Chorizo Chili Rellenos Casserole

2 large Poblano peppers

1 chorizo sausage link

¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 beaten eggs
¼ cup milk
1/3 cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp salt
½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 Tbsp salsa
¼ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Cup lids off of peppers, remove seeds and veins. Boil water in a large pot and cook peppers for about 3 minutes. Remove from water and set aside.

Remove sausage from casing and into a frying pan. Over med-high heat, cook sausage for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine eggs and milk. Add flour, baking powder, red pepper and salt. Whisk until smooth.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small greased casserole dish, lay chorizo filled peppers. Split Monterey Jack between two peppers. Cover with egg mixture and extra cheese. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until you insert a toothpick into the egg and it comes out clean.

Remove from oven, spoon salsa over peppers and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake for a few more minutes until cheese melts.

Serve with sliced cucumbers and radishes.

Mexican Casserole (Arroz Verde al Poblano)

1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 10 oz can of fire roasted chilies
12 sprigs cilantro, plus extra for garnish
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 cup rice
1 small onion, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 can of corn
1 cup of shredded chicken, from a rotisserie chicken
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

In a blender, blend broth, chilies, cilantro and salt; set aside.

In a fry pan over med-high heat, heat EVOO. Add rice and onion, sauté for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

In rice cooker, or you could cook in the frying pan with a lid, add broth mixture and cook until rice is done. Stir in rice and chicken.

Set oven to broil. Add rice mixture to a casserole dish and top with cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly.

Serve with avocado slices and garnish with cilantro.

Orange Balsamic Pork Chops with Zucchini Cakes

4 1” pork chops
2 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp cornstarch
¾ cup white wine
1 ½ Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp orange zest
½ Tbsp orange juice
Fresh ground pepper
Salt
Orange slices

Zucchini Cakes:
1 cup left over mashed potatoes
1 large zucchini, shredded & liquid squeezed out
1 large carrot, shredded
1 large garlic, minced
1 egg
Fresh ground pepper
Salt

In a small sauce pan, combine EVOO, cornstarch, wine, vinegar, sugar, orange zest, orange juice, pepper and salt. Whisk together. In a small bowl or bag, marinate the pork in half of the mixture for at least 1 hour. Grill pork over med-high heat until centers are no longer pink.

Bring remaining mixture in sauce pan to a boil; turn to low heat and whisk for about 2 minutes. Set aside.

To make zucchini cakes:
In a medium bowl, combine potatoes, zucchini, carrots, garlic, egg, pepper and salt. In a large frying pan, heat a few drizzles of EVOO to med-high heat. Make patties from mixture, drop into pan and fry until both sides are golden brown.

Serve pork with zucchini cakes, drizzle with orange balsamic sauce and garnish with orange slices.

Chocolate Mousse Cupcakes

Betty Crocker Decadent Supreme Chocolate Mousse cake mix
¼ cup Betty Crocker milk chocolate frosting
M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, make cake mix following directions on box. Fill each paper bake cup half way with cake batter. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. Let cool before frosting.

In a small bowl, make mousse following directions on box. Using electric mixer, mix in milk chocolate frosting and whip together.

Decorate with M&Ms. Enjoy immediately, or store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Oatmeal Cranberry Pecan Cookies

1 stick of butter, softened
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup old fashioned oats
¾ cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
½ cup dried cranberries
½ chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer. Add egg and mix together. Mix in oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in cranberries and pecans.

Spoon tablespoons of batter onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until golden brown. Let rest on baking sheet for a couple minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.

Makes about 20-25 cookies.

Baked Parmesan Dijon Chicken

2 chicken breast, sliced in half, length wise and pounded 1/2” thin
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
½ cup parmesan cheese
¼ cup Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp EVOO
2 Tbsp water
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare two bowls for coating chicken. In one bowl mix Panko and cheese; drizzle with EVOO and mix with your fingers. In the other bowl, combine mustard, EVOO, water, salt and pepper; whisk together.

Dip chicken in mustard mixture. Then coat chicken in Panko and cheese mixture. Press breadcrumbs into chicken. Place chicken on baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes and sliced veggies.

