You Say Cream, I say Crema - Cilantro Lime Crema

Okay, first off I have had over TEN THOUSAND views. That is crazy!! I am totally blown away. Thanks to all of you who have stopped by a time or two to check to check out what's happening in my neck of the woods. I have loved every moment of this journey with you and I hope you guys have enjoyed some good meals from the Yellow Rose Cafe!
I have decided to share a super simple recipe with you today. I feel bad that I have thrown two whoppers at you this past week, both equally delicious and well worth the time though! I have been a busy woman this week and have had a hankering for some fish taco's to ease my stress. I love fish tacos! Had you put those two words together in one sentence 9 years ago I might have gagged a bit. Not that I didn't like fish, or tacos, but the thought of the two sounded way to weird for this Texas gal. When I first moved to Nashville I came across a local eatery that has had a bit of my heart since. It is a locally run restaurant that serves mission style burritos and they are delicious. I have begged and begged for the ranch dressing but am told that the  mom who made up the recipe many years ago can't even share it anymore! The fish taco's are out of this world. I don't remember exactly when I decided to put some big girl britches on and try some but I wondered where they had been all of my life after I took the first bite. I love fried fish (act surprised!)in fish tacos. Something about the crunch and the batter that soaks up the lime juice just makes me happy. I have started making my own these days and there is really no rocket science to them. But for me the kicker is the cilantro lime creme or cream. It adds the extra bit of creaminess that I like with a bit of tart from the lime. Oh, just thinking about them makes me want to go run out and get the stuff again!!
This sauce is perfect with any grilled meat that has a southwestern spice on it (try my red dirt rub recipe) and is great with tacos, nachos, corn cakes, roasted sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, chicken tortilla soup, black beans, chili...anything where you might put sour cream as a garnish. A batch will stay good for about a week in the fridge so grab a mason jar, mix it up and get to cookin' y'all!

Cilantro Lime Crema

1 cup sour cream

Zest of one lime

½ lime squeezed

1-2 tbsp fresh minced cilantro

½ tsp garlic salt

Dash of cumin

Stir all together and store up to one week.

Enjoy!

Tejas Beef Enchiladas with Red Gravy

Enchiladas are part of my five basic food groups since I am a Texan. They fall right in line behind BBQ, Tacos and sweet tea. The enchiladas that are available in my neck of the woods now with their thin orange bland sauce are nothing compared to the earthy rich sauce I grew up eating. Enchilada sauce should be the forefront of each bite, not the after thought behind the lack of filling. Yes, you can go to the store and buy sauce in a can off of the shelf but it doesn't come close to having the depth of flavor that this sauce will give you. Homemade sauce is worth the few extra minutes that it takes to pour the ingredients into the pan. For some reason when I make enchiladas I always prefer a white cream sauce with chicken or veggies and an intense Salsa Roja or red gravy with beef. If you have read my post called, "The Last Supper" then you know how passionate I am about my sour cream chicken enchiladas....but these are right up there on my list.

I love to make beef enchiladas with slow simmered beef brisket but when in a pinch I will use ground beef. I beg you to try the entire recipe, especially the homemade sauce next time you are in a Mexican food mood and tell me if you can't taste the difference. You will never, I repeat, NEVER go back to the canned watered down gross stuff again! And, you can easily double the amount of sauce and freeze it for later use. 

Tejas Beef Enchiladas with Salsa Roja - Makes 12 enchiladas

Salsa Roja (Red Gravy)

2 Tb butter

2 Tb oil

3 Tbsp flour

1 6oz tomato paste

3 cups chicken stock

1 garlic cube (I buy these in the frozen food section but they equal one large garlic clove minced)

3 1/2 Tbsp chili

1 Tbsp cumin

1 Tbsp coriander

½ T onion power

1 Tbsp Mexican oregano

1 tsp salt

In a heavy saucepan on medium heat, gently melt the butter and oil. Once they have melted, stir in the 3 Tbsp of flour. This is called a roux which basically the thickening agent for any gravy base. For this sauce you want to allow it to cook for about 5-6 minutes until it becomes the color of brown sugar. This will intensify the flavor of the gravy prior to adding in all of the other spices. 

Once you have reached a nice light brown color, add in the can of tomato paste and stir it around. 

Whisk in the the chicken stock, garlic and remaining ingredients. Allow this to simmer on low for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Beef Enchiladas

1 Lb. ground beef (I typically buy ground sirloin)

1 small onion finely diced

1/2 tsp salt and garlic powder

1 tsp cumin, coriander, chili powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 dash cinnamon

1 Block sharp yellow cheddar grated, or 3 cups pre-shredded (but we all know how I feel about that!)* Be sure to reserve 1 cup for the top

12 flour tortillas (you can use corn but I prefer flour)

In a heavy bottom pan on medium high heat, cook the beef and onions and add in the spices. Use your wooden spoon to break apart the meat into fine crumbles. If it seems a bit dry then add in 2 tsp of olive oil to get it warmed up. Once the meat is cooked through turn off the heat and get ready to get your hands dirty!

