Heart Stopping Meatloaf

Shows like Epic Mealtime are such bad influences. After watching some of their videos on Youtube I went ahead and made this heart stopping meatloaf. It's simple, it's yummy, and boy is it a heart attack waiting to happen lol.

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
1 finely chopped clove of garlic
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 pkg uncooked bacon
cheddar cheese (shredded)

Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk and then mix together with ground beef, garlic, salt, egg, and red pepper

Then make a weave out of the bacon reserving 2 slices

Take half of the meat and make a flat log shape and put cheddar and extra bacon in the middle

Take the rest of the meat and cover the other meat and form into a log.

Then wrap the meatloaf in the bacon weave and bake in the oven at 350 until the bacon is crispy and the center of the meat is cooked.

Homemade Falafel

Here's another yummy food from the Mediterranean and Middle East. It's made up of beans, peas and various herbs and spices. Although this food is relatively healthy and vegetarian friendly it does not lack in flavor. It is a bit time consuming but worth every minute of preparation.

Ingredients:
2 cups dried garbanzo beans
1 1/2 cup dried fava beans (peeled if possible)
1 cup cilantro (coriander leaves)
1/2 cup parsley
8 garlic cloves minced
3-4 tsp salt
1 tbs coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 very large onion coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp blk pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda, added 15 minutes before frying
1/2 tsp baking powder

Soak the beans overnight.

Drain the beans and place into food processor and blend well until crumbly and place in a large bowl.

Then take the parsley, cilantro, garlic, onion and blend in the food processor until a paste-like consistency. Mix well with beans.

Mix in the salt, black pepper, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, breadcrumbs to the bean mixture.

15-20 minutes before frying, add baking soda, baking powder and flour

Form mixture into small balls and deep fry until browned

Drain falafels on a paper towel and serve with tahini

Fresh Hummus

Typically the words "delicious", and "vegetarian" don't go in the same sentence but in this case it actually is. A lot Middle Eastern dishes are vegetarian and have no lack in flavor. Hummus is an example of that. Hummus is a dish that is usually served as an appetizer or a light and very healthy but very tasty snack and usually is accompanied by toasted or fresh pita. It is made up of ground up chickpeas (or garbanzo beans as some call them). This recipe is simple and will take you 10 minutes to make. How much easier could it get?

Ingredients:
- 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or 16 oz freshly soaked chickpeas
- Juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil


Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid.


Combine all ingredients except olive oil and blend well.


Transfer to a bowl and make an indentation in the center of the hummus.


Add olive oil in the indentation and garnish with parsley


Refrigerates for 3 days and freezes for 1 month.

Homemade Sweet Tea

Ok so today's post isn't a food recipe but it's still just as good. I love southern sweet tea so I experimented with a bunch of different teas until I found one that tasted perfect with it. It makes a really refreshing drink after being out in the heat. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 tea bags of Ceylon Tea
1 cup sugar (you can use more or less depending on your taste)
1 gallon water

In large pot bring water almost to a boil and add tea bags.

Let water boil for several minutes and then remove from heat and let the tea steep for 15 minutes

Remove tea bags and stir in sugar until dissolved.

Let chill and serve.

Sloppy Joes

This is much better than that canned stuff you buy at the stores and just as easy to make!

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 Green Bell Pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
• 3/4 cup ketchup or diced tomatoes
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tsp soy sauce

Directions

1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper; drain off liquids.
2. Stir in the garlic powder, vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Spicy Pepper Steak

1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Large Onion
1/4 cup soy sauce
8  tbsp hot sauce
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 pkg stir fry steak strips or 2  large steaks cut into strips
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste

Step 1: Marinade steak in hot sauce, soy sauce, salt & pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder for several hours.

Step 2: After steak has marinated, cut the onion and bell peppers into strips (if you cut the onion next to an open flame your eyes won't water/tear)

Step 3: Put peppers, onions, olive oil, in frying pan

Step 4: Saute bell peppers & onions until onions are golden/translucent in color.

Step 5: Place steak in the frying pan and cook with peppers & onions. Add crushed red pepper, garlic powder. Cover and stir occasionally until ready.


Goes Good With:
White Rice
Mashed Potatoes
Steamed Broccoli
Green Beans

Chicken Quesadillas

 This is another recipe that my friend had shared with me. I did change the recipe a bit but only for the chicken. This is makes a great meal whether it's lunch, dinner or a snack.

