Thai Shrimp-Scallop Curry

We've had quite the eventful week. The kids are back in school after enjoying a two week long spring break. This is a big deal for two reasons, one, summer break is literally just around the corner two months from now, and secondly, this is my daughter's last quarter in High School. Ever. She is graduating in 9 short weeks and I'm not sure if I'm ready. I keep looking at pictures from when she was just a teeny one year old and keep thinking where did all the time go? We are also getting ready for prom, which is coming up this weekend and the following weekend (yes, she is going to two). We happened to find the perfect dress over break and this week it is just mayhem trying to pick everything up that still needs picking up, along with various other school functions. Dinners during weeks like this have to be quick and well planned out.

While looking for inspiration in my magazines last weekend trying to come up with my weekly dinner menu, my eye caught a recipe for a Thai Curry. I found this recipe in my newest bon appétit magazine in their "weeknight cooking section". So far my experience with Thai food has been pretty much limited to eating it at a restaurant, but the recipe sounded easy enough that I was willing to give it a try. Halibut and Shrimp was the magazine's choice of fish in this dish, but after contemplating these ingredients and checking my freezer, I decided to switch it up slightly and go with big, juicy scallops and shrimp instead; and I'm so glad I did. I also ended up adding some extra chili garlic sauce and more curry paste for additional heat and flavor, increased the fish sauce and used light coconut milk since this is what I had on hand.

My kids were all extremely leery when finding out what I was cooking, none of them trusted that this "strange" hodge podge of ingredients would come together. I guess it worked though, as proven by my empty pan. Every single one of them asked for seconds and the dish was incredibly tasty. The flavors are wonderful and the shrimp and scallops worked beautifully together. I used pretty large scallops and shrimp, so cooking it at 5 to 6 minutes was spot on, the scallops were perfect with just the slightest bit of opaque inside and tender as can be. However, if you plan on making this and you use smaller shrimp or bay scallops, you will have to reduce the final cooking time to avoid turning them into rubber.

This recipe was a great new discovery that has already been requested again and will be a great addition to my ever growing recipe collection. I really hope you consider giving this one a try!

Thai Shrimp-Scallop Curry

~makes 6 servings~

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

3 large limes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped shallots

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

4 teaspoons Thai red curry paste

2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

1 13 1/2 to 14-ounce can unsweetened light coconut milk

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 pound large scallops

1 pound deveined uncooked large shrimp

Kosher salt and pepper

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation:

Finely grate enough peel from 2 limes to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons. Squeeze enough juice form 2 limes to measure 2 tablespoons. Cut third lime into wedges.

Heat vegetable oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped shallots, diced red bell pepper, and minced ginger; saute until shallots are tender and pepper soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste, chili garlic sauce, coconut milk, fish sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons lime peel, and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Simmer gently, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle scallops and shrimp with salt and pepper. Add scallops and shrimp to curry sauce. Return to very gentle simmer and cook just until scallops and shrimp are opaque in center, 5 to 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently stir in cilantro and basil; serve with lime wedges.

Adapted from: bon appétit

Easy Candied Walnuts

One of my favorite restaurants in our area (House of Tricks) has wonderful seasonal salads that are made with a selection of fresh fruit, beautifully selected greens or vegetables, artisan cheeses, great dressings and best of all, sometimes even candied nuts. I absolutely adore candied nuts, but have always shied away from making them myself since making hot sugar syrup (which most recipes I looked at required) isn't one of my favorite kitchen adventures. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt and didn't really enjoy it. So I was definitely on the hunt for a recipe that was easy enough that I could whip up a batch of candied nuts on a whim and with ingredients I always have on hand and without the danger of scorching hot sugar syrup. The recipe that I found on Foodnetwork fits the bill 100 percent.

This recipe could not be any easier and 4 ingredients is all you need. Walnuts (pecans or almonds work as well) are blanched for about 3 minutes in boiling water. By doing so it will help the rest of your ingredients "stick". The hot, wet nuts are then tossed in a mixture of powdered sugar, salt and cayenne pepper before being placed on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat (I use the latter and it works like a charm). The nuts are baked for about 15 - 20 minutes with giving them a stir every 5 minutes to ensure even browning. You will need a watchful eye to make sure they don't burn since they are coated with sugar after all, but I found the process to be much less labor intensive then traditional candied nuts.

