Beer Battered Fried Asparagus

We love asparagus. We eat it often. But this was the first time we battered and fried it. The result? A light, crispy and deliciously fantastic snack!

1/4 cup cornstarch
2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 cup beer (I like Dales Pale Ale)
1 lb. raw asparagus spears
peanut or canola oil (enough to cover bottom of small fry pan)

Mix all ingredients except asparagus in a bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Dip asparagus individually in the batter and deep- fry them in at least 2 inches of oil for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Eat hot.

Serving Suggestions: Sprinkle finely grated Parmesan cheese on top and/or dip them in a sauce of  one part Djon mustard and one part crème fraiche.

Crunchy Nutty Spicy Bars!

I love making my own granola bars, but these are much more exciting than just granola!

These guys here are packed with just about everything good and healthy I could find in the cupboard. And don't worry if you don't have all of these ingredients, you can substitute, mix and match, get creative! You can use just about any nut, cereal, dried fruit, it's all good.

I didn't put measurements of my dry goods because I just eyeball, but it works out to approximately one cup of each dry ingredient. Also, be sure to roughly chop each ingredient into small pieces.

Crunchy Nutty Spicy Bars (print this recipe!)

Ingredients:
Coconut oil (to grease pan)
Steel cut oats
Walnuts
Pepita seeds
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin flax
Puff Rice Cereal
Cranberries
Dates, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup honey (or agave)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp graham masala

Directions:
Grease a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish with Coconut oil and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, nuts, seeds, and pumpkin flax onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

When the toasted mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the puff cereal and dried fruit, spices and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and lightly press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for about 15 minutes, just enough to melt all the flavors together.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

I ended up with a lot of crumbly pieces, don't fret, toss a handful on top of your yogurt, or simply eat as a snack!

Crispy Cauliflower with Parmesan

We roast cauliflower often, by far one of my most favorite methods of cooking vegetables. I can't think of anything that doesn't taste better roasted. But I was looking for something different.

Spicy. Crunchy. Crispy.

Even though there are hundreds of recipes out there for Parmesan Cauliflower, I couldn't find the right one for me. The recipes I found were boring or had weird combinations of spices, and most of them are for cooking in the oven, and it has been too hot to bake. So, like I often do, I made up my own recipe. They were amazing, so I have to share!

I did something I don't normally do, I fried. Yes, I'm talking about submerging my perfectly beautiful and healthy vegetables into a bath of sizzling hot, oil. But not before they are lightly coated with delectable spices and panko crumbs.

I don't know if it makes it any healthier, but I used extra light olive oil. I heard that it has a higher smoke point.

The most important thing here is that these are delicious, and pretty easy to make!

Crispy Cauliflower with Parmesan Print this recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra light olive oil for frying
1 head cauliflower
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup rice flour
1 egg
Sea salt and pepper
1-2 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tbs Italian Seasoning
3-4 tbs. shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Wash the cauliflower, then break up into little bite sized pieces.

Blanch the cauliflower pieces by adding them to a pot of well-salted, boiling water for about 30-45 seconds just until crisp/tender; drain, then shock for about 30 seconds in ice-water to cool; drain from ice water and pat dry with paper towel; set aside for a moment.

Add the panko bread crumbs and rice flour to a large ziplock bag, along with a pinch of salt. Beat the egg in a large bowl; add the panko, the parmesan, the paprika, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, pepper and a pinch of salt into another large ziplock bag.

To bread, add the blanched cauliflower pieces to the bag with the rice flour and panko, and very gently shake to coat the pieces well. Then, add the floured pieces to the bowl with the beaten eggs, and toss the pieces to coat with the egg. Add the pieces to the bag with the panko/parmesan mixture, and again, gently shake to coat the pieces well; take the coated pieces out and place on lined tray.

To fry, heat enough oil to shallow skillet (about ½ cup) in a large skillet. When the oil is hot, add about a third or half (depending on size of pan) of the breaded cauliflower pieces in, and allow them to fry for about 5-7 minutes, moving them around occasionally, until crispy and golden-brown on all sides; remove and drain on paper towel, sprinkle with a little salt, pepper and paprika if desired, and repeat until all pieces are fried.

To serve, allow the pieces to cool slightly, as they will be quite hot when fresh out of the oil. Serve alongside your choice of sauce, perhaps buttermilk ranch or a marinara sauce!

Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I was always a little skeptical of lettuce taking the place of a tortilla. Something as perfect as a taco just shouldn't be messed with. 

What convinced me to try these lettuce wraps? I am always looking for quick and easy, healthy, low carb, low calorie, low fat, gluten free dinner ideas. What I discovered is that these wraps are super delicious and a nice twist to the taco concept with an Asian flair!

To make these pescatarian friendly, substitute the ground turkey for shrimp, they taste awesome!

Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground turkey

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili pepper flakes

Ground pepper, to taste

2 cups carrots (about 4 medium), shredded

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 cups mushrooms, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, sliced thin

½ cup peanuts

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup teriyaki sauce

¼ cup low sodium soy sauce

½ cup (about a handful) cilantro, chopped

1 head leafy lettuce (you could use kale or baby romaine), leaves separated, rinsed and dried

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over high heat. Season ground turkey with ground ginger, garlic powder, chili flakes and pepper then add to skillet. Break up the meat with a wooden spoon as it browns. Cook about 5 minutes or until meat is almost cooked through–but still slightly pink. Remove from skillet and place into a bowl; cover loosely with foil to keep meat warm. Set aside.

Using the same large skillet, add shredded carrots, peppers and onions and cook over medium heat until vegetables soften (about 3 minutes). Mix with wooden spoon or spatula to combine ingredients.

Add mushrooms, peanuts and garlic to the skillet and mix to combine ingredients. Cook all vegetables until softened, about 4 minutes.

Add reserved browned turkey to the vegetables. Add teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and cilantro to the meat and vegetable mixture. Combine all ingredients together and cook over medium heat.

Adjust amount of herbs and sauces to taste. Lower heat and simmer, allowing all flavors to meld. Top with cilantro.

While turkey mix is simmering, prepare lettuce leaves. Use a clean dishcloth or paper towels to dry leaves well.

Divide about 1/3 cup of turkey mix among each of the lettuce leaves.

I find it helpful to start eating from the stem side and roll the leafy side up to hold in the juices and filling.

Enjoy!

Figs - And A Flatbread

Figs are among the richest plant sources of calcium and fiber. According to USDA data for the Mission variety, dried figs are richest in fiber, copper, manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and vitamin K, relative to human needs. They have smaller amounts of many other nutrients. Figs contain many antioxidants. An average medium sized fig has about 40 calories.

Now that we got that out of the way, I love figs! I never even tried one until I met my husband about six years ago, and like a lot of things, there is a story behind that, but this is not the time or place to share THAT story, sorry if I intrigued you.

But here is something I will share with you, the inspiration to MAKE A FLATBREAD! 

You should make that flat bread with sliced figs, sliced apples, prosciutto, walnuts, goat cheese and arugula. Oh, and you should drizzle a little garlic flavored olive oil and some honey on that too. Like this.....

You are welcome : )

Prosciutto, Mushroom, Caramelized Onion & Three Cheese Flatbread

There are many great things about living in San Diego California.

Besides the incredible weather, we have an abundance of the best seafood, Mexican food, craft beer, local and sustainable farming, and some of the best restaurants, bars and hospitality across the world. Yes, I might sound like an advertisement for tourism in San Diego, but I am just proud of my home town!

One of my favorite parts of San Diego is the historic Little Italy neighborhood. If you have the opportunity, you must check out the fantastic Little Italy farmers market every Saturday. I encourage you to talk a walk and explore the neighborhood that contains so much of San Diego's historical Italian culture.

If you happen upon a quaint little deli such as Assentis Pasta, or across the street at Mona Lisa's, do yourself a favor and pick up some freshly shaved prosciutto, some pasta and some cheese, you can thank me by inviting me over to help you eat it!

The following recipe is just one example of what you could make with that prosciutto and that cheese, trust me, the results are delicious!

Prosciutto, Mushroom, Caramelized Onion & Three Cheese Flatbread  (printable recipe here)

Ingredients:

2 8-inch thin flatbreads  - (we love Flatout Flatbread)
4 tbsp olive oil (garlic infused if available)
1 small onion, sliced thin
10-15 small mushrooms, sliced thin
6 oz. thin shaved premium prosciutto
3 oz. sliced mozzarella cheese
2 oz. crumbled goat cheese
2 oz. Parmegiano Reggiano, finely shredded
1 cup fresh arugula or spinach

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Slice the onions and mushrooms. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a skillet over medium/high heat, add onions. Cook until lightly browned and caramelized. Add the mushrooms to the same skillet for last 4-5 minutes, turn off heat and set aside.

Important! Before you put any ingredients on it, bake the flatbread by itself on a cookie sheet for 2-4 minutes. Remove from oven.

Drizzle flatbread with garlic flavored olive oil and evenly spread with a brush all over the top. Assemble the prosciutto, caramelized onions, mushrooms, sliced mozzarella, goat cheese, and some of the arugula. Drizzle with more oil.

Bake for about 6-7 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve with shredded parmegiano reggiano, more arugula and a splash of olive oil.

Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are perhaps one of the oldest legumes on earth. Popular in numerous cultures and countries around the world, they are loaded with fiber, protein, iron and good for you phosphorus.

We enjoy them in hot and cold salads, stews and casseroles, as hummus, or for a low fat healthy snack try them spicy and crunchy like this…..

Spicy Crunchy Chickpeas

Ingredients:

1 16 oz can of chickpeas

Your favorite seasoning

Olive oil cooking spray

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

After rinsing, dry the chickpeas by laying them out on a paper towel covering a dishtowel. Let them sit for at least 10 minutes until mostly dry.

Place chickpeas in a large bowl and add 1 tbsp olive oil, toss well.

Sprinkle with your favorite seasoning. I use salt, garlic salt, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. The seasoning options are endless, you could use - garam masala, Parmesan cheese, herbs and the list goes on.

Place seasoned chickpeas on a rimmed baking sheet sprayed lightly with olive oil cooking spray.

Bake until golden and crunchy for 30-40 minutes, stirring a few times during cooking.

Enjoy while warm but don't save them for too long, they tend to get stale after a day or so.

Sweet Potato Fries - Baked and Crispy!

I can not tell you in words how fantastic these fries are, really, you just have to make them. 

I'm not sure what is the best part, they are healthy and good for you, or that they are super easy and fast to make? 

Either way, make lots of them and invite a few friends over, they are sure to be impressed!

                   Sweet Potato Fries - Baked and Crispy!

Ingredients: (Printable Version Here)

1 large sweet potato should be enough for 2 people
2 tbsp rice flour (you could also use cornstarch)
2 tbsp of olive or coconut oil 
* Salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, Cajun spice blend, dried basil


*Here, you can add your favorite blend of herbs and spices such as garlic, cinnamon, curry, pumpkin pie spice, garlic – sweet, savory and/or spicy!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or a silicone baking mat. More than one large sliced potato is usually too crowded on 1 sheet, but it depends on their size. You may need an additional sheet. Set aside.

Wash and peel (I leave some of the skin on) the potatoes. Cut off the ends. Cut the potatoes into thin slices about 1/4 inch wide. The important thing is that they are roughly the same size.

Place in a large bowl and toss with rice flour. You want a nice thin coating. Shake off any extra flour. Place potatoes back into the bowl and add the olive oil and seasonings of choice. Toss/stir to coat evenly.

Spread the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer making sure the slices are not touching each other. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and stir em up with a spatula. Place back into the oven for 10-15 more minutes. Rotate the pan to avoid uneven browning, it’s good if the edges are a little brown and caramelized, just not burnt.

For extra crispier fries: Turn the oven off and keep the fries inside as the oven cools down for about 10 minutes. Enjoy while still hot.

These fries are fantastic alone, but they also taste great with an aioli dipping sauce, ranch dressing or a try them with a simple plain yogurt with dill mixture!

Roasted Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

There are so many reasons to love Halloween! The cooler temps and brisk winds are great reasons for making soups and casseroles, or maybe you like to use Halloween as an excuse to decorate your house, get dressed up in crazy costumes and have a party!

