King Ranch Chicken Casserole... A Texas Staple

In Texas, everyone knows of Bob Kleburg and his famous 15 million acre King Ranch located in South Texas. It grew from its early days as a Mexican hacienda to a South Texas Cattle Ranch and ultimately, an international corporate agribusiness. It all began with Richard King, who was a steamboat-captain-turned-South-Texas-cattle-rancher-landowner. This recipe is the perfect reflection of that easy-going ranch lifestyle, reflecting the Mexican influence as well. It is truly the best casserole I make and is served in most Texas homes at one time or another.



Since there are now just the two of us here at home, I usually split this recipe into two or three separate casserole dishes and freeze them for future use. It's such a treat some nights to just toss a casserole dish into the oven and have dinner ready an hour later. Enjoy!




King Ranch Chicken Casserole:




Ingredients:

 

1 whole baked chicken, boned & cut into bite size chunks

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 stick of butter

1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup

1 can of Cream of Chicken soup

1 10 oz. can of Rotel chiles & tomatoes

12 soft corn tortillas cut or torn into bite size pieces

1/4 cup of chicken broth

2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Place cut up corn tortillas in bottom of casserole dish.

2. Pour a little of the chicken broth over the tortillas.

3. In a large skillet, sauté the onion and bell peppers in the butter until almost transparent.

4. Set aside to cool.

5. In a separate bowl, combine the soups with the Rotel, mixing well.

6. Add the onion & bell pepper mixture, stirring well.

7. In 13 x 9" glass casserole dish, arrange alternate layers of tortillas, soup mixture, and grated cheese, until all ingredients are used.

8. Bake in 350 degree pre-heated oven for 50 minutes or until heated through & bubbly & cheese is browned.

9. May be frozen for future use before or after cooking.

Eddie V's Edgewater Grille on 5th Street in Austin, Texas... Wow!

Oh. My. God. We had the most amazing dinner at Eddie V's while in Austin last week. The service was impeccable and none of us could find fault with a single item we ordered. Of course, we had to take out a loan (just kidding) to pay for it, but it was worth every last little cent.


First of all, let me just say they have an outstanding air conditioning system and aren't afraid to use it. Being menopausal, I appreciate any establishment that caters to my physical needs. I never had so much as a slight hot flash, so I was literally in Heaven. I think I even got goose bumps. Seriously.


Our daughter flew in from L. A. for her birthday and our son took time out from college life at St. Edwards University to join us. Since they both have April birthdays, this was their big celebration dinner. Our waiter Jeff was one of the best waiters we've ever had the good fortune to find. To his credit, he didn't once interrupt us in mid-conversation, which is as it should be. He politely waited for us to finish, and look at him. It truly irritates me when wait staff interrupts me in mid-sentence, because I can never remember what I was saying afterwards. Yes, I'm that old.

We began the evening with cocktails, all having extra dry dirty vodka martinis that were just perfect. To us, a good bartender always knows how to make a great dry martini, so we weren't disappointed in the least.

For appetizers we always have to order Calamari because that's the only "starter" our son likes. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was different than the usual fried Calamari with Marinara sauce, which has gotten boring. Instead, they served their Kung Pao-style Calamari on a bed of crispy rice noodles, drizzled with a dynamite sweet & hot sauce, and topped with tiny sprouts.


Then, they offered us chopsticks to eat it with, which the daughter and I love.

We also ordered the Tartare of Ahi Tuna, served with delicious homemade onion flatbread, which was also very different than we've had other places. It's seasoned with sesame and curry oils and has avocado added, with the waiter expertly preparing it for you table-side. The tuna was almost "Heavenly" and we devoured every last bite.

Not once did our waiter try to rush us, which scored another feather in his cap. I like for dinner to be more of an event, than just a rushed meal.



Next, we each had a delightful Caesar salad. Their Caesar dressing is sheer deliciousness.

For an entrée, my husband ordered the Sautéed Lemon Sole In Parmesan Crust, which was just delicious.

