Author: krby4

Pinto Beans

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These beans are the base beans I use for burritos, bowls, and refried beans. I am sure that they can be made in a regular pot, but I have only ever made them in an instant pot

Ingredients

  • 4 cups dried pinto beans
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil or lard
  • 4 oz jalapeño pepper (usually 2 big ones)
  • 5 clove garlic
  • 1/2 large white onion
  • 1 can diced tomato or 8 oz diced roma tomato
  • 6ish cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp chile powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp oregano

Tools

  • One large cutting board or pastry mat
  • Instant pot

Method

  • Soak beans for at least an hour. I use the instant pot to soak them in
  • Chop jalapeño, onion, and garlic finely. If using fresh tomatoes, dice them as well, but separate from the other ingredients
  • Drain the beans, set aside
  • Turn the instant pot to sauté. When the pot is hot, add oil or lard
  • Sauté onion, garlic, and pepper until the onion is translucent, about 3-5 minutes stirring occasionally
  • Add tomato and spices to pot, sauté for an additional minute
  • Add beans to pot and cover with stock. You should be aiming to cover the beans entirely, plus around another inch over the beans to allow them to soak up the moisture
  • Cook on the “bean” setting for 1.5 hours and allow to naturally depressurize
  • NOTE: This recipe is huge and I usually portion this out and freeze some for use in future dishes

Picante Puro Salsa

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This is a great everyday salsa with a bit of a kick. I have included weights for all of the ingredients because I have found large variation in size for every single one.

Ingredients

  • 24 oz Roma tomatoes (about 6)
  • 9 oz white onion (about one large onion)
  • 2 oz Anaheim pepper (about one)
  • 6 oz Jalapeno pepper (about 4 large ones)
  • 2 oz Serrano pepper (about 6)
  • 1.5 oz Habanero pepper (about 4)
  • 1 oz garlic (about 5 large cloves)
  • 1 oz cilantro (about a half a head)
  • 1 tbsp MSG (use salt if you don’t have msg)
  • 1/2 to 1.5 tbsp salt (to taste)
  • 2 tbsp lime juice

Tools

  • One large cutting board or pastry mat
  • Baking trays with parchment paper
  • Blender
  • Oven

Method

  • Preheat oven to 400
  • Cut tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and serrano in half. Deseed the peppers. Cut the tops off of the habanero and Anaheim peppers. Put garlic in a small piece of aluminum foil.
  • Place all peppers, onions, and tomatoes skin side up on a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Cook at 400 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven
  • Place all ingredients into a blender and blend to your desired consistency

Picante Verde

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This is a great everyday verde salsa with a bit of a kick. I have included weights for all of the ingredients because I have found large variation in size for every single one.

Ingredients

  • 24 oz Tomatillos (about 6)
  • 9 oz white onion (about one large onion)
  • 2 oz Anaheim pepper (about one)
  • 8 oz Jalapeno pepper (about 5 large ones)
  • 2 oz Serrano pepper (about 6)
  • 1 oz garlic (about 5 large cloves)
  • 1 oz cilantro (about a half a head)
  • 1 tbsp MSG (use salt if you don’t have msg)
  • 1/2 to 1.5 tbsp salt (to taste)
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Tools

  • One large cutting board or pastry mat
  • Baking trays with parchment paper
  • Blender
  • Oven

Method

  • Preheat oven to 400
  • Cut tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and serrano in half. Deseed the peppers. Cut the tops off of the habanero and Anaheim peppers. Put garlic in a small piece of aluminum foil.
  • Place all peppers, onions, and tomatoes skin side up on a baking sheet with parchment paper
  • Cook at 400 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven
  • Place all ingredients into a blender and blend to your desired consistency

Bacon and Potato Soup

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This soup is one of my favorites to cook because it honestly comes together pretty fast and is delicious. This is also pretty much clam chowder without the clam juice and clams, so if you have a hankering for clam chowder but can’t source them, this is your soup.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb bacon, I prefer thick cut
  • 3 lb red potatoes cut into small cubes
  • 8 stalks celery cut into small chunks
  • 1 white or yellow onion diced
  • 6-8 cup chicken stock
  • Flour or corn starch to thicken soup (optional)
  • 1-1.5 cup cream
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Red pepper flake (optional)

