'Weeknight Mexican Casserole'

       That's it, enough is enough! I NEED to win the lottery!!! Just think of all the fantabulous things we would do with all that dough - oh the dreams we can conjure, the possessions we would accumulate, yet, I think the thing that would make me the happiest is food and drink (shocking huh)? Yup, I would travel the world and EAT! Imagine it...all sorts of folks cooking all sorts of strange morsels to tantalize the taste buds - how joyous! But as for now, time for a reality trip to the freezer. With a very cold drink for the journey, I'm on my way! More hamburger meat, really? Seriously?? It's fine, it's all good, we can do this! We are 'The S!#t in The Freezer' after all, we can find something to do with anything!! With a little of this and that, how bout' a 'Weeknight Mexican Casserole'! Why not, let's jump right to it! This is what I've got:
        1. 1lb ground beef, I have a little over (turkey's good too)  
        2. 1 packet taco seasoning (and you know my mantra, always keep plenty of sauces, soups &  seasoning envelopes on hand)
        3. 1 med onion, chopped
        4. 4 taco size tortilla shells (corn or flour, you pick)
        5. 1 can re-fried beans (cup of blk beans instead...tasty)
        6. 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (spice it up with pepper jack)
        7. blk olives sliced
        8. 1/2 cup salsa (as hot as you like)
        9. your choice of toppings, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, sr. cream, jalapeno slices, skies the limit!
      10. 3 tablespoons water
        Take a wild guess as to what's first. Preheat the oven to 350!! You got it! Go get another adult beverage. Brown ground beef with the onion on med heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Pour water and seasoning package into the meat and combine. Lower heat & simmer for a few while you spray a baking dish with a non stick spray (I'm using a 10 x 10 dish). Lay 2 tortillas on the bottom, ripping them to fit the best you can (no stress). Plop refried beans by tablespoon full onto tortillas and spread out the best you can (no stress again). Dump meat over the beans and spread evenly. Spoon salsa over the meat and spread again (whole lotta spreading going on huh) :) Place remaining tort shells on top (ripping again if needed). Sprinkle cheese over all of it all then decorate with olive slices...so pretty!! Stick it in the oven, uncovered for approx. 25-30 mins until cheese is melted and everything is heated through. Remove from the oven and top with your fave toppings. Serve it hot with maybe some Mexican corn mix on the side...OLE!! This recipe is so DERN TASTY, it sure don't last long in this house. Enjoy my friends and have a drink on me :)

'Creamy Ham and Potato Au Gratin'

     POOPED...That's how I feel...yes, pooped, that's it! This week has just exhausted me! Something easy but super tasty is just what the doc ordered for tonight oh, and a cocktail of course!! So, marching my fat over to the freezer, cocktail in hand, I notice (under a bag of frozen veggies) a big ol' ham steak - hhhmmm, this could be interesting. I do have a few potatoes I need to use before they start to root so tonight we'll enjoy 'Creamy Ham and Potato Au Gratin' YUMMOLICIOUS!!
    This is what I've got: 
        1. 1 lrg ham steak (mine is a little over 1lb) cut into cubes
        2. 3 cups potatoes  boiled, peeled & also cubed
        3. 3-4 strips of 'crispy' bacon crumbled
        4. 1/2 cup diced onion (I'm using green onion, white and green parts)
        5. 1/4 cup mayo
        6. 3/4 cup whole milk
        7. 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or a little more if your feeling cheesy)
        8. butter
        9. pepper
      10. a little flour for thickening 
Top off your cocktail, relax and let's wet that appetite! Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
    Drop a little glob of butter into a large skillet (naturally), and sauté onions until tender. Toss the potatoes, mayo, ham and bacon in with the onion. Stir it up then pour it into a greased 11in x 7in baking dish. Use that same skillet (why dirty more jazz) melt about a tablespoon of butter. Stir in a tablespoon of flour and a good amount of pepper until no longer lumpy. Slowly add the milk stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Cook for a min or so (keep stirring). Add the cheese, lower heat and stir until cheese is melted. Pour cheese mixture evenly over ham & potatoes (you can always add a little more butter on top for more richness). Cover. Bake for approx. 30 min. until heated through and bubbly. Now this is what I call DERN TASTY!! May the rest of your week be fab. Go eat (& drink)

