Smoothie Bowl

 

Y'all - why is it still SO HOT???  

We are at the end of September, and it feels like July.

My "GO-TO" summer dinner for 2022:  Smoothie Bowl.

EASY.  FAST.  COLD.  DELICIOUS.  YES  PLEASE...

Since we are still struggling through summer temps in September, thought I'd share one of my summer-dinner-survival tips.

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Layer in a large bowl in this order PER PERSON:

1 cup Green Smoothie - Berry with Banana base preferred

1/2 - 1 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt

1/3 - 1/2 cup gluten-FREE granola

2 Tablespoons Almond Butter

1/2 banana, sliced

3-5 strawberries, washed and sliced

Serve immediately.

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Click Link FOR:        GREEN Smoothie - Berry/Banana

Click Link FOR:        Gluten-FREE Update for Coconut Granola

Click Link FOR:       Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

BBQ CHICKEN CHILI

Acknowledgements:        The original recipe was procured at a Halloween Chili-Cook-Off (his beat out mine!) sometime around 2004 and in Twin Fall, Idaho.  The dude's name was Michael... and we talked about Dutch ovens, cooking, food in general and what we were cooking after church for many years after he shared this first recipe.  

Fast forward to life in Texas and I have another Michael at another church who I delight in talking to about all things food related!  :0)  God's hand in my life is GOOD!  And I love his humor in the details of it too...  (I guess if I ever move again I'll buddy up with the "Michael" of the church.)  I am definitely blessed with good food and even better people to enrich my life.  

Much love and gratitude to my family for helping me be a better cook by sharing their food-snobbery opinions to make what I make BETTER.  This recipe has been one of those that has changed, developed, and morphed into something worthy of taking on ANY chili-cook-off challenge.

BBQ CHICKEN CHILI

 

2  Tablespoons olive oil

2  medium onions, chopped

1 bundle of garlic, minced

2  7 oz cans chopped green chilies - MILD

4  cups of cubed BBQ cooked chicken 

        (3-5 chicken breasts, split - ready to BBQ)

grill on the BBQ until 1/2 cooked and the add and finish             cooking with the onions, garlic, and chopped green chilies  

1  Tablespoon cumin powder 

2  Tablespoons oregano

¼ up to ½   teaspoon cayenne pepper  

        - NOTE: you may want to add more later 

  (WARNING: will be very spicy too soon if you do more                 than ½ teaspoon to start off with...)

1 Tablespoon Kosher salt 

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper 

8 cups chicken broth

OR  1/4  cup Better-Than-Bullion or 4 chicken bullion cubes

4  16oz cans Great Northern white beans 

        - Drained and rinsed

  -  OR make a 2 pound bag of Great Northern White                     Beans the day before OR day of in pressure cooker

  - Drained and rinsed

(Optional:)

4  cups pork verde taco stock 

        - make ahead and store until needed

At the end of simmering ADD to chili 

OR set aside as an optional topping:

1 pound shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. 

Add onions, sauté until translucent

Add garlic, chilies, chicken, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper.

Sauté for 5 minutes. 

ADD:  cubed BBQ chicken cooked 1/2 way and finish cooking in the above sauté mixture.

ADD:  drained and rinsed beans, pork verde taco stock and chicken broth.

Bring to a boil.

Simmer 1/2 hour to 1 hour OR more.

STIR very frequently - every 5 minutes to be specific…

When ready to eat, add shredded cheese OR keep it set aside for an optional topping.

If you've added the cheese:

Stir on low heat until thick and melted.

Taste and add more cayenne pepper, Kosher salt and coarse black pepper IF needed.

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Click Link For:  Gluten-Free Corn Bread

Click Link FOR:    Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

Big And Chunky Red Potato Salad

 Big And Chunky Red Potato Salad 

5 pounds red potatoes diced bite-size, cooked in pressure cooked for 20 minutes - cool

18 hard boiled eggs, diced 

5 Dill pickles diced 

2 Tablespoons pickle juice

2 teaspoon each of the following:

Dill 

granulated garlic 

granulated onion 

paprika

40 grinds of salt 

40 grinds of pepper 

2 cups Mayo

2 big squirts of yellow mustard 

Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or overnight before serving.

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Click Link FOR:  

Hard Boiled Eggs // from the Jennifers 2024

Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

Jo's Hummus Dip

If you’re wanting to take this to a potluck or munch on at home with a big group: drizzle olive oil and lightly sprinkle with paprika.  

If this is for your own munching, keep in an airtight container in your fridge for up to two weeks. If it starts to dry out, add a little water and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil

Funny thing... I had a reminder of WHY this blog started in the first place today.

