Crock Pot Potato Bacon Soup

You will need:

• 1 (30oz) frozen diced / county potato style  hash browns
• 1 (32oz) box of chicken broth
• 1 (10oz) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 (8oz) package cream cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 oz bacon bits (real bacon bits)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Put Potatoes in the crock pot. Add broth, cream of chicken, bacon, salt and pepper.

Cook on low for 8 hours or until potatoes are tender.

An hour before serving, cut the cream cheese into cubes and mix into crock pot. Mix a few times throughout the hour before serving.

Top with some more bacon bits and cheddar cheese! Enjoy!

Fudge

You will need:

• 1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups milk chocolate chips
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup walnuts (if desired)*

Directions:

Pour Sweetened condensed milk into a microwave safe bowl

Add chocolate chips and microwave about 1 minute. You want to heat the chocolate just enough to melt it, but not long enough to burn the chocolate.

Mix until milk is incorporated into the chocolate. 

Line a square baking dish with tin foil, spray with cooking spray, and transfer to mix into dish.

Chill in the fridge for 2 hours

Now you can pop the fudge out of the pan and remove the tin foil to cut into squares.

*You can add walnuts into the mixture before transferring to the baking dish so that they will be throughout the fudge when it's done, or you can add them to the top to the fudge before chilling in the fridge. If you add them to the top, I suggest pressing them slightly into the mix so that they don't fall off when they are being cut.

Cheesy Garlic Herb Diner Rolls

You will need:

• Buttermilk Pillsbury Dinner rolls
• Block of Mozzarella cheese
• 3 tablespoons fresh minced Parsley
• 4 Garlic Cloves minced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Pinch of Salt

Directions:

Cut Mozzarella into 1 inch cubes.

Take biscuits out of the tube and flatten out each biscuit on a cookie sheet. 

Place the cheese in the middle of each biscuit and wrap the dough around the cheese, making a ball shape. 

Melt butter and add to parsley, garlic and salt in a small dish.

Once all biscuits are filled with cheese, brush each biscuit with your garlic herb butter. Get the sides too! 

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Baked Crab Dip

You will need:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tsp wart sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh Parmesan cheese
• 2 (6oz) cans crab meat (drained)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese (divided)
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Cooking spray

Directions:

Soften the cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds if it is not room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, lemon, wart sauce, parmasean cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, green onion, garlic and pepper. 

Spray a cooking dish with cooking spray and add the mixture.

Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Place in the oven at 350 for 40 minutes or until bubbling.

Remove and let cool before serving.

Garnish with green onion if desired.

Shells and White Cheddar

You will need:

• 2 cups Shells
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese 

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan, Bring the milk and shells to a slight simmer, then cook about 20 minutes, stirring often, and making sure it doesn't boil. 

When Shells are slightly al dente, turn off the heat and add the shredded cheese. Stir until melted. You can add small amounts of milk as needed for creamier sauce. 

Coconut Macaroons

You will need:

• 14 oz shredded coconut (or about 5 and 1/3 cup)
• 1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
• 2 tsp Vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix all ingredients.

Drop by teaspoons onto parchment paper covered baking sheet.

Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes or until top of macaroons are lightly browned on top and along the edges.

remove from baking sheet and let them cool on a cooling rack.

Makes about 4 dozen

Banana Bread

You will need:

• 3 large ripe-over ripe bananas, sliced
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup veg or canola oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas and brown sugar.

Add oil, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg to banana mash, and mix.

Sieve flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt onto the wet mixture.

Fold dry ingredients. Don't mix.

Pour batter into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Test with a toothpick.

Buffalo Chicken Wings

You will need:

• 4 table spoons butter
• 1/3 cup Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce (original or spicy)
• 4-6 cloves of Garlic, chopped
• 8 chicken wings and or drumsticks 

Directions:

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter on low heat and add the franks buffalo wing sauce and garlic. Give it a quick stir and take it off the heat.

Put drumsticks and or legs into a large mixing bowl and pour half the mixture over the chicken. Coat the chicken by tossing a few times. Let the chicken sit for about 30 minutes, and then place them onto tinfoil on a cookie sheet.

