Breakfast Tostadas

In the mood for something different for breakfast? This is a little something I cooked up back in May, I took pictures of it, then forgot to blog about it.  This was actually for Cinco De Mayo and it was so good, I will not be waiting for May 5 to come around to eat it again!

Here's what you'll need:
1 small onion
1/2 Green Bell Pepper
1 Clove of Garlic
1/2 Can of Corn (Drained)
1/2 Can of Black Beans (rinsed)
1 Can of Tomatoes/Green Chilis
1 packet of Sazón Goya
1/2 lime (optional)
1 avacado (optional)
Tostada Shells
4 eggs (optional, but highly recommended - 1 egg per tostada)
Fresh Cilantro

Start by Sauteing the Onion, Garlic and Pepper

Once tender, add in the Corn, Black Beans, Tomatoes and Chilis

Next, add the Sazón Goya

Continue to cook until everything is done.  While it is cooking, get out another skillet and cook up some eggs any way you like it.  We use Fisher Eggs from Fisher Farms right here in Oklahoma, I've never tasted a better egg in my life.

For Michelle, I scrambled her eggs (1 egg per tostada) I did one scrambled and one fried.  There's something wonderful about a fried egg over this mixture (if you like fried eggs, it's a must try) Top it off with fresh salsa (another blog post coming soon), avocado and fresh cilantro.  Enjoy!

My Favorite Meal

Falafels have become one of my favorite meals to make at home.  They are healthy, tasty and just so good! I decided I wanted to try something a little extra I'll show you at the end of the post.  Today was a good day minus all the tragedy over in Joplin. It's so crazy to think about! We drive through there quite a bit when we go to Branson, so to see what you see on TV just doesn't seem real.  May God's presence be seen through this calamity.  We truly are blessed to have a home where we can make food, stay warm/cool and dry.  I write this laying on my bed just listening to the thunder roll and the rain drops fall. So relaxing.

So here is the deal with the felafels, let's get started! Super easy! You will need:
Pita Bread
1 can Chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
3 tsp Fresh Parsley
1 tsp Lemon Juice
3 cloves Garlic
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Coriander
1 tspBaking Powder
1 tsp Flour
2 tsp Olive Oil

Sauce:
1 small container Greek Yogurt (Plain)
2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
10 Peppercorns


Put the can of chickpeas in a food processor (Drain them first) get them as mashed up as possible. Put them in a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients.  Form them into little patties. You want them to be firm, but not dry, so make sure you have that consistency. It makes 8 patties all together.

Michelle is a hater on frying things, so we bake everything... lame but healthy. (I've been begging for a fry daddy for 3 years...) These are just fine baked.  Heat your oven to 375 and place these patties on a greased baking sheet and bake them for about 20-25 minutes, flipping half way through.

Have some toppings as well. Tomatoes, Spinach, Cucumbers, Hummus, Red Onion, whatever sounds good on it.

The sauce is simple but you will need a mortar and pestle for the best tasting sauce.  This was my own recipe, so change it if you must.  Take the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and peppercorns and put them in a heated skillet on the stove.  Keep them moving around, you want them to warm up so you can smell the fragrance. DO NOT OVERCOOK them.  A few of the seeds will start jumping and popping, that's about the time I removed them from the skillet and put them in the mortar. (this was a gift from the Dominican Republic SDA Union Office, otherwise we probably wouldn't have one) Anyways, grind these seeds up and put about half of the mixture in with the yogurt and mix well. That's it! Easy!

Now for that something different.  As a kid I hated cauliflower, I loved broccoli, but thought that cauliflower was just a gross white piece of broccoli, so I've always avoided it.  However recently, I've been trying different things with cauliflower. Well we were at Aldi yesterday and I saw some and decided I would make some roasted cauliflower. 


