Do you mind if I whine for a bit?

We all get on line and search recipes all the time, right? I am constantly looking for ideas and recipes that I can get inspiration from. I will admit, I rarely follow recipes exactly as written. I like adding a bit of this and a bit of that…leaving out this and leaving out that. You get the picture. But there are those times when you see the picture of the finished product and you want your dish to look exactly like the one pictured. You want it to taste the way it is described. I hate, hate, hate following a recipe and having it be a disappointment. If someone claims to make the chewiest cookie, it better be chewy! It better not be some flakey, crumbly, crappy tasting cookie. You know what I’m sayin? I know you do!

Now, maybe I am just very picky when it comes to my food. But come onnnnnnnnn. Too many times I have made something from a recipe and it looks absolutely nothing like the picture. That really bothers me. Am I obsessing? Ok, well, maybe. But, but……it bothers me and I just can’t let it go. Oh my gawd, as you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking “wow, this gal needs some help”. Hahahahahaha.

The other day, I saw an interesting cookie on line. It was so purty. It was nice and brown, had these crater crackly tops. It was described as buttery and chewy. What the heck!! It never did get brown. There was not one single crackle. It was poofy. There was no chew. There was no taste! Blahhhhhh.

Then I noticed a picture of a plate of brownies on a blog. But I saw the same exact picture…..seriously….on another blog! The recipes were different on each blog, but the finished brownie pictures were identical!!! Whaaaattt? Oh my.

I just want you to know that if ever you should make one of my recipes and have any issue with it, please either leave me a comment or email me. I will do my best to see what may have gone wrong.

But wait!! There’s more……but I am done for now. Stay tuned tomorrow for part 2. 🙂

I have several “favorite” chile relleno casserole dishes. Sometimes I like them with some kind of meat….chorizo, shredded beef, taco meat, chicken…etc. But sometimes I just like to keep it simple. This is a super simple and quick dish. It’s super yummy. Usually I use the canned whole chiles, but since I have tons of homegrown chiles, that’s what I used. Ohhhhh, so much flavor in the fresh chiles. You do have to roast them and peel them, but that is super simple. So, if you can, buy the fresh ones and peel them yourself. Otherwise, use the canned ones. They are good too.

So here is the basic recipe that is just delicious. But feel free to add whatever the hell you want! Make it your own! Just make it….you will love it.

I even made a little burrito………….sooooooooo, good.

So Easy Chile Relleno Casserole

Approx 8 green chiles, roasted and split open flat, (canned or fresh*)
1 cup milk (I use half and half)
3 eggs
2 cups of shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
1/4 tsp paprika

* To roast the peppers: (2 methods)
1) Heat oven to 400. Place WHOLE fresh, clean chiles on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven until you really start smelling the wonderful aroma and they are nice and blistered. Black char is ok. This step takes about 20 minutes. But keep an eye on them. Once they are blistered, remove from oven and cover with foil. Let them sit like this for about 20 minutes. This will allow the skins to steam up and make for easy peeling. You are now ready to peel.
2) You can also place the WHOLE chiles in a large skillet and turn the heat on medium. Let them blister and turn them, so that they are evenly blistered on both sides. Once blistered, cover the pan and let set for about 20 minutes or so. You are now ready to peel. The skins should just come right off.

Turn oven down to 350.
Spray an 8×8 or 9×9 casserole dish with a non stick spray. Place half of the split open chiles in the dish. Top with half of the cheese. Place another layer of chiles down on top of the cheese. Top with remaining cheese.

In a bowl, mix together the milk, spices and eggs. Pour it over the cheese. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet. Pour about 1/4″  hot water into the baking sheet, so your casserole dish is sitting in a little water bath. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until set. Be careful removing the sheet from the oven if you still have water in it.

Top with some salsa, more cheese, sour cream, etc. Or stuff a flour tortilla. I like to cut a wedge and put it on a crispy corn tortilla.

Everyone should have a good basic frosting recipe in their collection of recipes. Buttercream frosting is that recipe. It’s super quick and easy and very versatile.

