Category: ALWAYS EAT ON THE GOOD CHINA

Meatloaf with a BIGGER Kick, & Avocado Stufffed Cheddar Jalapenos

MEATLOAF WITH A BIGGER* KICK
2 pounds hamburger
2 Jaapenos, chopped fine
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
3 cloves minced garlic
1 jumbo egg
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Beef Base
1 Tablespoon creamy horseradish
1 sleeve Townhouse crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • Mix all ingredients together thoroughly
  • Use a tall loaf pan
  • Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until edges are browned and crisp
  • Immediately pour off excess grease
  • Enjoy

*You can see my original Meatloaf with a KICK recipe here.

AVOCADO STUFFED CHEDDAR JALAPENOS
12 large Jalapenos
2 ripe avocados
1/3 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
12 slices aged cheddar

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • With gloved hands clean and seed the Jalapenos
  • Mash avocados.
  • Mix avocados, sour cream, salt and pepper until well blended.
  • Fill each Jalapeno.
  • Bake 30 minutes.
  • Top with Cheddar and bake 5 minutes more.


TIP: The chemical capsaicin, the component that makes peppers and chiles hot, is a tricky one. Drinking water does not relieve the burn. Capsaicin bonds with fat, so cream, whole milk, yogurt, and other creamy things are your best antidote. If you’re cutting chiles you can prevent irritation by coating your skin with oil before you start working with the chiles, or wearing gloves for chopping.

Chicken Enchiladas & Refried Beans

Recently FIL wanted chicken enchiladas. He said 2 different granddaughters would come up and make them in the past and then freeze them so he’d have them later. So I made a big batch and froze them in 2 packs for him.



OOPS there is no picture with the sauce poured over them, but don’t forget this very important step.


CHICKEN ENCHILADAS SUIZA
2 pounds boneless chicken breasts (or bone in if your prefer), cooked & shredded*
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup sour cream +
4 oz. can chopped green chiles, drained
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 can Rotel mild original tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 14 oz. can mild enchilada sauce, green
2 cups finely shredded jack and cheddar cheese
corn tortillas
Avocado slices
  • Place chicken in stock pot with enough water to cover, salt and pepper. Bring to a low rolling boil until chicken is cooked through. Cool, de-bone if necessary and cut into bite sized pieces, preferably shredded.
  • In a large bowl mix together the chicken pieces, Rotel tomatoes, green chiles, 1 cup of the cheese and 1/4 cup of the sour cream. Mix well.
  • Lightly spread a thin layer of sour cream on each tortilla. Divide the chicken mixture amongst all the tortillas and roll them securely. Place each one seam side down, side by side in a lightly sprayed rectangular baking dish. Pour the sauce evenly over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
  • Bake foil covered for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.
  • Uncover and bake another 15 minutes until cheese is melted and crisp.
  • Serve with avocado slices and home made refried beans.

*Tonight I used rotisserie chicken

Boston Baked Beans, the hard way…

Not too long ago I researched Navy beans for my Navy Bean & Ham soup. During that research I also found that navy beans, named that for the bean of choice of the U.S. Navy, are the main bean used in Boston Baked Beans. I have been making my BBQ Bean dinner for years using canned BUSH beans, but decided it was time to make true Boston Baked Beans my way. I found that most versions used salt pork, but I like the bacon too so I chose to use both. You could substitute if your prefer though. I also eliminated all mustard due to an allergy, but also because I prefer the sweeter version.

Here is my version:

BOSTON BAKED BEAN DINNER
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 pound salt pork, cubed & browned
2 large Vidalia or Maui onion, chopped small
4 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 cup ketchup
1 cup molasses
3 cups packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup vinegar
1 pound navy beans

  • Soak beans overnight.
  • Brown hamburger, drain and layer into the bottom of your slow cooker.
  • Cube and brown the salt pork. Add to slow cooker.
  • Fry bacon until crisp. Crumble bacon into pieces. Add to slow cooker.
  • Chop onion into small pieces and scatter over the meat.
  • Add the beans to the slow cooker.
  • Scatter the brown sugar over top evenly.
  • Stir together the molasses, ketchup, vinegar, liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce. Pour evenly over everything in the slow cooker.
  • Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
  • Serve with Beer Bread or Cheddar Cheese Biscuits.
  • Great dish for a church pot luck.
Be sure and come back on Tuesday for

