Carino's Italian Nachos

I know.... sounds strange... Italian nachos? But if you've ever been to Carino's (formerly Johnny Carino's) and ordered their Italian Nachos appetizer, you know they are SOOOO tasty! Seriously....

So, why not make them at home?

All I did in my attempts to recreate this masterpiece was first, look at the description of Carino's Italian Nachos on their online menu:

"Crispy pasta chips, Italian sausage, and/or chicken, olives, pepperoncinis, tomatoes, jalapeños, alfredo, mozzarella and parmesan cheese"

Cristpy pasta chips.... hmmm.... after searching the store for fresh pasta sheets (with no success) I thought of something else I had that I could substitute. Uncooked flour tortillas-- no not just your ordinary package of tortillas, but uncooked, flattened, rounds of dough ready to be cooked into tortillas. In Utah you can buy these at most grocery stores, and definitely at Costco. When I moved out to Ohio I was devastated to find that they did not carry them in the Costco here. Over the past year and a half I have been bringing them with me from Utah when I go to visit! BUT, don't worry... any of you Ohioans.... you aren't out of luck. When I went to Costco here last month, I saw that they had FINALLY decided to order them!!!! Hooray!

So, here is what I do:

If you like deep frying stuff, you can go ahead and deep fry some chips. However, for the sake of 1) less mess and 2) a healthier alternative,  I just bake them instead.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Stack up a few tortillas . Poke several holes in the tortillas with a fork (so that the chips don’t puff up and become all hollow when you bake them).

Use a pizza cutter (or a knife) to cut 8 wedges out of each tortilla. (like you’re cutting a pizza)

Separate all the triangles. Toss all the “chips” in olive oil until they are all lightly coated

OR after putting them in a single layer on a pan, spray them with olive oil spray.
OR..... now that I think of it.... it would probably be easy to just brush the tortillas with the oil BEFORE you cut them..... hmmm..... why have I never thought of that before?

Put chips in single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt if desired.

Put in oven for 4 to 6 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Keep an eye on them! They are done when they are crisp like a chip :) Use your judgement.

You may have to do a few batches, depending how many chips you want.

Italian Sausage
This is NOT the same as breakfast sausage. Make sure it says ITALIAN sausage. You can usually find it by the other ground meats. We use hot, but you can use mild if you don't like things too hot. If you can't find just a package of ground italian sausage, you can buy the uncooked Italian sausage links, and just remove the casings off the sausage links.
Brown and break up the sausage in a skillet.

Alfredo Sauce-- store bought or homemade

Tomatoes chopped

Green onion chopped

Sliced olives

Canned sliced jalapenos and/or pepperoncinis (we usually just use jalapenos)

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Shredded parmesan cheese

Fresh basil chopped

Layer on baking sheet-- chips, sausage, alfredo sauce, veggies, then top with shredded cheeses.

Place in the oven just until cheeses melt.

Top with fresh basil and devour!!!!!

Usually I end up serving a little extra alfredo sauce on the side, in case there wasn't quite enough on the nachos to begin with.

"Moose Munch" (Caramel/Toffee Popcorn)

Thats right folks. Moose Munch. Moose Munch is the name of a gourmet toffee popcorn sold by Harry and David (known for their delicious fruits, confections, and other gourmet food gifts). It is quite delicious. But, believe me.... making it at home will save you TONS of money! Plus, all your friends will love you IF you decide to share it.

 

First, you'll need about 5-6 quarts of popcorn. You could either air pop some if you have a popper. Or, if not, use the 94% Fat Free microwave popcorn. About 2 bags should do the trick (depending on how coated you want your popcorn, you could always do another half a bag or more. Personally, I am a fan of lots of caramel/toffee).  

You'll want to make sure your popcorn is popped and ready. I recommend you pop it and then shake the bowl a bit to get all the unpopped kernels to go to the bottom, then carefully scoop all the popcorn into a very large bowl, leaving the unpopped kernels behind. Believe me, you don't want to bite into a caramel covered kernel unexpectedly..... Oh, and let me emphasize the words VERY LARGE BOWL. The larger the bowl, the easier it will be to stir the popcorn to coat it in caramel when the time comes. Otherwise, the popcorn doesn't seem to stay in the bowl very well.

To make the caramel/toffee you will need:

 

2 sticks of butter

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1 tsp salt

Stir together in a pot on the stove, melt,  and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 5 minutes. You don't need to stir it or anything while it boils.

While it is boiling, make sure you have your popcorn is waiting for you and have your vanilla and baking soda prepared as well (measurements below).

Also, turn your oven on to 200 degrees.

