Taco Bell “Hot” Hot Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

  • 6 oz Tomato Paste
  • 3 Cups filtered Water
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 ½ tablespoon Chili Powder (I used New Mexico Red powder)
  • 2 ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoon Xanthan Gum (Can substitute Corn Starch)
  • 2 teaspoon White Vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Directions

Add tomato paste to pan, add 1/2 cup of the water and mix till incorporated, then add another 1/2 cup and do the same till all but a little of the water is left (save about 3 tablespoons). Now add all the rest of the ingredients with the Xanthan Gum or Cornstarch and use the water left to mix in with it to avoid clumping then add it in. Mix everything till evenly incorporated. Heat to hot and steaming to pasteurize and this will also meld the spice flavors together. Add into Jars and keep in the refrigerator.

Note

Most of this recipe was take from Hot Rod’s Recipes and slightly adjusted. Thanks to him for a great recipe to start with. https://www.hotrodsrecipes.com/copycat-taco-bell-hot-sauce

Instant Pot Refried Black Beans

This recipe can be scaled up as needed. This recipe makes about 4 side dish servings. For more punch to the flavor, taste and add some additional garlic powder to you liking.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of black beans soaked in water overnight
  • 4 large cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 tsp ginger minced
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 3/4 cup of water

Directions

Set Instant Pot to sauté settings, add olive oil, garlic, and ginger. Saute for 1-2 minutes, then add rest of ingredients except salt along with water. Pressure cook on high for 55 mins and let pressure reduce naturally without venting. When depressurized, add in 1 tsp of salt and use stick blender to blend till at the desired consistency. Taste and add more salt to taste. These can be eaten with tortillas, made into tostadas or used as a side dish.

Chinese Green Onion Pancakes

This is an incredibly simple recipe and easy to make but is enjoyable and satisfying to eat. I first tasted this in a visit to China and wanted to try to reproduce it. Here is the recipe that I have come up with for 3 pancakes, enjoy.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of All Purpose Flour or Bread Flour
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup of boiling water
  • 4 green onions sliced into rings
  • 3 tablespoons of oil or butter for frying

Directions

Put Flour and Salt into a bowl and mix dry ingredients. Add boiling water and stir and mix together with fork till dough comes together. Separate into 3 balls and let rest for 30 mins. Roll out balls into disks and sprinkle 1/3 of the green onions on each. Roll up into a cigar shape with onions inside, then coil up cigar into a disk. Then roll out into a pancake and fry each pancake in 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat till browned and cooked.

Spicy Garlic Bok Choy

  1. 1 pound bok choy
  2. 1 tablespoon oil 
  3. 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  4. ¼ cup water
  5. 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
  6. 2 cloves garlic, minced
  7. 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (For Vegetarian/Vegan substiture Hoisin Sauce)
  8. 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  9. 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
  10. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  11. 1/2 tsp of corn starch

Directions (Ready in less than 10 mins)

Mix ingredients 3-11 in a bowl. Cut stems off, slice up, and put asside. Cut up leaves. Heat pan and add oil, I used avocado oil since it is healthy and good for high temp. Add stems and fry for a couple of minutes. Add in leaves and fry till wilted. Put aside and pour sauce mixed together in bowl earlier into hot pan. Cook for about 2 minutes and pour over bok choy, then serve.

Preserved Lemons

Ingredients

  • 4-5 Meyer lemons cut into pieces w/skin on
  • 2 1/2 tsp of salt for a pint sized jar

Directions

Put a layer of lemon pieces into the jar and sprinkle some of the salt on top of them, repeat, with a layer of lemons then the salt till the jar is full, then push down the lemons in the jar to squeeze out some of the juice and keep adding lemons with salt sprinkled on top till you have added and pushed down the lemons till the juice is completely covering the lemons in the jar. Then put a lid on and seal well. Turn the jar upside down after 12 hours. Then turn right side up and repeat this for a week. Then store in a cool place and after a few weeks they are ready and can stay good for months.

Manchurian Vegetable Balls

Ingredients

  • Vegetable Balls
    • 1 carrot grated fine
    • 1 cup of cabbage grated or sliced & chopped finely
    • 1/2 Onion grated
    • 1/2 Bell pepper chopped finely
    • 2 pieces of bread crumbed (for Vegan use Vegan Bread)
    • 1/4 cup of flour
    • 1/2 tsp cumin
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
    • 1 egg
    • 1/3 cup water
    • Oil for frying
  • Sauce
    • 1/2 onion chopped
    • 2 tablespoons oil
    • 1 tablespoons vinegar
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
    • 3 tablespoons Ketchup
    • 1 tsp Siracha sauce
    • 1/4 tsp sugar
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water

Directions

For Veggie Balls: Add Vegetable Ball ingredients to a bowl and mix till well mixed. Heat frying oil in a pan, when hot, form 1″ diameter balls and drop into hot oil. Fry till golden brown and cooked through, then drain.. Or for Heathier version with less fat coat w/oil and cook in an air fryer.

