Well first off the @tastyteam did not plan to review Chuy’s we were on a late night food hunt and Chuy’s of Selma was open to our dismay. The restaurant had a few dwindling customers the service was out standing and our waitress asked to split the check before she took our order which was great. The wait was not to long about 15 minutes from the host siting till food on the table. The food was what forced me to give this place such a low score. I ordered cheese enchiladas, first off the sauce and the meat chunks had the consistency and chewiness of a can of Hormel Chili for hot dogs which was a let down. The rice had a slight crunch and the beans were very under salted my friends Chica Chica Boom Boom was good but after 5 minutes of eating it got cold and nasty so eat quick i guess. All in all the service was great but the food was not disgusting but not what i expected.
@tastyconculusion: Go if you need a quick Tex-Mex fix but don’t be surprised if you leave unhappy with the food.
14855 Interstate 35
Selma, TX 78154
(210) 657-2489

Our Thanksgiving this year was a very laid-back affair, just three people and very little fuss (there was not even a table to eat at, actually). But I managed to cook a few things that got rave reviews from the other two eaters.

The smash hit in my book was my ginger cranberry sauce, mainly because I hadn’t made it before and was highly impressed by how it turned out, given how easy it was to make.

Ginger cranberry sauce

• 12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup minced crystallized (a.k.a. candied) ginger

1. Wash cranberries.
2. Place all ingredients in a pot on high heat.
3. When the water starts to boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. All berries should be popped at this point. Once they are, reduce heat and cook, stirring often, until sauce is fairly thick, but not quite jelled, another 3-5 minutes.
5. Transfer cooled sauce to the refrigerator. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Notes: Make a day ahead of  time — saves you time on the day of when you’ve got lots to do, and it tastes better when all the flavors have had a chance to mingle. Also, you may need to add more water, as the recipes I found elsewhere suggested 1 cup, but I found that 3/4 cup worked just fine.

Way too many garlic-chive mashed potatoes

• 5 lbs. baking potatoes
• 1/2-2/3 cup unsalted butter, plus 1 Tbsp.
• 2/3-1 cup light sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. fresh chives, diced
• 5-6 small cloves garlic, minced
• Milk or milk alternative
• Fresh black pepper
• Salt

1. Put large pot of water on high heat to boil.
2. Peel and chop potatoes into cubes (I do about 2-inch cubes) and add to water. Once water reaches a boil, let cook 10-15 minutes (bigger chunks take longer) or until potatoes are soft.
3. While potatoes are cooking, melt 1 T. of butter in a small pan on medium heat. Add garlic and cook until softened.
4. Drain water from potatoes. Return to pot or large bowl.
5. Season to taste with chives, garlic, pepper and salt. Add butter and sour cream in 1/3 cup increments, mixing with a hand mixer, until the perfect, rich taste is achieved. Add milk to reach desired texture.

Notes: I broke three potato peelers peeling massive spuds for this dish. Buy a nice peeler. Also, I do potatoes a little different every time. If I’m using pretty red potatoes, sometimes I don’t bother to peel them at all, whereas I don’t like gritty brown skins lumping up my mash, so these got very thoroughly skinned. And all my liquid/dairy measurements are approximate, as I just keep adding until it feels right — sometimes it’s closer to chunky, sometimes more like the texture of mustard. And I love lots of garlic (five cloves barely hit the register for me with these), but it might not be your favorite.

It makes enough to serve three hungry people, give one of them leftovers for days, and serve a couple dozen people at an office potluck besides, so re-proportion accordingly if you don’t want a month’s worth of potatoes.

Cornbread-bean Tex-Mex casserole

• 1 package Pioneer corn muffin mix (it’s lard-free, Jiffy isn’t), plus egg and milk
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 can tomatoes and green chiles (Ro-Tel, if you prefer), drained
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 poblano pepper, diced
• 3/4 cup shredded cheese (try Monterrey jack)
• Vegetable oil
• Optional: corn, avocado, sour cream, salsa

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Prepare cornbread mix according to package directions.
3. Soften pepper and onion in oil in a pan over medium heat.
4. Spread 1/2 the cornbread mix in the bottom of a lightly greased 9×9 pan.
5. Lightly mash the beans with a fork. Season as desired — I like chili powder and cumin. Spread in a layer over the cornbread batter.
6. Layer Ro-Tel, peppers and onions and other vegetables, if desired.
7. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the cheese.
8. Mix remaining cheese into remaining cornbread batter. Spread over the top of the casserole in an even layer.
9. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until top is golden-brown.
10. Serve with red salsa and sour cream on the side (or try baking them into the dish, if you like).

