Tamale Pie

I don't want to call this Mexican food, because it isn't.  I love real Mexican food, but the fake "Mexican" food I grew up on, has its own place in my heart.  This is a great quick meal that mixes up quick and bakes in one dish.  While it bakes, you can put together a green salad, cut up some fruit, and sit down to a great meal.  A friend asked me for this recipe to make for a boy she was trying to impress.  They made this together for their first date and now they are married!

Tamale filling:
1 pound ground beef
1 bell pepper any color
1 onion
2 cloves minced garlic
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can corn (or 1 cup frozen corn)
1 can diced green chilies
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 small can sliced olives (optional)
1/4 cup salsa
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cornbread topping:
Recipe below

Toppings:
Avocado
Sour cream
Salsa

1. Dice onion and bell pepper.  Brown hamburger in a skillet, breaking up into pieces with a spatula as it cooks.  When hamburger is partially brown, add onion and bell pepper until onion is translucent and meat is cooked through.

2. Mix remaining ingredients (except cheese) together.  If it doesn't look saucy enough, add the 1/4 cup salsa.  Spread in a 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Pour on cornbread topping* and bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

3. Serve with avocado, sour cream, and salsa.

*I think it is too much to pour all the cornbread batter on top, so take out enough to fill a mini loaf pan and bake it alongside the tamale pie in the oven.  The mini loaf is usually baked after 15-20 minutes, depending on the oven.

Cornbread topping:

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour (I generally use half white, half wheat)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
1 beaten egg
1 cup milk

1. Mix together dry ingredients.

2.  Add wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

Tamale Pie started as my mom's recipe, that I have adapted over the years.  Cornbread recipe is slightly adapted from here.

Healthy Banana Muffins

Have you ever eaten a muffin and thought it tasted like dessert?  Yeah, those muffins are tasty, but this is perfect when you want something tasty that doesn't taste like dessert.  This recipe contains no butter or oil and very little sugar.  Bananas are already super sweet, especially when they are brown, so there isn't really a need to add much sugar.  These are moist and are healthy enough to eat with breakfast.

1 cup flour*
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe mashed bananas
3 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix wet ingredients together.  Add dry ingredients and stir util just barely combined.  If you over mix muffins or quick breads they will be tough, not the tender muffins that we all love.  Scoop into a greased muffin tin and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.

*You can use white flour.  To make these muffins more nutritious I usually do half wheat flour.  I strongly recommend using white wheat in this recipe otherwise your muffins will be dense and heavy.  I have also used oat flour.  I often grind oat flour in a grain mill from oat groats, but you can also just put oatmeal in the blender and pulse until it looks like flour!  Either of these swaps will make for healthier muffins.

Bay House Pizza

My husband and I received a pizza stone for our wedding. Well, three to be precise. One went to my sister and we kept two - you know, in case we have a party and need two. That's reasonable, right?  

Anyway we've made homemade pizza a few times since then and are learning to master cooking on a pizza stone. The first few times we used cornmeal on the bottom of the pizza dough and tried to push it onto the stone from a cookie sheet. It was really messy. Cornmeal everywhere. And the pizza usually ended up in really weird shapes or folding on itself. Not awesome when you're sliding it onto a sizzling hot surface. The next time we decided to make pizza I decided it was time to splurge on some parchment paper. It made things so much easier and cleaner. Parchment paper is worth it, even if you only use it for this. Trust me.

Now for the name of the pizza. The ingredients don't necessarily scream bays or oceans, there's no seafood on this pizza. But we call it Bay House pizza because the flavors remind us of this amazing pasta we had at the Bay House restaurant in Lincoln City, Oregon, on our honeymoon. That place was so good, we went twice in the five days we were there. The pasta had a smoked tomato sauce with basil, scallops, thinly sliced garlic and Kalamata olives. The flavors were beyond amazing and we still dream of that pasta. And their cantaloupe sorbet.