'Simple Saucy Stroganoff'

   Lot's going on this week, kids graduating, rug rats getting out of school for the summer (WHAT THE??? relax, OTHER people's kids goofy)!! Everyone is rushing around like crazy...what IS going on? It's all madness! We have got to slow down or we're gonna drop dead I tell you - I NEED WINE!!! That's the ticket, now I can concentrate, now I can slow down, now I have to come up with something fantastic that will hopefully make enough for an extra meal and save me some time this week (which we can certainly use with weeks like this). Alright already, enough bitchin', off to the freezer!  I spy with my bloodshot eye (behind a bag of frozen something I don't even recognize) a baggie of ground turkey AND a baggie of ground beef...It's use up leftover night! We can use both these leftover meats and dispose of some of this jazz. We have all the stuff we need for 'Simple Saucy Stroganoff'! From the pantry (& fridge), this is what I've got:
       1. 1/2 lb ground turkey
       2. 1/2 lb ground beef (all beef or all turkey, your call)
       3. 8oz sliced mushrooms
       4. 1 lrg garlic clove (or 2 small) minced
       5. 1 lrg onion chopped
       6. 1 can condensed cream of mushroom or cream of  chicken soup (I'm using chicken)
       7. 3 cups cooked egg noodles (mashed taters are awesome too)
       8. 3/4 cup sour cream
       9. 1/4 cup heavy cream
     10. 1 tbsp butter or marg
     11. salt & pepper to taste
 Open another bottle of wine, get your large, deep skillet out (AGAIN) and let's boogie!!
         Heat your skillet on med heat. Cook the meat, onion, garlic & mushrooms together
         until meat is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in the soup, a good amount of pepper and a little
         salt (the soup has salt in it also). Cook just a few mins till soup heats through. Lower the heat,
         add the butter, sour cream & heavy cream. Stir it up then throw in the noodles. Toss it all
         together until noodles are covered in sauce (if you like it a little more saucy, add a little more
         sour cream or heavy cream), Simmer 2-3 mins till thoroughly heated. Serve this all by itself,
         with a little green veg or buttery dinner rolls. But definitely, another glass of wine! This lip
          smackin' and DERN TASTY recipe was brought to you by...me!

       

"Quick & Tasty Paella"

      Close your eyes, picture it...crystal clear turquois waters, palm trees bending to the warm breezes that envelop your body, the sound of birds singing so sweetly with the beckoning smell of something sizzling on an open fire pit while sucking down a cold summery glass of sangria, aaahh, now that's what I'm talkin' about!! Okay, wake your ass up & snap out of it, that's somebody else's life! WE are heading to the freezer for a dose of reality so let's check it out. We're still doing a cold summery glass of sangria by the way :)  I see a few things which gives us many options. All kinds of things to choose from so tonight but I think I'll use two different meats and create something remarkable, chicken thighs & chorizo sausage..."Quick & Tasty Paella"...Love, love, love this dish! 
 This is what I have: 
        1.  4-6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (breasts can be used too if you like dry chicken)
        2.  1lb chorizo sausage cut into 1/2 in medallions
        3.  1 10oz pkg yellow rice, cooked according to pkg directions (chicken stock instead of water
                       adds flavor)
        4.  1 can of young baby peas, drained (I like LeSeur but 9 ounces of frozen, thawed is good also)
        5.  1 med onion, chopped
        6.  2 tsp Adobo seasoning
        7.  butter or margarine and lots of it!!
        8.  pimento pcs (optional, it looks pretty & adds good flavor)
We can still take our minds to a beautiful someplace, with a full glass of sangria and a hefty bowl of paella...let's do this!!
        Grab a large, deep skillet. Heat it on med heat and drop a couple of teaspoons of butter around the bottom to melt. Toss in the onion. Cook for just a couple mins then put your thighs in the pan
(ouch). Sprinkle Adobo seasoning on everything and cook chicken 3-4 mins on each side until no longer pink when you cut into it. Add the sausage and cook just till chorizo is warmed through. Remove chicken, sausage & onions from skillet. Lower heat to simmer. Spread cooked yellow rice evenly around the bottom of the skillet. If you are using pimentos, mix them in with the rice now (I use the leftover pimentos from the green olive jar when I have them...no waste here, plus they add a flavor that I love)  Place the chicken, sausage & onion evenly over the top of the rice. Dig a round well (about 3-4 inches around) right in the middle of the rice mixture. Pour the drained peas right in the middle of this gorgeous masterpiece. Drop a several globs of butter over the peas and rice. Cover. Heat long enough for the peas to heat through and the butter to melt. Serve with a large serving spoon right out of the skillet...delectable!!! With some buttered Cuban bread and some more sangria, what the hell else do ya want??? Life is good and so DERN TASTY!!!