Our daughter ordered the Chilean Sea Bass, Roasted Crisp and ate it all before I had the chance to taste it. Apparently, it was very good.

Our son ordered their 16-ounce USDA Prime New York Strip Steak and commented that it was cooked better than any he'd ever had. He doesn't eat meat unless he is with us, since he can't afford it on his college allowance.

I ordered the Grilled Atlantic Salmon and it was absolutely perfectly cooked, unlike many places we've been that torture me with over-cooking it.

For the side dishes, we chose their made-from-scratch Truffled Macaroni & Cheese "Gratinata" and the Potato Gruyere Fritters. Both dishes were superb and we ate until we could eat no more. Let me just interject here that I was terribly tempted to take the potato fritters with me. They were simply to die for.

After resting and sipping our lovely wine, we finally agreed that we should order dessert and

split two choices, since we were all full. We finally decided on their magnificent Hot Dark Chocolate Godiva Cake with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (prepared tableside) and the Crème Brulee with Homemade Cookies. Both desserts were divine, as we fought over the last bites.

Would I recommend Eddie V's Edgewater Grille? Absolutely. Without doubt. This lovely dining establishment is worthy of every one of the five stars it has been given by Austinites.



The presentation of each and every dish was magnificent as was the food itself. Eddie V's Edgewater Grille receives 5 stars on every point from me. I can't wait to return.

Lulu LaRue's Colorful Confetti Potato Soup... Great In Any Weather

Yes, it's going to be up around 77 degrees here today. Please don't hate me. You could live here too (if you can take the West Texas heat, that is)! So, I'm going to be headed to the golf course here in about an hour, to play a round of 18 with the girls. I'm even going to wear a pair of capris, if I can find them. (Hey, it's been a while since it's been this warm.) I mean, yesterday the high was in the 60's and I made Potato Soup. So, I'm serving Potato Soup for dinner tonight when I get home. Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

This will also be my entry in the Potato Ho Down for April, which is being hosted by Donalyn over @ Dlynz. More entries are always welcome, so if you're another potato ho and you'd like to join in the fun, then get it on. The Potato Ho Down was the brainchild of Noble Pig's Cathy and Evil Chef Mom's Krysta, where you will find the best Potato Ho recipes ever. Frankly, I'm a total amateur compared to these talented ladies.


POTATO SOUP:

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups diced potatoes

1 cup chopped onions

1 cup chopped carrots (optional)

1 cup diced celery

5 cloves of garlic

2 cups milk

3 cups organic chicken broth

3 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. fresh parsley

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large pan, melt the butter and add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions and sauté them for a couple of minutes. Add garlic and cook a moment longer.

2. Add the chicken broth (adjusting amount as you need it) and simmer over medium low fire until vegetables are tender.

3. Once potatoes are cooked, I mash the potatoes rather coarsely so there are still some chunks.

4. Last of all, add the parsley and the milk, then salt and pepper to taste.

Economical Leftover Spaghetti Sauce Lasagna

Since our children are no longer living at home, we often have large amounts of leftovers after having spaghetti with meat sauce. In my quest to quit waxting so much food, I started saving the leftover sauce and keeping it in the freezer until there is enough to make hearty lasagna. It also saves me from having to go through the whole meat sauce process, which saves me huge amounts of time. If you're in a hurry, you could also use jars of ready made, but I prefer my own sauce. Besides, it is far more economical this way.



Since there are only two of us, I'm always able to make two smaller casseroles of lasagna, which also saves me another night of slaving over a hot stove, grill, or oven. What's not to love about that? So, let's get this show on the road, shall we?



Ingredients:

1/2 box of lasagna noodles, cooked al dente'

5 cups Italian meat sauce (or leftover spaghetti sauce)

1 container (15 ounce) container of ricotta cheese

4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup (4 ounce) Parmesan cheese, shredded

Ingredients:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Cook noodles according to box directions, drain, and separate.