These nuts taste wonderful! Only slightly sweet, with a little hint of spice and best of all, the sugar won't turn so hard that you are running the risk of breaking a filling. They are seriously addicting. Great served by themselves for a party or simply to snack on, they also dress up any old salad. So if you like  candied nuts, without the fuss, this is definitely the recipe for you as well. Stay tuned for my favorite fancy salad recipe which includes these little gems.

Easy Candied Walnuts 

~makes 1 cup~

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

4 ounces walnuts (about 1 heaping cup)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the sugar, cayenne and salt.

Bring a small saucepan of water to boil. Add the walnuts and blanch them for 3 minutes. Drain well and then immediately roll the walnuts in the sugar mixture until thoroughly coated. The sugar will melt slightly. Transfer the walnuts to a baking sheet or pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until they are a deep golden brown, about 15 - 20 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes. Watch carefully because the sugar can burn easily. Let cool completely before serving.

Adapted from: Foodnetwork 

Southwestern Corn-Potato Chowder

My husband is by all means a great eater. I don't recall many things he won't eat or at least try once. However, he is a huge flavor person. If the food is tasteless or bland he won't touch it. I've learned over the years that big flavors and especially a good amount of spice, will make him love pretty much anything. In the early years of our marriage I tried my hand at corn chowder. It was only received lukewarm and so I figured the time had come to give this soup another go. This time around I thought I would have a true winner on my hands if I went the Southwestern route and boy was I ever right. 

Looking all over the internet for a recipe for this chowder I came to find out very quickly that most of them weren't going to cut it and would just end up being another mediocre meal. My plan was to just take bits and pieces from several recipes and come up with my own version. This soup comes with a bit of a warning though. If you are a sissy when it comes to spicy food, then this is probably not the bowl for you, but if you love a good flavorful soup with a good kick, I encourage you to read on.

I started the soup by crisping up some bacon. See, already a step in the right direction! Sauteing onions in the leftover bacon flavored grease was the next step. Flour, salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin made up my seasonings. For the stock I decided to go with chicken stock since that is what I had in my freezer, but you could certainly use vegetable as well. Potatoes are then added, and again I went with flavor by using the Yukon Gold variety. Once the potatoes are cooked nice and tender in the flavorful broth, I added frozen corn which I always have in my freezer and consider one of my convenience items. To add the final touch and to make this truly Southwestern, I decided on a combination of canned diced green chiles and minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce which added a wonderful smokiness to the dish. To "cool" the palate down, I went with some half-and-half which made the soup creamy, without making it too rich. For garnish, I used the previously crisped bacon bits and fried tortilla strips which my husband ever so kindly agreed to fry for me. They are simply flour tortillas cut into thin strips and fried in some hot oil before getting a sprinkling of sea salt.

Great soup, great flavors and you will definitely get warmed through and through with a bowl of this corn-potato chowder. This dish is going into my permanent recipe file and will be made many more times throughout the colder months.

Southwestern Corn-Potato Chowder
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

8 ounces bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
6 cups chicken stock (vegetable can be used as well)
3 cups Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and medium-diced (about 1 pound)
4 cups frozen corn
1 (7 ounce) can diced green chiles
3 whole chipotle peppers in Adobo Sauce, finely minced
2 cups half-and-half
Fried tortilla strips for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the bacon fat, and cook until onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the corn to the soup, then stir in the green chiles and minced chipotle peppers. Cook for 5 minutes, add the half-and-half and cook for another 5 minutes. Check one more time for additional salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of the reserved bacon and fried tortilla strips (if desired).

"Bloody Olivia"

 ~ Welcome to a Progressive Party ~
 I know, right now most of you are saying "what?", but let me explain. It is actually the fantastic brainchild of Casey over at TasteStopping. It boils down to 6 different bloggers, 6 different assigned dinner courses, 1 product, kitchen tool, or ingredient, equaling one fun, unique internet party like no other. You can find more info about all of this over at Kitchen Play since Casey has a much better way of explaining than I do, but think of it kind of like Iron Chef meets Chopped.

