Nanny's Heavenly Hash (aka Ambrosia, Fruit Salad,etc)

Pint whipping cream, whipped and set aside in fridge. You can make this the last step, but I like to do this first, since the whipping cream is absorbed into some of the fruits I add, so I want to control consistency.

Apples
Raisins
Coconut
Walnuts or pecans, rough chopped
Mini Marshmallows
Maraschino Cherries, drained

Chop apples into bite sized pieces. If I am making this for Christmas, I leave them unpeeled and use green skinned apples, such as Granny Smith...or mix those with a red skinned. If you only have one kind, it's fine... the cherries are red, so it looks festive with the Granny Smiths.

Take whipped cream out of fridge, put into a larger bowl and add fruit, nuts,and add cherries to taste. Stir it up, then add HALF of the marshmallows you think you will need. The marshmalllow and sometimes the raisins will absorb some of the moisture of the whipping cream, so go light on the 'mallows. Refrigerate.

Before serving, check consistency and if you like add marshmallows at that time. I usually use half of a bag, total, but I also use almost a quart of the whipping cream.

This is a sweet that you can eat and benefit from. No added sugar, except for the marshmallows, and the raisins, nuts and apples just pair well with the sweet marshmallows and cherries. The whipped cream adds a dessert feel, making it taste more like dessert than a similar dish made with mayonnaise, minus all that fat. I like it in the summer, but my grandmother always had it for me at Christmas every year as I grew up. Sometimes, I omit the coconut, and as I said, this dessert can be changed up.. add bananas that have been sprinkled with lemon juice, pineapple,drained mandarin oranges, etc. The only limitation is your imagination. I have mixed half whipping cream with cream cheese and it was great with Pineapple and oranges, coconut, nuts and raisins.

2015 Greetings

It's been a while since I posted. I know, I'm a terrible blogger. But, in my defense, I've come up with new recipes while I was gone, so I hope I'm forgiven. I created a Soup Swap, starting on Facebook, and it has become a great outlet for my need to cook. We don't just exchange soup. Some are bakers, some make great soup, some make great cassseroles, so each month, we change what we exchange (did you see what I did there? HA!)
I'm making a pot roast as I sit here on this cold January day typing my thoughts, just to have something to do, and my house smells HEAVENLY! Can't wait till Gary gets home, so we can devour it. I usually make a pot roast with Onions sliced into the broth and meat, then I take the broth and thicken it with flour or cornstarch and it becomes a gravy for my mashed potatoes. Sometimes, I put carrots and onions and new potatoes in the pot and it becomes a meal in one pot. CHuck Roast is extremely versatile, so I cook it about once a month.
Today, simply because it is cold and I am an oppositional kind of gal, I am craving, and  I mean CRAVING smoked ribs. Next weekend, the plan is to put some ribs on the smoker, maybe drive over to Cherokee and either hit the casino for an hour or two or try that tubing park just across from where Ghost Town used to be, come home and eat ribs and pretend it's spring. Gary and I have found a new smoker we intend to buy before it gets too warm. It is electric ( I know, I know... I like wood and wood only, myself, but this one is for the house, not for hauling around, so I compromised) and it uses less space than the three other electric ones I have, which will either be given to my girls or sold in a yard sale. At any rate, this one has a LOT of smoking room, for several differnt meats at once or for doing lots of ribs. I can't wait to post what we've cooked on it this Summer.
For the next few weeks, I will be posting Comfort type foods, such as One pot dinners, crock pot suppers, etc.
Hopefully, I will be better about posting regularly, but at this point, I'm not making any promises.
One exception... my grandmother made a wonderful version of ambrosia, which she called Heavenly Hash, and I am posting this recipe in her memory today. This is a recipe that even an inexperienced cook can make their own, simply by changing up the fruits included.
For now, I apologize for taking so long and I can promise this... it won't be this long again. Thanks for hanging in there with me!

Sandwiches Are Food, Too

Okay, I know. Some of you are saying "Duh, stupid title" right? Well, not so much if you realize that I believed that if I didn't actually "cook" the food, I was not a good Wife, Mom, Grammy/Mimi... so this, for me anyway, is a revelation! 

I have learned to make sandwiches an integral part of my food repertoire and I am loving it! So much so, that our meals this Summer will be mostly Sandwiches, Salads and Grilled dinners, so that I can spend more time living and less time working! 

