Bake Sale Betty Knock Offs

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I’ve never been to the restaurant but friends have had parties with Bakesale Betty catering. Bakesale Betty is a restaurant in Oakland, CA. And although, I’ve never been, I love Betty. These chicken fried sandwiches that she has inspired me to make for every major sporting/watch-and-eat event. They’re crunchy and savory and oh so easy to eat way too much of. They’re also great booze absorbers.

Bakesale Betty Knock Offs

  • 4 whole boneless, skinless full chicken breasts (or 8 if they’re halved)
  • 2 packages of biscuit dough (or make your own, ambitious one)
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups panko
  • 1 cup flour
  • 3 TBSP kosher salt
  • 1/2 head cabbage, sliced thin
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1 TBSP poppy seeds
  • 1-2 jalapeños, diced
  • Rice wine vinegar
  • Canola oil

Bake biscuits according to package – or your recipe.

While biscuits are backing, mix cabbage, cilantro, poppy seeds and jalapeños. Drizzle with oil and vinegar and set aside (kids do not like this slaw so I always serve it as an add on).

Mix eggs in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, mix part of the panko, flour and salt (this you’ll need to keep filling as the chicken cooks.) Cut chicken pieces diagonally to appropriate size of biscuits. Dredge chicken in eggs then dry mix.

Heat oil in a pan about 1″ deep. Heat until quick but not vigorous bubbles form around panko that’s dropped in to the pan. don’t let it over heat or smoke.

Add chicken to oil and cook until done. Drain on paper towels.

Assemble chicken sandwiches and devour!

Filippino Beef Stew

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I love beef stew. It’s easy and when cooked well, the beef is tender and it is oh so comforting.

This beef stew recipe reminds me of the holidays because my SO’s family makes a similar stew every nocha buena.

I had stew meat so I thought, let’s make xmas in March. Enjoy!

Filippino Beef Stew

  • 1.5 lb stew meat, cut into 2″ cubes
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/2 lemon juice
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 12 baby red and Yukon potatoes, size of large marbles (fewer cut into smalle pieces is fine)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1.5 cup tomato purée
  • 2 cup beef stock (extra if needed)
  • 2 TBSP fish sauce
  • Cracked pepper
  • Canola oil

Marinate beef with soy sauce and lemon juice for 30 mins.

Heat 1-2 TBSP canola oil and brown garlic. Set aside.

Brown meat in batches. Reserve marinade.

Cook onion with all the beef until onion is wilted. Add fish sauce and cook for 2 mins. Add in the tomato purée, 1 cup of broth, reserved marinade, red bell pepper, garlic and oil and bay leaves. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 45 mins. Checking to stir 2-3 times adding broth if it gets too thick.

Test meat at 45 min mark. It most likely needs to cook for another 30-45 mins to easily pull apart with a fork. Add in broth when necessary.

Once the meat is tender, add in the potatoes and carrots and cook until tender, 20 mins.

Serve over rice with cracked pepper.

Enjoy!!

Pink Mylk – Sakara inspired

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One of my favorite discoveries in the past year was Sakara. It’s a meal program that inspired my cooking creativity just by taste.

Their Pink Mylk is one of my favorites over granola and freeze dried strawberries.

Pink Mylk

  • 1 Tbsp powdered Pitaya or Dragon Fruit powder
  • 2 shakes of cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp Himalayan sea salt
  • 2 Tbsp Manuka honey
  • 2/3 cup oat milk

Combine all ingredients and shake vigorously. Serve over nut granola topped with shredded coconut and freeze dried strawberries.

Holy QUESO, Batman!!

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Stop what you’re doing and make this NOW! Make it as a weekend snack. Serve it with margaritas. Bring it to your friends’ house in a fondue pot and be forever more, the most invited person to every eating event ever.

I love you, homesicktexan.com for this recipe – like love love!

Best Queso Ever (Bob Armstrong Dip)

Ingredients for the taco meat:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 bell pepper. seeded and diced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • Pinch of cayenne

Ingredients for the chile con queso:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 pound American cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
  • Salt
  • Sour cream and guacamole for garnishing
  • Tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions

  1. To make the taco meat, in a large skillet heat the oil on medium-low heat and add the bell pepper, jalapeño, and onion. While stirring occasionally, cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
  2. Add the ground beef to the skillet, along with the cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir until everything is well combined and then cook the ground beef for 15 more minutes, or until browned. Taste and adjust seasonings. Turn off the heat and drain any excess grease.
  3. To make the queso, in a saucepot heat the oil on medium-low heat and add the jalapeño and onion. While stirring occasionally, cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
  4. Leaving on the heat, stir in the cumin, black pepper, and cornstarch until the dry ingredients are well combined with the vegetables. Pour in the chicken broth and while stirring cook until the sauce has thickened, which should happen in a couple of minutes.
  5. Turn the heat down to low and working in batches, slowly stir in a handful of the cheese. After it’s melted into the sauce, repeat the process until all the cheese is added. Stir in the tomatoes, adjust seasonings, and add salt to taste.
  6. This makes a lot of queso. To keep it hot and reduce the “skin” from forming, serve in a fondue pot. To assemble, layer along the bottom of the dish the taco meat, then pour in the queso and then top with the guacamole and sour cream. Serve warm with chips

Kinda Curry Curry

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This is the simplest recipe that results in the kind of curry non-spicy lovers love. It’s full of veggies and protein of your choice.