In a 9x13 pan, pour in 1 cup of the Salsa Roja and spread it around to evenly coat the bottom. 

Take the tortilla in one hand and fill it with a 1/4 cup of meat and a heavy pinch of cheese (about 3 Tbsp) Roll it up and place it seam side down in the pan. Repeat until you have used up all of the tortillas and meat. Once they are all lined up in the pan, gently spoon out the remaining enchilada sauce over the tortillas and be sure that there is not white peaking through. Next, smother the top of the enchiladas with the remaining cheese. 

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes until golden.

Enjoy!!

Just like Grandma's - Sausage Gravy

There is something so magical and wonderful about simple biscuits and gravy. Those two elements have been feeding the hungry for generations. They are not stuffy foods that you have to take too seriously, like a good pairing of cheese and wine. They are dishes that when served solo they always seem to be in need of a partner, like butter or jam. The smell of this dish brings comfort to my soul. It is the kind of meal that I crave after I have had a good cry or when the floodgates have opened and buckets of raining are being dumped all around. I like to eat this kind of meal in my pj's with a good book near by to comfort me after my belly is full.  Biscuits and gravy have been a staple in my house all of my life. My mom had her own twist on it which involved chipped beef in place of sausage, which is equally delicious but not traditional. Not that I am a "traditionalist" by any means, but when it comes to this meal, I like to make it the same has it has been made for many years. I love how a few simple ingredients can come together to create a moment that is deliciously unforgettable. It is the perfect meal to serve any guest who is needing to feel loved.
By the way, I am not up to par of my biscuit recipe but hopefully I will fine tune it soon and share. In the mean time you can make your own recipe or get some of those delicious frozen one's from our friend Schubert at the store.

Sausage Gravy - enough for 4 people

1/2 lb (half of a tube) mild sausage - I am a Tennessee Pride gal
3 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup flour
4 cups milk - slightly warmed (I cook it for about 1 minute in the microwave)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2-3/4 tsp pepper (I am a firm believe in a LOT of black pepper for this dish!)
1/8 tsp ground poultry seasoning (yes! another use for it besides Thanksgiving)

In a large heavy bottom skillet or cast iron set on medium heat, cook the sausage until it is lightly browned. I like to break it continuously with my wooden spoon so that I get little tiny crumbles as I think that is best with sausage gravy. Don't let the sausage get crispy, remove it as soon as the pink has cleared away.

Turn the head to medium-low and remove the sausage with your spoon and place into a bowl. Set aside.
Throw the 3 Tbsp of butter into the pan and let them slowly melt. There will be a brown film on the bottom of the pan for the sausage but that love will come in very handy in a wee bit so don't even think about scrubbing the pan!

After the butter has melted, slowly add the flour and stir until it is combined. It is going to look like a hot mess, but don't be alarmed. It sort of looks like you are cooking play-dough and that is perfect. Let it cook for about 3 minutes so that it looses the flour taste and combines with the butter.

With a whisk in one hand and the milk in the other, slowly add the milk to the flour and whisk constantly to prevent any major lumpage. You will notice that the brown bits start floating around in the cream white sauce and that is JUST what you want! Throw in the salt, pepper and poultry seasoning and stir almost
continuously for about 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened.

It is still a little too thin. See that? 

This is the perfect thickness. See those bits of flavor?

You can turn the heat up to medium if you are in a hurry but turn it right back down if it starts to boil too fast. Once the mixture has started to thicken pour in the cooked sausage (be sure you get the lovely grease that settled at the bottom). Turn the heat to low and let it continue to cook until your biscuits are ready to be topped. I like to add an extra splash of pepper and salt right at the end.

Enjoy!

Confessions of a First Grade mom

Today was the day. You remember last year around this time I dropped off my oldest at Kindergarten for the first time. I was a wreck! I came home and spent the whole day crying and baking yummy cupcakes just knowing that the sugary sweetness would take away all of my heart ache. But, it didn't.
Well, today I dropped off my baby for first grade and it was a great day. I don't know why but I felt so much peace about the whole event. Maybe it is because the terrible storms that came through the night finally calmed and moved on. Maybe it is because his teacher has been teaching longer than I have been alive and has been teaching at this school since before I got my license to drive. Maybe it is because she printed off the parent letter on really cool stationary so I think she is still super hip. Maybe it is because there are a hand full of friends in his class this year that were in his class last year so I know he will not be alone. Maybe it is because his Kindergarten teacher is across the hall so if his new teacher is mean then he can run across to her for consoling. Maybe it is because he was cool as a cucumber and walked right on in and flashed me a precious wave and a smile before finding his chair and getting started with his coloring page. I don't know.
What I do know is that I have been preparing a long time for this and this letting go phase is going to just get harder and harder and I will have to keep extending my arms up to the Father more and more to release all of my fears and worries. Two weeks ago we were at camp with our youth group and talked about this idea of Koininia, the idea of unity and community that what we have here on earth is a mere reflection of what is being prepared for us. I fully believe that we are surrounded by an amazing body of believers who have each had a part in shaping our little ones from early on, and for that we feel overwhelmingly blessed.

