Chicken Flautas with Black Beans

CINCO de MAYO IS HERE! SO HOW ABOUT A LITTLE MEXICAN! Enjoy it with a CORONA...if you are legal!

Ingredients
6 10-inch flour tortillas
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. cooking oil
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup bottled salsa
1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend (2 ozs.)
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh cilantro or oregano
Cooking oil for frying
3 cups shredded lettuce
Purchased guacamole (optional)
Bottled salsa (optional)
Dairy sour cream (optional)
Cilantro leaves (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Heat in oven about 10 minutes or until heated through.

2. Meanwhile, for filling, in a large saucepan, cook onion and garlic in the 1 teaspoon hot oil until tender. Stir in chicken, black beans, 1/2 cup bottled salsa, the cheese, and 2 tablespoons cilantro.

3. For each flauta, spoon about 1/2 cup filling across each warm tortilla about 1-1/2 inches from one edge. Roll up tortillas as tightly as possible. Secure with wooden toothpicks.

4. In a very large, deep skillet, heat 1-1/2 inches of cooking oil to 365 degrees F. Fry flautas, two at a time, for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp and golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Keep fried flautas warm in a 300 degrees F oven while frying remaining flautas.

5. To serve, remove toothpicks. Halve flautas crosswise. If desired, serve with guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and cilantro.

6. Baked Flautas: Prepare filling and shape flautas as directed. Place flautas on a large baking sheet and brush with 1 tablespoon cooking oil. Bake in a 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and heated through. Serve as directed.

7. Make-Ahead Directions: Prepare filling and shape flautas as directed. Cover; chill for up to 24 hours. Fry or bake as directed. Makes 6 flautas.

Peanut Butter Cake

INGREDIENTS
· 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
· 1/2 cup butter, softened
· 4 eggs
· 1 (18.25 ounce) package butter cake mix
· 2/3 cup water
·
· 1 cup peanut butter
· 1/2 cup butter, softened
· 4 cups confectioners' sugar
· 1/3 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
2. Combine 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Cream until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each one. Add cake mix alternately with the water. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes or until cake tests done.
5. Allow cakes to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Assemble and frost with Peanut Butter Frosting once cool.
6. To Make Peanut Butter Frosting: Combine 1 cup peanut butter, and 1/2 cup butter or margarine cream together until light and fluffy.
7. Add the confectioner's sugar. Mix in enough cream to make the frosting of a spreading consistency. Apply to cool cake.
8. Makes 12 servings.

Review
This is a perfect treat for peanut butter lovers, like me. Have this instead of a peanut butter shake for dessert. I know that having peanut butter cake does not sound so appealing, but try it. It will blow you mind. Best served with milk or coffee.

김치볶음밥 (Kimchi Fried Rice)

This dish is the one that anybody can easily make. It requires little effort to make but the end result is a tasty meal. I like to make this food when I am at my house alone. The rice mixed with hot sauce, meat, and kimchi give it a spicy, meaty and tangy taste. Also a suggestion of mine is to slightly overcook the rice to have a more crunchy tasting dish.

Recipe Ingredients (Yield: 2 Servings)

• 2 cup of cooked rice
• 1/2 cup of kimchi with liquid (pickled fermented vegetables)
• 50g of minced pork or ground beef
• 2 roots of green onion
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 egg
• Vegetable or olive oil
• Salt & pepper

Cooking Directions

1. Cook rice as directed in a rice cooker or in a pot.
2. Chop kimchi into small pieces. Save kimchi liquid to add to rice, if desired.
3. Dice and mince green onions, onions, and garlic.
4. Season the minced pork or beef with soy sauce, minced garlic and powdered pepper.
5. Saute the pork (or other substitutes) with vegetable or olive oil in frying pan.
6. When the pork is cooked, add chopped onions, kimchi and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add minced garlic and green onion. Cook a little more and turn off the heat.
8. Add cooked rice and mix all ingredients well.
9. Add 1-2 tbsp of sesame oil and re-heat again.
10. Add salt and pepper to meet taste.
11. Cook egg sunny side up (or scrambled).
12. Put rice on a dish and place a fried egg sunny side up on top.

Kiwi Strawberry Smoothie

INGREDIENTS
· 1 banana
· 6 strawberries
· 1 kiwi
· 1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt
· 3/4 cup pineapple and orange juice blend
Directions
1. Put banana, strawberries, kiwi, vanilla frozen yogurt, and pineapple and orange juice blend in a blender
2. Blend until smooth.
Review:
This kiwi strawberry smoothie is one of my favorites. The hint taste of kiwi adds a unique flavor to the strawberry smoothie. Make sure to add the frozen yogurt to add texture to the smoothie. This is a perfect drink for the summer season.

