SALSA!

Pico de Guigo (Fresh Salsa)

6 med Roma tomatoes (tomato type depends on preferences)

1 large green pepper

1 med jalapenos (depends on desired heat)

3 cloves garlic

1 large white onion

1 large red onion

1/2 bunch green onions

2 limes, juiced

1 bunch cilantro

2 TB apple cider vinegar

pepper & salt (or pepper salt) to taste

Directions: Chop it all up. Put it in a bowl. Take a chip. Eat! :)

DANGEROUS CHOCOLATE CAKE-IN-A-MUG

The Goods

coffee mug;
4 Tbsp. cake flour (plain, not self-rising);
4 Tbsp. sugar;
2 Tbsp. cocoa;
1 egg;
3 Tbsp. milk;
3 Tbsp. oil;
Small splash of vanilla;
3 Tbsp. chocolate chips, optional.

DIRECTIONS
Add dry ingredients to mug, mix well with a fork.Add egg, mix thoroughly.Pour in milk and oil and vanilla, mix well.Add chips, if using.Put mug in microwave, and cook for three minutes on 1000 watts.Cake will rise over top of mug--do not be alarmed!Allow to cool a little; tip onto a plate if desired.Eat!(This can serve two if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.

***And WHY is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?Because now we are all only five minutes away from chocolate cake any time of the day or night!!!***

Chicken Tilapia

Courtesy: Anne Grimm


INGREDIENTS
2 lemons
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6 ounces each) tilapia fillets
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 small onion, chopped
1 bag (12-ounce) trimmed fresh green beans
1 package (10-ounce) sliced white mushrooms
2 tablespoons water

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

• From 1 lemon, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 3 tablespoons juice; cut second lemon into wedges.
• In cup, mix lemon peel and 1 tablespoon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.
  Spray 13" by 9" glass baking dish with nonstick spray; place tilapia, dark side down, in dish. Drizzle tilapia with lemon mixture; top with almonds, pressing them on. Bake 15 minutes or until tilapia turns opaque.
  Meanwhile, in 12-inch skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high 1 minute.
• Add onion and cook 5 to 6 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Stir in green beans, mushrooms, water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.
• Cook about 6 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates and green beans are tender-crisp.
• Toss with remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
• Serve bean mixture and lemon wedges with tilapia.
  

Cook Time
30 minutes

Chicken Enchiladas

Ok, I do my chicken enchiladas a little differently. But you'll find this recipe is a lot like the chicken enchilada soup.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs boneless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size)
• 1 lrg can enchilada sauce
• 1 lrg can cream of chicken soup
• 2 sm cans tomato sauce
• 2 cans black beans
• 1 can corn
• 1 large onion (chopped, diced)
• 6 green onions (diced)
• 4 garlic cloves (diced)
• salt&pepper -to taste
• Lrg package soft flour tortillas
• veg.oil
• 3 lbs cheese
• tub sour cream

Instructions

• Tortilla Preparation:
• Heat up oil in skillet
• Lightly brown tortillas (they should not be stiff)
• Set aside

Chicken preparation:

• Cook bite-sized chicken in skillet with diced onion and garlic.
• Add salt and pepper.
• Set aside.

Sauce Preparation:

• In a large pot, add enchilada sauce, cream of chicken, tomato sauce, black beans and corn.
• Salt and pepper.
• Heat until boil.
• Pour 1/2 the mix in a bowl.
• Add chicken mix to pot. stir.

Enchilada preparation:

• In a large casserole dish, lay a tortilla.
• Spread chicken mix down the center of the tortilla with a spoon.
• Top with cheese.
• Roll tortilla burrito-style.
• Slide it to the side wall of the dish.
• Repeat those steps until your dish is full.
• Top all enchiladas with sauce mix (that was set aside.)
• Top with cheese.
• Place dish in oven until cheese has melted.

Enjoy!

Steak with Gorgonzola cream sauce

temporary picture until actual photo arrives (cough* Omi....)


