Grape Jelly Meatballs

I was looking online the other day for a recipe of some BBQ glazed meatballs, and instead came across this recipe, had all the ingredients at home, so I figured why not?? Sounded pretty interesting. The recipe and cooking procedures are super easy to follow. I added bacon around my meatballs and stuck toothpicks in them to make it easier to handle. The flavours do not really have a lot of depth to it, and could use some touching up. I think I would add a little italian dressing inside the meatball, and perhaps add more of a sweetness to the sauce, a friend of mine recommended a similar recipe with pineapple, I think that would be a nice touch. Still over all can't beat the quick and easy recipes and this is a great recipe for any man days, such as super-bowl where meat and bacon would never be turned down.


Kijo Rating: ☆☆☆
  
Ingredients:


Meatballs:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
2 teaspoons dried leaf oregano
2 teaspoons dried leaf basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup grape jelly

  
Preparations:

Mix all ingredients together; shape into 1-inch balls. Brown in a large skillet. Place meatballs in a baking pan.

Combine sauce ingredients; add to meatballs and bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen appetizer meatballs.




Original recipe found here.

Mexican Chicken

This is a recipe that was given to us by my grandmother in Texas, has evolved over the years, and I am still constantly changing the dish. Its very simple to prepare, and usually a great hit with guests. Plus the leftovers keep very well. The great thing about the recipe is that it is adaptable. you can add or subtract ingredients and it still hold up well. so you can pick the type of chip flavours you want to use, what type of cheese, what kinds of soups, if you don't like broccoli, you can take it out add more peppers, add some colourful peppers in it, if you like it hotter you can add more jalapenos..... its endless. Can serve it by itself as a meal, or perhaps cook up some mexican style rice and guacamole and make it a mini fiesta.
A tried and true recipe that I will always hold onto. Perhaps not the most photogenic recipe, but the flavours are spot on, and I would encourage anyone to try this.




Ingredients:
  
1 Whole Chicken
2 Green Bell Peppers 
1 onion
1 Bag Doritos (see recipe)
2 cans Cambell's condensed soup (see recipe)
fresh garlic
2 jalapeno peppers
1 lb shredded cheese of choice
1 head of brocolli

  
Preparations:

1. Put the whole chicken in a large pot of water, add seasonings, then slice the bell peppers and onion into pot cutting them in large slices. Cook until chicken is done. Remove chicken and vegetables from the broth and let cool. Set broth to the side.
2. Once chicken is cool, remove all bones and skin. Keep the chicken and peppers and onions all together.
3. Get your Bag of Doritos. (can be any flavour really. the original cheese flavour is perfect, but have also used Pepper jack, Late night Taco, and Cheesy Enchilada flavours, all work well.) In a deep casserole dish, sprayed well with cooking spray, take a little less than half the bag of chips, and crunch them up evenly on the bottom of the dish trying to cover as much of the bottom as possible. take 1/4 of your shredded cheese of choice and layer it on top of the chips
4. In a saucepan, add your 2 cans of Cambell's condensed soups. (again, you can choose your own flavours here. If available Pepperjack cheese, or Nacho fiesta is the best, but have used broccoli cheese, cheddar cheese, ect. can use 2 different types of soups mixed together as well.) Add about 1 full can of your leftover chicken broth to thin the soup down. If the soup is too thin, the casserole will become runny, and if too thick, can seem a bit dry. While the soup is heating up, add in some fresh minced garlic (about 3-4 cloves) and chop up the 2 jalapeno peppers and add to the soup as well.
5. Layer the chicken, onions and peppers into the casserole dish. I make sure the chicken is shredded into smaller pieces. On top of the chicken add 1/4 of your shredded cheese of choice.
6. take your head of broccoli and clean and cut of the tips. Make sure the broccoli is in medium size spears so it cooks all the way. Layer this on top of the chicken and cheese.
7. By this point your soup should be bubbling and ready. Evenly pour the soup over everything in the dish.
8. layer the rest of your cheese on top of the soup, and then take the remaining Doritos and crush them over the top as the final layer.
9. Cover the dish either with a lid, or tinfoil, and bake in the oven at 375 for 45 minutes.

Apologies

Had some stuff going on and I put off my blog without warning or notice. Shame on me.

Trying to get back on track now. Will be hosting a small dinner party at my house Saturday evening, and will be cooking My signature dish Mexican Chicken, and will provide the recipe for you all here! how exciting.

Also working on some more art, and mostly new tee-shirt submissions.

Here is a little bit of a sneak peak of something I am going to be working on next:

Here is to more updates, and less complications!!! Here! Here!!

