Mozzarella Puffs

Ingredients

1 (7.5 ounce) package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon garlic salt

4 ounces block mozzarella cheese

2 tablespoons pizza sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray cooking sheet with cooking spray.

Make an indentation in the center of each biscuit.

Sprinkle with oregano and garlic salt.

Cut the mozzarella into 10 cubes. Place a cube in the center of each biscuit.

Pinch dough tightly around cheese to seal. Seal tightly so the cheese doesn’t leak out.

Place seam side down on a baking sheet.

Brush pizza sauce over the tops of the biscuits.

Bake at 375 degrees 10-15 minutes.

layered taco salad {in a cake pan}

serves 8 to 12

1 lb. extra lean ground beef

1 small can green chilies, undrained

1 head iceberg lettuce, outer leaves removed (all other lettuces will wilt)

1 packet taco seasoning mix (or a mixture of cumin, chili powder and garlic powder)

1 cup ranch sour cream mayonnaise, divided (recipe below)

1 (15 oz.) can of your favorite beans, rinsed and drained very well

1/2 can (about 7 oz.) sweet corn, drained very well

1/2 cup chopped purple or green onion + more for top

8 oz. of your favorite tomato salsa

8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 (3.8 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained very well

1/2 lb. bacon, fried until crispy, cooled completely, and crumbled

2 jalapeno peppers, sliced

1 Roma tomato, seeds removed, chopped

ripe avocado chunks, (optional)

tortilla chips for topping

Cook the ground beef, canned chilies and taco seasoning in a skillet until beef is brown all the way through and the liquid from the chilies has evaporated. Place in refrigerator and allow to chill until completely cold. Then, place in an even layer on the bottom of a 9×13 glass cake pan. Top with a double layer of crisp, iceberg lettuce leaves (half the head), 1/2 cup of the ranch sour cream mayonnaise smoothed into an even layer, beans, corn, onion, another double layer of lettuce (press down gently after placing the lettuce,) the other 1/2 cup of ranch sour cream mayo, salsa, cheese, olives, bacon, jalapenos, tomato and a little more purple onion. Place cover or foil on cake pan and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours before slicing into pieces, crunching tortilla chips over the top, and serving. Feel free to top this with avocado chunks, extra tomato chunks, and your favorite hot sauce too!

for the ranch sour cream mayonnaise:

3/4  cup real mayonnaise

1/4 cup full fat sour cream

6 Tablespoons dry buttermilk ranch dressing mix (homemade or Hidden Valley)

Mix well. Chill until ready to use.

Enjoy!

JUST DID THIS GREAT ! BURN A BAY LEAF IN YOUR HOUSE. THE REASON? YOU’LL BE AMAZED

Known as a popular leaf, Laurel leaf is a well-known spice which probably has a special place in your kitchen. But, few know that, aside from food preparation, these leaves from the Mediterranean evergreen tree can also be used for many health benefits.

If you’ve ever stepped inside a yoga studio or new age book shop, you may have noticed that these places sometimes have a very particular smell.

This is because many of these locations regularly practice smudging , a Native American tradition that uses the smoke of sacred herbs to purify a room. This ritual is similar to the act of burning incense.

While the practice of smudging is commonly associated with sage, there are other herbs you can use and more concrete benefits you can enjoy.

WHY BURN BAY LEAVES

Bay leaves have been a thing of legends for millennia: whether its incontestable role in Greek and Roman folklore or its steady presence in Indian and Caribbean culture and cuisine, this herb has withstood the test of time.

PORK CARNITAS

Ingredients

4 pound boneless pork butt, fat trimmed and cut into 2 inch cubes

1 1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp ground cumin

1 onion, peeled and halved

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried oregano

2 Tb fresh lime juice

2 C water

1 medium orange, juiced and keep the spent halves

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat to 300 degrees. Combine all the ingredients in a large Dutch oven, (this is my favorite one!) including the spent orange halves and juice. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, uncovered. Once it simmers, cover pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook until the meat falls apart when prodded with a fork, about 2 hours.

