The Best Ham!!

Step 1: What You Need to Cook Ham in the Crockpot

The following ingredients will make enough ham to serve 10-12 people.

• 8 pound ham
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Step 2: How to Cook Ham in the Crockpot

Assembling the ingredients in the crockpot will take less than 5 minutes, including unwrapping the ham.

1. Mix the syrup, sugar, mustard, and cloves together in the bottom of a crockpot.
2. Place the ham in the glaze, cut side down.
3. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Empanadas

http://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/colombian-empanadas-empanadas-colombianas

1. (About twenty, 3 inch empanadas)
2. Vegetable oil for frying
3. Lime and ají for serving
4. • Dough or Masa
   • 1 ½ cupsprecooked yellow cornmeal (masarepa)
   • 2 cups water
   • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
   • ½ tablespoon sazon Goya with azafran
   • ½ teaspoon Salt
5. Filling
6. 2 cups peeled and diced white potatoes
7. 1 chicken or vegetable bouillon tablet
8. 1 tablespoon olive oil
9. ¼ cup chopped white onions
10. 1 cup chopped tomato
11. ½ teaspoon salt
12. ¼ cup chopped green onions
13. 1 chopped garlic clove
14. 2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
15. 2 tablespoon chopped red bell pepper
16. ¼ teaspoon black pepper
17. ½ pound ground pork and beef

18. Directions to prepare the dough:
19. Place the masarepa in a large bowl. Add the sazon Goya and salt and stir to mix well. Add the water and oil and mix to form dough. Pat the dough into a ball and knead for 2 minutes or until smooth. Cover with plastic and set aside for 20 minutes.
20. Meanwhile, to make the filling, cook the potatoes in a pot with water and the bouillon tablet for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Drain and gently mash the potatoes. Set aside.
21. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, green onions, garlic, bell pepper, cilantro, salt and black pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes.
22. Add the ground pork and beef. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture is fairly dry.
23. Transfer the meat mixture to the mashed potatoes bowl and mix well to combine.
24. Break small portions of the dough, about 1 ½ tablespoons each one, and form each portion into a ball by rolling between the palms of your hands.
25. Place the balls of dough between two pieces of plastic and roll each out very thinly to form a circle. Remove the top plastic and place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of each.
26. Then using the plastic underneath, fold the dough over to enclose the filling, forming a half circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork.
27. Fill a large pot with vegetable oil and heat over medium heat to 360° F.
28. Carefully place 3 or 4 empanadas at the time in the heated oil and fry for about 2 minutes until golden on all sides.
29. Using a slotted spoon transfer the empanadas to a plate lined with paper towels. Serve with ají and lime wedges on the side.

Yummy Chocolate Cake

Aunt Pauline made this for dinner for us when we visited last month and it was delicious! 

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1/2 cup soft margarine or butter

1 3/4 cup sugar, (I cut to 1 1/2 cups)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup veg. oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

4 Tbsp. cocoa

1 tsp. baking powder

2 cups finely diced or shredded zucchini

Toppings: 1/2 cup nuts

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter, vegetable oil and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. Beat throughly. Mix dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Stir in zucchini. Pour into greased and floured 9x13 pan. Sprinkle top with topping. Bake at 325 for 50 minutes or until done.

CAJUN-JAMBALAYA-PASTA

My new favorite meal!

4 ounces butter
2 teaspoons Cajun spice mix
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
1 pound fresh linguine pasta
1/2 cup clam juice
2 ounces green bell peppers, cut into thin strips
2 ounces red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
2 ounces yellow bell peppers, cut into thin strips
4 ounces red onions, cut into thin strips
1/2 pound fresh medium shrimp, peeled, de-veined, tails removed
1/2 cup diced tomatoes

Preparation

Place the butter into a sauté pan. Allow the butter to melt slightly. Add the seasoning into the pan and stir together with the melted butter. Add the chicken into the pan and continue to cook until the chicken is about half done.

While the chicken is cooking, carefully place the pasta into boiling water and cook until al dente.

Pour the clam juice into the pan. Add the peppers and onions. Cook for another minute, making sure the vegetables are heated through and the chicken is almost done.

Add the shrimp into the pan. Toss the ingredients together and continue to cook until the shrimp are almost done.

Add the tomatoes into then pan. Continue to cook mixture until both the shrimp and chicken are thoroughly cook through.

Place some pasta into each bowl. Spoon equal portions of the jambalaya mixture into each bowl over the pasta.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/member/views/CHEESECAKE-FACTORY-CAJUN-JAMBALAYA-PASTA-1239602#ixzz1orvudXjV

Best Barbeque Ever!

Yesterday we had prepared the best barbeque ever to enjoy with family, friends, and our ward missionaries. The menu included Fajita Steak, Chili Lime Mango Chicken Skewers, Bacon Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers, Frog-Eye-Salad, Tossed Green Salad, Lime Cilantro Rice (minus the pineapple), Katherine's Limeade, Tania's Amazing Chicken Legs, Colombian Style Lentil Soup, and Tres-Leches Cupcakes. Oh so delicious!! 

Chocolate Caramel Cake

Sue Burnham gave me this recipe and it passed Jeremy;s taste test so it's a keeper! Feeding it to the missionaries tonight. We are going to top it with a dalup of whip cream.

1 German Chocolate cake mix
1 bag of caramels
1 bag of milk chocolate chips
1 stick of butter or margarine
1/3 cup milk
1 cup of nuts

Heat the oven to 350. Make the cake mix according to package directions. Pour half of the cake mix in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake 20 minutes. While baking melt over low heat caramels, milk, and butter. Pour on cake and cover with chocolate chips and nuts. Spoon batter on top. Bake an additional 20 minutes at 250 degrees. Then bake another 5 to 10 minutes at 350 but watch closely so you don't over cook it. Top with whip cream if desired.

Chocolate-Drizzled Strawberries and Cream Pie

Amber and I whipped this up for Easter dinner and it was delicious! I can't wait to make it again. It was easy and looks beautiful too. 


Chocolate-Drizzled Strawberries and Cream PieRecipe by Our Best Bites

1 quart fresh strawberries (frozen’s not gonna cut it here. If you use them and then leave a comment telling us how gross this recipe is, we’ll cut you. Just kidding. But seriously peeps, don’t use frozen strawberries.)
1 8-oz. package cream cheese at room temperature (light is fine)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. packed light brown sugar
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 9″ graham cracker crust (store-bought or homemade)
1-2 ounces chocolate

In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. In a separate large bowl, beat the whipping cream and powdered sugar until medium peaks form.  Add about 1 c. of the whipping cream mixture to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until smooth and well-combined. Add the remaining whipping cream mixture and mix until just combined.  Spread in the graham cracker crust and refrigerate for a few minutes while you prepare the strawberries.

Wash the strawberries and cut off the stems. Blot dry with a paper towel and then gently press, cut side down, into the whipped cream mixture. Set aside.

If using a chocolate bar, break it into equal pieces and place in a small Ziploc bag. Microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes, stopping the microwave every 20 seconds to mash the bag. You want the chocolate to be melted but not hot at all. When the chocolate is melted, snip a corner off the bag and drizzle it over the strawberries. Refrigerate for at least three hours before serving. Serves 8.