Mexican Meatballs

I am a huge fan of this recipe. If you follow it completely, you get delicious meatballs, but it's also really easy to change and edit to your taste. I went on a meatball making binge after making these. Each batch was different than the last, and we loved them all!

Ingredients
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 gloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried or 2 tbsp. fresh oregano
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 lb. lean ground turkey
8 oz. uncooked or cooked smoked chorizo sausage, finely chopped (I made my own chorizo by flavoring plain sausage. Will share that recipe later.)
2 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Spray 9x13 with cooking spray. Mix together in large bowl the eggs, bread crumbs, cilantro, garlic, oregano, 1 1/2 tsp. of the chili powder, salt and cumin. Add the ground turkey and chorizo sausage; mix well. With damp hands or a small ice cream scoop (I used my hands) form into 24 to 30 meatballs. Combine oil and remaining 1/2 tsp. chili powder, brush over meatballs. Bake meatballs 22 to 25 minutes or until cooked through (165 degrees). With slotted spoon, remove meatballs to a serving bowl.

We ate with rice. They were awesome. If you make the meatballs as uniform in size as possible, they cook more evenly. I have to say, I love baking meatballs. I have always hated cooking them on the stovetop. Anytime I find a meatball recipe, I make them and cook them to this recipes directions. Love baking meatballs! Then you can even make them earlier in the day and refrigerate til it's time to bake.

Guacamole

This is my mom's guacamole. I absolutely love it. Eat it with her homemade chips and you might not be able to stop before the whole bowl is gone.

Ingredients

2 avocadoes peeled and pitted
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper
½ tsp ascorbic acid mixture (optional)
1 medium tomato peeled and sliced

Beat avocadoes, onion, lemon juice, salt, pepper and ascorbic acid mixture until creamy. Fold in tomato. Cover and refrigerate. Stir before serving. For a chunkier guacamole, mix avocadoes with a fork.

I make mine chunky and mash it all up with my fork. We LOVE it.

Pico de Gallo

I posted a pico de gallo recipe with the Applebee's Santa Fe Chicken Salad but I have another one that I ate growing up. It's not quite as flavorful, having less ingredients, but I could see some people liking it's simplicity still. It's still delicious.

Ingredients

1 bunch cilantro

6 medium tomatoes

1 onion

Salt

Garlic Salt (You could easily substitute with real garlic. Maybe 3 cloves.)

Chop cilantro, tomatoes, and onion. Combine in a bowl. Add salt and garlic salt.

This recipe is to a pretty big scale. You could easily cut it in half.

Chili Upgrade

So we were making our normal chili but really wanted to make it a bit tastier, give it a little upgrade. So we combined it with the recipe for our white chicken chili and came up with something pretty yummy. It was kind of an on the fly recipe change, so bear with me. But I can still remember the gist of how we changed it. I know we started out with the original recipe.

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef (or turkey)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green sweet pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (Can't go wrong with more garlic either)
1 15-oz can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (may use dried beans)
1 14 ½ oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2-3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried basil, crushed
1/2 cup flax seed

Then we added some bits from the white chicken chili.
1 can of kernel corn

1 (4oz) cans diced green chiles
1 tbs ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

I want to say that was most of the additions.

Brown meat, chop veggies, toss it all in a crockpot and cook on high for 4-5 hours. You can saute your veggies before hand if you want to, as well.

Habichuelas Rojas Guidadas con Arroz

I think the literal translation is Stewed Red Beans with Rice. This is a Dominican dish that Aaron had on his mission. I really like this one. We've had it a few times and we're getting better at making it. I really like it! Aaron was the chef on this one as well.

Ingredients
2 cups red kidney beans, boiled very soft
Water in which you boiled the beans
½ cup chopped celery
1 small red onion cut into 4 quarters
1 cube chicken stock (we use granules, or bouillon)
½ tsp chopped coriander/cilantro
½ tsp thyme leaves
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp oil
½ teaspoon mashed garlic
Pinch oregano
Salt

In a pot heat the oil. Add oregano, onion, garlic, tomato paste, celery and herbs. Stir and add two Tablespoons of water. Add the beans and simmer. When the water has almost evaporated add the chicken stock and two more Tablespoons of water, stir. Add the remaining water mashing beans over heat. Boil at medium heat until it reaches a creamy consistency. Adjust salt to taste.
Serve with white rice, a side dish (or salad) and meat.

We've learned that if you cook your kidney beans too long and let them soak too long, they will turn sweet. This is not yummy for this recipe.  I imagine you could easily used canned beans, using the liquid from them as well. You would just need to be cautious later on and add water if needed.

Taco salad

Over Aaron's two week break, he helped out with the cooking a bit. A few of the next recipes will be Aaron's. This is one of them. He has always loved taco salad. I didn't like it very much, but since my tastebud revolution over the summer, I now totally enjoy taco salad. It's pretty darn easy and pretty darn yummy.

Ingredients
lettuce
tomato
kidney beans (1 can or pre-soaked/cooked)
olives
1/2 lb. ground beef
grated cheese
salsa
tortilla chips

Ground beef. Combine with other ingredients in a large bowl. Serve over tortilla chips.

So I know it's pretty lame that I didn't include very good specifics on how much of what to use. It's really up to you. If you're not a fan of something, don't use very much or you can exclude it all together. It's really an eyeballing thing. If you do like something, you can have more of it.

Cheese Enchiladas

This is an Emeril recipe. I didn't know how I would like it. I'm not a corn tortilla person. (Unless they're my mom's homemade chips.) But I really did like this recipe.

Ingredients
5 tbsp vegetable oil, split
1 (28 oz) can peeled whole tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp Baby Bam
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
12 corn tortillas
8 ounces white cheddar cheese, grated (I couldn't find this. Didn't even know it existed. I subbed it with another white cheese. You can use Monterrey, Mozzarella, Colby [I think that's a white one]. If any of you find white cheddar, let me know. I didn't look in the deli however. They have more specialty cheeses there.)
8 ounces yellow cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion (I don't think I used this part. Mine was all in the sauce.)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (I use freeze dried if I don't have fresh on hand, although I learned it needs water to rehydrate or you can't really taste it, so you might not use it in this recipe. The sauce might do the trick, but fresh is always best.)

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with 1 tbsp of oil. Set aside. In a blender, puree the tomatoes on high speed. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tbsp of the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, cumin, oregano, and Baby Bam and cook, stirring until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the pureed tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, stirring until slightly thieckened, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper and stir. Reduce the heat to very low. Simmer to keep warm, stirring occasionally, while you assemble the enchiladas. Heat a second medium skllet over low heat. Place the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a small bowl or dish. With a pastry brush, lightly brush both sides of each tortilla with the oill. Place on tortilla at a time in the skillet until just warm and softened, about 2 to 5 seconds per side. (I thought this would be horribly tedious but did it in the spirit of a first time recipe. It wasn't bad and works well to keep the tortillas from cracking. Although the same effect might come from microwaving them.) Remove tortilla with tongs and palce it on a large palte. Continue with the remaining tortillas and oil. Combine the white and yellow Cheddar cheeses in a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the mixed cheese in a line along the middle of each tortilla. If using the finely chopped raw onion, (which I would still recommend) sprinkle a heaping teaspoon into each tortilla. Fold one side toward the middle to enclose the filling, then roll up the tortilla to form a cylinder. Place tortillas seam side down in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. Pour the tomato sauce over the filled enchiladas, spreading with the back of a spoon to distribute evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the top of the enchiladas. Bake until bubbly, about 10-12 minutes. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the baking dish from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. To serve, divide enchiladas among plates and garnish, if desired, with the cilantro.

If you haven't realized yet, you will, Emeril's recipes are long and wordy. The cookbook is made to be a simple step by step so kids can use it with parents. I cut down when it's easy to make it simpler, but in general I just put it the way it is. So that's why it's so wordy. But make sure you read it all the way through before you start. His recipes are ones that I get in trouble with because I dont't read it all the way through before I start cooking.

Fireside Chili

I made this for our ward chili/bake off. It was something I found from a magazine and it sounded exotic, so I went all out. In the end, I didn't really care for it. It's a specialty chili, I like to call it. It's got a real distinct and unique flavor. I think you either love it or hate it. I was missing one ingredient, but not a crucial one to flavor I don't think. Anyway, it's got a very smoked flavor. So if you like smoked, you'll probably love it. It also has a cumin polenta that goes with it. I forgot to try the polenta with the chili so I can't vouch for it. But I do imagine it's a good addition to the strong flavored chili, so I'll add it at the end anyhow. The picture is deceiving. With the flash from my camera, it came out very bright. This was a dark chili, not bright red. Be not deceived. And I put this in the Mexican label because it has fresh jalapenos and dried chile peppers. To me, that's in the realm of Mexican food. Oh, and despite me saying I didn't really like it, we brought the giant pot home almost empty. So it was getting eaten, no doubt. Which made me feel good, even though I didn't win the cook off.

