Chipotle Potato Tacos *Gluten Free*

It's been a long time since my last post but this little thing called Life has been happening to me.   Since my self-imposed hiatus I've taken the plunge and actually gone gluten-free (yes, ME!). Gluten sensitivity is a beyotch and she takes no prisoners. That's no reason to eat blandly...you can find really delicious things to eat when you know how to season properly!

This is actually an oldie of a recipe - chipotle flavored potato tacos. It's been around for ages and is a great alternative for when you don't have a lot of money to spend on meat. If you use corn tortillas then you have a tasty, gluten-free meal which has all of the flavor and none of the gluten pain (celiacs know what I mean!). Let's get to cookin'!

Chipotle Potato Tacos

Ingredients:

• 5-6 large potatoes (peeled, rinsed and chunked into large pieces)
• 1 stick butter (NO margarine)
• 1/2 small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce 
• 1/2 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, colby jack, whatever you like) 
• salt & pepper to taste
• corn tortillas
• favorite toppings: chopped onion, extra cheese, salsa, lettuce, etc.)

In a large pot, add chunked potatoes and cover them with water; set over high heat. Let potatoes come to a boil, turn heat to medium and cook for about 15-20 minutes. When potatoes are fork tender, drain water. Add butter (in pieces) and chipotles (chop chiles if whole); add half can adobo sauce, or more if you like the heat! Add salt & pepper to taste. Add shredded cheese and mash everything together with a potato hand masher. Cheese will be nicely melted and have a creamy consistency with some chunks. If you want them smoother, keep mashing. I like my tacos chunky, lol

In flat pan, heat tortillas on both sides; stack tortillas. Take a tortilla & fill generously with potato mixture & fold in half. Heat each side of taco. Serve hot with your choice of garnish. I used fresh cut texas sweet onions, salsa verde and some extra cheese shreds. These are so awesome!! I also like the potatoes served in hard shell tacos...it's a nice contrast in texture. Enjoy!

YUMMMMM!

Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients:

•     1 bag Jumbo shrimp (peeled, deveined and butterflied)
•     1 egg
•     1 cup water
•     1/2 cup flour
•     1 tsp. garlic salt
•     1 tsp. paprika
•     1 tsp. Slap Ya Mama cajun seasoning
•     14oz. bag shredded coconut
•     1 cup panko bread crumbs                                         

In one bowl mix flour, water, egg and dry seasonings together; mixture will be like thin pancake batter.  In a separate bowl mix panko & coconut. Heat oil in shallow pan to about 375 degrees. Dip each piece of shrimp in flour/liquid mix, then dredge in coconut mixture. Fry shrimp for a few minutes each side. Lay on paper towel to drain; serve immediately. Yield: about 22-25 pieces.                                               

Authentic Cuban Mojito

Holy mother of God this is drink is GOOD.  That’s all I can say.  I’m too busy gettin’ my liquor on.

 

Authentic Cuban Mojito

Ingredients:

• 10 fresh mint leaves + a sprig for garnish
• 1 lime (use half for juice + a slice for garnish)
• 2 Tbsp. sugar (more or less to taste)
• 1 c. ice cubes
• 1 oz. white rum
• 1/2 c. club soda

Place 10 mint leaves into a sturdy glass.  Squeeze 1/2 of the lime juice into glass. Use a spoon to crush the mint and lime to release the mint oils.  Add the sugar and crush with spoon again to release the juices; do not strain the mixture.  Fill the glass 3/4 full with ice. Pour rum over  ice and fill the glass with club soda.  Stir, taste, and add more sugar if desired. Garnish with the lime slice & mint sprig.

Spicy Chicken Pepper Nachos

These nachos are absolutely amazing!!! Please take the time to fry your own chips, it’s SO worth the work. The taste is out of this world!

Spicy Chicken Pepper Nachos

Ingredients:

• Pack of 20-24 corn tortillas, quartered
• a small bit of cooking oil
• shredded chicken (I used leftover fried chicken)
• chili powder
• cumin
• cotija cheese
• shredded mexican blend cheese
• 4-5 small, fresh sweet peppers – red, yellow & orange (sliced)
• 2 fresh sliced jalapeños
• sour cream
• guacamole
• fresh cilantro
• your fave hot sauce

  
 Take your stack of tortillas and cut them into quarters.  Heat oil and fry one layer of tortillas at a time; drain after frying. While chips are frying, shred some chicken. I used 2 pieces of leftover fried chicken breast. Use whatever you like! Sprinkle chicken shreds with a little chili powder & some cumin to taste.