So, here are some of my favorite Sandwich ideas..

1. Cuban Panini (without a panini machine!!!!)

I love Ol' Farmers Brand Ham and get it from the Deli case,sliced about like you see the meat at Subway sliced. 

Take a loaf of good, crusty bread, slice it as thinly or thickly as you like, on an angle, so it looks longer, and spread REAL Butter on one side of each slice. 

Place two or three slices of ham on one piece of bread, topping with provolone cheese. Spread mustard on the other piece of bread, put some dill pickle slices on the cheese, cover with the bread that has the mustard, and put in a pan on med/high heat. 

Now, to get the panini effect, you need any of the following items..A brick, wrapped in foil, a heavy cast iron skillet, a really heavy pan...

Press the heavy object on your sandwiches, press and cook about 2 minutes, move the heavy object, flip the sandwich over and cook the other side. Brown to your preference and serve.. YUMMMMM!

2. Cajun Beef and Swiss (or Pepper Jack)... do this the same way you did the Cuban Panini. I don't heat mayo or horseradish sauce, so I usually put the cheese on the bottom of the sandwich, top with the meat, using pepper jack or Swiss cheese , and then when I've cooked the second side, I can just take the bread up and spread my sauce on without taking the chance of food poisoning... who wants THAT in their day? 

3 Bacon, egg and Swiss Bagels. Toast a bagel, scramble an egg, use that leftover bacon or microwave a piece or two and stack together. The heat from the bagel, the egg and the bacon will melt your cheese. It's a quick, easy and delicious breakfast, one I love to make and eat on the deck poolside with my grandchildren!

I love to experiment with sandwich meats, spreads and breads.. nothing is better (in my opinion) than a sandwich of Pimento Cheese with potato chips on the bread. (hey, don't knock it until you've tried it!)

Comment on this post with your sandwich recipes.I'd love to try new ones...I/m fairly new to the sandwich game.. even my hubby's lunch was always reheated food from last night's dinner...

Homemade "Heath" Bars (aka Christmas Crack)

I love these. They are just rich enough to keep you from overindulging. LOL.. who am I kidding?

Preheat oven to 350

Line a large cookie sheet with 40 saltine crackers. YES, Saltines.

Now, in a pan, boil together 3 minutes
1 Cup REAL butter, (unsalted if you have it. Ive used salted, though and it's fine)
1 Cup Brown Sugar
Pour this over the crackers and bake for 5 minutes.
Removed from oven and let sit for about 5 minutes, until the mixture stops boiling.
Pour a package of milk chocolate chips over this and as they melt, spread them gently to cover the whole thing. I have used Semi sweet chips and they are good, but nowhere as good as milk chocolate... use what YOU like.
Cool completely and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Peanut Butter Cornflake Candy

I got this recipe from my friend Cindy Burns Adams Sexton when she brought it to a party years ago. Her mom made it and she took it to all the parties at Church, etc., and once I had it, I could understand why it was so popular!
Now, it is so popular with my family that I am expected to have it every year at Christmas. It is SOOOO easy, you'll wonder why you didn't come up with it yourself. I know I did..

Boil together for one minute:
1 cup sugar
1 cup Light Karo Syrup
Add
1 1/2 cups Peanut butter
Stir until well blended and pour over 6 cups of corn flakes.
STIR until all are coated and let cool a bit, but not too much or it will be one HUGE ball.
Break off into bite sized pieces and roll into balls. Store in an airtight container. Will keep several weeks.


I make several batches at one time and keep them through the Holidays, then when I have a guest, I put a few in a gift box or tin and they LOVE them! I believe some of my Holiday guests come just to get this candy, rather than to visit.

Enjoy!

Apology to my Readers

It seems that in July of this year, someone anonymously posted some vulgarities as a comment on one of my posts. I didn't know it until today, November 26th. I am so very sorry, and I will try to keep a better eye out for things like this in the future. I think I know who did it and I have dealt with her. But I am sorry my friends and family had to see that filth. It is NOT something I ever thought I would have to deal with on a cooking blog, for goodness' sake.
Please know that if you see something like that on here again, I want to know all about it, so that I can delete them.
Thanks, and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Key West Chicken (And Shrimp)

3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil (I use a LOT of EVOO...this does NOT work with this recipe... too heavy)
2 teaspoons Lime Juice ( I use half a lime or more. I don't use bottled juice when I cook, given a choice)
2 teaspoons minced garlic

Marinate chicken breasts, strips, chunks for kabobs, etc. for at least two hours. 

