This is a great Pinterest find.  My sister Susan made this for a family BBQ and I loved it!  I have since made it twice and everyone who tries it raves about it and wants the recipe.  I've altered the original recipe slightly but you can see the original recipe here at Kitchen Fiddler.  This is a copy kat recipe of Houston' Kale Salad.

Ingredients:

4 cups finely chopped kale
2 cups finely chopped savoy cabbage
1 scallion finely chopped, white and green parts
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1/2 cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey


Preparation:

In a large bowl combine, kale, cabbage, scallions, cilantro and roasted peanuts

In a small bowl, combine peanut oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey and whisk to combine. Pour dressing over kale and toss well to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
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This is the chicken dish I make every year for Rosh Hashanah, the jewish new year but of course it's delicious for anytime of the year. It is traditional to cook with honey for Rosh Hashanah because it is sweet and symbolizes that we should all have a sweet new year. This recipe combines honey and dried fruit and is always a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

1 3 1/2 to 4 lb chicken cut in 8ths

2 carrots, peeled and sliced into discs

1 onion, sliced

1/2 C golden raisins

1/2 C pitted prunes

1/3 C dried apricots

1/4 C dried currants

1/3 C oil

1 C honey

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 4oo degrees.

Place chicken pieces in roasting pan.

Combine carrots, onion, golden raisins, prunes, apricots, currants, and oil in a large bowl. Spoon mixture evenly around and over chicken.

Pour honey over chicken and vegetable/fruit mixture, lightly coating chicken pieces.

Bake for 30 minutes, baste, and reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake for 1 hour, basting occasionally, or until chicken, vegetables, and fruit are tender and golden brown.

Linked to Everyday Mom's Meals

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This is such an easy and delicious recipe.  Í make this any time of the year but I've also made it for Thanksgiving before when I wasn't having enough people for a huge turkey.  It's one of those recipes that takes just a minute to throw together but tastes like you've been cooking for hours.   It is so simple to make. Just mix ingredients and dump over a turkey breast and pop in the oven. Done!

Ingredients:

1 (3-4 lb.)boneless turkey roast, with skin, tied in a roll
1 C. firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 C. ketchup
3/4 C. water
1/4 C. oil
3 T. balsamic vinegar
3 T. soy sauce
1 small onion, diced

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place turkey breast in a roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer in center of meat, if desired. Combine sugar, ketchup, water, oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and onion; pour over turkey. Bake covered for 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake uncovered for 30- 40 minutes or until done (temp on thermometer should reach 170 degrees).
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This is seriously the EASIEST homemade Mac and Cheese recipe I've ever seen and it's actualy good.  I made this today when my oldest daughter wanted me to make her my Mac and Cheese but I was out of butter so I couldn't make a rue which is in my favorite recipe that you can find HERE.  I was very skeptical that this recipe would actually work bcause you cook the pasta directly in the milk and then just add cheese and stir, what's easier than that?  Well I was pleastantly surprised when I made this on a whim and it was actually really delicious.   My only suggestions are that you should use a small pasta with ridges in it to help absorb the milk more easily and I would also only serve this right after it's made.  It gets super thick as it stands and although it still tastes good it's looses that creaminess that I really like in Mac and Cheese.  Try it for yourself and see.  You can find the original recipe at Macaroni and Cheesecake.  I omitted a few ingredients to make it even easier.

Ingredients:

2 cups dried pasta (something with ridges in it will work best)
2 1/2 cups skim milk
1 cup loosely packed cheddar cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a saucepan, add pasta and milk. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until pasta is soft, stirring frequently and ensuring milk does not boil.
Turn heat off, add cheese & salt & and stir to combine.  Serve immediately.  If the mac and cheese is too thick add a little bit of milk and stir until you get your desired consistency.
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Too Good not to Re-Post!!

Yet another recipe I found while spending way too much time on Pinterest!  This is a delicious chicken recipe.  I put the BAKED in quotes because even though the chicken does bake in the oven covered in the sweet and sour sauce you do still have to pan fry the cornstarch/egg battered chicken first.  My 9 year old daughter loved this the most.  I've never seen her eat so much in one sitting.  I really loved it too although I did think that the "sour" part of the sweet and sour was very prominent in this dish.  Still totally delicious though and I will definitely be making this again soon.  I may try to reduce the amount of vinegar by a tablespoon or so to see if that changes the flavor at all.  You can find the orginal recipe at the blog Life as a Lofthouse. (*4/30/13) I just recently learned that this recipe was created by Mel at Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless chicken breasts

salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup)

4 tbs ketchup

1/2 cup white vinegar (I used 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar)

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tsp garlic salt

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat the 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. In a small bowl using a whisk mix together, sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce and garlic salt and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake the chicken in the sauce for one hour turning the chicken every 15 minutes or so. (I forgot this step and it came out perfectly fine).  

