Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake

My stadium bundt cake pan had been neglected since the Superbowl last year, and since this was ASU's "bowl" game this year, I felt that it needed to make an appearance.  I haven't been a huge fan of any of the past bundt cakes that I have made, they have all seemed pretty boring to me; good, but boring.  So I went in search of something new to try and when I came across this cake I figured chocolate and liquor...how can it be bad?  The answer is it can't!  This cake was moist, full of chocolate with the subtle hints of Kahlua. We ate it with hot chocolate that also had a touch of Kahlua, another yummy winter treat! I dusted it with powdered sugar, so it makes it a bit difficult to tell in the picture, but it is indeed in the shape of a football stadium!  I took the leftovers to my office and it was gone before lunch....so I would indeed call this a crowd pleaser and a bundt cake that I will likely make again! 

I served it on a football field platter and used goal post toothpicks that my sister gave me for a more authentic look!

Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake

1 (18 1/4 oz.) pkg. Devil's Food cake mix
16 oz. sour cream
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1/3 c. Kahlua
1 (3 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
Powdered sugar, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the powdered sugar just until mixed.  Spread into a greased bundt pan.  (Hint: tap the pan lightly on the counter to get out all the air bubbles and distribute the batter evenly.)

Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool for about 20 - 30 minutes and then carefully remove from bundt pan.  Let the cake continue to cool, then dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Championship Bean Dip

Three things I really love:

1. Beans (especially refried)

2. Dip (especially when it includes beans)

3. My crock pot

So what happens when I can bring all three things together for a common cause....MAGIC!  I love this dip, it is the ultimate dip in my world, and it is just so easy!  I served this when I had friends over to watch the ASU football game, and everyone was raving about it, it really is the best bean dip ever!  I found the original recipe in an old Fix It and Forget It cookbook that was my grandmas, and modified it a bit for my tastes.  It is the perfect party dip because you throw it all in the crock pot and 2 hours later you have a delicious dip!  Serve with tortilla chips, Fritos or corn chips and you have yourself a winner!  With football Bowl Games and the Superbowl just around the corner this is just the dip to cheer on your favorite team to victory!

Beans are not one of the most photogenic foods....so please no judgements on the photo!

Championship Bean Dip

2 (15 oz. each) cans refried beans (I use Rosarita Spicy Jalapeno)

2 c. picante sauce (I use Medium heat Pace)

2 c. Pepper Jack cheese, shredded

2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 1/2 c. sour cream

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Chips for serving

Combine all the ingredients, except chips, in the crock pot; stir well to combine.  Cover and cook on High for 2 hours, or until heated through, stirring once or twice during cooking.  When ready to serve, turn crock pot to warm and serve with chips!

Note: This makes a really, really big batch, feel free to cut all the ingredients in half, but I like to have leftovers to make burritos!

Chicken Enchilada Ring

So it's been awhile I know, but the fall is always a crazy time for me and now it is the holiday season and time is just flying by!  I have a backlog of things to share, so fingers crossed I will post more than once per month moving forward! 

You may ask why is fall so busy?  Well....one word....football!  I don't play football or coach football or even have a job that has anything to do with football (although I kinda wish I did), but I watch football, and I watch it a lot!  I love college football, NFL and even play in 2 Fantasy Football leagues!  I wake up in the morning to my radio alarm playing sports talk radio and listen to it while I drive around all day....during the fall, football just seems to take over!  I even manage to travel to a couple of away games every year to follow my beloved Arizona State Sun Devils (this year we went to the Wisconsin and Cal games).  Unfortunately, both of my favorite teams, ASU and the Arizona Cardinals, are not having very good seasons this year....but I am no fair weather fan...I still have to watch and give them my support!

While the NFL still has a few more weeks to go, college football is over.  Well, it is not really over, but when your team doesn't go to a bowl game, it feels like it is over (although who am I kidding, I will still probably watch most of the bowl games...I am a football junkie, remember?).  Going into our last game, the Sun Devils knew that even with a win they wouldn't get a bowl game, but it being our rivalry game against the University of Arizona Wildcats....it was basically going to be played like a bowl game....and it did not disappoint!  After a slow start, the game got to be really close, and ASU pulled out a one point victory in double overtime by blocking an extra point (which they also did to send the game into overtime to begin with)....talk about drama!  It was a crazy game, with highs and lows, and very fun to watch (being the junky that I am, I actually taped it and re watched it the next night so that I could take it all in again....do you think there are support groups for this kind of addiction?) and I was glad that I had invited some friends over to watch it because it really made it that much more fun.

So here is the first of the dishes that I made, this was a real winner, and everyone really liked it.  It is actually supposed to be formed into the shape of a ring, but since it was for a football party I shaped it like a football as much as I could...genius!  The buttery crescent rolls were so tasty with the Mexican fillings, and everyone piled on guacamole and salsa and declared it a winner!  This was a snap to throw together since I had precooked and froze the chicken a couple of weeks ago; I have one more bag of chicken in the freezer so I have a feeling this will be making a repeat appearance soon!

Chicken Enchilada Ring

Adapted from www.justapinch.com

2 c. cooked chicken, cubed or shredded

1 (4 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained

1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies, un drained

1/2 c. mayo

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 small tomato, chopped

1 lime

2/3 c. finely crushed tortilla chips

2 pkgs. crescent rolls

Salsa, sour cream and guacamole for garnish, if desired

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl combine chicken, olives, cheese, chilies, mayo and taco seasoning; stir to combine.  Seed and chop the tomato and add to the mixture.  Juice the lime and add 2 tablespoons to the chicken mixture.  Reserve 2 tablespoons of crushed chips and add remaining chips to the mixture; mix well.

Unroll crescent dough and separate triangles.  Arrange on a cooking sheet making a circle with the wide ends overlapping in the center and the points toward the outside.  There should be about a 5 to 6 inch diameter opening in the center.

Spread chicken mixture evenly onto the widest end of each triangle.  You can really heap the mixture on, and you may have a bit leftover.

Bring points of triangles up and over filling, and tuck under the wide ends of dough at center of ring.  Sprinkle with the remaining crushed chips.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until the crescent rolls are golden.  Let cool for a minute, then slice along the seems to make wedges.  Serve with garnishes if desired.



San Francisco Treats!

My sister and I took a long weekend trip to San Francisco to visit a college friend and attend an ASU football game at Cal.  We had a great time hanging out, shopping, doing some touristy stuff and eating! While we didn't have any Rice-A-Roni, the supposed San Francisco Treat, we did enjoy lots of good eating during our visit to the Bay Area!  Our friend Sarah that we visited, loves to follow my blog, so everywhere we went, she would remind me to take a picture, take a picture!  So here is a rundown of our San Francisco Treats!

The first night we went to my friend Sarah's In-Laws Mexican Restaurant in San Carlos.  It is called La Hacienda and is celebrating their 30 year anniversary this year!  I have always been so jealous that she married into a family that owned a Mexican restaurant, so I was excited to try it out, and it did not disappoint!  The food was all fresh and delicious!

The appetizer speciality on the menu is jalapenos stuffed with chorizo and jack cheese and then deep fried!  They are then drizzled with the "family secret" sauce!  These were good, and this batch was pretty spicy.

All of the dinners are served with Albondigas Soup, which is basically a vegetable soup with little meatballs.  I have seen this on many menus, but have never ordered it, so this was a great opportunity to give it a try, and yummy, it was delicious!  It was very mild and the meatballs had a wonderful flavor, I will definitely have to try this at some other places now.

My sister got the two taco dinner, with one chicken taco and one shredded beef taco, which was served with rice and beans.  She loved the filling in both of the tacos, both were nicely seasoned and the meat was really tender.  She also scraped her plate clean of the beans and rice, so I a guessing she liked those too ;)!

I just didn't know what I wanted to order, there were so many delicious sounding choices, but I finally settled on the Flauta dinner with shredded beef.  The flautas were bursting with the tasty beef and covered in sour cream and guacamole, they were delicious!  The beans were good as well, and they don't use any lard in them, so getting tasty beans with no lard is a major accomplishment!

Cris, whose family's restaurant it is, ordered a steak burrito, which I am not sure is really listed on the menu, but since he has an in with the owner's he can get what he wants!  He dumped some really hot salsa all over the top of it and chowed down, I didn't get a chance to get a good look at the inside, but I do think that it too was bursting with beef!

Sarah was having a hard time deciding what she wanted too, she said that she usually goes for the Nachos or a Chimichanga, but that night she decided to get a Chicken Tostada.  It was topped with shredded lettuce, salsa and sour cream.  She cleaned her plate, so I am thinking she like it too!

So if you ever are in the San Carlos area, check out La Hacienda, it isn't big on the inside, but it is big on flavor!

La Hacienda
1377 Laurel St.
San Carlos, CA 94070

The next day Laura and I went into downtown San Francisco to shop while Sarah and Cris went to work. Our first stop was my favorite place on earth....Macy*s at Union Square! We were hungry when we got there so we headed down to the basement where they have a food court....but it is no ordinary food court, it has Boudin Bakery, Wolfgang Puck Express and Fresco by Rick Bayless to name a few...this was a high class food court!

Of course being in San Francisco we had to eat some sourdough bread, and there is just no better way to eat it than with some creamy clam chowder!  Boudin is famous for their sourdough, and they do a great job on the chowder too, so it is the perfect way to enjoy this....especially on a cold, drizzly day like many of them are in San Francisco!

http://www.boudinbakery.com/

 We also decided to try something from Fresco, which is a new fast casual concept by famous Chef Rick Bayless.  He is the master of Mexican cooking (but not the kind we are used to down in the Arizona desert) and has numerous restaurants in Chicago that are very pricey, so we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try out his food!  We got a Huarache, which is like a Mexican flatbread on a masa crust.  It was topped with chicken chorizo, black beans, roasted peppers and cheese, and then topped with fresh lettuce.  It was really tasty, and the crust was quite dense, so we had to eat it with a fork.  We also got some chips and guacamole on the side, and it may sound weird, but these chips were amazing!  They were thick, but light and crisp and salted perfectly, paired with the guacamole, they made for some excellent eating!

http://www.fronterafresco.com/

After our day in the city, we met back up with Sarah and Cris and two of their friends.  They took us to dinner at this little place in Pacifica called La Playa Taqueria.  They have a big menu of Mexican standards, but they are also surprisingly known for their cheeseburgers...go figure?  Usually, when you go to a Mexican restaurant you are supposed to avoid the Gringo menu, or you stick out like a sore thumb, but not here!  The place was packed as it was a Friday night, but you order your food a counter then get a number.  The only thing that I found to be a bit odd was that you couldn't order drinks at the counter too, you had to go to the bar, but at least they have a full bar!

My sister wasn't feeling anymore Mexican food for the day, so she went with the burger, and since we were with some regulars, they told her she had to order it on the sourdough instead of the bun, because they bake the bread there daily.  How weird is this, a Mexican restaurant known for burgers and fresh baked sourdough???  I realized we weren't in Arizona anymore!  My sister told me the burger was awesome and that the bread rivaled that from Boudin....so it must have been some good bread!

Being the Arizona girl and Mexican food lover that I am, I was more than happy to eat more Mexican food!  I ordered the Bean Dip and a Super Fish Taco.  The bean dip was HUGE!!!  I was grinning from ear to ear when they set it in front of me....mmmm beans!  Even though the group that I was with are regulars, no one had ever ordered the bean dip, and after one bite, they were mad at themselves for wasting so many trips to La Playa with no bean dip!  The beans were creamy, salty and had just enough cheese mixed in to really amp it up; this was some of the best bean dip I had ever had!  I was happy to share with the table, and even then, our group of 6 couldn't finish it!  My fish taco was also really delicious, the fish had been battered and fried, but there was something so light about it, and it retained its crispness even after being covered in guacamole, sour cream and cheese!  They didn't skip on the toppings with it, and cheese is a close second to my love for beans, so I was one happy girl!

La Playa Taqueria

1560 Coast Highway

Pacifica, CA 94044

You know how when you are on vacation you eat a little bit too much???  Well, we definitely did, but at least we got in a lot of walking and burned off some calories!  Our other indulgences included a bowl of Lobster Bisque that we bought after walking around Fisherman's Wharf; we were a bit disappointed with this one, it didn't have great flavor, and I don't think we got a single chunk of lobster!

My sister always wants hot chocolate when it gets cold and rainy, but she hates the hot chocolate at Starbucks, so Sarah took us to her favorite coffee shack, Caffino!  It is a little kiosk in a parking lot that you drive-up to, but Laura said the hot chocolate was excellent and my caramel latte hit the spot....so good things do come in small packages!  (See how dark and dreary it was in the background?  Perfect hot beverage weather!)

 



Crepes A Go Go
2334 Telegraph Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94704



Before the football game up in Berkeley we needed to grab something to eat, Sarah and Cris were not really familiar with the area, so we didn't have a plan.  I saw a crepe place and told them that is where I was going, Sarah joined me, but Cris and Laura opted to go to the bagel shop next door.  Well, Cris and Laura were very jealous when Sarah and I came back with crepes filled with turkey, jack cheese, avocado and tomato....these were AMAZING!  The crepe had a touch of crisp to it and a touch of sweet, which went really well with the savory fillings.  Sarah and I were nice enough to share, and Laura and Cris were very thankful....I really need to find a place here where I can get a crepe....they are soooo gooood!







Teacake Bake Shop

1309 Burlingame Ave.

Burlingame, CA 94010

http://www.teacakebakeshop.com/



After ASU's embarrassing loss, we needed something to cheer us up, and stumbled upon this new bakery that had just opened called Teacake Bake Shop in Burlingame.  They had all kinds of cupcakes with fun flavors, but we were drawn to the cookies and brownie cups....and for good reason....BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE EVER!!!  We all couldn't believe how delicious these were, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.  We had taken them home to eat, and Cris was very tempted to go back and get another one after he finished his....yes, they were that good!  The brownie cups were also decadent as well....it is good that I don't live near here....or I would be in trouble!





We ate a few other things too, but these were the highlights, but the real highlight was just spending time with friends, enjoying the scenery and getting a break from the real world. Until next time San Francisco....



We found these really cute lion hats, but figured we wouldn't really need them in the desert!



S'Mores Cookies

These cookies tasted so good....that I never got a picture of them!  That's right, I made these a couple of months ago and they got eaten up before I remembered to get a picture, I debated on whether or not to post since I don't have a picture, but decided they are too good not to share, so you will have to click on this link to the original poster's blog and then you can start drooling!

I loved the idea of these, especially how you added graham cracker crumbs into the batter, it really did take these up a notch!  The next time I make them, I think I am going to leave the little piece of Hershey bar off of the top, and use jumbo marshmallows cut in half instead of a few little ones.  As much as I love chocolate, the Hershey bar mad them too chocolaty since there are already chocolate chips in the batter, it somewhat overwhelmed the flavor.  Also, the little marshmallows are a bit of a pain to try and put on the cookies halfway through the baking process, it would be much quicker to just plop one big one on top!  But other than that these are a fun cookie to make and to eat!

S'Mores Cookies

adapted from Macaroni and Cheesecake

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 c. graham cracker crumbs

1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 c. miniature chocolate chips
1 1/2 c. mini marshmallows
2 Hershey bars, broken into rectangles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, and salt.

In a second larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of Hershey bar into each cookies.

Return to the oven and bake an additional 3-4 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Jalapeno Chicken Casserole

Well, looks like the cat is out of the bag, Laura (my sister) if you are reading this, please forgive me!  Why am I asking for her forgiveness?  I may or may not have not mentioned the word jalapeno when I invited my sister over for dinner and told her what I was making!  My sister is a wimp when it comes to spicy food; for instance, she claims to LOVE buffalo wings, but then wipe all of the sauce off of each one before she eats it....so weird!!!  So when she asked what I was making, I told her Mexican Chicken Casserole, she said yum, so I said see you at 6!  I knew that if I mentioned the "J" word she would not even try it, so I had to be a little bit sneaky....but isn't that what big sisters are for???

So at 6 last Sunday night, my sister and my parents arrived for dinner; we sat down and ate, and guess what?  They all liked it!  My sister made a little mention that a few of her bites were a little spicy, but like I said before, she is a major spice wimp.  This was really good, and fresh tasting.  I liked that it didn't use a canned soup as the base, which I am not against at all, but they can sometimes make dishes feel really heavy.  I also really liked the addition of the spinach, it was a good way to get in some veggies, this almost tasted like a spicy spinach dip with chicken, which is definitely not a bad thing in my opinion!

My only suggestion when making this would be to use more chicken.  The pound of chicken called for in the recipe seemed a little sparse to me, but do what you like!  I was also thinking of maybe instead of adding more chicken, to just use a can of black beans, or even use no chicken at all and just black beans....mmm beans....well they don't call me The Bean Queen for nothing!

I am really sorry I didn't get a picture of the insides, but trust me, it was very pretty!

Jalapeno Chicken Casserole

adapted from Chaos in the Kitchen

2 Tbsp. butter

1 onion, diced

3 jalapenos fresh, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. flour
20 oz chicken stock
salt and pepper, to taste
10 oz pkg. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 Tbsp. pickled jalapenos, diced
2 Tbsp. jalapeno pickling liquid
2 c. light sour cream
4 green onions, tops only, diced
2 Tbsp. lime juice, or about 1 lime
1 large bag of tortilla chips
1 lb chicken, cooked and chopped
2-3 c. cheddar and Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
fresh cilantro, chopped

Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Saute onions, jalapenos, and garlic until soft. Sprinkle flour over jalapeno mixture and cook for several minutes until golden. Add chicken stock to pan and stir until smooth. Cook, stirring often, until simmering and slightly thickened. Season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

Meanwhile in a medium bowl, combine spinach, pickled jalapenos and liquid, sour cream, lime juice and green onions. Add chicken stock mixture to sour cream mixture and stir thoroughly until mixed.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish, layer a handful of crushed tortilla chips, chopped chicken, and half of the sauce mixture. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add another layer of crushed tortilla chips, and the rest of the chicken and sauce mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Top casserole with another layer of crushed tortilla chips and sprinkle with fresh cilantro.

Bake casserole for 30 to 40 or until hot and browned. Top with fresh pico de gallo, if desired.

I served mine with a big pot of pinto beans.....mmm mmm good!

House of Tricks - Tempe, AZ

 I had been hearing great things about House of Tricks for years, but I had never made a trip there due to the price point of the menu.  Fast forward to my sister's birthday and this is where she picked for dinner, which was perfect because it would be on my parent's nickel! Now, my sister's birthday was actually at the end of June, so I am about three month's late on this post, but honestly, I think I delayed posting because I wasn't really all that impressed with my experience.

The building itself is so cute, a little old house in the heart of Tempe with lots of charm.  It being June, in Arizona, we had to eat inside and they didn't seem to have the best air conditioning, so I would not really recommend going during the summer months.  Our waiter was really attentive and did a good job, but I think the food was over promised and under delivered.