  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 2-3 cloves or garlic, diced
  • 3″ piece of ginger, peeled and diced
  • 10 whole cardamom pods, smashed and seeds removed
  • 1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 1 eggplant, chopped and roasted
  • 1 sweet potato, chopped and roasted
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/4 small purple cabbage, chopped
  • Handful of spinach
  • Handful of green beans
  • Extra firm tofu, chopped
  • 1/2 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 cup tomato purée
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 and roast sweet potato and eggplant with a drizzle of oil and salt for 30 mins while you’re busy chopping and sautéing.

Sauté onions, garlic, ginger and cardamom seeds for 5 mins on medium in avocado oil or oil of your choice. Add carrots, cauliflower and spices. Cook for 1 min until fragrant. Add coconut milk and tomato purée. Cook for 10 mins. Add remaining veggies (except spinach) and protein (tofu in this case) and cook until veggies are just tender and protein is cooked. Add roasted veggies and spinach.

Serve over rice.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

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This cookie recipe never fails me. It’s so good and never lasts more than a couple days in the cookie jar. Make some with nuts and others without and tell me which ones you prefer.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Credit to Smitten Kitchen again!

  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (120 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) (115 grams) unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) pieces
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (200 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup (130 grams) pecans, toasted and chopped (optional)

Adjust the oven rack to the top third of the oven and preheat to 300F (150C).

Line three baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.

Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts if you’re including.

Scoop the cookie dough into 2-tablespoon (5cm) balls and place 8 balls, spaced 4 inches (10cm) apart, on each of the baking sheets.

Bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

I’ve refrigerated cookie dough balls to cook later (these are delicious freshly baked). They worked out great and just require that you bring them to room temp before baking.

Enjoy!

Mufaletta Sandwich

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This is a great sandwich for parties. The briny olive salad cuts through the rich provolone and fatty salami. And ham, I mean, come on!!

These are French rolls made by Safeway and they’re perfect since they don’t get soggy but aren’t too crunchy. Your belly and the roof of your mouth will thank you.

Party Sandwiches (Mufalettas)

  • Olive salad (see below)
  • 1 lb of thinly sliced salami
  • 1 lb of thinly sliced ham (I like Boarshead)
  • 1/2 lb of sliced provolone
  • 3 packs of Safeway French rolls (4 in each) or other

Olive Salad:

  • 1 cup green pimento olives, chopped
  • 1/2 cup Kalmata olives, chopped
  • 1/4 cup capers, chopped
  • 2 carrots, minced
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano

Mix it all together.

Assemble sandwiches with 2 heaping tablespoons of olive salad, 1 piece of provolone, 3 slices of ham and about 6-8 slices of salami.

Cut and serve with a side of giardiniera pickled veggies.

Enjoy!

Best Pesto Potato Salad

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Spring is here and my belly wants crisp salads and fragrantly fresh from the garden herbs. Winter is hanging on a bit so this salad is a perfect marriage of comforting potatoes and herby pesto with crisp green beans.

It’s a good pot luck hit too.

Pesto Potato Salad

Smitten Kitchen Recipe – no adaptation

  • 4 pounds small Yukon gold and red-skinned potatoes mixed, halved
  • 1 pound green beans, cut into two-inch segments
  • 1 to 2 small garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 bunches of basil (about one ounce each)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 6 tablespoons (or more to taste) mild vinegar, such as champagne, white wine or a white balsamic
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions (scallions)
  • 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • Parmesan cheese to taste
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add beans; cook four minutes longer. Drain well and let cool, then transfer potatoes and beans to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, discard the stems from the basil and wash and dry the leaves. Puree them in a food processor with garlic, drizzling in enough olive oil that it gets saucy. Add a handful of pine nuts and Parmesan. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. [Alternately, you can swap this step with one cup of prepared pesto, but seriously, I think you’ll be missing out.]

Toss the beans and potatoes with pesto. Stir in vinegar, green onions, pine nuts and season with salt, pepper and/or additional vinegar to taste. Finally, shave some wide flecks of parmesan over the salad with a vegetable peeler.

Serve immediately, or make this up to two hours in advance. It can be stored at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Lemony Lemonade

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If your tree is poppin like mine, there’s lots of lemonade in your future. This is the best recipe with the perfect balance of tartness and sweetness. It’s definitely a fan favorite and the kids like making it too!

Lemony Lemonade

  • 1 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 cup organic sugar
  • 6 cups water

Boil 2 cups water and mix in the sugar until dissolved. Add lemon juice and remaining water. Pop it in the fridge to cool completely. Or if you’re like us, grab a glass loaded with ice and drink some immediately.

Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Alfredo Ziti

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The husband loved this dish. I think mostly because it was made of leftovers but totally remade. We had some ziti that was cooked for meat sauce and we had the beer can chicken leftovers. Luckily, we had milk, Parmesan, chicken broth, garlic and some mozzarella too.

I cooked 2 cloves of minced garlic with 3 Tbsp of unsalted butter. Then I added 1 Tbsp of flour and cooked it a bit. Then, I added 1/4 cup of chicken broth and about a cup of milk, a good pinch of salt and a couple shakes of dried oregano. I let it cook until it thickened a bit. I then added freshly grated Parmesan.

In a pie dish, I layered cooked pasta then cooked cubed chicken, then a sprinkling of mozzarella, finished with more cooked pasta and dumped the sauce over all of it. I added a bit more Parmesan and then popped it uncovered in a 375 degree oven for about 17 mins.

I let it sit for 10 mins before serving.

You can add other stuff to. I think some red pepper flakes would be good or cooked mushrooms. My kiddos don’t like either so, it was made just as I said above.

Enjoy!