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I made this for dinner last night!  Too good not to re-post!!

I saw this recipe on Mommy's Kitchen and I had to try it for my kids.  It looks so easy and delicious.  It's a copycat version of a recipe served in Cracker Barrel restaurants called Grilled Chicken Tenders.  This name is interesting to me since this chicken isn't grilled at all.  Of course "my style" I always want to use ingredients I have on hand so I tweaked the recipe a little bit.  I used balsamic vinaigrette dressing instead of Italian dressing and agave instead of honey but the lime I kept the same ;)  You can find the original recipe on Mommy's Kitchen here.  Please check out her blog, there are a lot of fantastic recipes to try!

Ingredients:

4 - 5 chicken breasts, cut into pieces or 12 chicken tenderloins

1 cup Italian Dressing (I used Balsamic Viniagrette)

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

4 teaspoons honey (I used Agave) 

Preparation:

Cut each chicken breast into strips or use tenderloins pieces. If using tenderloins cut and remove the white tendon off each end. In a bowl that has a cover or large Ziploc bag add the dressing, lime juice and honey; mix to combine. Add the chicken and mix to coat all the pieces. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Braise the tenders in a non-stick pan until golden brown in color, but not dry. Start the stove temperature at medium high to get things going. After it comes to a boil reduce the heat to low-medium and continue cooking. You just want them to simmer until all the liquid has cooked down. You still want a bit of glaze left in the pan. When chicken is done remove and serve.

**You pour the chicken with all the marinade into the pan to braise.  It will look like you have A LOT of liquid but do not worry, it will cook all the way down.  Below are 4 pictures showing the cooking process over a 40 minute period.

When I first put the chicken and marinade in the pan

About 10 minutes into the braising process

About 20 minutes into the braising process

About 40 minutes total cooking time

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HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!

What are you making for dinner tonight to celebrate?  Margaritas and.......... how about these delicious homeade Fajitas? 

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 lb of skirt steak
2 tablespoons  lime juice, plus extra for garnish
2 teaspoons  soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark-brown sugar
1 tablespoon fajita seasoning (from a 1.25 ounce packet)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 yellow pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
6 large flour tortillas
sour cream
salsa
guacamole (recipe to follow)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Preparation:

Cut the chicken breasts on the diagonal into thin strips.  Place them into a medium bowl.  Place the skirt steak in another bowl (do not pre-slice the steak)

In a separate bowl combine the lime juice, garlic powder, soy sauce, brown sugar, and taco or fajita seasoning.  Mix well.

Pour half the marinade over the chicken and the other half over the steak.  Toss to coat evenly.

Put the steak on a broiler pan and broil in the oven for 4-5 minutes on each side.  Remove from oven and cover and let rest.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.  Saute the chicken in the skillet for 5 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove the chicken and cover to keep warm.  Add the onion, and all the pepper strips into the same skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes, until slightly softened.

Warm the tortillas covered with a paper towel, in the microwave for 20 seconds.

Serve the steak and veggies on a large platter.  Place sour cream, salsa and guacamole in small bowls on the side next to the warm tortillas.  Let everyone make their own fajitas!
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I got this recipe from my high school Home Ec. class. I loved that class. These meatballs have become a family staple over the years. We make this recipe all the time for family gatherings as well as for weeknight dinners. It is such a simple recipe and totally fool's proof. I made this for our Passover Seder this weekend. I just substituted out the bread crumbs for matzo meal.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
1- 1.5 lb. pkg. ground beef or ground turkey
bread crumbs (Italian or plain)
2 eggs
salt and pepper

Sauce:
1 large jar of spaghetti sauce
2 cans of jellied cranberry sauce
garlic powder (to taste)
red pepper flakes or ground red pepper (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Preparation:

Combine meat with bread crumbs, eggs and salt and pepper. Roll into balls.
Combine sauces simmer over medium heat. Add spices to taste. Drop raw meatballs into simmering sauce. Cook covered for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

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I adapted this recipe from a recipe my sister Karen gave me for Sesame Soy Meatballs.  I didn't have all the right ingredients, so I made my own version of what I'm calling Asian Meatballs.  They came out really yummy and my kids loved them.  I served them with orzo and string beans. 

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons brown sugar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil


Preparation:

Mix together first 6 ingredients until combined.  Add ground turkey meat and mix gently with soy mixture.  Mix in panko bread crumbs until combined. (I added panko to help bind the meatball mixture because turkey meat tends to be loose, if you use ground beef you can omit the bread crumbs). Wet hands and form into balls.  Heat a 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet and cook meatballs until browned on both sides.  Place meatballs on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 -15 minutes to finish cooking.
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I got this recipe from my friend Farah quite a long time ago.  I bumped into her in the market on Valentines Day and I had no idea what to make for dinner.  She told me she was making Uncle Phil's Chicken so I decided to be a copy cat and make that too.  I'm so happy I did because it was really easy to make and totally delicious.  My whole family really loved it, especially the sauce.  This recipe makes a lot of extra sauce so my kids loved pouring it over their rice and extra over their cut up chicken.  The recipe calls for chicken gravy mix but the market didn't have any so I opted for brown gravy mix and I think it was really good.  Next time I'm going to try it with chicken gravy mix to see which we like better.

*Farah usually makes the rice dish (recipe below) to go with this chicken.  I used plain brown rice but I think I'm definitely going to try Farah's rice dish next time instead.

Ingredients:

4-6 Boneless chicken breasts
Breadcrumbs
Egg
Oil
2 packages of chicken gravy mix (I used brown gravy mix)
2 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of white wine
1 box sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 tablespoon butter

Preparation:

You may want to flatten the breasts a bit if they are really thick or slice them through the middle. Dredge chicken in egg. (I season my egg with a bit of parsley flakes, salt, pepper and garlic powder) Next, dredge them in breadcrumbs. Heat up about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet/sauté pan. Add more oil as cooking if needed. Sauté the breasts until golden. (don't over cook them, keep the heat fairly low, they will be in the oven for a good 45 minutes and you dont want them dry.) Save the drippings in the pan when you are done. Place cutlets in a 9 x 13 pan.  I usually pour off a bit of the oil, leave about ½ T in the pan. Add the broth to the skillet, all the while stirring so that the bits will loosen a bit, add the wine and begin whisking in the two packets of gravy. Maintain a nice medium level of heat and dont dump in the gravy to be sure you dont get clumps. It should begin to thicken and bubble after a few minutes.  Sauté the sliced mushrooms in 1T of butter until cooked through, sprinkle over cutlets. Then, pour the gravy mixture over the cutlets.
Bake at 325 for 45 minutes, serve over rice.

Rice Recipe
Ingredients:

1 medium onion chopped
1 stick of butter
2 cans of broth
1/2 package of frozen chopped spinach, well drained
3 chicken bullion cubes
1 1/2 cups of Uncle Ben's converted rice

Preparation:

Sauté onion in butter until transparent. Add 2 cans of broth, spinach, bullion cubes, and rice. Simmer on stove covered for about 25 to 30 min until liquid has been absorbed.
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Who's ready for Game Day!!!  If you're tired of the traditional Spicy Buffalo wings here is a great alternative.  I love these because the wings are baked not fried and then they are tossed in this delicious sticky, sweet, tangy sauce right before serving so the wings stay crispy, hot and delicious.  If you are the more traditional type of wing eater here is a link to a super simple and delicious wing buffalo wing recipe........Baked Buffalo Wings

Ingredients:

1 lb of chicken wingettes and drumettes

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degree F.  Place chicken, skin on on a lined greased baking sheet.  Bake wings for 45 min - 1 hr until they are light brown and very crispy.  Meanwhile in a large bowl mix together ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, honey, salt and pepper.  Once chicken is done, remove from baking sheet and add directly into the large bowl with sauce.  Toss until coated well and serve immediately.

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I made these for dinner when I was on the search for finding something new to make using ground beef.  I can only eat meatloaf, chili and meatballs so many times.  While browsing on Pinterest I saw a picture of taquitos that looked so delicious.  I found this recipe which is super easy and really yummy.  Everyone in my family enjoyed it so I will be making this one again.  I'm also going to make these using mini tortillas and serve them as an appetizer at my next get together.  To make them healthier you can definitely use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef as well as using low fat cheese.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing on the taquitos

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 pound lean ground beef

1 cup salsa, plus more for dipping

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

10 (6-inch) flour tortillas

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack

Sour cream

Preparation:

Heat the oven to 400º. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook them for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the beef and use a wooden spoon or a spatula to break it up while it cooks, until it is no longer red, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the salsa, the chili powder, and the salt and pepper. Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Place the tortillas on a plate and cover them with damp paper towels. Microwave them until warm and pliable, about 45 seconds. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the beef mixture, spreading it to an inch from the edges. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the beef.

