The Red Bird Life

Mexican Corn Salsa

Vanessa — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 18:36:15 +0000

I don’t even know how many times I’ve made this Mexican Corn Salsa this summer. We all love it so much; it rarely lasts the day here. Becoming a family regular can take some time in our house, but this sure didn’t. One of the reasons I’ll miss summer produce come fall is definitely this snack. If you like fresh sweet corn (and who doesn’t!), you should give this salsa a try. It’s delicious.

Mexican Corn Salsa

Details

Prep Time: 15 minutes.
Cook Time: 10 minutes.
Ready in 25 Minutes.
Makes: 6 Servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
6 ears corn (shucked and corn cut off the cob)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/2 jalapeno, finely diced (ribs and seeds removed)
3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
juice of 1/2 of a lime
1/3 cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add corn and saute for 10 minutes while you prep other ingredients. After 10 minutes, add garlic and saute for a minute or so; then take skillet off heat.
Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients in a large bowl.
Add corn to the bowl and stir well to coat.
Serve with tortilla chips. This can be eaten right away, at room temperature, or cool. It is delicious - always.

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Vanessa — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 01:05:49 +0000

The peanut butter and chocolate combination is a weakness for me. Maybe I shouldn’t say weakness, but I do really enjoy it. If a restaurant has a chocolate peanut butter milkshake, I’m gonna get one. When we get frozen custard, I pretty much always get chocolate custard with peanut butter sauce on top. It’s a flavor combination I particularly adore.

So when I came across this recipe, I wanted to try it, but wasn’t sure the rest of my family would be too excited. One afternoon I decided I’d make it anyways. I never would have guessed, but they all, every single one, loved it. We had it for dessert a couple nights in a row and I know that won’t be the last time. Give it a try. This one, it’s a good one.

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

recipe from Buns in My Oven

Details

Prep Time: 20 minutes.
Cook Time: 15 minutes.
Ready in 35 Minutes.
Makes: 24 Servings

Ingredients

For the Cake :
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups milk, divided
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
For the Frosting :
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottom only of a rimmed half sheet pan.
Add both sugars, the flour, baking soda and salt to a large mixing bowl. Using a large whisk, combine well.
Add 1 cup of the milk, peanut butter and butter to a small saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. While this is cooking, combine remaining 1/2 cup milk, vanilla and eggs in a small bowl.
Remove saucepan from the heat and let sit for a few minutes. Add mixture to the bowl with the sugars and flour. Begin mixing, then add egg mixture and whisk until just combined.
Spread cake batter into prepared sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes. Cool completely.
To make the frosting, mix the sugar, butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil (increase heat if necessary) and boil for exactly 60 seconds.
Remove from the heat and add peanut butter and chocolate chips. Stir well until thoroughly combined and chocolate is completely melted.
Pour warm frosting over the cake and spread with a spatula. Frosting will harden as it cools.
Serve once frosting is cooled and set.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Vanessa — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 16:24:54 +0000

We haven’t eaten much barbecue in years, since I had a major aversion to it in one of my pregnancies. I’m not even sure why this recipe caught my attention, but it did. I made it one night, not thinking anyone would be excited about it, but, boy, was I wrong. It was an instant hit. My husband’s first comment was that I should definitely make this again, and my girls were so disappointed there weren’t enough leftovers for all of us the next day.

I think the homemade sauce makes a huge difference, and I really think the cinnamon adds something of interest, even though you don’t actually taste that flavor individually at all. I have been making it in my pressure cooker, both with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and also bone-in chicken breasts as well. I did take the skin off the bone-in ones before I cooked them so I could easily get the seasonings and sauce directly on the meat.

