Month: August 2016

Chicken Cordon Bleu

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Delicious Chicken Cordon Blue
Delicious Chicken Cordon Blue

This is a great quick tasty meal that is great to make on a weeknight when you don’t have a lot of time. Definitely healthier than take out.

Ingredients

  • 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
  • 6  Slices of Ham lunch meat one each (not really thin sliced)
  • 6 slices of Swiss Cheese
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Bread crumbs
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Toothpicks to secure rolled up Chicken Breast.
  • Cooking spray for baking dish

Directions

Slice the Chicken breasts to make them thinner so that you can roll them. You can slice them down into thirds if the are really thick or you can pound them out flatter. After they are all sliced, sprinkle them with salt and pepper on both sides. Then put the flat side up and lay a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese on top and then put a thick stripe of Dijon mustard on the cheese and roll up and secure with toothpicks, cheese side in. Now roll in bread crumbs lay in greased baking pan and put into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes, until you can see the cheese is melted and just starting to ooze out. Serve and enjoy.

Smokey Spicy Refried Black Beans

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Smokey Black Refried Beans
Smokey Black Refried Beans

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups of dried back beans (or 1 can of black beans)
  • 4 cloves of garlic finely diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
  • 1 chipolte pepper finely diced
  • 1 cup of vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt (less if canned beans used)

Directions

If using a can of black beans skip ahead to frying the garlic and peppers, otherwise soak beans overnight then drain and put into a pan and cover with 1 inch of water and simmer covered for about 1-2 hour till tender. Now drain and pour into a bowl and put aside. Now rinse pan and add the olive oil on medium high heat and add in garlic and jalapeno and fry for about 3 minutes till tender. Add in cumin and chipolte and fry for another 30 seconds, then add in beans and chicken broth. Cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour till beans are falling apart. Now add in salt (you can add additional salt to  taste). With a stick blender, blend till it becomes a paste, but not all the beans need to be completely. If you don’t have a stick blender, put about 1/2 or all of the beans in a food processor and process, then add back into rest of beans and stir. Serve with rice and tacos, or scoop some into a flour tortilla add cheese roll up and you have a bean burrito.

Best Steak Quesadillas

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Delicious Steak Quesadillas
Delicious Steak Quesadillas

This taste incredible and take 20 minutes to make. I can’t say they are the healthiest food to eat, they do have steak, cheese and flour tortillas, but you can use whole wheat tortillas and use a little less cheese to reduce the fat if you want.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lb sirloin steak, cut into strips
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground oregano
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon of canola oil
  • 12 soft taco size flour tortillas
  • 1 16 oz package of shredded medium or mild cheddar cheese

Directions

Spread steak strips on a plate and sprinkle the cumin, pepper flakes, salt, oregano, and garlic powder on the meat and mix around with you hands to coat the meat. Heat pan till hot, add oil and steak and fry over high heat till browned and cooked. Set aside and clean the frying pan and heat pan again on medium high heat till the pan is hot. Now place one tortilla in the pan spread a thin layer of the cheese, then some of the steak, and a little more cheese over the meat and put a tortilla on the top. Heat till the bottom tortilla is lightly browned and then flip over and brown the other side. The cheese should be melted. Remove from then pan and cut into quarters on a cutting board. Plate and serve with some hot sauce, salsa, or guacamole.

Bavarian Point Restaurant (Mesa, AZ) – Like a brief trip to Germany

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Dining Room
Dining Room
Salad Bar
Salad Bar

