{crave} the ultimate theta burger

All I can say is Johnnies, in OKC. If you haven't been there it is a must. A childhood staple for me. The caesar burger, the old fashioned, and the famous THETA were among my favorites from their extensive menu. The Theta though, she is a beauty!

Of course I took a little liberty on my "mock" theta burger. These are bison!

I used colby - jack .... Johnnies had good ole american (shredded for extra melt effect)! Pickles, mayo and a sweet and smokey BBQ sauce. Nothn' better!

So here it is ... be prepared ... it is not for the light at heart and fair warning it will soon become a {crave} for you as well!

The "mock" Theta by ann west

A bun - soft and friendly

your burger grilled just for you with the cheese of your choice (cheddar or colby jack)

thin sliced onion

hickory smoked thick BBQ sauce of your choice

pickles (here for my recipe) or bubbies a great brand pickle!

mayo - on the top side of the bun

There you have it friends... pure bliss!

{the dish} cream cheese chicken enchiladas

Amy and I got together last year a couple of times to cook for our families. It was great ... we spent time talking, solving world problems and knock out 2 large casseroles of chicken enchiladas for our families. Of course we had the best intentions of cooking together every other week ... then every month ... now we just get it in when we can ... life sometimes takes precedent. I hope this year we get to spend more time cooking together, inspiring each other and feeding our families and friends! enjoy!

I can not remember where I got the idea of adding cream cheese to my enchiladas, but throughout the years this recipe has changed so many times until this. This is by far the best way to eat chicken enchiladas. Filling and a completely satisfactory meal. A great meal for entertaining a big group of people. They are super easy to make, and I believe taste better then any enchiladas you will get out at a restaurant. I love this recipe.

cream cheese-chicken enchiladas

by amy twomey

ingredients
3 big packs of chicken breasts
1 large yellow onion
4 hatch green chili's
1 bag of shredded Monterrey jack cheese
3 bricks of cream cheese
2 TBS butter
white or yellow corn tortillas
1 box of gluten free chicken broth
buttermilk
salt and pepper to taste
avocado

*avocado salsa verde by ann west
[see ann's post for this here]

Saute your chicken and turn heat off and cool. Move chicken from pan and into a bowl. Use pan to saute butter and chopped onion and salt and pepper until onion is browned. Now shred chicken into the bowl and add into the pan with the onions. Add chicken broth and turn heat to low and cover for 15-20 min. Drain broth. Sometimes I prep chicken the night before I actually make enchiladas and place shredded chicken in a zip lock bag in fridge if you have limited time to cook.

make your Avocado Salsa Verde and set it aside.

in a saute pan saute some butter and add cream cheese until melted. Add in chicken and stir well. May add more salt and pepper to taste.

warm a huge handful at a time of corn tortillas wrapped in a damp paper towel in microwave for 90 sec to 1 min. remove

set out your casserole dishes and fill bottom of each dish with about 1/2 inch of buttermilk.

using a towel hold one warn enchilada in your hand and use a spoon to scoop chicken mixture into center of tortilla and roll it up and begin placing in rows in the casserole dish on top of buttermilk. Continue until dishes are full of enchiladas.

spread avocado verde salsa all over tops of enchiladas, add the chopped hatch green chili's all over and cover entire enchilada's with handfuls of shredded cheese.
cook @ 350 for 25-30 min until cheese is melted.

will serve 2 big families. So invite friends over to share this yummy meal.
We always eat this with rice and my lazy day pinto beans.

{the dish} Chicken Roulade

Here is an easy way to spice up what could be a boring chicken-again meal. Make a Roulade and impress your guest. The flavor of this Chicken Roulade is to die for. This recipe is great for a small dinner party. It will serve 6 easily.


Chicken Roulade
by amy twomey

ingredients
1 c. black olives
6 T. gluten free corn flake crumbs
1 c. sundried tomatoes
4 T. lemon juice
5 garlic cloves
2 t. dried oregano
8 boneless chicken cutlets
olive oil
1 small yellow onion
4 c. white wine
3 c. chicken broth
2 t. cornstarch
1 c. goat cheese


In a Cuisinart blend olives, sun dried tomatoes(after they have soaked in boiling hot water for 5 minutes). And onions. Place onions aside separately.


