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Recipe Cornbread Casserole

Nov 24, 2022 · Leave a Comment

I like my cornbread sweet, and after tinkering with this recipe for a while, I feel like I have finally mastered it. I didn’t grow up in the south, but I always liked sweet cornbread. The sour cream gives this a nice texture, and the corn gives it the perfect texture. Another note. This is best served cold, and I find it’s best to make it the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Best Sweet Cornbread Casserole

There are a lot of reasons I believe this is the best. It tastes great. I have tried a lot of cornbread, and it doesn’t get any better than this. Sweet with a great texture from the corn kernels.

Note I usually use the generic brand sour cream, and I like Green Giant creamed corn. You need one of each regular can of corn and one creamed corn can. And yes, I use the Jiffy corn muffin mix. I know I always say I like my kitchen to be scratch, but why mess with a good thing?

I used a 9 x 7 glass pan to bake the cornbread. I prefer a larger pan, so the bread is not as thick. If you like your cornbread slightly mushy, go with the 9 x 7. I have not tried making this as a muffin, but if you do, let me know how long you cooked this for. I bake at 350 for 1 Hour.

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Recipe Cornbread Casserole

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Sweet cornbread casserole is the ultimate dessert if you love cornbread; this is a magical recipe.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 20 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 Minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 10 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Country Southern

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Melted Butter
  • 1 cup Sour Cream
  • 1 (14 ounce) can creamed corn
  • 1 (14 ounce) can whole kernel corn (drained)
  • 1 Box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

Instructions

  1. Beat Eggs
  2. Add Melted Butter and Sugar and mix
  3. Add Sour Cream and both types of Corn and mix
  4. Fold in Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
  5. Pour into greased pan and bake for One Hour @ 350 Degrees

Notes

If you like softer mushier cornbread, do not drain the corn and use a 9 x 7 pan.

I prefer this to sit over night in the refrigerator and serve it cold. The flavor solidifies over night and it always tastes better the next day and if you eat this warm out of the oven like most baked goods it’s not as good.

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Taco Rice

Nov 8, 2022 · Leave a Comment

taco rice bowl with avocado, tomato and cheddar cheese

This is a fun single skillet recipe that is basically a Taco bowl on steroids. I love the texture of the corn and scallions, and of course, I think it should be made with loads of avocado. I recommend a nice salsa on the side. We used real corn, but a can of corn would probably work just as well, if not better.

ingredients to make taco rice in a bowl with vegetable. toppings

We ended up not adding lettuce instead we went with extra corn. You might want to add sour cream and salsa which is not pictured.

taco rice in hexclad pan cooking with rice as corn is added
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Taco Rice

taco rice bowl with avocado, tomato and cheddar cheese
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Taco rice is a taco bowl on steroids because you cook the rice with the meat which adds tons of flavor.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 Minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Skillet
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 1 pound of Ground Beef
  2. 1 Packet of Taco Seasoning
  3. 1 cup of Long Grain Rice
  4. 1/4 Yellow Onion
  5. 2 Cloves Garlic
  6. 2 cups Water
  7. 1 Beef Bullion Cube
  8. 4 Ears of Corn (1 Can of Corn)
  9. 2 Roma Tomatoes diced
  10. 1 Avocado
  11. 2 Scallions
  12. 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Instructions

  1. Brown ground beef with garlic and onion
  2. Heat 2 Cups of water with beef bullion
  3. Do not drain meat unless you use beef with high-fat content.
  4. Add corn and stir
  5. Add taco seasoning and mix well
  6. Add water with bullion already dissolved
  7. Add rice and mix
  8. Put heat on low and cover for 20 minutes until rice is cooked.
  9. Serve in a bowl with chopped tomato, scallions, avocado, and cheese.

Notes

I wouldn’t blame you if you added salt and pepper to the beef when you brown it. I also wouldn’t blame you if you added a green or red pepper with the onion and garlic. You might like a dab of sour cream on top. I like extra scallions for some additional crunch.

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Apple Cake

Nov 7, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Apple cake cooling on a rack still on the center part of the cake pan

There are a lot of Apple Cake recipes out there that I believe get this wrong. I got this recipe from my Grandma, who passed away in the 90s. When I was a kid, I would make this because it was one of my favorites. I would argue it’s easy to make based on the fact that I was making it when I was a kid.

In my opinion, it’s best to mix the apples into the batter last. I saw a popular recipe that instructed people to layer the apples, and I tried that once, and it was bad. You want the apples to be evenly dispersed in every bite. Also, do not put oranges or citrus in this cake, it ruins the flavor. Lastly, I would recommend not using oil and going with butter. I have tried it with oil, and it’s not bad, but it’s just not the same. Two things I would expect in this recipe are vanilla and a little rum, but that isn’t how my grandma did it, and I think less is more. This cake has so much flavor I think your best not to complicate it with raisins and anything else.

I hope you will give this recipe a try, especially because all the other ones are different, and this cake is amazing.

ingredients to make apple cake

I wanted to include this image so you can see how I chop the apples. It takes a little time, but you use fewer apples in a cake than you do a pie, so it’s not as much work as making an apple pie.

apples chopped on a white cutting board for an apple cake
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Apple Cake

Apple cake cooling on a rack still on the center part of the cake pan
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A heavy flavorful cake with loads of apple flavor.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 20 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 Minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 1/2 pound Butter (2 sticks)
  2. 1 1/2 cups Sugar
  3. 2 Eggs
  4. 3 cups Flour
  5. 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
  6. 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
  7. 4 Tablespoons Water
  8. 1 cup Walnuts
  9. 4 Granny Smith Apples

Instructions

  1. Peel apples and cut them into small 1/4 chunks.
  2. Melt butter.
  3. Mix dry ingredients.
  4. Mix wet ingredients minus water.
  5. Add dry ingredients to the wet. If you need more liquid to get the batter to blend properly, add water.
  6. Add walnuts
  7. Add apples
  8. Grease cake pan
  9. Add batter to cake pan
  10. Cook for one hour at 350 degrees

Notes

Cook at 350 degrees for one hour.

I love the walnuts in this cake. My wife, who is allergic to nuts, loves this cake without nuts, but to me, it’s a key ingredient. Also, I think granny smith apples make this cake. You can make it with any apple, but I recommend using the granny smith apples because of their sweet-tart flavor.

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Cocktail Meatballs Recipe Grape Jelly

Nov 4, 2022 · Leave a Comment

cocktail meatballs in a red bowl with a green umbrella

I can’t think of any appetizer that I like better. Not pizza rolls or crab things. We make these every New Year when my wife throws our annual New Year’s Eve party. It’s her recipe, and once again, I notice that all the grape jelly meatball recipes online are different than hers. Again I’ll say don’t overcomplicate things. This is the only recipe I can think of that I don’t even add salt or pepper. This is a great recipe for Superbowl Sunday. It’s also great for any time you go to a dish event.

You can make meatballs from scratch using my meatball recipe, just don’t add tomato sauce, instead, pop them in the crock pot and follow this recipe.

ingredients to make cocktail meatballs with grape jelly
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Cocktail Meatballs Recipe Grape Jelly

cocktail meatballs in a red bowl with a green umbrella
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A classic party appetizer made of meatballs that are sweet.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 1 Minute
  • Cook Time: 4 Hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours 1 minutes
  • Yield: 17 Servings 1x
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Crock Pot
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 52 ounces of Meatballs
  2. 1 Jar Grape Jelly (30 ounces)
  3. 2 Jars of Cocktail Sauce
  4. 4 Large Garlic Cloves

Instructions

  1. Slice garlic
  2. Pour everything into a crock pot and stir
  3. Cook on Low for 4 Hours
  4. Stir every 30 minutes to an hour.

Notes

My wife might add some garlic powder and onion powder. I don’t, and it always comes out amazing. Don’t forget toothpicks if this is being served as an hors d’oeuvre at a party.

My favorite place to buy meatballs is from Costco.

