Mussels de Mexico

1/3 cup diced chorizo
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 plum tomatos, seeded and diced
1 small can of chopped canned green chiles
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup of any mexican beer of your choice
2 pounds mussels, cleaned ( dicard any open ones prior to cooking, they're bad. )
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, to squeeze juice over the cooked mussels

Cook chorizo in a large saucepan over medium heat until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato, chiles, cumin salt and pepper,stirring occasionally, until the tomato begins to break down, about 3 minutes. Pour in beer, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.
Stir in mussels and return to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook just until the mussels have opened, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat (discard any unopened mussels); stir in cilantro. Serve with the sauce. This can be served as an appetizer pr meal when served with rice and some good crusty bread.

Not Your Sonic Cherry Limeade

1 part UV Cherry vodka

2 parts lemon-lime soda

1 part limeade

Pour over ice and enjoy. Repeat :)

Chicken with a round 2 feature

Yes Folks, I have returned to the blogging world. While this may be short lived my intentions to deliver delicious recipes are always in mind. This simple chicken recipe gives you the opportunity for a round 2 option later in the week. I think we all don't mind taking a break form the, "What's for dinner?" dilemma every evening. So here you go...2 meals with ease. Each meal serves 4.

Round 1: Salt & Vinegar chicken (if you love the chips, you'll love this dish)
12 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 egg
2 cups of apple cider vinegar
1 cup of vegetable oil
3 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp poultry seasoning

Whisk all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and add chicken. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees when ready to cook. Remove chicken from bowl and throw away remaining marinade. Bake in a 13x9 for 30 minutes. Drain excess fluids and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear. This can also be cooked on the grill but comes out much more tender form the oven. Serve with your favorite sides. Rice pilaf or roasted potato with veggies work great.



Round 2: Pulled chicken sandwiches
Remaining chicken, shredded
1 sliced onion
1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce

Add ingredients to crock pot and cook on low for 2 hours. Serve on buns with beans and my honey dijon slaw for the perfect meal :)

Potato Packs

I think it's rather funny that my most simple, easy potato recipe gets so many compliments. I'm sure many of you have your own version but here's mine. ( I feel silly even posting it.)

6-8 Yukon gold potatoes, washed and not peeled
season salt and black pepper to taste. ( you know me with the salt though, heavy handed but the crowd loves them!)

Place two over lapping sheets of heavy duty foil on the counter and spray with cooking spray. Slice potatoes into bite size pieces. Place in a medium mixing bowl, coat with olive oil and add season salt and pepper. Mix together and put them on the foil. make a foil pouch/packet and grill for 40 minutes. Wow, that one was a tough one :) and no I don't have any pics of them since I never thought they were worthy :(  Maybe next time!

Black Bean Soup

1 lb. black beans, rinse well and place in a large bowl, cover with water and soak over night.
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped ( save some for garnish )
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 jalapeno, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. cumin
4 cups of water
2 cups of brewed coffee
1 ham hock
2-3 bay leaves
sea salt and pepper to taste
sour cream ( at least 6 Tbsp.) and cilantro for garnish
Heat oil in soup pot over medium high-heat. Add onions (except some for the garnish), bell pepper, celery, jalapeno, and garlic. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Add cumin and cook for 1 more minute. Pour in water, drained beans, coffee and add ham hock. Stir and add bay leaves. Skim off nay foam from the beans from the top. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper. Puree half of the soup in a blender and return to the pot. Trim the meat from the ham hock and stir back into the soup. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, onion and cilantro for garnish. Great fall dish to warm your belly!

Onion Frittata

8 extra large eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan
4 large basil leaves, torn
3 sage leaves, minced
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground oregano
black pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion, I like Vadalia
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk first eight ingredients in a medium size bowl. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft. reduce heat to low and stir in egg mixture. Spoon dollops of ricotta evenly on top of the mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then place into the oven for an additional 8-10 minutes. Cut into pie wedges and serve.

Sunny Maria

2 lbs. chopped yellow tomatoes
4 jarred pepperoncini as well as 1/4 pickling juice.
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup citrus vodka, chilled

Puree tomatoes in a food processor and strain in cheese cloth over a glass bowl. Press the solids through the cloth until you have about 2 cups of liquid. Chill for 2 hours. Stir together tomato juice, vodka, pickling juice, and lemon juice. Pour into 4 glasses over ice and serve with a pepperoncnini for garnish.