Notes: I added avocado, but it unfortunately was under-ripe, and I had to pick out all the pieces as I ate (though the other person who tried it didn’t even notice). Make sure your avocado is fully ripened if you do add it. Consider mixing fresh or thawed frozen corn into the cornbread batter or as a layer.

I know this dish is a mishmash of convenience foods (though you could always substitute fresh ingredients if you had the time) and odd flavors, but it seems very Thanksgiving-y to me, full of many of my favorite New World flavors (think back to the stuff we’re told the Pilgrims planted) and vegetarian to boot! It’s very filling and hearty, too, which we know those hard-working folks liked.

I also made an apple pie, but if you’re in my family, chances are good you know exactly how to make it, and if you’re not, I’d be happy to send the recipe along. I did make my own crust for the first time. I modified a recipe from the Land O Lakes butter Web site, which was designed for a two-crust pie, but as our pie uses a crumble topping (and I missed the part of the directions where it suggested dividing the recipe), I used it all. Divide yours in two if you like a thinner crust.

It turned out grand, so here you go:

Tender pie crust

• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup butter
• 4-6 Tbsp. water
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of sugar

1. Get your flour and butter out of the freezer. You do keep them in your freezer, don’t you? Not only does it prevent bugs from hatching in your flour, which stays fresh longer, it keeps the ingredients at the right temperature for crust-making.
2. Put flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Shave butter sticks into the mixture using the big holes on your cheese grater. Don’t have a cheese grater? Cut the butter into slivers and add. It’s easier to do all this if your butter is frozen. You definitely don’t want it to start melting on you.
3. Mix it up. Use your hands. Add water by the tablespoon until the dough can be shaped into a uniform ball, but don’t add too much — if you do and it starts to get sticky, add more flour.
4. Refrigerate it for a half-hour or so if you have the time. After that, or if you don’t have the time to waste, commence with the rolling — on a floured surface with a floured pin. Roll it until it’s an evenly thick layer 2 1/2 inches larger than your pie pan.
5. Lay it flat against the sides/bottom of the pan, prick it with a fork, do whatever fancy edge-thing you do to your edges, fill it with your filling, and voilá! Pie!

Made these yummy enchiladas for dinner tonight. It was a creative way to ‘get rid’ of the yummy thanksgiving leftovers!

YUMMO! Can’t believe the weekend is almost over … crazy how quickly vacation time flies…

Here at SavannahBest.com, we tend to feel obligated to try most newly opened eateries. After all, our regular readers expect us to keep you up on the latest nibbling news, even if it’s just another ho-hum tex-mex spot. This one, at 217 W  Broughton St., is at least a great downtown location. Well. It was love at first bite! Only a distant cousin to tex mex, and definitely not Mexican, it’s, well, T-Rex, I guess. The pork taco—soft tortilla style—proved to be a large quantity of delicious pulled pork with shredded romaine, fresh-made salsa and jack cheese. The brisket burrito was moist and tender brisket of beef rolled in a honey wheat tortilla with diced roasted poatoes, both black and pinto beans, jack cheese and fresh salsa. And there’s lots more to the menu, which we’ll dive into soon again. Most intriguing: a jerk chicken burrito, a tilapia burrito, plenty of salads and tofu dishes…and more. Try it, you’ll like it!

I am in looooove with the holidays. Love all the movies, music (especially!), family… and could we even forget… the glorious FOOD. I am very excited for the upcoming holidays and even more so because in just a few days we are flying home to my hometown. Yay Lots of food to be enjoyed there, one thing Texas is far from short on is food. While the rest of the world starves, Texans are only getting fatter.
Bring on the Tex-Mex and pumpkin pie! Yessss!
Now I have to face the fire and get back to my food blogging. Like seriously. Yeah it’s kinda fallen by the way side because my camera went kaput. But! I do have a recent photo.
We are eating light this week due to our travel but tonight we are having either baked potatoes (hah, surprise!) or MorningStar chicken patties (had to try them).
I just got the recent Rachael Ray (seriously, dont hate) and have really gotten into her recipes that are under $10. Realistically, they are not under $10. If you don’t have any of the ingredients and feeding just 2 people…not under $10. You buy up all the stuff and you end up with slimy parsley and a whole jar of pickled jalapeños that sit in your fridge because lets face it, you’re NEVER gonna use.

