Texas Trash

I came across this recipe and knew immediately that we had to try it. It’s really not the greatest for you, but usually the tastiest things usually aren’t.

This recipe was perfect for Cancy since it’s like a summer salad version of one his favorites ( Frito Pie ).

This is also great for one of those nights when you just don’t feel like cooking. I stopped by a local barbecue place on my way home from work and grabbed some brisket, beans, & sauce. I got lucky when they also had the jalapenos & onions ready to go as well.

Give this little recipe a shot. Easy meal & a happy husband.


Texas Trash
(there are no measurements because you just pile it on your plate according to how much you feel like eating!)



Fritos

Chopped BBQ brisket (if you’re using leftover, make sure to heat it first)

pinto beans

BBQ sauce

shredded cheddar cheese

sour cream

black olives

pickled jalapenos

ranch or jalapeno ranch dressing

lettuce, chopped

Place the Fritos on a plate and top with remaining ingredients (however much you want!). Enjoy!

(Wasn’t that simple?!)

Drunken Charro Beans

Last weekend, we went to a friends house for a day of BBQ & Football. I needed something manly & easy that would feed a group of hungry guys. This was a hit. Most men seem to love anything cooked with beer so this was an easy winner.

You can definitely adjust the seasonings to your taste and maybe you have another favorite beer. Most anything should work. Enjoy!!


Drunken Charro Beans

1 32oz pkg of dried pinto beans
1 lg onion, chopped
3 jalapenos, seeded & diced
1 Can of Rotel (you can use whatever level, but we used the Hot)
1lb pkg of bacon
2 C chicken stock
1 Tbsp each...garlic salt, jalapeno salt, pepper
2 bottles of Corona

Rinse the dried beans in a colander. Drain and then place beans in the bottom of the crockpot. Layer Rotel, onion, jalapeno, and bacon over top.

Pour 1/2 of the chicken stock in and then sprinkle your seasonings. Add 1 of the Coronas now. Turn crockpot on high heat for about 4 hours. No Peeking.

About 4 hours into it, stir everything together. Add the remaining chicken stock as well as the last bottle of Corona. Put the lid back on and leave on low for another 4-6 hours.

Chili-Lime Steak Salad

I was in the mood for taco salad and ended up coming across this recipe. I’m so glad I did too. It looks like a lot of steps but really, it comes together super easy. Make your dressing at least an hour before you start the rest of it. Take care of the steak and while the steak is grilling & resting, prep the rest of your veggies. In this link, you’ll find the main recipe with links to the dressing and steak rub.

Cancy & I both really liked this. It’s definitely going to be put on the menu again soon.

Chili-Lime Steak Salad

1 1/2 lb flank steak, cooked with lime-chile rub and sliced into 1/4" slices
1 recipe Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing
1 large head romaine lettuce
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 red onion, sliced thin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed in cold water
1-2 avocados, sliced
cilantro for garnish

Start with a nice bed of cold, crunchy lettuce, top with steak, tomatoes, onion, black beans, and avocado.  Top with cilantro and fried tortilla strips if desired.  Serve with lime-cilantro dressing

Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix (ignore directions on the packet)
1C mayo
1/2 C milk
1 lime
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro
1/4 C green salsa
hot sauce

Place milk, mayo, and ranch mix in a blender.   Juice the lime in there too, you should get about 2T juice.  Toss in the garlic, cilantro and green salsa.  Blend 'er up.  Sample it and add hot sauce to taste.  Make it several hours ahead of time to allow it to thicken.

Lime-Chili Steak Rub

1 t chili powder
1 t granulated garlic
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t coriander
1/2 t oregano
1/8- 1/4 t cayenne pepper*
3/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
*If you have chipotle chili powder, you can substitute it for the cayenne or just add a little in addition
1 lime (about 2 T lime juice)
1-2 lbs flank steak, or other good grilling cut

Juice the lime into a small bowl. Add spices and stir to combine. Some limes have more juice than others, so sometimes the mixture will be more liquid-y and sometimes it will be more pasty. If you find you're a little short on lime juice, just add a teaspoon or two of extra virgin olive oil to stretch it out.

Place the steak in a shallow dish and pour the spice mixture on top. Use your hands to massage it in there.

Let it sit for 15 minutes. During that time preheat your grill.

