Chipotle Pork Tenderloins

This tasty tenderloin beats all at a cookout! Strawberries and avacado in the salsa help cool the heat of the pork.

1 Large onion, sliced
1/2 cu chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 to 4 pork tenderloins (1 pd each)

Strawberry salsa:

5 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup thinly green onions
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and chopped

1. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the onion, peppers, lime juice and garlic; add pork. Seal the bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. Prepare grill for indirect heat or you may place in a skillet. Drain and discard marinade. Grill or cook pork, covered over indirect medium heat for 10-13 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

3. For salsa, in a large bowl, combine the strawberries, green onions, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Gently stir in avocado. Serve with the pork.

ROASTED CHIPOTLE PORK TENDERLOINS;

Marinate as directed. Drain and place tenderloins on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake uncovered at 425 for 25-30 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160. Serve with salsa.

Hot'n spicy chocolate tea

1 cup fat free or 1% milk
1 cup water
2 lipton cup size regular or decaffeinated tea bags
1 tbsp. sugar or to taste
1 tsp chocolate syrup
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Bring milk and water just to a boil ina 2 quart saucepan. Remove from heat and add lipton cup size tea bags. Cover and brew 2-5 minutes. Remove tea bags and squeeze; stir in remaining inngredients. Serve immediately.

Rum Balls (I used Ameretta)

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients
11oz box of vanilla wafer cookies, broken in to finely chopped crumbs
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup confectioners sugar plus ½ cup for dusting
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup light or dark rum
⅓ cup Karo light or dark corn syrup

Directions
In a large bowl stir together vanilla wafer crumbs, chopped pecans, confectioners sugar and unsweetened cocoa powder.  Stir in rum and corn syrup until blended.  Shape in to 1” balls and roll in confectioners sugar.

Store in a tightly covered container.

Hopping John

Hoppin' John Recipes:
WhatsCookingAmerica.net

Ingredients
2 cups dried black-eyed peas
Cold water
1 pound lean slab bacon or 1 pound meaty ham hocks
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups water or chicken broth
2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
Before preparing dried beans, sort through them thoroughly for tiny pebbles or other debris. Soak, rinse, and drain dried black-eyed peas. Place black-eyed peas in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and cover with cold water; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 to 2 hours. Drain and rinse beans.
Using the same large soup pot, over medium-high heat, add soaked black-eyed peas, bacon or ham hock, onion, and red pepper. Add water or chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the peas are tender (do not boil as the beans will burst).
Remove bacon or ham hock and cut into bite-size pieces. Return meat to pot. Stir in rice, cover, and cook 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes 8 servings

Confetti Coleslaw

Salad:

1 small head red cabbage, thinly sliced
5 medium carrots peeled and shredded
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 Granny Smith apples
6 scallions (white, & green parts), sliced
1 bunch watercress

Dressing:

3 tablespoons cider vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon celery seeds
4 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Salad: Toss cabbage and carrots with salt in colander. Drain in the sink until vegetables wilt, 1 to 4 hours. Rinse mixture thoroughly in cold water, dry in a salad spinner.

2. Dressing: Wisk vinegar, honey, mustard, celery seeds, salt and black pepper, to taste, together in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream to make a smooth, slightly thick dressing.

3. Quarter, core and shred the apple. Toss cabbage with apple, scallions and about a 1/2 cup of the dressing. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

4. When ready to serve, toss watercress with the remaining dressing. Make a ring on a plater with the watercress, and mound the coleslaw in the middle of the ring.

Beef Green Chili Cheese Pie

 

Beefy Green Chile and Cheese Bake

This loaded casserole recipe has it all. Meaty, cheesy and packed to the brim with zesty ingredients, it will feed any hungry family. Easy to prepare and easy to enjoy, Beefy Green Chile and Cheese Bake is a must.

Ingredients

• 2 cups crushed tortilla chips
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
• 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
• 1 can (4-ounces) Ortega diced green chiles
• 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded and divided
• 1 1/2 cups Ortega salsa - homestyle recipe (medium)
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9-inch square baking dish.
    
