Ingredients:
6-8 tostada shells
(you can also buy soft corn tortillas and either pan fry them till crisp,
or coat them with oil and bake at 350 till crisp - about 10-15 minutes)
1 can refried beans
1/2 cup rice (I like brown)
1 cup water
taco sauce
olives (slice)
tomatoes (diced)
avocado
grated cheese
sour cream
lettuce
other taco toppings
Directions:
Boil 1 cup water and add 1/2 cup rice. Cook till water is absorbed.
Add refried beans and a little taco sauce. Heat through.
Prepare tostada shells (warm them or crisp them).
Spread a layer of bean filling on each tortilla.
My kids like to use the toppings to make faces on their tostadas.
Olives or tomatoes make good eyes and noses.
Taco sauce can be "drawn" on like a mouth.
Grated cheese looks kind of like hair.
This is probably my kids favorite way to eat beans. :)
Monday, December 29, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Pamela's Christmas Toffee
Ingredients:
1 cup of butter
½-cup brown sugar
½ cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of your favorite nuts (I like almonds in mine)
1/2 package of chocolate chips
Prep:
On the bottom of a 9x13-glass pan, spread a light coat of butter and ¼ cup your favorite nuts. Also, have a small bowl of ice water ready to test your toffee.
The toffee recipe needs constant attention and stirring for about 10 minutes. In a heavy saucepan, add butter and sugars and melt on high heat. Once the butter and sugars have melted and started to boil, the toffee will go through 4 stages.
Stage 1: butter and sugars are melted, but not mixed. Keep stirring.
Stage 2: Butter and sugars are mixed and start to cook. Keep stirring.
Stage 3: Butter and sugars are bubbling. Keep stirring.
Stage 4: Butter and sugars change color, slightly (from light tan to dark tan) toffee looks almost like taffy, it becomes smooth not bubbly. Keep stirring and start to test for hard crack.
Hard Crack: Hard crack is when you take a small piece of toffee and when it hits ice-cold water, it sizzles. This is when the toffee is done! (Better Homes and Garden's New Cook Book says that hard crack is 295-310 degrees - if you want to use a candy thermometer)
Pour toffee evenly into buttered 9x13 pan, do not spread or stir, just pour directly from saucepan. Sprinkle with your favorite chocolate chips on top,the hot toffee will melt the chips in a few minutes. With a spatula, spread the melted chips over the toffee and sprinkle with your favorite nuts.
Allow toffee to completely cool, break apart with a knife and enjoy!
Marie from Make and Takes linked this recipe here. The original link is right here.
I love toffee, and with Marie's assurance that this recipe was NOT difficult, I made it the day she linked the recipe. It was pretty quick and easy, and we loved it! I'm making more today.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
Nonstick cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup prepared salsa (mild or medium)
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a food processor, combine cilantro, scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with as much spinach as will fit; pulse, adding remaining spinach in batches, until coarsely chopped.
Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
Lay 4 tortillas in bottom of dish (they will overlap slightly).
Layer with half of beans, salsa, spinach mixture, and cheese; repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with cheese and pressing in gently.
Cover dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.
Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
from Nie Nie's recipe blog, CuisineNie
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
Nonstick cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
1 (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup prepared salsa (mild or medium)
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a food processor, combine cilantro, scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with as much spinach as will fit; pulse, adding remaining spinach in batches, until coarsely chopped.
Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
Lay 4 tortillas in bottom of dish (they will overlap slightly).
Layer with half of beans, salsa, spinach mixture, and cheese; repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with cheese and pressing in gently.
Cover dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Bake until bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.
Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
from Nie Nie's recipe blog, CuisineNie
Sunday, December 7, 2008
5 Minutes in Heaven or Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
1 yellow cake mix with pudding
1 sm. pkg chocolate instant pudding (or use 3/4 of a large box like i did)
1/2 C. sugar
3/4 C. vegetable oil
3/4 C. water
4 large eggs
1 C. sour cream
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Combine the first 3 ingredients.
Stir w/ fork or wire wisk to remove large lumps.
Add remaining ingredients except chocolate chips.
Stir until smooth.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour into greased/floured bundt pan.
Bake @ 350 for approximately 1 hr.
Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack in the pan.
Remove from pan and cool completely.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve!
I wanted to try this so badly that I finally bought a bundt pan. I've found bundt recipes before and thought about making them, but in the end, I was always to cheap to buy the pan, so I'd move on to a new recipe. This one looked too good to pass up (and I'm glad I didn't). I saw it here and she linked it from here. It also sounds a lot like this recipe, so if you don't want to buy the bundt pan, you can try it in a crock pot. :)
1 sm. pkg chocolate instant pudding (or use 3/4 of a large box like i did)
1/2 C. sugar
3/4 C. vegetable oil
3/4 C. water
4 large eggs
1 C. sour cream
1 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips
Combine the first 3 ingredients.
Stir w/ fork or wire wisk to remove large lumps.
Add remaining ingredients except chocolate chips.
Stir until smooth.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Pour into greased/floured bundt pan.
Bake @ 350 for approximately 1 hr.
Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack in the pan.
Remove from pan and cool completely.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve!