3. Heat meat sauce in a large pot, simmering until heated.

4. Spray 13x9 casserole dish with vegetable cooking spray.

5. Spread about 3/4 to 1 cup of meat sauce over the bottom of the pan.

6. Place 2 to 3 lasagna noodles over the meat sauce, overlapping if necessary.

7. Place bits of ricotta all over the noodles.

8. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the entire pan and cover with meat sauce.

9. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, reserving enough mozzarella for topping.

10. Finally, sprinkle shredded Parmesan evenly over the top.

11. Cover casserole in foil so that it doesn't invert, otherwise you'll have cheese sticking to it.

12. Bake for 30 minutes in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

13. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

14. After removing from oven, allow lasagna to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

15. Serve with garlic toast and tossed salad.

Shredded Grilled Pork Tacos In Soft Corn Tortillas With The Works

I've sampled several versions of pork tacos but they have all been made with boiled or stewed pork, which just isn't my favorite..





In this recipe I use my Coffee Crusted Smoked Pork Tenderloin in place of the boiled pork (which I don't much care for). The grilled pork adds such a marvelous smokey flavor to the tacos that all other ways of cooking it, pale in comparison.







This pork hasn't been over-cooked and you can have it the first night for dinner then use the leftover portion for the tacos. It's a win-win recipe, all the way.

Shredded Grilled Pork Tacos With The Works:

 


Ingredients:


Leftover Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Pulled


1 Package of Fresh Soft Corn Tortillas


1 Cup Shredded Cabbage


1/2 Cup Chopped Onions



1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, Grated


1 Large Avocado, Thinly Sliced



1 Carton of Fresh Hot Sauce or Pico de Gayo

Directions:



1. If the pork tenderloin is not yet cooked, then you will want to grill it, making sure you get a good crispy crust on it. Once it has cooled enough to handle, pull or shred the pork and set aside.



2. After preparing all of the trimmings, place each in a separate small serving bowl, providing spoons for self serving purposes. I usually set everything out in buffet style and allow everyone to serve themselves. Enjoy!





You may have noticed that I forgot to put the coleslaw on before taking the pictures. Let's just chalk that up to a *Senior Moment*, which I'm having far too many of these days....

Texas Caviar... It Can Be Whatever You Want It To Be

Of course, this is a wonderful dip to serve for New Year's Eve, but in Texas we have it any time there is a get-together of friends or family, so you can truly make it whatever you like.


It can also be used as a side dish or relish, making it a very versatile dish indeed. I grow my own habaneros, jalapenos, black eyed peas, and tomatoes in the summer, which makes it even better.


You can also add or take away ingredients and totally change it up. All you need is a little imagination! Let's get started.

Ingredients:

3 (15 ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained, rinsed

1 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped

1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup loosely packed chopped Italian parsley (or cilantro)

2 jalapenos, seeded, deveined & minced

4 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

6 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine the peas, bell peppers, green onions, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, jalapenos, garlic, tomato, vinegar and olive oil in a nonreactive bowl and mix well.


Chill, covered, for 8 hours or longer. Stir in the salt and pepper and let stand until it reaches room temperature. Serve with tortilla chips and / or crackers.

Fresh Ahi Tuna Potato Cakes On A Bed Of Sauteed Spinach & Parmesan

Let me start out by saying that the cakes I cooked in these pictures were foolishly cooked in olive oil, which promptly burned the entire batch. Lesson learned, right?


When I told my husband that I was going to make potato tuna cakes, he scoffed at the idea, thinking that I would be making them like his mother did. I think not! This isn't the '60's and I'm not June Cleaver, thank you very much. He thought they would be made from canned tuna. Yuck! Not in my house, no sir. We'd had grilled tuna steaks Sunday night along with Caesar salad. Since we'd eaten a large lunch neither of us could eat much so I saved the leftovers and decided to make the potato tuna cakes.

They turned out so divine that even he could not help but rave over these. Yes, Mr. Skeptical himself. You'd think that after 31 years of marriage (and my cooking) he would have had a bit more faith in me (Okay, there have been a few many screwed up meals on my journey). However, since he watches the food network, he thinks I'm an amateur. Basically, I am an amateur, but that doesn't mean I can't still crank out a great dinner idea here and there. Oh he of little faith!