If I am making a dish similar to Cheddar's Key West Chicken and Shrimp, I reserve about 1/4 of this marinade and put it on the shrimp. 

I put this chicken, my Pineapple Pico de Gallo (recipe on this blog) and the shrimp together and dip them in a Bourbon Honey sauce that I buy from a place in Crossville. It is very similar to the Jack Daniel's Dipping Sauce at TGI Friday's. Serve over your favorite rice recipe. 

Pineapple Pico de Gallo

1 Onion, diced
1 Med Tomato, seeded, cored and diced
OR
3-4 Roma Tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (leave seeds in for more heat, omit them for milder flavor)
Cilantro, chopped to taste
1 Small can Pineapple Tidbits, drained, but Juice reserved

Mix all this together and pour 1/3 to 1/2 over mixture, stir, and chill... GREAT over grilled chicken, especially good on Key West Chicken (recipe on blog) or Grilled Chicken with Teriyaki, etc...

Pancake Batter

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Egg
1 Cup Milk, (or 1/2 milk, 1/2 buttermilk)
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Mix these ingredients well, and pour in

1 Cup Self Rising Flour, Sifted or stirred with a fork:
If batter is VERY thin, add a little flour, until it reaches the consistency you are wanting. If really thin batter is desired, add some milk... if you make it really thin, this batter makes a fantastic crepe..

At this point, if you want chocolate chip or blueberry pancakes,add them to the batter

Mix and pour 1/4 cup of batter at a time onto hot griddle pan or into a heated skillet. When bubbles cover about 3/4 of the pancake, flip it. When cooking more than a few pancakes, as they get done, transfer them onto a cookie sheet in an oven preheated to 200 degrees, in order to keep warm until all of them are finished.

Suggested Toppings:

Strawberries and cream cheese w/Whipped Cream

Peaches, Berries, cooked apples, any sweetened fruit works well

Cream cheese and pecans with cinnamon

Maple or Table syrup

Any ice cream sundae topping works well, too. Warm the jar in hot water and spoon the warmed topping onto the pancakes.
If you want to make tropical, slice bananas, sprinkle some coconut, toasted or not, pecans and a little pineapple ice cream topping onto the pancakes and add a spoonful of whipped cream... a great dessert idea.

Mix pancake syrup and peanut butter. Spread or mix thinner and pour over pancakes, top with some Peanuts, or a mixture of peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. A dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup makes a great pick me up and a beautiful breakfast or dessert plate

Make any flavors you like. I love bananas with walnut topping, strawberries and whipped cream, or just maple syrup and butter. You can have bacon strips and sliced apples with maple syrup drizzled over it for a really sweet/savory combination... the possibilities are endless...

Eye of Round Roast with Gravy

1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Pkg Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 Can Low Sodium Beef Broth
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
Pepper
Garlic Powder

Mix above ingredients and pour half of this into a crock pot or slow cooker.

Dredge an eye of Round Roast in flour mixed with Pepper. The soup mix and the Worcestershire sauce have a lot of salt in them, so you don't need extra salt in the gravy or on the roast.
Heat enough oil in the bottom of a skillet or dutch oven to brown the roast, and brown all sides, evenly.

Remove roast from oil and put into the crock pot on top of the mixture you poured in earlier.
Pour the remainder of the liquid mixture over the roast, set slow cooker or crock pot to low and cook for about 6 to 8 hours. The liquid will decrease by half. Taste the gravy at the minimum cook time and if it is too thick or too salty, add water, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached. The onion soup mix has a tendency to stick to the bottom of a crock pot, so use either a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to get the bits off the bottom before you stop adding water. Remove roast and let it sit for a few minutes to redistribute the juices. While this is sitting, stir the gravy and check consistency again. This is NOT a smooth gravy. It has onions and garlic in it, but it is very good when spooned over mashed potatoes or over the meat.

Slice the meat and if desired, spoon some of the gravy over the slices for a beautiful presentation and to hold in moisture. Eye of round is a dryer cut of meat, so don't slice all of it if the roast is large. Better to cut some more later than to dry it out.

