Sunday, September 25, 2016

Sundays With Stephie: Jambalaya

Good evening bloggers! Before we begin, I want to let y'all know what's happening with the blog. After careful consideration, Stephie and I have decided to team up indefinitely. The Tasteful Texan is under going a few changes. We've been family oriented for a long time. While it's been fun, we think it's time to do something different. We are going to be more "grown up". What this means is more language, a name change, and more outgoing posts. If cussing and fun times are not your thing, we apologize. We urge you to stick around for fun times and even better posts! Starting next week, we will be: Not Another Damn Food Blog!

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, here's Stephie with her newest recipe.

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It's Stephie again!! This time we are giving y'all some sweet Southern cooking. This jambalaya is gonna make you hoot and holler. Here we go!



Jambalaya
Yields 8 Servings



You will need:



  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Pound Chicken, diced and grilled
  • 1/2 Pound Link Sausage, sliced and grilled
  • 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
  • 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
  • 1 Celery Stalk, diced
  • 1 Cup Long Grain Rice
  • 1 Can Diced Tomatoes
  • 4 Tbsp Creole Seasoning (See Recipe Below)
  • 1.5 Tsp Hot Sauce
  • 1 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 Cups Chicken Broth
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1/2 Pound Shrimp, cleaned and grilled
  • 4 Green Onions, sliced thinly




Ready?




  1. Place all uncooked meat into a bowl.
  2. Add 1.5 Tbsp Creole seasoning to the bowl and mix well; set aside. 
  3. Skewer the shrimp and prepare your grill.
  4. Once the grill is up to heat, cook the shrimp, chicken, and sausage until ready, between 5 and 15 minutes per food item.
  5. The shrimp will be the quickest to cook, so be sure to take it off the grill first, followed by the sausage, and finally the chicken.
  6. Bring the meat back inside and add to a skillet.
  7. Add the onions, garlic, celery, and bell peppers into the skillet. 
  8. Cook everything medium high for 4 minutes.
  9. Add rice, tomatoes, the remaining Creole seasoning, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, chicken broth, and bay leaves to the skillet mixture.
  10. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes to begin with.
  11. After 15 minutes, stir the pot, cover and continue simmering for another 10 minutes.
  12. Sprinkle with green onions, serve, and STUFF YOUR FACE!








To Make the Creole Seasoning:



You will Need:



  • 2 Tsp Garlic Powder
  • 2 Tsp Onion Powder
  • 2 Tsp Paprika
  • 1.5 Tsp dried Thyme
  • 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
  • 1 Tsp Dried Basil
  • 1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 3/4 Tsp Salt
  • 1/2 Tsp Pepper




  1. Combine all ingredients into a blender.
  2. Blend well until a fine powder is produced.


Stay tuned for our rebranding beginning next week. This will be the only recipe this week, so please don't think we've forgotten about you. We haven't! There will be new colors, new headers, and a compete restyling. We hope to see you all next week! Happy blogging to you all!


Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Honey Glazed Chicken and Corn

Good evening bloggers! I've been a wee bit negligent with posting this week. It's been a crazy week to say the lease, but I promise you that tonight's recipe will be delicious! We also have wonderful things planned for this week's Sundays with Stephie. She has a wonderful recipe that'll jazz up your taste buds, guaranteed. As far as tonight, I wanted to make something relatively simple. These recipes are just what the doctor ordered! Grab those aprons and I'll meet you in the kitchen!




Honey Glazed Chicken
Yields 4 Servings



You will need:


  • 1/4 Cup Honey
  • 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1/8 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
  • 1.5 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts, Diced




Ready?




  1. Stir together the red pepper flakes, honey, and soy sauce in a bowl.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
  3. Cook chicken in hot oil until lightly brown, about 5 minutes. 
  4. Pour honey mixture into skillet and continue to cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes more.
  5. Plate and enjoy!







Meanwhile...



Cream Cheese Corn
Yields 4 Servings



You will need:

  • 1.5 Pounds Corn
  • 4 Ounces Cream Cheese
  • 1/4 Cup Butter
  • Pinch of Sugar, To Taste




Ready?



  1. Combine the corn, butter or margarine and the cream cheese in a medium sized saucepan. 
  2. Cook over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. 
  3. Add a dash of sugar for added sweet element.
  4. Serve hot.
  5. Enjoy!




Stephie and I will be back soon with more foodie fun for y'all. Have a great evening, and happy blogging to you all!



Sunday, September 18, 2016

Sundays with Stephie: Lasagna Stuffed Bell Peppers

Hello bloggers! Welcome to another edition of The Tasteful Texan. Last week I told you about starting a new segment. That segment is called: Sundays with Stephie! This woman is one of my oldest and best of friends. I've known her for 15 years. Her children and my child are friends. It seems like centuries that we've known one another. Now I get to share her with you all. Fair warning though... She is just as strange as I am. Please welcome Stephie with warmth and love. Let's scroll down to meet her!