Chicken brine:

2 1/2 cups Water

1 1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

1/16 tsp Cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp Garlic powder

1 Chicken bullion cube

In baking dish combine all of the ingredients and then add the chicken. Let it sit for several hours or overnight

Ingredients:

6 Strips of Bacon, diced

1 Red Pepper

1 tbsp Garlic, minced

1/2 Onion, chopped

Cheddar

Chicken breasts or tenderloins

Tortillas 

Take chicken and brine water and add the minced garlic and red pepper and place into the oven at 350 for an hour or until it becomes tender and falls apart.

Remove chicken from the oven and tear into pieces. Remove red peppers as well.

In a skillet cook bacon and onion until tender and done. Remove from skillet

Lay large tortilla flat and on half of the tortilla place cheddar, then chicken, then red peppers, then bacon and onions and then topped with cheese and then fold over the tortilla so that it looks like half of a circle.

In a large fry pan melt a tbsp butter and heat the quesadilla on low-med heat until cheese melts and tortilla is slightly browned.

Homemade Salsa

This salsa recipe was shared by a good friend. It uses all fresh ingredients and has a great taste unlike most of the canned/jarred ones. It goes great with quesadillas, tortilla chips or just about any other Tex-Mex or Mexican foods

Ingredients:
3 tomatoes
1/2 med onion
1/4 cup cilantro
2 tbsp green onion
1 tsp salt
1 lime

Dice green onion, tomato and cilantro and put into bowl.

Add lime juice and salt. Stir vigorously.

Refridgerate prior to serving.

French Toast

One of the best breakfast foods. It's simple, quick and has a nice sweet flavor. This recipe is more than just dipping a slice of bread in a beaten egg and frying it. There's more than just egg as you will see.

Ingredients:
8 slices of white bread or thick slices of a french loaf
1 1/2 tbsp white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 500 degrees

Whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, milk and salt.

Generously butter a baking sheet and heat in the oven for 1 minute.

Dip slices of bread in egg mixture and place on baking sheet and cook for 2-4 minutes and then turn bread over and cook for another 2-4 minutes

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is great for parties, BBQs or just a really good way of satisfying the munchies. This makes a lot of dip so be prepared!

Ingredients:
16 oz cream cheese (let soften)
3/4 cup of Frank's Red Hot Sauce
1 lb. of chicken breast
1 cup of bleu cheese dressing
1 cup of crumbled/chopped bleu cheese
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Cut chicken breast into small cubes and cook.

Mix the softened cream cheese with the hot sauce until well blended.

Add chicken, bleu cheese, dressing, and 1 cup of cheddar, mix well. put mixture into oven or BBQ/smoker safe pan

Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar on top to make a nice cheesy crust.

You can place this mixture in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 or until cheese is melted or you can place it in a smoker and heat it off of indirect heat at 225 for 2 hours.

Serve with tortilla chips and/or celery

Chocolate Tuxedo Covered Strawberries

These are a simple and delicious treat to add to any Valentine's Day. Unlike your boring chocolate dipped strawberries, these are dressed to impress!

Ingredients:
Fresh strawberries
Milk Chocolate (or Dark if you prefer)
White chocolate

**Note: You will need either an icing bag with a normal point tip or a sandwich bag with one of the corners slightly cut off. Instead of a double boiler you can place a small pot in a larger pot full of boiling water.

Using a double boiler melt the white chocolate.

Completely dip the strawberries and set on a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper and put in the fridge.

Once the white chocolate has been given time to cool and harden, melt the milk chocolate.

Take the strawberry and dip one side slightly in the milk chocolate so that it rests diagonally on the strawberry and repeat for the other side.

Place strawberries back on parchment paper and fill your icing bag with remaining melted chocolate. (May want to heat the chocolate up a bit to make it a little more melted)

Down the white center area of the strawberry make 2 dots of chocolate (buttons) and then above those make a bow tie by making 2 triangles with a dot in the center.

Your finished product should look like this:

Spicy Shrimp Over Pasta

This is a simple dish that will satisfy any shrimp lover's appetite. It's got the perfect amount of zing to it and tomato and herbs give it a great taste. It's also low in fat too! This was my Valentine's Day dinner that I made for my husband.

Ingredients: 
1/2 lb shrimp
8 ounces linguine, fettuccine, or spaghetti
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 green onions/scallions, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1tbsp fresh basil, chopped or 1 tsp dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons dry white wine
1 tomato, chopped
Black pepper
Fresh Mozzarella (optional)

Boil the pasta until al dente. Drain but keep 1 cup of pasta water. 

Put some olive oil in  large non-stick skillet and evenly grease the pan.

