MexiMeat Mix

MexiMeat Mix is delicious and is adapted from the Mexican Meat Mix recipe in the "Make-a-Mix" Cookbook. It is a mix and is intended to be made in bulk and then frozen in meal-size portions.

We mostly use this meat to make delicious burritos by adding black beans to the meat, then placing that mixture on a tortilla with cheese, sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, salsa, and lettuce. It can also be used to make nachos, enchiladas, or taco salad.

Here's the recipe:

5 lb. beef roast or combination of beef and pork roasts

3 onions, chopped (I used 2)

1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies

2 (7 oz.) cans green-chile salsa

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1-2 tsp. salt (I start with 1 tsp. but usually add close to 2 tsp.--to taste)

1 tsp. ground cumin

Directions:

Place roast, chopped onions, green chilies, and green chile salsa in a crock pot. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-6 hours. Drain meat, reserving juices. Cool meat, then remove bones (if you used a bone-in roast) and shred the meat and set aside.

Add 3/4 of the reserved cooking juices to a large stock pot. Add garlic powder, flour, 1 tsp. salt, and cumin. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until mixture bubbles. Cook one minute more. Add shredded meat. Stir and add additional salt to taste. Add more of the reserved juice, if needed, to reach desired consistency. Set aside to cool enough to freeze.

Put about 2-3 cups cooled meat mix into 1-quart freezer bags or freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch space at the top. Seal and label with date and contents. Freeze and use within 6 months.

I used a large pork shoulder butt roast this time (it had a couple bones). Beef roasts are also great, a combination of the two is good, too.

Here are the onions, green chile salsa, and green chilies I used.

It's all in the crock pot and ready to cook! (4 hours on high this time)

Shredding the meat after it's cooked and slightly cool.

A close-up of the meat shredding. Just get two forks in there and pull the meat apart!

This is how the meat looks when it's shredded.

The juices and flour ready to simmer.

Last time I made this, I needed all the juice. So, I poured it all in this time. I should've done as my directions above indicated and started with 3/4 of the liquid (I added those directions due to this experience). This meat turned out a bit juicier than I prefer.

My bags of meat ready to go into the freezer to provide delicious, easy to prepare meals!

Lemon Garlic Dressing (for Quinoa)

I was very excited to try this dressing because of the recommendation to pour it over quinoa (keen-wah). For a long time, I've wanted to find some new ways to use quinoa.

What is quinoa, you ask? Quinoa is an ancient South American grain. It is high in protein and quite nutritious. It has a bitter outer layer, though, so you must rinse it well before cooking it. Cooking quinoa is much like cooking rice. To cook 1 cup quinoa, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Stir in 1 cup well-rinsed quinoa (I use a mesh strainer to do this), turn heat to low and put a lid on the pan and allow it to cook for 20 minutes or until there are little white lines/curls coming off each quinoa grain.

Lemon Garlic Dressing

(Recipe found in the Vitamix Cookbook--they say "Pour over couscous, quinoa or use as a salad dressing.")

1 lemon, peeled, halved, seeded (or you could juice it)

1/2 tsp. hot sauce (I used Frank's)

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt (I used a little less)

1/3 cup olive oil

If using a vitamix, combine all ingredients, except olive oil, into Vitamix container in order listed. Select variable 1 and turn machine on. Quickly increase speed to variable 10, then to high. Blend for 1 minute, using tamper to press the ingredients into the blades. Reduce speed to variable 7 and remove the lid plug. While machine is running, slowly pour in oil through the lid plug opening. Blend for 20 seconds. Serve.

If not using a Vitamix, combine all ingredients in a small food processor, or using a hand blender, or mix in a regular blender. If you juice your lemon, you could simply whisk all the ingredients until well combined.

I thought this dressing was delicous poured over quinoa like this (I think next time, I'll add some stir-fried onions, carrots, and celery to it):

This time, it was even better with black beans on top. I think quinoa and black beans are a spectacular food pairing. This was my dinner entree the other night.

Stovetop Mac N' Cheese

This recipe is easy peesy mac n' cheesy! Everyone loves macaroni & cheese, it is just delicious comfort food. My family loves homemade mac n' cheese, so I was so excited when I found this recipe you could make on the stove top in just a little more time than the stuff in the box. This recipe was adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.

1 lb. macaroni
4 eggs
salt
2 (12 oz.) cans evaporated milk
1 tsp. dry mustard (dissolved in 1 tsp. water)
1/4-1/2 tsp. hot sauce (Frank's)
pepper
1/2 C. butter (1 stick)
1-1 1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded (4-6 C.)

Boil water in a large pot for the macaroni, salt the water (2 tsp.) and add the macaroni. Boil the macaroni until almost done, still a little firm as it will keep cooking while making the sauce. While that is boiling, mix together the eggs, 1 can milk, the mustard mixture, hot sauce, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a bowl.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Set the pot over low heat and stir in the butter until melted. Then stir in the egg mixture and half of the cheese. Continue to cook over low heat gradually adding the remaining cheese and some milk until the mixture is hot and creamy (I often have 1/2 C. milk left over). It usually takes about 5-6 minutes to heat through.
Season with salt, pepper to taste. We (as in Steve and I) love to add a little extra Frank's sauce too! Yummy!

For those who love the crunchy topping on baked mac n' cheese crumble crackers on top of your bowl (ritz are good). I LOVE sharp cheddar cheese in this recipe. It would also be a lot of fun to mix it up with a couple different kinds of cheese: Monterey Jack or Colby. Whatever you like! Get really wild and make 3 cheese macaroni!!