So, I thought I'd share this recipe with my few readers.

This also my entry for this month's Potato Ho-Down, which is being hosted by evil chef mom and noble pig. Here we go...

Spicy Fresh Potato Tuna Cakes:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

5 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press

1/2 cup diced green onion, minced

1/4 cup green bell pepper, minced

1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced

1/4 cup diced celery, minced

2 cups fresh grilled, grill smoked, or baked tuna 1-1/2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes (you can use instant mashed potatoes)

2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon lemon

salt & pepper, to taste

grated parmesan cheese, to taste

canola oil






DIRECTIONS:

1. In a skillet, saute' the first 6 ingredients for 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Tear the tuna steaks into small chunks in a large mixing bowl.

3. In another mixing bowl, combine the slightly beaten egg and the mashed potatoes and blend well.

4. Add the cooked veggies to the mashed potato mixture. Add the entire potato mixture to the tuna.

5. Add the chopped parsley, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper, and the lemon. Mix well.

6. Form mixture into patties and place on wax paper or parchment paper lining a cookie sheet and place in the refrigerator for up 6 hours.

7. In a very large skillet, heat the oil to just befor it begins to smoke (very hot when held a few inches above the skillet).

8. Place three cakes at a time in hot oil so that the skillet temperature doesn't cool too much. Cook about 5 to 6 minutes per side and put on paper towels placed on a rack, in a warm oven.

These cakes are also very good with a dipping sauce. May fave is The Outback Steakhouse dipping sauce they serve with Bloomin' Onions & with Fried Mushrooms. Mmmmm!

Makes approximately 12 tuna cakes. These are also great the next night, quickly heated in a dry skillet.

Quick & Easy Spinach Souffle Deluxe

Today I decided to make something special to go with our Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Shrimp that I had planned for dinner. I perused the Internet until I located just the right recipe (which included the only ingredients I had on hand, because I hate to go to the grocery store). Yup, if you look hard and long enough, you can find just about any recipe you want, to match the ingredients you have on hand. For this, I adore the Internet. I did change up a few things in order to make it mine, like adding the onion and a dash of cayenne. However, I have a hubby that watches..... food TV. He has become a complete "know it all" since he started watching Alton Brown. I'm not sure which one I'd rather get rid of first... Alton or the hubby!


Anyway, in my constant effort to to "Wow" the hubster, I peruse recipes. But I'm not a total tramp. At least I go with recipes that call for the only items I have on hand. Frankly, I consider myself a rather resourceful girl lady, thank you very much!


So.... I made the most divine Spinach Souffle that was absolutely the easiest recipe ever. I've tried to make it in the past but hubby always said it was a "nice try" or a "good effort". Tonight, he was blown away, and actually I was too. Since I basically FLUNKED home economics in high school, who woulda thunk I could tackle something as difficult as a souffle with so little effort? Well, my friends, I'm here to tell you that it's all thanks to the Internet. (Oh - and Mrs. Richardson, if you're still alive, I just want to say that I'm not the complete idiot in the kitchen that you said I'd be... you WITCH!) I could out-cook, out-broil, and out-grill your boring ass any day of the week. So sorry... just shaking loose a bit of baggage there. The picture of my finished product is above & the recipe lies below. ENJOY....

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. butter 
2 tsp. all-purpose flour 
1/2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
Dash of Cayenne
2 eggs, separated
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 c. cooked, chopped spinach, pressed dry
3 tbsp.
Parmesan cheese, grated


Directions:

1. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; blend in flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly 6 to 8 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in salt and pepper.

2. Saute the onion and spinach until desired doneness and set aside to cool. Once the mixture has cooled, put it on a chopping board and press paper towels to the mix, until most of the moisture has been soaked up by the towels.

3. Beat the egg yolks. Gradually stir about one-fourth of the hot mixture into the beaten yolks, stirring well. Then stir the yolk mixture into the white sauce.