Spicy Sausage Zucchini Boats

1 zucchini, cut into 1” slices
Spicy Italian sausage

Marinara sauce

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small sauce pan, sauté sausage until cooked through and is no longer pink. Using a melon baller or small spoon, scoop out shallow holes in zucchinis, creating little boats. Spoon sauce into boats, then sausage and top with cheese.

Place stuffed zucchini boats in a casserole dish. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and broil for the last 2-3 minutes to brown cheese.

Spicy Sausage Flatbread with Basil Cream Sauce

Ambretta Tuscan Sweet Tomato flatbread (I decided to try this and it was great), found in the bread isle of the grocery store
Hot Italian sausage (I love this stuff!)
Goat cheese
½ red bell pepper, sliced
1 garlic, minced
1-2 fresh Basil leaves, sliced in thin ribbons

Basil Cream Sauce:
¼ cup milk
1 Tbsp powdered Alfredo sauce
2 tsp Gourmet Garden Basil Herb Blend, found in the produce section of the grocery store next to the fresh herbs (these herb blends are great to have on hand, and to easily add extra flavor to any dish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small sauce pan over med-high heat, combine milk and Alfredo sauce; bring to a boil while whisking. Turn heat to low and whisk in basil herb blend; set aside and allow to thicken.

In a small frying pan cook a few bite sized balls of sausage; cook at least half way through since the rest will be cooked in the oven.

Place flatbread on a baking sheet. Spoon and spread basil cream sauce on flatbread. Top with chunks of goat cheese, sliced bell pepper, cooked sausage and sprinkle with garlic. Top with fresh basil.

Bake for 11-13 minutes, until bread is crispy and cheese is melted.

Serve with another type of flatbread pizza for a variety or with your favorite side salad.

Short Rib Grilled Cheese

Dinner 3 of 3 using the short ribs. All totally different and each very tasty.

Makes 3 sandwiches

Rustic bread, cut into slices

1 cup chopped short ribs (from this recipe)
3 slices of sharp cheddar cheese
3 slices of American cheese
½ onion, sliced
Margarine

In a small sauce pan over med-high heat, sauté onions in a little EVOO. Set aside.

To make sandwiches layer sandwiches with cheeses, onion and short rib meat. Butter outside slices of bread.

Cook in a Panini press or grill in a frying pan until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Serve with your favorite soup or side salad.

BBQ Short Rib Flatbread

Dinner 2 of 3 using the short ribs.

Ambretta Tuscan Sweet Tomato flatbread (I decided to try this and it was great), found in the bread isle of the grocery store
BBQ Sauce
½ - 1 cup shredded short ribs (using leftovers from this recipe)
Blue cheese crumbs
1 garlic, minced

Caramelized onions:
½ small onion, sliced
A dash freshly cracked pepper
A dash of salt
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp EVOO

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small pan, heat oil over med-high heat. Add onion slices and seasoning; sauté until onions are soft.

Place flatbread on a baking sheet. Spoon and spread BBQ on flatbread. Top with short rib meat, caramelized onions, blue cheese and sprinkle with garlic.

Bake for 11-13 minutes, until bread is crispy and cheese is melted.

Serve with another type of flatbread pizza for a variety or with your favorite side salad.

Short Ribs

This is one of three dinners that I used with these short ribs. For this dish, they are tasty over rice or egg noodles.

3 lbs short ribs
Few Tbsp of flour
Oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Parsley seasoning
Red wine
Beef broth
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season ribs with salt, pepper and garlic parsley seasoning. Coat in flour.

In a large pan, which you are able to transfer to the oven, heat oil over med-high heat. Add ribs and brown on all sides. Add half wine and half beef broth to cover about half way up the ribs. Bring to a boil then turn off heat. Add garlic, onion, celery and carrots. Cover with lid or aluminum foil and roast for 2 1/2 hours.

Serve ribs with rice and steamed asparagus.

Hazelnut Chicken

4 thin chicken filets

1 cup toasted hazel nuts, finely chopped

¾ cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
Garlic and Parsley seasoning
Salt
Pepper
Vegetable Oil

Cheese Sauce
½ packet of Alfredo sauce
¼ cup milk
2 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
Pepper

Prepare bowls in the following order: flour, eggs and hazelnuts. Season chicken with garlic, salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg and lastly coat in nuts.

In a large frying pan, heat ½ inch of oil over med-high heat. When oil starts to ripple, add chicken and cook until nuts turn golden brown. Flip chicken and cook until no longer pink in the middle. Set cooked chicken on a paper towel lined plate; set aside.

In a small sauce pan, combine Alfredo sauce and milk. Bring to a boil and then turn heat low and simmer. Mix in cheese and season with pepper to taste.

Serve chicken drizzled with cheese sauce and a side of potatoes.

Split Pea and Ham Soup

2 cups (1 lb) dried green peas
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
½ onion, chopped
6 oz Farmer John ham, diced
Salt
Pepper
EVOO

In a large pot, combine peas and broth; bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and cook on low for 45 minutes or until peas are soft.

In a small sauce pan, sauté onion and garlic in a little EVOO until translucent. Add to a blender for later. In the same pan, brown cubed ham; set aside.

Add cooked peas to the blender with onion and garlic; puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pour soup into a bowl and sprinkle with browned ham. Serve with toasted bread rubbed with garlic.

To make, brush sliced rustic bread slices with EVOO. Toast and when the bread is crispy rub with raw garlic. Probably not a first date food, but so good, especially when used to dip in soup!

Everything Bars

2 cups crushed graham cookies
1 stick of butter, melted
1-14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
6 oz white chocolate chips
¾ cup dried cranberries
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine cookies and butter. Press crumb mixture on the bottom of a 13” x 9” pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk over crumbs. Top with chocolate chips, cranberries, coconut and nuts.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until coconut is lightly toasted brown. Chill at room temperature and cut into bars.

Baked Chicken Florentine

2 chicken breasts

2 slices of provolone cheese

1 handful of fresh baby spinach
A few slices of jarred roasted red pepper
2 slices of hickory smoked bacon
Jalapeno slices (optional)
Salt and pepper

Cut a pocket in each chicken breast. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff each chicken with cheese, spinach, red pepper and jalapeno (optional). Top with bacon. Secure opening with toothpicks, if necessary. Place in casserole dish.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Remove chicken from oven; remove bacon and bake alone for an additional 5 minutes, until crispy. Chop bacon and crumble over baked chicken.

Serve with potatoes or pasta.

Steamed Artichoke with Garlic Mayo

1 large artichoke

2 Tbsp mayo

1 small garlic clove, grated
1 tsp minced capers
1 squirt of lemon juice

In a small bowl filled with 1-2” of water, place artichoke top down and cover with saran wrap. Microwave for 7 minutes and let sit for 10 minutes. Leaves should easily remove when pulled.

In a small bowl, mix mayo, garlic, capers and lemon juice.

For those of you that don’t know….

To eat, scrape meaty ends of artichoke leaves with your teeth; discard the rest of the leaf. When you get to the heart, scrape out the “hair” with a knife, and enjoy the best part!

Now you know…..

The end.

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Potato

Another favorite at Spuds.

4-6 chicken tenders, cut in halves or thirds
1 egg, beaten
flour
Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil
1 large carrot, cubed
2 celery ribs, cubed
Green onion, chopped
2 large Russet potatoes
4 Tbsp sour cream
2 Tbsp Ranch dressing
1 Tbsp blue cheese crumbles
Frank's RedHot
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scrub potatoes clean, pierce holes with a fork and bake for 45 minutes.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Coat chicken tenders with flour, then egg and lastly breadcrumbs. In a large frying pan over medium high, heat oil until it starts to ripple. Fry breaded chicken until golden brown and chicken is cooked all the way through. Remove from heat and place on a plate with a paper towel, to absorb excess oil.

In a medium bowl toss fried chicken with Frank’s RedHot.

In a small bowl, mix sour cream, dressing and blue cheese.

Score baked potato; press both ends together to open up. Top with sour cream mixture, chicken, veggies and extra crumbled blue cheese.

Stuffed Pork Chops with Apples, Pecans and Rice

Stuffed Pork Chops

2 boneless pork loins, 1 inch thick

½ apple, cubed

¼ cup chopped toasted pecans
1 green onion sprig, minced
¼ cup cooked white rice (cook rice with ½ tsp minced fresh thyme)
Salt and pepper

Salad
Mixed greens
Sliced apple
Toasted pecans
Blue cheese crumbles
Vinaigrette dressing

In a small sauce pan over med-high heat, sauté apples and green onion in a little EVOO for a couple minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and toss with rice and pecans. If the stuffing seems too dry, drizzle with a little EVOO.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice pockets into each pork loin and fill with stuffing. Seal opening with toothpicks. Place on a roasting rack and bake for 25 minutes, or until center of pork is barely pink.

For salad, toss in vinaigrette and top with apples, pecans and blue cheese.

Serve stuffed pork chops with salad. Drizzle pork with extra pork juices from baking.

Vegetable Meatloaf with Herbed Smashed Potatoes and Zucchini

This was my tastiest meatloaf yet and the potatoes were amazing!

Meatloaf
1 lb beef (85/15)
1 large carrot, diced
¼ cup sliced leeks
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeno, diced
3-4 broccoli florets, chopped
1 thick slice of rustic bread, diced
Few dashes of Worchester sauce
1 egg
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
EVOO

Smashed Potatoes
2 large red potatoes
½ tsp fresh thyme
½ tsp fresh minced rosemary
1 tsp minced chives
1 tsp minced parsley
1 garlic clove, minced
EVOO
1 tsp butter
Salt & pepper

Zucchini
2 small zucchini, cubed
Extra herbs from above
EVOO
Salt & pepper

For meatloaf:
In a small pan, heat a couple drizzles of EVOO over med-high heat. Sauté carrots, leeks and garlic for about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

It says MEATloaf, but look at all these veggies!


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, mix beef, jalapeno, broccoli, bread, Worchester, egg, salt and pepper. Gently mix together with your hands, but not too much otherwise this will cause the loaf to be tough. Shape loaf into a shallow casserole, cover and bake for 35-40 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Uncover and cook for the last 5 minutes to brown the top.

Smashed potatoes:
Cut potatoes in half or thirds. Boil in salted water until tender. Drain and smash potatoes until they are twice the diameter. Drizzle a casserole dish with a little EVOO. Add potatoes to dish, brush with EVOO and sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes. Take potatoes out of oven, dot with butter and bake for another 5 minutes.

Zucchini:
Sauté zucchini over med-high heat in a little EVOO. Sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper and sauté until tender. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Girl's Night.... Asian Food!!!

The girls came over for an evening of Asian food. We started off with salted edamame, chicken and vegetable egg rolls, and tempura sweet potato, asparagus and broccoli. Our main dishes were spicy chicken over white rice and shrimp and vegetable stir-fry over noodles. We ended our feast with mango and strawberry sorbet. A great feast to share with wonderful friends!

Spicy Chicken
2 chicken breasts, sliced in bite sized pieces
2 jalapenos, remove seeds and ribs
1/3 cup of honey, microwave for a few seconds to liquefy
2 Tbsp cilantro
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp sesame oil

In a food processor, blend jalapenos, honey, cilantro, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. Add a little water if the sauce is too thick.

In a sauce pan over med-high heat, sauté chicken in oil with garlic and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. After cooked all the way through, remove chicken from pan. Sauté red peppers in same pan until tender. Add chicken back to pan; add jalapeno honey sauce and mix together to warm through.

Serve Spicy Chicken over rice.

Shrimp & Vegetable Stir-fry over Noodles
2 cups of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 large carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
½ can of sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/3 small cabbage, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp sesame oil
½ package of thin egg noodles (Mi Trung Ga), found at the Asian market
Teriyaki Sauce

Heat oil in a wok over med-high heat. Sauté vegetables, garlic, ginger in 1-2 Tbsp of teriyaki sauce; cook until tender. Remove vegetables from pan. Cook shrimp in the same pan, just until they turn pink; remove from heat.

In a pot of boiling water, cook noodles until soft; drain. Add noodles to wok with vegetables and shrimp. Toss with 1-2 Tbsp of teriyaki sauce, or more to taste.

Serve in a large bowl, family style.