Place meat on hot grill. If you're using flank steak it should take about 5-7 minutes on each side.

When steak is finished, remove from grill and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting into it.  Slice in strips against the grain.

Beefier Bean & Cheese Burritos

Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo. Texas is pretty close to Mexico... And we needed an excuse for margaritas & Corona. So Happy Cinco de mayo it was. And this was also the perfect excuse to try Ashley’s Beefier Bean & Cheese Burritos. Delicious!! This recipe comes together so fast and easier, you can make this a few margaritas into your night and not mess it up. Anyway, it was a great Cinco de Mayo meal... Margaritas weren’t bad either.

Beefier Bean & Cheese Burritos

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup water
4 cans Ranch Style Beans, drained & rinsed
1 can diced Hatch green chiles
10 Kraft Single Slices, or shredded cheese as desired
20 fresh flour/wheat tortillas

Saute ground beef in a large skillet until browned. Drain grease. Add taco seasoning, green chiles and 1 cup of water. Simmer until water has evaporated. Add drained & rinsed Ranch Style beans. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Partially mash using a potato masher until desired consistency achieved. If using shredded cheese, mix in cheese until desired cheesy consistency.

Fill each tortilla with a heaping 1/4 cup of beef/bean mixture. Top with 1/2 slice of cheese. Fold tortilla.

Red Beans & Rice with Chorizo

I was going through some of my Rachael Ray magazines trying to get some recipe ideas. This one was from the February ’07 issue. I left out the corn, but we had everything else on hand. This makes a lot of food, so plan for feeding a few people or having leftovers. It’s a super easy meal to throw together. The original recipe did not include beans, but I found that Red kidney beans were the perfect addition to this.

Red Beans & Rice with Chorizo

 

1 Tbps vegetable oil

8 oz chorizo, sliced 1/4 inch thick

1 1/2 Cups long-grain white rice

1 1/2 Cups red salsa

2 Cups thawed frozen corn

One 15-ounce can sliced large black olives

1/2 Cup chopped fresh Cilantro

1 15oz can of Red Kidney Beans (drained)

In a heavy medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute to coat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water and the salsa and bring to a boil, stirring once or twice. Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. (I added the beans, here)

 Fluff the rice and stir in the corn. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the olives and cilantro.

 

 

Hatch White Chicken Chili with a shot of Jose

It was feeling like winter earlier this week in Central Texas. No better time to make chili. I made a red chili not too long ago and remembered having white chicken chili when we lived in Minnesota. So this is my version using Hatch green chile peppers (which are a favorite among most in Central Texas). Also, I added a shot of Tequila to this recipe to give it a little bit of a kick. Enjoy!!

 Hatch White Chicken Chili with a shot of Jose

 

1 pound of chicken (I used fajita marinated chicken from the grocery store)

3 hatch chile peppers, seeded & diced

1 large onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded & diced

2 or 3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 14.5 oz can of white Northern beans

1 shot of tequila

Juice of 1 lime

4 Cups (1 box) of chicken stock

4 oz of Cream cheese (I use fat free cream cheese)

1/2 Cup Fat Free 1/2 & 1/2

 

Cook chicken until no longer pink. Set aside to cool. Chop into bite sized pieces.

 

In the same pan, over medium-high heat sauté the onion, garlic, & peppers until the onions are soft & translucent. Add beans. Add chicken back into pan and stir to combine.

 

Pour tequila & lime juice into pan, stirring mixture to coat. Add chicken broth and raise heat to high just until boiling. Turn to a low simmer and add cream cheese by breaking up into small pieces as you put in the pan. Stir and continue to simmer, covered for at least 15 minutes.

 

Add 1/2 & 1/2 and stir through. Keep on heat for another 5 minutes before serving.

 

Once soup is in the bowl, you can top with avocado, shredded cheese, or a crumbling of tortilla chips.

 

Twice-Baked Tex-Mex Potato

This recipe comes from Whole Foods. They have a lot of great recipes on their site, and this one is no exception. These are very filling. One potato will easily serve two people. When I was at Whole Foods this past weekend, I bought a few cilantro chicken sausages. I cooked and sliced one up and added it to the top before sprinkling the cheese on. This is a really tasty weeknight dinner that’s super easy to prepare.