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HELLO! HELLO! I'M STEPHIE! This recipe came to me in a dream... really... well the concept of it. Most of the recipes you will see from me will either happen like that or something. I kind just throw them together as I'm cooking. I hope you like it!

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Lasagna Stuffed Bell Peppers
Yields 6 Servings





You will need:
  • 3 Green Bell Peppers, Halved and De-seeded
  • Lasagna Noodles
  • Mozzarella Cheese, to taste
  • 1/2 Lb  Ground Beef
  • 12 Ounces Pasta Sauce
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste
  • 8 Ounces Ricotta Cheese
  • 1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
  • 1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese
  • 1/3 Cup Fresh Parsley, Chopped
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste



  1. Preheat oven to 450 degree fahrenheit.
  2. Cook lasagna noodles as directed on the box. 
  3. Don't used the ready to cook noodles because they need to be flexible.
  4. Once cooked and cooled slightly, cut into fourths or small enough to fit into pepper halves.
  5. To make the meat sauce: brown meat in a sauce pan with salt and pepper. 
  6. Drain any grease. 
  7. Add pasta sauce and set aside.
  8. Save some sauce aside without added meat.
  9. To make the cheese layer: mix all cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. 
  10. Set aside.
  11. Spoon a small amount of meatless sauce into the bottom of pepper. 
  12. Layer like so:  noodle, cheese, meat sauce, etc. until full,  making sure you top with a noodle. 
  13. Top  each with the  remaining meat sauce. 
  14. Place into preheated oven for 30 mins.. 
  15. Halfway through cooking, top each stuffed pepper with a heaping amount of mozzarella cheese. 
  16. Let cool for a minute then..... STUFF YOUR FACE!!!!





Thanks for joining us for the first edition of Sundays with Stephie. Come back next week for a new recipe!



Friday, September 16, 2016

Frito Taco Pie

Good afternoon bloggers! Last night I made a meal suggested by Stephie. She sent me the link before heading to work. It turned out to be one of my favorite recipes. It was so easy to compile together and it was delicious to boot! I kind of messed up though. Stephie brought salsa to top the pie off with and I completely forgot about it! What a goof, right? I'd say so. The only people who had no interest in this meal (surprisingly) were the kiddos. 2 out of the 3 refused to eat it completely, but kids will be kids. My son ate it only after I sat down and helped him eat it, but he did not protest. All in all, it was a delicious meal enjoyed by the adults.

That being said, I'm ready to share this recipe with y'all. Grab those aprons and meet me in the kitchen!



Frito Taco Pie
Yields 6 Servings



You will need:

  • 1 Can Crescent Rolls
  • 1 Bag Corn Chips
  • 1 Pound Ground Beef
  • Taco Seasoning
  • Sour Cream
  • Shredded Cheese
  • 2 Small Cans Black Olives, Drained
  • Lettuce, Chopped
  • Tomato, Diced
  • Salsa


Ready?



  1. Before browning your ground beef, gather and prepare your toppings (black olives, lettuce, tomatoes).
  2. After staging your toppings, proceed to brown your ground beef.
  3. Add the taco seasoning according to the instructions on the package.
  4. In a pie dish, place the crescent rolls with the pointed end facing the center and the flat ends facing outward (see picture below)
  5. Mash the triangles together until they form a cohesive "pie crust".
  6. Place a couple good handfuls of corn chips into the pie plate over the crust.
  7. Top the corn chips with your ground beef.
  8. Top the ground beef with a can of drained olives.
  9. Spread sour cream over the olives.
  10. Top with shredded cheese.
  11. Add the second can of black olives over the shredded cheese.
  12. Add one more layer of shredded cheese for good measure.
  13. Place the pie pan in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
  14. Let cool.
  15. Enjoy!


(Picture courtesy of Pillsbury.com)




Thanks for joining me once again. I hope your family enjoys this simple, delicious recipe as much as mine did. Be sure to join us on Sunday for the first segment of Sundays with Stephie! Have a great weekend and happy blogging to all!



Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Beef Pot Roast

Hey bloggers and friends! Today we are making one of my favorite dishes, pot roast. In fact, I made this dish last week and ate half of the roast by myself. No joke. Okay, maybe I'm over exaggerating a wee bit, but I really did eat like 1/3 of the roast. I'm not even ashamed. Do some of you readers do the same thing? Leave me a comment if you aren't ashamed of your pot roast love.  