Heat skillet on medium heat and add shrimp, lemon zest, garlic, scallions, red pepper flakes. Stir around for a couple minutes until the shrimp turns slightly pink.


Add tomatoes, salt, basil, lemon juice, and white wine. Cook for another until shrimp is fully cooked.

Add 1 cup of pasta water to shrimp make sauce (or less if preferred)

Spoon shrimp over pasta and pour some sauce over pasta

Sprinkle black pepper over pasta and place slices of fresh Mozzarella on top and place in the broiler until cheese is melted.

Serve and enjoy!

Italian Grilled CHeese

This isn't your ordinary grilled cheese sandwich. This sandwich is packed full of flavor and is by far one of the best grilled cheese sandwiches I've had. It's simple and quick to make which is always a plus!

Ingredients:
2 slices of Italian bread (white will do too but Italian bread is better)
1 tomato (Heirloom works best)
Garlic Salt
Fresh or dried Basil
Mozzarella cheese
Olive oil
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Balsamic glaze (optional)

Assembly:

On each slice of bread place desired amount of mozzarella and top with desired amount of garlic salt.

Place 2 slices of tomato on one slice of bread and top with desired amount of dry or fresh basil and crushed red pepper.

Drizzle balsamic glaze over the tomato and place other half of sandwich on top.

Heat some olive oil in a skillet and cook evenly on both sides until done.

Peanut Brittle

I love peanut brittle. It's a tasty snack that is very simple to make and I figured I would share the recipe with you. You can substitute the peanuts for almonds or sunflower seeds or just about any nut you may fancy. It takes about a half hour to make and then some time for it to cool down so you can eat it.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp butter
3/4 cup peanuts (or other nut/seed you want)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp water

Grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.

In deep skillet bring water, corn syrup, and sugar to a boil. (stir occasionally)

Once mixture has reached 250F add butter and peanuts and cook until light brown in color (roughly 290F). Remove from heat

Add baking soda, vanilla, salt, and water to brittle mixture and mix well.

Transfer mixture to prepared cookie sheet and spread evenly with a greased/buttered spatula

Let cool, break up and enjoy!

Brigadeiros (Chocolate Balls)

Brigadeiros are a Brazilian treat that my grandmother used to make. They have a great creamy taste and a fudge-like texture. They are very simple to make and make great treats to put out when company comes over. The best part is, you only need 4 ingredients!

Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon cocoa powder
Spinkles (optional)


Combine sweetened condensed milk, butter and cocoa powder in medium saucepan.

Cook over medium-low heat, stir vigorously

Cook the mixture until it thickens enough to show the pan bottom during stirring.

Pour the mixture in a greased dish and let it cool to room temperature. Take small amounts of the mixture with a teaspoon and make 1 ½ inch balls.

Roll the balls over sprinkles to decorate. (optional)

Note** Grease your hands with margarine to make the balls easily.

Cheddar Butter Biscuits

These biscuits are a great addition to any dinner. They are crisp on the outside and moist on the inside with just a hint of the buttermilk taste. The garlic butter glaze just sets these off perfectly.

Ingredients:


2 cups minus 1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp + 2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter (chilled)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 oz cheddar, shredded
4 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder

- Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt

-Add 2 tbsp butter and cut into flour

-Add buttermilk and cheese and combine with fork (avoid handling the dough)

-Drop spoonfuls of dough on greased cookie sheet and bake at 450 for 8-10 min

-Once biscuits are done, melt 4 tbsp butter and add garlic powder.

-Brush garlic butter over biscuits and serve!

5 Minute Chocolate Cake

A 5 minute chocolate cake you say? I know it sounds hard to believe but you can have a delicious 1 person cake (or 2 if you are willing to share). A friend of mine shared this with me and it is the best thing to make when you are having a chocolate craving. Even people who can't bake can make this since there are no ovens involved!

4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
1 egg
3 tbsp milk
3 tbsp oil
3 tbsp chocolate chips (optional)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug or 1cereal bowl (microwave safe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.

Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.

Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes

Allow to cool for 2 minutes, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

Great Things To Have In The Kitchen

Ok, so today's post isn't a recipe but I still think many of you will find it useful. Some of these tools aren't commonly found in kitchens but having them will make your life in the kitchen much better.

Apple Corer - this little tool makes seeding and coring apples as easy as eating one. I love using it when I make my pie fillings, apple crisps or even when I just want to much on some apple slices.

Whisk - It's great for mixing eggs so you get a fluffy omelet, and even better when you are making a roux for a bechemel sauce or a flour and cream base for a soup.

