Category Archives: things we like to eat

Throwback: S’mores Pie

Posted in sweets, things we like to eat by

Smores Pie 1 - my daughter and I

Our very first post! We’re very rapidly approaching the one-year anniversary of this blog, so here’s a throwback post to the very beginning!

Who doesn’t love s’mores made over a campfire?? This is the same idea, only in a rich, creamy pie version. Totally yummy and super decadent! The chocolate pie itself would be delicious on it’s own, but the marshmallow topping makes it even better.

smores pie 2 - My Daughter and I

S’mores Pie

Makes one 9 1/2 inch pie.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

  • 2 cups of finely ground graham crackers (about 15-16)
  • 6 Tbsp melted butter

For the filling:

  • 3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup of milk chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla

For the topping:

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 cup corn syrup
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 2 Tbsp sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350*. Grind graham crackers in food processor until they are crushed into a fine crumb. Place graham cracker crumbs into pie plate, add the melted butter. Mix well until combined. Press crumbs to bottom and side of pan with the palm of your hand until evenly distributed.

Place chocolate chips and butter into a heat-safe bowl. Heat heavy cream in a sauce pan until it simmers, pour hot cream over the chocolate chips and butter, and whisk until melted and combined. Add whole eggs and egg yolk and mix until combined add vanilla, mix well.

Pour chocolate mixture into pie crust and bake 20-25 minutes until pie filling is set and a toothpick comes out clean.

Place pie in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1-2 hours before starting the marshmallow topping.

To prepare the marshmallow topping place egg whites, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and cream of tartar in a bowl, and whip on high until stiff peaks form. Slowly add sugar and mix well.

Add the topping to the pie, creating decorative peaks with a spatula as you go.

Place pie under broiler for 1-2 minutes until marshmallow topping is toasted and golden brown. Watch carefully- the marshmallow burns quickly.

Serve immediately, store leftovers in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

 

Cindy & Jordan

Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad

Posted in main dishes, side dishes, things we like to eat by

Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad 1 - My Daughter and I

The other day I was in yoga and it was the end of the class where we were supposed to relax and clear our mind. I tried to clear my mind, but I kept thinking about food. More specifically, pasta salad. We had just harvested a bunch of cilantro, so I think that was on my mind too. While relaxing, I came up with the concept for this delicious pasta salad. It is perfect as a main dish – especially with a bit of grilled chicken or avocado hunks in it. We also served it the other night as a side dish with burgers. It’s amazing!

Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad 2- My Daughter and I

Cilantro Lime Pasta Salad
1 lb. pasta, any variety, cooked
1 can black beans, drained a rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, just throw into the strainer with the black beans
1 cup chopped bell peppers, any color
4 or 5 green onions, chopped
Cilantro lime dressing, see below
1/2 cup crumbled Cotija cheese, or Feta

Cilantro lime dressing
1 cup of fresh cilantro, washed
1 to 2 tsp. of minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or light sour cream
2 T lime juice
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Purée in food processor, taste sauce and see if it needs a bit more spice. Pour over cooked pasta and veggies, mix well. Add Cotija cheese and mix it again and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cindy

Eggless Cookie Dough

Posted in extras, sweets, things we like to eat by

Eggless Cookie Dough 1 - My Daughter and I

I considered titling this post Eggless, edible, ready-in-ten-minutes, make-it-now-and-eat-it-all-in-one-sitting cookie dough, but I felt like the amount of punctuation could be a bit overwhelming. I mean HYPHENS.

But, seriously, this stuff is amazing. I am such a huge fan of regular cookie dough, that it takes a lot to convince me that an eggless version is just as good as the real deal. Oh, but it is! I wasn’t able to tell the difference between our original chocolate chip cookie recipe and this one- which is quite impressive. In order to keep myself from eating the entire batch, I wrapped it tightly in plastic wrap, put it in a Ziploc bag, and stuck it in the freezer.

Eggless Cookie Dough 3 - My Daughter and I

^^^All wrapped up and ready for the freezer. 