Recently I heard about a German restaurant in Mesa Arizona that I wanted to try, and I am happy I did. It is an unassuming restaurant in a strip mall, but when you walk in, it isn’t what you would expect. The decor is definitely makes me think of Germany, although I have never been there. We didn’t have to wait to be seated, although we were there a little early for lunch (around 11:15 am). We were seated at a booth with a cloth tablecloth and a chandelier over it. The menu was quite extensive with about 20 – 25 German entrees plus appetizers and desserts.  I choose the Sauerbraten (roast beef).  It came with dumplings, a red cabbage (sweet) slaw and cranberry sauce. The salad bar came with all the entrees so after I ordered, I loaded up on the salad bar. They had lettuce and a number or different uniquely German items, I made a salad and tried a few of the German salad bar selections. Overall I would say the salad bar is good. All the selections were fresh and the German selections added a nice touch. The order took about 25 minutes for the entrees to arrive, but we also ordered the Gebackenen Camembert as an appetizer which came after about 15 minutes, which is a breaded baked cheese served with lingonberry sauce. It was hot when it was brought to the table and was rich and creamy and did go well with the lingonberry sauce. We had four people eating it and we it was enough for all of us as an appetizer  due to it’s richness.  Shortly after we had finished the appetizer the entrees arrived. The taste of the Sauerbraten had a deep and rich flavor which I really liked. The dumplings were cooked well and had a pleasant texture and flavor. I did not care for the slaw that came with it since I would have preferred a more vinegar flavor as opposed to the sweet flavor the slaw they served. I ended up eating about 1/4 or the slaw, but finished all the rest of the meal. We were too full for dessert, but they did have some tempting desserts. You will end up spending $20-$25 per person, not including tip.  Overall I enjoyed the meal and experience and am looking forward to going back again.

Link to Bavarian Point Website w/Menu

Google Map Link

Address:

4815 E Main Street
Suite #32
Mesa, Arizona

Roasted Jalapeno Hot Sauce

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Jalapeno Hot Sauce
Jalapeno Hot Sauce

This is a spicy jalapeno hot sauce, but not nearly as hot as a habanero sauce. You can kick up the spiciness by using serrano peppers instead of jalapenos. You can also make it less hot by removing the seeds and pith from the inside of the peppers. Goes great on mexican food, eggs, or whatever else you want to kick up a bit.

Ingredients

  • 6 jalapeños med to large Stems cut off
  • 3 Seranno  peppers stems cut off
  • 1/2 onion sliced
  • 6 cloves of garlic minced
  • 5 sprigs of cilantro
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/8 cup of white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup of water
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp canola

Directions

Take the jalapenos and blacken the skins. You can do this by holding them over a gas burner with a pair of tongs, use a culinary torch, or put then under an oven broiler.

Roasted Jalapeno
Roasted Jalapeno

The torch is the easiest. Now slice them and add them to a frying pan with the oil, the onion, and the garlic. Fry them on high heat till there is some brown color on the onion, but do not burn the garlic. Add the fried mixture to a food processor along with cilantro, vinegar, water and salt and grind to a paste. Pour the paste into a strainer over a bowl and press out all the liquid from the paste into the bowl.  Pour this back into the frying pan and add 1/4 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon of water, stir,  and bring to a boil. Boil for about 2-3 mins and let cool. Pour the sauce into a jar and your hot sauce is ready. It will be hottest the first day but will mellow in the fridge. It will keep in the fridge for at least a month or two. (Makes 4 – 6 oz).

Spicy Satisfying Cajun Shrimp

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Spicy Satisfying Cajun Shrimp
Spicy Satisfying Cajun Shrimp

You are craving something spicy and want something that will satisfy your craving, but healthy. Well this is it. Easy and quick to make, and beats buying take out. Cook, Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • Approx 1 lb of shrimp steamed (best deveined and shelled)
  • 1/4 onion finely minced
  • 2 large cloves of garlic minced
  • 1/4 stick of butter
  • 1/8 cup of olive oil
  • 1 to 1 1/2 tsp cajun seasoning

Directions

In a sauce pan add butter into a pan over medium heat and melt. Then add the olive oil, onion and garlic and fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Now add in the cajun seasoning and cook an additional 5 minutes. While cooking sauce, put about 1/2 inch of water in a pan and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and steam just until they are pink all over with no grey spots left, then remove immediately from heat. If you cook them too long they will become rubbery. Now add the cooked shrimp to the sauce and stir till coated and serve with rice.

