My Big Announcement

I know some of my readers have been chomping at the bit to hear my latest news. As many of you know, I was unceremoniously laid off from my job recently as a geeky software business analyst of almost 16 years with the company in one fashion or other.

One of my friends asked me, “So now what are you going to do with your life?” My knee-jerk reaction was to say, “Well I guess get another business analyst job.”

But then I woke up that night with an epiphany. Do I REALLY have to go back into the same profession? My future is a blank slate! I have many skills besides being an analyst and writer. I like to cook, I like like to make great food and serve it to others (and I’ve been blogging about it for over 6 freakin’ years). WHY NOT OPEN MY OWN FOOD TRUCK???

And so I did.

My Food Cart

Well, technically it’s a Class IV food cart, but to me it’s my own food truck and my future. The permitting process has been tedious at best, but we are getting so close to the final stretch.

I’ll be selling Texas-style street tacos on a busy riverfront plaza downtown where I live, and have the option to work events and festivals (with more permits, of course). I’ll serve breakfast tacos for the morning downtown workers, then regular street tacos for lunch and weekend nights (beef, pork and chicken). And my creamy spicy pinto beans will be served up all day!

Creamy Spicy Pinto Beans

The logo and website designs are still in process, as well as the final street vendor permit. I don’t want to say much more about that part lest I jinx any outcomes. Of course I’ll be using the standard social media platforms to also promote my new business.

I’ve been cooking up a storm with my recipe development, and my poor family is about taco-ed out, ha!

Carne Asada Street Tacos

I’ve also landed my first gig catering a breakfast taco brunch, which will be a good test for cooking larger quantities. I have a commissary/commercial kitchen at my disposal for my food prep, but all food will be dished up fresh and hot on the cart, complete with cast-iron warmed corn and flour tortillas. I also have three signature salsas for patrons (my Texas Green Sauce has been getting raves) to choose from, as well as the other standard street taco garnishes.

Egg, Potato and Cheese Breakfast Taco with Texas Green Sauce

So that’s it! Oh, you want to know the name of my business too? Well I’m sorry you’ll have to wait longer on that one until everything is finalized. I know, I am such a tease. Many of my close friends and family know, but I’d really like to kick off with my new logo. Stay tuned! XOXO

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17 Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Turkey Chipotle Posole

Yeah, yeah, I am always late to the game. I always forget I have a bunch of recipes you can make for Cinco de Mayo. But heck, don’t let that stop you from making any of these recipes on any other day either! UPDATE: I can NOT get some of my links to work, so if you want to look at a recipe here without a link, please try the search box in the upper right corner. Sorry ’bout that!

Turkey Chipotle Posole (lead-in photo)

Marcos Pollo Tacos

Marcos Pollos Tacos

Chorizo and Beef Enchiladas with Cheesy Hatch Chile Sauce

Chorizo and Beef Enchiladas in Cheesy Hatch Chile Sauce

Mexican-Style Beef and Cabbage Soup

Mexican-Style Beef with Cabbage Soup

Hatch Chile Fire-Roasted Salsa

Hatch Chile Fire-Roasted Salsa

Chunky Guacamole Grilled Nachos with Chicken

Grilled Nachos with Chicken and Chunky Guacamole plus Grilled Mexican Tortilla Pizza

Chile Relleno Chicken Rollups

Chile Relleno Chicken Rollups

Skillet Huevos Rancheros with Homemade Tortilla Strips

Skillet Huevos Rancheros with Homemade Tortilla Strips

 

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

Chicken Enchilada Skillet

Chicken Chile Verde Posole

Chicken Chile Verde Posole

Authentic Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas with Chile Gravy

Authentic Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas with Chile Gravy

 

Large Batch Taco Mix

DIY Taco Mix (Large Batch)

Carnitas Tacos with Spicy Pickled Red Onions

Creamy Chicken Chili and Beans

Creamy Chicken Chili and Beans

Chicken Fideo Soup

Chicken Fideo Soup (Mexican Chicken Noodle Soup)

Black Bean, Potato, and Chorizo Soup

Black Bean, Potato, and Chorizo Soup

And last but not least!

