Canning 101

This fall my mom and I did some canning.  Needless to say I'm addicted.

 

 

I even tried making my own salsa.....

My husbands only complaint is that the salsa is NOT spicy enough.  Game on.

 

Any recommendations on canning recipes??

Corn on the Cob Bar

I LOVE me some corn on the cob.  The hubby celebrated his 30th birthday last weekend and for that I wanted to have some for everyone to enjoy. 

I love different toppings, so for this bar we had a variety of cheeses, seasonings and infused butters.

Cilantro Lime Butter:

• 2 sticks of softened unsalted butter
• 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 2 limes, zest and juice
• Sprinkle of salt

Combine all, mix thoroughly and let set up in the fridge overnight. (it can be made just before, but better the night before to let the flavors incorporate)

Old Bay + Hot Sauce Butter:

• 2 sticks of softened unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 tablespoons of hot sauce
• Sprinkle of salt

Combine all, mix thoroughly and let set up in the fridge overnight. (it can be made just before, but better the night before to let the flavors incorporate)

Roasted Garlic and shredded Parmesan Butter:

• 2 sticks of unsalted butter
• 3 small heads of garlic (or 2 medium sized heads of garlic) roasted
• 1/4 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
• Sprinkle of salt/pepper

Cut off the tops of the garlic, exposing the tops of all the cloves of garlic.  Sprinkle with olive oil and salt, then wrap in tinfoil.  Put in a 350 degree over for approximately 45 minutes to one hour, or until the garlic is soft and roasted through.  Let rest and cool off some, then squeeze the garlic out and place in a bowl.

Combine all, mix thoroughly and let set up in the fridge overnight. (it can be made just before, but better the night before to let the flavors incorporate)

Other toppings used could be:

• Goat Cheese
• Shredded Parmesan
• Hot sauce
• Old bay seasoning
• Pepper
• Salt
• Regular unsalted butter
• Cayenne Pepper
• Red Pepper Flake
• Mayo
• Any other cheeses that you like

A few hours before the party bring the butters out and let them get to room temperature. It makes it easier to spread them on the corn.

For the corn, I boiled them all in a big canning pot and cut into thirds.  I found long wooden sticks and cut them in half, and inserted them into the middle of the corn.  In order to keep them warm I used chafing dishes and sternos.

Viola corn on the cob bar! 

Sriracha Muffin Tin Meatloaf

I love making ordinary dishes with a twist.  For lunches during the week, along with afternoon snacks, smaller portions of family meals make things SO much easier!

What you need:

• 2 lb lean ground beef (this mix will make a TON of them)
• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 medium green pepper
• 1 medium red pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• salt/pepper (sprinkle)
• 1 tbs x 2 Red pepper flake
• 1 tbs x 2 Garlic Powder
• Parsley (fresh or dried)
• 1 tbs Curry (I know, not typical but it's amazing)
• 1/2 cup Sriracha Sauce
• 2 cups ketchup

The Meatloaf:

Take the ground beef, turkey, chopped onion, green pepper, red pepper, eggs, breadcrumbs, red pepper flake (1 tbs), garlic powder (1 tbs) and parsley and mix in a bowl until everything is incorporated.

Take a non-stick muffin pan and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Load them up, and don't be shy.



The Sauce:

Take the ketchup, sriracha, garlic powder (1 tbs), red pepper flake (1 tbs), curry and parsley and mix together in a bowl and set aside. Easy enough.

I then put them in the oven, 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  I brought them out, put the sauce on top then put them back in the oven, 375 for about 15-ish minutes.

Add some mashed potatoes and roasted carrots and you have an super easy weeknight dinner!

Roasted Seared Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Olives

I love when I can throw a few things I have in the freezer and fridge together and make a pretty awesome dish that looks like I spent hours and tons of money creating!

What you need:

• Chicken Thighs
• Cherry Tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of green olives
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 4 stalks of celery cut in half
• Salt/Pepper/Garlic Powder/Red Pepper Flake/Lemon Pepper Seasoning/parsley
• 6 whole dried Arbol Chili Peppers

Sprinkle the chicken with the red pepper flake, garlic powder, lemon pepper, salt and pepper and dried parsley, then sear chicken in a hot pan with one tablespoon of oil and a wedge of butter until the skin is crispy on all sides.  After all of the chicken is seared I nestle them in a baking dish with the celery, tomatoes, olives chicken stock and the peppers and put the dish in a preheated 375 degree oven and cook for approximately one hour.  After one hour take the chicken out and let it rest.