Well my mission was obviously clear: find a recipe with ingredients we already have. (‘member that whole blog post? ahhh!) Like a melon in a pumpkin patch, there was the perfect recipe in her latest mag. And super easy and was a bona fide 30-minute meal. Took me less time, in fact.
And what we had was a yummy, healthy, hearty meal:

Couscous with chicken, broccoli, raisins & sliced almonds
….super easy, and I’m going to make this quick: cook one box of couscous (according to directions *but* with chicken stock, not water!), season & cook 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast in a large saucepan. remove from pan and shred with the back of a fork. add cut up broccoli, one cup chicken stock to pan and cook until broccoli is tender. add couscous and chicken to pan and stir. toss in 1/2 cup of raisins. serve with sliced almonds on top. voila!

Thanks Rach!

I won’t be in blogger-mode at all this week. I will be visiting friends and family for the Thanksgiving holiday but expect a Texas-sized (hah) update when I get back.
Happy Thanksgiving!! and happy cooking & eating!!

enjoy your turkeys!

C

first make the mole:

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 T olive oil
• 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 chipotle chilis, diced
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1 T white sugar
• 1 oz square baking chocolate
• 1 T peanut butter
• 2 T raisins
• 1 t cumin
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1/s t coriander
• 3 T chili powder
• 2-3 c chicken broth
• 1 c heavy cream or half and half
• 1 c pumpkin

saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium high until soft. reduce heat to medium low and add in the chilis and the tomatoes. add in the next 10 ingredients and leave over low heat for 30 min. or so to blend flavors. remove from heat and process in blender in batches until very smooth. return to pan and place over medium heat. stir in chicken broth and, when warm, whisk in pumpkin.  reduce heat to medium low and whisk in heavy cream.

to assemble enchiladas:

• 2 c shredded pork
• 1 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 6 fajita size tortillas
• 3-4 oz crumbled feta cheese

 preheat oven to 350

pour about 1 c mole into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan that has been sprayed lightly (just to cover the bottom).

stir 1 c mole into the shredded pork

assemble enchiladas (these are not technically enchiladas – fold them like tiny burritos) using 3 T meat and a light sprinkle of cheese in the center of each one (cheese is optional). place assembled ones into mole coated pan. pour the rest of the mole on top. sprinkle each one with feta cheese and place in preheated oven for about 30 min.

Giov. 19|11|2009
BLUE FRETS
Cantine Blues    >>> more INFO sul LOCALE
Via della Batteria Nomentana 66 
h. 22:00 Ingresso gratuito   
Info. 349/6694810

I Blue Frats sono:
Danilo Caria, chitarra e voce
Marie Keane, voce
Michele Anselmi, dobro, armonica e voce
Andrea Moneta, contrabbasso e voce

Domani al Cantine Blues, locale caldo e accogliente in zona nomentana, il Quartetto acustico Blue Frets fondato dallo straordinario e senza dubbio unico banjoista Danilo Cartia. In questa speciale formazione utilizzerà la chitarra per presentare un repertorio molto vario che spazia dalla tradizione folk anglo irlandese americana, ai sapori bluegrass, country, blues e tex-mex, senza rinunciare a qualche inserimento eccentrico, inatteso, magari in italiano.

I suoni sono essenziali, gli arrangiamenti ricchi di fantasia e le rielaborazioni hanno un gusto piacevole anche quando si tratta dei classici evergreen. Ritmo e melodia, note morbide e stacchi aggressivi, Dublino e Nashville unite da un metaforico Atlantic Bridge.  

3 buoni motivi per esserci:

1) Questo genere musicale, rappresentato egregiamente dai Blue Frets, è molto interessante, dato che racchiude in se anni di storia della grande musica USA – con contaminazioni di cultura europea dal sapore antico.

2) Il locale Cantine Blues è accogliente, dispone di un menù birre notevole!!

