Bananas?????

I was bored and decided to try this at home one day. I had no idea if it would turn okay or not but once I finished it, my daughter loved it. She is still bugging me to make this again. I guess that you could call these fried banana empanadas. Anyway, whatever you want to call them, here is the recipe.

Fried Banana Empanadas

Ingredients:

Bananas, peeled and sliced in half
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
Package of egg roll wrappers
Oil for frying or deep fryer

Method:

1. Take the banana halves and slice each half into thirds.
2. Take an egg roll wrapper and place it on your work surface.
3. Roll a section of banana in the brown sugar and place in the center of the wrapper
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon
5. Fold ends of wrapper over banana and then roll the wrapper up to enclose the banana. Dip your finger in water and brush the edge of the wrapper to seal it.
6. When you have your empanadas completed, fry to a crisp golden brown.

These are best served warm while the bananas are hot but the sugar has had time to cool. My daughter even ate them the next day and said they were delicious.

Garfield would love this

Here is one of my recipes for lasagna.

Lasagna

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked lasagna noodles
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
1 can (4 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)
2 eggs
2 cups (16 ounces) cream-style cottage cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:
1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain.
2. Cook meats, onion and garlic in large skillet over medium-high heat until meat is brown, stirring to separate meat. Drain fat.
3. Add tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, basil and marjoram. Reduce heat to low. Cover; simmer 15 minutes, stirring often. Stir in mushrooms; set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat eggs in large bowl; add cottage cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well.
5. Place half the noodles in bottom of greased 13X9-inch baking pan. Spread half the cottage cheese mixture over noodles, then half the meat mixture and half the Cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake lasagna 40 to 45 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Tip: Lasagna can be assembled, covered and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance. Bake, uncovered, in preheated 375°F oven 60 minutes or until bubbly.

Burritos anyone?

Okay, that's enough alcohol and dessert so now I'll move on to one of my favorite ethnic dishes. It is burrito pollo con salsa rojo or a chicken burrito with red sauce.

Burrito Pollo con salsa rojo

For the sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon flour
1/8 cup chili powder
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (or a bit more depending how thin you want it to be)
6 ounces tomato paste (1 small can)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup sour cream

For the filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts (depending on size)
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4 small plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 small lime

4 large (not extra large) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded colby jack cheese (or cheese of your choice)

sour cream for garnish
sprigs of cilantro for garnish


Make the sauce:
In a medium saucepan heat oil, add flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add stock, tomato paste, oregano, cumin, and salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken and smooth out. Add the honey and sour cream and adjust the seasonings if needed. Keep warm until you're ready to ladle it over your wet burrito.

Make the filling:
Start by cooking your chicken in a bit of olive oil until cooked through. No need to even season the chicken at this point because it will be seasoned later when it's mixed with the vegetables. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, heat some more olive oil if needed, then add the onions (optional), bell peppers and garlic. Saute for a minute or so, then add most of the tomatoes (reserving some for garnishing the burrito), cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. While that's cooking, quickly chop up the cooked chicken and add it to the pan along with the juice of 1 lime. Cook for a few minutes more and it's done.

Assemble the burritos:
Pop the flour tortillas into the microwave for 30 seconds or until they're warm, soft, and easy to bend and work with. Quickly spoon some of the filling into the tortilla, fold in the sides of the tortilla, then roll the tortilla enclosing the filling inside. Do this with the other four tortillas to make four burritos.

Ladle as much sauce over the burritos as you like, then top with some of the shredded cheese immediately so it can start to melt.

Garnish the burrito with the rest of the tomatoes, sour cream, and a sprig of cilantro. Serve with a knife and fork.

Still have some bourbon left?

Well, here is another alcohol tinged dessert for you to try. I loved it.

Bourbon Pecan Tarts

For cookie crust 4 sticks unsalted butter, diced 4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt For filling 3 large eggs 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup dark corn syrup 1/2 cup light corn syrup 3 tablespoons bourbon 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 3 cups pecan halves Equipment: a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; 9 (4 1/2-inch) fluted tart pans with removable bottoms Make crust: Put a baking sheet on middle rack of oven and preheat to 375°F. Mix crust ingredients in mixer at low speed until a dough forms, 5 to 7 minutes. Press 1/3 cup dough onto bottom and up side of each tart pan, making sides slightly thicker. Chill.

