Tag Archives: cooking

Shredded Pork Tacos

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This pork couldn’t be easier to prepare and it’s so flavorful. I love crock pots for this reason – set it and forget it. I haven’t made this recipe in at least a year and a half, but pork shoulder was only $1.77  a pound at Downtown Produce – dirt cheap! I love a good deal 🙂
I seasoned this the night before, wrapped it in plastic wrap and let it chill out overnight. I started it pretty early in the morning so it could cook for at least 8 hours, and shredded it with two forks once it was done. After cooking, I took out about 2 cups of the liquid just to make serving this less messy.
Verdict: So good – tender and flavorful. I served this with my taco/burrito go to “orange” rice and fresh pico de gallo. The leftovers will be even better and this makes a ton. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Pulled Pork Tacos – adapted from feasting.in
  • pork shoulder roast (mine was almost 3 pounds)
  • 4 tbsp. paprika (I used half smoked, half sweet)
  • 2 tbsp. black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. salt
  • 2 tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tbsp. cumin
  • 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp. oregano
  • 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
Directions –
1. Prep the night before – Mix up the seasoning well and liberally coat your pork roast, wrap in plastic and store in the fridge.
2. Place the roast and enough water to come up half the side of the meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Shred with two forks and enjoy with your favorite taco or burrito fixin’s.

Individual Calzone

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I’m on a mission to make sure my husband has good stuff to eat for lunch besides your basic sandwich, and this meal is a step in that direction. Unlike the giant one  I made before, this one will be meant for one person to enjoy. He requested sausage, bacon and olive (ick – I don’t like the last ingredient, but I love him so what the heck?)

These came together really easily, especially because I kept all the toppings in separate bowls. I rolled out the 8 ounce dough balls into 8 inch diameter circles and topped it with sausage, pepperoni, bacon, mushroom, tomato, cheese – not all in each though. Be sure not to roll out your dough to thin so you don’t end up with a tasty mess later. I vented the tops of each calzone and lightly coated them with olive oil for browning.

Verdict: Everyone loved these and I was reminded why I love this pizza dough recipe – it’s perfect! These will be a repeat in our house for sure. Next time, I’ll use less dough per kiddie sized calzone, probably 6 ounces instead of 8. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Mini Calzone – Mom Makes

  • 5 – 8 ounce balls of pizza dough
  • 1 cup cooked sausage
  • 2 ounces pepperoni, chopped
  • 3 strips of chopped bacon
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 4 baby Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • 1 Roma tomato, chopped
  • sauce to dip in (we used marinara)
Directions –
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Roll out your dough 8 inches in diameter, place your favorite toppings on half of the dough and leave a good 1/2″ or more empty space around the edge. Fold into a half and crimp the edges to seal well. Cut some slits to vent and lightly brush the top with olive oil if desired. Place on a Silpat-lined (or foil) cookie sheet. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully place each calzone on a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich on Rosemary Focaccia

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Quick Post: Oh, this was so good! I think this focaccia is my favorite savory bread to date, and thankfully it’s my husband’s too. The last time I made it I baked two loaves off in a 9 inch cake pans; we used one for something that I don’t remember and the other one was stashed in the freezer. I marinated chicken cutlets in my favorite marinade, grilled it, fried up some bacon, sliced a perfect avocado and Roma tomato. I sliced and toasted the focaccia, placed baby swiss on each slice, topped it with a spring mix, and the rest of the toppings. It was the perfect sandwich 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Simple Marinade for Chicken – Mom Makes

  • 2 pounds chicken breast, pounded to an even thickness (or use chicken cutlets)
  • Juice of one lemon (adding the zest would be a nice touch)
  • 4-6 TBSP olive oil (depends on how much lemon juice – more acid vs. oil will cook the chicken)
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • oregano, parsley or your other favorite herb mixture – dried or fresh
Directions –
1. Place your prepared chicken in a Ziploc bag or some other sealable container.  Combine all marinade ingredients thoroughly, and pour over top of your chicken. Place the chicken into the fridge to marinade for 1 to 5 hours.