 Choose whatever sides you like ad viola: Dinner is served!

Enjoy!

Skinny Bow Tie Chicken Mushroom Spinach Alfredo

I love pasta...and I love Alfredo sauce, but I hate the calories.

My mom introduced me to the light Alfredo sauce and it is so creamy, so tasty and absolutely delicious.  I put together this dish and it has WAY less calories, doesn't taste like it does and is SO quick and easy to put together!

What you will need:

Bow tie pasta (1 box)
4 chicken breasts, cubed.
1 15oz jar of Classico Creamy Alfredo **Light**
Fresh spinach (three hand-fulls)
Sliced mushrooms (1 lb)
Shredded Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup + extra for topping)
Red pepper flake
Salt/pepper/oil/garlic powder

**What I LOVE about the Classico Creamy Alfredo sauce is that each serving is only 45 calories!!  I had to do a double take when I first saw this**

Cook the pasta per the instructions on the box.

While the pasta is cooking, heat up some oil in a pan and once hot, add the chicken.  Add garlic powder, red pepper flake, salt, pepper (any seasonings that you like to use on chicken would work) and saute till all the chicken is evenly cooked through. (5-10 minutes).  Once cooked through, remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan add in a little more oil and toss in the mushrooms.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and red pepper flake and saute until all/most of the moisture is cooked out of them, strain any extra water and put back in the pan.

Toss back in the chicken, add the strained bow tie pasta, spinach, and the Classico Creamy Alfredo sauce and toss until all combined.

Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the spinach is wilted, then toss in a handful of shredded Parmesan cheese, mix and you are ready to serve!

Enjoy!!

Shrimp & Crab Stuffed Enchiladas

I thought seafood enchiladas would be this super difficult dish to make...I was completely wrong.

This is one of the quicker meals I have experimented with lately and love how quick, tasty and delicious it is!

Ingredients:

• 12 ounce package of lump flaky crab meat
• 4 cups small precooked frozen shrimp
• 2 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup salsa Verde
• 2 cups shredded taco cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• Red pepper flake/Pepper/Salt/Cumin
• 10-12 flour tortillas

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

The Sauce:

Put 1 1/4 cup of sour cream into a bowl, add in 1/2 cup of salsa Verde and 1/2 cup of chicken broth.  Whisk together, add salt, pepper cumin and red pepper flake to taste and set aside in the refrigerator.

The Stuffing:

Take the lump crab meat, thawed precooked shrimp, 1/2 cup of shredded taco cheese, 1/2 cup of salsa Verde, 1-1/4 cup of sour cream and mix well in a bowl.  Season with salt, pepper cumin and red pepper flake to taste and set aside.

The Assembly:

Grab your 9x13 pan and sauce it up.  Be sure to add just enough to evenly coat the bottom.

From there take a tortilla, spoon a decent amount into the middle and fold each side and place seam side down in the pan.  Continue until the pan is filled, then spoon more sauce on top and sprinkle the pepper jack cheese and taco cheese on top.

I ended up having enough filling for approximately 12 enchiladas (two separate baking dishes) and had some extra to spoon over the top.

I popped it in the oven, uncovered for approximately 35-40 minutes (depending on how hot or cool your oven is) or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Sprinkle with a little cilantro, plate and serve...viola!

This is one of the easier dishes to make since everything is already cooked and just needs to be assembled and warmed through.  This is great for any weeknight dish and while it is SO delicious straight out of the oven, it tastes even better the next day!  Enjoy!

Fish Tacos with Spicy Sriracha Sour Cream

Everyone has their own recipe for fish tacos, which kind of fish, what kind of sides, but I've perfected mine and think that it is pretty easy to make and SO tasty.

What you need:

• 4 Cod fillets (approx. 1/2 filet per taco)
• 1 bag of Dole Classic Coleslaw 
• Soybean oil
• 1 cup of thinly sliced green onions 
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1tbs minced garlic
• Curry/Salt/Pepper/Onion Salt/Garlic Powder
• Olive Oil
• Flour tortillas
• Sour Cream
• Sriracha sauce
• 3 Avocados
• 2 diced Roma tomatoes

The Fish:

I started out by marinating the cod fillets for two days with minced garlic, olive oil, curry, salt, pepper, onion salt, garlic powder and one teaspoon of soybean oil.  If your pressed for time you don't have to marinate for that long, a few hours if you want, I just had the time.

