For the first time in months, I have a co-host! For this episode, I welcome Emily Quetel to the kitchen to share her avocado knowledge with us all. This is a very important step in this episode as I’m making fajitas. What better to accompany good Mexican cuisine than guacamole and fresh salsa? Be sure to check out this episode for the full scoop on how to create a delicious dish for one or the entire family.

Ingredients:

For fajitas:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 red bell peppers
• ¼ to ½ red onion
• Some paprika and Cajun seasoning
• Dash of salt and pepper
• Large tortillas

For Salas:

• 2 tomatoes
• 1 Serrano chili
• Handful of cilantro
• Olive oil
• Dash of salt and pepper

For Guacamole

• 2 or 3 avocadoes
• 1 tomato
• Dash of salt and pepper
• Dash of garlic salt
• Lime juice to taste
• Handful of cilantro
• ¼ of red onion

It has been fourteen months since the first time I made apple pie. After some feedback from viewers, I decided it was time to revisit the recipe and add some punch. Thanks to the crumb topping and smaller apple slices, that punch was achieved. This one is definitely worth giving a try!

Ingredients:

• Pillsbury ready made pie crust
• 6 cups sliced and cubed medium sized McIntosh or Jonathan apples
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• Dash of salt

Crumb Topping:

• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 stick margarine

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425. Take stick of margarine for topping out of fridge, cut into small pieces in bowl and set aside to warm to room temp.

Place crust in 9 inch deep dish pie pan. Mix together sugar, flour cinnamon, salt. Peel, core and slice apples, then cut into cubes about the thickness of a plain M&M and the size of a peanut M&M.

Stir apples into sugar mixture coating all the apples. Turn into pie crust.

To prepare crumb topping, mix together flour and brown sugar. Add the sliced margarine.

Mix with fork, smashing in the margarine until mixture is crumbly.

Sprinkle mixture evenly over the apples. Cover edges of pie crust with foil so they don’t burn.

Bake approx 50 minutes (ovens vary so keep and eye on the topping) at 425. Check after 40 minutes. If crumb topping is properly browned cover entire pie loosely with a piece of foil to prevent topping from burning.

Let pie cool for about 30 to 45 minutes.

I’m starting to come to a realization. I believe I am becoming a fan of casseroles. They taste great, are easy to prepare and heat up really well as a leftover – everything a single guy on a budget could ask for. This time around, I’m taking some leftover Easter ham and mixing it with some hash browns, cheese, onions and other goodness for what is sure to be a tasty treat.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 half of 32 oz bag Ore Ida Hash Browns (square chunks, not shredded)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 7 tablespoons melted margarine
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 cup ham chunks
• 1 cup cornflakes

Directions:

Thaw potatoes in bowl and season with salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl mix together sour cream, soup, onion, and 3 tablespoons melted margarine.

Add potatoes, ham and cheese.  Mix together.

Place into greased baking dish.  Melt remaining 4 tablespoons margarine in bowl.  Add cornflakes and stir to coat.

Place on top of potato mixture and spread to cover.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes uncovered.

I love garlic, I love potatoes and I like rosemary. Behind mashed potatoes loaded with all the things you are supposed to leave off, this is my favorite way to prepare potatoes. Be sure to check out part two of this episode for the recipe for Crispy Balsamic Baked Chicken Breasts. They are the perfect companion for these cubed spuds.

Ingredients

• 1 lbs red potatoes, unpeeled and cut in large chunks
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

In a saucepan large enough to hold all of the potato chunks, bring water to a boil.

Add potatoes, and boil for 2 minutes. You are not trying to cook the potatoes through at this point.

In a large bowl, combine the oil, garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper. Be generous with the salt, or the potatoes will be bland.

Drain the potatoes well, and add to the oil and garlic mixture.

Mix gently, but thoroughly.

Cover bowl, and let sit for at least 20 minutes, and up to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 450.

Place potato mixture in a roasting pan.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Toss potatoes with a spatula.

Return to the oven for 10 more minutes until cooked through and golden brown.

Check seasonings, and add more salt or pepper as needed.

Serve immediately.

I love fried chicken but it is so bad for you that I try to avoid it as much as possible. I have found baking chicken to be a good alternative but sometimes I miss that crunch. Enter crispy balsamic chicken. With the texture from the breadcrumbs and the amazing taste sensation of garlic and balsamic vinegar, this is a recipe you are likely to add to the rotation. Be sure to check out part one of this episode for Oven Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary. They make a great side for this one.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup breadcrumbs (I used Italian)
• 1/2 teaspoon dry parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 egg whites (I used the egg beater style ones)
• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• salt & pepper

Directions

Put bread crumbs, parsley, garlic powder, and salt in medium bowl and mix.

Whisk together vinegar and egg whites in smaller bowl.

Dip chicken in vinegar mixture then dry mixture.

Place on sprayed cookie sheet.

Spray the top of the chicken breasts with cooking spray (I used butter flavored)

Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Bake 400 for 30-40 minutes, till fork tender and juices run clear.

Today’s recipe comes from overhearing a conversation at work between a few coworkers. After hearing the words buffalo chicken ring I had to find out the details of the conversation and obtain a recipe. What came next was something I found very exciting. I am happy to report my listening skills paid off with this little dish. Quick, easy and very tasty – this treat will make you popular at the next party you host or attend.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 packet ranch powder mix
• Diced celery to taste
• Buffalo wing sauce to taste
• Diced chicken (cooked)
• 2 packages crescent rolls
• Iceberg lettuce
• Ranch dressing for dipping (optional)

Directions:

If you do not go with pre-cooked chicken, cook chicken and dice into small cubes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

On a cooking sheet, spread the unrolled crescent rolls out leaving a circle in the middle about the size of a large jar.

