4 cans pork and beans, drained and rinsed
1 onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. maple syrup
2 tsp. steak seasoning
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 c. mesquite or hickory BBQ sauce
1 tbsp. liquid smoke
8 oz. apple juice
Mix beans, onion, pepper, brown sugar, maple syrup, seasonings, sauce, and liquid smoke in a large cast iron pan or dutch oven. Thin with apple juice to desired consistency. Bake at 350 ̊ until beans begin to bubble in the middle (about 30-45 minutes).
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Mexican Corn
(courtesy of my good friend Jay)
2 (15oz.) cans of corn
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. salt
Heat both cans of corn in a medium-sized pot on low heat. While corn heats, combine the next 7 ingredients (mayonnaise thru salt) in a bowl and stir well. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the corn and stir until heated through.
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Coleslaw
1 lb. shredded cabbage
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 c. vinegar (red or white)
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb. shredded cabbage
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cucumber, diced
1/2 c. vinegar (red or white)
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
Combine the shredded cabbage, carrot, and diced pepper, tomato, and cucumber in a large bowl and season heavily with salt and pepper. Combine the vinegar, oil, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir briskly to combine. Pour the vinegar mixture over the coleslaw mixture and stir to combine. (Coleslaw can also be made several hours ahead of time to allow flavors to meld.)
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Taco Seasoning
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and store in a tightly sealed container until use.
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Alfredo Sauce(This recipe will make enough sauce for 1lb. pasta. (Adapted from www.allrecipes.com))
½ c. butter
2 c. heavy cream or half-and-half
2 cloves minced garlic
2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. dried parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
2 c. heavy cream or half-and-half
2 cloves minced garlic
2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp. dried parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in parsley and serve.
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Cornmeal Pizza Crust
(Presently I am still experimenting with this recipe but thus far have come up with the following. It is very similar to the pizza crust recipe I have listed below, but I swapped out 1/2 c. of the flour for cornmeal. I think it results in a better-tasting crust and I hope to improve it even more.)1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 c. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. canola oil
2 c. flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. cornmeal
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in remaining ingredients. Beat vigorously for 20 strokes, then set dough to rest for 5 minutes. Heat oven to 425 degrees, and pat dough onto greased baking sheet. Spread on sauce and pizza toppings, and bake for 20-25 minutes.
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Tomato-Cucumber Salad
4 fresh tomatoes, sliced
2 cucumbers, sliced
½ sweet onion, sliced
¼ tsp. dried dill
2 tbsp. sugar
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 c. white or red wine vinegar (you can also use store-bought red wine vinaigrette or Italian dressing to substitute)
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Mix well. Store in refrigerator until time to serve. This dish is best prepared several hours before serving time to let the flavors develop.
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Red Wine Vinaigrette
6 oz. red wine vinegar
4 oz. olive oil
1oz. water, to thin dressing slightly
2 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. onion powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Add all ingredients to a tall bottle with tight fitting lid and shake to combine. Taste the dressing and add additional ingredients to suit your preferences, if necessary.
Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
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Spicy Sweet Potato Fries
(Preface: when making sweet potato or regular oven fries, I make them fresh each night even though the rest of the meal may be left over from the night before. I use 2 potatoes per meal.)
Olive oil
Salt
2 tsp. Cajun seasoning or chili seasoning, to taste
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. Using a super-sharp knife, slice the sweet potatoes into fries, and place in a large plastic container with tight-fitting lid. Drizzle liberally with olive oil, season with salt and Cajun seasoning. Place lid tightly onto container and shake it lightly for a minute or so to evenly disperse the oil and seasonings. Arrange the fries in a single layer on the lined cookie sheets, and bake for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through. You may want to broil them for the last few minutes until golden brown and slightly crispy.
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Super Simple Pizza Crust
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1 c. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. canola oil
2 ½ c. flour
2 tsp. salt
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in remaining ingredients. Beat vigorously for 20 strokes, then set dough to rest for 5 minutes. Heat oven to 425 degrees, and pat dough onto greased baking sheet. Spread on sauce and pizza toppings, and bake for 20-25 minutes.
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Oven Fries
(Preface: when making oven fries, I make them fresh each night even though the rest of the meal may be left over from the night before. I use 2 potatoes per meal.)
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Oven Fries
(Preface: when making oven fries, I make them fresh each night even though the rest of the meal may be left over from the night before. I use 2 potatoes per meal.)
4 large Yukon gold or baking potatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, slice just TWO of the potatoes to make fries. (Save the other 2 potatoes for tomorrow night’s meal.) Place the sliced potatoes into a large plastic container, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cover with lid. Shake container for a minute or so to evenly disperse the oil and seasonings. Arrange the uncooked fries on the baking sheets and space evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping them once with a spatula halfway through. You may want to broil them for the last few minutes until golden brown and slightly crispy.
Sidenote: tomorrow night, slice the remaining 2 potatoes into fries and bake them while you assemble the already-made burgers. Fresh oven fries are a must!
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Guacamole: my fave snack of all time
5 ripe avocados
2 tbsp. diced sweet or red onion
1 large tomato, diced finely (or 5oz. sliced grape tomatoes)
1-2 tbsp. lime juice, to taste
1-2 tsp. dried cilantro (or 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped)
salt, to taste
Half each avocado and remove the pit. Score each halved avocado with a sharp knife into criss-crossed sections, and remove the insides with a large spoon into a bowl. Do this for all of the avocado. Using a potato masher or large fork, mash the diced avocado until it's the consistency you like. (I like my guacamole very chunky.) Then, combine the next 4 ingredients with the avocado and add salt to taste. Devour.
5 ripe avocados
2 tbsp. diced sweet or red onion
1 large tomato, diced finely (or 5oz. sliced grape tomatoes)
1-2 tbsp. lime juice, to taste
1-2 tsp. dried cilantro (or 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped)
salt, to taste
Half each avocado and remove the pit. Score each halved avocado with a sharp knife into criss-crossed sections, and remove the insides with a large spoon into a bowl. Do this for all of the avocado. Using a potato masher or large fork, mash the diced avocado until it's the consistency you like. (I like my guacamole very chunky.) Then, combine the next 4 ingredients with the avocado and add salt to taste. Devour.
