Buffalo Chicken Taquitos

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Serves: 4+

Ingredients:

4 cups of chicken, cooked and shredded
12 soft taco, flour tortillas
2 cups of shredded cheese
1 package of cream cheese - room temperature is best
1/2 cups of Frank’s hot sauce
2 tbsp. of butter
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles (optional)
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Olive oil Cooking Spray

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Melt butter in the microwave.
Mix all ingredients together until combined completely.

Lay out a tortilla; fill with about 2-3 tablespoons of the mixture.

Tightly roll up tortilla and place on a greased baking sheet; repeat until mixture is gone.

Spray taquitos with cooking spray.

Bake for 15 – 18 minutes--rotate until golden brown on all sides.

Serve with blue Cheese dressing and crisp cold salad.

Beef with Broccoli

Beef with Broccoli

Serves: 4





Marinate for the meat: 

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs flank steak, sliced into thin strips 

Instructions:

Whisk together the baking soda, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, water, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Toss the steak with the marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Sauce:

1/2 c low-sodium soy sauce or 1/4 cup regular soy sauce and 1/4 cup water (otherwise it will be too salty)
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced 
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp rice vinegar 

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 teaspoon chili garlic paste

1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 heads broccoli, crowns only

1 can of bamboo shoots, drained

Instructions:

In a small bowl, stir together the ingredients for the sauce.

Add marinated meat and sauce into the crockpot, cook on high for 4-6 hours. 

Then add broccoli and bamboo shoots and cook for an additional 30 minutes, stirring often.

Serve with rice.

Baba Ganoush with Goat Cheese (Eggplant Dip)

Baba Ganoush with goat cheese

Makes 2 cups

Well my eggplant is doing amazing in the garden, the best of all of my veggies this year, and I was looking for a new way to prepare it. We will usually just slice it and grill it with some lemon juice and olive oil, or occasionally I will fry it up and make an eggplant parmesan, but my eggplants are the thin and long variety so they are not great for slicing and frying.

Baba Ganoush is an eggplant dip - similar to hummus only minus the chickpeas. It is smoky and creamy and really delish! I decided not to use tahini, but just a little sesame oil because I didn't want it to taste like hummus, I wanted it to taste like eggplant. 

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants (or 4 small garden-sized eggplants)
4 cloves roasted garlic (Roasted Garlic) with oil.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil 

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
½ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon cumin 

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon salt and black, to taste 

Pinch of fresh parsley

2 tablespoons soft goat cheese (optional)

Instructions:

Roast eggplant over an open flame until completely charred. If you don't have a gas burner than lightly oil the eggplant and place on cookie sheet under a broiler, turning until all sides are charred

It should be softened completely. Let cool in plastic bag or bowl covered in plastic wrap.

Remove all skin from eggplant and scoop out the meat. 

Salt lightly to draw out water and then place in a strainer to drain for 20-30 mins.

  

Place all the ingredients into the food processor except the goat cheese.

Blend until smooth, add more olive oil if not smooth enough. Then add in the goat cheese and pulse until combined.

Let sit for 2-3 hours to develop flavors. Can be eaten warm or cold with crackers, veggies or a spread for a sandwich.

Southern Chicken and Biscuit Sandwich

Southern Chicken and Biscuit Sandwich



Sometimes you just crave these comfort foods, and southern food being my favorite type of food I had been craving this sandwich for some time. My commitment to cook my own meals and know exactly what I am putting into my food and body makes creating these foods a lot of fun. I researched chicken recipes for a while, and I wanted a chicken that more resembled the chicken at Chic-Fil-A then fried and battered chicken, and I think that I created a recipe that is very close.

If you're going to indulge in baked goods, fried foods and overall indulgent comfort food then I think the only way to do it is to make it from scratch, then you won't feel quite so guilty!

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
2 cups flour
3 TBL powdered sugar
2 TBL Paprika
1 TSP Cayenne Pepper
1 TBL Garlic Powder
1 TBL Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper
2 Cups Pickle Juice
3 eggs
Oil for frying
For Sandwich:
Biscuits (Best Ever Biscuits)
Pickle Slices
Honey Mustard

Instructions:

Cut chicken breasts into chunks, and pound until even thickness

Place in bowl or ziplock bag and pour in pickle juice. Let marinate 1-4 hours. This is a very strong vinegar mixture so I wouldn't let it sit much longer. In fact I used store bought pickles instead of my homemade canned pickles for this very reason, the brine is much stronger than mine.

Mix up dry spices.
Pour off most of the pickle juice and add 3 beaten eggs

Heat up frying oil to 375 degrees.

Take chicken pieces and dredge into flour mixture, then place in your oil. Let brown on both sides cooking for 4-5 minutes per side. You can keep your pieces in a 200 degree oven until they are all finished frying.

To Assemble:

Take your warm biscuit and split in half, then put the honey mustard on one half and a few pickle slices on the other. Place chicken and close up your sandwich. Delicious!

Best Ever Biscuits

Best Ever Biscuits
Makes: Approx. 12



I've tested and tried biscuit recipes for years and years always wanting to make a light and fluffy biscuit that was moist and tender, but I usually could not get the combinations right, until I used a recipe that called for yeast, low and behold it creates a beautiful light and tender biscuit, and I've finally come up with my version of the best biscuit ever.

Ingredients:

5 cups all purpose flour

1 packet of yeast- bloomed (1/4 cup warm water and 1/2 teaspoon sugar to bloom)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup cold leaf lard (see below)

2 cups buttermilk  

Fresh herbs or spices if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bloom yeast in small bowl until it has tripled on size. Leave on counter.

Mix all dry ingredients.

Cut in cold lard with a pastry cutter or large fork until lard pieces resemble the size of peas.

 I purchase this gallon of lard from an organic hog farm in Minnesota, and it lasts for at least a year in the freezer. It is high quality, non-hydrogenized leaf lard and there is nothing better for biscuits, or frying for that matter. I don't use vegetable shortening ever, it is foul rancid crap that is the real cause of cancer in this country.

Add in the yeast and buttermilk.

Make sure your buttermilk is cold. 

Mix lightly until formed then turn onto a floured surface.

Roll into desired thickness and then use a biscuit cutter to cut. (*TIP: Do not twist the cutter when cutting through dough, go straight down or you will pinch the sides and your biscuit wont rise properly)

Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Brush on melted butter fresh out of the oven.

Depending on the size of your biscuit cutter, my recipe made 12 large biscuits.

Light fluffy and beautiful!

BBQ Shrimp

BBQ Shrimp

Serves: 4+

Ingredients:

2 lbs raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup butter

4 tablespoons chili sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

1 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne

1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

 5 minced garlic cloves

Directions:

Mix all ingredients except shrimp into a saucepan and let simmer for 10 minutes

Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Arranged shrimp in large casserole dish or cast iron skillet.

Pour sauce over shrimp.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes

Serve with crisp salad and crusty french baguette.