Tex-mex Beef with Cornbread Topping

Want an easy, affordable way to turn boring old ground beef into something AWESOME???  Then you should give this a shot.  Comes together quickly and feeds plenty.  It goes like this...

Ingredients:

Beef filling

1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 onions, diced (red or white)
1 bell pepper, diced (I used orange, they are a little sweeter)
3 cloves garlic, you guessed it, diced
1/2 bag frozen vegetable medley (mine was corn, carrots, peas and green beans)
1 to 2 cups cooked black beans, or 1 can, drained
1 cup cheddar cheese

Sauce for filling

1/3 cup ketchup
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon BBQ sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried cilantro


Cornbread topping

2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup melted butter or vegetable oil (both work)
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar (or less if you don't like it kinda sweet)
1 egg
1 1/2 cup milk or buttermilk, mixture should be on the thick side...

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Start by browning the beef.  Once cooked, remove from pan and set aside, drain the fat from the pan.   Cook down the onion and pepper in the same pan.

While waiting for the onions and peppers, it is the perfect time to make the sauce.  Just mix all sauce ingredients together.

 Add garlic once the onions have become translucent; cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Add the ground beef back to the pan.  Then add the sauce, 1/2 bag frozen veggies and beans.  Stir until combined.  Throw mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.  Top with cheddar cheese.

Combine cornbread mixture, or even premixed corn muffin mix you have on hand and pour evenly over the top of the meat.

Cook for approximately 20 to 30 minutes until topping is cooked through.  Let cook for about 10 minutes and then enjoy!!!

New England Cranberry Duff

I bought fresh cranberries already.  When I took them out of the package at home, I asked myself why.  Why did I buy them when Thanksgiving was two weeks away?!  That meant I had to find something to do with them so  I looked through some of Martha's recipes and came across this New England Cranberry Duff.  Sounded good to me!  It's the prefect recipe to put your own twist on.  I love that kind.  Here is my version.

So pretty, and so very yummy!

Adapted from Martha Stewart's New England Cranberry Duff



Ingredients:

Cranberry-Pecan topping

1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
Zest of one lime (you could use orange or lemon as well)
1/3 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves

Batter

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tsp Grand Marnier
1 tablespoon lime juice (again orange or lemon would suffice)
1 cup flour
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heavily grease a 9x9 in baking dish with butter.  Mix sugar with cinnamon and cloves.  Lay down cranberries, zest and pecans in the baking dish and evenly pour the sugar on top.

Beat the eggs and sugar on high with a whisk attachment for about a minute or until it becomes light in color.  Add in Grand Marnier and lime juice.  Whisk for a few seconds.  Add in flour and leave mixer on a medium-low speed.  Add the butter slowly and mix until incorporated.

Pour batter on top of the cranberry pecan mixture and place in the oven for approximately 45 minutes or until browned.

Let cool on a rack and run knife around the edge after 5 minutes. Turn onto another plate after 15 minutes.  If you let it cool completely, you may have a problem with it sticking to the dish.

P.S.  This is the perfect desert for Thanksgiving!  Not too sweet, just right with a cup of coffee and a nice change from the ordinary.

The cake is so buttery!  Ugh, I could eat the whole thing myself.  

Whole Wheat Carrot Chocolate Chip Cookies

I figured that if I was going to bake often, at least some of the recipes should be somewhat healthy.  Especially since my 14 month old loves anything that comes out of the oven.  This recipe is perfect.  You are still using butter and sugar, but it is a whole grain cookie made with whole wheat flour and oats.  Plus the addition of a veggie.  Can't beat that!  The only thing I would add the next time around??? PECANS. That would make this the perfect cookie.

Whole Wheat Carrot Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Mad Hungry

I always use King Arthur. This
flour does not disappoint!

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon course salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon water
2 cups oat (I used organic instant oats, I am sure rolled would work well too)
1 3/4 cup carrots, from about 2 carrots
12 ounce bag chocolate chips (or more if you'd like!)

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Whisk to combine. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Add the egg, vanilla and water. Beat on low speed until well incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed to combine. Add the oats, carrot, and chocolate chips. Mix on low speed until combined.

Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Using a tablespoon measure, scoop rounded spoonfuls of the dough and roll between your palms to make a round ball. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool on a cooling rack.

