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I am out having fun visiting family right now and will get back cooking soon.   Keep checking back!

Cafe Rio Pork Burritos

Cafe Rio Pork Burritos

Pork Loin or Pork Roast

cook in crock pot on low for 7-9 hours in sauce until it pulls apart.

Sauce

18 oz Coca-Cola Classic (do not use diet or generic)

1 C. sugar

1 7 oz. can chipotle chilies in ADOBO sauce (since you use the sauce and not the chilies, it is important that you get exactly that.)

1 tsp. dry ground mustard - heaping

1 tsp. minced garlic

Remove chilies from the can of adobo sauce. Rinse chilies with the coke to get all the sauce. Discard. Also rinse can with coke to get all remaining sauce. Put all ingredients in blender. Blend, pour over pork in crock pot. After cooking, pull apart with forks into bite size piececs. Leave in sauce while you serve it.

** I also added a few tablespoons of brown sugar, a tablespoon at a time, near the end of the pork being finished. Taste test for sweetness. :) **

** I bought the green salsa that had tomatillos and serano peppers in the ingredients instead and it tasted just like the Cafe Rio mild sauce.**

Cilantro-Lime Rice

1 C. uncooked rice

1 tsp. butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (15 oz.) chicken broth (two chicken bouillon cubes with 2 cups of hot water)

1 1/4 C. water

2 Tbs. lime juice

2 tsp. granulated sugar

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, lime zest, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a biol. Cover, lower heat, and cook 15-20 min, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar, & cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice.

Black Beans

1 can black beans with jalapenos and lime juice, rinsed and drained

1 1/3 C. tomato juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

2 Tbl. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. salt

In a non-stick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice & salt. Continually stir until heated through.

Don't forget the mozzarella cheese. Put it all together in a tortilla and broil it in the oven until the cheese melts!

(I modified this recipe from Kaitlyn Lind, a good friend of mine.)

These burritos are so tasty! I haven't gotten tired of eating leftovers for 3 days and could continue to eat more.

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Cheddar Cheese
8 Flour Tortillas (burrito size)
3 Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded
1 large can (29 oz.) of Green Chile Enchilada Sauce (mild)

Place desired amount of cheddar cheese, chicken and a spoon full of enchilada sauce in each tortilla and roll the tortilla up. Place all 8 tortillas in a 13 x 9 inch sprayed baking dish. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas and spread desired amount of cheddar cheese over the top and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, until cheese is melted and tortillas are slightly crispy on top.

(I found and modified this recipe from the back of the 'El Paso Green Chile Enchilada Sauce' can).

Delightful!

Sweet Spicy Orange Chicken

Sweet Spicy Orange Chicken

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2" cubes
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1/3 cup seasoned "Red Pepper" rice vinegar (can also use regular rice vinegar to not make it spicy)
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons yellow onion or green onion
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a shallow bowl combine the cornstarch, garlic powder and black pepper. Dip each piece of chicken in cornstarch mixture and coat evenly.

Melt butter and pour in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate chicken in a single layer. Arrange chicken in pan and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine water, fresh orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, orange zest and whisk over medium heat for a few minutes. Then stir in brown sugar, ginger, garlic, and onion or green onion and let it come to a boil. Combine cornstarch with water and let it dissolve and add it to the sauce until thickened.

After chicken has baked the 30 minutes, turn each piece over and pour 1/2 sauce mixture evenly over chicken. Bake another 3o to 40 minutes basting (glazing the sauce over the chicken) frequently.

Serve chicken over rice with extra sauce on the side.

(I adapted recipe from mykitchencafe.blogspot.com)

Cooked chicken and orange sauce mixture from the oven. We loved it and enjoyed the very orange taste.

Crispy Spicy Beef

We love tasting food with contrasting flavors and this recipe is heavenly! It was very hard for us to stop eating.

CRISPY SPICY BEEF

1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 ounces flank steak, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of canola oil

4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup sliced onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

In a resealable plastic bag, combine cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Add steak slices to cornstarch mixture and shake bag to lightly coat.

Pour two tablespoons of canola oil in frying pan and drop steak slices from plastic bag into the frying pan. Cook covered until browned and crispy.

In a medium saucepan, combine soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sugar, chili powder, water, and ginger. Mix well and cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved.

