Tuesday, October 22, 2013

BBQ Chicken and Cheddar Quesadillas


Hello friends and foodies! I'm sorry for my absence this week. I've been sick with some sort of bug. Last week (or was it the week before?), my family was sick, and I guess it was my turn. It was destined to happen. That's what I get for playing Suzy Homemaker and caretaker or the sick...

Well, I'm back (thank goodness), but still feeling mildly under the weather. I'm not sure what this bug is, but I want it gone. For now, I think I'll occupy myself with a bit of food love. Tonight we will be making a very simple, very quick dinner of quesadillas. I enjoy quick dinners, and I really enjoy quesadillas, so it's a win-win situation for me. I invite you into the kitchen with me, and I hope to see you all there!





BBQ Chicken and Cheddar Quesadillas
Yields 4 Servings





You will need:



  • 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (no skin)
  • 1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce
  • 1 (4-oz.) can diced green chili peppers, drained
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
  • 1 cup shredded low fat cheddar cheese 
  • 1 cup bottled salsa
  • 1/4 cup dairy sour cream
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion




Ready?






  1. In a medium saucepan, cook shredded chicken, barbecue sauce, and diced green chiles over medium heat until heated through.
  2. Coat one side of each tortilla with cooking spray. 
  3. Place tortillas, sprayed sides down, on cutting board or waxed paper. 
  4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese over half of each tortilla. 
  5. Top evenly with shredded chicken mixture. 
  6. Fold tortillas in half, pressing gently.
  7. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. 
  8. Cook quesadillas, two at a time, in hot skillet over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until light brown, turning once. 
  9. Remove quesadillas from skillet; place on a baking sheet. 
  10. Keep warm in a 300 degree oven. 
  11. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. 
  12. To serve, cut each quesadilla into three wedges. 
  13. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and green onion.





I'll do my best to be back soon. If I get to feeling normal, there will be updates daily. Until then, it's really up in the air. I hope to get back to posting regularly, and I thank you all for sticking with me. You all are great! Well, I'm off for now. Have a great morning, afternoon, and evening! Happy blogging to you all.



Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Chicken Tamale Pie


Hey foodies and friends. I've been a bit under the weather lately, hence my absence. I'm not sure if it's just a common cold or something else, but I've been down in the dumps. I need a pick me up, and right now, I'm really feeling tamales. They are my go-to food when I can afford them.

Tonight's dinner is a cheaper, easier alternative to cooking for hours on end. This recipe takes approximately 45 minutes and feeds roughly 8 people. I'm going to wrap this up because I'm just about ready to lay back down (which is all I've been doing for the past few days). I invite you into the kitchen with me. I hope to see you there.





Chicken Tamale Pie
Serves 8





You will need:



  • ⅓ cup fat free milk
  • ¼ cup egg substitute
  • 1½ tablespoon taco seasoning, divided
  • ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1 (14¾ ounce) can cream-style corn
  • 1 (8.5 ounce) box corn muffin mix
  • 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
  • 1 (10 ounce) can red enchilada sauce
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
  • ¾ cup shredded white cheese
  • cilantro and crumbled Cotija cheese for topping




Ready?






  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Combine the first 7 ingredients (milk through green chiles), using just ½ tablespoon of the taco seasoning, in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. 
  3. Pour mixture into a round pie plate coated with cooking spray.
  4. Bake for 20-30 minutes. 
  5. While corn is baking, toss the chicken in the remaining 1 tablespoon taco seasoning. 
  6. When corn is done – it will be just barely set and golden brown – pierce entire surface liberally with a fork. 
  7. Pour enchilada sauce over top. 
  8. Top with chicken; sprinkle with cheese. 
  9. Bake for 15 minutes more or until cheese melts. 
  10. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. 
  11. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with cilantro and Cotija cheese.




Okay guys and gals. I'll be back as soon as I'm feeling a bit better. I'm really sorry for the lack of updates lately. Have a great day, and happy blogging to all!



Thursday, October 10, 2013

Apple Pie Caramel Apples


Hey foodies and friends! Welcome to The Tasteful Texan! Before we begin today's post, I want to babble on about delicious candy apples. My big sister came home today from the grocery store. She brought me home a nice treat: caramel apples. Well, they weren't all mine, but I did get one. They were the sweetest, tart, caramel chocolate apples ever.

I've had great caramel apples before, but hot diggity darn, this was delicious. It made me want to make caramel apples with you all, which is exactly what we are going to do today. These caramel apples taste just like apple pie, and honestly, when you think about Fall, it doesn't get much better than warm apple pie. We'll just substitute the pie for today though... Okay families and friends, I invite you into the kitchen. Bring the kiddos and we will whip up a delicious snack that everyone can enjoy!





Apple Pie Caramel Apples
Yields 4





You will need:



  • Lollipop sticks (or popsicle sticks)
  • 4-5 green apples (ex: Granny Smith)
  • 1 (11 oz.) bag Kraft Caramel Bits (or caramels)
  • 8 oz. Vanilla Candiquik coating
  • Cinnamon-sugar, for sprinkling




Ready?






  1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Spear each apple with a lollipop stick.
  3. Melt caramel bits in a saucepan over low heat as directed on package.
  4. Dip each apple in melted caramel and place on prepared wax paper.
  5. Place apples in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  6. Melt Vanilla Candiquik in tray according to package directions.
  7. Dip each caramel apple in melted coating and return to wax paper.
  8. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
  9. Cut into slices for easy serving!
  10. Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.



I really hope you all get as much enjoyment out of eating caramel apples as I did. This is one of those great family recipes that will have your children and friends begging for more. I'll be back soon with another recipe. Have a great morning, afternoon, and night. I'll catch you on the flip side!



Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad


Hey foodies and friends! I'm back, and today I wanted to make a scrumptious side salad that would be a great addition for any parties, gatherings, barbeques, and what not. We are nixing a full dinner for one of my favorite foods, chickpeas. I admit that I am a chickpea/hummus obsessor.

I never discriminate against a well made hummus. It could be sun dried tomato, or spicy jalapeno hummus, or just plain ol' original hummus. Yep, no haters here. Well, unfortunately we are not making hummus, but hummus is made from chickpeas, hence my forever long rant about hummus. Anyway, this is a great Summer salad. I could eat this all year round, as I hope you would enjoy it so much as to do the same. Okay folks, I'm headed to the kitchen. This is a quick side dish, so no worries about time. I invite you all to join me. I hope to see you there!






Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Serves 8





You will need:



  • 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 1 roasted red pepper, chopped
  • 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt




Ready?






  1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. 
  2. Toss to mix. 
  3. Allow to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes for flavors to blend.
  4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
  5. Enjoy!





I know, I know. That was way too simple, right? That's the point. This is supposed to be a simple, delicious, easy to make side dish. Enjoy it and I'll be back again tomorrow. Have a great morning, afternoon, and evening. Happy blogging to all!



Monday, October 7, 2013

Soft Pretzels and Buffalo Cheddar Cheese Sauce


Hey guys and gals! I'm back! It's been a long, long, uuber long week. My family is almost back to full health, and this pleases me. I've missed you all and the recipes so much. Tonight, in celebration, I want to make some soft pretzels. This was brought on by the fact that I was eating some pretzel hot pockets for dinner (lame, I know, but I was really hungry and my patience was low).

I love pretzels. When I go to a fair, or an amusement park, they are usually the first thing I search for. Turkey legs come shortly after that. Anyway... I'm rambling. Let's meet in the kitchen and we can whip us up some delicious snackage! I hope to see you there!





Soft Pretzels and Buffalo cheddar Cheese Sauce
Makes 8 Pretzels





For the Pretzels, you will need:


  • 1.5 cups warm water
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1.5 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
  • 4.5 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • Canola oil, to grease bowl
  • 3 quarts water
  • 2/3 cups baking soda
  • 1 whole egg, beaten
  • Coarse sea salt




For the Buffalo Cheddar Cheese Sauce, you will need:


  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1.5 cups milk
  • 3 ounces cream cheese
  • 2/3 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup franks red hot sauce




Ready?






  1. To make the pretzels: combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the salt and 4 1/2 cups flour to the mixture and mix on low speed until combined. 
  3. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. 
  4. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. 
  5. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.
  6. Coat a large bowl with canola oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. 
  7. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size. 
  8. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 
  9. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot.
  10. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. 
  11. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. 
  12. Roll each piece into a long rope. 
  13. To shape into pretzels, take the right side and cross over to the left. 
  14. Cross right to left again and flip up. 
  15. Slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water. 
  16. Boil the pretzels in the water solution, 2 at a time for 30 seconds, splashing the tops with the warmed water using a spoon. 
  17. Remove with a large flat slotted spatula or a spider. 
  18. Place 4 pretzels on each baking sheet, brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with sea salt. 
  19. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown.
  20. Remove pretzels from oven and let cool on a wire baking rack.
  21. To make the Buffalo Cheddar Cheese sauce: While pretzels are baking, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. 
  22. Add the butter, and once it’s melted and bubbly add the flour. 
  23. Whisk together to create a roux and cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture gets a bit golden in color. 
  24. Add milk, stir and turn down heat to low. 
  25. Continue stirring until milk thickens. 
  26. Add in cheeses and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. 
  27. Stir in buffalo wing sauce. 
  28. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  29. Pour into one medium size dip bowl or a few bowls to scatter for dipping.
  30. Serve hot with the pretzels.




Okay friends, families, and foodies. I'll be back tomorrow (now that everything has calmed down). Have a great day, enjoy your pretzels, and happy blogging to all! See you soon!



Friday, October 4, 2013

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies Treats


Hey foodies and friends! It's been a few days since I was able to post an entry. I'm still looking after my sister, who has bronchitis, as well as my husband who is recovering (very slowly) from some sort of cold. It's been a long week chock full of sick family members and coughing.

I figured, since I have a break between checking on them, I might as well post something tasty. The last entry I posted was a cassoulet, with hopes of making them feel better. Tonight, we're taking a sweet approach because we all know that sugar always perks people up, right? You betcha. We will be making pumpkin spice rice krispies treats. Let's grab those aprons, and I will meet you in the kitchen. See you there!





Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies Treats
Yield 1 Dozen





You will need:



  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 (10 ounce) bag mini marshmallows plus one cup
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of allspice
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 6 cups crispy rice cereal




Ready?






  1. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  2. In a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-low heat. 
  3. Add the pumpkin puree and continue to cook until it is warmed through. 
  4. Fold in 10 ounces of the marshmallows, stirring frequently until almost completely melted. 
  5. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt, and remove from heat.
  6. Allow the marshmallow mixture to cool 10 minutes; fold in the remaining cup of marshmallows. 
  7. Continue to cool the mixture for another 20 to 25 minutes until it is room temperature (failure to cool the mixture will result in soggy rice crispy treats.) 
  8. Add the puffed rice cereal and stir, using a silicone spatula, until combined.
  9. Press the mixture into the greased rectangular baking dish. 
  10. Let set for 30 minutes before cutting and serving.



Okay ladies and gents, I'll be back as soon as possible. I hope my family is feeling better come this weekend. Have a great day, and happy blogging to all!



Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Recovery Time: Sausage and Kale Cassoulet


Hey foodies and friends! I'm taking a quick moment to write this post. The past couple of days, every member of my family has been sick with some sort of illness. I haven't had too long of for down time between making sure that everyone is situated and have everything they need.

This inspired me to want to make them comfort food. Usually when someone is ill, you feed them chicken noodle soup, or some other soup. I would rather make a cassoulet. It's cheap, hearty, and I would think it would make sick loved ones feel better, however, it takes a total of 12 hours to make. So, quickly, let's gather the items we need, get into the kitchen, and whip us up some feel good food. Allons-y!





Sausage and Kale Cassoulet
Yields 4 Servings





You will need:



  • ½ lb. dry great northern beans
  • 1 medium yellow onion 
  • 4 cloves garlic 
  • ½ lb. sweet Italian sausage
  • 1 whole bay leaf 
  • ½ tsp thyme 
  • ½ tsp oregano 
  • ½ tsp rosemary 
  • 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes 
  • 2 cups chicken broth 
  • 1 bunch kale 




Ready?






  1. Pick through the dry beans to remove any stones, debris, or bad beans. 
  2. Place them in a bowl and cover with cool water. 
  3. Let soak in the refrigerator overnight.
  4. The next day, chop the onion and peel the garlic cloves. 
  5. Place both in the bottom of a slow cooker. 
  6. Drain off the beans, rinse them briefly, and add them to the slow cooker as well. 
  7. Place two sausage links on top of the beans and add the bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and rosemary. 
  8. Pour the can of diced tomatoes and chicken broth over top of everything.
  9. Place the lid on the slow cooker, turn the heat on to high, and cook for 4 hours.
  10. After four hours, the beans should be tender. 
  11. Remove the bay leaf. 
  12. Tear the kale leaves from their stems and tear them into small pieces. 
  13. Place the torn leaves in a colander and rinse well. 
  14. Stir the kale into the slow cooker until it has wilted down. 
  15. Remove the sausage, slice into pieces, and then return them to the slow cooker. 
  16. Taste the cassoulet and add salt and pepper if desired. 
  17. Serve hot.




Okay ladies and gents. I apologize if I am not around this week. Seriously, we've got colds and bronchitis floating around. I'll be back as soon as possible though. Have a great day, and happy blogging to all!