Enchilada Sauce

Red Enchilada Sauce

I couldn't believe how good this was, and how easy it was to make.

 

 

• 2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose or gluten-free flour
• 4 Tbsp. chili powder (*not cayenne! also, see note below if you do not like heat*)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Directions:

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir together over the heat for one minute. Stir in the remaining seasonings (chili powder through oregano). Then gradually add in the stock, whisking constantly to remove lumps. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until thick.
Use immediately or refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.

Pizza Sauce

I found this on Pinterest, but edited it some.  Super easy, and so much better than anything I've tried buying.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 small bay leaf

1. In a large skillet, melt butter with the oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft and transparent.
2. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste and stir until smooth.
3. Add remaining ingredients and bring to slow simmer.
4. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
5. Remove the bay leaf and spread the sauce on your prepared pizza dough.

Kimmie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the best!

1/3 C. butter
2/3 C. butter-flavored Crisco
1 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 1/2-2 3/4 C. flour
2 C. chocolate chips

Cream everything except flour and chocolate chips on medium high speed for 5 minutes.  The dough should be almost white.  Stir in the flour and chocolate.  Bake at 360 degrees for 9-11 minutes, or until light brown.

Pineapple Pork for Tacos

I have another recipe that is similar that I've used for a couple of years now.  It's a little messier, quite a bit sweeter, and not as interesting.  This is lighter, but so yummy.

Pineapple and Green Chile Pork Tacos

3 lb. boneless pork roast (I just use the Costco roast)

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple with juices

1 (16 oz) jar tomatillo salsa (green salsa or salsa verde)

2 (4 oz) cans green chiles, undrained

⅔ cup brown sugar

Combine all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on high for four hours or on low for 6 to eight hours. Remove the pork from the crock pot, pour out all the juices. Shred pork, season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the juices and fruit until it’s the kind of juicy you want. We put some of the
leftover juice into some black beans and cook them down; so good!

Alfredo Sauce

I don't like alfredo sauce.  It's frequently grainy, or kinda tasteless, or just wrong somehow.  But this....  this was good.  Really good.  Really bad for you, but so good.  Also, super fast.  Less time than it takes to boil the noodles.  And no chemicals!  Love it!



Alfredo Sauce

1 stick of butter

1 clove of minced garlic

1 pint of heavy cream

1 cup of fresh Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp cream cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

In a sauce pan over medium heat – melt butter and add garlic and cook for two minutes, then add in heavy cream and cream cheese and heat until bubbling, but do not boil. Add in Parmesan Cheese and mix until the cheese melts. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste. Mix the hot sauce into the noodles and serve.

Shredded Beef for Tacos

This was another Pinterest find, and so not an epic fail!  I used two chipotle peppers, and it may have been a little too much.....  maybe.  Nice and spicy, not too juicy, not too dry.  So good!
The directions weren't completely clear so I have edited them to make more sense. 


Shredded Beef for Tacos

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds beef

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1 cup beef stock

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced

1/2 large sweet onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

Whisk together the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix into the beef, covering each side evenly.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the beef in the skillet and sear on each side until browned. Add the diced onion and minced garlic on top of the seared beef in the slow cooker.
Remove the beef from the skillet and place in the bottom of a slow cooker. Leave the pan on the heat, and add in the beef stock to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and minced chipotle and whisk into the pan sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for a 3-5 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Pour the pan sauce down over the onions, garlic, and beef in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Apple Pie for Mom

This is the pie recipe I use to make Mom's birthday pie.  I don't use the crust recipe, because I am too lazy, but it is a good one.

Classic Apple Pie

Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp grated lemon zest (1 medium lemon)
1 cup salted butter, chilled
6-8 Tbs ice water

Filling:
6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)(I toss them with a little lemon juice to prevent browning and add a little tartness)
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup salted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

Egg Wash:
1 large egg, beaten
1 Tbs white sugar

To prepare crust:
Mix flour and lemon zest together with wire whisk in a medium bowl. With pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut in butter with flour until dough resembles coarse meal.
Add ice water and blend until dough can be gathered into a ball. Divide dough in half, flatten into disks, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

To prepare filling:
Combine sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch with a wire whisk in a large bowl. Add apples to sugar mixture and toss with a wooden spoon until dry ingredients coat the apples completely.
Preheat oven to 400°F.

On a floured surface use a floured rolling pin to roll out one piece of dough into a circle 11 inches in diameter. Fold the crust in half, then in quarters.
Place point of folded crust in center of a 9 inch pie plate and carefully unfold. Trim excess dough, leaving about 3/4 inch hanging over edge of pie plate.

Spoon in apple filling and sprinkle butter pieces on top.

To prepare top crust:
Roll out second piece of dough into a circle 10 inches in diameter. Again, fold in half, then in quarters, and place on top of filling. Fold extra crust of the top layer over the bottom layer. Crimp layers together decoratively.
Cut several slits in pie top, brush with egg wash, and spinkle with 1 Tbs sugar.
Place pie on center rack of oven. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce oven to 350°F. Bake an additional 30 minutes, or until crust is deep golden brown and filling is bubbling through steam slits.
Remove from oven and cool to room temperature on rack.
Yield:8 slices