Fire-Roasted Stuffed Jalapenos

I have to begin by crediting this recipe to my uncle, David!  Every time I eat jalapenos (or any pepper, for that matter) I think of my two uncles--Charlie and David--who grow the best peppers ever!

First brown up and crumble some breakfast sausage (I like to use the "hot" kind for the extra spice).  I use about a half of a roll for 16 poppers (and still had a little left over).  So, you probably won't want a whole package unless you're making a lot of peppers.

Then, mix in a package of cream cheese and a few handfuls of shredded cheddar cheese.  The only way to mix it thoroughly is with your fingers.  So go ahead and get dirty.

Now for the jalapenos.  This is the best tool ever!!

It's the jalapeno corer from Sur la Table (the best store in the world).  If you don't have one of these you could use a really skinny paring knife to get in the peppers to take out the ribs and seeds and make room for the delicious stuffing.

Once you get them cored, I like to rinse them with cold water to get any stray seeds.

Next step....stuff!  Again, use your fingers.

For cooking, I definitely prefer grilling!  But you could definitely bake them if you don't have a grill, or don't want to for some strange reason.  However, the flavor is much much better!  We have this handy little tool, that my uncle, David, welded for us that makes grilling a breeze using skewers.  They have a jalapeno griller at Sur la Table too.

Before you grill, they should look like this...

Don't over stuff them or it will all ooze out and get really messy.

Now....grill!  It doesn't matter how long.  Just until they are to the point you like them, and the cheddar is melted.  The longer you grill them, the less heat in the pepper, though.

Again, thanks to David for the oh-so-handy pepper rack, and thanks to my dad for the charcoal grill.  We use it so often!

Here's a picture of my uncle, David, cooking some peppers of his own!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have many life-long goals.  One is to write a novel.  Another has been to find the PERFECT chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I have tried several different recipes in search for a nice, big, fluffy cookie.  It seems like every recipe produces flat cookies.  I am very happy to report....I! Have! Found! It!  Seriously, the best...EVER!  It's one I found on Allrecipes.com, and like always, I made my own changes to make it perfect.

I mean, LOOK AT THESE!

What a mountain of GOODNESS!

I kept thinking about keeping this as my "secret recipe."  But...I just couldn't.  It's too good not to share.  So, fear not.  Here you go.  

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 sticks (one cup) butter* (IT HAS TO BE THE REAL STUFF!)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 large packet of vanilla flavored instant pudding mix (I think it's 5.8 oz)

2 eggs

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

chopped nuts, optional

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Sift together flour and baking soda.

2. Cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar.

*Now, this is going to sound weird.  I got it in my mind to make cookies last night.  Even after I went to check for ingredients and found I only had 1 1/2 sticks of butter.  This was not going to stop me!  In my fridge, I found a small container of cream cheese frosting left over from Justin's cupcakes.  Well, I thought to myself....that frosting had a lot of butter in it...  The texture is pretty similar....  It couldn't hurt....  What the heck....  So, I scooped a few big spoons of the left over frosting into the bowl to make up for what I was lacking in butter.  Sooo good!  Just shows...improvisation in the kitchen (even when baking) can produce amazing results!

*Another side note on butter, I've found using cold butter, straight from the fridge, helps cookies keep their shape.  Room temperature butter seems to make them slide out and become big flat Frisbee cookies.  Maybe it's in my head...but I always take it straight out of the fridge and put it directly in my mixer.

Back to the recipe...

3.Now, beat in the pudding mix.  Then add eggs and vanilla.

4. Slowly add flour mixture 1/4 cup at a time until completely mixed.  Your dough should be fairly dry.  If it looks really wet or sticky, your dough needs more flour.  This is another common problem that causes flat cookies.  I've even added oatmeal to my chocolate chip cookie dough before to "dry it up" and it was delicious!

5. Now, stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if you want) until mixed.  Drop by spoonfuls (about the size of a golf ball or maybe a little smaller) onto an UNGREASED cookie sheet.  If you're afraid of sticking, use parchment paper.  Cooking spray makes your dough spread out too much.  (Maybe this is in my head too...but I'm sticking to my cookie theories.)

6. Bake 10-12 minutes.  It actually took mine 15-16 minutes because I cooked 2 cookie sheets full at a time. You know how your oven cooks.  Just keep an eye on them.  When they lose that "wet" look in the center, they should be done.