Ingredients
1 recipe Chili Seasoning Puree (I'll list it further down)
1 1/2 lb. ground beef chuck (which I learned is just plain old ground beef. Why do they make this so hard?)
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 tbsp. smoked paprika (I think this gives it a majority of the smoky flavor. Smoked paprika is very, very strong.)
2 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground cloves (This I didn't have. But it's such a small amount, I'm hoping it didn't ruin my chili not having it.)
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, cut up (I'd make the pieces about 1 inch or so)
1 1/2 cups water
1 14 oz. can beef broth
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1-2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (optional) (This is one of the things that drew me to this recipe)
1 1/2 cups dried plums or raisins, chopped (chopping dried plums is somewhat tedious. I'd do it before when you're not feeling rushed.)
Cumin Polenta (optional)

Prepare Chili Seasoning Puree. (listed below) In 6 quart dutch oven cook beef, onion, and celery until meat is browned, stirring as needed. Drain fat. Stir in Chili Puree, paprika, coriander, crushed red pepper, and cloves. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in undrained tomatoes, water, beef broth, and tomato paste. Brign to boiling, reduce heat. Add chocolate and plums. Simmer, covered, 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with Cumin Polenta.

Chili Seasoning Puree
2 dried chile peppers (There are tons of different types [from different regions] so just pick one.)

1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

3/4 cup beef broth
5 pitted plums

Place chile peppers in a bowl. Add boiling water to cover. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain; remove stems and seeds. To remove seeds, cut off stem end. Cut a slit down one side and scrape out seeds with a spoon. In food processor or blender combine drained chile peppers, jalapeno pepper, broth, and dried plums. Cover and process or blend until smooth.

Cumin Polenta

2 14 oz. cans reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 tsp ground cumin

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup whole milk (I do think using skim or otherwise will change the quality. I used skim cause it's all we have.)

1 tbsp butter

In large heavy saucepan combine broth and cumin; bring to boiling. Reduce heat; gradually whisk in cornmeal. Cook and stir until thick, about 6-8 minutes. Whisk in milk and butter, Season with salt and pepper. I was told by a friend that you should always stir the polenta in one direction only. It doesn't matter which direction, but you don't stir both directions or do figure eights in the polenta. Just pick a direction and stir it that way. She heard that from a reliable cooking source, so try it.

Crescent Burritos

These came out great. We made them bigger than the original recipe because we were worried they'd be too small. I think they would've been okay. They turned out gigantic. Anyways, it's a great recipe no matter what size you make them. (I doubled this recipe because otherwise it doesn't make very many. They're kind of small, so you'll want more than one. But if you wanted to you could half it.)

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (You could easily use turkey.)
½ onion, chopped
1 pckg taco seasoning
1 cup water
1 can refried beans (I like black beans. I think they're a bit better for you than refried beans. Just drain them first and smash them up a bit.)
4 cans crescent rolls
1 cup salsa
8 slices American cheese
1 cup sour cream
½ cup sliced olives

Heat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, cook ground beef and onion over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix and water. Reduce heat to medium; cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until water has evaporated. Remove from heat; stir in beans. Separate dough into 16 triangles. (4 per can) Firmly press perforations to seal. Spoon about 2 tbsp beef mixture and 1 tbsp of salsa onto each rectangle; spread across one half of rectangle. Fold rectangle in half and pinch edges to seal. Place on cookie sheet. Bake 18 to 23 minutes or until golden brown. Top each burrito with cheese; bake 2 to 3 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve garnished with sour cream and olives.

This is half a burrito. They were huge. Really. When you're making them, don't worry if you think they'll certainly explode while they're cooking. And don't worry if they look really small. (if you do the original 1/2 lb version.) When they cook, they expand and the crescent roll seals off all the areas where you think it'll leak. That was my experience anyway. And I didn't bother putting them back in the oven to melt the cheese. It melted just fine when they were fresh from the oven.

Enchiladas

A twist on an old favorite. This is a family FAVE! My mom's enchiladas have now made many a missionary happy in Montana as well. This recipe is pretty versatile. I usually make it with ground turkey. It's meant for beef, and can be easily converted to using chicken. Killer delicious! This version is not rolled enchiladas, but an enchilada casserole. You definitely have to make the original enchiladas to truly appreciate it. But, when you make it frequently, it's nice to do it casserole style because it takes less time. Here's the original recipe:

Ingredients

1 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
½ cup flour
2 tbsp chili powder
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
4 cups hot water
2 beef bouillon (use chicken bouillon if making with chicken)
1 pound ground beef (or turkey or chicken)
½ pound grated cheddar cheese
10 flour tortillas (When I make them into rolled enchiladas, I tend to only get 8. I think it's because I fill mine pretty full)

Combine first six ingredients. Add water. Stir (use a bouncer or whip). Add bouillon and cook over medium heat until it starts to thicken. Cook the ground beef while you are making the sauce. Drain and put in a bowl. Add the grated cheese to the ground beef, saving some to go on top. Dip tortillas in the sauce to soften, place on a plate and put a spoonful of the cheese/beef mixture near one side, spreading it out. Roll up and place in a 9x13 casserole dish. Pour remaining sauce over the rolled enchiladas. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes and put the saved cheese on top. Return to the oven until the cheese is melted. (I used to forget and always put the cheese ontop before I put it in the oven. Now I just do it before because it's easier to remember. It still works out fine.)