'Portobello Pizzas'

     Now that grilling season is in our face, our minds take us back to those luscious, smoky memories & damn mosquitos...I find myself spraying massive amounts of smelly Off all over my body, pouring an extra large glass of frosty, cold beer (a light beer, I must keep my fat sexy :) and it's out to fire up the grill. Wait, WHOOA Nelly...what's the freezer got in store for us?? Sticking my head in the icebox, (ooh, nice and cool) I don't see a whole lot but I do have a little frozen block of 'meatloaf mix' (ground pork & ground beef smooshed together) so with that and what I've got in the fridge, we can grill our ass off (if only)!! Our cookout meal tonight will be 'Portobello Pizzas'! DANG, don't that sound scrumptious??  This is what I've got: 
    1. 4 lrg Portobello mushrooms (stems removed & gills scraped out)
    2. about 1lb (a little less or more won't matter) ground meat (I've got the meatloaf mixture but
       ground beef or turkey is also just as awesome)
    3. 4 lrg  raw onion 'rings' (bell pepper 'ring' also very tasty)
    4. 3/4 cup marinara sc. (whatever kind of pasta or pizza sc you have is perfect)
    5  1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (lo-fat if you really think it will help anything)
    6. 1/2 tsp oregano
    7. 4 tablespoons parm cheese
    8. veg oil, olive oil or cooking spray - up to you!
       Start with another ice cold one THEN light the grill to med-high heat. Meantime, crumble and
brown your meat. Drain. Add the sauce and oregano. Simmer on low for a few mins while you set
out 4 squares of alum foil (a little bigger than the mush caps are). Brush or spray oil on the top of 
mush caps and place each one, top down, on each piece of alum foil. Fill each cap with meat mixture
then place your onion (or pepper) ring on top. Spoon a 'good' spoonful or two of mozz cheese inside
the ring and sprinkle with parm cheese. (sky is the limit for toppings...sliced blk olives, pepperoni,
jalapenos, whatever you fancy)! Now loosely wrap each cap with another piece of foil and place on
the grill. Lower heat to medium (350 degrees) and cook for approx.10-12 mins until mushrooms are tender. So little clean-up, LOVE IT!!! Fill up your glass, fix a little cucumber, onion and tomato salad & life is good!  Mucho DERN TASTY...Such fun :)

