QUESO FUNDIDO WITH CHIPS and CREAMY AVOCADO or TAQUITOS

Its easy....Serve it with Chips and Avocado....if you have leftover fill it into some tortillas and fry it up as Taquitos

Ingredients

• ¼  lb  Grd Beef Or Chorizo
• 1/2 Onion,  Diced
• ½ tsp Garlic
• 1 tbls Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Bell Peppers or 1 Serrano Diced or Pablano or combination  (optional)
• 1 can Chili Beans in Gravy
• 1 pound Monterey Jack, Grated  or Other Combo of Stringy Melting Cheese
• 1/3 can Beer
• 1 tbls  Taco Powder seasoning
• Salt to taste
• Water enough to thin is you desire and keep the cheese from firming up

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large skillet, cook and crumble the meat until brown. Pour off any excess fat. Add onions , garlic and bell peppers to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until the veggies are soft and golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Add the beans with gravy and distribute
• Add cheese
•  Just build so that the ingredients roughly reach the top of the skillet; they'll shrink quite a bit once the cheese melts! Run a knife through in a swirling motion to incorporate just a bit.
• Place into the oven and start watching it about  5-10 minutes  You want to bake it until the cheese is totally melted, hot, and slightly bubbling...but before the cheese starts to firm up/harden. (In other words, you still want the cheese to be extra gooey.)
• Remove from the oven, top with the diced tomatoes, sprinkle on the tomatoes, and serve immediately with tortilla chips!
• NOTE: Be sure to have everything ready so you can serve the queso fundido pretty much right out of the oven. It's best when piping hot!
• IMPORTANT: Wrap a cloth around the skillet handle so guests won't burn themselves.

Topping:

• Sprinkle top w Chili Powder
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 1/4 cup Cilantro, Chopped
• Tortilla Chips For Serving

CREAMY AVOCADO DIP

• 2 ripe avocados
• 2 Tbls Sour Cream
• 1 Tble Green Salsa
• 1 Serrano Pepper
• Juice of ½ Lime
• 1 Tbls teaspoons green jalapeno hot sauce
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Fresh cilantro served in the dip or on the side

CLASSIC CHILI Updated

CHILI  -  MOM’S BEST

In the end, I am very pleased with this chili. It always gets rave reviews when served to guests.  

All the ingredients listed are approximate quantities…you can add each element according to the taste and drama that you wish to present in your pot of chili.

Ingredients

·         1-2 Tbls cooking oil,  lard

·         2  lbs. lean grd chuck

·         1  sweet onion chopped very small

·         1  green bell peppers chopped

·         1 teaspoons minced garlic

·         2 pkgs Chili Mix, Frenchs Chili “O,

McCormickl, or Lawry’s Chili Mix.

OR

1/4 cup any Ancho based Chili Powder

2 Tbls Passila Chili Powder

·         3 Tbls Cumin

·         2 Tbls Brown Sugarshopping listshopping list

·         2 Tbls Balsamic Vinegarshopping listshopping list

·          2 Tbs  Cocoa Powder

·         1 tsp Red pepper flakes

·         2 tsp Salt

·         ½ tsp Cayenne pepper

·         1 can beer (12 oz.) I use Lite Beer

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·         1  large cans tomatoes whole or chopped

·         1 can tomato sauce med

·         1 can tomato paste small

·         1 cans Bushes Chili Hot Beans or S & W Chili Beans or Winco Brand

·         16oz  water  you can adjust this to make your chili thick and chunky or  thinner soup

 Directions:

1.    In a heavy-bottomed Dutch Oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. brown the meats.

2.    Add the Onions and cook, stirring. Stir in Bell Peppers and Garlic and cook, occasionally stirring. Cut them small and make sure they are well cooked and tender.

3.    Add the Chili Powders, Cumin, Brown Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Salt and Pepper. 

4.    Add the Tomatoes and Tomato Sauce and Tomato Paste, Beer, Balsamic Vinegar, and stir

5.    Add Chili Beans

6.    Add water  to bring the liquid to the consistency you like.

7.    Simmer 2 hours

Now it is time to TASTE….check for salt, pepper – hot or mild, sugar content. The cocoa powder and vinegar are not ingredients you can really taste. They add intensity or punch to the other ingredients. Have fun and add whatever works best for you…

Thicker chili ???....

The package chili mix will give you thickeners in the packet.  If your using your own chili powder you can add thickening by add ¼ cup flour with the lard in the first stage one to make a roué before you add the tomatoes and chili powder.

Options:      Serrano or Jalapeno Peppers,

                        Beef chuck roast shredded

                        Dry chili peppers processed

Green onions and cheddar cheese

Corn muffin or cheese quesadillas

guacamole

                       

ENJOY!

