First Ever Kasie and Jer Reciepe Challenge
*Winner will get a prize mailed to them from Australia!
Challenge 1: Mexican Food
I LOVE mexican food, but can't find it over here, so I am looking for the yummiest recipes you have.
They don't eat pumpkin pie and have never heard of pumpkin cookies! Oh, the travesty!
*Winner will get a prize mailed to them from Australia!
There are several foods that I miss from back home and I would love to be able to home make them, but I have no idea how! I hate randomly trying recipes from online because I never know if they are going to be yummy or not. So, this competition is to find the very best recipes that remind me of home.
This challenge has two categories, so two winners! (and yes, you can enter and win both!)
This challenge has two categories, so two winners! (and yes, you can enter and win both!)
Challenge 1: Mexican Food
I LOVE mexican food, but can't find it over here, so I am looking for the yummiest recipes you have.
- Unavailable ingredients: cilantro (sad!), corn tortilla chips, canned salsas, canned peppers and jalapenos, etc. Basically everything will need to come from scratch.
- Anything goes, but I am really looking for salsas, guacamole, and things like that.
- Would love something I could share with people from Jer's work and our ward.
- I like medium on the hot scale.
- Extra points will go to healthy recipes.
They don't eat pumpkin pie and have never heard of pumpkin cookies! Oh, the travesty!
- Unavailable ingredients: pumpkin filling, pumpkin in a can.
- Our friends here are very interested in tasting these, so either pie or cookies are fine (although I tend to prefer cookies!)
- Extra points go to healthy recipes.
- Currently I do not have a blender, hand mixer, bread maker, crock pot, casserole dishes or a lot of other kitchen goods. I am not against buying some supplies, but the less the better!
- I'm on a health kick so the healthier, the better! (Although some times you just gotta suffer through the fat :)
- Jer and I will try all of the recipes that look yummy and then decide on a winner together!
Yay! Don't forget that the winner will get a gift from Australia! I love you all and can't wait to hear some yummy recipes from you! Ummm, let's say the deadline is the end of March?
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10 comments:
I would do this, but I'm a HORRIBLE cook. I do want to see what other people come up with though....fun!!
You and Jer should challenge each other. When we first got married, Nate and I had a Dessert Bake-off! It was funny!
I am soooo in, you are all going down. can you get green chilis? Bahahaha I have plans
Kasie,
We got some very nice prizes from Australia already. Thanks for the post cards and key chains. Jeff will probably join in the challenge. He has lots of fun recipes.
I wish... thats all i have to say :(
MUAH!!! Good luck cooks!!!
Ok First off as someone else asked can you get chillies, peppers, you can maybe get water cress it's an ok substitute for cilantro, let me know what raw ingredients you can get - like avocados (I make my own guacamole all the time and it's very easy) you can also make tortilla's if you can get corn meal :)
Now for the cookies - easy!
Just substitute sweet potatoes for the pumpkin - bake them on a cookie sheet with some olive oil on them then peal the skin off and mash, then follow one of the recipes below (chocolate chips can be put in the healthy recipe too ;) )
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CHOCOLATE CHIPS PUMPKIN COOKIES
1 c. shortening
2 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. each salt, soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves
2 c. strained pumpkin
1 c. chocolate chips
Mix sugar, shortening and eggs. Sift the dry ingredients and add alternately with pumpkin. Fold in chips. Chill for 1 hour. Place on cookie sheets lined with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
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Healthy Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients:
* 1 cup canned pumpkin
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1/3 cup applesauce
* 3 cups oatmeal
* 1 1/2 cups flour
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1/2 tsp nutmeg
* 1/2 tsp ginger
* 1/2 tsp cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp ground cloves
Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the pumpkin, sugar and applesauce.
In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, then add to the pumpkin, mixing well.
Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until done.
Guacamole
1 or 2 very ripe Avocados
1 1/2 tsp. Lemon Juice
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
With a sharp knife cut each Avocado in half around the seed, then gently twist to separate the halves. with the knife pop the seed out of the half it stayed in, then slice the Avocado into small 1/4 inch squares while it's still in the skin! Then use a spoon to scoop them out - this is the easiest way to get avocado and no mess or loss trying to peal it.