Zucchini Salad

1 medium zucchini cut into 1/2 in. cubes
3/4 cup of feta cheese
1/4 small red onion, sliced thin
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. dill sprigs
1/4 tsp. ground oregano
sea salt & pepper to taste

Zucchini Bundt Cake with Orange Glaze

For the cake:

2 medium zucchinis
3large eggs
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups of flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. of grated orange zest
1 Tbsp. orange juice
a pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Grate zucchini on the large holes of your box grater. Squeeze zucchini dry in kitchen towels. Stir together eggs and sugar and then add melted butter, zucchini, orange zest and juice. Add flour mixture. Spray bundt pan with cooking spray and add batter. Bake for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Place cake onto a wire rack and cool before topping with glaze.

For the Glaze:
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
3 Tbsp. of orange juice, more can be used if needs thinning.
Whisk all ingredients and pour over the cake when cooled.

Key Lime Cookies

Key Lime White Chocolate Chip Cookies from Betty Crocker


Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cups packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2 1/3 cups Original Bisquik

6 oz white chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon lime zest (but I would up this to 1 1/2 or even 2 tablespoons

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice



Preheat to 350ºF. Beat butter, sugars, vanilla and egg with electric mixer until well mixed. Stir in Bisquick mix. Stir in lime juice, white chocolate chunks and lime peel.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set but not brown. Cool 1 minute; slide parchment from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Farfalle with Shrimp in a lemon, butter, white wine sauce

1 lb. farfalle, cook according to pkg. directions
1 pound of raw deveined, cleaned shrimp...tails can be on or off
1 pint of sweet yellow cherry tomatoes
4 green onions, chopped
1 stick of butter
juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup olive oil, extra light (allows for a higher cooking temp)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 turns of the pan of your favorite white wine. If you wouldn't drink it...then don't cook with it :)

Cook pasta and drain. In a deep skillet melt butter over medium heat. I add the oil as the butter melts to prevent it burning. Add in minced garlic and sautee for 2-3 minutes. Next turn up your heat to medium high and add the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper then add wine. cook for 10 minutes so the shrimp is cooked through and sauce reduce. Stir in lemon juice and add pasta to the shrimp and sauce. Toss well and serve.

Spinach and artichoke dip

1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

1 cup refrigerated alfredo sauce

8 ounces of softened cream cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Spoon into 9-inch quiche dish or pie plate. Bake for 20 min. or until lightly browned. Serve with crackers, pita chips, or tortilla chips. You can also sprinkle with an additional 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan before baking.

Egg rolls

1 pkg. of egg roll wrappers
1 bag of shredded slaw
1 1/2 lbs. chicken, can use left overs from a roasted chicken or grilled.
3 Tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. mustard seed
black pepper to taste
1 egg, whisked
vegetable oil


Mix togther slaw, chicken, honey, soy sauce, mustard seed and pepper. Whisk egg and set aside. In a deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 -2 inches of oil over medium high heat. Place approx. 1/2 a cup of mixture onto the egg roll wrapper. Wrap like a burrito, folding 2 ends toward each other and then roll. Before sealing, brush the edge with egg wash and seal. The size of my egg rolls yields a dozen. Cook 4 at a time in the oil, about 30 seconds each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towls and then serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Sweet and savory beef ribs

1 rack of beef ribs
4 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp. season salt
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1 cup of your favorite bbq sauce.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray heavy duty foil (enough to completely wrap ribs) with cooking spray. Place ribs on the foil and coat both sides with vinegar and all spices, starting with the vinegar. Rub into the ribs and cover tightly. Place wrapped ribs on to a rimmed baking sheet. Place ribs into the oven and cook for 30 min. Then reduce heat to 290 and continue cooking for 3 1/2 hours. Remove ribs from oven, open foil pouch and brush bbq sauce on both sides of the ribs. Close foil and return to oven for an additional 30 minutes.