This month the ingredient is sponsored by Lindsay Olives who happen to produce a fantastic array of different olives for any occasion. My assignment: A cocktail. The mission: Create a signature cocktail using Lindsay Olives that is NOT a martini. Sounds easy enough? Well, yes and no. Let's just say my husband had a glorious time sampling different drinks. In all honesty, those that know me are aware of the fact that I'm not an olive kind of girl and my drink of choice is usually on the sweeter side. My husband on the other hand had absolutely no problems helping me out, and in the end I was surprised that I liked the finished cocktail as much as I did.

I was trying to figure out which direction to take this drink and then it hit me. What better way to create something that also represents my geographical living area than coming up with a Southwest inspired cocktail? And what better way to achieve this than with Lindsay's Spicy Jalapeno Queen Olives. After experimenting with a few different drinks, I decided to intertwine one of my favorite drinks (the Margarita) with one of my husbands favorite drinks (the Bloody Mary) and born was the "Bloody Olivia"!

The main ingredient of a Margarita is tequila and a Bloody Mary is made with tomato juice and vodka. Trying to figure out how to combine these two drinks into one was fairly easy, but how could I showcase these great supplied olives? After a few trials and errors it came to me that I could infuse the most flavor by not just using the olive brine from inside the jar, but also by taking one of the Spicy Jalapeno Queen Olives and adding it to the drink. To do just that, I decided to break out my blender, and it worked like a charm. The drink gets additional flavor from a few spices, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce and last but not least, another traditional margarita ingredient, lime juice. After blending the tomato/olive base together, all that was left to do was stir in the tequila and enjoy.

I served the drink in a Chili-Lime Salt (which I found at a liquor store with the specialty salts) rimmed glass over ice and as a garnish I added a pickled jalapeno along with another stuffed Lindsay Spicy Jalapeno Queen Olive. This made for a tasty cocktail that had quite a kick to it. With all of the holidays and get-togethers coming up, I'm happy to have another great cocktail in my repertoire so I guess I better stock up on a few more Lindsay Olives!

"Bloody Olivia"
(Makes 1 drink)
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

8 oz. vegetable juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 tablespoon Lindsay Spicy Jalapeno Olive brine (the liquid from inside the jar)
1 Lindsay Spicy Jalapeno Olive
1 1/2 oz. Tequila
Ice
Chili-Lime Salt to rim the glass (for garnish)
Pickled Jalapeno (for garnish)
1 Lindsay Spicy Jalapeno Olive (for garnish)

Preparation:

In a blender add vegetable juice, salt, pepper, celery salt, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, lime juice, olive brine and 1 jalapeno olive. Blend until mixture is combined and smooth. Stir in tequila. Carefully pour over ice into a salt rimmed glass. Add the pickled jalapeno and olive for garnish. Serve immediately!

Last, but certainly not least, these progressive parties have a great way to get all of you, my wonderful readers, involved. You have the chance to win $100  cold, hard cash and all you have to do is either make my signature cocktail and blog about it, or pick any of the other party recipes to make and blog about it. You can also make all 6 courses for 6 entries to increase your chances of winning. To find out more info and all the the rules that come along with this contest, hop on over to Kitchen Play. This is a great opportunity for some easy money and who couldn't use that  right before the holidays?  Don't wait though, you have only until November 30th, 2010 to enter.

Zesty Sausage Queso

My husband loves queso dip. It's usually a staple at potlucks around here in the southwest. A lot of times, people take a shortcut and use Velveeta and Rotel and call it a day. While this is a popular dip, and there is nothing wrong with it if you like processed cheese, I generally don't care for it at all and don't make it at home.

We have a lot of Mexican restaurants here in our area and it appears that each one of them has their own spin on queso. I've had some really good ones, and some that were rather "meh". Considering you can make a big batch of this dish quite cheap if you can find the ingredients on sale it's well worth it, since it feeds a crowd and everyone typically loves it. So I set out to find a recipe that would please our family and friends.

