Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas)

Ingredients:

1 16-oz jar grape leaves in brine (usually about 60-70 leaves)

2 cups short grain rice

Extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 large yellow onions, finely chopped

2 lb lean ground beef (or lamb, or a mixture)

Kosher salt

Black pepper

1 1/2 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. cumin

3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (can substitute dried)

3/4 cup chopped fresh dill (can substitute dried, 2 Tblsp)

4+ cups chicken broth

Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/2 cup)

Preparation:

1. Wash and separate all grape leaves. Spread out on counter.

2. Put rice in water to soak.

3. Chop onion and spices (if using fresh).

4. Juice lemons.

5. Cook onions in small amount of olive oil.

6. Add meat to onions, and cook until browned. Break meat up while cooking. If meat is very fatty, drain (but do not rinse) meat, once it is done cooking.

7. Add salt, pepper and spices (but not parsley and dill) to meat. Use salt and pepper to taste - over season just slightly, because rice will absorb the flavor.

8. Remove meat from heat and cool completely (but do not refrigerate). 

9. Drain rice.

10. Mix rice, meat and herbs, then add olive oil. Add enough oil to moisten mixture throughout, but not make mixture oily. Amount of oil varies based on type of rice used and how much fat is in meat.

11. Brush heavy pot with olive oil.

12. Lay several grape leaves in bottom of pot, being sure to cover entire bottom.

13. Stuff leaves: place leaf on counter or board, with textured side facing up. Use approximately one heaping tablespoon of filling, and place it in the center of the leaf. Fold sides of leaf over filling, then roll. Roll snugly, but not too tightly, as rice will need room to expand when cooking.

14. Place rolled leaves, seam side down, in pot, lining them neatly with sides touching but not tightly packed. Alternate directions for each layer of leaves.

15. Once all leaves are placed in pot, place an inverted plate over all of the rolls, to hold them in place.

16. Boil chicken broth, then pour over leaves (leave plate in place) until all leaves are completely covered.

17. Cover pot with lid.

18. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes, or until most of liquid has been absorbed. If liquid is absorbed before 30 minutes has passed, add about 1/2 cup of hot water to pot and continue cooking.

19. Once most liquid is absorbed (around the 30 minute mark), remove plate and add lemon juice.

20. Continue cooking, covered but without the plate, for 30 to 45 more minutes on medium to low heat. Check for doneness by ensuring rice is very soft and grape leaves have cooked to a very tender stage. 

Ryan’s Favorite Burrito

Ingredients:

1 large flour tortilla

1/3 cup seasoned and cooked taco meat (taco seasoning, cumin)

2 Tblsp sour cream

6-8 slices pickled jalapeños 

3 Tblsp diced white onions 

2 Tblsp medium salsa

3 Tblsp shredded Mexican-blend cheese 

Black pepper

Preparation:

1. Spread sour cream down middle of burrito. 
2. Add onions, jalapeños and meat and cheese (in that order). 
3. Microwave burrito (open) until cheese is starting to melt. 
4. Add salsa on top of melted cheese, then add black pepper. 
5. Roll up burrito and wrap in foil for serving. 

Southwest Chicken and Corn Chowder

Ingredients:
4 Tblsp. bacon grease

4 medium raw chicken breasts, cut into small bite-size pieces
1 medium onion
4 sticks celery
1/2 cup flour
4 Tblsp. minced garlic
8 cups chicken broth or stock
2 cans fire roasted corn
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 large Russet potatoes, peeled 
1/2 package Walmart Southwest Chicken Seasoning (or equivalent seasoning equal to 4 Tblsp.)
Salt & pepper to taste
Scallions and bacon, chopped, optional for serving

Preparation:
1. Put onion and celery into food processor and puree until smooth. Add a bit of chicken broth if needed to smooth it out.

2. Dice potatoes. (I use a french fry cutter to slice them, then cross-cut them after, to get cubes.)

3. Heat bacon grease in large stockpot on medium heat.

4. Once grease has melted, add the onion and celery puree, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring as needed to keep it from burning.

5. Stir in the flour, and cook for about a minute, stirring nearly constantly, to keep flour from clumping.

6. Add garlic, followed by the chicken broth. Stir well to make sure flour dissolves and nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.

7. Add chicken, corn (do not drain), cream, potatoes and seasoning. 

8. Over medium heat, slowly bring the soup to a boil. Stir frequently to keep the potatoes from sticking to the bottom.

9. Once the soup has reached boiling, reduce the heat to a rapid simmer, so it's only gently/barely boiling. 

10. Continue cooking until the potatoes are done (about 15-20 minutes). Stir every so often. The soup will thicken as it cooks. If it gets too thick, add chicken broth in 1/4 cup increments until it thins to your taste.

