Use coffee grounds to deodorize your hands after handling garlic, fish, onions or even after smoking. Simply rub damp grounds onto your hands as if you are trying to lather soap. Rub your hands for a few minutes and then wash away with soap and warm water.
Fill a small bowl with fresh coffee grounds and place them into the back of your refrigerator or freezer. Working much like baking soda, the coffee grounds will quickly absorb and foul odors from old foods, fish and other items to keep your fridge deodorized and smelling great.
Tap your coffee grounds into your garbage disposal each morning instead of tapping them into the garbage bin. Running fresh or used coffee grounds through the disposal will help to remove pieces of food and bacteria which cause odor. If your disposal is particularly smelly, add a dozen ice cubes to the drain and place your coffee grounds on top. This will slow the time needed to move the ice and coffee through the disposal for a deep cleaning.
Spread your used coffee grounds out on a baking sheet and allow them to dry thoroughly. Once dry, place the grounds into the toe of an old nylon stocking and tie a know. Hang the stocking to deodorize closets, garages or other small damp places to prevent a mildew smell.
I have been making chili rellenos for years, but being down here in Mexico they are fond of stuffing the chilies with things other than just cheese. So, I found a recipe that combined chorizo (Mexican sausage that is hot) and shrimp and then added other things to it and made it for 9 people here and they loved it…so, here’s the recipe and of course you can substitute hot italian sausage for the chorizo, or use mild sausage…the choice is up to you!!!! You can follow the recipe the way I did it…or “step out of the box” and wing it on your own!!! That’s the fun of this blog…whatever works, is my motto!!!
This recipe served 9 people!!!
INGREDIENTS:
1 TBS oil
1/2 lb of chorizo or any kind of sausage
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 serano pepper, minced
2 TBS minced garlic
1 c white rice
1 c chicken broth
1/2 c white wine (one that you would drink!!!)
1/2 c water
9 lg Poblano chilies
1 lb shrimp, shelled & deveined and cut into 1/2 ” pieces
1 1/2 c chichuahua cheese (Monterey jack will be just fine or pepper jack for some zing)
DIRECTIONS:
Pre Heat Oven to 400 degrees. Put poblano chilies on a baking dish and cook in oven for 15-20 mins. Remove from oven and cool. Once cooled, cut top 1/4 of chili and remove ribs and seeds. put a slit down the front the chili to open it up and put aside.
in medium saucepan, heat the oil and add the chorizo and cook for about 3 mins
add peppers (red & yellow), serano, onions, garlic and cook until translucent.
add the rice & cook until all the grains are coated with oil
add the shrimp and cook about 2-3 mins
now add all the liguids (chix broth, wine, water) and stir over high heat for another 3 mins then cover & reduce heat to low for 20 mins. Check rice for doneness….
When rice is finished cooking, take the slit chilies and stuff the rice mixture into them and set back on a baking pan and put all of them in the oven for 10 mins. Remove from the oven and then add the shredded chichuahua or monterey jack cheese and cover the peppers with cheese and put under broiler for 2-3 min to melt the cheese. Take out and top with salsa or sour cream and voila…another great meal!!!
One thing that is NOT in abundance here in Mexico, is either chicken broth or beef broth. Infact, they don’t seem to be worried about excessive sodium in their diets so they use this Knorr ”Caldo de Pollo” which is a powder that you add to water to make broth…me, on the other hand, feel my ankles swell just unscrewing the lid!! But, as I said before, “improvise” we must and therefore my ankles will take a back burner to my pork chop creation!
INGREDIENTS:
6 thin sliced pork chops
1 onion sliced thinly in half moons
1 cube OR tsp of beef granules
1 TBS butter
2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS flour
1 cup Apple Juice (try finding that down here!)
1 lg Granny Smith Apple, cored and sliced
DIRECTIONS:
Heat butter AND oil in pan and add sliced onions. Cook until translucent then remove from pan.
In same pan, now add pork chops and just brown on both sides and remove. DO NOT COOK, just brown!
Now, add the flour to the pan and stir, scrapping the bottom of the pan getting all the good stuff .
Add the beef cube OR the 1 tsp of beef granules like Knorr
Add the apple juice and mix well with the flour and beef flavoring. Stir until sauce boils and thickens (thanks to the flour)
Return to pan the chops, onions and the sliced apples and reduce the heat and cover for about 15-20 minutes..stirring once during this period to make sure that the pork is cooked, along with the apples.
The take chops out and put on a platter, pour the “apple gravy” with onions on top and enjoy!!!
Tonight I served it with mashed potatoes and even my friend “Grinder” who had never had pork chops with apples, LOVED IT!!!
One thing that I have learned to do very well, my first week here in Ixtapa, is to “IMPROVISE”!!! Infact, that is now my mantra! This is the “true” test of a wanna-be-chef. Fine. You got a recipe? Try making it here with what is available in this country!!!
I have soooo mastered the art of guacamole that even one restaurant owner, Martin, took an interest in what I put in mine versus what he puts in his. They make it fresh with each order. With a mortar & pestal, they smash the avocado’s, add jalapeño, tomatoes, some onion, cilantro and lime juice. Then they top it with a queso con fresco…which, to me is like a feta cheese. Now, I add garlic, chipolte in adobo (my most FAVORITE mexican spice) cumin, red pepper flakes, some bottled salsa and salt. It definitely has “zing”, which we all love. I told him that I would bring some over for him to try!!! Afterall, some gringo’s do like spice!!
Tonight, tho, I am going to see what I can do with the thin pork chops that Bosco picked up in the commericale…the big supermarket. I’m thinking cooking them in a pan (there are NO out door bar-b-que grills allowed in this whole complex) with an apple topping. My friend Grinder, who is visiting looks at me and says “WHAT”??? Pork chops with apples???? OI VEY!! Do you see how difficult it is being me???? She has never had pork chops with apples….
So, with shopping list in hand, my Mexican Spanish dictionary, 8 pesos for the bus ride to Zihuat and my love for playing charades, I am off to see how to “improvise”!!! Screw the golf, this is much more fun!!
The running around, the stress of contracts, last minute showing of houses….my ass’t working till all hours….and then…a BIG LONG SIGH!!! We board the plane, we sit back and all that has become a distant memory!!! Thank God!!!!
Ode to Ixtapa
We arrived on a Saturday, with the temps making us sweat
We come through customs with our luggage, looking for something cold and wet
The guy is yelling “taxi..senorita, taxi’s to take you to your hotelo”
I said “si senor, but first I need a Negra Modelo”!!!!
We have arrived…we have shopped.. and tomorrow (after golf) we are off to find some “local” flavor and write and video their recipes (I hope). Let’s see how I do. Stay tuned, my friends!
I love that all of you are calling or writing about the Chocolate Lava Cake in the Crock Pot so I want to add one more thing…the so-called “icing on the cake” and that is my whip cream recipe. It’s just a “little” different from traditional….hahaha…as am I!!!!
3/4 c heavy cream or whipping cream…whichever
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 c confectionery sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Put it in a bowl and whip it up!! That’s it!!! Again, how easy is that! Can make hours ahead!!! Plenty for 6-8 people!!
1 pkg Devils Food Cake Mix (Duncan Hines is my favorite!)
3 eggs
1/3 cups vegetable oil
1 2/3 cups water
1 pkg Jell-O Flavor Instant Pudding Mix (or a store brand, who cares!!)
2 cups “cold” milk
1 bag (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 crock pot liner (you get this in the aisle with alum foil, wax paper etc)
HOW TO MAKE IT:
Prepare the cake mix using the eggs, oil and water with mixer and then pour into “lined” crock pot
Prepare the Jell-O instant pudding per directions using a mixer and then pour this over the cake layer.
Now take the 12 oz bag of semi-sweet chips and sprinkle all over the top of the batter
Cook in the crock pot on “HIGH” setting for about 2-2 ½ hrs until the cake is moist but not “jiggley” and you see little volcanoes of spitting chocolate on top. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream!!!!
You had a GREAT prime rib dinner…and now, after having the usual sandwich’s the next day, you “still” have leftovers!!! What is a cook to do??? Hahahaha…you once again, go and get that “favorite” appliance…the crock pot and you gather all the mixin’s below, put it in the pot and cover it for 6-8 hours and you will become the “kitchen goddess” in the eyes of your family or friends!!! TRUST ME!!!
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lbs left over prime rib, with fat cut off and then cut into cubes
3 (14 0z) cans beef broth
5 cups water
1 1/2 c celery (including leaves) chopped
1 1/2 cup chopped carrots
6 green onions, chopped
1 cup barley
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
some fresh parsley (if you have it hanging around!)
DIRECTIONS:
Take the leftover beef and cut away the visible fat, then cube it and put in crock pot.
Take all the chopped vegetables, beef broth, water, seasonings, parsley and barley and put into pot.
Cover and cook on low setting for 6-8 hours or until vegetables and barley are tender
COULD IT BE ANY EASIER?? And the picture above was taken from my finished product!!!
After cooking numerous meals over the holiday’s it occurred to me that the kitchen sponge was getting quite gnarly….so i thought “hmmm….how long does one keep a kitchen sponge around before tossing it”???… and you will see what i learned below!!!!
Your kitchen sponge probably has more bacteria than anything else in the house. It’s worse than the toilet.
Bacteria thrive in moist environments. Let your sponge dry out between uses. Don’t leave the sponge sitting in the bottom of the sink. Squeeze it and let it dry. Replace it every week or two.
It’s also recommended that you wet a sponge and then microwave it for two minutes every two days. The high heat kills bacteria on it. You can also put it in the dishwasher but that’s not quite as good.
Dishrags are another have for germs. Let them dry between uses and wash them frequently. Even better: use paper towels or disposable wipes.
So, there you have it…just a little tidbit from Chef-Boy-R-D2!!!!
Here is a great and EASY soup that you can make in my new and “favorite” cooking device…the crock pot or now called “slow cooker”!! Seriously, my friends, go rummaging through your garage or attic…or go make your rounds at some garage sales and get one!!! It makes life just sooooo easy, especially when you have golf to play or shopping to do!!!! We need not waste time in the kitchen!!!
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced (I used Louisiana Hot Sausage because we are tough there in AZ
3/4 lb dried lentils, rinsed and drained (that’s about 1 3/4 cups)
1 c diced ham (leftover or bought in the store…whatever!)
1 med onion, chopped
1 small red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 med carrot, diced or i used 8-10 baby carrots diced
2 TBS minced garlic from the jar…unless, of course, you like to mince them fresh! if so, you have wwaayyyyy too much time on your hands!!!
1/2 tsp thyme..fresh or dry…who cares…it’s just going into a pot!
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin (and if you have no idea what it is, go to the grocery store and get some…i use it ALOT in my recipes…it’s a mexican spice!)
2 14 oz cans of beef broth
2 14 oz cans of chicken broth
2 cups of coarsely chopped “fresh” spinach
The “EASY part:
Combine ALL ingredients, except spinach, in a 5-quart slow cooker
Cover and cook on “LOW” for 5 hours or until lentils are tender (that means soft!!)
Add spinach, cover and let stand for about 5 mins until spinach wilts!! Then grab the soup bowls and dish it out!!!
*** I made some Marie Calendar “all you do is add water” corn bread!!! I mean, could this be any easier?????????
P.S. every thing in italics are things you need from the grocery store…how easy???????
