Salsa Rojo

Salsa Rojo
Active time: 30 minutes | Total: 2 hours (including cooling time) | To make ahead: Prepare through Step 3. Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Stir in cilantro and lime juice just before serving.
Here’s a homemade version of the tomato salsa served at taco stands and burrito joints everywhere. Try it with all your favorite Mexican foods—it even works as enchilada sauce.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup diced onion
2 medium chile peppers, such as poblano, New Mexico or Anaheim, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, diced (about 4 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder or chili powder (see Shopping Tip)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, chile peppers and garlic and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and beginning to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have broken down and thickened slightly, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Carefully transfer the tomato mixture to a food processor or blender. Pulse to make a chunky sauce, or until desired consistency. (Use caution when pureeing hot ingredients.)
4. Let cool to room temperature, about 11/2 hours. Stir in cilantro and lime juice just before serving.
Makes about 3 cups.
Per 1/2-cup serving: 67 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat, 2 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 3 g fiber; 409 mg sodium; 393 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (80% daily value), Vitamin A (30% dv).
Shopping tip: Ancho chile, a dried poblano pepper, is one of the most popular dried chiles used in Mexico. It has a mild, sweet, spicy flavor. Find ground ancho chili powder in the specialty spice section of large supermarkets.

Triple Chocolate Oreo Bars

First I have to start with the disclaimer that I haven't made these, but when I saw them on http://cookiesandcups.blogspot.com/  the screamed Ashley and Eric to me.

Triple Chocolate Oreo Bars

Ingredients

1 16.6 pkg of Oreo cookies 1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted   Preheat the oven to 325°  Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil (shiny side down) and spray with non-stick spray. Set aside 8 Oreo cookies. Crush the remaining Oreos with either your food processor or in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin. (the ziplock method is what I did, as I loathe the food processor)  When the Oreos are crushed transfer them into a medium bowl and add you salt and melted butter, stirring to combine.   Press your Oreo mixture into your prepared pan. Chop your remaining 8 Oreos into coarse pieces and set aside. In a double boiler (a bowl fitted over a pan of boiling water) add your sweetened condensed milk, the semi-sweet chips, the milk chips and the vanilla.  Stir until all melty. (OR you could do this in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted)  Remove from heat Pour your melted chocolate mixture over the Oreo crust.  Sprinkle the mini chocolate chips and the Oreo cookies chunks over the top of the filling.  Press down gently into the chocolate topping.  Bake for 20-22 minutes in preheated oven.  Cool pan on a wire rack for approx 1 hour.  Melt the white chocolate chips.   Drizzle the white chocolate over the top of the bars.  Chill in refrigerator until completely cooled, an hour or two. Make sure they are completely cooled, otherwise they are a bit mushy...still delicious, but hard to cut. When ready to serve, using the foil remove from the pan and cut into squares.

Beef Enchiladas

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground chuck beef
1 tablespoon dried onions
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cilantro
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder
6 flour tortillas soft taco size (I use the refrigerated ones)
1 large can red enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso)
2 cups mexican blend cheese (such as colby and jack)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400F.  In a large skillet brown hamburger with a small amount of water (approximately 1/2 cup) and onions over medium high heat. Cook until the hamburger is completely done, no pink remains. Drain well.  Return the hamburger to the stove in the skillet changing the temperature to medium.  Add the spices to the meat and cook stirring constantly for 5 minutes, add 1/2 of the can of enchilada sauce and cook for another 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat but leave the skillet on the burner.  Spray a 11x13 glass dish with non-stick spray and set aside.  Pour some enchilada sauce onto an empty plate, place a tortilla in the sauce, turning it over to cover both sides. Place two heaping spoons full of the meat mixture onto the tortilla and roll it placing it into the prepared dish seam side down.  After placing all filled tortillas into the dish pour any remaining sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with cheese. Place into the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish as you wish with sour cream, salsa and lettuce.  Enjoy!

Chili

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time: 30-45 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1-1/2 lbs ground chuck beef
1/2 small red onion
1 large can tomato sauce
1 can chili beans (I use Bush brand)
1 can cream corn
1 package chili seasoning mix (I use McCormick's)

Directions:
Brown hamburger meat along with a small amount of water and onion over medium high heat.  Meanwhile, in large pot combine remaining ingredients and stir together over medium heat. Drain hamburger when fully cooked, make sure no pink remains, and add to bean mixture on the stove.  Stir until well combined and reduce heat to low and allow to simmer at least 30 minutes. Flavor will intensify the longer it cooks, stir occasionally. Remove from heat and serve immediately.  See below for garnish suggestions.  Enjoy!

Garnish if desired.
Sour Cream
Cheese (Shredded Velveeta or Colby and Jack Blend)
Crackers
Corn Chips

Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf
Prep Time:  15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
Meat Loaf
1-1/2 lbs chuck ground beef
3/4 sleeve saltine crackers finely crushed
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 small red onion or 2 tablespoons dried onions
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
salt & pepper to taste

Glaze
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon worstershire sauce

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F.  Finely crush crackers put into a gallon size zipper bag. Add egg, spices, onion and milk, close bag and knead to mix together. Once all these ingredients are well combined add hamburger to the bag, knead until the hamburger is well combined with mixture.  Form into a loaf and place into loaf pan, if you prefer you can use a larger corning ware dish and put potatoes and carrots around the meatloaf.  Set to the side.  In a small bowl combine ketchup, brown sugar and worstershire sauce, stir until well mixed making sure there are no sugar lumps.  Spread about half of the glaze over the meat loaf and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.  When you remove the meat loaf from the oven allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.  Use remaining sauce as needed when serving. Enjoy!

Ultimate Brownies

Ultimate Brownies
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time:  35-40 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes
Yield:  24 brownies

INGREDIENTS
8-1 ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
5 large eggs
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375F.  Line  a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil leaving extra foil at the ends to use as handles to lift the brownies out after cooling.  Spray foil with cooking spray after lining pan. Melt butter and chocolate over low heat, set aside.  Meanwhile, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for 10 minutes (this is where a stand mixer comes in handy). Blend in chocolate mixture, flour and salt until just mixed.  Stir in nuts. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in 375F oven for 35-40 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack, then lift by the excess aluminum foil at the ends of the pan. Cut into 24 individual pieces being sure to clean the knife between each cut to ensure a cleaner slice. Enjoy!!

Chocolate-Glazed Fudge Cake

Chocolate-Glazed Fudge Cake
(slightly modified from the original Pillsbury recipe)
Prep Time: 30Minutes
Total Time:  2Hours 10 Minutes
Makes: 16 Servings

INGREDIENTS:
Cake
1 cup salted butter
16 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla
6 large eggs, lightly beaten

Glaze (Ganache)
1/2 cup whipping cream
8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350F.  Grease 8-inch round cake pan. In medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over medium-low heat, stirring until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla. Gently stir in beaten eggs until well combined. Pour into greased pan.  Bake at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Remove cake and place on a wire rack to cool for 40 minutes.

After cooling carefully run an knife around the edge of the pan and invert the cake on the wire rack and cool an additional 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan warm the whipping cream to just boiling over medium heat, stirring occassionally.  Remove from heat and immediately pour over chocolate, stir until smooth and add vanilla.

Place cake on serving platter after cooling time is complete. Slowly pour glaze (ganache) over the top of the cake allowing some to drip down the sides. Store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!