4. Add the spinach and cheese; stir well.

5.Beat the egg whites (at room temperature) until stiff, and carefully fold into the spinach mixture. Spoon into a lightly greased 1 quart souffle dish.

6. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes, or until firm. Serve immediately. Serves 4 generously.

Spinach Salad With Scorched Almonds, Raspberries, Feta And Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is the most scrumptious spinach salad and so easy to assemble that it will make you smile. We have this at our house at least every week and not just because we like it, but also because it's so healthy.

Spinach Salad With Scorched Almonds, Raspberries, Feta & Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

 

Large bag of baby spinach or a bundle of fresh organic

Large handful of shaved almonds

1 package of fresh raspberries

Feta cheese, crumbled

Vinaigrette Dressing (store bought or recipe below)

Directions:

1. Toss a little pat of butter into a skillet and scorch the almonds over a medium high heat. When done to your taste, remove from heat and allow them to cool. I remove them from the pan & let them dry out on paper towels.

2. Put baby spinach in individual salad bowls and top with a handful of the feta cheese. Just do it to your taste. Some people like a lot, others like less.

3. Sprinkle a handful of raspberries over the salad.

4. Sprinkle scorched almonds over the top.

5. Pour desired amount of Vinaigrette over top and toss, or not.

Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 c. salad oil

3 shallots, finely chopped

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Whisk together the vinegar, shallots, mustard and lemon juice. Then add the oil and adjust the seasoning.

Chicken Soup... The Real Thing, Baby!

I was scheduled to play golf with hubby this morning, but his tee time was for 9:00 a.m. and I decided I didn't want to drag my bootie out of bed that early. So, I called one of the wives I normally play with every Wednesday & Friday, to see if anyone was playing. When she answered the phone, I could tell she was sick. Turns out she has walking pneumonia, so, as is my M.O., I offered to bring some of my medicinal chicken soup, made from scratch. She didn't decline, which showed me just how sick she is. Normally, she'd protest.

Lucky for me that I had all the ingredients, or she might not be getting it today, when she needs it, because I really don't like going to the store. Sick friend or not.

So, I thawed out a nice, plump little chicken from H.E.B. that I'd had in the freezer. I filled the dutch oven with water, added the chicken, yellow onions, spring onions, celery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, 3 cubes of chicken bullion & black peppercorns. Just before the water came to a boil, I turned the fire down to simmer and will let it simmer for 3 hours.

Once it has cooked for the 3 hours my Grandmother always adhered to, I'll let it cool for approximately 20 minutes, then pour all the broth through a colander lined with cheesecloth, for a nice, clear soup.

 Allow the chicken to cool for a bit longer, while tossing the stewed veggies, bay leaf, and black peppercorns into a bowl (that will later be taken out to the compost pile in my veggie garden) and I prepare fresh veggies. Chopped celery, carrots, yellow onions, garlic, and spring onions.When this task is accomplished, I begin picking the meat off the chicken bones, then chop it into bite sizes.

Put 1 Tbs. of butter & 1 Tbs. of olive oil in the bottom of the pan and saute the onions, adding the celery, carrots & garlic (but not the spring onions) after a couple of minutes & cooking a minute or so longer. I also add 2 Tbs. of dried parsley (since I don't have any fresh available).

At this point, I add the chicken and it's broth to the pan and bring it to a simmer, allowing it to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Just before serving, I add the thinly sliced spring onions.

Since egg noodles tend to soak up all the good broth, I cook the noodles separately in another pan, to be added to the individual bowl, upon serving. I usually serve it with garlic toast or, if I'm lucky, the HU makes his kick-ass cornbread that he does in a cast iron skillet in the oven. Or sometimes we just have saltines with it. Mmmmmm! Talk about comfort food, baby... this is it.

Okay, by now some of you may have noticed that I forgot to add the parsley and the spring onions before I took the picture. You would be right. However, since I didn't feel like setting up for the picture again, you'll just have to use your vivid imaginations, because I'm not doing it again, thank you very much.

Bon Appetit!