After 5 minutes of boiling, remove from the heat and stir in:

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda (make sure there aren't any clumps)

Make sure it is well mixed in.Then, pour the caramel mixture over your popcorn.  Use a large wooden spoon to carefully stir the popcorn, coating it in the caramel. Stir, stir, stir, scraping the caramel off the bowl to make sure you get all of its goodness onto your popcorn.

Spread the popcorn onto two cookie sheets. Place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour total. Halfway through, turn the popcorn with a spatula and stir it around a bit. (You might also want to rotate your cookie sheets if you have them on two separate racks.)

Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Once the popcorn is cooled, you just break it apart and store it in an air tight container!

VARIATIONS:

There are plenty of fun and tasty ways you can add to this basic recipe.

Want your popcorn CHOCOLATE coated as well? Melt some chocolate chips and then drizzle (or pour it... depending on how coated you want it!) the chocolate over the popcorn when it is partially cooled, then allow to cool and harden. You could use dark chocolate, semisweet, milk, white..... whatever you like! Have fun with it!

Are you a NUT lover? Try adding any combination of nuts to the popcorn BEFORE you pour the caramel over it. Then, mix the popcorn, nuts, and caramel and bake in the oven just as directed above. Almonds, peanuts, pecans, cashews........... nuts anyone?

Chicken Pot Pie

As the fall season rushes by too quickly and winter looms in the close future... I begin to turn more to the comfort that food brings. Theres nothing like a good, hot bowl of soup.

Or how about a good ol' chicken pot pie?

Filling
2 cups water
14 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cubed (about 1 cup)
2 ribs celery, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup butter
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup frozen peas

For the crust you've got a few options.... you could buy some frozen puff pastry or pie crust or you could make your own basic pie crust. Or, you could try this simple pie crust recipe! I thought it was the perfect texture and taste to top off this tasty pot pie!!!

For the crust:

• 1 stick butter, cut into pea-size pieces
• 1 (8-ounce) container cream cheese, cut into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
• Pinch kosher salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water

Egg Wash: 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of water

To make the crust:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the butter, cream cheese, flour and salt. Pulse to combine. Pulse, pulse, pulse until the ingredients start to come together and resembles Parmesan. Add the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water. Pulse a couple of more times until the ingredients start to form a ball. If the mixture is exceedingly wet, add some more flour. Or conversely, if the mix is dry, dry, dry, add in a few more drops of water.

When the mixture has come together into a ball, turn it out onto a floured work surface and knead it a couple of times to help it come together. Dust it with flour, form it into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use. This can be done a day ahead.

Cook's Note: When ready to use the dough, remove it from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before rolling, to allow it to warm up and soften.

To make the filling:

In 4-quart saucepan combine water, chicken, carrots, celery and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken bouillon, pepper and butter. Dissolve cornstarch and flour into whipping cream and stir into chicken mixture. Simmer 3 minutes stirring frequently until thickened. Add peas and set aside.

Making the Pie:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Using this crust recipe, I made my pie with only a top crust. If you use a different, basic crust recipe, you could do a top and bottom crust if you want. (It might even work to do a bottom crust with this recipe as well, I just didn't want a bottom crust.)

You can use little ramekins or casserole dishes if you want to make individual pot pies. I used a 8x8 glass baking dish and that was about the perfect size for the amount of filling.

Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll the dough into the shape of the casserole dish or large enough to cut circles to cover the individual casserole dishes. (For my 8x8 dish, I think I used just over half of the dough.) Whichever dishes are being used the dough needs to have generous overhang of dough on the edges of the dish. Pour the filling into the dish/dishes. Brush the outside edges of the dish with a little of the egg wash to help "glue" the dough to sides of the dish. Fold the edges of the dough under and press it onto the edges of the dish. Brush the top of the dough with the remaining egg wash. Cut a couple of vents in the top of the dough to allow the steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven until the dough is golden brown and the inside is hot and bubbly, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes or so then serve!

Chicken Mole Poblano

I know that this seems like a strange combination of ingredients....but, don't be scared!

3 tbs. olive oil

1 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into large chunks

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 hot dried red chili, such as chipotle, OR 2 milder dried chilies, such as ancho, reconstituted (soaked in hot water) and then finely chopped

1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

1 tbsp chopped almonds

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3 tomatoes, chopped (I've also used canned tomatoes before)

2 tbsp raisins

1 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth

1 tbsp. peanut butter

1 oz bittersweet chocolate with a high cocoa content
1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (You probably want to wait on this until you see how much heat the dried peppers give off.... you can add this near the end if it needs more heat).

1) Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside.

2) Add the onion, garlic, and chilies and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add the sesame seeds, almonds, and spices and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. A

dd the tomatoes, raisins, stock, peanut butter, and chocolate and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let simmer for 5 minutes.

3)Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth (you may need to do this in batches).