When you are ready to start cooking the fish, add a few tablespoons of oil into a nonstick pan, along with a knob of butter.  Once melted and just slightly bubbling, add in the fish and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.  Remove from the heat and place on a plate.  I took each fillet and cut it in half or thirds.

At this point you can warm up the tortillas in the microwave, about one minute with a damp paper towel on top and get the table set with plates and sides. (Recipes below).


Slaw:

I added approximately half of the bag of coleslaw into a bowl and added in a half a cup of chopped cilantro, two diced tomatoes, one teaspoon of soybean oil, salt/pepper to taste, the juice of one lime and the thinly sliced green onions into a bowl.  I mixed everything together and tossed it into the fridge until the rest of the dish was ready.


Spicy Sriracha Sour Cream:

Add one cup of sour cream to a bowl and mix in a few tablespoons of sriracha sauce (add more or less depending on how spicy you like it).  Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.

Bam. Too easy.


Avocado Mash:

This is my "I'm too lazy to make official guacamole, so I just put this together-mock guac".

Mash three avocados in a bowl.  Mix in salt/pepper to taste and the juice of a half a lime.

Toss in the fridge until your ready to eat.

Done.

Bring all the food to the table and be ready to assemble some pretty tasty fish tacos! 

 

 

Having some tasty corn salad as a side is a perfect match! Enjoy!!
 

Corn Salad

I found this AMAZING corn salad recipe that has been an absolute hit. It is SO addicting and everyone that I know that has tried it cannot get enough of it, so I'm sharing it with you. I found the original recipe here, but have made some subtle changes, aka no measuring and different cheese. When I cook, I taste test until I have it how I like it!

What you need:

• 4 cans of sweet corn-drained
• 1 cob of grilled corn (corn taken off) (only if you feel the need for it-sometimes a little bit of grilled corn adds a ton of flavor, but without it, the dish won't be ruined - just add another can of corn)
• 2 medium jalapenos seeded and diced
• Bunch of cilantro chopped
• 1/2 cup of mayo
• Chili powder to taste.
• Goat cheese (the 1/2 containers)
• Juice of 1 lime (optional)

Add the corn to the pan once it is hot and cook for approximately 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, add in the diced jalapeno and cook until slightly soft (5-10 minutes).

 

When done, strain the water that accumulates from the pot and then add the corn/jalapeno to a bowl. 

Add in all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the goat cheese, mix thoroughly and toss in the fridge to cool.  When adding the chili powder, add in approximately 1 tablespoon at a time until it's how you like it.  If your like me and accidentally put in WAY too much chili powder like I did below and didn't realize it until it was mixed together, you can just rinse off the corn/mayo/chili mix and start over.

This dish is tasty warm but great cooled down.

Once completely cooled fold in the crumbled goat cheese and viola Mexican Corn Salad!!

 

 Enjoy!!

Taco Dip 101

Everyone has their own recipe for taco dip. It's a party favorite and whether you add beans, no beans, salsa, sour cream, onions, or whatever you think makes it great, what really makes a dip amazing is the base. The good stuff. Over the years I've perfected my taco dip and I'm sharing it with you!

This recipe is super simple but the trick is to make the base for the dip the day before so all of the ingredients can meld together.

What you need:

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup salsa (which ever you prefer-Pace was on sale)
• Shredded cheese
• Shredded lettuce
• Diced tomatoes
• Sliced black olives 
• Two packages of cream cheese
• One large container of sour cream
• Taco seasoning
• Green onions
• 1 medium chopped onion

You can obviously lessen the calories but using low/no fat sour cream and lite cream cheese, but I don't make this that often and I find that the base gets really watery and loses a lot of flavor unless you go with the regular ingredients.

Let the cream cheese soften and take both packages and the container of sour cream at mix in a bowl. Once mixed add in about a 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of salsa and add in taco seasoning till you get the flavor you like (I probably add around a 1/4 cup.)