Triple Chocolate Muffins

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Wow, it’s been a long time since my last post – sorry about that. I’m just now getting back into my old routine and for some reason five days threw me. I suppose it could have been the time change too, or just plain laziness. I will make up for it though because I have several new recipes to share with you, like this one 🙂

M really likes the jumbo chocolate muffins with chocolate chips that Sam’s Club sells, so I figured these would be a tastier, smaller and cheaper option. Yes, these aren’t exactly healthy, nor a breakfast item but I know he would appreciate something easy to grab on the way to work. These are moist, chocolatey and not too sweet – probably a perfect accompaniment  to his morning coffee. I’ll make these again soon, thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chocolate Chunk Muffins – adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles via Dorie Greenspan

  • 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
  • 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cups (9.6 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • ⅔ cup (4.67 ounces) sugar
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1¼ cups buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup semi-sweet chips or chocolate chunks
Directions –

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Alternatively, use a silicone muffin pan, which needs neither greasing nor paper cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

Melt the butter and half the chopped chocolate together in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water; or do this in a microwave. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted butter and chocolate over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough — a few lumps are better than overmixing the batter. Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin molds.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Super Nachos

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Quick Post:  This came together quickly, but I wish that I had more pepper jack to add to the queso sauce. It really could have used another cup of shredded cheese. I would also add more seasoning to the meat because that was kind of bland too. Overall, I wasn’t too impressed with this as is, but it can be easily tweaked to suit our tastes. So, it wasn’t a complete flop, but a good starting point for me to doctor up. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Super Nachos – adapted from Food Network
  • 1 large bag of tortilla chips
  • Homemade Pico de Gallo or salsa
Beef and Bean Topping –
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground sirloin
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dark chili powder
  • 1 1/2 ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper sauce, giving you medium to hot heat level
  • 1 can black or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
Cheese Sauce –
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3/4 pound pepper jack cheese, shredded, about 2 1/2 cups
Additional Toppings –
  • Sour cream
  • Chopped scallions
  • Chopped black olives
  • Diced pimento
  • Sliced avocado, dressed with lemon juice
  • Hot pepper sauces
Directions –

Arrange a mixture of 2 varieties of corn chips on a very large platter or use your broiler pan as a platter.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, onion and peppers to the pan and saute 2 minutes, then add meat and crumble with wooden spoon. Season meat with salt, chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper sauce. Cook meat 5 minutes, then stir in beans and reduce heat to low.

In a medium sauce pot, melt butter and add flour to it. Cook flour and butter 1 to 2 minutes over moderate heat, then whisk in milk. When milk comes to a bubble, stir in cheese with a wooden spoon. Remove cheese sauce from the heat.

Pour cheese sauce evenly over the massive spread of chips and top evenly with beef and beans and the pico de gallo. UBER NACHOS! Serve immediately as is or, garnish with your choice of extra toppings from the toppings list

Peach and Raspberry Crumble

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Peaches and raspberries were on sale at Publix today and I immediately thought of this yummy looking crumble that Joy shared last week. The last crumble I made was her recipe so, I trust her judgment on these things because it was so darn good. I’m not even sure if I’ll like the combination because peaches and raspberries aren’t fruits I gravitate to, but I’m always up for trying new things. Plus, I love anything with a crumb topping.

Verdict: Sweet, buttery, crumbly goodness! If you love these fruits, make this soon. Oh, and don’t forget the vanilla ice cream! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Peach and Raspberry Crumble – adapted from Joy the Baker

  • 5-6 medium ripe peaches, sliced
  • 1 cup fresh raspberries (if using frozen, just thaw and drain)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.  Place sliced peaches and raspberries in a square 8×8-inch baking dish and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, oats, spices, and salt.  Add the butter and toss the mixture together with your hands.  Break the butter up into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of small pebbles and oat flakes.  This took me about 4 minutes.

Toss a generous handful (about 1 cup) of crumble topping into the peach and raspberry mixture.  Toss loosely with your hands.  Spread fruit evenly in the pan and top with the remaining crumble mixture.  Bake until fruit is juicy and bubbling, and the top of the crumble is slightly browned and crisp, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, and serve with vanilla ice cream.  Crumble is delicious served warm and can be stored, covered, in the fridge and reheated in the oven or microwave for serving.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos and Tomatillo Salsa

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What do you do when you have lots of leftover roast chicken sitting in your fridge? You can make these for starters. I discovered this one over a year ago at Our Best Bites. They’re quick, easy and delicious and I don’t know why I haven’t shared these with you all before. These have some of my favorite flavors all rolled up in one package. I like to make my own tomatillo salsa for these because it’s so much more fresh and flavorful. It’s simple to make and always cheaper than store bought. I always omit the green onion cause M wouldn’t touch it, and I usually double this recipe because the leftovers are just as tasty.

