from my kitchen

Taco Casserole aka Mexican Hotdish

March 26, 2012 by Edie Wadsworth 16 Comments

You can thank Stevie for this taco casserole recipe because here’s exactly what he said at dinner.
Stevie: “Is there a recipe for this?”
Me: “No, I improvised because I’m so desperate to go to the store and had to use what I had on hand.”
Stevie: “I want you to go write it down right now because a month from now I want to be able to say ‘Let’s have Mexican Hotdish’ and have this dish magically appear.”

(he suffers from too many good dishes being forgotten because SOMEbody doesn’t use recipes)
Me: “Do I have to name it Mexican Hotdish?”
Stevie: “Ummm, that’s what it is.”
Me: “Ummmm, only if you’re from Minnesota.”

But really, the name ‘Mexican Hotdish’ makes me wanna salsa dance so I’m keeping it. There’s far too little salsa dancing in the world as it is. And the ‘guacamole’ portion of the name, you’ll be getting later in the week. We ate the guacamole so fast that no pictures were taken. It’s that good.

As for the hotdish, here’s what you’ll need:

1 1/2-2 pounds of ground beef

large onion, chopped

1 package of taco seasoning

2 T. ground cumin

4 cloves of garlic minced

1 can black beans, drained

1 cup of cooked rice

1 15 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste (I always salt as I go)

1 jar of good salsa ( I used some homemade salsa canned from last year but use whatever you have)

3 cups of crushed tor-tilla chips

1 16 oz container of sour cream

4 chopped scallions

2 cups of cheddar cheese

1 can black olives, drained and chopped for garnish

4 T. chopped jalapeños (I didn’t use fresh but you could) for garnish

Serve with chips and your favorite guacamole!

Brown beef and then add onion and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, salsa, black beans, seasonings and rice. Crush the chips and layer them in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish. Add the beef mixture and then layer the sour cream and green onions. Cover with cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with olives and jalapeños.

Serve with chips and your favorite guacamole and please your finicky kids and your foodie husband at the same time!

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And you DO NOT want to miss Angela’s nursery make-over at lifeingrace girls! It’s almost as beautiful as Angela herself, whose blog is chocked full of fun and beautiful things!

{homemade} vinaigrette recipes

March 5, 2012 by Edie Wadsworth 45 Comments

vinaigrette recipes
I haven’t bought store bought dressing in ten years and when I do have occasion to eat it, I’m always disappointed.
Well, that’s a bit of a lie. I do from time to time buy ranch dressing so my girls will make nice will their carrots.
But dressings that we eat on salads? Only homeade, baby.
And it’s so easy that I hope you give these vinaigrette recipes a try.

I make three basic vinaigrettes and almost always have 2 of the 3 on-hand at any given time.

I make them up on Monday and then use them all week on our salads. Like pioneer woman, I store mine in mason jars because they’re so convenient for shaking and storage and well—-who doesn’t love a good mason jar? I’m from the South so we all know that the mason jar is essential to any Southern kitchen. Not only do we get our ‘corn from a jar’ but we get our vinaigrette from a jar as well.

I make an endless variety of vinaigrette recipes depending on what I have on hand but I’ll show you my top 3 most common.

Now the honest truth is: I NEVER measure anything when I’m making a vinaigrette but when you’re first starting out, you should measure until you get a feel for the proportions.

The general rule is a 3:1 ratio of oil to vinegar. (I never use quite that much but just experiment with what you like.)

After that, it’s all up to your imagination.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 chopped shallot or small onion

1 T. zesty honey mustard

2 T. honey or brown sugar

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

I usually let the shallots sit in the vinegar for a while (a few minutes to an hour) to develop their flavor but you don’t have to.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1 shallot or small onion

1 T. sugar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Berry Vinaigrette

I love berry vinaigrettes and make whichever kind is in season. My favorite is strawberry but I’ve been making blueberry for the past couple months. Substitute whatever berry you have and substitute sugar or honey for preserves.

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1 T. homeade strawberry preserves

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 c. chopped strawberries

salt and pepper to taste

I add all my ingredients to my mason jar and give it a shake and then store it in the fridge until we need it. I also like pretty labels so you can print this pdf (of the vinaigrette labels), print them on plain white computer paper, cut them out and then use clear packing tape to attach them to the jars. The tape covers the entirety of the paper so you can usually get a few washes in before you need to change the label. Truth of the matter is, my vinaigrettes are so similar that I don’t wash them every week, but instead just make the new dressing in the same jar. I’m a granny like that. You do whatcha want.

homeade vinaigrettes recipes

I’d love to know if you make your own dressings—leave you recipes in the comments. If not, would you be willing to try it? You’ll never go back!

{Best Ever} Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

February 27, 2012 by Edie Wadsworth 107 Comments

I’ve written about this recipe before but it’s been a few years and this chocolate chip cookie recipe is absolutely my most requested one. And trust me when I say that I’ve made more versions of the chocolate chip cookie any one woman should. My wonderful friend Kimmy introduced me to these delicious cookies and I am so thankful and indebted to her for sharing it with us. My sister now makes these cookies all the time and they recently won “Best Dessert Award” at her church’s Super Bowl party. They took down some serious cakes and pies to win the prize. And here’s why I like them so much: 1) They have the best taste and texture. 2) They are just as good on day 4 as on day 1. 3) They freeze very well. 4) They turn out perfect EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

They never disappoint. Ever. And the best news yet? They never flatten out on the pan.

These cookies are gonna change your cookie-making life. And that is not a word of a lie.

After you make them, send me your testimonials and maybe I’ll set up a Facebook page in honor of these culinary delights. Ok, I’m kidding.

But they’re just that good.

Without further adieu, I give you the chocolate chip cookie of all chocolate chip cookies.

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup of vegetable oil

1 egg

1 cup of white sugar

1 cup of brown sugar

1 t. baking soda

1 t. cream of tartar

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

2 t. vanilla

4 1/2 cups of flour

1 12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 T. milk

Cream butter, sugars, and egg until fluffy. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. For best results, use a scooper to scoop cookies onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes until the edges are slightly browned. This recipe makes 4-5 dozen cookies depending on what size you make them.

My recipes page has plenty more goodies for you to try!

Cheeseburger {in paradise} Soup

January 30, 2012 by Edie Wadsworth 40 Comments

Cheeseburger Soup via lifeingrace
It’s a cheeseburger in a bowl. Otherwise known as ‘flirting with your husband 101’. Need I say more?
Here’s what you’ll need:

1 1/2-2 pounds of ground sirloin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, diced
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 bag of shredded hash browns (about 15 ounces), frozen
1 can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cups of chopped kale, discard the stems (use 1 cup if you’re scared but it gives the soup so much texture and vitta-mins, as Bear Grylls would say)
1/3 cup ketchup
a squirt of two or your favorite mustard
4-6 oz of shredded gruyere cheese
1 can beer (or just use a little more stock)
1 1/2 boxes of chicken stock
a douse or four of worcestershire sauce
2 T. honey
salt and pepper along the way to taste

Brown the beef and add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients—-except the cheese— and let cook on medium for about a half hour until the hash browns are soft. Then reduce heat to medium low and add the gruyere cheese and cook until it melts. Pay attention and stir frequently after you add the cheese because the it will stick to the bottom and burn if you leave it too hot for too long. Serve with Cholula hot sauce and Fritos and enjoy your cheeseburger soup.

cheeseburgersoup

Cheeseburger {in paradise} Soup

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Ingredients

1 1/2-2 pounds of ground sirloin
1 medium onion chopped
3 cloves garlic diced
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 bag of shredded hash browns about 15 ounces, frozen
1 can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cups of chopped kale discard the stems (use 1 cup if you’re scared but it gives the soup so much texture and vitta-mins, as Bear Grylls would say)
1/3 cup ketchup
a squirt of two or your favorite mustard
4-6 oz of shredded gruyere cheese
1 can beer or just use a little more stock
1 1/2 boxes of chicken stock
a douse or four of worcestershire sauce
2 T. honey
salt and pepper along the way to taste

Instructions

Brown the beef and add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.
Add the onions and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent.
Add the rest of the ingredients—-except the cheese— and let cook on medium for about a half hour until the hash browns are soft.
Then reduce heat to medium low and add the gruyere cheese and cook until it melts. Pay attention and stir frequently after you add the cheese because the it will stick to the bottom and burn if you leave it too hot for too long.
Serve with Cholula hot sauce and Fritos and enjoy your cheeseburger soup.

