Taco Soup

While perusing Pinterest one day a few weekends ago, I saw a picture for a Slow Cooker Taco Chili, and it looked goooood! So, I finally got the ingredients, and gave it a try today, with a few minor adjustments. Well, one big one... I just used a pot on the stove and not the crockpot. And not only was it quite easy, but it was very tasty!

1 lb. ground beef
1 can (15.25oz) sweet corn (don't drain)
1 can (15oz) black beans (don't drain)
1 can (15oz) red kidney beans (don't drain)
1 can (15oz) tomato sauce
1 cup salsa (I used a thick and chunky style)
3 Tbsp taco seasoning
1 tsp salt

In a large soup pot, cook the ground beef until brown. Drain if needed - I use a 90 percent or 97 percent beef, so I usually keep what little grease is left to add flavor. Add corn, beans, salsa, tomato sauce, salt and taco seasoning. Make sure to add the liquid from all your cans of corn and beans. Give a quick stir to combine the ingredients. 

Simmer on low/med-low for an hour or two to allow the flavors to meld, stirring occasionally.

Top as desired. I used cheddar cheese and Fritos. You can add avocado, sour cream, cornbread, or anything else you like.

Lemon-Zucchini-Almond Bread

I think I may be in love. And it's not something I ever expected to love... lemon zest! I've never been a lemon fan. I don't like lemonade. I've never used lemon on anything. Ok, I do like the little sweet lemon drop hard candies, but that is it. This recipe is AMAZING. And to top off its amazing yumminess, you also get a little vegetable and some nut protein in each luscious bite! Woohoo! Now that's a win in my book. lol I found this recipe on Pinterest, and a previous bread I made, Lemon Almond Bread, was so good, that I decided to give this one a shot. It's called Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread. The bread is really flavorful; the zucchini adds some depth to it; the almonds add a bit of texture; and the glaze is out of this world. I adapted the recipe just a little bit, but I can't give you a comparison because I never tried the original. Read them both if you so desire, and take your pick! You'll probably notice that the pictures don't look like the same thing, and it's actually not. I made a loaf of this last weekend to try it. Today, I doubled the recipe so that I could make more so that I could take it work tomorrow. It made a little more than I anticipated, so I ended up with a 9X13, a mini-loaf pan full, and a small loaf as well. Following is the single loaf recipe.

2 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup buttermilk ***
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1 cup grated zucchini

1/2 cup almonds, plus a Tbsp or so for garnishing

Glaze ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
2.5-3 Tbsp lemon juice

1-2 tsp lemon zest

First prep your fresh ingredients - grate the zucchini and zest and juice the lemons. The original poster left the peel on her zucchini. I think it would have been nice for the color, but I have a picky eater, and it's much easier to hide the zucchini with the green removed.

Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Then add oil and sugar until well blended. 

Add lemon juice, buttermilk, and lemon zest to this mixture and blend all together.

*** Note, if you don't have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by using 1 Tbsp lemon juice and adding enough milk to reach the one cup line. Then use however much you need.

Fold in zucchini until it is mixed well. 

Add dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend all together until well combined.

Add almonds and mix well. Pour batter into greased 9x5 loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. 

The original says to glaze the bread while it's still warm. I didn't want the heat of the bread to melt the glaze, so I let mine cool first. To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest until combined.

Carefully spoon glaze over bread. Garnish with a bit of zest and a few almonds. Your mouth should be watering at this point to try it, so go ahead and give it a taste!

Brown Sugar Cookies

I love trying new cookies, and lately I've learned a lot about brown sugar and the role it plays in cookies, so when I saw this recipe for Brown Sugar Cookies on Pinterest, well, I decided I needed to give it a try. These cookies turned out so soft and sweet. I had several folks at work asking for seconds... and thirds and fourths. I doubled the recipe so that there would be enough for a lot of people (I do share these at work), and I actually chose to refrigerate my dough for an hour or so. I think that's why mine didn't flatten out as much as the originals, and the dough was a little dry to roll, but, otherwise, they were really, really good!

28 tbsp unsalted butter (3.5 sticks)
3.5 cups packed dark brown sugar
4.5 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp salt
2 egg plus 2 egg yolks
3 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 and line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Allow to simmer until it starts to turn an amber color and smell nutty and fragrant. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the browned butter and brown sugar until well-blended.

Add the eggs and egg yolks to the butter/sugar mixture one at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition. 

Mix in the vanilla. Mix the flour mix into the cookie dough, stirring until just combined.

In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Scoop the cookie dough into balls using a 1 1/2 Tbsp cookie scoop (or just scoop it into rounded Tbsps). Roll in the sugar mix and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cookie dough, leaving 2 inches between each dough ball on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until starting to set around the edges. Allow to cool before serving.

Cheese Dip

I love cheese... hot melted yummy cheese, but not so much cold cheese. I've never liked cubed cold cheese, and there's only one sandwich that I can eat cold cheese on - pastrami with provolone. But I digress... Cheese dip is a gift from god. I love all kinds of cheese dip... yellow, white, with meat, without. So, this is the recipe, sort of, that my dad made when I was growing up. I have altered it just a bit from his recipe, but not much. What makes this dip so amazing is not using can "Rotel" but instead using fresh diced onion, tomato and peppers. The flavor explosion you get with the fresh vegetables is incomparable. In the summer, when a wider variety of peppers are available, I will use several different ones, but in the winter months, I usually use just jalapeños because they are easier to get. When I make this just for me, it is not for the faint of heart. When making it for a large group, I will try to use less peppers and crushed peppers, but it will still have a little heat. So dial it up, or down, as suits your taste.

1 lb Mexican Velveeta

1/2 to 1 lb regular Velveeta

1-2 large tomatoes (0r 3-5 small or Roma tomatoes)

1 medium onion

2-4 peppers (jalapeño, Anaheim, cowhorn, cayenne)

Milk

Season all salt

Crushed pepper

Cube the Velveeta and place in a large pot or crock pot. Dice tomatoes, onion and peppers and place in pot. You can reduce the heat of the peppers a little by knocking out some of the seeds. This will preserve the flavor of the peppers and give you the amount of heat you want. 

Add a little milk to achieve the consistency you prefer - I usually use about 1/2-1 cup because I like my cheese dip a little thinner. Add about 1-2 tsp of season all salt and crushed peppers to taste. Warm slowly, stirring frequently until melted. 

Serve and enjoy!

German Fried Potatoes

I don't think there's a way that I don't like potatoes... mashed, baked, fried, sliced, diced, or smashed, potatoes are just amazing. This little gem of a recipe is not one I make very often because it's really not for the faint of heart or for anyone watching calories. I really only make this about once a year, but no more than twice. Butter, potatoes, bacon.. yeah, it's not a low-calorie dish. But, as a rare treat, it is sooooo very worth the calories! You can use whatever type of potato you prefer and it should work out well for you.

Potatoes (I used about 5 medium sized red potatoes)

Pack of bacon, partially thawed

Medium onion (I prefer yellow)

Butter/margarine (I used 3-6 Tbsp Country Crock)

Salt and peppercorn

Dice the onion and slice the bacon in narrow strips, about 1/2 inch. I actually take the slightly frozen whole stack of bacon and slice through it together. Put the butter, onion and bacon in the electric skillet. Turn the skillet on to 350 degrees, and begin cooking the onion and bacon.

While that is cooking, begin dicing the potatoes in similar sized cubes.

When the bacon is just beginning to brown and darken, add the potatoes, and then sprinkle with salt and fresh ground peppercorn to taste. 

Stir, and then check and stir periodically until bacon is cooked and potatoes have a nice brown crispy edge.

Weiner Schnitzel

As an Army brat, I spent eight of my first 13 years of life in Germany. Schnitzel, therefore, was a staple of my diet. It was as normal as a hamburger or pork chops. I've only been back once since I moved back stateside when I was 13, so I'm always on the lookout for a good German restaurant. Unfortunately, they can be hard to find, and even when you do find a good one, it's usually not cheap, and I'm a lady on a budget. Soooooo, I decided I better learn how to make this treat myself. When I first made them in South Carolina, I used pre-packaged Knorr bread crumbs that I bought at a German market near my house. Sometimes he had veal cutlets, but sometimes he only had pork cutlets. I'm definitely more partial to the veal, despite the price. But whichever you choose, the making of schnitzel is the same. After I left South Carolina I had difficulty finding the pre-packaged schnitzel breading, so I did some research and learned how to make it myself. What I'm about to show you is the result of research and my own cooking style. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Veal or pork cutlets (very thin)

Flour

Eggs

Plain bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

These days I buy my veal cutlets at Publix. Check with them, or your local butcher, well in advance of when you plan to make schnitzel to ensure you catch them when you can get the right cut. For those who know better, schnitzel is typically rounder than mine above, but it's the only cutlets they had available. 

Get all of your ingredients prepped, lining up your bowls: flour, eggs, bread crumbs. I added just enough water to my eggs to give me about a 1/2 inch of liquid in the bowl.