German Chocolate Frosting

I’m not cake’s biggest fan. In the world of dessert-calorie-currency, I’d rather spend mine on other desserts. Like apple or banana cream pie, maybe some coconut cheescake, or any flavor of Ben & Jerry’s.

I revealed this fact to Chris during our courtship, and his reaction was complete and total devastation. No, really though. He’s the proverbial fat kid who loves the proverbial cake. It was almost a deal breaker. Somehow, we pulled through those dark days with our mutual love of frozen custard.

For a little “Hurrah!” to mark making it past the two-month mark of matrimonial bliss, I decided to bake Chris a cake. But being the selfish gal that I am, I chose a flavor I prefer: German chocolate cake. It’s smothered in coconut and pecans and a lot of butter. What more could a gal ask for?

I found a recipe on Rachel Ray’s site that looked promising—fairly simple but with real ingredients (butter, mmm…). But since it’s the frosting I really love, and less the cake, I chose a box mix for the cake. The recipe includes the cake and the icing, but I figured, let’s walk before we run, yes?

The Recipe:

1 cup sugar
4 medium egg yolks
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces fresh or frozen and thawed grated coconut
1 1/2 cups finely ground pecans, walnuts, or almonds
1/4 cup warm milk

“To make the frosting, combine the sugar, egg yolks, and evaporated milk in the top of a double boiler. Stir with a wire whisk until the yolks are fully incorporated. Add the butter. Place over simmering water and bring to a boil (see Note below). Simmer for 12-15 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Add the vanilla, coconut, and nuts. Cool.”

The Result:



For a first attempt, I think it went swimmingly. Although I did scald the milk and was afraid it might turn out grainy, this recipe is robust enough to survive my rookie mistakes.

Taste Tester (Chris) says: “That cakes tastes like straight sugar and butter and coconut. And by that I mean it was awesome.”

So it couldn’t be that bad.

Adobo Chicken

Steve has another Steve that he works with and they have taken to sharing recipes with each other. This is one that we got from him, and we really love it! Delicious!

2-2 1/2 lbs. Chicken Thighs
1 C. Soy sauce
1/2 C. White vinegar
1/2 - 1 Tbsp. fresh ground black pepper (adjust amount to desired spiciness)
2-3 Tbsp. Brown sugar
5 Garlic cloves, minced
4 bay leaves

Combine the soy, vinegar, pepper, brown sugar, garlic and bay leaves in the bottom of a large pot. Place the chicken skin side down in the pot and bring the sauce to a boil. Immediately turn down the heat to a medium low, or simmer and cover with the lid. Cook for 1 hour, turning the chicken at 30 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.

We are still in love with Jasmine rice and it is great with this. The chicken just falls off the bone! I also like drumsticks along with the thighs, they are easier for the kiddos to eat. I have cooked a split chicken a couple of times in addition to the thighs and drumsticks, so I double the sauce and put in about 5 lbs of chicken total. I cook that up in a deep electric skillet, and it works really well. I have to adjust the temperature a couple times to keep it simmering instead of boiling. The chicken breasts from the split chicken are a bit dry, but with the Asian flavor of the sauce they are awesome in Chinese Chicken Salad!

Thai Chicken Curry

1 can coconut milk
1 T. green or red curry paste
Mix together, then add:

¼ C. brown sugar
1 T. fish sauce
1 ½ T. basil (dry)
1 ½ t. lime juice
1 C. snipped cilantro

Then add:
1-2 C. Chicken (already cooked & cut up)
2 C. Veggies

Serve over rice.

Notes from Kelly Peterson, who gave me the recipe: "Above is the recipe as I received it.
I really like the Thai Kitchen brand coconut milk (HEB). I have also used the juice from an entire lime, and it works great. I use frozen veggies (there’s an organic medley at Costco that I love with carrots, corn, green beans, and peas). It works best to set them out for a few hours to thaw before adding them to the curry. I hope you like it!"

Kristin's note: I don't care for fish sauce, but you might love it like Kelly's family does.

Thai Peanut Sauce Recipes

These are awesome, but made "as is," the spicy peanut sauce had more heat than the rest of my family cared for. They don't like it as spicy as I do.

Spicy Ginger Chicken
From Sherry Johnston

6 T. soy sauce
1 T. honey
1 T. ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. minced ginger root
1/4 tsp. turmeric
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Cooked Jasmine or sticky rice
1 recipe Spicy Peanut Sauce

Combine first 7 ingredients and mix. Pour marinade mixture over chicken breasts and refrigerate and marinate for at least 30 minutes (2 hours or more is ideal). Grill or bake chicken and serve with rice. Spoon Spicy Peanut Sauce (recipe below) over the chicken and rice.

Sherry’s Tip: Make enough chicken to have a couple extra chicken breasts and chop those to use on Thai Pizza (see Sherry’s pizza recipes in “sampled” section) the next night.

Spicy Peanut Sauce
5 T. creamy peanut butter
¼ C. soy sauce
2 T. lemon juice
¼ C. brown sugar
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients in food processor or blender (or stir it up really well).

Note: For Sherry’s family (2 adults, 3 children), one batch of this recipe will serve as the topping for their Spicy Ginger Chicken one night and the sauce for Thai pizza the next night. You may need to double the recipe to have enough for both nights, depending on the size of your family and how much sauce you like.

Thai Pizza – Spread Spicy Peanut Sauce (recipe in “additional recipes” section) over crust. Top with mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheeses. Add chicken (leftover Spicy Ginger Chicken from recipe in “additional recipes” section works well!), chopped cilantro & shredded carrot pieces (if desired). Top with a little cheddar & parmesan.