Mole Sauce

I did it!

I legit have a long list of recipes I love so much I crave them like all the time. Yet at the same time this long list contains things I cannot get in my little Midwest town on the regular AND also are complicated to make on my own. I got real determined middle of the week last week that I was going to make mole. Stay with me this is not a mole creature it is actually a sauce. CLICK HERE to read up on the history of this delightful sauce. Now the real crazy thing most mole sauce has at least 20 items in it and I am not joking when I say this was a labor of love people. Just cutting, washing and removing the seeds from the peppers was enough to make me want to take a nap. Usually in my food posts I put a recipe but lets be real you are never going to make this dish. If you do you better Facebook me proof because we will now be best food buddies. I actually did a ton of research and on a whim used a Pinterest recipe you can easily find on my page out there. Look for "Homemade Mole Sauce" as the title under my food and drink pins out there.

Some tips I guess I can share:

• Be careful with the dried peppers they still have oil all over them and it is easy to get the oil in your eyes/mouth etc. Wash hands with cold water and soup after handling. Do not use hot water until after you scrub with cold because warm water will open your pores and your hands will turn HOT with chili oil. I speak from experience.
• Honestly the longer this sauce can cook down the better flavor you will have.
• If you are local go to Woodmans they have all the things you need. Not local find a Mexican market. I have a ton of spices and still had to buy like 5 more kinds for this.
• If you do not own a hand blender/emulsion blender you should buy one... or ask for your birthday/Christmas because it makes this recipe soooo much easier than the blender.
• Take the cinnamon stick out before blending. It made my emulsion blender make scary sounds till I turned it off and dug out the chunks. Yikes.
• This is delightful over chicken (that is how we ate it with rice), pork, burritos, veggies.
• I made a lot and froze some for the future since this is so labor intensive to make.

 

Pictures:

My recipe had like 23 items in it.

A lot of dried chilis are needed.

There is dark chocolate in there.

Starting the process with onion, seasonings and a ton of other stuff.

Ready to cook down.

This is after it cooked for like hours. It gets really dark when the chilis cook down.

I added the chocolate at the end. yum.

I mean.. hello.

I love it!

I am legit proud of myself for making this. I have been trying to really go out of my comfort zone lately and create some really complicated things. Now if only I could master grilled cheese. I struggle with simple not complex. Ha!

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Classic Cheeseburger

Let's talk classics. We do not eat a ton of burgers in our home because I do not tend to eat a ton of red meat or bread if I can avoid it. GASP I know. Don't leave yet I promise it gets good. This past weekend I was determined to have a classic cheeseburger and I knew if I made it myself it was promised to be good. Like really good. I even went out of my way and went to Maplewood Meats our local butcher for ribeye burger meat. My theory is always that if I am going to do beef I would like to try to buy the meat locally and good quality. I am telling you right now these burgers were heavenly. Gosh they were giant but I do not care my craving was satisfied.








Here is what you need~
Beef burger patty (As stated above I bought top of the line ribeye burgers) ( I made 4 of these)
Burger buns (Get good quality buns I love the classic sesame seed buns)
Cheese slices (I got a block of local Renard's and diced my own slices)
Tomato slices
Bib lettuce
Onion slices
Ketchup
Mustard
Salt & Pepper to taste

I always start by getting my pan blazing hot. I like a good crust on my meat. I will lightly coat the pan with a little butter. While this is heating up I season my meat heavily with salt and pepper on both sides. This is important because most of it comes off in the cooking process and it creates the crust on the meat. Once the pan is hot and almost smoking put your meat in and turn the pan from high to medium temperature. While this side of the meat is getting toasty I turn the broiler on my oven. Cut the buns and butter them. Put the buns on a pan that can go in the oven to toast the buns. Set aside for later. After about 4-5 minutes flip your burgers over. They should have a lovely crust. Now is the time to prep your toppings and stick those buns under the broiler till they are golden. The texture of the toasted bun is a game changer if you never take that extra step.  I like my burgers medium so if I lightly press on the burger the juice should run clear but the patty should not be super firm. Well done you want to cook them for at least 5 minutes on each side and you want the patty to feel firm when pressed. 2 minutes before they finish put your cheese on the burgers. Remove and place on the warm toasty buns you had in the oven. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy. I had to cut this burger in half to fit it in my mouth.

