Spicy Super Nachos

I've been making these nachos for years now, whether for the big game or even for a fun, easy dinner. They're spicy, tangy, savory, and delicious. I thought I'd share in case anyone is looking for last minute ideas for a dish to make for this weekend. Hope you enjoy!!

Spicy Super Nachos
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

Beans-

• 1 c. refried black beans, canned
• 6 T. Monterrey Jack cheese
• 2 T. pickled jalapenos

Beef-

• 1 T. vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T. chile powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. mexican oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 2 canned chipotle chilis, chopped
• 2 tsp. adobo sauce from chipotle can
• 1/2 c. water
• 2 tsp. lime juice or more to taste

Layering items-

• 1 bag Tortilla chips
• 4 c. Jack cheese (for spicier nachos, use Pepper Jack)
• 1/4-1/2c. pickled and sliced jalapeno chiles (canned)

Garnishes-

• Sour cream
• Salsa

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with oven rack in middle position.

Bean instructions-

1. Place all bean ingredients in food processor and pulse until smooth. 
2. Set aside in bowl, covered. 

Beef instructions-

1. Heat oil over medium in a large skillet until shimmering but not smoking. 
2. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. 
3. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook for 1 minute to toast slightly.
4. Add beef, breaking it up and stirring, cooking for about 5 minutes or until  it is cooked through (no pink).
5. Add tomato paste, sugar, chile, adobo and cook for about 1 minute. Paste will begin to darken. 
6. Stir in water, bring back to a simmer and cook over medium/low heat until is almost dry, about 6-8 minutes. 
7. Stir in lime juice. 
8. Line a large plate with several layers of paper towels for soaking up any excess fat. Place meat onto paper towels. Using more paper towels, blot the top of the meat as well. 

Assembly-

1. In a 13x9 in baking dish, spread half the bag of chips over the bottom of the pan. 
2. Spoon half the bean mixture over the chips and gently spread evenly. 
3. Sprinkle half the beef mixture over the bean mixture. 
4. Sprinkle half the cheese over the beef and top cheese with half the jalapenos.
5. Repeat layering with the rest of the chips, then beans, then beef, then cheese and jalapenos. 

Finishing-

1. Bake until cheese in melted and nachos are heated through. 12-15 minutes. 
2. Serve with sour cream and Salsa Verde Cruda or Salsa Roja or jarred salsa. 

*Feel free to make this recipe less spicy by using less or omitting the pickled jalapenos from the various steps where they are used and adjusting the amount of chipotle pepper and adobo sauce used.

Strawberry Bavarian Cream Dessert

I believe recipes are successful when they stand the test of time. If you loved something as a kid and still love it just as much as an adult, it's something special. Growing up, there were two desserts I requested regularly for special occasions. One was my Nana's decadent Texas Bar Cake (a clue to my future, no?!), which I had for my birthday every year. I will definitely cover this recipe in a later post.

But today is the day for my Geema's Strawberry Bavarian Cream Dessert. This dish holds a special place in my heart because over the years Geema noticed how obsessed I was with it. She began making one for our family gatherings and an extra one just for me to have later. I don't think she ever served this as a dessert actually. It was always a side dish in the culinary days of Jello-everything. And our family always called it Strawberry Mold because, yes, it was poured into a decorative mold and served in all its jiggly glory. I didn't think our family's name for it would translate into an appetizing title for this post. But believe me when I tell you it's so tasty. My husband requests it for his birthday instead of cake. It's whipped to a light and airy consistency with a ton of strawberry flavor from the whole chunks of berry and berry juice. Some may think these types of recipes are dated. I call this one delicious.

Another interesting side note: I didn't get around to asking my Geema for her recipe until she was well into her 80's and her memory was failing her. She hand-wrote her recipe and gave it to me with our wedding gift. The first time I made it, it was a disaster. Her directions weren't clear and she had left out a few important details, but her memory of how much it meant to me endured. And that's what matters the most. Enjoy!