This recipe would be great to feed a crowd, or just an easy weeknight dinner at home with the family. My daughter requested it for her birthday meal this past week…I’d say it’s an instant family favorite.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

recipe slightly adapted from Half Baked Harvest

Details

Ready in 0 Minute.
Makes: 8 Servings

Ingredients

BBQ Sauce
1 1/4 cups ketchup
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
BBQ Chicken
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

To make the BBQ sauce, add all sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two months.
The chicken can be cooked in either a pressure cooker or slow cooker. Add the chicken to whichever one you are using. Mix together the paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Pour the honey over the chicken, then sprinkle the spices on top. Toss well to coat the chicken. Pour half the sauce over the chicken. If cooking in a pressure cooker, cook on Manual at High Pressure for 11 minutes. If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Once the chicken is finished cooking, remove from the pot and shred with two forks, sometimes I use a knife to chop it just a little more after that. Add the shredded chicken back into the sauce and add extra reserved sauce if you want.
I like to serve this on Hawaiian buns with a creamy coleslaw.

Frozen Fruit Cups

Vanessa — Mon, 05 Jun 2017 00:24:54 +0000

Oh my word, do my boys ever love these. Don’t get me wrong, everyone in the family enjoys these frozen fruit cups, but my little guy, he squeals when he sees them on the counter and my oldest boy’s eyes light up when he hears they’re on the menu for dinner. I make a big batch (usually adding to the recipe to have a bigger stash in the freezer) and then it’s an easy family-favorite side dish I can add to a meal that needs a little something extra.

This is a recipe that’s easy to adapt to your family’s fruits of choice. Shop the frozen fruit section at the grocery store or even add in some fresh fruit. Whatever you like most, use that. The original recipe calls for pineapple-orange juice concentrate, but I could never find it, so I’ve always used orange juice concentrate and we love it, but I’m sure other juices would be delicious too.

Frozen Fruit Cups

recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman

Details

Prep Time: 30 minutes.
Ready in 30 Minutes.
Makes: 20 Servings

Ingredients

2 16-oz bags frozen peach slices, thawed
2 16-oz bags frozen mango chunks, thawed
2 12-oz bags dark sweet cherries, thawed
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
2 cans crushed pineapple, drained
1 12-oz can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
9 oz plastic cups

Directions

Cut up peaches and mangoes into a small dice and place in a large bowl. Cut cherries in half and add to the bowl. Add in oranges and pineapple with the other fruit, then pour in orange juice concentrate. Stir well.
Spoon fruit mixture into 9 oz plastic cups, about 2/3 full. Cover each cup individually with plastic wrap and place cups in freezer.
On the day you want to serve them, place the number of fruit cups you need on the counter to thaw by mid-morning or so, and they should be perfect to eat by dinnertime. Remove plastic wrap and serve.

Tater-Topped Chicken Pot Pie

Vanessa — Fri, 26 May 2017 00:54:49 +0000

After years of reading about others trying the prepped meal delivery services out there (are those even the right words to describe them?), we finally decided to try it just once, because we could get the first box half off. (Oh my word, are they expensive!) I’m not here to give a lengthy review. I know it works well for some families, but it isn’t for us. I did love how everything was measured out, ready to be prepped and cooked, but some produce came very underripe, and the meat needed to be used right away so I had to leave out some pieces of multiple recipes. Also, the cost doesn’t make sense for a family of seven. But from the trial, I did make a recipe that I’ve repeated a few times since, and I wanted to share it with you.

This is very close to a one-skillet meal, which is nice on the dish washer and also speaks to the ease of the dish. This chicken pot pie of sorts comes together quite easily, and produces some good flavor from a relatively short list of ingredients. You could always add more veggies when cooking the onions and mushrooms, just add or subtract to your family’s liking. I wouldn’t substitute a russet for the yukon gold potatoes, however. The creaminess of the yukons is an excellent part of this dish.