Some people might also enjoy stealing a piece or two of candy, but I for one get very excited about carving pumpkins and roasting the seeds.

I have tried a hundred ways of preparing pumpkin seeds, but I think this is my favorite method so far......

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

(printable version)

1 ½ cups fresh pumpkin seeds (approx. seeds from one medium pumpkin)

1 tsp Kosher salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp chile powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a baking sheet with foil, or use a non-stick cookie sheet.

In a medium pot, bring pumpkin seeds, water and salt to a boil -- approximately 2 cups of water for every 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, and 1 tsp salt for every cup of water. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, drain and discard water.

Place the drained seeds in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle spice mixture over the seeds, and toss well to coat.

Arrange seeds in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until seeds are lightly browned, stirring once or twice halfway through.

Allow seeds to cool for 5-10 minutes and enjoy! Seeds can be stored in an airtight container or plastic bag for 4-5 days.

Wishing you a happy and safe Halloween!

Prickly Pear Fruit

I have always been curious about the odd brightly colored spiky globes that protrude from the cacti in our yard, today was the day I found out what they taste like!

We have several kinds of cactus in our yard. Couldn't tell you what kind they are but this is what they look like......

There are several varieties of cactus pear. The prickly pear cactus is a fruit AND a vegetable. The green pods are the napolito and the vegetable part, and the red to purple pears are the fruit, also known as tuna.

The pears have a melon-like aroma and a sweet but bland flavor. Popular in Mexico, Central and South America, the green pods are abundant year around but the pears are harvested in the later Summer months.

Cactus pear is fantastic raw, peeled and chilled by itself or made into a tasty salsa. You will find it used for its medicinal properties, but it can also be used to make juice, salads, jelly or even in a margarita!

Selecting and preparing the prickly pears should be done with care. If you are buying them, make sure they have been de-spined. If you are picking them yourself, wear thick gloves when handling and carefully scrape off the prickly spines. You will also need to trim the “eyes,” and remove any remaining prickers with a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife. Another effective method of removing the thorns and spines is with a blowtorch which may sound extreme, but it is a quick and effective way of getting getting it done!

The fruit is edible raw, with a flavor reminiscent of watermelon, but with a more granular texture. The fruit is full of tiny seeds which can be chewed and eaten, swallowed whole, or spit out. It has been used to make juice, jelly and candy.  You can peel and dice the pear much like a pineapple for cereal or toppings on ice cream and mixed in salads. Seeds can also be dried and ground into flour. 

To cook, steam over boiling water for just a few minutes (if cooked too long they will lose their crunchy texture). Then slice and eat. Steamed cactus is delicious added to scrambled eggs and omelets, or diced fresh and added to tortillas. They taste especially good with Mexican recipes that include tomatoes, hot peppers and fresh corn.  

Now that I know how sweet and delicious they are, I can't wait to experiment and try more recipes. Not only are they tasty but the prickly pears are full of antioxidants and they provide vitamin C, vitamin E, Magnesium and fiber. 

Dark Chocolate Brownies

OK, really, what could be better than chocolate? There is nothing better to lift the spirits, calm the soul, or make you say ahhhhh than a rich, gooey, dark chocolate brownie with walnuts..... oh, and don't forget, dark chocolate is full of HEALTHY antioxidants!

Top off a dark chocolate brownie with a handful of berries, a dollop of cool whip, and you have yourself a delicious, almost-guilt-free dessert = ).

Since I am not an avid baker and I don't have my own special favorite recipe YET, I used the recipe from the back of the Nestle dark chocolate chip bag. Here it is to print.

Ingredients:

10 oz. Nestle Toll House Dark Chocolate Morsels
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 tbsp water
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. Grease a 8 x 8 inch square baking pan. Set aside 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Heat morsels, sugar, butter and water until melted in medium saucepan, stirring constantly until melted. Pour into a medium bowl. Stir in eggs, one at a time with a wire whisk until blended. Stir in vanilla extract, add flour and salt, stir well. Add in remaining morsels and nuts. Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake 38 to 49 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out slightly sticky. Cool on wire rack or in pan, cut into squares. Makes about 16 brownies.


