Crepes

2 cups flour
4 eggs
2 cups milk
½ teaspoon salt
4 Tablespoon butter, melted

4 teaspoons sugar if you are making dessert crepes, don't add if they are for savory crepes

Preheat crepe maker. Mix ingredients in blender. Pour into crepe batter plate.  Dip hot crepe plate into batter. Cool until done, repeat. 

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

I decided to try black bean tacos this week and was happy with the results.  I thought they were delicious! John and Kyla really liked them.  My boys...not so much.  Hopefully in time they will learn to like them, they will be making regular appearances at our house.  I also liked how easy these were to make.  

2 cups black beans, cooked (1 pint jar)
½ C. red onion, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
4-6 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
8 corn tortillas

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
Salsa or fresh tomatoes
Sour cream

In a medium bowl, add beans along with red onion, cilantro, and spices. Lightly mash all of the ingredients together. Grate your cheese and have it ready as well.

In a large, non-stick skillet, add a few tablespoons of oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add one corn tortilla at a time and let each get hot in the oil for a few seconds. Then add about 1/4 cup of the bean filling to one half of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese.

Using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape. As the first tortilla cooks, move it to the side and do a second one. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to get 2 or 3 tacos at once. Cook each taco for about 3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned and crispy.
* When flipping the taco to cook on the other side, use a spatula and flip the taco toward the fold so the filling doesn’t fall out.

Serve tacos with toppings like salsa, avocados, and sour cream.

Instant Pot Chicken Verde

This is one of my most requested meals by my three oldest children.  They love when they smell the peppers cooking with the chicken and get so excited for dinner!

3 pounds chicken tenders or boneless breasts
3-4 tomatillos, husks discarded, chopped
3 poblano peppers, seeds and stems discarded, chopped
2 Anaheim, seeds and stems discarded, chopped
2 jalapeño, stems discarded, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
6 medium cloves garlic, peeled, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems, plus more for garnish
Tortillas

Combine chicken, tomatillos, poblano peppers, Anaheim peppers, jalapenos, onion, garlic, cumin, and salt in a pressure cooker. Pressure cook high pressure for 15 minutes (30 for frozen chicken). Naturally let pressure release. Using tongs, transfer chicken pieces to a bowl and set aside to shred. Pour peppers and liquid into VitaMix, add cilantro and blend until smooth. Pour some sauce on shredded chicken. Place layer of chicken, sauce and mexican cheese on tortillas, microwave until heated through. 

*We have tried baking it like enchiladas, but we all prefer the microwave version better.  Plus, it's easier and faster :)

Instant Pot Pizza Pasta

Pizza in pasta form, and with minimal effort. If only all meals could be this easy and taste this good! This one was pepperoni, but you can brown sausage in the instant pot with the sauté feature and then proceed with the recipe to make it pepperoni and sausage flavored.

1quart spaghetti sauce
1 quart water
1 lb dry pasta, I used penne
2 tsp dried garlic
1 tsp Italian seasonings

8 oz. mozzarella
20 slices pizza pepperoni

Put both spaghetti sauce, water, seasonings and pasta in the instant pot. Give a quick stir, make sure all pasta is covered in liquid.

Set on manual for 6 minutes. Naturally release 4 minutes, then release remaining pressure. 

Stir in mozzarella cheese and sliced pepperoni, reserving a third of the cheese and pepperoni to melt on top. 

That’s it. Dish up your simple, delicious meal. 

'Swig' Cookies

Locally we have 'Sips' instead of  'Swig', but either way, these cookies are amazing.  A soft, flavorful sugar cookie.  We liked ours with flavors added to the cookie dough and the frosting.  My kids loved all of the fun flavor combinations.  My favorite was cream cheese flavored cookie with strawberry flavored frosting, although the coconut flavor cookie with coconut frosting topped with a slice of lime is also amazing!

1 c. butter softened
3/4 c. vegetable oil
1 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. water
2 eggs
5 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt

Flavoring extracts...2-3 tsp per batch.  I divided the dough and made different flavors.
*extra sugar for pressing cookies

 

For the Frosting:

1/2 c. butter softened
3/4 c. sour cream
dash of salt
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk or as needed, to taste
Flavoring extracts...2-3 tsp per batch.  I divided the frosting and made different flavors.

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2. In a stand-mixer or large mixing bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, powdered sugar, and water. Cream together and slowly add in eggs.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well and slowly add to the butter/sugar mixture until combined and doughy.
4. Roll dough into golf-ball sized balls and place on non-stick cookie sheet or cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat.
5. Dip the bottom of a glass into excess sugar and press on to each dough ball (re-dipping in sugar each time) to flatten the cookie. Press lightly because you don't want your cookie to be too thin.
6. Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottom is lightly golden-brown. Do not over-bake. Set aside to cool.

For the frosting:

1. Cream together butter, sour cream, and salt. 
2. Slowly add powdered sugar and mix until desired consistency (you may not need it all). 
3. Add milk to thin if needed. 
4. Mix in food coloring to desired hue. 
5. Spread over cooled cookies and serve!

Instant Pot Brown Rice

 

2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt 

 Use the sauté setting to heat the olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 30 seconds. Add water and salt. Use the manual setting to cook for 22 high pressure then allow the pressure to release naturally for 5-10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Bread Bowls

As winter comes to an end, I decided to make some bread bowls.  They were so good and I was sad I didn't try them earlier in the winter, but that's ok.  I'm ready for some warmer weather.  I can enjoy these next winter...

2 cups warm water + 4 Tbsp
2 Tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup butter , melted
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tsp salt
 6 1/2 cups bread flour

Proof yeast in warm water and sugar.  Add remaining ingredients in bosch and knead for 5 minutes. 
Let dough rest 5 minutes, then divide and shape dough.(6-8)  Let rise 30 minutes.  Bake 350 for 25 minutes.  Serve warm with soup.