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Sloppy Joe

Oct 31, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Sloppy joe Sandwich on a round red plate

Here is another recipe that I think everyone gets wrong. I’m a firm believer in simple being better. What makes sloppy joe so good is the sweetness of the meat. I love spicy foods, but this is one that I think shouldn’t have a lot of spicy. No chili powder. This works perfectly with my simple 4 ingredient sauce but any tomato sauce will work if you just add garlic and brown sugar.

When I was a kid, the one thing I always enjoyed in the school lunch was a sloppy joe. I doubt they put a ton of spices into the mix. No Worchester sauce and no chili powder, in my opinion. Give it a try this way and see what you think.

sloppy joe ingredients

How did Sloppy Joe Get Its Name?

Some say a cook named Joe in Sioux City, Iowa was the first to start selling this. I like the version of it being invented in Cuba years earlier by a guy named Jose, who worked in a restaurant frequented by Ernest Hemmingway, so they gave it an American name. If you ever go to Key West, you can tour Ernest Hemmingway’s home and party at a joint called Sloppy Joes. It’s a great time I recommend that trip more than this recipe.

sloppy joe meat in a 12" hexclad pan

I made the sloppy joe in a 12″ Hexclad pan cooked over medium heat.

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Sloppy Joe

Sloppy joe Sandwich on a round red plate
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A sloppy joe is a sandwich with ground beef in a sweet sauce.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 1 Minute
  • Cook Time: 15 Minutes
  • Total Time: 16 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Lunch
  • Method: Pan
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 1 pound Chop Meat
  2. 2 Tablespoons Butter
  3. 2 Garlic Cloves
  4. 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
  5. 1 Teaspoon Salt
  6. 1 Teaspoon Pepper
  7. 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  8. 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
  9. 1 cup Tomato Sauce
  10. Package of 8 Hamber Buns

Instructions

  1. Brown the meat and remove draining the grease.
  2. Melt butter with sliced garlic and add the meat back into the pan.
  3. Add Brown Sugar and stir.
  4. Add tomato sauce and cook over medium heat string continuously to incorporate flavors.
  5. Add Spices

Notes

If you want to do this meal the right way, be sure to include Tater tots on the side.

Adding onion and green peppers might give it a little crunch, which would be the two things I would not object to adding. I wouldn’t add ketchup or other spices like chili powder or crushed red pepper. The key to this recipe is the tomato sauce with brown sugar to give it that sweet flavor.

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Hawaiian Marinade

Oct 30, 2022 · Leave a Comment

ny strip in hawaiian marinade with mashed potatoes and broccoli covered in cheddar cheese

When we went to Hawaii, we had a private tour guide who took us on a foodie tour. I can’t put into words how much fun we had. I dream about having a redo. He told me one of the things they do on a longer tour is get ribeyes and grill them on the beach, so I asked him how do you make Hawaiian Ribeyes. Is there a way to marinade it? He said most of the time, they just put it on the grill with spices, salt, pepper, and garlic. There wasn’t an authentic marinade. Then he thought about it a little and, thinking about it a while, came back with, “Soy Sauce, if anything.” A few days later, we went to Tommy Bahamas for our anniversary dinner, and they had Hawaiin Ribeye on the menu, so of course, I ordered it. Again I have to say I wasn’t impressed. There used to be a steak house in the neighboring town I would take my wife to, and she always got a Hawaiian Ribeye, which was unbelievable. Unfortunately, they are long gone, so I can’t even dig into trying to replicate it.

I have to be honest. I don’t find this recipe particularly very interesting. If you find a better recipe, please send it my way. I would love to try it. And if there is a restaurant that has a great Hawaiian Steak, let me know drop a comment or send an email. This recipe is what I call a work in progress which I will continue to tinker with until it’s something I can brag about. We made this with a New York Stripe, which I wasn’t happy with. I recommend this with a Ribeye or a T-Bone.

ingredients for Hawaiian Marinade

How Long Should You Marinate A Steak?

I let this marinate for 30 minutes. I think if you can do it overnight, that would be better. I know a lot of recipes instruct you not to marinate meat for too long. I find that citrus overnight helps make the meat more tender. If you use a Ribeye, it’s going to be tender regardless.

garlic chopped in mini food processor

I wanted you to see what the garlic looks like. I always start with the garlic before adding the other stuff. The same way I do my habanero hot sauce.

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Hawaiian Marinade

ny strip in hawaiian marinade with mashed potatoes and broccoli covered in cheddar cheese
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A liquid to flavor meat and give it a Hawaiian flavor.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 5 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 Minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Grill
  • Cuisine: Hawaiian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 Pineapple Fruit Pop
  • 1 Tablespoon Ginger Powder
  • 1 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Teaspoon Pepper

Instructions

  1. In a mini food processor, grind garlic.
  2. Add liquid ingredients, pineapple, and brown sugar, and grind again.
  3. Add spices and give it another grind.

Notes

I would substitute 1/2 cup of frozen pineapple for the fruit pop, or you can also use pineapple juice.

We did mashed potatoes and Broccoli, but traditional Hawaiin would be rice and macaroni salad.

This was made with a New York Strip, but it’s best with a T-Bone or Ribeye.

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Tortellini Caprese Salad

Oct 29, 2022 · Leave a Comment

tortellini Caprese salad in rectangular glass container

My wife loves Caprese Salad, and I got the idea of making this as a meal by adding tortellini. I used cherry tomatoes because they are sweet. This is a simple great recipe. My wife thought it would be better with some salami, and I thought it needed some artichoke hearts or maybe even some nice black olives.

ingredients for Tortellini Caprese Salad

What is Ciliegine Fresh Mozzarella?

If you never had this before this is soft mozzarella balls about the size of a cherry tomato. It’s the same kind of cheese you normally find in a Caprese Salad just a better shape to use in a salad with cherry tomatoes.

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Tortellini Caprese Salad

tortellini Caprese salad in rectangular glass container
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Caprese salad but with tortellini pasta to turn this into a hearty meal.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 5 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 Minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Boil
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 10 ounces Tortellini
  2. 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
  3. 8 ounces Ciliegine Fresh Mozzarella
  4. 2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil
  5. 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  6. 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
  7. 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  8. 1 Teaspoon Salt
  9. 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  10. 1 Teaspoon Basil

Instructions

  1. Cook Tortellini
  2. Cut Cherry Tomatoes in half.
  3. Slice Fresh Basil
  4. Add spices, Olive Oil, and Balsamic Vinegar
  5. Toss
  6. Rinse Tortellini, so it’s not hot, and toss them into the salad.
  7. Cut cheese balls in half and toss them in last.

Notes

Serve this with balsamic vinegar on the side because many guests like a little extra.

I used Ciliegine Fresh Mozzarella cheese balls that are 1/3 ounce in size.

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Blonde Brownies 9×13 Pan

Oct 26, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Blonde Brownies In Glass 9x12 Pan

A few years ago, I helped my mom clean out my childhood home, and I found an old recipe for Blonde Brownies. I suspect that I last made this when I was a teenager. I remember loving them. So when I found the recipe, I was excited at first. Then when I looked at the actual paper, it had been waterlogged and was unreadable. A few months ago, I bought a magnifying glass, and yesterday, I was looking at my old recipes for something to post on here and, for some reason, pulled out this magnifier, and low and behold, I was able to make out the recipe.

ingredients to make blonde brownies

You will notice I purchased store-brand light brown sugar. This was less expensive and double the size. I hate not using premium ingredients, but with inflation, I feel like I must fight back and not purchase overpriced items. With the chocolate chips, it would be tough for me not to buy the toll house or King Authur flower because those are the brands my family has always used.

blonde brownie batter in a greased 9x12 glass pan

That is a 9×13 glass baking pan. I feel like the edges might have been slightly overcooked, but I do believe this is how we made them when I was a kid. If you use a metal pan, it might get even browner, so watch out for that. The oven we used growing up might not have cooked hot enough as it was old and half broken. I recommend getting an oven thermometer for your oven to double-check check your appliance is cooking at the right temperature. It could be caused by the fact that I left out the nuts because my wife is allergic. I highly recommend adding walnuts.

