Just as Good

Have you ever been to one of the 9 million Mexican restaurants in every town/city/area of this world? Not the national chains of fake food, but the wonderfulness of places like Mi Pueblito, El Corral, El Matador, El Caporal... If you have, then you know the salsa there is great! If not, I suggest you drop what you are doing and go NOW!.

I actually found a recipe that rivals the restaurant salsa. Thanks to the Pioneer Woman's Blog (check it out if you haven't), I have a new favorite snack.

The Ingredients

Shopping List:
28 oz. can whole tomatoes, drained
2 cans Rotel tomatoes and chilies, undrained (we got mild)
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
The juice of 1/2 a lime (or a few splashes out of a bottle)
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cumin

Directions:
-Basically throw everything in a blender or food processor and go! Naturally I added the cilantro, onion, and pepper in first to get them good and chopped up, but whatever you prefer will work.
-Chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
-Yield: A TON OF SALSA, probably 3-4 cups worth?

The Salsa

This recipe was super simple and can be made year round. Again, feel free to play with the ingredients and make it just your own.

Happy Eating

Avocado Addiction

We had a quiet day around the house yesterday so I decided to make some salsa (recipe to come soon) and guacamole! Both turned out great!

Ingredients

Shopping List:
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
2 avocados, chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded and diced

Directions:
-In a blender or food processor, pulse the onion, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, lime, salt, and cumin until well blended (depending on your taste).
-Add the avocados to the onion/pepper mix and blend again until desired consistency is achieved.
-Remove mix from blender/processor into a small bowl. Add in tomato and stir.
-Store in fridge until ready to eat. Makes 1-2 cups.

The finished GUACAMOLE

Don't be afraid of guacamole. I hear so many people ask for it to be removed at restaurants, but I'm sure they've never even tried it. It is so creamy and good for you.

Feel free to change this recipe according to your tastes. We don't really like extremely spicy things so only used 1 jalapeno. You can use 2 or even 3 if you want. This is definitely a recipe to taste as you are making it so it comes out just right.

Also, it may seem a little odd, but did you know that guacamole tastes great on a turkey dog? Seriously... Awesome. Give it a try.

Happy Eating.

Thank You Mrs. Ray!

I am a sucker for any cooking show, especially 30 minute meals! I have to admit that I rarely cook anything from the show, but this looked too good not to try! Yummy and quick calzones!

The Ingredients

Shopping List:
Kaiser Rolls (1 per person)
Thin sliced salami (about 5 slices/person)
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese (She used Romano, but this is what I had leftover from lasagna)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (forgot it in the photo)
Dash of salt and pepper
1 large tomato
1 pkg. Fresh Mozzarella Cheese (you could use regular, but fresh is glorious)
1 jar artichoke bruschetta (found in the pasta sauce section)

Directions:
-Cut Kaiser Rolls in half, being generous with the bottom side. Scoop out some of the bread on bottom to create a pocket. Line the pocket with salami slices. This will help the bread to stay crunchy when the cheese starts to melt.
-Mix together Ricotta, garlic, basil, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Place 1 to 2 Tbsp. of cheese mixture on top of salami (the pocket should be almost full).
-Slice the tomato and put a piece on top of the cheese mixture (as shown below).
-Next add a slice of mozzarella (we used very thick slices, but it is all up to you).
-Finally, spread some artichoke bruschetta over the cheese and seal with the top half of the bun.
-Bake on a baking sheet at 330 degrees for 15 minutes. Check to see if the cheese is melted and bake more according to taste.

Assembly of the Calzones

The Finished Sandwich

We ate these with a light dinner salad and they were delicious. Ooey and Gooey and cheesy.

A few notes:

-Our calzones didn't seem to melt well because we had a TON of cheese in them. We ended up popping them in the microwave for 20 seconds after they came out of the oven and they were perfect.

-Rachael Ray called for plain basil leaves instead of the artichoke bruschetta. I originally wanted to make a pesto to put on top for a little something extra, but the basil at the store looked sad. This jar of bruschetta tastes kind of like pesto and I think we will use the rest of it to bake some chicken later. You can decide what will work best for you!

Happy Eating

If I had a restaurant, I would name it Soupz... My inspiration would be soups...

Yes, I've been watching America's Next Great Restaurant. Yes, I know it is terrible programming, but I'm obsessed with reality television. As Kidd Kraddick would say: Get Over It! :)


The husband wanted some grilled cheese for dinner the other night, and you can't just have grilled cheese by itself. I decided to give French Onion Soup a go! It was a first attempt, and I must say it was pretty good (considering I don't normally eat French Onion Soup).

