Simple Beef "Stir-Fry"

Easy is a great way to describe this dish... very easy. I usually create these dishes when I draw a blank & have no idea what to make... for the most part they work out. Sometimes the simple, is very delicious.

RECIPE:

1 1/2 lb. of Beef Flap Meat (sliced lengthwise)

1 large green bell pepper (thinly sliced)

3 Green Onions (scallions) chopped

3-4 Cloves of garlic (minced)

Teriaki sauce to taste

Salt & Pepper

Heat up a large skillet... till very Hot!! Add a small amount of oil & saute meat, after 2 min add in garlic & continue to cook until meat starts to brown (6 mins more).

Add in Teriyaki sauce & combine...

Add in Bell peppers & scallions & combine ( cook for 1min)..

Veggies should be crisp & bright green & meat still juice.

* For an extra kick.. add in chopped Serrano Peppers.. & serve with white or brown rice. YUM!

ENJOY!!

Chilaquiles (Fried tortilla w/ Red Chile Sauce)

If I could make these everyday.... would I? Heck YES!

My significant other & I argue about which way is the "right" way to make these... of course I say I'm right. His way: scramble eggs into the finally product... yes its delish but that isn't called chilaquiles, it would then be called chilaquiles con huevo!!! Anyhow... Lets talk business.

RECIPE:

5-6 dried pasilla chile's (Roasted over a flame until char)

1 small garlic clove

1 thin slice of onion

1/2 Tb salt

1/2 cup of water

splash of milk (mom's way)

Add ingredients into the blender & puree for a while until very smooth.

Heat up oil in a small pot & add 1 Tb of flour.. Mix until bubbles..

*** Thickness of sauce should coat a spoon!

Grab a fine mesh strainer & pour in sauce in batches.. Gently tap on the edge of the strainer to allow sauce to flow thru... & Mix in with flour.

Heat sauce thru until gently begins to simmer & its ready! Taste & adjust seasonings accordingly.

At this point Congratulate yourself if its spicy but tasty... because you have also just made the most basic RED Enchilada sauce! YAY!! (Can be used on cheese, chicken, beef enchiladas) Your Welcome ;)

Cut in whatever shape you prefer & fry your tortillas up... drain & pour in some sauce until its saucy enough for you & add some cheese & maybe some diced or sliced onion..

 Or go a set further & saute your onion & then pour the sauce... garnish with cilantro!

Don't forget your eggs!

ENJOY!!

Roasted Cornish Hens

RECIPE:

2 Cornish hens cut in half (faster cooking time)

2Tb of Butter

1 Tb seasoning salt

1/2 Tb garlic salt

pepper

Total cooking time: 1hour, 15mins.

Pre-Heat oven @ 350..

Oil a oven safe pan/ tray and season both sides on the hens... arrange & place 1/2 tb of butter on each, cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 mins.

After 30 mins. turn Hens upside down, cover & continue to cook.

 (this allows the breast to absorb all the juices released)

After 30 mins... Flip hens back to right side up & cook UN-COVERED for the last 15 mins. to brown. After remove from oven, allow to cool & serve!

* I have left these whole & roasted for a longer period without flipping & there's a chance they can dry out.. So I tried this method & it worked!

ENJOY!!

EASY night!

Ever walked through Trader Joe's freeze section & gazed into all the pre-packed products available...? Well ever had a busy night were you have absolutely no idea what to feed your family? 

Problem solved!!

Pick up one of these & you'll have a meal in minutes.. I try to keep these on hand.

For the Shrimp Stir-Fry:

 1 Package

1 used (an additional 1/2 a pound of frozen shrimp & some soy sauce for flavor) Add in the shrimp & cook until pink... Why more shrimp? So I have enough to feed 3 1/2.. (2 of these packs would feed 4)

I also cooked some white rice on the side to complete the meal.

This may not be homemade... BUT it's a lifesaver indeed! Us mom's need a break too!

ENJOY!

Herbed Shrimp & Penne

Please excuse my lack of blogging... December is an extremely busy month for me or for us ALL I'm sure. With shopping, holiday prep, birthday planning & work... all my photo's remain in my phone waiting to be uploaded.. I will try & play catch up. I kinda made this recipe up, it was good & easy. Hope you try it!

1 lb. Raw (peeled & cleaned) Shrimp

1 lb Penne Pasta

5-6 cloves of garlic

Your 4 favorite herbs!

Extra Virgin Olive oil

Parmesan cheese

Squeeze of Lemon juice or splash of White wine

Blend herbs, garlic & olive oil in a processor or blender until smooth, set aside.

Cook pasta accordingly & set aside.... REMEMBER reserve 3/4 cup of pasta cooking water.

Heat up a large skillet that will accommodate all ingredients at the end. Add 1 TB of oil & begin cooking shrimp.

 When shrimp begin to slightly turn pink add in "pesto" (herb)

& finish cooking until all shrimp are pink. 

About 2 to 3 minutes more... don't over cook the shrimp.

Add pasta into the skillet & reserved pasta water, combine all ingredients together & top with Parmesan cheese.... However much your heart desires.

Serve Immediately &

ENJOY!!

Crescent Rolls w/ Ham & Cheese

When your brain shuts down, dinner is waiting 'for you to make', kids hungry.... This is your break! Tasty alternative... Doesn't have to be a feast every night, were human! I'm going to post my go-to easy recipes in the following post to come... hope you enjoy!

RECIPE:1 can Crescent roll

Your favorite cheese sliced

Deli Ham or Turkey

Cooking Spray

Preheat oven @ 350 degrees. Unroll the crescent rolls, place a slice of ham & slice of cheese. Fold over edges & roll up. Pinch tight any open edges.

Spray baking sheet & aline rolls... Bake for 12 mins. or until golden.

Remove & allow to cool completely!! Only Con... I used Pillsbury & it was on the verge of being somewhat salty... might try a different brand next time.

ENJOY!

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

Pumpkin Roll with Cream cheese filling:

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/32372/LIBBYS-Pumpkin-Roll/detail.aspx

Another Thanksgiving Dessert... or your next Christmas dessert!

PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

COOKING TIP:Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

I rolled it with the cream cheese filling inside...

Now I cut the edges off...



Sprinkled with Powdered sugar....





OK!!! Let's talk mistakes!

1. My baking sheet pan was to large... so I had less filling to spread!

2. I added almost triple the amount of pumpkin puree the recipe called for... by accident! hahaha! This could have turned into a disaster roll.. but it rolled (most importantly).

Outcome: Due to my mistakes... it did not come out as "PRETTY" as I hoped! But it was really really delicious! When the recipe says (intermediate) they mean it... BUT, its wasn't that hard..

 just follow instructions!

* I promise if you make this correctly... it's sure to impress! ;)

ENJOY!

Slow-Cooked Pork Tacos

I made these tacos over the summer... & I've been dying to share!

 If you are familiar w/ "Barbacoa" (mexican meat dish) This pork has a very similar flavor... very Yummy!

RECIPE:

5-6 Whole Pasilla chiles

4 garlic cloves (peeled)

1/2 medium onion

3 Tb oil

1 TB honey

1 Tb Cider Vinegar

2 tsp Dried oregano

3 3/4 Cups (low sodium) Chicken stock

1 Bay Leave / 1 Cinnamon Stick

3-4 lbs. Pork lion (untrimmed)

1. Put pasilla chiles & garlic in a bowl.. microwave for 2 mins. (Stem & seed). Transfer to of oil to a blender.

2. Add onion, olive oil, honey, vinegar, salt & oregano .... Puree until smooth!

3. Add 1 Tbsp a large skillet & heat over high heat, add chile sauce & fry until thick. (about 8mins)

4. Add chicken broth & reduce heat.

5. Season pork all over with salt & pepper.. chuck into large chunks -- add to your slow cooker!

6. Add bay leaf & cinnamon stick & pour in sauce.

Cook for 5 hours or until tender... or Cook in the oven for 1 hour @ 350 degrees covered, then uncovered for 30 mins more. Remove from slow cooker or oven & shred pork with a fork. Warm up tortillas & make TACOS!!

Suggested Toppings: Cilantro, purple cabbage, limes, queso fresco, sliced onion... etc.

Here's the link & a WAYYY better picture! Ha!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/slow-cooker-pork-tacos-recipe/index.html

ENJOY!!

Homemade Pumpkin Pie

RECIPE:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 large eggs

1 can (15 oz.) Pure Pumpkin

1 can (12 fl. oz.)  Evaporated milk

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shell.

 Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. (These instructions are from the Libby's Pure Pumpkin can) Here's a link:
http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/18470/LIBBYS-Famous-Pumpkin-Pie/detail.aspx

Nothing tricky here... making these pies are very easy! I'm somewhat late, but give these a try!

The holidays have just begun :)

Pesto Pasta Salad w/ Roasted Chicken

This pasta dish is great for large groups & parties. I made this more a special birthday party.. doubled the recipe. Tip: cook the pasta the night before & store in the refrigerator in a zip-lock bag. Assemble the day of. I believe this is Ina Garden's recipe (Barefoot Contessa) minus the roasted chicken part.. or maybe Giada's.. I forget! I first made this recipe for our Superbowl party earlier this year & everyone loved it. The roasted chicken really made it more filling.. use your favorite kind.

RECIPE:

1 Whole Roasted Chicken (store bought) shredded

1 lb. of Bow-tie pasta

1 small container of basil pesto

1/2 lb of Feta cheese (crumbled)

1 small container of Cherry Tomatoes (halved)

Oil Olive & Pepper

Thinly sliced red onion *optional

In a large pot bring water to boil & cook pasta accordingly..

Menawhile, shred the chicken & set aside.

Place cooked pasta in a large bowl to cool completely..

Once pasta is cool to the touch, pour in pesto & about 4 tbsp of Olive oil ... Mix well until fully incorporated. Add chicken & incorporate into the pasta & pesto.. stir around a bit.

 Slice tomatoes in half and add in, crumble feta over top & lightly incorporate or all the tomatoes will sink to the bottom. Add some fresh cracked pepper to the top & done! (If the pasta looks dry, add in more Olive oil... because it will dry out even more).

ENJOY!

Reese, Oreo, Mini Cheesecake goodness..

MINI CHEESECAKE PIES

When I came across this recipe for Mini Cheesecakes, I was instantly sold! I made these exactly like Bakerella's recipe. Except.... like the amateur baker that I am, I left the paper liner in the aluminum cupcake holders.. Opps! (They would have looked fancier without the paper liner, of course)

Click the link below for a step by step!

http://www.bakerella.com/super-easy-mini-cherry-cheesecakes/

I broke up the waffers b/c my liners weren't 2 inches... opps again!

Gorgeous right!!! So delicious & easy!

REESE CUPCAKES

These Reese Peanut butter cupcakes are inspired from the photo she has in the link below, I later found the link to the actual recipe! Still Delish! I used a box of Devils Cake, stuck one whole Reese cup before baking, then baked accordingly.

http://www.bakerella.com/got-milk-i-hope-so%e2%80%a6/

Allow to cool completely.. I made a chocolate glaze instead of the chocolate frosting. 

Why? Much easier.. Mix milk with powered sugar & add a Tablespoon of Cocoa powder! Done!

Top with crumbled Reese cups! YUM! Very nice presentation.. Thanks Bakerella! 

OREO CUPCAKES

Oreo Cupcakes.. as I like to call them! Bakerella calls these the "Cookies n' Cream cupcakes".. Again I used a box of devils food cake mix.. Mixed accordingly! Crack 1 Oreo into 4 pieces & add 3 of those into each cup... Now Bake!

Click below for Bakerella's step by step!

http://www.bakerella.com/cookies-and-cream-cupcakes/

Ugh! Can't take it.. they are gorgeous even without frosting!

For the frosting, I cheated again! (Hey, cut me some slack.. I made the cake from scratch) Next time when I choose one cupcake recipe to bake .. I'll make it from scratch or NOT! hahaha

Use 1 Can of Vanilla frosting.. in a large ziplock bag add 10 or so Oreo's.. Smash into crumbs! Mix into the frosting & Done! I know you love my short cuts! ;)

THE CAKE

Now for the Cake! I just had to make him a cake... he was turning 25 afterall! And yes I LOVE him to death! I used Martha Steward's Ultimate Chocolate cake recipe... followed it to the core! For the frosting I used her Ultimate Chocolate Frosting recipe, delish! I filled the middle layers with leftover Oreo frosting & garnished with halved Oreo's along the sides... Topped with more OREO crumbs! He & I are OREO cookie's biggest Fans.. I'm seriously!

http://www.marthastewart.com/337711/ultimate-chocolate-cake

http://www.marthastewart.com/318413/ultimate-chocolate-frosting

Sophi giving me a hand!

Finished product... Don't judge my decorating skills... I'm an amateur at this!



 The End.. This is what my week was consumed by <3

ENJOY!!