Strawberry Bavarian Cream Dessert

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 package (3 oz) strawberry jello
• 1 envelope Dream Whip, prepared (which includes milk and vanilla in package directions)

  

  Geema's recipe written with her signature green ink pen

Directions:

1. After strawberries have thawed, drain the berries and reserve the juice in a measuring cup. Roughly chop berries and set aside. 
2. In medium bowl, combine Jello and 1c boiling water. Mix until dissolved. 
3. In the strawberry juice measuring cup that you set aside, add cold water enough to measure 1c in all. Add to the Jello bowl and mix. Cover and refrigerate until almost set.
4. While Jello chills, prepare one envelope of Dream Whip. Follow package directions. Refrigerate until Jello is also ready. 
5. When Jello is almost set, in a standing mixer or hand mixer beat until Jello until foamy. Add roughly chopped strawberries and beat until combined.
6. Gently fold prepared Dream Whip into the strawberry mixture until fully combined. Pour into a decorative serving dish or individual serving pieces such as ramekins, parfait glasses, etc. Chill in the refrigerator until set. 
7. OR you can can go old-school and chill in a gelatin mold and invert onto a serving platter before serving. Go ahead, make my Geema proud. :)

*Can be served with a dollop of whipped cream on top, if desired.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

It's the perfect time of year, and if you're carving pumpkins anyway then why not have a salty snack at the end of it all? I've been making these for a few years now, so I've learned some tricks along the way to make the process faster and easier.

Yesterday, the boys and I carved their pumpkins. We scraped out the insides, seeds, pulp, and all, and put it all in a big bowl. Then I preheated the oven while we finished carving the faces. Then I filled the big bowl of seeds/pulp with water about 3/4 full. The seeds should float to the top, leaving the pulp hovering underneath. You can skim the seeds out with your hands and put them in a colander to dry. And now you've passed the most tedious part! The rest is easy-peasy.

I carved two medium-sized pumpkins and had about 1 1/2 cups of seeds. I dumped them in a bowl, added olive oil, garlic powder, and salt. Then I mixed them up really well and spread them in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. I popped them in the oven stirred them a few times throughout the roasting time, and there you have it! Enjoy your Fall treat and share with friends!

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c pumpkin seeds, separated from pulp and air-dried
• 1 T olive oil or vegetable oil
• Salt, to taste
• Garlic powder, to taste (optional)

* I have also made other versions of seasonings, to taste:

• sugar, salt, and cayenne powder 
• salt and pepper
• whatever sounds tasty

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (I am in love with the Reynold's pre-cut parchment sheets....so easy).
2. Separate seeds from pulp. Fill bowl holding seeds/pulp with water. Scoop out seeds that have floated to the top and place in a colander to drain and dry a bit. 
3. In a medium bowl, combine seeds, oil, salt, and garlic powder ( or whatever combination of flavors you choose). Mix thoroughly and pour onto baking sheet. Spread out seeds into a single layer. 
4. Roast for 45 minutes, stirring the seeds every 15 minutes (this will ensure an even roasting). *Keep a closer eye on them if you choose to put sugar in your seasoning, as they may go from perfect to burned very quickly. 
5. Remove from oven, let cool a bit and enjoy them warm or store in an air-tight container once cooled. 

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

I've been on a little bit of a Thai kick lately. I'm starting to feel like I may as well stock my pantry with cans of coconut milk, red curry paste, and curry powder. It feels like a good time of year for these curries and soups. They can be warm and comforting for Fall, but still reminiscent of summer with the coconut-y goodness and the bright, fresh lime flavors. 

My recipe this week involves a lot of mushrooms, which is another great Fall favorite in soups. And bonus! It's a quick one, especially if you buy the mushrooms pre-sliced. Next week's recipe will also be Thai but no mushrooms involved, for those of you who fear them. :) It's been so nice to get back to cooking after having been laid up for a while and eating mostly freezer foods. Though I will say, it was nice to have a break from my two year old crying at my feet while I prep dinner...

