Freezer Meals Day 9- Mystery Meal

Sweet mother of Abraham Lincoln this dish is good.  I tell you what, I think I am just going to turn this blog over to my husband.  His food is absolutely amazing!!  I've been in a "I don't want to cook cause my kitchen is a mess" mood this week.  I cleaned it all up and made some tamales earlier this week.  By the end of the tamale run, not only was my kitchen a mess, but so was the rest of my house.  I've never been good at cleaning as I go.  A trait I am trying to acquire.

By the time tamale day is over, I'm wiped out and don't feel like cleaning.  3 days later...I turn into a tornado. (after everyone and their mom has seen my messy house and I'm so embarrassed I finally decide to do something about it) I put the kids to bed and plow through the house cleaning every nook and cranny. Anyway... still feeling like I don't want to cook, my hubby decided to get creative tonight.  I had a few different dishes that I had on the list to try for this week, but just wasn't feeling it.  So we decided to switch gears and let Trever take a wack at a new dish.  And of course he passed with flying colors.  There are quite a few steps to this one, but they go pretty quick. Especially if you have the rice made up ahead of time. 

So here is the deal... We are not sure what to call this.  So we are going to have a contest.  Not sure what the winner will get.  Maybe just the satisfaction of naming one of my dishes.  We will see. But leave a post with your desired recipe name. Trever and I will choose and let you know. The contest will run until next Saturday the 14th.  Be sure to check in daily for all of the fun names!

Mystery Meal

Rice

½ pablano pepper seeded, ribbed and finely chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

1/8 large onion finely chopped

Salt to taste

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cups cooked rice *

1 tbsp lime juice

Heat oil in a pan, add pepper, garlic, onion, salt, and sugar. Saute until tender. 3-4 minutes.  Stir in cooked rice.  Add 1 tbsp lime juice.

Chicken Marinade-

3 tbsp lime juice

3 tbsp water

1 ½ tsp salt

½ pablano pepper (seeded, ribbed and finely chopped)

1 tbsp prepared minced garlic (not the dried minced)

1 tbsp sugar

2 lbs of chicken (raw and diced)

2 tbsp olive oil

 In a medium bowl combine marinade ingredients.  Toss in chicken.
Stir to coat.  Let sit 5-10 minutes.

Heat olive oil into a frying pan.  Bring to medium heat. Toss in chicken, discarding the liquid. Cook for about10 minutes or until cooked through.

Jalapeno Cream Cheese (we just used half of this recipe and saved the rest for another meal)

1 8 oz package cream cheese

8 oz sour cream

2-3 jalapenos (ribbed and seeded) **

Salt to taste    

2 tbsp sugar

1/8 large onion finely diced

3 tbsp lime juice

1-2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Soften cream cheese and blend in a blender well. 

additional ingredients needed

1/2 cup monterey jack cheese shredded

1 cup tortilla chip pieces

Layer

in a 9x9 (you can do a larger pan to make it thinner if desired) aluminum pan, put rice in the bottom, packing it down firmly. Add cooked chicken to the top of the rice.Top with jalapeno cream cheese. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese

Cover with foil and label.  Freeze

To thaw, Bake covered at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until heated through. Uncover and broil on high for 3-5 min. until cheese is golden.

If making fresh... just skip to the quick broil to crisp the cheese.

Top with tortilla chip pieces.

* Day old rice is best, but if it's fresh, after steaming/cooking it... spread it onto a cookie sheet and bake at 250 for 15 min. This will dry it out a little bit and keep it from clumping so much.

** Each Jalapeno has a different heat content from what I've found.  Also it depends on how well you clean out the ribs and seeds.  Make sure to clean them out well (I like to use rubber gloves to avoid catastrophy) I would start with one.  Taste it and add more according to tastes.  Trever added 3 and it wasn't spicey at all, but again, it just depends.

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

I know that all of you are just aching to see another one of the fabulous dishes that my Mother in law made for me while in recovery.  Yeah, I get pretty spoiled when she cooks! The thing I like about this one, is that it is a crock pot recipe.  I have to thanks my sweet Stephanie for taking the picture for me. 

We served this over Coconut Rice.  Though I liked this dish better fresh, it freezes quite nicely. So double your batch and just freeze the leftovers. Thaw, then warm it in the microwave. Yummo!

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into 2 inch strips

garlic powder to taste

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cube beef bouillon

1/4 cup hot water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.

Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, green peppers, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt.

Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low for 6 to 8 hours.

This recipe taken from All recipes

 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

You know how food, sometimes brings back memories of the first time you ate it, or a special moment in your life when you ate it?  This one is both for me. 

I had the opportunity to go to Mozambique Africa years ago with a group called Care For Life. It was the most amazing and special trip of my life.  Things happened to me there that changed my life forever.  Because of that trip, I later found and married the man of my dreams!

