Another Mexican inspired recipe here today – steak quesadilla. I have made a few different types of quesadillas; chicken, bean and now steak.  I would say out of the three the steak is my favorite. This steak quesadilla consists of grilled steak, mozzarella cheese and vegetables such as tomatoes, mushrooms, green peppers and onions. The steak, cheese and mushrooms alone were enough to know this would be an instant hit around here, and it was. If you have ever made quesadillas before you probably know there is nothing hard about making them. Just a little prep work, preparing the quesadilla and then heating. I heated them in a skillet but if you want you can also bake them in the oven at 425 degrees for 5-10 minutes on a baking sheet. If you are looking for a good side dish for this recipe, Spanish rice would go great with it. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
½ lb sirloin steak
1 green pepper (diced)
1 onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 tablespoon cilantro (minced)
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary (crushed)
4 (6 inch) flour tortillas
1 roma tomato (diced)
¼ cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1  ½ cups mozzarella cheese
oil (for cooking)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Put steak on the grill and cook until the steak reaches desired doneness (I usually like mine about med-rare). Remove from grill and allow the steak to cool a little. Slice steak into thin strips.
Step 2: Add a tiny bit of oil to a large pan. Sauté peppers, onion, garlic and mushrooms until tender. Sprinkle top of the vegetables with cilantro and rosemary.

Step 3: Place 1 tortilla onto the bottom of the pan. Lay out a layer of cheese a layer of cheese (about ¼ cup), then about half of the sliced steak. Then with a slotted spoon add a layer of the pepper mixture. Top with tomatoes and another layer of cheese. Add another tortilla on top. When the bottom tortilla is lightly browned and cheese has started to melt, flip and cook on the opposite side. Cut into wedges and serve.

It’s that time of year again, the time for that moist and delicious pumpkin bread. Pumpkin bread is very common and I’m sure most of you have tried it at least a few times. If you have any left over pumpkins, it’s a great way to make good use of them. This recipe calls for canned pumpkin but if you want to use left over pumpkins, you can make pumpkin puree by roasting the pumpkins in your oven, scooping out the insides and mashing or putting them in a blender. This will also work with left over squash. I actually prefer canned pumpkin because in my opinion it just has better all around flavor. This bread gets most of its flavor from spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves.  This recipe takes very little time. All the work that’s involved is basically mixing ingredients. This recipe makes two loafs, so if you only want one I would recommend cutting the recipe in half. Spreading butter of even better cream cheese on the bread is a must. Pumpkin bread is so moist and flavorful you will want to eat a whole loaf yourself! Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 cups canned pumpkin (or homemade pumpkin puree)
3 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 1/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¾ teaspoon ground cloves

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, water, oil and eggs. Beat together until mixed well.
Step 2: In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves.
Step 3: Slowly mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients beating until smooth.

Step 4: Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Pour the better into the 2 loaf pans evenly dividing the batter between the two. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow loafs to cool.  

I was looking for something to make with some left over shredded coconut and I had lying around and decided to go with Coconut Macaroons. If you don’t know what macaroons are, they are kind of like cookies. Macaroons with coconut are a very popular way to make them in the United States but how macaroons are made usually varies by country. This recipe has vey few ingredients and chances are you probably have most if not all of them already in your kitchen. The vanilla extract could be easily replaced with almond extract if you prefer that flavor. This will only make a pretty small batch so if you want more I might suggest doubling the recipe. If you’re looking for a quick, easy and delicious recipe for coconut macaroons give this one a try.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl mix together coconut, sugar, flour, and salt. Stir in egg whites and vanilla extract. Mix well.
Step 2: Grease a baking sheet and drop mixture by the rounded teaspoon onto the baking sheet.
Step 3: Bake at 325 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool.

Today I tried something a little different, an Indo-Chinese recipe – Chicken Manchurian. This dish is pretty popular but if you haven’t heard of it, Chicken Manchurian brings the best of both worlds from Indian and Chinese cuisine. I had never made this dish before and couldn’t find a recipe I found very appealing. Although, there are almost countless ways to make this, I decided to experiment a bit by trying two different types of sauce. The first sauce I found to have very strong flavor. The second sauce I found very mild. I preferred the mild sauce and so did the others that tried it but if you like a spicier sauce, just add a little more garlic, ginger and a couple diced green chilies. The chicken is coated with a batter and then deep fried giving it a very soft texture. The batter is a basic combination of flour, corn starch, egg, and salt and pepper. If you feel the batter is a little thick feel free to add a tiny bit of water to thin it out. Chicken Manchurian Is best served with white rice. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1” pieces)
1 ½ tablespoons flour
1 ½ tablespoons corn starch
1 egg
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 large onion (sliced)
Sauce-
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup tomato puree
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
fresh cilantro (chopped, for garnish)
oil (for frying)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a bowl mix together flour, 1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch, egg, salt and pepper. If batter is too thick add a tiny bit of water to thin it out. Dip chicken pieces into batter, coat well and deep fry chicken pieces in batches in your deep fryer at 375 degrees until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and keep warm until needed.

Step 2: Add a tiny bit of oil to your wok and stir fry slices onions for about 1 minute. Add garlic and ginger stir fry for 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, ketchup, tomato puree, soy sauce, and sugar. Mix well stirring and bring to a boil. Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and pour into mixture while stirring. Cook until sauce thickens.
Step 3: In a bowl pour the sauce over the chicken pieces. Mix well and top with chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with white rice.

Yum, delicious home made fudge. What can I say? It’s been around forever and it’s still extremely popular to this day! In this recipe you are getting the best of both worlds because peanut butter and cocoa both go into this recipe. That’s not it; did I mention chopped walnuts also go into this delicious fudge as well? If you have ever made fudge before you probably know it takes little time and is rather easy. One important thing is making sure the fudge reaches the right temperate on the stove. Use a candy thermometer or even a digital thermometer for a more accurate reading. You will want the fudge to reach around 238-240 degrees before removing from the heat.

Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
¼ teaspoon cream of tar tar
1 cup evaporated milk
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ cup margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups peanut butter
2 cups chopped walnuts

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Butter an 11 x 7 inch baking dish. In a 3 quart sauce pan cocoa, sugar and cream of tar tar. Add evaporated milk, corn syrup, and margarine. Cook over medium high heat stirring until mixture boils.
Step 2: Clip a candy thermometer onto the pan. Reduce heat to medium. Continue to cook stirring until temperature reaches 238 degrees. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and peanut butter. Mix well and fold in nuts.

Step 3: Pour mixture into pan. Allow to cool.

Here is a quick and easy way to make your basic bean and cheese burrito. I haven’t cooked a lot of Mexican food or really posted many Mexican recipes on here but I’m going to change that. This was actually my first time making burritos and they turned out great. I thought the wrapping process might be a little complicated but it was actually quite easy, even though I’m certainly no expert. I was thinking about adding either beef or chicken but I decided not to, maybe next time. If you would like to add chicken or beef go for it! Making these burritos will take hardly no time at all as the oven does most of the work. Just mix the ingredients, wrap, place in the oven and you’re done.

Ingredients:
1 (16oz) can refried beans
1  cup rice (cooked)
1 cup salsa
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
12 (6 inch) flour tortillas
tomatoes (diced, to serve)
sour cream (to serve)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large bowl combine refried beans, salsa, rice and 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Mix well.
Step 2: Spoon about 1/3 of a cup of the mixture into the center of a tortilla. Fold up both of the sides and grab the bottom end and roll up. Repeat until are burritos have been wrapped.

Step 3: Arrange burritos in a greased baking dish, and top each burrito with cheddar cheese. Cover and place into the oven. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve with tomatoes, sour cream and lettuce if desired.  

Nothing but some classic comfort food here – Chicken pot pie. This is a recipe that dominates anything you can buy frozen in the store. Unfortunately, this does require a lot of prep work to prepare. There are tons of vegetables that go into this, most of which need to be minced, chopped or sliced. If you want to save time try and get some help or maybe even buy a frozen vegetable mix from the grocery store. In the end, it’s so worth it though! Chicken pot pie to a great way to make good use of left over chicken. If you want to use fresh chicken, to cook it just slowly poach it in water for awhile. If you don’t have any chicken or would prefer something else, turkey can easily be used in its place. Substituting chicken for turkey could also make a great side dish for Thanksgiving! Serve with buttery biscuits. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2 prepared pie crusts (homemade or store bought)
1/8 teaspoon poppy seed
1 pinch seasoning salt
Filling-
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion (sliced)
½ cup celery (diced)
1 cup carrot (sliced)
1 cup potatoes (diced)
8 ounces fresh mushrooms (sliced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
1 teaspoon thyme
1 pinch red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon ground sage
salt and pepper (to taste)
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked chicken (diced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and press one curst onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9” pie plate.
Step 2: In a large pan melt butter and add celery, onion, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and garlic. Stir fry for 5 minutes. Add parsley, red pepper flakes, thyme, sage, salt and pepper to the pan. Mix well. Sprinkle with flour and mix again. Add chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture is thickened.  Add chicken bits to the mixture and mix well.

Step 3: Pour mixture into the prepared pie dish. Top with the second crust and crimp sides to seal. Lightly wet the top and sprinkle with season salt and poppy seeds.

