Tres Leches

From: This is a traditional Latin American dessert that my husband made.  It took a couple of phone calls and combining techniques from a few different recipes, but I'd say he nailed it!  It was absolutely divine.

Ingredients:

six eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
14 oz milk (skim, 2%, whole, etc - doesn't matter which)
rum (optional)
1 can whipped cream OR whipped cream ingredients:  12 oz heavy whipping cream and additional sugar
peaches, caramel, and/or cherries (optional)

How to:  

Have all the ingredients at arm's reach, as you don't want to delay between any of the steps.

Separate six egg whites from their yokes.  Keep four egg whites and six egg yokes.  Discard two of the egg whites.  Beat the four egg whites until they are as foamy as possible.  Mix in the flour, sugar, four egg yokes and vanilla. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan well.  Coat the greased pan with flour.  Pour in the batter and bake for 25 minutes at 325° F or until it's a light brown or amber color.

While the cake bakes, put the condensed milk, evaporated milk, rum (optional), and regular milk in a medium mixing bowl.  Mix well.  Put it in the refrigerator to chill.

Now comes the whipped cream.  Either use the store-bought version or you can make it.  To make it, put 12 oz of heavy whipping cream in a mixing bowl.  Use a mixer to whip it until it becomes whipped cream, adding sugar as you go until it has the sweetness you desire.   Immediately refrigerate.

Once the cake is finished, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.  Then, with a toothpick, prick the entire surface of the cake.  Each prick should be about 1/4 inch apart.  Pour the milk mixture over the top and allow it to soak into the cake.  Top the cake with whipped cream and fruit (peaches, cherries, etc.) and/or caramel.

Shark, Talapia or Salmon

From: My mom sent me this idea for an easy way to cook fish.

Ingredients:

2 T butter, melted
5 T orange juice
2 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
dash (or more) white pepper

How to: 

Mix ingredients and pour over the top:

Cover caserole dish with plastic wrap, venting one corner. Microwave on HIGH 3-6 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with fork. Let stand for 4 minutes before serving.

Serve with veggies and rice, or Cheesy Garden Casserole.

Pork Chops with Pineapple Fried Rice

From: This recipe is another one of Pioneer Woman's concoctions.  Oh that woman has a divine connection to food. Once again, this is my version with some very minor changes to make it slightly easier and to take away the spice.

Ingredients:

1 or 2 (depending on your love of pineapple) 15 oz cans of pineapple chunks
2 cups White Or Brown Rice, Cooked
6 whole Pork Chops
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Peanut Oil Or Canola Oil
1 whole Large Onion, Sliced (or diced, if you're like me and don't care much for onion)
6 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (more To Taste, Or If More Liquid Is Needed)
2 Tablespoons Honey (or Agave or syrup or whatever sweetener you have in the house)
3 cloves Minced Garlic
2 whole Eggs
1 jar (small) Drained Pimentos
1-1/2 cup Frozen Peas
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (additional)

How to:  

Cook rice according to package instructions and set it aside.You use this recipe for brown rice.

Grill or saute pineapple spears until they have good marks/color on the outside. Set aside.  (Note: If grilling, soak wooden skewers in water for a few hours first so they don't catch on fire.)

Heat butter and oil over medium high heat, then add the pork chops to the pan. Saute on both sides until they have nice color.

Throw in the sliced onions and work them into the crevices between the chops. Shake the pan and move the onions around and let them cook for a good couple of minutes. When the onions are starting to soften, add soy sauce and honey. Shake the pan, stir it around, and let it cook and bubble up for a good couple of minutes until the pork chops are completely cooked and the sauce is thicker. Remove the pork chops to a bowl, then let the sauce bubble up and cook for another 30 to 45 seconds. Pour it over the pork chops. Set aside.

Add a small amount of oil to the same pan (without cleaning it) and return it to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir it around, then crack in the eggs and immediately stir them to scramble them a bit. Add peas, pimentos, and a couple of tablespoons (additional) soy sauce. Add cooked rice and stir it around to cook for a couple of minutes.Top with pineapple and simmer for another minute or two so the flavors marry.

To serve, pile rice on a plate, then top with a pork chops and onions from the sauce. Drizzle a little bit of sauce over the top.

Chicken Mushroom Stew

From: My mom passed this recipe on to me a few months ago.  This is the first time I've made it, but I'm gonna be sure and do it again REALLY SOON!  It was delicious!!

