Serra's Guacamole

I love guacamole.  This recipe is fresh and really good paired with a margarita and salty chips :) My favorite after work snack!

Serra's Guacamole

3 ripe avocados
1 small tomato, chopped (the size of a roma tomato)
1/4 of an onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (clean out seeds and remove stem)
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 small lime juiced
1/4 tsp cumin
Sea salt to taste

1. In a medium size bowl peel and take out avocado seed and mash it up.
2. In a food processor throw in tomato, onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro and pulse to chop but don't overdo it or else you will have a puree.
3. Mix ingredients with avocados and add lime, cumin and salt.  Enjoy!

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

These cupcake treats are easy to make and really yummy! I've been trying to improve my baking skills (yes I've actually ruined boxed cake recipes). So this past weekend I volunteered to make some treats for a friend's bridal shower. These were really fun to make and I enjoyed "testing" them out just to make sure they were ok to serve :)

Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes

• 1 package yellow cake mix


• 1 1/2 cups cold milk


• 1 package (4 serving) instant Jell-O pudding (I bought french vanilla)


• 1 1/2 cups Cool Whip (thawed)


• 4 squares Baker's semi-sweet chocolate

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cake batter and bake in 24 greased medium muffin pan cups as directed on package. Cool in pans 10 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
2. Beat milk and dry pudding mix with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Let stand 5 min. Meanwhile, use serrated knife to cut cupcakes horizontally in half. Gently stir 1/2 cup of the whipped topping into pudding. Spoon about 1 Tbsp. of the pudding mixture onto bottom half of each cupcake; cover with top of cupcake.
3. Microwave remaining 1 cup whipped topping and the chocolate in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Let stand 15 min. to thicken. Spread onto cupcakes. Refrigerate at least 15 min. before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Zucchini Gratin

My neighbor Laura Heedick has an awesome garden in her backyard and had recently given me a giant zucchini. I didn't want to make the tradiditional zucchini bread so I went on the search for a new recipe to try out. Thanks to Ina Garten (my idol) I found this yummy side dish!!!

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for topping



• 1 pound yellow onions, cut in 1/2 and sliced (3 large)



• 2 pounds zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick (4 zucchini)



• 2 teaspoons kosher salt



• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper



• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg



• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour



• 1 cup heavy whipping cream



• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs



• 3/4 cup grated your choice of cheese (I used a mix of 4 cheeses)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Melt the butter in a very large (12-inch) saute pan and cook the onions over low heat for 20 minutes, or until tender but not browned. Add the zucchini and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, or until tender. Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Stir in the flour. Add the hot milk and cook over low heat for a few minutes, until it makes a sauce. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 10-inch baking dish.
Combine the bread crumbs and Gruyere and sprinkle on top of the zucchini mixture. Dot with 1 tablespoon of butter cut into small bits and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

I'm on a shrimp kick these days, I just love the little nuggets from the sea. For the longest time I thought shrimp scampi and fra diavolo were the same thing. Basically one recipe has tomatoes and the other doesn't but has a lot of butter. I was always dissapointed whenever I ordered scampi out at a restaurant and didn't have tomatoes on my plate. Now I know why :)

Have you noticed on food network anytime they use can tomatoes they refer to San Marzano tomatoes? Since this recipe calls for tomatoesI finally picked up a can and wow! Delicious! I can really taste the difference in the sauce after using this type of tomato. I found a great story on wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marzano_tomato

Here is my version of Fra Diavolo one of my favorite things to make for dinner. The cayenne adds a great spicy tickle to your throat! My husband Scott will stand over the pot of Shrimp Fra Diavolo and eat right out of it.

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

• 1 lb Shrimp of your choice


• Sea Salt


• Pepper


• Cayenne


• 1 lb linguine or spaghetti


• 3 tbsp Olive oil


• 3-4 large garlic cloves, minced


• 1 shallot, thinly sliced


• 1 can San Marzano Tomatoes


• Sherry cooking wine


• 1/2 bunch of Italian parsley, chopped

Directions

1. Peel and devein your shrimp and season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to your liking. Arrange on skewers and grill on the BBQ for 3-6 minutes. Set aside once cooked.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain but do not rinse your pasta!