Verdict: So good – or “yum” as my son put it. We enjoyed these with the leftover tomatillo salsa and our favorite tomato salsa. Oh, I used soft taco sized flour tortillas and we ended up with seven taquitos. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Tomatillo Salsa – Mom Makes

  • 8 to 10 small tomatillos, husked, rinsed and dried
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic with paper on
  • 1/2 small onion, paper off and cut into thirds
  • 1 jalapeno, stem cut and sliced in half from top to bottom
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 lime
  • cumin to taste
  • kosher salt to taste
Directions –
Turn on your broiler and while it’s heating, prepare your tomatillos, jalapeno, garlic and onion for roasting. Slice the tomatillos at the equator and place them on a foil lined baking sheet. Add the rest of your prepared vegetables to the baking sheet and place under the broiler – about 5 or 6 inches from the heating element. I roasted mine for about 10 minutes, but if you prefer more char on yours you can leave them in a little longer. Just keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn. Take them out and place the baking sheet on a cooling rack until they’re easier to handle. Take the paper of your garlic cloves in preparation for blending.
Using a food processor or blender, carefully place all the contents – including the juices into the work bowl. Squeeze the juice of half a lime over all, sprinkle your cumin and salt, then add your cleaned cilantro leaves. Place the lid on and pulse until your desired consistency is achieved.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos – adapted from Our Best Bites

  • 1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese
  • 1/4 C green salsa
  • 1T fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 t cumin
  • 1 t chili powder
  • 1/2 t onion powder
  • 1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
  • 3 T chopped cilantro
  • 2 T sliced green onions
  • 2 C shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 C grated pepper jack cheese
  • small flour or corn tortillas
  • cooking spray or vegetable oil
  • kosher salt (optional)
Directions –
Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.

Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or are coming unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.
Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges, and roll them up as tight as you can. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.
Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Molten Chocolate Cakes for Two

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This is a special treat for my friend and I while our husbands were playing poker next door. I figured we both deserved something extra special. I have made a lava cake before, but I wanted to try a new one that was perfect for two. I didn’t want to make any more than that cause we’d have to eat them all! 😉 Kidding – I love dessert, but treats like these are better in small amounts because they are so rich. Here’s hoping that these turn out as good as they look on the picture! Oh, and this recipe is scaled down for two, but the original recipe is for four. What’s great about that is you can make the full amount and cover the other two with plastic wrap and put them in the fridge. Use them within five days and let them sit out at room temp for 20 to 30 minutes, bake as directed and enjoy.

Verdict: These are amazing! Not too sweet and not too rich – perfect amount of chocolatey goodness. Make sure that you take these out when it still looks under cooked. You want it to look really soft in the center (the magic moment was at 8 minutes for me), just watch it carefully after 7 minutes. Let it cool for about 5 minutes before inverting onto a plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. I prefer the ice cream 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Individual Chocolate Cake – adapted from MarthaStewart.com

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • cocoa powder, for dusting molds
  • 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (* I used a combo of semi and bitter sweet chocolate)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1/8 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp all-purpose flour
  • Confectioners sugar, if desired for dusting finished cake
Directions –

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter the 2 – 4 ounce ramekins and lightly dust the inside of each with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Heat butter and chocolate in heat proof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water until chocolate is almost completely melted. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk egg, egg yolk, and sugar until light and thick. Slowly add butter mixture to mixer, add flour and mix until combined. Divide batter between ramekins. Place on a baking sheet and transfer to oven. Cook for 7 – 10 minutes – sides should be set and center soft.

BBQ Chicken & Bacon Pizza

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This is M’s fave. He loves the smoked Gouda with our fave barbecue sauce and roasted chicken combo – oh, and I can’t forget the cilantro or the bacon. I baked of some thick cut bacon for this (400 degrees for 25 minutes) and it was perfectly crispy. When I need shredded chicken, I always buy chicken breast with skin and rib bones which I then roast at 350 for 30-35 minutes. I simply season them with olive oil, kosher salt and lots of fresh cracked pepper – it’s perfect and juicy every time. This time I tried fresh mozzarella (the kind packed in water) and it was nice and creamy. I recommend letting the cut pieces dry a little on some paper towel before you put it on the pizza. I was reminded why this was his favorite, it was so good; and the flavors are wonderfully complimentary to each other, It’s a party in your mouth, people! Just try it 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza –

    • 1 – 15 ounce ball of pizza dough, I always use this recipe
    • 1/3 cup of store bought BBQ sauce, I used this
    • 1/2 cup smoked Gouda cheese
    • 3 ounces of fresh mozzarella cheese, torn
    • 1/8 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
    • 4 – 6 ounces shredded, cooked chicken – sauced with a few tablespoons of BBQ and ranch dressing – trust me on this one!
    • 3 slices of crispy bacon, sliced
    • Fresh cilantro (optional)  if you have it
    • Pizza seasoning and dried oregano (optional)

Directions –

*Preheat your oven to 475 about 15 minutes before you make your pizza. I use a pizza stone and place it on the lowest rack of my oven.

