The 2 Spoons

Amazing and Delicious Guacamole

May 6, 2019 by Becky Spoon

I’ve been posting so many recipes for game day lately and I realized I had not posted a guacamole recipe! You have to have this on game day! Did you know they say there will be 65 Million avocados used on Super Bowl Game Day? Wow, that’s a lot of avocados!

I used a Molcajete for this homemade recipe, but if you don’t have one, you can mince the jalapeno, onions and garlic very fine. The Molcajete works really well though so if you can get one, you really should. You are able to grind the peppers and garlic with salt that really adds to the flavor.

Here’s a link for a Molcajete: https://amzn.to/2Seeu0g

We love guacamole, as I’m sure you probably do too. Sometimes, I just add lots of lemon with lots of salt and that is as simple as you can possibly get, but still a good to dip some chips in or to top your tacos!

However, when I want to make a special guacamole, or add a lot more punch I dig out my Molcajete and start grinding fresh serrano or jalapenos, white onions and garlic until a paste forms. Then I add lemon juice and some chopped tomatoes, season well and there you go! A delicious dip!

Easy Homemade Guacamole

Love this recipe and it went so fast!! I wish I had a trick to keeping guacamole fresh longer, but I have learned when I use a container that the guacamole fits into the brim and you put the lid on tight, it last longer. I think the tightness of the ingredients in the container with a tight lid keeps air from coming in. Anyway, here’s my easy recipe!! Sereve this with some of my breakfast tacos or on some of my enchiladas like https://the2spoons.com/new-mexico-hatch-red-and-green-chile-enchiladas/

Here’s some more Game Day recipes: Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wings, https://the2spoons.com/perfect-for-game-day-tandoori-chicken-wings/, Tandoori Chicken Wings.

Easy Homemade Guacamole

Here’s the recipe! Enjoy

Easy Homemade Guacamole

Print Recipe

CourseAppetizer

CuisineMexican, Texmex

Servings servings

Ingredients

3 or 4 avocados
1-2 serrano or jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp diced white onion
2 garlic cloves
juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon (I just taste after I add a little)
1 roma tomato diced
salt to taste
fresh ground pepper (optional)

Instructions

If using a molcajete, place your chile, garlic and a little salt in the bottom and grind until the desired consistency of your chile and onions. Add your avocado and mash. At this point, it is pretty much done but you want to add your lemon and salt to taste. After you get your seasoning and lemon as you want it, add the tomatoes and combine. Store refrigerated until ready to use.

Yummy! Roast Chicken Thighs with Peas & Mint

April 28, 2019 by Becky Spoon

I think these roast chicken thighs just look like spring and they sure have springtime ingredients. Peas, scallions and mint are essential spring ingredients. Oh, and I forgot the leeks! After tasting these leeks in this dish I wonder why I don’t cook with them more often! They have such a mild flavor, yet so delicious!

This is another recipe I got from the Bon Appetit April 2019 issue. I pretty much followed the recipes as I had the ingredients, but I did soak the chicken overnight in buttermilk, something the recipe did not call for. The buttermilk just makes chicken even more juicy and tender. https://thekitchenadvisor.com/good-soak-chicken-buttermilk/

Yummy! Roast Chicken Thighs with Peas & Mint

I served this dish with chunky garlic mashed potatoes: https://the2spoons.com/chunky-garlic-mashed-potatoes-with-scallions/ This was a perfect combination!

Can’t wait for you to try this too!! It is so yummy!! My cowboy loves it too!!