Soon Tofu

INGREDIENTS	PREP	AMOUNT
Oil		2 tablespoons
Garlic	minced	2 tablespoons
Korean pepper powder		1 tablespoon
Beef stock		4 cups
Cabbage kimchi	shredded	1 cup
Soy sauce		1 tablespoon
Soft tofu	cut into 1" cubes	4 cups (2 pounds)
Clams	chopped, with juice	1 cup
Scallions	chopped	3-4
Sesame oil		1 tablespoon

METHOD

Basic Steps: Sauté → Simmer → Garnish

1. Heat the oil over medium flame in a clay hotpot or large saucepan. Add the garlic and pepper powder and saute until garlic just starts to brown.
2. Add the beef stock, kimchee and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until the kimchee softens.
3. Gently stir in the tofu and clams with their juice. Adjust seasoning with soy sauce and Korean pepper. Simmer another 5-10 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with scallions and drizzle with sesame oil. Serve piping hot in bowls with steamed rice.

Review:

This traditional Korean dish is a delicious way to eat the nutritional food, Tofu. This soup can come in non-spicy, mild, and spicy flavors. Also, the clams can be substituted with other meats or taken out for all the vegetarians out there. Lastly, I recommend adding a raw egg to the soup when its boiling to give it some extra flavor.

Baby Back Ribs

INGREDIENTS
· 2 pounds pork baby back ribs
· 1 (18 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce
Directions

1. Tear off 4 pieces of aluminum large enough to enclose each piece of the ribs.
2. Spray each foil with vegetable oil.
3. Brush the ribs with the barbeque sauce.
4. Place each rib with its own piece of foil.
5. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
7. Bake ribs in tightly wrapped foil at 300 degrees for 2 ½ hours.
8. Remove from oil and more sauce to desired taste.
9. Makes 4 servings

Review

Having Baby Back Ribs during the summer is a necessity, not a choice. These baby back ribs are best smothered with Barbeque sauce. I recommend using the Bullseye Barbeque sauce. Honestly, baby back ribs are not complicated to prepare. So simple that even college students can make them! College students can take a break from the old macaroni and cheese dinner and have this mouth watering dish instead. It does however require your time to make.

Pat-Bing-Soo

This Korean summer favorite is something that I enjoy very much as it cools you down during a hot summer day. I learned how to make it while I was working part-time at a local Boba cafe in Garden Grove. It has a cool icy taste which is complimented by a variety of optional ingredients.

1 large bowl of ice cubes, and a working electric ice shaver
1 can mixed fruit cocktail
1 ripe kiwi, sliced
Other fruit (optional)
1 pouch red bean paste (found in Asian markets)
1 package mochi (rice cake) pieces (also found in Asian markets)
1 pint green tea or vanilla ice cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk

1. Shave ice into a large container, using the electric ice shaver on the finest setting possible (on ours, it's "smoothie"). Put a small amount into individual serving bowls, so they are half full (aren't I the optimist?).

2. Drizzle sweetened condensed milk over the ice.

3. Proceed to arrange the fruit on top of the ice, covering one half. Put a small amount of red bean paste next to this, and then a small pile of mochi pieces and one scoop of ice cream.

4. Finish with another small drizzle of sweetened condensed milk over the top.

Delicious Baked Apples

Looking for a healthy dessert? This one will have you baking nightly. This recipe is warm, delicious and even--healthy. I hate to give it away but its always a favorite in my family.

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.

1. Start with 4 Granny Smith Apples. Peel and core them.


2. Place them in a 12"x12" glass baking dish.


3. Drop in 1 tbsp. of brown sugar and cinnamon each into the center of the apples.


4. Pour apple juice in the bottom of the baking dish. Just pour in about 1/2".


5. Bake! 35-40 minutes.


6. SCOOP one large spoonful of low fat vanilla bean ice cream into the center of each apple and serve warm!

This recipe is easy, delicious, and always a favorite!!

Marinade...

So, I just cooked and ate a delicious dinner in which I marinated four thick chicken breast fillets for 48 hours! I marinated them in teriyaki sauce, fresh garlic, and Italian seasoning. Delicious. Then, baked them for about 15 minutes at 375-degrees Fahrenheit. Here is a delicious marinade for Orange Beef or Orange Chicken, which is one of my favorite marinades. . .

Orange Beef Marinade

Ingredients
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Grated Orange Peel (zest)
1 cup Orange Juice
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 lb Beef, Pork Or Lamb
DirectionsFor Beef, Pork, or LambServings : 4Preparation Time : 6 HoursDirections:Combine marinade ingredients in a glass or metal bowl.Pour over beef, pork or lamb.Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.Prepare and heat the grill.Cook meat to desired doneness.

Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner which makes me crave Mexican food and Coronas for a few weeks! I am a big fan of chips and salsa, especially around this time of the year when you can sit down anytime of the day and turn on a baseball game or basketball playoff game. So here is one of my favorite salsa recipes--Corn and Black Bean Salsa. This salsa uses ingredients you can obtain year round--corn, beans, red bell pepper, onion, jalapeno and cilantro.

Ingredients:
1 14 oz can corn, drained
1 14 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium red onion, medium dice
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, small dice
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Add corn and beans to a medium bowl. Add pepper, onion, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro to corn and beans then fold together. Now add lime juice and olive oil along with salt and pepper.Notes: This beautiful dish can be used as a dip on anything or can be enjoyed as a refreshing cold relish on the side. Any color pepper can be substituted.
Number of servings: 10-12 as dip

BEST SERVED WITH TOSTITOS WITH A HINT OF LIME CHIPS!!

Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breast

Here is a delicious recipe. This recipe is fun as well. But chef beware, it is cheesey!!

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 2 tablesoons melted butter

1. After washing hands thoroughly, gently separate the chicken skin from the meat of the breast halves along the rib edges.
2. For stuffing, in a small bowl combine the cheeses, basil, oregano, and lemon-pepper seasoning. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of cheese mixture under the skin or each breast half. Place chicken, bone sides down, in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Brush chicken with melted butter. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until no longer pink.

Kalbi!!

This famous Korean dish is on the top 5 of my list of favorite foods. It is a bit complicated to make but the end result is mouth-watering ribs. The ingredients in the following recipes can be found at the Korean market in Garden Grove on Garden Grove Blvd in between Brookhurst and gilbert.

Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Korean pear or Asian pear, grated with juices
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 small white onion, grated or sliced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 (20-ounce) bottle lemon-lime soda, optional (recommended: Sprite or 7-Up)

4 pounds short ribs
Cooked white rice, for serving
Prepared kimchee, for serving (available at Korean grocers)Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a large baking dish. Add the ribs and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight; it is best if marinated overnight.

Heat grill to high. Remove short ribs from marinade and grill short ribs until slightly charred and tender and cooked to desired degree of doneness. Serve short ribs with white rice and kimchee.

Thai Pineapple Chicken Curry

Thai Pineapple Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
• 1 quart water
• 1/4 cup red curry paste
• 2 (13.5 ounce) cans coconut milk
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into thin strips
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups sliced bamboo shoots, drained
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 green bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup pineapple chunks, drained

Makes 6 servings

1. Boil rice, reducing heat to lower temperature and simmer for 25 minutes.

2. In a bowl, whip curry paste and 1 can coconut milk together.

3. Transfer to a wok and mix in remaining coconut milk, chicken, fish sauce, sugar, and bamboo shoots.

4. Boil and cook for 15 minutes until chicken juices run clear.

5. Mix the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and onion to the work.

6. Continue cooking for 10 minutes until chicken runs clear and bell peppers are tender.

7. Remove from heat, and stir with pineapples.

8. Serve over cooked rice.

Description:

This is a Thai curry dish that anyone would love. Its flavor is just perfectly sweet and spicy. If you’re in a mood for some authentic Asian cuisine, this won’t disappoint! This dish can be found in Thai restaurants but this recipe is just as good as any other. The pineapple is a must to really enjoy this recipe. It adds the sweetness flavor and makes the curry like no other.

Wine Pairing....

never has to follow any patterns. You don't always have to match white wine with fish and pasta and red wine with meat. Break the rules. Remember to discover what you like by experimenting. Sometimes you may find that pairing what seem to be opposite or unlike flavors may attract. Try some of these combinations that I have come up with from experimenting:

• When enjoying spicy dishes such as bratwurst or even a plate of jambalaya, try a fruity chardonnay.
• When enjoying herb flavors or heavy garlic dishes, try a deep and rich merlot.
• When enjoying a rich, creamy or even chocolate-based dessert, try a sweet sherry. This is a great way to end a great meal with cheese as well.

Pot Roast Express (Pot Roast)

Recipe:

2 cans of condensed cream of mushroom

1 package dry onion soup

1 1/4 cup tablespoon water

4- ½ lbs pot roast

Tip: Tri-tip roast cut is the best

Directions:

Mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water in slow cooker.

Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with a soup mixture.

Cook on high setting for 3- 6 hours or

Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

Review:

This pot roast is certainly one of the best. It’s perfect for a family dinner on a chilly night. The creamy gravy adds moisture and flavor to the pot roast, leaving it tasty and undry. The greatest advantage you have is that it does not take much time to cook. It comes better with more sauce. Best served with mash potatoes!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Awesome-Slow-Cooker-Pot-Roast/Detail.aspx

The Beginner Chef

One of the best thing about learning to cook is finding out what you like. The only way to do this is by experimentation. Don't let that word scare you though. Experimenting can simply be following a recipe and just doing something as minor as trading a spice out for another. One of the my favorite experimentations that I have continued to use is the orange. When marinating chicken or seafood, cut a small hole in an orange and squeeze the fresh orange juice into the plastic bag with the meat. This will give a tasty, fruity treat to the meal. To the right is a picture of my Orange-Teriyaki marinated Salmon and some sauteed asparagus and mushrooms (another delicious concoction that will be blogged later).

St. Patties Sandwich!!

This week’s recipe is in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

Reuben Sandwiches

The Reuben Sandwich is one of deli’s favorites.

This sandwich made of rye bread, corned beef, cheese (preferably swiss) and sauerkraut is a treat to remember. The rye bread gives the sandwich a slightly sour and crispy texture, which complements the chewy corn beef. Next, depending on your tastes, you can add a moderate amount of cheese to give it a pizza like flavor. Lastly, the sauerkraut gives it a sour and tangy finish to your sandwich.

To prepare this tasty St. Patrick ’s Day favorite, please follow the guide on the following hyper link.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Reuben-Sandwich-II-2/Detail.aspx