Texas Cranberry Margarita #1

What a great cocktail for a Texas Christmas Party!

Texas Cranberry Margarita #1

1/4 C fresh lime juice
1/4 C Triple Sec
1/2 C of your favorite Tequila ( I recommend the good stuff, don't save money here)
1/2 C Cranberry Juice ( the real stuff, not that cocktail mix)
Lime wedges

You'll need a cocktail shaker and some ice to prepare these.
You know, shaken, not stirred, like a good James Bond Martini.

Put some ice in the cocktail shaker and fill with the first four ingredients.
Put the top on and shake like crazy!
Pour into 4 glasses, either on the rocks or straight up!
Squeeze a lime wedge and toss  one in each glass.

Happy Holidays Y'all!

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen

Tex-Mex Rice Casserole

I've spent the morning playing around with a new recipe.
My Mother always made what she called Spanish Rice, remember we lived in Michigan. Maybe it was a food trend when I was young. It just seems out of place on the menu as I look back at my childhood. But then we also ate a lot of Chinese Food too, maybe because of the movie, A Christmas Story!
        
Food trends have always fascinated me. Julia Child created the French food trend in America. The 60's loved Fondue and Health Food. I don't think Tex-Mex is a trend in Texas. It seems to be a staple in every kitchen here. We love our Tex-Mex cuisine! I've lived in Texas for 35 years, I still refer to Michigan as home, I'm not sure why, but I'm glad I had the opportunity in my lifetime to get to know Tex-Mex! I hope some of you reading this outside of Texas will embrace some of my Texas recipes............!

I don't remember my mother's Spanish Rice to be as spicy as I have grown to love Tex-Mex food.
This recipe is quite spicy and very.......  Tex-Mex!

This recipe could easily be cut in half, it makes enough for a family gathering or a block party!

4 TBS vegetable oil ( I always say, cook with Vegetable oil, eat Olive Oil)
4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 C long grain white rice
2 C long grain brown rice
2- 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes with juice
1- 10 oz. can Rotel Tomatoes with Chiles, with juice
1- 4oz. can diced green chile peppers.
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Adobo Seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
6 C vegetarian Chicken Broth ( the real stuff for the non Vegetarians) 2C water added just before covering with cheese and baking.
2C freshly grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2C Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
Fresh Cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Pickled Jalapenos for garnish

Heat oil in a large ( 6 or 7 quart Cast Iron Casserole or Cast Iron Dutch Oven)
Saute onion, celery and garlic about 5 minutes, stirring constantly

Reduce heat to simmer , add rice, stir constantly for 5 minutes
Add tomatoes, Rotel and green chiles
Add all spices and seasoning and stir to combine well

Add broth and bring to a boil

Reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
At this stage, I added an additional 2 C of water, stir well and then continue....

Top with Cheddar Cheese and bake at 375 for 15 minutes

After baking, remove from oven, top with Mexican Blend Cheese, cover
and allow the cheese to melt.

Serve in bowls topped with freshly chopped cilantro and pickled jalapenos.
I serve my Black Peppered Cheese Bread with it.

After tasting it, I think that it could easily be turned into a soup by adding water to individual servings, microwave it and serve topped with Tortilla Strips.

This is a large recipe. I just created a soup with the leftovers ( about 1/3 of it)
I added a 14.5 0z. can of diced tomatoes with the liquid, a 14.75 oz. can of creamed corn, water and milk.
I diced half of an onion and added that too.
It's very forgiving, you can make according to your own personal taste.

That's the way we do it in Texas!

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Almond, Apricot Amaretto Bars

 Almond, Apricot Amaretto Bars.

This is an original recipe based on another one that I make into a Sliced Log Cookie.
This is a No Bake Recipe.

The Log recipe made the finals two years ago in the Dallas Morning News/Central Market Holiday Cookie Contest.


1 - 12 ounce box of Vanilla Wafer cookies
1 - pound of Almonds, Roasted with Skins On. ( I roast them on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10 minutes)
1 - pound of Dried Turkish Apricots
8 TBS Butter, melted
1 - 14 ounce can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
6 oz. of Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips. (I use Ghirardelli.)
6 oz. of Dark Chocolate Chips. (I use Ghirardelli bittersweet.)
1/3 C Amaretto
1/4 tsp Vanilla

Vegetable cooking spray
1 - 9 x13" Casserole Dish
Aluminum foil

Finely chop the Wafers in a Food Processor
Roughly chop the Almonds by hand.
Roughly chop the Apricots by hand.

In a large Stock Pot or 8 quart Bowl:
Mix the Wafers, Almonds and Apricots together by hand until well combined.
I use my hands for this step.