So today as I munched on almond kissed pancakes drenched in syrup while being surrounded by freshly sharpened pencils ready to be put to use on reams of crisp white paper, I felt at ease knowing that this is what we were created for. I pray that my baby will make me proud today as he makes new friends and a first impression on many around him. I pray that he will remember the rules of our house, like not hitting and being a peace maker and will put them into use. And I pray that he will remember that no matter how much I let him go that he can always run back into my arms and know that he is completely loved.

What is Love? Plan Ahead Peanut Butter Pie

I remember once upon a time Cracker Barrel selling frozen peanut butter pie. Does anyone else remember this but me?!? It was delicious and was a rare treat that we were able to indulge in. I love peanut butter and I love chocolate and the combination of the two was a match made in heaven.
It is so stinkin' hot outside here, like it is everywhere else in the world. We have been spending our days at the pool and have been ending our nights with sweet frozen treats. I can't seem to keep enough popsicles on hand right now. When it is this stinkin' hot outside I love gobbling up snow cones and creamy frozen fudgesicles.
This past weekend we had some good friends over for dinner so I decided to create a cold dessert to end our meal. I recently purchased some chocolate cream cheese but have been stumped as to what to do with it. I thought about dipping strawberries on it or topping off a bagel with it but I have been too lazy to actually DO any of those things. So, I decided to combine it with a few other friends. And, they all became BFF's when they met. This frozen pie is lovely treat for a hot summer night but you need to prepare it early enough in the day to freeze up for the night. It is basically the love child of a reeses peanut butter cup and fudgesicle. I promise, this is one for the books!

Plan Ahead Peanut Butter Pie

Crust:
2 Cups crushed graham crackers (please, don't buy a pre made crust. This is SO worth the extra two seconds it takes to make one!)
6 Tbsp melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine all of the above in a bowl. Dump into a pie or tart pan and pat down on the bottom and up one inch of the sides. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and cool.

Filling:
1 container of Philadelphia Chocolate Cream Cheese
1/4 cup, plus 1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 Large container cool whip
small handfull of mini chocolate chips

In the bowl of a stand up mixer (or you can use a hand mixer) beat the cream cheese and 1/4 cup peanut butter until combined. Pour in the milk and beat until combined. Gently fold in the cool whip and fold until combined. You want to keep as much air in the cool whip as you can. Spread the filling into the cooled crust  and sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Take the 1 Tbsp of peanut butter and place it into a small ziplock baggie. Microwave the UNzipped bag for 20 seconds. The peanut butter will losen up. Squeeze the peanut butter into one corner of the bag and snip a tiny corner of the bag off with scissors. Pipe your peanut butter drizzle over the top of the pie. Place the pie into the freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
When ready to serve, remove from the oven about 5 minutes before serving to soften it up a wee bit. Slice into wedges and serve.

Enjoy Y'all!

The Family Secret - Rhodes Rolls Pizza

My Nana has always made the best rolls! They are always a mile high and drenched in butter. When I became of age she let me in on a big secret, a family secret...they were Rhodes. Rhodes rolls, if you are not familiar with them, are availble at your local supermarket in the frozen bread section. Rhodes are frozen roll dough balls that you buy in a bright orange package. You just take them out, place them on a sheet, cover them in plastic and let them rise until they triple in size. We love Rhodes in my house. The salesman could live on bread alone..well, maybe meat soaked bread alone, so we have bread a lot in our house. Rhodes are the perfect addition to Sunday pot roast supper or cozy soup night in the winter. Lately I have been playing more and more with my food, especially my rolls. I have started using Rhodes for everything from meatball sliders to monkey bread. Well, this past week the salesman had a baseball game so I decided to make homemade mini pizzas with the muffins. They LOVE pizza and I thought this would be the perfect way for them to get some hands on time with me in the kitchen. I love watching my little ones observe and explore with me while I dance my way around the kitchen at dinner time. They loved hopping up on the counter and creating their own little masterpieces. One was busy rolling while the other snuck tiny bits of cheese in this mouth. We happened to make meatball pizzas since I had some left over from the night before. These are the perfect meal for a lazy summer night and are great for kids. I also think they are a fun way to clean out your fridge! I will provide you with some basics but you feel free and take the lead at any time.