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Italian Sub Soup

December 28, 2011 by Edie Wadsworth 48 Comments

Italian Sub Soup

italian sub soup

My mother has many charming qualities but one of my favorites is the way she says Italian (Eye-talian) and Hawaii (Hiii-wah-ya).
I think I’ll make it my personal goal to make sure she says those two words every time I see her.
It may be tricky but it’s too cute to pass up.
Just another excuse to make this delicious soup.

As a matter of fact, why don’t we all just agree that they should both be pronounced this way from here on out?

Back to the soup. It’s Eye-talian. It’s full of salami and pepperoni and ham. It’s better than a vacation to Hiii-wah-yah. Yah, it is.
We had this soup for Christmas Eve because my family is not a huge fan of the seafood stew I usually make.
I’m here to please. Eye-talian it is baby. The cheesy garlic bread wasn’t too shabby either. My cheese bread is pretty similar to Pioneer Woman’s—which means you’ll need stretch pants and a clot buster.

This is an adaptation of an old Rachel Ray’s recipe for italian soup that uses the ingredients in a sub sandwich and puts them into a soup.

You’ll need:

1 package of pepperoni cut in halves or fourths.

1 package of salami cut in halves of fourths.

1 package of canadian bacon cut in halves or fourths.

Whatever sandwich meat I have left over, chopped up and thrown in, usually ham.

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 green pepper, seeded and chopped

1 28 oz can of tomatoes (I use San Marzano whole tomatoes and then just break them apart with my hands, much to the chagrin of my observing children)

1 T. oregano or eye-talian seasoning

2 t. red pepper flakes

1 box of chicken stock

1 T. balsamic vinegar

2 T. honey

fresh spinach (could use half or whole bag—I always use whatever I have, which is usually a partial bag)

salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste

Garnish with parmesan cheese and olives or whatever else you have that seems eye-talian

Saute all the meats in a few tablespoons of olive oil. The meats are the star so you want them nice and caramelized. After they sauté a few minutes, add the onion, green pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and oregano. When the onions are translucent, add the stock, tomatoes, spinach and then reseason and add the honey and balsamic. Garnish with cheese and serve with cheesy garlic bread.

It’s like a homeade Eye-talian sub, only easier and cheesier and more fun!

P.S. Despite the fact that I love good food and have made a host of yummy goodness recently, I had Lucky Charms for dinner tonight and was crowned Queen of the Scrabble Board today. That’s good times. Hope you’re living it up too 🙂

And?!?? Get my free soup ebook here! It’s gorgeous and has my favorite 5 recipes in it!

Christmas Breads, Breakfasts and Beverages::It’s a Party!

December 8, 2011 by Edie Wadsworth 13 Comments

We made it to Friday, comrades! I don’t know about you but I wasn’t sure I’d make it to Friday in the same size jeans. I’m still not sure. I have the stretchy variety on at the moment and I wish for all the world I could keep it that way. I must confess that it’s been the kind of week has you scratching your head saying, “Exactly what in the Sam Hill have you been doing all week? Your house is not decorated. And those Christmas cards aren’t gonna send themselves. And how many days are you gonna fool with that mantel sister?” But I defend my honor with this one photograph. I declare myself absolved.

By all the right standards, it’s been a good week 🙂

And YOU’ve made it extree special with all your calories!

So now, wow me again with your tasty treats! It’s time for breads, breakfasts, and beverages. I’ll be sitting {in my yoga pants} on the edge of my seat!