Cook on top rack under a Medium Broiler (about 450) for 12 minutes. Flip and cook another 12 minutes on the other side. 

Transfer cooked chicken to a clean bowl and add the rest of the Buffalo Sauce. Toss to coat the chicken and serve immediately. Pour sauce over the chicken if you transfer it to another plate. Don't leave the sauce behind!!

Chipotle Coleslaw

You will need:

• 1/4 Mayo
• 1 tablespoon sugar (not necessary)
• 3 tablespoons Sour Cream
• 1 teaspoon lime zest
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (16oz) package coleslaw mix
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle. 

Directions:

In small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for the coleslaw mix. Amount of adobo sauce can be added/subtracted depending on your liking.
Dump coleslaw mix into large mixing bowl and add the mixture. Combine all ingredients, mixing thoroughly. refrigerate util ready to use. 

Great on burgers too!!

Summer Salad

You will need:

• 1 head of Romaine Lettuce
• Red, yellow and orange sweet peppers
• Red onion
• Cheddar Cheese
• Avocado
• Dressing of your choice

Directions:

- Chop lettuce, onion and peppers, cube cheddar cheese and avocado 

- Lightly dress within minutes of serving.

Sub Sandwich

You will need:

• Ham cold cuts
• Turkey cold cuts
• Pepper
• Mayo
• Mustard
• Lettuce
• Onion
• Tomato
• Avocado
• Loaf of French bread/Sourdough/any bread you like

Directions:

- Slice loaf in half, and put mayo on both sides of the loaf. Add pepper to one side of loaf.

- Assemble all other ingredients. 

Fresh Pico De Gallo

You will need:

• 2 cups whole cherub tomatoes 
• 1 large jalapeno
• Small handful of cilantro
• Small white onion
• Sea salt

Directions:

- Dice or pulse tomatoes about 2-3 times for only 1 second in a food processor or ninja bullet. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

- Dice white onion and add to tomatoes. Amount of onion is up to you.

- Slice Jalapeno into 4 pieces (horizontally, not long ways) Throw into food processor and pulse until they are in small pieces. Add desired amount to tomato and onion.
- Finely chop cilantro and add desired amount to tomato, onion and jalapeno.
- Add a teaspoon of sea salt and mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Salmon fillet over Brown rice with fresh Pico de gallo, grilled red bell pepper and sriracha creme sauce, and avocado

You will need:

• 1 1/2 Brown or white rice
• 2 Salmon Fillet
• Taco seasoning
• 1 Large red bell pepper
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup cherub tomatoes
• Cilantro
• Jalapeno
• White onion
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• Sriracha 
• 1 whole avocado

Directions:

- Prepare rice in rice cooker or on stove top

- Prepare pico de gallo. See my Pico recipe if needed!!

- Add desired amount of sriracha sauce to 1/2 cup sour cream, mix well and place in fridge for later.

- Slice avocado, or mash to use as garnish. You can even add some onion cilantro, and salt to the mash for more of a guacamole if desired!

- Cover salmon in taco seasoning on one side and poach in a shallow pan with water (enough to cover half the fillets) about 5 minutes or until most of the water is evaporated. Flip and cook on other side another 5 minutes. Salmon will start to brown when the water fully evaporates. watch it to make sure it doesn't burn. Flip it a few times if it still needs some cooking time to make sure the fillet doesn't burn on one side. you can always add small amounts of water back into the pan until salmon is fully cooked.

- Slice the Bell pepper into 1/4 inch slices and grill in a pan with vegi oil on medium heat until tender and slightly blackened. 

Tip: I usually cook them with the lid on the pan for the first 5-7 minutes to get a steam on them, then remove the lid and continue cooking another 3-5 minutes.

- Plate rice on bottom, then Salmon. Add Bell pepper, and sriracha creme sauce. Garnish with pico and avocado/guacamole. Serve with warm tortillas or Chips, or just by itself!

Thai Chicken Rice Bowl

You will need:

• 4-5 chicken thighs with fat removed and cubed
• 1 cup brown rice
• Garlic chili sauce
• Soy Sauce

Directions:

- Prepare Brown or white rice in your steamer or on the stovetop.