In a mixing bowl mix up blended olives, sun dried tomatoes, oregano, salt, cornflake crumbs, garlic and crumbled goat cheese. Place chicken in a zip lock bag smashing with a meat grinder on both sides. Remove from bag, place flat and add a layer of the mixture on top of chicken. Begin rolling it and use 3 tooth picks to hold the roll tight.


Add about 1/2 inch of olive oil to a large pot on medium heat and begin sauteing the rolls, tooth picks and all. Flip them to be sure each side gets browned and then remove from heat and place chicken on a plate set aside.


Using the remaining oil add the diced onions from earlier and saute them for a few minutes. Then add the wine and chicken broth. After about 5 minutes, stirring well add the chicken rolls and cover with a lid and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. take out rolls, and remove toothpicks carefully with fingers. Cut up into slices and set chicken aside. Whisk together lemon juice with cornstarch and add that to the liquid mixture stirring well for another 5 minutes. Pour sauce over the chicken when you are ready to serve. I love this dish served over a bed of white rice.

{the dish} Moroccan Tangine Chicken

This dish was inspired from Russel, a dear friend of my husbands who is a fabulous cook. I know this because of the way he talks when he is describing food + I have heard he cooks his family all their meals and makes things using a Tagine! I mean who isn't a good cook if they are using a Tagine? Russel introduced the Tagine to me, and I am so grateful because I am in love with it. I have re-created a few Moroccan recipes for chicken and come up with my own that is pure perfection! I do hope you will consider buying a Tagine, it may just change the way you cook forever.


Moroccan Tagine Chicken
by amy twomey

ingredients
3 cloves of garlic, minced
olive oil for browning chicken
2 packages of chicken breasts, cubed in large pieces
pinch of black pepper
pinch of ground ginger
pinch of saffron, in 5 T. of boiling hot water and let sit for 10 min, stir well
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. turmeric
1 t. fennel seeds
pinches of ground cinnamon
1/2 t. Harissa spice
1/2 t. Ras el Hanout spice
2 onions, finely chopped in Cuisinart
2 c. chicken broth
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 carrots, peeled and cut into small round pieces
1 c. green olives
2 lemons, cut into slices
salt to taste


Put your pinch of saffron in a bowl with water and let sit, set aside. Mix the garlic, black pepper, and a big splash of oil in a zip lock bag with the cubed chicken and pound it on both sides with the meat pounder to tenderise it. Heat more oil in a Tagine. Fry the chicken until browned, on medium - high heat. Add all of the spices into the saffron you set aside earlier and stir well. Add blended onions and an entire lemon, cut in half and potatoes and carrots. Stir over high heat for a few minutes.


Add chicken broth to Tagine. Bring to broil. Reduce heat to between medium and low and cover. Cook on medium heat for thirty + minutes. Squeeze in 1/4 of lemon juice from a lemon into pot and stir. Add olives at the very end and stir in well. Add salt to taste.

*Serve chicken over white rice and with a good red wine. Very, very good.

{the dish} BBQ Sweet Potato

MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm!

I can't say this was an original idea of mine ... but I really can't remember where I saw it. Perhaps a cooking show ... Any who ... it's inspired!

Why not take the delicious and sweet, sweet potato and bake it. Then top it with some good ole sweet and tangy BBQ, perhaps some caramelized onions and peppers some slaw and call it a whip-dinger of a meal. And this is the kind of meal my kids will love and I mean LOVE.

You see what I am getting at!

SO here's the plan....

bbq sweet potato by ann west and inspired by others

Wash you sweet potatoes, pierce them with a fork, wrap them in foil and bake them until done. Oh 400 degrees for 45 minutes or so.

In the mean time ... You know those bbq left overs you have from the 4th or that brisket taco meat.... wwweellll perfect. Slap some of your favorite bbq sauce on it and heat it up.

Next you might want to make some yummy slaw or just toss a nice salad. Either way a little tart is good with all that rich savory sweet headed your way.

