Levi's Yummy Queso/cheese sauce

  

For when you want a quick and yummy snack

Recipe: (for 1 person)

1/4 cup cheddar cheese

1 tbsp milk 

1/2 tbsp butter

about 1/4 cup medium salsa

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 

salt to taste

Instructions:

Combine cheese, milk, and butter in a small microwaveable bowl and microwave on HIGH for 25 seconds and stir.

Stir in salsa and seasonings. 

Enjoy with chips or remove salsa and CRP to make macaroni sauce (I would also recommend a smaller ratio of cheese to butter and milk and more salt for macaroni)

*note: this recipe can be varied to taste. feel free to comment with your variations.

amazing banana cream pie, smitten kitchen

 

Banana Cream Pie

• SERVINGS: 8
•  TIME: 1 ACTIVE HOUR PLUS 1 TO 2 HOURS CHILLING 
• SOURCE: ADAPTED LOOSELY FROM THE BOOK ON PIE BY ERIN MCDOWELLL

CRUST

• 1 11-ounce (311-gram) box Nilla Wafers, ground into crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (115 grams or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

CUSTARD

• 2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (40 grams) cornstarch
• 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond brand; use half of any other)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 cups (475 grams) whole milk
• 1/3 cup (75 grams) heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons (10 grams) vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon extract and 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

ASSEMBLY

• 2 to 3 large bananas
• 1 cup (225 grams) heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) sour cream or creme fraiche (optional)
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract

Make crust: Heat oven to 350°F. Combine cookie crumbs and salt in a medium bowl and stir until mixed. Add butter and stir until crumbs are evenly coated. Press crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a standard 9-inch pie dish. I like to use the outer edge of a heavy measuring cup to press in neat, firm sides but nobody will be the wiser if you just use your fingertips. Bake crust until lightly browned, about 9 to 10 minutes. Cool in fridge (or outside, my favorite fridge) until needed.

Make custard: In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, starch, and salt. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, whisking until smooth and no pockets of sugar-starch remain before adding the next. Whisk in vanilla bean paste, if using, and then, very gradually, whisking the whole time, pour in milk, then cream. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking the whole time. As the custard begins to bubble, it will thicken. Simmer for one minute, whisking. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until it is fully melted, then vanilla extract. Let cool for 5 minutes.

While custard cools slightly, lop off a few inches of banana and leave it unpeeled and set aside until needed for decoration. Peel and slice remaining bananas into the bottom of your cooled crust. For an extra-silky filling, pour and press the custard through a fine-mesh sieve, right over the bananas. If you don’t wish to sieve it, just spoon it in. Spread the custard into an even layer, press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface, and chill (in fridge or, again, outside) until custard is cool and set, 1 to 2 hours.

Finish assembling: In a large bowl, beat heavy cream with sour cream, if you wish, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spoon or dollop over cooled custard, or you can make starry blobs, as I did, with a big star tip set into the corner of a pastry or freezer bag. Decorate with remaining banana, peeled and sliced. Cut into big wedges and don’t be surprised if it doesn’t last.

Do ahead: Banana cream pie keeps for 4 to 5 days in fridge.

Authentic Mrs. Fields choc chip cookies

 

READY IN:

 

25mins

YIELDS:

 

UNITS:

 

• 2cups butter
• 2cups sugar
• 2cups packed brown sugar
• 4large eggs
• 2tablespoons vanilla
• 4cups flour
• 5cups oatmeal (put in blender and make into flour)
• 1teaspoon salt
• 4teaspoons baking powder
• 4teaspoons baking soda
• 2(12 ounce) bags chocolate chips
• 8ounces Hershey Bars, grated
• 3cups nuts, any kind of nuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

• Cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar.
• Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
• Mix together flour, oat flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
• Stir in chocolate chips, grated Hershey bar and nuts (if using).
• Drop by 1 1/2" balls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 375° for 6-10 minutes.
• NOTE: If you want your cookies to spread out a bit more, flatten them a bit before baking.
• Cookies will be soft but will firm up a bit after cooling.

cookies(the ones on the clipboard)

 

Preheat oven to 375

ADD TO THE MIXER

1/2 cups crisco

 1 1/2 cups butter-room temp

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

BEAT FOR 3 MIN

ADD 3 eggs

ADD 2 tsp vanilla

MIX TILL COMBINED

BLEND IN BLENDER

3/4 cups oats-until floury

ADD TO MIXER BUT DO NOT BLEND

5 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

MIX WITH LID ON UNTIL JUST COMBINED

ADD 

choc chips or m&ms or candy

MIX UNTIL JUST COMBINED

bake 8-10 min until edges are golden

Tex mex enchiladas

 

Ingredients

Ingredients for the gravy:

• 1/4 cup lard or vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups beef broth, chicken broth, or water

Ingredients for the cheese enchiladas

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 8 corn tortillas
• 3 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• Pickled jalapeños, for serving

Instructions

1. To make the gravy, heat the lard or oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and stir until it's lightly browned and fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute.

2. Whisk in the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper until well combined. Pour in the broth, then whisk with the flour until well blended. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

3. Turn the heat to low and let the gravy simmer for 15 minutes. Add more broth or water to thin the sauce if it's too thick.

4. Meanwhile, to make the enchiladas, preheat the oven to 450° F.

5. Pour the vegetable oil into a baking dish or large cast-iron skillet. Place the tortillas in the baking dish (it’s okay if they overlap) and make sure they are covered with the oil. Place uncovered in the oven as it heats for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the tortillas are soft and warm. Remove the tortillas from the baking dish and cover. Pour 1/2 cup of chili gravy into the dish.

6. To assemble the enchiladas, take a tortilla and place 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese and 1 tablespoon of the onion down the center then roll it. Place the rolled tortilla in the baking dish, seam side down. Continue with the remaining tortillas.

7. After assembling the enchiladas, evenly pour over them the rest of the chili gravy. Sprinkle on top the remaining cheese and onions. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and cheese has melted.

8. Serve warm with pickled jalapeños on the side.

Orange Chicken(sort of)

 

Bake a package of frozen chicken tenders according to package instructions. 

Cook rice

After the chicken has cooled a little, chop it into 1 inch chunks and put it in a frying pan. 

Cover with sauce (store bought or homemade) and cook for a minute or two until warm all the way through.

Thinly slice three green onions and sprinkle over the top as a garnish.

Serve over rice.

Homemade sweet and sour sauce

1 C pineapple juice (or the juice from one can of pineapple)

1/3 C rice vinegar

3/4 C brown sugar (not packed)

3 T Ketchup or 2 T ketchup + 1 T Chili sauce (sriracha or gochujang)

2 T soy sauce

Cornstarch slurry: 1 1/2 T cornstarch in 2 T water

Combine first 5 ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, add the cornstarch slurry and stir for 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens.

Chicken Salad(don't be scared of the grapes)

 2 Large Chicken breasts

3-4 stalks celery
1/3 lb red grapes halved
1/2 can cashew pieces (optional)
A couple TB of Hellman's mayonnaise (GF) -- be sure to use real mayo. salad dressing won't work
Season with black pepper and garlic powder

Serves 4 with some leftovers

Cut the chicken into strips and boil them till cooked through I usually check them when the pieces are floating. Chop up everything else and mix it with enough mayo to coat everything. Season it at will.

Try adding peppers, cold pasta, tomatoes, etc.

Eat it by itself or on toasted croissants.