The fact that the whole recipe took about 10 minutes to whip up makes it that much more dangerous. So what are you waiting for? You’re ten minutes away from a bowl of totally delicious cookie dough.

Eggless Cookie Dough 2 - My Daughter and I

Eggless Cookie Dough

1 stick butter, softened

6 Tbsp brown sugar

6 Tbsp white sugar

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 Tbsp milk (I used 2%)

2/3 cup chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate, but milk chocolate would be great too)

Beat butter, sugars and vanilla in a stand mixer. Add flour, baking soda, and salt to wet ingredients and mix well. Add milk and mix until dough is firm and smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

recipe credit to: Kailley’s Kitchen

Jordan

Fiesta Chowder

Posted in main dishes, things we like to eat by

Fiesta Chowder 1 - My Daughter and I

Well, we finally had a bit of a winter around here, or at least a few days of rain – yay! So I was excited to make soup. It’s hard to get excited about soup when it is 80* outside.

I’ve had this recipe for years and years and it is one of my favorites. Even though it calls for tons of ingredients, the chowder comes together very quickly. It normally takes me about 15 minutes to prep and another 15 to 30 to cook. Plus it is all in one pot – super easy. It is very hearty and even though the thought of eating nacho cheese soup grosses me out, it’s delicious in this soup and I would not leave it out.

Fiesta Chowder 2 - My Daughter and I

Fiesta Chowder
3 T flour
1 (1.4 ounce) package fajita seasoning, divided
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
3 T oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 t minced garlic
2 cups frozen corn
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce) can of Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chiles
3 cups water
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can nacho cheese soup
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 T lime juice
Garnish with more fresh cilantro, olives, Cotija cheese or whatever sounds good to you.

Combine flour and 2T of fajita seasoning in a zip top bag; add chicken pieces and shake to coat. Cook coated chicken in the hot oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat, stirring often for 4 minutes or until browned. Reduce heat to medium and add onion and garlic; sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining fajita seasoning, corn, black beans, tomatoes, chiles, water and instant brown rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low; cover and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove lid and add the nacho cheese soup, chopped cilantro and the limes juice. Let simmer for a few more minutes while you are pulling together the rest of the meal. We normally serve ours with salad and some sort of bread or tortilla chips.

Cindy

Taco Pie

Posted in main dishes, things we like to eat by

Taco Pie 1 - My Daughter and I

I have been in a bit of a cooking rut. Since we haven’t really had much of a winter all my plans to make soups and comfort foods have gone out the window. It’s pretty tough to enjoy a bowl of hot chili when it’s 90* out. So Monday I realized I had NO plan for dinner. I noticed a pie crust in the refrigerator that needed to be used and I remembered we had some ground beef in the freezer so my brain started working. In the end, we had this taco pie for dinner. It was simple and delicious and a bit of a change from our regular taco or burrito night.

Taco Pie 2 - My Daughter and I

Taco Pie
1 pie crust
3/4 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 – 16 ounce can refried beans
1- 16 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup frozen corn
Taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
Tortilla chips, crushed – approximately 1 cup

Directions:
Unroll pie crust and form into pie plate, trim edges and poke with a fork. Bake for 6 – 8 minutes at 450*.

While the crust is cooking, start getting the filling going. Brown the ground beef in a skillet, add the chopped onion and cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain fat, if necessary. Add the taco seasoning, tomatoes and corn and cook for about 5 minutes.

When the crust is finished, remove from the oven. Turn oven down to 350*

Spread the refried beans carefully on the bottom of your crust. I used a deep dish pie plate, so I was able to use the entire can of beans. If you would rather use a small pie plate, I would use only half the can. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese on next. Then add the ground beef mixture. The pie plate should be pretty full. Add the crushed tortilla chips. I would suggest crushing them pretty well, or it will be difficult to cut through the cooked pie. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.

Bake at 350* for about 15 until the top is bubbly. Garnish with green onions and sour cream.

Cindy