2. Combine chips, water and egg in small bowl. Press into prepared baking dish; bake for 10 minutes.
    
3. Combine beef, soup mix, chiles, ¼ cup cheddar cheese and ¼ cup Monterey Jack cheese in medium bowl. Spread over tortilla crust.
    
4. Top with salsa, bell pepper, remaining cheddar cheese and remaining Monterey Jack cheese.
    
5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Best Ever Meatloaf

Calories: 258

• Fat: 12.6g
• Saturated fat: 5.8g
• Monounsaturated fat: 4g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 0.6g
• Protein: 21.2g
• Carbohydrate: 14g
• Fiber: 0.8g
• Cholesterol: 119mg
• Iron: 2.6mg
• Sodium: 557mg
• Calcium: 104mg

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces French Bread, torn into pieces
• 1/2 cup ketchup, divided
• 1 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 5 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
• 1/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic (about 3 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, diced
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. 2. Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1 cup. Arrange breadcrumbs in an even layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 6 minutes or until lightly toasted; cool. Combine toasted breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup ketchup, onion, 3 tablespoons parsley, and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a bowl; gently mix until just combined.
3. 3. Transfer the mixture to a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; do not pack. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Brush top of loaf with remaining 1/4 cup ketchup. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 10 minutes, and cut into 6 slices. Sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Best Ever Blueberry Coffee Cake

	2 cups Flour 2 teaspoonsBaking Powder
	1/2 teaspoonSalt
	8 ounceCream cheese; softened
	1/2 cupButter; melted
	2 cupsSugar
	2 largeEGGS
	2 teaspoonsVanilla extract; pure
	2 cupsBlueberries; fresh or frozen
	3 tablespoonsSugar
	1 1/2 teaspoonsCinnamon; ground

Best Ever Blueberry Coffee Cake Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan; set aside.
In small bowl stir together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes or until creamy. Add 2 cups sugar; beat until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well. Add flour mixture; beat until combined. Stir in vanilla. Gradually fold in blueberries.
Batter will be very thick. Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top.
In small bowl stir together 3 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle over batter.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack

Flavorful Pot Roast

This recipe is from my Fix it and Forget it cook book. By Mary Kay Nolt

2 2 1/2 lbs boneless beef chuck roasts
1 envelope dry ranch salad dressing mix
1 envelope dry Italian salad dressing mix
1 envelope dry brown gravy mix
1/2 cup water

Optional indredients:
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup water

1. Place the chuck roasts in your slow cooker. (make sure you spray the inside with Pam for easy cleaning or use a liner).
2. In a small bowl, combine the salad dressing and gravy mixes. Stir in water. Pour over the meat.
3. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until the meat is tender but not dry.
4. If you wish, thicken the cooking juices for gravy. Remove the meat at the end of the cooking time and keep warm on a platter.
5. Turn cooker to high and bring juices to a boil.
6. Meanwhile, mix 1 tbsp flour with 1/2 cup water in a jar and a tight fitting lid. Shake until smooth.
7. When juices come to a boil, pour flour-water into cooker in a thin stream, stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring until juices thicken.
8. Serve over meat, or in a side dish along with the meat.

Note: You may also add cut up onions, carrots and potatoes and place on top of meat before cooking.

Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Ranch Panko

This is so easy to do, so I hope you try it.

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast or boneless thighs
1 package or dry ranch dressing mix
1 stick of butter
3 cups of panko bread crumbs
2 tbls of garlic salt
2 tbls of parsley
2 tbls of poultry seasoning
salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix together all dry ingredients. Melt butter.  Dip each piece of chicken in butter then dip in panko crumbs, coating well.  Place in a baking dish sprayed with Pam. Bake until golden brown. About 25 minutes.

Serve with salad and you're favorite veggie.

Hot rolls

This recipe is near and dear to my heart. My Mom who passed away in 2006 made these rolls all the time and us kid (6 of us) would fight over them.  This mix is easy and they are so so good. I hope you enjoy these with your family as we have with ours. Just follow the directions on the box and enjoy!

