What out Chipotle!

Who doesn't love a ginormous burrito, or a bowl full of burrito filling?  If you are a fan of Chipotle - then you will LOVE this recipe.  I gotta say it is just as good, if not better than the real thing.  If you've never had Chipotle, then make this and let me know what you think.

I like the burrito bowl, which is basically a naked burrito.  Feel free to make actual burritos with these fillings if you prefer. 

First I shall introduce you to the main characters...

Cilantro Lime Rice

Black Beans

Barbacoa (yummy beef!)

Supporting Roles...

Cilantro Lime Rice

Basmati Rice (or any you like)

1 lime

cilantro (as much or little as you like)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp olive oil

Add olive oil to sauce pan, add rice, salt and the juice of one lime.  Add water as directed depending on what your rice calls for.  After cooking, fluff the rice and add the cilantro.

Black Beans

1 can of black beans

Open can, put beans in bowl, cover bowl, microwave for a few minutes.  : )

Barbacoa

5 lb chuck roast

8 cloves garlic, minced (I used a food processor)

1/4 cup ancho chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp black pepper

3 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

Place roast in crock pot, mix all other ingedients together and the pore over the meat.  Cook on high for 6 hours.

Now, layer up all the goodies and toppings you'd like in a bowl and Voila!

Muffins for your Pumpkin

I've become obsessed with the website www.pinterest.com.  Don't click it, it will suck you in and consume a lot of your time!  I came across a recipe for a cake that only takes 2 ingredients, both of which I happened to have on hand, so of course I had to try it!

I decided to make mini muffins with glaze, instead of a cake or cupcakes.  They came out great and were so yummy!

Pumpkin Mini-Muffins with Maple Glaze

Muffins

1 box yellow cakes mix

1 can pumpkin

Bake as directed on cake box.

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

4 TBS maple syrup

4 TBS milk

Stuff it!

I'm not a fan of raw peppers, but I really like them cooked.  I had basically everything to make these on hand, and they were pretty good.  Very easy to assemble ahead of time and bake just before dinner. 

Stuffed Green Peppers

2 medium green bell peppers

1/2 pound ground bee

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce, divided

1/4 cup uncooked instant rice (I used brown rice)

3 tablespoons shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

1 tablespoon chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 egg, beaten

Cut tops off peppers and discard; remove seeds. Blanch peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water; set aside. In a bowl, combine beef, 1/4 cup of tomato sauce, rice, 2 tablespoons of cheese, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and egg; mix well. Stuff the peppers; place in an ungreased 1-1/2-qt. baking dish. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over peppers. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 45-60 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and peppers are tender. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; return to the oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.               

Kickin' It up Cajun Style

If you live in Indianapolis, I'm sure you've at least heard of Yats, and if you haven't ever been there, you should go.  Right now.  This post can wait.  Go ahead...

Ok, so now that you are back, I will share with you the recipe for their delicious Chili Cheese Etouffe... the owner was awesome and shared it once in Indianapolis Monthly magazine, and it is pretty darn close to the kind you have at his restaurant.  Don't let the massive list of ingredients scare you away, you have most of them on hand, I promise...

Yats Chili Cheese Etouffee

1 stick butter

½ cup flour

1 cup chopped green onions

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced bell peppers

1 cup diced onions

2 tsp minced garlic

1 can Rotel Original diced tomatoes

½ tsp dried thyme

1 Tbs tomato paste

1 tsp dried basil

¼ tsp black pepper

¼ tsp white pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

3 cups chicken stock

3 cups shredded aged cheddar

8 oz. half and half or heavy cream

1 tsp. chili powder

Pinch ground coriander

Pinch ground cumin

Pinch ground cloves

Dash Leas and Perrins Worcestershire sauce

Dash Tabasco sauce

1 lb cooked crawfish, shrimp and/or chicken (I used chicken)

Cooked white rice

Make a roux by heating the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat then blending in the flour, consistently stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the roux is golden color.

Add the green onions, celery, bell peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes and cook until the onions have browned.

Add the thyme, tomato paste, basil and peppers (black, white, and cayenne).

Add the stock, bring to a boil and simmer until the mixture becomes thick

.

Add the cheese, half and half, chili powder, coriander, cumin, cloves, Lea and Perrins and Tabasco and stir until the cheese and half and half are blended in well.

Gently stir in the crawfish, shrimp and/or chicken and serve with white rice.

Strudel, Just like Mom used to make!

Ok, so not my Mom, she never made strudel, but perhaps yours did?

Every year, my boyfriend and his friends host a small Oktoberfest.  The boys make vats of potato salad, sauerkraut, and sausages.  My contribution is strudel.  I made 3 different kinds today, the possibilities are endless on flavor.

Bake them in disposable pans if you are taking them somewhere, otherwise, a cookie sheet will be just fine!

