Posts

Overnight Oats

I know that Overnight Oats should be simple, but I wanted a recipe that worked in small jars and was easy to prepare before going to bed. This recipe can be adapted to ingredients you have on hand, and topped with your favorite things. You 

Italian Chocolate Cake

Italian Chocolate Cake

My friend Camilla shared this recipe with me, and I have been making it ever since. It was actually the recipe from her husband’s mother, so I feel very honored to have their family recipe. Camilla baked this cake with me several times, so that’s 

Instant Pot No-Fry Refried Beans

These beans are SO Good and So Easy! You never have to open another can of Mexican style beans ever again. No lard! No frying! No Soaking! Just a bag of dried pinto beans and a few ingredients you probably all ready have on hand.


Ingredients:

1 bag of pinto beans
5 cups water
3 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 jalapeño (finely chopped)
2 ½ Tablespoons chicken base
½ of a yellow onion
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

Rinse beans with cold water and pick through the beans to remove any pebbles. Also pick out any shriveled or discolored beans.


Add the beans, 5 cups water, garlic, bay leaf, jalapeño, chicken base and onion to the Instant Pot.

Select Pressure Cook and make sure the light is on for high pressure. Set the Cook Time for 40 minutes.

When the Cook Time ends, use natural release to depressurize the Instant Pot.

Remove the lid, and take out the bay leaf and onion. Add the oil cumin and oregano. Let the beans simmer on the Sauté mode for 3 minutes. Then begin to smash the beans using a potato masher or immersion blender until you reach your desired consistency. 

Wolf’s Steam Oven Stuffed Cheesy Bread

Wolf’s Steam Oven Stuffed Cheesy Bread

Ingredients: 1 large Ciabatta loaf1 stick of butter, melted         1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil2 Tbsp. onion, minced3 cloves garlic, grated1-2 Tbsp. Edmond Fallot Dijon Mustard (It really is the best)1 Tbsp. poppy seeds2 Tbsp. curly parsley, chopped (plus extra for garnish)6 oz. 

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

My family got sick with Flu A a few weeks ago, and I decided to finally make Bon Appétit’s Classic Chicken Soup recipe. It took some time to make, but was well worth it. My son Harrison enjoyed the soup so much, he couldn’t stop 

Thai Peanut Sauce

I have tried so many peanut sauces and this one is just perfect. I have served it over chicken breasts, I have tossed it with noodles and have even served it with crackers as an appetizer. It reminds me so of the complimentary Trader Vic’s Peanut butter that they serve you with crackers. This sauce has the same flavor, but just has a different consistency. Very versatile sauce with great flavor.

Thai Peanut Sauce


Ingredients:

1 garlic clove grated or 1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Chopped candied ginger,or fresh grated ginger to taste

Directions:

Stir together all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Add water to to the sauce to achieve a pourable consistency if you are using it as a sauce. Use less water when wanting to use this as a dip.

Note : I use Trader Joe’s frozen garlic cubes. They a measured perfectly, and they are easy to use. 

Miguel’s Jalapeño White Sauce

Miguel’s Jalapeño White Sauce

Miguel’s Cocina in Coronado has such a good queso sauce, I like to use it on so many things. It’s great as a dip for chips, and a yummy cheese sauce for tacos and sandwiches. It’s not too thick, it’s not too thin, and it 

Shredded Beef Taco Meat

We love Tito’s Tacos! And well…I think this meat is pretty similar. Again, while turning to Google for   Tito’s recipes, I came across one for the meat. I adapted the recipe and I find that this meat is pretty close to the Tito’s original.Ingredients:2 

Pesto alla Genovese

Pesto is really versatile and adds wonderful flavor to many things. My kids love Pesto alla Genovese on more than just pasta. They like to spread it on sandwiches, use it a dip for bread, or add it on top of caprese salad, steak or chicken. I even have a recipe that I use pesto when making baked eggs. Pesto is something I like to always keep on hand. 

My friend is from Italy, and she makes the most wonderful Pesto alla Genovese. I am sharing her go to recipe for pesto, and I feel so lucky that she shared her recipe with me. Actually, I only think she shared it with me because I was bugging her to make pesto for me all of the time. She would send me home with a jar, and it wouldn’t last long in my house. My friend makes the recipe without the garlic, but you can include it if you like. 


Ingredients:


80g fresh basil leaves

50g parmigiano whole, not grated
30g pecorino whole, not grated
30g pine nuts
1 garlic clove
150g extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Directions:


Rinse the basil leaves with cold water and and then leave them out to fully dry on a thin towel for several hours. You want to delicately handle the basil leaves so they don’t bruise. Make sure you don’t pat or roll them dry. The basil needs to be fully dry before starting to make the pesto. 


In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil and salt. Process for a few seconds until you see that the basil is chopped. Add the parmesan cheese, pine nuts and garlic and pulse several times until mixed. Then while the food processor is running, slowly add the olive oil. When the pesto is finished, place it in an airtight container and cover the top with a thin layer of olive oil. This will prevent the pesto from darkening and also from becoming bad. 




Christy’s Salsa

We love Tito’s Tacos! And we love their salsa too! After having visited Tito’s s few weeks ago, I decided to google Tito’s Tacos Recipes. I found a blog with a recipe I knew I had to try immediately. I made the salsa with a