Roll up the tortillas and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet with the seam sides down. Brush the taquitos lightly with vegetable oil, then bake them until the filling is heated through and the tortillas are lightly browned, about 8 to 12 minutes. Serve them hot with sour cream and/or salsa. Serves 4 to 6.

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I pulled out sausage for dinner the other night and I was about to make my usual sausage and peppers when I thought, "let's make something different".  I found this Amelia Durand recipe under the Barefoot Contessa on the Food Network website for Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya and it sounded delicious.  I made quite a few changes however to use the ingredients I had on hand and even with all the changes this came out D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!  You can view the original recipe here but I think I'll stick with the way I made it because everyone loved it exactly as is.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sausage, sliced ( I used sweet italian sausage but you can of course use kielbasa or andouille)
1/4 pound pancetta, cubed
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup diced celery
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can Rotel tomatoes and chiles
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 cups chicken stock
3 cups long grain rice (I used long grain brown rice and needed to increase my cooking time 100%)
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 dashes tobasco
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 pound medium shrimp, deveined (20 to 24 count)

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add the sausage and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned. Remove the sausage to a bowl, and set aside.  Add the pancetta to the same pot and cook 6-8 until crispy. Remove to the bowl with the sausage and set aside.  Add the butter, onion, celery and peppers to the same pot and saute for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent.  Add the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, thyme, and tomato paste and cook until all the vegetables and herbs are blended well.  Add the stock and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in the rice, and add the sausage, pancetta, salt, pepper and tobasco. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. (if you are using brown rice simmer covered for 45 minutes)
Add  the parsley, the lemon juice and the shrimp, and stir well. Cover the pot, and remove from the heat and allow the jambalaya steam, for 15 minutes, before serving.
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I found this recipe on Six Sister's Stuff.  I love this blog and not only because it was created by 6 sisters but because they have a million really good, easy recipes.  I am always looking for good slow cooker recipes especially for chicken so I was thrilled to find this recipe.  I tweaked it just a touch to use less orange because the blog author felt it was too "orangey".  I think the adjustments worked out well because everyone in my family really liked this recipe.  I will definitely be making this again. (on a separate note I wish the picture was a better one....I'll have to take a new one the next time I make this)

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1/3 cup flour
olive oil (I used a combination of grape seed oil and extra virgin sesame oil)
1/2 Tbl. salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 Tbl. ketchup
4 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup water
4 Tbl.  brown sugar


In a bowl, mix the orange juice, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, ketchup and water, set aside.

Pour the flour in a small bowl or a gallon sized ziploc bag.  Cover the chicken breast chunks in flour and shake off the excess.  Pour a small amount of olive oil in a skillet and brown the flour-covered chicken.
The chicken doesn't need to be fully cooked since it's going in the crock pot.

After the chicken is done cooking, put the pieces into the crock pot. Then cover the chicken with the sauce mixture and give the pot a stir.

Cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3.

Serve over rice.
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Our family loves a good brisket! We are always trying new ways to make it. This recipe comes from my Mom and seems to be the new family favorite.

Ingredients:

4-5 lb first cut brisket

olive oil

1/2 C ketchup

1/2 C bottled bbq sauce

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C apple cider vinegar

1/2 C duck sauce

1 envelope onion soup mix

1/2 C water

3-4 bay leaves

Preparation:

Brush oil on meat and sear on all sides to seal in juices. Place in a 3 qt. roasting pan. Combine ketchup, bbq sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, duck sauce, onion soup mix with water. Spread sauce over brisket and place bay leaves around the pan.

Bake uncovered for about 2 hours or until tender.

Cool. Cut meat into thin slices and return to pan, cover with foil and cook another 1/2 hour.

Before serving remove bay leaves from sauce.

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This is one of the easiest and tastiest chicken recipes that I've made in a long time.  Susan found this in Susie Fishbein's latest cookbook and it's has become a favorite in both of our families.  She made this for Shabbat dinner one night and I couldn't wait to make it myself.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup prepared horseradish cream sauce

1/2 cup prepared honey mustard sauce

1 container of French's French Fried Onions, crushed

4 - 5 large chicken breasts

Preparation:

Mix sauces together in a shallow bowl.  Put crushed French's Onions in another shallow bowl.  Dredge chicken cutlets in sauce and then coat with the French's Onions.  Place on baking sheet greased with non-stick cooking spray.  Bake at 400 degrees F. for about 35 minutes until chicken is golden brown and cooked through.