Cream Cheese Strudel

Apple Strudel (I'll glaze it in a bit, it is fresh out of the oven)

Cherry Strudel

Cream Cheese Strudel Filling

16 oz cream cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 TBS lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together. This amount will make 2 strudels.

Fruit Flavored Fillings

1 can of desired flavor pie filling

Drizzle Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2-3 TBS milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Stir together and drizzle on top of cooled Strudel.

Crust 

Puff pastry sheets, from your grocer's freezer!

1 egg - beaten

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Place one thawed puff pastry sheet on a floured surface.  Use a rolling pin to roll out a bit thinner, making it about an inch wider and two inches longer.  Spread your filling across 2/3rds of the sheet of puff pastry (long-ways).  Roll the puff pastry up with the seam on the bottom and place onto your baking sheet.  Using a sharp knife, cut slits about an inch apart all the way down the strudel.  Brush with the beaten egg, bake for 25-30 minutes.  Allow to cool and drizzle with glaze.



Soggy Foggy Soup Day

I'm up early, considering I have no where to be... I'm confined to the house until Direct TV shows up to re-install their services and I can kick Brighthouse to the curb.  Special thanks to Frank in Customer (Dis) Service at Brighthouse for making this such an easy choice!

After watching 2 episodes of Law & Order (Duhn-Duhn) I got bored.  And hungry...

I whipped up a pot of delicious soup!

Easy-Cheezy Smoked Sausage & Potato Soup

1 Tbs Butter

1 Tbs Olive Oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups diced celery

8 cups Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 quart chicken stock

1 cup half & half

6 smoked sausage links, chopped (I used Ekrich Cheddar Smoked Sausage)

Heat butter and olive oil over medium high heat in a large pot.  Add onion and celery and cook until tender.  Next add potatoes and chicken stock.  Over low heat, allow to come to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese and half and half.  Add smoked sausage and let soup simmer for a few more minutes.

Yum!



Make this for your Honey!

My boyfriend domestic partner (in the eyes of the insurance company) Blake loves biscuits and gravy.  Anytime we try a new breakfast or brunch type restaurant and they have B & G on the menu, Blake orders some.  I'm determined that he is on a quest to find a restaurant that makes better gravy than the one I serve.  The good news is that he's yet to find a gravy he likes better than this recipe below.

I bet you have almost all of these ingredients in your pantry, so what are you waiting for? 

Sausage Gravy

1 lb breakfast sausage (I used Spicy)

2 TBS Butter

6 TBS Flour

3 1/2 Cups of Milk

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp parsley

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium high.  Next add the butter and allow to melt, then stir in the flour.  Add the seasonings and the milk and stir until mixed well.  Bring the gravy to a boil and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the gravy has reached your desired consistency.

Serve over your favorite biscuits.  I used canned because I had them on hand and am lazy.  :) 

Oh My Cod.

Since I'm unemployed, I'm trying to conserve money.  This is tricky because I have a pretty good shopping habit.  I've been doing pretty well all things considered.  I've been trying to use up frozen and pantry foods and avoid running to the store for just a few things.  This meal was made from all things I had in the house already, and it turned out to be very yummy.  Especially the Cod!  The rice is just one of those 90 second heat and serve bags, and the green beans were just canned green beans cooked with some chopped onion and real bacon bits I had in the fridge.

Crispy Crunchy Cod

2 cod filets (I used frozen filets that I thawed)
1 egg
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 tbs dry ranch dressing mix
1/4 cup crushed Ritz Crackers
vegetable oil

Pre-heat oven to 400.  On the stove top, heat just enough oil to cover the bottom of a skillet over medium-high heat.  Mix the bread crumbs, ranch mix, and crushed crackers in a shallow dish.  Wisk the egg and pour on another shallow dish.  Dip the filets until covered in the egg and then coat with the dry mix.  Pan fry on both sides until brown, just a minute or so on each side.   If your filets are thick, like mine were, bake them in the oven until finished through. (I baked at 400 for about 5 additional minutes)

Homemade Tartar Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbs sweet pickle relish
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and allow to chill in the fridge until serving.

Aunt Marge's Delicious Tomatoes...and other stories.

Wow, it has been about two weeks since I last posted a recipe.  Who knew unemployment would keep me so busy?  I have been going non-stop, thank goodness I don't have a "real job" to tie me down!  I've gotten the chance to assist at my old sorority as school gets ready to begin and although it has been hard work, it has been very rewarding.  I've also been hitting the gym as much as possible to start pre-training (yeah, I need to train to train) for a mini-marathon next year. 

Last night I made Blake a nice home cooked meal complete with leftovers for tonight, since I knew I'd be in Bloomington at the Alpha Delta Pi house today.  PLITS!

The most important part of this recipe involves Aunt Marge's Tomatoes.  If you don't have an Aunt Marge who grows the most delicious tomatoes this side of the Mississippi, then I don't know what to tell you.  I guess you better scout out the farmer's market, but even then, I doubt they will come close.  Anyway, once you have procured the ripest, reddest, and most delicious tomatoes, then you may proceed.

