Cooking for Zo

Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 8
Prep Time: 35-40 min.
Cook Time: 20-25 min.
Difficulty: 3

Mmm, Mmm, Mmm that is how good these Stacked Enchiladas are! They are a bit of work but most things are worth working for!  Plus it helps you build up an appetite, enjoy!
Enchilada Sauce
Sauce
Enchiladas

Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15-20 min.
Cook Time: 20-25 min.
Difficulty: 1

These were actaully suppose to be Calamari and Chorizo Tacos but I could not find any decent calamari so I switched up the entire idea and turned it into Crawfish and Chorizo Tostadas.  Hey, you can never get so tied to an idea that you are unable to adjust it for the right now!  In the future I will get back to my original idea but things not working out made the right now taste darn good!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Crawfish Chorzo Mixture
8 oz chorizo
12 oz crawfish tails meat (fresh or boiled in Zatarans)
2 green onions (chopped)
1/2 freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp Louisiana hot sauce

Sauce
3 tbsp fresh chives (diced)
2 tbsp cup sour cream
fresh crack pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp hot Hungarian paprika
1/2 lemons juice
1 tbsp 1 tsp Brummel and brown (melted)
1 garlic clove minced
1 1/2 tsp green chilies
1/2 of a Roma tomato (diced)

Tostada
1/2 cup fontina (shredded)
4 tostadas
1/3 cup guacmole
1 cup Spring salad green mixture

Sauce
Mix ingredients together until even in a medium bowl.  Sit to side until ready to use.

Tostadas
In a small frying pan cook chorzo over medium high heat for 7 minutes, add green onion, Louisiana hot sauce, lemon juice and crawfish and cook 5-7 or until heated and cooked through.  Drain mixture and fold in sauce until even.

Spread salad green mixture over tostadas, evenly add crawfish/chorizo mixture to each, sprinkle with cheese and guacamole and serve!  Enjoy

Taste Level: VG
Cost: $20 and under
Serves:
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Difficulty: 1

Tomato Caprese Salad is as simple as it is delicious!

Ingredients:
2 heirloom tomatoes (sliced)
8 oz Fresh mozzarella, sliced
1/4 cup Fresh basil leaves, torn
balsamic vinegar, to taste
olive oil, to taste
kosher salt (to taste)
fresh crack pepper (to taste)

Place tomato slices on serving plate and top with mozzarella slices. Sprinkle basil leaves over the top of each tomato, then drizzle with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add fresh pepper and kosher salt to taste.

Cost: $20 and under
Serves:
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Difficulty: 1
Cake

Taste Level: VG
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 2
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Difficulty: 1

This "Mother Clucker" is a simple but tasty sandwich I tossed together for my mother.  I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/3 lb chicken breast (white) or thigh meat (dark)
Rootbpotle BBQ Sauce
Lemonaise
2 deli slices swiss cheese
4 slices white bread toasted

Lemonaise
1/4 cup 1 tbsp mayonnaise

1 egg
2 shallots (diced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
fresh crack pepper (to taste)

Cheese Topping

Taste Level: VG
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 1-3 hours
Cook Time: 5-10 min.
Difficulty: 1

These very vegetarian kabobs were great even for a meat lover such as myself.  One thing I really loved about them is just how colorful they were!  Grill'em up and try them out today!

Ingredients:
Kabob
1 yellow squash (sliced)
1 chayote (sliced and then halved)
1/4 of a white onion (cut into chunks
1 large carrot (sliced)
1 bunch of hiratake mushrooms
2 radishes (quartered)
8 oz extra firm tofu (cubed)

Marinade
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup teriyaki
1 tbsp 2 tsp stone ground mustard
fresh crack pepper (to taste)

Marinade
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until even.

Kabobs
String Wooden skewers with kabob ingredients and place in a deep sealable dish.  Drizzle marinade over Kabobs evenly, seal and let marinate for 1-3 hours in a cool place.

Heat grill to medium.

Lay kabobs on bottom grate and cook for 5-6 minutes.  Flip the kabobs and poor the marinade from the sealable container over them, cook for another 5-6 minutes.  Remove from grill and let cool for 1-2 minutes before serving hot, enjoy!

Taste Level: VG
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 40-45 min.
Cook Time: 35-40 min.
Difficulty: 1

Zo tossed together another Potato Salad for your BBQ enjoyment, enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 red potatoes (chopped)
2 hard boiled eggs (chopped)
1/4 cup radish (chopped)
1/4 cup carrot (chopped)
1/3 cup sweet onion (chopped)
1 green onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped)
1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley (chopped)
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tbsp raspberry wasabi mustard
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp tapatio hot sauce
1/4 tsp habanero hot sauce
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ancho chili pepper
fresh crack pepper (to taste)
kosher salt (to taste)

Boil potatoes for 20-25 minutes. Boil eggs for 10 minutes.


Toss all ingredients together until mixed well in a large mixing bowl, cover and chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!

