Rocky Road Krispies

I'm having a bit of a peanut craving today for some reason.  Peanut butter on toast for breakfast and nibbling throughout the morning on some peanuts that I have in a jar on the counter, so I thought I'd make a sweet treat to incorporate that creamy delicious goodness.

Rocky Road Krispies
makes 16 squares (at least)

2/3 cup chocolate chips (whichever your favourite is)
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
2 cups rice krispie cereal

• spray an 8" x 8" glass dish with cooking spray and set aside.
• combine the mini marshmallows, pecans and rice krispie cereal in a large bowl.
• in a microwavable bowl mix the chocolate chips and peanut butter, and in 30 seconds intervals microwave for about 1.5 - 2 minutes until the chocolate has melted;  stir to blend.
• pour the chocolate/peanut mixture over the contents of the large bowl and mix thoroughly.
• transfer the mixture to the prepared glass dish, press down evenly and refrigerate for an hour or longer.
• once set, cut into 16 or more squares depending on how big you want to eat them :o)

 Rocky Road Krispies ingredients.

combine the marshmallows, pecans and rice krispie cereal in a large bowl and set aside.

mix the chocolate chips and peanut butter in a microwavable bowl....

....and microwave until the chocolate is melted - about 1.5 to 2 minutes.

pour the mixture over the contents of the large bowl.

mix everything together well.

press evenly into the prepared dish and refrigerate - I popped a few extra marshmallows and pecans on the top just to look pretty :o)

once it's set (about an hour or so), cut into squares as big or small as you like.

enjoy!!!

Roasted Chickpeas

If you were to venture into my kitchen at the moment you would see an array of jars on the counter with 'snacky' little treats inside, waiting to be nibbled throughout the day - okay, technically they're there because I've been meaning to make my granola bars for the last couple of days but haven't got around to them yet, but with the jars being so front-and-centre on the counter they've become my go-to treats.  Who can resist grabbing a small handful of roasted pumpkins seeds, or pecans, or chocolate chips, or peanuts, or juicy plump raisins, or.....well you get the picture.  Needless to say I've been having snack attacks, so I thought I would make something to go alongside all the other treats in an empty jar that I just happened to have hanging around :o)

Roast Chickpeas
makes about 2-2 1/2 cups

2 cans (15oz) chickpeas
1 Tbs olive oil
2 tsp mesquite seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/16 tsp cayenne pepper
1/16 tsp black pepper

• preheat the oven to 425 F, and set aside a large baking tray covered lightly with cooking spray.
• drain the chickpeas in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold water.
• lay the chickpeas out onto kitchen towel or a clean tea towel and using another tea towel pat gently until dry.
• transfer the dry chickpeas to your prepared baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.
• remove the tray from the oven and shake well:  return and bake for another 10 minutes.
• remove again and drizzle of the olive oil and sprinkle evenly with all of the spices.
• using a spoon mix thoroughly to ensure that all the chickpeas are coated with oil and spices.
• return to the oven and bake for a further 10-20 minutes, shaking the tray half way through, until the chickpeas are browned and slightly crunchy.
• store in a sealed jar - out on your counter for easy nibbling if possible!!!!

 Roasted Chickpeas ingredients.

these are the spices that I used but of course mix things up a bit using whatever you have and like.

drain and rinse the chickpeas.

lay out on some kitchen towel and dry thoroughly.

transfer to your prepared baking tray and begin the baking.

once you've baked them for about 20 minutes, sprinkle over the olive oil and spices and mix thoroughly with a spoon.

once they've baked long enough to become browned and slightly crunchy, let them cool down in the baking tray and then store in a sealed jar.

Beef and Bean Burritos

What to do with the 3lb 'log' of ground beef that I have in the fridge?  Shall I make burgers, meatloaf, maybe some lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs....oh, oh, what about something really quick and we just have a huge plate of nachos to pile into?  There are so many choices out there, but after standing in front of my pantry to try and get that little nugget of inspiration and having a can of refried beans practically fall on my foot (the pantry really needs sorting out!! :o), I decided on beef and bean burritos in the end....yummy!!!
I actually only used half of the log and froze the remainder so that those burgers and meatloaves etc will come around another time.

