Denise's Food Blog

I love soup and I made this and love it!! It's easy cause it's made in a crockpot and doesn't disappoint. It's 3 easy steps! 1. Add 2 skinless, boneless Chicken breast, diced red onion, diced large jalapeno, 4 diced medium potatoes, diced half bell pepper, one can of black beans, rinsed, one can of corn, a brick of cream cheese, diced, 48 oz of chicken broth, 2 teaspoons oregano, 1 packet of taco seasoning. Set on high for 4 hours 2. Take out chicken and shred with forks. 3. add 1/4 pint heavy cream, 4 oz shredded Monterey jack cheese, salt and pepper to taste and stir well. Enjoy! 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast 4 Medium potatoes, diced 1 red onion, diced 1 jalapeno, diced 1/2 bell pepper, diced 1 can corn, drained 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 48 oz chicken broth 1 packet taco seasoning 2 teaspoons oregano 8 oz cream cheese dices 1/4 cup heavy cream Salt & pepper to taste prep time: 15 min Cook time 4 hours Total ti...

I love eggplant and have one small plant in my garden. This eggplant only gets to about 10 inches which is perfect for stuffed eggplant. You don't want to use the big ones. Those work for other dishes such as eggplant parmigiana. I only had one grow and had to pick and use it. so here is my one eggplant, lol. I first cut it lengthwise and cut the top off just under the leaves and stem. I cut and scraped out the middle and diced it up. I took one hot Italian. sausage link and browned it up.  After the sausage was cooked and browned I added the diced eggplant and 2 cloves of garlic. once that was cooked I turned it off. I then chopped some Italian parsley, and about 6 large Basil leaves off of my Basil plant.  I beat 1 egg in a bowl Added the eggplant and sausage mixture from the pan. I added about a half cup of breadcrumbs. Stirred it up. You don't want it eggy, and you don't want it too dry that the breadcrumbs look dry. This pict...

 This is what fresh chimichurri sauce looks like. You put it on top of meat whether pork chops, steak, or chicken. It enhances flavor and is just fabulous. The first time I ever had Chimichurri sauce I was in Ecuador. We stopped at this rooftop restaurant that was more like someone's patio with the homeowner grilling on a charcoal grill. Every piece of meat was served with a big scoop of rice and lentils. The table and chairs were plastic and there was a bowl of this green stuff. So I put a small dollop on my meat to try and it was instant love. Every time family would come from Ecuador, I would beg for some chimichurri. It originates from Argentina but can be found now all over. Fresh stuff doe NOT compare to the fresh made. So here it is.... give it a try!  I brought a bunch of Italian parsley, washed it and cut off the stems. I put it in my little food processor. I sprinkled with salt, added a few shakes of crushed red pepper, and about 3 cloves of garlic. ...

So I just got back from vacation on the Outer Banks. We stayed in Carova beach where you needed a 4x4 to drive down the beach to get to the house we rented. It was amazing! There were wild horses on the beach, a beautiful sunrise every morning and I even saw a school of dolphins swimming and fishing for their dinner. I hated to leave. But, on the way home, we stopped and picked up some fresh shrimp and clams just off the boat. ( I bought other seafood as well, but that will wait for another meal!) So what do I make when I get home and it's it cold and dreary out? Yup, a low country seafood boil to remind me of the past week on the beach. I didn't need to make a lot, so I used 3 ears of corn, shucked and broken into pieces and red potatoes, I used 3 large cut into chunks. I put that in a large pot, added a red onion cut into chunks, rinsed my 2 lbs of shrimp, and 50 clams. One all in the pot, I added one can of beer, and then covered the rest with water. I added ...

It's definitely been a while since my last post and with all the hubbub of Christmas over, I am ready to post about last nights dinner. I made my usual Lasagna for Christmas and Christmas Eve was full of appetizers cookies and sweets and cheeses. I was ready for some Mexican. Oven baked Chimichangas sounded perfect to me.     This is what the finished meal looked like. Here's how I got there. I used my new enamel covered cast iron dish. I put chicken breast in the pan with some water and simmered until cooked. I diced the chicken or you can shred it, whichever you prefer. I then added a block of cream cheese diced.  After that was melted I added a jar of green salsa and some cayenne pepper for a little heat.   I added a handful of shredded Mexican blend cheese and a handful of mozzarella cheese. Then some chopped cilantro. You can add any seasonings you want like a little cumin.   Not it's time to stuff the l...

I just got back from Cape Cod and of course, every restaurant I went to, I had to try the clam chowder. As I was eating them, some fabulous, some mediocre, I was thinking "I can make this". I've made other chowders and I have made this before but it has been years and quite honestly, I don't remember how I made it so I am going at this anew. I've had some chowders with bacon and some without so as a bacon lover, I wanted bacon in mine. I chopped an onion and 2 stalks of celery. I put some oil on the bottom of a stock pot and added the vegetables to sweat them. I added about a 1/2 cup of real bacon bits, its just an easier step but feel free to use strips of bacon. I didn't want the bacon to overpower the soup but I like the flavor it adds so I tried not to add too much. I also diced a bunch of red potatoes, some small some large, I think it was about 6. I added those as well. At this point, I added chicken broth and a few sprigs of thyme, salt, an...

This is super yummy and can have as much or as little kick as you choose. You can also use chicken in addition or instead of. I put the water on for the pasta as I started the Alfredo sauce. For the alfredo, I used a saucepan 3/4 brick of cream cheese and milk about a cup. I use a whisk until the cream cheese is melted in the milk. The milk thickens and I add milk until I get the correct consistency. I added about 1/4 cup of heavy cream as well. I stirred in 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese a quarter cup at a time. In the meantime, in a separate pan, I sauteed the shrimp in butter. Added garlic, a couple cloves, and cajun seasoning, again to taste, while cooking. I also added a can of diced tomatoes, well drained and also a teaspoon of pesto. Add the shrimp to the drained cooked pasta and then pour on the alfredo, stir and serve!