Mexican Casserole

Recently, I made a Mexican casserole for the kids and I to enjoy. One of my favorites, I have not made one in years. Simple to make, and you can have fun with adding different meats and variations of cheese and salsa.

Corn Tortillas
2 cups Cheddar Cheese
1 16 oz can of Enchilada Sauce (Depending on the size of the casserole, you may need an extra can)
1 diced sweet onion

Optional Ingredients
Chicken
Pork
Steak
Salsa
Olives
Green Onions

Choose a baking dish. On the bottom of the baking dish, layer your first row of Corn Tortillas. On top of the first layer, drizzle enchilada sauce so that the tortillas are covered. Add cheese and onions. Add additional layers following the same pattern. In between layers, you can add some salsa if you would like. Your casserole should reach the top of the pan in 5-7  layers of tortillas.

Preheat the oven to 350. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil. Place the casserole in the oven for 40 mins. Some people crisp up the top the last five minutes by taking off the aluminum foil. Either way is fine.

I like the simple casserole the best. However, many will prefer to add meat. I suggest using my carnitas pork recipe and add this in between layers. You can also add carnitas or regular chicken. A fajita style steak would also be a great addition. Garnish the top with my homemade guacamole and salsa recipe and OH MY, you made something special.

Additional garnishments include sliced black olives and green onions....try any and all combinations. It is great to be a dad and try new things with the kids.

Non-Dairy Dark Chocolate Smoothie

A non-dairy recipe for smoothies is easier than some people might think. Almond, Rice, and Soy milk are a great alternative to dairy. I prefer Almond Milk. The consistency is closest to milk in my opinion. When I make a non-dairy smoothie, I love to use a Dark Chocolate Almond milk. Here is a recipe the kids and I enjoy that is easy to make.

2 Cups Dark Chocolate Almond Milk
2 Ripe Bananas
1.5 cups of ice cubes
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 tablespoons of sugar (Optional)

In a blender, add all of the ingredients. Blend until you see a rich thick consistency. Poor immediately and enjoy.

Pot Roast In the Crock Pot

Winter brings out the crock pot or as some people call it, the slow cooker. The crock pot is a dad's best friend. Prior to going to work, you add the ingredients in the morning and have a wonderful dinner when you arrive home from work with the kids. Pot Roast is one of those recipes that my kids and I love on a cold winter's day.

Ingredients

2-4lb Chuck Roast
Red Potatoes (Small) 8-12 depending on size
Small Sweet Onion
Bag of mini carrots
Celery chopped in 2 - 3 inch sections
Tsp Of Flour
Cracked Salt
Cracked Pepper
Tsp of Thyme
Tsp of Oregano or Italian Seasoning
Paprika
Garlic Cloves (2-3)
1/2 cup water
1/4 - 1/2
Tsp of Huo Fong Chili Garlic Paste or comparable product

In a 5 -7 Quart Crock place the roast at the bottom as a base. Top with Cracked Salt and Flour. Surround the roast with vegetables and ingredients. Add the water. Top with Paprika, Chili Paste, and Cracked Pepper. Slow cook on low for 6-8 hours. Keep on warm until ready to serve.

Be sure to stir the vegetables once when you have a brine from the meat. The chili paste needs to be immersed in the brine. The paste adds a wonderful flavor to the meat and vegetables. without being to hot for consumption for the children. This is a quick and easy meal for a cold wintry day.

Italian Dressing - Simple And The Best Way To Prepare A Salad

I grew up with a simple Italian Dressing for salads. Back in the day, in upstate New York, salads were very basic. I remember the Regina Red Wine Vinegar as a staple in our cupboard. Times were simple back then. Sometimes salads were
 just iceberg lettuce, or iceberg lettuce with tomatoes. Endive was the other "green" we would eat. Simple. The dressing was always added to the salad as ingredients, and not prepared as a dressing. Simple, yet I find the best way to have a salad.

Ingredients

Red Wine Vinegar (4-6 Tablespoons)
Extra Virgin or Regular Olive Oil (2-3 tablespoons)
Oregano or Italian Blend Seasoning
Cracked Salt
Cracked Pepper
Greens (Iceberg - Spring Mix)

Prepare the greens in a salad bowl. (Cut the greens to your preference)
Drizzle the olive oil over the greens providing a thin coating on the top.
Toss the Greens prior to adding the Red Wine Vinegar.
Add the Vinegar
Toss Again.
Add the Condiments (To You Liking.)
Again, toss the salad and serve.

Quite simple, however I love this dressing recipe. If you have a bitter green such as endive, you can add a liberal amount of vinegar. Bitters go well with a heavy vinaigrette Italian dressing.

Quick And Easy Dough

When I was on a strict budget, I use to make my own dough daily. While not a huge savings, it only costs about 33-50 cents to make. You can use dough for pizza, pizza fritta, bread and garlic knots.. When you learn how easy it is to make dough, you make it regularly with the kids. It is fun and is similar to making play dough.