I found a lot of different and good sounding recipes, but in the end I just went with what I thought sounded good, and created a new family favorite. I served this for my oldest child's birthday party a few weeks ago and it was gone in no time (apparently teens REALLY love queso). I also made it again for a work potluck my husband had and he returned with an empty dish, and last but not least, I made it last weekend for a memorial day potluck and it was just as well received.

It is a quick and easy recipe to make. You can also change the flavor by adding different cheeses, pepper jack, provolone or even Gouda are other great choices. I hope you will add it to your next party and only have empty bowls to account for afterward!

Zesty Sausage Queso

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package zesty/hot breakfast sausage (like Jimmy Dean or Bob Evans)

2 cans original Rotel tomatoes, undrained (you can also use hot or mild as well depending on spice level)

3 packages cream cheese

6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium-high heat cook sausage until crumbled and browned. Add undrained tomatoes and cream cheese. Turn heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently until the cream cheese is melted and the mixture is well blended. Add your shredded cheese and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and combined. Serve warm with Tortilla Chips!

Southwest Corn Guacamole

Aside from grilling a lot in the warmer month we also like to eat a lot of Mexican food. Restaurants unfortunately are really hit and miss here, so we make most of our Mexican fare at home. By using fresh ingredients and being able to control what goes into each dish, most of the meals are beloved by the whole family.

Guacamole is one of those dishes. I usually make a traditional one that is mainly avocado and tomato along with seasonings and another version that is blended (and fantastic) which was given to me by a Hispanic friend.

When I was flipping through my May 2010 Issue of Food Network Magazine I got excited to see they had a few different guacamole recipes that I had never tasted before and that sounded really good. I had a hard time deciding, but ultimately went with the Southwest Corn version.

The recipe called for broiling some of the vegetables before putting the dish together, but in true fashion my husband decided it would be even better if we grilled them. Boy, was he ever right. Unfortunately the pictures don't do this wonderful guacamole justice. I made the recipe as written, but doubled up on the corn which made the dish even more delicious.

We loved this recipe. The slightly charred vegetables added a wonderful flavor throughout. This recipe makes a big batch, but for us this wasn't a problem since we just ate it with tortilla chips for dinner. Remember, guacamole does not keep well overnight in the refrigerator, so if you are just serving this as a side dish or for a smaller crowd then scale back accordingly.

 

Southwest Corn Guacamole

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 ears of corn, grilled and kernels cut off

2 plum tomatoes

1 bunch green onions

3 avocados, diced

2 jalapenos, minced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Chili powder

Ground coriander

Kosher Salt

Directions:

Oil the corn; sprinkle with chili powder, ground coriander and kosher salt. Grill the corn, the plum tomatoes, and scallions, 5-7 minutes or until slightly charred (you might have to remove the tomatoes before the corn).

Chop the scallions and tomatoes; mash with 3 diced avocados, jalapenos, cilantro, and the lime juice. Add the corn kernels and season with chili powder, coriander and salt. Serve immediately with your favorite tortilla chips.

Adapted from: Food Network Magazine

Tandoori Chicken

I have never cared for the spice ginger much. I don't know what it is about it, but a lot of times I feel like it overpowers the food itself. On the other hand, I love Asian food and many recipes do call for ginger in either dry or fresh form. Often, I would just reduce the ginger so I wouldn't be able to taste it on my first bite.

I guess things are changing around here and I'm a "ginger-convert". A few weeks ago my baking friend Grapefruit suggested Gingered Carrot Cookies for our bi-weekly Baking with Dorie Challenge and I loved them so much I have baked them several times since.

So when the newest Food Network Magazine arrived and I saw the Tandoori Chicken in their "Weeknight Cooking" column I wasn't turned off right away, in fact, I was intrigued. After further examination of the recipe and seeing that it called for a big 2-inch chunk of fresh ginger I was getting doubtful, but decided it was as good of a time as ever to get over my ginger phobia.