Before we begin, I want to remind y'all of the new segment coming up on Sunday. It's called Sundays With Stephie. She has some wonderful ideas and I'm positive you will love her! Now grab those aprons and chef's hats and let's make some pot roast! 




Beef Pot Roast 
Yields 6 Servings 




You will need: 

  • 3.5 Lbs Beef Chuck Pot Roast 
  • 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil 
  • 2 Tsp Salt 
  • 1 Tsp Black Pepper 
  • 1 Cup Carrots, Diced 
  • 1 Cup Celery, Diced 
  • 1 Cup Onion, Diced 
  • ¼ Cup Butter 
  • 1 Tsp Dried Rosemary 



Ready? 



  1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  2. Pour vegetable oil into a large oven-safe pot over medium-high heat.  
  3. Season the chuck roast with salt and black pepper.  
  4. Brown the meat on both sides in the hot oil, and transfer to a plate. 
  5. Stir carrots, celery, and onion into the pot, and cook until vegetables start to release their juices, about 3 minutes.  
  6. Loosen any brown flavor bits on the bottom of the pot. 
  7. Add butter, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.  
  8. Sprinkle in the rosemary, stir the vegetables, and return the roast to the pot.  
  9. Cover the pot with a lid. 
  10. Roast in the preheated oven until the chuck roast is tender, about 2.5 to 3 hours.  
  11. Season vegetables with additional salt and black pepper, if desired. 
  12. Enjoy! 




Thanks for joining me in all my pot roast loving glory today! I'll be back soon, more than likely on Friday with a dessert recipe. I've been wanting to do a dessert recipe for some time; I just never get motivated enough to choose one that I enjoy more than another. Anyway, have a great evening and happy blogging to you all!


Sunday, September 11, 2016

Szechwan Shrimp and Rice

Good afternoon bloggers! I'm a bit early with today's recipe but I just couldn't help myself. If you have been following this blog from the beginning, I'm sure I've mentioned somewhere just how much I love Chinese food. If you are just joining me for the first time, you will soon come to realize just how much I can't live without this delicious cuisine. Today we will be making something I've never blogged about before. We will be making a spicier dish today that is absolutely pleasing to the palate. We will be making Szechwan shrimp and white rice. Before we begin, let's learn a little bit about what we will be making.

Szechwan cuisine comes from the Sichuan province in China. It's bold and spicy due to it's use of spices, garlic, and peppers. Spicy Sichuan cuisine has been a common cuisine since the middle ages, but matriculated into American cuisine sometime during the early 19th century when more and more Chinese immigrants began relocating to America.

I love sharing little tidbits like that with y'all. Knowledge is power, right? Anyway, let's grab our cooking aprons and I'll meet you in the kitchen!



Szechwan Shrimp
Yields 4 Servings




You will need:


  • 4 Tbsp Water
  • 2 Tbsp Ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 2 Tsp Cornstarch
  • 1 Tsp Honey
  • 1/2 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper
  • 1/4 Tsp Ground Ginger
  • 1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 1/4 Cup Green Onions, Sliced
  • 4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 12 Ounces Cooked Shrimp, Tails Removed


Ready?



  1. In a bowl, stir together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper, and ground ginger. 
  2. Set aside.
  3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. 
  4. Stir in green onions and garlic; cook 30 seconds. 
  5. Stir in shrimp, and toss to coat with oil. Stir in sauce. 
  6. Cook and stir until sauce is bubbly and thickened.





Meanwhile....



Steamed White Rice
Yields 6 Servings




You will need:

  • 2 Cups Long-Grain White Rice
  • 2.5 Cups Water
  • 1 Tsp Kosher Salt



  1. Rinse rice under cold water until the water runs clear.
  2. Place rice and measured water in a sauce pan with a tight-fitting lid.
  3. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  4. Add salt, stir together, and reduce heat to low.
  5. Simmer undisturbed until rice is tender, about 15 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat but leave the lid intact for 5 minutes to steam.
  7. Fluff with a fork and serve under Szechuan shrimp.
  8. Enjoy!





Okay ladies and gentlemen, I will be back sometime later this week with another delicious recipe or two. I have a fun weekly treat for all of you in the works as well. Be prepared for a new segment debuting within the next few weeks. Have a great evening, and happy blogging to you all!



Friday, September 9, 2016

Grilled Cheese Mania!

Welcome bloggers to another exciting edition of The Tasteful Texan. As you can tell my blog underwent some drastic changes to prepare for the Fall season. I was obviously in the mood to start Fall early despite the season not actually starting until later this month. Anyway, today we will be having a grilled cheese fest! I've had the worst kind of craving for grilled cheese lately, so much so that I sent a text to my best friend requesting that we make Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwiches the next time I go over. I might have a problem... I don't see it as a problem, but others might especially if they aren't big fans of the toasty, tasty, cheesy delight. 