Charro, or Borracho Beans

Cinco de Mayo Charro, or Burracho Beans

Happy Eating Y’all!

Lipstick on a Pig Texas Chicken Spaghetti

Lipstick on a Pig Texas Chicken Spaghetti

Some dishes are just not photogenic. I made this dish last week and the family just gobbled it up and it got raves all the way around. So when I went to take a final “plating shot” I scattered some cilantro over the top of it and thought, “you know, this is just like putting lipstick on a pig.” HA! But mind you, this slow cooker dish is just the ticket for a bowl full of creamy, cheesy, chicken-noodley goodness. You will be licking that bowl clean! (And even better, this recipe is completely versatile!)

WARNING: Unpleasant food photos ahead. Really, there is nothing very appetizing to look at while making this dish. But the taste…! And yes, I am making fun of my photography, because sometimes it just works out that way. 😉

Lipstick on a Pig Texas Chicken Spaghetti

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (mine was 12 ounces, and frozen!)
Salt or Mrs. Dash and ground pepper, to taste
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced tomatoes (canned or otherwise, with liquid)
1 roasted Hatch chile, peeled, seeded, and diced (or sub with 2 tablespoons of canned diced green chiles)
2 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock (or sub low-sodium store-bought broth)
4 ounces spaghetti noodles, uncooked
2 ounces cream cheese
1 1/2 cups grated cheese, any kind (I used half Gruyere and half sharp cheddar)
1 teaspoon New Mexico chile powder (or regular)
1 teaspoon lime juice
Cilantro, for garnish (the lipstick on the pig!)

Season the chicken breast with salt or Mrs. Dash and pepper, to taste, then add to the crockpot. I actually added mine in frozen, no need to defrost — really!

Peeled and Seeded Roasted Hatch Chile Pepper ~ Hmmm, how exciting.

Chop up the onion and peel and dice that roasted pepper. Wait, you don’t have a roasted Hatch chile pepper sitting around? Canned is fine.

Veggies and Chicken ~ Can’t see the raw chicken? You don’t want to. Trust me.

Toss in the onions, tomatoes, chiles and chicken stock/broth. (And I used turkey stock, see how I am?) Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

Remove chicken breast and cover with foil until cool enough to handle. Shred the chicken with a fork and add back to the crockpot.

Shredding the Chicken ~ Hey, let’s take a really close up shot of the shredded chicken so you can even see the tomato bits stuck to it!

Grate your cheeses. No, don’t grate the cream cheese.

Grated Cheeses ~ Finally, something tolerable to view. But it’s just cheese.

Break the uncooked noodles in half and add to the pot along with with the cheeses, chile powder and lime juice.

Adding the Dried Spaghetti ~ Really Kathryn? That’s just ick.

Stir around as best you can, then cover and cook for another half hour to an hour until the noodles are done. Give it one final stir to incorporate well, then serve in bowls garnished with lipstick, um, cilantro. 😀

Texas Chicken Spaghetti ~ Because putting a really old crockpot in the background with half-spent cilantro makes it look better, right?

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

 

Black-Eyed Pea Risotto

Black-Eyed Pea Risotto

I usually make a big ol’ batch of black-eyed peas for New Year’s Day, but since I’m the only one who likes to eat them, I decided to mix it up and make this Black-Eyed Pea Risotto for lunch instead with a smaller batch of peas to see if I could at least get my husband to try them that way. No go. He had soup and grilled cheese instead.

I want to give my foodie friend Karen over at Back Road Journal a shout out for the inspiration to make this. She says it’s the only way she can get her husband to eat black-eyed peas, and was hoping it would be the same case for mine. He wouldn’t even taste them!