Twice-Baked Tex-Mex Potato

1 (10- to 12-ounce) Russet potato
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 cup canned refried pinto beans, warm ( I used fat free beans)
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 to 3 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese ( I used low-fat Mexican blend)
Fresh salsa
1 green onion, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prick potato all over with a fork and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake until just tender, about 1 hour; set aside until cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, preheat broiler.

Cut open potato and scoop about 1/2 cup of the cooked flesh into a medium bowl. Add sour cream, beans, salt and cumin and mash with a fork to combine. Use bean mixture to refill potato, then top with cheese and return to baking sheet or place in a small baking dish. Broil until cheese is melted and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Top with salsa and green onions and serve.

Frito Salad

This recipe came from a blog called “My Baking Heart”. She posted this recipe and I’ve had it save for ages now and finally decided it was time to try it. The Fritos have got to be a Texas thing. I’ve never cooked with them before moving here. Cancy is a huge fan of Frito Pie (we might make & post that sometime soon), but then this Frito Salad recipe came up and Cancy said he remembers eating something like this when he was younger. It must be a Southern thing. So grab yourself a bag of Fritos and serve up a really easy, quick weeknight dinner.

Frito Salad

1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed in cold water
1 can corn, drained
2 tomatoes, chopped (remove seeds & juice)
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 sm. bottle fat-free Catalina dressing
1 sm. bag of original Fritos
1/2 lb. cooked hamburger (optional - I used it this time)
shredded lettuce
shredded carrots (I didn’t use any carrots)
shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Top with fat-free sour cream if desired.

 

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Limed Up Shrimp

This soup is another recipe out of Rachel Ray’s Express Lane cooking. I did the ingredients and directions exactly as it appears in the book so be prepared for a very long recipe. The soup & shrimp tasted great, although my shrimp didn’t stand up on the soup for a picture. They somewhat floated, but I guess our bowls are too deep? Anyway, the taste is what’s important and this soup has a great flavor. It’s nice for a chilly evening. I hope you like it.

Spicy Black Bean Soup with Limed Up Shrimp

5 Tbsp EVOO

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 Tbps chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

Salt & black pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Zest & juice of 2 limes

1/4 Cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

16 jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, & butterflied

2 14 oz cans black beans, rinsed & drained

1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes

5 Cups chicken stock

1/2 Cup Fat Free 1/2 & 1/2

Hot Sauce, to taste

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat with 2 Tbps of the EVOO (twice around the pan). Add the onions, three fourths of the garlic, the chili powder, cumin, salt, & pepper. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the onions are tender, stirring frequently.

While the onions are cooking, in a shallow dish combine the remaining garlic, the remaining 3 Tbps of EVOO, the red pepper flakes, lime zest, parsley, & a little salt. Add the shrimp and coat them thoroughly in the mixture. Let the shrimp sit while you move forward with the spicy black bean soup.

Add the black beans to the skillet with the onions. With a potato masher or the back of a rubber spatula, smash the equivalent of half of the beans – the mashed-up beans will thicken the soup. Add the fire roasted tomatoes, chicken stock, and heavy cream (or Fat Free 1/2 & 1/2) to the pot, stir, and turn the heat up a bit to bring the soup to a bubble. Once at a bubble, turn the heat back down to a simmer and let it cook for 10-12 minutes. Give the pot a stir every now & then to ensure that it’s not sticking.

While the soup is simmering, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add the shrimp & cook them for 2-3 minutes on the first side. Flip the shrimp, add the lime juice, and continue to cook them for 2-3 more minutes or until the shrimp are opaque.

Taste the soup & adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, & hot sauce. To serve it, place a few ladles full of the spicy black bean soup in shallow soup bowls, and arrange 4 shrimp standing up in the center of each bowl.

Black Beans with Corn and Rotel

This recipe comes from Janae. It seemed like a great side to the Lemon chicken with Guacamole Sauce that we made the other night. This is a good way to use any veggies you might have in the fridge and gives you kind of a nice Southwestern flair.

Black Beans with Corn and Rotel

Cooking spray
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup fresh corn (1 ear of corn)
1/8 cup fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 can Rotel Tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red or green bell pepper
3/4 cup diced red onion
1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
½ T chopped fresh (or dried) oregano
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 (19-ounce) drained can black beans

Heat cooking spray in a skillet on Medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, green (or red) bell pepper and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add corn; sauté 8 minutes or until browned.