3. While pasta is cooking in a large pan pour in about 3 tbsp olive oil and saute garlic and shallot until tender, not burned.

4. Add San Marzano tomatoes and a few splashes of sherry cooking wine. Add pepper, and cayenne, to your liking (no salt needed since your noodles will be salty from boiling in salted water). Simmer for 30-40 minutes.

5. Add pasta and chopped parsley to sauce and toss until noodles are coated. Remove shrimp off skewers and toss in pasta. Enjoy!

Grilled Shrimp Orzo Pasta Salad

So I was watching food network, big surprise, and I saw my FAVE chef Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa make this AMAZING dish a few months back.  It is absolutely delicious!!! Couple changes I made to the recipe from the original that can be found on foodnetwork.com was I roasted the red onion and added a roasted red bell pepper  to the ingredients.  Roasting the veggies brings out the best flavor and the onion is not as strong if you had put it in raw.  Also, I personally love grilling the shrimp on the barbie because again you can't beat that BBQ grilled flavor vs baking it in an oven.  As far as the salt goes, make sure it's the last thing you add to taste.  The feta in the salad tends to be quite salty so you don't want to ruin your pasta salad by adding it in the beginning.

Grilled Shrimp and Orzo Pasta Salad

• 1/2 cup small red onion
• 1 large red bell pepper
• Kosher salt 
• Good olive oil
• 3/4 pound orzo pasta (rice-shaped pasta)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds (16 to 18 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
• 1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts
• 1 cup chopped fresh dill
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
• 3/4 pound good feta cheese, large diced or crumbled 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place red bell pepper and red onion (whole) on sheet pan drizzle with olive oil and roast for about 30 minutes. Once  the veggies are roasted set aside to cool and peel skin off bell pepper.  Chop up veggies and add in during step 6 below.

3. Fill a large pot with water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and a splash of oil, and bring the water to a boil. Add the orzo and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's cooked al dente. Drain and pour into a large bowl.

4. Whisk together the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Pour over the hot pasta and stir well.

5. Season the shrimp on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine and spread out in a single layer. Arrange shrimp on skewers and grill on barbecue for 3 to 6 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through. Don't overcook!

6. Add the shrimp to the orzo and then add the scallions, dill, parsley, cucumber, roasted red onion chopped, roasted red bell pepper chopped, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Toss well. Add the feta and stir carefully.

7. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend, or refrigerate overnight. If refrigerated, taste again for seasonings and bring back to room temperature before serving.

Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

WARNING these cookies are extremely delicious.  This is the best cinnamon sugar cookie recipe I have ever tried.  It is so easy and I bet you will finish the entire batch in one evening.  I almost did (don't judge me)! They are so soft and taste like a churro!  Makes my mouth water...

Cinnamon Sugar Cookies


Cookie-

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 
  
• Coating-
• 2 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 
  

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream butter with 1/4 cup white sugar and brown sugar. Mix in egg and vanilla. Add the sifted dry ingredients, and mix until well blended. Roll into log shape about 2 inches in diameter in cookie sheet, wrap, and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. This dough can be frozen for up to 6 weeks.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix sugar and cinnamon on a flat plate or a piece of wax paper. Unwrap dough log, cut 1/4 inch slices, and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 12 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks. Baked cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

• 
  

Creamy Buttermilk Herb Potato Salad

Summer time usually means BBQ time at my house.  If it were up to me I'd grill every night, I just love cooking outdoors.  I just recently subscribed to Cooking Light magazine and I must say they have some amazing recipes.  That's where I found this wonderful side dish to go along with my BBQ.  I love a good potato salad and this one was just amazing!  The recipe listed below makes 8 servings but, I just made half since I didn't have that many people coming over :) I highly recommend you try to find the creme fraiche (which is a thickened cream product with a mildly tangy nutty flavor) really good stuff!

