Spicy Cheddar-Onion Sliders

Surprise! As you can tell I have been on the ball cooking! Yesterday I showed you how to make my version of Mexican Restaurant salsa and today we're making sliders (aka miniature burgers). Get ready cause here we go!




Start with 2 lbs of lean ground beef. Mix in a package of dry onion soup mix, 8-10 dashes of Worshchestershire sauce, and about 6 dashes of hot sauce. Mix well and you will have something similar to what I have below.

Lay this out on foil or plastic wrap on your counter. Form into a square and cut into equal pieces.

I have 15 rolls (buns) so I will be making 15 sliders. Therefore I divided the meat into 16 (mostly) even sections.

Now patty them out with the little dent in the middle. (this helps them from swelling while they cook).  The next step is easy.

Fry up the patties (or grill them if your weather permits).

Throw some Cheddar cheese on there. Let it get gooey! This is what they should look like when done. (umm.. duh, who hasn't eaten a hamburger?) Sorry, bear with me!

Saute some onion rings in a little butter then put them aside.


Now for the secret spicy sauce: (muah ha ha ha ha!)

You will need equal parts mayonnaise and ketchup (I used 1/4 cup of each). Throw in 1/4 tsp seasoning salt and 1/4 tsp of Cayenne pepper. Mix well.

I guess it's not to secret anymore huh? Oh well.


Now get out your slider rolls.

This is what I use. You can use whatever floats your boat.
These do not come halved, so do that first.

Butter them well.

Whatever you have, be it dinner rolls or not.... butter them.

Then put them under the broiler for a few minutes to toast.


Now you should be ready to start the assembly line.


First put the bottom buns. (duh) then follow with the burger, then onions and then sauce.

Just like so! Now top it off with the top of the bun.

Make sure these stay warm so that they will be yummy and cheesy when you eat them. Trust me. They're good.




Oh yeah....one more thing before I go..............



GO PACKERS!

Superbowl Preparations

Let me start by saying that we (meaning the Otero family) are not really American football fans. No, we like the other type of football. I hear you now asking "What? You mean that there is another type of football?" Yes, I am afraid so, but not to worry, tomorrow we WILL be celebrating and watching the Superbowl like the millions of crazed fans that do this every year. We are watching it this year (for the first time, believe it or not) in memory of one of those crazed fans. To make a long story short, the son of a very dear friend of mine passed away recently and he was a fan of the GB Packers. I know he has a much better seat to view the game than we do. So this year we are watching the game in his honor.

I have planned out a menu of Superbowl snacks that are (for the most part) WLS friendly. I'm going to share one with you so that you can enjoy it too.

Many people ask me about Mexican restaurant salsa. There are 2 main ways to make it: 1. involves using all fresh ingredients (time consuming)  2. involves using some canned ingredients (quick & easy). They are both good and the end result is the same. Here is my version. I think you'll like it.

First let me show you the participants:

You will need a large can of whole tomatoes, 2 cans of Rotel (or equivalent), cilantro, 1/2 large onion, 1 lime, 1 jalapeno, sugar, salt, and cumin (not pictured). Forgive me and my being frugal, but I try to buy store brand to save a penny or two.

First of all, get out your food processor (or blender).

Roughly chop up your half an onion, like so.

Then chop up about a cup of cilantro. Leave it kinda leafy.

Chop the jalapeno too. (I didn't take pictures of this. I don't like to handle anything after chopping peppers.)

Open the cans of tomatoes and Rotel and pour them, juice and all, into the fp. Throw in the onion, jalapenos, and cilantro.

Now add 1/4 tsp of each of the following: sugar, salt, and cumin.


Now pulse the fp a few times.

Pulse it again.

And again. Until its the right consistency.

I personally do NOT like chunks in my salsa. I like it to have an even consistency.

This (for me) is just right.



This makes alot of salsa. Cut it in half if you want just enough for a few people.  Make this ahead of time so that the flavors have time to love on each other. It will keep for several days in the fridge. I'm telling you now though, it's so good,  it won't be around long enough to go bad.

Fix some for your family and friends and they will love you.


You're welcome! :O)


Stay tuned tomorrow for something REALLY special!

Tacos de Lengua (Tongue Tacos)

Yes, you read that right.

Tongue.

Bear with me people.

I promise it tastes just like roast beef. Really!

Many countries because of poverty (mainly) use all of the edible parts of an animal when it is killed. In Mexico the tongue is eaten (as well as other unmentionable parts).

My first time eating tongue tacos was when Luis and I were dating. He had prepared tongue before and offered it to me, but I never wanted to try it due to it looking weird. He never seemed offended...just determined. One day while we were out we stopped by a taqueria (place where tacos are made) and bought us a few for lunch. Luis ordered them and brought them out to the car to-go. I ate them (not knowing they were tongue) and really enjoyed them. When I finished Luis just grinned at me and asked how I liked the tacos. I said they were good. He then told me that they were made from cow's tongue. I have since prepared tongue at home and now enjoy occaisionally a tongue taco. Here is my recipe.


Take one fresh cow tongue.

Sorry, not quite THAT fresh.

That's better. One cow tongue (fresh or frozen) whatever floats your boat. Put it in a pot with a little beef broth and with a bay leaf and salt to season. Boil it for an hour or two.

Remove it from the pot when it is thoroughly cooked and looks like this. (yummy huh?)

Get yourself two of these primative-looking tools.

With the forks and maybe a knife (if needed) pull off the outer layer of skin and gristle on the tongue. See the yummy roast-beef looking meat under there?

This is what it should look like when you're done peeling it. Now shred it up with the forks.

This is what you'll have when you're finished. The meat is edible now but is very soft in texture ( like boiled meat tends to be). Put it in a pan with a little bit of olive oil. Fry it until it begins to get crispy on the edges. Salt it if needed.

Now for the rest of the cast of charecters:

Wash, then chop the cilantro and onion together. Slice the lime into wedges

Heat some corn tortillas and pile some meat into it.

Top off the taco with a little cilantro and onion, a squeeze of lime and a dash of salt. Enjoy!

Now see...it wasn't so bad, was it?  :O)

Leftovers anyone?

Anyone else have leftover turkey calling your name from the refridgerator? I thought so. This should turn your turkey into something that NO ONE will guess is leftovers!

This is about half of a cold leftover turkey breast. Shred it into pieces.

Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan. Get it hot. Throw in a pice of onion. I know it sounds weird, but just do it. You wouldn't believe the flavor it gives the oil! Cook it a few minutes until it gets limp then take it out and throw it away. Add the cold turkey to the pan and stir it until heated through. Keep it covered so that it stays moist.

Meanwhile chop up some lettuce. This is a salad mix with spinach and butter lettuces. It's what I had on hand.

The rest of the ingrediants are above (minus the shredded white cheese).  Heat up the beans on the stovetop or in the microwave...whatever floats your boat.

Then start with a tostada and apply the ingrediants in the order that I tell you (yes, this part is important)!

Tostada, beans, turkey, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and last but not least the secret salsa.....

Put either one of these on top of your tostada. (its my lazy-girl salsa) Then what happens next is pure magic! Check this out.......

Doesn't this look yummy? You will thank me later. Oh yeh...and you're welcome :O)

Quickie Sweet and Sour Chicken

Do you have your veggies roasted yet? No? Well, you'd better get busy cause you're gonna want to try this!

Fredda's Sweet & Sour Chicken

Pineapple tidbits in water (1/4 cup)

3 oz precooked chicken

1/4 cup reduced sugar ketchup

1/2 roasted veggies

Open the pineapple and  drain the fruit (reserve the juice).

Mix the ketchup and approx 2 tbsp of pineapple juice until blended. Add your pineapple and veggies to the mixture and heat in the microwave until nice and hot.

For my chicken, I used Aldi's precooked grilled chicken pieces. Nuke them in the microwave for 2 minutes.

I cut my chicken into bite size pieces then mixed it with the sauce and veggies. This is the final product.

You could eat this with white rice but I don't eat many carbs so I had it as is. It was really good. Try it sometime. I fixed it when I had the urge for some chinese food but didnt want the grease and carb temptation that come with it.

Quote of the day:  "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you'll land among the stars." ~Les Brown

Listening to: Under the Bridge by Red Hot Chili Peppers

I'm roasting in here!

I try to keep fresh & roasted veggies on hand here at the house. They are very versatile. This is just a lesson on how I do it. I start with this:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then chop veggies into large pieces. Coat lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper. Line your pans with aluminum foil and spread the veggies out.

  Roast them for an hour, turning them once after 30 minutes. When the veggies are done they will look like this.

 Now you want to know what to do with your veggies, right? You can keep them for a few days in the fridge or freeze them. Throw some of these in the blender and puree really good and add it to homemade soup or stock. I use them in a quickie sweet & sour chicken recipe that I can whip together in less than 5 minutes. Stay tuned for that recipe tomorrow.

Quote of the day: After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressable is music. ~Aldous Huxley

Listening to: My Wish by Rascal Flatts

Fall Barbeque

It has been wonderfully cool the past week. Highs in the mid 70's. I guess it's safe to say that fall has finally arrived! I have been busy as a bee cooking to my hearts content as well. I got smart and took my mom's (family famous) barbecue sauce recipe and converted it to something that I can have without worrying about dumping. I thought I might share it with you.

Fredda's Barbecue Sauce

1 pint of white vinegar

1 small bottle (14oz) Heinz Reduced sugar ketchup

1 c. Splenda

1 tbsp mustard

1 tbsp hot sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix all of the above ingredients above medium heat (use a whisk if needed) until well blended. Simmer for 15 minutes. This recipe makes approx. 2 pint jars of sauce. Cool and refrigerate until needed. This keeps for several weeks.

You gotta try this stuff..it's sooo yummy!

Quote of the day: "Our life is not measured by the breaths that we take, but the moments that take our breath away."

Listening to:  Soul Sister by Train

Happy Fall Ya'll!

Finally! I am so happy to say that the cooler weather has arrived here in NC. Days where we can turn off the A/C and actually wear pants! I love all things that autumn brings. The crunchy leaves, the colors, the pumpkins and apples, spice candles....hmmmmm. all of it! Something else that I love about autumn is all of the soups and stews that warm your tummy.
The first rainy cool day that we had I fixed a pot of chili. I thought that I would share my recipe.

Fredda's one-pot Chili and Beans

1.25 lbs ground turkey (or beef)

1 small bell pepper diced

1 jalapeno pepper diced

1 small sweet onion diced

1 pkg dry chili mix (store-bought)

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can Rotel tomatos

1 8oz jar of salsa
a few dashes of hot sauce

Brown ground turkey in a deep pot. When it is almost half cooked add the peppers and onion and cook until meat is thoroughly browned. Add all other ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Once it begins to boil, turn down the temperature to low and simmer for 2 hours. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream and jalapeno peppers. We had grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches to go with it here.

I had 1/2 cup of chili and 2 or 3 bites of the sandwich. Next time I think I will try a little quesadilla with it!

Remember that little pumpkin that I roasted awhile back? Well, I decided to try something with it. I made a protein-infused pumpkin cheesecake pudding. Recipes and photo to be posted soon!


Quote of the day : " For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad." ~ Edwin Way Teale

Listening to: Don't you want me by The Human League

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater

The weather is getting cooler and fall has been on my mind. With fall comes all of the wonderful smells and sights of apples, cinnamon, cider, pumpkins, changing (and falling) leaves, and Halloween & Thanksgiving.

I have been craving pumpkin flavored things so I set out to find some canned pumpkin. My search turned un-fruitful. It turns out (according to all local supermarket employees) that there was a pumpkin shortage last year. Who would've thought?

After driving all over town in search of the canned pumpkin, I decided to try my hand at making my own. I purchased my very first pie pumpkin. Wanna see him?

He is a little thing. Maybe the size of a small cantaloupe. What he doesn't realise is that he is about to be roasted! Now mind you, I have roasted many types of vegetables...just never a pumpkin. So first I had to read up on how to prepare him.

1. wash your pumpkin

2. line a baking pan with aluminum foil

3. cut your pumpkin in half

4. remove all the "stringy stuff" and seeds (an ice cream scoop works good for this)

5. bake your pumpkin at 375 for about an hour (mine was about 2lbs)

6. remove from oven and let cool

7. scrape the "flesh" from the rind (again, use an ice cream scoop)

8. store in the fridge for a few days or freeze

I divided mine into 1/2 cup servings and froze it in freezer bags.

I will say that when I see canned pumpkin, I will laugh! For I now know that fresh is waaayyyy better than canned!

Quote of the day- Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.  ~George Eliot

Listening to: Angel Eyes by The Jeff Healey Band

Strawberry ice cream

 Last night I had a craving for ice cream and decided to get creative. I had an old recipe I wanted to try, but I had to tweak it alot to make it work for me (it was full of sugar). All you need is a food processor.  The below is recipe is what I came up with and I have to say...it is delicious!

Fredda's Protein Frozen Yogurt

approx 1 pound of FROZEN fruit of choice (I used strawberries)

1 cup greek yogurt (reg. yogurt would work too)

1 scoop of vanilla protein powder

1/3 cup of Splenda

Chop half of the frozen strawberries in the food processor. Place them in a bowl back in the freezer. Add yogurt, protein powder and Splenda to food processor and turn it on to let it mix. Add the other frozen strawberries one by one while the food processor is mixing. It will come out very thick and like soft serve ice cream. Fold in the other half of the strawberries and put in freezer to harden (or eat as is) Depending on your freezer, it takes less than half an hour to freeze so that it is scoop-able. Serve with a squirt of Redi-whip and drizzle of Sugar Free Strawberry preserves.

anyone with a normal stomach who wanted this without the protein could leave out the protein powder and add a tablespoon or so of vanilla flavoring. You could also use sugar instead of splenda.

Quote of the day: "An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind" -Ghandi

Listening to: "Love Gun" by KISS

Blueberry Popsicles

Happy National Blueberry Popsicle Day! What? Don't believe me? Here's proof! In honor of today's fun holiday I decided to celebrate. Here's how I made mine:

Blueberry Popsicles

6oz Greek yogurt

SF Torani vanilla Syrup to taste

1/4 c. fresh (or frozen) blueberries

2-3 tablespoons of skim milk

Sweeten the greek yogurt with a squirt or 2 of the vanilla syrup. Stir in the milk until the yogurt is thinned down some (also cuts the tanginess). In a separate bowl , add another squirt of syrup to the blueberries and crush them a little to begin to release the juices. Mix the syrup and blueberries well. Fold the blueberries into the yogurt and fill your popsicle holders (or use small 3oz Dixie Cups with popsicle stick in it. Use plastic wrap to hold stick in place) Freeze several hours. Enjoy!

This photo is not of my popsicles.

I seem to have misplaced my sd card or should I say Nicolas did, so MY photos will have to come at a later date when I make them again!

Daily dose of porn (What goes in)

Ha ha! I got you with that title post, didn't I? No this is not THAT kind of porn. It is FOOD porn. Close up intimate shots of what goes in my pouch.

The question that I seem to be hearing from lots of people is "What can you eat?" I think this will be a neat way to answer that very question. This is a way for me to track (in photos) what and how much little I eat in a day. Call it a food diary entry for any random day of the week. I will attempt this ever so often  here in the blog.

8am -I wasn't feeling up to eating this early so I had a Peanut Butter Shake.
Peanut Butter Shake 8oz milk, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, and 3-4 ice cubes. Whiz in a blender until smooth. Top with a squirt of whipped topping and Smucker's Sugar Free Fudge Topping.

11am -Time for lunch! Today I made a quick Tuna Salad and had a few Wheat Thins. Nothing fancy at all. I used 1 pouch of tuna (2.6 oz), 1 tsp mayo, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tsp dill relish, S & P to taste. I had about 10 wheat thins and there are 16 in a serving.

Later on, in the afternoon I whipped up another shake. This time it was Vanilla Caramel Cappuchinno flavored.

This shake is made with 8oz skim milk, 1/2 scoop cappuccino protein powder, 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 squirt of SF Torani caramel flavored syrup, a squirt of Redi Whip and a drizzle of Smuckers SF Caramel Topping.

6pm (ish)- Dinner today because of the heat was a Fish Taco Salad. I made tortilla crusted tilapia (baked in the oven) on a salad with Shelly's Cilantro Lime Yogurt dressing.Tilapia recipe can be found here: http://www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/recipes/tortilla-crusted-tilapia-recipe.html

Dressing recipe can be found here: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2009/02/cool-product-alert-tilapia.html Both meals were served on a small saucer (approx. the diameter of my hand).

I also had plenty of water and  Crystal Light throughout the day. Also my daily doses of vitamins were consumed. Apologies for the poor picture quality. Next time I will use my good camera with the close-up lens for better porn shots! ;O)

Quote of the day: "Action is the foundational key to all success." -Pablo Picasso

Listening to: "I love the way you lie" by Eminem and Rihanna