In a small frying pan, add one tablespoon of canola oil and quickly saute the onion, garlic, and red pepper for 30 seconds.

Add sauce mixture and cook another 30 seconds.

Add the sauce mixture to the cooked steak and toss to heat through and coat with sauce.

Serve with rice and fresh cooked green beans.

(I found this recipe on the internet but have modified it to my liking).

Spicy Lasagna

Spicy Lasagna 

Nonstick cooking spray

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or whole-wheat flour

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup sweet potato puree (optional)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 (26-ounce) or 2 (15-ounce) cans whole or diced, peeled tomatoes, with their juice

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup lowfat (1%) cottage cheese

1 large egg white

1 (8-ounce) box of lasagna noodles (boiled and ready to use)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Red pepper flakes, sprinkled on top of finished lasagna

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Coat an 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. For the meat filling, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat.  When the pan is hot, add the oil.  Add the turkey, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes.  Sprinkle in the flour and half of the garlic, stir, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer.  Off the heat, stir in the sour cream, sweet potato puree, and half (1/4 cup) of the Parmesan; set aside.

3. For the sauce, combine the tomatoes and juice, the onion, and the remaining garlic and Parmesan (1/4 cup) in the food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Transfer the sauce to a bowl or large measuring cup.

4. In the same blender or food processor, blend the cottage cheese and egg white until smooth; set aside.

5. To assemble the lasagna, spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce over the bottom of the baking dish.  Layer about one-third of the noodles on top, covering the sauce completely.  Spread the meat filling over them.  (If you desire to go meatless, just add a first layer of cottage cheese.)  Cover with another one-third of the noodles and then spread all of the cottage cheese mixture over them.  Make another layer with the rest of the noodles and spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the top.  Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.

6. Cover the lasgna with aluminum foil and bake until the cheese has melted and the noodles are cooked through, about 40 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the top is bubbly and browned.  Sprinkle on top of lasagna your desired amount of red pepper flakes.

(Recipe originally from the cookbook Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld but I made a few modifications.)

We took the pictures before added our red pepper flakes on top.  The red pepper flakes gave the lasagna a great burst of flavor.  The sweet potato puree is not needed for the recipe to turn out good, it is there to sneak in a vegetable that your kids will not taste or notice it being there.  Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook is designed with recipes to get your kids eating good food.  

Honey & Oat Granola

We love to eat the granola with milk, yogurt, or all by itself.

Honey & Oat Granola

6 cups oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup coconut
1 cup nuts (I use pecans)

Mix all & stir in:

1/2 cup canola oil (for more oat clusters use 3/4 cup canola oil) 
1/3 cup honey (for more oat clusters use 1/2 cup honey) :) yum yum
2-3 tsp. vanilla

Divide granola mixture in half and place on sprayed cookie sheets. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for around 25 minutes.

I found this granola recipe on www.providentliving.org but I have cut some of the ingredients out that I don't like in my granola).

Spray two cookie sheets with cooking spray and spread half of the granola out onto each cookie sheet.

Store finished granola in an airtight container.

The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich in the World

One of our favorite meals to have right after baking 'The Best Bread in the World' is grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup.  

The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich in the World

two slices of 'The Best Bread in the World' (recipe below)

some shredded cheddar cheese 

a slice of cheddar cheese

butter

Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread.  With the buttered sides of the bread on the outside place the slice of cheddar cheese in between the two slices of bread.  Place the cheese sandwich on a grill or frying pan and turn the stove on to medium heat.  Then put a small handful of shredded cheddar cheese on the grill or frying pan with the cheese sandwich.  The shredded cheddar cheese with start to cook, you will want to move the sandwich around to let the shredded cheese attach to the bread.  The shredded cheese adds a crispy, tasty texture to the grilled sandwich.  Enjoy! 

 

The Best Bread in the World

2 1/3 c. boiling water

1 c. oatmeal (uncooked)

1/3 c. warm water

2 tbsp. yeast

little bit of sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 c. honey 

2 tbsp. butter (soft) 

5-6 c. mixed flour (whole wheat, white wheat or unbleached)

Pour boiling water over oats and let stand until soft. Soak yeast

in warm water. Add a little sugar to yeast and water. Add butter, 

salt and honey. Gradually add flour, until it pulls away from the

bowl. Cover and let rise 1/2 hour. Shape dough. Let rise 1/2 

hour. Bake 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Brush tops with butter

while warm. 

I usually cover the dough with a damp cloth and where it says to shape the dough in the instructions, is where I shape and place them into the bread pans. I do not ever get up to baking the bread for 35- 40 minutes. My bread is usually done around 30 minutes so you might want to watch your bread for the first time to see how long it takes to cook in your oven.

(This recipe was orginally by Jane Giles but I have made a few modifications)

Yeast, water and sugar put together.

Oatmeal soaking in boiling water.

Oatmeal and boiling water poured into mixing bowl with a couple of cups of flour.  

Finished bread dough.

Delicious moist bread ready to eat.

Peanut Butter and Jam Toast

In our family we find this bread phenomenal for a slice of peanut butter and jam toast.  A taste to die for that you will be coming back for more.

I really like to use Trader Joes Crunchy Unsalted Peanut Butter with Polaner All Fruit Spread which is sweetened only with fruit and fruit juice.  It also tastes great with a big glass of milk.

Citrus Roasted Salmon

Raw salmon to start out with.

Here I have the citrus sauce mixed up together with ingredients showing.

Salmon simmering in the citrus sauce.

Delicious citrus roasted salmon over brown rice with mozzarella cheese veggies and orange slices. This salmon recipe is a favorite meals of ours.


Citrus Roasted Salmon (spicy)

2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. honey
4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1 cup orange juice
2 salmon fillets

Mix all the ingredients together expect for the salmon in a bowl. Cut a few slits on one side of the salmon and while grilling the salmon pour a little bit of the sauce over top. Boil the rest of the sauce in a sauce pan to let thicken up. Once the salmon is almost all the way cooked through, pour the rest of the sauce onto salmon in pan. Finish grilling salmon and serve the salmon with sauce over rice. (You could also use chicken instead of salmon in this recipe.)

I received this recipe from Amy Parkin, a church friend in New York, but I have decreased the amount of salmon to double the sauce amount because it is so tasty. The recipe normally called for 4 salmon fillets.

Homemade Tortillas

Rolled out tortillas right before being cooked.

Delicious tortillas ready to eat!

For dinner tonight, we had taco salad on our tortillas. I ended up eating mine as soft tacos and my husband's...

taco salad tortillas ended up looking much tastier and better than mine because he cooking his in a little oil on the skillet.
The tortillas can be freezed but in our home we go through tortillas faster than blinking your eye. These tortillas are a must try!

Chewy Flour Tortillas

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons canola oil
3/4 cup milk

Stir together the flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, add the salt and canola oil to the milk and whisk briefly to incorporate. Gradually add the milk to the flour, and work mixture into a dough. It will be sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour and knead vigorously for about 2 minutes (fold and press, fold and press). The kneading will take care of the stickiness. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rest for 15 minutes. (This dough will not rise, but it needs a rest.)

(I have made these tortillas with this step and without this step and I haven't notices much difference in the final product.) Divide your dough into 8 balls of equal size, cover them, and let them rest again for about 20 minutes. Avoid letting them touch, if you don't want them to stick together.

Dust your work surface with flour. Working one at a time, remove each piece of dough and pat it into a 5-inch circle. With a rolling pin, roll out the tortilla, working from the center out, until you have a 7- or 8-inch tortilla a little less than 1/4-inch thick. Transfer the tortilla to a hot, dry skillet or griddle. It will begin to blister. Let it cook for 30 seconds, turn it, and let the other side cook for 30 seconds. Remove the tortilla, place it on a serving dish or basket (lined with a napkin) and cover with aluminum foil or place in a warming oven. Repeat for the remaining tortillas.

Although flour tortillas, like corn tortillas, are best if eaten right after they are made, these tortillas will freeze well. Wrap them tightly in plastic, and they will keep, frozen, for several weeks. To serve tortillas that have been frozen, let them thaw and come to room temperature, then wrap them in aluminum foil and heat them in a warm oven. Microwaving tends to toughen them.

I found the original recipe on http://www.texascooking.com/recipes/flourtortillas.htm but I modified a few things within it.