- Brown your cubed chicken thighs in vegetable oil over medium heat in a wok or large skillet. Cook until done.

- Reduce heat to low, and add desired amount of Garlic Chili Paste to the skillet and make sure all the chicken is coated.

- Add about 3 tablespoons of soy sauce (or more to cut the spice if needed/for a thinner sauce) to the Garlic chilli chicken and turn up to medium heat until everything is heated throughout. 

- Spoon rice into a bowl and top with Thai Chicken

Ham, Turkey and Avocado Panini

You will need:

• A simi flat- flat loaf of bread such as Focaccia or Ciabatta 
• Ham
• Turkey
• 1/2 Avocado (smashed)
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Red onion
• Cheddar Cheese (or any cheese you like)

Instructions:

Slice loaf in half evenly. Place cheese slices on bottom of loaf, then ham and turkey. 

Place Onion and tomato on top of the meat. 

Butter or oil the top and bottom Panini plate.

Put the top of the loaf on and place in your Panini press on high. Leave on the press approx 2-3 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is crisp. Watch closely to not burn the top or bottom of the bread.

Take the Panini off the press with a spatula and take the top off. 

Spread the avocado on the top piece and layer lettuce. 

Enjoy!!

Verde Chicken over Brown Rice

You will need:

• 1 can Las Palmas green enchilada sauce
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 3-4 chicken thighs
• Brown rice
• White onion
• Ortega diced jalapenos (optional)
• Cayenne Pepper
• Pepper
• Salt
• Sour Cream

Prep:

1. Cut chicken into bite size pieces 
2. Rough chop about 1/4 cup Onion (or more if desired)  
3. Heat a sauce pan with a tablespoon of vegetable oil
4. Steam 1 cup (per 2 people) Brown rice. Salt the water.

Throw the chicken into the oil and let chicken brown for about 2 minutes. 

Once the chicken is brown on both sides, add Enchilada sauce, Chicken Broth, diced jalapenos to your liking, half a tablespoon cayenne pepper (+/-), pinch of pepper and pinch of salt. Simmer about 20 minutes until onions are soft.

Spoon Brown rice into a bowl and cover with chicken enchilada sauce. Garnish with sour cream and serve with warm tortillas.

Chimichurri Marinated Flank Steak Fajitas

You will need:

• Taco size flour tortillas
• 2-3 large red bell peppers (substitute any color peppers you like)
• Med-Lg White onion cut into long strips
• Half of a medium Red onion (roughly chopped)
• 1-2 lb Flank steak
• 1 bunch fresh Parsley 
• 1 bunch fresh Cilantro
• 6 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons Salt
• 3 tablespoons Pepper
• 4 tablespoons Red wine vinegar
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Sour cream  

Chimichurri marinade/sauce:

Pinch all the Parsley and Cilantro from the stems (some stem is fine) and place into a food processor or blender. Add red onion, garlic cloves, salt, pepper,  red wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, and blend until smooth. Add more salt to taste, and olive oil to the mixture if it's too thick.

Place steak in a baking pan and puncture holes in the steak with a knife. Cover the steak with Chimichurri sauce, flip over and cover the other side as well. Let sit out in room temperature for at least 1 hour. 

Reserve at least a half cup (if not more) of sauce to use on fajitas.

Grill Steak on BBQ until medium rare. Take off the grill and tent with tinfoil 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Start at the corner of the steak and slice diagonally. Slicing the long strips in half for shorter strips.

Fajita Veggies:

Cut peppers and onions into strips and place in a pan with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus seasoning to taste. I just use salt and pepper. Saute veggies in the oil on medium heat with the lid on until tender. Remove the lid and cook on high heat until most of the moisture is gone and veggies blacken slightly.

Heat your tortillas on a flat griddle or in the microwave/oven until warm and slightly crispy.

Layer Meat, veggies, sour cream and chimichurri sauce into tortilla and serve.

Chipotle Tabasco goes great as a hot sauce with this recipe.