I used my homemade ham stock from the freezer to cook both the black-eyed peas and risotto. If you don’t have any ham stock, then you can substitute chicken broth instead. I also typically make my black-eyed peas from dried peas soaked overnight, but I used a half-bag of frozen instead. You could also substitute frozen with canned and not have to cook them as long. Last, I made my “Texas” version of the peas, spicing it up with bacon and jalapeño.

And I have a confession to make: This is the first time I’ve ever made risotto. It’s true, I swear! I’ve been wanting to try making it for many years, but always balked at the time it took standing and stirring at the stove. It really wasn’t that tedious of a process, plus it was interesting to watch the rice transform in texture over time. Now that I’ve leapt that hurdle, I’m hoping to try out some different risotto recipes I’ve bookmarked.

Black-Eyed Pea Risotto
Inspired by Black-Eyed Pea Risotto from Back Road Journal

1/4 cup diced onion
2 tablespoons real bacon bits
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
8 ounces frozen black-eyed peas, or sub with one drained and rinsed can
Ground black pepper, to taste
4 cups homemade ham or chicken broth, divided
3 slices of jarred jalapeños, minced, plus a teaspoon of juice from jar
1/2 cup Arborio or short-grained uncooked rice

Cooking the Black-Eyed Peas

In a saucepan, saute the onion and bacon bits in one tablespoon of the olive oil for about 5 minutes, then stir in the jalapeño and juice. Add the black-eyed peas, then cover with 2 cups ham broth. Season with ground black pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for about a half hour or longer, until the peas are tender. (If using canned, you only need to simmer for a few minutes and should probably cut down the broth by a lot.)

Meanwhile, microwave 2 cups of ham broth until piping hot. Add the other tablespoon of oil to a large skillet over medium heat and add the uncooked rice. Cook it for a few minutes until it starts to shimmer. Don’t let it brown.

Starting the Risotto ~ As you can see, it is still pretty white and firm

Pour in 1/2 cup of the hot ham broth and stir continuously until the broth is absorbed completely, about 10 minutes. Stir in another 1/2 cup of hot broth (microwave to reheat as needed) and stir until absorbed.

Risotto After Second Half-Cup of Broth~ You can see the rice is plumping up now and getting creamier

Continue this process of adding a half cup of broth and stirring until the two cups are used up. If needed, add more broth or water at the end until desired consistency is reached. (I had to do this due to our high altitude, it was still too al dente after using up the two cups.)

Ham Broth Risotto Almost Finished ~ It has developed a lot of color and creaminess now

Last, add the black-eyed pea mixture to the rice, stir until combined, and serve! That’s a whole lot of my own yumminess in a bowl!

Black-Eyed Peas and Risotto Mixed Together

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

 

 

Happy Thanksbirthday!

A clever friend of mine wished me that today! Today I am celebrating both my birthday and Thanksgiving. We all have much to be thankful for, but today I am especially thankful for my wonderful husband who is building me a beautiful big kitchen in the house we are remodeling.

I do not have to cook today, as a very special friend’s sister is hosting Thanksgiving dinner for my family. I am very much looking forward to the feast tonight!

And look at what another special friend made for me:

Casserole Carrier

Yes, a very clever casserole carrier! Or in this case…

 

Pie Carrier!

a pie carrier! I made my grandma’s Texas Pecan Pie last night with true Texas pecans, shipped to me yearly by my mother in Texas. Thank you Mom!!!

Texas Pecans

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving surrounded by family and friends.

Here is a link to the recipe: Texas Pecan Pie

Texas Chicken-Fried Steak with all the Fixin’s

Chicken Fried Steak with all the Fixin’s

We are hosting a foreign exchange student (Caroline) from France for three weeks, so my blogging has been (and will be) a bit spotty as we try to entertain her and introduce her to the “American” style of living. And part of that experience includes food, of course! So far I’ve made crock-pot beef stew (which I have yet to ever blog about), my Garlicky Parmesan Chicken Tenders, and my hubby made her Huevos Motuleños. She’s also experienced the All-American hot dog and fries (Nathan’s All-Beef Jumbo, of course).

But the grand-daddy of an All-American meal (in my book) is good old-fashioned Texas Chicken-Fried Steak with all the fixin’s. (Meaning, mashed potatoes, peppery cream gravy, and green beans.) I posted my recipe for this over two years ago, then reblogged it later but never took a new photo, so figured it was a good time to dust it off, upgrade the photos and add a little more detail to the ingredients and steps. And the bonus to this is I instructed Caroline on how to make all this and she did it all herself (with some guided supervision). She did great! And we all cleaned up our plates and she absolutely loved this meal. I think you would too! I’ve included quite a few photos with this one, as it was fun being able to photograph someone else doing the work. 🙂

Chicken-Fried Steak with all the Fixin’s

4 to 6 russet potatoes, 3 tablespoons butter, and milk as needed
4 to 6 cubed steaks, or round steaks, tenderized
3/4 cup flour
Generous amounts of ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Salt, to taste
2 eggs with splash of milk
1 1/2 cups milk
Reserved flour (about 2 tablespoons)
Vegetable oil for skillet
Fresh green beans

First peel those potatoes and get them boiling in a pot of water and cook for about 20 minutes. Go off and do something else during this time.

Peeling the Potatoes

When you get back from whatever you just did, keep the potatoes boiling. Mix together the flour and the seasonings to taste on a plate. I had Caroline add a lot of black pepper. Beat the eggs with the milk in a bowl.

Preparing Egg and Milk Wash

Whisking the Eggs and Milk

Dredge the steaks in the flour mixture until coated, then dip in the egg mixture to coat. Dredge the steaks once again in the flour until coated well  (your fingers will get nice and clumpy at this part) and set aside on another plate or rack. Reserve the extra flour mixture for the gravy.

Dredging the Cubed Steaks

Check your potatoes at this point, and if done, go ahead and drain them, return to pot and whip them up with the butter and enough milk to make them creamy. Cover and put over lowest heat setting possible.

Double-Dredged Cubed Steaks

Whipping the Potatoes

Next, heat about an eighth- to quarter-inch of oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, preferably cast iron, until hot, but not smoking. I used two cast iron skillets so we could cook six steaks all at once, but you could also do this in batches in one skillet. Very carefully set each steak in the hot oil with a spatula.

Let the steaks sizzle in the oil for about four or five minutes, until you see red juice bubbling out of the top. Carefully slide the spatula under each steak and gently flip them over. Fry for about another five minutes until crispy brown, turning down heat if needed to prevent burning. Remove the steaks from the skillet and drain on paper towels. Turn heat off of skillet. This is a good time to start cooking your green beans, too, however you prefer to make them.

Frying the Cubed Steaks

For the cream gravy, pour all but about two tablespoons of oil out of the skillet (or one of them if using two) and make sure the crispy bits stay in the pan. Add the reserved seasoned flour into a jar, then add the milk. Cover, and shake, shake, shake that baby until all the flour is completely incorporated.

Adding Milk to Flour for Gravy

Turn the heat back on to medium high under the skillet with the oil, then slowly add the milk, whisking constantly, until the gravy starts to thicken. Add lots and lots of more pepper at this point, and salt to taste. Continue whisking until the gravy is the consistency you want, adding more milk or water if it gets too thick.

Whisking the Cream Gravy

Put the chicken fried steaks on each plate, pour a generous amount of cream gravy over them, and serve with mashed potatoes and more cream gravy, and fresh steamed green beans with butter (or vegetable of choice). Crazy Texas Good!

Chicken Fried Steak with all the Fixin’s

Download and Print this Yummy Recipe!

Tangy Squash with Onions and Tomatoes a la Threadgill’s

Tangy Squash with Onions and Tomatoes

This is a delightful side dish, with subtle flavors that don’t overpower the squash but give it a nice tang. Squash is the star of this show, and you don’t want to overwhelm its delicate flavor. I know it’s winter, but yellow squash is typically available year round, in varying degrees of size and freshness. Yesterday the store had some fairly nice looking ones, so picked them up on a whim during my half-hour quick-trip to the grocery that’s nearby my daughter’s piano lessons while she continues to perfect that craft. The original recipe for this comes from Threadgill’s, a restaurant that was my mainstay while in college in Austin (oh that and Trudy’s and Chuy’s.) I usually try to get in a dinner or lunch at any of those whenever I visit.  I have a copy of Threadgill’s cookbook from 1996 which was written by the proprietor at that time, and immediately went to it to replicate this side I  almost always order with my main course there. (Which is either chicken-fried steak or chicken-fried chicken livers. Oh yes.) I was tempted to add more Worcestershire and Tabasco than the recipe called for, but I pulled back and trusted the recipe. I quartered the original recipe as it said it made enough for eight large servings,  and with only three of us it came out the perfect amount, with a tad leftover. Would serve four easily as a side dish. We had both chicken and steak leftover in the fridge we needed to eat, and wanted something new for a vegetable in these winter months. I also whipped up some couscous, which is another nice quick side to pair this with. My adaptation to this recipe was to add a half a tomato, not only for color but a bit more flavor, and substitute a nice dry Chardonnay for the Chablis it called for.  And ground black pepper! Gotta have that spice in most everything. I did restrain myself this time and left out garlic.  I hope you enjoy this tangy take on an otherwise bland side dish!

Chopped Squash, Onion, and Tomato (Bad yellow lighting, I know!!!!)

Tangy Squash with Onions and Tomatoes a la Threadgill’s
Adapted from Threadgill’s, The Cookbook

1 pound yellow squash, chopped
1 tablespoon butter or substitute
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup white wine, you choose
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 small tomato, chopped
Ground black pepper, to taste
Parsley for garnish, optional

Note: The above recipe is the quartered version. Double, triple or quadruple as needed.

Start by chopping up the yellow squash into 1/4-inch or so slices, then cut the larger slices in half. In a large-ish skillet, heat the butter or substitute on medium and add the onion. Sauté for about 3 minutes, until it starts to soften. Add the wine, water, Worcestershire, and Tabasco sauce until mixed, then dump in the squash. Stir it around in the juice, then cover it up and simmer for a few minutes. Uncover and give it a good stir again, grind some black pepper over it, then stir again and cover. At this point keep an eye on it. You only need to cook it maybe a total of 1o minutes more, stirring occasionally, depending on your heat. You don’t want the squash to be too mushy, but not overly hard either. Just eyeball the doneness. Last, tell your family to get in the kitchen and dinner is served!

Black-Eyed Peas are Soaking!

New Year’s Day Black Eyed Peas Soaking

I have my black-eyed peas soaking for New Year’s Day and Good Fortune for 2013.  Are yours?

New Year’s Day Black-Eyed Peas

Happy 1st Anniversary anotherfoodieblogger!

Texas Pecan Pie – My First Foodie Post

Wow. My blog is officially one year old today. I want to thank YOU, all my readers, who have followed me on my journey from that first piece of pecan pie, through the soups while recovering from surgery, discovering camping food and delights of the ocean and rivers, experiencing the sizzling grill and cool salads of summer, savoring the comfort foods of fall, laughing at my silly mishaps, and hopefully enjoying some of the recipes I’ve offered from my house to yours. 2013 is just around the corner, and I hope you’ll stick around to bear witness to a new year of food and folly with me.

For last year’s words belong to last year’s language
And next year’s words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~T.S. Eliot

Giving Thanks

Texas Pecan Pie

I am so thankful and grateful for all my wonderful friends and family, and for you my followers, who so kindly check into my foodie world now again. In a little over one month, I celebrate my first anniversary of this blog, which has become near and dear to me. So on this day of Thanks, I will share with you my very first foodie post, which was appropriately about Pecan Pie. Happy Thanksgiving my Friends! Texas Gold