Salsa Chicken

This recipe is super easy and really good. Gotta love the crock pot! You can serve it over rice, in a burrito or a taco. We made fried corn tortilla tacos...SO good! Best homemade tacos ever!

4 chicken breast (you can use more or less just adjust the salsa accordingly)
1 1/2 cups salsa (I used this recipe)

You can also add drained black beans or frozen corn kernels.

Place chicken and salsa (and any add ins) in crock pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken and enjoy!

Homemade salsa

I love restaurant salsa, so does Mike. I have never been able to make it just right. It is always too chunky. This version turned out perfect! I will never buy salsa again! You can adjust the recipe to your liking.

28 oz can (or 2 14.5 cans) diced fire roasted tomatoes
half an onion
1 jalapeno
1 Serrano chili
1 bunch cilantro leaves
4 cloves garlic
lime juice
chili powder
salt
lime juice
pinch of sugar

Using a food processor blend tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, Serrano chili, cilantro leaves, and garlic until smooth. Add lime juice, chili powder and salt to taste. Add a pinch of sugar. The longer it sits together the better it gets.

Key Lime Pie

Mike loves key lime pie. I had never really had it before so I thought I would make one. This recipe is super simple and very good. The pie didn't last a week in the house, it really had no chance. I used a pre-made crust so the recipe below is just for the filling.

Source: outofthefryingpan.com

1 cup key lime juice
2- 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
zest of 2 limes

Mix ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and let cool. Refrigerate to set completely.

Fried Corn

I had heard about this fried corn business online and knew we had to try it. So glad we did because it was so good! Make this as soon as humanly possible!

Source: About.com

6 ears corn
2 tablespoons fresh bacon drippings or butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Slice the corn from the cob. Scrape the cob downward to get any remaining corn left near the cob. Heat a heavy skillet and add the bacon fat or butter. When hot, add corn and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar, and pepper. Serve hot.
Serves 4 to 5. (note: I had bacon from "making bacon drippings so I threw it in too. It would have been great either way)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Sorry for the less than lovely picture, I was hungry. My dad taught me how to make perfect garlic mashed potatoes one year at Thanksgiving. I haven't made them any other way for years now. They are super easy!

Source: My dad

2 red potatoes per person, washed with skins left on (or off whatever floats your boat)
1 clove of whole peeled garlic per person
Salt
Butter
Milk or cream

Cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Try to make them about the same size since this will help cooking all evenly. Throw them in the pot with the garlic and cover with water. Salt the water until it is "salty like the sea" as my dad would say. Make sure you taste the water and you say ugh salt water, then and only then is it perfect. This is your only chance to salt the potatoes and if you do it right they will be perfect. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook until the are nice and tender. Drain off water and place them back in the pot. Keep them covered and do not mash them until you are ready to serve them, this will help them stay nice and hot. Warm your milk or cream to prevent it from making the potatoes cold, just makes sense. I usually heat it in the microwave but you could also heat it on the stove on low while you cook the potatoes. Mash the potatoes up with some milk and butter to the texture of your liking. Mike likes them with lots of butter and a little milk so that it how I usually make them. That's it...enjoy!

Zesty ginger beer BBQ sauce

I made this to put on crockpot BBQ pork. It was great. Different from any BBQ sauce I have ever had.

Source: Food Network

2 cups ginger beer
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Eggplant Parmesan

I have never made or really ever even eaten eggplant parmesan. I had been craving it since I tasted some on our vacation to Atlanta. I got the basic idea of how it is made and threw this together. It was pretty quick and easy. Mike and I both enjoyed it.

1 eggplant, sliced into rounds
Italian breadcrumbs
2 eggs
olive oil
1 can tomato sauce
mozzarella cheese (sliced or grated)
pasta (any kind you like)
salt

Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large pan. Place breadcrumbs in a bowl big enough for the rounds of eggplant. Crack eggs onto a bowl the same size. Beat the eggs. Salt eggplant. Dip eggplant slices into egg them coat with breadcrumbs one at a time. Place in hot oil. Fry a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on paper towel to drain. Using a 9 by 13 baking dish spoon a layer of tomato sauce into the bottom, enough to coat the bottom. Place the fried eggplant rounds on top of the sauce. Spoon additional sauce on top of eggplant rounds. Top with cheese. Place in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Then broil for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Cook pasta as directed and mix with remaining tomato sauce. Place pasta on plates and top with eggplant rounds.

Hoisian Shrimp

Mike and I are in love with the Hoisian Chicken I made a few weeks ago. Mike came up with the idea to use it on shrimp and it was a great idea! I simply marinaded the shrimp and sauteed them in a pan. Delicious!

Good ol'Beans

I think I am addicted to recipes from Pioneer Woman. This is the second weekend in a row I have made one of her recipes for a BBQ. Homemade beans have always intimidated me. This recipe was super simple and turned out great. I added browned ground beef for some extra texture but I think they would be great without the beef also.

Source: Pioneer Woman

4 cups pinto beans
4 slices thick bacon (or you can use salt pork or ham hock or dices ham)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
6 to 8 sliced jarred jalapenos chopped (optional)

Rinse beans in col water. Pick out any beans that look questionable. Pour beans into large pot, cover with water by 2 to 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer 2 hours or until beans are tender. Add water to pot as needed. Beans should have a thick broth. Towards the end of the cooking time add salt and pepper and season to taste. Don't over salt. I added chopper jarred jalapenos at this point along with the browned ground beef.

Classic Potato Salad

Mike and I were having friends over for BBQ and game night and I wanted homemade potato salad and remembered seeing this recipe on the Pioneer Woman's website. It is a very classic recipe and very good. Sometimes the simplest ingredients came make the best tasting things!

Source: Pioneer Woman

5 pounds russet potatoes

1 1/2 cup real mayo

4 tablespoons prepared mustard (regular Dijon or both)

5 green onions, sliced up to the darkest green part

8 small sweet pickles (or dill pickles) chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

Cut potatoes in halves or thirds, then boil until fork tender. (make sure the water is salted, salty like the sea) Drain. mash potatoes or run them through a ricer or food mill to make them extra fluffy. (I mashed mine to get some chunks). Fold potatoes together with mayo, mustard, green onion, salt, pepper and other seasonings you like. Fold pickles and eggs, then taste for seasonings, adding more salt. mustard or mayo as needed. You may also splash in juice from the pickle jar if salad needs a little moisture.

Hoisin Chicken

I was searching for one recipe and I stumbled across this one on foodtv.com. It is good. Spicy and sweet and so simple to make. Mike and I both loved it.
I served it with cucumber salad

Source: Food Network

3/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 scallions, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic
1 2 inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and halved (remove seeds for less heat) (I did not steam the jalapeno)
Zest and juice of 2 limes, plus lime wedges for garnish
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks (separate pieces)

Preheat a grill to medium heat on one side. In a mini food processor combine all ingredients excluding chicken. Process until smooth. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Reserve some marinade for basting. Toss the chicken with the hoisin mixture in a large bowl. Grill the chicken over direct heat until the skin is crisp, 5 minutes per side, basting with extra marinade. Transfer chicken to the cooler side of the grill, cover and grill until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Breakfast for dinner: Pancakes

Sorry for the blurry picture, I was in a hurry to eat! I love to have breakfast for dinner and so does Mike, yet another reason we are meant to be =] I have never made pancakes from scratch but this recipe from The Pioneer Woman is awesome! I had all the ingredients on hand and they came together to make some great cakes!


Mike always makes the pancakes in our house. I can cook a lot of things but for some reason I can't make good pancakes. Here is Mike cooking up the cakes:PW’s Perfect Pancakes

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups milk
2 large eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons butter
Extra butter
Maple or Pancake syrup

Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix together milk, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring very gently until just combined.
Melt butter and add it to the batter, stirring gently to combine.
Cook on a greased skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown. Serve with an obscene amount of butter and warm syrup.

**note: we made maple butter by melting butter into maple syrup in a sauce pan. Don't know how I ever ate pancakes without it!**