Mom's Strawberry Shortcake

I grew up in Pennsylvania where summers were the most anticipated time of the year for me. I had a neighbor who gave my siblings and me free reign of both her property and the raspberries on her bushes. I remember eating them in the warm sun until my stomach ached. Other summer food memories that make me more nostalgic than most anything else are corn on the cob bought from road-side stands, home-grown tomatoes, and strawberry shortcake made with locally grown berries. 

Guys, my family was serious about strawberry shortcake. When my mom made it, it was never, ever dessert. It was strawberry shortcake for dinner those nights, and we could eat it until we were stuffed! Geez, I'm smiling into the empty room here as I type just remembering it. 

My mom used Bisquick to make her shortcakes, like her mother and mother-in-law before her. But don't try looking on the side of the box for this recipe, because a long time ago my Nana tweaked it to be even better. That's the recipe I'll be using here. So even though the tweaked recipe came from my Nana, the first images that I remember when thinking of this dish are bursting through the back screen door of the house I grew up in, smelling the shortcakes baking, and seeing my mom mashing up strawberries with a potato masher. Pure childhood excitement, seriously. Enjoy!

Mom's Strawberry Shortcake

makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

For the berries-

• 4 quarts strawberries, hulled and rinsed (I tend to use way more because I like to drown my shortcake, but that's just me)
• Sugar, to taste (the amount varies wildly depending on the sweetness of the berries)

For the shortcake-

• 2 1/3 c Bisquick mix
• 3 T sugar
• 3/4 c milk
• 3 T vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Place cleaned and hulled berries in a large bowl and sprinkle with some sugar. Using a potato masher, smash the berries until juices release and you obtain desired consistency. I always like it pretty soupy and mashed up. Mix in more sugar to taste. Refrigerate covered.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8 inch pie pan by greasing with shortening or spraying lightly with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine Bisquick and sugar. Whisk until combined. Add milk and oil and stir until a soft, sticky dough forms.

   

   This batter is so easy, my 5 year old made it :)

   Pour into the pie pan and spread the dough with a spatula to the edges of the pan.
4. Bake for about 30 minutes or until edges are turning golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with only a few crumbs.
   
5. For serving- Cut cake into wedges and spoon as much strawberry on top as desired. Top with whipped cream (which I would have done if I had some on hand that day!). In my family, some of us even like to eat it in a bowl with a little milk poured on top. :)

Enchiladas Verdes (Green Salsa Enchiladas)

I'm going to start this by saying that I have grown to truly love San Antonio. However, when I first moved here someone put in front of me a rolled tortilla with glorified Cheez Whiz oozing out of it and called it an enchilada...um, no. I wanted the REAL thing. I missed the real deal that I could order anywhere in Mexico. While I'm sure Cheez Whiz enchiladas have their place, I decided that place wasn't in front of me. :) So through the years, I've learned several different types. I'll write about this one first because it's the simplest one I do and still really delicious. You can make the salsa a day ahead and even buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it ahead as well. That makes dinner time assembly a lot easier. Enjoy!

Enchiladas Verdes (Green Salsa Enchiladas)
Adapted from Pati's Mexican Table

Enchilada Ingredients:

• Cooked green salsa (recipe below)
• 12 corn tortillas
• 3T vegetable oil
• 2 cups shredded pork shoulder or cooked/rotisserie chicken
• 1 c simmered black beans or canned, drained
• 1/2 c sour cream or Mexican crema
• 3/4 c feta cheese or queso fresco
• 1/3 c onion, chopped

Green Salsa Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. tomatillos, husked and rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves, paper removed
• 2-4 serrano chiles, to taste
• 2/3 c onion, chopped
• 2 tsp coarse salt
• 3 T vegetable oil

Directions:

For the salsa-

1. Cover tomatillos, garlic, and serranos with water in a large saucepan. Simmer until tomatillos turn from their bright green color to a pale yellow/green and have softened, about 8-10 min.
2. Remove tomatillos, garlic, and chiles with a slotted spoon. Add tomatillos, garlic, and one chile at a time to the food processor. Add onion and salt. Pulse 3-4 times then puree until smooth. Add more chile until it reaches the heat you want. 
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Pour salsa (carefully!) into the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes, or until thickened. The salsa will bubble and spit, so take care!

For the enchiladas-

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Keep salsa warm in its saucepan, or reheat it gently in a saucepan if you made it ahead. 
3. On a foil lined baking sheet, spread out 6 tortillas. Brush both sides of tortillas lightly with oil. Place tortillas in oven for 3 minutes (this will make them more pliable and prevent cracking). Place tortillas on a dish and wrap in a clean towel to keep warm. Repeat the process with the other 6 tortillas. Place them in the towel lined dish to keep warm also. 
4. Raise oven temperature to 375 degrees.
5. One tortilla at a time, using your fingers or tongs, dip tortillas in the salsa. Place on a plate, add about 3 T of pork/chicken in a line down the center of the tortilla, then add 1-2 T of beans. Roll up and place the tortilla, seam side down, in a 13x9 in. baking dish. Repeat this process with all 12 tortillas. 
6. Pour the rest of the salsa over the enchiladas and cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 15 minutes.
7. Drizzle with sour cream or crema and scatter cheese and onions over the top. Serve hot. 