I first made the pizza just with the tomatoes simply because I had some that needed to be used. But it didn't have as much flavor as I wanted. I saw a handful of chopped Kalamata olives leftover from our salad and decided to try a bite with the olive. That was exactly what it needed. It had become Bay House pizza on accident. A very happy accident that we will keep repeating.

Bay House Pizza

Crust (from Simply So Good)

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 3/4 teaspoons Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon Instant or rapid-rise yeast

1 1/2 cups water

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt and yeast.  Add water and mix until combined.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 12 - 24 hours.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes:

Put 3 c. cherry tomatoes in a loaf pan and toss with 2 tbs. olive oil, 3 tsp. balsamic vinegar, and a pinch each of salt, pepper and garlic.  Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until burst.  Refrigerate, if needed, until ready to use.

This is a great thing to do when your tomatoes are about to go bad and you don't want to waste them. Once their roasted they can live in your fridge for about a week. What a great way to extend tomatoes shelf life! Plus they are delicious!

Pizza Toppings:

1/2 c. olive oil
2 tsp. oregano
4 tsp. basil 
4 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese (I used an Italian blend of Asiago, Mozzarella, Provolone, Romano, Parmesan, and Fontina)
1/4 c. finely chopped red onion
1/2 c. coarsely chopped Kalamata olives
3 c. oven roasted cherry tomatoes

When ready to make pizza, preheat pizza stone to 500 degrees for 1 hour.

Generously flour a piece of parchment paper a little wider than your stone.  The dough is very sticky and will stick if not floured well.  

Divide the dough into two pieces.  This will make 2 medium sized pizzas.  

Roll dough out with a floured rolling pin to desired size (just make sure it will fit on your pizza stone)

For each pizza brush on ¼ c. olive oil.  Sprinkle with 1 tsp. oregano, 2 tsp. basil (or put fresh on at end) and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Evenly distribute the sliced garlic cloves over both pizzas.

Sprinkle cheese on, you can use more or less as desired.

Sprinkle on the red onion, olives and tomatoes.

Carefully put pizza and parchment paper onto the stone and bake for 10 minutes or until bottom is golden brown. Slide out the pizza and parchment paper onto a cookie sheet or cutting board. Enjoy!

If you want really awesome instructions on how to cook a pizza go to Mel's Kitchen Cafe. This page tells you how you can bake this without a pizza stone. If you don't have a stone yet, I highly recommend paying the bit of money for one. They make pizza so much better! You can even reheat pizza on it by putting the pizza on the stone in a cold oven and letting the pizza and stone warm up together at 350 degrees. Take it out when it's warm and it will be much better than if you heated it in the microwave!

Spanish Rice

I created this recipe when I needed another side to stretch a meal.  I didn't want to spend much time and needed something without strange ingredients.  I was quite pleased with the results and have made it several time since.

2 cups rice (Either white or brown rice works well)
2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup salsa
1 1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1. Dump everything into a rice cooker.

2. Stir it just a bit, close the lid, and turn it on.

3. Enjoy!

Wasn't that easy?

Chili

Whenever I make chili, I never find a recipe with exactly what I am looking for.  This recipe is a combination of several recipes.  This chili has vegetables, a variety of beans, a little spice with a subtle sweetness.  It is healthy comfort food and an economical meal at its finest.  This makes a lot of chili, which is good for sharing and it also freezes great.  The last time I made it, I shared it with a group of friends and then froze the rest in individual containers.

1 lb ground turkey (can also use lean ground beef)
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cans diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can diced green chilies
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can great northern beans
2 tablespoons brown sugar

1. Dice the bell peppers and onion.  In a large skillet brown ground turkey, breaking it up into small chunks.  If it starts to stick, add a little olive oil.  When the ground turkey is partially browned, add the onion and peppers.  Continue to cook until onions are translucent and turkey is cooked through.

2. In a large pot, add meat and vegetables and remaining ingredients.  Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Serve with cornbread, garnish with cheese, sour cream, diced onion, cilantro, and whatever else sounds good.