Fish Tacos with Tangy Yogurt Sauce and Spicy Green Salsa

You will need:

• 1 single serving size Plain Fage greek yogurt
• Mayonnaise 
• Taco size tortillas
• Tempura Mix (I use an "onion ring tempura batter mix" that I find at my grocery store)
• 1 lb Talapia/Mahi Mahi or any other white fish you would like to use
• Salt
• Cumin
• Cayenne powder
• 6-8 whole peeled medium-large tamatillos 
• 2 whole medium-large jalapenos
• White onion
• Cilantro
• 2 Garlic cloves
• Green cabbage 

Green Salsa:

1. Peel your tamatillos and garlic, and place on a baking sheet with the jalapenos. Place baking sheet in your oven under the broiler on HIGH for about 8-10 minutes or until blackened. Turn tomatillos and jalapenos over and return to the broiler for another 5-8 minutes or until blackened also.
2. Place broiled tomatillos and jalapeno (take the stem off!!) into a blender along with salt (more or less to your liking) and about 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro leaves and blend until smooth. You may add water if the salsa is too thick. Add small amounts until you get to your desired consistency. It will also thicken a little after it cools. 
3. Add desired amount of diced onions to your blended salsa and cool in the fridge, or eat it after its cool enough to eat. You can also add a tablespoon or so of lime juice if you desire. 

Tempura Fish:

1. Make tempura batter as directed on the package and set aside. 
2. Cut your fish into taco length pieces about 1/4 of an inch thick. This way they will cook fast. You can also make them thicker if you want meatier pieces.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a medium pan.
4. Dip pieces of fish into batter and place immediately into oil and fry both sides until golden brown. Transfer fish to a paper towel to soak up the excess oil. 

Tangy Yogurt Sauce:

1. Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons of yogurt into a small bowl 
2. Add 1 tablespoon of mayo and mix thoroughly.
3. Add cumin and cayenne powder to the mixture for some flavor and let sit in the fridge while all the flavors marry.    

Shred Cabbage and heat the tortillas. Place fish into tortilla and top with cabbage, yogurt sauce and green salsa. Enjoy!

Guacamole

You will need:

• 3 ripe Hass avocados 
• 1/4 cup chopped Cilantro (measure after chopped not before)
• 1/8 - 1/4 cup chopped Jalapeno (with seeds or without. Your preference)
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup Red onion finely chopped 
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Sea salt

Prep:

1. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Spoon out Avocado into a medium mixing bowl.
2. Add salt and lime juice to the avocado halves and mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth. A few lumps are ok, just make sure you break down the avocado enough so that you don't have large chunks.
3. Add onions, jalapeno and cilantro to the mashed avocado and fold ingredients in until they are distributed evenly throughout the mix.
4. Taste, and add more salt, lime juice or other components to suite your liking.
5. Serve chilled with chips, and enjoy!

This recipe can be doubled.

Chicken, Shrimp and Chorizo Paella

You will need:

• 5 cups of low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
• 12 medium (or approx 1 lb) raw de veined shrimp (shell off)
• 1- 6 oz raw chorizo or link dry spanish chorizo, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons (+/-) cayenne pepper
• 4 bay leaves
• 4 large cloves of garlic minced or pressed
• 2 cans stewed tomatoes (drained)
• 1 medium yellow onion chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 (+/-) teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 large red bellpepper cut into 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch pieces

Directions:

Heat oil in a wok, or other wide based/deep skillet over low heat. Add chicken, chorizo, and shrimp. The chorizo will splash a lot at first so I suggest starting cooking heat on low and then turning it up slowly. When shrimp is done, take it out and set it aside until later. We don't want it to continue to cook. Leaving chicken and chorizo in the pan.

Add paprika, bay leaves, garlic, tomatoes, onion, salt, pepper and cayenne. Cook until thickened, stirring often for about 10 minutes. Add 5 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Add 2 cups Arborio rice, red bellpepper pieces, and stir gently to get bellpepper distributed evenly and and cook without stirring, until most of the liquid is absorbed, approximately 15-18 minutes. Reduce heat to medium -low, and add the shrimp you cooked earlier, tucking them down into the rice and let sit approx 5-7 minutes until shrimp are warm.