To make this a casserole:
Cut up your tortillas. I just use a pizza cutter and make then into small chunks. Then you layer your ingredients. Start with tortillas, then add meat/cheese. Then douse with sauce. Then repeat. This last time, I ended with a layer of tortillas. Just make sure they all have sauce on them before you bake. If any tortilla strips on top don't get sauce, they'll get dark and crispy.

I didn't add this to the kid friendly section because when Joseph was younger he'd never eat it. He did this time, however.

Fish Tacos

This is a recipe I've cooked many times. My mom sent it to me. It's called Baja Fish Tacos. It's really quite easy, and if you do any chopping and mixing before hand, the only thing you have to do is cook the fish and heat up your tortillas (if they're soft). It's pretty sweet!

Ingredients
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pound cod filet or other white fish cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 pkg taco shells  (We used wheat tortillas)

Toppings: shredded cabbage, chopped tomato, lime juice, taco sauce

Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro, and 2 T seasoning mix in small bowl. Combine cod, oil, lemon
 juice, and remaining seasoning in medium bowl; pour into large skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Fill taco shells with fish mixture. Top with desired toppings.

Bufffalo Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Ranch Sauce

I battled over whether or not to post this recipe. After having put it into my power point cookbook, I have decided I need to. The reason why is because I am going to make it again, and next time I will make it right!

Ingredients
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup refrigerated sour cream ranch dip
2/3 cup chopped green onions
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
¾ cup buffalo wing sauce
12 tortillas
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix soup, dip and 1/3 cup of the onions. In large bowl, mix chicken and buffalo wing sauce until coated.
Spoon 2 tbsp soup mixture down center of each tortilla. Reserve ½ cup cheese for garnish. Top each tortilla with about ¼ cup chicken mixture and scant ¼ cup cheese. Fold sides of tortillas over filling; place seam side down in baking dish. Spoon remaining soup mixture over filled tortillas.
Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake 40-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Remove from oven. Sprinkle with reserved ½ cup cheese and remaining 1/3 cup onions. Bake uncovered about 5 minutes long or until cheese is melted.

So when I made this, I didn't have green onions because they were getting too old. I also made a horrible Julie mistake. I read the recipe too fast and didn't really pay attention to the details. In the end, I didn't have enough chicken, I used too much cheese in the enchiladas, and didn't know to pour the remaining soup mixture ontop before it baked. Needless to say, it doesn't look like it was supposed to, and it's not pretty.
 

However, they still weren't half bad. The first few bites I really liked, but the more I ate the more the buffalo sauce was just too much. However, if it had the green onions, and extra soup mixture on top, it really would've balanced out the flavors. So I am determined to make this again (not soon, but in a reasonable amount of time) so I can improve it and show you a better picture of what this should look like! But I would definitely recommend trying it. Just make sure you read the recipe slowly and thoroughly!

Fajitas

In the past few weeks, I have been getting back to my kitchen ways and cooking some new and old amazing meals. My recent excitement, which I remembered to take a picture of for my power point cookbook, was fajitas. These ones have steak in them.

Ingredients
½ cup water
½ cup lime juice
1 pkg. fajita or taco seasoning mix
2 tbsp sugar
¼ - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or steak
2 medium green bell peppers, sliced
1 medium red onion, halved and sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Optional: refried beans, chopped tomatoes, grated cheese (I like Swiss. Heard it's better for you than Cheddar), sliced olives, chopped mushrooms, diced avocadoes, salsa, guacamole or sour cream

Combine first five ingredients in medium bowl. Cut chicken breasts into 1” cubes and marinate in lime juice mixture for at least 15 minutes. Heat vegetable oil in heavy frying pan over medium high heat. Drain excess marinate from chicken; add chicken to hot pan, stir frying until no longer pink. Add sliced vegetables and stir fry until vegetables are crisp-tender.Serve on warmed flour tortilla shells.

I've added a lot more optional ingredients than I used to use. Really, you can pack it full of whatever you want. I used to hate things like olives, mushrooms, etc. But as I've used them more, I'm liking them more. And in a recipe like this one, you can hardly taste all of those little chops bits. So the more vegetables, the better for you, right? Anyhow, it's a great recipe and it's really versatile. Both of these are from my cooking class I took at BYU.


I know the pictures not anything great to look at, but you can see the variety of things inside. It may look gross (or maybe you think it looks yummy like I do), but I promise it's good stuff!