Tools

  • One large cutting board or pastry mat
  • One large pot with lid

Method

  • Cut your bacon into roughly 1/2 inch chunks and throw all of it into a preheated pot over medium heat
  • While the bacon is crisping up, cut potatoes, onions, and celery
  • After the bacon is crispy, remove the chunks and place aside. Retain all of the bacon grease in the bottom of the pan. Cook until the onion is translucent
  • If using flour to thicken your soup, create your roux now. Depending on how much grease your bacon produced, this could be anywhere from 3-5 tbsp of flour
  • Put the potatoes in the pot, and cover with chicken stock and add spices to taste. 1 tbsp salt/pepper is a starting point, but half the salt if you don’t like salty food. How much chicken stock you use depends on how thick you want your soup. I tend to cover it about 1/2-1 inch above the potatoes because I like my soup to be very chunky
  • Bring the soup to a simmer and reduce heat to low for about 20-30 minutes, or until your potatoes are all the way cooked
  • If thickening your soup with corn starch, use between 1-2 tbsp of cornstarch and create a slurry with some stock from the soup and stir in
  • We aren’t aiming to thicken the soup up too much with thickening agents, its not a stew.
  • Stir in your cream, for a creamier soup use more
  • Stir in half the bacon crumbles you created
  • Serve in a bowl with bacon crumbles on top of the soup

Baked Chicken Wings

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Deep frying is a lot of work, so this is a delicious chicken wing recipe that is done in the oven.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds chicken wings
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup hot sauce
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp white pepper (optional)
  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tbsp sal1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1-2 tbsp oil

Tools

  • One large baking sheet
  • One large sealable plastic bag
  • 1 large bowl for mixing wings

Method

  • Prepare a marinade for the wings in a plastic ziplock bag using 2 cups buttermilk, 1/2 cup hot sauce of your choice, 1tbsp salt, and 1 tsp white pepper if using.
  • Place wings in bag, covering all the wings, and remove the air to provide better surface area coverage
  • Marinate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight
  • Preheat oven to 425
  • Remove wings from marinade and discard the marinade
  • Dry wings as much as you can
  • Place wings on parchment paper or cooking rack on the baking sheet
  • Cook at 425 for 20 minutes, flip wings, cook at 425 for another 20 minutes. If the wings are not done to your liking, cook an additional 10-15 minutes

Cheesecake (filling only)

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Be sure to chill overnight!

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream (cold)
  • 3 8-oz blocks of full-fat cream cheese (room temp)
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Tools

  • Pie crust (graham cracker is a favorite)
  • Large stirring bowl
  • Medium stirring bowl
  • Stand mixer

Method

  • Whip cold heavy whipping cream into stiff peaks (approximately 5 minutes). Set aside.
  • Separately, beat the room-temp cream cheese and granulated sugar together until smooth and creamy.
  • Add in the powdered sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
  • Fold the cream in until combined. Combine slowly to avoid deflating air and do not over mix.
  • Gently fill the crust. Cover lightly with wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 6-8 hours (preferably overnight).
  • Serve chilled and keep refrigerated.

Autumn Spice Cake

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The taste of fall goes best with a cream cheese frosting (included).

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

  • 1 1/8 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 ground cinnamon/(to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg/(to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger/(to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp allspice/(to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves/(to taste)

Other ingredients

  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 4 oz cream cheese at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup butter at room temperature
  • 2 cups of powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Tools

  • 9-inch pan
  • Large stirring bowl
  • Oven
  • Stand mixer
  • Paddle attachment

Method

  • Whisk dry ingredients together and set aside.
  • Mix together the brown sugar and vegetable oil until the clumps are gone. Add applesauce and mix with a paddle attachment until well combined.
  • Mix in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Add in the dry mix on a low speed until combined, then add the buttermilk.
  • Spread in a well-greased 9-inch pan and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • After cake is baked, let cool completely.
  • Mix together all cream cheese ingredients and add to top.
  • Refrigerate if not eaten immediately.

Breakfast Burritos

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This is probably one of the only things that I actually food prep, but it is fairly easy to make

Ingredients

  • 1 lb bacon, chorizo, or breakfast sausage
  • 1 package freeze dried hash browns (I use Idaho Spuds)
  • 10 large eggs
  • 12 oz salsa
  • 2 cups shredded cheese
  • 12 large flour tortillas

Tools

  • 2 large pans
  • Large stirring bowl
  • Large cutting board for rolling burritos
  • Cookie trays for freezing burritos

Method

  • Start preparation of hash browns according to the packaging instructions
  • If using bacon, chop it into roughly 3/4″ pieces. Cook until crispy and dry on paper towels
  • If using chorizo or breakfast sausage, break roughly apart by hand and cook until slightly crispy, draining excess fat off. Set aside
  • Scramble the 10 eggs and cook until your desired texture
  • Heat the tortillas in a pan over medium high heat until just barely browning. As soon as the tortilla pulls off the pan without any sticking, it is ready
  • Loosely mix meat, eggs, cheese, salsa, and hash browns in the large bowl
  • Put roughly 1 cup of filling into the middle of the tortilla, roll one side over the long end of the burrito, pull the short ends over and then finish rolling
  • Place onto your cookie sheet and freeze for at least 6 hours.
  • I do not individually wrap these, I usually just stick them in a plastic container and eat them throughout the week. No clue how long they last as they are usually gone within a week at my house
  • To reheat, thaw overnight and cook for 2 minutes at half power on your microwave

