Perfect Texas Salsa

This salsa is super easy and delicious and will make you feel like a real Texan no matter where you live. 

Ingredients:

• 1- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1- 10 oz can orginal Rotel
• 1/2 small onion, diced small
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1/2-1 jalapeno, seeded or not (I don’t like things too hot so I seed mine and use about 1/2 large jalapeno)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 handful fresh cilantro (easy on the cilantro, you can always add more later)
• juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Put all the ingredients except onion in the food processor and pulse to combine for 30 seconds or so until all the ingredients are finely chopped and salsa is desired consistency.  Add in onion and pulse once.  Taste and adjust salt to your liking.

Crockpot Shredded Chicken Tacos

This is almost not even a recipe.  Let’s just call it an UN-recipe.  It’s so ridiculously easy and it turns out great!
UN-Ingredients:

• 1 envelope Taco Seasoning
• 6 pieces Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 jar Salsa (16 ounces, I used about 12 ounces because that’s all I had and it was plenty)

UN-Directions:
Dump everything into a crock pot and give it a little stir to blend the seasoning with the salsa. Cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours. When done, the chicken should shred easily when stirred with a fork. For tacos, serve the chicken with soft flour tortillas, lettuce, shredded cheese and sour cream. This is very versatile and can be used for enchiladas, nachos, tostadas, etc. Any leftover chicken can then be used for tortilla soup (make it the next day or freeze the chicken to use at a later time).

Only in Cowtown

Only in Cowtown could you get held up on the way to a job interview by a cattle drive.  It happened to me.  Really, I’m not kidding!  I had a job interview down in the Stockyards.  Crazy, right?  The interview didn’t go all that well but the trip getting there was great!  I love my city and I love being a Texan!!! 

God bless Texas.

Mini Corny Dog Muffins

It’s Super Bowl party time!  Honestly, I don’t even know who is playing but we love football food and the Super Bowl commercials so I’m planning the menu today.  I’ll be trying this fun finger food recipe that I found on Pinterest along with some crockpot chicken tacos, salsa, guacamole, spicy roasted chickpeas and brownies for dessert.  I’ll post some of these recipes later after I make sure they are worthy.

For all of you that have been requesting a Gus post, I’ll be getting my camera out today and trying to get some pictures of my boy. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8-10 all-beef hot dogs, cut into 1″ bites

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine butter and sugar in a bowl, and whisk to combine. Add eggs and whisk to incorporate. Add buttermilk and whisk to incorporate.

2. In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, cornmeal, flour, and salt, and stir to combine. Whisk into wet ingredients in two batches.

3. Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray, and spoon 1 Tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup. Place one hot dog bite into the middle of each cup.

4. Bake for 8-12 minutes (oven temperatures vary), or until cornbread is golden brown. Cool in mini muffin tin for 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, and re-heat for 20-30 seconds before serving.  Serve with mustard for dipping.

Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp dark amber maple syrup
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper (or more to taste)

Directions:
Place a small sauce pot over medium heat and add all the ingredients. Once the mixture starts to steam reduce the heat to medium low and let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly thickened and flavors are combined.

Bourbon Orange BBQ Sauce

Also add in:

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 shots of bourbon
• Juice of 1/2 orange

Bacon Egg and Hash Brown Muffins

This recipe is like a country breakfast in a muffin.  You could mix these up the night before and pop in the oven when you wake up for an easy breakfast for company.  These tasty muffins could also be made ahead and individually frozen for a breakfast on the run.  I have plans this year to start packing Hillbilly’s breakfast and lunch for work so that we can save a little money and he said this one is a keeper.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
• 5 eggs
• 5 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1/2 cup diced ham
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Put hash browns on a microwave proof covered dish and cook for 2 minutes and then allow to cool.  In a large bowl mix together the bacon, hash browns, milk, eggs, seasonings and  the cheese in a bowl, mix well.   Divide mixture into 9-12 well greased muffin tins.   Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Black-eyed Pea Dip

We need some good luck up in here so black-eyed peas are on the menu today along with cabbage for prosperity.  We also had this yummy dip last night while we waited on the New Year.

I took the PW’s recipe and changed it slightly by adding some corn, omitting the hot sauce and using jalapeno juice in it’s place.   Make it today for good luck in 2012.  Happy New Year, y’all!

Ingredients:

• 1  can black-eyed peas
• 1/4 cup onion, chopped fine
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp jarred jalapenos, chopped fine
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup corn kernels
• 3 tbsp salsa
• 1 tbsp jalapeno juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain black-eyed peas and partially mash about half of them.

Add all other ingredients, stirring to combine.

Spread into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips!