Fast Food Review: McDonald's S'mores Pie

I first spied a McDonald's S'mores Pie as I passed a local McDonald's. Loving S'mores and trying strange new promotional items I made a U-turn and ordered one. Unfortunately, that particular location was sold out for the rest of the promotion.

I'd actually forgotten about it, until a week later we ended up at McDonald's for dinner. It wasn't our original plan, so don't judge! We'd walked over to a local restaurant to try it out, to find that it closed early. We hemmed and hawed about what to do until we finally decided to walk about 2 blocks to McDonald's. I ordered my meal, and as I was about to hand over the cash I inquired about the pies (they hadn't been on the menu nor were there any posters). The cashier paused, went to the back, and brought me 2 pies. One pie was for me and my DH to share, and the other was to give to my sister (she loves S'mores).

We ate our meals, brought the pie home, and split it down the center:

It looked promising. Something about the symmetry of S'mores goodness down the center of the pie made it look like it'd be delicious.

It wasn't delicious. It wasn't terrible either. The graham cracker crust didn't quite taste like one, and the chocolate tasted like pudding. The marshmallow was a bit more airy/fluffy than a typical marshmallow. It seems like it was missing a flavor, a dash of cinnamon perhaps? And it's fairly sweet. I was thankful that I'd split mine because it'd be too much for me to eat on my own.

Would I get one next summer? Probably not. I'd opt for S'mores pop tarts. Or of course, the real thing.

Banana Split Cookie

Banana Split Cookie, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

I've been trying to find the perfect combination of ingredients to make the perfect banana split cookie.

Keep in mind when you taste the dough, you'll think "no way, it's too banana-y. I don't know about this." But trust me, somehow the flavors combine perfectly for a cookie where no exact ingredient is the star, but rather they work together for the perfect flavor.

What You'll Need:

- 2 1/4 C flour

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 1 tsp salt

- 1/2 lb butter, at room temperature

- 3/4 C packed dark brown sugar

- 1/4 C granulated sugar

- 1 pkg. (3.4 oz) Jello™ banana flavored instant pudding

- 2 large eggs

- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

- 3/4 C dried cranberries, chopped* (you can also use other dried fruits such as strawberries, or dried cherries, etc)

- 1 C dried pineapple, chopped

- 1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips

- 1 small jar of maraschino cherries, halved

What You'll Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Sift together first 3 ingredients into a large bowl. Set aside.

3. In a large mixer bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

4. Add instant pudding, mixing well.

5. Add eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until well blended.

6.Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.

7. Slowly add flour mixture, mixing well.

8. Stir in the fruits, and chocolate chips until well blended.

9. Take a rounded spoonful, drop dough on to an lined cookie sheet.

10. Top each cookie with a maraschino cherry half.

11. Bake 12-14 minutes.

12. After one minute, transfer from pan to wire rack to cool.

40-45 rounded tablespoon size cookies.

Super Easy Salsa Trio

Salsa Trio, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

I made a trio of salsas for Cinco de Mayo. The Green (roasted tomatillo) salsa is my favorite because I don't particularly care for tomatoes. The hit of the party was the restaurant style (red) salsa. And the pico de gallo was perfect for tacos.

So here's the recipes. You can add more or reduce the peppers to fit your spicy level needs. Also, if your spicy tolerance isn't very high you can also omit the habaneros.

Green Tomatillo Salsa:

What You'll Need:


- 1 pound tomatillos, husked

- 1 white onion, peeled and quartered

- 4 garlic cloves

- 4 jalapenos

- 1 to 2 habaneros
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin

- 1 teaspoon kosher salt

- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

- 1/2 lime, juiced

What You'll Do:
1. On a baking tray lined with foil, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic, habaneros, and jalapenos for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

2. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor.

3. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Red Restaurant Style Salsa:

What You'll Need:


- 14 oz can diced tomatoes

- 10 oz can diced tomatoes with green peppers

- 1/2 small onion, roughly chopped

- 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed

- 2 jalapenos, seeded or not (depends on how spicy you like it)

- 1 teaspoon honey

- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

- Medium size handful of cilantro, washed

- Juice of 1 lime

What You'll Do:


1. Put all the ingredients in the base of a food processor until all the ingredients are finely chopped and salsa is desired consistency.

Pico de Gallo:

- 3 Tomatoes

- 1/4 cup Green Onions

- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

- 1 to 2 jalapenos

- Juice of 1 lime

- Salt to taste

What You'll Do:


1. Dice tomatoes, dice green onions, and dice jalapenos.

2. Place in bowl, add lime juice, and salt. Mix together.

Nutella Toffee Brownies

Nutella Toffee Brownies, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

What You'll Need:

- 1 cup Flour

- ¾ cups Cocoa Powder

- ½ teaspoons Baking Powder

- ¼ teaspoons Cinnamon

- ¼ teaspoons Kosher Salt

- 1 cup Unsalted Butter

- 2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

- 1 cup Sugar

- 1 cup Brown Sugar (I prefer to use dark)

- 4 whole Eggs

- 1 cup Nutella

- ½ cup Milk Chocolate Chips

- ½ cup toffee bits

What You'll Do:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF for lighter pans or 325ºF for darker pans.

2. In a meduim bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (not including chips or bits).

3. On low heat, melt butter in a medium size pot.

4. Add vanilla and sugars, stir to combine.
5. Remove from heat and let cool (I usually put it in a heat proof dish and stick in the fridge to speed up the process a bit).

6. Move to mixer, or a bowl if mixing by hand.

7. Add one egg at a time, making sure it is completely mixed before adding the next one.

8. Add the dry ingredients.

9. Microwave the Nutella for about 30 secconds or until it is a runny texture.

10. Add the Nutella, chocolate chips, and toffee bits.

11. Pour the batter into a greased 9×13 pan.

12. Bake the brownies for about 35 minutes.

Easy Surprise Lemon Cake

Surprise Lemon Cake, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

I was trying to think of a Lemon Cake I could make for my mother's birthday. Something that wasn't too difficult, and didn't take too long. Then I stumbled upon this recipe and made some changes to fit my taste better.

This cake is wonderful because the dollops of lemon pie filling in the cake sink to the bottom as it bakes, leaving perfect little surprise pockets of lemon.

What you'll need:
Cake:

1 (18.25-oz.) pkg. pudding-included white cake mix

(oil, egg whites, and water per directions for egg-white cake recipe).

Filling:

1 15.75 oz. can of lemon pie filling (I used about 2/3 of the can in
the cake, and a few teaspoons in frosting)

Frosting:

1 can of lemon frosting

1 8 oz. container frozen whipped topping

1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)

1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

I used the added lemon juice and zest
to bring down the sweetness of the frosting.

What You'll Do:
1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. Spray a 9x13" pan with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Prepare cake mix as directed on package according to egg white recipe, using water, oil and egg whites.

4. Spread batter into pan.

5. Drop pie filling by heaping teaspoonfuls evenly onto batter. (I did a checkered pattern)

6. Bake at 350°F. for 30 to 40 minutes or until edges pull away from pan and top is golden brown.

7. Cool cake in pan until completely cooled.

FROSTING:

1. In medium bowl, combine 1/2 can of frosting and 1/2 tub of whipped topping; whisk until blended well. Add lemon juice and zest, whisk
until blended. (The kitchen aid mixer was perfect for this, using the whisk attachment).

2. Spread on cake.

If you want more frosting just just the whole can and tub.

Chocolate Chip and Pretzel Cookies

Chocolate Chip and Pretzel Cookies, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

I recently took these cookies to a party, and they were gone within minutes. Two batches devoured in less than a half hour. Nearly every person there had come up to me at some point during the evening to let me know how good they were. My friends let me know that everyone loved these cookies.

