Fajitas!!!!!! The best ever!!

I know that this blog is about my recipes but every now and then I want to share with you a product that has changed my taste buds FOREVER and this is one:

Ok we love fajitas especially if done right! I have tried lots of homemade and store bought fajita mixes BUT nothing compares to Rick Bayless' Frontera fajita mix!! It blew my mind and Bens!!

We ate these 2 weeks in a row first steak then chicken and they were both mind blowing!!

Crawfish Chowder......fat free as possible!!

Ok so since coming into my husbands family I've been introduced to one of the most delicious ways to use crawfish......CHOWDER!!! I'm pretty sure that each one of my SIL's and MIL have their own recipes....well this is mine. Easy and as fat free as I could get it.....lol!!! Enjoy!!


unsalted butter
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
2 pounds frozen crawfish, cleaned
2 (10.75 ounce) cans health smart cream of potato soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can 98% fat free cream of mushroom soup
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
4 ounces fat free cream cheese, softened
2 cups fat free half-and-half cream
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

One thing about frozen crawfish is that it can be "fishy"....gross. So what I do is I rinse of crawfish in colander until water is clear, then I take a lemon and squeeze the juice of the whole lemon on them while their in colander, mix around and just let them sit until you need them. Then rinse and use!!

Directions

Melt 6tbsp of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute green onions in butter until tender. Remove from pan, and set aside. In the same skillet sauté the crawfish for a couple of minutes; set aside.

Combine potato soup, mushroom soup, corn, and cream cheese. Mix well, and bring to a slow boil. Stir in half-and-half, sautéed green onions, and crawfish. Season with cayenne pepper. Bring to a low boil, and simmer a couple of minutes to blend flavors.

ENJOY!!!

Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Saw this on Pinterest and automatically thought yummmm.......but sometimes things on Pinterest aren't always so good but this is amazing, tender and juicy!!! I simply served it with a Caesar salad and homemade honey butter rolls. Delicious!!

Ingredients:
1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup water

Glaze
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

Directions:
Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze until gone at different times during the last hour.

Honey mustard dipping sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix all together. And chill overnight.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken!!!!

Ok.....we love good fried chicken but sometimes it can be bland and dry. So I decided to soak my boneless skinless chicken breasts in buttermilk at least 8 hours to overnight to get chicken moist.

2 cups buttermilk
4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Soak chicken in buttermilk with garlic, herbs, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain in colander, leaving some herbs on chicken. In a large paper grocery bag, mix flour with seasonings. Meanwhile, heat oil in cast iron pan or fryer until 350 degrees. Place chicken pieces in bag with flour and shake, let sit 1 minute, then shake again. Add chicken to hot pan and fry on 1 side for 20 minutes, then turn to finish.

So crispy and juicy!!!! Dinner was quiet tonight except for forks on the plates!!!

Easy doughnuts!!

My kids love doughnuts but when I buy a box from our local bakery the doughnuts seem to not be so "fresh" like it says on the package....and a day later I have stale doughnuts!!!! And at around 6-7 bucks a box that's deemed "a waste". That's when the lightbulb came on.....*DING*.....why not make my own?!? And at $1.79 a can....I get 8 doughnuts and 8 doughnut holes from one can!!!! VOILA!!!

2cups vegetable oil
1can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury Grands Flaky Layers refrigerated biscuits
1/2cup sugar
Cinnamon
3/4teaspoon fine sea salt(optional)
Dulce de leche(optional)
Chocolate syrup(optional)

Directions

In deep fryer or 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat to 350°F.

Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Using small round cookie cutter, cut a hole out of each biscuit.

Gently place 1-2 doughnuts or 3-4 doughnut holes in hot oil. Fry on one side until golden brown. Gently turn with tongs; fry until other side is golden brown. Place on cooling rack; cool 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon or sugar and sea-salt; pour onto plate. While doughnut holes are still warm, add to sugar-cinnamon or salt; turn to coat.

