Aussie Bites are little muffin looking/cookie tasting treats that are loaded with fiber.  They are deceivingly good.  They don't look all that appetizing but you would be shocked to know that after you eat one you have a hard time stopping.  You think "I'll just eat one" and then before you know it you're reaching for your second, and third muffin.  
I bought my first box at Costco with Carrie last weekend in Dallas.  I knew if I wanted to have any of these again I needed to figure out this recipe fast since the nearest Costco is either in Kansas City or Dallas and I'm stuck in the middle in Oklahoma.

Here's a photo of the real stuff.  As Carrie put two boxes in her cart I was thinking "Really?!"  That a box for her and a box for her husband.  I certainly didn't want to miss out on something that was that good.  
Flash forward a day, and our box is half empty.  I was thinking I should have gotten two as well!  That's when I knew I had to get to work on replicating these things.  
They list the ingredients on the label so you have a basic idea of what's in them.  Then I did a google search for existing copycat recipes.  They sound similar, but the photo doesn't look like the Aussie bites in the box.  Bigger, fluffier, etc..  One of the recipes called for eggs.  Eggs?  I went back to the box.  I decided I was going to try to make them without.  
So I went to our local store, and was standing at the back by the little food dispensers getting little bags of dried fruit and nuts.  The young employee came by eventually.. "Can I help you ma'am?"  In that way that made me wonder if he thought I was standing back there eating.  He might has well have said "This isn't a feeding trough ma'am."  But I forged ahead.  I came away with about 8 little baggies of goodies and came home and started working on these before I even put away all of the other groceries.  

Here's what I used:

2 cups of oats
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of flax seed
2/3 cup of brown sugar
3 oz. of coconut
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
1/4 cup of honey
1 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp baking soda
2 T. water
** 1 cup dried fruit 

For the fruit I used dried Apricots (that's a must), dried cherries, raisins, dates, apples, figs, or cranberries.
I chopped up the fruit in the food processor and then measured a cup full after they were chopped.  
Mix all of the ingredients really well.  Place small melon ball sized balls in a mini muffin pan and press into pan.  Cook at 350 for 12 minutes.  Let cool.  

That's it!  Super Super easy!!!  And my husband said he preferred my Aussie bites to the original.  He always says stuff like that to me but this time I really think he meant it.  I liked them too and I'm a pretty tough critic.  

Cyclone Anaya's is a favorite restaurant of my friends Carrie and Winston.  They took us there when we went to market in Dallas.  It's named after a famous Mexican wrestler.  The restaurant is just as unique as his story.  In the Oaklawn section of Dallas, this place is entertaining and the food is great.  What I love most about this place, aside from the food, is that it has a customer base that is mostly gay and I love the gay atmosphere.  Very friendly and fun. Halloween was a hoot. And that's about all I can say about that.  You'll just have to go! 

While eating, Carrie and I were having a discussion about Mexican food- what else? We also  talked about our favorite dishes.  The Chardonnay sauce came up and I fully accepted the challenge of making it.  Even though she didn't challenge me.  I'm like that.  I make up personal challenges.  
So back home and one Google search later I came across the very thing I was looking for! An article from a Houston food magazine with Cyclone Anaya's famed chardonnay sauce that goes with the lobster enchiladas.  I'm not a fan of lobster, so that didn't matter much to me.  But I'll go ahead and re-post the recipe just in case someone out there in cyberspace loves lobster.  
I made mine with chicken, cheese, cilantro, and jalapenos .  I had planned to make it with shrimp but the grocery store checker forgot to send it home with me. grrr..   As my other friend Kari had suggested spinach would also be a great enchilada combination with this sauce.  This sauce is very mild so don't be afraid to kick up the heat on the enchilada filling.  
I also wanted to tell you that this recipe calls for 2 cups of Chardonnay.  I would tell you to use a bottle that is NOT the cheapest.  I generally cook with something I would drink. This bottle was nice.  Not too "oaky" or strong.  It had a nice mild flavor and was great in the enchiladas. I polished off the rest of the bottle while I was cooking so I would know.  haha.. 

