Restaurant Style Salsa

This recipe originally came from Pioneer Woman. However, I have tweaked it just a bit so I have made the changes on here. For example, the original recipe calls for ¼ cups of onion but I didn't have any one day so i made it without and it still turned out great. Now I never add it. This salsa is super good and easy to make. We all love it.

Ingredients

2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes
1 can (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
1 clove Garlic, Minced (or a heaping teaspoon of the jarred stuff)
1 whole jalapeño, Quartered And Sliced Thin (most of the time I use the jarred slices for convenience. About 3 or 4 slices)
¼ teaspoons Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
¼ teaspoons Ground Cumin
½ teaspoon Lime Juice (the pre-squeezed stuff)

Instructions

I like to drain the tomatoes and Rotel before I blend them because I don't like my salsa so runny, but you don't have to drain them. Combine tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeño, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, and lime juice in a blender or food processor. Blend until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour.

Creamy Lemon Crumb Squares

This is one of those foods that when I make it for some kind of function EVERYONE asks for the recipe. It is so delicious! 

I cheat and use pre-squeezed lemon juice. And I leave off the zest.

Ingredients

1-⅓ cup All-purpose Flour
½ teaspoons Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 stick (1/2 Cup) Butter, Slightly Softened
1 cup Brown Sugar (lightly Packed)
1 cup Oats
1 can (14 Ounce) Sweetened Condensed Milk
½ cups Lemon Juice
Zest Of 1 Lemon

Instructions

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.
Mix butter and brown sugar until well combined.
Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder.
Add oats and flour to butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine.
Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 11 inch pan.
Mix together condensed milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Spread onto the bottom layer of the crumb mixture. Top with the other half of the crumb mixture, but don’t press.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow pan to sit on counter for 30 minutes after baking. Cut into squares and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until cool.
Serve cool.

Kicked Up Ramen Noodles – Kung Pao Style

We have recently come to LOVE Thai food! Unfortunately, we cannot afford to eat there as often as we get a craving. This recipe actually resembles Thai food and my kids love it! I plan to try it with some sweet soy sauce instead of hoisin sauce at some point maybe it will taste more like my favorite dish: Pad See Ew. Yum!!

INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2-3), cubed
1 red bell pepper, cored and sliced thin
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (add more if you want more heat)
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 (3-ounce) package ramen noodles, discard seasoning packets
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
4 scallions (green onions), sliced thin

DIRECTIONS:
In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil over medium to medium-high heat until it is hot and rippling. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Add the cubed chicken to the pan in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken to a medium bowl.
Add the last tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat until hot and rippling. Add the red bell pepper and the peanuts and cook until the pepper is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the mixture into the bowl with the chicken, trying to leave as much oil as possible behind in the skillet.
Add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes to the remaining oil in the skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds to 1 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth. Break the bricks of ramen into small chunks and add them to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, tossing the ramen constantly with tongs to separate, until ramen is just tender but there is still a bit of liquid in the pan, about 2-4 minutes.
Stir in the hoisin sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil and continue to simmer until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in the chicken, peppers and peanuts. Sprinkle with green onions before serving.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

This recipe is from Pioneer Woman. Absolutely the best mashed potatoes EVAH!!!

Ingredients

5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
¾ cups Butter
1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
½ cups (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

Instructions

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.
Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.
Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.
Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.
Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Cowboy Cookie (New and Improved)

I have a recipe for Cowboy Cookies that we all LOVE but I saw this recipe and thought I would give it a try. They are so YUMMY!! My kids LOVE them!!! This recipe has replaced the other one! I used a 1.5" cookie scoop and it made 28 cookies.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 ounces white whole wheat flour (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking soda and salt. Melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove. Remove from the heat and stir in the brown sugar. Add the butter/sugar mixture to the flour mixture, beating with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg. Beat until combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Scoop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, silpat liners or coated with cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges. Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Easy, Flaky, Buttery Biscuits

I have tried many of a biscuit recipe... I think this is the best one yet. 

3 cups Flour
4-½ teaspoons Baking Powder
2 Tablespoons Sugar
¾ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
½ teaspoons Salt
¾ cups Butter, Cold
1 whole Egg, Slightly Beaten
1 cup Milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients together.
Cut in cold butter, until it is pea-sized.
Mix egg and milk, pour into the dry mix.
Stir together with a fork.
Combine all the dry mix with the wet mixture until it forms a soft ball.
Turn out onto a floured counter.
Pat down until 3/4″ thick (rolling will keep it from being flaky).
Using a biscuit cutter (or whatever you have handy), cut biscuits out and place on an ungreased pan.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and beautiful.


note: I have always laid my dough out into a rectangle and cut out square biscuits. It just seems like effective use of time and dough.

Giant Cookie

Spend $30 on a giant cookie from the mall or make my own.... it's a no-brainer! This recipe is a hit with everyone.

I actually double the recipe and put it in a 16" pizza pan lined with foil. It only has to be cooked a minute or two longer


INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and butter. Add the egg and vanilla and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Line a large (11X17-inch) baking pan with foil and press the cookie into a circle. I press my cookie into a 9-inch circle, about 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick. When it bakes, it spreads to about 11 inches, which fits perfectly onto a 12-inch round cardboard circle you can find at most craft stores.
If desired, top the cookie with M&M’s or any other garnishes. Bake for 13-16 minutes until the cookie is lightly golden brown. Let the cookie cool completely on the baking pan – this helps the cookie stabilize and set so it can be easily lifted off the pan. Once cool, gently use the foil to lift the cookie off the pan.