Taco Seasoning

I make my own taco seasoning.  There certainly is nothing wrong with the little packet, but I like the idea of being able to customize the flavor of my taco meat.  I love chipotle, so I add that to my seasoning.  I also use smoked paprika, which gives it a wonderful flavor.


Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:
1½ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp oregano
½ tsp paprika (I use smoked)
1½ tsp ground cumin
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

pinch of ground chipotle powder



Directions:
Combine all ingredients.  Add to ground beef along with 2 tbsp flour and ¼ cup water.


Makes 2 tbsp.




I know that it's a pain to get 10 different spices out of the cabinet every time you make tacos.  That's why I make a big batch of this (8x the original recipe) and keep it in a jar in my spice cabinet.  Then I just measure out 2 tbsp for each batch of taco meat.  To spare you from doing the math yourself, here's the recipe for a big batch.


Big Batch of Taco Seasoning


Ingredients:


¼  cup chili powder
¼  cup ground cumin
3 tsp pepper
6 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
½  tsp chipotle powder
2 tsp oregano
3 tsp paprika

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients.  Place in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Store in cabinet, away from heat and direct light.

Use 2 tbsp of seasoning for each 1 lb. taco meat.

Makes 8 (2 tbsp) servings.

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Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker

After almost two years without a crockpot, I finally got a new one! The one I registered for when we got married was a little cheap deal that basically started disintegrating on me in our third year of marriage. The little plastic feet kept slowly chipping away, the casing that housed the dial started cracking and then oozing some strange blue substance, then finally the whole dial just fell out of the machine! I didn't bother moving it back to St. Louis; it got trashed.

Some very generous members of our congregation gave us a housewarming gift and then a Christmas gift and it was the perfect amount with which to purchase this really nice crockpot (yes, I know "Crockpot" is a trademarked term for the Rival brand, but it's so much easier to say and type than "slow cooker," so that's what I use.)

It is the Hamilton Beach Set 'n Forget 6 Quart Programmable Slow Cooker, model 33966. Check it out on

Amazon.com.

It comes with a temperature probe. If you are cooking meat, you stick the probe in the meat (there is a hole for it in the lid) and tell the crockpot what temperature you want the meat to be when done. When it reaches the desired temperature, the unit will automatically switch to the "warm" setting from whatever you had it on to cook. So no more overcooked, mushy meats!

You can program it to cook on "high" for a certain number of hours then switch to "low." It's completely programmable. Neat! You can also use it just like the traditional crockpots by simply setting it on high, low, or warm.

I've only made one dish in it so far,

Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup, but I love it already. Even though I am home most days, I think I will use it a lot simply because it's so easy and hassle free. And it means spending less time on my feet which is becoming more taxing the bigger this baby gets!

I really like the oval shape of this appliance, too. I was able to lay flat three chicken breasts without them touching each other. That means things will cook more evenly. And on an aesthetic note, it is very sleek looking with the black and stainless steel. So shiny and pretty!

Thank you so much, Virgil and Carol!

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Party Punch

This is a punch I made for our housewarming party yesterday. I was looking for a cranberry-flavored one because cranberry has become a holiday flavor, for some reason. I had some punch in Texas once that had Jell-O in it, and it was really good, so I looked for a similar recipe. I found one on allrecipes.com that was meant to be a green Halloween punch, as it called for lime Jell-O. I decided to use it and add cranberry Jell-O instead of lime. Well, I wasn't able to find cranberry Jell-O the day I went to the store, so I got raspberry instead so it would still be red at least. Then when I was looking for the ginger ale, I found that Canada Dry had a cranberry flavored ginger ale. So it ended up being a cran-raspberry punch.

Holiday Punch

2 (3 oz.) boxes raspberry Jell-O
4 cups hot water
46 oz. pineapple juice
1 can frozen no-pulp orange juice concentrate, thawed
4 ½ cups cold water
2 liters cranberry ginger ale

Dissolve the Jell-O in the hot water. Allow to cool. Meanwhile, pour the pineapple juice through a fine mesh strainer to reduce the amount of pulp. When the Jell-O mixture is cool, add it to all the remaining ingredients, saving the ginger ale for right before the party so it doesn’t lose its fizz.

It was a huge hit at the party. We had a total of 31 guests and I had to make two batches of it. Tip: Only one batch would fit in the punch bowl, but I guessed that one might not be enough, so before the party, I dissolved the Jell-O in water for the second batch so it would be cool if I needed to whip up another batch during the party. This is a really good idea because it takes a while for it to cool.

This ended up being a bit different from the recipe I found online. First I changed the Jell-O flavor, as I mentioned before. Also, it called for additional white sugar, 2 cups, I think. The reviews from others suggested leaving this out and I’m so glad I did. It was perfect the way it was; I can’t imagine it with extra sugar. And the original recipe didn’t call for straining the pineapple juice, but I think it would have been a little sludgy on the bottom without doing that. I was surprised how much pulp I ended up with after doing that.