Taste Level: GR
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 1-2 hours
Cook Time: 25-30 min.
Difficulty: 1

I was laying on the hammock with our pup Tippy Roux debating on how I wanted to grill up some chicken for Zo.  Then like a flash of lightning, I knew that it was to be, "Bacon, Blue cheese and BBQ Sauce Chicken!"  And just the thought of it made my mouth water!  Enjoy it today!

Ingredients:
Chicken
2 small chicken breasts
2 slices of maple smoked bacon
1/4 cup Rootpotle BBQ sauce
Fresh crack pepper (to taste)

Filling
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tsp Louisiana Hot sauce
1 tbsp Rootpotle BBQ Sauce
2 tbsp fresh chives
2 drips liquid smoke

Meat hammer chicken breast flat.  Crack fresh crack pepper over chicken breast.  Combine filling mixture and rub onto inner side of chicken breast, cover and let sit for 1-2 hours.  Tightly roll chicken breast up starting with the smaller side.  Crack fresh pepper over chicken and wrap one slice of bacon around each breast.  Drizzle evenly with BBQ sauce and let come to room temperature.

Heat grill to high.  Once heated add chicken breast and immediately turn heat to low and cook for 12-15 minutes.  Turn heat on grill to high for 1 minute, flip chicken breast carefully over with tongs, turn heat back to low and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes or until chicken breast is cooked through.

Taste Level: TF
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20-25 min.
Cook Time: 0 min.
Difficulty: 1

The last time we stayed at The Cobb Mansion in Virgina City, NV we were able to take a great tour of the home that included some great guacamole. When we got to the kitchen Paul had his molcajete all ready to grind us up a tasty treat.  We loved his recipe so much I wanted to share it on here as well as share how Zo and I make our Molcajete Guacamole.  So really this post just celebrates all things Molecajete!  Enjoy!

Cobb Mansion Molcajete Guacamole
Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1 Serrano (seeded if less heat is wanted)
2 small green onions
1/4 cup tightly packed cilantro
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 key lime
1 Roma tomato (chopped)

Add oil and garlic to molcajete and grind until smooth.  Add green onions, salt and cilantro and slightly grind. Now grind in Roma tomato and key lime juice.

Add avocado and crush till consistency you want is met. Enjoy!

Francis' Spicy Molecajete Guacamole
Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno (sliced)
2 small green onions
1/4 cup tightly packed cilantro
1 pearl onion (sliced)
1 key lime
1 Roma tomato (chop)
Fresh crack pepper (to taste)
kosher salt (to taste)

Add oil garlic and jalapeno to molecajete and grind with pedestal until a paste is formed.  Now add you green onion, salt and cilantro, grinding until cilantro and onions have become fragmented into small pieces.

Press down and roll key lime around to loosen juices and then slice in half and squeeze all of the juice over your mixture.  Stir with a fork, then add your pearl onion and roma tomato and grind until tomato is at your desired consistency. 

Add 1 avocado and grind until smooth.  Add the last avocado and and fresh crack pepper, crushing them into mixture with fork until your desired consistency is found.  Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Francis' Chili Molecajete Gacamole
Ingredients:
2 avocados
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 jalapeno (seeded)
1/2 chili pepper (seeded)
2 small green onions (chopped)
1/4 cup tightly packed cilantro
1 lime
1 roasted Roma tomato (pealed, chopped)
1 shallot (sliced)
fresh crack pepper (to taste)
kosher salt (to taste)

Add oil garlic, chili pepper and jalapeno to molecajete and grind with pedestal until a paste is formed. Now add you green onion, salt and cilantro, grinding until cilantro and onions have become fragmented into small pieces.

Press down and roll lime around to loosen juices and then slice in half and squeeze all of the juice over your mixture. Stir with a fork, then add your shallot and Roma tomato and grind until tomato is at your desired consistency.

Add 1 avocado and grind until smooth. Add the last avocado and fresh crack pepper, crushing them into mixture with fork until your desired consistency is found. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Taste Level: VGR
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 2 days
Cook Time: 25-35 min.
Difficulty: 1

While I do love my own bread pudding I just could not let myself rate it as high as my Aggie's.  My heart just tells me hers is and will always be better than my own.  Hers is light and delicate where mine is a little more bold and heavy.  Mine has a little more French sensibility to it where hers is more British.

Either way you can't go wrong if you love bread pudding but make my Aggie's first and then make mine! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 croissants (about 6 cups torn into bite size pieces)
2 tbsp unsweetened organic coconut (grated)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 13 oz can evaporated milk
2 cups half and half
2 tbsp milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1/3 cup butter (melted)
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 tbsp aged dark rum

In a small bowl spread out raisins and the pour the rum over them. Cover and let refrigerate for 48 hours.)

Remove raisins from refrigerator and strain.

