Hunan Chili Mushrooms

Sometimes I just crave nothing but vegetables. It is usually after a week where I did not cook much. Or I dined on quick convenient foods like sandwiches, burgers, pizza, etc. Usually the first thing that pops in my head is veggie stir-fries. Or big portobello mushrooms. I love mushrooms! 

This recipe is for one of those veggie cravings. I took a beef recipe from a check out stand recipe mag and substituted portobello mushrooms. It was so good! Not too spicy just right. I loved the combination of mushrooms, peppers and corn. The portobellos really do deliver a beefy texture and flavor in this dish. The only problem is they made everything a little brown. Does not make for a pretty photo. I think next time I will try baby bellas cut in half or quartered. If that does not help I will try white button mushrooms. I am pretty sure it is the gills of the portobellos that are to blame for the browning of this dish. Maybe the baby bellas will have the beefy flavor and less color. Definitely worth making again and refining it a little. Maybe next week in fact. I will be sure to share the results.

Hunan Chili Mushrooms
Serves 2 or 4 as part of a multi-course meal

Ingredients

1 lb mushrooms (portobello, baby bellas or white), sliced

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce

1 Tbsp dry sherry

1 Tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp brown sugar

1 can baby corn, drained

3 green onions cut into 1 inch pieces

1” piece of ginger, peeled and minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 jalapeno, seeded and cut into thin strips

1 tsp hot chili oil

Hot cooked rice

Directions

Prepare mushrooms and other ingredients. Combine 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, soy sauce, sherry, cornstarch and brown sugar in medium bowl, set aside.

Heat work over high heat for 1 minute or until hot. Drizzle 1 Tbsp vegetable oil into wok and heat 30 seconds. Add mushrooms; stir-fry until mushrooms begin to brown. Push mushrooms to the sides of wok drizzle in remaining 1 Tbsp vegetable oil add corn, onions, ginger, garlic, red pepper and jalapeno to wok stir-fry 1 minute. Add sauce mixture and chili oil. Cook and stir until heated through and sauce begins to thicken. Serve over hot rice.

To see how this recipe has be updated (Click here).

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Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
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Memories By the Mile: Tuesday Trivia - Arizona and Link Party
Anyonita's Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin Wednesday
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays Stir-Fry
My Turn For Us: Freedom Fridays

Butterfinger Pie

This recipe is an oldie but a goodie. I remember making them for Mom as a young girl to take to family pot lucks with the cousins. Probably on the list of the first recipes I made. I can't remember the last time we had one. I am just glad we made it for Labor Day. It was so re-freshing on such a hot day. Who can resist ice cream and butterfingers? Definitely a recipe we should not neglect again.

Butterfinger Pie

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 ready made graham cracker  or chocolate cookie crust

1 quart Vanilla ice cream

6 regular size Butterfinger Candy Bars

8 oz. Cool whip, thawed or Homemade whipped cream

Directions

Set ice cream on counter to soften. Place cool whip in refrigerator to thaw. Crush 4 butterfingers in a plastic storage bag or crumble with the tine of a fork. Mix crushed candy bars and ice cream together. Add mixture to pie crust. Freeze until firm. When ready to serve, crush remaining butterfingers. Top with whipped topping of choice and garnish with crushed butterfingers.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
This Gal Cooks: Marvelous Mondays
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd you do this weekend?
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Memories by the Mile: Tuesday Trivia - South Carolina and Link Party
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays-Desserts

Avocado Potato Salad

We had a great Labor Day! I am just getting around to posting about it. We celebrated at Mom and Dad's, loading up the smoker with ribs, chicken and a brisket. We also made a few salads and a Butterfinger Ice Cream Pie. Mom's request was Avocado Potato Salad, so we made it together. This is a salad I created after having it for the first time at Deli-tini. My friend and co-worker took me there years ago. They have closed since then but I remember the place fondly. Everyone was so nice there. They had delicious, very creative sandwiches and wraps with even better names. Avocado Potato Salad was one of their creative sides that left you wanting more. They would put this little cup of delicious potato salad next to your fun special sandwich. It taste like someone mixed potatoes into the guacamole. So good I had to try making it at home in a larger batch.

This salad is a creamy, smoky, crunchy, and spicy version of potato salad. It taste like guacamole dressed potatoes. It gets all it's smoky flavor from the bacon of course. The crunch is courtesy of the celery and green onions. All the creamy texture comes from the avocado dressing. It can be made ahead of time too. The lime juice, mayo and sour cream stops the avocado from turning brown.  The jalapeno gives it all the spice you need. But adjust the jalapeno to your taste, depending on the brand you buy it can be on the spicy side. This salad is so good! I am already sad that it is gone.

Avocado Potato Salad

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered

6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

6 green onions, thinly sliced

2 celery ribs, diced fine

4 medium ripe avocados, pitted, peeled and diced, divided

1/2 cup light sour cream

4 Tbsp light mayonnaise

2 tsp Dijon mustard

3 Tbsp lime juice

1 tsp salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 Tbsp pickled jalapeno peppers, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, bacon, celery, jalapeno and onions. For dressing combine two avocados, sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, lime juice, salt and pepper. Stir and mash until well blended. Stir in cilantro.

Pour over potato mixture and toss to coat. Cube remaining avocado; gently stir into potato salad.

Linking 
to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
This Gal Cooks: Marvelous Mondays
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd you do this weekend?
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Memories by the Mile: Tuesday Trivia - South Carolina and Link Party
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin' Wednesday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays
My Pinterventures: Summer Salads Party

Baja Beach Tacos Two Ways

You are about to see the laziest photos of some really good tacos. I guess I was too hungry for food styling. Does that ever happen to you? You want to share a recipe in the best possible way but you just want to get the delicious food in your mouth now! Anyway...

Saturday Mom came over to look at recipes for Labor Day. I decided to treat her to Baja Style Fish Tacos. The girls in the family love fish tacos. Dad not so much. So she doesn't make them at home and she rarely gets to our favorite place in Bossier City, LA. Don Juanz is a great surfer style taco bar. They serve very fresh and light Mexican fare. We love their Baja Beach Fish Tacos! This taco has sushi grade yellow fin tuna grilled rare and dressed with creamy lime cilantro dressing, cabbage, cilantro, and jack cheese in a fresh corn tortilla. So so good! This is my attempt at recreating their tacos at home.

I started by making the dressing first. That was the one ingredient I had not made before. I saw a lot of recipes out there, but I decided to pick my favorite ingredients from each. It turned out a little strong on it's own. I used a huge garlic clove and it gave the dressing a lot of heat. But it was perfect on the taco. I think next time I will use a smaller garlic clove and see what happens. Right now I would say reserve this dressing for tacos. I wouldn't go covering a bunch of lettuce with it. I am going to try a shrimp taco with it real soon.

For the tuna I chose to use frozen fillets that I thawed. That is what my store had that day. It worked out really well. I seasoned them really simply with my spiced salt blend and grilled them. This is where the fun begins. The toppings! Don Juanz has two different tacos the Baja Beach I described earlier and the Pacific Rim which is topped with lettuce, mandarin oranges, jack cheese and cilantro. I could not pick one, so I made both. I still can't pick which one I like best. They are both great. The Baja Beach style is crunchy from the cabbage and the lime cilantro dressing is more notable. The Pacific Rim style is sweet and juicy from the mandarin oranges. The best thing to do is have one of each.

All in all I think this copycat recipe was a success. Mom loved them and dear sister popped in a little later to try one. She asked how did I find Don Juanz's recipes. So I think this recipe is close enough for my family. I hope you will enjoy them as well.

Baja Beach Tacos Two Ways

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 corn tortillas

2 tuna steaks (less than 8 oz each)

Olive oil

Spiced Salt, to taste (click here for recipe)

Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing (recipe follows)

Toppings for Baja Beach Fish Taco:

Green cabbage, shredded or coleslaw mix

Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Cilantro, roughly chopped

Toppings for Pacific Rim Fish Taco:

Iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 (11 oz) can Mandarin oranges, drained

Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Cilantro, roughly chopped

Directions

Preheat grill to high heat for 10 minutes. Pat tuna steaks dry with a paper towel. Rub tuna with olive oil. Season tuna with spiced salt (or salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes). Grill for 2 to 2-1/2 minutes a side on an open grill for rare. Place corn tortillas on the grill to warm about 1 minute. Remove tuna and tortillas from grill. Slice tuna against the grain into thin slices. Spread a heaping teaspoon of dressing in the center of tortilla. Top with several slices of tuna and add your choice of toppings from above.

Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing

Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

1/4 cup light sour cream

1 lime, zest and juice

1 garlic clove, minced or grated

1 green onion, minced

1/4 cup cilantro, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1/2 tsp Kosher salt, or to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.

Baja Beach Fish Tacos

Pacific Rim Fish Tacos

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd you do this weekend?
This Gal Cooks: Marvelous Mondays
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
With a Blast: All My Bloggy Friends
Memories by the Mile: Tuesday Trivia-Vermont and Link Party
Anyonita's Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays
Law Student's Cookbook: Pantry Party September 2013
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Tuna
Food of the World: Mexico
The Lazy Gastronome: Taco Tuesday Link Party

Sangrita Salad

Have you heard of Sangrita? Well let me tell you about it. Sangrita is a mixture of tomato, orange and lime juice all spiced up. In Mexico, they sip it alternately with good tequila. I think it taste like a Bloody Mary and a Margarita all mashed together. So delicious and spicy! I like it just as a mock-tail  But I did try it with tequila and it totally changes the tequila. It taste a little more smoky to me, also very delicious.

I decided that if this was a great beverage, why wouldn't it be a great salad? Well I was right, I love the orange and tomato together. It is a very refreshing flavor but has a spicy kick too. I garnished the salad with a little red onion and cilantro. It made for a beautiful plate and the red onion adds a little heat of it's own.

I made the salad twice slicing the tomato and orange in different ways each time. Both were delicious and very pretty. Next time, I plan to chop everything in a small dice. I think it would make a great pico for chicken or fish.

Sangrita Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 orange, peeled and sliced

1 tomato, sliced

Spiced Salt, to taste (or salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes)

2 Tbsp red onion, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp vegetable juice (V8)

2 Tbsp orange juice

1 Tbsp lime juice

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1-1/2 to 2 tsp hot sauce

1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

To slice the orange, start by trimming off the very top and bottom of the orange with a sharp knife. Next, set the orange on end, and carefully cut the skin from its flesh, beginning at the top and following the curves down. There should be no white pith left just orange flesh. Then, carefully slice the orange into 8-10 round slices.

Slice the tomato into 8-10 slices. Arrange the slices of tomato and orange alternating on two salad plates. Sprinkle with spiced salt, red onion and cilantro. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl, whisking well. Drizzle or spoon over each salad. Place in refrigerator until chilled. Serve chilled.

Note: Another way to plate this salad would be to supreme or segment the orange and slice the tomato into wedges (see photo below). Here is a link to a how to on supreme an orange.

Shown in alternating slices

Shown in supreme segments and wedges

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd you do this weekend?
This Gal Cooks: Marvelous Mondays
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
With a Blast: All My Bloggy Friends
Memories by the Mile: Tuesday Trivia-Vermont and Link Party
Anyonita's Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
My Turn for Us: Freedom Fridays
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday: Oranges, Mandarins & Grapefruit
My Pinterventures: Summer Salads Party

Horseradish Bacon Ranch Dip

This is not your average veggie or ranch dip. Years ago my Mom, sister and I were hosting a bridal shower. We made several things and we bought a few things. We had a caterer prepare a veggie tray and maybe a fruit tray. To be honest the veggie tray was the only thing that made an impression. When I picked up the tray it was loaded with lots of non-typical veggies and what appeared to be ranch dip. At least that is what I thought. There in the middle of the blanched green beans, red pepper strips, and quarter mushrooms was a big surprise. People kept asking what is in this dip. Well I didn't know. I thought it was ordinary ranch dip until I tasted it. It was most definitely not Ranch, it was Horseradish Bacon Ranch Dip! Oh my! It was so good! It was smoky from the bacon and had just a hint of horseradish. Since then I have been replicating this veggie tray and dip. I have made the dip with full fat sour cream, fat free sour cream and fat free yogurt. All are very good but I like making it with light sour cream. It is delicious and a little healthier for you. Trust me know one will know. They will just be amazed at the bacon in their ranch dip. I love the blanched green beans with this dip the most. I hope you will give it a try. After all football season is upon us and you just may need a veggie tray soon.

Horseradish Bacon Ranch Dip

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

2 cups light sour cream

1 packet ranch dip mix

2 tbsp prepared horseradish

2 tbsp bacon bits(approx. 4 slices)

Directions

Mix together and let sit in refrigerator for a few hours to let flavors blend together.

Serve with your favorite veggies. Blanched green beans, carrot sticks, red bell pepper strips and quartered mushrooms make great dippers.

Linking to:
Six Sister's Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party
Life on Lakeshore Drive: Bouquet of Talent Link Party
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
This Gal Cooks: Marvelous Mondays
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Anyonita's Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd you do this weekend?
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Finger Foods for Parties

Taco Lettuce Wraps with Creamy Mexican Dressing

I really enjoy lettuce wraps. I feel like I am doing something good for myself when I make them. Then there is the cold and hot combo thing I love. But the star of this recipe is the Creamy Mexican Dressing. I mean let's face it, everyone can make tacos and serve it in lettuce. But this dressing makes it special. This is my version of the house dressing they serve at most Mexican restaurants. It is creamy, sweet and works great with all the spicy flavors of Mexican food. My friends love this stuff. Some order it to dip their chips in, some mix it with their salsa and then dip in their chips. I have just always loved it on puffy tacos and taco salads. I searched on line for years for a recipe. Then one day we went to lunch with our new receptionist and I remarked I would love to know how to make this. She said, "I know how to make it. It is just mayo, milk, sugar and paprika." That simple! No measurements but this was all I needed to give it a try. It is so simple to make and you can adjust the ingredients to your taste. This is the amounts I use most often. It reminds me of the dressing at one of my favorite restaurants. I have seen other recipes that make a 1/2 gallon of dressing. They add garlic powder and cayenne pepper. I tried adding a little to my recipe and it overpowered the dressing. So I leave it out. Maybe if I ever need a 1/2 gallon I will try it again. I am just so happy to be able to make this dressing my way and share it with you. It is definitely the finishing touch on my Taco Lettuce Wraps.

Taco Lettuce Wraps with Creamy Mexican Dressing
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 packet or recipe of Taco Seasoning (click here for recipe)
1 head green leaf lettuce, washed and dried
1/2 cup 2% sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 (2.25 oz) can sliced black olives
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Creamy Mexican Dressing (recipe below)
Baked tortilla chips, crushed

Directions

Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat. Add taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Simmer until all water is absorbed. Turn off heat.


Place two lettuce leaves on a plate. Place a spoon of beef in the center of each leaf. Top with cheese, tomatoes, olives, green onions and cilantro. To serve drizzle with Creamy Mexican Dressing and garnish with tortilla chips.



Creamy Mexican Dressing
aka “El Chico Dressing” or “House Dressing”
Makes 1/2 cup

Ingredients

1/4 cup light mayonnaise 
1/4 cup milk 
2 tsp. sugar 
1 tsp. paprika (sweet) 
1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients with a wire whisk and refrigerate. Taste after 2 hours and make any additions to taste. Return to refrigerator until serving.


Serve on taco salads or tacos. This dressing is also good as a dip for tortilla chips.

Note: Be sure to use a sweet paprika. I have used paprika that was not labeled hot but was hotter than normal and 1 tsp is too much. If you use hot or smoke paprika start adding paprika a little at a time tasting as you go.

Looking for more Lettuce Wraps. Try these recipes:

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Turkey Picadillo Lettuce Wraps

Linking to:

Six Sister's Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday Link Party

Life on Lakeshore Drive: Bouquet of Talent Link Party

Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
This Gal Cooks: Marvelous Mondays
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Anyonita's Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
Tumbleweed Contessa: What'd you do this weekend?
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
The Lazy Gastronome: Taco Tuesday