Variations-
If you would like a spicier chili (which I generally do), increase the red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper to taste.
You can also brown the meat and veggies and then add everything to a crockpot set on low for up to 6 hours.

The Best Apple Cake with Warm Vanilla Sauce

Valerie was the first one to make this cake.  She brought it to a family gathering a few weeks ago.  Since then I have made it twice.  We had an iron chef competition with my local neighborhood congregation as a Monday night activity.  Our group's secret ingredient were apples.  When I had made this cake a week before and a few people in my group had tried it, so when I suggested we make it, they all agreed it would win.  We got the whole thing mixed up and baked in 45 minutes and everyone loved it.  I have tried a few other apple cake recipes before and this is by far the best.  It is moist, has the right level of spice, and the perfect crumb.  The sauce is butter, cream, and sugar.  Can you go wrong with that?

Cake
1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups grated apples (plus any accumulated juice)*

Beat sugar and butter together with an electric mixer until well combined.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix until light and creamy.

In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg). I'll explain why this is important at the bottom if you are interested.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix until just combined.

Stir in grated apples with any accumulated juices and mix until combined.  Do not over mix.

Spread the batter evenly into a greased 9x13 or two 9 inch cake pans.

Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, which is about 30 minutes if using a 9x13 or 25 minutes if it is in two pans.

*I can't remember what kind of apples I used, but I think they were fuji or gala apples.  I left the skins on to make it slightly easier and healthier, Valerie peeled the apples when she made it.  I didn't notice a difference in taste, but the cake did look la little nicer without the apple skins.  So you choose convenience or appearance!

Vanilla Sauce
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

While the cake is baking combine the butter, cream, and sugar in a small saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a low simmer and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is combined.  Simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, stirring often.  Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and keep warm until ready to serve.

Cut the cake into pieces and drizzle with the warm cream sauce.  The sauce is what really make the cake!

Notes: So, for those of you who are interested in the science behind mixing the wet and dry ingredients separately, here it is.  I used to think it was just so the baking soda, salt, etc were evenly distributed.  This is only a small part of the reason.  When flour comes into contact with the wet ingredients it starts to activate the gluten.  The more it is mixed, the more it becomes like bread, hence all the kneading when you make bread.  We are going for the small, delicate crumb that we all love in baked goods.  Also, when baking powder/ baking soda gets wet it starts to make things rise.  If it is mixed too much, all of its rising power kind of fizzes out and the cake won't rise enough and will be on the denser side.  Moral of the story, if you like tough, dry, dense cake, mix away!

Slightly adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Pear Salad

I feel like everyone knows how to make a salad, so it seems kind of silly to post a recipe.  But sometimes you just need a little bit of inspiration.  Today's salad inspiration is the pear salad I usually make when asked to bring a salad.  My work typically has leftover pears from our fruit bowl at the end of the week, so I often take them home to create this salad.  I love my salads with lots of toppings and fruit.  This salad has it all.  Enjoy!


Pear Salad

5 oz. spring salad mix or 1 head of your choice of lettuce (but please, don't use romaine)
2 pears chopped or sliced
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. butter (optional)
1/3 cup crumbled feta or blue cheese
1/3 cup craisins

Heat pan on stove to medium heat.  Put nuts and brown sugar in pan and cook until sugar has melted and coats all the nuts.  Stir frequently so they don't burn.  Spread them out on a sheet of wax paper to cool.  (Suggestion: rinse pan and spoon quickly so the sugar doesn't harden.  It makes it much easier to clean.)

If your brown sugar is a little dry like mine was on Sunday you can add the butter with the nuts and sugar to help the brown sugar soften.  It also makes them taste delicious!

To assemble salad put half the greens in the bowl and layer on half the pecans, pears, craisins and cheese.  Layer the remaining greens and then the rest of the toppings.  This way the toppings are more evenly dispersed.  Pour the dressing on right before serving.

Red Wine Vinaigrette (Adapted from Our Best Bites)

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Mix ingredients in blender and refrigerate until ready to use.  Shake to mix before pouring on salad.