Next add the lime juice, all of the seasonings, jalapeño, Rotel, and Black Beans. Cook for about 10 more minutes on Med-Low heat.

Lastly, add the chopped cilantro (to garnish).

 

Manly Beer Chili

This is a version of chili that I made last week. Usually with chili, I just throw in whatever. It’s different every time. This time, I wanted to use a can of Modelo beer that we had in the fridge. I’m not quite sure how it got there, but this was a tasty way to get rid of it.

Manly Beer Chili

1/2 pound beef stew meat

1/2 pound ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 cans of beans, I used Ranch Style pinto beans & Bush’s Chili beans

1 28oz can of whole, stewed tomatoes

1 can of beer

Seasonings ( I used salt & pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, chile powder, and some Frank’s Red Hot)

Brown the meats until done, remove from the pan. Drain off any remaining grease. In same pan, cook the chopped onion & pepper until soft. You may need to add some Olive Oil here. Salt & pepper the vegetables and remove once done, but keep pan on medium heat.

Add the can of beer and cook until reduced by about half. Once beer has reduced, the meat and vegetables back to the pot. Empty in the cans of beans & add the can of tomatoes.

Season to taste (for us, the spicier, the better). Turn heat to low and allow to simmer for at least an hour. You may need to re-season before serving.

When ready to eat, feel free to top your chili with whatever you choose. We usually do sour cream and shredded cheese. Sometimes, we’ll add crushed tortilla chips.

Crockpot Hamburger Stew

I was trying to think of something to make with the crockpot today and Cancy mentioned Hamburger Stew. It was one of his bachelor foods. There’s no real recipe for this. We just went through the pantry and grabbed things that would work together. It smelled really good simmering away in the crockpot all day. And for as simple as it is, it tastes delicious.

 

Crockpot Hamburger Stew

1 pound hamburger

1/2 Onion, chopped

1/2 Cup of carrots, chopped

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 packet of taco seasoning

1/2 packet of ranch seasoning

1 can Rotel

1 can Ranch Style Beans

1 can Mexicorn, drained

1 can sliced new potatoes, drained

1 small can mushrooms, drained

1 small can chopped green chiles

4 cups beef broth

1 Cup of small pasta

This makes a lot. Make sure that your crockpot is at least 5qts.

Brown the hamburger with the chopped onions, carrots, & garlic on the stove top. While browning, add the taco seasoning & ranch seasoning. Drain the fat.

Open all of your cans, and dump them into the crockpot. Drain the corn and the potatoes, but add the rest of the can liquid to the crockpot.

After adding all of the canned items into the crockpot, add the browned meat and the 4 cups of broth. Stir to mix.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Cancy says the long this cooks, the better it tastes, so try to go the whole time. Add the small pasta about 30-45 minutes before you are ready to eat and continue cooking on low.

Top with green onions when serving & a sprinkling of shredded cheese.

7 Layer Taco Dip

We had Cody & Carol over for dinner last Saturday. This was our very basic appetizer to get the night started. I remember someone in the family always making something similar to this for any family get-together. This is by no means, the exact recipe, but as close as I can remember. Have fun with it, add another ingredient, have fewer or more layers. Make it your own. J

7 Layer Taco Dip
2 cans fat free refried beans

2 avocados, 1 Tbps fat free sour cream, & juice of 1/2 a lime
8 oz fat free sour cream & 1/2 packet of taco seasoning
low fat shredded Mexican cheese blend

3 - 4 green onions, diced

1 small can of sliced black olives

Tomatoes, seeded/diced

Spread beans in an 8x8 dish.

Mash the Avocados, sour cream, & lime juice together making a basic guacamole. Spread on top of beans.

Mix the taco seasoning with the sour cream. You may use more or less taco seasoning depending on your tastes. We like things spicy, so I probably use closer to a whole packet. Spread the sour cream over the guacamole.
Sprinkle cheese over the top
Sprinkle drained black olives next
Sprinkle diced tomatoes

Sprinkle diced green onions

Garlic Lovers Hummus

Oh My Gosh!!! I don’t think I’ll ever buy hummus again. I didn’t change a thing in this recipe that I found over @ Noodle Nights & Muffin Mornings. I didn’t have to. It was perfect. So easy to throw together and tastes even better the next day. You’ll definitely want to try this.