Wow, lots of emotion there... back to food.  So when we first got there, we were staying with an amazing couple. He was a counselor in the mission presidency.  She, was an awesome cook.  She made us stuffed bell peppers one night. I didn't even like bell peppers then. I was sold. The flavor combo just melted in your mouth.  It was so delicious.  I think I've had them once since that day.  Almost one of those things that you don't dare eat, for fear of contaminating the experience or something. 

Anyway, I came across this recipe from my dear friends blog and thought I would give it a try.  I'm so glad I did! Try it, you'll love it! 

Stuffed Bell Peppers

6 green bell peppers (next time I'm going to try a variety of colors)

2 tsp salt (divided)

1 pound ground turkey (I used ground beef

1/3 cup dehydrated onions (or 1/2 cup chopped onion)

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup uncooked rice

1/2 cup water
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed tomato soup

1/2 cup water

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water and 1 tsp salt to a boil. Cut the tops off the peppers, and remove the seeds. Cook peppers in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tsp salt inside each pepper, and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, saute turkey(or beef) and onions for 5 minutes, or until meat is browned. Drain off excess fat, and stir in the tomatoes, garlic, rice, 1/2 cup water, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper. Cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until rice is tender. Remove from heat.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Fill each pepper with the turkey and rice mixture, and place peppers open side up in a baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine tomato soup with water to make the soup a gravy consistency. Pour inside the peppers. Sprinkle with cheese.



 4. Bake covered for 25 to 35 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Recipe taken from Pickle Boat Recipes

Chile Lime Chicken Burritos

These burritos have got to be my favorite, of the 4 we make at our classes.  There is so much depth to them, and so many different flavors to enjoy. The chicken for this recipe comes from my

Chile Lime Chicken Tostadas In Slow Cooker recipe. I also created a yummy cilantro lime rice to go with it. 

Give these a try, you won't be disappointed!  These make an awesome freezer meal to put away for another day.

Chile Lime Chicken Burritos

To make the burritos,  put 1/2 cup of rice on the tortilla (recipe Below), about 1/4 to 1/3 cup chicken and  2-3 tbsp of black beans. Roll into a burrito. Heat and serve with salsa and/or sour cream.

This recipe makes about 12 burritos

Cilantro Lime Rice

3 Cups Uncooked white rice

6 Cups Water

2 tbsp butter

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tbsp lime juice

2 1/2 tbsp chicken bullion

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

2 tbsp lime juice

Pour first 6 ingredients into a rice cooker. (you can also cook it over the stove.  Simmer for about 20 min or until cooked through and there is no more water.) Cook on white rice setting.  When rice is cooked add chopped fresh cilantro and another 2 tbsp of lime juice.  Stir well.

black beans

(10 inch) Tortillas

1/2 recipe of Chile Lime Chicken Tostadas In Slow Cooker

 If freezing... wrap each burrito individually in foil and freeze up to 3 months. Then when ready to eat... microwave on high for 4 minutes or until heated through. You may also fry it, or bake it until heated through.

Tip: Double or triple the batch to store a bunch of burritos for a rainy day!

Costa Vida Sweet Pork

This week I am going to focus on some yummy crock pot recipes for you.  With the heat still climbing, the last thing we want to do is heat up the house! Crock pots are nice because they don't heat up the house and you can still enjoy a delicious meal at the end of the day!  If you don't have a crock pot, don't worry... You can still cook these over the stove or in the oven (you'll just have to make some adjustments including cook time).

Today I've got a real treat for ya! Three recipes in one post! Only the pork is the crock pot portion of the post, but you can't have one without the other.  The dressing and rice are a must! I've also made this recipe with chicken. It works great. I got this recipe from my sister in law.  It's a copy cat of the restaurant Costa Vida.  It's a lot like Cafe Rio or other similar.  Enjoy!

Costa Vida Sweet Pork



2 lbs pork loin roast

2 cups brown sugar

1 clove garlic

1/2 to 1/3 cup ketchup

1 can coke

1 cube butter

In a crock pot, combine meat and garlic together. Cook on low for 8 hours. When you have about an hour left, shred your meat and add the rest of the ingredients. 

Better Than Costa Vida Rice 

3 cups water

4 tsp chicken bullion

1 can green chilies

1 Tbsp butter

1-1/2 cups rice

 4 tsp minced garlic

1/2 bunch cilantro

1/2 onion

Combine all ingredients into a pot.  Simmer on low for about 20 min or until rice is cooked through and tender.  Or you can combine all ingredients into a rice cooker and cook on the white rice setting.

Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing

1 can green chilies

1/3 cup cilantro

1 small tomatillo (husks removed)

1/2 tsp lime juice

1 dash of cayenne pepper

1 clove garlic

1-2 fresh jalapeno

1 tsp salt

1 pinch of brown sugar

¾ c buttermilk ( I just make my own)

Combine in Blender adding the buttermilk slowly

Add 1 packet ranch dressing mix



Mango Chicken

When I first came across this recipe, I thought, wow!  I've made it probably 10 times in the last little bit, and I still think WOW! We like to use Mango Peach Salsa because it's sweeter.  You can also make it from scratch using this Mango Salsa that I posted earlier to go with grilled salmon. If you like cillantro, be sure to chop some up and add on top. It adds a great flavor to the dish!