For Sauce: Add oil to pan and heat till hot. Add in onions and fry about 2 minutes. Now add garlic and ginger fry lightly, do not brown. Then add water, ketchup, vinegar, Siracha and sugar. Adjust vinegar and sugar to taste. Cook about 2 minutes till boiling, then add in cornstarch/water mixture and boil till thickened. Serve Veggie balls with sauce on the side to spoon over.

Fluffy White Bread Machine Bread

This Bread came out amazing. It had a really nice flavor, was fluffy, and incredibly moist. After cooling, I cut it and made a sandwich and it was excellent. Actually the bread greatly improved the sandwich taste.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/8 cups of hot water. (about 105 degrees F)
  • 2 teaspoons activated dry yeast
  • 3 tablespoons of sugar (I used organic)
  • 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups of white flour (I used all purpose)
  • 1/2 tablespoon butter to grease pan.

Directions

Add sugar into bread maker, then add hot water, followed by yeast. Let set for 5 minutes till frothy. Then add in flour salt and vegetable oil. Set for Dough setting if you want to bake in loaf pan (this is what I did). When dough cycle done, add into greased loaf pan. I used a long loaf pan (12 “), let rise for 30-40 mins till it rises above the top of the pan. While the bread is rising preheat the oven to 325 degrees F with a pan in the shelf below the bread pan in the oven to add about 1/4 cup of water when the bread goes in the oven. Add water and loaf pan with risen bread and bake for approx 30-35 minutes. Check temperature using a probe thermometer. Should be at least 190 degrees F in center to be completely cooked. Take bread out of the oven and immediately remove from pan and place on cooling rack covered with a dish towel. Let cool for 1 hour before slicing. After bread is cooled it can be halved and stored in a 1 gallon ziploc bag.

Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs

I recently purchased an Instant Pot. These are really cool cookers that allow you to use one pot to cook in and do it in a very short time using pressure cooking. I wanted to see how it would do on hard boiled eggs and this is what I did to come up with a perfectly cooked egg (yolk just cooked till solid, no more). Additionally the shell of the egg peels off perfectly with no sticking every time.

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs (can use more if you want to cook more)
  • 1 cup of water

Directions

Add water into Instant Pot and put in steamer rack (the one that comes with the Instant Pot). Put on the lid and close the pressure valve set the Instant Pot for pressure cook low and set the timer for 9 minutes and let it start. When done immediately press cancel and release the pressure using the pressure release valve. Take out the eggs and put into cold water. When they are cool enough to eat, enjoy.

RX Bar Copy Recipes

I wanted to have healthier snack bars to eat and I was told about the RX Bar. These are made from real food, not processed, however these are more than $2 each. So I looked around and found a recipe and found they are very easy to make, no baking. I made up my own recipes from what I learned. So I am making these for my snacks.

Base Bar Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup unflavored egg white protein powder
  • 1 cup medjool dates
  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 3/4 cup raw cashews
  • 2 tbsp water

Flavorings for different flavored bars

Coffee Chocolate

  • 1/4 cup raw cocoa nibs
  • 2 tsp espresso powder

Chocolate Peanut butter

  • 1/4 cup raw cocoa nibs
  • 2 tbsp PB2 powdered peanut butter

Peanut butter

  • 3 tbsp PB2 powdered peanut butter

Add Base bar ingredients to food processor. Decide on flavor and add Flavorings for bar you want. Process in food processor till it forms a thick paste or dough. Put into a 9×13 pan lined with saran wrap and press or roll out till evenly spread. Cut into 12 bars and wrap in saran wrap or seal with food saver or seal a meal.

Healthy Great Tasting Whole Wheat Pancakes

I like the nutrition that comes from less processed ingredients. So I have an inexpensive flour mill (hand operated) and some whole wheat grain that I like to use occasionally since most of the flour bought in the market is heavily processed. You get extra nutrition from the less processed flour. I use the flour in pancakes and tortillas and these pancakes came out great with a deep rich taste.

Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups of quality whole wheat flour (I ground my own)
  • 1/3 cup of all purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups of 2% milk
  • 1/2 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Butter for cooking

Directions

Put dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir until combined. Add eggs and milk to a bowl and stir. Add 1/2 of the eggs and milk mixture along with the vanilla to a bowl and stir till combined, then add the rest and stir again till combined. Heat a non stick pan on medium heat till hot, then a small amount of butter to a pan to coat the bottom, then pour in enough of the batter for the desired size pan cake. Cook till you see the edges are starting to look dry and there are bubbles in the center. Flip the pancake and cook on the second side till lightly brown. Then server and enjoy.