Working late really messes with my dinner making plans. When I get home later than expected, I can’t justify making a big meal, mainly because I’m already hungry and just want to eat as soon as possible. This recipe for Chicken and Guacamole Tostadas is perfect for nights like that, it uses shredded rotisserie chicken so that the recipe comes together in no time!
You’ll still notice that the photos are, well, crummy. I was super hungry and had to eat ASAP; the tostadas looked so good!
Ingredients:
1 ripe peeled avocado
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato, divided
3 tablespoons minced fresh onion, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
the juice of 2 limes, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
There are some really fantastic sounding recipes in this cookbook. Just look at how I tabbed this book trying to decide which to make for this post!
Included in the cookbook, which features 120 recipe, are:
Forbidden Rice with Hearts of Palms, Mushrooms and a Jalapeno Vinaigrette
Bay Shrimp with Cannellini Beans dressed in Shallots and Cayenne Pepper
Red Miso Short Rib Braise
Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
Unique Lemonade concoctions like Peach Ginger, Pear Basil, and Cantaloupe Sage
With descriptions like that, I have to point out that these recipes are surprisingly unfussy and manageable to make at home. I decided to make the salmon because 1. it sounds delicious and 2. I have never poached fish before and I love trying out new techniques.
This recipe takes about 40 minutes from start to finish so it is great for a special weeknight dinner (or as a mid-week pick me up!) I changed the ingredients ever so slightly so to see the original, check out the cookbook, available in stores now!
I received a fun challenge from the Mystery Ingredient Blogger Showcase a few weeks back: have a mystery ingredient sent my way and come up with my very own recipe using it.
I received the package last week and found the following inside:
Coleman’s Mustard and Mustard Powder! Coleman’s has been producing mustard products in England since the early 1800’s so they know their product. As one of the oldest existing food brands, Coleman’s yellow tin is a symbol of quality mustard powder and prepared mustard.
I have never worked with mustard powder before so I wanted to use that in a recipe. I was just at a wedding in Texas and didn’t have time to get some barbecue while I was there, so I’ve had quite the craving for ribs. I have no idea what a traditional Texas barbecue sauce would be (and a friend of mine told me mine is actually more of a Kansas City sauce) but I figured mustard powder would be a great addition to my Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs and would hopefully fulfill my craving.
Coleman’s Mustard Powder is no joke; it’s pretty hot. It’s made from a mixture of both brown and white mustard seeds and heats up when added to a liquid. So I used it sparingly in the sauce but for the spice enthusiasts, feel free to increase the amount used.
This post brought to you by Campbell’s Dinner Sauces. Weekend-worthy dinners with only weekday-level effort needed! Learn more at https://www.campbell.com/sauces.
There are a bunch of reasons why people are not too keen on cooking, especially on weeknights. Not having enough time, the convenience of just ordering food, and the stress of having all of the right ingredients on hand, and the fear of messing up the recipe are common reasons.
Campbell’s has a new line of products out that alleviate a lot of the above issues: Campbell’s Skillet Sauces and Campbell’s Slow Cooker Sauces. The idea is brilliant, the sauce needed to make a delicious meal is already prepared for you. You just add your protein of choice! To learn more about the sauces, check out their interactive Facebook app that gives more information about both the Skillet and the Slow Cooker Sauces.
Because the sauces are already prepared, your cooking time is minimal. Most of the flavors would be amazing with sauteed chicken breasts, with a meal on the table in under 20 minutes! As a member of the DailyBuzz Brand Ambassador Program, I was given the chance to work with some of these new Campbell’s sauces, which are currently available in supermarkets, typically in the Gravy or Boxed Dinner Kit aisles.
I had a tough time choosing which sauce I wanted to feature on here so expect some of the other sauces to show up in the future. I decided to go with the Thai Green Curry sauce because a homemade curry can be quite time consuming, so it is super convenient to have a pre-made version.