OLD FASHIONED BOSTON BAKED BEANS
1 pound Navy beans, washed and sorted
1/2 pound salt pork, diced small
1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup PURE maple syrup
1/4 cup molasses

  • Dice salt pork and layer on bottom of slow cooker.
  • Chop onion and scatter over salt pork pieces.
  • Wash and sort beans.
  • Place beans in slow cooker on top of salt pork.
  • Cover with 5 cups water.
  • Cook on low overnight for 12 hours.
  • Drain beans, reserving liquid.
  • Return beans to slow cooker.
  • Add vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, maple syrup and molasses and blend well. Add in 1/2 cup of bean water as desired for consistency.
  • Heat through.

Tamy’s Menu Plans

Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

 DATE
 BREAKFAST
 DINNER
 DESSERTS

MON2/8
Chili Hominy Bake

TUES2/9
Mandarin Chicken and Noodles

WED 2/10
Rueben Balls with salad & grams vinaigrette

THU 2/11
Carribbean Pork Chops

FRI 2/12
Sweet & Sour Pork Chops
Green Beans & Potatoes in Chunky Tomato Sauce

SAT 2/13
Norwegian Pancakes 		Apricot Chicken
Oven Roasted Vegetables

SUN 2/14
 Skillet Sausage Casserole Chicken Baked in White Wine Marinade
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
 Red Velvet Cake Balls & Chocolate Covered Cherries

Is there such a thing as Blogaholics Anonymous?

I know you are all going to think I’m crazy, but I must admit I’m a blogaholic. Do they have blogaholics anonymous meetings? I did want to get all my food related posts together though so have started Always Eat On the Good China ~ all food all the time. That is where I will be posting recipes and menu plans from here on. Look for lots of new recipes and fun over there. I will also be re-posting many tried and true recipes as I take pictures.

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CHOCOLATE OATMEAL PEANUT BUTTER BLUEBERRY BARS

We just completed the oatmeal challenge here at OUR KrAzY kitchen and I had made these bars for a baking challenge over at Tuesdays with Dorie during January. They turned out really scrumptious.
CHOCOLATE OATMEAL PEANUT BUTTER BLUEBERRY BARS






CHOCOLATE OATMEAL PEANUT BUTTER BLUEBERRY BARS
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking flour
1 teaspoon salt + pinch salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 JUMBO eggs
3 cups old fashion oats
1 1/2 + 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 + 1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 /2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup dried blueberries
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons peanut butter
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Sift together the flour, soda, teaspoon of salt and cinnamon.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter.
  • Add the brown sugar and blend well.
  • Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each one.
  • Add vanilla and blend until light & fluffy.
  • Add flour mixture and blend until smooth.
  • Gently mix in oatmeal and 2/3 cup peanuts.
  • Set aside 2 cups of mixture.
  • Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 well greased baking dish.
  • Scatter the blueberries randomly over the top of the oatmeal mixture.
  • In a double boiler mix together the sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter and chocolate chips until melted and well blended.
  • Stir in vanilla, raisins and remaining peanuts.
  • Spread over the oatmeal layer.
  • Working in small amounts flatten oat oatmeal dough and top chocolate mixture.
  • With well greased fingers press gently on the top oatmeal dough to spread it out evenly over the chocolate layer.
  • Bake 30 minutes.
  • Cool completely before cutting.

I’m also offering these recipes for the oatmeal theme:

On a personal note I would like to point out SnoWhite from Finding Joy in My Kitchen. She has 32 different and yummy oatmeal recipes for you to choose from. Head on over and check out her impressive list of oatmeal recipes. I made the oatmeal waffles this morning myself and was very surprised by them. They were really yummy!
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Prime Rib Artichoke Bean Soup & Beer Bread


Those of you that know me, know that nothing goes to waste around our house – EVER! So in the spirit of cleaning out the fridge this soup recipe was born. You’ll remember that I recently purchase Navy beans, Great Northern Beans and black eyed peas for recipes this month. I made the Navy Bean and Ham Soup which was a HUGE success and then the Texas Caviar aka Cowboy Caviar for New Year’s which was also a HUGE success so I had high hopes for this soup. It was good, but I think it will be better next time with the change to the Navy bean which I found to be more tender and flavorful.