£) Ingresso gratuito per il concerto.

link utili

>>> LIVE-MUSIC CLUBS IN ROME

Last week whilst in College Station for some meetings, qb hustled over to downtown Bryan to check in with the good folks at Los Nortenos.  The “Brent Averman Special” (see previous post) costs $7.99 now instead of the $1.92 that qb paid when it was a la carte, but the plate is bigger, it still comes out steaming hot throughout, and it tastes as wondrous as it ever did.  All of my eating companions loved their Tony’s Specials and the carne guisada.

And no, qb gets no kickbacks or royalties.  He pays full price, even when he pays with a credit card.

It’s on S. Main St., across from the LaSalle Hotel.

—–

For qb’s “Brush with Greatness” file:

This old porch is like a steaming, greasy plate of enchiladas

With lots of cheese and onions

And guacamole salad

And you can get ‘em down at the LaSalle Hotel in old downtown

With iced tea and a waitress, and she will smile every time

Lyle Lovett, “This Old Porch”

—–

In case you’re interested, the double-meat, double-Death burger at the Dixie Chicken still rocks.  Be sure and sweep your billiard table before you play, though…lots of little shards of chalk in inconvenient places, especially around the side pockets and along the rails.

Pictured, L to R:  Cheese, guac, green onion, tomato, black beans, chicken, brown rice

We eat a lot of chicken in this house, and I’m constantly trying to think of different ways to make/serve it.  Why do we eat a lot of it?  Well, a few reasons.  It’s lean and healthy.  It’s predictable.  And I know when it’s done.    As you know, if you’ve read this before, we do eat ground beef and ground turkey around here as well.  I am not quite as confident with my pork cooking abilities, I’ve messed up one too many beef pot roasts, and I’ve never been brave enough to try fish (other than the pre-cooked frozen kind or tuna from a can).  Maybe this blog will inspire me to branch out and give some of those meats a(nother) try.     

So here we are again with chicken.  I’ve made chicken tacos a couple of different ways before.  Tonight, I grilled the seasoned chicken on the George Foreman and chopped it up.  I have also made it in the crockpot and shredded it.  Both are delicious, so I’ll share both “recipes” with you.

Also – tonight, Hubby ate his chicken tacos as tacos.  I decided to forego the tortilla and make a sort of taco pile with just a liiiiittle bit of rice on the bottom.  Lower carb, ya know.  We also didn’t have any sour cream or lettuce on hand, so we didn’t have any with our tacos/pile-o-taco-goodness.  This is such a great meal because you can either go all out with queso & the works, or you can keep it simple with whatever you have on hand.

For tonight’s chicken:
boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic powder

Heat up ol’ George on high.  I like to spray the grill with an olive oil spray because the super hot grill + cooking spray = a nice, brown color on the chicken. 

While George is preheating, season one side of your chicken breasts with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
When he’s screaming hot, put the chicken on, seasoned side down.
Then season the other side and close the lid.
Cook until you see that nice color and the juices of the chicken run clear – about 10 or so minutes.

When the chicken is done, throw it on a cutting board and chop into cubes, or cube-like shapes.  No need for perfection here, folks.

For the crockpot version:
chicken
onion
1 packet taco seasoning
margarine
water

Chop an onion and place in the bottom of the crockpot.
Lay chicken breasts on top of the onion.
Sprinkle 1 packet of taco seasoning over the chicken.
Pour about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup water over.
Put about a Tbsp of margarine on top of the chicken then close the lid.
Cook on high for 4 hours.  Shred chicken when done.

However you make it, pile it high with plenty of delicious veggies and goodies.  Enjoy!

The first local restaurant the Husbot and I tried in Austin was The Screaming Goat, as we passed it by on our totally random, self-guided driving tour of downtown. The place looked nice from the outside, located in a little house on 10th Street just off Lamar Boulevard, and naturally the name intrigued us. Stomachs grumbling, we decided to give it a whirl.

Photo via Sifting Through Austin

Entering the restaurant, there’s a tiny counter with the equally tiny menu. Choose from tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas, tortas or flautas, and then pick your filling: ground beef, chicken, pastor, adobo chicken, steak, carne asada, bean and cheese, veggie or tilapia. We both went for the steak burritos, and the Husbot ordered two Budweisers (they were on special, and apparently the restaurant only serves the day’s beer specials?). The guy who was taking our order asked if he wanted to keep one on ice, and was amused when Husbot replied that he was going to pound them.