We got the Watermelon, Tomato and Burrata (mozzarella) salad to start, it was a lovely presentation, but I didn't think it justified the $12 price tag.  The burrata was delicious, but the watermelon was odd for us, plus it wasn't ripe and had no sweetness to it.

I was having a hard time deciding what sounded good to me on the menu, and ultimately chose the Roasted Chicken stuffed Ravioli in a corn sauce, and my Uncle Tony followed suit.  The sauce was nice and light and the filling of the raviolis was good, but there was one major problem, the outer edges of the raviolis were so thick, they were tough!  That's right, tough pasta, a major problem!  Maybe it was just that night's batch, but they really needed to roll the dough much thinner.  Uncle Tony and I both agreed that the dish needed the touch of an Italian grandmother!

My sister and my dad both got the Grilled Filet with a Mushroom Demi Glace, Potato Galette and Asparagus salad.  Both of their steaks came cooked to order and they enjoyed the potato gratin.  They both enjoyed their meal, but they did go pretty basic so there wasn't too much to comment about.

My mom got the Nori Wrapped Ahi Tuna Tempura, which had a beautiful presentation.  It was served on a bed of brown rice with enoki mushrooms and a soy ginger vinaigrette.  My mom loves seared ahi, and this was a unique take on it, by actually battering it and flash frying to give it a crunchy outside.  She really liked this and said that all the flavors blended really well together.

Aunt Martha ordered the Shitake Mushroom Crusted Salmon that was served over a Scallion Risotto.  The dish was topped with tempura style haricot verts (green beans), which really gave it that wow factor!  The beans were crunchy and tender, and went well with the crust on the salmon.  Martha loved this dish, but then again, if you know my Aunt Martha, she's never met a food she didn't like!

Since we were there to celebrate a birthday, of course we had to get dessert too!  The list that the waiter rattled off had so many options that we had to get two!  The first one was a chocolate peanut butter bread pudding with chocolate dipped pretzels and caramel sauce.....sounds amazing right?  Well, it was actually a big let down!  The bread pudding part was really mush and the flavors didn't stand out on their own....plus the pretzels were chewy...which means they were stale!  This had such potential, but just didn't cut it :(

My sister's favorite dessert is Key Lime Pie, so we ordered that as well.  We have had a lot of Key Lime pies in our days, but this one was probably near the bottom of the pack.  It didn't have that much tartness too it, which is a key component to key lime pie.  The filling was smooth and creamy, but it mostly just tasted like sugar.



We all had a nice time and my sister enjoyed her birthday meal, but I don't think I will be heading out to House of Tricks anytime soon again.  I don't mind paying big price tags for a good meal, but I just wasn't impressed enough to run out and have another $25 entree.  Once it cools down I may consider going for lunch on the patio with some girlfriends, but I will pass for dinner.

House of Tricks

114 E. 7th Street

Tempe, AZ 85281

www.houseoftricks.com

Strawberry Volcanoes

The month of August has been really busy for me, between going out of town for 9 days, being swamped at work and many other things, I just haven't had a chance to sit down and post on my blog.  The fall is always a really busy time of year for me as well, with football season, a couple of trips (football related of course) and all the holidays; but it is also a good opportunity to do some cooking for the aforementioned football season and holidays, so I hope to bring you all some more foodie fun soon!

These were the last item that I made for my sister's housewarming party back in July (and I still need to post about her birthday dinner in June....yikes!), and I have saved the best for last.  My sister loves chocolate covered strawberries, so once I stumbled across this picture and description somewhere in my Internet travels, I knew they would be perfect for her party!  They do take a bit more work than just a dipped strawberry, but they are so cute and delicious that it is worth it! 

Strawberry Volcanoes

1 lb. strawberries, cleaned, with tops cut off to make flat

1 c. chocolate chips, melted

Whipped cream, in a can or homemade

After slicing the tops off of the strawberries, make a cross cut across the tips of each strawberry.  Drain the strawberries on paper towels.  Carefully dip flat bottoms of strawberries in melted chocolate; place on wax paper and cool. Carefully pipe whipped cream into the split opening on the top of each strawberry.  Chill until serving and enjoy!

Proscuitto, Marscapone & Fig Bruschetta

This bruschetta is so easy, it is embarrassing, but it looks so classy and people gobble it up, so it is a good recipe to have in your repertoire!  My friend Heather first introduced me to this combination, and she first had it at a local wine bar called Postino here in Phoenix.  The combination of the creamy cheese, salty prosciutto and the sweetness of the figs is the most awesome combination ever!  It may seem weird to some, but give it a try, you will have your guests thinking you are quite the gourmet!