The small, white navy bean, also called pea bean or haricot, is particularly popular in Britain and the US, featured in such dishes as baked beans and even pies, as well as in various soups such as the famous Senate Bean Soup.

Navy bean varieties include:
* Great Northern beans
* Rainy River
* Robust
* Michelite
* Sanilac

Other white beans include Cannellini, a quite popular variety in Central and Southern Italy which is related to the kidney bean and like the kidney bean has higher levels of the toxin lectin (Phytohaemagglutinin).

PRIME RIB ARTICHOKE BEAN SOUP
2 cups prime rib pieces or any other meat of your choice
8 cups stock – I used the stock from last week’s ham bone
1 1/2 cups Au Jus – left over fro the prime rib, but any stock would do
1 pound Great Northern beans – next time I’ll use Navy beans
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch green onions, sliced
3 large carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
Handful parsley, chopped

Beer Bread

Navy Bean & Ham Soup with Garlic Cheese Biscuits

I guess I’ll be the bad guy that breaks the chain of puff pastry recipes, but I have to. Soup is one of my favorite foods and well of course I also love the breads that we eat with soups! I went to buy some black eyed peas to make for the new year and was confronted with a bean dilemma if you will. In front of me were not only the black eyed peas, but also Navy beans and great northern beans which also intrigued me. More about those later though. I bought all 3, started with the Black Eyed Peas for Texas Caviar or Cowboy Caviar and now on with the Navy beans.

According to Wisegeek, Navy beans are pea sized white beans which can be used in a variety of dishes. These very common beans are known by a variety of alternate names, including haricot beans, Boston beans, pea beans, and Yankee beans, and they are closely related to larger white beans such as Great Northern and cannelloni beans. Most markets carry navy beans, typically in both dried and canned form, and they are also very easy to grow in the garden, if you have a little bit of room.

The flavor of navy beans is fairly mild, and the texture of the beans tends to be fairly dense. The common name “navy bean” is a reference to the fact that the beans were once widely included among the staple supplies of the United States Navy, since dried beans do not go bad, and they provide an excellent source of nutrition. Many classic American bean dishes call for navy beans as a result, since they were so widespread and well known; Boston baked beans, for example, are made with navy beans. So of course I am now researching these recipes to replace my current BBQ bean recipe and get away from using canned products.

My recipe was developed from what I had on hand along with childhood memories of navy beans and ham hocks cooking on the stove. Min from the Bad Girl’s Kitchen recently ran a recipe for Ham & Bean soup that is most similar to what my family cooked when I was young. I developed this biscuit recipe after I fell in love with the Red Lobster’s cheddar biscuits.


NAVY BEAN & HAM SOUP

1 ham bone with meat on it
2 stalks celery, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large carrots, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
3-4 fresh thyme sprigs
cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Frank’s red pepper hot sauce
1/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese

  • Soak the beans in room temperature water overnight.
  • Cover ham bone with water. Sprinkle generously with cayenne pepper, salt, thyme sprigs and black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours or ham falls off the bone.
  • Strain the stock and separate into 2 separate 8 cup portions. Freeze 1 portion for your next batch of soup.
  • Return the stock to your pan and add the vegetables.
  • Bring to a boil. Add beans and ham pieces. Lower to a simmer for 2 hours.
  • Sprinkle with a few drops of Frank’s red pepper sauce and some grated cheese.
  • Serve with Garlic Cheddar Biscuits.

GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS
2 cups biscuit baking mix
1 1/2 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese
2/3 cup milk
1 clove finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons butter

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
  • In a large bowl, combine baking mix, 1 1/4 cups of the Cheddar cheese, minced garlic and garlic powder.
  • Stir in milk.
  • Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
  • Brush biscuits with melted butter, and sprinkle with parsley, garlic salt and remaining cheese.
  • Bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.

