Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup. New Music From Cocoa Futures.

Posted on October 14, 2016 by

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
aliigator-in-vest

Warm yourself up with some super easy slow cooked soup. This Chicken Enchilada Soup is wicked good. Just combine some basic chicken enchilada ingredients in a slow cooker and let it work its magic. You’ll have a wonderful bowl of soup waiting for you to top with some cooling ingredients to cut the spiciness.

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
48 ounces chicken broth
2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with chiles, such as Rotel
1 can (10 ounces) red enchilada sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, optional
⅓ cup minced fresh cilantro
Toppings: Shredded cheddar cheese, cubed avocado, sour cream and crispy tortilla strips

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add peppers and onion. Cook for 6 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

2. Transfer onion mixture and chicken to a slow cooker. Stir in broth, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, tomato paste, seasonings and pepper sauce.

3. Cook, covered, on low setting 6-8 hours or until chicken is tender.

4. Remove chicken from slow cooker. Shred and return to slow cooker. Stir in cilantro.

5. Serve with toppings as desired.

Note: To Freeze: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary.

Serves 8

Recipe from An Affair From The Heart
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup

Time to rock into the weekend.

‘The Blue’ is the first single from Cocoa Futures’ “Blue” EP due out in December. Oh! That sick little riff is killing me. And that is a good thing.

Check out Cocoa Futures on Facebook. You can buy the music here.

Cheers!

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Peaches ‘n’ Cream Bars. New Music From Marla Mase.

Posted on October 13, 2016 by

Peaches 'n' Cream Bars
summer-is-over

Keep that summer feeling going with these sunny Peaches ‘n’ Cream Bars. The contrast of juicy peaches, sweetened cream cheese and the nutty crumble topping is wonderful.

Peaches 'n' Cream Bars
Peaches ‘n’ Cream Bars

Ingredients:

1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent roll dough
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 can (21 ounces) peach pie filling
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Unroll dough sheet into a rectangle. Press into bottom and slightly up sides of a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan and press seams together.

3. Bake 5 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

4. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and extract until smooth. Spread over crust. Spoon pie filling over cream cheese layer.

5. In a small bowl, whisk flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in almonds and sprinkle over peach filling.

6. Bake 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

7. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The bars can be served warm or cold.

Makes 2 dozen

Recipe from Allrecipes
Peaches 'n' Cream Bars
Peaches 'n' Cream Bars

“Everyone Dies” is a pretty cool song with a frenetic beat and spoken word bits. It’s 1980s music with lyrics that speak to modern day social media.

Check out Marla Mase on her Website. You can buy the music here.

Cheers!

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Cheesy Sriracha Hot Dogs

Posted on October 12, 2016 by

Cheesy Sriracha Hot Dogs

There’s a lot of trust there!

Now it’s your turn to trust me when I say that these Cheesy Sriracha Hot Dogs are totally delicious. If you like frankfurters and spicy food these dogs are for you. The heat comes from pepper Jack cheese, sliced jalapeños and a drizzle of Sriracha flavored ketchup. You can tone down the spiciness by removing the seeds from the jalapeños or by using pickled jalapeños.

Cheesy Sriracha Hot Dogs
Cheesy Sriracha Hot Dogs

Ingredients:

8 bun length beef hot dogs
8 hot dog buns
1 1/2 cups shredded jalapeño pepper Jack cheese
2 fresh jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Heinz Ketchup Blended with Sriracha Flavor

Directions:

1. Heat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Grill hot dogs 5 minutes or until heated through, turning occasionally and adding buns, cut sides down, to grill for the last minute.

3. Fill buns with hot dogs and place in 13 x 9-inch disposable foil pan. Top hot dogs with cheese and peppers. Grill 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese is melted.

4. Drizzle with ketchup and serve.

Serves 8

Recipe from Kraft
Cheesy Sriracha Hot Dogs
Cheesy Sriracha Hot Dogs

Hammer time….Gangnum style. I absolutely love this mashup.

Check out RBC on Facebook and Soundcloud.

Cheers!

Posted in Beef, Main Courses | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta. Listening To Anna Schulze.

Posted on October 11, 2016 by

Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Seen recently through my lens:
fright fest
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I’ve watched a lot of soccer. Our varsity team is having a terrific season.
dsc_0265
img_1904
The cat, of course.
stewie
Here he is checking out my newest cd purchase.
ferris
I went to visit my daughter at college this past weekend.
u of r
This was happening.
img_1907
We were standing right in front.
img_1982
Ben Folds is amazing. What a great concert.
ben folds
We had a new take on Rochester’s famous garbage plate from the Effortlessly Healthy food truck.
img_1908
And, of course, when in Rochester one must have Buffalo wings.
wings

Speaking of Buffalo wings, if you are a fan then you will love this Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta. Think Buffalo wings meet macaroni and cheese. All of those fabulous flavors tucked into one comforting casserole.

Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

1 pound pasta (I used orecchiette)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups milk
4 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese, plus more for topping
1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
1/3 cup Buffalo wing sauce
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
For garnish: Chopped green onions, fresh cilantro, 1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, additional Buffalo wing sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375℉.

2. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

3. In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk to create a roux. Cook for about 1 minute until mixture becomes a bit golden in color. Stir in milk, reduce heat to low, and continue stirring until mixture thickens. Add grated cheeses and continue to stir until smooth. Stir in Buffalo wing sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

4. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Add pasta and chicken, then pour cheese sauce over and mix throughly. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese and the panko bread crumbs.

5. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately top with gorgonzola, green onions and cilantro. Drizzle with more buffalo wing sauce.

Serves 4-6

Recipe from How Sweet It Is
Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta
Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta

Get Me Outta Here.

I say that sentence a lot.

I’m currently experiencing a really complicated time in life and wish I could tap my shoes together 3 times and be transported back to a time when things were more black and white.

Looks like that is not happening any time soon. So, as ever, I look to music to get me through.

“Get Me Outta Here” is from Anna Schulze’s album ‘Pickford Market’. I second that emotion.

Check out Anna Schulze on her Website where you can buy the music.

Cheers!

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Peanut Butter Brownie Bites. New Music From Ms. Hendrik.

Posted on October 6, 2016 by

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

Q: How do you measure a snake?
A: In inches—they don’t have feet.

Take care of your chocolate and peanut butter cravings with these yummy minis. Just use a box of brownie mix to make a bunch of mini brownie bites and top with the addictive peanut butter icing. The addition of cream cheese brilliantly cuts the icing’s sweetness.
Peanut Butter Brownie Bites
Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

Ingredients:

1 package brownie mix (13x 9-inch pan size)—I love mixes with chocolate chips added
Peanut Butter Icing (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 42 mini-muffin cups with paper or foil liners.

2. Prepare brownie mix batter according to package directions. Fill prepared cups two-thirds full.

3. Bake 18-22 minutes or until a tester inserted in center comes out clean (do not overtake). Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.

4. Spoon or pipe frosting onto brownies.

Makes about 3-1/2 dozen

Peanut Butter Icing

Ingredients:

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
4 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat peanut butter and cream cheese until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth.

Recipes slightly adapted from Simple & Delicious Magazine
Peanut Butter Brownie Bites
Peanut Butter Brownie Bites
Peanut Butter Brownie Bites
Peanut Butter Brownie Bites
Sashay.

That’s the word that comes to mind when I listen to “Like Lovers Do”. It’s the new, eminently catchy tune from Scandi artist Ms. Henrik.

Sashay shall we?

Check out Ms. Henrik on Facebook and his Website where you can keep tuned for where to buy the music.

Cheers!

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Gruyère And Mustard Batons. New Music From Allen Tate.

Posted on October 5, 2016 by

Gruyère And Mustard Batons
unprepared-mustard
Looking for something easy and different to serve as a snack or appetizer? These Gruyère And Mustard Batons are just the thing. They are like elegant cheese straws with Dijon. Perfect with a glass of wine.
Gruyère And Mustard Batons
Gruyère And Mustard Batons

Ingredients:

Flour for dusting the board
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Flaked sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry on a well-floured board. Roll it out to an 11 x 13 inch rectangle.
Gruyère And Mustard Batons

2. Brush the lower half of the pastry evenly with the mustard, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edges. Brush the border of the pastry with the egg wash and fold the top half over the bottom half, lining up the edges.
Gruyère And Mustard Batons
Gruyère And Mustard Batons

3. Place the pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill for 15 minutes.

4. Place the pastry on a board. With the folded edge away from you, cut the pastry into 1 x 6-inch strips. You will have 10 to 12 batons.
Gruyère And Mustard Batons

5. Spread the batons out on the parchment lined baking sheet so they’re not touching. Brush tops lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle evenly with the Gruyère, Parmesan, and some sea salt. Chill for at least 15 minutes. (Can be made to this point one day ahead.)

6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400℉. Bake the batons for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Allow to cool on the pan for 3 minutes and serve warm.

Makes 12 batons (doubles easily)

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust by Ina Garten
Gruyère And Mustard Batons

Looking for Young Dumb Numb Fun? You came to the right place.

“YDNF” is new electro goodness from Brooklyn-based vocalist and songwriter Allen Tate.

Check out Allen Tate on Facebook. You can buy his music here.

Cheers!

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New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas. New Music From Cloacas.

Posted on October 4, 2016 by

New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas
keep-on-cooking-nm
In New Mexico, enchiladas come stacked not rolled. This version features ground beef in a thick, mildly spicy green chile sauce sandwiched with cheese between corn tortillas.
New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas
New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 Tbs flour
1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup cooking oil
8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Salsa, chopped cilantro and pickled jalapeños, to serve

Directions:

1. Cook the onion in a skillet over medium-high heat until tender. Blend in flour. Add chiles. Cook, stirring, until thickened.
Add beef and tomatoes and heat through.

2. In a small skillet cook tortillas, one at a time, in hot cooking oil for about 15 seconds per side. Drain on paper towels.

3. Place 1 hot tortilla into a 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Top with about 1/4 cup beef mixture and a small amount of cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef and cheese.

4. Bake at 350℉ for about 20 minutes until hot and cheese is melted.

Serves 4

Recipe from Better Homes & Gardens Heritage Cookbook
New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas
New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas
New Mexico Stacked Enchiladas

Seems only right to go to New Mexico for today’s music.

Santa Fe band Cloacas has a new album out titled “…and the skies are not cloudy all day”. It’s 11 folksy, quirky tunes with a hint of gypsy magic. I’m pretty taken with the instrumental “Croissant Moon”.

Check out Cloacas on Facebook. You can buy their music on Bandcamp.

Cheers!

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