Hungarian Goulash Casserole

1 pound ground pork
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream, divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 package (12 ounces) egg noodles, cooked and drained
2 teaspoons minced fresh dill (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray 13x9-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine pork, salt, nutmeg and pepper in bowl. Shape into 1-inch meatballs. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs. Cook 10 minutes or until browned on all sides and no longer pink in centers. Remove meatballs from skillet; discard drippings.
3. Stir together 1/4 cup sour cream and cornstarch in small bowl. Spoon into same skillet. Add remaining 3/4 cup sour cream, soup, milk and paprika. Stir until smooth.
4. Spoon cooked noodles into prepared dish. Arrange meatballs over noodles and cover with sauce. Bake 20 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with dill, if desired.

Shrimp Saute Heavely Pasta

 

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 1 1/4 pounds large shrimp
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup coarsely chopped seeded peeled tomato
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups hot cooked vermicelli (about 6 ounces uncooked pasta)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation

1. Combine water and 1/2 cup salt in a large bowl, stirring until salt dissolves. Pour salt mixture into a large zip-top plastic bag. Add ice and shrimp; seal. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Remove shrimp from bag; discard brine. Peel shrimp.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté 15 seconds. Add shrimp, and sauté 1 minute. Add wine; cook 1 minute, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add tomato, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Remove from heat; serve over pasta. Sprinkle with basil.

Corn Dogs

This Corn Dog was invented for the Texas State Fair in 1942 and became an immediate favorite at state fairs, amusement parks, and pretty much anywhere people wanted their food served breaded, fried and on a stick. Fun to make with the kido.

1 gallon peanut oil
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon  baking powder
1 large jalepeno pepper, seeded and finely minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 8.5 ounce can cream style corn
1/3 cup grated onion
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons cornstarch, for dredging
8 beef hot dogs

1. Pour oil into a deep-fryer or large heavy pot and heat to 375F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cayenne pepper.  In a seperate bowl, combine the jalapeno, corn, onion and buttermilk.  Add the dry indredients to the wet ingredients all at once and stir only enough times to bring the batter together; there should be lumps.  Set batter aside and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
3. Scatter the cornstarch in a dry pie pan. Roll each hot dog in the cornstarch and tap well to remove any excess.
4. Transfer enough batter to almost fill a large drinking glass.  Refill the glass as needed. Skewer each hot dog on a pair of chopsticks and quickly dip in and out of the batter in the drinking glass.
Immediately and carefully place each hot dog into the oil and cook until coating is golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.  With tongs, remove to cooling rack and allow to drain for 3 to 5 minutes.

Kitchen tip: Use as little cornstarch as possible, but coat each dog thinly to help the breading stay where you want it.

Kitchen tip: Don't cook more than a few dogs at once; crowding the pan lowers the temperature of the oil, which makes for greasy dogs. 

Rosemary Thyme Lemon Roasted Chicken

Ingredients

1- 6 pound roasting chicken

2 teaspoon paprika

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 lemons, divided
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine (such as sauvignon blanc)
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Lemon slices (optional)
Thyme sprigs (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Combine the paprika, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; rub under loosened skin. Thinly slice 1 lemon; arrange slices under loosened skin. Cut remaining lemon into quarters. Place lemon quarters inside chicken cavity. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon thyme to chicken cavity.
3. Place chicken on the rack of a broiler pan or roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Brush oil over skin. Cover chicken with aluminum foil. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 50 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thigh registers 165°. Transfer chicken to a cutting board; cover with foil, and let stand 15 minutes before carving.
4. Place a zip-top plastic bag in a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into measuring cup, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Place pan on stove top over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into pan. Add wine; bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add drippings, broth, juice, sugar, remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
5. Remove chicken from oven;  remove lemon wedges from cavity; discard. Carve chicken, and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with gravy. Garnish with additional lemon slices and thyme sprigs, if desired