Enjoy!

Thai Coconut Soup

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 T vegetable oil
• 2 T peeled, grated ginger (or 1tsp ginger powder)
• 6 tsp Thai red curry paste
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• 6 c chicken broth
• 3 T fish sauce or soy sauce
• 1 T light brown sugar
• 2 (14oz) cans coconut milk (the kind you find in the Asian foods aisle. Not the coconut milk in the dairy section, and not canned coconut cream...that will get you SUPER sweet results that we're not looking for here)
• 1 lb chicken breast, sliced in 1 inch strips (or pre-cooked shredded chicken you have on hand)
• 1 lb white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
• 3-4 T fresh lime juice (I usually more lime rather than less)
• 1/2 c whole cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium. While oil heats, stir in ginger and curry paste. Mix around a bit and when it starts to sizzle, cook for about 1 minute. Putting the ginger and curry paste in before the oil is completely hot avoids a lot of spattering and spitting of oil and curry paste. If using red pepper flakes, add them now and stir for 15 seconds. 
2. Add 1/2 c broth and stir until the curry paste is dissolved. Then stir in the rest of the broth, fish or soy sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 min, partially covered. 
3. Stir in the coconut milk, chicken, and mushrooms. Cook on a simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. If you use pre-cooked chicken, you will still allow a simmer for 5 minutes to give mushrooms time to become tender. 
4. Remove the pot from heat. Stir in lime juice to taste, and season with salt. Garnish bowls with cilantro. 

Thai Red Curry

Ok, the past couple of months have been crazy busy, to say the least. It's not like I haven't had time to cook, but I've been doing a lot of "fly by the seat of my pants" dinners just to get something on the table after a long day. Now it feels like things have settled down for a bit, so I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things.

I'm going to tell you all the MOST frustrating thing to me from this past month. I checked out a brand new cookbook from the library written by a well-known chef. I was excited. I read this book cover-to-cover, and I dog-eared (yes, dog-eared!) over twenty different recipes I was excited to try. Now, I learned a long time ago that test driving cookbooks from the library before investing in buying them is the way to go. Because there are a lot of big stinker cookbooks out there. They look pretty and glossy and have a picture of someone we recognize from TV, and we trust it! We trust the recipes to work! I know these chefs are amazing and so skilled at what they do, and I also know that there must be some publisher employee changing ingredient amounts and directions, because the first recipe I made was one HUGE flop. Ok, I wrote that one off as a mistake I made. It was a dish I had no prior experience with and didn't know what I should expect texture and flavor-wise. 

So then I tried the roast chicken. I have done roast chicken using so many different methods, I could do it with my eyes closed. I've read about different techniques and the whys of using certain ingredients and the hows of cooking it all to the perfect temperature without drying out the breast or undercooking the legs. Unfortunately for me, I ignored what I already know and followed the recipe in this book to the letter. I was trying to give it a fair chance! And there was flop number two, staring at me from the oven. Underdone, so I cooked it longer. Rubbery and pale skin, so I put it under the broiler to brown it at least a little. 

Long story not so short, I get SO irritated when I waste my time on recipes that don't work. I don't have time for that. You don't have time for that. And it annoys me that there are publishers, websites, and magazines out there that think we do have time for that, or we aren't smart enough to know better, or they just don't care. End rant. 

All of this has reminded me of why I started posting these recipes on a blog in the first place. I wanted a place to archive all the recipes I use that work. The ones that my husband or kids love and would want me to make again. And then I decided to share them for others out there that want to spend time making a recipe that turns out how it should and tastes good. I truly hope that the recipes I have posted have worked for you, if you've tried them. If you only knew the amount of dishes I have been excited to post about, and then didn't because I didn't think they turned out well. I promise to always try to keep it real. :) 

This week's recipe is one I have made more times than I can count. It's another good one from America's Test Kitchen. This Thai Red Curry is so coconut-y and citrus-y, sometimes I want to drink the sauce. ;) I make this one on nights when I don't have a lot of time. It's quick and tasty. Enjoy!

Thai Red Curry
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 1 T vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 - 2 T red curry paste (commonly found in a small jar in the Asian foods aisle)
• 1 14oz. can coconut milk (also found in the Asian food aisle, not the coconut milk in the refrigerated dairy section)
• 2 T fish sauce or soy sauce
• 4 tsp light brown sugar
• 1 lb sirloin or flank steak OR chicken breast or thigh, thinly sliced (see note*)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and stemmed, thinly sliced into strips
• 1/2 lb sugar snap peas
• 1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets
• 1/2 c fresh basil, chopped
• 1-2 T fresh lime juice
• salt
• white or jasmine rice, cooked per package instructions

*Red meat protein: to get 1/4 in thin slices of meat easily, place uncooked meat in the freezer for 20-30 min. Remove from freezer and slice while meat is slightly hardened. Slightly freezing hardens the meat just enough to prevent it from sliding back and forth. The same can be done for chicken, though I find if you use a sharp knife, getting a thin slice on uncooked chicken is easier than red meat.

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a 12 in skillet over medium heat. Add curry paste, stirring and cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute (it will spatter, so take care!). 
2. Add coconut milk, fish/soy sauce, and brown sugar. Whisk over a simmering heat until the sauce thickens a bit, about 5 minutes. 
3. Add your protein and simmer until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. 
4. Add broccoli and cook for 1 minute. Then add bell pepper and snap peas. Cook until all veggies are tender but still crisp, about 5 more minutes. 
5. Remove from heat. Stir in basil and lime juice to taste. Add salt to taste. 
6. Serve over rice. Be sure to ladle a generous amount of the curry sauce on top. It's the best part!! 

Lemongrass and Chile Crusted Tofu

A big thank you to my friend, Carole, who directed me to another Vietnamese chef with great recipes! She also directed me to this recipe. This is the first of Luke Nguyen's recipes that I have attempted and I've made it several times now, tweaking it here and there. I'm really excited about trying more of his recipes as I go along.

I love the texture and how the tofu takes on the flavor of the marinade/stuffing. It's also a great main protein to pair with stir-fry veggies in my stir-fry sauce! This is a quick and easy weeknight meal.

Lemongrass and Chile Crusted Tofu
Adapted from Luke Nguyen

Ingredients:

• 16 oz Firm or Extra Firm Tofu
• 1 lemongrass stem, white part, diced (if not sold at your local grocer, Whole Foods usually carries it in fresh produce. I've started growing it in a pot since it repels mosquitoes and I can cook with it...two great functions!)
• 1 T garlic, mashed
• 1 Thai or 1/2 serrano chile, finely chopped, adjust to desired heat
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Vegetable oil (enough to fill a 12 in. skillet to about 1/4 in. deep)
• Cooked white rice (follow directions on package)

Directions:

1. Open package of tofu and drain the liquid. Gently squeeze and pat dry as much as possible. Slice into 3/4 inch rectangles.
2. In a small bowl, mix lemongrass, garlic, chile, salt, sugar, and pepper. Set aside.
3. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut a shallow "x" shape (about half-way deep) into each tofu piece.
4. Using your fingertips and a spoon, gently stuff the cuts with the lemongrass mixture. Spread any excess along the surface of the tofu.
   
   
   
5. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium-hi heat. Once heated, carefully place the tofu in the oil, cut/stuffed side down (I gently place a slice on a metal spatula and ease it into the oil). Repeat with as many slices as will fit without crowding each other. Allow to fry, undisturbed, until the first side is nicely browned and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Keep a close eye! Flip and brown the other side as well. Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain on paper towels. 
   
6. Repeat with remaining tofu until all is fried. 
7. Serve over rice and with stir-fried veggies or roasted veggies. Enjoy!

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. :)