Beef Enchiladas

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Ingredients

  • 2.5 lbs Chuck Roast
  • .5 chopped onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp chile powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 20 corn tortillas
  • 1 large can of enchilada sauce or 20 oz homemade enchilada sauce
  • Mexican cheese blend to taste

Tools

  • One large dutch oven or instant pot
  • One large casserole pan
  • Pan or comal for heating up tortillas

Method

  • Chop your meat into 4″ cubes, season with salt, pepper, chile powder, cumin, garlic, and onion
  • Marinate meat overnight or at least 8 hours
  • Brown the meat in your instant pot in batches or a sturdy pan and set in the instant pot
  • Cover the meat with your broth and place your instant pot lid over the meat
  • Cook your meat for 1 hour on the MEAT setting, or 1 hour on high pressure, and let it naturally let out pressure
  • If you are using a dutch oven, cook on low heat for 3-4 hours
  • If you are using a dutch oven, you may want to watch your liquid levels while cooking, as some of the liquid will evaporate and you do not want your meat to burn
  • When meat is done, pull apart with forks
  • Heat up the tortillas on your comal or pan and set aside
  • Put meat in center of tortilla, roll, and put in casserole pan
  • Once you have your pan filled, pour enchilda sauce over and top with cheese
  • Cook at 350 for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted to your satisfaction
  • Serve with rice and our homemade beans

Lasagna

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This lasagna is good. End of statement.

Ingredients

  • 1lb Ground Beef
  • 1Lb Italian Sausage
  • 30oz tomato sauce
  • 1tsp granulated onion
  • 1tsp granulated garlic
  • 1tsp black pepper
  • 1/2tsp salt
  • 1/2tsp basil
  • 1/2tsp oregano
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2tsp olive oil
  • 1lb shredded mozzerella
  • 4oz shredded parmesan or romano
  • 32oz ricotta cheese

Tools

  • 1 Large casserole dish
  • Noodle Maker
  • 1 Large stockpot or saucier pan
  • 1 Large mixing bowl
  • 1 Medium mixing bowl
  • 1 Stand Mixer (Optional)

Method

Sauce

  • Brown both the ground beef and Italian sausage in your pot or pan you are using for the sauce with a little olive oil to stop the meat from sticking
  • Pour in the 30oz tomato sauce, granulated onion, granulated garlic, 1/2tsp black pepper, basil, and oregano and bring to a simmer while occasionally stirring
  • After you see small bubbles in the sauce, turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally

Noodles

  • In your mixing bowl, add your flour and salt. Make a crater in your flour and crack the eggs in the crater
  • Beat the eggs and slowly incorporate more and more flour until the mixture is dry enough to need with your hands
  • If you find that not all of the flour is incorporating, add small amount of olive oil and water until barely incorperated
  • Let rest 5 minutes while you set up your noodle maker
  • Cut noodle block into 4 chunks. Run each chunk through the noodle maker on the widest setting, putting flour on both sides of the noodles as they come out
  • Continue running the noodles through the noodle maker and flouring until you have gone through at least half of the thickness settings for your noodle maker. Mine goes from 1-9, 9 being the thinnest, and I usually stop at 6 or a 7. You may also find that you can skip multiple numbers each passthrough
  • These noodles will be cooked in the oven and do not need to be boiled

Cheese

  • Combine the riccota cheese, half of your grated parmesan or romano, and 1/2tsp salt and 1/2tsp pepper until your mixture is evenly distributed
  • Mix the remaining parmesan with your mozzarella

Assembly and Baking

  • Preheat oven to 350
  • Begin by putting roughly 1/3 of your meat sauce at the bottom of the pan
  • Layer noodles over it until covered
  • Layer 1/2 of your ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, spreading evenly
  • Place roughly 1/4 of your mozzarella mixture on top of the ricotta mixture
  • Cover cheese layer with another layer of noodles
  • Repeat this for one more layer each, you should have 2 layers of meat sauce and 2 layers of cheese now
  • For the final layer, I leave it open faced. Pour the remaining 1/3 of your meat sauce on the layer, spread evenly, then top with your remaining mozzarella
  • Bake covered in tin foil for 40 minutes. I usually put in wooden toothpicks to keep the foil off of the cheese
  • Uncover, bake an additional 10 minutes or until the top is slightly golden brown. If you don’t like golden brown cheese, bake less time
  • Leave set at room temperature for 15 minutes. This ensures that the slices remain together and the cheese and meat sauce do not drain out of the layers