      Summer will be here in a blink of an eye (I know...it's hot as hades already but uh by the way,  this IS Florida, what do ya want anyway)? So, in celebration of sweat and heat stroke, let's do something summery, let's get the blender out, fix a frosty, tropical  little (or big) tasty, boozy treat and head over to the freezer to check out what's in store for us and our summer feast. Oh wow, I get it & it's fantastic...a crab boil!! Yup, our 1st crab boil of the summer - how simply tantalizing!
     This is what I've got...
     1. 2lb bag frozen crab legs (no need to thaw)
     2. 1 14oz pkg sausage cut into 1/2 in slices (I have kielbasa in the fridge but you use what you
         like)
     3. 1lb lrg shrimp, tail on (cleaned and de-vained)
     3. 1lb potatoes cut into large chunks
     4. 4 ears sweet corn cut into 2in pieces
     5. 1 red onion, quartered
     6. 2 32oz cartons reduced sodium chicken broth (your crab boil will be way to salty if you use reg
         broth, trust me)
     7. 1 12oz can light beer (use light, trust me again)
     8. 1/4 cup Old Bay seafood seasoning
     9. 4 cups water
   10. 4-5 bay leaves
   11. a little veg oil for the bottom of the pan
   12. pepper, as much as ya like
        This has got to be one of the easiest and DERN TASTIEST recipe you will ever make, plus
it's great for a crowd...your company will LOVE you!! Crank up the blender one more time, grab a large stockpot and let's get crabby!!
 Drizzle a couple teaspoons of oil into your stockpot and heat on med - high heat.
 Brown the sausage. Dump in the broth, water, beer, seafood seasoning, some pepper and bay leaves.
 Stir it up then throw in the corn, potatoes & onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat.
 Simmer, uncovered for about 20-25 mins until the potatoes are just tender.
 Add the crab then after about 5 mins toss in the shrimp. Cook just long enough to heat the shrimp
 (don't overcook the shrimp...YUCKY)! Drain and remove bay leaves.
 Now ladle all that fabulousness into some big ol' bowls & with butter and some crusty bread,,,
 have at it!!! A few more tropical drinks and you'll swear your at the beach :) Out of control and
 simply...DERN TASTY!!! 

      No time this week for shopping, God only knows what we can find in the freezer tonight sooo -
we grab a glass of pinot grigio, head over to the freezer and keep the fingers crossed! Aaaahh,
figures...PEAS, yes I said a bag of frozen PEAS - no meat, just PEAS!!! Oh brother, relax, it's okay, don't be a titty baby! As long as we got the goods in the cupboard...we can do anything!!! So, we refill and take a stroll around the kitchen island. Take a little glance into the cupboard and hell yeah,
I see exactly what we're going to do...what joy :) It's 'Mushroom, Pea and Pasta Marsala"              This is what I've got...
       1.  1lb cooked pasta (I have small shells but if I had ditalini, I would use those)
       2.  1lb cleaned & chopped mushrooms, whatever kind ya like
       3.  1 cup dry Marsala wine
       4.  1/2 lb artichoke hearts (I have the cans but frozen would probably be better)
       5.  3/4 cup grated parm cheese (or a little more if you love it)
       6.   1/2 cup heavy cream (milk is okay but it's  gonna be a little thin)
       7.   1 small chopped onion
       8.   8oz frozen peas, thawed preferably
       9.   some olive oil for the pan
      10.  a handful of chopped parsley
      11.  salt & blk pepper to taste 
    Alright, that's enough already!! MORE WINE!!!  K, now drizzle 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a large, deep ( gosh, AGAIN, so nasty) skillet. Heat on med-high for a few mins then
add the onions. After about a minute or two, add the mushrooms, peas and a good pinch of salt.
Cook 8-10 mins until the mushrooms have cooked down. Pour the Marsala over the shrooms &
cook about 5 mins or so until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the pasta to the mushroom mixture. Stir it up a bit then add the artichoke hearts, parm cheese and cream (if it doesn't look
creamy enough for you, add a little more cream). Cook for about 5 minutes or until the artichoke
hearts are heated through. Stir in the pepper then taste for seasoning. Sprinkle parsley over the top,
toss it around a bit and be prepared for ecstasy (oooh, sounds groovy)! This DERN TASTY recipe
is brought to you by...ME :) Have a fantastic week!!!