This recipe really lends itself to changes. You can use any flavor of Jell-O you like. Ditto with the ginger ale. Also, when I made the second batch, I didn’t add the can of orange juice, and no one could tell a difference. I love flexible recipes!

(The photo above is of the punch when I made it again for my daughter's fourth birthday party in February 2012. Weird that she wasn't even born when I first posted this recipe! It didn't have a picture, so I snapped one of it then. That time I used strawberry Jell-O to get more of a lighter pink color because the party was "My Little Pony" themed.)

Update (3.18.13): I made the green version of this punch for St. Patrick's Day.

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Cornish Game Hens

I'll be back to post this recipe later! I promise!

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Gnocchi with Pesto

Gnocchi are little dumplings made with potato flour. So even though they are potatoes, it's not like you are eating little chunks of potatoes. They are Italian, and are usually included in pasta categories, although technically they aren't pasta.

I don't make gnocchi myself, but I like to buy it premade and make different sauces to go with it. Last weekend I went on a bus trip to Chicago with my mom and sister and we stopped at a Trader Joe's. Jim and I used to frequent Trader Joe's when we lived in St. Louis, but there aren't any in the Grand Rapids area. Anyway, I picked up some gnocchi there. You should be able to find it in any decent grocery store. It may be in the refrigerated section with the prepackaged filled pastas.

We had it for dinner last night. I decided to prepare it with pesto. Pesto is a flavorful paste made up of basil, pine nuts, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and olive oil (traditionally.) It can be made with a variety of fresh herbs. It is usually served with pasta as an alternative to a red or cream sauce. You can find hundreds of different pesto recipes online and in cookbooks. Here is the one I use:

Basil Pesto

2/3 oz. fresh basil, torn into pieces
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tbsp pine nuts
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a food processor, pulse together the first five ingredients. Stream in the olive oil. Remove from food processor and fold in the Parmesan.

Makes enough for 1 pound of pasta.

I think next time I make this, I might cut back on the oil just a tad.

It makes pretty simple meal. I just boiled the gnocchi for a few minutes and drained them. Then I just tossed them with the pesto until it was evenly distributed. I served it with some chicken breasts that I seasoned very simply with salt and Herb de Provence and browned up in the skillet.

Very simple, delicious meal. If you have yet to try gnocchi or pesto, I encourage you to do so.

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Squash Dressing

This is a dish I made for a 50th wedding anniversary celebration in September. I got the recipe from a community cookbook when we lived in Hamilton, Texas. I ended up changing it a bit. The original recipe was written very casually and didn't include a lot of details. Several details were missing, such as how many squashes (is that the right word?) to use and how to cook it. It included sauteed celery and cream of chicken soup. I decided to skip the celery and use cream of celery soup instead. I thought that having chicken flavors going on wasn't really necessary when there were already a lot of other flavors included, like celery, corn, onion, and squash. And it also included chicken bouillon, so additional chicken wasn't necessary. Skipping the celery also made it a little easier; less to chop! The original recipe also failed to say what kind and size of dish to use.

Here is the original recipe:

3 cups cooked squash, drained and mashed

1 package corn bread mix, baked (yellow)

2 cups milk

1/2 cup onion

1/2 cup celery

1/2 cup green pepper

1 teaspoon sage (optional)

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 can cream of chicken soup

Crumble corn bread in milk. Saute onion, celery, and green pepper in 1 stick of margarine. Add all remaining ingredients. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

(Recipe courtesy Dora Kunkel. Published in A Taste of Hamilton, 2003)

Here's how I made it. This is doubled.

Squash Dressing

2 boxes corn bread mix, prepared (I use Jiffy. This will require 2/3 cup milk and 2 eggs)

5-6 small yellow squash

1 cup diced onions

2 cloves garlic, diced

2 tbsp butter

2 tsp sage

4 tsp chicken bouillon powder (equivalent of 4 cubes)

2 cans cream of celery soup

4 cups milk (I used 2%)

Directions:

Prepare corn bread mixes in 8 inch square glass baking dish. Let cool. Preheat oven at 350.

Chop the ends off the squash and cut into 1/2" to 1" slices. Boil until soft. Drain and mash, leaving some chunks.

Saute the onions and garlic in butter. Add sage and bouillon powder. Add cream of celery soup and mix well.

After the corn bread has cooled, crumble it and soak it in the milk.

Combine the corn bread mixture, soup mixture, and squash.

Bake in 9 x 13 glass dish for one hour.

Here is the finished result. I couldn't believe how pretty it turned out!

I kept the bouillon in because I didn't know exactly what part it played in the recipe. And I omitted the green pepper simply because I don't like the flavor of it and didn't think it was necessary.

This recipe is hard to write because you kind of have to do three things at once. You have to let the corn bread cool (unless you make it the night before, like I do) and soak it in milk while you chop the squash and cook it and saute the onions and garlic. So don't do it as it is written; get each of those things going so they can all be done and ready to combine at the same time.