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 Tbsp oil of your choice

8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
1 medium onion, diced
2 diced zuchini
1 green pepper diced
4 garlic gloves, minced (or 1/2 tsp dried minced garlic)

3 medium tomatoes, diced
6 oz tomato paste
3/4 cup water
2 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 tsp oregano leaves
1 tsp marjoram leaves
1 tsp basil

Parmesan, mozzarrella,  or blue cheese (optional)

How to:  

Brown the chicken in a large skillet in oil.  Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker.  In the same skillet, in remaining oil (or you may add more oil or butter if needed) saute the second group of ingredients (mushrooms, onion, zucchini, green pepper and garlic) until crisp/tender.  Place those in the slow cooker and then add the remaining ingredients. Cook in the slow cooker on low for 4 hours or high for an hour.Serve as is (absolutely delicious!) or top with cheese if desired.

Breakfast Burritos

From: A friend of mine mentioned the idea of making breakfast burritos ahead of time to freeze and I thought I'd try it.  Here's what I put in mine... It makes 9 burritos.

Ingredients:

9 tortillas
1 package of about 8 fully cooked turkey sausage
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 lb cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup of salsa
8 eggs
2 tbsp oil

How to: 

Start by finely chopping the turkey sausage. Set aside for a moment.  Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat for about a minute.  Then add the eggs and scramble on medium high heat, adding salt and pepper to your liking.  When the eggs are about halfway cooked, add the sausage and finish scrambling the eggs.  Now lay out the tortillas, egg and sausage mix, cheese, and salsa.  Assemble the burritos, wrapping each one in a paper towel.  Use a paper towel, which can be microwaved, not foil, plastic or wax paper.  Make sure to eat one while it's hot!  The rest of the wrapped breakfast burritos go into a freezer bag and into the freezer immediately to be warmed when you're ready to eat them.  I warm mine in the microwave for about a minute.  Now you've got a quick hearty breakfast that only take a minute to prepare!  Yummmm...

Side notes: Do you need a lactose or dairy-free option?  Use dairy-free cheese (click here for recipe) instead.  Do you have little ones in the house?  You can leave out the salsa and cut the burritos in half before wrapping in a paper towel.

Pesto-Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breasts

From: This recipe came from one of those recipe cards that Safeway distributes in their store.

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
1/2 red pepper
olive oil
mozzarella cheese (shredded)
pesto sauce



How to:  

Cut a slit in the two chicken breasts so that you can stuff ingredients inside.  Cut the red pepper into strips and caramelize them (cook 'em) in olive oil in a skillet. Then stuff the inside of the chicken with pesto, mozzarella cheese, and red pepper.

Secure it closed at an angle with a couple of tooth picks, being sure the tooth picks are flush with the meat (so they don't keep the meat from being cooked well on all sides. Spread pesto on the outside of the chicken breasts. Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat.  Cook the chicken breasts on medium heat (slowly so they cook all the way through).  You can grill them too.

You can also microwave them for three minutes after cooking to be sure they are fully cooked inside, if you desire.  Be sure to remove toothpicks and top with more mozzarella if desired, before serving.

Shrimp Tacos

From: This is another attempt to recreate a discontinued favorite Chili's meal.  I fell in love with their grilled shrimp tacos last time I was there, and have been on a hunt to recreate them ever since!  Except I wanted to create them without the so-spicy-it-burns-your-tongue-off effect.  This is still a work in progress, but this is what I came up with:

Ingredients:

1 lb of frozen shrimp
2 ripe avocados
taco-sized flour tortillas

cilantro lime slaw ingredients:
1/8 cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel
1 pasilla chili, seeded, minced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
1 green onions, minced (about 1/4 cup)

pico de gallo ingredients
3/4 cups seeded, diced tomatoes
1/8 cup diced red onion
1/2 tablespoon diced jalapenos (optional)
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
Juice from 1 fresh lime
1 tablespoons cilantro

Salt and pepper

How to:  

Start by preparing the cilantro-lime slaw.  Follow these directions. Refrigerate while you are preparing the other parts.

Next, prepare the pico de gallo by following these directions.  Refrigerate that as well.

Now dice up the avocado so it can be easily served.

Now run frozen shrimp under cool water to thaw them.  Next, saute the shrimp in butter until they are seared and brown in some parts.  The pan should be extremely hot before you toss in the shrimp.

And the part I'm still working on... finding a recipe for a spicy chili-lime sauce to top it all.  Let me know if you know a good one!