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Blonde Brownies

Blonde Brownies In Glass 9x12 Pan
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Like a brownie but without chocolate instead, it uses chocolate chips.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 Minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12 Brownies 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 2 cups Flower
  2. 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  3. 2 cups Brown Sugar
  4. 2 Eggs
  5. 1 cup Chocolate Chips
  6. 1/3 cup Nuts
  7. 1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  8. 1 Teaspoon Salt
  9. 2/3 cups Butter
  10. 2 Teaspoons Vanilla

Instructions

  1. Mix dry ingredients, including brown sugar, and mix in a bowl.
  2. Melt butter in the microwave for 1 minute.
  3. Add butter, egg, and vanilla and mix together until batter forms.
  4. Add chocolate chips
  5. Spray 9×12 pan with nonstick spray
  6. Cook 30 minutes @ 350 degrees

Notes

I use light brown sugar, which helps give it that nice blonde color. The image you see is without nuts, but I highly recommend using walnuts.

The batter is a weird thick consistency, so I spread it out evenly don’t be alarmed by that.

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Habanero Hot Sauce

Oct 25, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Habanero Hot Sauce with Black Bean taquitos

This is one of my favorites because I love spicy foods, and this has great flavor. It’s frequently been requested when there is a party. I’m happy to make it because it’s always a discussion starter. I do want to warn you to be careful not to get this on your hands and rub your eyes or go to the bathroom. You might want to use gloves when making this to avoid any accidents.

ingredients for Habanero Hot Sauce

My other recommendation is to use only half a habanero. They come in different sizes I would go with a smaller one, but the most important thing is to find a fresh pepper. Stores seem to have them as an afterthought, and they maybe sit for a while. I used to like to play a game because if you buy a small one when they go to weigh them at check out, it comes up as zero. Now I notice more stores charging 5 for $1 or selling a package of them for $3.99.

As crazy as it might sound, the combination of habanero and jalapeno, together with garlic, gives great flavor. This is one of my favorite spicy sauces, and it took me a while to figure out how to get it right. I tinkered with this for a long time before I felt that I got it right. But I found that basic works best. Give this a try if you love spicy. I promise you will love it.

cooked jalapeños and habaneros
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Habanero Hot Sauce

Habanero Hot Sauce with Black Bean taquitos
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A very spicy hot sauce that is great for tacos, chips, and dips.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 1 pint 1x
  • Category: Saucer
  • Method: Boil
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 8 Jalapenos
  2. 1/2 Habanero
  3. 2 Large Garlic Cloves
  4. 2 Teaspoons Salt
  5. 1 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
  6. 1/2 cup Water

Instructions

  1. Cook pepper in a pot for 30 minutes until fully cooked and soft.
  2. Start by adding garlic to a food processor and pulverize.
  3. Remove stems and add peppers. Only use half of the Habanero. Pulverize until it’s liquified.
  4. Add salt, pepper, and water. A few more pulses of the food processor to mix it all up and blend the water.
  5. Chill and serve.

Notes

Gloves are recommended, and be sure to wash your hands well before touching your eyes or using the restroom.

Only use half of the habanero. If you use the entire habanero, it will be too spicy to have any flavor and probably hurt coming out.

I have a mini food processor that I have had for over 15 years, and they still sell the same model for about $20.

Another drawback is this doesn’t stay fresh long. I have tried making this with vinegar, but it doesn’t taste the same. I wouldn’t use this after a week old.

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Angel Hair Seafood Pasta

Oct 24, 2022 · Leave a Comment

angel hair seafood pasta in hexclad pan

My wife doesn’t like this, so this recipe is one I make just for myself, so this is a single-serving recipe. The recipe card allows you to adjust the portion size. I prefer angel hair pasta with seafood. I think I first had angel hair with shrimp at Cheese Cake Factory, and it’s a combo I highly recommend, just be careful not to overcook angel hair pasta because it only needs a few minutes.

When I eat out many times, seafood is served with a cream sauce which I’m not a fan of. I love the flavor with garlic butter and wine, which is more of a scampi style. This is quick and easy to make I keep a bag of shrimp from Costco and frozen seafood from Trader Joe’s in my freezer for a quick pasta meal.

As you can see, this recipe uses only 7 ingredients plus some spices. I like to use powdered chicken stock because I only use a little chicken broth in this recipe.

This gives you a good idea of what it looks like. Not a ton of sauce, but I prefer it that way. If you want more sauce, then add additional butter, wine, and chicken stock. If I were to critique this photo, I would want the shrimp a little darker, but it did taste perfect.

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Angel Hair Seafood Pasta

angel hair seafood pasta in hexclad pan
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A savory quick, easy meal for seafood lovers.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 1 Minute
  • Cook Time: 10 Minutes
  • Total Time: 11 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Saute
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 8 ounces Seafood Medley Frozen
  2. 1 Garlic Clove
  3. 1 Table Spoon Olive Oil
  4. 2 Table Spoons of White Wine
  5. 2 Table Spoons of Chicken Broth
  6. 1 Table Spoon Butter
  7. 4 ounces Angel Hair Pasta
  8. Dash Salt
  9. Dash Pepper
  10. Dash Garlic Powder
  11. Dash Oregano

 

Instructions

  1. Defrost seafood in cold water
  2. Boil Angel Hair Pasta
  3. Over medium heat, add olive oil and crushed garlic clove.
  4. Add seafood, cook for 2 to 3 minutes, and flip.
  5. Add spices Pepper, garlic powder, salt, and oregano
  6. When shrimp curl, add wine and chicken broth.
  7. Add seafood starts to brown add butter.
  8. Mix cooked pasta into the pan and serve

Notes

In the photo, I added way too much pasta. I like to eat 2 servings of pasta generally as I’m a big eater.  And I’ll use half a bag of seafood. So with bread and salad, technically, according to product labels, this might be 2 servings. I would be hungry. Hopefully, this gives you some context to portion size.

I also find that seafood defrosts fairly quickly I didn’t include that in the prep time.  Be sure that you drain the seafood if you defrost it in water.  I use a paper towel to dry seafood. You don’t want water in the pan.

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Goat Cheese Cucumber Salad

Oct 19, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Goat cheese cucumber pasta salad tops with avocado

Do you love cucumbers, avocados, goat cheese, and salad? These are some of my favorite things to include in a salad. I’m not a fan of lettuce, and I got the idea for this because a local chain has a Chicken Pasta Salad that I love. I figured, why not have a pasta salad with all my favorite ingredients? I used my Greek Dressing Recipe, which I think goes great with the goat cheese. I prefer goat cheese over feta, and I think it works great here because it gives the pasta a creamy texture.

ingredients for pasta salad on table
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Goat Cheese Cucumber Pasta Salad

Goat cheese cucumber pasta salad tops with avocado
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Cold pasta salad with tons of the most popular gourmet salad items such as goat cheese, herbs, and avocado.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 Minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 8 Servings 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Chop
  • Cuisine: Greek

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 4 ounce Pasta
  2. 1 Cucumber
  3. 10 Cherry Tomatoes
  4. 1 Small Red Pepper
  5. 8 ounce Goat Cheese
  6. 2 Scallions
  7. 1 Tablespoon Fresh Dill
  8. 2 Table Spoons Olive Oil
  9. 2 Table Spoons Redwine Vinegar
  10. 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  11. 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
  12. 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  13. 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  14. 1/2 Teaspoon Oregano
  15. 1/2 Lemon

Instructions

  1. Cook Pasta and rinse with cold water
  2. Cut cucumbers in quarters
  3. Cut cherry tomatoes in half
  4. Dice scallions and mince dill
  5. Add the above into a bowl and mix with olive oil and red wine vinegar
  6. Add spices. Salt, Pepper, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, and Oregano
  7. Chop Goat cheese into chunks, add and mix into salad
  8. Squeeze lemon on top and mix
  9. Let salad cool in the refrigerator for up to an hour
  10. Chop avocado and serve with avocado on top

Notes

One thing to keep in mind is that fresh. dill can be very strong when fresh. If you don’t want it to overpower the salad, feel free to add less. I love fresh herbs. This would also work great with fresh oregano. I use cherry tomatoes because I love their flavor, but you can add regular tomatoes or even grape tomatoes if cherry tomatoes are costly. If you want this to have more of a Greek flavor, you might want to add olives.