Healthy Menu Plans to start the year for 3 Sides of Crazy


Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie

 DATE
 BREAKFAST
 LUNCH
 DINNER
MONDAY 1/11
 high fiber CEREAL
 veggie sticks
& yogurt
 Align Center
Crab Salad
TUESDAY 1/12

 poached eggs
& toast
 deviled eggs & celery sticks
 Tomato Spaghetti Cups
WEDNESDAY 1/13
 fruit & yogurt
 cheese &
apple slices
 Ginger Ale Salad
THURSDAY 1/14
 scrambled eggs
& onions
 banana & jello
 Champagne Salad
FRIDAY 1/15
 oatmeal & fruit
 soup & sandwich

Polynesian Chicken Pasta Salad
SATURDAY 1/16
 Shirred Eggs leftovers
 Grumpy Guy Salad
SUNDAY 11/17
 German Pancake Chicken Posole French Onion & Tomato Soup
&
Stir Fried Green Beans with Cashews

Texas Caviar ~ Simply Delicious Sunday

While researching black eyed peas (not an easy thing to do with a band by the same name) I ran across a reference to Texas Caviar. I read and read all those recipes and found the 2 consistent ingredients are black eyed peas and Italian dressing. So I started with those ingredients and from there added the ingredients I like most. We loved the results. We ate it for New Year’s day with fresh tortilla chips, prime rib and twice baked potatoes. Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is thought to bring prosperity. See what you think. I also found it ironic, at least in my case that since my family is from and for the majority in Texas that I had never heard of this before.

Texas Caviar

TEXAS CAVIAR
1 pound black eyed peas
2 cups Italian salad dressing
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1 large shallot, chopped
1 bunch finely chopped green onions (tops too)
finely chopped jalapeno peppers to taste
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
Salt & hot pepper sauce to taste (I used Frank’s red pepper sauce)
Tortilla chips
  • Soak peas in enough water to cover overnight.
  • Drain well. Pick out bad beans.
  • Transfer peas to saucepan. Add enough fresh water to cover.
  • Over high heat bring to boil.
  • Let slow boil until tender, about an hour or so, but do not overcook.
  • While peas are cooking chop remaining ingredients and mix well with dressing.
  • Drain peas well.
  • Blend into dressing mixture and let cool.
  • Chill several hours.
  • Serve with tortilla chips.

Originally native to India, but widely grown in many countries in Asia, the black-eyed pea was introduced into the West Indies and from there to the Southern United States as early as the 1600s in Virginia. Most of the black-eye pea cultivation in the region, however, took firmer hold in Florida and the Carolinas during the 1700s, reaching Virginia in full force following the American Revolution. The crop would also eventually prove popular in Texas. Throughout the South, the black-eyed pea is still a widely used ingredient in soul food and various types of Southern U.S. cuisine. The planting of crops of black-eyed peas was promoted by George Washington Carver because, as a legume, it adds nitrogen to the soil and has high nutritional value. Black-eyed peas are an excellent source of calcium. Isn’t Wikipedia wonderful? I learn something every day!

Start your taste buds. We’re having a Superbowl Recipe Round-Up here at the KrAzY kitchen in honor of the Superbowl. Mr. Linky will go up 2/7/2010 to gather all your links.

Italian BBQ Chicken & Corn Casserole

With the big move I was reaching for recipes that would work around the things I had on hand. I came up with this recipe and it was a huge hit and sooooooooo easy, not that I’ll let hubby know that LOL.


ITALIAN BBQ CHICKEN and CORN CASSEROLE
2 pounds chicken tenders
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained well
salt & pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup finely chopped Vidalia onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic, jar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2/3 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup Classico sun-dried tomato pesto

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Arrange chicken tenders in the bottom of a buttered glass baking dish.*
  • Salt and pepper well.
  • Spread corn over chicken.
  • In a saucepan, melt the butter until frothy.
  • Add the onion and garlic and cook a few minutes until translucent.
  • Whisk in the remaining ingredients and simmer over medium high heat until thickens.
  • Pour over the chicken and corn.
  • Bake 45-60 minutes.
  • Serve with Beer Bread for a yummy cold night meal.

*If you want to cut down baking time, brown the chicken first and decrease baking time by 30 minutes.