The reminder was that this recipe was NOT in my digital file.  A file I had worked on and compiled from the beginning of my married life 22 years ago...  

And not only that, a file that I only have NOW because I asked a handful of friends if they had an emailed copy of my recipe collection of favorites.  This particular recipe was not in that email copy because it wasn't the most up-to-date version of it.  What I have now on my computer is missing about 1/4 of the recipes printed and in my: Jo's Recipe Book of Favorites.  

How did this blog start from an emailed copy of that digital file?

Let me fill you in:  A few years into life here in Texas, our computer crashed (albeit with the helping hand of the Handsome Bret Sr. using a keyboard command meant ONLY for MicroSoft Windows).  ALL files were lost, ALL music, ALL photos and ALL videos were gone, and gone forever.  

I decided if I had to re-type my recipes, I might as well start a blog to do it and therefore be able to have my recipes with me where ever I go.

NO advertising on my blog though... I don't like it.  It's so distracting (and quite honestly annoying) to what you're trying to read or while looking through recipe photos.  It's not worth the 5$ it might make monthly.  

For ALL y'all (and me included) -  You're welcome.  :0) 

3 cans (15 oz) chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup AND 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup * lemon juice
    (* keep out 1 Tablespoon until ready and 

    taste hummus before adding  

    ...and add in only if needed)

4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 heaping teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper
3/4 teaspoon paprika


In a blender OR food processor - combine all ingredients at once.

Blend on LOW speed until smooth.

Stop the blender OR food processor and push ingredients down towards the blade as needed to keep the ingredients moving through the blade.

If the mixture is too dry and/or mixture is getting stuck when moving through the blade:  ADD 1-2 more Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil.

Taste. 

Add little garlic, salt, pepper and/or lemon juice if needed.

CHILL.

Serve with fresh veggies and pitas OR store in a covered container in the fridge and use when wanted as a dip or sandwich spread.

Makes right around 3 cups of hummus.

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Click Link For:    Baking with Natural Yeast - Pitas

Click Link FOR:    Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

Blog Post Dedicated To:

Payton Olivia Davis

(who did not believe me when I told her
I used to make my OWN hummus
all the time and never bought
it from the store... )

Baking With Natural Yeast - PITAS

                                          

Baking With Natural Yeast -  PITAS    

(AND A Bonus!!!  ...Several Pita Meal or Snack Ideas)

Baking with Natural Yeast  -  BASIC  LOAF  VIDEO

Baking With Natural Yeast  -  PITA  TUTORIAL  VIDEO

Where do we start?  

First:  You need to have at the ready a bowl of "basic loaf" ready to go.  Which is to say: the Natural Yeast has processed to the point of baking.   

(NOTE:   click the link above for recipe)

Next:      I highly recommend a piece of cast-iron.  Size 10 or larger.  If you do not have one, or find yourself at a rental house without one, find what you can substitute (All-Clad or Teflon) and keep the frypan very well oiled as you go.

The rest is best taught and learned in-person, so for now... 

a series of photos here on the blog should do the trick!

Let's get started... 

Gather up what you'll need:

-  A bowl of "basic loaf" prepped the day 

BEFORE and ready for immediate use.

-  Cast-iron pan, size 10 or larger.

-  Grapeseed oil OR olive oil.

-  2 plates.

-  Parchment paper.

-  Tongs.

Once everything is gathered, begin to heat cast-iron.

Cut out dinner plate size portions
of parchment paper.

Have your grapeseed oil 
OR  olive oil ready for use and
put some on one of the plates. 
This will be your WORKING PLATE.

Pinch off a portion of dough.
Enough to be a handful.

Using your WORKING PLATE,
spread the dough out into an oval or circle shape.
(Shape as best you can! 
No worries about perfect ovals or circles!)

Carefully peel your piece of dough
off the plate and place into the heated cast-iron. 

As the dough cooks you'll see that
portions will start to dry out. 

Watch for this!!! 
It's your indicator that you're getting close
to flipping it over.

Once about a 1/3 or 1/2 of the dough is dried out,
FLIP and cook the opposite side.

Cook for a few minutes and then flip again
to make sure there are no dough-y spots left.

Have a piece of parchment paper
ready on the second plate.

Then start again -
REPEAT until dough is used.

I typically can make 12-15 pitas from
one bowl of "basic loaf".

Stack pitas with parchment paper in between -
Once cooled, store in a gallon ziplock bag or air-tight
container with their parchment papers.

Pita Ideas:

A Personal Pizza

Banana and Nutella Roll

Banana and Peanut Butter Roll

Click Link For:

CHICKEN  Pitas  

(Optional: Vegan //  Roasted Veggie Pitas)  

Click Link For:

Mama Jo's Hummus

Click Link FOR:    Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

Chicken Tortilla Soup - Slow Cooker

- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Slow Cooker
- and a Lupe Tortilla TWIN... 