Serve with a scoop of your favorite ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream and a handful of berries!

Oatmeal Walnut Raisin Dates Cookies

Oatmeal Walnut Raisin Date Cookies

It's that time of year again. Cookies. Cookies, Cookies! I can not make enough of them..... mostly because we can not stop eating the cookies that I have been making to give as gifts! It's hard not to, they are SO GOOD!

I bought a huge quantity of dates to make the delicious Date Walnut Torte that we made for a dessert contest/Holiday party that we went to last weekend.We didn't win. But we still have a bunch of dates left, so I have been searching for recipes that call for dates.

This recipe more than met my needs for a recipe that uses dates, is sweet, but not too sweet, and that includes nuts, raisins and oats, which kind of keeps it healthy, right? Don't be fooled, these cookies are super tasty, regardless of how healthy they are!

This particular recipe originated from Epicurious.

Oatmeal Walnut Raisin Date Cookies

Ingredients:

    2 cups all-purpose flour

    1 teaspoon baking powder

    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    1/2 teaspoon salt

 

    3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

    1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, room temperature

    1 cup sugar

    1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

    1/4 cup honey

    2 large eggs

    1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    3 cups old-fashioned oats

    1 cup raisins

    1 cup chopped pitted dates

    1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with foil; butter foil.

In a medium bowl, blend the first 5 ingredients in medium bowl.

In another larger bowl beat butter, vegetable shortening, and both sugars with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in honey, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, then stir in oats, raisins, dates, and walnuts.

Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing mounds 2 inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly with a fork.

Bake cookies until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on baking racks.

Anaheim Peppers Stuffed with Nuts and Berries

If there is one trend in our cooking, it would have to be our tendency to add something sweet to our spicy. We have also started adding nuts to many of our dishes. Walnuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, peanuts.....and yes, we are a bit nutty ourselves!


This stuffing recipe was put together by using up what we had lying around.We found these beautiful Anaheim peppers (among other things) at our local Hillcrest Farmers Market, and we wanted to make an appetizer that would be delicious and satisfying without a whole lot of effort.

Nutty, fruity, cheesy, savory, I'm still not sure what to call these stuffed peppers, but I can tell you that they turned out amazing!

Anaheim Peppers Stuffed with Nuts and Berries

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: (Makes 6 appetizers)

3 Anaheim peppers
1/2 cup mixed nuts

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles

4 oz canned corn1 handful of fresh basil, sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. sweet paprika to garnish

1 tbsp. honey

Directions:

Clean the Anaheim peppers and carefully and cut in half lengthwise. Gently remove the seeds from the inside of the pepper. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil then place the pepper on top.

Broil peppers until they start to get charred and blackened, about 10-15 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a small brown paper bag, (some people like to use a plastic bag) and let cool for about 10 minutes. (Here is a great tutorial from The Pioneer Woman!)

Reduce the oven setting to 400 degrees. 

While peppers are cooling, prepare the stuffing mixture in a medium bowl. Combine the nuts, cranberries, dried tomatoes, goat cheese, corn and basil. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and gently combine.

Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the blackened skin VERY CAREFULLY.

Coat a glass dish with olive oil cooking spray. Place the roasted peppers in the dish, then carefully stuff each pepper with the stuffing mixture. Bake in oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until hot and lightly browned on top. 

Sprinkle peppers with sweet paprika, drizzle with honey and serve hot.

We found that these tasty appetizers to go exceptionally well with Margaritas......Salute!

Affogato Al Cafe

Affrogato Al Cafe

My husband and I just celebrated the three year anniversary of the day we first met! It's kind of a long story, but we met on a street corner in Little Italy in San Diego..... it's been nothing but "happily ever after" since!

Even though Mark does the majority of the cooking around here, I wanted to make something special to commemorate our first meeting, so I thought an Italian treat would be perfect.

I may have discovered my new most favorite thing!

I found the following recipe from Sommer over at Spicy Perspective, one of my favorite go-to blogs when I am looking for something new and creative or just for inspiration. This is a wonderful and simple way to make a shot of Espresso and a scoop of vanilla gelato an extra special experience!

