Friday Foodday

Happy Friday! I am back from vacation but still thinking of Texas! Here are some Texas themed recipes for you this week.

Trudy's Mexican Martini

c/o Food.com

Ingredients

2 oz tequila

1 oz Cointreau liqueur

1-2 oz sprite

1 oz orange juice

juice of 1/2 a lime

Directions

Shake all ingredients and strain into glass rimmed with salt; add stuffed olives.

 

Chorizo and Scrambled Egg Breakfast Tacos

c/o Epicurious

Ingredients

• 4 corn tortillas
• 1 cup grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
• 7 ounces fresh chorizo sausage, casing removed if necessary
• 4 green onions, sliced
• Sour cream 
• Hot sauce or salsa 

Directions

Brush large nonstick skillet with olive or vegetable oil. Char tortillas over gas flame or directly on electric burner until blackened in spots, turning with tongs. Arrange tortillas in single layer in skillet. Sprinkle each tortilla with 1/4 cup grated cheese and set aside.

Whisk eggs and 2 tablespoons cilantro in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté chorizo sausage in heavy medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Add green onions and sauté 2 minutes. Add egg mixture and stir until very softly set, about 1 minute. Remove egg mixture from heat.

Cook tortillas in skillet over high heat until beginning to crisp on bottom, but still soft and pliable, about 1 minute. Divide egg mixture among tortillas and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro. Fold each tortilla in half. Serve with sour cream and hot sauce, if desired.

Texas Sheet Cake

c/o My Recipes

Ingredients

2 cups sugar 

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup butter or margarine 

1/2 cup shortening 

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 

1 cup water 

1/2 cup buttermilk 

2 large eggs, lightly beaten 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Chocolate Icing

Directions

Sift together sugar and flour in a large bowl; set aside.

Combine butter and next 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until butter and shortening melt. Remove from heat, and pour over sugar mixture, stirring until dissolved. Cool slightly.

Stir in buttermilk and next 3 ingredients. Pour into a greased and lightly floured 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan.

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes. (Cake will have a fudgelike texture.) Spread warm cake with Chocolate Icing.

Friday Fooday

Happy Friday lovebugs,
Here are my favorite recipes this week. 

Blushing Mimosas
c/o My Recipes

Ingredients

2 cups orange juice (not from concentrate) 

1 cup pineapple juice, chilled 

2 tablespoons grenadine 

1 (750-milliliter) bottle Champagne

Directions

1. Stir together first 3 ingredients.

2. Pour equal parts orange juice mixture and Champagne into Champagne flutes.

*2 (12-oz.) cans ginger ale or lemon-lime soda may be substituted.

Sun Dried Tomato Basil Stuffed Chicken

c/o Country Cleaver

Ingredients

• 4 Boneless Chicken Thighs (bone-in works if available)
• 1/2 cup wilted, and drained Spinach,
• 1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomato, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Artichokes, chopped
• 4 leaves Basil, sliced
• 1/4 cup Feta Crumbles
• 1/4 cup Cream Cheese, softened
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup Chicken Broth

Directions

1. Remove chicken from the fridge at least 20 minutes before cooking to let the chicken come up to temperature and take the chill off for even cooking.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a small bowl, combine spinach, artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, cream cheese, and basil. Gently spoon the filling under the skin of the chicken and pull the skin taught over the chicken securely. Season the skin of the chicken with salt and pepper.
4. In an oven proof skillet (like cast iron or stainless steel), preheat olive oil in the pan over medium high heat on the stove. While the oil is heating, prepare chicken. Season all sides of the chicken thighs with seasoning.
5. Place chicken, skin side down, into the pan in the oil. Cook chicken for several minutes until the chicken is dark golden brown and crispy - about 4 minutes. Using tongs, turn the chicken over and cook on the other side until dark golden brown.
6. Pour the chicken stock into the bottom of the pan and carefully cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 12-15 minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 degrees. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
7. Serve with roasted vegetables.

Peanut Butter Cup Pancakes

c/o Buns in My Oven

Ingredients

1 cup flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 ¼ cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
? cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup mini chocolate peanut butter cups, chopped into small pieces
Chocolate Syrup, for serving
Whipped Cream, for serving

Directions

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
In a small bowl, mix together the buttermilk, egg, and peanut butter.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined, but still slightly lumpy.
Spray your cooking surface with non-stick cooking spray and place ¼ cup of the pancake batter in the pan. The batter is very thick and will need spread a bit with the back of a spoon, spatula, or your ¼ cup measure. Sprinkle immediately with a few pieces of chopped peanut butter cups. Use a spoon to spread a bit of the batter over the candy pieces. Cook for 3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Repeat with remaining pancakes.
Top with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and more candy pieces.

Friday Foodday

We made it! Happy Friday lovebugs! I hope you enjoy these recipes.


Penne with Chicken and Vegetables in a Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce
c/o Sunny Side up in San Diego

Ingredients
1 head of garlic - roasted with salt, pepper, and olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small-medium zucchini, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
4-5 button mushrooms, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups milk
1 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for topping
1-2 chicken breasts (depending on how much chicken per serving you want), roasted and sliced
12 oz. penne pasta
Fresh chopped basil or parsley for garnishing


Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Cut the top off of a head of garlic to expose the tops of cloves. Place on a sheet of aluminum foil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Loosely wrap the aluminum foil around the garlic, pinching the seams to seal. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the cloves are tender and start to turn golden brown. Allow to cool.

While the garlic is roasting, drizzle the chicken breast with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and roast for about 30 minutes, until cooked through. Allow the chicken to rest, covered with aluminum foil, until you're ready to serve, then cut into slices. (Roasting in the same oven as the garlic slightly infuses some of the garlic flavor into the chicken, mmm!)

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook penne until al dente then drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

While the pasta is cooking, whisk together the milk and corn starch in a glass measuring cup, set aside. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the onion, zucchini, bell pepper, and mushrooms. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, or until the vegetables soften and the onions are translucent. Season with a little salt and pepper. Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the cloves into the skillet. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to break up the garlic and mix into the vegetables.

Create a well in the skillet by pushing the vegetables to the edges, slowly stream in the milk/cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly. Work the vegetables into the sauce with the whisk then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan, then cook for another 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken and coat the back of the spoon. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to coat. If the sauce seems too thick, add the reserved cooking liquid a tablespoon at time until you get the desired consistency.

Top each portion with the sliced chicken, extra Parmesan, and fresh chopped basil or parsley. Serve hot and enjoy!


Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cookies
c/o Lauren's Latest

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup fresh chopped strawberries

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons milk

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in egg and vanilla. Add is all dry ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Gently stir in strawberries. Refrigerate dough 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop dough into small rounds and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake 7-8 minutes until edges start to barely golden. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet and transfer to cooling rack.

In a small bowl, microwave chocolate chips and milk, stirring every 20 seconds until melted completely. Drizzle over cookies. Serve warm.

Bacon and Broccoli Mac and Cheese

c/o My Recipes

Ingredients

• 3 cups broccoli florets 
• 8 ounces uncooked rigatoni
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 2 ounces reduced-fat processed American cheese, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 2 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled 
• 2 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup packed) 

Directions

1. 1. Steam broccoli 5 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Pat dry, and keep warm. Cook pasta in boiling water in a large saucepan for 8 minutes or until al dente; drain and keep warm. Wipe pan with paper towels, and return to medium heat. Melt butter in pan. Sprinkle flour over melted butter; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk. Gradually add milk to the flour mixture in pan, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thick, and remove from heat. Add American cheese; stir until smooth. Stir in sliced green onions and the remaining ingredients. Stir in broccoli and pasta; serve immediately.