We picked out a table with our drinks and sat down, and our food was served up in about five minutes. During our short wait, we decided that the little house in which the restaurant was located would make an ideal home, with its sweet hardwood floors and adobe airplane bathrooms (the Husbot reported that he was so close to the automatic paper towel dispenser that it kept spitting out paper towels as he, um, completed the transaction), and wondered if we could find something similar for cheap on our apartment search.

I had ordered the verde salsa on the side, which was rated three peppers in heat, while the Husbot picked the mere two-pepper green tomatillo. He questioned whether mine might burn me two times, but it turns out the verde isn’t quite as hot as the warnings imply.

After snarfing down our burritos, the verdict was that the food was fairly inexpensive, pretty tasty, but not quite as spicy as we’d imagined it might be here in the land of Tex-Mex delights. Husbot complained “Not enough meat! Too much rice!” but ultimately agreed that the food was delicious, despite the fact that their hot sauce was a mere 5.8 out of 10 on the hotness scale. “If you’re gonna call it ‘extra hot,’ it’d better still be burning me when we leave,” he advised.

Overall, The Screaming Goat is a good bet if you’re in the neighborhood, a nice alternative to chain taco joints, and according to Austin360 we should’ve tried their beef flautas, which are the tastiest things on the menu and only cost 75 cents on Sundays and Tuesdays.

Supplemental Parking Review: Parking is available behind the restaurant. Warning signs are posted, noting that your car may be damaged, as the lot is tiny and hard to maneuver into or out of—particularly with a behemoth rear-wheel drive truck like ours.

In class, on Tuesday, we are allowed to invite two people to a Tex-Mex style buffet that we will be creating for 50-60 people. I’m ready…..yup.

Ingredients:

• Chicken breast
• Rub for chicken……..chipotle pepper, oregano, salt, garlic powder
• Black olives, sliced 1/8 inch thick
• Sour cream with a little rub mix
• Carrots, celery, jalapeno peppers
• Tequila
• Red bell pepper
• Yellow bell pepper
• Yellow onion
• Beecher’s Flagship Cheddar Cheese, grated
• Romaine lettuce, cut fancy
• Flour tortillas
• Clarified butter
• Soft butter

Procedure:

Chicken

1. Rub chicken with spices….yeahhhhhh rub it
2. Sear both sides of chicken then place in oven and cook until done
3. Remove chicken from pan then heat up small amount of celery, jalapeno, and onion
4. Deglaze with tequila
5. Fold in soft butter for a nice sauce to pour of fajita

Onions, Red Bell Pepper, Yellow Bell pepper

1. Saute them in clarified butter!

Serve with all the rest of the ingredients and you have yourself a nice fajita night!

Enjoy,

Eric

If you’ve spent even 15 minutes cooking in your kitchen and at least one meal, I’m sure you’ve sprinkled at least salt & pepper on your meal to make it more savory.  There are tons of fun spices out there that you could experiment cooking with.  Like basil, for example.  Very popular in Italian dishes, my favorite being bruschetta, basil is  a great source of vitamins A, C,  calcium, and iron and is beneficial to your cardiovascular system.  If you bought basil fresh you can keep it on your counter in a jar of cool water with a plastic bag loosely on top.

Cardamom is a spice you’ve probably never used, believe me I know, I had to look this one up.  Usually used in sauces and chai and specifically curries, cardamom can certainly allow you to expand your horizons.  You can buy this spice whole pods, seeds, or powdered.  There is green and black cardamom- green is used in curry and Indian sweets and the black cardamom is smoky and used in meats.  If you’ve ever had Szechuan or Vietnamese dishes I’m sure you can now put your finger on that taste.  Although you may try to incorporate cardamom in cooking, a lot more information out there is in regards to using this spice as a medicinal effort.  The green cardamom is used in Ayurvedic medicine as an aid for digestion and flatulence and the black kind is used in Chinese medicine for stomach conditions.  If you happen to have bad breath, chewing on a few of cardamom seeds will do the trick.

Cumin may be another spice that is collecting dust in your spice rack.  Let cumin make its way to your test kitchen in chili for Tex- Mex recipes including chile con carne, casseroled pork, and enchiladas with chili sauce.  Speaking of chili sauce, chili powder has ground cumin in it and this is what makes Mexican meals pop .  If you don’t feel like experimenting just roast some cumin seeds with your potatoes or add toasted cumin to your mashed potatoes.  Cumin is also a great spice with roasted meat as well.