I had tasted them out of the oven, and thought they were good but nothing to write home about. So I grabbed a cooled off cookie, and bit in. They're definitely way better after they've been out of the oven for a minute because the pretzels get their nice crunch back.

What You'll Need:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

14 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

3 oz. pretzels, chopped/broken

1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

What You'll Do:

1. Preheat oven to 375. If using dark pans preheat to 350.

2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

4. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in a small pot over medium-high heat until melted.

5. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown, about 3 minutes.

6. Remove pot from heat and using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. (I used my kitchen-aid mixer bowl).

7. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted. (I find it's faster to cut that 4 tablespoons into quarters).

8. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with melted butter and whisk until fully incorporated.

9. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds.

10. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds.

11. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny.

12. Using the paddle of your mixer, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute.

13. Using your rubber spatula, stir in chocolate chips and pretzels until well mixed and no clumps of flour remain.

14. Using a small spoon, scoop about 1 inch balls onto the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

15. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft. (With my dark pans and the oven at 350, it's approximately 10 minutes). Be sure to rotate baking sheet halfway through baking.

16. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Blueberry Cheesecake

Blueberry Cheesecake, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

I had decided this Thanksgiving that I wanted to try and make a cheesecake. I'd pondered pumpkin cheesecake, but after realizing not all the guests liked pumpkin I had decided on a plain cheesecake. So I scoured the internet for cheesecake recipes. I looked through my library of food network magazine and searched all my favorite food blogs. After reading about 20 recipes to get an idea of what make a cheesecake I came up with my own. I know, flour isn't normally in cheesecake but I figured it would help it set to make it fool proof (since this was my first attempt).

Then one the cheesecake was complete, I'd decided it was missing something and added blueberry topping. Needless to say, the cheesecake was a hugehit. I was floored at how great it came out, and fell in love with the crust. Next time I make it I plan on making the crust run along the side of the cheesecake as well.

What You'll Need:
Crust:

- 2 cups of crushed graham crackers (I hand crushed them so that there were some decent sized chunks of cracker in the crust rather than powder to add a crunchy texture to the smooth cheesecake)

- 7 Tbsp butter melted

- 1/2 Tsp cinnamon

- 1/4 cup sugar

- Pinch of salt

The Filling:

- 4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

- 1 1/2 cups white sugar

- 3/4 cup whole milk

- 4 eggs

- 1 cup sour cream

- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

What You'll Do:

First, the crust!

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

3 Press the mixture along the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan lined along the outside with foil.

4. Bake in oven for approximately 10 minutes, remove and set aside.

The filling:
5. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese with sugar until smooth.

6. Mix in milk, and then the eggs one at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate.

7. Mix in sour cream, vanilla and flour until smooth (but don't overbeat!).

8. Pour filling into prepared crust.

9. Place the pan into a water bath. That is, place the pie pan into a roasting pan, then slowly add boiling water into the roasting pan until just below the edge of the foil line (about halfway up the pie pan).

10. Bake in oven for 1 hour.

11. When timer beeps, turn oven off but do not open the oven.

12. Let the cheesecake slowly cool in the oven for about 6 hours (this helps it set and helps prevent cracking caused by rapid cooling).

13. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

14. Add blueberry topping just before serving (optional, see below).

Blueberry Topping:

- 1 can of blueberry pie filling

- 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Add blueberries to pot and add cinnamon. Simmer approximately 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Let cool.

3. Spread on top of cheesecake prior to releasing from springform pan.


Enjoy!

Kumquat Marmalade

Kumquats, originally uploaded by FotoosVanRobin.

Last fall my father gave me buckets and buckets of kumquats from his large kumquat tree. He always gives me way more than I could ever possibly eat, and I didn't want them to go to waste so i decided to try something new: Kumquat Marmalade.

I researched recipe after recipe, and found this simple one.

Which I did.

And the end result was pretty darn good. I took about 50 pictures trying to get a decent photo of my end results for this blog, but failed miserably.