Here's what I did.  I cut the cauliflower up into bite size pieces. Put it in a large mixing bowl and coated them with olive oil.  I sprinkled the rest of the seed mixture onto the cauliflower and added a little salt and turmeric (just a sprinkle). Stir it up so you have an even coat on all of it.  Place it on a baking sheet and put it in the over with the falafels.  They should get done about the same time.  You want a little brown on the cauliflower, but most importantly you want it tender.

Now comes the best part, assembling your falafel sandwich! Have fun and enjoy!

Lions, Tigers and Bulls...

What a great trip to Chicago! Michelle had a week off of school, so we took full advantage of it.  We flew in last Sunday to stay with Mark, Stephanie and Monroe.  Throughout the week, we made it to the zoo, watched the Bulls play (on tv of course), went to the park and even cooked a few meals in the process.  We wanted to make life easier on Steph than adding pressure to entertain guests.  Yes, there were some exciting moments like this one.

1st Chicago Style Hot Dog!

Chicago Style Hot Dog - Vegetarian just for Michelle!

Now that I got that out of my system, check out this super easy Thai Peanut Pasta dish I cooked for everyone. 

First start out with a few broccoli crowns, carrots, scallions and garlic. We even threw in some Tender Bits as a protein.  Also, grab a Peanut Sauce from Target and select Wal-Mart's.  They are pretty easy to find.  Boil up some Penne Pasta and throw the veggies in a large skillet with some oil.  Once everything is nice and hot, take about 1/4 cup of water and add it to the skillet and put a lid on it to steam the veggies.  Keep doing this if necessary, you can also put a few squirts of soy sauce over it with some sesame seeds.

Once the broccoli and carrots are tender, drain the pasta and add the peanut sauce and veggies into a big bowl.  Toss together and add a handful of cilantro.  It's pretty tasty. Michelle says it's in her Top 5 things that I make, which is an extremely bold statement - but Michelle means what she says.

Thai Peanut Pasta

 On another note, I understand that I am not taken seriously in the blogging world because I do not update on a regular basis. This is malarky... And I'm not sure what that word means, but my mom used to say it a lot when she tried to say something was bogus.  I am such a great blogger, I only have to do it once a month... okay, j/k. I will try to do better.  In fact, I have many things to blog about, just not a lot of time to do it, so I will try to do better.

On a completely unrelated note, I bought my first pair of Toms shoes this last week.  It took me a while to get used to them, but I think I am a huge fan now.  Extremely comfortable, and now I look like a cool kid. Here is a picture of one, yes, just one. 

To close, I would like to leave you with something I fell in love with while in Chicago - It's Garrett's popcorn.  This is the "Chicago Mix" (Cheddar Corn and Caramel Corn) The sweet, salty, crunchy goodness is just incredible - it is messy but worth it.  If you're ever in Chicago, it's a must.  We walked 2 miles to get some when we could've just gotten it at the airport before we left (which we did) Here is a picture to get your mouth watering. And this is also the end of today's blog. Good night!

Who Says Vegetarians Can't Grill?

Okay, I might not be a 100% vegetarian, but probably 98% of the time I am, especially when we grill.  Most people will ask us, what in the world do vegetarians grill? So here is my blog to answer.  We try to grill once a week (every Sunday) during the warmer weather, here is a small breakdown as to what we have cooking in the Carlile back yard!

Of course you can always choose a Big Frank, Linkette, Grillers, Boca Burgers, whatever to be the main subject, but those things don't really take a whole lot of skill to "warm up" so I'm going to focus on some extras. This time we did a veggie dog bar - consisted of Linkettes and a ton of toppings for them.  (inspired by Sonic's new hot dogs) I made special relishes and of course the staples.

For the sides we did grilled veggies.  First off we did grilled sweet potatoes - incredible!

First, boil the sweet potatoes until they are tender the slice them, brush on some olive oil and place them on the grill.  Once nice marks are on both sides, take them off and top with a mixture of sea salt, cilantro, lime zest and black pepper.  The taste is out of this world!

Next we did squash.  Webers makes a great seasoning mix for vegetables (check it at walmart in the spice section) 

Pretty basic, coat with olive oil and sprinkle the mixture on then grill until tender.