On a 9 x 13 cookie sheet, spread a layer of tortilla chips. Cover with shredded chicken, cotija & shredded cheese.  Add another layer of chips, shredded chicken, cotija, shredded cheese, sweet pepper rings and jalapeños.

Bake nachos in preheated 400 degree oven for about 7-8 minutes.
Top with spicy guacamole, sour cream, cilantro & Tapatio hot sauce. 

YUM!!

Chilaquiles

This post is going to be a really short cheat post, lol.

Follow Abuela’s Kitchen how to video for chilaquiles rojo.  I followed her directions to the letter and they turned out AWESOME!

My chilaquiles before adding the sauce:

and after:

:)

Chile Colorado

There’s nothing quite like a spicy bowl of chile colorado as the ultimate comfort food.  The delicious spices and tender beef make for a wonderful supper any day of the week.  The recipe is not as complicated as you may think.  Give it a try today!

Chile Colorado

Ingredients:

•  2 -3 lbs beef steak, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 New Mexico chiles, seeded & deveined
• 6-7 dried red chili peppers, seeded & deveined
• 3 small tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 small onion, quartered
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 c. water
• 3 tsp. mexican chili powder
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• salt & pepper to taste

Brown beef cubes in olive oil over medium-high heat.  Brown for about 5 minutes until all pieces have good color.  Add a little water to beef, cover and simmer on low heat for an hour.  Don’t let water evaporate!
While beef is cooking, seed & devein the dried chiles. Cover dried pieces with hot water for a few minutes until softened. Drain water off and rinse peppers a few times (this is important! If you use the water the peppers rehydrated in, your recipe will taste bitter). Add rehydrated peppers, 2c. water, tomato, onion & garlic to blender; blend to a smooth puree.
After beef has cooked for an hour, pour in the tomato/pepper puree and dry spices. Bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, and cook low and slow for about 25-35 minutes until the beef is tender and falling apart.
Garnish with sour cream, cilantro, avocado, cotija cheese or anything you want!

Kale Superfood Salad

I’ve been on a kale kick recently.  Several different versions of this kale salad were to be found at my local store’s deli.  They were delicious but rather expensive for my taste.  I decided to put together my own mix of these tasty and nutritious veggies, fruits & nuts. It’s so crunchy and satisfying! It’s also a LOT cheaper than $8 a pound.  Hey, this chick is on a budget!

P.S.  It’s a good thing it’s low-cal because I can eat truckloads of this stuff! (**allergy alert - this contains nuts!)

Kale Superfood Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 large bunches of kale, washed, drained and chopped (I included the smaller, tender stems as well)
• 4 small carrots, peeled or chopped
• 1 pint blueberries, washed
• 1 large English cucumber, diced
• large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 container of cranberry trail mix, about 13 oz. (contains dried cranberries, raisins, pine nuts, slivered almonds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds & sunflower seeds)
• your favorite low-fat dressing (make sure it’s lowfat because it has quality ingredients and is chemical-free!)
• Pink Himalayan salt & cracked pepper to taste
• 2 gallon-sized ziplock type bags

Wash & dry your veggies thoroughly and chop if needed. Put half of the kale in one bag and half in the other bag. Repeat with veggies & trail mix.  Use your favorite dressing over the salad…just pour right into the bag! My favorite dressing is raspberry walnut dressing. You can also try sesame ginger, balsamic vinegar or anything with a sweet/sour taste to it. Sprinkle salad with salt & pepper; seal bag & shake it to coat everything. Store bags in fridge when not in use.

This recipe makes 2 full gallon ziplock bags of salad. If this is too much, you can certainly halve the recipe.  When I make the full recipe, I only put dressing on the first bag and later add the dressing to the second bag when it’s ready to be eaten. I think the salad is even yummier the next day when the flavors meld.

“Quick” Pozole Rojo

Pozole is a wonderful, hearty Mexican stew which features hominy and pork.  I call this recipe “quick” because the pork roast was already cooked ahead of time.  This is a fantastic way to use leftover roast!