Fish Tacos

 
A Simple enough recipe. Fried fish with sauce as a taco. Myself, not a fish eating type person, but decided to try this anyways. Recipe calls for Cod, but my local fishmonger said that he didn't have cod, but he had Haddock. Not sure the difference really, but it was fish. Have to admit, this recipe should be for those who are familiar with fish and or deep frying things, because I ran into my own problems, such as, yes, grease can catch on fire. Nothing too major, and made it out in one piece. The recipe I used said to use 3oz. portions, but I would recommend suing perhaps 1-1.5 portions.... the portions I had were almost the size of the tortilla, and was impossible to eat it like a taco. Not to sure I would do this recipe with fish again, perhaps chicken.... sounds very yummy.
The sauce..... a keeper for sure!!! If you guys are familiar with the Jalapeno sauce from Taco Bell..... this tastes JUST like it. Goes great on Quesadilla, chicken, anything. very yummy! and super easy to make.
Then, the beer batter was fantastic.... was a little thick when i made it how the recipe said, so I added a little more beer, and it was perfect. Also added in Baby Portabella mushrooms, and fried those...... soooooo good!!!!
 
Kijo Rating: ☆☆☆☆
 
Ingredients:
 
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup beer
 
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 teaspoon minced capers
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  
1 quart oil for frying
1 pound cod fillets, cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded
 
Preperations:

 

1. To make beer batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Blend egg and beer, then quickly stir into the flour mixture (don't worry about a few lumps).
2. To make white sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt and mayonnaise. Gradually stir in fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin, dill, and cayenne.
3. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Dust fish pieces lightly with flour. Dip into beer batter, and fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly fry tortillas; not too crisp. To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, and white sauce.

A Little Weekend Fiesta.

Had a little Fun this weekend. Lots of cooking, and it was all really tasty!!! Had to get someone to mince up my fresh jalapenos, because I refused to touch them..... I wasn't gonna end up with burning hands!!!

I think most of the recipes says that it serves 4.... but with chicken, and rice, and beans, and salsa, and avocado soup...... the portions ended up being much smaller, and will last longer.
Good thing is, all the the very perishable food (ie: avocado soup and mango salsa) have held up pretty well due to all the lemon and lime juices it had been infused with.

Not sure that it is a dish that could be frozen somehow for the future.... somehow dont think the fresh items would hold up so well frozen, but I am sure the chicken at least could be stored in the freezer for future cooking, and perhaps just make half recipe of the mango each time you go to cook the chicken.

All in all, was all very yummy. will be able to play around with the recipes ore the next time I go to make them since I am more familiar with the dish now.

Mambo Chicken with Mango Salsa

This recipe, I found to be very tasty. Especially if you like fresh fruit. The chicken marinates in a lime, garlic, Soy sauce mix, and when it cooks, It really brings out those bright fresh flavours. I baked mine in the oven on a rack, but think it would improve the taste even more if cooked on a grill. I was worried about  how the mangos were going to taste mixed with onions, and parsley and jalapenos, but it was still quite good. and if you mixed a bite of the salsa with the chicken, it went really well together. Found out the chicken also tasted really good went dipped into the avocado soup.

This recipe also proves to be really good for you, since it is a skinless chicken dish, and gets your serving of fruit and vegetables in there too. Would like to try this again another day, and mess around with the recipe more.

Kijo Rating:☆☆☆☆1/2

    

Ingredients:

    

Chicken:

• 8 boneless, skinless, chicken thighs (or 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
• 1/4 cup tamari sauce or soy sauce
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Mango Salsa:

• 2 mangos, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 to 2 jalapeno chilies, seeds and membranes removed, minced
• 3 green onions, finely sliced
• 2/3 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves, stems discarded, coarsely chopped

Preparation:

Rinse the chicken thoroughly under cold running water. Pat dry with a paper towel. In an oven-proof baking dish combine the remaining ingredients. Add the chicken and turn several times to mix the ingredients.

Cover with aluminum foil and marinate for 2 to 4 hours in refrigerator.

Combine all the salsa ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly with a fork. Reserve.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Transfer covered baking dish to oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked throughout.

To serve, spoon a generous serving of salsa onto plate and top with 2 thighs.

To read more on the recipe, please find it at Food Network's Webpage.

Chilled Avocado Soup

This was a recipe I ran across on One Perfect Bite and just had to try it!! Love avocados, and the recipe was neat to try. I pretty much kept this recipe as was, and it was yummy! but to be honest, tasted like guacamole pretty much, just a different texture. However, with the chicken broth in it, gives you a bit of protein, and probably proves more nutritious for you than guacamole. Also went great with the chicken that I cooked. I had no problem processing all the food in a regular blender, and if you have a good lid for the blender, you can put it in the fridge like that, and it holds well. Because of the lemon in the recipe, it stays good for a few nights. cooked it Friday night, and still tasted fine earlier today (Sunday). Also recommend to make this ahead of time, so it has time to chill properly in the fridge. Also liberally salt the dish.

