Tamale Pie

Want a one-dish meal that is INCREDIBLY yummy? This is it!

Forget those "Tamale Pie" recipes you find online...this one is SO easy and SO good!

Ingredients:

2 pkg cornbread mix (I use Jiffy because its sweetness complements the spicy!)

1 pkg ground meat

1 chopped onion

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 can of corn, drained

1 medium-sized jar of salsa (I used medium.)

1 pkg grated cheddar cheese

sour cream (for serving)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix the 2 pkgs of cornbread mix according to package directions; it is best if it is a little "wetter" than you would normally have it.

Brown ground meat with chopped onion. Season with envelope of taco seasoning, according to directions.

Remove the meat/onion from the stove and add the can of corn (drained) and the jar of salsa. Mix well.

Pour into a greased casserole dish.

Cover with a layer of grated cheese.

Top with the cornbread mix.

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes....until browned and your cornbread is set.

Serve as a "pie slice" with a large dollop of sour cream on top!

Poppy Seed Cake... the BEST EVER!

When we were in Texas in February to check on dad, one of my parents' neighbors baked us a cake... well, actually her neighbors fed us on several occasions, but the cake is what I remember the most because it was DIVINE!

Before we left, my sister and I asked for the recipe for the cake...figuring it was something complicated because it was so yummy! Then when I saw the ingredients, I could not believe it! It is the strangest combination of things, but let me tell you.. this is the MOISTEST CAKE I have ever eaten... and it STAYS moist for a week (if you can make the cake last that long!)

All you need is:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 small pkg vanilla instant pudding mix

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 oil

1/2 water

4 eggs

1 tsp Almond Extract

2 tsp Poppy seeds

Preheat the oven to 325. Mix the cake mix, pudding mix, orange juice, water and oil. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the almond extract and the poppy seeds and blend into the batter. Pour batter into a Bundt pan that has been greased and SPRINKLED WITH a little CINNAMON/SUGAR mix. Bake 1 hour at 325. When you remove the cake from the oven, cover it with foil for 15 min.

SERVE and prepare to be asked to SERVE IT AGAIN!

Never Fail Pie Crust

If you live in a country that does not have Shortening, then you need a pie crust recipe alternative that tastes just as good! And here it is! In fact, if I move back to the US, I think I will keep using this one! It is so much more flaky than my old shortening recipe!

(Note: I double it because I almost always do a lattice top on my pies!)

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced

1/4 cup ice water

Directions

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 4 hours (or overnight if you are not making your pies until the next day).

Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Trim the excess edges with kitchen scissors. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Fill with something YUMMY!

I usually choose APPLES since that is the best AMERICAN dessert around!

Christmas Dinner Rolls

I LOVE TO COOK, but I have never attempted to make my own rolls. I really and truly thought I could not! However, I tried this recipe as an option for our Christmas dinner rolls...and THEY ARE DELICIOUS!!!!

And I assure you...these are so yummy you will want to make them more often thanjust Christmas Day!





It is a little bit of work, and takes 2 days to prepare, but I promise...the look on your family's faces when they eat them will make all the work worth it!

Ingredients:

• 1 package active dry yeast (or in DK, use a little more than 3/4 of the refrigerated "gær" blocks)

• 1/4 cup warm water

• 1 tsp sugar

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 cup warm water

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 4 cups flour

Directions:

DAY ONE:
In a large bowl, stir yeast, 1/4 cup warm water, and a tsp. of sugar. In another bowl, beat eggs in 1 cup warm water; add oil and salt. Mix egg mixture into yeast mixture, and add the 1/2 cup of sugar. Gradually add the flour, one cup at a time. Cover with a damp cloth, and allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Then place the bowl in the refrigerator (still covered) and allow to rise overnight. This dough is rather sticky, and will raise to at least twice its size!

DAY TWO:

Flour your hands and then divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each section out into a circle on a floured board. Cut into pizza slice shapes, and roll slices large end to small end. You can also roll these into small balls if you prefer "round dinner rolls" instead of the "crescent roll shape". Place on greased flat baking pans, and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 8 minutes. Serve WARM WITH BUTTER!

Empanadas!

Not only is it a fun word to say, but a fun thing to make and eat!

Empanadas can be made as an appetizer, a meal, a

breakfast pastry, or a dessert! The options are limitless!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

12 TBSP butter, chilled and cut into small pieces (NOT MELTED!!)

12 TBSP cream cheese, chilled and cut into small pieces (NOT MELTED!!)

4 TBSP ice water

1 egg, beaten

FILLING-- this is up to you!! Read my suggestions* below!

Directions:

Mix the salt and the flour together in a large bowl.