Anyway, if you find yourself with way too many kumquats I definitely recommend this recipe.


*And thank you to fotoosvanrobin for this amazing picture.

Lemon Fettuccine

Lemon Fettuccine , originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

I've always been a fan of the Lemon Fettuccine at C&O's in Venice Beach. They've got amazing garlic knots and amazing fettuccine. The secret? Little bits of lemon zest.

So when I stumbled upon this recipe I immediately scanned the recipe list for zest, and it was there. I followed the recipe provided for a bit, and then ventured off a bit on my own to make it more to my liking.

What you'll need:

- Salt

- 12ounces fettuccine

- 1 clove of garlic minced

- 1tablespoon unsalted butter

- 1large shallot, minced

- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream

- 1large egg yolk

- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

-1/3cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

- Freshly ground pepper

- 1 large chicken breast

What you'll do:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Add the fettuccine and cook as the label directs.

3. Drain. (You can reserve a bit of cooking water in case the sauce gets thicken than you'd like.

4. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.

5. Add the shallot, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes.

6. Whisk the cream, egg yolk and lemon zest in a bowl.

7. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream mixture and cheese to the skillet.

8. Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

9. Season with salt and 2 to 3 teaspoons pepper.

10. Keep at a light simmer while cooking chicken, stirring occasionally.

11. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and some cayenne pepper.

12. Saute chicken in a pain with a little bit of oil until cooked.

12. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss, you can add enough of the reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce.


13. Serve chicken on bed of pasta

14. Garnish with more cheese and why not add in some basil if you'd like.

"Monster Marshmallow Cookies"

"Monster Marshmallow Cookies", originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

Found these in the Food Network Magazine. I altered the recipe in that I used salted butter and walnuts in lieu of pecans.

I didn't think they were the best cookies I've made, but everyone at the party I took them to demolished them in 10 minutes and asked me to go home to bake some more.

What You'll Need:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

- 2 sticks salted butter, softened

- 1 cup granulated sugar

- 1 cup packed light brown sugar

- 2 large eggs, at room temperature

- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

- 2 cups quick-cooking oats

- 1 1/4 cups crispy rice cereal

- 1 cup milk chocolate chips

- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

- 1 cup miniature marshmallows

What You'll Do:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

3. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and both sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy.

5. Beat in the eggs one at a time on medium speed.

6. Beat in the vanilla.

7. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined.

8. Stir the oats, cereal, chocolate chips, walnuts and marshmallows into the dough.

9. Drop about a tablespoonful of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 3 inches apart.

10. Bake the cookies in batches until golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

11.Transfer to racks to cool.

Low-Fat Alfredo Sauce

I got home the other night and realized we only had shrimp, refried beans, and Spanish rice. Looks like my only option was shrimp burritos... which I did NOT want. I wanted the shrimp, I wanted some pasta. I wanted alfredo sauce. I did NOT want to go to the market in the rain for a jar of the stuff. So I decided I'd try to concoct some sauce from scratch... without the half and half or cream (remember, I did not want to go to the market).

It ended up pretty damn good.

What you'll Need:

- 1 tbsp butter

- 3 tbsp cornstarch (or flour ... I didn't have any)

- 2 cups low-fat milk (2%)

- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

- Salt to taste

- Pepper to taste

- 1 tsp dried basil

What you'll Do:

1. Melt the butter

2. Once the butter is melted, mix in 2 tbsp cornstarch until thickened

3. Whisk in milk and basil

4. Whisk in parmesan cheese until melted

5. Whisk in remaining cornstarch

6. Let simmer until thickened

Once it's removed from heat it'll continue to thicken.

We spooned the sauce over cooked fusili noodles (all I had) and shrimp that were sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper.

I'd honestly meant to take a picture, but it was so good and we were so hungry we ate it all.

Blackberry Ice Cream

We decided to recently try out our new Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. In an effort to cut down on our costs we tried to use stuff we had on hand... which was blackberries and whole milk. All we needed to purchase was heavy cream.