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Air Fryer Baked Potato

Oct 19, 2022 · Leave a Comment

baked potato in bowl topped with cheese bacon bits and Scallions

I know this recipe will probably never get any love because everyone has their own baked potato recipe, but it’s so amazing I had to post it. We enjoy it as a meal almost weekly. When I was a kid, our high school took a trip to Epcot, and my best friend and I started to get low on funds toward the end of the trip, so we decided to split a huge potato from a potato stand in the Epcot England village. I had never had something so delicious, and I never forgot it. Fast forward maybe 10 years later, and I was working as a server in a soup and salad joint. I love that job, and as a poor college student, I used to eat there a few times a week because of the employee discount. It bothered me when I would see a customer eating an old potato that was sitting in the steamer for too long. It no longer had that flaky yummy texture. I remember challenging the manager one day, and he said it was crazy they cost the restaurant 18 cents each. It happens because the kitchen guys are lazy, and they cook a big batch instead of putting fresh potatoes in every 30 minutes like they are supposed to. Food cost was an issue, and it was always a battle. For me, the battle was to ensure customers had a good experience and continued returning because if it wasn’t busy, I wouldn’t make any money.

The point of my long story is that I think most American restaurants screw up potatoes. If you are reading this, I want you to try the recipe and promise me that you will send back the potatoes when they aren’t perfect. There is no excuse besides laziness. Cooking great food should be a labor of love even for restaurant employees.

ingredients for a baked potato

Above, you can see an assortment of the stuff we put on our potato. I love a lot of butter and a good freshly shredded milf cheddar cheese. But I have been known to top it with ranch dressing, scallions, and bacon bits. I use the fake bacon bits, just my preference. I know a lot of gourmets prefer real bacon. When I make chili, I love to save some for a baked potato. Don’t forget to salt and pepper the potato before loading it with toppings.

How To Make The Perfect Baked Potato

The first thing I want to state is that I have tried cooking all different sizes and kinds of potatoes. The best type of potato to use is a Russet. I recommend using an air fryer. That link goes to amazon and the exact model that we use in our home. If you use that model and cook the potato for One hour at 400 degrees on the air fryer setting, they come out perfect every time, no matter what size you use. Be sure to poke the potato a dozen times all around, so it doesn’t explode in the oven. That is it. It’s that simple.

What Not To Do

Do not follow other recipes that instruct you to cook it for 40 minutes. That is going to result in a half-raw vegetable. Do not wrap it in foil. Foil causes moisture to collect and results in a soggy, not flaky, inside. You do not need to rub oil or salt on the skin. No one eats the skin anyway. The skin will be crispy my pug loves the skin. Now a very important note. Potatoes like chicken carry salmonella, so be sure not to cross-contaminate surfaces. Assume that any surface that an uncooked potato touch has potentially deadly bacteria, so wash it with soap and water.

How long do you cook a baked potato in an air fryer?

One Hour. Let me repeat it takes 60 minutes at 400 degrees in an air fryer. Many recipes suggest lower times, but even a small potato should be cooked for 1 hour if you want a great flaky potato.

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Air Fryer Baked Potato

baked potato in bowl topped with cheese bacon bits and Scallions
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A baked potato should have a flaky texture inside and crispy skin on the outside.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 1 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 Minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 1 minutes
  • Yield: 1 Serving
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Air Fryer
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  1. Russet Potato (any size)
  2. Butter
  3. Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
  4. Scallion
  5. Sour Cream
  6. Salt
  7. Pepper
  8. Bacon Bits
  9. Ranch Dressing
  10. Chili
  11. Jalapenos

Instructions

  1. Scrub the potato with a separate sponge to get off fall the dirt and run it under water keeping in mind that potatoes, like chicken, carry salmonella and don’t cross-contaminate any surface.
  2. Pierce the potato with a sharp knife about a dozen times all around the entire potato.
  3. Cook for one hour at 400 degrees on the air fryer setting.
  4. Top it with tons of goodies. We do it like a potato bar everyone makes their own.

Notes

I have bought small potatoes and thought they would cook quicker, and I have got huge potatoes they all take an hour in the air fryer at 400 degrees. Do not use foil that causes them to stem as they cook, making the potato soggy. The best way to cook a potato is in an air fryer for one hour. You can’t screw it up. I see a ton of recipes that say 40 minutes. I’m not sure where they live, but it’s always one entire hour. A last note. I do not rub oil on the skin or salt the skin. Don’t complicate the process just remember to stab a few holes and bake it and eat it while it’s fresh out of the air fryer.

Keywords: air fryer, baked potato

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Italian Stromboli

Oct 14, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Italian Stromboli Cut In Half On A Blue Oval Plate

This could be one of my favorite meals. When it’s done right I’ll pick this over pizza every day of the week. If you tried my pizza dough recipe, you know that I worked in a Stromboli joint as a kid growing up. There aren’t a lot of places that specialize in Strombolis. Most of the time it’s an afterthought.

Last week the Island of Stromboli in Italy erupted. That’s where the Stromboli got its name after a volcanic island, so it got me thinking that I hadn’t made a boli in a while. The wonderful thing about them is that there are endless ways to make them. This recipe is my favorite. I think the key is using great cheese and adding a little sliced onion and green bell pepper. When you do that, it has a nice crunch and great flavor.

Bore's Head Meats Behind A Deli Case

The first rule of being a great chef is to use great ingredients. I’m a huge fan of Boar’s Head meats. Their Hot Capi is incredible. I’m not a fan of ham in general, but this is perfectly flavored with Italian spices and makes for an incredible Italian flavor. There is better pepperoni, but they are not sold in the local store. I find their pepperoni works perfectly for a Stromboli.

pizza dough being rolled with a metal rolling pin

When I worked in the Stromboli restaurant, they had an industrial dough roller, so I don’t feel the need to shape the dough by hand, I always use a rolling pin. What I do that is different is that I try to roll the dough into an oval shape instead of a round flat tortilla shape.

My dough recipe makes 8 dough balls which are slightly smaller than standard the reason is that I think this to be the perfect size boli. They cook better at this size in a home oven plus, for me, as a big eater, I find the serving size perfect. Most restaurants make them larger. I just want to note the size and recommend my dough recipe. Making the dough is easy, and I think it tastes better than store bought dough.

Stromboli being stuffed with meats cheeses and vegetables

Another thing is that while I think my tomato sauce recipe is perfect, this recipe uses so little sauce that I think you could get away with just pureed tomatoes or most jar sauces. I have used traditional Ragu sauce from a jar, which comes out great. I would worry more about the cheese. You might notice that my cheese is not grated, that is because I used cheese curds from a local farmers market because I can’t locate quality mozzarella locally.

homemade Stromboli baking on a pizza steal

If you preheat your over to 500 degrees and use a pizza steel, they come out perfectly browned in 8 minutes.

What is the difference between Stromboli and Calzone?

The main difference is that a Stromboli has sauce inside, and with a calzone, the sauce comes on the side. For a Stromboli enthusiast like myself, I would tell you that the shape is the main difference. A Stromboli is a pizza shaped like a submarine sandwich.

Where did the name Stromboli come from?

The name is from a volcanic island off the coast of Italy. Ironically it wasn’t invented there, but they think it was created in America during the 1950s.

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Italian Stromboli

Italian Stromboli Cut In Half On A Blue Oval Plate
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A pizza that is shaped like a submarine sandwich and stuffed with meats or vegetables. The inside usually includes mozzarella cheese, onions, green peppers and tomato sauce.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 8 Minutes
  • Total Time: 18 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1x
  • Category: Pizza
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 1 ounce Pepperoni
  2. 1 ounce Capicola
  3. 2 ounces Mozzarella Cheese
  4. 1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
  5. 1 Tablespoon Tomato Sauce
  6. 1 ounce Sliced Onion
  7. 1 ounce Sliced Green Bell Pepper

Instructions

  1. Roll dough thin about 1/8 inch thick.
  2. Add meats and cheese top with sauce.
  3. Add onion and peppers last.
  4. Fold the corners and pull the bottom up over the top to the proper Stromboli shape.
  5. Be sure to pierce the top of the dough like you would a pie so it doesn’t explode in the oven.
  6. Bake 500 Degrees for 8 minutes on a pizza steel.

