Tamale Corn Cakes with Rajas Topping

We liked this recipe so much I made it twice this month.  Even the leftovers were fantastic!!  The first time I made this I was a little skeptical that it called for chipotle rub THREE times throughout the recipe.  Seriously?, 3 times?!? so I thought this was going to be way over seasoned but it is not ... its perfect ... perfect spiciness, perfect textures with the crunchy slaw and soft corn cakes and perfectly seasoned.  YUM!   "Rajas" means "strips" in Spanish and is typically a mixture of chile and onion strips sauteed together.  We used the leftover corn cakes for breakfast in the morning and topped them with eggs sunny-side up (or some of you may say - "dippy eggs").  Enjoy!!!

CHIPOTLE COLE SLAW
4 cups cole slaw mix
1/4 cup ranch salad dressing
1 tbsp chipotle rub

RAJAS TOPPING 
1/2 rotisserie chicken
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion
1 poblano peppers
1 tbsp chipotle rub
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (try mine! or use store bought)

CORN CAKES
1 package corn muffin mix (7.5-8.5 oz)
1 tbsp chipotle rub
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 tbsp melted butter or margarine

1) Prepare cole slaw.  Toss cole slaw mix, dressing & rub in a mixing bowl; set aside.

2) Cook rajas.  Shred chicken.  Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering.  Thinly slice onion and peppers.  Place onion, peppers and rub in skillet; cook 4-5 minutes or until peppers are tender, stirring occasionally.  Add chicken; cook 2 minutes or until chicken is heated through. Add barbecue sauce; cook 1 minute or until heated through.

3) Prepare corn cakes.  Heat griddle over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes.  Combine corn muffin mix and  1 tbsp chipotle rub in a small bowl.  Add 3/4 cup milk, 1 egg and 2 tbsp melted butter; mix according the muffin package directions.  Scoop batter onto griddle (about 2 tablespoons per cake).  Cook 1-2 minutes turning once.  Remove cakes from griddle.

4) Serve rajas and cole slaw over corn cakes.

Yield:  4 servings

Source:  Pampered Chef, 29 Minutes to Dinner, Volume 2

Baked Oatmeal

I made baked oatmeal this morning for breakfast for the first time.  We use the instant oatmeal packets  every once in awhile...they're quick, easy and a nice change from eggs & pancakes.  The baked oatmeal was so much better than instant!!!  Then I came to realization that I have never blogged a breakfast recipe (I've been neglecting the first meal of the day).

If you don't have the time to make baked oatmeal try making it on a weekend and simply reheating on the weekdays. The flavor is well worth the effort!  And did I mention it is hearty?? ... I wasn't even hungry for lunch today.  You can substitute any fruit and/or nuts you like best.  Makes 5-6 servings.

2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup light brown sugar (or 1/4 cup agave nectar)
1/3 cup craisins
1/4 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 cup applesauce (I used all natural, no sugar added)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 large egg

1.  Preheat oven to 375'F.  Spray 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray.

2.  Combine oats, sugar, fruits, nuts, cinnamon & baking powder in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl combine milk, applesauce, butter & egg.  Add milk mixture over oat mixture and stir well.  Pour into baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.  Serve warm.  You can top with extra milk if you like a creamier style oatmeal.

Recipe adapted from:  BEB Baked Oatmeal

Chocolate & Creamy Orange Mousse

Valentine's Day is this Friday so I thought I would post a dessert recipe to make for your sweetheart.  We are planning on staying in this year for Valentine's day dinner.  I'm looking forward to a rare steak and some red wine, eating in the dining room with candles lit and using the fine china.  Perhaps a late start time will work best AFTER I put my daughter to bed for the night.  I'm excited just thinking about it ...a romantic meal without a 3 year old on my lap, no wait time at a restaurant, no crowds, just the two of us sharing a delicious dinner and some wine.  And to finish the meal we'll be having Chocolate Orange Mousse for dessert.  I've made this recipe a few times before (we actually had this last year on Valentine's Day).  I think this dessert is great for special occasions, it looks fancy, tastes light and airy but at the same time has a richness from the orange liqueur and its the perfect serving size.

Just a few notes:  this recipe needs to be refrigerated for several hours so its best to make this in the morning, some ingredients say "divided" because you will use some of that particular ingredient at one point in the recipe and some later in the recipe.  Its best to read the instructions before starting to avoid mistakes.  Hope all of you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!!  Enjoy!

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk, divided

1 tablespoon orange liqueur, divided (or orange juice)

1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel, divided

1 cup whipping cream

1.  Melt butter in saucepan over low heat; add cocoa, then 6 tablespoons of the sweetened condensed milk, stirring until smooth and slightly thickened.  Pour mixture into a medium bowl; cool to room temperature.  Beat in 1/2 tablespoon orange liqueur and 1/2 teaspoon orange peel.

2.  Beat whipping cream in a large bowl until stiff.  Fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.  In a second medium bowl stir together remaining sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 tablespoon orange liqueur and 1/2 teaspoon orange peel.  Fold in remaining whipped cream.

  

3.  Spoon equal portions of chocolate mixture into 4 dessert dishes, making a depression in the center of each.  Spoon creamy orange mixture into center of each.  Refrigerate until well chilled.  Garnish with orange peel if desired.  

