Thursday, August 25, 2011

Brown Bag Burritos

Brown Bag Burritos

  • 2 lb. ground beef
  • 2 cans refried beans (I make my own)
  • 1 1/3 c. enchilada sauce
  • 1/2 c. water
  • 1/3 c. minced onion (I use dried)
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 3 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, whatever)
  • 20 flour tortillas (burrito-size)

Brown ground beef; drain. Add remaining ingredients (except tortillas). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Heat 3-4 tortillas at a time. Spoon 1/4 c. beef mixture down the side of each tortilla. (I like to use my cookie scoop for this. Helps me keep everything uniform without any mess.)

Roll up. Wrap each burrito in a paper towel, then wrap in foil.

Refrigerate or freeze. I like to pack them in the tortilla ziplock bag. I can usually fit 10 per bag. Oh, by the way, sure wish I would have looked at the corner of this bag before I bought them. See where it says “Thins?” Not such a good thing for burritos. These tortillas tore too easily. I know I should practice making my own…

When ready to eat, remove foil and microwave for about a minute. The paper towel keeps the burritos moist. If you don’t use a microwave, skip the paper towel and just wrap in foil. Then heat burritos in the oven with foil. For a sit down meal they are nice topped with lettuce, cheese, salsa, and sour cream. If you’re eating on the run, though, just grab and go!

Coconut Chicken

Coconut Chicken

4 chicken breasts
Salt & Pepper
Canola Oil
1/3 cup fine dry plain breadcrumbs
1/3 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup butter, melted

Sprinkle the chicken with salt & pepper. Rub oil on the chicken.

Mix the breadcrumbs and coconut together. Roll the chicken in the coconut mixture.

Place your chicken in a lightly sprayed baking plan and drizzle it with the butter.

Bake at 350 for 40 - 50 minutes...until your chicken is done.

I often place a sheet of foil over my pan for the first half of the baking so the coconut doesn't get too brown. Just watch it and do what you want. You might like brown coconut.

Crockpot Chicken Thighs

1 package (about 6-8 Pieces) Chicken Thighs, Bone In
1-½ cup Apple Juice Or Apple Cider
1 cup Barbecue Sauce
1 Tablespoon Dried Mustard
1 pinch Spices To Taste


Lay the chicken on the bottom of the crockpot, skin side up. Pour enough apple juice to come just below covering the chicken. Add the bbq sauce, dried mustard, and whatever spices you want depending on your taste preference. Rosemary, thyme and oregano all work well. Some of the blended spices are nice also. Experiment.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and be certain to pull out the bones and skin. The meat will fall apart as it’s removed. Serve over rice or on rolls for ‘pulled chicken’ sandwiches.

Crockpot 40 Clove Garlic Chicken

CROCKPOT 40 CLOVE GARLIC CHICKEN

-1 large broiler/fryer whole chicken (as big as your crock will fit)
-thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley
-salt
-fresh ground pepper
-40 cloves UNPEELED garlic
-2 stalks celery, washed and cut into 3 inch pieces
-baguette or french bread slices, toasted (optional)

Place the celery slices on the bottom of the crock. Season the chicken in and out with salt, pepper, and generously with the herbs. Place on top of the celery. Place the cloves all around and on top of the chicken. Cover and cook on low 8 hours.

Remove chicken and celery to serving platter. Remove garlic to small bowl.

GRAVY

-1/4 cup cream
-2 - 3 tablespoons cornstarch
-salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Skim the fat off the liquid in the crockpot. Turn to high. Add the cream. Mix cornstarch with a small amount of water until smooth and add to liquid. Stir, cover and heat until thickened. You can pour some on the chicken and put the rest in a gravy boat.
Serve with noodles or garlic mashed potatoes made from some of that wonderful roasted garlic in the pot.

The roasted garlic can also be squished out of it's skins onto the toasted bread.

Hoisin & Honey Pork Tenderloin √

HOISIN & HONEY PORK TENDERLOIN

Hands-on time: 10 minutes
Time-to-table: 40 minutes
Serves 4
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 pound pork tenderloin
  • Salt & pepper

  • SAUCE
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic

  • 2 – 3 green onions, chopped
Preheat oven to 375F.
Spray a large, oven-proof skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium high. When the pan is hot, add the meat (it should sizzle) and sear the bottom side. Season the top with salt and pepper, then turn the meat to sear the other side and season the new top side. Move the skillet to the oven for about 30 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads 150F or the color is ‘just barely past pink’.
While the meat cooks, mix the sauce ingredients in a small pan and bring to a boil. Let it cook down just slightly, then keep warm on low heat.
Slice the meat and transfer to plates. Drizzle with hot hoisin-honey sauce and sprinkle with green onion. Serve immediately.

Crockpot Teryiaki Ribs

6 lbs pork spareribs, cut to fit crock pot
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon molasses
2 teaspoons garlic, minced

Directions:

Put ribs in the slow cooker.
Mix in a bowl the rest of the ingredients. And pour over the meat.
Cover, and cook on low for 6 hours.
Take the meat out of the crock.
Pour the juices into a sauce pan. Boil until reduced. pour over ribs. Serve.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Roasted Potatoes


Cook a pierced potato in the microwave until it’s soft all the way through – about 6-7 minutes total, flipping over every 1-2 minutes. Cut the potato in half, then cut each half into squares. Don’t cut all the way through, just down to the skin. Season with butter, Parmesan cheese and Lowry’s seasoning salt, then pop them into the middle rack of your oven set to broil for 10-15 minutes.

Recipe found here

Grilled Balsamic-Garlic Crusted Pork Tenderloins


  • 4-5 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pork tenderloins (about 1¼ pounds each)
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil (if preparing in oven)

Stir together garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil in a small bowl. Rub the paste all over pork. If you like or have the time, marinate overnight. If not, no worries, it will still be great!

Grill preparation:

Sear the tenderloins on all sides, then grill for about 20-30 minutes, rotating every 10 minutes, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Try to let it rest before slicing.

Oven preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat canola oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add pork, and brown all over, about 4 minutes.

Transfer pan to oven. Roast pork, turning occasionally, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees, about 20 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board, and try to let it rest 10 minutes before slicing.


Recipe found here