“Quick” Pozole Rojo

Ingredients:

• Leftover pork loin roast (any pork roast will be fine)
• small can white hominy, drained
• half a medium sized onion, chopped
• dash of olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 5 c. water
• 3 dried ancho chiles, seeded and deveined
• 3 tsp. chicken bouillon (or 3 bouillon cubes)
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• lemon juice
• hot sauce (optional)
• salt to taste

Cut leftover pork roast into cubes; set aside.
Soak anchos in hot water; drain and rinse rehydrated peppers.
Add dash of olive oil & butter to sauce pan; add onion & sautée several minutes. Add drained can of hominy & sautée another few minutes. Add water, bouillon, ancho chile pieces, pork cubes & dried spices to pan and mix well. Cook on low flame for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste your pozole and add extra salt, if needed.

Top with a squeeze of lemon juice and/or hot sauce, if desired.  The lemon really gives it a kick of flavor!

Bacon-Wrapped Cheddar Poppers and Smokies

Originally published on January 9, 2015

Alrighty, after much neglect toward my blog and all around general indifference for FAR too long, I’m ready to get busy again.  Let’s get shizzapoppin with some mouthwatering appetizers!

That’s hors d’oeuvres, for you fancy people.

Bacon-Wrapped Cheddar Poppers and Smokies

What you will need:

• 1 lb. any kind of bacon
• 1 package Little Smokies
• 1 small bag shredded cheddar cheese
• 8 fresh jalapeños
  

  Assembly for these are very easy.
Take your pound of bacon and slice the whole chunk in half vertically.  There’s your bacon pieces!  Now take a Smokie and wrap each one with bacon and place on foiled cookie sheet. The foil makes for way easy cleanup afterward!
Slice jalapeños lengthwise. Seed & core them, then rinse thoroughly.  Sprinkle some cheddar shreds into each pepper, then wrap with bacon. Arrange on foiled tray. It’s okay if the appetizers touch each other on the tray.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes.  Serve with toothpicks if desired.  Watch them disappear SUPERFAST!
*Oh and I apologize in advance for the way the word jalapeños appears as if it’s on a drunken bender.  The blog is acting wonky and wants to post jalapeños all funnylookin.

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You have no idea how good these taste.  They make excellent party munchies.  Ah, to hell with New Year’s diets, EAT UP!! You know you wanna!
  

Cranberry Orange Bread

Originally published on November 22, 2014

It’s that time of year again, when we all start to crave those traditional holiday flavors.  What could beat the combination of oranges and cranberries together?

Cranberry Orange Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 c. flour
• 1  1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup margarine, cubed
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1 c. fresh cranberries, halved
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• dash of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix dry ingredients first, then add wet ingredients and mix until everything is moistened.  Grease a  9×5 inch loaf pan with butter.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 60-70 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. Yield: 1 loaf

Y.U.M.

I always cut it too fast. I have no patience to let it cool properly so it always falls apart. But it’s sooooo good.

Another bonus – my hands smell like oranges!

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P.S. Anyone remember the Cranberry book series by the Devlins?  Baking with cranberries always reminds me of these books and how much I cherished them.  I still have them to this day and have passed them on to my own kids.

http://www.amazon.com/Cranberry-Thanksgiving-Cranberryport-Wende-Devlin/dp/1930900635 

Spicy Vegetarian Pintos

Originally published on November 12, 2014



There’s nothing like a huge pot of pinto beans to warm you up on an icy November night.  These pintos are extra spicy – you won’t be feeling the cold at all!

Spicy Vegetarian Pintos

Ingredients:

• 2lb. bag dried pinto beans (fast soak method explained below)
• 8 cups water

After fast soak method you will need to add to pot of beans:

• 6-8 more cups water
• 2 large shallots, roughly chopped
• 13.4 oz can whole jalapeños in juice (mine had carrot slices too) + half the juice
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• handful of chopped cilantro
• 3 tsp. chicken bouillon (or vegetable broth if you want it vegan)
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1   tsp. cumin
• couple dashes of your fave hot sauce (I like Tapatío)
• big dash of olive oil
• salt + pepper to taste

FAST SOAK METHOD FOR DRIED PINTOS:
Rinse dried beans thoroughly.  Add to large pot and add 8 cups water.  Bring to a boil, remove from heat and cover.  Let sit for an hour.  After 1 hour, drain water from beans. Put beans back into pot.

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Take your pot of fast-soaked beans and add 6-8 cups fresh water.  Add chopped shallots, jalapeños + half of the juice, garlic, seasonings, hot sauce & olive oil.  Bring to boil, then turn down to low heat and simmer beans for 2 hours.  Add salt & pepper to taste.

I’m just a gringo girl but these suckers are on FIYAH! I served them with a tall glass of milk.  They’re so delicious it’s worth the heat.  These beans are muy addictive.