Prosciutto, Marscapone & Fig Bruschetta

by Jenn

1 French baguette, sliced on the diagonal about 3/4" thick

1/2 lb. Prosciutto, thinly sliced

1 tub Marscapone cheese (Usually found by the gourmet cheeses at the store)

Dried Figs, sliced  (These are on the dried fruit aisle, near the raisins)

Cooking spray

Turn oven on to broil.

Place bread slices on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray or olive oil.  Broil for about 3 - 4 minutes just until the tops start to brown.  Remove from oven.

Spread a layer of Marscapone on the toasted side, top with slices of Prosciutto and a couple of slices of figs. That is all, you are ready to go, and these hold nicely at room temperature!

Enjoy!

Caprese Skewers

A couple of weeks ago my sister moved into a new condo that she recently purchased.  She was so excited for her new place that she just had to have a housewarming party ASAP, never mind that she didn't even have bedding or things to put on the walls when she decided this.  But nonetheless, she planned it for a weekend after we got back from vacation, and asked me to help out with the food.  She had some very specific requests of things for me to make, but luckily they were all pretty easy to pull together.  Although the whole weekend was a mad rush with us spending all day Saturday running around to different stores to finish decorating the place and then going to buy and make all the food by 4:00 pm on Sunday, but we got it done with just minutes to spare!  I have to say, her place looks really good, and she was able to pull it together really quickly.  It took me months to figure out my place, although I was behind to start with because all I owned was a bed, TV and a retro baby blue recliner!  Oh the days of simplicity!

Here is a picture of the spread that we put out for the guests, and over the next couple of posts I will share with you what I made, starting with Caprese Skewers!

The guests loved all the food, and I just had to call my sister out when she was showing off all the food that SHE (code for me, Jenn, her sister) made!  But hey, that's what sisters are for :)  It is almost embarrassing to share this as a recipe, because it is really more of an idea, but it makes for such a great item to take to a party or a picnic because it can be made ahead of time and doesn't require a fork!  I first made these for one of my football tailgates and everyone went wild over them, so I knew I had me a keeper!

Caprese Skewers

by Jenn

Cherry Tomatoes (I bought a box at Costco and had about half leftover)

Fresh mozzarella (Once again, I bought this at Costco, it comes in a pack of 2, but I just used one log)

Prepared Pesto (I used Classico Brand, found on the pasta aisle, but use fresh or make your own!)

Toothpicks

Dice mozzarella into cubes, about 3/4" by 3/4".  Put cheese and tomatoes in a large bowl, spoon a couple of tablespoons of pesto into the bowl; stir to combine and coat the cheese and tomatoes.  Add more pesto until you get the desired amount of coating. 

Skewer the tomatoes and cheese onto toothpicks.  I usually do cheese, tomato, cheese; but do whatever combination you like!  Put skewers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and let sit at least an hour to let the pesto marinate into the cheese.  Enjoy!

El Charro Cafe - Tucson, AZ

Yes friends, your eyes are not deceiving you, I went to Tucson.  I know that anything related to Tucson is against my religion being a Sun Devil and all, but I went to see this country lady.

 

Do you recognize her?  It's Carrie Underwood!  I have loved Carrie since her days on American Idol, and when she won and started putting out country albums, I loved her even more!  The first time she came to Phoenix I had a conflict and couldn't go to the show....fast forward a year later and it is announced that she is coming back to Arizona....but this time to Tucson....yuck!  But this is how much I love Carrie, I will head into enemy territory to see her!  The show was awesome, and the picture above is of her in an old truck that literally was right over our heads!  My sister and I had a great time, but not wanting to stay in Tucson for too long, we left and drove back to Phoenix right after the show!

We got to Tucson about an hour and a half before the show and wanted to grab some dinner.  My sister and I are both Mexican food junkies, so we decided to check out some of the local food and plugged in our request to the GPS and let it guide us.  Our GPS led us to the El Charro Cafe, which was an adorable, old, little building in downtown Tucson, it didn't look scary and the parking lot was busy so we decided to give it a try!

The restaurant is comprised of a couple of little old houses and patios, very cute, but very lacking in bathrooms!  Once we were seated at a table indoors, we were presented with a basket of chips and two kinds of salsas, one red and one green.  The chips were on the thick side for my taste, and not warm, but they were decent.  The red salsa was milder than the green one, but still had some nice kick to it.  Both were tasty, but not the chunky kind of salsa that I like the most.

My sister was wanting to eat lighter that night and decided to start with the Charro Salad.  The menu didn't have much of a description, but she was treated to what she called the "most amazing salad ever!"  The salad was mixed greens, with chunks of mango, roasted pepitas, dried cranberries and Casero cheese in a light vinaigrette.  The presentation was beautiful, and she loved the combination of flavors; just the other day she mentioned how good it was and we were there 2 months ago!