I thought I’d snazz up my quick weeknight meal option by adding a few ingredients to the sauce that still cook up quickly: green beans and red peppers. I also used shrimp as my protein of choice. You can purchase shrimp in your supermarket in the frozen aisle. Look for the peeled and deveined ones, but be sure to grab uncooked shrimp. Shrimp cook up so quickly, and by purchasing the already cleaned ones, you’ll save yourself a bunch of time.
The Thai Green Curry Sauce includes lemongrass, basil, coconut milk, cilantro, and a subtle heat from jalapenos. There is enough sauce for 4 servings, and has just 70 calories a serving.
Gluten free baking. Does it terrify anyone else? Just me? Hm. Whelp. I finally decided it was time to conquer my fear and try my hand at it.
I was sent a copy of Kyra Bussanich’s new cookbook Sweet Cravings: 50 Seductive Desserts for a Gluten-Free Lifestylewhich makes gluten-free baking seem not-so-scary. Kyra was the first gluten free baker to win Food Network’s Cupcake Wars and has actually won twice overall so she knows her stuff! The cookbook is filled with really amazing sounding cupcakes but has a bunch of other mouthwatering baking recipes, including gluten free muffins, scones, cookies, brownies, and much more!
As I was paging through the cookbook, I came across her recipe for Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes. I just had to make them!
For every specially marked item sold, OXO is donating 25 cents in support of pediatric cancer research as a part of its $100,000 pledge to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Keep an eye out for the green sticker when buying your baking tools, every little bit helps!
Now, on to the recipe. I changed the frosting but kept the rest of the recipe intact.
I have somehow never even attempted Julia Child’s Boeuf Bourguignon. I must have skipped over that week during JC100. This dish is easily adapted for a slow cooker because it is a stew recipe that takes quite a long time to cook. This Slow Cooker Boeuf Bourguignon is a classic French comfort food, which cooks chunks of beef in a red wine-beef broth with garlic, onions, and carrots. The recipe I used is adapted from a new cookbook called The 163 Best Paleo Slow Cooker Recipes (100% Gluten-Free) by Judith Finlayson. I personally do not follow a Gluten-Free or Paleo diet (something that is probably glaringly apparent with my dairy and gluten filled posts) but have friends that do for various reasons. I wanted to learn more about Paleo and what exactly it entails so that I can hopefully post some Paleo friendly and Gluten-free recipes in the future. So what is Paleo? The general idea behind it is to eat like hunter-gatherers from the Paleolithic Age,or basically eat things in their natural state. So it is a protein-rich diet that limits carbs that are low in starch (fruits, veggies). Grains, legumes, refined sugars, and other processed foods are all not consumed on the Paelo diet. The diet also favors organic foods and meats that have been grass fed. Boeuf Bourguignon is honestly mostly Paelo to begin with. Only a few minimal changes have to be made (no traditional butter, sorry Julia). And instead of serving the stew with pasta, potatoes, or rice, the dish is just enjoyed as is. I kept to the recipe in the cookbook for the most part but did edit it ever so slightly to include the lovely mushrooms I picked up at the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival this weekend. I also substituted in Herbes de Provence because I couldn’t find my thyme anywhere. Ingredients (Serves 4):
1 tbsp clarified butter (Ghee) – make sure its organic and comes from grass fed cows (or olive oil to make dairy free)
4 slices uncured bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 lbs grass fed beef, cubed
1 lb assorted mushrooms (I used beech, oyster, and trumpet)
2 white onions, thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
2 cups organic dry red wine
1/2 cup beef stock (make sure there is no sugar added)
For some reason I really haven’t mastered the whole crispy skin thing for fish. Which is kind of ridiculous. I eat/prepare salmon probably once a week on average. Anyways, even when I fail at achieving crispy skin, I still thoroughly enjoy my salmon dish. And this is another one of those cases. This recipe should result in crispy skin. And. Well. It just didn’t, but it’s absolutely delicious anyways!