Notes

If you can find polly-o that is the best brand of cheese to use. Be sure to grate the mozzarella fresh and DO NOT buy pre-shredded. I only use Boar’s Head meats for this recipe. I have tried Boar’s Head mozzarella and it’s terrible

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Baked Chicken Thighs

Oct 14, 2022 · Leave a Comment

baked chicken thigh with roasted potato and vegetables

I got this recipe from my sister, who made it for me while working on a film set. She cooked it because it’s an easy way to make a big warm hardy meal, and everyone loved it. It seems to work best in large quantities, but I’m posting it the way I make it for 4 people you might want to double the recipe. Also, I recommend using small red potatoes, I made this using Russert because we needed to use them up. This is guaranteed to be loved by all chicken fans.

What Temperature Do You Bake Chicken Thighs

For this recipe, because there is lots of liquid, you can bake at 425 degrees for one hour. The important thing is to make sure chicken meat reaches at least 160 degrees.

chicken thighs and vegetables in orange juice ready to bake
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Baked Chicken Thighs

baked chicken thigh with roasted potato and vegetables
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This is a hardy chicken dish that will always come out juicy.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 5 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 Hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 3 pounds Chicken Thighs Bone-In
  2. 1 Onion
  3. 3 Cloves Garlic
  4. 4 Carrots
  5. 4 Celery Stalks
  6. 1/2 cup Butter
  7. 2 cups Orange Juice
  8. 1 pound Red Potatoes or Russet Potatoes
  9. 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  10. 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
  11. 1 Teaspoon Season Salt
  12. 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions

  1. Cut onions, celery, and chicken into chunks.
  2. Add vegetables and orange juice to a casserole or lasagne pan with chicken on top.
  3. Sprinkle spices over the chicken
  4. Cut butter into chunks and spread throughout.
  5. Bake for One Hour at 425 degrees do not cover

Notes

A Dutch oven is a good option for this dish. Go with tiny round red potatoes if you can find them.

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Perfect Breakfast Smoothie

Oct 12, 2022 · Leave a Comment

green smoothie in glass with yellow straw
fruit and vegetables in blender to make a smoothie

This might be my least favorite recipe and the one that I make the most. If that sounds strange, it’s because I have a smoothie for breakfast most mornings. I do it for health. Think about it this way if you are supposed to have five servings of fruits and vegetables, why not get that done first thing so you can enjoy better things for the rest of the day?

The reason I drink a smoothie for breakfast is that I noticed that it seemed to help all my chronic aches and pains. I’m not the healthiest person and certainly not the most athletic, but I am a gym rat, and as I got older, I always seemed to have an elbow or joint that was bothering me. Once my wife bought me a Vitamix, and I started using it, those issues all seemed to go away.

This recipe is with apple juice which might not be the most healthy thing. I buy it at Costco, so it’s pure juice and doesn’t have sugar added. It helps the flavor a lot. If you want to be healthier, I would go with coconut milk, which is the modification I make frequently.  I also switch up things by adding blueberries, pineapple, or mango to the recipe.

I think the biggest thing about this recipe that makes it perfect is the spinach. Adding spinach to the recipe gets you a nice daily serving of a very healthy vegetable.  I don’t love carrots, but they are great for smoothies because it adds some sweetness. but it also gets you that extra serving of vegetables.

I know I’m making many health claims in this post, but I do these things to err on the side of caution. I think as we get older, having protein first thing in the morning becomes increasingly important. As someone who is gym rate, I think it’s important that I get whey protein at least once a day. I use nonflavored high-quality Ascent Native Fuel Whey Protein Powder that I order from Amazon. If I run out, I can usually find some at Target, but I’m not sure about using mainstream protein from big chain stores.

Another thing about smoothies and which kind of blender is the best. I find that nothing compares to using a vitamix because the texture is so much better than regular blenders. I know they are expensive, but it’s worth the investment if you can afford it because they are built to be generational, meaning you will probably leave them to your offspring.

 

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Perfect Breakfast Smoothie

green smoothie in glass with yellow straw
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A healthy beverage made of fruits and vegetables that is perfect for breakfast.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 1 Minute
  • Cook Time: 2 Minutes
  • Total Time: 3 minutes
  • Yield: 1 Serving 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Blend
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 1 cup Apple Juice
  2. 1 Banana
  3. 6 Baby Carrots
  4. 4 ounce Baby Spinach
  5. 8 Frozen Strawberries
  6. 1 Açaí Frozen Pure Packet
  7. 30 grams of Whey Protein

Instructions

  1. Add Acai first, split the frozen packet in half
  2. Add spinach last
  3. Blend for 2 minutes

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How Do You Make Smoothies Taste Better

Carrots are perfect for adding sweetness, but you can also use a juice base like pure apple juice, as we did in this recipe.

What are the healthiest things to put in a smoothie

Spinach and Kale are great because they are low in calories and high in vitamins and minerals. We always make sure to include both fruits and vegetables and generally include a mix of five different ingredients, so the smoothie includes different types of nutrients. Berries are extremely healthy fruits that are perfect for smoothies.

Is a smoothie good for breakfast?

Smoothies are a great healthy breakfast. If you want a balanced breakfast, include whey protein.

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NY Pizza Dough

Oct 10, 2022 · Leave a Comment

pouring alkaline water into heated pan

Making pizza dough is very simple, and it’s one of my favorite things to make. I find that making pizza is fun. I also consider pizza one of the main three food groups after tacos and cheeseburgers. The problem I find is that most places make terrible pizza, and I have a tough time figuring out why because it’s so easy to do. I grew up in New Jersey and worked in a Stromboli joint growing up, so I know a few things about pizza.

I got this recipe ironically from my wife’s cousin, who was a chef for the show “Biggest Loser.” I made some modifications, but it was very similar to how we made it back in Jersey.

I always dreamed of living by the beach, and as an adult, I moved to Los Angeles after college to become a filmmaker. I couldn’t find good pizza in Los Angeles, and I found it perplexing. I did find a great authentic old school Italian Restaurant that I would frequent, and I became friendly with the chef. This was the kind of joint that local mafia guys would eat at, and I saw more than one Sopranos actors in there.

The chef told me that he used to be George Steinberners personal chef. You might know George as the owner of the New York Yankees. As a Yankee fan, I didn’t quiz him about the Yankees I wanted to know why Pizza sucked in California. What he told me were three things.

Why is Pizza better in NYC?

First I asked him if it was the water. That was the rumor, and he assured me that wasn’t the reason.

  1. The cheese. The best mozzarella cheese is regional and not available most of the time outside of the east coast. Some of the best cheese is only available in the NY area. I remember my dad taking me to an Italian deli as a child, where he would get fresh cheese to make Lasanga. Ok, so I believe that. Task #1 to make great pizza is to find a local dairy to buy cheese from.
  2. Real pizza sauce includes a tiny amount of minced anchovies. I found that hard to believe, but he assured me that is where the tangy flavor came from. I tend to like a sweeter sauce, so I have never tried this.
  3. Fresh-made daily pizza dough was the key. In California, labor is higher, and many restaurants find it cost-effective to use frozen dough. That should be criminal because it’s so easy to do and I find it hard to believe that the labor costs more than the product because making dough is very inexpensive. Even if you import high-quality flour and use premium olive oil.

What are the key elements of making great pizza dough?