:0)

If you're from Texas and know the significance of that "TWIN" statement: YOU'RE WELCOME!

I can tell you which of my friends only order the soup for dinner or the soup and salad lunch combo because of how wonderful their Chicken Tortilla Soup is at the local restaurant "Lupe Tortilla" - YES.  It's that good.  Here's my version, which I feel is a literal twin to their's.

Chicken Tortilla Soup 

 - Slow Cooker -

1 rotisserie chicken, shredded into large pieces

2 small/medium onions, chopped
1 bundle of garlic (6-8 cloves) minced
olive oil

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups water
2 cans, 7 oz., chopped green chilies
1 can unsalted corn, drained and rinsed
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tablespoons cumin
3-4 teaspoons chili powder (spicier with 4 teaspoons…) 
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 bay leaf

(OPTIONAL:)  And optional because I always order my soup WITHOUT the jalapeno slices... so if you want the Lupe Tortilla "twin" effect I suppose it is NOT optional:

1 jalapeno, carefully de-seeded and sliced into circles  

shredded Pepper Jack cheese

corn tortilla chips
1 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped



Start your slow cooker and add chicken broth, green chilies, rinsed and drained canned corn and black beans. (And jalapeno if you're going with the optional option...)

Add all the spices and shredded chicken to the slow cooker.

In a medium pan, saute chopped onions in olive oil until golden/dark brown and caramelized.

Add garlic to the caramelized chopped onions and cook until fragrant.

Add chopped onions and garlic to crockpot.

Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours; or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Right before serving, wash and chop cilantro leaves; add to the soup.

SERVE  ON  THE  SIDE: 

sliced avocados

grated Pepper Jack Cheese

corn tortilla chips

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STOVETOP OPTION:

Prepare and heat to a simmer in a large pot.

Simmer for 20-40 minutes.

Turn off heat and serve as directed above.

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Click Link FOR:    Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS  

CHICKEN PITAS ( - Optional: Vegan // Roasted Veggie Pitas - )

CHICKEN PITAS 

Optional: 

- Vegan // Roasted Veggie Pitas -

 ...another family favorite brought into existence by the lovely Auntie Nicole. Thank goodness she's around to make Uncle Dan's life better - because it filters into our lives as well! (I guess that means I should be thanking Dan too!)

So - ALL Y'ALL in Oregon: THANK YOU!

This is requested often.  

And we prefer it with chicken. 

(Even though it's just as amazing without it...)


There's four recipes to bring this about; five if you're going to use the CHICKEN option.

#1 - Pitas with Natural Yeast Bread Dough
        NOTE: Start dough the night before.
#2 - Roasted Veggies
        NOTE: Start veggies first - everything else can be done                while they're roasting.
#3 - Tzatziki Sauce
#4 - Avocado Spread (Double for more than 3 people)
#5 - CHICKEN (optional)





#1 - Pitas with Natural Yeast Bread Dough

CLICK  LINK  FOR:    Baking with Natural Yeast - Pitas

1 prepped recipe of: Basic Loaf - Natural Yeast dough

grapeseed oil  OR  olive oil for cooking

cast iron skillet

plate

small bowl

#2 - Roasted Veggies

 

1  head of cauliflower, washed and cut into small florets

2 cans of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons garam masala 

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Line a 9X13 pan with foil (OR bar pan with at least a 1 inch edge) 

Roast veggies at 450 degrees for 15-20 minutes and gently stir.

Roast veggies for an ADDITIONAL 15-20 minutes.

#3 - Tzatziki Sauce

1/2  English cucumber; peeled, grated, pressed/squeezed

1 cup plain Greek yogurt (OR Veganeese)

2 cloves of garlic, pressed

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons dill; dried or fresh

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon coarse black pepper

Combine all in a small or medium bowl and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

#4 - Avocado Spread (Double for more than 3 people)

2 ripe avocados, diced

2 cloves garlic, pressed

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons water

1/2 bundle of cilantro; washed, dried and minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

juice of 1 lime

Combine all in a small or medium bowl and keep in the fridge until ready to use.

#5 - CHICKEN (optional)

2 pounds of chicken tenders

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper

olive oil - for cooking

Combine all in a small or medium bowl and keep in the fridge until ready to cook.

Once the pitas are made in the cast iron skillet, cook 1/2 of the chicken until done.

Cook remaining portion.  

Keep covered with foil to maintain moisture.

Click Link FOR:    Mama Jo's Recipe Blog TABLE OF CONTENTS