Besides seeing the ingredients you got a nice view of my kitchen counter than is my catch all place.  :)  

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cups chardonnay wine
2 tablespoons of corn starch
2 tablespoons of water
4 cups of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of salt. (I added more to taste later)

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and onions and cook until sweated and lightly browned (about 10 minutes) 
Next add the chardonnay and let simmer for 5-10 minutes until the wine is reduced by half. 
At this point I was forgetting to take a picture so you'll just have to imagine me sipping wine and stirring and paying no mind to future blogging. Wine drinking and blogging isn't probably a great idea. 

Mix the water and cornstarch and set aside for now.

After your wine has reduced by half add the 4 cups of heavy cream. Bring this to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer.  You'll want to stir or whisk really well during this step. It will begin to thicken slightly. 
When the sauce begins to thicken a little add the cornstarch and water mixture and stir well.  Continue to cook over low-medium heat until sauce thickens (about 5 minutes) and remove from heat.  

As always, grease your pan and pour some of the sauce into the bottom of the pan before you place your enchiladas in the pan.  Place enchiladas seam side down and pour remaining mixture over the top.  Sprinkle with cheese and green onions to garnish.  I added pine nuts (can you see them?)  I also like to sprinkle paprika on my enchiladas for a little colorful garnish.  

This was yummy!  Now for the lobster enchilada filling...

Lobster Enchiladas
6 T. unsalted butter
2 1/4 lbs of lobster meat
6 garlic cloves
pinch of kosher salt
2 1/4 cups of chardonnay sauce (from above)
12 8" flour tortillas
2 1/4 cup of Mexican grated cheese (I just used extra sharp cheddar mixed with jack)
3 green onions, finely chopped
3 tsp of pine nuts
3/4 cup of cojita cheese, grated (I couldn't find this in my store)

Heat butter in skillet, add lobster and pinch of salt. Cook for 4 minutes and then add 1/2 cup of chardonnay sauce. Remove from heat.
Heat tortilla on flat iron grill and set aside. 
Add 1/4 cup of filling to tortilla, roll and place seam side down in pan.
Cover with chardonnay sauce and sprinkle with Mexican white cheese.

Place under broiler until cheese melts.
Sprinkle with green onions, pine nuts, and cojita cheese.  


Happy Happy Happy Cooking!
Life is good!

This is another Rib Crib inspired meal.
It is great for a crowd as an appetizer, a quick and easy meal, or a way to use leftovers.

This can be made with chicken, pulled pork, or brisket. For this particular batch I used chicken that I had smoked and had lots of leftover meat.

The ingredients are basically the same as in the bar-t-rito.
Ranch style beans
Carmelized onions
Cheese shreds
Chips
Smoked meat
Pepperacinis
Sliced jalepeno (in a jar)
BBQ sauce
Salsa
Sour cream

Line a cooking sheet with foil and get busy layering!
Heat until melted.

This drink is pure perfection. It is frozen margarita and sangria. I've spent many years working on researching this. (Ie. drinking swirls in restaurants whenever I can.)
One of the reasons I love this combination is that the red wine cuts the sweetness and tartness of the margarita. It just works.
In most places when you order a swirl it comes out of a machine and the sangria has the same frozen slushy consistency as the frozen margarita. I've discovered you really don't need for the sangria to be frozen in order to make the perfect swirl.

Here are the ingredients:
Tequila of your choice
Grand Marnier
Triple sec
Frozen limeaid concentrate
Sangria

In a blender add the entire can of the frozen limeaid concentrate.
Then fill the can with tequila and add to blender.
Fill the can halfway with Grand Marnier and then top off can with triple sec.
Then add ice to blender and mix away!

The rest is easy! Just add sangria to the bottom of your glass. Then pour in your frozen margarita.

I just want to tell you that I firmly believe the liquor you choose will make 100% of the difference in the outcome.
I am a tequila snob but when it comes to frozen margaritas expensive does not mean better. Cuervo Gold is my choice for frozen margaritas. I also believe this sangria is the best. Cruz Garcia imported from Spain is the best in my book.

This sangria packs a punch but doesn't taste as if its loaded with liquor. You'll have to try this! I wouldn't lead you astray!!!

Life is good!!!

This is my new favorite side dish. It doesn't get any easier than this semi- homemade recipe. It all starts with a couscous box mix. They come in several different flavors and you can use any of them.
Start by making the couscous according to the directions on the box.
After it is cooked add an addition tablespoon of butter and some olive oil. I just used 1-2 tablespoons.  Add the juice of one lemon. Then add the following chopped vegetables:
Chopped onions ( I used green onions)
Sliced grape tomatoes
Chopped cucumbers
Chopped celery
Diced avocados

Serve hot or cold

This was the perfect side dish for our smoked chicken.  I see this being made frequently in the future!  It tastes fresh and literally took minutes to make.  Come on summer! I'm ready for you!

A few weeks ago my husband and I went to a restaurant in Joplin called Mythos and we had their feta dip as an appetizer.  I'd never had feta dip before.  It was so good.  We really could have just eaten that alone for dinner.  We were dissecting the dip trying to figure out what was in it.  My first attempt to make it at home resulted in a dip so tangy it was like sucking on a lemon.  It was practically inedible. This was my second attempt at the dip and I do believe I struck gold.  I normally don't post recipes I have tried and tested several times but I really don't see how this could be improved upon.  I think you all will love this.  Even if you aren't sure you love feta cheese.  It's that good.  

Ingredients:
16 oz. of feta cheese
8 oz. of cream cheese
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon of ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon of ground oregano
1 teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes
(I also added about 2 teaspoons of tabasco later to add more heat)
2 tablespoons of peperoncini 
1-2 fire roasted red bell peppers (I used the kind in a jar) 
Olive oil
fresh ground pepper

*Note
I would have used fresh herbs if I had some that were in season in my yard.  But I have no problem using ground spices when fresh isn't readily available. 

I used my food processor to blend.  I added the garlic first then the cream cheese and blended it until smooth, then added the feta and spices.  I added the peperoncini peppers and roasted bell peppers last.  
The mistake I'd made the first time I made this was adding too many peperoncinis to my mix and also adding lemon juice.  The feta is already tangy so I overdid it on the other tangy ingredients.  This time I went slow adding ingredients and made sure it was the right amount since you can't go backwards!   When the mixture became thick in the food processor I added olive oil a little at a time to help it blend.  I probably didn't add more than 1/4 of a cup.

When serving you can drizzle olive oil on top of the dip- I used garlic infused olive oil. 

Serve with either pita bread that has been warmed or toasted or toasted bread.  I toasted bruschetta.  
A few grape tomatoes sliced are the perfect thing to add for a little extra flavor and pop of color.  

Now, go make this quick!  I promise you'll love it.

This was a pantry creation.  This was basically my first day back cooking after being down with the flu.  I haven't been to the store, haven't felt like eating- much less cooking until now.  
Now? I'm hungry. 
So, we had one of our familiar conversations tonight  "Should we go get something and bring it home? Or we could have.... (opening pantry door) something with chicken, and.. cornbread, and.... beans, annnnndddddd....... enchilada sauce."  
Our kids went back to college today and I got the idea my sweet husband wasn't keen on leaving the house again.  And I sure can't go out. I'm a mess girlfriend. No makeup worn for 5 days. No hair style.  I'm clean but looking pretty plain. 
I figured if I screwed up dinner we still could make a pbj or grilled cheese. 

So my hunny chopped and sautéed onions while I scrambled to get out the other ingredients: a can of black beans, cut up cooked chicken meat,a can of enchilada sauce, and a can of cheese soup. (I have no idea why it's in the pantry). And of course the box of Jiffy Cornbread mix.

We turned the oven on 350 because this was going to be a stovetop to oven kind of meal.
I prepared the cornbread mix according to directions & got everything ready so that when the onions finished sautéing I could add it to the pan.

And you can see from this picture that I've done just that. ;)

I gave it a quick stir

Then poured the cornbread mix over the top. Not worrying about completely covering the ingredients or how pretty it would be. What did I teach you before?!?
If its ugly you call it RUSTIC. And a cobbler in a cast iron skillet qualifies as a rustic meal.

It was bubbling and the cornbread was golden so I gave it a test poke to see if it was set. It was!!!

Dinner was done in about 30 minutes. It turned out to be delicious too. Of course you can customize this.
I would have loved a side salad with this. Ill try to get to the grocery store soon!

Just wanted to share! I know a couple of my friends who would like this.
:)
Love ya!
T.

This is what you get when Buffalo chicken meets truck stop taco. Cooking the chicken was the most labor intensive part, but we usually make enough to have leftovers anyway- so you'll have a snack for later in the very least.
I've discovered a super easy way to do this. Use the coating mix that is the Hooter's brand. I think as far as coating wings or chicken it is perfect!! I put the coating mix in a zip lock bag, add the chicken, and shake! Shake! Shake!!!
My current favorite method of cooking is my electric skillet. It's large, easy to maintain an even temperature, and it has a vented lid.

When it comes to the sauce I love Frank's Red Hot Sauce. You can use it by itself and it's perfectly wonderful, but I usually put it on low heat (the whole bottle) and add 1/2 stick of butter, a dash of Worcestershire, and a tablespoon or two of honey. It helps the sauce stick to the chicken.

Once that is done I just keep it in the oven to keep it warm.
I use olive oil and brush the corn tortillas to warm them. I do the whole batch and keep them in a tortilla warmer/holder. Then use a little shredded cheese, some broccoli slaw, your favorite dressing, and any other condiments you choose.
We had blue cheese dressing and a jalepeno ranch to choose from.

I'm normally not into this type of thing... But how about a steamy sexy dish???

  
  

Ok, so they aren't sexy.  But they are steamy.  I'm standing firm on that. And stomping my foot.  

And another thing I'm standing firm on.... they are delicious and easy to make.  
I have to tell you that I understand your skepticism.  I used to be like you.  I thought those funky tiny cabbage looking things could not be made tasty enough to interest me.  
But I promise you- it is bland much like a stewed cabbage. It has a very mild flavor. Even more mild than a steamed broccoli. So if you like steamed broccoli but have always thumbed your nose at the idea of brussel sprouts you have to try this.  I dare you.  

You know my traditional Thanksgiving meal - actually my sister's too- included the recipes for every dish.  I loved the way Gourmet magazine did that.  It included lemony brussel sprouts and if it hadn't, I would have never made them.  

First of all let's talk about steamer baskets:

Do you have a steamer basket?  Here's what I use.  The little spaceship looking utensil.  It has little legs and fits down into your saucepans.  And then it opens up for you to lay your veggies on.  You fill the bottom of the pan with water but not touching the veggies.  Then put the lid on your pan and heat.  It is the absolute fastest way to prepare carrots, green beans, small potatoes, cabbage, you name it! 
In this case I used it for my sprouts.  No oil needed.  

Back to the picture above.  You can cook them two ways- whole or halfed.  If cooking whole you just cut a little of the stem off and then make a little cross in the stem with your knife. I guess I should have said "score" them.  You can go crazy and make an x or a little + and say a little prayer that you're gonna like them.    
They will be done in 3-5 minutes.  

I ended up steaming mine for a little over 3 minutes and then I rinsed them in cool water to stop the cooking process.  My goal was to toss them in a little bit of olive oil with garlic and pan sear them slightly and toss in some toasted pine nuts.  Here's where things went south.

I'm dedicating this blog to Holly Cole Bristol.  She had talked on her blog recently about being real, and perfection.  I know she wasn't talking about me but women in general but it reminded me to just always be real and be myself.  I used to do a better job of talking about my flops.  But heck, I barely find time to blog about the things that go right and if I blogged about every flop it would be a full-time job blogging.  

You all know... when you see a gorgeous dish and you hope that your dish will turn out looking just like it?? Well, In my minds eye my dish was pretty.  It had little sear marks.  There weren't 50 million pine nuts.  There was a perfect brussel sprout/pine nut proportion. The little shavings of parmesan cheese would curl up ever-so- perfectly..  
And you can clearly see that the ratio was off.  No pretty sear marks. No pretty curls of cheese. 
AND here's what you'd never know if I didn't tell you.  I was transferring my brussel sprouts to the strainer to rinse off in the cold water and the stupid strainer collapsed itself and my brussel sprouts fell on THE FLOOR.  But I only had 7 brussel sprouts to begin with.  And now I had six because my dog beat me to one.  What was I going to do?  

I live in the country y'all.  I am not going to drive to the grocery store miles away for more.  
My steaks were on the grill and were ready to plate and serve.  
Soooooo..... I rinsed them off. And triple rinsed and inspected each and every one for fur and proceeded with the recipe.  
I promise I will never do that to anyone else that I cook for. 

And on top of that.  my burgundy mushrooms turned out to look funky.  The cute little baby bellas looked just plain weird. (But tasted great).  
My meal should have been gourmet!!!!  It should have been gorgeous!  But it wasn't.  And I'm wanting to be in a gourmet group?  I am clearly in over my head.  I'll be the weak link for sure.  


Just don't be scared though!  In sprite of all of the things that went wrong, it was the favorite part of our meal.  I ate every last pine nut and was secretly glad it was swimming in a sea of pine nuts.  My husband asked for more and, of course, there wasn't any.  But that was encouraging.  We decided we need to cook them more often.  We also decided we like this WAY more than broccoli.  

<3 T.

 
The Blue Goose is one of my favorite Mexican Restaurants (dives) in Dallas.  It's on Lower Greenville Avenue.  I was introduced the the "goose" when I started dating my sweet husband.  I was living in Hot Springs going through nursing school and he was in Dallas going to dental school. This was back in the late 80's and boy did he know how to win my heart!  He fed me Mexican food!    My kids have grown up eating in this restaurant and it's one of those places we absolutely HAVE to go back to every time we're in Dallas.  Half of it is pure ambiance. Being that it's a hole in the wall kind of place and you can sit and watch people go by.  You have to sit outside if you can.. but if you can't, you still have the entertainment of watching the ladies making fresh flour tortillas inside. When my kids were little they always sent them home with a fresh dough ball...  the biggest treat ever.  They'd play with it for the longest time. And then I had to take it away from them before they smooshed it in my car.  

 When I was preggers with my first child I ate Mexican food 5 nights out of 7.  Which could explain my 48 pound weight gain.  I'm not sure if it was the Mexican food or the Marble Slab Creamery that was a block from our apartment.  Either way.. Dallas is a great place to live if you're a foodie.  Or a very bad place to live if you're trying to watch your weight.

I tried to replicate this recipe for years.  The tang of the sauce is what sets it apart from places that aren't in Dallas.  A couple of years ago while continuing my relentless search for their recipe I came across a recipe that was from a news lunch segment and supposedly the chef was from the goose and shared his secret for the sour cream sauce.  I made the recipe that very day!!!  Of course, it was wonderful but.. I suspect they didn't give away all of their secrets because when you go eat there it's so very different from what you have at home.  But I'm telling you folks... this is DARN CLOSE.  

The goose used fresh shredded chicken inside their tortillas.  They keep it really simple, it's tossed with a little bit of salsa.  

Sour Cream Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/2 to 1 tsp of white ground pepper (this adds a serious kick! The recipe calls for a whole teaspoon but if you don't want that much heat you can cut it back to half of a teaspoon.)
1 tablespoon of chicken bullion granules
2 T. cornstarch 
1 cup sour cream 
Juice of one lemon

Place the water, milk, bullion, and ground white pepper in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. 
Add the cornstarch. I like to mix my cornstarch in a little bit of cold water and mix before adding to the pan- this ensures it doesn't clump.  
Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and then whisk in sour cream and then the lemon last.  

It's important that you follow the steps in this order. If you add the lemon to soon you will have problems with separation.  

Here's my favorite way to make the enchiladas.  Use soft and fluffy flour tortillas or you can use corn tortillas- your preference.  The chef suggested spraying corn tortillas with Pam to assist with softening them prior to filling if you don't have time to brush them with oil and heat in a pan to soften. 
I like using the soft and fluffy flour tortillas the best. The only thing I've modified is my filling. I add chicken and then add a tsp. of finely chopped onion.   Then add about 1/4 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese. 

Spray your casserole dish with cooking spray and then add about a cup of sauce to the bottom of the dish.  Lay your rolled enchiladas seam side down in the pan and then cover with the whole pan of sauce.  I try to make sure all of the tortillas have sauce over them.  Sprinkle with a little bit of the cheddar cheese.  I also like to garnish my enchiladas- just for looks- so I use a little sprinkle of cilantro and some paprika for color.  Place one or two of the sliced jalepenos from a jar on each enchilada.  Bake at 350 until it is bubbly.  It usually takes about 30 minutes. 

By the way!  Don't use low fat cheese.  It does not melt as well and will turn crispy on top of the enchiladas.  And this is not a recipe to go low-fat on.  Just live it up! You're taste buds will love you.

Enjoy this recipe!  I made this Friday night and had it for breakfast on Saturday!  It is the real deal!!!!!!!!!!

I am in love with these enchiladas and I bet money you'll love them too!