Beef and Bean Burritos
makes 4-6 burritos, depending on how 'full' you want them

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 tsp minced garlic (I used freeze-dried)
1 Tbs Taco Seasoning
1 1/2 cups Red Enchilada Sauce (divided)
1 can (398ml) refried beans
4-6 large flour tortillas
grated cheese (for topping)
chopped tomatoes (for topping)

• in a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the beef and garlic until no more pink shows.
• drain off any excess fat, add the taco seasoning and mix in 1/2 cup of red enchilada sauce.
• add the can of refried beans and blend into the beef mixture thoroughly.
• before trying to fill and roll the tortillas to make the burritos, it's easier if you warm them up first so that they don't split:  either wrap in foil and pop them into a warm oven for about 5 minutes or, as I tend to do, heat them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
• place about a cup or more of beef/bean mixture onto the centre of a tortilla:  if you want to add any other ingredients in your burritos now's the time (rice, black beans, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, avocado etc)
• fold the right and left sides of the tortilla towards the centre, leaving an inch gap between the edges.
• lifting the bottom edge of the tortilla, fold it over towards the top and carefully roll it around the filling, and keep rolling tightly until you have a 'sausage' with the edges tucked in (here's a little video I found of what I mean).
• you can either wrap the burritos in foil and eat just like this as a great on-the-go snack, or if you want a 'wet' burrito put it on a plate and pour some more of the remaining red enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with the grated cheese and chopped tomatoes.

 Beef and Bean Burritos ingredients.

fry the beef and garlic until no more pink is showing;  drain off any excess fat.

mix in the taco seasoning and 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce.

add the can of refried beans and mix well until heated through.

after warming up the tortillas, place about 1 cup or more of the beef mixture into the centre of a tortilla....

...fold the right and left edges in, but leave a small gap and...

roll the bottom edge up towards the top and fold around the filling until you get a 'sausage'.

I assembled my burritos early, before my hubby was due home from work, so I placed ours in a casserole dish and....

....poured the remainder of the enchilada sauce over the top so that I could heat them up in the oven when he got home.

serve them topped with grated cheese and chopped tomatoes, with a simple salad alongside.

this is a spare one (without the added sauce topping), for hubby's lunch tomorrow.

Red Enchilada Sauce

Whenever I make my chicken enchiladas I don't usually put much of a sauce over them apart from possibly salsa and grated cheese, but the other day while watching an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (a huge source of cooking inspiration for me, and who doesn't love Guy Fieri :o), there was a chef making what looked like a fabulous enchilada sauce to ladle over his burritos.  There were a few ingredients (spices mostly) that I didn't want to put into my sauce - mainly because I didn't have them and apart from this one sauce would probably never use them again, so didn't want the expense of buying them.  I also didn't want my sauce to be too overly spicy especially when I knew that I was going to be making some beef and bean burritos tonight using some of my recent taco seasoning which has a decided 'kick' to it - didn't want to be blowing off the top of our heads with a double dose!!!

Red Enchilada Sauce
approx 3 cups

3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 Tbs flour
2 Tbs chili powder
1 cup vegetable stock
1 can (15oz) tomato sauce
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt

• heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium to high heat.
• stir in the flour and heat for 1 minute.
• add the chili powder and mix to incorporate.
• pour in the vegetable stock and tomato sauce and mix until everything is blended.
• add the oregano, cumin and salt:  reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until sauce has thickened up.
• If you want thinner sauce add a little more vegetable stock until you have the consistency that you desire.

 Red Enchilada Sauce ingredients

heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan and whisk in the flour.

add the chili powder.

pour in the vegetable stock and can of tomato sauce.

add the oregano, cumin and salt and whisk in well.

reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until....