When it is all mixed up it should look similar to this, then cover it and toss it in the fridge overnight.  (It can be made last minute and still tastes amazing, but I prefer to let it sit overnight.)

The day of the party grab your biggest cookie sheet pan and spread out the entire mixture evenly.

Then layer everything else on.  In order I add, lettuce, cheese, black olives, tomatoes, onion, and green onion, but obviously it's all a preference.

Just be prepared for this to go fast and be a mandatory dish you'll have to bring to every party!!  This was practically licked clean!

Adult Party Punch

If your looking for a quick and easy recipe for a super tasty punch for a party here you go: There's the "adult" version of this punch:



 What you need:

• Sherbet ice cream (any flavors you like) 
• Limeade concentrate 
• Lemonade concentrate 
• Asti 1 liter 
• Ginger Ale 1 liter 
• Sprite 1 liter 
• Large Punch Bowl 

Pour in 3/4 liter of Ginger Ale, 1/4 liter of Sprite and half of each of the frozen limeade and lemonade concentrate into a punch bowl and to "child proof it" just take out the alcohol.... If you are adding the Asti to it, just pour in however much you like for taste!  When that's all in there, scoop in some of the sherbet ice cream (however much you like) and enjoy!!

My mom always made two batches growing up. One of each to please the masses, and it was always a hit! I think this punch should be at any type of gathering. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, 4th of July, any day that ends in Y, weekends, week days, birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, for happy hour, or any hour (because it's 5 o'clock somewhere).

Enjoy!!

Pan Fried Frog Legs

I know, I know.  You're probably thinking, "has the chemo made this girl go mad? FROG LEGS"....no I haven't gone mad, I grew up eating these and they are delicious!!

A few weeks ago while at the store I saw some frog legs.  I haven't had them in years so decided to give them a whirl!

What you need:

• 1 package of frog legs
• 1/2 of a yellow onion rough chopped
• Salt/pepper/favorite seasonings
• 1 tablespoon of diced garlic
• Butter
• Olive Oil

Start out by putting about a tablespoon of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a pan.  Once melted add the onions and garlic and sprinkle with a little salt.  Let them sauté for approximately five minutes.  While the onions are cooking season up your frog legs with salt, pepper, and any combination of your favorite seasonings.  I find that garlic powder and a jerk seasoning work pretty well. 

Once that is done add them into the pan and cook for approximately 4 minutes on one side and 3 on the other (give or take).

I plated them and tossed the onions and any pan drippings on top for extra flavor, then sprinkled with a little parsley!

 They were delicious! The hubs loved them and kept going back for more!!  This is one dish that may sound a little weird, "hey family I'm making some frog legs for dinner", but trust me they are yummy!

One Pot Chili

It is definitely starting to get cooler at night.  What comes to my mind is comfy pants, a sweatshirt and a big warm blanket.  But there is something missing.... Chili.  When its cold out I instantly want a big bowl of chili! It is total comfort!

My recipe is so easy.  One pot, filled with tons of goodness and is perfect for those cold Wisconsin afternoons when you don't want to leave your house!

What you need:

• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 2 green peppers
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 can (6oz) tomato paste + 6oz of water
• 2lb lean ground beef
• 1 16oz can of petite diced tomatoes (basil/garlic/oregano)
• 1 16oz can of petite diced tomatoes (green pepper/onion)
• 2-16oz cans of whole kernel corn
• 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 30oz can dark red kidney beans
• 1-16oz can of chili beans
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• Chili powder/salt (to taste)
• Sour cream
• Sharp cheddar cheese
• Macaroni noodles (if you like noodles with your chili)

I start out by rough chopping the two green peppers, the jalapeno pepper and the onion and sauteing them with butter and oil for about 10 minutes or until they are soft. 

I then add in the minced garlic and the lean ground beef and cook until the beef is browned.

Once the meat is browned, add in all the remaining ingredients (minus the sour cream and cheese) and let it simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. If your impatient you can eat it once everything is warmed through, but the flavor intensifies and I think gets better the longer it cooks.

If you like noodles with your chili cook them up per the instructions on the box and add them layered in with the chili!

I top mine with shredded cheese and sour cream!   This one pot chili is delicious, not too spicy, but has just enough heat and is absolutely perfect for those "chili" Wisconsin afternoons!