This dish reheats well, and is great for leftovers or open faced roast beef sandwiches with gravy, so it is a great double duty dish!

Eye of Round Roast (aka Poor Man's Prime Rib)

2-3 lb. Eye of Round Roast
Minced Garlic
Kosher Salt
Coarse Grind Black Pepper

Make a paste of the minced garlic, salt and pepper. Rub it on the Eye of Round Roast, after washing the roast and drying it. Let this mixture sit on the Roast about 30 minutes. This allows the roast to slowly come to room temperature and allows the spices to permeate the meat.
While the roast is sitting out, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Line a roasting pan with foil and place the roast, fat side UP, in the pan. Cook for 7 minutes per pound.(a 3 lb roast will cook for 21 minutes) and turn the oven to the lowest setting possible, and DO NOT OPEN DOOR FOR 2 1/2 hours.
If you like, you can put root vegetables in the pan with the roast and they will cook, too.
After 2 1/2 hours, check the temp on the roast, and it should be between 130 and 150 in the center. Let it sit for ten minutes for the juices to redistribute, and carve into 1/2" slices. Serve with au jus (recipe at bottom) or with horseradish or horseradish sauce. Great with baked potatoes or with mashed potatoes and gravy, along with a salad or asparagus, etc.
This roast should be med rare, and will taste like Prime Rib. YUMMY and so inexpensive. Great way to cook this piece of meat, which is usually very dry and tough. I tried this recipe and it was PERFECT. I had new potatoes, carrots and pearl onions in the pan with it and they were perfectly cooked!

Au Jus... put a half can of beef broth in with the roast. Since this meat has so very little fat, it won't render a lot of natural juices. You have to help it along,so beef broth will mingle with the few juices the meat will put out. When the roast is cooked, drain the broth into a pan and put 1Teaspoon flour into half the cooled juices, whisk the flour mixture into the rest of the broth and heat, just below boiling. Strain and serve with Roast.
Great, but not thick like a gravy...

Chicken Pot Pie

2 9" Pie Crusts, left out for 15 to 20 minutes to soften
Four large Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breats, cooked and shredded or diced
1 Bag Peas and Carrots
1 Can Diced Potatoes, or 2 cups Diced Cooked Potatoes
1 cup American Cheese, cut up
1 large (28 oz) Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 of the Soup can filled with water or Chicken Broth
1Tsp Celery Seed


Mix the soup and water or broth, stir in veggies, chicken and celery seed. Now Stir in Cheese.
Roll out bottom crust, bake Halfway to done at 450, approximately 12 to 15 minutes, and fill.
Roll top crust and cut slits in it, to allow for steam to escape. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes to 45 minutes, until bubbling, and top crust is done. Remove from oven and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. Serve.

Variation:  Dont use the bottom crust, but put into a ceramic bowl and cook at 350 until bubbly and cheese is melted. Take out of the oven and top with a can of homemade biscuits. Sprinkle with celery seed, return to oven and bake until they are done... easy for a winter weeknight supper.

Our Family's Low Country Boil

A few years ago, my friend Judy made what she called "Dump Dinner"... I was in HEAVEN! I had NEVER (can you believe it?) had this wonderful concoction. Of course, when I made it, I twisted it and tweaked it,and made it my own. I truly like this better than any of the ones I had in S. Carolina. Make it yours. If you want something left out, do it. If you like to add other things, do... we make it with the same seasonings every time and we mix up the food... nothing better. Thanks, Judy, for introducing me to what is now my favorite meal!
The thing with this recipe is that YOU determine the amount of the ingredients. I will give you my approximate measurements, but know that the appetite determines the expense of this meal.
1 Boil In Bag, by Old Bay
Old Bay Seasoning, about 1/4 cup
3 Lemons, cut in half
Whole New Red Potatoes (two to three per person)
Corn ( we use Milk and Honey= 1 ear per person)
Andouille or Cajun Flavored Smoked Sausage, cut into 3" to 4" pieces (we prefer a Cajun flavored smoked sausage we can only find at Food City.. the name escapes me at the moment, but it is packaged like Polish Sausage, in one whole length)
Shrimp, unpeeled (about a half pound per person, the larger the better)
Crawfish (I usually buy a pound, but if you like them a lot, adjust the amount)This is the New Orleans Version. If you don't like them, leave them out. I don't like them but my husband does. It doesn't affect the taste of the other foods if you use them.
Crab Legs ( I allot 1 cluster per person, since they are usually expensive)