Fennel has won the blue ribbon top award in my house.  You might know this spice for its licorice smell and its notoriety in Italian sausage.  In my house, I throw fennel seeds in spaghetti sauce and meatloaf (my husband always notices when I forget to add fennel).  Fresh fennel can be used as a bed for roasting fish and as a garnish in soups or salads.  You can use fresh fennel fronds as a rub for roast pork by chopping the fronds and adding lemon zest and crushed garlic.  I’ve even made fennel rolls to go with a fancy dinner, so this goes to show that fennel can be very versatile.

Mint literally grows rampant right out my front door and I wouldn’t do any justice to that spice if I didn’t incorporate those little buggers in my meals.  We are big lamb fans and I am always looking for mint recipes to compliment our rack or leg.  I’ve attempted to make mint apple jelly before, unfortunately I haven’t won my battle with the whole pectin concept, but I will keep trying.  I have settled for a mint sauce that is comparable though: stir 1 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves into 1/2 cup of boiling red wine vinegar, then add sugar til the taste is right.  If you have a surplus like I do, you could always freeze the leaves in a little bit of water in an ice tray and throw them in iced tea or a homemade mojito, perhaps?

Have you ever bought too much of an herb or just don’t get around to using it all?  Freezing herbs is a great way to keep your spices and to also reserve flavor. Lay leaves from the stems flat on a baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour then pack away in freezer bags for future use.  A note: certain spices darken after being frozen, like thyme and rosemary.   If you want to freeze herbs but keep the same bright color, like basil to use later for pesto, for example, blanch the leaves first.  To do this, boil in water for a couple of seconds and then throw in water and ice til cold.  Then drain on paper towels before packing them in freezer bags for the freezer.

You can air dry spices as well by bundling in 3/4 inch bundles and hang up-side down with any string or twine you have.  It only takes 7-10 days to have nicely dried herbs.  Don’t have the time to air-dry?  The microwave can be a fast alternative to drying spices.  Put spices in between two paper towels and microwave for a minute.  Then keep microwaving at 30-second intervals til the leaves look like they are going to crumble.  This process will only take 2-4 minutes.  Keep your dried spices in an airtight container and they will be ready for when you get an itch to experiment.

Extra herbs can be used to decorate your table when you are waiting to use them.  Put herbs like oregano, mint, sage, or thyme in a nicely decorated vase and voila- instant bouquet.  To keep the freshness even longer at night put the vase in the refrigerator with a plastic bag on top.

Christmas is coming up and infused vinegars can make a great home-made gift.  Rinse herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, or thyme, put in bottles and fill with vinegar.  The formula is 3 cups of vinegar with 4 sprigs of herbs.  You can use any herb by itself or mix any two, or three, or four together.  It takes about 3 weeks in a dark cool place for the mixture to mesh the flavor together but the vinegar will last for 4 months.  If your herb decomposes during the process pour the vinegar through a fine strainer and it should look gift-ready again.

So, go have fun with spices and experiment with the ones you hardly touch.  Spices can be a great way to add flavor, to decorate, or to give as gifts.  Which one are you cooking with tonight?

My building manager called today and said that there may be a larger apartment in my building that will be available soon. While it’s still only one bedroom, I’m hoping that there might be more than a square foot of workspace. On the up side, he did say there was a dining room area. I could be rolling out cookies by Yule!

I talked to my grandma last night on the phone, she’s in her usual harried “getting ready to winter in Florida” mode so naturally she’s driving everyone crazy (except me). So I did my job as dutiful granddaughter and calmed her down a bit and asked her what kind of cookies she really liked. Last year I made her and my mother’s grandma a batch of cookies for Yule (they expressly said NO PRESENTS… yeah yeah… whatever) and they really liked them. Garry is going to help and make some fudge as well. Yum!

So cookies for grandma… well she likes fancy frilly things (but won’t admit it) so I’m thinking some jam filled… oh they’re called lintz something… (this is your brain not on caffiene)… but she’d like them. Maybe some chocolate chip with walnut (my grandpa likes those), peanut butter haystacks (if I don’t eat through them before they get into the tin), and… something else. Suggestions?

My grandma (on my mother’s side) is pretty easy. She likes just about anything and it will take her like 6 months to get through them all.