Once you make this, you’ll make it again and again. I promise! Why use those yucky store-bought plastic tubs of frosting? You can whip this up in no time!

I used this frosting for this cupcake “cake” I made recently.

Easy Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, room temperature
8 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup or more of milk, half and half or heavy cream

In a large mixing bowl, whip the softened butter until light and creamy…..about 2 minutes.  Gradually add the powdered sugar, starting at low speed. Add liquid a little at a time, increasing speed. Add enough liquid until you have your desired consistency. Whip for approximately 2 minutes.

Frost your cake or cupcakes. This batch will frost 30 cupcakes, a 2 layer round cake, or a 9×13 sheet cake.

Store any leftover frosting in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before spreading.

Note: If the weather is warm, the cake or cupcakes should be chilled and allowed to come to room temp before serving.

Big scoop of good vanilla ice cream, rich gooey fudge sauce, some nuts, whipped cream and a cherry on top. Now, that’s a  fudge sundae! Maybe throw in some bananas! Have you ever craved one of those sundaes, only to find that you had no fudge sauce????

Well, this fudge sauce is something that you can whip up in less than 10 minutes,  with simple ingredients that you most likely have in your cupboard. There is no cream, no milk, no chopped up chocolate. You will be surprised to learn that it is made with water and cocoa powder……..and are you ready for this? Flour! Yep, flour. When I first saw the recipe, I had my doubts. But I was so curious and knew I had to try it. I’m so glad I did! It’s really good…rich…and very chocolatey.  Think of how good it would be in an iced cold coffee with cream! Or how about drizzled over some fresh strawberries. Or drizzled over cake or a shortbread cookie! Or just by the spoonful! Can you imagine??

Since it’s so inexpensive to make, you could make a huge batch, pour it into jars and give it as a gift to everyone you know! Include a cute little scoopy spoon , tied to the jar with ribbon and there you go…perfect give away.

Don’t be turned off by the fact that it is water based and has flour. I’m telling you, this is good stuff. If the water thing turns you off, then try it with milk. But trust me, this is a rich delicious chocolate sauce.

Ok, too much talking. I have a sundae to make.

Cheap and Easy Chocolate Sauce

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons + 1 tsp flour
1 cup hot water or milk
1/4 cup corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tablespoon butter

In a sauce pan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa and flour. Whisk in the hot water or milk, butter, vanilla, corn syrup and salt. Let it come to a boil and then turn down the heat to a low simmer. Let simmer for about 8 minutes, whisking gently. It will thicken a bit and thicken more as it cools.

Let it cool completely before pouring it into a jar. Once completely cooled to room temperature, chill. Don’t try to chill it while it’s still warm. It will get sugary and grainy.

Remember sloppy Joes? I used to love those messy things…..with the ground beef and that sauce all dripping everywhere.  I can’t remember the last time I had one.

This is my version…..without the sauce. It’s more like a cheeseburger but better. The ground beef is not formed into a patty. I think it’s fun to eat it this way. It’s so simple and you can whip one up in no time! The cheese and onions are all mixed up with the ground beef, so it all stays together with that cheesy glue. Of course I had to throw in some jalapeno since I’m a spicy girl.

So, if you’re looking for a quick and easy meal, here it is! It’s prettier when using cheddar cheese, but I prefer the Monterey Jack cheese. Your choice! Use both!! Yessssssssssssss….cheeeeeeeese.

Sloppy Cheeseburger
serves 3-4

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 small onion, sliced thin
1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
peppers (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Rolls (ciabatta, hamburger buns, French bread, etc)

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef with the sliced onion. Add salt and pepper. As the beef is cooking, toast or grill the bread. I put a pat of butter in a skillet and place the rolls, cut side down, into the butter. Once they are as brown as you like, remove.

When the beef is cooked, add the shredded cheese and mix until the cheese is all gooey and melty. At this point you can add the peppers, tomatoes, or anything else you may want to add.

Scoop a generous amount into a roll and serve immediately. Soooooooooo good.