Ok so we made the cinnamon-sugar ones for kids and even put chocolate syrup in some. And for the adults we did sea salt-sugar.....we served the salt-sugar ones with a dulce de leche dipping sauce. <------AMAZING!!

Cheddar Bay Biscuit Knockoff

Ok so I'm in love with Red Lobsters cheddar bay biscuits but I have 3 kids and even though I adore my kids I'm not taking them to Red Lobster to waste money and not eat.....sooooo I wanted to have these at home!! So here's my recipe.

2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Parsley

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 450 degrees.
2) Mix bisquick, milk, sour cream and cheese until a soft dough forms.
3) Drop by spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
4) Bake 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.
5) Mix butter or margarine and garlic powder.
6) Brush mixture over warm biscuits and sprinkle parsley on before removing from cookie sheet.

The most easiest mini apple pies!!

Ok.....so I saw a commercial for Pizza Hut's mini pies and they looked mouth watering BUT you get 4 for a lot of dough(no pun intended). So I decided to try to make mine!! And it's super easy!!! And it was great!!!

2 Pillsbury All-Ready Pie Crusts (1 box)
2 cans Lucky Leaf lite apple pie filling
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. soft butter
3 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

Add both cans of apple pie filling, butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and remaining brown sugar into a bowl, gently blend into apples.

Spoon about a Tbsp of filling onto sections of the pie.

Top with second pie crust and cut into your desired shapes. Sprinkle pie crust with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown.

CHEESECAKE!!!!!

Ok.....so for those that know me KNOW that I am a cheesecake fanatic!! There are great cheesecakes and then there are not so good cheesecakes and I promise you after you make this cheesecake you will be famous!!!

I like to make pralines and dulce de leche(both recipes on the blog) and use it as my topping.

This recipe looks daunting but it's not....and it's worth it!!! It's creamy and delicious!!!

INGREDIENTS
Crust
2 cups (475 ml) of Graham cracker crumbs (from a little less than 2 packages Graham crackers
2 Tbsp sugar
Pinch salt
5 Tbsp (70 g) unsalted butter (if using salted butter, omit the pinch of salt), melted
Filling
2 pounds cream cheese (900 g), room temperature
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar (270 g)
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream (160 ml)
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream (160 ml)

1) Prepare the springform pan so that no water leaks into it while cooking.* Place a large 18-inch by 18-inch square of aluminum foil on a flat surface. Place the springform pan in the middle of the foil. Gently fold up the sides of the foil around the pan. Make sure to do this gently so that you don't create any holes in the foil. If there are any holes, water will get into the pan and ruin the crust. Press the foil around the edges of the pan. Place a second large square of foil underneath the pan, and repeat, gently folding up the sides of the foil around the pan and pressing the foil against the pan. Gently crimp the top of the foil sheets around the top edge of the pan.

2) Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in lower third of oven. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Put in a large bowl, and stir in the sugar and salt. Use your (clean) hands to stir in the melted butter.

3) Put all but 1/4 cup of the graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the springform pan. (Save the remaining 1/4 cup for if you happen to have any holes that need to be filled in, either while you are making the crust, or after the cake has cooked and you've unmolded it.) Gently press down on the crumbs using your fingers, until the crumbs are a nice even layer at the bottom of the pan, with maybe just a slight rise along the inside edges of the pan. Be careful as you do this, as not to tear the aluminum foil. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

4) Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes until smooth, soft and creamy. Add the sugar, beat for 4 minutes more. Add the salt and vanilla, beating after each addition. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Add the sour cream, beat until incorporated. Add the heavy cream, beat until incorporated. Remember to scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl, and scrape up any thicker bits of cream cheese that have stuck to the bottom of the mixer that paddle attachment has failed to incorporate.

5) Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in a large, high-sided roasting pan. Prepare 2 quarts of boiling water. Pour the cream cheese filling into the springform pan, over the graham cracker bottom layer. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place the roasting pan with the springform pan in it, in the oven, on the lower rack. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan (without touching the hot oven), to create a water bath for the cheesecake, pouring until the water reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan, about 1 1/4 inches. (Alternatively you can add the water before putting the pan in the oven, whichever is easier for you.) Cook at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours.

6) Turn off the heat of the oven. Crack open the oven door 1-inch, and let the cake cool in the oven, as the oven cools, for another hour. This gentle cooling will help prevent the cheesecake surface from cracking.

7) Cover the top of the cheesecake with foil, so that it doesn't actually touch the cheesecake. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.

Enjoy!!

Easy, cheesy Mac and Cheese

I was trying to think of ways that i could use my cooked leftover pasta and......MAC N CHEESE came to my mind. This is a great way to use up leftover pasta.

Macaroni and Cheese

3 T. butter
3 T. flour
2 c. milk
salt and pepper
1 lb. grated cheese - I used 2% cheddar
3 c. cooked pasta

Melt butter in a sauce pan, add flour and stir. Gradually add milk and stir until thickened and unlumpy - you now have a velouté(look at you all fancy schmancy). Add salt and pepper until it tastes good, and then add grated cheese and stir until melted.

Stir in pasta and pour into a buttered casserole dish. Bake for 350 F for about 20 minutes or until browned.

Lemon buttermilk sherbet(ice cream machine recipe)

NO buttermilk.....no problem! It's really simple to make!

1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.

2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.

3. Let stand for five minute. Then, use as much as you need.

Ok this recipe is taken from "The Perfect Scoop." We love this recipe but when we first tasted it we expected a lot more lemon taste but it wasn't there. So the recipe below us original, I just added more lemon juice to ours about 1/3 cup more and it was perfect for us!! O and another thing it doesn't make very much so double the recipe so as to not tease your taste buds!!!

Ingredients

1/3 c water
2/3 c sugar
1 lemon
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice(2 lemons about)

Directions

Mix water and sugar. Grate zest of lemon into saucepan. Heat, stir frequently, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let sit until reaches room temp, then chill in fridge.
Whisk buttermilk into syrup, then whisk in lemon juice. Freeze in ice cream maker according to your machine.

Grilled Balsamic Asparagus

I love just the natural balsamic vinaigrette dressing.....

If you remember nothing else about vinaigrettes, remember this: the magic ratio of oil to vinegar is 3 to 1.

So first bend the bottom of the asparagus and where it breaks is where you want to cut all the rest of your asparagus!! Dress it with EVOO and course salt. Grill till tender.

Mix ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil with
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar. Once asparagus is done drizzle on while warm!!

Grilled Flank Steak with chimichurri

Ok so let me give you some Flank steak advice...Flank steak is best when it has a bright red color. Because it comes from a strong, well-exercised part of the cow, it is best sliced across the grain before serving.

Flank Steak Marinade

Ingredients:

Soy Sauce

Canola Oil

Crushed garlic gloves

Crushed red pepper

Agave nectar (or honey)

Ground ginger (or fresh)

Argentinian Chimichurri Sauce:

1 cup lightly packed chopped parsley (ideally, flat leaf "Italian" parsley)
1 cup lightly packed chopped cilantro
3 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (optional)
2 tablespoons shallot or onion, minced
3/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar, or red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Place all chimichurri sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until well chopped, but not pureed. Reserve.

Directions:

Score your steak diagonally in both directions to create “X’s” across the meat. Mix marinade ingredients in a plastic bag, add steak and marinate for 2-6 hours. Grill, 6 mins each side for medium rare, let the meat rest for 5 minutes, slice against the grain and serve!

Cream cheese frosting

1/2 cup of butter (1 stick), room temperature
8 oz of cream cheese (1 package), room temperature
2 - 3 cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.

2 Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness and thickness.