I use my Turkey Fryer and cook this outdoors, but I have used a huge stockpot (NOT a Dutch Oven-TOO small) on the stove. Half fill with water, add the boiling bag and squeeze the lemons, then add the pieces. Bring to a boil, then add the Old Bay. The more food I am cooking, the more Old Bay I use.
Step 1 Cook the potatoes about ten minutes.
Step 2. Add the sausage and corn, bring back to a boil and boil for about five minutes, less if the corn was bought in the freezer section of the grocery store. I put my corn up in the summer time, blanched, so that it stays "crunchier"... I don't like the mushy frozen half ears from the store, but lots of people use them and swear by them. Go with YOUR taste buds, but don't overcook the corn.
Step 3. Add the crab, bring back to a boil, then add the shrimp and the crawfish, cooking only until the shrimp is done and the crawfish are warm

Now, the reason Judy called this Dump Dinner is this... If you eat it in S. Carolina, it comes on big round server trays, and is served at tables with holes in the center and trash cans under those holes.
Judy must have found out about them from someone who ate this in Louisiana. In New Orleans and that area, once this is cooked and ready to serve, there are clean trash bags or newspapers spread down the center of a big table and once the liquid is drained, the food is literally DUMPED onto the bags or newspaper and people sit on either side, serving themselves with their hands.
I like to do this on my deck, by my pool, and each person gets a ramekin of butter, one of Old Bay, and for those die hards who think you HAVE to use salt on everything, I put salt and pepper out.
I use the butter to dip my potatoes in, then I barely dip them in the Old Bay and oh, my... how tasty!
Clean up is so easy... you just roll up the newspapers and put shells, etc in the paper, throw it all away and wipe up the table...
This dinner usually takes only 10 to 15 minutes to cook on a turkey fryer. I like to buy shrimp and crab, etc on sale and put it in the freezer. Then, when a Saturday just feels perfect and I have a hankerin' for a party, I call up some friends or family and take out the stuff I've had in the freezer, crank up the Propane and in less than a half hour, it's a beachy night around the pool!
Key Lime Pie or Watermelon make the perfect ending to this meal!

Abby's Steak Marinade

My youngest daughter likes to cook, like her mom. I usually give her pointers, but this past Mother's Day, she presented me with the very best meal I have EVER, EVER had... BAR NONE! I had some of the best New Potatoes, Grilled Corn on the Cob (In the Shucks, something I hadn't done!), and Grilled Orange Slices (HEAVENLY!), but oh, my the very best thing of all was this beautiful Sirloin Steak, cooked to Medium Rare, just the way I love it, not to rare, not to well, just absolutely perfect, and I mean... oh, so tasty! I am not a person who likes a marinade, but Abby totally changed my mind, I kid you not. This is her recipe. She got some pointers off the internet and took it and did just what her Momma always told her to do.. she gave it her own twist, but she won't tell me what she did. So, I give you her recipe. One or more of the ingredients is her own addition. I now refuse to eat anything that isn't marinated...proof that you never are too old to learn and to change!

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Mix and pour over steaks. Abby and I use gallon sized bags to marinade our steaks. No reason to dirty up a dish. I may get all misty eyed, but this gal makes a Momma proud. I mean, I am NOT a dish washer and I just adore that she thought of putting it into a baggie!

Marinade for at least 30 minutes. I have left the steaks in this marinade for as long as 4 hours and they were good, too!

For your steaks, cook them over hot coals or on a gas grill with wood chips. I think it is sinful to cook with just propane, since you might as well cook it in a skillet for all the flavor that adds, lol.

If you don't know how to check for doneness, here's a good guide...

Rare---open your hand, but just naturally.. not stretched taut... now, feel the flesh on that thick pad between your thumb and wrist? That is what it feels like to touch a rare steak...

Medium--- close your fist and tuck your thumb under your index finger... touch the pad... voila! Medium.

(for med. rare, just go in between these two. I usually do 7 minutes on one side, rotating halfway through to create hash marks. Then, flip them and do 5 minutes, rotating halfway through. I do this on steaks from 1-1/2" to 1-/4")

Well done... untuck that thumb! Now, feel the webbing between the thumb and forefinger?

 WELL DONE...

My Newest (and Favorite!) Pot Roast with Gravy and Onions

1-3lb Chuck Roast
2 Medium Sweet Onions, cut in half, root to top and thickly sliced
3T Minced Garlic, or 4 cloves, sliced or pressed
1/2 Cup Self Rising Flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
1 1/2 Cups Beef Broth
Veg. or Olive Oil to coat bottom and up to 1/2" of either a Dutch Oven or a Cast Iron Skillet

1. Mix Flour, salt and pepper and garlic in large, flat bowl, and coat roast in this mixture on both sides and up the sides.
2. Heat oil in Skillet or Dutch Oven, and add Roast, cooking until browned on each side.
3. Transfer roast to a Slow Cooker and set on High.
4. Prepare onion and on medium low heat,  stirring with a wooden spoon, to get the "bits" of brown off the bottom of the pan, and saute onions until translucent. Add garlic and saute for about a minute. Pour this mixture over Roast, oil and all, unless there is a great amount of oil left. If you have too much oil left, put about a half cup of it in with the meat and onion/garlic mixture.
5. Pour Beef Broth over this and cover.I know this sounds like it isn't enough liquid, but it will be, since the meat will give off it's juices and they will meld together to form this incredible thick broth, which you will use to make a gravy to put over the meat and maybe some mashed potatoes.

 Cook on High for about 4 hours and turn down to low, or cook on low the whole time, if you aren't going to be around.
6. When you are ready to make gravy, scoop out about 1 1/2 cups of the liquid,transfer to a pot and allow some of the caramelized onions to remain in it. This is NOT a smooth brown gravy. Instead, it resembles the gravy at Cracker Barrel that comes if you order their brown gravy or pot roast...

7. Take about a third of the liquid and whisk in 3 Tablespoons Self Rising flour, until it becomes a paste, and slowly mix that into the liquid in the pan. Constantly stir this until it becomes thick and either light brown or dark beige... this will NOT be the color of the gravy you make using those instant packages.

If it is too thick, add more meat juices or some water. If too thin, whisk more flour in, making sure to incorporate it well. Nothing tastes worse than mashed potatoes topped with flour!


The roast, if cooked thoroughly, will be falling apart, so use a large spatula to remove it from the slow cooker. Let it stand for about ten minutes. I usually take it out and let it stand while I make the gravy. It should pull apart to serve.
Goes beautifully with Mashed Potatoes!

Fajitas

One boneless, skinless chicken breast per person, OR  skirt steak, sliced into thin strips.
The rule is 4 ounces per person, more or less, depending on the appetites.

Sliced bell peppers, either green or a mixture of colors
Onion, cut into strips, to taste (I usually use three peppers to one onion)
Shredded cheese.. If you want to go strictly authentic, use queso blanco. I like shredded Monterrey Jack/Cheddar blend
Sour Cream
Homemade or bottled salsa
Pico de Gallo
Guacamole
Anything you put on them in a restaurant can be put on 'em at home.. I hate guacamole, but my family loves it, so... in it goes. You are going to put these out in jars, or in Ramekins, so get what your family likes...

Flour tortillas, wrapped in foil.
I put my cast iron fajita skillets into a 300 degree oven while I make the fajitas, so I wrap the tortillas in foil and put them in the oven as soon as I start cooking the chicken.


Marinade
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix all these ingredients... the lime juice does NOT taste right if you use concentrated juice. It takes 1 to 1 1/2 limes to make that amount of juice, and is well worth it.

Slice one breast per person into strips, place in a gallon bag, pour marinade over this, and place in refrigerator for at least one hour, no more than four... overnight tends to turn this marinade into pure lime juice, and the chicken gets bitter.

Drain the marinade off the chicken, and saute the strips in a cast iron skillet. This just takes a few minutes. Take the chicken out of the pan and pour in the onions and peppers, stirring them until they get hot. Remember, your skillet is hot and will cook the peppers as you present the food, so don't get this part over done.

Once the pepper/onion medley is cooked, lightly salt it, put the chicken or steak on top, and serve on the heated fajita pans, OR serve family style right in the skillet you used to cook the food in.

If you do prep work ahead of time, this meal is less than 15 minutes from fridge to table..

Use any leftovers to make Fajita Chimichangas. The recipe for them, Pico de Gallo, and Homemade Salsa with chips are all on this blog.

