For me is the brand new Cuisinart Elite Die-Cast 16-Cup Food Processor. 

Do I *need* it – no, I have one that works pretty daggone good. 

Do I WANT it with all the bells and whistles – oh heck yes.

All in due time. 

What’s on YOUR list?

Tweet This Post

This month you can check out my Sunshine Agave Grilled Chicken which just screams spring/summer and (for this gal) baseball is just around the corner.   The recipe is one of my faves when I need something flavorful yet quick on the table. 

You can check out “What’s Cookin!” HERE.

Tweet This Post

Lately, I’ve been toying with different styles of cuisine, namely Mexican & Spanish.  It was only natural that I attempt something that is synonymous with Mexican cuisine right?  Now, I do have a quick confession – eggs and I have a love/hate affair.  Can I make a over hard fried egg – sure, with my eyes closed.  Scrambled eggs and I have kissed and made up after learning how to FINALLY cook them correctly.  Poached Eggs and Sunny Side Up eggs and I are still on the outs but I resolve this year to learn how to do both types of eggs perfectly.

I decided to perfect my own take on Huevos Rancheros and I’m happy to say that after multiple kitchen experiments, this version just sang.  The addition of chipotle and smoked paprika left some heat that hit the back of the throat.  The fire roasted tomatoes add a earthy quality along with the cumin and the lime adds brightness, just tying everything together.  Couple that with the yolk from the eggs that moistens the crispy corn tortilla and you have a new take on breakfast that, quite simply, can be great for dinner as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HUEVOS RANCHEROS, MY WAY

Ingredients:

• 1 15 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika
• 1/4 tsp. Mexican oregano
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. of minced chipotle in adobo (you can add more but yes, I admit – I’m a wimp)  Alternatively, you could add 1/2 tsp. of chipotle chili powder or chili powder.
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• Diced Green Chiles (optional)
• Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
• 4 eggs
• 4 corn tortillas
• Butter
• Olive Oil

Directions:

1. In a sauté pan, sauté the onion over medium heat in olive oil until translucent. Gently salt the onion to make sure the moisture is released.
2. Add the garlic and let the fragrance develop.
3. Add the fire roasted tomatoes and allow it to bubble for a minute or two.
4. Add the Worcestershire sauce, Mexican oregano, smoked Spanish paprika, cumin, and chipotle and stir gently.  (You can add the diced green chiles.  I made an executive decision to omit them.)
5. Add the lime juice and add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Allow to simmer gently while you move onto the eggs & tortillas.
7. Toast the tortillas until lightly browned and crispy on a nonstick skillet.  Keep warm while you make the eggs.
8. Melt a teaspoon of butter in the same nonstick skillet that you used for the tortillas.
9. Crack the eggs into the pan and fry until the yolks are runny and the whites are set.
10. Plate with tortilla, a small amount of the fire roasted salsa, the egg and top with a drizzle of the salsa on top and enjoy!

Gather Your Ingredients

Sautéing the Onions and Garlic

Simmering the Sauce

Paula Dean – back away

The perfect egg… for now

The tortillas have a bit of color

The end result – so good.

Tweet This Post

I finally discovered the secret thanks to the Barefoot Contessa.  It had to do with the ratio of teabags to water to steep time.  Thankfully, once I discovered this, it was simple enough that I can make it in my sleep.  Not to mention, I can vary up the types of tea and keep a pitcher of it in the fridge ready for any occasion.

Even better – those $1.59 *ahem* “Snapish brand” Raspberry Iced Tea bottles – no longer needed.  I can just make it myself and put that money towards the Choo fund!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Easiest Ever Raspberry Iced Tea

Recipe Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

• 4 black tea bags
• 4 raspberry tea bags
• 4 cups boiling water
• 4 cups hot water
• Agave Nectar, Honey or Sugar to taste.

Directions:

1. Boil 4 cups of hot water and pour over the raspberry and black tea bags.
2. Steep for 10 minutes.
3. Strain the tea bags and pour the brewed tea into a pitcher.
4. Add 4 cups of water to the pitcher and stir.
5. Should you care to sweeten it, add your sweetener of choice (honey, agave nectar, simple syrup or super fine sugar) and enjoy!

Tweet This Post

What is your absolute tried & true recipe that you can make in your sleep that is your favorite and you never seem to get sick of?

For me, it’s my arroz con pollo.  I can make that recipe with my eyes closed and it never fails, no matter how crazed my day/week/month is, somehow making this recipe brings me a level of calm and inspiration.

Tweet This Post

Plus, it doesn’t take up valuable real estate in the utensil drawer.  I can just remove that funnel that never seems to fully work correctly.

From their website:

The g-Spout is a removable spout/strainer that easily attaches to a skillet, double boiler, bowl or can. Made of high temperature food grade silicone, the g-Spout is microwave and dishwasher safe.

The g-Spout was originally developed to encourage the environmentally responsible disposal of cooking grease and oil, and to help eliminate clogged drains and sewers. But, the g-Spout has become so much more! Customers are suggesting new uses almost every day! It’s great for making cupcakes, muffins, and pancakes without drips or baked on batter; drizzling chocolate, and caramel from a double boiler; pouring paint back into bottles; straining fruit salad, vegetables or rice; pouring sugar, salt or coffee; and of course, straining hot bacon or hamburger grease into disposable containers.

You can check it out HERE.

Tweet This Post

I discovered the Partida Tequila brand of tequila by chance and received some lovely samples to test drive.  Can I say, while I adore Cuervo, my new tequila of choice is Partida Tequila.  If you are a tequila fan like this gal here and are sick of the Patron overload, check out Partida Tequila Brand.  It is out of this world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE, COCKTAIL STYLE

Adapted from Tyler Florence, Food Network

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces (tablet or cone) Mexican chocolate or bittersweet chocolate
• 3 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Tequila (to taste) [I used Partida Tequila Blanco]
• Pinch salt
• Whipped Cream
• Cinnamon Sticks For Serving/Stirring

Directions:

1. Break up the chocolate into smaller pieces using a sharp knife.
2. In a saucepan, combine the chopped chocolate, milk, sugar, and salt over medium-low flame.
3. Heat and stir until the chocolate is completely melted and milk is very hot, but not boiling, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and froth the chocolate milk with a mini whisk or molinillo.
5. Pour into mugs.
6. Add tequila to taste (heavy hand is not always best here) and stir.
7. Add a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

First Up, Select Your Tequila of Choice.  I chose the Partida Tequila Blanco for this recipe

Gather Your Ingredients

This small disk of chocolate is not  for snacking but for cooking. 

Chop the Chocolate Into Smaller Pieces

Add the Milk

Let the hot chocolate simmer away happily

This is the molinillo but you can use a wisk too.

Time to add the Tequila

The Final Result – Cocktail Hour Has Commenced

*FTC Disclaimer:  Tequila Samples were provided by representative.

Tweet This Post

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GUILTLESS CHICKEN PARMESAN WITH PASTA

Recipe courtesy of Robin Miller & Clean Eating

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil Cooking Spray
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1./2 cup onion, divided
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano, divided
• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp. reduced fat Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4  tsp. ground pepper
• 4 4oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1-inch thickness
• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 oz. cooked penne (or your favorite pasta)
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and sauté 3 to 5 minutes, until vegetables are soft. 
3. Add 1 tsp. oregano and stir to coat.  Cook 30 seconds, until oregano is fragrant. 
4. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine panko, Parmesan, remaining 1 tsp. oregano, thyme, salt and black pepper.  Mix with a fork to combine. 
6. Brush both sides of each chicken breast with the Dijon mustard.  Transfer each breast to panko mixture and turn to coat both sides. 
7. Arrange chicken on prepared baking sheet.  Coat surface of chicken with cooking spray. 
8. Bake 20 minutes.
9. Top each chicken breast with 2 to 3 tbsp. of tomato sauce and 2 tbsp. mozzarella. 
10. Return chicken to oven and bake 10 minutes more, until crush is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.
11. Arrange pasta on a serving plate and top with remaining tomato sauce.  Serve chicken with pasta on the side, garnishing both with basil. 

Gather The Ingredients

Simmering The Sauce

Panko Breading

Mustard – So Much More Flavorful Than Egg

Mozzarella and Homemade Sauce – Yes please…

The End Result…

Tweet This Post

The panini press in my house clearly doesn’t get enough love.  However, as I assembled the ingredients and fought off the hungry advances of an angry sous chef/pug, I figured that I would make an Apple and Brie Panini.

Next time you want to make something that is just a little different, give this a shot.  The contrast between the creamy brie and the crisp apple is something to be experienced.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

APPLE AND BRIE PANINI

Ingredients:

• Brie Cheese
• 1 Apple, sliced into small wedges
• 4 slices of potato or sourdough bread
• Olive Oil

Directions:

1. Lightly brush the bread with olive oil and lay on the panini press to briefly toast
2. Slice the brie into small thin slices.  (I removed the rind but it’s your discretion)
3. On the toasted bread, lay a layer of brie and top with a layer of sliced apples
4. Grill on the panini press until golden brown and its a pool of melty deliciousness.
5. Enjoy!

Gather The Ingredients

Time to slice the Brie

Its all about layering

Check out that cheese pooling out of the sides

Lunch is served

Tweet This Post

I know, I know – behave Lys.

Tweet This Post