If you like the idea of some caramelized onions & peppers great. Slice you onions and peppers thin and sautee them in a skillet with about 2-3 tbls of olive oil. Start them on high and then turn them down to a med - low temp and let them cook and cook (really 30 minutes or more). Season with a little salt and pepper. You will love them.

Now top your sweet spud and serve. enjoy!

{the dish} cheesy-easy enchiladas

This is my go to recipe for an easy to prepare meal that takes all but 5 minutes to put together and nobody would know you didn't slave away in the kitchen for hours! My kind of meal. Summer has been a beating so far...first week into it and already I am pulling my hair out. We are busier now then during the school year. Summer camps, swimming, grilling out with friends. I am finding it hard to slip away from the three kiddos to stock up on food for the house. Not a ton of cooking going on this week, so my cheesy-easy enchiladas will be had...for sure.


cheesy-easy enchiladas
by amy twomey

Prep ann's avocado salsa verde the night before. I actually try to always have it on hand because it is great on everything from eggs to enchiladas.

1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese, or monterey jack, either is great
bag of corn tortillas
avocado salsa verde
sour cream
buttermilk or whipping cream
salt to taste, optional

Coat the bottom layer of your casserole baking dish with Verde sauce. Heat a pile of corn tortillas on a layer of paper towel and microwave it for 1minute until warm, hot. Lay them on counter and begin adding shredded cheese to inside of corn tortilla an droll up tight adding it to dish. Continue to do until dish is full. Pour buttermilk or whipping cream on top on enchiladas and then another layer of Verde sauce and top with a generous amount of cheddar cheese. Bake in the oven set at 350 uncovered for 25-30 minutes until bubbling hot. remove, and serve with rice and a big salad. Easy meal, and the kids will love it. You can add onions too if your kiddos will eat them.


When you are not as rushed and can give yourself an extra 10 minutes to prep for dinner, be sure to try my chicken cream cheese enchiladas too.

{the dish} parmesan risotto

This is a recipe I have adapted from my friend Tonya. We had this over for dinner at her house about a year ago and I fell instantly in love with it. I will say though it is a recipe I do not make very often because it is basically microwave-risotto which equivilates to EASY and FAST for delicious meal that takes all of 17-28 minutes to prepare...but I am pulled by the microwave in general...maybe a discussion for another day. I am NOT a fan of the microwave. I actually want to toss it in trash pick up and have contemplated this time and time again. I know people who simply do not have one in their kitchen and I applaud them for their strength and discipline on many levels. sigh....I will one day throw it out...I will. But for now I will share my adapted radiation-recipe. smile. It is fabulous.

Parmesan Risotto by amy twomey

*adapted from my friend Tonya Dalton

4 T. butter

4 T. olive oil

1 c. onion, chopped in cuisine art

2 c. arborio rice uncooked

6 c. chicken broth

1 1/2 c. shaved fresh parmesan cheese

1 garlic clove, minced

1 t. pepper

1 t. salt

1 bunch of asparagus

1 package of bacon

Microwave butter/oil 75 seconds. Stir in onions and garlic cover 45 seconds. Stir in rice. Cover microwave 3 minutes. Add chicken broth microwave uncovered 28 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes add cheese, stir in.

Separate pan cook bacon. Separate pot steam asparagus while risotto is cooking! Add chopped asparagus and bacon to cooked risotto. So good.

*I serve with melted open face cheese sandwiches on gluten free toast & a salad.

For a super microwaved meal (ha ha) you can zap the bacon for faster results. Oh my!

A beautiful meal. I will be working on the long version of this same recipe, some day when my kids are off to college. ha ha! For now I will savor this one.

{the dish} baby back ribs

Week two! My man is still in the kitchen cooking man-meals and I am loving my little hiatus.


Matt made 9 hour , yes "9 hour ribs" today adapted from a recipe on cooks.com


9 hours later the meat will fall off the bone....it is totally worth the wait. promise.