BEST BISCUITS 2014

Unless you can travel back in time back to Grandfather's kitchen, where all the ingredients for making biscuits were much different from what we have in our markets today, you haven't tasted the best of the best. Modern biscuits have had to undergo changes due to the industry changing our wheats and fats. Companies that sell mixes have had to make changes due to economics as well.   I am so lucky to have memories of my Grandpa's biscuits.  They were the BEST EVER and simply can not be reproduced with ingredients available today because he used country fresh lard, country fresh buttermilk, butter and his flour came right from the mill. So we  move on with the modern biscuit and doing the best with lots of experimentation and a few adjustment.  I have experimented with adding egg,cream and even coconut oil.  They are all good but I like this recipe because it is quick and easy, still the biscuit I made on Sunday mornings for my family.  That was a whole cookie sheet of biscuits by the way and when they came out of the oven, family was practically standing in line to devour them.  Now, I make a single batch in a 10" Cast Iron Skillet. It is also just as easy to cut the recipe in half and have BISCUITS for TWO in a flash. 

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick

1 Tbls baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbls sugar
4 Tbls cold butter chips ( from the freezer)
2 Tbls All Purpose Flour for the board

*an egg wash made by beating 1 large egg with 1 tablespoon water



Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.
Yield 8 biscuits

Mix the Bisquick Mix, adding additional baking powder,baking soda and sugar, mix.
Cut the cold butter chips into the dry ingredients giving it a gentle stir.
Add buttermilk and mix together until the dough turns into a ball and comes away from the side of the bowl. You can do this by hand very easy without any electric appliances in a large mixing bowl.  Scoop out the dough with a large spoon individually onto a board covered with some flour, rolling each biscuit by hand.

 Shape each portion into a smooth biscuit and place close together in a 9 inch pan or cast iron skillet. Apply egg wash. If your dough does not fill the pan you are using you can make a foil ring to go around them and keep them from spreading out and flattening. This works very good. *You might also try baking in a 9" spring form pan.  Releasing the biscuits from the spring form pan makes a lovely presentation when served.

Bake 20 minutes

When you remove the biscuits from the oven, brush the tops with melted butter.

THAI PENANG CHICKEN CURRY

Penang Chicken Curry -Penang Gai

Fresh Thai basil 15.95 Coconut Milk Aroy-D brand coconut milk, 14 oz 2.89 Coconut Milk, 5.6 oz can, Chaokoh brand 1.39 33.8 oz box Aroy-D All Natural Coconut Milk 5.89 Fish Sauce Fish sauce, Tra Chang Gold Label, 7 oz 3.89 Fish Sauce, Tiparos brand, 750 cc (25 oz) 3.89 Fish sauce, Squid brand, 25 oz 5.95 Fish sauce, Three Crabs brand 24 oz 6.89 Fish sauce, Golden Boy brand, 24 oz 5.89	Kaffir Lime Leaves Fresh kaffir lime leaves, standard pack 14.95 Panang Curry Paste Panang curry paste, Hand Brand, 7 oz 4.39 Mae Ploy brand, panang curry paste, 14 oz jar 4.89 Maesri, panang curry, 4 oz can 2.09
See our convenient Thai cooking sets.

Ingredients

1 cup chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 to 3 tablespoons Penang curry paste
2 tablespoon Fish Sauce
sugar to taste
3  Kaffir Lime Leaves shredded
10-15 Thai Basil leaves, finely shredded

Method

Place a wok over medium high heat, and warm the coconut milk, but don't let it boil. Add the curry paste, and stir it until the oil begins to separate out and form a thin film, to bring out the maximum flavor. Add the remaining ingredients except the lime leaves and basil leaves, and simmer until the sauce is absorbed and thickened. Add the lime leaves and basil leaves and stir fry briefly before serving.
Garnish with julienned red chili, with Thai Jasmine Rice and the usual condiments.
Note if you particularly like your curries hot, then replace the fish sauce in the cooking with nam pla prik (chillies marinated in fish sauce), that has had at least a week to mature.

Nam pla prik
Put two thirds of a cup of Thai Chili Peppers or jalapeno peppers in a 1 pint jar, and fill  with fish sauce. Seal and keep for a week before using.

BEST RED ENCHILADA SAUCE

Best Ever - Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Yields: a generous amount for casseroles, tacos, burritos and enchiladas. This is such an easy recipe, there is no reason not to keep it on hand in the refrigerator or frozen all the time. You can experiment with the chiles all you want and it always turns out wonderful. 

Ingredients:

4 Tbls Oil or Lard
4 Tbls  all-purpose flour
¼ cup chili powder
1 - 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1- 6oz can tomato paste
2-4 cups  Pork Broth, Chicken Broth or Beef Broth

1 Tbls Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or minced
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

* You can add more or less broth for desired consistency (thick or thin) according to the recipe you are preparing.

Directions:

1.     Heat oil in a large skillet to medium heat. Whisk in flour stirring with a wooden spoon until thickened....Add chili powder.

2.      Reduce heat to medium and continue to whisk until lightly browned.

3.     Gradually whisk in tomato sauce, chicken broth, cumin, garlic powder, brown sugar, onion powder. and salt.

4.     Stir until smooth, and continue simmering over medium heat about 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

5.     Serve immediately, keep in a covered bowl in the refrigerator or freeze.