Source:  Favorite All Time Recipes - Hershey's Holiday Collection

Broccoli Cheese Soup

I love making soup.  There is something heart warming about watching an empty pot turn into a delicious meal from scratch.  I've been trying to make some new recipes that I've never tried before this past week.  I had some broccoli in the refrigerator that no one seemed to want with any of our dinners so I decided to search for a broccoli soup recipe.  I thought a cream based soup might be a little more challenging than a broth based soup but it turns out it was just as easy.  I made two changes to this recipe 1) I cut the ingredients in half (measurements below are already 1/2 of the original)  and 2) I chopped the broccoli into tiny little pieces so I could skip the last step of putting the soup through a blender. It turned out really good and reminds me of something you could order at a restaurant.  I'm sure some hearty Italian bread would go well with this for dipping.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cups half-and-half
2 heads broccoli, stems removed and discarded, and florets cut into bite-size pieces
Pinch of nutmeg
6 ounces mild cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1.5 cups)
Salt and pepper
1 cup vegetable broth

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to combine, cooking for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and half-and-half.

2. Add the nutmeg, broccoli, a dash of salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring to melt the cheese after each addition.

3. Whisk in the vegetable broth and serve.
makes 5 servings.

Source:  Brown Eyed Baker

Game Day Favorites

Its Superbowl Sunday!  What are your plans?  Are you headed to a party, hosting a party or going out to your favorite sports bar?  I thought I would post a few past recipes from my blog that would be great for game day.  I'm making the jalapeno poppers and soft pretzels today.  Enjoy the game!

Soft Pretzels

Jalapeno Poppers

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Homemade Cracker Jacks

Empanadas

Empanadas!  Have you ever had one??  The first time I tried an empanada was in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  I was on a cruise that stopped there and it was a perfect street food type of lunch.  My goal on any vacation is to eat the local cuisine so after a far walk from the touristy area I found a food stand selling empanadas.  I ordered one that was stuffed with shredded chicken...it was delicious!  Years later I had empanadas again right here in York, PA made by the girlfriend of one of my husband's best friends (she's now his wife) and these empanadas were far superior to the one I tried in Puerto Rico.  When I found out Giant sells empanada shells in their frozen section I decided I had to give these a try on my own.   The best way I can describe an empanada is sort of like a hot pocket* but way better!!  Ha, I lived off of those silly frozen hot pockets during senior week in Ocean City, MD.  And when the hot pockets and cash ran out by the end of the week I found myself at a "Jesus Loves You" type of meeting which included a FREE spaghetti dinner...LOL, oh what a crazy week!! Anyway, back to empanadas... You can find the shells at Giant and all you need to do is thaw them out, stuff them with your favorite ingredients and press them with a fork to seal.  Then you can either fry them or bake them.  Below are two recipes for some fillings I have tried so far.  Enjoy!

CHICKEN EMPANADAS
3 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1 8oz package of shredded colby jack cheese
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 package empanada shells

Combine ingredients and divide evenly among the shells.  Fold over and seal by pressing with a fork.  Bake at 375'F for 10-15 per side or until golden brown.


PORK EMPANADAS
3-4 cups shredded pulled pork
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped jalapenos
1/2 cup salsa
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chipotle seasoning
1/4 cup sour cream
1 package empanada shells

Saute peppers & onions until soft.  Combine ingredients and divide evenly among the shells.  Fold over and seal by pressing with a fork.  Bake at 375'F for 10-15 per side or until golden brown.

*of course whenever I hear the word "hot pocket" I think of this video!  Its hilarious if you have a few extra minutes to spare ...

Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salad

I have been trying out some new recipes lately.  I started to feel like I was on a repeat cycle of recipes so I got out a bunch of recipe books and picked a few new ones that sounded interesting. Last night we tried Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salad ...one bite of this and my mind took me to a small restaurant over looking the turquoise water of the Caribbean.  The spiciness of the jerk seasoning, the ripe mango tossed in lime juice all tasted delicious and definitely tricked me into thinking I wasn't in snowy PA anymore. I served this with steamed broccoli and chardonnay.

PORK

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 lb pork tenderloin

1 tbsp Jamaican Jerk Seasoning/Rub

MANGO SALAD

2 green onions with tops

1 small red pepper

2 large mangoes

1 lime

1 tsp Jamaican Jerk Seasoning/Rub

1.  Preheat oven to 350'F.  For pork, add oil to a saute pan; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering.  As pan heats, trim fat and silver skin from pork tenderloin.  

2.  Coat pork with jerk rub.  Cook 3-5 minutes or until browned on all sides, turning occasionally.  Transfer pan to oven and roast 12-15 minutes or until thermometer registers 155'F for medium doneness.  Remove pan from oven.  Tent with foil and let stand 5 minutes (temperature will rise to 160'F).

3.  As pork roasts, start salad.  Thinly slice green onions (set aside 1 tbsp of the tops for garnish).  Place remaining green onions in a bowl.  Peel bell pepper. Slice off top and bottom of pepper; discard.  Remove and discard seeds and ribs from sides of pepper; slice into thin strips.

4.  To finish salad, peel and slice mangoes.  Juice lime to measure 1 tbps of juice.  Add pepper strips, mango slices, lime juice and 1 tsp jerk rub to bowl; toss thoroughly.

5.  To serve, slice pork crosswise into medallions and serve with salad.  Garnish with reserved green onion tops.

Yield: 4 servings

Source:  Pampered Chef - 29 Minutes to Dinner