Whisk melted Butter and Condensed Milk together.
Stir in Amaretto and Vanilla.
Add this to the Cookie Mixture and combine well.
Press the mixture evenly into the Casserole Dish.
Cover with Foil and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Melt Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips in a Microwave and spread over the Cookie Mixture.
Refrigerate 15 minutes or until firm.

Melt Dark chocolate Chips in a Microwave and spread over the first layer of Chocolate.
Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes or until firm.

Cut into squares to serve.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Skillet Cookies

Another vintage recipe that Aunt Faye made.
I use a cast iron skillet.

The next time I make them I will add photos.


Skillet Cookies

2 TBS butter
1 C chopped dates
2 eggs
1 C sugar
3 C Rice Krispies
1/2 C chopped nuts ( I'm in Texas now, so that means Pecans)!

Melt butter in the skillet on low heat.
Add dates,sugar & eggs.
Stir constantly for 5 minutes.

Cool slightly.
Stir in cereal & nuts.
Sprinkle a sheet of waxed paper with
confectioner's sugar.
Make a roll of the cookie mixture & roll in the paper.
Chill & slice.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Black Peppered Cheese Bread

I bought a new cast iron loaf pan this weekend and I decided that the first thing I would make in it is Black Peppered Cheese Bread.

I love bread, I love cheese and ......... I love freshly ground black pepper!

So....... Black Peppered Cheese Bread it is!

It tastes great.
 I've decided to add jalapeno to the next batter.
We even toast it !

Another hint: If you have leftovers, cube the bread, bake it at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until
golden brown and use the croutons for soup.
I have a recipe on the blog for Texas Onion Soup and these croutons are perfect for that soup.


2 C flour
1 tsp sugar
1 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 C buttermilk
1/2 C butter, melted
2 eggs

In a bowl combine:
flour
sugar
cheese
sugar
baking powder
baking soda
salt
pepper

In a small bowl whisk together:
eggs, melted butter
milk

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients with a spoon,
just enough to wet all of the ingredients.
Pour the batter into a well buttered or vegetable oiled loaf pan.
Bake at 350 for 35 - 40 minutes.

Cool about 15 minutes before releasing the bread from the pan.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

S'mores!

Gourmet S'mores, who knew they could be so delicious?
Once a month we get together with our neighbors for a dinner club.
Each month a different family hosts the event.
They pick a restaurant, we all meet for dinner and return to their house for cocktails, coffee and dessert.

Tonight we returned to enjoy Gourmet S'mores around the fire pit.

It was a chilly evening and the fire felt really comfortable.


And then the dessert began.

We had chocolate cake topped with a graham cracker, hot fudge and marshmallows we each toasted over the fire pit. What a great evening with a fun dessert.


Thank you to our hospitable neighbors for a very enjoyable evening!

Hobo Beans

This one is for the meat eaters, however, I make it vegetarian and will note that in the recipe.

This is a true Texas recipe.
There used to be a restaurant in Ft. Worth, Texas called, Larry's Crossing. The restaurant is no longer in business.
I met Larry many years ago and one day I asked for his secret recipe for Hobo Beans. ( true story, not a tall Texas tale). The recipe was eventually posted in the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

The restaurant was actually a train car, hence the name.......
It had an outdoor patio, live entertainment and plenty of Shiner Bock beer! ( you know, an imported beer from Shiner, Texas...... it's a local thing!) There are actually places here in Texas that make us pay an import price for Shiner....... Oh well, another time, another story!

Anyway, this is a great recipe!

Larry's Crossing Hobo Beans:

1 C Brown sugar. ( if it starts with brown sugar it has to be good)
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C of your favorite Barbeque Sauce
1/2 C catsup
1/4 C mustard
1/2 C Bacon, cooked and finely chopped
1/2 TBS salt
1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 TBS Tabasco Sauce
1/2 TBS Louisiana Hot Sauce or additional Tabasco Sauce
1/2 C water
64 ounces of commercial Pork and Beans
1/2 lb. chopped Barbeque Beef

Combine all ingredients in a Cast Iron Dutch Oven and simmer 30 minutes
Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Now for the Vegetarian version:
I use Bush's Vegetarian Baked Beans
Morning Star Farms Hickory BBQ Riblets.
Gardein Beefless Strips , shredded.
I also use a vegetarian bacon ( Morning Star Bacon Strips) fried crisp in a bit of vegetable oil or Microwave several strips for 1 minute. Use as many as you like in this recipe.

I have served this to my meat eating friends without telling them they're eating a vegetarian dish and they love it!

I sent the original clipping from the Fort Worth Star Telegram to my sister in Denver. It was in Aunt Faye's recipe book that my sister sent to me when I was researching recipes for the blog.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!