Slow Cooker Salsa

8 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup finely diced onion
2 to 4 jalapeños, seeds and veins removed, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 teaspoons taco seasoning mix

Place tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and garlic in slow Cooker.  Mix well.  

Cover with the lid.  Cook on low 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  

Add taco seasoning.  Salt to taste.  Mix well. Cool slightly.  

In batches, add salsa to blender or food processor.  Blend until smooth.
Cool completely before serving.  Serve with tortilla chips.

I know what you are thinking, "Taco seasoning in a salsa recipe.  Is she crazy?"  If you ask anyone, but my sister Shelley, they would say no.  Most of the time my sister would agree, I am not crazy.

There are a lot of people who are afraid of using spices, so they shy away from recipes that use several different types.  By using the taco seasoning, you get a great mix of the Mexican flavors you love in salsa, without being intimidated.

My husband prefers cooked, blended salsas to chunky salsa.  This recipe is one of his favorites.  I hope you like it too! 

My new cookbook is available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Tuesday,
for my Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek! 

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken

1 onion, sliced
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced Italian style tomatoes
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Spray the inside of your slow cooker with cooking spray.  Place half of the sliced onion in the bottom of slow cooker.

Add one can of diced tomatoes.  

Arrange chicken over top.  Salt and pepper to taste.  

Add remaining onion.  

Add remaining can of diced tomatoes.  

Pour balsamic vinegar over top.  

Cover.  Cook on low 7 to 8 hours.

Serve with pasta or rice.

This tangy chicken recipe is super easy and quick to prepare.  After cooking all day, you will have a  delicious tender chicken dinner.  

My new cookbook will soon be available at schools, businesses, hospitals, and book fairs in cities across the United States.  Be sure to pick up a copy or two, when you see them.  They make great gifts!

Check back on Tuesday,
for a tip about bananas! 

Follow me on my Facebook page!

Visit my friends blogs!

 GINGERLOCKS' KITCHEN, has become one of your favorite blogs! Stop by Jordan's blog and take a peek!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Apples & Angel Hair Pasta

Apples & Angel Hair Pasta

1 (1 pound) box angel hair pasta
2/3 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 large apples, peeled, cored, diced
1 large tomato, seeded, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Prepare pasta according to package directions.  Drain and place back in the pot it was  boiled in.  In medium skillet, saute garlic in olive oil over medium heat until golden brown.

Combine all ingredients. Salt to taste. Mix well.  

Serve with fish or chicken.

When I had this meal in Cape Town, South Africa, I knew I was going to recreate it when I got back home.  I love the fresh simple flavors in this dish.  The diced apple is the star of this recipe.  It's sweet and crisp texture is an unexpected surprise.

Bo, of Bo's Bowl, posted my Baked Pasta recipe.  Please stop by and take a look.  His pictures are so much better than mine are!

Check back on Tuesday, for my last post about my trip to 
South Africa and a helpful travel tip!

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Tuesday's Tips & Tricks: Tomatoes

In 1893 the United States Supreme Court, officially declared the tomato a vegetable.  Botanically, it is a fruit.

Tomato Tips:

1.  Tomatoes can be frozen whole.  The skins will slip off when thawed.  You will not be able to use them for a salad, but they are perfect for cooking.

2.  Tomatoes will keep longer if stored stem down.

3. Tomatoes should be stored at room temperature.  They will loose flavor and the texture will change when refrigerated.

4.  Do not use an aluminum pan when cooking tomatoes.  Aluminum pans make the tomatoes bitter and change their color.

5. Cut the acid in cooked tomato sauce by adding a little sugar or grated carrot.

6.  Plum tomatoes are best to use for making sauces.

7.  Cherry and grape tomatoes are best eaten raw.

8.  Several herbs pair wonderfully with tomatoes; such as, basil, oregano, marjoram, dill weed, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, celery seed, tarragon, chives, and parsley.

Check back on Friday, for my

Grilled Salsa recipe.

I am in Cape Town, South Africa.  

You can follow my trip by visiting my Facebook page.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Restaurant Salsa

Restaurant Salsa

2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeds and veins removed

1 small onion, quartered
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin

In blender container, combine jalapeno peppers, onion, cilantro, and 1/2 of tomatoes.  Cover.  Blend well.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cover. Pulse until blended.