The recipe is easily put together, the meat only marinates a total of about 20 minutes. My husband decided to throw the chicken thighs on the grill which gave them a nice bit of char and added another dimension of flavor to the chicken. I served this chicken with the yogurt sauce (which helps tone down some of the heat) called for in the recipe, rice and a simple side salad.

The verdict? I was in love with this chicken as was the rest of the family. We all couldn't get enough of this meal. The ginger taste was there, but along with all the other spices and ingredients it didn't overpower anything, just enhance. This dish is going in my permanent recipe files and will be made many more times. I hope you'll give this one a try as well!

Tandoori Chicken

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients: 
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds)
Juice of 1 Lemon
Kosher Salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons plain yogurt (I used Greek style)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 small red onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 3/4 teaspoons hot paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Cooked rice, for serving (optional)

Directions: 
Preheat the broiler.* Make shallow cuts in the chicken thighs with a sharp knife. Toss the chicken with the lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a large bowl.

Pulse 2 tablespoons yogurt, the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, coriander, cumin,
1 1/2 teaspoons  paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor to make a paste. Toss the chicken in the mixture and let marinate 15 minutes.

Place the chicken on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil, turning once, until slightly charred and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 165 degrees F, 5 to 6 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon paprika, the cilantro and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Top the chicken with the yogurt sauce and serve with rice, if desired.


Note: If you have the opportunity to grill the chicken thighs on a charcoal or even a gas grill, I would suggest going that route as it adds so much flavor.

Adapted from: Food Network Magazine

Jerk Turkey Burgers with Mango Slaw

We love to BBQ all year round. Fortunately, we live in an area where the weather is fairly moderate in the winter months so we can continue to grill when many people in other parts of the country have to put their BBQ's in the garage or basement for the season. Burgers are always a big hit at our house and considering how quickly they come together it is certainly just as fast as driving to any fast food joint.

My husband is the grill master at our house. Grilling is his main passion. So while he does his magic on the grill, I'm usually the one getting all of the condiments ready for the burgers. The status quo in our household usually consist of a standard beef burger along with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and of course cheese.

After I got my newest Food Network Magazine and started flipping through the pages my eyes caught one of their "Weeknight Cooking" meals. It was for Jerk Turkey Burgers with Mango Slaw. Now this one sounded very interesting. I read through the ingredients and figured I should try this Burger at least once. The burger doesn't require much more time than any other burger but the flavor was out of this world. It had the spice from the jerk seasoning (recipe follows), the sweetness from the slaw and the mayonnaise along with the bun which complimented everything. The ground turkey mixed with the apple (which you can't detect once cooked) was juicy and full of incredible flavor. I'm not the world's biggest mango chutney fan (maybe homemade tastes better than store bought) but in combination with the slaw and the mayonnaise it just works. The original recipe called for shredded cabbage and shredded carrot, but in order to streamline this process I just went with store bought coleslaw mix and it worked like a charm.

We all loved this burger. The only one who wasn't crazy about it was my youngest child, but he is a hardcore cheeseburger kid. This burger will be making an encore throughout our grilling season for sure. This was definitely not your standard "fast-food" burger and I'm looking forward to finding more unique burger recipes like this, so stay tuned!

Jerk Turkey Burgers with Mango Slaw

~serves 6~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

2 tablespoons jerk seasoning, plus more for sprinkling *(recipe follows)

1 medium green apple, peeled and grated

1/2 cup green onions, finely chopped, divided

1/3 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/3 cup mayonnaise, plus more for brushing

1/3 cup mango chutney, roughly chopped

4 cups coleslaw mix with carrots

Canola oil, for the grill

6 hamburger buns, split

Directions:

Preheat a grill grill pan to medium high. Mix the turkey, jerk seasoning, apple, 1/4 cup green onions and the panko in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Form into 6 1-inch thick patties and make a small indentation in the middle of each with your thumb to prevent it from puffing up on the grill. Refrigerate.

Whisk the mayonnaise and chutney in a large bowl. Add the coleslaw mix and the remaining 1/4 cup green onion, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Brush the grill with canola oil. Grill the turkey patties until browned and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Brush the cut sides of the buns with mayonnaise and sprinkle with jerk seasoning; toast on the grill, about 30 seconds. Serve the burgers and slaw on the buns.

Jerk Seasoning

~makes 1/2 cup~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon onion flakes

2 teaspoons ground thyme

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons dried chives

Directions:

Mix together all the ingredients. Store leftovers in a tightly closed glass jar. It will keep its strength for over a month. 

Use 1 1/2 tablespoons of seasoning for each pound of meat.

On the Go Breakfast Burritos

My oldest child is notorious for setting her alarm clock, then hitting snooze over and over until dad finally wakes her up which is usually about 10 minutes before they have to hit the road to get to school and work. Since my oldest also never wants to take a lunch, a decent breakfast will tie her over until school ends for the day.

We've tried several things and while she enjoys grabbing a muffin or a even a granola bar she definitely loves savory breakfasts much more. Her dad is the same way. He will eat something "sweet" for breakfast but he'll go nuts over traditional bacon and sausage especially if it's doused in hot sauce or salsa.

We have played with the Breakfast Burrito for some time now and quite frankly this is such a versatile dish that you can pretty much add whatever floats your boat short of the kitchen sink. The breakfast burritos are the perfect portable size but they keep you full for a long time. When I make these I usually make a big batch to freeze, as it is so easy for my loved ones to grab one out of the freezer, toss it in the microwave for about 1 minute and 20 seconds and off they go (paper towel in hand of course).

I think these Burritos are a great alternative for anyone who regularly wonders what to grab in the mornings and then usually ends up spending a small fortune somewhere on their way to work at a fast food place. Give them a try, who knows you might end up stocking your freezer with them as well.

On the Go Breakfast Burritos

~makes about 20~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds Chorizo, any kind

1 large red onion, chopped

2 cups mixed bell peppers, chopped

1 serrano pepper, finely minced

1 can (4 ounce) diced green chiles

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

12 large eggs, beaten

12 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

20 (8-inch) Tortillas 

Wax Paper and Ziploc Bags for freezing

Directions:

In a large pan cook Chorizo on medium-high heat. Drain some of the excess fat. Add the onion, bell peppers and serrano pepper and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the green chiles, garlic powder, ground cumin, salt and black pepper and cook for another 1 minute. Add the eggs to the pan on medium heat and start scrambling the mixture. This can take anywhere from 4 to 8 minutes. Add the cheddar cheese and combine. Let the mixture hang out on the heat for a few more minutes to "dry" it out.

Take your tortillas, place 1/2 cup of filling into each and roll them up "Burrito style" making sure to roll them tight and tuck the ends in. Wrap the cooled Burritos in wax paper before placing them in gallon sized Ziploc freezer bags. Freeze for up to 2 months.

To reheat the burritos, place frozen burritos in microwave and microwave in wax paper for 1 to 2 minutes (depending on microwave) or until hot. Or you can defrost them overnight in the refrigerator and warm in oven or pan fry.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

Asian Slaw

I like cabbage - I always have, even as a little girl. Maybe it had to do with the fact that I grew up in Germany and I was always exposed to Sauerkraut from a young age. Or, maybe it was because my mom always had red and white cabbage in her garden and with that, there was never a lack of cabbage dishes especially in the winter months. Whatever the reason though I still love it to this day and I'm glad the rest of my family shares my love.

One of my favorite side dishes for a BBQ meal is Coleslaw. Unfortunately creamy coleslaw isn't always the perfect accompaniment. A couple of weeks ago it was one of those occasions. We had decided on a Korean BBQ for dinner. Deliciously marinated chicken, short ribs and flank steak along with rice which was the obvious choice but I wasn't sure what else to serve. I had made an Asian Cucumber Salad before that was well received but a quick look in the fridge and I saw that I was out of red onions and cucumbers. After further investigation of my vegetable drawer I decided on making an Asian Slaw.

A lot of recipes online for Asian Slaw called for Nappa Cabbage and while there is absolutely nothing wrong with Nappa Cabbage (in fact we really like it) it wasn't what I was going for. After looking at several recipes I took a little bit of this and little bit of that out of all of them and came up with my own version containing a bag of coleslaw mix along with bell peppers, serrano chillies, green onions, cilantro and a fantastic dressing which turned this into a show stopper worthy of any Asian meal.

We really enjoyed this slaw, so if this inspired you as well then give it a try at your next BBQ or Potluck.

Asian Slaw

~serves 6~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 lime, juiced

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 bag coleslaw mix with carrots

1 red bell pepper, julienne fine

2 serrano chiles, minced fine

3 green onions, cut on the bias, all of white part and half of the green

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

In a small bowl, or food processor combine ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, oil, and peanut butter.  In a large bowl combine all the other ingredients and the toss with dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

Snappy Deviled Eggs

Deviled Eggs and Easter go together hand in hand. My kids love them and so do I. My husband who is not the world's biggest egg fan will not touch most deviled eggs but he will eat mine. The secret to mine that makes them irresistible to him is plain old hot sauce, which will take any deviled egg to the next level.

Deviled eggs are an easy, portable (especially if you have a carrier) party or celebration food and I guarantee that your plate will always be empty when you return home. 

First the eggs are hard boiled. I find that if the eggs are a few days old rather than very fresh ones they peel much better. The eggs are then cut and the egg yolk is scooped out and mixed with mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, vinegar and of course hot sauce. I really like the taste of Louisiana Hot Sauce but any kind you like will do.  In order to provide the smoothest, creamiest consistency I use my trusty immersion blender. After the mixture is blended well I fill it into a piping bag with a big star tip and pipe it back into the egg halves. You can also use a round tip or in a pinch, use a ziploc bag and just snip the corner off your bag to the desired size, then pipe away. After the eggs are filled, I sprinkle them with a little bit of sharp paprika for an additional little kick. 

I hope you'll give my snappy eggs a try, who knows, maybe you'll be able to convert an egg-hater as well.

Snappy Deviled Eggs

~makes 20 halves~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

10 large eggs, hard boiled

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon sour cream

2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1 teaspoon vinegar

1-2 teaspoons hot sauce (your favorite kind)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Paprika for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

Peel and halve hard boiled eggs lengthwise and remove yolks. Place yolks in a bowl along with mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, vinegar and hot sauce. With the immersion blender mix everything to desired consistency (you can use a fork and mash if you don't have a blender). Season with salt and pepper. Pipe egg mixture back into egg halves. Garnish with paprika.

No More "Supermarket" Salsa (Verde Edition)

After successfully creating No More "Supermarket" Salsa a few weeks ago my Mexican food loving husband decided that he wasn't going to purchase Salsa Verde anymore either at the grocery store. So I left the task up to him to find a recipe and make it work for our tastes. 

We had this Salsa with the "Oven fried" chicken Chimichangas and it tasted wonderful together. This salsa is very versatile and will work with a variety of dishes,  even on top of Huevos Rancheros for a tasty breakfast.

This salsa takes only slightly longer then it's red counterpart. There is a little cooking involved but start to finish this didn't take longer then 30 minutes. The key is the tomatillos, which along with spices and cilantro make this salsa so much better then anything you could buy. As an additional bonus it doesn't have any dreaded additives that are just not necessary for taste. This will keep for a good week in the refrigerator  or you could even go ahead, put it in jars and go through the canning process since the added vinegar will work as your preservative. Just a word of advice: this makes quite a bit of Salsa Verde, so feel free to half the recipe with the same great results.

No More "Supermarket" Salsa (Verde Edition)

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

10-12 Tomatillos, husked

1 medium white onion, rough chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Jalapeno Peppers, rough chopped

1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 teaspoons Kosher Salt, divided

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

2 limes, juiced

Directions:

Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, oregano, cumin and 2 teaspoons salt into a pot. Add chicken broth, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the tomatillos are soft, 10-15 minutes.

Strain the vegetables from the liquid (reserving liquid) and place in food processor or blender.  Carefully puree the tomatillo mixture adding reserved liquid until smooth and desired consistency is reached.

Stir in lime juice and remaining teaspoon of Kosher salt to taste.