Roast Chicken Thighs with Peas & Mint

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Main Course

CuisineAmerican

KeywordRoast Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

6 Skin-on, bone in chicken thighs
1 Tbsp Coriander
Kosher salt
2 Tbsps Extra virgin olive
3 Large leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
5 Strips lemon zest
2 Bay leaves
1/3 Cup Dry white wine
1 1/2 Cups Chicken broth
1 Cup Fresh or frozen peas
1 Cup Mint leaves, torn if large

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Pat chicken thighs dry; sprinkle flesh side with coriander. Season generously all over with salt.
Heat oil in a large high-sided or cast-iron skillet over medium. Cook chicken, skin side down, undisturbed, until thighs release easily from pan, about 4 minutes. Continue to cook, scooting chicken around occasionally for even browning, until golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate, skin side up.
Pour out all but 2 Tbsp. fat from skillet and return to medium heat. Add leeks and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add lemon zest and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Pour in wine, scraping up any brown bits stuck to bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Cook until wine is almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to a simmer. Return chicken to skillet, arranging skin side up. Transfer skillet to oven; roast chicken until cooked through and juices run clear when poked with a paring knife, 15–20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
If using fresh peas, cook in same skillet over medium heat until tender and bright green, about 3 minutes. If using frozen, cook just until warmed through, about 1 minute. Toss in mint; season with more salt if needed. Arrange vegetables and chicken in a large shallow bowl or on a platter.

Easy – Chunky Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Scallions

April 28, 2019 by Becky Spoon

I purposely made these garlic mashed potatoes a little chunky because I was serving them with a chicken dish and I wanted them to not just melt away. They are still soft, but when I say chunky it’s only because I used a hand potato masher rather than whipping them with a mixer.

I think they just look so springtime with the scallions! I used heavy cream; however, I usually don’t, but I decided today I would. I have found an alternative to milk with lactose that I use when cooking for my mother, and I can’t tell the difference in it and regular whole milk. Here’s the link, it’s really good if you haven’t tried: https://fairlife.com

Not only are these delicious but they are so easy and quick!! I served these as a side dish for my Roast Chicken Thighs with Peas and Mint! Perfect side dish for the chicken. https://the2spoons.com/springtime-roast-chicken-thighs-with-peas-mint/

Easy – Chunky Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Scallions

Print Recipe

Courseeasy side dish, Side Dish, Vegetable

CuisineAmerican

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Servings Servings

Ingredients

3 Cups Diced potatoes
2 Cloves garlic, peeled
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsps Butter
1 Green end of a green onion sliced
1/4 Cup Milk or cream

Instructions

Boil your potatoes and garlic in salted water until tender. Drain and add butter. Mash by hand or mixer, check for salt and pepper. Add your cream or milk a little at a time until you reach the right consistency. Place in a serving bowl and add sliced green onion tops.

wonderful – flaky buttermilk biscuits.

April 28, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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This morning I really wanted homemade buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy. I kept putting it off, thinking I probably shouldn’t, but you know, sometimes you just have to! You know, my Southern roots win over sometimes, and biscuits and gravy is something I grew up with. There probably isn’t a southern restaurant open for breakfast in Texas that doesn’t have biscuits and gravy on the menu.

I’ve posted my biscuits recipe before, but this recipe is worth posting over and over again and again. Honestly, I think they take me 5 minutes to throw together! To make these biscuits from scratch is probably as quick to make as it is to open a can or cook from a frozen state! If you haven’t made homemade before and you make these, you will probably never buy a can of biscuits again!

Always perfect for breakfast, they are equally good for dinner with southern fried chicken or chicken fried steak and a skillet of cream gravy!

My Easy Buttermilk Biscuits

I make these biscuits with cold butter that I always grate with a box grater. I grate the butter over the flour mixture and then I work into my dry ingredients. You can use a pastry cutter if you like. This is the pastry cutter I have and sometimes use. https://amzn.to/3g7TgeN.

The key to a flaky biscuit is to fold it several times. After you dump the scrappy dough onto a floured surface, bring it together, pat or roll it out into a rectangle and fold it like a piece of paper for an envelope. Turn it and do that at least 2 more times. Every time you fold it creates layers to your biscuit. I was much more careful to do this today when baking and they turned out to be the most tender delicious biscuits I’ve made!

In addition to the above, I chill my biscuits before baking. Here are the benefit of chilling:

Tenderness. Chilling relaxes the gluten, resulting in more tender biscuits.
Shape and rise.The butter hardens during chilling, so it takes longer to melt while baking, giving the biscuits more time to rise and keep their shape.
Fat consistency. Chilling firms up the fat in the dough, which prevents the biscuits from spreading too much in the oven.

An additional tip is:

Ingredient temperature. It’s important to use cold butter and buttermilk, as warm ingredients can result in layer-less biscuits.

A good biscuit cutter is essential too. You want a cutter that you don’t have to twist when you are cutting them. You just want a cutter that cus and you can lift. Here’s the one I use https://amzn.to/31xvtz2.

Another item I use that I find essential is parchment paper. I line my pan with parchment paper for more even browsing on the bottom and to insure they don’t brow n too much. https://amzn.to/38jdyzy

Here’s the link for the Sausage Gravy: https://the2spoons.com/flaky-buttermilk-biscuits-with-sausage-gravy/. So delicious and I know your family will love this.

Here’s another recipe for biscuits and gravy with hash which is amazing too: https://the2spoons.com/potato-smoked-sausage-hash-biscuits-gravy/

Here’s the recipe! Enjoy!

Buttermilk Biscuits

Print Recipe

CourseBread, Breakfast, brunch, dinner, Lunch

CuisineAmerican

Keywordbiscuits, bread, breakfast, brunch, buttermilk biscuits, Easy, homemade, homemade biscuits

Ingredients

2 1/2 Cups All purpose flour (spoon and leveled)
1.5 Tsp Salt
1/2 baking soda
2 Tsp Baking powder
1/2 Cup Butter, cold and grated or shortening
1 Cup plus 2 tablespoons cold buttermilk
2 tsps honey or sugar
melted butter for brushing

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to a large bowl. Grate the cold butter into the dry ingredients and with a pastry cutter, two forks or my favorite, your hands, cut the butter into the flour until coarse crumbs form. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the buttermilk and the honey. Stir just to combine. Do not overwork.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently mold it into a rough looking rectangle using your hands. Fold one side into the center, then the other side. Turn the dough so it’s long horizontally. Gently flatten. Repeat the folding again. Turn the dough so it’s long horizontally once more. Gently flatten. Repeat the folding one more time.Gently roll the dough out with a rolling pin until it’s 1 inch thick. Cut into 3-inch circles. Re-roll any scraps until you have 9-12 biscuits. Arrange in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or close together on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. (Make sure they’re touching.)Brush the tops with a little buttermilk. I place my biscuits in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes or in the freezer for about 10 minutes before baking. This allows the butter to get very cold gain
Bake for 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown on top.
Brush the tops with butter. Enjoy warm! Place the leftover biscuits in a zip lock back or air tight container and store in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days.

Delicious Steak and Rice Noodle Salad

April 27, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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I have been obsessed with making this salad ever since I saw Bon Appetit Magazine April 2019 cover for their Steak and Rice noodle Salad. Not only is it delicious, but it is visually satisfying. I didn’t have the exact ingredients that they used, so I improvised, but that’s what cooking from scratch is all about. Rice noodles, peanuts, fresh mint, a yummy dressing….these are just a few of the ingredients that make up this salad.

The recipe calls for rice noodles that you can get from your local grocery store. However, I haven’t been able to find a wide rice noodle which I prefer but you can purchase online. I found them on Amazon after I used the thinner noodle, but I’ll buy the larger ones for next time. Here’s the link for different varieties on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Thai-Noodles-16-Ounce-Boxes/dp/B004I5IC5I/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=wide+rice+noodles&qid=1556394362&s=grocery&sr=1-4

Delicious Steak and Rice Noodle Salad

I can’t wait for you to try this! I think you will love it. This is my version of the Bon Appetit recipe! Enjoy! If you want something crunchy with this salad my breaded zucchini would be perfect: https://the2spoons.com/oh-so-good-simple-fried-zucchini/

Steak and Rice Noodle Salad

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course, Salad

CuisineAsian

Prep Time10

Cook Time8

Total Time18

Servings servings

Ingredients

3 small serrano chiles
1 garlic clove
kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 2 TBSP fresh lime juice
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
8 oz steak of your choice, I used Ribeye, you could use sirloin or skirt you could use chicken also
1 head of romaine lettuce, coarsley chopped
1/2 english cucumber, thinly sliced
3-4 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 cup finely chopped mint, plus leaves for serving
1/2 cup shopped, salted, dry-roasted peanutws jplus more for serving
flaky sea salt

Instructions

Remove seeds from 2 chiles, then finely chop with remaining chile. Thinly slice the garlic. Sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt over the chiles and garlic. Smash chiles and garlic with the flat side of a chef’s knife, alternating chopping and mashing, until a coarse paste forms. Transfer mixture to a bowl and lime juice, fish sauce, honey, and 1 tbsp oil. Stir vigorously to dissolve honey. This is the dressing.
Place the steak in a medium bowl. Drizzle 3 tbsp dressing over, holding back the chiles with a spoon; set remaining dressing aside. let the steak sit, stirring occasionally at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Remove from heat, add noodles, and cover pot. Let sit, stirring every minute or so to keep the noodles from sticking, until al dente, 5 -8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water; set aside.
Toss the romaine, cucumbers, and radishes in a large bowl with a little salt. Pat the steak dry and season very lightly with salt. The fish sauce in the dressing is pretty salty. Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook the steak until browned, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice.
Add the steak, lettuce mixture, reserved noodles, 1/2 cup mint, and 1/2 cup peanuts to a large bowl with reserved dressing and toss well. Season with more salt if needed. Divide among bowls, top with remaining mint leaves and more peanuts.

Delicious, Easy and Economical Hamburger Stroganoff!

April 24, 2019 by Becky Spoon

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Classic Beef stroganoff or this Hamburger Stroganoff is the ultimate cold weather dinner. Usually, dishes this hearty take hours of simmering or braising, but not this recipe because we’re using ground beef which is less expensive and so quick! This simple stroganoff is perfect for weeknights! What are you waiting for?!

This Stroganoff is another favorite of Allen’s. Yes, he has many! This dish is delicious and I honestly like stroganoff better with the ground beef rather than using another cut of beef.

Easy and Economical Hamburger Stroganoff

If I were making this recipe with traditional cuts of meat, like sirloin or tenderloin, not only would it be much more expensive but would take longer to cook. You want a really tender cut of meat so the less expensive cuts aren’t really an option because it’d take hours to braise those cuts. I love Beef Stroganoff with Beef Tenderloin but it starts at $13.48 a pound even from Sams Club. I’ve bought the Beef Tenderloin many times but for a simple weeknight meal this is perfect! https://www.samsclub.com/p/whole-beef-tenderloin/137420.

This dish can be a quick dinner for your family or you can feed a crowd! You could serve it with a green vegetable, a salad, and my homemade rolls are perfect with this! Theres’s something about this dish that just begs for a roll, especially a homemade roll!!https://the2spoons.com/my-best-dinner-rolls-yet/

Happy to share this recipe with you…..it’s delicious!

Easy and Economical Hamburger Stroganoff

Print Recipe

Coursedinner, Lunch, Main Course

CuisineAmerican

Keywordbeef stroganoff, hamburger stroganoff, stroganoff

Servings servings

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 Tsp Cayenne pepper (optional)
2 tbsp worcestershire
1 Can Cream of mushroom soup
1/2 Cup Beef broth
1 cup sour cream
12 oz egg noodles
1 tbsp butter for noodles
Fresh parsley

Instructions

Start a pot of salted water to boil and add the egg noodles. When the egg noodles are tender, drain and add a tablespoon of butter, the chopped parsley and toss. Cover and set aside while you make the stroganoff.
Melt 3 tbsp butter in a large skillet. Add the sliced green onions and garlic. Saute until the onions have softened. Add the ground beef and cook until the meat has cooked completely through. Add the salt and pepper along with cayenne if you are adding. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the beef broth, stirring to combine. Add the can of Cream of Mushroom Soup and combine and heat through. Lower the heat and add the sour cream and combine. You don’t want to boil the dish after adding the sour cream. Check for salt and pepper and adjust. Serve immediately over the buttered noodles. –