There...now you have the best recipe for chocolate chip cookies....of all time!  

Now...time to write my novel. 

Cupcake Creations

Today is my husband's 30th birthday!  In celebration, I made the best invention...EVER.  Cupcakes!!  I'm not one to make a cake mix, and be done.  Like always, I have to go overboard and try three new recipes. Like always, I modified and made some changes, based on what I had on hand, and what I thought would taste better. I don't remember where I found the original recipes...but I'll post them with the changes I made.

Justin's favorite type of cake is carrot cake with cream cheese icing, so that was a definite.

Ingredients:
1 lb carrots grated
3 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. good vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
zest of one small orange (about 1 TBSP or so)
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. all spice
sprinkle of ginger

(the original recipe called for cardamom--which I did not have, nor have I ever used)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 muffin tins with 24 cupcake papers.
2. Whisk thoroughly: carrots, buttermilk, oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest.
3. In another bowl, whisk: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ginger
4. Fold the flour mixture into the carrots, but DO NOT over mix!! If you like walnuts or pecans, you could toast some and stir those in as well.  Justin doesn't like nuts in anything baked, so mine were sans nuts. 
5. Fill cupcake papers about 3/4 full and bake 20 minutes. Cool before frosting


Basic (but delicious) Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
16 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until well combined. Sift in the powdered sugar and mix. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes.

Next, I tried French Toast cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.  Again, I found this recipe online (I have no idea where) and made a few changes as I went.  These smell divine!!!  They don't taste too bad either.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp maple flavoring (careful with this stuff...it's black and looks like it stains!)
1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat to 350 and line muffin tin with 12 cupcake papers.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugar, and eggs until combined. Then add maple extract.
4. Alternate between whisking in flour mixture and milk starting and ending with flour.
5. Fill cupcake papers about 1/2 to 3/4 full and bake 20-25 minutes. Cool before frosting.

Now...for the frosting! I actually just used the above recipe for cream cheese frosting, but added some pure maple syrup.  (You may have to add a speck more powdered sugar, if necessary.)  For decoration, I sprinkled these cupcakes with cinnamon sugar.

And....last, but not least...I made Cafe Mocha cupcakes with frappachino frosting!!  Is your mouth watering yet?  It should be!  And you should make these!

Ingredients:
1 (4 oz) Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate bar
10 TBSP butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. instant coffee dissolved in 1 TBSP boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tin with 10-12 cupcake papers.
2. Melt the chocolate bar in the top of a double boiler. Remove from heat just before completely melted so it doesn't scorch, and stir.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs. Stir in melted chocolate and cocoa powder.
4. Sift the flour into the mixture and stir. Then, stir in coffee.
5. Fill cupcake papers 3/4 full and bake 20 minutes. Cool before frosting. 

Frappachino Frosting:
7 TBSP butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp instant coffee dissolved into 1 TBSP boiling water

Beat the butter and sugar and coffee together until pale and fluffy. Spread or pipe onto cupcakes. Top with grated chocolate, chocolate covered coffee bean, or just a regular coffee bean (but you probably wouldn't want to eat it).  Unless you're my father in law who, as he's eating one, says "what's the crunchy stuff in the cupcake?"  Just a decoration! Reminder...warn people to take it off, unless they like munching on a coffee bean!

Enjoy...and EAT MORE CAKE! 

Chicken Spaghetti with a BIG ol' Kick!!

My husband is not one for pasta or casseroles...but he loved this.  He kept saying, "Man, this is really good."  I think it was the spice that did it.

The first thing you'll want to do is boil a cut up fryer chicken in a large stockpot.  Once your pot gets to a nice rolling boil, turn the heat down and let it simmer about half an hour.

Meanwhile, dice up one medium yellow onion and one red bell pepper.

Once your chicken is finished boiling, remove it and let it cool.  Do not discard the stock!  You'll want to remove 2 cups of the stock for later use. 

Break apart spaghetti noodles into three pieces (about 3 inches a piece).  You'll want about three cups of broken spaghetti noodles total.  Cook the noodles in the chicken stock for only 5 minutes.  (Don't forget to take out and set aside 2 cups of it.)  You want your noodles only about half cooked.  Very al dente!