Casarecce with Creamy Balsamic Sauce, Broccoli Rabe and Sausage

I am going to start by stating the obvious.  If you don't like the strong flavors of broccoli rabe or balsamic vinegar, DO NOT MAKE THIS.   I came up with this cause I was craving pasta but didn't want tomato, vodka, olive oil, béchamel, or alfredo sauce.  I wanted something lighter just to coat the pasta and accent the flavors of the dish.  So I thought balsamic vinegar.  Then I thought, how can I make that into a pasta sauce?  This is the result.

Sauce

1/2 cup, with additional 1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup mayo (I know, I know...you don't taste it at the end.  It gives the sauce some body)
2 tablespoons mustard
heavy pinch red pepper flake
good healthy drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

You start by adding the 1/2 onion, kosher salt and red pepper flakes to a sauce pan and allow to cook until softened, approximately 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for an additional minute.   Once cooked down, add 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and let cook until it has reduced by half.  The sauce will thicken up quite a bit.   Add 1/2 cup mayo and whisk together.  Then add 2 tablespoons mustard.  Don't panic cause the sauce is thick... Remove from heat and add to a separate dish.  Then whisk in the extra 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.  Sauce is finished, set aside. 

Sausage
8 hot or sweet italian sausages

Take that same pan and begin to brown sausages on each side.  Once browned, add to a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until done all the way through.

Broccoli Rabe
2 cloves garlic
olive oil

Par-boil broccoli rabe for about 1 minute until it turns vibrant green.  Remove from water and add to pan with 2 cloves chopped garlic, heavy pinch of salt and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.  Let sit over low heat.


Pasta

Cook your choice of pasta (I looooooove this Casarecce).   Drain.








To finish, add the pasta, broccoli rabe and its liquid from the pan (not the water from the pot!), and the sausage to the pasta pot.  Add the balsamic sauce slowly, making sure to taste along the way, until it reaches the sauce to pasta ratio you like most.  Top with some parmesan and you are good to go!

Without sauce

With sauce...mmmmm. 

Thai Inspired Chicken and Rice Noodles with PEANUT SAUCE

This sauce, I could eat by itself.   I LOVE IT!  For this recipe, I pan sear chicken and add a little sauce before cooking it, until completely done, in the oven.  But don't limit yourself to just chicken...You can use the sauce as a dipping sauce for Thai chicken rolls (that recipe coming soon) or even beef, pork or chicken satay .  Even more simple, why not just add the sauce to some rice noodles for an easy, quick dinner.  Garnish with grated carrots, chopped scallions and cabbage and you have a healthy, light, and satisfying meal. 

Veggies can be so pretty

Very good just like this!!!

Bowl or plate will work =)

Peanut Sauce
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter (I used Whole Foods which had no sugar in it)
3-5 tablespoons soy sauce depending on how salty you like it
3 tsp hoisin sauce
4 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 lime, juiced
4-6 tablespoons sugar (Or less if you use regular peanut butter that is sweetened, check as you add it to make sure you don't over sweeten)
1 clove garlic, grated
1 small chunk of ginger, grated (probably about 1 to 2 tsp)
1 green onion, diced
Pinch of red pepper flake or cayenne pepper (I used more cause I like lots of heat)

Combine and let rest so the ingredients can mix and do their thing.

Pan-seared Chicken Thighs

For this recipe I use skin on, bone in chicken thighs because I love their flavor.  I just sprinkled on some kosher salt, red pepper flake, garlic powder and onion powder to taste (I am not always big on measurements!) then put skin side down on a heated pan with vegetable oil in it.  After browning the one side for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, turn them and add some peanut sauce, enough to coat the skin side.   Then place in it the oven, preheated to 350 degrees.  Let them cook for around 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the thighs.

While the chicken is cooking in the oven,  boil some water and add some rice noodles.  They cook in about 8-10 minutes.  Make sure to follow the directions on the package.