Affogato al Cafe

 Adapted from: A Spicy Perspective

Ingredients:

2 scoops vanilla gelato (or GOOD vanilla ice cream)

1 oz. Espresso

1/2 oz. Kahlua

1 tsp. dark chocolate shavings

Instructions:

• Place two large scoops of vanilla gelato in a glass.
• Pour one shot of hot espresso over your gelato or ice cream then, add Kahlua.
• A quick shot of whipped cream is a nice touch, but optional.
• Use a veggie peeler to shave chocolate curls over the top.

 

Grilled Stuffed Jalapenos

These guys don't need a big write up. You have probably had them at a party or a BBQ and thought that they are too complicated or too much trouble to make, right? Well, guess what? They are super EASY to make!

So, go ahead and make a batch of the stuffing and fill up your favorite peppers. You can stuff just about anything, not just jalapenos, try mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini......there is no end to the possibilities!

Grilled Stuffed Jalapenos (print version)

serves 6 as appetizer

Ingredients:

6 oz. whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup cooked and chopped bacon

1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

few dashes of hot sauce (we use Tapatio)

salt and black pepper

12 large jalapeno chili’s, halved lengthwise, stemmed and seeded

1 tbsp. sweet paprika

Instructions:

Heat grill to medium.

Mix together the cream cheese and the bacon in a medium bowl until blended. Fold in the cheddar, green onions, garlic and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Fill each jalapeno half with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture; sprinkle the top with sweet paprika.

Place peppers on the grill (or use a grill basket, if preferred), filling-side up, and cook until slightly charred and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Optional: To get a nice charred look on top, pop the poppers into a preheated oven set on broil for 2-3 minutes.

Optional: We made this simple sauce to top off our poppers. It would be great on fish tacos too!

Whisk together (or use a small food processor)1/4 cup of sour cream, about 1 clove chopped garlic, a spoonful of adobo sauce from chipotle chilis, and a handful of chopped cilantro..... delish for your dish!

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.... Again

This is a repeat recipe. We made these Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms last year and it is still one of our more popular posts. Easy to see why, these mushrooms are AMAZING! This is a great appetizer to bring to a party, but if you do, make a double batch, because they go fast!

Click here for the recipe.



I am still learning how to play with the settings on our new camera, but it is so much fun experimenting......

Thanks for reading, more great posts coming soon!

Magnum Ice Cream Bars

Magnum Double Caramel Ice Cream Bar

We were thrilled to receive the voucher for a free box of Magnum Ice Cream bars that Foodbuzz sent us!

There are six delicious varieties available; Classic, Almond, Double Chocolate, Double Caramel, White and Dark. We chose the Double Caramel.

Indulgent creamy vanilla ice cream encased in a double layer of caramel and chocolate shell, we are talking nothing but luxury here. I think it is the chocolate that lingers on your tongue.... or maybe it is the caramel..........I don't know for sure.

What I do know is that at 360 calories and 16 grams of fat EACH, this is not an every day treat, but rather an extra special luxury that should be savored, and maybe even shared!

Definitely recommended, I just can't quite figure out why they only give you three bars in the box??

 Look for Magnum Ice Cream Bars in the frozen section!

Tostitos Seasoning Mixes

We were thrilled to receive a package of new Dip Creations from Lays/Tostitos the other day. It’s always fun to try new products and get creative trying to come up with new recipes. After a few trials and errors, we discovered a few new favorite combinations.

Our package contained 2 packets each of the Garden Onion, Country Ranch and Freshly Made Guacamole season mixes. Dip Creations seasoning mixes are made from all-natural ingredients, like real onions, garlic and a combination of other herbs and spices.

 The first thing we did was to make each dip as directed on the package. The Country Ranch mixed with sour cream has really nice flavor and tasted great served with raw carrots and celery. Of course I had to play around a little and added some fresh chopped parsley and chives, which worked very well.

We also really liked the Guacamole seasoning mix. The package directions say to mash ripe avocados and add the mix. We were skeptical, but it was really good just the way it was, a nice texture and great flavor. We had all kinds of back up ingredients in case it needed to be doctored up, but all we added was a little chopped cilantro and about half of a seeded serrano pepper.