The key is to use ingredients. I use pizza flour high protein flour that is imported from Italy. I use King Arthur flour for everything else, and I have used that also for pizza, and it’s fine, but I think using premium Italian pizza flour takes it up a notch. I get Caputo Double Zero 00 Flour from amazon in the 2.2 pound size because it saves me from weighing ingredients. I also use bottled alkaline water, not sure if that is needed, but I think my dough is better than any pizza place around. If you can find Polly-O cheese by Kraft foods, that is the perfect cheese. Unfortunately for me, they stopped selling that locally when the pandemic started, so I found a local dairy at a farmers market to source the perfect cheese. That’s important, according to New York chefs in the know. I can tell you that when I worked in that Stromboli joint, we grated the cheese fresh every morning, and it tasted so good shredded I could eat just that. So source good cheese, use alkaline water and buy premium high-protein flour, and you can master pizza making at home.

 

pouring alkaline water into heated pan

I know this is a none normal cooking method, but this is how I do it to get the water at the right temperature. You can’t boil the water, and you can’t use room-temperature water. So heat your pan until it sizzles with a drip of water. Then turn it off. I take the saucepan over to the mixer and add the water to the pan for a few seconds, which heats the water and helps the yeast activate.

yeast setting in warm water in mixer

Then I add the yeast and give it a mix with a form. You can whisk it up, I never use a whisk we did use a very large whisk at the pizza joint just to help the yeast activate.

dough ball in mixer

In this picture, the dough is not smooth. I would let it go another minute, so it’s smooth and blended together perfectly.

divided into 8 dough balls

One of the best things about this recipe is that it makes slightly smaller dough balls, so if you make your pizza thin enough, it will still fit on the pizza stone. My pizza stone is 14 x 14 I like to have a little space on the sizes. You’ll see in the actual pizza recipe that I like to get the pizza as thin as possible. What I do is divide the dough a few times. Split the dough in half, then in quarters, and then split the quarters. I’m avoiding using a scale. It feels like every time I pull out the scale, the battery is dead so I devised this method to avoid wasting time with a scale.

dough ball covered with olive oil in sandwich ziplock bag

I find that for the homemade dough, the best thing to do is use sandwich zip-lock bags. This keeps it fresh and does require olive oil, so it doesn’t stick.

 

Never lead the dough out on the counter. I know many recipes call for the dough to rise on the counter for four hours, but this would not be New York-style dough if you didn’t do a slow rise in the refrigerator.

 

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NY Pizza Dough

Pizza Dough being divided into portions and turned into dough balls
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Perfect New York Pizza Dough is going to have a nice chewy texture and be crispy enough to fold in half after it’s baked.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 24 Hours
  • Total Time: 24 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 8 Servings 1x
  • Category: Pizza
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 2 cups Alkalyn Water
  2. 3/4 Teaspoon Dry Yeast
  3. 2 pounds Double Zero 00 Flour
  4. 1 Tablespoon Salt
  5. 1/4 cup Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

  1. Water should be warm, not room temperature, and not boiling. So I head a saucepan on high, and when it’s hot, I pour in the water to heat for a few seconds and then put it into the mixer.
  2. Add Yeast and mix it into the water.
  3. Let the yeast ferment for 5 minutes.
  4. Add half of the flour and salt.
  5. Mix on low setting until the powder is all gone.
  6. Add the rest of the flour and virgin olive oil and continue mixing until the dough forms a ball and has a nice smooth texture. (About 5 Minutes)
  7. Divide in half and then divide the half in half and again until you have 8 balls of dough.
  8. Form into balls and rub olive oil around the outside of the balls.
  9. Place each ball in a sandwich zip lock and refrigerate overnight.

Notes

Always let the dough rise overnight in the refrigerator do not leave it out on the counter to speed up the process. 4 Hour rise is not NY dough!

If you cook your pizza on a pizza stone that is preheated and made thin enough, it should be perfect in 8 minutes at 500 degrees. This recipe is slightly smaller dough sizes because home ovens are small, and you want it thin enough and still able to fit on a pizza stone.

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Sour Cream Banana Bread

Oct 8, 2022 · 1 Comment

Sliced Sour Cream Banana Bread

 

The trick to great banana bread is sour cream. If you follow the other recipes, I generally like to keep things simple, but I also am always looking for that secret ingredient that makes a recipe stand out as special. There are few things I like more than the flavor of bananas and nuts in general.

My wife would tell you that it is because I am a nut. She also gets annoyed with me because every time we eat out and they ask what I want to drink, I ask them if they have fresh bananas. The reason is that I’m still searching for a great banana milkshake. I always buy one banana every time I go to the store because I hate eating them raw, and I don’t want them to go bad. I use bananas for my smoothie most mornings, and I try to catch them before they go bad and freeze them for a smoothie.

My wife doesn’t subscribe to the one banana rule, so when she shops, we end up with a bunch of over-ripe bananas. That’s also good news to be because it gives me a reason to make banana bread. It’s so easy to make, and I’m not sure how many foods are better than freshly baked banana bread.

Two things that I think make this stand out in addition to needing sour cream and orange juice instead of lemon and sprinkling EXTRA nuts on top. The only downside is that it takes an hour to bake at 350 degrees.

dry ingrediants for sour cream banana bread

Always mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately.

sour cream banana bread batter in mixing bowl

Here is what the batter looks like

 

Grease loaf pan with butter with pug watching

One problem with owning a pug is that they hate the sound of aerosol, so I can’t use spray, and I have to grease the loaf pan the old-fashioned way by rubbing the pan with butter which could be one of the reasons this always comes out great.

 

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Sour Cream Banana Bread

sour cream banana bread loaf fresh out of the oven
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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

A moist bread that tastes like cake with crunch nuts and a great banana flavor.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 60 Minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 12 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 1/2 cup Butter
  2. 1 cup Sugar
  3. 2 Eggs
  4. 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
  5. 2 Tablespoons Orange Juice
  6. 1 3/4 cup Flour
  7. 1 Teaspoon Salt
  8. 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
  9. 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
  10. 1 cup Mashed Banana
  11. 1/2 cup Sour Cream
  12. 1 cup Walnuts

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in the microwave at high for one minute
  2. Beat Eggs
  3. Add Vanilla and Orange Juice to the butter
  4. Add Sugar to the eggs
  5. Add sugar and eggs to the butter and other wet ingredients
  6. In a separate bowl, add dry ingredients
  7. Fold in the wet ingredients
  8. Fold in Sour Cream
  9. Fold in Banana
  10. Fold in Nuts
  11. Grease 9×5 Loaf Pan
  12. Add batter and sprinkle extra walnuts on top
  13. Bake for 1 Hour at 350 degrees
  14. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes
  15. Place on. cooling rack

Notes

Don’t be fooled by all the other recipes without sour cream and orange juice.

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Vegetable Lentil Stew

Oct 6, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Vegetarian lentil stew in red bowl

chopped vegetables for lentil stew

If you are looking for a great healthy cold weather dish, I highly recommend trying this tasty recipe. My mom is a vegetarian, and I worked to perfect this recipe because I love lentils, and I wanted something she could also enjoy. The flavor comes from all the vegetables, and I have found that using chicken stock is not necessary. I load it up with other healthy things, such as spinach and carrots. This is one of my go-to lunches that I try to eat once a week all year round.

 

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Vegetable Lentil Stew

Vegetarian lentil stew in red bowl
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A thick vegetarian stew made of legumes and tons of vegetables served hot.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 5 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 2 Servings 1x
  • Category: Lunch
  • Method: Pot
  • Cuisine: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 1/4 cup Lentils
  2. 1 Garlic Clove
  3. 1/2 cup Onion
  4. 1 Celery Stalk
  5. 1 Carrot
  6. 4 ounces Spinach
  7. 1 Russet Potato
  8. 2 cups Water
  9. 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
  10. 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  11. 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Instructions

  1. Boil Water In Sauce Pan
  2. Chop everything into spoon size bites and slice garlic
  3. Add Lentils and turn the heat down to medium-low
  4. Add chopped ingredients and spices
  5. Cover and cook with a gentle rolling boil for 30 minutes
  6. Cook out the remaining liquid by turning the heat up to high and make sure to continuously stir stew for 10 minutes

Notes

You can substitute a sweet potato if you want it to be healthier, but I find the starch from the Russet Potato helps fuse the flavors of all the vegetables.

