Honey Lime Enchiladas

I'm usually not a huge Mexican fan, but I decided to give these a shot. Wow. They are simply amazing. I got the recipe from The Sisters Cafe. Your family will love these.

1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded

Sauce:

1/3 c honey

1/4 c lime juice

1 Tb chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce (I actually think I like it better with red enchilada sauce)

equal parts mixed together of:

mozzarella cheese, shredded

cheddar cheese, shredded

flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray. (I usually use one 9x13 and one 9x9 but it may vary with how thick you stuff your enchiladas) Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top - don't be stingy! (I sometimes use more like 1 1/2 cans- you can freeze left over enchilada sauce in a baggy.) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy.

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

I got the recipe off Oprah. It is really spicy! However, I use canned Chipotle peppers because I can't find dried ones (it might make a difference in how hot they are) I just wash off the adobe sauce and clean out the seeds and chop them up.

They are good but not filling enough for us but we eat a lot! So I add rice, beans, and pineapple to counter the spice but I think Guac would be way good too! So basically I take a healthy meal and destroy it!

Chipotle Shrimp Tacos

Recipe created by Curtis Stone

Try chef Curtis Stone's recipe for Chipotle Shrimp Tacos ,a tasty family favorite from his complete seven-day menu.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 small onion , roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 dried chipotle chilis , seeded and chopped
• 3 tomatoes , roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 1/2 pounds shrimp , peeled and deveined
• 1/4 cup lime juice to taste
• Cilantro

Place a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, and sweat onions in 1 tablespoon of oil for 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and chipotle peppers, and continue to sauté for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, season lightly with salt and cook for 1 minute before removing from heat.

Blend mixture well in small batches until smooth, adding a little water if needed, and reserve. In a large heavy-bottom pot, heat remaining oil over high heat. Add shrimp, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 2 minutes stirring occasionally, allowing the shrimp to lightly color. Remove shrimp from the pan to a plate and add the tomato mixture to the remaining oil in the pan, being careful, as it will splatter slightly.

Cook sauce for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, and add shrimp back to pot. Once shrimp are cooked through and coated with the sauce, remove from heat and season to taste with lime juice, salt and pepper. Finish with the chopped cilantro and serve with corn tortillas.

Tuxedo Pasta

2 cups uncooked bow-tie pasta

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

2 medium zucchini, sliced

1 ½ cups sliced fresh mushrooms

3 Tablespoons butter, divided

¼ cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons chicken broth

¾ cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 TB dried Basil

2 TB sun dried tomato pesto

1 clove garlic

1 jar sweet red pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large skillet, sauté the chicken, zucchini, mushrooms, red pepper, and garlic in 2 TB butter for 4-5 minutes or until veggies are tender. Add lemon juice and chicken broth. Reduce heat; cook and stir until heated through. Mix together with Parmesan and Pesto.

Summer Fruit Tort

This is my favorite!!! I make it like once a year (for Jeff's Birthday) It's not hard just time consuming. I don't have a pastry bag so I just use a plastic baggie and cut a corner. If you ever make it be sure to bring me a piece!!!

Cream puff dough:

2/3 c. water

1/3 c. margarine (Use stick margarine, not smooth tub margarine)

2/3 c. flour

3 eggs

In a medium saucepan bring water and margarine to a boil, stirring to melt the butter. Add flour all at once. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball that doesn’t separate. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes. After the dough has cooled 15 minutes, add each egg separately to the dough, stirring it in by hand. Don’t add the next egg until the prior egg has been stirred into the dough well. It takes some muscle and patience especially, with the last egg.

Crust:

2/3 c. flour

1 Tb. sugar

¼ c. margarine (stick kind)

Combine flour and sugar. Cut in the margarine. Then mix with hands until flour, sugar and margarine are well-combined and crumbly. Firmly press crumbs into an 8-inch circle on an ungreased cookie sheet; set aside. (Mixture will be slightly dry and crumbly).

Take the cream puff dough and drop about ¼ of the dough gently on the 8 inch crust. Gently spread the dough over the crust, forming a 5 inch circle. There will be a 1 ½ inch border of crust exposed. Using a large fluted tip and an icing or pastry bag, pipe remaining dough in “S” curves around the outside edge of the 5 inch circle, leaving a 2 to 2 ½ inch circle in the center.

Dough will puff and spread as it bakes. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400˚ for 15 minutes. Then reduce oven temperature to 350˚ and continue baking for another 35 to 40 minutes more. Cool on baking sheet.