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with Roasted Tomatoes

4 large tomatoes (Aunt Marge's is possible)  ;)
1 box Fettuccine Noodles
1 jar Alfredo sauce
fresh basil (or frozen cubes of basil, which are very handy!)
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
1 small onion, diced
1 lb chicken breast cutlets, sliced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil

Step 1 - Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice tomatoes into rounds and place on greased baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Roast for 1 hour.

Step 2 - Cook fettuccine noodles as directed.

Step 3 - In a large skillet on medium-high heat, cook onion, mushrooms, and chicken until chicken is no longer pink.  Add the Alfredo sauce, roasted tomatoes, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and fresh basil.  Heat through.

Toss the pasta and sauce together and top with some fresh shaved Parmesan cheese.  Voila!

Now go hug your Aunt Marge.

Ma! the Meatloaf!!!

If there is anything better than cooking a yummy dinner, it is watching a funny movie.  If you don't understand the title of this blog, then you must go watch the movie Wedding Crashers before you can proceed with reading.

Ok, good, now that we're all on the same page, I shall commence with the meatloaf!

I've never been a big fan of meat in loaf form.  Or really anything that isn't bread, in loaf form.  But Blake requested meatloaf, so being the gracious non-breadwinner of the relationship, I will cook just about anything asked of me.

Alongside the meatloaf, I roasted some haricot verts and mushrooms in the oven.  I also reached in the Betty Crocker's bag-o-tricks and made some instant "loaded" mashed potatoes by tossing some crumpled bacon and shredded cheddar on top.

Ma! the Meatloaf!

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

6 slices white bread, cut into cubes

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

3 tablespoons yellow mustard, divided

1/2 cup ketchup, divided

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix ground beef, onion, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix in bread, milk, egg, 2 tablespoons mustard and 1/4 cup ketchup.

Press the meat mixture into a 9x5 inch loaf pan. In a small bowl, stir together remaining mustard, ketchup and brown sugar; pour on top of the meat loaf.

Bake in preheated oven for 2 hours.

recipe from Allrecipes.com

My psychic but fuzzy visions...and Pulled Pork of course!

I had no idea that when I created this blog earlier in the week and named it Crista's Fresh Start, that it was so prophetic.

On Tuesday, my job of over five years came to an end.  Of course the immediate response was shock and awe.  My company was a wonderful company to work for and it was a crushing experience to be told I no longer had a position. Many of my co-workers and the sales reps I supported and reached out and told me what a great asset I was and that I will be missed, and this makes me feel much better.

Alas, hind sight is 20/20.  While I loved my job, it was very much dead-end. I had often thought about trying something new or even going back to school.  This forces me to step out of my comfort zone and do just that. 

In the mean time, I will take at least a few days to enjoy the "real house-wives of Indianapolis" lifestyle.  Yeah, I know I'm not a wife, or a housewife, but neither was Bethany Frankel and look where she is now! 

So as I enjoyed my first day of as a lady-of-leisure, I whipped out the crock pot and made some delicious dinner.  Without further ado, I give you...

Delicious Pulled Pork

5 lb. Pork Shoulder
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of water

Mix spices together and rub over the pork roast.  Place roast in a 5-6 qt. crock pot and add the cup of water.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5.

Blake likes his with slaw and bbq sauce on top!  I like it just as it is.  There is no wrong way to eat this delicious meat!

Sweet Broccoli Slaw

My aunt Verlena makes a very tasty salad involving broccoli and cauliflower.  Her delicious salad is the inspiration for this recipe.

It is perfect for a quick side dish and takes less than 5 minutes to make.  I made it with ingredients I had on hand, but you can certainly change it up based on what you have in the fridge.

1 bag of broccoli slaw mix
1 cup mayo
1 TBS splenda (or sugar)
1 TBS apple cider vinegar
2 TBS freshly grated parmesean
1/4 cup bacon pieces
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix everything together and voila!

Hi, I'm Crista and I'm a Ranch-a-holic.

I love grilling out in the summer.  However, since Blake and I both arrived home in the midst of a monsoon, the grill was off limits tonight.

Did that stop the awesomeness that are the burgers that Blake makes?  Of course not!  When I walked in to the kitchen he was already pattying the ground beef that had been mixed with the secret ingredient.

Dry Ranch Dressing powder.  It's like a piece of heaven in dehydrated powdered form.

This recipe is quite simple.

2 TBS of dry Ranch Dressing Mix
1 lb of ground beef

Mix.  Grill.  Eat.  Yummmm!

A Fresh Start...

Once upon a time...
I had a food blog.  I updated it frequently and loved to cook.  I cooked at home almost daily and posted anything that turned out semi-decent. 

Then life happened.  There were lots of changes, both positive and negative, and my posts became few and far between.  Well blogging world, I'm back! 

I will be moving stuff from my old blog over occasionally, so if something looks familiar, that is probably why.

Get excited!