Spicy Charro Beans

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Spicy Charro Beans
Spicy Charro Beans

This has an excellent spicy flavor and is a great filling meal. If goes great with cornbread (see my cornbread recipe). For a more healthy version you can use turkey bacon or cook the vegetarian/vegan version.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup of dried pinto beans
  • 1 large jalapeno pepper, diced
  • 4 pieces of cooked bacon, diced. (veg/vegan: Instead add 1 tsp smoked paprika instead of regular paprika)
  • 1/2 pound lean hamburger (veg/vegan: Leave out, or use veggie crumbles)
  • 1/2 of a large onion diced.
  • 1 teaspoon of paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ~1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Soak beans overnight. Cook and dice bacon and then brown the hamburger add in onion an jalapeno and fry with the hamburger for about 3-4 minutes. Add beans into pot with hamburger and cover with 1/2 inch of water cook for about 2 hours. Now add in the bacon, salt, pepper, and paprika and cook for another hour till beans are starting to split.

 

Fresh Baked Cornbread

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Delicious Cornbread
Delicious Cornbread

This is a easy to make side dish which goes great with a meal. It goes especially well with chili (See my chili recipe).

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray to grease pan
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine (1/2 stick)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/4 cups  cornmeal
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • optional
    • 1/4 cup Frozen corn (thawed)
    • Jalapeno diced.

Directions

Add all ingredients and any optional ingredients for variations to a bowl and mix until combined. There may still be some lumps but that is ok. Pour into greased baking pan and bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20 mins. After 20 mins insert a toothpick and if it comes out clean it is done. Serve hot with butter.

Healthy Berry Fruit Smoothie

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Healthy Berry Smoothie
Healthy Berry Smoothie

Wow, this tastes great. It is nice to have a cold or frozen one on a hot summer day and is great for getting an extra kick of energy. Using the frozen fruit makes it into a frozen smoothie. If you will be hooked on it. It is much lower in calories than a milkshake and I think it tastes as good.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup of blueberries
  • 1/4 cup of raspberries
  • 1/4 cup of strawberries
  • 1/2 cup of packed fresh spinach
  • 1 tablespoons honey (optional, depends if you like it slightly sweet or sweet)
  • 1/2 to 1 whole banana (optional)
  • 1/3 cup of water
  • 1/4 cup of ice (crushed)

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend till smooth. You will not even taste the spinach, but it adds a great health benefit. You can use frozen berries if they are out of season. The banana will make it a little more creamy.

Delicious Spicy Tangy Asian Chicken

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Spicy Asian Chicken
Spicy Asian Chicken

This satisfies both your craving for asian food and for something tangy and spicy. This tastes great and is pretty easy to make. You can serve it with rice, on lettuce as a salad or even over asian noodles.

Ingredients

  • 4 tsp canola oil with additional canola oil for frying chicken
  • 3 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1″ cubes (veg/vegan use sliced firm marinated tofu).
  • 5 – 6 green onions sliced crosswise. Use white part up to where the stem turns green.
  • 12 oz pineapple juice
  • 5 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • 4 tablespoons of garlic chili sauce
  • 5 tablespoons of white distilled vinegar
  • 6 teaspoons of sugar
  • 3 tsp of soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons of water
  • 3 teaspoons of corn startch (mix with water)
  • 1/2 cup of corn starch for coating chicken, don’t need for tofu.
  • Additional oil for frying chicken or tofu.

Prep and measure all the ingredients out ahead of time. Start by frying the garlic and onion in the oil  on high heat till they soften then add pineapple juice, chili sauce, vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce. Cook till boiling, then add the cornstarch and water mixture and continue cooking till it turns clear after adding the cornstarch. Pour the sauce into a bowl and set aside. Now coat chicken cubes then fry them in canola oil on high heat until crispy on the outside (Veg/Vegan: Fry tofu till crispy). For a healthiest  chicken option skip cornstarch coating on chicken and just lightly fry. Spoon chicken or tofu over lettuce or rice and then spoon sauce over the top. Enjoy!