Cooking Lessons for Dad

Cooking Lessons for Beginners

Crockpot Corn Tamale Casserole

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Yield: 6 servings

Crockpot Corn Tamale Casserole

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups onion, chopped
  • 2 - 3 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
  • 2 - 10 ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 15 ounce can white beans (drained and rinsed)
  • 15 ounce can corn (drained)
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup black olives, sliced or chopped (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 - 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/2 - 3/4 cup tomatoes, diced (canned, drained or fresh)
  • Cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat until the onions are soft.
  2. Spray the inside of the crockpot with cooking spray.
  3. Add to a large bowl: sautéed onions, cornmeal, diced tomatoes with chilies, beans, corn, water, eggs, 1/4 cup black olives, garlic, cumin, and chili powder.
  4. Mix ingredients together and add to the crockpot.
  5. Sprinkle tomatoes and 1/4 cup olives over the mixture.
  6. Cook on high 4 - 5 1/2 hours until the edges are lightly browned. Do not overcook.
  7. Serve.

Notes

Great served with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.

You can use any white beans. I often use white kidney beans or great northern beans.

Adjust the amount of black olives to your taste.

See a cooking demonstration of this Crockpot Corn Tamale Casserole recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

Check the crockpot a little early to make sure it does not burn.

You can cut this recipe in half, just decrease the cooking time by 30 minutes.

You can also use a 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes and a 4 ounce can of diced green chilies in place of the 10 ounce can of diced tomatoes and green chilies.

See a cooking demonstration of this Crockpot Corn Tamale Casserole recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

Toasted Pine Nuts

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Yield: Varies

Toasted Pine Nuts

Ingredients

  • Pine nuts, raw

Instructions

  1. Place pine nuts in a dry skillet on medium - low heat. Stir frequently (every 15 seconds or so).
  2. Cook the nuts until they are golden brown (about 3 - 5 minutes). When they are done, take them off the heat and put them on a cool plate to stop the cooking process.

Notes

You can toast the nuts in the oven for a more even golden color. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees until they are golden brown (about 5 - 10 minutes). Stir them occasionally while baking.

You can also cook these in a toaster oven at 325 degrees. Stir frequently until golden brown (about 3 - 6 minutes).

See a cooking demonstration of this Toasted Pine Nuts recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

Banana Ice Cream

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Yield: 1 - 2 servings

Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 - 2 bananas, ripe

Instructions

  1. Peel bananas and cut them into smaller, similar sized pieces.
  2. Put banana pieces in the freezer for several hours until they are frozen and hard.
  3. Blend the frozen bananas in a powerful blender or food processor.
  4. Continue blending the bananas until they are smooth and creamy like ice cream. It takes a little while to transform into ice cream consistency.
  5. You can now mix in additional ingredients if you would like. Serve now or freeze in an airtight container for later.

Notes

This banana ice cream is amazing plain but you can add other ingredients to make and endless number of different flavors.

Some optional ingredients you could add to your banana ice cream include:
Chocolate chips, nuts, peanut butter, honey, cinnamon, coconut, fresh or frozen fruit.

Try adding in my Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter to this banana ice cream for an amazing treat! You can find this recipe at Cookinglessonsfordad.com

Freeze bananas on a baking sheet (cover with plastic wrap or wax paper) or in a covered container.

Freeze bananas for several hours or overnight.

See a cooking demonstration of this Banana Ice Cream recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

Easy Guacamole

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Yield: 4 servings

Easy Guacamole

Ingredients

  • 2 avocados, ripe
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt (Kosher or sea salt preferred)
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons salsa

Instructions

  1. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits (seeds).
  2. Scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon and put it in a bowl.
  3. Mash the avocado with a fork until it is the consistency you prefer.
  4. Add the rest of the ingredients except the salsa and mix together. Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired.
  5. Add the salsa. Mix well.
  6. The guacamole is best if it is chilled for about an hour. Serve.

Notes

To seed the avocado first cut the avocado lengthwise. Then hit the seed with the sharp edge of a knife (Be careful!). Next hold the avocado tight and twist the knife to loosen and remove the seed.

When you add the salsa try not to get too much juice.

You can try different types of salsas to see which you prefer best. I often use a mild or medium chunky style salsa.

To tell if an avocado is ripe place it in the palm of your hand and gently squeeze. Do not apply pressure with your fingertips as this may cause bruising. Avocados ripen after they have been harvested so if they are not ripe yet, wait until they are.

Once the avocados are ripe they should be eaten within a day or two. To slow down the ripening process you can put them in the refrigerator.

See a cooking demonstration of this Easy Guacamole recipe on the Cooking Lessons for Dad YouTube channel.

© Karen Breyer

 

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