We eat a lot of salsa at our house, and it is not just because we live in New Mexico, it is because we love it!  This recipe is one of our favorites.  You can customize the heat in the salsa by adding the peppers to the blender at the end, tasting after every addition, until you arrive at the desired heat.

When the fresh tomatoes are looking a little on the not so tasty side, there is no need to fear; thanks to canned tomatoes you can have salsa any time of the year.  Our grocery store sells fresh jalapeno peppers all year long.  If you can't find fresh jalapenos in your store, you can substitute canned diced jalapenos.

           

Last Sunday the Passion Radio Network, where I have my "Fast Food Friday's" show and where I co-host an afternoon drive time show called, "Cross Connection" with my husband Stan, had Michael W. Smith in concert.

It was an incredible concert!  He not only played his new songs, but he also played some of my old favorite songs like, "Friends are Friends Forever".    

Michael W. Smith with my cookbook.

Michael W. Smith and his crew had dinner before the concert.  I prepared the above Restaurant Salsa recipe, my Mediterranean Salsa, and my Caramel Banana Trifle for them.  All three recipes were a big hit.

The Winner of the Giveaway is:

Gloria of Canela Kitchen

Congratulations Gloria!  

Please email me your address at mykindofcooking@gmail.com

A special thank you to Melynda of Mom's Sunday Cafe, for posting my Pretzel Toffee recipe!  Please check out her fantastic blog, you will be happy you did!

Check out my friend Bo's

Le Creuset French Oven Giveaway! 

Linked With:

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully 
follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Stop by and visit Ashley, at What Does A Songbird Sing.  She posts recipes and exercise tips on her blog, and who couldn't use a little more of both!

Recipe: Mediterranean Salsa

Mediterranean Salsa

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup fine chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tomatoes, seeded, chopped
24 green olives, chopped fine
2 Anaheim Chiles, seeded and chopped fine
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

In large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until lightly browned.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Simmer 5 minutes.

This recipe has a unique blend of flavors and the perfect amount of heat.  It is from the first cookbook I wrote, MILD TO WILD MEXICAN COOKBOOK.  The recipe was a last minute addition.  The designer called me, saying she needed one more salsa recipe to complete the Appetizer section of the book.

I had already put all of my salsa recipes in the cookbook, so I had to create a new one.  As I opened my cabinet, I was praying for inspiration.  The first thing  that caught my eye, was a jar of green olives.  I immediately thought back to a conversation I'd had earlier in the day with Fareed, the owner of my favorite radio station, Passion Radio, where I do my "Fast Food Friday" segment.  We had discussed how much we both loved Mediterranean food, so when I saw the green olives, I knew I had to make a salsa with them in it. It only took two batches of salsa to get the desired blend of flavors.

My husband loves this recipe, so It is probably the one recipe that I make the most.  When I am creating a recipe, and I get it just the way I want it, I will seldom make it again.  I have to keep coming up with new recipes, because I am always working on a new cookbook, and you can't do that if you keep making the same recipe over and over again.

MILD TO WILD MEXICAN COOKBOOK, will soon be republished by my current publisher. 

Sign up as a follower, to enter my monthly, Cookbook Giveaways!

Check out my post about the Giveaway for details.

Visit my blogging buddy, Bo's Blog (say that three times fast), 

Bo's Bowl. Not only does he have great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Recipe: Terrific Tomato Salad

Terrific Tomato Salad

4 tomatoes, sliced
3 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon seasoned salt

On serving plate, arrange tomatoes.  In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Mix well.  Drizzle over tomatoes.  Makes 4 to 6 servings.

My Uncle Bob and Aunt Pat have a fabulous garden!  When I go to the Iowa State Fair to do cooking demos, we have dinner at their house several times during the two weeks of the fair.  My Aunt Pat is an incredible cook!  This salad is one of the delicious fresh from the garden dishes she serves us.  I always have seconds of this delicious salad.  I love the combination of fresh tomatoes and sweet and tangy dressing!  Yum!

Congratulations Tanna at The Brick Street Bungalow!  You are the winner of this month's drawing for a copy of My Kind of Cooking and a My Kind of Cooking apron.  Sign up to follow this blog for your chance to win on September 3rd.

Another great giveaway can be found at my blogging buddy, Bo's Blog (say that three times fast), Bo's Bowl.   Not only does he have great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it..