In the last 6 months, my sister has become absolutely obsessed with shrimp tacos.  She orders them wherever we go, and rules out places and picks places based on the availability of shrimp tacos!  Well, this night she didn't get shrimp tacos, even though they had them on the menu, but she opted for Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas.  The tostadas were on the appetizer menu, but the serving was 3 large tostadas, so definitely enough for a meal.  The shrimp tasted so fresh with the lime, lemon and tomato marinade.  The crispy shells with the cool seafood topping were the perfect dish for a hot summer night.

The menu at El Charro is huge, and I had such a hard time deciding what to order!  There were many items that sounded good and were so different from some of the items that are typically found on menus, but we were in a bit of a rush to go to the concert so I got an old stand-by, a Green Chile Beef Burrito Enchilada Style with a side of beans!  I like to measure most Mexican restaurants by their Green Chile, so I figured I would give it a try here.  The beef was nice and tender, and the green chile packed just enough heat that made it flavorful but didn't make it so it scalded my mouth.  The beans, well they were just blah, boring, no flavor, not good.  And look, they didn't even garnish them with any cheese!

I don't think we could have stumbled upon a better place to eat on our trip to Tucson, for the most part the food was tasty, the building was historic (built in 1922) and they got us in and out in record time, letting us get to the show, which was our real mission for the night.  I wouldn't go back if I was really in the mood for some good beans, but I would return just to try out some of their other intriguing dishes.

El Charro Cafe (5 Tucson locations)
311 N. Court Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85701
www.elcharrocafe.com

Nifna's Green Salsa

I actually made this about two months ago, which will probably come as no shock since I haven't been posting regularly, but it is such a nice change of pace from regular salsa that I couldn't just not post it.  Apparently Nifna's is a well known Mexican restaurant in the Houston area and this dip is served to everyone with the complimentary chips.  (Side note: I recently read that we are getting a Nifna's here in the Phoenix area, so I will have to check it out and compare once it opens!)  I was not only intrigued by the ingredient list, but also by the preparation because the tomato component is actually cooked first.  This was really good, it had a hit of heat, but the sour cream and avocado in it helped to temper the fire.  Also, this made a ton!  So unless you are going to a party or have a huge family, you may want to cut the recipe in half...or maybe not....cause it probably won't last long!  I took this in to my office and my co-workers went wild over it!  I have a pretty small office and had two requests for the recipe...which can only mean one thing...it's a keeper!

Nifna's Green Salsa

adapted from Home with Mandy

3 medium-sized green tomatoes, coarsely chopped (you can substitute yellow if you can’t find green ones, and you are not supposed to use red, but that is all I could find and it still worked!)
4 tomatillos, cleaned and chopped

1 to 2 jalapenos, stemmed and coarsely chopped

3 small garlic cloves, chopped
3 medium-sized ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
4 sprigs cilantro
1 tsp. salt
1 c. sour cream

Combine chopped tomatoes, tomatillos, jalapenos and garlic in a saucepan and heat on medium high  Add garlic.  At this point, using a potato masher, start to smash the tomatoes to bring out the juices.  Let the mixture cook, mashing more and stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes remove from heat and let cool a bit.

Meanwhile, put avocado, cilantro and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times until combined.  Add cooled tomato mixture to food processor and pulse until smooth.  Remove mixture to a different bowl and stir in sour cream.  (I chilled mine for a bit after this because it was still warm from the tomatoes.)  Dig in with some tortilla chips....mmmm!


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Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

A few weeks ago I hit an awesome sale on strawberries, just 99 cents for a package, so I picked them up thinking I would snack on them.  Well, I am a bad girl and put them in the fridge and forgot about them, until one Sunday night when trying to figure out dinner I found them and realized that they needed to be eaten, and quick!  Was I going to eat a whole container by myself that night, probably not, but I remembered seeing a recipe for these Strawberry Shortcake Cookies and figured at least they would be going towards a good cause! 

This is a Martha Stewart recipe, and she did not disappoint!  They tasted just like a strawberry shortcake minus the whipped cream, they were heavenly!  I did have a bit of a problem getting the strawberries incorporated into the dough, but I think it was my fault for bringing the dough together too much before adding the strawberries, so I had to mash pieces into the balls of dough.  I almost decided to throw the towel in because I didn't think they were going to turn out, but after tasting them, I would have been very mad at myself for missing out!  These really are best warm out of the oven and really should be eaten within a day or two of baking, but honestly, they are so good, you'll be lucky to have any left by day two!

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

adapted from Martha Stewart

12 oz. strawberries, hulled and diced into 1/4-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1-2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 c. plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2/3 c. heavy cream
coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter to the flour mixture until coarse crumbs are formed. You can also use your fingers. Stir in the heavy cream until the dough starts to come together, then gently fold in strawberries.

Using a 1-1/2 inch cookie scoop, drop dough onto cookie sheets, evenly spaced apart. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 22-27 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chicken Suiza Tostadas

Oh my goodness, it has been way too long since I have been able to post anything food related here, but my computer is working again (for the most part) and I am ready to get back to making a more regular appearance on here!