We only used half of the guacamole seasoning mix, and since we liked it so much, we decided to add the other half to our chicken marinade. Wow, this may be our new favorite chicken recipe. All we did was mix half of the seasoning mix with about 6 ounces of plain yogurt, the juice of half a lime and a handful of chopped cilantro, mixed it up and poured it over 2 boneless chicken breast and marinated in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

The Garden Onion package has been more of a challenge for us. We tried sprinkling the dry mix on potatoes before roasting them but the seasoning was a little overwhelming.What we did like was mixing it with sour cream and adding it to our potato salad, it was awesome! Maybe one of the best potato salads I have ever made.

Potato Salad with Lay's Garden Onion seasoning mix

8-10 servings
Printable Version


Ingredients:

10-12 red potatoes

6 eggs, hard boiled

1 1/2 cups sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

½ package Lays Garden Onion Seasoning

3 tbsp Djon mustard

1/8 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp celery salt

¼ cup black olives, sliced

¼ cup green onions (and/or red onions)

½ cup celery chopped

¼ cup parsley chopped

1/8 cup chives to garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the eggs into a saucepan in a single layer and fill with water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes. Pour out the hot water; cool the eggs under cold running water in the sink. Peel and chop the cooled eggs.

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and refrigerate until cold. Once cooled, chop potatoes into bite sized cubes.

In a large mixing bowl stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, Garden Onion Seasoning, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, and celery salt. Add the eggs, potatoes, celery, onions and olives; mix until everything is evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Mark's Ceviche

One thing about growing up and residing in San Diego, we eat a lot of fish and seafood. Lucky for me, Mark makes a fantastic shrimp ceviche, one of my favorite appetizers!

There are a lot of ways to make ceviche, (sometimes spelled seviche). It seems every culture has a version of this dish. Some people like fruit, or an assortment of fish and shellfish, that's great, for them.

Mark's philosophy on making ceviche is that the less ingredients the better. Keep it simple. Most important, when it comes to shrimp and fish, don't scrimp, get the good stuff and get it fresh, uncooked, and not frozen.

  Proof..... he really does cook! 

(AND he proudly supports our SDSU Aztecs!!)

Mark’s Ceviche (makes 4 servings)

1/2 lb. of shrimp (21-25 count)
6 oz of white fish – we use talapia fillet (dice into ½ inch cube)
3-4 large limes
1 small lemon
1 medium diced fresh tomato
½ small red onion, finely chopped

1 green onion, chopped
½ cucumber diced

½ jalapeño pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic minced

½ bunch of fresh chopped cilantro
1 tbsp. of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ avocado cut in slices (optional)
Corn tortilla chips (optional)

Tapatio hot sauce (our favorite!)

In a large bowl, gently mix and submerge the shrimp and fish in the lime and lemon juice. Cover and put it in the fridge for at about 1 hour, or until shrimp and fish are opaque and slightly firm. This step is important because the juices will actually cook the shrimp and fish.

In another bowl mix the tomato, onions, cucumber, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Mix all ingredients; cover the bowl and chill ceviche in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve with corn tortilla chips, Tapatio hot sauce, lime and avocado slices.

Beverage suggestion; Tecate Mexican beer with lime, Salute!

Consider serving this appetizer as a precursor to these delicious Fish Tacos!

Oatmeal, Raisin, Walnut Cookies

 Oatmeal, Raisin, Walnut Cookies

I'm not a big sweets eater, my favorite treat is cheese, but every now and then I like a little something. Since my husband doesn't necessarily enjoy baking, this is when I actually have to go into the kitchen.

I am not sure where this recipe came from, it is hand written on an index card that has been in one of my cook books forever, and it is one of our favorites.

Oatmeal Raisin & Walnut Cookies 

(printable recipe)

Ingredients: makes about 4 dozen

3/4  cup butter, softened

3/4  cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2  cup granulated sugar

2  eggs

1  tsp vanilla

1 1/2  cups all-purpose flour

1  tsp ground cinnamon

1/2  tsp salt

1  tsp baking soda

3  cups Quaker® Oats

1  cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats, raisins and walnuts, mix well.

Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake about 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Can be frozen, but they're best fresh and warm with a glass of milk!