Jalapeno Jelly

Remember those amazing cheddar garlic biscuits I made last week? Well, this jelly is what I smothered them in and it was out-of-this-world-delicious. I love that sweet/spicy/salty combination, so this is right up my alley. I also had this jelly with crackers and cream cheese, and it was delicious that way too. I got this recipe at a church event (but I also found it online here)...we made this together for one of the activities. I promptly brought mine home and had to try some before it had even cooled completely...and I'm pretty sure I've eaten some if it every day since. It is addicting and delicious!

Jalapeno Jelly

1 cup red or green bell pepper, diced (we used a combination)
1/3 cup fresh jalapenos, quartered (seeded if you want it less spicy, I prefer it with seeds for a little more heat)
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
 5 cups sugar
1 pouch (3 oz.) liquid fruit pectin

1. Combine peppers and vinegar in blender. Pulse until peppers are finely chopped.
2. Combine vinegar/pepper mixture with sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, skim foam off of the top. Cool for 2 minutes, then stir in pectin.
3. Pour into sterilized jars and fasten lids. Process with pressure cooker/water bath to seal if desired or refrigerate and store up to 2 weeks. Makes 6 half-pint jars or 3 pint jars.

Salsa Verde

This is a recipe I got from my parents' neighbor. Her husband is from Mexico and is a professional chef, so he definitely knows what he is doing when it comes to this stuff! I use it both as a dip for chips, and also as enchilada sauce, or to smother burritos with. This makes a lot, but can be easily halved. It also freezes great, so I would recommend making the full batch and freezing half for the next time you want it. Enjoy!

Salsa Verde (Green Enchilada Sauce)

2 lbs. tomatillos, husks removed
2 cloves garlic
2 jalapenos, halved and seeded
1 medium onion, quartered
3 chicken bullion cubes
3 cups water
1 Tb. sugar (optional)
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse tomatillos to remove the stickiness. Pound each garlic clove to open (don't chop). Place tomatillos, garlic, jalapenos, onion, bullion, and water in large pot. Boil until tomatillos and onion are tender, about 10 minutes. Add sugar, if desired, and stir to dissolve (this cuts down the acidity from the tomatillos).
2. Drain tomatillo mixture (reserving the juices) and place the tomatillo mixture and 1/2 cup of juices in a blender. Add cumin, chilies and cilantro. Blend until smooth, adding more liquid as needed to reach your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Mexican Rice

This is a perfect Mexican side dish, or perfect wrapped up in a delicious burrito. I made a big batch of this last week and used it as a side for quesadillas, inside a hugely delicious burrito, and on top of a yummy salad. It's quick and simple, but full of flavor--a nice change from your average white rice.

Sweet Mexican Rice
serves 6 - 8

2 Tb. butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups white rice
3 cubes chicken bullion
3 cups water
2 Tb. sugar
juice of 1 lime
2 Tb. cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

1. Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic. Saute until translucent. Add rice and cook until lightly browned. Add chicken bullion and water, cover and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes or until water is completely cooked out. Let stand 5 minutes.
2. Mix lime juice with sugar, pour over rice and fluff with a fork. Top with cilantro if desired.

Pico de Gallo

I love Mexican food. Corey and I probably eat Mexican food more than any other cuisine. Something about the freshness and spiciness just entices me every time. With so many tomatoes, peppers, and even a few onions from our garden, it's the perfect time to make a big batch of Pico de Gallo to go with any of your favorite Mexican foods (I had it with this amazing Bajio Chicken Green Chile Salad, and it is also great with my favorite Enchiladas, Taquitos, Southwestern Beef Wraps, or a delicious Cafe-Rio Style Burrito...I'll be posting that recipe later this week). Enjoy!

Pico de Gallo

2 cups diced fresh tomatoes (I like to use seeded Roma tomatoes because they are nice and firm, you'll need about 5 medium)
1/2 cup diced red onion
3 Tb. chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 - 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (depending on how spicy you like it)
1/4 cup diced green pepper (optional, I throw this is if I have it on hand but it won't make or break the salsa)
garlic salt
fresh ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and season with garlic salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days. Eat with chips and dip or serve with your favorite Mexican dish, you really can't go wrong with this stuff, it is delicious!

Pickled Cucumber Salad

I love this salad: let me just get that out in the open right now. This is a salad that my sister Mica has made for several family get-togethers. Every time she makes it, I savor it and love every bite, then beg for the recipe...and then she promptly forgets to give it to me. I was finally able to get the recipe from her (because I needed to bring this to her birthday dinner!) and I am thrilled to be able to make it any time I want to now.