In a large mixing bowl gently fold together croissants, coconut, milk half and half and evaporated milk, let soak for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

(While the mixture is soaking,) in a medium mixing bowl beat eggs until fluffy, slowly pour in sugar beating until slightly thickened. Beat in vanilla and and melted butter until mixed well. Stir this mixture into the bread mixture and fold until even. Stir well and then fold in raisins. Let this whole mixture set for 3-5 minutes.

Pour mixture into a 9x9 backing dish and bake on the middle rack for 25-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the center is solid (check ever 5 minutes after 25 minutes so as not to burn top.)

Remove from oven and let stand 5-7 minutes before serving hot! Enjoy with whip cream or a whiskey walnut sauce over the top.

Taste Level: VGR
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 40-45 min.
Cook Time: 25-30 min.
Difficulty: 2

I had an extra pizza skin, extra vodka sauce, extra fresh mozzarella and extra smoked mozzarella.  So I opened the fridge and looked at what might be going bad soon and the winners where portobello and green onions.  While they were the lucky contestants our tummies were actually the real winners!  These pizza was simple but very flavorful.  Heck, even its aroma as it baked was a treat! Enjoy!
(For instructions on how to make your own sourdough pizza skin check posting dated 7/7/09.)

Ingredients:
Pizza
1 large portobello (chopped)
2 green onions (chopped)
6 oz fresh mozzarella (shredded)
1/2 cup smoked mozzarella (shredded)

Sauce
1/3-1/2 cup vodka sauce

Crust
1 portion of sourdough pizza dough check posting for 7/7/09 or pre-made crust

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Tossing dough
What works best for me is I strongly throw the ball of dough down on a solid flat surface covered with a piece of wax paper until it is large and flat enough for me to easily balance on top of both of my fists. Then I make an X with my arms keeping my fists close together (backhand to backhand, the dough atop of them both) and I fling the dough upwards with my fingers as I simultaneously bring my arms quickly parallel (palm to palm) about 3-4 inches apart. As the dough falls I remake my fists and catch the dough atop them again in the X position and repeat until the dough has formed a 12-14 inch crust.

(Alternately you can lay dough on a solid flat surface covered with wax paper and squish flat with hands. Roll into a ball and slam the dough down onto your solid flat surface covered with a piece of wax paper. Using your fist mush the dough down repeatedly as if you were punching it softly but firmly (this helps get any air bubbles out of it.) Now using your finger tips press and stretch dough until you have formed a 12-14 inch circular pizza skin (you can also make an easier rectangle skin.)

Sauce
Make Vodka Sauce.

Pizza
Sprinkle corn meal onto a baking sheet and lay skin on to it. Brush the sauce over the entire crust. Evenly sprinkle mozzarella over the sauce. Now evenly spread out portobello and green onion over the mozzarella. Sprinkle smoked mozzarella evenly over pizza.

Place pizza on baking sheet lightly coated with corn meal. Arrange your oven racks to where they are on the upper and lower thirds of the oven. If you are using a baking stone as we do place it directly onto the floor of a preheated oven for 45 minutes (but you will be less likely to ruin your pizza stone if you place it on a rack at its lowest position.) Place baking sheet with pizza on the lower oven rack and bake for 7-10 minutes, move pizza on baking sheet to upper rack and bake 7-10 minutes (if cooking a second pizza you can put it on the lower rack now on a separate baking sheet.) Slide Pizza off of baking sheet directly onto baking stone and cook for 3-8 minutes or until crisp and bottom is browning (if you were cooking a second pizza you would move it to the top rack on its baking sheet once you slide the first pizza onto the baking stone and of course you would move it to the baking stone once you have remove the first pizza and cooked the second one 7-10 minutes on the upper rack.) Slide pizza onto a cutting board or baking sheet and use a pizza slicer to cut into 8-10 slices and serve hot with your favorite pizza sides, seasonings and sauces!

Taste Level: G
Cost: $20 and under
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 6-24 hours
Cook Time: 5-10 min.
Difficulty: 1

Another top round steak!!! How many of these things do we have left in the freezer!!!  We will never be rid of them it seems...  I tossed this one in some citrus juice with a little tequila to loosen up the meat.  Though far from being my favorite cut of meat, it was quite good used in burritos and own its own.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb top round steak
1 tbsp butter

Tequila Marinade
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup tequila
4 garlic cloves crushed
1 medium onion chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper

Rub
kosher salt
fresh crack pepper
cumin 1/4 tsp
oregano 1/4 tsp
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp Brummel and Brown
Marinade
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl.

Rub
Combine all ingredients and set to side until ready to use.

Steak
Meat hammer both sides of steak until loosened.  Combine the marinade and meat in a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours, flipping the bag occasionally.

One hour before grilling; remove top round steaks from refrigerator and marinade and massage the rub into the meat.  Sit covered on the counter for 1 hour to bring to room temperature.

Strain the onions and garlic from the marinade.  Hear butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic in butter for 7-10 minutes or until browning (keep warm until ready to use.)

Preheat grill to medium high.

Place steak directly over flame and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Flip steak and cook for 2-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and cover with foil letting sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain and serving hot with onions over the top.