4)Return the mixture to the skillet, add the chicken, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for one hour, or until chicken is very tender, adding more liquid if necessary.

5) Garnish with sesame seeds and a little grated chocolate. Serve with Spicy Rice, beans and tortillas.

Apple Butter

Thanks to Betty Crocker, we were able to use up some of our apples with this simple recipe!

No idea what this stuff is???? Well, here's what Betty Crocker has to say:

"Even though this thick mixture has no butter, its name comes from the fact that it spreads like butter. Spread your favorite bagel with cream cheese and spicy apple butter. Use it instead of butter on hot toast, English muffins, or freshly baked biscuits or scones. Or spoon it on top of a stack of hot pancakes or waffles, and sprinkle with toasted pecans."

This recipe will make 4 cups of apple butter. I halved it when I made it because it's just me and Steve and it only lasts 3 weeks in the fridge, but make the whole thing if you think you'll go through it... or give some to a friend! Or... I wonder if it would freeze well.....

12 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, ,cored, and cut into fourths

1 1/2 cups packed dark or light brown sugar

1/2 cup apple juice

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1) Mix all ingredients in crock pot/slow cooker.

2)Cover and cook on low heat 8 to 10 hours or until apples are very tender

3)Mash apples with potato masher or large fork.

4)Cook uncovered on low heat for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until mixture is very thick. Cool about 2 hours.

5)Spoon apple butter into container. Cover and store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

PREP TIME

Sauce

1/3 cup ketchup

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar (I actually use seasoned rice vinegar)

1/4 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons mustard (It calls for just regular yellow mustard, but this last time I used Chinese hot mustard because thats all I had, and it turned out great)

1-2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

MIX ALL THE SAUCE INGREDIENTS AN HOUR OR SO BEFORE COOKING AND SET ASIDE TO ALLOW THE FLAVORS TO MARRY.

Chicken

2 large whole boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups cornstarch

2 eggs

1 tablespoon water

1 tablespoon oil

SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE COOKING TIME (I've actually done this step only within an hour of cooking, and it turned out fine...but probably better to let it sit longer I guess.) CUT AND SALT THE CHICKEN (a little less than a tsp of salt). PUT THE CHICKEN IN A BOWL, ADD 2 TABLESPOONS CORNSTARCH AND MASSAGE INTO MEAT. COVER AND SET IN REFRIGERATOR.

Rice

........cook some rice.....

Optional:

I like to saute up some onions and peppers to eat with this. Or you can just add green onions. Or no veggies at all if you don't like that sort of thing.

COOKING

When you're ready to cook, mix the eggs, water, and oil. Put the chicken chunks in the mixture then transfer the nuggets to the 2 cups of cornstarch. Let them sit in the cornstarch while you heat oil for frying. Oil should be 375-380 degrees-- should see a little smoke before putting the nuggets in to fry. DISCLAIMER: Be careful! A friend of mine ended up with fire in their pan when making this... don't let the oil get TOO hot! You don't want it majorly smoking!   (I don't usually deep deep fry... just because I don't want to use up all my oil... so I usually just put in maybe an inch of oil, so they still get fried, I just have to flip them over to get the other side. It works just fine for me. But, if you have a deep fryer, go for it!) Add nuggets to the oil. Might have to do them in batches so you don't overcrowd the oil and make the temperature drop. Fry until the outside is crispy and the inside is cooked. Remove and let drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

When you're ready to heat the sauce, first mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water in a small dish and set aside. Put the sauce into a pan on the stove to heat. Add the cornstarch mixture within the first minute and stir it well to incorporate. As the sauce heats it will thicken! Once it is to your desired thickness, it is ready to serve.

You can dump all the chicken nuggets in and coat them with the sauce if you are going to be eating it all right away. I usually make extra for left overs, so we just mix up our own portions as we take them, that way the chicken won't get all soggy before I eat it the next day.

Mmmm. mmmmmm...... ENJOY!

Cream Cheese Apple Crisp

This, my friends.... is delicious......

It's almost like an apple cheese cake with streusel topping..... mmmmmmmmmm......

Topping

1 1/2 Cups quick cooking oatmeal

1 1/3 Cups flour

1 Cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 Cup butter, chilled & cut up

Apples

6 Cups peeled, chopped Granny Smith Apples

1/3 Cup sugar

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

Filling

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese softened

1/2 Cup sugar

2 eggs

2 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp milk

Heat oven to 350. In large bowl stir together oatmeal, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Press half the mixture in the bottom of 13x9 inch glass baking dish; reserve remaining mixture for topping.

In large bowl toss together all apple ingredients until apples are coated. Spread over crust.

In large bowl beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, flour & milk; beat until combined. Spread over apple mixture; sprinkle with reserved oatmeal mixture.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown & apples are tender. Cool on wire rack.