Last but not least, asparagus is probably the best things to grill.  A little bit of olive oil, fresh lemon juice and some fresh cracked pepper make these things pop.  They don't need to be on long, just enough to be tender, don't overcook!

When you add everything together on a plate! It's just great! 

Look at that color!

For desert, this time of year is great for strawberry shortcake! Get a pre made angel food cake, cut up some fresh strawberries and add some cool whip! It's light but fulfills!

Make Your Own Baked Pasta

This dish was inspired by one of the MANY christmas presents I got Michelle this year, a subscription to "Food Network Magazine"  A really great magazine and a great gift, plus I get to look at food...

The issue was based on italian, and there was an article talking about baked pasta, so we decided to give it a shot.  It was quick and it was easy.  First off, choose your pasta and get it cooking. We used bowtie, some say it's over rated, but it worked great for this dish.

Next choose your vegetables.  We used baby portobello mushrooms, green onions, spinach and garlic.  In the summer you could use squash, zucchini, even asparagus.

In a large skillet, add EVOO and fresh chopped garlic, let simmer, but don't let it brown - it can start to get bitter if toasted too long.  Add the green onions and cook down, next add the mushrooms (quick tip: don't season the mushrooms until they are fully cooked, if you do it early, they tend to be over seasoned)

Sautee that for about 5-7 minutes or until the mushrooms seemed to be cooked well.  While this is cooking, get a medium saucepan and add a jar or even a jar and half of pasta sauce - your choice.  If you have the time to make your own tomato sauce, I would recommend it.  I think it would be that much better. We used the jar, heat that up and maybe add some fresh basil if you have some.

Back to the skillet, take about three large handfuls of spinach and throw it in there and let cook.  It will seem like a lot of spinach but trust me it will cook down.

When the pasta sauce has heated up, add a big spoonful of ricotta cheese. It gives it a nice creamy texture to the sauce.

Drain the pasta and add a little pasta sauce to it and add it to the skillet mixture.  Next pour the mixture in a casserole dish and pour the sauce over it.  Move the pasta around so the sauce gets all over it.  Next, cover with mozzarella and throw it in the oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese it melted.

Let stand for 5 minutes, then plate it up and eat! Enjoy!

This Is Me

When it comes to blogging, this is me... just plain lazy.  But the real reason is my work schedule. I just haven't had the time to cook, take pictures and blog.  By the time I get home it's well after 8pm and I'm pooped, so I make up something quick and really not blog worthy, thus the week flies by.  We are getting ready to have a set of meetings at our church for three weeks, so you can count on this... after the three weeks, you might hear from me.  As for now, I have a few recipes that I have documented and I would like to share them so you can try them.  They may not be 100% accurate, since it was made over the last several weeks.  I'm sorry, but enjoy!

Quick Beans & Rice

When we heard Dave Ramsey talk about eating rice and beans, beans and rice, Michelle and I took him seriously.  But it's because it's just so good! This is a staple in the Carlile household.  I would usually start with dry beans, but that will just have to be another blog post.  Tonight I made quick beans and rice, and I promise you, you will want to make these again! Easy and awesome. So here we go!

What you will need:
1/3 Red Onion
1/2 Green Bell Pepper
1/2 - 1 Jalapeño depending on how hot you want it
2 Cans of Red Beans
Goya Adobo Seasoning
1 packet Goya Sazon Seasoning
Red Pepper Flakes
2 cloves Minced Garlic
1 tsp Oil

First chop your onion, green pepper and jalapeño.

Then in a large saucepan, put the oil with the garlic and a splash of red pepper flakes and let sizzle, be careful not the burn the garlic. When the oil is infused with the flavors of the garlic and peppers, add the onion/pepper mixture. Cook until tender.

