Category: Recipes

Misc Rambling · Recipes

1st annual homemade Tamales

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Prior to our move to another state, every year we would have our friends over to make homemade Tamales. We are now continuing the tradition in our new home state of Washington. Here are a few photos of the prep prior to everyone’s arrival. Pork for those who eat it and chicken for everyone else. The night before just get out the crock pots and season the meat and let it cook all night. The next day it is ready to go. Let’s talk Masa. I make my own and yes you need lard to make it taste good, everything in moderation as they say. recipe below: I also bought some pre-made from our local Taqueria. Let me just say make it yourself. flavor is so much better and so is the texture. Everyone went home with a bag of tamales and happy. Just another reason to get together with friends.

Masa:

6 cups masa harina

5 cups chicken broth (warm)

2 cups lard

2 tsp salt, 3 TBS onion powder and chili powder

2 TBS cumin

mix masa with spices first, then add chicken broth, and last the lard mix it well

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Recipes

Mini banana cheesecakes

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My youngest and his friend are visiting this weekend and his favorite thing in the world is banana cream pie. I decided to switch it up and make mini banana cheesecake and omg are they great. Plastic plate I know is super fancy, ha but these will be gone tonight. Glad I love to bake. Let me know if you want recipe.

Recipes

Mushroom meat balls yes

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The meal tonight for our pescatarian expedition was mushroom meatballs. Let me just say yes, these are great. You would never know unless I told you that there is zero meat. Recipe below:

  1. 2 containers button mushrooms
  2. Diced onion 1
  3. Rosemary and basil (as much as you like)
  4. Diced pepper (any color)
  5. Garlic
  6. 1 cup quick oats
  7. 1 cup bread crumbs
  8. 2 eggs
  9. Parmesan cheese
  • I threw the first 4 ingredients in a food processor and pulsed it, threw it into a skillet with some olive oil and sautéed with garlic until the liquid evaporated. This is important.
  • Now simply mix with the last 5 ingredients roll into balls and bake at 400 until golden brown. Spray the baking dish so they don’t stick
  • Then I opened a jarred marinara and added some fresh tomatoes, cheese peppers n heated it up, add the cooked meatballs to the sauce and you have dinner
  • I love carrots so I poured some half and half in a pot with fresh rosemary and some butter reduced and they were delicious
  • I know my photos suck but man was it great
    • Misc Rambling · Recipes

    What the hell is a Pescatarian

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    My husband came home a few days ago and said he had read an article about the Pescetarian diet. The first thing I said is what the hell and is this some made up shit? He suggested we should try it. I had never heard of this so of course I had to go research.

    Pesce, the Italian word for fish, is associated with people who add aquatic animals to a vegetarian diet. Pescetarians (sometimes called pesco-vegetarians) eat freshwater and saltwater fish and shellfish in addition to the fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, eggs, and dairy vegetarians typically consume.

    Presumed health benefits:

    There’s evidence that a dietary pattern like this favorably impacts chronic disease, a lower mortality rate among pescetarians, in addition to lower levels of blood cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as [decreased] risk of diabetes, blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome. The benefits are similar to Mediterranean diet, vegetarianism, and the benefits of eating fish.

    I have toyed with eliminating meat from our diet for years due to the fact I love animals, pork and beef have not been in our house for years but I have struggled with giving up chicken and I love fish. I am concerned about how to get enough protein.

    • I love to cook but the vegetarian recipes I have tried thus far are less than wonderful
    • If I could find a cook book that included Vegi and grain meals packed with flavor I would be on board, any suggestions?
    • I am a texture person so would need to figure out what to incorporate to not feel deprived or miss the little meat I do consume.

    I am off to the library (I love the library) what’s better than free reading (yes I’m frugal too) to find some cook books to give this whole Pesce thing a try. Stay tuned, I will post those items that are great and certainly tell you about the horrible things too.

    Recipes

    Chimichurri BBQ Chicken

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    Chimichurri-ChickenChimichurri BBQ Chicken

    Sauce: (

    1st Photo and sauce recipe foodandwine.com

    2nd photo is my chicken hot off the grill

    chicken

    • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
    • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    • 4 large garlic cloves, minced (2 1/2 tablespoons)
    • 2 tablespoons oregano leaves
    • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
    • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

    Make sure you taste it, I like it spicy so add some extra red pepper

    2 large picnic packs of bone in breast and leg quarters

    1. In a food processor add all the ingredients and pulse until coarsely chopped
    2. Add the chicken to a 2 gallon sealable bag
    3. Add the chimichurri and massage the sauce around in the bag to coat all pieces evenly
      1. Reserve several tablespoons to finish with prior to serving
    4. I refrigerate overnight
    5. My husband heats the grill to 400 degrees, and then reduces the heat and places the chicken skin side down to begin with to create those beautiful grill marks
    6. Reduce the heat and let the chicken cook, turning as needed
    7. Internal temp will be approximately 165 when done
      1. Add the reserved sauce to the top of each piece prior to serving
    Recipes

    Vegi meals 

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    In order to switch up our meal planning, I have starting adding one vegetarian meal a week. So far all of them have been great. These are red velvet waffles and oh man were they good. I simply used a boxed red velvet cake mix but added one egg, vanilla, and cocoa powder.  Be aware don’t overfill the waffle maker or you will have a lava flow out of the side. Yep I did this ha. Top with berries and whip cream before serving, delicious

    ​
    I also did a cauliflower and garbanzo bean curry and a vegi pot pie that was legit. This week is corn and potato soup. I’ll post the recipe if its good. Don’t want you trying something not taste tested…  

    Recipes

    Mini dogs

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    image

    I am a super pinterest lover and saw a post where someone took Rhodes rolls and hotdogs and made them into a appetizer. At my monthly cocktail party I decided to try it but in a mini version with lil smokies and here they are, so fun. Eyes are havarti, with peppercorns then we dipped these lil guys in bbq and they were delicious. The cocktails were harvey wallbangers and grasshoppers.

    Recipes

    From scratch

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    image

    I made my very first pie this weekend. Not sure why it has taken me 48 years but the man asked for a marion berry for fathers day and we found some fabulous berries at the farmers market. I got the crust recipe from my friend Tamra and if I had of known it was this easy I would have been Betty Crocker years ago, ha. Needless to say he told everyone he is not sharing so don’t ask and gave it rave reviews. I guess pie is now another item added to all holiday menus.

    Let’s talk turkey
    Recipes

    Let’s talk turkey

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    Every year we have Thanksgiving at our house for two reasons first our kids won’t go anywhere else to eat because they say the food is nasty and we have no friends. You think I’m kidding but I’m not. My husband and I have been together almost 30 years and I can count our friends on one hand. We simply don’t feel we need a bunch and we like each other with no drama..
    So the big question this year is to brine or not to brine? We watched all kinds of shows that say brine but the ingredient list makes me tired just looking at it so we have decided to brine but with our own recipe of Apple cider, broth, garlic, Rosemary, and sage. We got a brine bag that we dumped half the liquid on the kitchen floor (funny) but we finally got the bird in and sealed. I also for the first time prepared the Mac and cheese and potatoes in advance, yep pioneer woman gave me this idea and it makes perfect sense to precook and add liquids on the day of. The chew also told me to soak cheese cloth in butter and cover the turkey so no basting, yeah Now I am only in charge of cocktail hour how sweet is that. I truly enjoy my life and if the brine is a complete fail I’ll let you know.
    I hope everyone who is reading this has someone special to share your day with. Happy thanksgiving