According to my camera, I actually made these back on April 12, so it seems that I am about 2 months behind in all my posting, which is a shame, because I have made some yummy stuff during that time!  These tostadas are actually a spin on a recipe that was getting posted all over the various blogs that I read, they were intended to be eaten as a sandwich, but being such a Mexican food lover, I have a hard time putting the concept of Mexican food and sandwiches together, plus I wanted something crunchy, so thus I served it tostada style!  But feel free to serve on a nice crusty roll if it is a sandwich that you crave!

This is actually a Rachael Ray recipe, and it actually took less than 30 minutes!  The basis is a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, so that really eliminates a lot of time, but there is some prep involved with getting all of the chicken off of the bone.  (Quick Tip: It is much easier to pull the chicken off the bone and shred it while it is still warm, so if I go to the grocery store early in the day, I always de-bone and shred the chicken when I get home and then just refrigerate until I am ready to start cooking.)  This smelled delicious while cooking, and the end result confirmed it, the chicken mixture was creamy with a touch of heat.  For the shells, I just took corn tortillas and fried them in a little bit of oil until crispy, but you could always use pre-made shells or bake them until crispy for a lighter version.

Since it was just me eating this, I was able to package up two more portions for the freezer, which will be just perfect when I need a Mexican fix after a long day at work!

Chicken Suiza Tostadas

adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray - September 2009

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

1 small red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp. honey
1 1/2 c. store-bought salsa verde
1/2 c. sour cream
1 rotisserie-style chicken, skin discarded and meat shredded
4 tostada shells
4 slices Monterrey jack cheese (I just used shredded)

1. Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and honey, then stir in the salsa and heat through. Mix in the sour cream. Stir in the chicken to coat.

2. Pile the chicken mixture on the tostada shells. Top with the cheese and broil to melt. Serve with extra sour cream and salsa if desired....and of course....a side of beans!

Out of Order

My laptop at home got infected with a nasty virus and decided to not work anymore.  I had my IT friend come over to look at it and he informed me that it had to go home with him for an in depth analysis...which didn't sound good.  So because of this, I haven't been able to post anything new lately, even though I do have some restaurants and recipes to share with you all.  Well, let me take that back, I could post them, but they wouldn't have any pictures since all the pictures are on my laptop; and let's face it, a post about food with no pictures just doesn't quite cut it....and I don't want my reputation tarnished!  I am hoping to get my computer back tomorrow (fingers crossed) and I am also hoping that when I get it back it is in working condition so that I can get back into posting more consistently.


So please bear with me while I deal with having no computer at home (which, by the way really sucks on the weekends....I feel so out of the loop!).  I hope to be back in action soon, especially since with Memorial Day being this weekend there is sure to be food to be made!

Lamb Kofta with Harissa Yogurt Sauce

I had given up my subscription to Cooking Light about two years ago because all the recipes got really complicated with huge ingredient lists and I just didn't want to bother with them.  But a few months ago I happened to flip through an issue at a friend's house and I really liked the new layout and the paired down recipes; so when I got an e-mail saying that I could get a 2 Year Subscription for just $15...I jumped at it!  I found this recipe in the first issue that I got and had to make it right away!  This was listed as one of the quick cooking options, and guess what?  It was actually quick!  I had everything done in less than 30 minutes!  Now, I did take a liberty with the rice and instead of cooking jasmine rice with saffron I used a pouch of Mahamata Yellow Rice that I already had in my pantry, but other than that I followed it to a T. 

The house smelled delicious while the Kofta were cooking, and when topped with the creamy yogurt sauce, this dish was just plain delicious!  I had invited my friend Whitney over for dinner the night that I made this and she too really enjoyed it, which was evidenced by her clean plate!  This is definitely a dish that I would make again....especially since it seems sort of fancy for a weeknight dish!

Lamb Kofta with Harissa Yogurt Sauce

adapted from Cooking Light April 2010

2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro (I used frozen that I find at Trader Joe's, it rocks!)

2 Tbsp. grated fresh onion
2 Tbsp. 2% Greek-style plain yogurt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. turmeric

2 tsp. bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 lb. lean ground lamb
Cooking spray

1/2 c. 2% Greek-style plain yogurt
1/4 c. chopped bottled roasted red bell pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

1 pkg. Mahamata Yellow Rice
Green onions, sliced, for garnish, optional

Prepare rice as directed on the package.  (I used the microwave method.) Sprinkle with green onions.

While rice cooks, prepare kofta. Combine cilantro and next 9 ingredients (through lamb); shape into 12 oblong patties.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 10 minutes or until done, turning occasionally to brown on all sides.

While kofta cooks, prepare sauce. Combine 1/2 cup yogurt and remaining ingredients. Serve sauce with kofta and rice.