Last night I made a very simple burrito dish with soy beef, black beans, scallions, red pepper and fajita seasoning. Then we topped it with salsa, shredded soy monterey jack cheese and vegan sour cream. It was really good and Garry couldn’t really tell that the soy beef wasn’t alive at one point in it’s existance.

YAY!

We had plenty extra so I brought some in for lunch. 

On a side note – decaf coffee… not the same… not the same at all.

I’ve had this recipe from Deborah starred in my Google Reader since June. What a perfect combination for Cancy & I. I love avocados & he (like most men) loves meat. This was super easy to put together and tasted wonderful. Please don’t cheat by buying a green sauce from the store. The tomatillo/chile mixture smells great while cooking and is totally worth it. We both really liked this recipe and for sure will be making it again.

Guacamole Tacos with Tomatillo and Steak Sauce



4 Anaheim chiles, seeded

4 dried chiles de arbol

1 pound tomatillos (about 10), husked and rinsed

4 cups water, divided

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/4 teaspoon aniseed

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound skirt steak, cut into 1/3-inch cubes

3 large avocados, halved, pitted

1/2 cups (packed) finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon salt

12 small flour tortillas, softened



Place all chiles in medium saucepan, then add tomatillos and 3 cups water. Cover and boil until chiles and tomatillos are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool and drain.



Combine tomatillo mixture, garlic, aniseed, and oregano in processor; blend until smooth. Strain, discarding solids.

Wipe same saucepan clean. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil; heat over medium-high heat. Add strained sauce, simmer 5 minutes, then add 1 cup water. Bring to boil. Add chopped steak; reduce heat to medium-low and cook until sauce lightly coats back of spoon, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if sauce is too thick (consistency is similar to thin Bolognese); about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt.



Using spoon, scoop out avocado flesh and place in medium bowl. Add cilantro, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt; coarsely mash with fork.

 Place 2 tablespoons guacamole in center of each tortilla; roll up. Place on plate, seam side down. Pour warm meat sauce over tacos to cover and serve.

I usually go to Elly’s site when I’m craving lamb or something else Greek. I stumbled across her Burrito Soup & knew that this was a must-do.This was a really nicely seasoned and easy dish to make. Always on the lookout for crockpot ideas, this would be great for a crowd if you are having people over to watch “the game”. Or if you just want to make a hearty soup and have some tasty leftovers.

Crockpot Burrito Soup

2 tsp. canola oil

1 large onion, diced

1 lb. extra lean ground beef

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

5 cups beef broth

2 Tbsp. aleppo (or any) chili powder)

1 Tbsp. cumin

2 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

2/3 cup corn

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup uncooked rice (or, cook rice separately)

Heat a large  heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat and add oil. Cook the onions for a couple minutes before adding the beef. Brown the beef with the onion and drain if necessary. Put  back on the heat and stir in the garlic, just until fragrant.

Pour the beef mixture into the crockpot and then add the tomato sauce, beef broth, spices, corn and black beans. Cook on low for…however long you’re gone.
Increase temp to high and add the rice, just until cooked. Alternatively you can put the cooked rice in bowls and ladle the soup over it.

Garnish with your favorite toppings.

I usually go to Elly’s site when I’m craving lamb or something else Greek. I stumbled across her Burrito Soup & knew that this was a must-do.This was a really nicely seasoned and easy dish to make. Always on the lookout for crockpot ideas, this would be great for a crowd if you are having people over to watch “the game”. Or if you just want to make a hearty soup and have some tasty leftovers.
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee83/mylindadrury/Sweet%20Tea%20blog/DSC03154.jpg
Crockpot Burrito Soup

Title: Rider-san to Asobou
Artist: Red Bear
Circle: TEX-MEX
Parody: Fate Hollow Ataraxia
Language: English
Pairing: Rin’s sister x Rider (contains Bondage)
Rate: 18+
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/file/njy4mqdtyvd/[TEX-MEX] Rider-san to Asobou (Eng) (Fate Stay Night).rar

Title: Purple Sky, Golden Dawn
Artist: Red Bear
Circle: TEX-MEX
Parody: Fate Stay Night
Language: Japanese
Pairing: ?? (Don’t remember, but Rin is in it – duh lol)
Rate: 18+
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/file/yj2mzj1qmwy/[TEX-MEX] Purple Sky, Golden Dawn (Jap) (Fate Stay Night).rar