Remove the pot from the oven and turn on the broiler. Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat from the pan and place it on a large foil-lined jelly roll pan. Remove and discard everything from the pot except for the cooking liquid. Place pot over high heat on the stove and boil until it thickens and syrupy, about 20 – 30 minutes. You should have about 1 C of liquid remaining when it is finished.

While the liquid is reducing, use two forks to pull each cube of pork into three equal sized pieces. Once the liquid has reduced, gently fold in the pieces of pork into the pot. Try not to break up the pork any further. Taste and add additional salt and pepper.

Spread the pork back onto the foil lined pan and evenly spread the meat around so there is a single layer of meat. Place the jelly roll pan on the lower middle rack of the oven and broil until the top of the meat is well browned and edges are slightly crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes. Using a wide metal spatula, flip the pieces of meat and broil the other side until well browned and edges are slightly crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately in a tortilla with all your favorite toppings.

an absolutely delicious italian meatloaf

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. ground mild Italian sausage

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 C. chopped bell pepper (I used orange, it was all I had in the freezer)

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. parsley

1 egg, beaten

3/4 C. Italian bread crumbs

2 slices white bread, crumbled

1 T. milk

8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, reserve 3/4 C. for topping

1/4 C. parmesan cheese

1 C. marinara sauce, plus 1/2 -3/4 C. more for topping

How to make it :

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over med. high heat and sauté the onion and bell pepper for 3-4 minutes, remove from heat. In a large bowl, add the meats, onion and peppers along with all remaining ingredients reserving 3/4 C. mozzarella cheese for topping. Now, dive in there with the best tools God gave you, your hands and combine everything really good. Once it has all come together, place and mold the mixture in a baking dish of your choice. I used my oval Portuguese stoneware for ours. Spoon 1/2 to 3/4 C. of the marinara sauce on top and spread around. Place in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle a little dry basil over the top. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Make sure the meat is not pink before serving, baking time will vary depending on the thickness of your loaf. Mine was about 2″ thick.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

3 pounds 85% Lean/15% Fat Ground Beef

1 pound Country style Sausage

2 eggs

… 3/4 cup diced onion

1/3 cup ketchup

1 1/2 tsp. Morton’s Nature Seasoning

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbls Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 cup Cheddar Cheese diced into small pieces

1 pound bacon

Mix all ingredients except bacon in a large bowl. Once mixed place in 2 loaf pans that have been lined with bacon (I run the slices across the pan the narrow direction then wrap the ends over the top of the meat mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 90 minutes. Once it is cooked remove from the pans as soon as possible to reduce the amount of grease on your meatloaf. Slice and serve.

This also makes an excellent meatloaf sandwich the next day!

FRIED APPLE or PEACH PIES

Ingredients

8 ounces dried apples or dried peaches

1 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 tsp. cinnamon or apple pie spice

1 can jumbo refrigerated flaky biscuits

vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Combine apples and water in saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat and let cool, mashing slightly if pieces are large. Stir in sugar and butter; set mixture aside.

If using fresh apples: For the filling: Add 2 TBS butter to a large saute pan and melt. Add 4 peeled, cored and chopped apples, sugar, cinnamon, and 1 tsp lemon juice and cook over medium heat until the apples are soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, mash slightly and cool.)

Roll each biscuit into a 5-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place about 1 tablespoon apple mixture on half of each biscuit circle. To seal pies, dip fingers in water and moisten edges of circles. Fold in half, making sure edges are even. Using a fork dipped in flour, press edges firmly together to seal.

Pour oil to a depth of 1/2 inch into a heavy skillet, or use deep fryer. Fry pies in hot oil (370°) over medium-high heat until golden, turning once. Don’t rush it because you want to make sure the biscuit is cooked completely through.

Drain well on paper towels.

Makes 10 pies.