Glass Baking Dish - Unlike the metal baking dishes, these can take a beating when trying to scrub off bits left over by the meal you just cooked.

Measuring Spoons - A necessity in any kitchen. These are used every day in my kitchen as well as many others. There's no other way to get exact measurements. These spoons measure both liquids and dry ingredients

Measuring Cups - Yet another necessity in the kitchen. There are 2 kinds of measuring cups, the dry and the liquid. While most people think there's no difference there is a vast difference. It can make a huge difference in your recipe.

Electric Mixer - Yes your standard hand mixers work great in some cases but the counter top mixers with different attachments is the way to go. It can save your hands and arms almost all the work when forming doughs and whipping butter and creating meringue. They can still mix your cake mix and beat your mashed potatoes too. They can be pricy but are worth every penny.

Blenders and Food Processors - Many people have blenders in their kitchens to make great smoothies and mixed drinks. They play an important role in the cooking aspect of kitchen too. Food processors play an even larger role in the kitchen. This will cut down large amounts of time you would spend manually grating food.

Pastry Cutter - Pastry cutters help cut in ingredients like butter, shortening, cream cheese and other similar things into flour mixtures to evenly combine them to avoid over handling more delicate dough.

Proper Cutting Knife Set - There is no such thing as 1 knife cuts all. Certain knives are designed to cut through bones or have serrated edges to cut through breads and others are used as an eating utensil. Having/using an incorrect knife could result in an injury. Dull blades are just as dangerous as a sharp one so make sure you are careful and use a sharp knife.

Wooden Spoon - I find that wooden spoons hold and give great flavor when you cook. I love using them while I slow cook my pasta sauce.

Cutting Board - Plastic or wooden is fine to use but it is always a good thing to have one. Cutting elsewhere can destroy your counter tops and tables.

Thermometers - If you are like me and have a 30 year old oven/range you will know that there are no ways of knowing if/when your oven has preheated to the correct temperature. That is one of the reasons to get yourself a probe thermometer so you can determine the inside temp of your oven. The probe thermometers serve double as a way of getting the internal temperature of your meat so that you can determine if it has been fully cooked through.

Airtight Containers - These are great for storing your flours, sugars or other spices and seasonings that you make so that they stay fresh longer.

Oven Mitts - These are pretty self explanatory. Who wants to burn their hands taking something out of the oven? No one I would imagine. Oven mitts are much more reliable than using a towel and you are at less of a risk of burning yourself or having the towel catch fire.

Colander/Strainer - Makes draining pasta or potatoes much easier and also gives you something to place your veggies in so you can wash them off

There are more useful tools that would be great to have in the kitchen but these are the main ones. Hope this was useful

Buffalo Sauce

Who doesn't love a good batch of buffalo chicken wings or even buffalo shrimp? With the Superbowl right around the corner this recipe for buffalo sauce is a great way to kick off the game or just your every day dinner!


Ingredients:
8 tbsp Frank's Red Hot Sauce (Original)
8 tbsp Butter (melted)
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/8 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper
1 1/2 tbsp Vinegar
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together and lightly toss in chicken or shrimp.

Baked Potato Soup

I don't know about you but I love a good loaded baked potato. This creamy soup has the same great taste of a loaded baked potato. It is great to slurp down on a cold winter day.


Ingredients:

2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
7 cups of milk or heavy cream
4 lg potatoes (peeled, baked, cubed)
Chives, chopped
12 strips of bacon cooked and crumbled (I used smoked maple flavor)
1 1/4 cup shredded mild cheddar
8 oz sour cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper


- In a large pot melt butter on low heat. Once butter is melted slowly stir in the flour and whisk constantly to create a smoothe roux.
- Stir in milk/heavy cream while continuing to whisk until it thickens.
-Add chives, bacon, salt, pepper and sour cream
-Simmer for about 10 minutes and then add potatoes and cheese and simmer for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and serve.

Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf

I never had luck finding a tasty meatloaf growing up. Usually on days it was made I would wind up feeding it to the dogs but now it looks like I finally found one that is good and makes me go back for seconds!


Ingredients:
1-2 lbs ground turkey
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Shredded or cubed Mozzarella cheese

In a med bowl combine milk and breadcrumbs and let it soak for a couple minutes.

After milk has soaked into breadcrumbs combine remaining ingredients well.

Form meat mixture into a loaf and place in baking pan (glass works best)

Bake at 400 for an hour.

Goes Good With:

Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Peas

Corn

Mac & Cheese

Any other veggies