This meal is filling, tasty, and everyone can make their fajitas the way THEY like them, with their favorite fillings.

If you wanna go all out, throw some re fried beans, lettuce, etc on a plate, add some Mexican or Spanish rice, and you may never eat Mexican anywhere but home after this.

Pork Chops

6 Large Pork Chops
1 cup Self Rising Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Onion, very thinly sliced ( I mean VERY thinly sliced, here folks)
1 small can of mushroom slices, drained well
2 envelopes Brown Gravy mix (any brand that makes a cup per packet, or 1 2-cup envelope)
2 cups water
1/2 to 1 cup oil

Mix flour, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and dredge pork chops through it. Cook chops in  skillet, until breading has browned. While the pork chops are cooking, mix the gravy mix and the water, line a roasting pan with foil, and scatter half the onions and half the gravy over the bottom of the foil lined pan. Put chops on top, put the rest of the onions on top. Bake for twenty to thirty minutes at 350.

I know, I know, you've had this recipe with variations before... but this is simple, doesn't use cream of mushroom soup or lots of other incidentals... the only think I change is NO MUSHROOMS in mine.. but its just easy, and tastes like you slaved away all day.. it only takes about 45 minutes from walking into the kitchen until you are eating,and most of that time is spent in the oven, so you can help the kids with homework, walk the dog, start the laundry, or just chill out for a few.... you'll get some much deserved praise and you won't feel guilty about the frozen lasagna you gave 'em last night...

Chicken Fajita Chimichanga

You can see the peppers, chicken and onions inside,and the Cheese Sauce and Pico on top!

Spoon about a tablespoon refried bean into a very thin layer in a burrito sized flour tortilla, and scoop left-over Chicken fajitas (left overs from a restaurant, your own recipe, or try mine on here) on top. Fold the sides in and the longer sides up and over each other, secure with toothpicks, and deep fry in oil heated to 350 degrees, until browned.

Top this with guacamole, salsa, pico de gallo, or white cheese sauce. Mine, pictured above, has white cheese sauce, heated with homemade pico de gallo, and poured over the fried chimichanga.

Some people put tomatoes in their fajitas... I don't like cooked tomatoes, never have, so I don't use them. In addition, the juice in a tomato may cause spattering in the process of deep frying the chimi, so try to drain the veggies as much as possible before deep frying. I do love a white cheese sauce with pico de gallo, so I microwave the sauce, put in some pico, and pour it over the chimi... yummy, yummy, for the tummy!

Chicken Fajitas

1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (I use EVOO)
4 Teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (mesquite is wonderful with this!)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients for marinade.
Heat oven to 300 degrees and heat fajita pans or a large cast iron skillet, to serve sizzling fajitas.

Thinly slice 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, put into a zippered gallon sized bag, and pour marinade over it. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, overnight is even better.

Thinly slice a large onion and bell pepper. If you use red and yellow, it is really a pretty presentation.

Take chicken out of the bag, and stir-fry it in a skillet, until done. Put some olive oil in the pan you cooked the chicken in and saute' the veggies until they are tender-crisp.

Arrange onions on the bottom of the fajita pans or the skillet. Bring them to the table, sizzling. Serve with warm flour tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream, and Pico De Gallo or salsa, guacamole, rice and beans... whatever you like...

This recipe makes 3 heaping fajita pans, enough for six people... enjoy!

Simple Homemade Calzone or Pizza Sandwiches

Frozen Pizza dough, thawed ( I found mine pre made in the freezer section at Walmart for less than $1.50 - enough for three small or two regular sized calzones)

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Pepperoni Slices

Additional Ideas :
Pre Packaged Italian Sausage Sprinkles, onions, real bacon bits, or fried bacon pieces, olives, mushrooms, bell peppers,diced.. whatever you like in a pizza

Homemade Marinara Sauce (or a jar of pizza sauce works fine)

Olive oil

Thaw the dough, divide into 2, 3 or 4 smaller balls, roll out into desired size.
Put cheese, filling ingredients on one side, leaving about 1/4 -1/2" for sealing...
Fold the other side onto the filled side, crimp the edges, Sprinkle very lightly with olive oil, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese,and bake at 400 degrees for 10 -12 minutes, or until desired shade of browning is reached.
Remove from oven, let cool for 3-5 minutes, serve with warmed Marinara or Pizza Sauce for dipping...