We did the recipe by what we thought would be best, and found we put a bit too much vanilla. Other than that the ice cream was rich, creamy, and full of flavor.

Ingredients:

- 1.5 cups blackberries
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What you'll do:

1. Puree blackberries.
2. Whisk milk, sugar, and salt until sugar is dissolved.
3. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla.
4. Stir in puree.
5. Refrigerate 1-2 hours, covered.
6. Turn on ice cream maker and pour mixture into frozen freezer bowl
7. Let mix 20 minutes, until thickened.

When it's first done the texture will be a bit softer and creamy. You can store it in the freezer in a plastic container and it'll hit the consistency of regular ice cream.

Remember. Do NOT store ice cream in the freezer bowl, as it may damage the bowl.

Candy Review: Pretzel M&M's

Candy Review: Pretzel M&M's, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

As some of you may know, I'm always on the look out to try new things. Especially new versions of junk food (cereals, chips, candies, etc.)

While at the drugstore the other day I ran across this impulse buy item (yes, it was near the register) for 89 cents.

I'm not a huge fan of pretzels or chocolate, but anything sweet and salty I am. So I impulsively grabbed the bag and threw it on the countertop as the lady rang me up.

Once I got home, I tore open the bag and began devouring the candy. Yes, devouring. They're good! Not as salty as I'd like, but I definitely prefer them over the other M&M's.

They're about the size of peanut M&M's except they're more round than oval shaped. They look rather deformed (bumpy, not smooth like other M&M products), but I suppose that's because pretzel balls aren't entirely smooth.

They have the traditional candy coated shell, with a thin layer of milk chocolate underneath that covers the pretzel ball.

They taste more like the sweetness of the chocolate than the expected saltiness of the pretzel. The inside texture is reminiscent of malt balls.

Before I finished the bag I made sure to bite the last one in half and photograph it (for your viewing pleasure).

Are they "rush out and buy them" good? No, I don't think so. But if given the choice of the millions of M&M's sold I'd buy these or the coconut ones.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Crunch Cereal

Cinnabon Cinnamon Crunch Cereal, originally uploaded by danajohnhill.

I stumbled upon this at grocery outlet and was intrigued.

I LOVE cinnamon.

I LOVE cinnabon.

I LOVE cereal.

So I have to LOVE this stuff, right? Went ahead and bought a box for about $2.00 (I wouldn't buy an unknown cereal at regular price).

And as soon as I got in the car, I popped the box open. Crunches later I was undecided. It's okay dry. Slightly sweet, but kinda tough on the teeth.

So I get home, and you know, threw some in a bowl with milk. Not bad, not bad at all. Reminds me a lot of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but the only difference (besides shape) is that they don't get soggy nearly as quickly.

I'll finish the box, but not sure if I'll buy another (definitely not at full price).

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Kitchen Sink Cookies, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

I recently stumbled upon a recipe called "Killer Cookies," and gave it a try. They were absolutely amazing, but I felt that I could make some changes and tailor them more to my tastes.

I prefer to call them "Kitchen Sink Cookies" as everything in my entire kitchen is thrown into them.

What you'll need:

- 1.5 cups all purpose flour

-1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 1 cup vegetable shortening (solid)

- 1 cup granulated sugar

- 1 cup light brown sugar

- 2 eggs

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 2 cups old fashioned oats

- 2 cups rice krispies

- 1 cup sweetened flake coconut

- 3 ounces chocolate chips

- 3 ounces white chocolate chips

What you'll need:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees and place parchment paper on cookie sheets!

2. In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk and set aside.

3. In large bowl, beat shortening, both sugars on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in vanilla.


4. On low speed, gradually add flour/sugar mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in oats, rice krispies, coconut, and chocolate chips.

5. Form balls with 2 tablespoons of dough and place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.


6. Cool on sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Baked Spaghetti

Baked Spaghetti, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

I've been wanting to make a good pot of spaghetti, but seeing as I've never really gone out of my way to make it I decided to look up some recipes.