Filling:

One large package (6 oz.) of Jello vanilla pudding (NOT the non-sugar kind)

1 ½ c. milk

½ c. whipped cream

assorted washed berries, drained well—sliced strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries

Prepare pudding mix according to package directions, except reduce the milk called for to 1 ½ c. Beat your whipping cream in a separate bowl. Add a ½ c. of the whipped cream to the pudding after it has set. Put the pudding/whip cream mixture in the center of the cooled tort and arrange fruit on top. Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Like most of my recipes, this one came from Jefferson's Mom. I made it once and decided it was to much work but Jefferson really wanted me to make it again and so we decided to use frozen meatballs and it turned out great and was really easy! I knew it was good when Jefferson was still talking about it the next day. Talmage even liked it!

1 bag of frozen meatballs

1/2 of a 15 oz. can pineapple chunks (Save all the juice)

½ c. finely chopped green pepper

1-1 ½ c. pineapple juice

¼ c. brown sugar

¼ c. vinegar

1 tsp. soy sauce

½ - 1 c. water

2 TB. cornstarch

3 TB. cold water

Add the juice only from the chunk pineapple can and the pineapple juice along with the brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and water to the same skillet as the meatballs. Dissolve sugar in juices and water. Put the lid on the skillet and let the sauce boil down a little and allow the meatballs to warm. Start cooking your rice. After the sauce has boiled down, I usually taste test it to make sure it is sweet enough. If I don’t think it tastes sweet enough, I add a little more pineapple juice. While the juice is boiling add the pineapple chunks (I usually cut them in half vertically) and chopped green pepper. Only cook for another 3-5 minutes after you add the pineapple and green pepper. Then use 2 Tb. cornstarch mixed in 2 Tb. of cold water to thicken the sauce. Serve meatballs and sauce over cooked rice.

Poppy Seed Bread

Make this at your own risk. I'm warning you, it's addicting. I like to make this around Christmas. And the 4th of July. And Thanksgiving. And any day that ends in 'y'.

This is one of the few breads that I like better after it's cooled. Weird, I know. But if you're not a fan of it right out of the oven, wait until it's cooled or even better, the next day. When the glaze sets, it makes this sugar-y goodness. This stuff is dangerous.

*image uploaded from flickr

Bread batter

3 c. flour

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. milk

1 1/8 c. cooking oil

2 1/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 T. poppy seeds

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond flavoring

1 tsp. butter flavoring

Mix for 1 to 2 minutes. Pour into 2 large or 5 very small greased loaf pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees (My oven cooks it in 30 minutes. Stick knife in it and if it comes out clean, it’s done). Top with glaze.

Glaze

1/4 c. orange juice

3/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond extract

1/2 tsp. butter flavoring

Oven Baked Fries

If there is one thing I can't resist, it's french fries. (I said if. We can pretend there's just one, right?) They are such good fries, and they are a lot better for you than the deep-fried ones. These will quench your french fry craving. Would be a great side to serve with this.


Ingredients

2 russet potatoes, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, halves cut lengthwise into fourths to make 16 big, fat wedges
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano


Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Preheat a baking sheet in the hot oven for at least 5 minutes.

While the baking sheet is heating, toss the potatoes with the olive oil and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.

Then dump the potatoes out onto a baking sheet, spreading to a single layer.

Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then, until the potatoes are cooked through, brown and crispy.

Toss the fries in a big bowl with the parsley and cheese.

*I am going to have to start taking pictures of the food I make so that these recipes will be more visually stimulating.

Dr. Pepper Ribs

I used to not even like ribs. One day, I decided to make these for my husband. And now.... I crave 'em.

Ingredients

8 country style pork spare ribs (I like boneless)
1 (2 liter) bottle Dr. Pepper
5 garlic cloves, slightly smashed
1 tbsp. liquid smoke
1 large onion, quartered
Your favorite barbecue sauce (I am a huge fan of Sweet Baby Ray's)

Directions

• Place ribs in large stock pot. (Or crock pot, which is my preference)
• Pour Dr. Pepper over ribs to cover.
• Add garlic, liquid smoke and onion.
• Bring to boil, lower to simmer and cook until ribs are tender. (Or just cook in crock pot all day on low)
• Place ribs in baking pan.
• Pour barbecue sauce on ribs.
• Bake at 350 F. for about 30 to 45 minutes. (Next time I make these, I think I'm going to throw them on the BBQ grill, instead of baking them.)