The 4 Essentials of Any Good Cook

Tonight I was thinking about what makes the taste of your food really pop.  There are many, many factors and you will learn these over time.  Heck I’m still learning and I’ve been cooking for three quarters of my life!  But starting with good basics is key.  Here are the four essentials, in my humble opinion:

The 4 Essentials of Any Good Cook

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1.  Onions

White, red, yellow, Vidalia, Texas sweet and many more types are all great to start with.  I love all onions and can’t pick a favorite.  Keeping them stored in a cool, dry place is a must.  A paper bag with small holes is a great storage method for maximum shelf life.  I also want to throw in that shallots are a fabulous when you want a milder flavor, you store them the same way and they have been really affordable lately.  I have been able to get 4-5 shallots for under a dollar the past several months.  Stock up while you can!


2.  Garlic

There is NOTHING in the world that can beat the smell of freshly sautéing  garlic.  It’s utterly divine!  Yes I have used jarred minced garlic and also dehydrated garlic in a pinch but fresh is THE way to go! Tip: I think the elephant garlic is awful…not much taste to it at all.  It’s nice to look at but it doesn’t offer much in the way of substance.  I’d much rather have a small bulb packed with flavor.


3.  REAL Butter (never margarine!)

Real butter, whether salted or unsalted is a MUST.  I refuse to slather any chemical-laden yellow sludge on my food.  You aren’t doing yourself any good by saving calories if you are dumping toxic chemicals into your body.  P.S. I Feel the same about all dairy products…give me full fat and real vs. lite crap any day!

Real.Butter.That.Is.All.


4.  Good quality olive oil

Last  but not least, a good quality olive oil or extra virgin olive oil.  I prefer organic, cold-pressed and no chemicals used in the process.  Same goes for coconut oil as well.  Look for anything organic, raw or cold-pressed.  You can’t go wrong with any of these!

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Going even a step further you get into seasonings and that includes fresh herbs.  Fresh is always better so get them if they are available and if you can afford them.  Growing your own is a lot of fun!

If you can’t get fresh then dried seasonings are the next best step.  Maybe that can be in my next random post.  

~The Paper Plate Diva

Apple Dumplings

Originally published on October 19, 2014

This week has been full of lovely, cool Autumn weather and I have been thinking a lot about apple recipes.  What could be more Autumny than apple dumplings?

I watched about 5 different videos on how to make apple dumplings and decided to wing it myself.  I didn’t really measure anything so bear with me as I try to put this into actual text!

**I kinda forgot to photograph the making of the dumplings.  I forget often, sometimes conveniently (lol).  One thing I have to admit…it’s seriously difficult to photograph the actual cooking/assembly process.  I have several excuses ready so here we go…1- I am not the most patient gal on the planet, 2- I don’t want to eff up my camera with yucky hands and 3- I can’t afford a personal photographer SOOOOO…this is how I’m gonna roll for now. Okay? Okay! Now let’s make some dumplings, people!

Apple Dumplings

Ingredients:

• 4 medium Michigan apples (peeled, halved and cored)
• 2 ready-made refrigerated pie crusts
• brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 sticks butter (no margarine!)
• cinnamon
• sugar

Peel your apples, slice in half and core out the seeds.  Then take one of your pie crusts and roll it out flat; cut in half.  Take one half of raw pie crust and place an apple half core side up in the middle of the crust.  Take a huge pinch of brown sugar (probably about 2 Tbsp.) and put in the middle of the apple.  Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon over the top of the brown sugar and on some of the pie crust.  Take a pat of butter and cut it into fourths; place the four pieces around the apple, on top of the crust.  Take one corner of the pie crust and fold over the top of the apple.  Do the same with the other side.  Then fold the flat and curvy parts of the crust over the top, kind of like wrapping a present.  The top will look bunchy but that’s how it should look!  Cup both of your hands around the apple and mold the crust onto the apple.  Place in baking dish and repeat with the next 3 apple halves.

Apple Dumpling Sauce:
Take one stick of butter and put into glass measuring cup. Microwave for about 45 seconds.  When butter is melted, add 1-2 Tbsp. white sugar to the butter. Stir until sugar dissolves.  Pour butter mixture over the 4 dumplings.  Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes.   Dumplings will be really crusty on top and just slightly gooey on the bottom. 

This is what they should look like after baking:

Here is one plated up:

Before serving, spoon some of that buttery sauce over the top again!