Ingredients

3 1/2 to 4 cups flour - There are 3 types I have used. White Flour (Cheapest) Whole Grain/Wheat (Healthiest) and Bread Flour (Crispiest for Pizza for some reason)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 envelope instant dry yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups water, 110 degrees F

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons

 

Mix the flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl. If you have a mixer, you can use the mixer.  While whisking/mixing, you should add the water and 2 tablespoons of oil and beat until you  create a texture that you commonly know as dough. I like to coat the bowl with flour once the dough begins to form. The flour allows you to roll the bowl easier to form a ball. It also avoids stickiness. The flour also serves as a way to firm up the ball of dough.

Coat a bowl with 1-2  teaspoons of olive oil. Next, add the dough, cover the bowl with plastic wrap. You should store the dough in a warm area. It will increase in size in about an hour. You should be able to divide the dough into 2 balls. I generally like to keep it as one ball. It all depends on what you want to use the dough for regarding your cooking needs.

Breakfast Pizza - Breakfast With A Twist

Breakfast pizza has long been a favorite in our household. When my daughter comes home from college, it brings back memories making it for her and the rest of the family. You can have many variations. Here is the basic recipe to get your started.

Ingredients

Pizza Dough (You can make it fresh using our recipe)
8oz of Monterey Jack or Mozzerella
8oz of Sharp Cheddar
8 Scrambled Eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1 lb of Bacon
Cracked Sea Salt
Cracked Pepper
Sausage (Optional)
Vegetable Oil or any cooking oil you may use.

Prepare the bacon first. Make sure to be crispy as you will use it for crumbles.
Do the same for breakfast sausage.
Set them aside as your prepare the rest of the recipe.


Place the mound of dough on the baking sheet. Place a liberal amount of cooking oil on top of the dough (about 2 tablespoons.) Flip the dough and repeat the process with an additional 2 tablespoons. Next, stretch and spread the dough. I use a 8.5 by 13 cookie sheet.(Sometimes I use the pizza baking sheet for triangular cuts) Preheat the oven to 425. I have an older vented oven. I place the baking sheet over the vent. The warm air speeds up the rising process. If you have a newer oven, place the stretched dough in a warm area to allow it to rise again.

Once reason, restretch the dough. On the cookie sheet, spread a thin layer of corn meal on the bottom of the pan. This is a wonderful base for the crust, and actually helps the crust retain it's shape.

Next,

In a bowl, scramble the eggs and milk. Spread the mixture evenly over the stretched dough. (If things are uneven, that's okay)

Add the cheese. Start with a mixture of 4 oz of each cheese. For some, this may be enough. For an extra cheesy base, you can add more if you like.

The bacon and sausage will be added in small crumbles. If you used links for the sausage, cut them into smaller diced pieces. Spread evenly throughout the pizza. Add a thin layer of cheese on top.

Place the pizza in a preheated oven at 425 degrees. Set the time for 10 minutes. Check the bottom of the crust and look for a brown consistency. (not burnt) Adjust the rakes if you have to, so that the top is also cooked consistently. ( I find the middle rack requires no adjustments) Take out of the oven and you have a breakfast that will be a tradition in your home.

Note of Cracked Pepper and Salt - Flavor after the pizza is out of the oven to your liking.

Hummus Plates - Easy To Make

Hummus plates can be as creative as you would like. If you go to the dollar store, you can sometimes find inexpensive platters that divide up your offerings. Have fun, and experiment. Two common plates are as follows:

Vegetable Hummus Plate

Carrots (Baby Or Thin Cut)
Celery Thin Cut
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Sweet Colored Peppers - Sliced
Cauliflower cured Olives
Cherry Tomatoes

Middle Eastern Plate
Middle eastern plates are more of a dipping plate. More drizzle and the hummus is a larger center piece. Wonderful as an appetizer.

Nan Bread (AKA Tapas) Triangular Cuts                   
Assortment of Cured Olives (Black Very Common)
Cherry Tomatoes
Basil
Falafel


Hummus is an amazing healthy snack and appetizer for you and your family.

Hummus - So Many Ways To Make It

Hummus is an amazing appetizer. Easy to make, and you can adjust this recipe in so many directions. Here is a basic list of what you need:

2 cups canned chickpeas

1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)

1 tsp of olive oil (Extra Virgin)

2 cloves garlic

Sea Salt and freshly ground cracked black   pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin or paprika

1 lemon

Chopped fresh parsley

 

In a small food processor, you would mix all of the ingredients minus the paprika and parsley. They will be added later as a garnish. You will blend the ingredients to the consistency of a thick paste. Once you have finished, you place the hummus on a plate and drizzle it with olive oil, paprika and finely chopped parsley.

 

Here is the great thing about Hummus. You can add or delete as you want once you become comfortable with the recipe. Here are some examples:

 

I forgot the tahini! Many times, I start to make Hummus only to realize I forgot to get tahini paste. Do not worry. Add an additional amount of olive oil to the same consistency.

 

Try adding a mixture of finely course pine nuts and olive oil on top as a garnish.

 

Roasted Red Peppers - Amazing flavor and will dramatically change your hummus.

 

Hot Peppers - Add a long hot - if you are a fan of the blog, you know how much I love the what a long hot can do to the recipe.

 

Sirachi - A drizzle of sirachi can kick up the flavor

 

Mix in cannellini beans - I was short on chic peas one time and mixed in a cannellini beans. The consistency was the same and the taste was excellent.