I prefer to cook my burgers on the grill outside so cannot wait to do that with the upcoming nice weather.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Bok Choy & Ginger

You need to try this as a side dish ASAP. Bok choy, pak choi, or pok choi is a type of Chinese cabbage. Let me tell you it is a delight. It is refreshing and cooks in a flash. You will almost certainly confuse a cashier when you buy it when they have no idea what it is which is fun. I wish more people would be open minded to vegetables they are not familiar with. Ryan and I have found some awesome side dishes by just being open minded to new things. This is now a staple item for us. So is ginger. I mean fresh ginger here people. I peel it with the back of a spoon and dice it up before throwing into my meals. Such a zing to any dish. I actually made this side dish on a whim to pair with pork chops and Ryan would not stop raving about how good it was to the point I need to make a post about it.

I hope you try it!

What you need~
1 bunch of Bok Choy (washed and diced)
1 tablespoon of ginger (peeled and diced)
1/4 cup of Ponzu (can substitute soy sauce and 1 tablespoon lime juice)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Start by washing the Bok Choy off in the sink like you clean celery. Dice the bottom section where the leaf part is not. Separate that from the leaf part because it takes longer to cook. Tosh that in a medium high pan. Dice up the ginger and throw in with the Bok Choy.While that is cooking chop up the leaf part. Add the ponzu. Cook down for about 2-3 minutes. Add the leaf part of the Bok Choy and cook for another 1-2 minutes until the leaf part is softened but still a little firm. Before serving season lightly with salt and pepper. The ponzu has salt so a little salt is needed here.

I served this with pork chops. See below.

I hope you are brave and try this you may love it!

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

US Senate Bean Soup

Love it. This was super different than anything I have made before. A little back story here. I asked for cook books this year for Christmas and I now know my husband REALLY does listen to me. Like deeply when I am rambling about this. he got me this cook book after all the rambling. This cook book was on CBS Sunday Morning recently (Joy of Cooking) the grandson of the original writer reworked some recipes and updated a bunch of them. This is like the bible of cooking and I am learning so much from it. This soup was so cool it originates from 1901 and continues to be served in the Senate Restaurant to this day. We really loved it I would opt out of some of the salt in the future though.

 

 To save myself some time I did pressure cook the first part for 30 minutes instead of shimmering for 1 hour or so. It saved some time and pushed a ton of flavor into the soup. Great way to use a ham bone!

Gosh this was a delight after skiing 10 miles earlier in the day. Warm. Rich but not too thick and healthy. Just enough leftovers for some lunches this week. Just right!

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Mac N Cheese

Thank you to my dear friend Maggie for helping me with this recipe. I know it is crazy but I do not often make pasta and when I do it is not like this that is for sure. When I was buying the ingredients I kept saying to myself "this is special... this is not a normal thing you make... it will be okay you will not have a heart attack of you eat a little of this." There is nothing healthy about this recipe so go ahead and run away if you are looking for that in this post. It was my Grandpa Cliff's 90th birthday this weekend and I was asked to bring mac n cheese. It turned out really good and I was pleased with myself. I was a bit embarrassed to ask for help with the velvetta cheese purchasing at the store because I never buy it ever. The lady laughed at me.  I am lucky to have friends that know there way around a good recipe. So sharing the recipe with the Maggie adds. So yum! So holiday!





What you need~
1 pound of elbow pasta
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups of shredded monterey jack cheese
2 cups half and half
1 can of cheddar (Campbells soup)
8 ounces (cubed) velvetta cheese
1 stick of butter (cubed)
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
Seasoning to taste (Natures Seasoning and Lawrys seasoned salt)









Start by making your pasta. If it is going to sit in the crockpot like mine you can let it cook a little under if you want. I shredded my cheese with my food processor and cubed up the velvetta then set that aside. I whisked together the half and half with the cheddar cheese. Lightly whisked my eggs separately and set aside. I turned the crockpot to high and put butter in. Once I cooked the pasta and strained it I added the pasta. Poured in the cheese, half and half/soup mix and eggs and mixed really well. I seasoned the pasta and let that cook on high for an hour and half before we went to the party. It was easy to transport.

Butter melting.

Shredded and diced cheese.

Seasoned half and half/ soup mix.

Yum!

It was really tasty and I would make it again for a special occasion.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Instant Pot: Italian Wedding Soup

This maybe the easiest recipe I have ever made in the Instant Pot. I have had this annoying lingering cold and being able to come home and throw this together quickly was a huge plus for us last night. It was really delicious too!

What you need~
3 celery ribs washed and diced
3 carrots washed and diced
1 large onion diced
4 garlic cloves minced
8 cups of chicken broth
1 pound of frozen meatballs
1 cup pasta acini di pepe
6 ounces of spinach (chopped)
Nature's seasoning (to taste)

Start by dicing up the celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Put them in the pot with the meatballs, pasta and 4 cups of broth with seasoning. Seal Instant Pot and set to pressure cook for 8 minutes. When done quick release the pot. Add the remaining 4 cups of broth and spinach. Season if you feel like you need more and serve. Super easy and quick. This was done in less than 45 minutes.