Look at that yummy inside!

I hope you try these soon!  They are so decadent and rich.  I’m really glad I tried the recipe with a half apple…I don’t think I could finish a whole apple!

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P.S.  This is one of my favorite places to photograph.  It’s always gorgeous but especially so in the Fall.  Maybe it will help make up for my lack of food pics.

Beef Tips & Wine with Noodles

This is another big favorite in our household.  You will have some leftovers but not for very long!

Beef Tips & Wine with Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 lbs. beef tips
• drizzle of olive oil
• 1 small onion, halved then sliced thinly
• 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 c. beef stock
• 2-3 big splashes of your favorite red wine (I use a blackberry merlot)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
• 1 bag egg noodles

Drizzle some olive oil in a large skillet.  Add onions and sauté a few minutes, then add garlic.  Sauté for another 3-4 minutes.  Add butter and let melt.  Stir in beef stock, spices and a few large splashes of wine.  Cover and let simmer over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes.  Add dried noodles to skillet and stir.  Add a little extra stock or water if needed; cover again and cook according to package directions, usually about 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and enjoy! Serve with a side veggie if desired.

This looks similar to my stroganoff but the taste is very different! The wine adds such a wonderful richness.  You can also add mushrooms (which I LOVE) while cooking but my kids aren’t big mushroom fans.  It’s really easy to make but actually quite an elegant dish.  I probably should’ve busted out the real plates for this one.  Well actually the frozen peas & carrots probably brought the class factor back down a notch so paper plates were just right!

Cheesy Broccoli Over Rice

The kids wanted cheesy rice & broccoli casserole.  I wanted to try it in a different way.  I came up with this and we all loved it!  It was a little extra work but worth every bit.  I may never serve the casserole again!

Cheesy Broccoli Over Rice 

Ingredients:

• one  12 oz. bag of broccoli florets (the steam-in-bag kind)
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• half large white onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• one  15 oz. jar cheese whiz or similar product
• one small can cream of mushroom soup, plus half can water
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• sea salt & cracked pepper to taste
• 3 cups prepared minute (or quick cook) rice

Throw your broccoli bag in the microwave and prepare your minute rice first.  While those are cooking, melt butter in a medium sauce pan and add onions.  Sauté for a few minutes, then add minced garlic. When onions are translucent, add cheese whiz, mushroom soup and water.  Mix well, then add spices & cooked broccoli.  Stir over medium-low heat until mixture barely starts to bubble.  Remove from heat.  Spoon mixture over individual portions of rice.

Just…Y-U-M.  That is all.

Cannoli Filling

Originally published October 18, 2014

This is another ‘something’ I’ve wanted to try for ages.  Cannoli shells can be a pain in the arse though (so I’ve read) and I wasn’t in the mood to undertake that feat so I decided to buy the shells.  One of my local stores had them, 6 in a box for $4.99.  Not cheap but it was worth it in my opinion.  *2 thumbs up*

Oh and all I had were big chocolate chips.  How unfancy of me! Hey, they tasted amazing anyway.

Cannoli Filling 

Cannoli Filling Ingredients:

• one 16 oz. container ricotta cheese (drained)  here’s how –> http://www.wikihow.com/Drain-Ricotta-Cheese
• 3/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. orange extract
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder

Other Ingredients:

• semi-sweet chocolate chips (mini if you have them)
• 6 empty cannoli shells
• extra powdered sugar in a sifter

After draining your ricotta, add powdered sugar, extracts and cinnamon to ricotta and mix well.  Fill one corner of a large gallon-sized zip lock bag with ricotta mixture.  Snip the tip off with scissors.  Pipe the mixture into the shells, doing one side of the shell at a time and stopping before mixture starts to hang over the edge.  After shells are filled, dot the ends with semi-sweet chips.  Sprinkle finished cannolis with sifted powdered sugar.

Holy mackerel these are YUMMY!  The orange and cinnamon really give it a special flavor. I was so glad to finally try a cannoli…they were simply heavenly and so worth the wait!

Foodie Funnies

Now I loves me some InaG but this shit was funny!  Y’all know I ain’t fancy (sorry Iggy Iggs) cause I’m a paper-plate-it kinda gal.  I also have a pretty warped sense of humor but hey- it keeps me afloat.  Food Network Humor is right up my alley.  Not sure if the original website is still functioning but they do have a Facebook page.  Jog yo ass on over there for a dose of laff-tur —>

https://www.facebook.com/FNHUMOR