Back to Cooking, Southwestern style

Holy Cow can you believe? I am starting up our food blog again. We made a really good dinner tonight and my kids loved it so I wanted to share it with you guys. It was totally easy too. So what we did was grilled a few chicken breasts. Looking back we wish we would have marinated them first. But next time. So season your breasts (hahaha) with what ever you want or marinate with what ever you want. Grill them on both sides until juices run clear. Mom don't over grill yours!

In the mean time I cut up some red onion cooked it in a little olive oil added a can of black beans and frozen corn cooked until heated, squoze fresh lime juice and added chopped cilantro.

Bid sliced up the chicken and squoze lime juice on it and placed it on the black bean salad. So yum! Here is the recipe I got it off of Gina's Skinny Taste.

For the black beans and corn:

• 15.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels (fresh is fine)
• 1/4 cup red onion, minced
• 3 tbsp finely minced cilantro
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
• kosher salt to taste

Directions:
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté 2 minutes; add beans, corn and salt and cook until heated through, about 6 - 8 minutes.Remove from heat and toss in cilantro and lime juice. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

To drink we made up our own Mojito recipe. We had them at our pool in Vegas. We crushed mint leaves in a glass of ice, enough for each glass. Maybe a tablespoon of mint each. Added fresh lime juice how much you want. Pour a sprite in your glass and added my strawberry sauce, the one I got off of Best bites. Probably a tablespoon for each glass, more if you want. Add crushed fresh strawberries since you don't have the sauce. Stir it gently and drink. Sooooo good. A real recipe has rum and soda water. They also add sugar but we just used a sprite becasue we had it.

Ok my favoritest ladies, lets get back to cooking! : )

VaLoy's Cheese Ball

4 Kraft Old English jars
3 Phili cream cheese (1/3 less fat)
1 triangle Laughing Cow Blue Cheese
2 tsp grated onion (very fine)
1 tsp whorshire sauce
Makes huge amount
Mix with Kitchen aid or large food processor
add dried parsley on top with chopped walnuts or pecans

Let cheese stand to soften and gradually add to food processor. Enjoy

Ooey Gooey Peanut Butter Brownies

Ooey-Gooey Peanut-Butter Brownies
Recipe from Cooking Light, Sept. 2010

3/4 C sweetened condensed milk, divided (fat-free is fine)
1/4 C butter, melted and cooled (1/2 stick)
1/4 C non-fat milk
1 box devil’s food cake mix (18.25 oz)
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
cooking spray
1 7 oz jar marshmallow creme (about 1 3/4 C)
1/2 C peanut butter morsels (not gonna lie, I used a very “heaping” 1/2 cup :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

With an electric mixer, combine 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, milk, butter, cake mix, and egg white. Mixture will be very thick. Spray 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Press 2/3 of the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Use either floured hands, or spray your hands with cooking spray in order to press it down without having it stick to your fingers. The layer will be thin. Bake for 10 minutes.

Combine 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk and marshmallow creme in a bowl and combine until smooth. Stir in PB morsels. No one will tell if you stir in some extras. Spread marshmallow layer over brownie layer in pan. Carefully drop remaining brownie batter by spoonfuls over marshmallow mixture. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before cutting into squares.

Garden Pasta Salad

2 cups whole-wheat rotini ( 6 oz)
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
1 TBS red-whine vinegar or lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup diced yellow or red bell pepper (1 small)
1 cup grated carrots (2-4 carrots)
1/2 cup chopped scallions (4 scallions)
1/2 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
1/3 cup slivered fresh basil

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain and refresh under cold running water.
Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Add the pasta and toss to coat. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, carrots, scallions, olives and basil; toss to coat well.


Homemade Potato Salad
2 lbs small Yukon Gold potatoes
kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles with 1/4 cup juuice
1 small red onion, chopped
2 TBS capers
2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
1/2 lemon, juiced
kosher salt and freshly ground black

Put the potatoes and the eggs into a big saucepan of cold, salted water. Bring to a simmer and cook until a paring knife poked into the potatoes goes in without resistance, about 15 minutes. Remove the eggs and let cool. Drain the potatoes in a colander and let them cool.
Meanwhile, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, pickles with juice, onion, capers, parsley and lemon juice in a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes. Peel the cooked eggs and grate them in the bowl. Stick a fork into the potatoes, one at a time, lift them out of the colander and peel with a paring knife. Break up the potatoes, put them in the bowl with the dressing and toss everything together. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Beef Enchiladas

Sauce
3 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
1 can (1 lb ) chili con carne without beans
1 can ( 1 lb) kidney beans, ground
3 cups tomato juice
1 tsp basil
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Mix all ingredients together in saucepan.
Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.

Filling
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tbs taco seasoning
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp oregano
Dash of Tabasco sauce
12 corn tortillas
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 ground onions

Brown ground beef in skillet. Add tomato sauce, taco seasoning, red pepper, oregano, and Tabasco sauce. Mix thouroughly. Divide beef mixture and spoon onto each corn tortilla. Sprinkle cheese and ground onions over the beef mixture and roll up tortillas. Place seam side down in baking dish. Pour sauce over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with additional cheese just before serving. Makes 12 enchiladas.

Cheryl's Salad

8 -10 cups chopped Romaine and Red Leaf Lettuce
1 to 1 1/2 cup Feta Cheese
1 cup Craisins
1- 8 oz bag glazed or candied pecans or almonds chopped
2 Avocados cut into bit sized pieces
1/4 cup chopped red onion

DRESSING:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 TBS Gray Pupon Dijon mustard
2-4 TBS minced garlic

Mix dressing and set aside. Put salad ingredients in bowl and top with dressing. Mix, mix, mix and enjoy!

Easter Carrot Cake

I don't know why, but to me, Easter is a great time to have Carrot Cake. Lets see how this one is.

LAYERED CARROT CAKE

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 (8-oz) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained.

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

2 egg whites

1 TBS. vanilla extract

3 cups grated carrots.

( vegetable cooking spray)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1/2 (8 oz.) package 1/3 less fat cream cheese

2 TBS. butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups powder sugar

1 to 2 tsp, fat free milk ( optional)

1.preheat oven to 350. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Whisk together pineapple and next 4 ingredients; add pineapple mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into 2 (8in) round cake pans coated with cooking spray.

2. Bake at 350 for 22 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire rack; cool completely about 1 hour.

PREPARING FROSTING

3. beat first 3 ingredients on medium speed with electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powder sugar to butter mixture; beat at low speed just until blended. beat in milk for desired consistency. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 2/3 cup frosting, and top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

****can add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to batter and 1/2 cup golden raisins. ***