Hello and a new recipe to try

I just want to say, "hello" to all of the readers of my cooking blog. Hi Mom, Paula B., Tracy, Rachel, Cynt, Paula H., Jen..and anyone else who comes here for ideas. I feel the excitement and it spurs me on to keep posting.

I will admit that I do lose interest in cooking sometimes...but then I get hungry again and so I cook!

I found a new recipe today that I have to share. If you like avocados...this one is for you!

Avocado Salsa Fiesta

4 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded and chopped
4 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 red onion, minced
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, stems discarded
4 jalapeno peppers, minced (I used one for less heat)
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn

Combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate approximately 2 hours or more. Serve as a dip with chips or as an accompaniment to grilled chicken, fish, Mexican entrees, or as a side-dish salad.


I can't wait to dig into this one with my tortilla chips!

Pizza again

Just to remind you...when I make pizza I use any and all leftovers to top them. I had some leftover mashed sweet potatoes. I plopped some teaspoonfuls across the pizza and added some raw zucchini and red onion. SO GOOD!

Lunch

It's certainly not gourmet, but there is something to be said about simply sauteing fresh vegetables. I had a hankering for this kind of lunch, so I checked out what was available in my fridge and found carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, red onion and zucchini. Saute' in a Tablespoon of olive oil until crisp-tender. Sprinkle with some salt, pepper, garlic powder and serve with parmesan cheese. Very satisfying!

Mexican Lasagna (with my own flair added!!)

Have a pound of ground beef and a little time? I make my own tortillas and then layer them in a 13x9 baking dish with a browned burger mixture that I came up with. Add a bit of cheddar cheese and voila!! With a salad for the side, it's a yummy, satisfying meal! Make sure you read through this recipe before you start...to make sure you have all the details. This is easy to make, but it was hard to explain in some areas...

Homemade Tortilla batter

~2 cups flour
~1 cup yellow cornmeal
~1/2 teaspoon salt
~3 cups cold water
~2 eggs

Mix ingredients until batter is smooth. (~makes about 20-24 tortillas)

Heat a small saute' pan over medium-low heat and grease with spray oil.
Add a scant 1/3 cup of batter and rotate pan to evenly coat bottom.
Cook until top of tortilla is dry. (about 2 minutes or so) Flip over.
Cook another 30 seconds and slide onto a plate.
Continue cooking the rest of the batter, piling cooked tortillas on top of each other. (here is where it takes a bit of your time, so start this meal about an hour before you want to eat or make these ahead of time...you can refrigerate them for future use!)

Meat mixture:
Meanwhile, as you cook the tortillas, brown one pound of hamburg and then drain fat.
Add a 16oz jar of salsa (you choose the heat!!)
Add a 28oz can of baked beans, DRAINED WELL!! (just a regular can of baked beans...it gives this mixture a bit of a sweet flavor that offsets the salsa and my family likes it better than the traditional spice of the Mexican flavor packets that are typically used in a dish like this)
Let the mixture simmer until you are done cooking the tortillas. (you will have extra tortillas...but these are great for lunch as a quesadilla or for breakfast with cheesy scrambled eggs inside...just refrigerate them for future use)

You will also need 3 cups of shredded cheddar cheese to layer with meat mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 13x9 baking dish. Layer 4 tortillas in the bottom...you can cut two of them in half to fit the bottom of the pan. Add a third of the meat mixture and about 3/4 cup of cheese . Layer 4 more tortillas, add meat and cheese. Layer 4 more tortillas, same deal! So, you now have 3 layers of meat and cheese with the tortillas, ending with the meat and cheese...layer on 4 more tortillas and sprinkle on the last of the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes in the 350 degree oven. Serve with extra salsa and sour cream.


You can use store made tortillas..there certainly are enough choices out there, but I have to say that the homemade ones are amazing! AND, don't forget, you can make them ahead of time for future use! Give them a try....you won't be sorry!



Here is my scant 1/3 cup of batter being rotated to evenly cover the bottom of a 9" non-stick saute' pan:


Wait until all the bubbles are gone and it looks dry...then flip over:


This one looks just about done...most of the cooking is on the first side...just about 30 seconds on the second side and you can slide it onto a plate:



I layer about 16 tortillas with my meat mixture and cheese in each layer:


Oh YUM....the family absolutely LOVES this meal!

Cream Puffs

Easy cream puff shells that can be filled with many things, both sweet and savory! I had some chocolate pudding on hand, and used that for most of them...but Olivia wanted hers to be filled with raspberry swirl ice cream.

Grandma Josephine's Italian anise cookies

~3 eggs
~1/3 cup shortening or butter(softened)
~1/2 cup sugar
~2 cups flour
~3 teaspoons baking powder
~1/2 salt
~2 teaspoons anise extract

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
*Beat together eggs, shortening and sugar.
*Add extract and dry ingredients
*Place teaspoon sized scoops onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart.
*Bake in preheated oven for 7-8 minutes. Remove and cool on racks.

Glaze with the following:

1 cup confectionary sugar, 1/4 teaspoon anise extract, 1-3 Tablespoons hot water.

I make this glaze very runny so I can just dip each cookie top into it and let the excess run off...let dry on waxed paper.

Asian Steamed Dumplings

1/2 cup finely chopped cooked pork (optional)
1/2 cup coarsely grated carrots
1/2 cup shredded Napa cabbage (I have used green cabbage)
2 tablespoons finely chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Bowl of water, plus additional water for steamer
35 to 40 small wonton wrappers (usually found in the produce section)
Non-stick vegetable spray, for the steamer
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Mix the pork, carrots, cabbage, red pepper, scallions, ginger, cilantro, soy sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, egg, salt, and pepper. Lightly stir to combine.

To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. (I use my finger) Place 1/2 rounded teaspoon of the mixture in the center of the wrapper. Shape as desired. Set on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Using a steaming apparatus of your choice, bring 1/4 to 1/2-inch of water to a simmer over medium heat. Spray the steamer's surface lightly with the non-stick vegetable spray to prevent sticking. Place as many dumplings as will fit into a steamer, without touching each other. Cover and steam for 10 to 12 minutes over medium heat. Remove the dumplings from the steamer to a heatproof platter and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat until all dumplings are cooked.

Here is my version of a steamer. My biggest pot with 3 aluminum piepans, stacked. Each poked with small holes. I grease them, then separate them with little bread pans that leave the room for the layer below. Fill the first layer with dumplings, then cover with next pan, fill that layer, etc...Cover Pot while they are steaming! I make two batches in the pot to cook all the dumplings. But while the first batch is steaming, you can work on filling the rest of the wrappers.



One version of a dumpling is the pouch shape:


Another version is folded in half:


Press to seal and remove as much air as possible:


The top layer of my steamer is my regular veggie steamer basket...so four layers in all:


The finished dumpling...


Served with sweet and sour pork stir-fry and rice:



*Wonton wrappers are very versatile. You can make a cream cheese and crab filling, fill them like the dumplings and then fry them in oil for homemade crab rangoon. You can pre-bake them as tart shells and fill them with all kinds of sweet fillings for dessert...use your imagination!

Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken

Put 4-6lb whole chicken in crockpot. Place 1/2 cup of chopped onion inside of chicken cavity. Rub 2 Tablespoons butter OR oil on the skin. Squeeze juice from one lemon over chicken and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, 2 Tablespoons parsley, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. (I don't see why you couldn't oven-roast this chicken. It would be just as yummy that way!


After 8 hours in the crockpot, the meat is just falling off the bones...I did drain the juices before taking this picture. You can cool the juice, skim the fat and use it for soup or gravy.


My dinner plate:


Coming soon: Asian steamed dumplings

Apple Pie

Apple pie. The pinnacle of the dessert pyramid! I make mine with granny smith apples this time of year, as they are the most firm apple at the market. Just add about 1/2 cup more sugar than the recipe calls for, to cover the tartness.
Also, I cut my apple pieces quite large so the filling doesn't turn mushy. Nice firm apples in a gooey, cinnamon/nutmeg laced syrup. Oh boy!
I use the same crust that I make my pot pies and pork pies out of...I love the oil crust. It is flaky and light. Always a winner. Just before it goes into the oven, brush on some milk and sprinkle it with a cinnamon sugar mixture, if you want to sugar it up a bit...



Notice I am serving this on a disposable plate, as we are still experiencing a power outage. Not too pretty, but the pie is the star here!