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I LOVE this recipe.  My friend Sharon makes it often.  She brought it to my house for a potluck dinner I had with friends and it was a big hit.  I'm always amazed at how easy the recipe is.  She serves it with rice on the side.  You can also make this with chicken or shrimp if you prefer.  I love the steak!

Ingredients:

1 pound of steak (chicken or shrimp can be used too)
1 red pepper
1 large onion
1/2 of fresh pineapple
1/2 cup of terriyaki sauce (I use Soy Vey brand)

Preparation:

Thinly slice steak, pepper and onion. Slice pineapple into 1 inch cubes.  On high heat and in small batches, coat the bottom of the pan with oil and fry the vegetables, pineapple, and steak. Right before you are about to pull the food out of the pan, coat the food with the terriyaki sauce.  Let the sauce get sticky and caramelized and then pull the food out of the pan.  Serve with white rice.
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These little chicken nuggets are packed with flavor and texture.  The combination of using crushed honey mustard pretzels and chopped pecans make a nice crunchy coating while the mustard marinade adds extra flavor while keeping the chicken nice and moist.  These are a great pass around appetizer for any cocktail party.

Ingredients:

1 lb of chicken breasts cut into nuggets (about 2 inch pieces)

6-8 oz pecans chopped finely

2 cups of Snyder's honey mustard pretzel pieces crushed in food processor

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup whole grain mustard

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a bowl mix together chopped pecans and ground pretzels, set aside.  In a food processer add oil, mustards, honey, water and vinegar and pulse until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and place into a Ziploc bag. Pour 1/2 of mustard mixture over chicken and seal bag. (reserve other half of sauce for dipping later) Toss all the chicken pieces with mustard mixture. Place ground pretzels and pecans into a bowl. Take chicken pieces one by one and coat in pretzel mixture. Place in signle layer on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, turning over after 10 min.  Serve on skewers for easy dipping!
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I found this recipe on Eat Cake for Dinner.  The original recipe is from Pioneer Woman and it's a really delicious homeade chili recipe served in Frito bags.  I've never seen this before and I thought it was such a great idea.  I was already planning to make chili for dinner so I opted for this version and it was a HUGE hit.  The kids and my husband really loved it although none of them would take more than one bite out of the bag, which is the fun part! They all just dumped it out into a bowl and mixed the fritos in with their chili.  After dinner was over I looked back at the Pioneer Woman's recipe and realized that I forgot to add the shredded cheese.  Honestly, it wasn't missed at all.  The chili is so good on it's own and aren't the fritos fattening enough? ;) I also substituted black bean for the pinto beans because I LOVE black bean chili.  I thought the chili was fairly spicy but no one in my family including the kids said a word about it being too spicy so I kept quiet.  I think this is a must try chili if you haven't found a really good chili recipe yet.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 can tomato sauce

1 can of Rotel tomatoes and chiles

1 teaspoon ground oregano

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 cup water

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons masa or fine ground cormeal

Preparation:

In a large stockpot brown ground beef until no longer pink.  Drain excess fat.  Add in tomato sauce and Rotel tomatoes and chiles and mix to combine.  Now add oregano, salt, cumin and chili powder and mix well.  Add 1/2 cup of water to pot, stir and cover.  Let simmer on low for about 30 minutes.  Uncover pot and add drained and rinsed beans (add additional water, up to 1/2 cup if chili looks very thick).  Recover and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.  Mix masa with a little water, it should look like a grainy, wet paste.  Pour into chili and stir to combine.  Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

To serve:

Turn Frito bags on their sides and make a slit across the bag using a scissor.

Spoon chili directly into each Frito bag.  You can use a basket to keep them upright.

                                                                    Serve and Enjoy!

Linked to Cast Party Wednesday

Linked to Seasonal Inspiration by Crumbs and Chaos

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We eat steak in my house at least once a week and my girls favorite type of steak is skirt steak.  I started marinating it in a light asian marinade that everyone loves.  I wanted to share the recipe with all of you.  You can also use this marinade for chicken or seafood.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons agave (or honey)

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together in a large ziploc bag.  Season meat with salt and pepper.  Add meat to marinade in ziploc bag, seal bag and let mariande for at least an hour but it's much better if you can wait 24 hours.  Remove meat from marinade and discard extra marinade.  Grill steak on BBQ on high heat for about 5 minutes on each side.  (I like when the marinade starts to caramelize).  Let steak rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing to let the juices redistribute.
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