Episode 1: Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos

/0 Comments/in /by

(Video Coming soon)

Episode 1: Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos

1 dozen large flour tortillas

1 dozen eggs

1 T. Milk

2 c. shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese Other fillings: cooked hashbrowns, chopped peppers, mushrooms, spinach (cooked and squeezed dry), turkey bacon, ham cubes, etc.

Blend eggs and milk together. Cook in large skillet over medium heat until dry and scrambled. Set aside to cool. Cook other ingredients per directions and also set aside to cool.

Tear off 12 pieces of tin foil. Set a tortilla on it, sprinkle with 1 T. shredded cheese, 2 T. Scrambled eggs, and any other ingredients (don’t overstuff). Fold in sides of tortilla while rolling up. Hold and roll in the tin foil. Place several in plastic bag to store in freezer.

To heat up, remove from foil, wrap in paper towel, and microwave on high for 1.5-2 minutes, until heated through. Enjoy!

Tea-Infused Chocolate Truffles

/0 Comments/in /by

Perfect for Valentine’s Day, and so easy! I tried these out on a very gracious audience today at the Bauman Farms ladies tea and I think they liked them. Not too many leftovers. The only bad thing is that I forgot to take a photo!

Tea-Infused Chocolate Truffles

(2) 4-oz bittersweet chocolate bars (chopped into small bits)

(2) 4-oz semi-sweet chocolate bars (chopped)

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

4 tea bags (spiced cinnamon chai, vanilla caramel or other favorite flavors)

Unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon and/or toasted ground toasted almonds

 In a small saucepan, bring the cream just to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and put in the tea bags. Cover and brew 5-8 minutes. Remove the tea bags and squeeze out excess cream.

In a medium-sized microwave safe bowl, pour the cream mixture over the chocolate bits and stir. Microwave on high for 40 seconds. Stir and if it’s not smooth, microwave 10-20 seconds more if needed. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.

Scoop the chocolate “dough” by level tablespoonfuls and roll into balls. Roll in the cocoa powder with a bit of cinnamon, and/or nuts. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Serve chilled or slightly below room temperature. Can also be frozen up to 2 weeks.

Notes:

• Try berry or fruit flavored teas!

• If you prefer a stronger flavor, use more tea bags.

• Use cinnamon or vanilla powder mixed with the cocoa powder depending on the tea flavor you use.

Turkey Chili

/0 Comments/in , /by

Right after I had my daughter, my friend brought our family a big bowl of chili, homemade cornbread and salad. We ate that for a week and it was fabulous! I took her recipe and changed it up a bit so I could make it in the crockpot (don’t judge me, I have a toddler and no time now)!

Turkey Chili

1 T vegetable or olive oil

2 medium sweet onions, peeled and chopped finely (I prefer to cook with Walla Walla sweets)

1.5 lbs. ground turkey

Heat oil in large skillet. Add turkey and onion, cook thoroughly. Drain off liquid and set aside.

1.5 tsp. ground oregano

2 bay leaves

1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1.5 tsp. salt (can add more later to taste)

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

*chili powder to taste

(1) 28-oz. can whole tomatoes

2 c. low-sodium beef broth

(1) 8-oz. can tomato sauce

(3) 15-oz. cans small white beans, drained & rinsed

In a large crockpot, add the meat mixture and the rest of the ingredients. Stir and cook on low, 4-6 hours. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh chopped cilantro and/or hot sauce.

Notes:

• I left out the chili powder and it tasted fine to me, but I don’t like spicy foods.  You can also add Tabasco to taste during or after cooking.

• To save time, you can pre-cook the meat mixture the night before then refrigerate and all ingredients to crockpot the next day. Or, you can mix everything up, refrigerate the whole crockpot, and turn it on in the morning. I have also pre-cooked the meat and frozen it to use when needed.

• Try different kinds of beans (I accidentally bought garbanzos instead of white beans and it’s looking pretty good!) or a combination of ground turkey and ground beef or chicken.

Trinity Gumbo

/0 Comments/in , /by
The key ingredient to making yummy & fast gumbo!

The key ingredient to making yummy & fast gumbo!

I call this “Trinity Gumbo” because Cajun cooking often uses the “Holy Trinity” of onions, green peppers and celery as a base, and because I use a combination of chicken, andouille sausage and shrimp. This is a great dish to make on a Sunday and eat throughout the week – it’s almost better as leftovers after the flavors all meld together! This recipe is a hybrid of one I got when I took a cooking class in New Orleans and one of the back of the key ingredient, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Gravy & Gumbo Mix.

Trinity Gumbo

2 green peppers, cored, seeded & chopped up finely

1 large onion, peeled & chopped finely

1 lb. celery, chopped finely

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter or margarine

1 pkg. (12 oz.) andouille sausage, halved & sliced

Combine all of the above ingredients except andouille in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook until veggies are very soft and starting to brown. Add andouille until it begins to curl at the edges.

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts or thighs, cubed

1 T. olive oil

While the Holy Trinity is cooking, in a separate saucepan, cook the chicken in the oil just until white.

8 c. low-sodium chicken broth

8 oz. Gravy & Gumbo Mix

2-3 bay leaves

1 lb. peeled & deveined shrimp (either tail on or off)

White rice (cooked according to instructions)

Heat the chicken broth with the bay leaves until almost boiling, then add in the gumbo mix, chicken, and Holy Trinity. Heat thoroughly, then just a few minutes before serving, add in the shrimp and heat until the shrimp are cooked, just a few minutes. Remove the bay leaves. To serve, place a big scoop of the rice in a bowl and ladle the gumbo over it. Sprinkle with file’ gumbo powder & enjoy!