2 racks baby back ribs
1 clove garlic, minced
1 med onion, minced
5 T. butter
2 1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. dark corn syrup
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. pineapple juice
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1 c. brown sugar firmly packed
2 T. spicy mustard with horseradish
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. chili powder
2 t. salt
1 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. black pepper

Melt butter in pot adding onion and garlic. Cook over low heat until onions are soft. Stir in remainder of ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring. Let cool completely.

Cut each rib rack in half. Place in big tin and pour liberal amounts of sauce over ribs. Cover with tin foil and place in pre-heated 190 degree oven for 9 hours.


Remove from oven, discard drippings and save for other use. Transfer ribs to grill or place under broiler for about 10 minutes. May be refrigerated and grilled at a later time. Serve with extra BBQ sauce. Yum. We served these to a ton of friends last Friday night and they were gone. gone. gone. fast.

{the dish} Italian Sausage a' la Matt

What a treat to come home to my man in the kitchen. It doesn't happen very often, but occasionally Matt will get the cooking bug and take over...man style. Messy, messy. Ha.


Tonight he cooked Italian Sausage with pepper and onions adapted from cooks.com


Italian Sausages a' la Matt

2 large red peppers
1 med spanish onion
2 T. olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
3/4 t. dried thyme
6 fresh Italian sausages(gluten free of course) about 1 1/2 lbs
1/2 c. water
1/2-1 c. dry white wine

Cut the pepper into 12 wedges. Cut onion into 1/2 inch slices, separate into rings and add to pan with olive oil over medium heat for 5 min. Stir in onion, garlic, thyme and cook until onions are limp. Meanwhile, in another pan add sausages to pan with water. Cover tightly and cook over medium heat for about 12 minutes. Remove cover and cook for 18 min longer until browned, flipping as cooking. Add white wine to de-glaze pan, add veggies and stir all well. Continue to cook for about 5 more minutes.

*serve with rice.


This was a great man-meal if you will. We will definitely be adding this to our recipe box.

{the dish} Mother Daughter Quick Spaghetti

It was a late night neither my daughter or I had eaten. Hmmmmm what to fix?

We had some left over whole wheat pasta from earlier in the week. She took half and I took half and here is what we came up with. It was fun creating with my daughter... I think I will try hers next time!

Moms Basic Tomato Basil Pasta by ann west

spaghetti

cherry or grape tomatoes

garlic

fresh basil

red pepper flakes

olive oil

parmasean

salt & pepper and a squeeze of lemon

Saute your garlic in some olive oil. Add your tomatoes and let them simmer. (I like mine to even get brown. Add you spices. Add your pasta and toss to heat through. This is a key element and will infuse your pasta with your yummy sauce. Serve with a sprinkle of cheese. Enjoy!

Peanut Spaghetti by Claire

peanut butter

garlic chili paste

sesame oil

rice wine vinegar

orange juice

honey

crushed peanuts

Mix 2 large spoonfuls of peanut butter with a tsp of garlic chili paste, 1/2 tsp of sesame oil, 2-3 Tbls rice wine vinegar and the same amount of orange juice. Add a little honey and mix well. Taste and adjust your seasonings. Top with crushed roasted peanuts. Heat the pasta and mix with sauce. Can be topped with chicken, peppers, carrots and more. enjoy!

{the dish} Turkey Loaf

A month or so ago Amy and I were talking with a friend who wanted the recipe for turkey "meat" loaf. Amy and I both gave our advise and he said his turned out great. But that sparked and interest. Can you believe it took me this long to try my own. Well here it is. A so so review from the kids but my husband and I liked it a bunch.

Turkey Loaf by ann west

Fresh ground turkey

red pepper

garlic

red onion

parmesean cheese

2 eggs

1 tbls olive oil

1/3 cup bread crumbs

2-3 tbls tomato paste

poultry seasoning

1/2 tsp ground sage

salt and pepper

Start with fresh ground turkey. The turkey I bought was all white. Personally I think you need some dark meat in the mix for flavor and to lend some more moisture. Chop some onion (a couple of slices), some garlic (6 cloves - don't be shy here it gives a ton of flavor), and some red pepper and parsley.

Mix as you would a meat loaf. Everything goes in. Don't over work it. Form into a loaf and cook in a 375 degree oven for 45 min or until done.

enjoy!