To put it together, add noodles and a small bunch of thinly sliced purple cabbage to a bowl and pour some peanut sauce over  same.  I then add the chicken thigh and then add more sauce and garnish with some green onion.   That's it!  Let's hope you have some peanut sauce leftover for those extra rice or soba noodles you have hanging around.   =)  

Apple Crumb Pie

I hate myself for making this.  My husband, Logan and I almost ate the entire pie and I made it last night.  Gross.  Well, this is the second time I made my own crust.  Martha Stewart's Pate Brise.  My first attempt did not turn out so well.  It's not hard, you just have to follow directions and make sure NOT to OVER MIX.  I did the first time and the crust turned out tough and just downright disappointing.  This time it was better, but I can still improve.

Pate Brise (slightly modified from Martha Stewart's version)

2 sticks butter, cut into small cubes and frozen
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup ICE water


Add flour, salt and sugar to food processor.  Blend for a few seconds until aerated and mixed thoroughly.  Add frozen butter cubes and process for about 10 seconds, until large crumbs form.

Add water while pulsing the mixture until it resembles wet sand.  Test by pinching together between fingers. If it holds, it is done.  You want to see little butter pieces throughout the dough.  This will make it flaky and goooooood.  Make sure you DO NOT MIX LONGER THAN 30 SECONDS!!!!

Split into two and form discs.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge.  Allow to cool.  When ready to make the pie,  take out of fridge and lightly flour a cool, flat surface.  Roll out until large enough for a 9 inch pie pan.  Transfer from surface to pan by rolling it loosely around the rolling pin and then unrolling onto pan.   Then place into freezer until the apple and crumb parts are ready.

Apple Crump Pie 
Adapted from the all of the recipes I looked up. lol

6 apples, pealed and sliced thinly
1/2 cup four
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Add to a bowl and toss until every piece is coated.  Let sit while you make topping.

Crump topping

1 stick salted butter, melted
1/2 cup flour
1/2cup sugar
tsp cinnamon
tsp nutmeg
approximately 1/2 to 2/3 cup quick cook oats (add until the mixture becomes crumbly)

Add together, leaving the oats for last.  Mix in oats until crumbly.  

Add apples to crust and top with crumbs.  Bake at 375 degrees for around 50 to 60 minutes.  If you notice your crumb topping becoming to dark, put a piece of foil over and allow to finish baking.

LET COOL for at least two hours and enjoy!

Pretty crust.  

See the burnt edges??? Missy ran out of foil!

Can't STOP EATING!!

Guac-topped Spicy Bean Soup

I was in the mood for something spicy and something soupy.  So, voila, this is the result.

Made with only a few ingredients, this soup comes together pretty quickly and is sure to disappear at the same pace.

Ingredients:

2 slices of bacon, sliced into lardons (fancy word for strips)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 large yellow onion
1 tsp cilantro (I had dried, you can also add as much fresh as you like)
4 cloves or garlic
1 seeded jalapeno pepper
1 bag ALREADY COOKED  kidney beans (directions below) or two cans kidney beans
1 box of beef stock
Kosher salt
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp red curry
1/2 tsp paprika

You begin by adding the bacon lardons to the hot pot.  Saute until golden and the bacon renders it's fat. (Can you can smell that yummyness?)

REMOVE bacon from pan and set aside.





Add a drizzle of olive oil and allow to come up to a medium heat.  Add tomato paste and allow to brown the bottom of the pot slightly.

Add onions and spices and allow to cook down.  About 8-10 minutes.








Add jalapeno and cook for another 2 minutes.








Add garlic and let cook for an additional minute.  Add beans and their liquid if using canned, if you made your beans, add them and 1 cup of the cooking liquid.  Stir and cook for approximately 5 minutes.




Now add the stock and let simmer for as long as you please.  I would let it sit for at least a half hour.  Blend the soup with a stick blender.

Guacamole topping:

2 avocados
1/2 red onion
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
pinch chipotle pepper powder

Chop avocado, garlic and onion, then mix together with other ingredients.  That was easy.

Top your soup and enjoy!



HOW TO COOK DRIED BEANS

If you can a day ahead, you can cook some dried beans for this soup.  They are a cheaper and healthier alternative to canned.  Although, I do love the convenience of canned beans...

There is one brand that is doing canning with out BPA,  Eden Foods.

All you do is place the dried beans in a large bowl.  Add water to the top and allow to sit overnight.  