Step 4: Bake in the oven at 425 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
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Chow Mein is quite possibly my favorite Chinese noodle dish. If you are not familiar with Chow Mein it is a stir fry dish with noodles, lots of vegetables and a delicious sauce. There are a couple different types of chow Mein; one with soft noodles and one with crispy noodles. This version is with the soft noodles, which is closer to the original Chinese version of the dish. Chow Mein is served at many take-out places and restaurants within the United States. This recipe calls for ‘Chow Mein noodles’, you should be able to find them at any Asian market or the Asian sections at your local grocery store. If you don’t have any luck finding them thin egg noodles would work as well. You can basically add the vegetables to your taste. I used cabbage, carrots, onions, mushrooms, celery and bean sprouts. For the meat I used pork but chicken or shrimp would be great as well. There’s not a lot of work to this recipe, the prep work takes a little time but that’s about it. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1.5lb boneless pork chops (sliced thinly into strips)
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1 (12 oz) package chow mein noodles
1 cup fresh bean sprouts (or canned)
2 large celery stalks (sliced)
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 (12oz) package fresh sliced mushrooms
4 cups fresh cabbage and carrot mix
2 green onions (sliced)
½ cup chicken broth
4 tablespoon oyster sauce
4 teaspoons soy sauce
salt and pepper (to taste)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
oil (for frying)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cook the chow Mein noodles according the package directions. Meanwhile, add a little bit of oil to the wok. Add pork strips and garlic and stir fry until fully cooked. Remove from the wok and set aside.
Step 2: Add a little more oil. Add all of the vegetables expect the green onion to the wok. Stir fry until the vegetables are as tender as you like them.

Step 3: Push the vegetables to the side creating a well In the middle of the wok. One by one add chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well. Bring to a slow boil. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with a little bit of cold water. While stirring pour cornstarch/water mixture into the sauce. Return pork to the wok. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 4: Mix the vegetables mixture with the chow Mein noodles in a large bowl. Top with sliced green onions. Serve.

I have saw this recipe for Chinese bourbon chicken literally all over the net and I just had to give it a try to see what everyone was raving about. Apparently a lot of Chinese take out places have this but I have yet to see it there or at any buffet.  What’s great is no alcohol actually goes into this recipe. I know what you’re thinking… “but then why is it called bourbon chicken?” To be honest, I have no idea, but it tastes great! The sauce has great flavor – just the right amount of sweetness and spice. For the chicken – it’s your choice whether you want a little breading on it or not. I just lightly dusted the chicken bits with cornstarch to give them a slight crispiness. This is a two step recipe and takes very little time to prepare. This recipe is best served with a side dish of white rice.

Ingredients:
2lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
oil (for frying)
cornstarch (for dusting, optional)
Sauce-
1 garlic clove (minced)
¼ teaspoon ginger
¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cut chicken breasts into bit sized pieces, and if you choose lightly dust with cornstarch. Heat oil in your wok and fry chicken bits in batches until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Step 2: In a bowl combine all sauce ingredients. Pour into wok and bring to a boil. Add chicken bits back to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe

I don’t eat a lot of salads but chicken Caesar salad is amazing. If you are looking for a nice and light meal this recipe is for you. Chicken Caesar salad is very popular in many countries and can be ordered at almost any restaurant.  I also made my own garlic croutons and have included the recipe for that as well. If you want to save time and just buy some from the story that will work as well but these are better! For the dressing I used mayo instead of the traditional raw egg. I just don’t feel completely safe eating raw eggs but maybe someday things will change J! Typically the chicken in chicken Caesar salad is grilled. I used a grill pan instead of an outdoor grill but if you don’t have either you can just pan fry the chicken. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 head romaine lettuce (washed and torn into pieces)
shredded parmesan cheese
Croutons-
2 cups of white bread (torn or cut into pieces)
3  tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
¼ teaspoon salt
Dressing-
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 oil packed anchovy (minced)
¼ cup olive oil

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: For the dressing- In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice,  mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and minced anchovy. Then last whisk in olive oil. Refrigerate until needed (whisk once before using).

Step 2: For the croutons- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Tear or cut bread into pieces and place in a bowl.  In a small bowl mix crushed garlic, olive oil, and salt. Drizzle oil mixture over bread pieces and toss to coat. Lie out bread pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes turning half way through for even browning. Allow to cool until needed.
Step 3: For the chicken- Between 2 sheets of wax paper pound chicken breasts with a mallet until at an even thickness. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt, sugar, garlic powder and onion powder. Grill chicken on an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan for 5 minutes on each side of until no longer pink inside. Slice chicken into small strips.
Step 4: To make the salad mix shredded lettuce and chicken bits. Top with croutons, dressing and shredded parmesan cheese.
Tags: cooking, recipes, food and drink, recipe