Once your chicken is cool enough to handle, tear it in pieces from the bone.  Throw in a few small pieces of skin too for flavor. You'll need about 2 1/2 cups of cooked chicken.  Heck, I guess if you want your casserole super-chickeny you can use all of it.  I only used about 2 1/2 cups and am going to use the rest to make a chicken salad or chicken quesadillas tomorrow.  That's up to you, though. 

Now, in a large bowl mix the following:

• 2 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
• half-way cooked noodles
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• chopped onion
• chopped red bell pepper
• 2 cans of "Cream of Chicken and Mushroom" Soup
• 1 teasoon Lawry's Seasoning Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4-1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper--depending on how kicked up you want your dish. You could definitely use less if you're sensitive to heat.

Begin adding a little of your reserved stock and stirring your mixture. Keep adding your stock until you get a nice consistency that stirs easily but is not too watery.  I used 1-1 1/2 cups of stock and saved the rest.

Spread your chicken mixture into a casserole dish and top with 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.

Finally, bake casserole in a  350 degree for about 30-35 minutes. 

The Most Divine Dessert Ever!

Are you ready for this?  Look! How! Beautiful!

Let's start with the blackberries and sweet cream.  This sweet cream recipe is pretty basic and can be found all over the internet.  I followed the recipe on Pioneer Woman's website.  But, I think all the recipes are basically the same.  It's really not that hard, but it does take time.  (But...it is SO worth it!) 

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 pint heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 10 whole egg yolks (Save those egg whites...you'll need them in a minute! Put them in a bowl and just leave them on your counter while you finish your sweet cream.)
• 2 teaspoons good vanilla extract
• fresh berries

1. Combine cream with half the sugar in a medium saucepan and warm, but do not boil.
2. Whisk egg yolks in your mixer with the other half of the sugar. Add vanilla extract.
3. After whisking on medium for a minute, begin slowly pouring in the hot cream.  Pour it in very slowly and carefully along the side of your bowl so you don't cook your egg yolks with the warm cream.
3. After all cream is added, pour mixture into the top of a double boiler. Cook in the double boiler over medium heat. Stir gently but constantly as the egg/cream mixture slowly thickens.
4. Watch the mixture and make sure it doesn't thicken too much. It took mine about 15 minutes or so to get to the right consistency. 
5. When it gets to the consistency that you want, put it directly in an ice bath to stop the cooking.  When it's cooled, cover it and stick it in your fridge until you're ready to serve. 


When you're ready to serve it, just spoon some cream over any berries you like.  I have tried it over blackberries, blueberries and strawberries and like it equally over anything! 

Now....what ever are you going to do with all those egg whites?  Don't! Throw! Them! Out! Make this Cake!

This was the first time I've ever made an angel food cake from scratch.  So much better! 

Here's what you'll need for this Divine Angel Food Cake:

• 1 1/2 cups egg white (For me, this was exactly what I had left over from my cream. You may need too add or take away a little.)
• 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar

You want your egg whites to be room temperature, so if you left them out while you made your cream, you're ready to go.

1. Sift flour and powdered sugar together three times and set aside.  This will make it very light and fluffy. 
2. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to your egg whites in your mixer with the whisk attachment.  Beat on high speed and gradually add sugar.  Beat until stiff peaks form.
3. Fold in flour mixture, a little at a time.
4. Gently spoon into an ungreased angel food cake pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes, or until nice and golden and cake springs back to touch.
6. Immediately invert pan.  When cooled, remove from pan and serve.  

Tequila Lime Chicken

Tonight's dinner was delicious, and will definitely be added to the regular rotation.  (I got the recipe from Pioneer Woman's website.)  The chicken needs to marinate all day, so plan on preparing this marinade in the morning or even the night before.  The longer the better, and the juicier your chicken will be.

So, for the marinade, you will need to throw the following ingredients into your food processor on "pulse" mode...

• the juice of three limes
• four or five teaspoons of minced garlic (the kind from the jar is just fine!)
• one jalapeno, sliced
• one teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup tequila
• handful of cilantro

After these ingredients are nice and combined, turn your processor on regular mode and drizzle in about five or so tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Once you've got your marinade complete, flatten your chicken breasts (this recipe makes enough marinade for about 4 large chicken breasts).  I like to place the breast under a piece of plastic wrap and give it a few good whacks with my french rolling pin. Again, you'll want to let this marinate all day (or overnight).

When you're ready to go, grill your chicken.  Since you flattened it, it won't take long at all!  So, stand by and don't let it burn.

Meanwhile, heat your oven to "broil" and grate about a half cup or so of Monterrey Jack cheese.  When your chicken is just done, take it off the grill, top it with cheese and stick it in the oven for a few minutes.  (It took mine about 4 minutes.)  Again, stand by, and don't let it burn.

Now, top your chicken and cheese with some homemade salsa or pico de gallo.

Serve with Spanish rice and black beans for a tasty meal!

Healthy Pizza-like Summer Lunch

If you love pizza, but hate the calories, here's a healthy summer alternative that's just as good (or better in my opinion).  Plus, you can use fresh garden veggies and herbs!

Start with 100-calorie sandwich thins...

Next, mix some fresh garlic with about a teaspoon of butter or buttery spread.  (Let me interject here and say that I HATE margarine.  I think it's gross and fake.  I rarely use butter, so I don't feel bad about using the real thing.  But, I have found two alternatives that I can live with.  I can't believe it's not Butter! Spray (I began using this because Hungry Girl uses them in many of her recipes) and Best Life Buttery Spread.) I used the Best Life stuff when I made it.

Then, take one light string cheese and tear it up and top both halves of the bread.

(Yes, that's just one string cheese!)

Meanwhile, slice one or two Roma Tomatoes and, with a touch of olive oil and salt and pepper, saute them in a hot skillet till they get those nice black marks.  Also, grab a handful of fresh basil leaves. 

When your tomatoes are nice and grilled, it's time to assemble your "pizzas."  Spread out your basil leaves over the string cheese and then top with the grilled tomatoes.  Lastly, stick it in a 350 degree oven for about 7 minutes to get it nice and toasty.  

You won't believe your taste buds!  All for about 175 calories....THAT'S IT...FOR BOTH HALVES....TOTAL!  Compare that to two slices of Pizza Hut Veggie Lovers pizza...520 Calories!

 

Summer Left Over Idea

Over Memorial Day weekend, my Mom and Dad, and Sister and Brother-in-Law all visited.  When you get my family together, one thing is going to be certain--GOOD FOOD.  This weekend was not a let down!  Once, they went home, though, I was left with a fridge full of leftovers.  And, lets face it, you can only eat reheated steak so many times.  One day for lunch, I decided to see what I could do to use a last tiny piece of steak, asparagus, and grilled corn on the cob.  I got my skillet hot and started slicing and chopping up the leftovers.  I added a Roma tomato, some olive oil, and a few spices and....ta-da....this is what I ended up with.  A DE-LICIOUS stir-fryish lunch!!!

Ooey-Gooey Chocolate Butter Cookies

I've been in search of a unique yet delicious cookie recipe.  With Google and a little improvisation and changes of my own...this is it!  And they are every bit as delicious as their name makes them sound. 

 

 The ingredients are super simple and probably things you have on hand.  They're probably the easiest cookies I've ever made!  (Aside from "slice and bake".) 

1 chocolate cake mix (I used Devil's Food)

1 8 oz. pkg of cream cheese

1 stick butter

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla

powdered sugar

1. First, cream together butter and cream cheese.  

2. Then mix in egg and vanilla. 

3. Mix in cake mix.

The recipe then said to refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.  However, I didn't have 2 hours, so instead popped the dough in the freezer for about 30-40 minutes.  It worked perfectly...so whatever you have time for will be fine.  

Then you take your chilled dough and roll into balls.  Roll the balls in powdered sugar.  Place on lightly sprayed cookie sheet.

Bake 10-13 minutes at 350.  Don't over bake or they'll be too cakey and not ooey-gooey.

Once cookies are completely cooled dust with more powdered sugar. 

The only hard part about this recipe is trying not to eat them all at once!!!!

Zax Sauce!

 A Tale of Culinary Discovery...

Once upon a time, in the quaint village called Keller, a fair maiden took her sister, who was visiting from a far away kingdom, to a local establishment.  While dining on chicken tenders, a sauce was discovered that beat any sauce the sister had ever tasted.  Every time the sister went to Keller she requested this scrumptious sauce. Sometimes, though, when back at home, the sister craved this sauce.  Sadly, she could not find it's equal in her kingdom.  "I shall try to make this sauce!  I will not rest until I discover its secret!"  She exclaimed.  Luckily, her kingdom was equipped with high speed internet.  In no time, the secret recipe was duplicated.  Both sisters lived happily ever after.  That is until they tasted these darling "mini cakes" from a baker who has mastered the art of Sprinkles. 

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Mix and refrigerate.  Allow a few hours for the flavors to mingle before serving. 

Bacon Blue Cheese Swiss Burger

Are you ready for the creamiest burger ever?  Yes, that's right.  I said creamy burger.  If you like blue cheese, you'll love this burger! 

 

1. First season 1 lb of hamburger meat with sea salt, Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning, and Montreal Steak seasoning. I never measure...I just sprinkle what I think is enough. 

2. In a small bowl, mix 2 oz. cream cheese (softened) and 2 oz. crumbled blue cheese.  Then stir in some onion flakes (about 1/2 teaspoon) and 1 teaspoon of dried parsley.

3. With the spiced up hamburger meat, make 6 thin patties. 

4. On top of three of the patties evenly spread 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture. 

5. Then take the other three patties and lay them on top of the patties topped with cream cheese mixture.  Then, press the edges together sealing in the cheese.  

6. At this point, you can grill the burgers or fry them in a skillet. 

7. Top with swiss cheese and bacon.

Spaghetti Squash: Officially the Weirdest Food Ever!

No recipe this time...just the strange tale of a yellow gourd turned pasta...

My mom gave me this spaghetti squash and I knew I needed to just bite the bullet and cook it, even though I had no clue how to turn this large gourd into a tasty pasta...

First of all, it took me a LONG time to even cut it in half.  But, I was persistant...

Gross looking, I know...  According to Google (seriously, what did we do before Google?!), you have to scoop out the seeds...just like a pumpkin.

Done.  Now place the squash, cut side down, on a cookie sheet sprayed with Pam. Bake for about 45 minutes on 350.

Here's the weird part.  Once it's finished baking, you just take a fork and lightly shred the sides of the squash....and voila...spaghetti...or something that resembles spaghetti.

Weird, I know...

I decided to keep with the "healthy" theme of the night and make my sauce with ground turkey.  Honestly, by the time I spiced it up, you couldn't tell the difference...in the sauce that is.  The noodles were different.  Not bad.  Just different. 

Okay, I wasn't completely healthy...

 

 

I made yummy Parmesan  garlic bread.  

YUM!

Delicious Enchiladas!

I made Pioneer Woman's enchiladas tonight for dinner. They were easy and wonderful--or as she describes them: "Simple & Perfect."  Obviously...we devoured them before I could snap any pictures. Here's a link to the recipe on her website:

Simple. Perfect. Enchiladas.

Honestly, her recipe isn't much different from what you already do...however, her few changes make them delish.  Try them!  Soon!

An Agglomeration of Food Photos

After a week in Houston with my family, there were just too many delicious dishes to post recipes for each one.  So, here's a few photos of the gourmet meals we enjoyed...

smoking the turkey...yeah, it says ideal. if only this picture was scratch-and-sniff.

dad, carving the bird.  he has a secret recipe for cajun-smokin' a turkey. mm-mmm good!

the wine that accompanied the meal...yeah, is says '96!

aged to perfection...notice the crumbled cork...tasted like silk!

less was definitely more this year!  we decided to just do a few delectable dishes, instead of all the "fillers."

menu: cajun-smoked bird and pig, dressing (not stuffing)*, not your mama's mac and cheese (maybe sarah will be nice enough to post the recipe on her blog later), and cranberries (don't forget the wine!)...oh yeah, and giblet gravy for the men who like that nasty stuff!

*secret family recipe!! don't even bother asking for that recipe! :)

breakfast of champions=coffee and irish cream

day after christmas meal...no leftovers for us! try ribs and pork chops!

not just any ribs...dad's special "can't keep 'em on the bones" ribs!

the 27th made sarah 25! happy birthday, sis!

a cookie cake and a steak dinner?

happy, happy birthday, sarah!

I know I missed a lot of delicious meals (and wines) that we devoured!  But, you get the idea!