Black Bean and Corn Salsa

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

3 (11-ounce) cans Mexican corn with peppers, drained and rinsed

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 firm avocados, peeled and chopped

4 green onions, sliced

1 small red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 (.6-ounce) package Good Season Italian Dressing

Chopped cilantro, optional

PREPARATION: In a large mixing bowl combine black beans, Mexican corn, tomatoes, avocados, green onions, red onion, garlic, olive oil, white vinegar and Good Season Italian Dressing. Gently stir together and let set a couple of hours in the refrigerator. Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes 12 cups.

Nutritional information per 1/4-cup serving: 63 calories, 4 grams fat, 2 grams protein, 8 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 171 milligrams sodium.

Tropical Fruit Salsa

2 cans tropical fruit
1 can pineapple
1/4 to 1/2 small red onion (to taste)
1-3 jalepenos, seeds and veins removed

Drain the juice, resereving some if needed, put all ingredients in food processor and blend until consistency that you like. Serve with chips. You may add more tropical fruit or pineapple if it is too strong of an onion taste for you

Ok so I published this old post

So there is a new recipe it was just an old post I never published it is for Pineapple Casserole, which is an awesome side dish for pretty much anything. There is a link on the side bar or you can just scroll down I think it is datred April 11th atually.

Becky's Ultimate Chocolate Frosting

So this is my Aunt's awesome frosting,...... next I just need to get he chocolate oatmeal cake recipe off of her. Hope you enjoy this on any cake or brownies.

1/2 stick butter-room temp
1/2 stick cream cheese-room temp
1/2-3/4 C cocoa
1/3 C milk
2 2/3 C powdered sugar

Blend butter and cream cheese with hand mixer; add rest of ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy

Georgia Pulled Pork with Mustard-Vinegar Sauce

If you want real, good BBQ and don’t have a smoker or time to watch the grill you should try this recipe. With this you just put it in the oven and check on it 5-8 hours later. I love the sauce, though it can be a little spicy. If you want, don’t add the sauce to the pork and leave it dry, though I do find it dries out a little after time in the fridge. This recipe also freezes great and can just be reheated in a crock-pot or saucepan, the day of serving. Enjoy this great BBQ and try it with coleslaw on top….my favorite.

Serving Size: about 12 Sandwiches

Dry Rub:
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons coarse salt

1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt

Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight, covered, in the refrigerator. (I prefer overnight) Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake for about 6 hours. Basically, roast the pork until it's falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees F.

To make the barbecue sauce: combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the pork roast from the oven and transfer to a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes. While still warm, take 2 forks and "pull" the meat to form shreds. Using 2 forks, shred the pork by steadying the meat with 1 fork and pulling it away with the other. Put the shredded pork in a bowl. Pour 1/2 of the sauce on the shredded pork and mix well to coat.

Will Update Soon

So I have started working and more cooking for the summer. I am going to try to recreate the BBQ nachos we had in Memphis and then move on to some more recipes for ya'll. I'll get back to posting more recipes soon, hopefully some more summer recipes.

Broccoli Salad

So I think this really is one of my favorite salads. With fresh broccoli, bacon, sunflower seeds, and raisins in a tangy mayo dressing....Well lets just say I would eat it for breakfast.....but I am not one that's big on traditional meals at traditional hours, so maybe you guys want to just stick with adding it to your next lunch or dinner. Its also great to take to potlucks. For the broccoli I usually use the florets and smaller bite sized tops, but if you don't want to waste you can thinly slice and julliene the stems, or run it through a mandoline if you have one.

Fresh broccoli, bite sized, at least two bunches
Cooked and crumbled bacon
Sunflower seed meats
Raisins

DRESSING:
1 C. Miracle Whip(I insisit on this, but you may substitute, but maybe add a little more sugar)
1/4 C. white sugar
2 T. white vinegar

Mix the dressing and toss with all ingredients. Let sit for several hours or overnight for full flavor development.

Grandma's Meatballs

So these meatballs are amazing, I love them with mashed potatoes and the sauce is so sweet and tangy all at once, it really is just a wonderful confort food. I hope you guys all enjoy this great recipe from my Grandma Swan.

1/2 med. onion, chopped
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 C. rolled oats (Old fashioned or Quick Cooking)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 egg

TANGY TOMATO SAUCE:
1-8oz can tomato sauce
1/4 C. brown sugar, packed
2 T. yellow mustard

Mix onion, ground beef, oats, salt, pepper, and egg. Shape into 12 balls. Put in heated high sided frypan or cast iron skillet; brown on all sides. Mix sauce. Pour over meatballs and cook for atleast 10 minutes.