Easy Simmered Black Beans

Let's start this by being totally transparent. I am usually limited on time when it comes to cooking, so most of the time I use canned beans and it works out just fine. But if you are ever in the mood to do things totally from scratch, these beans are really, really good and not difficult at all. They just require you to be home long enough to leave them simmering for a couple hours. Yeah, I know, that's a challenge for me too. That said, here's a glowing endorsement: My kids don't usually eat the beans on their plate that are from the can. When I put these on their plate, they ate them all. Maybe it's a fluke, but I think they tasted better. :) I've used these beans in my Chipotle bowls, enchiladas, chili, refried beans, and more. Enjoy!

Easy Simmered Black Beans
adapted from Pati's Mexican Table

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dry black beans, picked through to get rid of any stones, and rinsed
• 1/2 large white onion, cut along it's equator with the root end intact (this will make it easier to remove from pot later), outer skin removed
• 2 whole garlic cloves, paper removed
• 1 jalapeno, whole with stem removed
• 2-3 tsp coarse salt, to taste
• 1-2 scallions (green onion), chopped and sprinkled as garnish

Directions:

1. Rinse and drain the beans. Pick through them to make sure there are no small stones among the beans. Put beans in a large stock pot, and cover with a generous amount of water (about 3-4 inches). 
2. Add the onion, garlic cloves, and jalapeno if using. DO NOT add the salt until later. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. 
3. Reduce heat to med low and simmer, partially covered, for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Test them at 1 1/4 hours for softness all the way through. 
4. Add the salt a little at a time until it tastes right. Simmer for 15 min more or until the beans are soft enough that they start to come apart between your fingers. The broth will have thickened also. If the beans are still not cooked through, you can add some water if the broth has dried out. 
5. Remove the onion, garlic, and jalapeno. 
6. Sprinkle with chopped scallion and serve.

Meatloaf with a Tangy Glaze

Confession: I've never really been a fan of meatloaf...or anything combining a protein and loaf, really. I can trace the roots of this to my summer vacations growing up. My grandmother, Geema as we all called her, liked to ease the cooking load on our yearly vacations by freezing a myriad of "make-ahead" loaves, and bringing them with her to serve for dinners. God bless her. Her heart was in the right place. But those loaves...the memories of being made to eat them and pretend we liked them will never be forgotten. My siblings, cousins, and I have never been able to agree on our least favorite. Salmon loaf? Ham loaf? Meatloaf? And we'll laugh about it forever. Thanks, Geema! I promise we loved the zucchini bread and spice bread (both acceptable loaf-pan uses). :)

So when I was a young newlywed and my husband asked if I knew how to make meatloaf, I pushed back hard. I don't do loaf! And along came America's Test Kitchen to save the day. Again. If I haven't mentioned it before, which I have, their recipes are great. It's now the meatloaf recipe my mom uses too. Changing family history, one loaf at a time. 

The things I like about this particular meatloaf: 

• It's baked free-form, so it doesn't bake in it's own grease and has a fully glazed exterior. 
• It's not spongy from too much bread added to the mix.
• It's not dense, like a brick.
• The glaze is more complex and tasty than just brushing ketchup on top

All that said, if you already love meatloaf I hope you like this one too. If you are on the fence or totally against it, I'm hoping this recipe makes you a believer. Enjoy!

Meatloaf with a Tangy Glaze
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Ingredients:

Glaze:

• 1/2 c ketchup
• 1/4 c packed light brown sugar
• 4 tsp cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Tabasco sauce

Meatloaf:

• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c milk
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 2/3 c panko bread crumbs
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork

Directions:

1. With the oven rack in the middle position, preheat to 350 degrees. 
2. In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients. Mix until combined. Set aside.
3. Heat oil to med hi heat in a small skillet. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme, stirring until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. 
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and Tabasco together.
5. To the egg mixture bowl, add ground beef and pork, panko crumbs, and sauteed onion mixture. Combine until mixed evenly (honestly, the fastest/easiest way is to just start mixing it with your hands...dig in!) and the mix doesn't stick to the bowl. If it is sticking, add a little bit more milk at a time until it no longer sticks.
6. Empty the meat mixture onto a foil-lined baking sheet and shape into a 9x5 inch loaf shape. Brush top and sides with half the ketchup mixture. Bake for 45 minutes.
   