Creamy Buttermilk Herb Potato Salad


3 lbs small red potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
1/3 cup fat free buttermilk
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I used Italian parsley)
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 large garlic clove, minced

1. Place potatoes in a large pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until just tender; drain.  Cool for 30 minutes.
2. Combine creme fraiche and remaining ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.  Add warm potatoes; toss gently to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

Now that summer is around the corner I thought I'd try out something fruity.  Pineapples are so refreshing and I love them in a sweet and savory dish like the recipe I found below.  So yummy, it's like being swept away to a tropical island with Matthew McConaughey.  Ok not really but a girl can dream :)

Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast
• 1 package frozen yellow, green, red bell pepper strips
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1 (8 oz) can pineapple chunks with juice
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional if you don't like spicy) 
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 3 green onions, chopped fine

1. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until no longer pink in the center, about 7-10 minutes.

2. Put remaining ingredients in the same wok/skillet-Peppers, onion, teriyaki sauce, pineapple with juice, garlic powder, red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer for about 5-10 minutes then add the flour to thicken and cook for another 15 minutes.

3. Serve over a bed of rice, sprinkle some green onions on top and enjoy!

Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas

I'm back!  For those of you who don't know I had my baby boy 3/24/11.  I've been so busy being a new mommy I just haven't had any time in the kitchen.  I've managed to get into some sort of a routine with my little cutie so that means mommy is back trying out new recipes!

I love Mexican food and this dish I put together was so easy and delicious!  I hope you like it....

Rotisserie Chicken Enchiladas

• 1 whole rotisserie chicken, shredded (I got mine at Costco)
• 1 package white corn tortillas (10 tortillas in pack)
• 14.5 oz can of enchilada sauce
• 1 package shredded cheese of choice (I usually get the Mexican blend)
• 3/4 cup frozen corn

1. Heat oven to 375. Shred entire rotisserie chicken into small pieces.  I run my knife through the chicken to really chop it up after shredding.

2. In a large bowl make enchilada filling by mixing-shredded chicken, corn, and 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce from can (the rest of the can will be used later in recipe).

3. Heat packet of tortillas in microwave so they are easy to roll.

4. Take one tortilla and scoop 2 generous spoonful and roll up enchilada place seem side down in 9x13 baking dish.  Do this with all 10 tortillas.

5. Once you've arranged your enchiladas in the baking dish pour remaining enchilada sauce all over the rolls. 

6. Sprinkle as much cheese as you desire on top of the sauce.

7. Place your enchilada dish in oven and bake for 15-20 min or until cheese is nice and bubbly.

8. Serve with a scoop of sour cream!  Yum!

Oven Roasted Chicken

I came up with this recipe and let me tell you this chicken is finger licking good!  Another easy one to put together overnight or before you go to work and just pop it in the oven when you get home.  I really like cooking in oven bags because the chicken just comes out so moist and tender and an easy clean up afterwards :)
The great part about chicken leftovers (if there are any left) is you can do so much with it afterwards-put it in soup, make a sandwich, quesadilla, etc.

Oven Roasted Chicken Ingredients (prep time-8 hrs to marinate, cook time-1 hour 30 min)

• 1 whole chicken (around 3 lbs is a good size)
• Olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder

1. Wash chicken and make sure you remove all goody stuff from the inside (ie-the guts).
2. Dry off chicken and drizzle with olive oil all over for a nice coat and give the chicken a good rub down.
3. In a small bowl mix all seasonings and sprinkle all over chicken (use up all of the mixture)
4. Next place chicken in oven bag and let it marinate over night (about 8 hrs) in the fridge.
5. When you are ready to cook, set oven to 350 and cook for 1 hour and 30 min.  

Havarti, Dill, and Egg Sandwich on a French Baguette

This morning I made a delicious breakfast sandwich.  There's nothing like a loaf of fresh baked bread really.  I can eat a whole loaf all by myself, that's how much I love bread.  I gobbled up my sandwich so fast I didn't take a picture...my apologies.  Instead I put up this generic photo of delicious french baguettes :)

Havarti, Dill and Egg Sandwich

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream
• dash of salt and pepper
• 3/4 tsp fresh or dried dill
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 slice danish Havarti cheese
• 1 loaf of french baguette

1. In a small bowl whisk eggs, creme fraiche, salt, pepper, and dill until light and foamy.
2. Melt butter in small pan and add egg mixture.  Scramble until light and fluffy.
3. Cut off a portion of the french baguette and slice on the side to make a sandwich.  Lightly toast bread in the oven. Once toasted place egg and slice of Havarti in bread.
4. Enjoy!