Kijo Rating: ☆☆☆1/2

   

Ingredients:

    

1 bunch scallions (about 8)

3 large ripe avocados

1 to 2 teaspoons chopped garlic

1 large lemon, juiced

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika (pimenton)

2 cups chicken broth

1 small handful cilantro or parsley

1-1/2 to 2 cups ice water

Salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro or parsley leaves for garnish

    

Preparation:

  
1) In the morning, trim scallions. Coarsely chop white part and place in jar of a blender. Add flesh of one avocado, garlic, and lemon juice. Puree. Add flesh of second avocado; puree. Add third avocado, cumin and paprika. Puree until smooth. Add cilantro. Slowly add chicken broth; blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate.
2) Just before serving, stir in iced water to thin puree. Check seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed. Transfer to serving bowls. Garnish with cilantro or parsley leaves. Yield: 4 to 5 servings.

Yellow Rice Salad with Roasted Peppers and Spicy Black Beans

    This was a pretty interesting dish, and uses lots of Cumin, a spice that I have never used before. It smells like the seasoning mix that you use in a taco kit!! The recipe makes a type of dressing out of Cumin seasoning and lime that is very flavourful. Not really the biggest fan of rice, but this recipe was really tasty and has lots of vegetables within the recipe, so sort up pumps up your rice and bean side dishes.

Made a few simple changes to the recipe myself. Instead of the basmati rice, I just used saffron yellow rice. Not sure of the difference quite honestly, but mine turned out fine. used parsley instead of cilantro, as I am not a fan at all of cilantro, and but jalapenos peppers instead of chipotle.

Also, a little bit of a money saver, I opted to roast my own red peppers. It was actually rather simple. I used the broiling oven method. To read up more on how to roast your own peppers, check out the page HERE.

Kijo Rating: ☆☆☆

   

   

Ingredients:

    

• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

 

• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

 

• 1 15- to 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers from jar
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced chipotle chilies*

 
   

Preparation:

     

Stir 3 teaspoons cumin in small dry skillet over medium heat just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Whisk lime juice and oil into skillet.

Stir turmeric and remaining cumin in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups water, rice and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and cover; simmer until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Cool rice. Mix onions and half of dressing into rice. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine black beans, all peppers, cilantro, chipotle chilies, and remaining dressing in medium bowl. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Mound bean mixture in center of platter. Surround with rice salad.

  

Recipe found at epicurious.com

Fantastic Friday!

Have a pretty good day today. : D
Not only is it Friday, I also found out I was accepted into a new apartment complex I recently applied to. so whooo hooo for me!!

Since I will not be able to post my pictures from my cooking frenzy tonight until Sunday night, I made a little drawing to help me celebrate my good mood with the great news.

So this is my little celebration monster!!! Been drawing them for a couple of months now, but this is the first one completed on Photoshop, and I changed the style a little bit as well. Very happy with how it turned out.
You can also view the picture at my redbubble account,  HERE.

Short little Update. Hope everyone has a fantastic Friday!!!!

Art and Cooking: The Beginning.

Just a little introduction here, as of as now, I have no content to provide.

Cooking, as defined is

1. the practice or manner of preparing food or the food so prepared; cookery.

Syn: cookery, cuisine, culinary art.

Culinary Art..... Well, what is art??

1. the quality, production, expression, or realm, according to aesthetic principles, 

of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance.

So basically..... and simply. Just want to share with you things that are more than just "ordinary".

I cannot acclaim to be a chef of any terms of the word, and hardly an artist on the same account.

I am just someone who enjoys cooking, and has a passion for drawing, and perhaps would like to share that with you as well.

How I wish I had the time to provide you with new and stimulating content everyday, but I honestly cannot. But the content that I do provide you with, I hope that you are able to enjoy.

The plan, at this point in time is to cook a dish that is new to me every week. One great dish. Something to tantalize your taste buds, if you will.

Will provide you with pictures of the outcome, original recipe and all the details of the dish.

Also once a week I want to cook a dish that provides you a little bang for your buck. A dish that cost less than $1.00 per serving, but still tastes great!!

With the times how they are, we could all use a little money in our pocket.

I may share old family recipes from time to time as well.

And at least once a month (I know, that isn't much..... but I am going to try and be able to have things to share with you as much as possible..... perhaps get on a bi-weekly schedule.) I am planning to share some of my personal art with everyone.

Honestly.... This site is more for myself than anyone else.... This is something that I would like to do regardless, this blog just sort of helps me keep up with myself, and sort of lets me not just let it trail off to nothingness, like I often do.

I, of course, would love to hear from everybody, the good, the bad, the ugly. Ideas for future, ect.

I am certainly not a literally person on any level, so If you guys can get through all my pointless online ramblings with myself.... then I think that we will be good!!

Just a little hint, the first menu I will be posting will include a cold Avocado soup!!