Again, I digress from the real reason we are here... Grab those aprons and meet me in the kitchen for two amazing grilled cheese recipes!



Bacon, Avocado, and Pear Grilled Cheese
Yields 4 Servings



You will need:


  • 8 Slices Sourdough Bread
  • 1/4 Cup Butter
  • 8 Slices Thick Cut Bacon, Cooked
  • 8 Slices Pepperjack Cheese
  • 1 Red Onion, Sliced Into Rings
  • 1 Avocado, cut into 1/4-Inch Slices



Ready?




  1. Lay bread on a work surface and spread butter on one side of each slice.
  2. Layer bacon, 1 slice of cheese, onion rings, avocado slices, and another slice of cheese on top of the unbuttered-side of the bread. 
  3. Top with the second slice of bread, buttered-side facing up.
  4. Cook sandwiches in a skillet over medium heat, flipping once, until both sides are golden brown and cheese has melted, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
  5. Enjoy!



Let's move on to our final delicious grilled cheese recipe. This one is a real kicker!



Dulce de Leche Grilled Cheese
Yields 2 Servings



You will need:

  • 1/4 Cup Cream Cheese, Softened
  • 1 Tbsp Dulce de Leche (Milk Caramel Spread)
  • 1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 4 Slices Cinnamon Raisin Bread
  • 1 Small Apple, Peeled, Cored, and Sliced



Ready?




  1. In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, dulce de leche, and cinnamon until thoroughly combined. 
  2. Spread 2 slices of bread with the mixture, half on each slice. 
  3. Divide the apple slices in half, and arrange the slices on top of the cream cheese topping. 
  4. Top with the remaining bread slices to make 2 sandwiches.
  5. Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium heat. 
  6. Pan-fry the sandwiches until toasted and golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side.
  7. Enjoy!



I hope you enjoyed making these sandwiches as much as I've enjoyed sharing them. Have a great evening, and happy blogging to you all!




Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Italian Calzones

Good evening fellow foodies and bloggers alike! Welcome to another edition of The Tasteful Texan. Tonight I decided on making something that I don't eat very often. Usually, when I do eat this dish, it's loaded with red sauce (marinara) and gives me the worst type of heartburn... Can you say oy vey? Instead, we are taking a different spin with this dish and avoiding red sauce altogether. This dish can be made many different ways. If you aren't a carnivore, you can pile this bad boy up with vegetables and call it a day. If you prefer meat, you can additionally add all the meat you like or enjoy! It's completely versatile. Anyway, I know the suspense is high, so let's get going. Tonight we will be making... 



Calzones 
Yields 8 Servings 




You will need: 

  • 1 Package Active Dry Yeast 
  • 1 Cup Warm Water 
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil + 1 Tsp Olive Oil 
  • 1 Tsp White Sugar 
  • 1 Tsp Salt 
  • 2.5 Cups All Purpose Flour, Divided  
  • ½ Cup Ricotta Cheese 
  • 1.5 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese 
  • ½ Cup Pepperoni, Diced 
  • ½ Cup Fresh Mushrooms, Sliced 
  • 1 Tbsp Dried Basil 
  • 1 Egg, Beaten 



Ready? 



  1. To Make the Dough: In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water.  
  2. Add the oil, sugar and salt; mix in 1 cup of the flour until smooth.  
  3. Gradually stir in the rest of the flour, until dough is smooth and workable.  
  4. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes 
  5. Lay dough in a bowl containing 1 teaspoon olive oil, then flip the dough, cover and let rise for 40 minutes, or until almost doubled. 
  6. To Make the Filling: While dough is rising, combine the ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms and basil leaves in a large bowl.  
  7. Mix well, cover bowl and refrigerate to chill. 
  8. Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. 
  9. When dough is ready, punch it down and separate it into 2 equal parts.  
  10. Roll parts out into thin circles on a lightly floured surface.  
  11. Fill each circle with 1/2 of the cheese/meat filling and fold over, securing edges by folding in and pressing with a fork.  
  12. Brush the top of each calzone with egg and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. 
  13. Bake for 30 minutes.  
  14. Enjoy! 






Thank you for joining me for an extremely delicious meal. In case you were wondering, there is definitely a difference between a calzone and a stromboli. It's the dough! Calzones are circular pizza dough while stromboli is square pizza dough. Th recipes vary as well. Another difference is that stromboli has the marinara sauce inside (something that I'm not a huge fan of), while the calzone has the sauce served over it or on the side. The more you know, right? Anyway, have a great evening and I'll be back later this week with another recipe! Happy blogging!