Tater-Topped Chicken Pot Pie

recipe adapted from Hello Fresh, a prepped meal delivery company

Details

Prep Time: 15 minutes.
Cook Time: 45 minutes.
Ready in 60 Minutes.
Makes: 4 Servings

Ingredients

6-8 small yukon gold potatoes
1 yellow onion
1 container sliced button mushrooms
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
extra virgin olive oil
1 pound chicken breasts
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions

Place a large pot of salted water over high heat. Wash and dry potatoes. Slice potatoes into 1/3 inch rounds and place in water once boiling. Cook about 12 minutes, until easily pierced by a fork. Drain potatoes and set aside.
While potatoes are cooking, dice onion. Then, cut chicken into 1/2 inch pieces. In a small bowl, mix together cheese, panko and a drizzle of olive oil.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and cook chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper, until browned and nearly cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Preheat oven broiler.
Add butter to skillet, then onions and mushrooms. Cook, until softened, 5-10 minutes. Return chicken to pan, along with chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Remove skillet from heat and stir in sour cream. Arrange potato slices on top of filling in a single layer. Sprinkle panko mixture evenly over the top of the potatoes.
Put skillet under broiler and broil until the top is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Keep a close watch, it will go from golden brown to burnt quickly. Give it a minute to cool down just a bit, then serve.

Cast Iron Cheesy Potatoes

Vanessa — Thu, 04 May 2017 14:05:12 +0000

What an easy, classic side dish fit to accompany so many entrees. I made it for Easter dinner to go alongside country-style ribs, and it was just perfect. This cheesy potato casserole only takes a few minutes to throw together on the stovetop, and then the oven does the rest of the work while dinner is finished up. Even with making the cream of chicken soup from scratch, it really isn’t much work. I made the soup right after I got the onions sautéing, and both finished about the same time.

I’d pair these cheesy potatoes with many main dishes, and one of my favorite parts is how pretty it looks served right out of the cast iron skillet – perfect for any day at home with your family or entertaining guests as well. The leftovers are good for breakfast too, as I found out.

Cast Iron Cheesy Potatoes

recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

Details

Prep Time: 20 minutes.
Cook Time: 50 minutes.
Ready in 1 Hour, 10 Minutes.
Makes: 8 Servings

Ingredients

For the homemade cream of chicken soup :
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cheesy potatoes :
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons butter
1 28-30 oz bag shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 cup sour cream
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 12 inch cast iron skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, then add garlic and cook for an additional minute.
While the onions are cooking, in a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk constantly for a minute or so. Add chicken broth slowly, whisking constantly until it thickens up quite a bit, about the consistency of cake batter, a little thicker is okay too. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Take cast iron skillet off the heat. Add in hash browns, sour cream, homemade cream of chicken soup, cheese and 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix well.
Bake for 50 minutes, making sure the casserole is hot in the middle.

Big Batch Pasta Sauce

Vanessa — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 10:47:58 +0000

I made this sauce years back for a deep dish pizza and loved the simplicity of it. At the time, we were using a similar jarred pasta sauce – but not long after, it was discontinued. And so instead of simmering this sauce down to something suitable for a pizza, I made a few adjustments and have been making big batches to use for our spaghetti nights ever since.

A few notes :

– Wear an apron. Nobody wants to scrub out tomato splatter stains.

– Adding a little red wine while you simmer is a good addition, but I never seem to have any when I’m making a batch. You can also add a little when you are reheating it, just make sure you give it at least 30 minutes to let the flavors develop well.

– This sauce is simple and versatile. I mostly use it for spaghetti and meatballs or with a package of refrigerated cheese ravioli for a quick dinner. It’s a good dipping sauce for toasted ravioli (a favorite of my kids) and reduced a bit makes a great sauce for a grilled pizza in the summer. It’s convenient to already have a few jars on hand when I’m wanting to make some pans of lasagna too.

If you don’t have a quality jarred sauce you love, this might be something worth trying. I’d recommend making a single batch to start (see the deep dish pizza recipe, that’ll easily give you the measurements to use) to ensure you like it before you end up with gallons. But if you do like it, and I think you will, you’ll love having jars at the ready in your freezer.

Pasta Sauce

Details

Prep Time: 20 minutes.
Cook Time: 30 minutes.
Ready in 50 Minutes.
Makes: 11 Servings

Ingredients

2 sticks butter (16 tablespoons)
2-3 onions, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater
2 teaspoons dried oregano
kosher salt
12-14 garlic cloves, minced
8 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
4 (28 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons sugar, maybe more to taste
1/2 cup (or more if you like) chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat butter in a large stock pot over medium heat until melted. Add onion, oregano and 1 tablespoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has mostly evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in tomatoes (one can at a time, to make incorporating everything a little easier) and sugar. Lower heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20-30 minutes to give the flavors a chance to start coming together. Off heat, stir in basil and oil, then season with salt and pepper. Add a little more sugar if it tastes too acidic.
Once it begins to cool a bit, bottle into quart-size mason jars. Leave about 3/4 inch at the top of the jar to allow for expanding.
This recipe fills around 11 jars. Allow to cool to room temperature, then label and freeze.
When you want to use a jar, place in the refrigerator. It takes a few days to thaw, so plan ahead a bit. Heat it over medium-low heat for 30-45 minutes or so.

Bunny Cake

Vanessa — Tue, 28 Mar 2017 23:55:13 +0000

Ah, it’s been so long.

I think about getting back to posting recipes from time to time, but caring for our five kids has had my main focus – and pretty much all my time – for awhile. But I would love to get some of our new favorites on the blog, so I think I’m going to try.

No promises though.

And today isn’t even a recipe…

I made a bunny cake last Easter for the first time and the kids thought it was such fun. We don’t do much in the way of bunnies and eggs and such because the reason we celebrate is truly only about the resurrection of our Savior. But I thought it might be a fun dessert to try, and the little ones loved it. Since Easter is quickly approaching again, I thought I’d share, and maybe inspire myself a little too.

All that’s needed is 2 baked round cakes and icing of your choice, a few chocolate chips and some pink candies. You could absolutely get fancier in the decorating, but I’d had a baby a few weeks before Easter last year, so simple was all I could muster. I cut the ears from one of the cakes, arranged the bunny on a cutting board, frosted and decorated. That’s it. Simple and fun. Just make sure to have extra candies for the people who don’t get ear pieces.

I speak from experience.

Classic Banana Bread

Vanessa — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 11:36:16 +0000

I already have one banana bread recipe on the ‘ol blog, but a couple years ago I only had 3 overripe bananas, instead of 4 that this One-Bowl Banana Bread recipe calls for so I went looking for another one. I came upon this one and it’s been my go-to ever since. My husband and kids love it. The chances of it even lasting a few hours are slim. I like that it’s an older Cooking Light recipe, from about a decade ago. It’s a keeper, even though I’ve never tasted it. Let’s be serious…bananas are gross.

But just in case you don’t feel the same…

Classic Banana Bread

recipe from Cooking Light 2003

Details

Prep Time: 20 minutes.
Cook Time: 60 minutes.
Ready in 1 Hour, 20 Minutes.
Makes: 8 Servings

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt or sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt, stirring with a whisk.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and butter at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt (or sour cream) and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Maple-Dijon Glazed Bacon

Vanessa — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 11:22:19 +0000

It truly is amazing what 3 simple ingredients can do to a slice of bacon. Don’t get me wrong, bacon, of course, is quite the treat on its own. But add a quick and easy glaze the last two minutes of cooking and you’ve got something quite special. I generally serve this alongside mini german puffed pancakes and breakfast potatoes for a meal with absolutely nothing left of the table.

And isn’t that what every cook likes to see.

Maple Dijon Glazed Bacon

recipe from Bobby Flay

Details

Prep Time: 5 minutes.
Cook Time: 25 minutes.
Ready in 30 Minutes.
Makes: 4 Servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
8-12 slices bacon, however much you can fit on your baking sheet

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray a baking rack with cooking spray and place on top of baking sheet.
Lay the bacon on the baking rack. Bake in the oven until fully cooked, we like it crispy, but with just a hint of chew left, usually about 20-25 minutes for my oven. Remove from the oven and using a paper towel, blot and soak up any excess oil.
Whisk together the maple syrup, mustard and pepper in a small bowl. Then, using a pastry brush, generously glaze the bacon with the syrup. Return the bacon to the oven for another 2 minutes, to desired crispness. Transfer to a platter and serve.