I use a recipe I found online as my basis, but changed the ingredients to fit my liking better. So here goes:

What you'll need:

- 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

- 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

- 1 cup water

- 1/2 cup diced onion

- 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1/4 cup chopped fresh italian parsley leaves

- 1 1/2 teaspoons of seasoning (1/2 cup salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)

- 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoning salt

- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

- 1 pound ground beef

- 1/2 pound italian sausage (I used hot)

- 10 ounces uncooked spaghetti

- 1 cup grated cheddar

- 1 cup grated Monterey Jack

- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (if desired)

- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if desired)

- Fresh basil (for garnish; if desired)

- Freshly grated parmesan cheese (for garnish; if desired)

What you'll do:

1. In a large pot: mix the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasonings, and sugar.


2. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour.


3. Crumble the ground beef and italian sausage in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until fully cooked, with no pink color remaining.


4. Drain the fat from the meat, and then add the meat to the pot. Simmer for 20 more minutes.


5. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.


6. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.


7. Cover the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch pan with sauce.


8. Add a layer of pasta and then 1/2 of each cheese (cheddar and monterey); repeat the layers, ending with the sauce.


9. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.


10. Take casserole out and top with the remaining cheese.


11. Return it to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 more minutes.


12. Cut into squares before serving.


13. Garnish with freshly cut basil and parmesan cheese.

Bistec Burrito

Bistec Burrito, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

Since having left my hometown I often find myself craving delicious Mexican food, which seems oddly difficult to find in this area. So sometimes I've just gotta try my best.

My mother makes amazing burritos, and everything put in them is made by her, from scratch (except the tortillas, which she buys at a tortilleria).

So this past weekend I went on a quest to make a similar burrito with my limited cooking skills and funds.

First I found me a Mexican mercado, the kind that I used to go to as a kid. Yelp and craigslist food forum both helped with this task. In case you're near, Mi Pueblo in East Oakland is a good start.

Unfortunately they only had fresh handmade corn tortillas, and I was looking for flour. So I purchased Tia Rosa flour tortillas. Another decent brand would be Guerrero.

I was also looking to buy delicious refried beans since I don't know how to make them yet, and canned just won't do. You want the good ones made with manteca or something similar. Stay away from canned or those made with oil (unless vegetarian) they're just not that good.

But yes, find yourself a decent mercado and you'll get all your needs for cheap. If not, a regular market has everything else.

What you'll need:
- Burrito size flour tortillas

- Bistec marinated with onions, garlic, cayenne, and cilantro (or any other meat will do). About 1 lb for 2 large burritos.

- Refried beans

- Guacamole

- 1 small can enchilada sauce

- 1 cup shredded cheese

What you'll do:
1. Cook the meat in a skillet over medium heat.

2. While the meat is cooking, make the guacamole by crushing diced avocado with a tablespoon of lime juice, 1/2 clove minced garlic, 1 tablespoon minced onion, cilantro, pinch of garlic salt, diced jalapeno (if desired) and regular salt to taste.

3. Take your refried beans and add hot sauce, if desired. Heat them up.

4. Warm up the tortilla on the stove or in the microwave (with a damp paper towel so it doesn't get hard).

5. Once the tortilla is warm, place on a plate and spread a layer of beans, top with meat, guacamole, and cheese.

6. Roll into a burrito. Place burrito on foil lined baking sheet, top with enchilada sauce, and cheese.

7. Place burrito in the oven (heated at 375 degrees) and let it heat up for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

8. Garnish with guacamole, sour cream, or whatever other fixings you like.

By going to a mercado with an in house carniceria and deli I was able to make 2 burritos at under $6 each, with leftovers available.

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Pie

Frozen Strawberry Daiquiri Pie, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

This is a great dessert for potlucks. Though, I prefer to whip it up and keep one in the freezer. It's one of those delicious desserts that you don't have to eat entirely within a few days (though it'll be hard not to!).