Sushi with Ahi Tuna and Pot Sticker Appetizer and Plum Wine Sake Spritzers

You will need:

1. 2 cups uncooked short grain sushi rice
2. 3 tblsp Rice wine vinegar
3. 2 tblsp Sugar
4. 1 tblsp salt
5. Pepper
6. 1 pack Nori sheets
7. 1 Cucumber
8. 1 package Cream cheese
9. 1 Avocado
10. 3 large Jalapeno
11. 1 bunch of Green onions
12. Sriracha
13. Mayonnaise
14. Soy Sauce  
15. 1 pack Tempura shrimp (sold pre made/frozen, usually 6 to a pack)
16. 1/2-3/4 lb (each depending on how many rolls you plan to make) sushi grade salmon and Ahi Tuna filet. Preferably not previously frozen. Visit your local fish market for best quality!
17. 1 bag Pot stickers (frozen)
18. 1 Bottle of  Kinsen Plum Wine
19. 1 Bottle of Gekkeikan Sake
20. 1 bottle Club soda
21. A bamboo sushi roller

Prep:

1. Make a Spritzer!!! Fill a wine glass 3/4 with ice. Then fill the glass with equal parts Plum wine and Sake, then splash some club soda and stir! The club soda will help take away sweetness of the plum wine, so more/less depending on your taste. 
2. Steam 2 cups of sushi rice in 3 1/2 cups water and set in fridge to cool while you prep everything else.
3. Prep all vegetables/condiments for sushi rolls except the tempura shrimp. You will want to do that just before making the rolls so they stay crispy. Cut cucumber in long thin/thick (depending on your preference) pieces. Half the Avocado and thinly slice.Chop the green onions to top your rolls as garnish. Cut Cream cheese into long slices.Cut jalapeno into thin coins. Cut salmon to your desired thickness into long pieces (if going inside the roll) or cut into short pieces approx 1 inch x 2 inches long to drop over the roll. Set all ingredients aside in the fridge to stay cool until needed.
4. Prepare Pot stickers. I boil mine, then drain and fry with light sesame oil in a pan on both sides before serving. 
   
5. In a small bowl, mix mayo and sriracha sauce to taste for use on the roll, and for the tuna steak app!
6. Heat some sesame oil in a frying pan on medium heat and Lightly season your tuna steak with salt and pepper. Place tuna steak in the pan and let it cook about 1-2 minutes on each side depending on thickness of the steak. You want the middle of the steak to still be raw, only cooking the outside of the steak. Remove from pan and slice into pieces to dip in soy sauce or sriracha mayo sauce with a slice of jalapeno!
   
7. Take the rice out of the fridge once it's cool and place into a large wooden or glass bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix Rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt until sugar is dissolved. Add mix to the rice and gently stir making sure the all the rice is coated in the mixture. Don't over stir the rice, it will start to break down.  
8. Heat the tempura shrimp just before sushi assembly according to package directions.
9. Time for sushi! grab a small bowl and put some warm water in it and keep it next to you for assembly. Place a piece of Nori on your bamboo roller and cover with a thin layer of rice, leaving about an inch of nori bare at the top. Now fill the roll with whatever ingredients you want. start about an inch from the bottom of the roll, keeping the ingredients tight and in an orderly fashion. I usually put a piece of tempura shrimp in, (I cut the tail off so you don't have to mess with it later, or you can leave it on) then some cucumber, avocado slices, and cream cheese. Then pick your bamboo roller up from the counter to roll the nori over. Keep pressure on the roll to keep everything tight. This will take practice. when you get around to the bare nori, dip your fingers in the warm water you have next to you and wet the nori. then continue rolling until the nori is completely gone. The bare nori should stick to itself now that is wet completing the roll. Transfer the roll to a cutting board and use a very sharp long non serrated knife to cut the roll into equal pieces about an inch thick. 
10. Once you make all your rolls and they are cut, place onto a large plate and add sriracha sauce, additional pieces of tuna or salmon, jalapeno and green onion in any way you like. Enjoy!!