Blend the egg/water mixture completely. Turn your heat on med-high until your oil is hot, and then reduce a little but not quite to medium. Lightly salt and pepper the cutlets, then one at a time dredge in flour, then egg mixture, then breadcrumbs, and then place the cutlet into the hot oil. If you cook these too high, you will darken the crust way too much but not cook the meat through.

Cook the schnitzel for several minutes on each side until golden brown. Be gentle, or you will destroy your crust.

Traditionally in Germany, schnitzel is served with a lemon wedge that you are supposed to squeeze over it. Not my thing. lol Another option is a Knorr sauce. They have a jaeger schnitzel sauce (which is a mushroom sauce) and several other varieties of toppers. I'm a purist and see no reason to add anything else to my schnitzel.

Chipped Beef and Gravy with Biscuits

My daddy was a pretty good cook. He would make the turkey, beans, and stews, and he was the sole griller in the family. But when he had weeknight dinner duty, chipped beef gravy and biscuits was one of his go to items. Technically, you could probably make this for breakfast, I guess. I just have never eaten it for breakfast, so now my daughter associates this with dinner too. And to save you any trouble - if you already know how to make a white gravy, you can stop reading. Just add some shredded chipped beef to your gravy, and make some biscuits and you're done. lol But if you're a newbie, read on, and I hope you enjoy this quick 15 minute dinner as much as we do!

Butter (3-5 Tbsps)

Flour (1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Milk (2-3 cups)

Jar of dried beef

Biscuits of your choice (I'm still a Bisquick girl)

First things first. Get your biscuits ready to cook. Whether you're using canned biscuits, frozen biscuits, Bisquick biscuits, or homemade, get them prepped and on a baking sheet ready to go in. This really is pretty easy and quick, so you'll need to know when to put your biscuits in the oven and have them ready to go. 

Begin by melting several tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over med-high heat. While the butter melts, open your jar of dried beef and start shredding it.

Once the butter is melted, add enough flour to create a thick paste.

Then you'll want to add enough milk to cover the bottom of the skillet, and then whisk, whisk, whisk to make it smooth and get out any lumps. This will thicken rather quickly, because you are clearly not at the right milk ratio for the butter and flour you've used.

Keep adding milk a little at a time and whisking until your mixture is smooth. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add your dried beef and spread it throughout using a spoon. Serve over warm, fresh biscuits, and enjoy!

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Raisin Cinnamon Bread

I love bread. Most any bread. But definitely sweet yummy cinnamon and raisin bread. I don't eat it often, but I've enjoyed it every time I've had the opportunity to have it, so I decided to search for a recipe to try making it myself. I found a couple of recipes on Pinterest, and decided to try this one: Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread, with a few adaptations, of course. I added more raisins and doubled the cinnamon and sugar mixture. I also replaced the water that adheres the sugar mixture with butter for a richer flavor. Finally, I added a glaze at the end. I think it would be even better with a thicker icing, so I will try that next time. But even so, it was really, really good!

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 package dry instant yeast)
2 1/4 cups warm water
3 tablespoons and 1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 tablespoon salt
5 tablespoons butter, divided
6 to 7 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups raisins
2 Tbsp cinnamon
2 loaf pans, greased

In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees), the yeast, and 1 Tbsp of sugar. Let it stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If the mixture doesn’t foam, you’ll have to discard it and start over with new yeast).

Stir in the remaining 1 3/4 cups warm water. Add 2 Tbsp sugar, salt, 2 Tbsp of melted butter, 3 1/2 cups of the flour, and the raisins. Mix until smooth (either by hand or a stand mixer). Begin adding the remaining 3 cups of flour until the dough is easy to handle (not too sticky but still moist).

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, roll it around so all the dough is coated, and cover with a towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled (about an hour).

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 2 Tbsp of cinnamon in a small bowl. Mix well.

Punch down the dough, divide it in half, and roll out each half on a lightly floured surface, so that each half measures about 16 x 8 inches. You may need to roll, let the dough rest, and roll again so you get the right size. (You can obviously roll one at a time). Brush each with melted butter and spread about half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top.

Roll the dough from the short end and pinch the seams shut. You should have an 8-inch long rolled up piece of dough. Place each loaf into a greased loaf pan. Brush the top of each loaf with about 1/2 Tbsp of melted butter. Cover the loaves and let them rise for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the loaves have a dark, golden-brown top. Remove the loaves from the pans and place on a wire rack to cool.

I went a step further and added a glaze to the bread. Add milk a tablespoon at a time to 2-3 cups of powdered sugar. Once bread has cooled, drizzle the glaze over the loaves.