Super easy pralines(pecan candy)

Pecan halves
sweetened condensed milk
1/2 stick butter
4 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon

Candy will be cooked over range top on medium setting. Cook condensed milk,butter, sugar nutmeg and cinnamon until it thickens, then add pecans. Stir constantly so as not to stick and scorch. When the candy turns a medium brown and starts to harden, pour and spread in a butter greased pan. Let cool and cut into squares.

Praline cinnamon rolls w/cream cheese frosting(bread maker recipe)

Ok.....I love my bread maker and got it for a fraction of the cost during the summer!!! It's by Wolf Gang Puck. So I try to use it as much as possible!!!

This recipe is my little tweak to the classic cinnamon rolls.....Louisiana is where I have lived my whole life so I decided to take pralines(pecan candy) and put it in the center of these wonderful treats!!!

You can find my recipe for really easy pralines in another blog post!!

Praline Cinnamon Rolls

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons softened butter

Directions

In saucepan, heat 1/2 cup milk, water, and 2 tablespoons butter until very warm. Place milk mixture, salt, flour, yeast, sugar, and eggs in the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select the Dough cycle. Press Start.

Once Dough cycle is complete, remove the dough from the bread machine and punch down. On a floured surface, roll into a large rectangle. Smear with the softened butter. Sprinkle inside with crushed pralines(another blog post).

Roll the dough up into a log starting at the long side. Cut into 12 slices. Place the rolls cut side down into a 9x13-inch greased baking pan. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F

Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool 10 minutes. Spread cream cheese frosting(another blog post) over baked rolls, sprinkle with crushed pralines and enjoy.

Grilled Pork chops

When a pork chop is done right it can be FANTASTIC!! Ben who is not a fan of pork chops because they tend to be dry if not cooked good said that this was outstanding sooo you try it and let me know!!

1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or dried rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
4 bone-out thick center cut pork chops

Stir together first 6 ingredients. Rub evenly over both sides of pork chops.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 12 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 160°, turning once.

We ate ours with a fresh salad and veg but this would be great with mashed potatoes!!

APPLES y Manzanas!!

We love apples in this house....we literally have a drawer of apples. To me what fruit says Fall better then apples...apple cider, apple pies, caramel apples...you get, I love apples!!

So here is a fantastic apple recipe...Apple Crisp but with a twist.... wait for it....dulce de leche!!! Iade my own dulce de leche but you can buy it. So here's my Dulce de Leche apple crisp:

Dulce de Leche:
1 can of condensed milk
Take wrapping off can and poke two holes in the can. Put it in a pot and fill 3/4 of the way and let it simmer away.
Keep water at 3/4. Continue to simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Apple crisp:

2 medium apples, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoon butter
4 tablespoons quick-cooking oats
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 to 2 heaping tablespoons of dulce de Leche
Cream or Ice Cream (optional)


Directions:

Place apple slices in two small, greased ramekins. Spoon Dulce de leche topping over the apples. In a bowl, combine flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add oats and cinnamon. Sprinkle over apple slices and caramel.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until tender. Serve with cream or ice cream if desired.

It's FALL: time for warmth!

I am so excited for Fall not only because we get a break from the Texas heat BUT also warmth and comfort food is back! So here is my first Fall recipe:

Cheddar Bacon Ranch chicken pasta is creamy, comforting and delicious, all the things to want in food. **Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens**

1 pound mostaccioli or other short pasta
6 strips of bacon, diced
1 tablespoon butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 packet ranch dressing mix
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions in boiling salted water; drain, return to pot, and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Drain all but one tablespoon of bacon drippings from the pan.

3. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the reserved bacon drippings, then add the chicken to the same skillet. Cook until tender, no longer pink, and slightly browned.

4. Sprinkle the flour and ranch dressing mix over the chicken, stirring to coat evenly. Stir in the milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the cheddar cheese and half of the reserved bacon; cook and stir until the cheese is melted.

5. Serve each plate of pasta with more bacon sprinkled over the top.