Pork steak with apples and onions

2 pork steaks, sliced shoulder about 3/4 in. thick
2 garlic cloves, minced
1tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp of cayenne, less depending on your heat level
1 granny smith sliced into rounds
1 vadalia onion sliced into rounds
2 cups of apple juice

Season pork with garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne. Sear in a cast iron skillet for 3-4 min each side over medium high heat. Next add apples, onion and juice. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Great with mashed potatoes!

Pepperjack Corn Dip

2 cans of corn, drained
1 lb. of pepperjack cheese, shredded
3-4 green onions finely sliced
1 1/2 cup light mayo
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium sixe mixing bowl. Serve with Tostito's Hint of Lime tortilla chips. This makes quite a large portion so share with friends or when you have a crowd over.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and remove any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt and serve immediately. I like to top mine with shaved parmesan as well.

Turkey Brine

For the ultimate, juicy turkey try using a brine this year. Soak your bird 24 hours prior to roasting in a large stock pot. Keep in the frige until you are ready to place your bird in the oven. I will post another recipe with the aromatics and seasoning that I use.

 7 quarts (28 cups) water

 1 1/2 cups coarse salt

 6 bay leaves

 2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds

 1 tablespoon dried juniper berries

 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns

 6 sprigs of rosemary

 1 teaspoon black or brown mustard seeds

1 bottle of Riesling

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1 bunch fresh thyme

1 whole turkey (18 to 20 pounds) Be sure that your turkey is completely thawed before soaking in the brine.

Jumbo Banana Cranberry Muffins

 2 ¼ cups flour

 1 tablespoon baking powder

 ½ teaspoon baking soda

 ½ teaspoon salt

 1 cup of craisins

 2 ¼ cups ripe mashed bananas

 ½ cup sugar

 ½ cup sour cream (not low fat)

 ¼ cup vegetable oil

 3 large egg yolks

 1 teaspoon vanilla


Preheat oven to 400 degrees

1. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl.

2. In another bowl, mix the mashed banana, sugar, sour cream, vegetable oil,

egg yolks and vanilla together.

3. Add wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until the ingredients are mixed well.

4. Fold in the craisins

Spray a jumbo muffin tin with Pam. Fill the well greased tins nearly full. The batter is enough for six jumbo muffins.
Bake for 8 minutes at 400degrees. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 14 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let muffins sit for 5 minutes and remove from pan to rack to cool.

Some tips….

 Don’t be afraid to fill the tins almost to the top. They need to be almost full so they get a nice dome on top.

 The time to cook will depend on your oven. I have never seen two ovens that cook alike!

 When the muffins cool, I wrap them in saran wrap and put them in a zip lock bag in the freezer. They freeze well, and only take a few seconds to defrost in the microwave.

 Hope you like them, my husband is not a big muffin fan and he loves them.

(recipe from my mom, Barbara)

Cranberry Scones

So sure enough, as soon as "recipe writer's block" sets in...Mom comes through! My mom is a wonderful cook and has shared several of her recipes with me. The bonus to all this, my mom also possesses the gift of baking in which I slack a bit in that department :)  Thanks mom for having that special knack of  knowing just when I need you....ALWAYS!

 3 cups flour

 1/3 cup sugar

 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

 1 teaspoon salt

 ½ teaspoon baking soda

 1 tablespoon grated orange peel

1 ½ sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces

 1 cup chilled buttermilk

 ¾ cup craisins

 ¼ cup or less of sugar crystals


Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line baking sheet with parchment paper

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda into a large bowl

Mix in orange peel

Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal

Mix in craisins

Gradually add buttermilk, tossing with fork until moist clumps form


Turn dough onto lightly floured surface

Knead briefly to bind dough, about 4 turns

Form dough into 1 inch thick round

Cut into 8 wedges

Transfer wedges to baking sheet

Sprinkle sugar on scones

Bake until tops of scones are lightly brown, about 18-24 minutes

Let the scones cool on a rack


Tips…
 I use the large clear sugar crystals you find in the baking isle

 I mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and then sift them

 The scones freeze well, just wrap in saran wrap, and place in a zip lock bag

 This recipe makes 8 large scones, they are very simple to make and look like you bought them in a fancy bakery

 Keep an eye on them in the oven as oven temperatures vary, mine are usully done in 18 minutes.

(recipe from my mom)