Put the bits in a bowl with the lemon juice and mix in the spices while mashing. If you have access to tabasco sauce, 2 or 3 drops will spice things up nicely. :)
Some substitution items:
First fresh stuff is always better than canned - so if you can get fresh peppers do that, jalapenos are easy to work with fresh but don't touch your face, clean the seeds out and then chop them up, Anaheim peppers have a great flavor but are mild (no heat) when green, and mild when red, if you only have bell peppers available or mild peppers that's ok I'll explain below how to get the heat you want, just go slow in adding the 'heat' so you don't go past your comfort zone ;)
As I said in another comment watercress (if you can get it) is a spicy green leafed plant similar to cilantro, the flavor is not quite the same but not too far off. If that's not available then another sub would be celery leaves (for flavor) chopped fine, then some horseradish sauce (about a 1/4 to 1/2 tsp.) you can use as much of the celery leaves as you want they add a flavor but no heat.
Missing pepper heat? add Cayenne pepper (powder found in the spices) in 14/ to 1/2 tsp (teaspoon) amounts.
Lemon or lime juice is often used in Mexican cooking, don't be afraid to scrape some of the yellow or green zest off into the mix too that adds lots of flavor, a little vinegar helps with some things too.
See what you think of this for salsa:
1 can of diced tomatoes (fire roasted if you can get them) or 4 good sized tomatoes diced up. ( You can "fire roast" them on a bbq or braze them in the oven just turn often and don't over cook)
1 small to medium onion minced (I like the yellow ones but Lori loves the red onions - you choose)
1 clove fresh garlic (peal off the papery peal then mince/finely chop the kernel)
1 or 2 bell pepper(s) pick a green and yellow or orange or red one (split in half clear out seeds and mince)
1 to 2 small jalapenos seeded and minced or some cayenne pepper powder (1/4 to 1/2 tsp)
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp lime juice
add some watercress (1/8 cup)or celery leaves (1/4 cup) finely chopped (If you do the celery add about 1/4 tsp of horseradish sauce).
This all should go into a small sauce pan and be brought to a simmer just long enough to let the flavors mix but not to 'cook' then put the pan in a larger pan with water and ice in it to cool, stirring until the mix is chilled. This will stop the 'cooking' process, you can serve now or put in a container in the fridge for later (don't store in a metal container in the fridge though).
Tortilla's
Flour:
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 3/4 cup shortening
* 3/4 cup hot water
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Either by hand or with a pastry cutter, cut in the shortening till the mixture is crumbly. If the mixture looks more floury than crumbly, be sure to add just one or two more tablespoons of shortening till it is crumbly. Add about 3/4 cup hot water to the mixture, or just enough to make the ingredients look moist.
2. With your hand or a large fork, knead the mixture making sure to rub the dough against the sides of the large mixing bowl to gather any clinging dough. If the dough still sticks to the side of the bowl, add a couple more tablespoons of flour until the dough forms a soft round shape. The dough is ready to roll out now, but it is best to let it rest. Cover it with a dish towel, and let it sit for about an hour or so.
3. Take the dough, and pull it apart into 10 to 12 balls. Lightly flour your rolling area, and roll each ball with a rolling pin to about 1/8 inch thickness.
4. Place each tortilla on a medium hot cast iron skillet. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until the tortilla does not look doughy.
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Corn:
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and cornmeal. Add baking powder and salt, and mix together well. Stir in water to form a crumbly dough. Work dough with your hands until it holds together.
2. On a floured surface, knead dough until smooth. Divide dough into 10 to 12 pieces. Roll each into the shape of a ball. Cover lightly with saran wrap and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Flatten each piece of dough by hand, then roll into a 8 to 9 inch round.
4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly grease the hot pan, and place one tortilla in the pan. Cook tortilla until light brown, turning to ensure equal browning. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
To make chips break or cut the tortillas into shapes or pieces you want and bake in the oven, you'll want to put some salt on them first probably. Hope that helps :)
Dad
Oh here is a great site for instructions for home made pumpkin pie from a whole pumpkin - no can!
http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/pumpkinpie.php
Dad
Yum - I am excited to get cooking! I will go to the store this week and scope out what is available to me. I know for sure that I can get all kinds of peppers, but I am not sure about jalapenos or green chilies. I will let you know asap. Also, I am a total dumb head when it comes to finding food - where do I look for watercress?
I expect many more recipes from all y'all cooks at there!
Okay, so we don't really cook that much, but we do make this Spanish Rice recipe sometimes. It's pretty good, and simple.
Here's the ingredients you will need:
4 cups of Minute Rice (not sure if they have that there?)
2 cups of water
2 cups of tomato sauce
1 package of chili seasoning (not sure if they would have this either)
1/2 lb ground beef
Cook ground beef and set aside. Bring tomato sauce, chili seasoning, and water to a boil. Add Minute Rice and the cooked meat. Stir together. Cover and remove from heat. Keep covered for about 5 minutes.
All done!
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