Cut in the butter and cream cheese. You can use your food processor to do this, but I prefer to use my hands! Mix and mix and mix until the mixture resembles a course cornmeal. Sprinkle with the ice water and mix a little more until the dough forms a ball.

Flatten out, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425. Flour the dough and roll out until it is 1/4inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter or a large glass, cut out as many

circles as your dough allows.

Then roll up the "scraps" and cut out a few more circles. Then take your rolling pin and roll each circle just a bit, so it is a longer, oval shaped. This extra step allows you to fill them up a little bit more! Beat one egg in a small bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly paint the edge of the oval. This will help keep it sealed better when they are baking!

Place a spoonful of your Filling* in the middle of

each oval, fold the dough over and pinch the edges closed. Use the tines of a fork around the edge of the empanada to seal it and add a little flair to it before baking.

Bake at 425 for about 15 min (or until golden brown).

How you serve them will depend on what filling you chose. (see suggestions below)

EMPANADA FILLINGS:

*Taco meat & grated cheese (serve with sour cream and salsa)

*Spinach dip

*Crab Meat (or your favorite crab dip recipe)

*Breakfast sausage (cooked) and scrambled eggs (serve with sour cream and salsa)

*BBQ pork (like the kind you eat on a pulled pork sandwich) (serve with a dollop of BBQ sauce)

*Marmalade/Jam (pick your favorite flavor!) (sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving)

*Apple (or any other fruit) pie filling (serve with ice cream)

*"Strawberry Cheese Cake"--Spread cream Cheese on the dough & then place a dollop of strawberry jam in the middle of it before folding over

As you can see, the options are LIMITLESS!

Sour Cream Pound Cake

This yummy dessert can be served by itself or it makes the perfect "cake" part of a homemade Strawberry Shortcake!

Ingredients:

1 tsp vanilla

6 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup sour cream

3 cups sugar (yes, I said THREE)

1 cup butter (yes, I said a cup... and no, I never promised this was a low-fat dessert!)

3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 325 and grease a round TUBE PAN. Trust me on this one! It works WAY better than a loaf pan because it truly cooks all the way through!

Cream together the sugar and butter. Add the sour cream and mix until well-blended. Add the baking soda, vanilla, and flour to the creamed mixture, and then add the eggs one at a time.

Pour the mixture into the tube pan and bake at 325 for 1 hour and 10 min, or until it's golden brown and passes the toothpick check!

SLICE, sprinkle with just a LITTLE powdered sugar, and SERVE!

Mango & Lime Chicken Tacos

This was an experiment.....but will FOR SURE make a repeat appearance!!!

Shopping List:

1/2 pound (I used 400 grams for 2 people) of chicken (breasts or tenders)

1 pkg corn tortillas

1 mango

2 limes

1 small can crushed pineapple (in DK we have to buy it and crush it ourselves)

1 small red/purple onion

Small handful of chopped cilantro

Your choice of Mexican spices (I use Chipotle Chili Powder)

Other Condiments:

Sour cream/creme fraise

grated cheddar cheese

salsa (I used one called Habanero Passion Salsa which tasted a bit like "Peach salsa" from TX)

Step one-

Prepare your CORN tortillas. This step is CRITICAL to the success of your tacos (AND is also a step you should always do before using corn tortillas to roll enchiladas! Trust me on this one!)

Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a skillet and sprinkle with 1 tsp cumin.

Fry each tortilla--about 1 second on each side and then drain on paper towels. Set aside for later.

Step two-

Prepare your mango chutney- Dice 1 cup of mango. Add 1/2 cup of pineapple (drained), 1 small chopped red/purple onion. Squirt the juice from ONE HALF of a lime. Add the chopped cilantro. Set aside in the fridge while you do the rest.

Step three-

Boil your chicken, add a little cumin and a dash of Mexican spice (Chipotle Chili powder) to the water. I recommend boiling it first to maintain the moisture without having to add any oil/butter. After the chicken is finished, chop and add to a skillet. Cover with a little more spice and generously squeeze the juice of the remaining 1.5 limes over the chicken and just toss in the skillet on a low heat. Do NOT overcook! Just warm it to let the lime juice saturate it.

To serve:

(Trust me, this order of "building" your taco ensures that every bite is perfect!)

Take one corn tortilla and place the mango chutney in a line down the center of it.

Add the chopped pieces of lime chicken on top.

Drizzle a line of sour cream next to the chicken and a line of salsa on top of it.

Top with grated cheese and then roll.

You will thank me for this! Especially if you serve it on a cold, dark, rainy Danish winter night! It brings the yumminess of Tropical Latin America to your dinner table!