Shopping List:
2 Large Red Onions, sliced thin ( I actually used 1 red and 1 sweet)
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 cans beef broth
3 cups water
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (i also used some minced garlic)
7 slices french bread (3/4 inch slices)
1 bag mozzarella shredded cheese
1 pkg. provolone cheese slices
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
-In a Dutch Oven (or really big pot), saute onions in butter until tender. The more you caramelize the onions here, the better the soup will be. You want these onions to be melt in your mouth onions. Always remember to stir often.
-Add the broth, water, soup mix, pepper, Worcestershire, garlic powder (or real minced garlic). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
-Meanwhile, place bread slices on a baking sheet ( I lined mine with foil to avoid cheesy messes later). Sprinkle each piece with mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and then top it with a slice of provolone. (feel free to use any type of cheese you like, this recipe originally called for Swiss)
-Broil 4 inches from heat source for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Ladle soup into serving bowls and top each with a toast slice.
-Yield: 7 servings.

Toast Slices... Yum

Finished Soup
If you really want to let your flavors develop, you can cook this soup much longer than 5 minutes. I would say between 30-45 minutes if you have the time.

I also noticed that our bread got super soggy right away. It might be good to toast the bread by itself before adding the cheese to give it a little more crunch.

Happy Eating

Southern Style

In honor of Mardi Gras, I recently made some Jambalaya. This is normally the husband's job each year, but I had found a new recipe and wanted to give it a shot!

Ingredients:

Shopping List:
1 green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 can condensed French Onion soup
1 can beef broth
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 tsp. Creole seasoning (Cajun)
1 1/2 tsp. hot sauce
1 lb. uncooked shrimp, chopped
1/2 lb. Andouille sausage, chopped
2 cups uncooked long grain rice

Directions:
-In a large pan, saute the onion and pepper in butter until tender (the original recipe didn't call for this step but we like our veggies good and done!). Add soup, broth, tomato sauce, seasoning, and hot sauce. Stir and bring to a boil.
-Remove from heat and stir in shrimp, sausage, and rice.
-Transfer to a greased 9x13 inch pan. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil, stir, and bake 10-15 minutes longer, or until rice is tender.

Jambalaya (sorry for the terrible photo, I was hungry)

A few notes on this recipe.

-The flavor was AWESOME, not really spicy (add more hot sauce to your liking).
-We needed some more liquid because the rice seemed to absorb too much. We thought about adding a can of undrained chopped tomatoes next time.
-The recipe called for a full pound of shrimp and my bag was only about 2/3 of that. It still worked out just fine.
-I couldn't find any Andouille sausage at the grocery store so I just picked up plain smoked sausage. The husband informed me later that Cajun/Spicy brautwurst would have also done the trick.

Happy Eating!

A Little Tart, A Little Sweet

Key Lime Bites

Ingredients

Shopping List:
(Cookies)
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. key lime juice
2 tsp. key lime zest
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
(Icing)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup key lime juice
1 tsp. key lime zest

Directions:
-In a large bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in lime juice and zest. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in nuts.
-Shape into 1 inch balls, place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets; flatten slightly (these cookies do not really 'melt out' so the shape you make them will be the shape they keep).
-Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the bottoms are lightly browned (this is the only way you will know they are done, they will still feel very soft to the touch when hot). Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Finished Cookies

-In a small bowl, combine the icing ingredients. Dip the tops of cookies in the icing, allowing the excess to drip off. Place on wire rack to set. Store in an airtight container.

ICING!!!

Cookies Completed

This entire process only took about 30 minutes! They weren't super sweet, but a perfect after dinner snack when you just need 'a little something'!

Happy Eating!

MMMM... Pasta!

Tortellini with Tomato Cream Sauce

Here is another quick and easy recipe that will feed your entire family!

The Ingredients

Shopping List:

16 oz. package frozen tortellini

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained

1 1/2 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

-In a large skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, spinach, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat until liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes.

-Stir in the whipping cream and cheese. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 8-10 minutes or until thickened.

-Meanwhile, cook tortellini according to directions. I have found that most tortellini calls for 2-3 minutes in boiling water. You will know they are done when they all float to the top of the water! Drain the pasta. Do not rinse.

-Toss the tortellini with the sauce and heat through. At this point we also added some shredded chicken. We also considered adding shrimp! It's all up to you!

The sauce (above) and the finished product (below)!

This pasta ended up tasting great! The only change we might consider for next time is to cut the amount of spinach in half and double the tomatoes. After all, this is called Tortellini with TOMATO cream sauce!

Happy Eating!