Mix chicken and buffalo sauce to taste and add in celery

In separate bowl, mix cream cheese and 1/2 ranch packet together. Microwaving cream cheese for about 30 seconds makes mixing easier.

Mix all ingredients together.

Place spoonfuls of mixture on crescent rolls and fold rolls over to form ring (oval) and cook for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees or until crescent rolls are cooked.

Serve with iceberg lettuce and ranch dipping sauce.

Whenever I see a company pushing recipes that incorporate their particular ingredients, I’m always curious how they will work out. Are the recipes actually any good or are they just an excuse for the product maker to sell more goods.

Campbell’s® has really taken this idea to another level by setting up an entire web site full of recipes using their products. Enter the Campbell’s Kitchen and you are presented with countless options. For this test, I decided to give a recipe a try that sounded like it could be trouble. Find out if my suspicions were right or if I was just being too skeptical of good ol’ Campbell’s.

Ingredients:

•    1 pound ground beef
•    1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed Tomato Soup  (Regular or Healthy Request®)
•    1/2 cup salsa
•    1/2 cup water
•    6 flour tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch pieces
•    1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat.  Pour off any fat.

Stir the soup, salsa, water and tortillas in the skillet and heat to a boil.   Reduce the heat to low.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Stir the beef mixture.  Top with the cheese.

Creamy Mexican Fiesta: Stir in 1/2 cup sour cream with the soup.

Ranchero Style: Use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas and shredded Mexican cheese blend instead of Cheddar.

I’m just going to say it upfront, this is my favorite episode so far. I have made tacos countless times but never have they been as fresh, flavorful and delicious as what I created for this episode. The biggest factor playing into the flavor is without a doubt the fresh tortillas given to me by Nicole Misencik (@NicoleWTHR). As a fellow food lover (and great local meteorologist), Nicole was nice enough to bring back some fresh tortillas from her favorite Mexican restaurant in Phoenix. A huge thanks goes out to her for making this recipe possible.

I even get so excited at the end that I fail to recognize the difference between a lemon and a lime.

Ingredients:

• Package of eye of round or skirt steak
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lime sliced in half
• fresh cilantro sliced
• 1/2 onion

For salsa:

• 8-12 chili peppers
• 1/4 onion (I added some additional fresh onion after blending)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tomato
• 2 jalapeno peppers

Directions:

Over medium-high to high heat, cook steak seasoned with salt and pepper until a nice char forms on both sides. Once cooked, cut into thin strips.

Boil a pot of water and add in the vegetables for the salsa. Cook until they become soft.

Add your salsa ingredients into a food processor and blend until you reach desired texture. I added in some additional fresh onion and cilantro for added taste.

Warm your fresh tortillas in a pan over medium to medium-high heat just enough to get both sides nice and warm. Place on a plate and cover with a clean cotton towel to keep warm. Once all tortillas are ready, build your tacos by topping with salsa and fresh onion, cilantro and a squirt of lime.

Between a full week out of town and what I now refer to as the Great Cold of 2010, my cooking was on hold for much of January. Thankfully, the fun can return and with it comes another casserole bake. This time around the recipe comes from a book given to me by my good friend Greg Sorvig (@gsorvig) – 365 Easy One-Dish Recipes. While I was tempted by the Sassy Sandwiches section, I settled on the Spaghetti Bake, etc.

I would also like to mention this weeks episode is sponsored by rickyleepotts of http://blog.rickyleepotts.com/ (@rickyleepotts) Be sure to check that out – my favorite section is food and beverage.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz package spaghetti
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 10 oz can tomato bisque soup
• 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 8 oz can whole corn, drained
• 4 oz can black sliced olives
• 12 oz package shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 sliced jalapeno peppers

Directions:

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, drain and set aside. Cook beef, bell pepper and onion in skillet and drain.

Add remaining ingredients plus 1/3 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and spaghetti to beef mixture and stir well. Pour into sprayed 9 x 13 baking dish and cover.

Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours (I’m really not sure about this step. I did it but I can’t help but feel it is not necessary.)

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Serves 8.

As my final taping for 2009 I decided to make a dish to bring over to my friend’s house to celebrate bringing in the new year. Looking through some of my viewer submitted recipes, I found one that I knew would fit the bill perfectly – Mexican lasagna. The preparation is easy and reheating is simple. Even better, the taste is amazing!

Ingredients:

• 16 oz lean ground beef/turkey
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 diced jalapeno pepper
• 2 cups canned and diced tomatoes, drailed
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 2 cups small curd cottage cheese
• 2 eggs
• 6oz cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• 3 flour tortillas (6-inch)
• 3 corn tortillas

Directions:

Brown meat with onion, green pepper and jalapeno. Mix chopped canned tomatoes and taco seasoning then simmer uncovered for 5 minutes

Combine cottage cheese, 4oz cheddar cheese and eggs in bowl.

Spray an 8×11 pan with cooking spray and place 3 tortillas across the bottom. Spoon meat mixture on top then place 3 more tortillas on top.

Cover with cheese mixture and bake covered with foil for 40 minutes and 350 degrees. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top and bake uncovered for 5 minutes.

Garnish with fresh tomatoes and lettuce.