I actually eat 2 portions myself for lunch, but I use a small potato if you are sharing use a very large potato.

Also, be careful not to let this burn. I have ruined more than one pot.

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White Wine Garlic Shrimp Pasta Recipe Without Cream

Oct 6, 2022 · Leave a Comment

butter added to pan while making garlic shrimp

A few things about this, in my opinion. First, I don’t love cream sauce with seafood. Of course, there is the traditional fettuccine alfredo with shrimp, but other than that, I don’t love the combination. I also love parmesan, but not pared with seafood. I love this recipe because it’s simple, and sometimes simple is surprisingly good.

The key to great shrimp pasta, in my opinion, is using freshly squeezed lemon and don’t overdo the lemon. Be careful with the wine and lemon to limit how much is added. I also like to add some fresh chopped parsley which I didn’t have, but it adds a nice fresh flavor to the dish.

 

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White Wine Garlic Shrimp Pasta Recipe

White Wine Garlic Shrimp Pasta Recipe in bowl over linguine
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White Wine Garlic Shrimp Pasta Recipe is a simple, tasty meal that is best with thick pasta like fettuccine or linguine and has no cream.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 1 Minute
  • Cook Time: 10 Minutes
  • Total Time: 11 minutes
  • Yield: 2 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Saute
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 2 Garlic Cloves (Chopped)
  2. 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
  3. 6 ounce Shrimp
  4. 2 Tablespoons Butter
  5. 3 Tablespoons White Wine
  6. 1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
  7. 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  8. 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  9. 1/2 Teaspoon Basil
  10. 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  11. 1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder

Instructions

  1. Heat pan slightly under medium heat
  2. Add Olive Oil
  3. Add Shrimp
  4. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion salt
  5. As soon as the bottom is white, flip shrimp
  6. Add lemon and chopped garlic let the shrimp cook a minute
  7. Add butter and basil
  8. After butter melts, add wine
  9. Stir for a few minutes to let the flavors fuse into the sauce

Notes

I sprinkled another round of salt at the end, just a little extra. Be careful not to use too much lemon or wine. I always worry about using too much salt with seafood because it’s salty already, but many recipes call for chicken stock with this recipe which I didn’t use, so a little extra salt helps the flavors fuse together.

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Simple Shepherd’s Pie 4 Ingredients

Oct 1, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Simple Shepherd's Pie in bowl

I learned this recipe in college. I had a roommate, and we worked together, waiting tables in a local restaurant. He was French Candian, so I figure this was a traditional meal that his family made. This guy graduated and would come home from work every day and brew beer, this was back before local breweries were a thing. Honestly, I had never heard of Shepherd’s Pie before, so I had no benchmark of how it was traditionally made. What I always loved about this recipe was that it was simple, hearty, and relatively inexpensive to make. Perfect for poor college students. I see a lot of searches looking for recipes with instant potatoes, but we never used instant, probably because it’s cheaper to use an actual potato. You can add green peas, carrots, onions, and celery to the meat, but we never did it that way. Sometimes keeping things simple is better. Give this recipe a try and see what you think.

These days when I make this dish, I use garlic and onions when cooking the ground beef and a tablespoon of sour cream when I mash the potatoes, but in college, we were on a budget, and it was a bachelor thing we would make when we didn’t get a free meal at work. It comes out great without those upgrades.

 

How do you keep mash from sinking in shepherd’s pie?

Use real russet potatoes and mash with butter and don’t use milk, instead, use sour cream or cream cheese, so it’s thick.

Can you make Shepherd’s Pie with instant potato?

You can, but why would you want to? Real potatoes are better for you, and it’s going to taste better. It’s actually cheaper to use a real potato than instant, and it doesn’t require more work. The only difference is potatoes boil for 20 minutes, and instant use boiling water, so you save a few minutes.

 

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Shepherd’s Pie

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Shepherd’s pie is a savory dish of cooked ground beef and vegetables topped with mashed potato and baked.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 1 pound Ground Beef
  2. 1 pound Russet Potato
  3. 1 Can Cream Corn
  4. 2 Tablespoons Butter
  5. Garlic Powder
  6. Onion Powder
  7. Season Salt

Instructions

  1. Peel and boil potato 20 minutes in a pot
  2. Cook ground beef in pan over medium heat
  3. I generally add spices twice, once when meat is added to the pan and again after I drain the fat.
  4. Drain and mash potatoes.  Add butter, salt, and pepper, then add some kind of cream milk is fine, but only one or two tablespoons.
  5. Preheat Oven 350 degrees
  6. In a loaf pan, add meat.
  7. Add a can of cream corn do not drain dump the corn over the meat for the second layer.
  8. Add mashed potatoes to the top.
  9. Bake 45 minutes

Notes

I didn’t do this in college because I was poor, but these days I’ll add a tablespoon or two of sour cream or cream cheese to the potato.

This makes a great left overs meal. It reheats in the microwave 2-3 minutes. I’ll put a chunk of butter on top of the potatoes to freshen the potatoes when I reheat it.

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Spicy New Orleans Shrimp

Sep 24, 2022 · Leave a Comment

When I lived in Los Angeles, there was a very popular hole-in-the-wall joint called Killer Shrimp. My roommate’s best friend was engaged to a girl who worked there. It was very basic. They had cold bottled beer and shrimp on spaghetti, over rice, or in a bread bowl, and that was about it. On weekends there was always an hour wait plus. Then suddenly is closed. Someone said the two owners got into a fight, and that was it. I missed these great shrimp. I always loved Cajun food, but I found this to be better, so, over the years that followed, I have tinkered and come up with my own spicy shrimp that I love. I love spicy foods, and I love vegetables.

The disclaimer I need to make is that because most of my family and friends don’t like spicy foods, I’m not entirely sure how to make 4 servings which is what I normally do for most recipe posts on Cosmic Meals. This version is 2 servings. I’m sure it would be fine if you double it.

On a side note. Please don’t use tabasco or other junk hot sauce. Spice this with cayenne pepper. You can even add it directly to the finished bowl if someone wants it mild and someone wants it hot. A little cayenne does give it the flavor, so do not omit it entirely.

The last thing I want to say about this recipe because I think it’s incredible is that I see quick or easy spicy shrimp recipes. I think you lose a lot by not cooking it this way. I don’t use cajun seasoning or smoked paprika, those might be good variations. I would recommend trying to follow this recipe first because it’s one of my favorites.

 

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Spicy New Orleans Shrimp

Spicy Shrimp cooking in Hexclad pan
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Influenced by the flavors and styles of New Orleans but a hearty spicy meal that is especially great in cold weather.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 Minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 2 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Pan
  • Cuisine: Cajun

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 6 ounce Shrimp
  2. Half Onion
  3. Half Green Pepper
  4. 2 Stalks Celery
  5. 2 Tablespoons Butter
  6. 1 cup Chicken Broth
  7. 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  8. 1 Teaspoon Cayenne pepper
  9. 1 Teaspoon Oregano
  10. 1 Teaspoon Ground White Pepper
  11. 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
  12. 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
  13. 2 Cloves Garlic

Instructions

  1. Chop celery, onion and green pepper
  2. Mince Garlic
  3. Heat pan medium heat and melt half of the butter
  4. Add celery, onion, green pepper, and half of the garlic
  5. Add spices
  6. Cook for 5 minutes then add Worcestershire sauce
  7. Don’t let it burn but let it brown slightly
  8. Add chicken broth.  Then let is simmer on low for 30 minutes
  9. Heat separate pan on medium heat.
  10. Melt butter and add remaining half of garlic
  11. Add shrimp pepper and salt to taste
  12. Cook both side until they turn white not completely
  13. Add contents of other pan on low continue to cook until it’s been 30 minutes

Notes

I prefer this dish over white long grain rice and I add additional Cayenne.

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Fusilli Alfredo Better Than Disneyland

Sep 20, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Fusilli Alfredo in large blue bowl

My wife took me to Disneyland ten years ago, and after riding Space Mountain, we had the munchies, so we stopped in Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port in Tomorrowland. We had chicken alfredo on top of fusilli, and I remember thinking it was the best thing I ever ate. At the time, she wasn’t my wife and didn’t believe that I knew how to make alfredo sauce, and then I realized that the hard part was finding fusilli, which most markets sell as Capitopi.