Toasted Coconut Pie

Well I haven't posted lately, and I am sorry to all that actually read this, but the last couple weeks of the semester have been upon us and I am sure that it is not just me that is extremely busy. This pie is extremely simple to make and great for something quick to whip up. By using a premade pastry crust from Pillsbury or some other brand, you can save a whole lot of time and it tastes just as great.

1 pkg premade pie crust

MIX TOGETHER:
3 beaten eggs
1 1/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. melted butter
1 T. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla

STIR IN:
1 1/3 C. shredded coconut

Pour into an unbaked pie shell and bake 40-45 minutes at 350. Cool before serving.

Breakfast Egg Casserole

So I made this recipe for the last Speaking Seminar and I think it went over pretty well. We use the original mild style breakfast sausage, NOT sage. I especially love this recipe because to me, this is Christmas morning, along with cinnamon and orange rolls, more on those to come. This is simple and easy to make but it does require a day in advance to prepare.

12 slices of bread
1/2 lb cooked, crumbled sausage
6 eggs, beaten
2 C. milk
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lb. grated cheddar cheese
Dash of pepper

Beat eggs slightly and then add milk. Mix well. Mix salt and dry mustard together and then add to egg mixture along with pepper, mix well. Butter 9x13" pan. Layer 6 slices of bread on bottom of pan. Top with sausage, then cheddar cheese. Layer 6 more slices of bread and butter tops. Pour egg mixture over top and cover. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until egg is set.

Pineapple Casserole

Ok so the first time that I tell people about this dish they look at me and say "eww pineapple and cheese!", but I assure you that this is an amazing combination, and I am sure my I-team will back me up, well at least it was gone pretty quick when I made it. So enjoy this amazing, and very cheap, side dish.

2 cans chunk pineapple
3/4 C. sugar
3 T. flour
1 sleeve Ritz crackers
1 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 stick butter

Place butter in a 9x13 pan and place in oven while preheating to 350. Once butter is melted, drain pineapple, reserving half the juice. Pour pineapple into pan. Sift together the flour and sugar, stir in the cheese. Top pineapple with mixture, top with crushed Ritz crackers. Pour 1/4 C. or so of juice over casserole, and bake 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Caramelized Balsamic Onion, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Pizza

So I have been posting a lot today and yesterday, but since I was on pizzas I had to follow up with my favorite pizza of all times. You start with the Backwoods Pizza Dough recipe and keep it clean and fresh with EVOO(Extra Virgin Olive Oil) as your sauce. Then you layer on baby spinach, caramelized balsamic red onions, fresh mozzarella and crumbled goat cheese. And for a real treat you finish it all off with a drizzle of white truffle oil and grill it on a gas or charcoal grill. NOTE: This pizza, as it is currently written, is not super cheap. But if you substitute the truffle oil for olive oil(my mom actually prefers this) and you use frozen spinach, and shredded mozzarella, it still tastes good, just don't omit the goat cheese unless you substitute it for some other stronger cheese, because the sweet and creamy, strong tastes really compliment each other. In addition you could bake this pizza at 450 for 10-12 minutes or until crispy.

Serving Size: 1 large pizza

½ recipe Backwoods Pizza Dough
1 recipe Carmelized Balsamic Onions(recipe follows)
1 pkg unseasoned crumbled goat cheese
1 pkg fresh Mozzarella
1 pkg fresh baby spinach
EVOO
White truffle Oil

Preheat Grill on high. Roll out dough on cornmeal on a cookie sheet with no sides. Drizzle 1-2 T of EVOO on dough. Layer fresh spinach on dough followed by onions. Slice the mozzarella into medallions and layer loosely spread out across crust. Top with crumbled goat cheese and drizzle with white truffle oil. Gently slide the pizza onto the grill and put the lid on. Grill for 10-15 minutes checking regularly until the crust is browned and the cheese melted.

*NOTE: Do not put too much Mozzarella cheese on pizza, fresh mozzarella melts much more than aged part-skim Mozzarella. Add other ingredients to your own tastes, measurements not meant for total use.

Caramelized Balsamic Onions

2 large red onions
2 T white sugar
Balsamic vinegar

Peel and slice the onion in half and then in ¼ inch slices. Heat a small non-stick skillet on medium high and add onions to pan. Sauté until tender. Sprinkle sugar on top of onions and stir until sugar has melted and caramelized onto onions, about 2 minutes. Add 2 splashes of Balsamic vinegar and wait until it dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside.

Backwoods Pizza Dough

So this is my mom’s recipes that she found in a cookbook somewhere and now it is a staple in our family’s weekly diet. We usually make a triple batch which will feed my family plus an about 8 hungry teenage boys. If you make this in a stand mixer it isn’t too much work to let it knead the dough a good majority. If you make the dough you can let it rise and then freeze it tightly wrapped plastic.