I wanted to try this so badly that I finally bought a bundt pan. I've found bundt recipes before and thought about making them, but in the end, I was always to cheap to buy the pan, so I'd move on to a new recipe. This one looked too good to pass up (and I'm glad I didn't). I saw it here and she linked it from here. It also sounds a lot like this recipe, so if you don't want to buy the bundt pan, you can try it in a crock pot. :)
I feel a little funny about posting dessert recipes here, this IS supposed to be a dinner blog.
Oh well. Once you decide what to have for dinner, dessert should be easy. :)
Oh well. Once you decide what to have for dinner, dessert should be easy. :)
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Calzone
The Dough:
1 cup wrist temperature water
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 TBSP honey or sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 - 3 cups flour
olive oil
1. Place the water in a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast, and stir in the honey or sugar until everything dissolves.
2. Use a whisk to stir in the salt and flour. When it gets too thick to whisk, mix with one floured hand. Knead in the bowl for about 5 minutes.
3. Brush a little olive oil over the dough, cover the bowl, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).
4. Prepare filling. (my favorites follow below the assembly instructions)
(when I'm rushed, I'll use this dough for pizza)
Assembly:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a baking tray.
2. Punch down the risen dough. Divide it into 6 equal sections, and roll out on a floured surface into circles 1/4 inch thick.
3. Place 1/2 to 3/4 cup filling on one half of the circle, leaving a 1/2-inch rim. use your fingers or a brush to moisten the rim with a little water. Fold over the empty side and crimp the edges with a fork. With the fork, prick little holes in the top of the calzone.
4. Arrange completed calzones on the oiled tray, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crisp and lightly browned.
From The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen
Filling #1
chopped tomato
prepared pesto
mozzarella
Filling #2 (the one the kids eat)
pizza sauce or marinara
mozzarella cheese
olives
Filling #3
Spinach-Cheese Filling
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup minced onion
1 lb spinach, stemmed and minced
about 1/2 tsp salt
lots of black pepper
4 or 5 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP dried basil (or 3 TBSP minced fresh)
1 lb. ricotta
2 cups (packed) grated mozzarella
about 1/4 cup grated parmesan
1. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized skillet. Add onion, and saute over medium heat until translucent - about 5 minutes. (I usually add the garlic here, and not in step 2)
2. Add spinach, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, over high heat for several minutes - until the spinach wilts. Stir in the garlic and basil and cook for two minutes more.
3.Place the cheeses in a medium sized bowl. Add the spinach saute and mix very well. Taste to correct seasonings.
from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen
Filling #4 (Variation on #3 - it's a little faster to prepare)
3 Cheese Filling
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 cup grated mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed and roughly chopped (5 cups)
I just bought some prepackaged stuff and tore it into small pieces.
I only used a handful or two - for sure not the 5 cups.
1/4 tsp black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
from Real Simple Magazine, November 2008, p 314
1 cup wrist temperature water
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1 TBSP honey or sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 - 3 cups flour
olive oil
1. Place the water in a medium sized bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast, and stir in the honey or sugar until everything dissolves.
2. Use a whisk to stir in the salt and flour. When it gets too thick to whisk, mix with one floured hand. Knead in the bowl for about 5 minutes.
3. Brush a little olive oil over the dough, cover the bowl, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk (about 1 hour).
4. Prepare filling. (my favorites follow below the assembly instructions)
(when I'm rushed, I'll use this dough for pizza)
Assembly:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a baking tray.
2. Punch down the risen dough. Divide it into 6 equal sections, and roll out on a floured surface into circles 1/4 inch thick.
3. Place 1/2 to 3/4 cup filling on one half of the circle, leaving a 1/2-inch rim. use your fingers or a brush to moisten the rim with a little water. Fold over the empty side and crimp the edges with a fork. With the fork, prick little holes in the top of the calzone.
4. Arrange completed calzones on the oiled tray, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until crisp and lightly browned.
From The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen
Filling #1
chopped tomato
prepared pesto
mozzarella
Filling #2 (the one the kids eat)
pizza sauce or marinara
mozzarella cheese
olives
Filling #3
Spinach-Cheese Filling
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup minced onion
1 lb spinach, stemmed and minced
about 1/2 tsp salt
lots of black pepper
4 or 5 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP dried basil (or 3 TBSP minced fresh)
1 lb. ricotta
2 cups (packed) grated mozzarella
about 1/4 cup grated parmesan
1. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized skillet. Add onion, and saute over medium heat until translucent - about 5 minutes. (I usually add the garlic here, and not in step 2)
2. Add spinach, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, over high heat for several minutes - until the spinach wilts. Stir in the garlic and basil and cook for two minutes more.
3.Place the cheeses in a medium sized bowl. Add the spinach saute and mix very well. Taste to correct seasonings.
from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen
Filling #4 (Variation on #3 - it's a little faster to prepare)
3 Cheese Filling
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 cup grated mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed and roughly chopped (5 cups)
I just bought some prepackaged stuff and tore it into small pieces.
I only used a handful or two - for sure not the 5 cups.
1/4 tsp black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
from Real Simple Magazine, November 2008, p 314
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