...the sauce has thickened to your personal preference - we like it a little thicker, but if you prefer a thinner consistency just add a little more vegetable stock.

Taco Seasoning

If you're anything like me, no matter how organised you are or would like to think you are, once in a while you start making something for dinner only to discover that, oops!!!.... you're missing that one ingredient that will make all the difference as to whether you carry on with what you'd planned or if the take-out menus come out of the drawer.  Mine tends to be taco seasoning for some reason - although I can go from one extreme to another by either having no packets on hand or about half a dozen (what can I say, I'm a sucker for bulk buying!). 

So after searching the 'world wide web' and finding, oh, about a GAZILLION different links for taco seasoning, I looked at my spice shelf to see what I had on hand and came up with the following concoction.  Hubby especially likes quite spicy foods so I went a little heavier on the cayenne and red pepper flakes that other people might like, but it's a good base to be able to add or subtract to your own personal preference.

Taco Seasoning
produces just over a cup in quantity

2 Tbs cumin
2 Tbs chili powder
2 Tbs sea salt
2 Tbs ground black pepper
2 Tbs onion powder
4 tsp paprika
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp oregano

• place all of the spices into a bowl and blend well.
• use 1 Tablespoon of seasoning to 1 Pound of meat as a guide, but adjust to your own personal preference.

 Taco Seasoning ingredients

place all the spices in a bowl (some are buried underneath!)....

....and blend together well.

store in a screw top jar or a Ziploc bag - I'm giving some away as gifts so I divided the mixture into small (125ml) jars.

ready for Taco Tuesdays....or any other day when the urge takes you!!!

Cheese, Tomato & Ham Pie

I can't remember where I originally found this recipe.  I've had it in my recipe binder for probably going on 15 years or more now, written on a scrap piece of paper from a 'penguin' notepad.  There aren't even any quantities or measurements for the ingredients because I know that over the years the amounts have really depended on: A) the size of the pie crust that I bought (I've never had much success until now at making my own pie crust :o), and B) the amount of the other ingredients that I just happened to have in the fridge.  So I'm going to give you the recipe as I made it today, but I'm sure that the next time I make it, it will probably turn out to be slightly different :o)

Cheese, Tomato & Ham Pie
makes 1 x 9 inch pie


1 'Easy Peasy' Pie Crust (or any pie crust that you prefer)
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grated cheese (I used a Tex Mex blend today)
6-8 ripe medium tomatoes
1x125g block Camembert cheese
4 slices deli ham (your preference)
1 Tbs olive oil
1 tsp chives, chopped

• preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and place a baking tray inside to heat up (this will help the bottom of the pie to cook evenly)
• using either the 'Easy Peasy Pie Crust' or your own line a 9 inch pie plate with it.
• slice the tomatoes, Camembert and ham into pieces around the same size:  set aside.
• using the back of a teaspoon spread the Dijon mustard evenly over the pie crust.
• sprinkle the grated cheese evenly across the bottom of the pie.
• using a circle pattern, alternate the tomatoes, Camembert and ham until the whole pie has been covered: fill in any gaps with the leftovers.
• brush the whole pie with the olive oil and sprinkle with the chopped chives.
• place the pie plate directly onto the hot baking tray and bake for 30-35 minutes.
• let the pie cool, and firm up slightly, for 10 minutes before slicing and enjoying.

 Cheese, Tomato & Ham Pie ingredients

slice the tomatoes, Camembert and ham (in the last photo)

spread the Dijon mustard evenly across the bottom

sprinkle with the grated cheese

alternate the cheese, tomatoes and ham in a circular pattern until....

....everything is covered and all the gaps are filled

brush the olive oil over the top and sprinkle with the chopped chives

once baked, let the pie cool down for about 10 minutes so that it's easier to slice

we had ours tonight with a salad and a baked potato (couldn't resist a dollop of sour cream on top :o)