Ready for pressure cooking steps.

Never used this pasta before. I liked it in the soup.

Meatballs and pasta. Yum!

I mean hello beautiful!

This soup was light and refreshing in a time when most of our meals become really heavy this time of year. This will be made again in our house for sure.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Garlic & Parmesan Chicken Drumsticks

These. Are. Amazing.
I had an extended weekend to go see Chris Stapleton (voice of an angel) and was able to do a little cooking which you know I love. These are actually not that crazy hard to make and they were packed with garlic/butter yumminess. The process uses my instant pot but you could easily bake these the entire time it would just take FOREVER which I am not a fan of. The sauce is what is really the superstar here it makes these lip smacking good!
 

What you need~
1 large family size pack of chicken drumsticks (about 16 pieces)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chicken broth or water

For sauce~
8 cloves of garlic (minced)
4 tablespoons of butter melted
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt

To finish~
Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)

Optional first step-
Remove the skin off of the chicken. This not only makes it healthier it just for me makes the chicken taste better. Unless I am deep frying the skin I am not a big fan. I remove this by pulling the skin down with a piece of paper towel and off the bottom bone joint.

 Once you do this place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and season with the seasonings (garlic/onion powder, salt and pepper). Place the trivet in the instant pot and pour the cup of broth in the bottom. Layer in the seasoned chicken pieces. Set the instant pot to pressure for 6 minutes. While that is going pre-heat the oven to 525 degrees F. Get a big sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Once the instant pot is done do a quick release of the pressure and remove the chicken drumsticks back into a large bowl (wash the bowl after using with the raw chicken from before). I then minced the garlic, melted butter, olive oil and salt in my food processor before pouring over the chicken drumsticks in the giant bowl. Toss the chicken around and then place on the sheet pan spaced apart. I then use the remaining sauce to baste the chicken before placing in the oven for 15 minutes. Check after 15. I decided to cook mine for 20 before removing from the oven. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of those beauties before eating them up. Perfect for a party!

Here are some pictures that will make your mouth water!

This is after the instant pot. It partially cooked them.

Ready for the oven!

Yep. Hello. Yum!

I hope you take some time to cook this week or do something that brings you joy. Tonight soup!

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Cucumbers & Onions

I grew up with this combination made by my mother and honestly I cannot duplicate hers. Hers are far to good but not the healthiest so I treat them like a special treat when she makes them for us. I started making these recently with all the cucumbers my mom has been gifting me from her garden. A simple recipe but delightful with the findings in the garden that is for sure. Feel free to make a huge batch like I did!

What you need~
4-5 cucumbers sliced
2 red onions sliced
Apple cider vinegar
Salt
Water
Ponzu
Everything seasoning


Start by dicing up the cucumbers and onions and placing in a large bowl. Pour some salt over them a dash of the vinegar and then fill the bowl with water. You can use as much salt as you want I just dump a bunch(1/4 cup maybe) in and cover them with water since you will drain. Place in the fridge over night. In the AM drain all water off of the veggies. I then toss with the Ponzu and everything seasoning. You can eat right away or store it gets better the longer it sits. It becomes pickled almost.

This is a yummy easy recipe and you can really sub out a ton of stuff. Do not have ponzu? Use soy sauce and lime juice which is what it tastes like. No everything seasoning use sesame seeds (black) and Mrs. Dash, Nature's whatever you got.

Prepping!

After water removed.

Seasoned!

Ready to eat!

I really love the fresh garden veggies this time of year!

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Taco Bake

I mean easy is what it is all about some nights. This is tasty and easy. The perfect recipe!
I made this for taco Tuesday this week before I went to the gym and finished it off in the oven while in the shower when I got home. I love that you get all the yummy flavor of a taco and so many leftovers for work.













What you need~
1 pound of ground hamburger
1 medium onion diced
1 can of corn salsa
1 can of red (hot) salsa
1 can of rinsed black beans
1 can of black olives diced
1 cup of shredded cheese
2 avocadoes diced
3 cups of shredded lettuce
1/2 bag of tortilla chips crushed up a bit
Taco seasoning to taste

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook your hamburger meat with taco seasoning and onions. Put half of your black beans, olives, salsa's in the bottom of a 9x13 dish. Top with the meat mixture and then the remaining  black beans, olives, salsa's, chips and cheese. Place in oven for 15 minutes. When you remove it top with the avocado and shredded lettuce. Eat it all up!

This was satisfying and was a great way to prep a meal and have it done in a timely manner in our busy lives. I hope you make this soon.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily