Shopping List / Ingredients: Feed a Family of 4

2 Lbs. of thinly sliced Roast Beef  (Estimate ½ pound per Teen Serving)

1 Large, French Bread Roll, (Cut and Quarter)

1 Can of French Onion Soup

1 Pkg. of Au Jus Gravy Mix

1 Can of Whole Green Chilies

12 oz. Jar of Peperoncini (Chopped Fine)

1- Medium Tomato (Chopped Fine)

Optional Items: Cheese, Tabasco Sauce, Shredded Lettuce,

Equipment: 2-Quart Pot, Cookie Sheet, Oven Pre-Heated to 300 Degrees F

Cooking Steps: Make Gravy Mix

This is a Southern sandwich recipe that I adopted and put some of my California flavor in it. PoBoys are a quick and easy dinner recipe when you area family on the go. Just follow these steps, and you can have your family eating in 30 minutes or less. Open Can of French Onion Soup and pour it into your 2-Quart Pot. Add 1 Can of water. Open Package of the Au Jus Gravy and mix with the soup and stir gently on   stove with a Low Medium setting. You want to have a thick sauce, so if you feel that you put too much water in your sauce mix, just add a teaspoon of flour while stirring the mix over the stove, (This should thicken the sauce). Keep sauce warm and now pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees F.

The Key: French Bread

Most Grocery stores these days carry a bakery department that makes fresh bread.  The bread means everything to this recipe. Make sure you get a large French bread roll and cut it in four pieces like you see in the video. If you are feeding a family of four, you only need one loaf of French bread. The next step after cutting your bread is to take the gravy mix off the stove and begin the “dipping” process. This means take your thinly sliced bread and dip the meat into the sauce and then place the meat on top of the sliced French bread. Place the bread slices on a cookie sheet before the dunking process begins. Make sure you dunk your meat thoroughly through the gravy before placing on top of the bread. At this point, you can add a Green Chili on top of the beef and place all of the sandwiches that are top of the cookie sheet into the oven for 12- 15 minutes.

Topping Options

I like a little crunch with my Po Boy Sandwich, so I take a medium Tomato and chop it fine into a bowl. Next, I take 4 to 5 Peproncini’s (pronounced, pepper-chini) and chop them fine and add to the bowl of tomato. You can alter this recipe by using regular pickles instead of the peperoncini and you will have the same crunchy, sour effect that this topping makes. You can also add cheese to the topping of the sandwiches toad a cheesy flavor to your Po Boy.

Either way, this is a great Cooking for teen’s recipe that my household of teens loves to have. I hope you enjoy this recipe and your feedback is always welcomed on my website.

Shopping List: Serves a Family of 5+

One (1) Pound of Salmon Filet (Cut Down to 1 ½ inch chunks)

One (1) Pound of Sea bass, Snapper or Cod (White Fish), Cut down to chunks

½ lb. Pound of Un-cooked, Deveined Shrimp

Option: ½ pound of sea scallops

Seasonal Option: 1 ½ Lbs. (pounds) of Clams, Mussels

1- Bushel of Fresh Italian Parsley, Basil, and Oregano (Chop all 3 together, fine)

3- Bay Leaves

2- Oranges, 1-Lime (Cut in half)

1- Red onion

1-Small jar of Minced Garlic

4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2- 28oz. Cans of Tomato Sauce

1- 15 oz. Can of Stewed Tomatoes

1- 6 oz. Can of Tomato Paste for thickening

Kitchen Equipment:

1- Large Mixing Bowl for Sauce Prep, 1- Medium Mixing Bowl for Seafood Prep, 1- Fry Pan for cooking Seafood, 1- Large Stew Pot for final cooking. Entire Cooking Time: 45- 60 minutes from start to finish.

CookLikeADad Cooking Steps:  Make Sauce!

Take your Tomato sauces and empty all four, tomato products together in a large mixing bowl.  Start chopping all three of your fresh herbs, (Basil, Parsley, Oregano) together in a separate area and take a handful of the chopped herbs and place into your sauce. Make sure you have an equal proportion of the herbs into your sauce. The tomato paste helps keep your sauce thick as you mix all the tomato sauces together. Take one Orange and squeeze both halves into your sauce; don’t worry if you get pulp in the sauce, it will cook away and leave a slightly sweeter taste to your sauce. Add 3 bay leaves into the sauce. Try to leave the Bay leaves intact and not crumbled. Bay leaves help cut down the acid that could cause heartburn down the road. Now take (1) Lime and cut in half and squeeze lime juice into your sauce. Mix well and add (2) Tablespoons of Olive oil to your sauce. Set  the Sauce bowl aside and begin work on the seafood set up.

I See, You See, Seafood…

Choppino dates back to the early Italian Fisherman in Europe who made a stew from the leftover fish, shrimp and shellfish that they kept or couldn’t sell at the fish market. Having a variety of seafood adds to the variety of flavor that the stew can create. My point is to be flexible and open yourself up to any form of seafood that you would like in your recipe. My Mother hates Mussels and Clams, (I love em both!), so I modified this recipe to match her tastes and love of Fish, Shrimp and Scallops.

To prep your fish, make sure the fish filet is clean and free of scales and bones. Cut the Fish down to 1 ½ inch chunks and place in a medium bowl. Clean and rinse shrimp, remove the legs and add them to the bowl of fish. Now, most cooks like to keep the tails on the shrimp for flavor; but this is your recipe and it is your option. Just make sure you bought the deveined shrimp. Wash the scallops off and place them with the rest of your seafood bowl. Take a large handful of your chopped herbs and place into the Seafood bowl. Add 2- tablespoons of Minced Garlic and Olive Oil. Take the Red Onion and cut in half. Chop one half into fine chunks and place in the bowl with the other ingredients. Mix bowl of seafood and ingredients with your hand to make sure all seafood has an even distribution of the Olive oil, herbs and garlic.

Next Step: Cooking Time

Start a Large Fry Pan, Medium Heat. Place Seafood into pan and stir the mixture of seafood evenly. Make sure to gently turn the scallops to avoid breaking. Grab your other Orange and Lime and cut in half and squeeze their juices onto the seafood while cooking. Continue to cook 12- 15 minutes or until the shrimp are bright pink and the scallops are slightly firm. Time to get the saucepot ready…

Sauce Meets Seafood

Take large Stew pot and lightly grease the bottom of the pot with the remaining Tablespoon of Olive oil. Take your bowl of Tomato Sauces and pour into the pot. Have the Pot on a low-medium setting. Add the Seafood into the saucepot while slowly and gently mixing the two together. Next, place a lid over the pot and allow the contents to cook for another 18- 20 minutes on low setting while occasionally checking on it and mixing the stew. Serve warm and enjoy this stew with a warm French Roll or a Side of pasta to drop into the stew.

Happy Mother’s Day to all Moms from CookLikeADad

Take a traditional, everyday hearty meatloaf recipe and bring a little Latino Love and what do you get? Mexican Meatloaf. CookLikeADad is going to show you how to  make Mexican Meatloaf, a great Cooking For Teens Recipe.

Ingredients: Serves a Family of 5+

1.5 Pounds of 80/20 Ground Beef

1 Tube Of Beef Chorizo (You can find this in the un-cooked sausage section)

3 Tablespoons of Oregano Leaves

1 Tablespoon of Garlic Salt

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Package of Salad Croutons

3 Carrots, Chopped Fine

3 Celery Stalks, Chopped Fine

2 Jalapeño Chilies

1 Serrano Chili

1 Medium Red Onion

1 Can of Tomato Paste

1 Jar of Mexican Salsa

Equipment: Large Mixing Bowl, 2 Fry Pans, Meatloaf Pan,  Pre-Heat Oven at 400F

Cooking Steps:  Pre-Heat oven to 400F

Just like your regular Meatloaf recipe, you will have to take a few steps to prep your meal. First, make sure to chop your veggies fine, so that even your pickiest eaters wont know that they are eating good food. Next chop your Chilies and half of the Red Onion. Make sure you keep your hands covered while handling the chili. There is nothing worse than getting “chili oil” on your face or skin. Once you have chopped the chili, heat up a small fry pan with oil on medium heat. Stir chilies n pan until the onion and chilies are nice and brown.

Mixing Meat

Next take your Hamburger into a large bowl and break up the meat into the bowl. Mix all veggies and grilled chilies and onion into the bowl. Add 3 Tablespoons of Oregano leaves, 1 Tablespoon of Garlic Salt into the meat mixture. Heat up the same pan, (Med-Hi Heat) you cooked the Chilies on the stove and break apart the Chorizo. Make sure you cook the Chorizo thoroughly. You can tell it is cooked when it appears to be all broken up and has a dark, burnt orange color. Drop the cooked Chorizo into your bowl of meatloaf mix and ADD Salad Croutons. Hand mix the entire contents of the bowl together.

Who Cut the Cheese?

Take the meatloaf mix and place the first thick layer of Meatloaf into a pre-greased, meatloaf pan. Your first layer should reach the halfway point of your pan. Next, you need to cut thick slices of Cheddar Cheese, (Or pre-shredded cheese) and place on top the meatloaf’s first layer. Once you have the first layer covered in cheese, take the remaining meatloaf mix and top off the pan with the meatloaf. Try to form a ‘channel along the sides of your meatloaf so the meat looks like a loaf of bread, (see video).

The Final Step:

I like to make sure my meatloaf is moist and not dried out. One of the best ways to do this is by having a thick coat of Tomato paste on top of the meatloaf before placing in the oven. However, for this recipe, I am going to combine Mexican Salsa with my Tomato Paste just to keep in line with the Mexican Meatloaf theme. Spread the combined sauce over the top of the meatloaf evenly. Place on the lower to middle rack of a 400 F, pre-heated oven for 40-45 minutes. If you see too much burning at the top, place Aluminum Foil over the top of the meatloaf to complete the 40- 45-minute cooking time. Once done, allow the loaf to set for at least 15- 20 minutes to cool, ( or it will crumble when you serve)

Taquitos is one of those Mexican Foods that allows you to serve a great tasting meal in very little prep time. In fact, you will be surprised how quickly you can make these tasty treat for your whole family.   And don’t worry about having to choose between Chicken or Beef because in this video recipe, I will show can simultaneously make them both.

Ingredients / Shopping List: Feeds a Family of 4

One (1) Dozen Corn Tortillas

One (1) 12 oz. Can White Chicken Meat (Drain Liquid)

One (1) 12oz. Can of Roast Beef (Drain Liquid)

2 Tablespoons – Crushed Oregano Leaves

2 Tablespoons +plus of Taco Seasoning

1Tablespoon Garlic Salt

3-4 Green Onion Stalks (Chopped)

Optional Items: Guacamole, Sour Cream, Salsa, Limes, Shredded Cheese, and Refried Beans (See video)

Equipment: Fry Pan, Cooking Oil

Cooking Steps:

Take your canned meats and drain all liquids from the can. I like to use a colander and rinse warm water through the meat to make sure all the “can taste” is out of the meat. Place both Chicken and Beef in a small bowl and add your dry ingredients, (Oregano, Garlic Salt, and Taco Seasoning). Chop your Green Onion and mix the onion and dry ingredients into the meat.  For a spicy taste, you can add more Taco seasoning, (It’s ok to sample the taste while seasoning because the canned meat is already pre-cooked.

Next, warm up the Corn Tortillas by either placing in the microwave for 1- 1 ½ minutes or take a dry fry pan on a medium heat setting.  It’s important to make sure all tortillas are warm before you roll the meat into them.,(this prevents breakage).

Cooking Options:

Now that you have your meat seasoned, you have two options on how you want to seal the flavor in your meat. You can either microwave the meat or you can fry the meat. If you microwave, add a tablespoon of water and place the bowl of meat in microwave for 2 minutes on high setting. To fry, place meat in a fry pan with cooking oil on medium high setting for 3- 5 minutes. After cooking, place meat back in the bowl. We are ready for rolling…

Ready for Rolling…

Take a couple large tablespoons of meat and place it on one end of the warm tortilla. Make sure the meat is evenly across the tortilla before rolling. Now tightly roll the tortilla with the meat, ( Like rolling a carpet rug). This is a great activity to get your kids involved. When you complete the roll, place a toothpick to hold the rolled tortilla in place, (poke the toothpick diagonally). Roll and stack your Taquitos until you are finished with your tortillas.

Start: Fry Pan on Med-High heat . Add Cooking Oil, enough oil to cover the pan surface. Place Taquitos in Pan and allow the Taquito to brown, then turn Taquito for an even browning. Now you are ready to enjoy the Perfect Cinco De Mayo Family meal. You can serve Taquitos with a Sour Cream topping, Shredded cheese and Mexican Salsa.

Optional Toppings:

You can watch my video featuring how to make my Guacamole recipe, Re-fried Beans and homemade Mexican Salsa. Go to CookLikeADad.com for more details. Enjoy