Drain and add to a pot.  Fill pot with water, covering beans, and bring to a bowl then lower to a simmer and allow to cook for approximately 2 hours.  In other words, put it on the stove and set a timer then forget about it.  I add salt and sometimes a bay leaf depending on what recipe I will be using them for.  The result is a cooked bean with more flavor, less sodium and no chemicals!!  I usually make a whole bag even if a recipe doesn't call for all of the beans.  I then freeze the rest and just add them to the next dish that calls for beans!!!!

Chemical Overload. How to prevent buying bad things for our children and ourselves.

It has been a while since my last post.  Cause?  Having no power until late last night.  Haven't been able to cook and tonight we just settled in and I am too tired to make anything.  LOL.  I am sure a lot of you have been in the same boat.  Since I spent some time out of the house, I ate some take out and a lot of Halloween candy.  Needless to say, I don't feel my best.  Probably because I was filling my body with things that aren't so great.  Preservatives, refined sugar, food coloring, etc.  

This got me thinking about what we feed ourselves and use on our bodies on a daily basis that may not be the healthiest of choices.  I came across two websites that I feel compelled to share with you.  This first one was a link from Seventh Generation's website. (I use all of their cleaning products)  I could talk forever about why you should switch from bleach and windex to vinegar and essential oil based cleaning products but this article was all about BPA.  The study showed that they are using a high level of BPA in some of the most popular canned food.  Even worse, these canned foods are sold as "kid friendly".  I have been trying my best to avoid canned goods, but I will try even harder now.  Although budget friendly, it is not so friendly to our bodies.  Please take some time to read this. 

Besides what we are putting in our bodies, we put a lot of crap on the outside.  Not putting too much thought into what those methylparabens, frangrance and sodium laureth sulfate actually do.  I was turned on to this website by a good friend and am so glad she shared it.  You can type in any product you are using and it will give it a rating.  Good, ok, dangerous and downright cancerous.  If you don't care what you are doing to yourself, please at least type in the products you are using on your children.  I have been using organic products on my son since I had him.  Call me crazy, but after reading this, I didn't want to take any chances.  Please read!  Skin Deep

Take care of yourselves and your loved ones!!!

London Broil with Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Well, it's Friday night and I wanted steak for dinner.  Problem is, the only thing I had on hand was a London Broil.  Which I've learned isn't technically a piece of meat, but a way in which to cook it.  Quickly seared, leaving the middle a nice medium rare.  Sooooooo, I decided to go with it.  I had just read an article on a friend's Facebook  page about salting and resting your steak prior to cooking it.  (Click Here to read the article, so interesting!) I figured I give it a try.  What a good idea!  It came out moist and more flavorful than usual.  I generously salted it and let it rest in the fridge for about two hours.  I gave it a good rinse, dried it off with a cloth, then seasoned appropriately.   Then I seared it on the grill outside for about 5 minutes a side with the burners at a medium high.  

While the steak was cooking, I simply coated some brussel sprouts in olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper and roasted in the oven for 15 minutes at 425 degrees.  Halfway through, I tossed them to make sure to brown both sides.  Very simple yet very effective.  Tastes great!  Not sure why people shy away from the sprouts.  

Before roasting

After.  Love the caramelization 

I am ashamed to admit that I always, no matter how good the steak, like a condiment to go along with it.  Tonight I just made a quick sauce with what I had on hand.  It goes like this:

1/4 cup mustard

1/4 cup mayo

2 garlic cloves, grated (preferably with a micro-plane)

pinch chipotle pepper 

pinch salt

pinch pepper

olive oil

All you do is mix the ingredients, leaving the olive oil for last.  Slowly whisk in olive oil until it reaches a consistency that you like.  For me, it was about another 1/4 cup.  Drizzle over steak and enjoy!!!!  

Southwestern Dirty Rice, aka, leftovers with rice!

Leftovers.  Some people love them, some hate them.  I actually love them, but I always try to switch it up.  In my fridge was some Easy Turkey Chili and  a little pulled pork leftover.  I had brown rice in my pantry and figured I could cook some up and top it with the chili and pork.  Uh huh, I mixed them together.  Before you go "ew",  just think of the flavor profiles of the two.  Both spicy, both slightly sweet, both have a little sauce to add flavor to rice.  It turned out really awesome and my husband and son ate the whole thing.  I hate wasting food, but I also hate boring leftovers.  The lesson here?  Be creative with what you have!  You'd be surprised what you come up with.