Add the beans and 1 packet of the Sazon Goya.  This little packet adds a ton of flavor. Really making this dish awesome.  Also sprinkle some of that Adobo seasoning as well.  Use it instead of salt. (to taste) Remember, when using canned beans, you automatically have a higher sodium level so you don't need to add much.  Let this cook for about 10 minutes or so, your rice should be finished at the same time.  I will need to post a blog how to make perfect rice every single time... no joke!

Once everything is done, put a bed of rice down, then the beans (make sure you get a good amount of juice with it) and Enjoy!

Stuffed Jalapenos [Warning: Addicting and Not Good For You]

Super Bowl Sunday is filled with food, also called the supper bowl.  It's one time out of the year you have the right to gorge yourself full of chips, dips, nachos, pizzas, and this year... stuffed Jalapenos.

This was actually thought up in the shower (where most of my awesome ideas come from) and it just sounded really good.  You might be thinking, how is this any different? You'll see...

What you'll need/want

Jalapenos - I made about 11 for a total of 22 halves
1 pkg of cream cheese
1/2 cup of griller crumbles
Shredded pepper jack cheese
Tabasco - Chipotle flavored
1 small can of green chilis
1 bulb of garlic, yes garlic.

First you roast the bulb of garlic.  Sounds fancy, but very easy to do.  Simply take a bulb and cut off the top of it. Wrap it in foil and put in the oven at 400 for an hour.  Your house will smell incredible.

Meanwhile let the cream cheese soften. Also, cut the jalapenos in half (wear gloves) and take out all the seeds.

Once the garlic is done,  place the jalapenos on a cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, they should brown up just a tad.

Take the cream cheese and add the green chilis and mix together with the tabasco, just a splash of the stuff.  Gives it kind of a smoky flavor.  Next take the bulb of garlic and squeeze it from the bottom and it will just come right out into the cream cheese mixture.  Mix it up, smashing the garlic. Next add the griller crumbles and mix it all up.  Put the mixture in a ziploc bag.

Take the Jalapenos out and let cool.  Cut a corner of the ziploc bag (like an icing bag) and fill the peppers with the mixture and place back on the cookie sheet and top with the pepper jack cheese.  At this point you can put them in the fridge if you want to wait until game time (or eating time) when ready to eat, place them in a 450 degree oven until the cheese is melted on top (roughly 5-9 minutes).

Enjoy!

Curry with Chickpeas

Every time I open the door, I'm reminded I can't go anywhere because of the white mess that's in front of my house.  I've done work today, but there's only so much you can do from home.  Plus when the city is pretty much shut down, no one really answers their phone.   So when I'm bored, I eat, and think up things to eat.  Tonight's meal is simply that.  A meal conjured up out of boredom.  This probably isn't a traditional curry dish, but it's still good and super easy to make.

You'll need/want:
1 TsbOil
1 tspRed pepper flakes
1 Med. Onion
1/2 Green Bell Pepper
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tspGarlic Paste
4 Tbs Mild Curry Paste
Can of diced tomatoes
3 yukon gold potatoes
1 large carrot (or 7 baby carrots diced)
3/4 cup of water

First you'll want to do two things.  Start on your basmati rice which takes about 25 minutes
Then cut up 3 yukon gold potatoes and several baby carrots. (or 1 large carrot) and boil to cook them.

Now for the curry part.
Add a tablespoon of oil to a large saucepan add a few red pepper flakes to spice up the oil.  Next add one yellow onion and half a green bell pepper. Let that cook down. Add one teaspoon of ginger paste and garlic paste (both found at an Indian food supply store) stir together and add a can of chickpeas.

Let cook for a bit and then stir in 4 tablespoons of mild curry paste.  Get a good coat on everything and then add the cooked potato and carrot mixture.  Add a can of diced tomatoes and 3/4 cup of water. Let cook for a while or at least until your rice is done. 

Top the rice and enjoy! Keep in mind you add or take out any of the vegetables you want.  If you eat chicken, you could do that instead of the chickpeas.  Whatever the case, it's got a good flavor and you'll want more of it!  If you've never had Indian food before, this is a great starter dish. Not too spicy, and not weird.  It's just right!