1. On a piece of parchment paper, shape the pizza dough into the desired diameter. I use a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Work from the inside out, and gradually move your hands away from the center of the dough. You could also do this with a rolling pin – I happen to love using my hands for the job. Once you’ve achieved the size you want, take a fork and poke the tines all over the surface of the dough.

2. Spread the bbq sauce all over, making sure to leave about an inch around the circumference. Next, take your torn mozzarella and place on top of the sauce. Because it’s fresh mozzarella, you can leave lots of empty space because this type of mozz melts beautifully and spreads itself nicely when heated. I love the stuff!  Add some smoked Gouda and top with your roasted chicken, bacon, more cheese, cilantro leaves and dried seasoning if desired.

3. Carefully transfer the pizza – still on its parchment paper to an upside-down sheet pan. I use it like a pizza peel to move it to the stone in the oven. Bake for about 10 minutes. Using the sheet pan again, remove the pizza from the oven and place the parchment paper and all onto a cooling rack.

Crustless Quiche and Garlic Bread

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This is what happens when I have no desire to go grocery shopping and when I have no clue what sounds good. This is a first for us all, but I have had regular quiche before…yeah – normally brunch fare, but I was out of options! I also wanted to use the other ciabatta loaf I made and a giant container of salad needs to be used up. Quiche brings life to leftover cheese, meat and veggies – it’s a fridge cleaner-outer 😉 The master recipe is really helpful because it also gives ratios of veggies, cheese and meat – you don’t want your pie dish to be too full. I used my deep dish pie plate and it worked out perfectly. For our quiche I used leftover bacon, cheddar cheese, and broccoli. I was careful with the salt because of all the cheese and bacon.

Verdict: This was so tasty – a perfect combination! I’m really happy with how it turned out and my husband didn’t disown me for making quiche for dinner. I did remind him that he likes “brinner” and he agreed. Besides, can you go wrong with bacon and cheese on anything? Not in this house you can’t. Even my picky 5 year old enjoyed eating this and my 8 year old had seconds. The garlic bread was super garlicky – take it easy on the cloves if you’re not a fan. I used five huge cloves for this and probably only 1/4 cup of olive oil. The kids enjoyed the flavor of the bread too and I am still tasting it! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Crustless Quiche Master Recipe – adapted from Food Network

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 9-inch glass or ceramic pie pan

Custard:

  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Freshly grated nutmeg
  • Pinch cayenne or paprika

Fillings:

  • 2 to 3 cups prepared vegetables, such as braised leeks, broccoli, sauteed onions, mushrooms, spinach, peppers, tomatoes
  • 4 ounces, or about 1 cup grated or crumbled cheese, such as Cheddar, goat cheese, Gruyere, Parmesan, fontina, provolone, mozzarella, Gouda, solo or combined
  • 1 to 4 tablespoons minced herbs, such as parsley, chives, tarragon, basil, dill, rosemary, marjoram
  • 3/4 cup chopped crisp bacon, diced ham or salami
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, optional, this is good to use with vegetables that release liquid during cooking, such as zucchini and spinach
Directions –

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. For the pan: Brush pan with the soft butter and sprinkle the grated Parmesan evenly on top.

Whisk the half-and-half, eggs and yolks in large glass measuring cup. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, cayenne or paprika to taste. Spread half the desired filling evenly in the pan, top with about half the cheese; repeat with remaining filling and cheese. Pour the custard over the fillings. Top with more herbs or cheese as desired.

Bake until the quiche is just set in the center, about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool completely on a rack before serving.

Garlic Bread Ingredients – adapted from King Arthur Flour

  • 1 medium head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled (about 15 medium cloves)
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • pinch (1/16 teaspoon) of salt
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • snipped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Directions –
1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the loaf lengthwise and prepare the topping by combining all ingredients but the parmesan and parsley together. Spread generously all over the bread. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle with parmesan and parsley. Cut, serve and enjoy!