Gene Vykukal’s Tex-Mex Dip

This was originally called “Bob Armstrong’s Dip” and credits go to Matt’s El Rancho in Austin Texas.  My version is named after my Daddy who LOVED Tex Mex and “Bob Armstrong’s Dip”.  This would be great for your Super Bowl party!  Warning:  this is addictive, and there’s nothing healthy about it, but it’s worth it!

Ingredients

1  lb. extra lean ground beef

1 packet of Lawry’s taco seasoning

16 oz. package of Velveeta cheese

1 can Rotel tomatoes

2-3 ripe avocados

Pace’s Picante Sauce

Preparation

Taco meat – pour the taco seasoning over the ground beef and cook until done, but not dry

Chili Con Queso - melt the Velveeta (microwave or on top of the stove) and add the can of Rotel tomatoes, including the liquid.  Cook until blended and warm, but don’t burn the bottom of the pan or you’ll have a mess to clean up

Guacomole - cut the avocados in half and use a spoon to easily remove them from the skin.  Take the seed out of the avocado and discard.  Mash the avocados until smooth and add picante sauce (I “eyeball” this so don’t know the exact measurement – but add enough to taste, but not overtake the avocados)

Next, layer the dip starting with the Chili Con Queso, then the Taco Meat, and top off with the Guacomole!

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips and enjoy!

Texas Corn Bread – Gluten Free

This may be the best cornbread in the world, and it comes from the wife of a West Texas lawyer who ranches on the side.  The original recipe calls for white flour, but I substituted almond flour and it was delish!  The original recipe credits go to The Helen Corbitt Cookbook, published in 1957.   Bob’s Red Mill brand cornmeal and almond meal flour work very well for this recipe.

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup almond meal flour

1 tsp sea salt (regular salt will work too, but I prefer using sea salt)

1 cup buttermilk (if you don’t have buttermilk, 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar will work)

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup unsalted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Combine the first three ingredients and mix thoroughly

Add the remaining ingredients, then mix thoroughly

Grease a pie pan, or muffin tins and heat in the oven for a couple of minutes.  Pour the mixture into the hot pan and bake for 20 minutes or until brown.

You can also use miniature muffin tins and make bite-sized cornbread.

Bon Appetit!

 

Poulet Flambe – The “How To” Presentation!

Poulet Flambe – The “How To” Presentation!

This presentation will show you how to prepare an elegant, beautiful, delicious, and easy chicken dish.  Bon Appetit!

Green Gazpacho – Cooling, Cleansing, & Delish!

Green Gazpacho is the perfect remedy for when you feel sluggish during the dog days of Summer.  This recipe is taken from the May/June 2008 issue of Pilates Style, and has a lot of nutritional pluses.  The glutathione in the asparagus, spinach (arugula can be used too) and avocado helps remove fat-soluble toxins.  The onions enhance sulfating to make toxins easier to remove, and the fresh ginger promotes bile secretion to assist in toxin removal.  If all of that is TMI, don’t let it stop you from trying this delicious cool soup.  It’s wonderful as an appetizer or on it’s own and this recipe serves 4.

Ingredients

1 cup thin asparagus, ends trimmed,, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup vegetable broth

1/2 cup baby spinach or arugula

1 ripe avocado, pitted peeled and chopped

1/4 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded an chopped – the English cucumbers are great because you don’t have to peel & seed them

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, such as mint, cilantro, or basil – hint:  mint is very cooling and  my favorite choice, and I have tried all three

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced – hint:  peel ginger by scraping the skin with a spoon

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or grapeseed oil (lighter than olive oil)

Sea salt to taste

Instructions

1.  Puree asparagus with 1/2 cup vegetable broth in a food processor

2.  Add spinach (or arugula), avocado, cucumber, onions, flat-leafed parsley (mint, cilantro, or basil or a combo of all 3), ginger, and the remainder of the broth.  Process  for about 20 seconds – until smooth but not pureed.  Add water until you reach the desired consistency.  Pulse in lemon juice and oil and season with salt to taste.

3.  Serve immediately or chill then serve.  Garnish with some flat-leafed parsley.

Bon Appetit!

Gluten Free Texas Corn Bread

A better than best corn bread comes from a Texas ranch, straight from the pretty wife of a West Texas lawyer who was rancher on the side.  She made it for the ranch hands, and I have adapted it to be gluten free.  The recipe is from Helen Corbitt’s Cook Book, published in 1957.  Her version uses flour and shortening, and mine uses almond flour and coconut oil and is just as delish as the original version.

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup almond flour

1 tsp salt

Mix thoroughly, then add the following without mixing:

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

Lightly grease muffin pans (mini-muffins are great for a party) or a pie pan and heat. Stir the mixture thoroughly and pour into the hot pans.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done.  The bread will be moist and slightly brown on the top and bottom.

Enjoy!!!

“The Cake”…Mommy’s Ultimate Vanilla Cake

This was my Grandmother’s recipe, and my Mom’s.  When Mom made this cake people begged for more!  It is spectacular, but simple.  Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

6 eggs, well beaten

3 cups (or a little less – 1/8th cup less) sugar

1.5 cups (or slightly less) canola oil

1.5 cups milk

1.5 tsp vanilla

3 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease & flour 2 – 9 inch cake pans or one 13X9X2 inch pan

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl

In a separate bowl, beat eggs and add sugar, then whisk in oil, milk, and vanilla

Blend wet ingredients into dry ingredients and pour into cake pan(s)

Bake for an hour or when done (stick a wooden toothpick in the middle and if wet ingredients stick to the toothpick, the cake needs to bake longer)

Allow to cool, then prepare the frosting – the best part!

Frosting Ingredients & Instructions

1 – 8 oz package of cream cheese

1/2 stick butter, softened

1 box powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbs. milk if needed

Blend all of the ingredients and frost the cake, and enjoy!!!

Bon Appetit’!

Elana’s Pantry – Gluten Free Recipes

Hello Friends!  It’s been awhile since I posted anything, but today I learned about a wonderful web site and cookbook for people who are on a gluten-free diet.  Elanas’s Pantry is a wonderful resource with great, easy recipes that also look beautiful!  She cooks a lot with almond flour and almond butter, so you get the health benefits of eating almonds, which are high in protein (20% protein), potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin E.  My source of information on almonds is “THe Encyclopedia of Healing Foods” by Michel Murray, N.D, page 409.

Here’s a link to the Elana’s Pantry site:

http://www.elanaspantry.com