Taco Seasoning.

The other day I ran out of my convenient taco packets. You know the ones you buy at any grocery store for like .78 cents? I figured there has to be a homemade recipe for it right? So I googled it. Sure enough, I came across a great one! Most of us have these ingredients in our cabinets already, so I hope this helps you out if you run out one day like I did. I used mine in my turkey chili recipe,and it was delicious! If you like more hotness, just add more red pepper flakes.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. chili poweder
1/4 tea garlic powder
1/4 tea. onion powder
1/4 tea. red pepper flakes
1/4 tea. oregeno
1/2 tea. paprika
1 1/2 tea. cumin
1 tea. salt
1 tea. black pepper

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a zip lock bag. Seal & shack till well blended. Use a tablespoon at a time for desired taste towards any recipe calling for taco seasoning!

Addicting Salsa

If you love homemade salsa, you've got to try this recipe. It is so easy, delicious, and definitely addicting!  Our Tia Catalina does this up with homemade tortilla chips almost every time we head to her house for dinner. I kept asking & asking her for the recipe, but like most Latin women...she doesn't have one! Finally I was able to at least get the ingredients from her daughter.

Yesterday I had one of my daughter's friends over for a play date. I asked her if she liked chips & salsa, in which she told me "not really." I simply said, "Well let's see if you like mine." Sure enough, she devoured the chips & salsa. I happily sent some home with her.

Ingredients
1 large can of whole tomatoes
1 bunch of cilantro
1 or 2 fresh whole tomatoes
4 jalapenos from the can (or more if you like spice)
garlic salt (as desired)

Directions
In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients. Add more japs if you like spice. Garlic Salt to taste, but make sure to add a little at a time so you don't over do it. If you like chunky salsa, use the pulse button till desired consistency otherwise just blend till thin. Enjoy!

Simply Easy Flan

 

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When I lived back in Florida, I had a dear friend from Brazil teach me how to make delicious, simple flan. It was a hit during the holidays for my extended family. Hope you all enjoy it just as much!

Ingredients:

5 large eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 can of condensed milk
1 cup of regular milk ( I usually do 1%)
1 tsp of vanilla
6 tbsp of white sugar
water

Directions:

Add eggs, all milks and vanilla in a blender until blended well. Set aside.

In a metal cake pan (I prefer a circular pan), add sugar and water. I generally put enough water in the pan just to fill lightly the bottom of the pan. Place pan on stovetop & on med-high heat stir sugar water until it begins to caramelize.  Best to use a wooden spoon and you must constantly stir. Continue stirring until the caramel turns a dark brown. Be careful- if you step away a second, you can easily burn your sugar. Once to a good dark brown, remove pan from burner and allow sugar mixture to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes.

Light blend your egg mixture again for a brief moment and pour mixture in the pan on top of caramel/sugar. Cover with aluminum foil.

Take a large rectangular cake pan (I prefer the 8x12 pans) and add water so it fills about half the pan. Place your circular flan pan inside the rectangular pan. The water in the rectangular pan is to help with evaporation & consistency for the flan. Remember to keep your flan mixture/circular pan covered.

Bake at 350 degrees for an hour. When finished, remove and set aside to cool for 15 minutes covered. Once cooled, you can flip the flan onto a decorative plate. Make sure to let the leftover sugar/caramel in the pan drizzle on top. You can eat the flan right away if you like it warm or place in frig if you like it cold. Delicious.

Zesty Chicken Barbecue- Slow Cooker

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Ingredients: 
3 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
18 oz. BBQ sauce (Mesquite)
1/2 c. Zesty Italian Dressing bottle
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
Place chicken in crock pot. In a bowl, mix BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar, & Worcestershire. Pour over chicken Cover and cook 3-4 hours on HIGH or 6-8 hours on LOW. With 2 forks shred the meat after cooking. Serve on buns.

Notes: I found this recipe in a local grocery paper. The first time I tried it, my family LOVED it! If your chicken is frozen, I'd recommend thawing it a bit if you plan to cook it for 3-4 hours. The sauce is a lot, so you could probably add a bit more chicken if you are planning a bigger crowd. We used this recipe at a reception and it work perfectly! Makes lots of leftovers. Great BBQ chicken sandwich. Pair it with coleslaw and it's even better!

Welcoming 2012!

Happy New Year 2012 Everyone! Here's hoping you all had a wonderful holiday season. For those of you that may not have known, I had a baby boy! Hence my absence for over the past 9 months. We are adjusting a bit better to the new addition & changes within our family now, so I deemed it appropriate to start back up on my cooking blog. Plus I know some sister-in-laws of mine have been using several recipes on here frequently, which makes me one happy camper! Hopefully their hubby's are enjoying their cooking just as much!

As you can see I've designed the blog a little bit better so that it is hopefully easier to read. I plan to review all my old recipes to make sure all the measurements are accurate (I tend to add my only little favor here & there which tends to not be very fair to those who need preciseness). This of course may take a little more time though, so bare with me.

Also you may have noticed I have added a simple "Reaction" format under the comment section. This is for those of you that don't really feel like commenting or lack the time, but still want to give a simple feedback on a recipe. I love to see how everyone's taste buds differ, so please fill free to comment/react truthfully.

Stay tuned for some new recipes coming your way! I'm excited to get started & happily feed your families' tummies!

Hugs- T'