Serve this chicken over Coconut Rice. It's a must.  No really I'm not kidding!!! :)

Mango Chicken



4-5 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups mango salsa (we like Mango Peach)
Cumin to taste
Lemon Pepper to taste

Put chicken breasts in crock pot. Add spices. Cover and cook chicken until tender. Shred chicken on a plate and return to crock pot. Save juices in separate bowl.
Add corn, beans and salsa. More salsa can be added to taste. If mixture seems dry, add some of reserved juices.

Serve over coconut jasmine rice. Garnish with cilantro.

Recipe taken from The Sisters Cafe

Easy Chipotle Meatballs

This is one of the easiest dishes ever to make! It only requires 2 items. It's makes a great meal, served over rice or just as an appetizer.  The flavor of the Chipotle sauce are simply delish.  It's a little zippy but even my 15 month old practically inhaled it. I like this Roasted Raspberry Chipotle sauce.  You can find it at at Costco or Sam's Club. 

We loved these served over Coconut Rice. The Coconut and Raspberry make a great combo!  I like to get the Meatballs pre made from Costco. You can make your own basic meatballs or find any premade Italian style or regular flavor.  I don't really use an exact recipe for this meal.  I just coat the meatballs with the sauce, but this is about how much I like to use. 

Easy Chipotle Meatballs

25-30 frozen Meatballs
1 1/2 Cups of Chipotle Sauce

Place both ingredients into a crock pot.  Cook on low for up to 8 hours.

Coconut Rice

We love just about every type of rice possible in my little family!  This one, I found here, and then added my own little tweaks to it. We have used this rice recipe with Hawaiian Haystacks and many other meals. It adds a nice sweet, delicious flavor to any meal.  We also like to double the batch and eat it as a cereal/or light sweet snack. (see recipe below) 

The thing to remember about this rice is that you need to get the Jasmine Scented Rice.  I've tried it with white rice and it just doesn't work for this recipe. Brown rice doesn't work either.  The Jasmine really compliments and brings out the coconut flavor.  I like the Golden Star brand personally. You can find it at Wal-Mart. Also, I love using my rice cooker.  It's done perfectly every time! I used to think they were pointless because I always did it on the stove... but it really does save so much time and energy. You just throw it in and let the rice cooker do the rest.  You can find them pretty cheap. If you like rice... check em out.  They make life so much easier!  :)  However, you can just cook this over the stove. Just bring the rice to a boil and then simmer on low until all of the moisture is gone.  (about 20 min)

Coconut Rice



2 cups Thai jasmine-scented white rice

1 can good-quality coconut milk (not “lite”) (About 1 1/2 cups)

2 cups water

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tbsp brown sugar

Place rice in rice cooker. Add the water, coconut milk, sugar and salt. Stir well (use a plastic or wooden utensil to avoid scraping off the non-stick surface).Cover and set to cook.Once your rice cooker switches to “warm” mode, allow another 8-10 minutes for rice to finish “steaming”. This will ensure your coconut rice is fully cooked and pleasantly sticky. Gently fluff with chopsticks before serving.  Serves 4

Rice and Milk

1 cup Coconut rice (can use regular white rice too, but this is even better!)

1-2 tbsp sugar

milk (desired amount)

Pour ingredients in a bowl and enjoy! 

Tip:  I like the rice to be warm and then add the cold milk. The hot and cold twist, make a good combo.

Hawaiian Haystacks

I used to think that everyone knew what Hawaiian Haystacks were but I have since learned otherwise. If you have never tried them, you are missing out.  Each family has their own tastes as to what should go on it. My family liked a lot of veggies and a little bit of fruit on them. My husbands family loves it with all fruit. Either way it's super yummy. We also liked to use the Chinese noodles the base of our haystacks and then rice etc. Other people only sprinkle them on as a topping.  It's totally up to your tastes. This one is a great one to use up all of those extra fruits and veggies in the fridge.

Hawaiian Haystacks



1 Packet of chicken gravy

1 cup chicken broth

1 lg can Cream of Chicken soup

1/2 C. Milk

a dash of onion powder

salt if needed

2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded

In a large skillet or stock pot, mix gravy packet and chicken broth. Stir on medium heat until thickened.  Add soup and heat through stirring constantly.  Turn heat down to low and add remaining ingredients. Heat through and keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve with rice, Chinese noodles, pineapple chunks, mandarin oranges, tomatoes, raisins, bell pepper (any color), green onions, apples, bananas, cheese, cashews and coconut. Top with gravy.