap.  You can thaw in the fridge overnight or bake from frozen for 1-1/2 hours.

So yummy!

Squash Casserole

There are a lot of variations of squash casserole.  This is how we make it...

Squash Casserole
1 onion, finely diced
1 Tablespoon oil or butter
4 cups yellow squash or zucchini, sliced into half-moon shapes
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- or - use the prepared squash in the freezer
1-1/2 cup Ritz crackers, crushed and divided
1-1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
2 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

If you are not using the frozen squash, prepare a skillet over medium heat and add oil.  Saute onion, squash or zucchini, salt, pepper, basil and garlic powder for 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Drain any liquid and pour mixture into a large bowl.  Add 1 cup Ritz crackers and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, stir to combine then pour into buttered 8x8 casserole dish.  Beat eggs, evaporated milk and salt in separate bowl and pour over the squash mixture.  Top with remaining 1 cup cheddar cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Yummy!

"Buttery" Mashed Potatoes

I prefer butter to margarine in most everything, except mashed potatoes.  I can never seem to get the buttery flavor to shine through the potato goodness.  But using margarine gives them the perfect fluffy texture along with that buttery flavor I love so much.  Here's what you do:

"Buttery" Mashed Potatoes
4-5 potatoes, washed, peeled and cubed
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper
1/2 cup margarine or 1 stick

Add potatoes to a pot of cold water, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes.  The potato chunks should be soft.

Drain the potato chunks and put back into the pot.  Add salt, pepper and margarine and mash to your heart's content.

Daddy prefers his a mashed potatoes with a little texture, so I don't whip them with a beater, but you could if you wanted.  I use a potato masher and mash and swirl until it looks combined enough and there are little tiny bits of potatoes running through the mashed ones.

I do not add milk, just straight up potato-y goodness!

*TIP:  Use one potato per person.  If you are planning a large gathering, count the people and then count your taters.  This is a pretty good guesstimate so you don't run out of potatoes.

YUM!

Chow-Chow

This was my first attempt at Chow-Chow.  These turned out really nice with a crunchy texture and slightly sweet and spicy aftertaste.  I decided to make this using up some end of the season green tomatoes and jalapeno peppers and a bargain cabbage at the grocery store.  Granny has a recipe from her Grandmother and I'd love to get it and share it with you.  Maybe next summer when we have more green tomatoes...

Chow-Chow
4 cups green tomatoes, finely diced
3 cups cabbage, finely diced
1 red jalapeno pepper, finely diced
1 green jalapeno pepper, finely diced
salt
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1-1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1-1/2 teaspoons ground tumeric
1 cup sugar

Place tomatoes, cabbage and peppers into a large glass bowl.  Generously sprinkle with salt (probably about 2-3 Tablespoons), stir and cover and let sit overnight on the counter.  The next day, drain off all the water accumulated in the bottom of the bowl and rinse the vegetables in a colander to remove most of the salt.

In a large pot, heat  vinegar, water, mustard seeds, tumeric and sugar over medium heat, add rinsed and drained vegetables.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Pour into sterilized jars and keep in the fridge.  Serve with Soup Beans and Cornbread.

YUM!

Garbanzo and Chorizo Soup

This is a yummy fall/winter soup using seasonal vegetables.  Daddy didn't like this, but the rest of us loved it.  

Here's what you do:

Garbanzo Bean and Chorizo Soup
2 cups garbanzo beans (chick peas), thaw if frozen; if using canned, drain and rinse

8 oz Mexican chorizo

1 onion, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

14 oz can diced tomatoes

5 cups water

1-1/2 teaspoons tomato chicken flavored boullion

1 large bay leaf or 2 small ones

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1-1/2 cup diced butternut squash or pumpkin

1 large potato, peeled and diced

1/2 cup thinly sliced (julienned) collards, turnips, kale (whatever you get a good price for)

Heat Dutch oven over medium heat.  Squeeze chorizo from the casings into hot pot.  Stir frequently rendering as much fat as possible.  Remove from pot onto paper towel.  Pour off the excess oil from pot.

Add onion, carrot and garlic.  Saute 5-6 minutes.

Add garbanzo beans, tomatoes, water, boullion, dried herbs and chorizo.  Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes.  

Add squash and potato, cover and continue cooking another 15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Add collards and continue cooking another 15 minutes uncovered.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Ladle up and enjoy!  

This is such a comforting soup.  

YUM!

Linked to:

Finding Joy in My Kitchen - Soup Countdown 2010

8 servings (1-1/2 cups)

328 Calories, 10.1 gr fat, 47.4 gr carbs, 8.7 gr fiber, 12.1 gr protein

(without the chorizo, add 2 Tbsp paprika, pinch of red pepper flakes, 1 tsp ground cumin = 210 calories, 1 gr fat, 45.3 gr carbs, 8 gr fiber, 6.7 gr protein)

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup
1-1/2 cup black beans (drain and rinse if using canned)
1 Tbsp oil
1 onion finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced into coins
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
2 tsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
14 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
1 cup pumpkin, peeled and diced (used butternut squash - couldn't get the pumpkin cut!)
salt and pepper
fresh cilantro
cubed avocado

1.  Soak dried black beans overnight.  Drain and add beans to a large Dutch oven and cover with 2 inches of cold water.  Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, drain and rinse.
2.  Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook covered for 3-4 minutes until they are just soft, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic, celery and carrot and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
3.  Add the water, drained beans, tomato paste, thyme, oregano, cumin and bay leaf.  When the mixture begins to bubble, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
4.  Stir in the tomatoes, pumpkin and simmer for another hour until the pumpkin and beans are tender.
5.  Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with cilantro and cubed avocado and serve.

Yum!

Refried Beans a.k.a. Smashed Pintos

This is more a method than a recipe.  You can easily adjust the seasonings to your own liking.  I make refried beans, which by the way aren't really fried at all, to reduce the cost of canned beans.  In the store, you can find a can of refried beans for about $1.  Sometimes you can get them on sale for $.50 a can.  I find making them at home is cheaper and better for you.  These are vegetarian and I don't add any extra oil or fat.  A 2 lb bag of pintos cost about $2.00.  I can easily get 6-8 meals out of a 2 lb bag of dried beans.  

Refried Beans a.k.a. Smashed Pintos
2 lb bag pinto beans
water
salt
pepper
chili powder
ground cumin
garlic powder
onion powder
dried cilantro
drop or two of hot sauce (like Texas Pete or Louisiana Hot)
juice of half a lemon or lime

1.  Rinse, drain and sort through a bag of pinto beans.  Sometimes you'll find rocks and other debris which needs to be removed so you don't break your teeth.  Soak them overnight in a large bowl.
2.  Drain the water from the overnight soaking.  Add the pinto beans to a large slow cooker.  Pour in enough water to cover the beans with about 2" of water over the top of the beans.  Cook on low 6-8 hours or overnight.

3.  Turn off the slow cooker.  The water will look dirty and the beans should be mushy.  Pour off the water and return beans back to the slow cooker crock. 

 

Add your seasonings.  I find adding about 1 teaspoon salt and chili powder and then 1/2 teaspoon of the other spices is pretty flavorful.

4.  Mash the beans using a potato masher.  You can choose to mash them to smithereens or you can leave some beans whole.  It's whatever you like.

5.  Squeeze the juice of the lemon or lime.  (I prefer lime, but only had lemons in the fridge.)  Stir well.

6.  Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and ladle up the beans into freezer storage baggies.  Label and freeze.

When you're ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight or nuke in the microwave for a minute or so until soft enough to use.

Yum!

Pumpkin Vegetable Soup with Bulghur Wheat

When Autumn arrives, I always crave a good, comforting soup.  This soup is wonderful because it has pumpkin in it.  If you don't want to use pumpkin, you can substitute Butternut Squash.

Pumpkin Vegetable Soup with Bulghur Wheat
1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup bulghur wheat
14 oz can whole tomatoes in juice
1 cup pumpkin, peeled, diced (or butternut squash)
1 large zucchini, quartered and sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
4 cup boiling water
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
1 cup frozen peas
salt
pepper

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat and add onions and garlic.  Cover and cook 5-8 minutes until the onions are soft.
2. Stir in the bulghur wheat and continue cooking for 1 minute.
3. Layer the tomatoes, pumpkin, zucchini and jalapeno in the Dutch oven.
4. Combine half the water with the tomato paste and large pinch of salt.  Pour over the vegetables.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Uncover the pot and stir, add all spices, spinach and peas.  Add the remaining water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.  
6. Stir the soup and adjust seasonings.  Ladle into a bowl and serve.

When I made this, I accidentally added a whole cup of bulghur wheat so I added extra liquid in the form of chicken stock to help with the flavor and fluidity of the soup.  It turned out really good.

Yum!

This post has been linked to:

• Life as Mom  - Cozy Suppers

Pico de Gallo Salsa

When our fresh jalapenos and tomatoes are coming out of the garden, I love to make this salsa.  It's a little spicy, so prepare yourself!

Pico de Gallo

2 jalapenos, finely diced, seeds and membranes removed
1/2 purple/red onion, finely diced
juice of 2 limes
3 or 4 small tomatoes, finely diced, seeds and juice removed
2 Tablespoons fresh or dried cilantro
salt
drizzle of honey (maybe 1/2 teaspoon, optional)

Place jalapenos and onions in bowl with lime juice.  Allow to bloom while dicing the tomatoes. 

Add tomatoes, salt, honey and cilantro to bowl and stir to combine everything.  Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours and then serve with your Tex Mex meal.

YUM!