What you'll need:


Crust:


- 1 and 1/4 cups crushed pretzels

- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar

- 1/2 cup Butter or margarine; melted

Filling:

- 1 can Sweetened condensed milk; 14 oz.

- 1/4 cup Lime juice

- 2 tb Dark rum

- 2 tb Orange liqueur

- 1 package Strawberries in syrup; 10 oz.

- 1 cup Whipping cream; whipped

What to do:
1. Make the crust first. Start by putting crushed pretzels in a medium bowl.

2. Add sugar and melted butter. And stir until well coated (it'll surprisingly smell delicious!)

3. Press firmly into bottom of 8" (springform) pan (if you want to pop it out to display nicely. If not, a regular pan will do).
4. Chill while you make the filling.

5. Now time for the filling. Combine condensed milk, lime juice, rum and orange liqueur.

6. Beat until smooth.

7. Add strawberries, beat at low speed until well-blended.

8. Fold in whipping cream.

9. Pour over crust, freeze 4 - 6 hours or until firm.
10. For easier cutting, let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving.

I know the pretzels and sugar sound odd, but they make a delicious crust. I never even used to like pretzels! The rum can be substituted with tequila for a margarita flavor. To make it virgin (non-alcohol) you can substitute orange juice.

Taco Dip for Chips

0704091703, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

First, let me just say that I really am working on getting a better camera!

Also, please excuse the bit of dip that is missing as we couldn't wait to dig in!

Growing up my mother made this dish for family BBQ's and I hogged it. I always sat at the table with the entire dish while I gobbled every last bit.

The recipe was originally taken from pampered chef, however, I have done a few things different (in an attempt to make it slightly healthier and spicier).

Keep in mind that you don't have to use chiles or anything spicy if you don't like spice!

What you'll need:
- 1 (16 oz) can refried beans with Tapatio hot sauce mixed in to taste

- 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature

- 1 envelope taco seasoning mix

- 2 cloves garlic, pressed

- 2 cups Mexican blend cheese (found in grocery store) or cheddar cheese, shredded

- 1 small can sliced ripe olives

- 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

- 2 green onions, chopped

- 1 jalapeno or serrano chile sliced

- Fresh cilantro, chopped

- Guacamole

- Tortilla chips (From a Mexican restaurant or carniceria if possible... for best taste)

What to do:
1. Spread the refried beans in a square in a 9-inch square baking dish).

2. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, taco seasoning, and garlic.

3. Mix well with electric mixer.

4. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of refried beans.

5. Sprinkle cheese on top of cream cheese mixture.

6. Sprinkle olives, tomatoes, onions, chile peppers, and cilantro on top.

7. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

8. Serve hot with Tortilla Chips with a dollop of guacamole!

flipped out!

flipped out!, originally uploaded by predictablyhungry.

I ran across an ad on facebook the other day for Ben & Jerry's new "Flipped Out!"

I was intrigued, it looked really good and seemed to be a great idea.

Well, while at the grocery store earlier this week I decided to walk down to the ice cream freezer to see how much these little guys run. Turns out they were on sale and were about $2.99.

So I decided to give the chocolate chip cookie dough one a try.

I didn't like them and neither did my friend. Actually getting it out of the cup was a little bit of work (read: minimal), and it was messy.

The chocolate oozed downed the sides while we ate our chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream on top of cookie crumbs.

What did it taste like?

Well, chocolate really. I never would have thought I was eating anything with vanilla in it had I not known.

If you're a huge fan of chocolate you may very well like this. The actual size of the "sundaes" were a bit big. We both got extraordinarily full off each our cups, and decided that if we ever have anything like that again we'd better share.

I understand what Ben & Jerry's was going for. A quick sundae at home with minimal to no work involved.

Personally, I think the "sundae" would taste better had the fudge come in a little heatable packet where you can warm it up in the microwave and drizzle it on top for a more realistic tasting sundae.