A note of warning: This looks absolutely disgusting when you combine it and pour it into the baking dish. I know. But trust me, it will look beautiful when you pull it out of the oven, and it will taste even better!

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Simple Stovetop Chili

I used to make chili in the crockpot, but mine bit the dust over a year ago and I haven't replaced it. So I had to come up with one that was just as easy and was made on the stovetop. I found one on allrecipes.com and changed it up to fit my tastes.


Simple Stovetop Chili

1 pound ground beef
½ small onion or ¼ large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can kidney beans
1 tbsp chili powder
pinch red pepper flakes or 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
salt and pepper

Directions:
In a large saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft, but not browned. Brown the ground beef either in a separate skillet or in the microwave. Drain. Add to onion and garlic. Add the tomatoes (with their juice), tomato sauce, and kidney beans. Season with chili powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for at least 15 minutes. The longer you let it simmer, the better the flavors meld together. If you simmer for an extended amount of time, you might need to add some water with the other ingredients so it doesn’t dry out as it reduces.

Makes four servings.




It is really good served with some shredded cheddar cheese and light sour cream. This recipe is nice because it can be ready in about half an hour (if you let it simmer only 15 minutes.) And it tastes just fine this way. But the longer you let it simmer, the better it gets.

The reason I saute the onion and garlic before adding the hamburger is because I like to make sure they are soft. I like the flavors they add to the finished product, but I don't want to have big chunks of them when done. And this way Jim doesn't even notice them! You may still see some small pieces of garlic, because it is white and not clear. But as long as it is soft, you won't even taste it. The other reason I don't brown the hamburger in the pot is that it hard to drain and I usually buy the cheaper stuff that has to be drained before anything else is added.

And the spice is really easy to alter to fit your tastes. The recipe I found online only called for a pinch of chili powder. You couldn't taste it at all! So I upped that quite a lot and added a bit of extra heat with the red pepper flakes or cayenne.

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Food Pyramid

The Quigmans

10 October 2007

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Hilary's Heavenly Hummus

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been MIA for a few months. The first trimester was really rough on me and cooking was the last thing on my mind. It took me a while to get back in the swing of things, but I am much better now and am actually in the mood to cook again! Yay!

While I was sick, my sister, Hilary, came up with an awesome recipe for hummus for a summer family gathering. I thought since I didn't have anything to contribute, I would post her recipe.

Hilary’s Heavenly Hummus

1 16 oz can of garbanzo beans, drained
1 clove of garlic
5 grape tomatoes
1 small tuft of fresh parsley
1 tbsp olive oil

I put the garlic and beans in the chopper and it was too thick so I added the olive oil. If you want it to be fat-free, just keep some of the liquid from the beans. Once it was pasty, I added the grape tomatoes and parsley and just chopped a little longer. Since I added these late, the final product had neat red and green flecks.

I bought whole wheat fat-free pita bread, cut it into triangles and toasted them under the broiler. I really like it, but I have to stop eating it or I'll have to make another batch in the morning. If I were making it just for me, I would have added another clove of garlic.

Thanks so much, Hil, for sharing!

I will probably be more active in the coming months. I hope you all didn't give up on me completely!

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Salmon Spread

I created this salmon spread recipe last year when we were in St. Louis. I love salmon, and it's high in Omega-3. I use the kind in the packet, Chicken of the Sea. I always get complements on it. One time I took it to work for lunch and one of my co-workers ate almost all of it.

Salmon Spread

7 oz. canned or packet salmon
1/4 tsp dill (I use dried)
2 tbsp combined minced shallot and minced garlic
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 tbsp low-fat Miracle Whip

Directions are pretty simple. Mix together.

I use my mini food processor to mince the garlic and shallot together. I usually do a whole bunch at one time and keep the rest in the fridge to use later. Mincing shallots makes my eyes sting, so I like to get it over with all at once! The ratio I use is two parts shallot to one part garlic, but you can adjust it to your tastes. You can also use onion instead of shallot, but I think the shallot flavor really defines this spread.

I usually eat it on crackers (whole grain is best) but you could also make a sandwich out of it with whole grain bread.

Nutrition Info:
Serving size: 1/2 cup (1/3 of batch)
Calories: 130
Fat: 6
Sodium: 480
Protein: 12

I know, it's not the healthiest thing. You could reduce the fat even further by using non-fat sour cream and non-fat Miracle Whip, but I haven't tried this yet. I wish there was a way to reduce the sodium, but most of it comes from the salmon itself. I hope food manufacturers get on the "reduced sodium" bandwagon like they did years ago with low-fat. This serving size might actually be a bit large if you are making a sandwich with it, depending on the size of your bread. I usually divide it into three equal servings after I make it and store the individual servings in separate, small containers so that I don't end up eating the whole batch at once. Then I can grab and go the next time.

Sometimes I add a boiled egg to it. Boosts the protein even more. This is good for me now, since I am in early pregnancy:)

I hope you enjoy. Tell me what you think of it. Maybe I'll post a pic later.

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