Make filling:

Whisk together eggs, sugar, butter, corn syrups, bourbon, vanilla, and salt.

Divide pecans among tarts, then add filling. Bake on hot baking sheet in oven until filling is just set and crust is golden-brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on racks completely before removing sides of pans.

Cooks' note:
Tarts can be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Make filling:

Whisk together eggs, sugar, butter, corn syrups, bourbon, vanilla, and salt.

Divide pecans among tarts, then add filling. Bake on hot baking sheet in oven until filling is just set and crust is golden-brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool on racks completely before removing sides of pans.

Why is the rum gone???? Well, open the bourbon.

Okay, since you just got a recipe for rum balls, it's not that far of a leap to make bourbon balls. So here you go.

Bourbon Balls

Ingredients

• 1 cup pecans
• 8 ounces vanilla wafers, enough to make 2 cups
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa, divided
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup bourbon

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Spread the pecans on a cookie sheet, and place in the oven for 3 minutes. For even toasting, turn the tray, front to back. Toss the nuts with a metal spatula and bake for another 3 minutes. You'll know they're done when they give off their fragrant aroma, and be sure to check them so they don't become overbaked or charred.

In a food processor, chop the vanilla wafers into crumbs. Add the pecans and process just until they are finely chopped. In a medium bowl, mix together the crumb-pecan mixture, 1/4 cup of the cocoa, and 1/4 cup of the confectioners' sugar. Add the corn syrup and bourbon. Mix thoroughly. Sift the remaining 1/4 cup cocoa and 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar onto a large plate. Form the crumb mixture into 3/4-inch balls and roll them through the cocoa-sugar to coat. Store in a sealed container for up to 5 days. If necessary, touch them up with a light dusting of the remaining confectioners' sugar.

Since we are using rum......

Well, since I am on the topic of rum, here is another recipe that I recently made for the very first time this Christmas. Once again, I made them for work too and everyone loved them. By the way, this one was pirated from Emeril Lagasse.

RUM BALLS

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
• 1 cup finely chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans
  

Directions

Into a large bowl, sift together 1 cup of the confectioners' sugar, the cocoa powder and allspice. Stir in the rum and corn syrup. Stir in the vanilla wafers and walnuts, and mix well. Place in the refrigerator to firm up slightly, about 30 minutes. (The mixture may appear crumbly and dry; this is O.K.)

Place the remaining 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl or dish.

Using a tablespoon, scoop out portions of the chocolate mixture and press into 1-inch balls. Using your hands, roll the balls in the confectioners' sugar, coating evenly.

Place on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, placing waxed paper between the layers to prevent sticking.

Let's Get Started

Well, I decided to start this blog off with a cake recipe. It's funny because I never baked before Christmas. Now I loved to cook and cooked all the time but for some reason, I never tried baking. But this Christmas I needed to take something to my fiance's family get together and couldn't think of anything. Then I remembered that my mom used to make a rum cake around the holidays and decided that I would try it. Well, everyone loved it and then I made it again for a potluck at work. Seems that they loved it too so I thought that I would share the recipe with you.

Rum Cake

Ingredients:

• ---Cake---
• 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts
• 1 18-1/2 ounce yellow cake mix
• 1 1-3/4 ounce (4-serving size) instant vanilla pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup cold milk*
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum
• ---Glaze---
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Bacardi dark rum

Preparation:

Cake: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle nuts on bottom of pan. Combine all cake ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes on high with electric mixer. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool in pan. Invert on serving plate. Prick top with fork. Drizzle glaze over top of cake. Use brush or spoon to put extra dripping back on cake.

Glaze: Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Note: The rum will cause steam. Be careful not to burn yourself.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog. I decided to do this blog after I was reading a ton of other cooking blogs. Since I love to cook and have had a few people comment about my cooking, I decided to create this blog as a way to share my recipes with, well, whoever wants them. So I hope you enjoy these recipes and have fun cooking.