INGREDIENTS

Steaks
4 oz Gorgonzola Cheese
8 tsp butter (1 stick)
3/4 tsp pepper


INSTRUCTIONS:
Sauce:
Put butter into mixing bowl. Warm butter to room temperature.
Mix in cheese and pepper until creamy paste.
Refrigerate for at least 20 min.

Grill steaks however desired

Spoon on top of steak. (we use a melon baller or small ice cream scoop.

Lemon Rice Side:

In rice cooker cook rice as normal.
add 2 tsp of chicken bullion
Juice of 1 Lemon and lemon zest of half the lemon.
1 1/2 tsp garlic pepper
4 tsp butter (half stick)
2 oz Slivered almonds on top
Start cooker
After about 15 mins of cooking stir rice and continue cooking.

Poached Salmon with Coconut Dill Sauce

I know it has been awhile since we posted, but if you have seen me you would know that we haven't stopped eating. I had these steaks for a week or so and while it is a far cry from the Sockeye we brought back from Seattle, this is a fun dish Dad and I put together back in the Dutch oven.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 lbs Salmon
• Salt - to taste
• Dill -sprinkled liberally on top
• 2 limes (halved and juiced)
• ½ C White Wine (substitute= ¼ c white vinegar)

Coconut Sauce:

• 2 cans 12oz Coconut Milk
• 2 Tbs sugar
• 1 lime (halved and juiced)
  salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Poach Salmon at 425 degrees for 15-25 minutes:

• Line baking tray with foil
• Center salmon on foil
• Salt and Dill the salmon
• Squeeze 2 limes over fish
• Set the juiced peel to the side of the fish
• Add white wine (or vinegar) to the fish
• Close up the foil, crimp the ends
• Bake
• After the meat is flaky, it is ready (soft and mushy=not ready). This varies due to the thickness of the steak.
• Once poached, drain out the liquid from the tray into a sauce pan ans seal up salmon again.
• Add 2 cans of coconut milk to the sauce pan.
• Squeeze last lime’s juice into sauce
• Add 2 tbs sugar
• salt to taste
• Heat up until sauce is smooth
• Pour sauce over salmon.

RICE SIDE

In rice cooker, add Chicken Broth instead of water.
Also add:

• 1 tbs parsley
• 2 tsp garlic pepper
• 4 oz Butter (half stick)
• 1 tsp salt
• Cook Rice as Normal

Enjoy!!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Photo taken by Naomi Masina
If you like chicken enchiladas, you'll love this recipe. People who aren't even a fan of soup will be coming back for more.

INGREDIENTS:
2lbs. of boneless chicken breast- chopped into bite sixed pieces
2 cans enchilada sauce
1 lg chicken broth
1 pint of heavy whipping cream
1 can stewed tomatoes
3 cans tomato sauce (small)
1 can black beans-drained
2 cans kidney beans
3 can corn- drained
1 onion-diced
6 cloves garlic- diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 lb Cheddar Cheese-shredded

1/2 lb Mozerella Cheese-shredded
Tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS

fry up chicken.
add onion and garlic.
Cook till vegetables are soft.
In a big pot, add all other ingredients together (except the tortilla chips and mozerella cheese).
Add chicken and onion saute. Cook until boiling.
Simmer on Med. heat for 10 min to thicken
add Heavy whipping cream.

In serving bowl, crunch in a handful of chips.
Pour soup over the top of the chips.
Top the soup with moz. cheese.
ENJOY!

Creamy Chicken Forestiere

photo taken by Omi Masina

Very, very tasty! If you like pasta, you'll be in heaven with this recipe!
If you like chicken alfredo, you'll love this!


INGREDIENTS
1 box fettucine noodles
6 tsp. butter
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup flour
1 lb boneless chicken
3 cloves garlic
1 small onion
salt & pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup diced chives
1 pint heavy whip cream
2 cups milk
2 cups sliced mushrooms (optional)

Rue:
flour
4 tsp. butter

DIRECTIONS
Boil your noddles! Get them going first!

Make your RUE by heating up butter on low heat and throwing in your flour. Stir until it thickens to a nice golden brown, but be careful not to burn it. Set aside.

Cut chicken into bite-size chunks.
Saute Onions, chives, and garlic in remaining butter and olive oil. Add the chicken and wine.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook until liquid is almost gone
Nummy smell, huh...

In the pan add heavy whip cream and milk.
Add rue to thicken
Stir till smooth
(Add mushrooms at this point.)

Drizzle over your Fettucine....mmmmmm!

Enjoy!

Fiesta Spaghetti

Found this recipe when scavengering for something unique. It was rather good! Kids wanted another plate of it!

INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
1 pd ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 Garlic cloves
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained
1 (11 ounce) can sweet corn, drained
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons basil
salt and pepper to taste
2 dashes hot sauce (or more if you're feisty)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS
Cook your noodles.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic and beef.
When the meat is cooked, add basil, sauce, beans, and corn. Stir.
Season with cumin, salt, and pepper, and sprinkle with hot sauce.
Toss with cooked spaghetti and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

Hmmm... delicious....

Prime Rib Burger

The double -decker version..

Carl's Junior had advertised this burger. It was so good we decided to make it too. Ours of course was better!

INGREDIENTS:
Hamburger patties
Roast Beef (we bought the London Broil - rare, from the deli) sliced thin.. think Arbys
*note: 1lb. is about enough for 6 burgers.
Ciabatta rolls -sliced open (for buns- I really wouldn't subsitute this out, it's magic)
Provolone Cheese slices (swiss is also a good option)
Horseradish Sauce
Mayo.
Onion, sliced
Au Ju gravy mix
Salt &Pepper

Instructions:
Grill up the burgers! (Grill always tastes better, but the kitchen stove works just as well)
Melt the Provolone into the burger as you grill. Season with Salt and Pepper.

Meanwhile, saute the onion in a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add a packet of au jus gravy to the onions and pull the mix off the heat. Then, place the sliced beef in the Saute mix. Lightly heat it up-- if you leave the meat in there too long, you'll get dry beef... you don't want that!

Mix 3 parts mayo to 1 part horseradish sauce. Horsey sauce is generally pretty strong, but the mayo helps smooth out the overpowering flavor, but it is a GREAT element to the sandwich.. try not to leave it out of the recipe. BUT don't overdo it unless you have a headcold and need to clean out those sinus'.

Spread Mayo/Horsey mixture on top and bottom of ciabatta roll.

Place cooked burger on first. Layer the top of the patty with sauted beef (yes, make sure you get some of those onions on the burger too)

Crown the burger with the top half of the roll and take a bite!! Hmmmmm.


*For double decker burger, add another piece of ciabatta in the center, add another patty and more roast beef.

Masina Musubi

photo taken by Omi Masina

Ingredients:
Terriyaki Sauce
Spam (or ANY meat)

Rice (Do not use instant rice)

Nori (Sheets of Seaweed)

Furikaki (Rice seasoning found at Asian markets)

Sushi Press (found at asian/polynesian markets)

Terriyaki Sauce:
1c Soy Sauce

1c Sugar

1c Water

4 cloves garlic

minced ginger

Instructions:
Cut spam in slices and marinate in terriyaki sauce for a few hours.

Cook Rice.

Cook Spam.

Lay out one sheet of Seaweed.

Put suishi press at one end of seaweed.

Put one layer of cooked rice (about an inch thick) inside sushi press.

Press rice down firmly, remove press slowly so you do not pull up the rice.

Sprinkle on Furikake

Put in one layer of cooked spam.

Put another layer of rice atop the spam; press again and remove slowly.

Remove Rice press slowly, trying not to pull up the rice.

Using the nori, roll the rice up. Hold it in place by wetting the ends with water and lightly sealing it together.

This should make a long Musubi (square)roll.

Cut desired length.