It's super simple (only 5 ingredients) and even quicker if you use a food processor to slice the cucumbers. This is a great way to use up extra cucumbers from your garden (and shallots and jalapenos if you grow those too--our jalapenos died but our shallots did great!). It tastes fresh and delicious, just perfect for enjoying during these last weeks of summer (can you tell I'm going through summer-is-ending denial? I keep posting all sorts of summery recipes because I want to hang on to summer just as long as I can). We served this with Thai chicken, rice, and Matt's Thai Chicken soup (how do we not have a picture of that? It is amazing)! I had the leftovers the next day with a BLT. Pretty much, it's good with just about anything, and makes for a very refreshing side dish!

Pickled Cucumber Salad

2 English (hot house) cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 Tb. salt
4 medium shallots, thinly sliced
2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup + 2 Tb. granulated sugar

1. Toss sliced cucumber with salt (the salt draws the excess liquid out of the cucumber, this is important so that the salad is not waterery). Let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature, discard liquid, and pat cucumber dry with paper towels.
2. Toss together cucumbers, shallots, and jalapenos. Combine vinegar and sugar in small bowl and mix well. Pour over cucumber mixture and stir to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 24 hours. (I think this is best about 2 hours after it is made, that way the cucumber has time to soak up the vinegar but it doesn't get mushy).

Sweet & Spicy Vegetarian Quesadillias

I know I promised a Zucchini Parmesan recipe, and that will be coming soon, but I made this for lunch today. And ate the rest for dinner. And I'm seriously contemplating having it for breakfast tomorrow. It is seriously the best thing I've eaten all month. It's hearty and filling. It's sweet, spicy, tangy, crunchy, and amazingly delicious. If you're like us and have a bounty of zucchini from your garden, whip this up. And if not? Find some. Immediately. It really is that good.

Sweet & Spicy Vegetarian Quesadillias
adapted from Prudence Pennywise

Filling:
2 Tb. vegetable oil
1 onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, miced
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup corn
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
2 Tb. brown sugar
1 lime, juiced
1 handful cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

For assembly:
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
6 tortillas (I definitely recommend the uncooked tortillas that they sell at Costco or Wal-Mart, bake them up fresh and they are a million times better than the regular ones you can buy at the store)

1. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until translucent, 3-5 minutes.
2. Add garlic, jalapeno, zucchini, corn, and tomato. Cook until zucchini is completely cooked through and tender, about 5 minutes. Add brown sugar, lime, cilantro, chipotle chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 2 more minutes.
3. Assemble quesadillas by layering each tortilla with 1/4 cup cheese. Top with 1/6 of the zucchini mixture (1/3 - 1/2 cup). Heat until cheese is melted and tortillas are crispy. (I also served my quesadillas with extra filling on the side as a dip/relish type thing. YUM.)

Southwestern Beef Wraps

This is a great slow-cooker meal. Theoretically it should be quick and easy, but with a three week old it took me much longer to make than I'd like to admit (what with the fussing, diaper changes, feedings, and everything else interspersed). If you don't have a three week old to worry about, then you can probably get it all ready in about 15 minutes. My husband and I both really enjoyed this meal and it made plenty so we had leftovers to use in salads and quesadillas over the next week.

Southwestern Beef Wraps
Adapted from Our Best Bites

1 beef roast (approx 2 lbs)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
smoked paprika, to taste
juice of 1 lime
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes with chipotle chiles, or diced tomates with green chiles
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
tortillas, lettuce, salsa, avocado, cheese, sour cream, etc. for topping

1. Combine spices in small bowl. Rub all over roast, making sure it is completely coated. Place in slow cooker.
2. Top roast with onions, peppers, lime juice, and tomatoes (with juices). Cover and cook on low 7- 8 hours or high 5 - 6 hours or until meat is completely cooked and tender. Remove beef from crock pot, shred or slice, and place back in juices for at least 30 minutes.
3. Serve in flour tortillas topped with your choice of toppings.

Philly Steak Sandwiches

It's rare that I make steak, so if I'm going to take the time to make it I want it to be good. Juicy. Delicious. And worth my time. I was craving Philly steak sandwiches the other day and decided to whip these up. They turned out fantastic. I topped mine with some homemade pickled peppers that my sister brought me and in my own humble opinion it made them even better. Yum.


Philly Steak Sandwiches
makes 4 sandwiches

1 lb. good quality steak
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 Tb. vegetable oil
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
2 Tb. soy sauce
1 Tb. Worcestershire sauce
1 red or green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 Anaheim pepper, seeds removed and thinly sliced (optional, if you want it spicier)

4 hoagie rolls
1 cup sliced sharp white cheddar cheese

1. Combine spices. Rub evenly into steak. Grill over medium-high heat until medium (140 degrees F on thermometer), about 8-10 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Remove steak from grill, set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and peppers. Saute for 5 minutes. Slice steak thinly on the bias. Add to skillet, along with barbecue sauce, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook 2-3 more minutes, until heated through.
3. Fill hoagie rolls with steak/pepper mixture. Top with cheese. Enjoy!