Garlic Basil Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Some people might call me a carb whore but, that's ok.  I can never say no to bread or pasta it's my kryptonite.  Plus life is too short to cut out the good stuff in my opinion, as long as you have a healthy balance you don't have to worry.  I went to the Hillcrest farmer's market this weekend (like I do pretty much every weekend) and bought some fresh garlic basil fettuccine pasta.  If you've never had fresh pasta do yourself a favor and go get some right now. It is SO GOOD!  The sauce I picked out to go along with the noodles is just delightful.  Just a tip to ensure a nice creamy sauce add the cheese a little at a time and makes sure to grate it very fine.  I have Emeril Lagasse to thank for the mushroom cream sauce recipe. Bam! Dinner is served :)

Garlic Basil Fettuccine with Mushroom Cream Sauce

• 12 ounces fresh garlic basil fettuccine (or whatever fresh fettuccine you like)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound assorted wild mushrooms, stems trimmed, wiped clean, and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp finely chopped chives

1. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the cream, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the Parmesan a little at a time and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Turn off heat and leave sauce in pan.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente.Drain and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm. Fresh pasta only takes 2 minutes to cook.
3. Add the pasta to the sauce pan, stir to coat with the sauce, and cook until the pasta is heated through, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and divide among 4 serving bowls or plates. Sprinkle each serving with chivesand serve immediately.

Pear Bourdaloue-Pear Tart with Almond Cream

One of the best desserts I've ever made.  Yes it is a challenge and a little long to put together but it is a great weekend project that tastes amazing!  I actually tried this recipe out last year and came across it this weekend going through my cookbooks and had to share it with all of you.  Just a suggestion I highly recommend buying a 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.  It makes it much easier to remove the tart from the pan without ruining your pretty new creation.  Also, blind baking the pie tart simply means once you make the tart shell and place it in the pan put a piece of foil over the dough and pour solid beans/rice/or pie weights so that the shell won't rise as it is baking. If you have any other questions feel free to email me or comment below.  As always....enjoy!

Pear Bourdaloue

Total time: About 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling time
Servings: 12 to 16
Note: Adapted from Nicole's Gourmet Foods in South Pasadena (LA Times)

Tart shell

1 2/3 cup (7.1 ounces) flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) chilled butter, cut into one-half-inch cubes

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons ice water

1. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or your fingers.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and vanilla. Work the egg mixture into the flour mixture just until it resembles cornmeal. Stir in ice water, a tablespoon at a time, just until the dough holds together.

3. Form the dough into a disk and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.
4. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and roll it out until it is just over 13 inches in diameter. Fit the dough into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Trim the dough so it is flat with the top of the tart pan, then line and fill the shell with pie weights or beans.
5. Blind bake the tart shell until set, about 20 minutes. Remove the pie weights and set the shell on a rack to cool.

Poached pears

1 quart water

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 pears, preferably Bartlett, peeled and halved lengthwise

In a large saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to poaching temperature (not quite a simmer) and poach the pears just until tender (a knife should pierce easily). Remove the pears from the poaching liquid and cool completely. Core the cooled pear halves and slice each half lengthwise into 6 slices.

Filling and assembly

2 tablespoons chilled butter

2/3 cup almond meal or flour

2 1/3 cups milk

1 vanilla bean, split

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup (2.1 ounces) flour

Tart shell

Poached pears

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, place the butter and almond meal. Set aside. (Do not worry about mixing them together.)
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and vanilla bean. Bring the milk just to a simmer over high heat, then remove from heat and discard the bean pod.
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, whisk together the eggs, sugar and flour. Whisk in about a cup of the hot milk mixture to temper the eggs, then whisk in the remaining milk until combined. Whisk the mixture over medium heat just until it thickens. Immediately remove from heat, pour the mixture over the butter and almond meal and whisk.
4. Spread the filling in the tart shell and top with the sliced pears (you may not use all of the pears; we used about three-fourths of the slices). Bake the tart until the custard is lightly browned and set, about 30 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.

Peanut Sesame Noodles with Tofu

I love a good peanut sauce and this one is really easy to put together! The great thing about this recipe is you can use any type of meat you like-tofu, chicken, shrimp, and beef they all go well with this sauce. I usually like to make this dish with lo mein or udon noodles but I didn't have any in the house so I ended up using linguine which worked just fine.

Peanut Sesame Noodles and Tofu

• 1 package firm tofu (or 12 oz of any meat your choice-chicken, shrimp, beef)
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 (12 oz) bag of stir fry vegetables
• 8 oz of noodles (you can pretty much use any type you want)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp sake or rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1. Cut tofu into small rectangle cubes and fry in vegetable oil in wok (or pan).  Remove from wok and set aside once tofu is nice and golden brown on both sides.
2. Toss in bag of stir fry vegetables in the same wok and cook until nice and tender. Leave veggies in wok and turn off heat.
3. In a medium pot boil some water and add noodles.  Cook until noodles are done.
4. In a separate bowl mix cornstarch, vegetable broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, red pepper flakes, and rice vinegar until well blended.
5. Add sauce, noodles, and tofu back into wok with veggies.  Toss the ingredients and make sure to turn back on the wok to heat up all ingredients for about 2-3 min. 
6. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and enjoy!

Biber Dolmasi-Turkish Stuffed Peppers

Tonight I thought I'd throw out one of my own fave recipes from the motherland...Biber Dolmasi!  Biber means pepper and Dolma means to be stuffed.  Almost every country in the world has their own version of stuffed peppers but I think Turkish food is the best, it is what I grew up on after all :) It's basically a ground beef, rice and seasoning mixture stuffed in your choice of peppers.  Stuffing grape leaves in Turkey is also very popular and tasty.  I'll save that for another day since I need to work on my grape leaf wrapping skills. I recommend buying a delicious loaf of crusty bread or naan to go along with this dish.  Enjoy my friends :)

Biber Dolmasi-Turkish Stuffed Peppers (prep time-30 min, cook time-55 min)

Filling

• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup uncooked rice (I love using basmati)
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley
• 1 large Roma tomato, chopped fine
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 small-medium peppers of your choice

Sauce

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• couple dashes of salt
• 1 large tomato, pureed

Step #1-Making the filling

Step#4-Place peppers standing in sauce

1. In a large bowl mix together filling ingredients-beef, rice, parsley, tomato, olive oil, water, salt and pepper. (See picture #1 above)
2. Cut tops off of peppers and clean out inside of seeds
3. Stuff peppers with filling mixture.  Do not jam filling in with spoon instead tap peppers lightly on counter to push filling down to put more in. Set peppers aside.
4. Next in a medium pot melt butter and then add water, tomato paste, salt, and pureed tomato. Mix well.
5. Once sauce is mixed stand peppers in mixture and bring pot to a boil.  Once sauce boils bring to a medium heat and simmer for 55 minutes with lid closed. Peppers are ready when they are soft on the outside and the meat has browned. (See picture #2 above)
6. Enjoy!

Shahi Paneer and a side of Basmati Rice with Green Beans and Dill

Tonight fellow foodies I'm taking you to the exotic land of India!  Some of you might be wondering what the heck is paneer?  I was first introduced to paneer thanks to Trader Joe's.  There's a frozen meal called paneer tikka masala.  I thought it was chicken, lol, turns out it is a type of cheese very similar to tofu in texture but very tasty.  I was hooked!  We have a vegetarian guest staying with us this week so I thought this would be a good time to try out this recipe. It's a great dish made of simple fresh ingredients.

Shahi Paneer (prep time- 10 min, cook time-30 min)

• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• 4 tomatoes, pureed
• 14 oz package of paneer, cubed
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the hot oil until the onions are soft and golden brown, about 5 minutes. 

2. Sprinkle the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder over the onion and garlic; continue cooking until the seasonings are fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Pour the pureed tomatoes into the skillet; cook until the excess liquid evaporates and the oil separates, 10 minutes. Add the paneer, water, sugar, and salt to the mixture; stir gently so the paneer does not break apart. 

4. Cook until the paneer begins to absorb some of the liquid, about 10 minutes. Stir the cream into the mixture and simmer another 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

Basmati Rice with Green Beans and Dill (cook time-15-20 min)

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 (14.5 oz) can vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 (14.5 oz) can green beans, cut 
• 1 tbsp dill
• 1/2 tsp salt

1. Melt butter in a medium pot and add in rice.  Saute for a couple minutes until rice is covered in butter.

2. Pour in can of vegetable broth, water, dill and salt.  

3. Bring to a boil then put on medium heat and simmer.  After about 5 minutes add green beans and continue simmering until rice is tender.

Toffee Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

So good you'll slap your grandma for the last one.  Ha ha ha just kidding.  No need for violence really the recipe is listed below for you to make a batch all to yourself.

Toffee Chocolate Pecan Cookies (prep time 15 min, cook time-10 min)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
1 bag (6 oz) of toffee chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix brown and white sugars with butter and shortening until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in egg and vanilla.
4. Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
5. Stir in chocolate chips, toffee, and nuts. Don't over mix.
6. Drop dough by rounded spoonful on a non-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Makes about 30 cookies.
7. Enjoy!

Chicken & Smoked Turkey Sausage Jambalaya

I've never made Jambalaya in my life before...challenge accepted!  According to Wikipedia it is a Louisiana Creole dish of Spanish and French influence.  I guess you can say it's the cousin of the famous Paella that the Spaniards are known for.  I mean can you really go wrong with meat, veggies, and rice?  I don't think so.  It's fairly simple to put together and my house right now smells wonderful.  Ooooh maybe this can lead to a fun 50 state challenge (i.e.-make what each state is famous for).  Anyways, back to the recipe..just a WARNING for those of you who don't like spicy food this dish has a nice kick to it (not an uncomfortable scorcher but a good tickle in the throat).  So maybe omit the red pepper flakes and hot sauce the recipe calls for if you would like a mild version.

Chicken & Smoked Turkey Sausage Jambalaya (prep time-20 min, cook time-45 min)
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tbsp cajun seasoning, divided (you can use the stuff made from the previous post like it did!)
10 ounces sausage, I used smoked turkey sausage by  Hillshire Farms and sliced into rounds
1 1b boneless skinless chicken breast (I used chicken tenderloins easy to cut and moist) into 1 in cubes
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 cups uncooked white rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth

1. Season sausage and chicken in separate bowls with cajun seasoning.
2. First cook sausage with 1 tbsp olive oil, then take out of pot and set aside.
3. Now cook chicken in same pot with 1 tbsp olive oil, then add to sausage that you set aside.
4. Next in same pot saute onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic until nice and tender.
5. Stir in crushed tomatoes and season with red pepper, black pepper, salt, hot pepper sauce and worcestershire sauce. Add back in the cooked sausage and chicken and cook for 10 min on medium heat.
6. Next stir in rice and broth. Bring to a boil on high heat and then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20-25 min or until liquid is absorbed.  Stir occasionally and really make sure you boil then simmer that way the rice doesn't come out mushy.
7. Enjoy!

Cajun Style Tilapia

I was in the mood for some seafood this evening.  Came up with this great cajun seasoning mix for some tilapia filets I had bought.  It is delicious! You can use any fish you want really, it can also be used on chicken.  The recipe below is good for about four 6 oz filets of fish. Below is a picture of my seasoned fish about to go in the pan.  Silly me forgot to take a picture of the filets after they cooked, it smelled so good I ate it all without thinking to take a picture.

Cajun Seasoning Mix
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano

Cajun Tilapia (prep time-5 min, cook time-15 min)
Cajun Seasoning mix above
4- 6 oz filets of tilapia or fish of your choice
3-4 tbsp Olive oil

1. Season filets on both sides with cajun seasoning mix.
2. Heat olive oil in pan on medium heat.  Place filets in pan and grill about 4-5 minutes on each side or until filet has nice crispy blackened look.
3. Enjoy!