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.

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.

As my last recipe before the Christmas holiday, loaded potato skins are in the house. Perfect for a holiday party due to the easily scalable recipe, your guests are sure to enjoy this treat.

I cut the recipe in half since I was the only one eating these bad boys. Keep that in mind as the way the recipe is written will only make four potato halves.

Ingredients

• 2 large potatoes, washed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Extra shredded cheddar for toping
• 2 slices of bacon, crumbled
• 1/2 pound sour cream
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce cleaned potatoes with a knife and bake for about 45 minutes or until tender. You may also prepare in microwave. Allow to cool before handling.

Once potatoes are done, place bacon on baking sheet and bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crispy.

Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees once bacon is done.

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop potato filling into a mixing bowl.

Mash up potatoes to personal liking and add in green onions, cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper. Mix together.

Drizzle inside of potato skins with olive oil and fill with mix being careful not to over fill.

Sprinkle top with cheese and bacon.

Bake in over at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Day two of holiday cookies is here and so is the recipe for Oreo Fudge Bars. Equally simple in their preparation and full of chocolaty goodness, you can’t go wrong with this creation when in need of a quick sweet dish.

If you didn’t see yesterday’s episode showing how to prepare a family classic be sure to check it out. Episode 20 – Papa Vern Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 16 ounce package of Oreo cookies
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (I used Fat Free)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional, I didn’t use)
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (could use another 1/2 cup semi-sweet chips if you like)
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325.

Line a 9×13 pan with foil and lightly spray with PAM.

Set aside 6 Oreo cookies for the toppings.

In a small food processor grind the rest of the cookies. If you don’t have a food processor, just pound with a rolling pin until the cookies are fine crumbs. Add the salt to the crumbs and stir to combine.

Melt butter and gently stir together with the cookie crumb mixture.

Press firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Coarsely chop the remaining cookies into chunks and set aside.

Over a double boiler or in the microwave, melt 3/4 cup semi-sweet and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips together with the condensed milk and vanilla.

Stir frequently until smooth.

Spread evenly over the prepared cookie crust.

Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips and the Oreo cookies chunks over the top of the filling.

Press down gently into the chocolate topping.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in the oven.

Allow cooling on counter for 1 hour. Chill in fridge until completely cold and set before cutting into bars or it will make a big mess.

It’s that time of the year once again. You know, that time when everyone is inviting you to some kind of holiday get-together. Today I was hit with the timeless classic – the neighborhood holiday block party. Considering one neighbor thought I was married for the last two years and then worried I got a divorce and another apparently thinks my name is Ryan, I decided it was time to get to know them a little better.

That being said, you can’t show up empty handed to a gathering. Sure, I could bring a bottle of wine and take the easy way out but where is the fun in that? Instead, it’s time to turn to two timeless cookie recipes. The first is known in my family as Papa Vern Cookies. The recipe has many variations and names but that is what we learned to call them over the years after learning about the recipe from a family member – Vern himself.

The second recipe was a fan submission. Erin was nice enough to send me her recipe of choice for Oreo Fudge Bars. Sounding equally as convenient as Papa Vern Cookies I thought I would give that one a whirl as well. Why not set a good example with the neighbors by bringing two varieties of sweet delights? I know I would be pleased.

I will be splitting the recipes up over the next two days. First up, Papa Vern Cookies.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 6 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 cup butter scotch chips
• 1 cup semi-sweet chips

Directions

Mix sugar and corn syrup in large saucepan.

Stir with wooden spoon until bubbles start to form on surface. At that point immediately remove from heat and add in peanut butter.

Pour Rice Krispies in and mix before mixture starts to harden.

Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan and spread out evenly.

While mixture in pan cools, take both types of chips and melt together over double boiler until fully melted. Be sure to stir regularly.

Pour over top of Rice Krispies with spatula. Wait for everything to harden. You can place in fridge to speed up the hardening process.

And now, a submission from a good friend. Itz Santa!

Looking in my fridge at yet more turkey, I decided I had to come up with some other way to use the leftovers besides another sandwich. After checking around a bit online I decided on a turkey pot pie. The recipe takes a bit to pull together but it is not difficult at all. The end result was well worth the effort.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 cups shredded turkey
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1 prepared pie crust
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation:

Melt butter in saucepan and cook chopped onion until tender. Stir in celery and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken or turkey stock and bring to a simmer. Add potatoes and simmer until tender. Stir in turkey, parsley, garlic powder oregano and peas.

Pour mixture into pie crust after letting cool for about 15 or 20 minutes. Top with pie crust and brush with egg. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees and for 20 minutes at 350 or until crust is golden brown.

Cuisine Made Quick is back! After nearly seven months, I’m here just in time for the holiday season. First up on the list is a Jiffy Corn Bake. This is a recipe I first encountered about a week ago while enjoying an early Thanksgiving dinner with some friends. I figured I would check online and mesh together my own variation on this interesting dish.

The preparation is very minimal, the ingredients don’t cost much and you can even mix everything together early and pop it in the oven about 40 mins before needed. This is a great dish to bring to someone’s house if you are invited for dinner.

The ingredients are as follows:

• 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can creamed corn
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 1 stick butter, melted (or 1/2 c. oil)
• 1 c. sour cream
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (opt.)
• Shredded cheese (opt.)
• 1/4 c. sugar
• Dash of cayenne pepper

You just mix all that up (minus the cheese) in a large bowl. Pour it into a 9” x 13” baking dish, sprinkle on the cheese and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes. It really couldn’t be any simpler.

I opened my fridge this morning only to find I had no eggs.  I wanted to get something in my belly to hold me over before a large lunch.  So, I decided to toss some random things together to make a quick meal.  Here is what I came up with.