Roasted Salsa Verde

As I have noted before my husband is a lover of all salsa's that are "Green." Brian asked for me to make some salsa since he was in a mood for it. He wanted me to try and make it like one of his favorite which is from a restaurant called Rosa's Mexican Cafe. I was able to come across a recipe online tried it and the recipe was spot on and was very good. It's simple enough to make and if you love green sauce and want to try something new. It's kind of sweet and has heat at the same time. Hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Salsa Verde

What Ya'll Need:

14  Tomatillos
2 Jalapeno pepper
1 Serrano pepper
3 Unpeeled garlic cloves
6 tbsp. Diced white onion
3/4 cup Cilantro
2 tbsp. Lime juice
1 tsp. Salt

Directions:
Remove husks and wash tomatillos. Cut peppers in half and remove seeds. Place tomatillos, peppers and unpeeled garlic cloves onto a pan with sides. Place into the oven, cook 15-20 minutes until the tomatillos are roasted and the peppers are slightly charred on all sides. During cook time make sure to rotate tomatillos, peppers and garlic at least once. Remove from oven and add the tomatillos, peppers and juices to a food processor as well as the onions, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Peel the garlic and discard the skins, add them to blender and pulse 5-10 times or until the salsa has come together how you would like. Serve salsa warm, at room temperature or cold.

**Cooking Tips: When roasting salsa, if you want more charred last five mins turn on broiler to high and cook five minutes longer. 

{Mama Rita's Quick} Chicken & Dumplings

My mom's cooking is so first-rate. One of my favorites is her chicken & dumplings, I could eat them anytime. It was a slightly cold day in Texas a few days ago and I wanted my mom's chicken & dumplings. Nice way to always warm up so I decided to make them myself. I followed her recipe and they came out delicious. I just wish she was with me so that she could have shared in the goodness.

{Mama Rita's Quick} Chicken & Dumplings

What You Need:

3 Chicken Breast (you can use dark meats as well)
6 Cups Chicken Broth
4 ct. Pillsbury Buttermilk Biscuits Value Pack 7.5 oz
1 tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 cup flour
Salt and Pepper for taste

Directions:
In a large pot add chicken broth put on a medium heat, cut chicken breast in half so that they are in 6 slices add to the broth and cook for about 20-25 mins. Once chicken is done remove from broth and pull apart or cut up in to bit size pieces. While the chicken cooks, open the cans of biscuits, tear each biscuit in to three sections and roll them flour and set aside. Make sure you have a good amount of flour on the biscuits so they don't stick to each other. The flour helps the sauce thicken so don't worry about having to much flour. Add, the biscuits two at a time to broth and pushing down with a spoon in the broth do this till all the biscuits are in broth then add the chicken salt, pepper and garlic powder; cook 10-15 mins. Stir during cook time so that the chicken and dumplings don't stick to the bottom. This makes about 8-10, 1 cup servings.

*Now if you want to make the dumplings instead of using canned biscuits here is my recipe for them.

What you Need:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons of butter(salted)
1 cup of milk

Directions:
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter in using fork or fingers(I use fingers) Add milk little at time(1/4 cup), stirring between batches until it forms a ball of dough. Place dough on floured work area, using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough out thin(add more flour as needed don't want area to be sticky). Once it's thinned out Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut either strips or squares out(I do squares). When your cutting make sure each dumpling has flour on it so they don't stick together( the flour also helps thicken the sauce). Once u place in pan cook at least 10-15 mins..

**Cooking Note: If you want more dumplings just add two more cans of biscuits. If you add more I would suggest adding 1/2 cup water to the mix to keep enough juice.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

It's Thanksgiving and I'm ready for all the pumpkin flavored recipes I can make. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I love cooking meals for my family so this time of gather is the best. I seen the recipe for Pumpkin Spice Cookies in Taste of Home cooking magazine. This was a great recipe that I will be making again and again. I made them for a party at my husbands work and sent all the cookies with him thinking maybe there would have been some left over. But the dish came home empty, my husband said that everyone liked them. If you like pumpkin spice you will enjoy this recipe. I can't wait for my family to try them.

What Ya'll Need:

1 bag of Hersey's Pumpkin Spice flavor Kisses

1 Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix Pouch 17.5 oz.

1/2 tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/2 tbsp. Nutmeg

Pumpkin Spice Coating:
3 tbsp. Granulated Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

What to Do:
Place the cookie mix in a bowl and add everything package says including pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg mix well. Take cookie dough and round in to a ball then dip it in the pumpkin spice coating and place on cookie sheet. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove and place one Hersey's kiss on top and let cool then eat and enjoy!

**Cooking Note: These were made with a cookie mix but could easily be made with a homemade sugar cookie recipe. 

Cheesy Noodle Meat Bake

This dish is guaranteed to clean your plate. Words from a friend who tried the first time I made the dish. I originally did not know how the ricotta cheese would taste, since the recipe had originally called for cottage cheese. I had written the recipe down from a website but forgot to add the name and I can't remember what it was. One day I will find it but until then my combination came out great and taste good. Simple recipe and easy to make. If you like lasagna you will like this one just a bit of a different taste to it and a bit faster to make.

What You Need:

2 lb. Hamburger Meat 

1 16 oz. bag of Extra Wide Egg Noodles

1 15 oz. of Ricotta Cheese

1 16 oz. of Sour Cream

1 8 oz. can of Hunts Tomato Sauce Basil, Garlic & Oregano

2 15 oz. can of Hunts Tomato Sauce original flavor

2 Cups of Shredded Sharp cheese*

Directions:

Cook and drain hamburger meat. Then add the sauce and let simmer. Cook noodles as directed on package. While the noodles cook mix the sour cream and ricotta cheese in a bowl. Once noodles are done drain add to the cheese mixture and combine well. Take a 13x9 pan put some of the sauce on bottom layer noodles, the meat sauce and repeat. Top with shredded cheese. Bake in pre-heated oven at 375 for 25-30 mins. Remove let set 5 mins and serve up and enjoy. 

**Cooking Tip: I think adding either mozzarella or Parmesan cheese would be a good taste for this dish.