Rhodes Roll Pizza's

2-3 rolls per person (my six year old ate three!)
1/4 cup grated cheese per person - we did mozerella but you can do any combo of what you have on hand
2 Tbsp of pizza sauce per person (We do a half a can of tomato paste to half a can of tomato sauce ratio then add in our own spices for our pizza sauce. Typically 1/2 tsp garlic salt, dried italian spice blend, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp sugar, dash of cayenne)

Toppings of your choice :
Left over meatballs, grilled chicken, pepperoni, sausage, olives, sun dried tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, peppers, etc. You need about 3 Tbsp total prt pizza.

Place your frozen dough package in the fridge the morning that you want to make your pizzas so that the bread can thaw but not rise. 

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

I was able to fit five on one cookie sheet at a time.

Use a tiny bit of flour and dust your clean work surface to roll out your dough. Roll out a roll, one at a time, until they dough is about the size of a small saucer, or a wee bit larger. Place on either a pizza stone or cookie sheet (don't spray with Pam). Top off with sauce, cheese and topping. I like to do a sprinkle of parmesan and garlic salt on top right before I bake.

I love Ceaser salad with my pizza!

Bake in the oven for about 6-9 minutes until golden and bubbly. Gobble gobble.

Enjoy Y'all!

Hot Drums with Patriotic Potatoes

I have drums on my brain. I have been dreaming and drawing drums the last two weeks and will continue to for the next two. I am so honored to announce that I, yes moi, am making the birthday cake for a drummer by the name of Ringo. Have you heard of him? From the Beattles, you ask? Yes, that's the one! It's a super long story but it is an honor I am so excited about. I never would have dreamed that my client base for my cake business would include a Beattle and Elvis. This is about as exciting as it gets around here friends. I promise I will post pictures when all is said and done but until that day comes I have decided to sink my teeth into another kind of drum. A hot drum.
A couple of weeks ago some dear friends asked us to dinner. It was a lovely night full of good laughs and finger lickin' good food. Our friends made some hot chicken drums that are basically hot wings but on a chicken drum. They were delicious. I have been dreaming about them, and the other kind, since that night so I decided to make some of my own. There is nothing to them really but they are oh so heavenly. I use to hate hot wings. It is one of those weird things where one day I decided I was going to like them. So I did. And I have had some good ones and some okay ones. For me, the spicier the better. I want my teeth to sweat when I eat a wing. My favorite part is being able to dunk the wing over and over into creamy blue cheese and not think anything of it. Does life get better than that? Well, I decided I would pair up these babies with some blue cheese roasted red potatoes. These are a perfect treat to a hot summer night. Be sure you sip on some house wine of the south.

Hot Drums with Patriot Potatoes

Chicken Drums (Plan for 2.5 per person)
1 cup of Texas Pete (you can do Louisiana too but I stick with my roots on this one)

Dump all of the above in a bag and let it marinate for at least 24 hours and up to 48. Promise, the flavor is NOT THERE unless you have at least 24 hours for these babies to get all happy. When you are ready to cook you can either grill or roast. To grill, preheat the grill to about 400 degrees. Cook these babies for about 30-35 minutes, turning in between until juices run clear when pierced with a fork.
If roasting, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Roast for 25-28 minutes until skin is looking crisped and juices run clear when pierced, turning in between cooking. If you want the skin to crisp up more, turn the oven to broil for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. Broil them and turn a few times to get the skin crispy all around. Don't take your eyes off of them because they can burn up super fast under the broiler.

Meanwhile, start your potatoes. I used a beautiful medley of mixed baby potatoes that were Yukon gold, red and purple. They were so great! If you can only find one small potato you can go with either Yukon gold or red. I usually estimate about 3 mini potatoes per person or 2 medium size.

Red white and Blue Potatoes
1 lb of mixed baby potatoes, rinsed and gross spots removed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1/4 tsp Dill, Garlic Power, Onion Powder, Paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne

Cut your potatoes in quarters if they are small or cubes if they are a bit larger. You want the sizes to be very similar so they cook evenly. Throw the potatoes directly on to your cookie sheet. Add the other ingredients and toss to coat. Cook in 425 degree (same as the chicken so you have to make them!) oven for 18-20 minutes until fork tender.

1 green onion thinly sliced
2 Tbsp fresh chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Place your cooked potatoes into your serving bowl and throw in the onions, parsley and blue cheese (feel free to add more) and gently toss. The blue cheese is going to get all warm and melty and heavenly.

Serve potatoes with drum sticks and a side of either ranch or blue cheese for extra dipping.

Enjoy Y'all!