As a kid, I had a friend down the street whose mom took pity on me and had me over for dinner and even took me to Rockport for a week in the summer. His mom was a great cook and taught me how to make alfredo. I still have the green index card she wrote the recipe down on. In college, I briefly had a second Italian roommate who used to make his family Alfredo recipe. This is kind of a mix of the two.

I like my alfredo sauce on the thin side if you want it thick, you can always add a tablespoon of flour. The trick is to use heavy whipping cream, not regular milk. I once tried to make it with non-fat milk hoping to be healthy, but it just doesn’t work. If you are going to eat Alfredo, go with the cream, this could be one of my best recipes.

Another thing I want to point out and my wife hates that I do this. I use a big fork to mix the sauce and not a whisk. I don’t know why but it seems to taste better that way. I found a great saucepan on Amazon, if you don’t have one I recommend picking one of them up.

garlic cooking in butter inside a sauce pan

 

 

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Fusilli Alfredo

Fusilli Alfredo in large blue bowl
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Alfredo Sauce is a creamy Italian sauce made for pasta.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 3 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 Minutes
  • Total Time: 13 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: sau
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 8 ounces Pasta
  2. 1 Fresh Garlic Clove
  3. 1 Tablespoon Butter
  4. 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  5. 8 Tablespoons Kraft Parmesan Cheese
  6. 2 Pinches Salt
  7. 1 Pinch Ground Black Pepper

Instructions

 

  1. Boil Water For Pasta
  2. Heat saucepan over medium heat
  3. Melt butter and add minced garlic (I like the garlic chunky for this recipe)
  4. Add heavy cream and bring to a gentle boil.
  5. Put on low heat
  6. Mix continuously while adding half the parmesan cheese.
  7. Once the sauce is unlumpy add the second half of parmesan cheese.
  8. Keep mixing the sauce will thicken after about five minutes while the pasta is cooking.
  9. Add salt and black pepper.
  10. The longer the sauce sits, the thicker it will get.

Notes

I actually prefer this recipe with spinach fettuccine. The kind of pasta doesn’t matter as long as you use fresh garlic and heavy cream, it should come out great. I always use Kraft Parmesan.

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DDD Queso

Sep 19, 2022 · Leave a Comment

jalapeno Hot sauce queso cooking in pot

I got this recipe from my show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives this weekend. I had to replay the video 100x to figure out how he made the jalapeno hot sauce which isn’t hot and isn’t really hot sauce, and because it sucked and I didn’t know what to do with it, so I attempted a modification on the queso.

This was my first attempt at making queso, and I have to be honest. It’s damn good. I literally couldn’t stop eating it. Thank god I ran out of chips, and the store was closed. The secret is to let it sit for 24 hours and eat it cold. This is probably a faux pas for a Texan, but this is the Nashville version and I’m a Yankee, so that’s how we roll. My only complaint is that it’s greenish in color and doesn’t have a nice yellow tone with pink chili chunks because all I had was some green chilies that my wife’s friend brought back for me from New Mexico. If you bookmark this site, you will notice that I love Hatch, and I’m semi-obsessed with it so you can expect a lot of Hatch recipes in the future, as I find out cool ways to cook with them.

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DDD Queso

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Nashville style queso influenced by Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visit to Redheaded Strangers. Queso is a spicy cheese dip with a very savory flavor.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 1 Minute
  • Cook Time: 10 Minutes
  • Total Time: 11 minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dip
  • Method: Saute
  • Cuisine: TexMex

Ingredients

Units Scale
  1. 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
  2. 6 Slices Kraft American Singles
  3. 1/2 pound Mild Cheddar
  4. 4 ounce Frozen Packet Green Chilies Jane & Daughters
  5. 1/2 cup jalapeño hot sauce
  6. 1 Teaspoon Salt

Instructions

  1. Heat Heavy Whipping Cream to a boil slowly over medium heat
  2. Add American Cheese slices
  3. Stir Until Melted
  4. Add Mild Cheddar Cheese
  5. Stir until melted.
  6. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. (Defrost Hatch before adding)
  7. Chill at least 24 hours.

Notes

See my Redheaded Stranger Jalapeño Hot Sauce recipe this is not going to work if you substitute green tabasco.

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Redheaded Stranger Jalapeño Hot Sauce

Sep 17, 2022 · Leave a Comment

Redheaded Stranger Jalapeño Hot Sauce

You might have read in my about page that one of my culinary goals is to master great Texas Queso. My understanding is that this was invented in San Antonio and when I lived in Austin I used to drive down to San Marcos to eat at Herberts Taco Shack. This place had the most amazing queso I ever tasted. I’ll be totally honest, and one of the things I hated about Texas was TexMex. To me it was more like ketchup tacos. The exception to this was Herberts and the one aspect of TexMex I have always thought they got right was the Queso.

That being said. Last night I was watching my favorite television show diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and ,he was in Nashvile at a joint called Redheaded Stranger named after one of the greatest Country Western concept albums of all time by Willie Nelson. Anyone who has lived in Austin, Texas, for even a short amount of time knows that Willie is almost a deity in Austin. Super nice guy I once worked on a film set on his ranch in Lucky Texas outside of Austin. More importantly, Willie is the spiritual leader of the Outlaw Country movement. Which is how I feel about Queso. To get this recipe right, it’s going to take an outlaw. I even submitted Herberts to Guy Fieri’s show a few times hoping to find the secret to that Queso. I always wondered how a Mexican restaurant could serve anything but homemade tortillas, but I guess you have to be an Outlaw like Redheaded Stranger to do things properly. This is why I’m so excited about this outlaw queso recipe.

The good news for me is that I found a recipe to try they posted the famous Totchos recipe, but they left out how to make the Jalapeño Hot Sauce so I decided I needed to try it. This is one of the key ingredients in the queso, so I replayed the video back 20 times trying to figure out exactly how it was made. What I love is that it has rice wine vinegar which will help it last longer. When I make my Habanero hot sauce, it only stays good for a week. I tried to add vinegar to it, but it ruined the flavor.

The thing I love about this Queso recipe is that it calls for Hatch peppers. I have a stash of green hatch peppers but I’m going to need to locate some red hatch peppers to test the queso recipe. Hatch are my favorite pepper of all time. I might have to use Red Anaheim peppers instead because the Hatch season just ended. Again you have to be an outlaw to be making TexMex using New Mexico hatch chile, doing it the right way unlike everyone else.

Our Review Of This Jalapeño Hot Sauce Recipe

It’s not the best. It could be that because we don’t have the actual measurements, we just ruined the recipe. We prefer our Habanero Sauce recipe with salt and garlic and a better flavor. It could be that it’s designed this way out of the necessity of being part of the queso. It might have better flavor if you used the seeds and entire Jalapeño. 3 out of 5 Stars.

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Not Spicy Jalapeño Hot Sauce

Not Spicy Jalapeño Hot Sauce
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Not spicy hot sauce because of the sweet avocado flavor added in. This is thick more like a salsa than hot sauce.

  • Author: John
  • Prep Time: 5 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 Minute
  • Total Time: 6 minutes
  • Yield: 12 Ounces 1x
  • Category: Salsa
  • Method: Blender
  • Cuisine: TexMex

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 Yellow Onion
  • 4 Jalapeño
  • 1 Avocado
  • 1/2 Bunch Cilantro
  • 1/2 Lime
  • 1/4 cup Rice Vinegar

Instructions

  • Cut Jalapeño in quarters long ways, take out the seeds and stem middle
  • dice yellow onion
  • Juice the lime
  • Add all of the ingredients into the blender (Rice Vinegar, Lime, Cilantro, Avocado, Onion, Jalapeño)
  • Blend until pureed

Notes

This recipe was created after watching the episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featuring Redheaded Stranger in Nashville.

We used a Vitamix just like they did on the show.

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