    
7. Brush the loaf again with remaining half of ketchup mixture and bake for about 15 minutes more, or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. 
8. Let rest for 20 minutes before serving. 
9. The fat that cooks off during baking and pools around the base of meatloaf is easily pushed away to the edges of the pan with a spatula after baking. Then you can easily slice and transfer meatloaf to a serving platter.

Salsa Roja

Here's a simple recipe I picked up during my time living in Mexico. Just a few ingredients, but the charring in a dry skillet adds an amazing depth of flavor. It's my go-to red salsa for fajitas, tacos, breakfast tacos, eggs, and more. Enjoy!

Salsa Roja

Ingredients:

• 6 roma tomatoes, rinsed and left whole
• 2 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
• 1-2 serrano chiles, stemmed and unchopped
• Salt

Directions:

1. Heat a dry, 12 inch, cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place tomatoes, garlic cloves, and chiles in the pan and allow to char on one side. Flip tomatoes, garlic, and chiles until majority of sides are charred. 
2. Remove from pan and place whole tomatoes, garlic with husk removed, and chile into a food processor. Pulse until as smooth or chunky as you prefer. I recommend adding chiles one half at a time until desired heat is achieved. 
3. Stir in pinches of salt to taste. 

Anna's Chili

I had been making chili for years, tweaking it along the way. Then I moved to Texas and was semi-forced into entering a workplace chili competition...long story. This was pretty intimidating because this is Texas, people! I was blown away when it won and started to believe in my recipe a little bit. It's one of those recipes that I make by "what tastes right" and haven't monitored the amounts I use until I decided to type it up here. I love to make this meal on days when I don't have a lot of time to cook and want to make something filling. Enjoy!

Anna's Chili

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground beef (or ground turkey for leaner chili)
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1-3 jalapenos, deseeded and chopped fine
• Salt
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 5 garlic cloves
• 2-4 chipotle chiles to taste, diced
• 1 28oz can petite diced tomatoes, with juice
• 2 T red wine vinegar
• 2 15oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 15oz cans pinto or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 c frozen corn
• 2 T adobo sauce from can of chipotle chiles, or to taste

Optional garnishes:

• sour cream
• shredded cheese
• Fritos corn chips (to make the ever-popular regional favorite "Corn Chip Pie")

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot over med-hi heat, brown the ground beef or turkey. Set browned meat aside and drain off fat.
2. Add oil to the pan. Heat over med-hi heat until oil is shimmering. Add onions, jalapenos, and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin, toast for about 60 seconds.
3. Add garlic and chipotle chiles. Saute for 30 sec or until fragrant. Add tomatoes with juice and red wine vinegar. Stir until combined and beginning to simmer.
4. Add beans and corn. Taste for heat. Add adobo sauce to taste. I used a whopping 2 T of it. We like it spicy around here. :)
5. Add salt at the end to taste and to round out flavor.
6. Spoon into bowls and top with sour cream and shredded cheese. Serve hot.

*Optional: Corn Chip Pie- Place a handful of corn chips in the bottom of a bowl. Spoon chili over top of chips. Top with cheese and sour cream. For those uninitiated, this may sound like a strange combination. I may have even scorned it when I first moved to south Texas. But oh. my. goodness. delicious.

Cream of Broccoli Soup

I just bought a ton of broccoli and was tired of just roasting it in different ways, as delicious as that is. So I looked in the fridge and had some leftover goat cheese that needed to get eaten too. I planned soup for dinner and bread spread with goat cheese as a side. 

This soup isn't complicated to make, is packed with lots of broccoli goodness, and not overwhelmed with too much cream. Enjoy!

Cream of Broccoli Soup

from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 T unsalted butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• Salt
• 2 T flour
• 4 c chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lbs broccoli, finely chopped by hand or in food processor
• 1/2 c heavy cream
• Pepper
• Cayenne pepper
• Optional: sauteed crispy bacon pieces

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and 1/2 tsp. of salt and saute until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. 
2. Stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute. Slowly stir in broth and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom (those brown bits add tons of flavor!).  
3. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
4. While broth cooks, chop broccoli in food processor. Add to the soup and simmer until the broccoli is tender, about 8-10 minutes. 

   

   I hand chopped these, but food processing pulses would be much faster

   
   
5. Set another empty medium pot on the stove. Puree the soup in batches until smooth in your food processor. ***take the "food pusher" out while blending hot foods to avoid pressure build up and spewing hot food. Also, only fill half way and pulse a few times before running the processor to avoid leaking hot foods from under the lid. 
6. Pour the first pureed batch of soup into the empty medium sized pot. Continue until all the soup is pureed. Stir in the cream.
   
   Bring to a simmer just for a few seconds, then remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add some cayenne pepper if you want a little heat. 
7. I didn't have time for this when I made it, but finely chopped, sauteed bacon sprinkled on top of this soup would work really well. What's not better with a little bacon??