11. Season the soup with salt, pepper and even hot sauce, as needed. 

12. Soup can be garnished with scallions and bacon, if desired. 

Easy Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

2 cans (10 oz each) red enchilada sauce (or make your own, see below)

1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles

1 package 6” flour tortillas for soft tacos 

1 ½ cups shredded Cheddar cheese (6 oz)

 

Enchilada sauce

1 can tomato sauce

1 ½ tsp Goya seasoning

1 tsp cumin

 

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 375°F. 

2.  Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish or pan with cooking spray.

3. Cook beef, stirring occasionally and chopping as desired, until thoroughly cooked, then drain. 

4.  Stir in 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce and the chiles.

5. Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce evenly in baking dish. 

6. Spread 1/4 cup beef mixture down center of each tortilla.

7. Sprinkle beef mixture with 1 tablespoon cheese. 

8. Wrap tortillas tightly around filling, placing seam side down in baking dish. 

9.  Top with remaining enchilada sauce, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

10. Cover with foil, and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

11. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Sheet Pan Brownies

Ingredients:
BROWNIES:
2 family-sized boxes brownie mix
1 stick butter, melted
4 eggs
1/2 cup water
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

GLAZE:
2/3 cup butter
1/2 cup water
1 cup cocoa
2 tsp. vanilla
Dash of salt
4 cups powdered sugar

Preparation:
1. Generously grease a full-sized jellyroll pan or large cookie sheet with sides.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Mix all ingredients together with wooden spoon.
4. Spread into pan.
5. Bake at 350 degree for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out mostly clean. Be sure not to stick toothpick into a chocolate chip when trying to determine doneness.
6. If glazing, make glaze 5 minutes before brownies are due to come out of the oven (glaze must be soft and somewhat pourable). To make glaze, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
7. As soon as butter is melter, add cocoa, vanilla, water and salt and stir.
8. Add in powdered sugar, mixing with a whisk or hand mixer to achieve smoothness. (Alternately, put powdered sugar in bowl of stand mixer, then add butter and cocoa mixture and mix.)
9. Use glaze immediately, if desired.
NOTE: If glazing, score brownies immediately upon glaze setting up (before full hardening stage), but DO NOT cut brownies until they have cooled completely.

Steph's Chicken Strips

Ingredients:
Self-rising or all-purpose flour

Ranch dressing powder

Southwest Ranch dressing powder

Goya Adobo (red) seasoning

Black pepper

Chicken strips/tenderloins

Buttermilk

Hot sauce

Preparation:

1) Remove the white tendon from each chicken tender.

2) Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a large bowl with a lid. 

3) Place chicken tenders in buttermilk mixture, put on lid, and then shake until all tenders are coated.

4) Refrigerate tenders for at least 4 hours to marinate.

5) Mix flour and seasonings in a flat bowl in this ratio, sifting together, then adjusting to taste:

    6 parts flour

    1 part Ranch powder

    1/2 part Southwest Ranch powder

    1/8 part Goya

    Black pepper, to taste

6) Dredge each chicken tender well in the flour mixture and set on a plate. 

7) When all tenders are dredged, heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet or saucepan until hot, then drop in tenders, one by one, until a single layer of tenders is cooking in the oil. Tenders should be cooked in small batches.

8) Reduce oil heat slightly, so tenders cook until crisp, but don't burn before they are thoroughly done. Tenders should take about 8 minutes to cook each batch. Turn several times while cooking.

9) When cooking is complete, remove tenders from oil and place on paper towels to drain. Lightly salt tenders.

10) Continue cooking until all tenders are done, keeping cooked tenders warm in low-heat oven or in warming drawer.

Easy and Best Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, very cold
2 1/4 cups self-rising flour, plus more for kneading and work surface
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preparation:
1) Slice the butter into 1/4" thick slices.

2) Put the 2 1/4 cups of flour into a large bowl and toss in the butter slices. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until the mixture is crumbly and resembles small peas.

3) Cover dough and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

4) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

5) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

6) Remove dough from fridge, and add buttermilk, stirring gently with a fork just until the flour is moistened. The dough will be very sticky.

7) Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead it three or four times, adding flour as needed.

8) Press or pat the dough into a 3/4" thick rectangle (about 9" x 5"), then sprinkle it with a little more flour.

9) Fold the dough over onto itself in three sections.

10) Again press dough into a 3/4" thick rectangle and fold over itself into three sections. Repeat the press and fold two more times (4 total).

11) Press or pat the dough to 3/4" thickness, then cut with a 2" cutter. 

12) Place biscuits, sides touching, onto the prepared baking sheet.

13) Bake biscuits for 13 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Do not overbake, or biscuits will dry out.

14) Optional: brush tops of biscuits with melted butter.

Makes approximately 12 biscuits.