Ingredients (serves 4):
1 pint cherry tomatoes (I used heirloom)
2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
My poor slow cooker never gets a break. Even in the summer, I use it quite a bit! Slow cooker meals are great because they don’t heat up your entire kitchen, and usually make at least 8 servings, great for a party or for leftovers. Plus, you can put the ingredients in a slow cooker, go to work, and have dinner nearly finished when you return!
But I need some variety every now and then, so I decided to finally try my hand at making some. This recipe for carnitas from myrecipes.com is really simple. All of the ingredients can be found in your local grocery store.
Ingredients:
1 (3-pound) boneless pork shoulder
10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 chipotle chiles canned in adobo sauce, drained and chopped
20 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
2/3 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup fresh salsa (I have a Fresh Salsa recipe on my blog. Just omit the corn.)
Cooking Light’s August issue had a recipe for Pickapeppa Chicken and Mango Kebabs (that I plan on making soon) that required me to buy a bottle of Pickapeppa sauce. I had never heard of this sauce before and I was intrigued. It’s a Caribbean condiment referred to as “Jamaican ketchup” that is basically a sweeter A1 sauce, made with tomatoes, onions, mangoes, peppers, and other spices.
I thought this sauce sounded like it would be great on shrimp, so I decided to incorporate it into another Cooking Light recipe from the same issue: Gazpacho with Shrimp.
Ingredients:
1 (10-ounce) container grape tomatoes, divided
1 1/2 cups sliced English cucumber, divided
1 cup diced red bell pepper, divided (about 2 peppers)
3/4 cup diced Vidalia or other sweet onion, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
5/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 garlic cloves
1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes, drained
The juice of one lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ cup pickapeppa sauce
20 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 8 ounces)
I am on a bit of a peach kick at the moment. They have looked oh so amazing at the store recently, and my boyfriend is a huge fan, so why not? Expect a couple more peach recipes to show up on here in the coming weeks. (I’ll try to space them out a bit.)
A friend of mine made this absolutely delicious Honey-Ginger Sparkling Bourbon Lemonade a few months back that I haven’t stopped thinking about. It was SO good! So when I spotted Cooking Light’s recipe for a Peachy Bourbon Lemonade, I had to make it immediately, hoping it would be similarly delicious.
This lemonade is such a treat during this uncomfortably hot weather we are having. It would be just as yummy and refreshing without the bourbon (either as a non-alcoholic drink or with another spirit of choice).
Ingredients (Serves 4):
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
3 cups water
2 cups chopped, peeled peaches (I used white peaches)
¼ cup lightly packed mint leaves
6 tablespoons sugar
¾ cup bourbon
Ice
Note: Bourbon does include grains that contain gluten. However, distilled alcohol is considered gluten-free because the process of distillation removes the harmful gluten protein, which is why I have this recipe listed as gluten free. If you are highly sensitive to gluten, bourbon may be off limits for you.
I realized a few days ago that I rarely make steak. I tend to gravitate towards fish and shellfish recipes because they are usually so simple and quick to prepare on weekdays. But grilled steak is also a really great quick option, especially on hot days when you don’t want to use your stove. (Are you seeing a theme in my posts recently? My apartment is on the top floor and it gets quite warm up there in the summer months so my stove gets a break for the most part from June to August.)
The latest Cooking Light had a recipe for a simple grilled sirloin steak served with a really beautiful mango chile salad. The whole recipe from start to finish took less than 30 minutes, perfect for a weeknight!
Ingredients (serves 4):
1 pound sirloin steak, trimmed
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
The juice of one lime
1 medium ripe mango, peeled and diced (I used a Haden mango)
1 red jalapeno pepper, seeded and roughly chopped (you can use green if you can’t find red)
A few weeks ago, I had some watermelon I couldn’t finish. So I decided to blend the watermelon, drained it through a sieve, and froze it for future use. I knew I wanted to make a Watermelon Mojito and having the frozen watermelon puree would make the process much easier.
So when I was contacted by Polar Seltzer to try some of their summer seltzers, I knew the time had arrived. Even better, one of the flavors sent my way was Mint Mojito!
So I broke out the Watermelon puree and let it thaw in the refrigerator. You can also blend fresh watermelon right before making the mojitos.
Last year, I gave my dad sangria for Father’s Day. He loves sangria, so I thought I’d make it a yearly thing.
This time around though, I was also trying to sneak something by him. Instead of using sugar in the sangria, I used Monk Fruit In The Raw, a natural substitute. My father is diabetic, and Monk Fruit In The Raw is diabetic friendly (according to their website, “Monk Fruit In The Raw contains less than one gram of carbohydrates (by food exchange measure) and may be used in conjunction with food programs for people with diabetes as well as with guidelines for people with diabetes who use carbohydrate counting.”)
Now, I understand sangria in itself is not exactly diabetic friendly. But he is able to enjoy a glass or two once a year. The real reason I am trying the Monk Fruit In The Raw within the sangria is to see if he can taste a difference. You see, not only is he diabetic, but he is what some refer to as a “super taster.” He can tell you the secret ingredient in a recipe, and knows whether a wine is worth drinking. But, boy can he be picky too.
Unlike stevia, which leaves behind an aftertaste, Monk Fruit should be undetectable. So this is the first test to see if I can sneak Monk Fruit In The Raw into future recipes for my dad. So what is a Monk Fruit? Monk Fruit is a vine-ripened fruit found in Asia that kind of resembles a tiny watermelon. Monk Fruit In The Raw is made from Monk Fruit extract, which is about 300 times (!) sweeter than sugar. To make it measurable for consumption, dextrose (a natural bulking agent) is blended with the extract. Monk Fruit In The Raw also comes in a Bakers Bag, which is measurable cup-for-cup like sugar (in volume, not weight). The Bakers Bag contains Maltodextrin, which is also a natural bulking agent, that does not change the flavor of the sweetener. I used the Bakers Bag for this recipe.
I mentioned in my previous post (Prosciutto, Fig, and Arugula Flatbread with Balsamic Reduction) that I have quite a few fresh figs at the moment. No complaints here, but I do want to use them all and not waste any, figs are delicious, and grilled mission figs are the best!
Not only are grilled mission figs super tasty, but they are good for you too. (I love when that happens!) According to California Figs, one serving of fresh figs (1/2 cup or 3-4 medium figs) delivers 5 grams of fiber (20% of your suggested daily value), 354mg potassium (10% DV), and 53mg calcium (6% DV) with just 120 calories. Figs are also fat, sodium, and cholesterol free.
Dried figs are available all year round, but fresh figs have a shorter availability period. Mission Figs, which I am using in this recipe, are available longer than most figs and can be found fresh from late May through as late as November. Because they are mostly a summer produce, I just have to add them to the grill!
I also received a bunch of really awesome kitchen gadgets while at the conference. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m a huge fan of OXO and already had my own set of graters, so I actually have an extra set to give away! (Update: I actually have TWO sets to give away so there will be two lucky winners!) I use my set of graters all the time. The zester is my favorite, mainly because every time I work with any form of citrus, I make sure to zest it before juicing to add extra flavor to the dish. The coarse grater comes in handy with soft and semi-soft cheese, but can be used for anything that needs a larger grate. The medium grater is perfect for carrots, chocolate, and the like. What makes OXO stand out is the ease of use of these tools. After one use, you’ll know what I mean! So be sure to enter for a chance to win a set of these below.
Photos from OXO.com
This recipe for Grilled Mission Figs with Mascarpone and Spiced Honey is based off a recipe on Whole Living. The only large difference is that I grilled the figs beforehand.
Ingredients:
4 large fresh, ripe figs, stems trimmed, halved lengthwise