¼ oz dry yeast

¼ C warm water-out of tap

3 C flour

1 t salt

2 T EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

1 T honey

¾ C cold water

Preheat oven to 250° before beginning. Dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand till bubbly. Combine rest of ingredients in blender; add yeast and stir to blend. Knead till smooth and glossy. Form a ball and oil the surface. Cover the bowl, turn off oven and place bowl in warm oven for an hour. It should double in size. When rolling dough out roll out thin and on corn meal. Bake pizza at 450° for 8-12 minute or until crust is crispy and done.

INFO

Ok so, I thought I would let you in on what I was thinking more with this. I will be updating this as much as I can and once I recall all my HTML code from junior high and high school, I will make the links work and what not. If you have any questions or specific requests for recipes or types of recipes, just leave me a comment, I would be glad to help. Thanks again for visiting my blog and Happy Cooking!

Thai Chicken Pizza

This pizza was a recipe inspired by the California Pizza Kitchen. Most of the asian ingredients can be found at Walmart or Meijer. I prefer to shop at AMKO on the corner or Springfield and 1^st. The prices are usually lower and they have more selection. For the dough you can make the Backwoods Pizza Dough recipe or you could purchase it from you favorite pizza shop. Most pizzerias will sell you their dough in portions for 1 or 2 dollars. I know for a fact that Antonio’s on green will sell you their dough.

Serving Size: 1 large pizza or 2 small pizzas

Spicy peanut sauce
¼ C. peanut butter-add up to a ½ cup for a sweeter more nutty taste.
½ C. hoisin sauce-can be found in most supermarkets in the Asian aisle
1 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. minced ginger
2 Tbsp. roasted sesame oil
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Vietnamese chili sauce (or dried chili flakes)-Any hot Asian pepper sauce would work
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce-found in most supermarkets
2 Tbsp. water

Thai chicken pieces
1 Tbsp. olive oil
10 oz. boneless/skinless chicken beast, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Pizza
make pizza dough (use your own recipe or use Backwoods Pizza Dough)
cornmeal for handling
2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
4 green onions chopped
½ C. white bean sprouts
¼ C. shredded carrots-can be bought this way

Chopped, roasted peanuts
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
½ bag broccoli slaw

>Preparation:
THAI PEANUT SAUCE: Combine sauce ingredients in a small pan over med. heat. Bring the sauce to a boil; boil gently for one minute. Set aside. THAI CHICKEN: Cook the chicken in olive oil over med-high heat, stirring, until just cooked; 5 to 6 minutes do not overcook. Set aside in refrigerator until chilled through. Once chilled, coat the chicken with sauce. Set aside in refrigerator. PIZZA: Use a large spoon to spread sauce evenly over pizza dough within the rim. Cover sauce with 3/4c cheese. Distribute half the chicken pieces over the cheese followed by half the green onions, bean sprouts, and carrots, respectively. Sprinkle an additional 1/4c cheese over the toppings and top the pizza with 1T chopped peanuts. Transfer the pizza to oven; bake at 350° until crisp and golden and the cheese is bubbly, 10-12 minutes. When cooked through, remove pizza from oven. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over the pizza

Repeat with remaining ingredients for a second pizza.

Strawberry Pie

It's spring and strawberries are in season. So I thought I would include a great fresh strawberry pie recipe that my mom has been making for years, and it still is amazing. This is a great quick desert is only takes about 30 min to prepare and an hour to chill so its great for quick impromptu gatherings. NOTE: I thought it would be proper to give my Grandma props for the original recipe, since it has come to my attention. Maybe I should assume all recipes origiante from her wonderful cookin.

BUTTER CRUST:
1/2 C butter
2 T. Sugar
1 C flour

FILLING
1 to 1 1/2 qts. strawberries
3 T. cornstarch
1 C. sugar
Red food coloring(optional)

BUTTER CRUST: Combine (cut) butter, sugar, and flour. Do not cream. Mix with pastry cutter or fork until well blended. Pat onto bottom and sides of pie plate. Bake at 375 for 12 to 15 minures. Cool.
FILLING: Wash and hull berries. Fill shell with whole berries, tips up. Mash enough berries to make 1 cup (some water may be added to make full cup). Mix sugar and cornstarch and add mashed berries. Add 1/2 cup water. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture is clear and thickened. Boil 1 minute. Stir to cool slightly. Add food coloring, if desired. Pour mixture over whole berries. Chill at least 1 hour.

Yea....

So this is a blog that I am starting to share my recipes and food thoughts that I have learned from family and experimetnation, with other college age students, who might want to eat better, healthier or cheaper. I will just be posting at random whatever I feel inspired to share. Or whenever I have time to test out new recipes. I am not sure when I will be able to post my first entry, but hopefully within in the next few weeks there will be more to share with everyone.