 

Garlic Lovers Hummus

1 15 oz can chick peas(refrigerated)

3 cloves garlic

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp tahini

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus additional for serving)

2 tbsp reserved juice from chick peas

1/8 cup water (plus additional if needed)

Parsley (optional)

Drain chickpeas over bowl, reserving liquid. Wash well in cold water. Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth (adding more water), making sure to stop and scrape the sides if needed. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve at which time drizzle with olive oil and garnish with parsley. Serve alongside pita, veggies, or crackers.

 

 

 

Teriyaki Edamame rice bowls with chicken & shrimp

We have a new favorite snack. Steamed Edamame. We get it every time we go to Beluga’s for sushi. We have bags of it on our freezer waiting to be steamed and sprinkled with sea salt. I think it’s currently, our very favorite vegetable.

This recipe actually was inspired by an idea in the ad for the grocery store. Also, I was able to empty out the fridge & freezer a little bit for this one. We served this with egg drop soup and were stuffed by the end of dinner. It comes together quick so it’s an easy weeknight meal.

Teriyaki Edamame rice bowls with chicken & shrimp

 

1 Cup of cooked brown rice

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2" pieces

1/2 Cup of shrimp

1 16oz bag of frozen, shelled edamame

1/4 Cup each, diced green pepper, diced red pepper, diced yellow pepper

1/2 Cup of Low Sodium Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 Cup of fresh cilantro, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes

Add the olive oil & chicken pieces. Stir-fry for 5 minutes (until chicken is golden)

Stir in the edamame, peppers, shrimp, and Teriyaki sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil & cook, stirring constantly for about a minute.

Stir in the rice, cilantro, and green onion. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Serve.

 

Crockpot Pinto Beans

This is another weekend Crockpot cooking recipe. I discovered my first “pot of beans” while Cancy & I were dating. He grew up in the south and it was a pretty common meal. I had never had it before. But here I am, married for a little over a year & a half. Every now & then, we’ll have a “pot of beans’

You can really mix this up and try different things in it each time. It took me awhile to get it right but now I can cook it and Cancy will say that the spice is just right. So, here’s a typical southern meal. Pinto Beans.  Gotta love ‘em.

Crockpot Pinto Beans

3 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed through a colander

Spices (today I used Bolner’s Pinto Bean Seasoning, Garlic Salt with Parsley, salt & pepper, & a little bit of Sriracha hot sauce)

Meat (today I used jalapeno chicken sausage)

Place rinsed beans in a crock pot and cover with about 2 inches of water. Add your spices & stir to mix. Add your meat and cover. 

Cook on high for 1 hour and then reduce to low for 5 or more hours.

 

** Spices = Here are a few that we’ve used in the past. Feel free to mix & match: Bolner’s Pinto Bean Seasoning, Garlic Salt with Parsley, salt & pepper, Sriracha hot sauce, chili powder, garlic powder, dry minced onion, minced garlic, jalapeno salt)

** Meats = You don’t have to use any meat but it does give a little extra flavor. We’ve used cubed pork, cut bacon, ham, and chicken sausage.

 

 

minestrone

It’s been ages since I’ve made this, but I love using my Crockpot on the weekends. I can just start something in the morning and almost forget about until it’s time to eat. Now there is a super long list of ingredients, but remember that this recipe just begs to be tailored to however you like it. I’m listing it out as I made it today. Oh, this freezes really well too.

 

Minestrone

 4 Cups of Chicken broth

4 Cups of Tomato Juice (I used Spicy V-8)

1 Tbs Dried basil

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp each Dried Oregano & Black Pepper

1 1/2 Cups of sliced Baby Carrots

2 Celery Stalks, chopped

1 8oz pkg of fresh/sliced Mushrooms

3 Garlic cloves, chopped

1 small Onion, chopped

2 14oz cans of Diced Tomatoes (I used Italian Rotel)

1 14oz can of Northern Beans

1 1/2 Cups of uncooked Rotini pasta (I used whole wheat Rotini)

Shredded Parmesan



Mix all ingredients except pasta & cheese in a 4-5 quart Crockpot. Cover & cook on low for about 7-8 hours or until the vegetables are tender.  Stir in the pasta. Cover & cook on high for about 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan.