Secret Recipe Club: Cranberry Salsa Dip

It's my favorite time of the month!  Secret Recipe Club Reveal time!

This month, I was assigned the blog I Was Born To Cook.  I wasn't familiar with this blog, but I found tons of great things - and Melissa is definitely true to her blog's name - she was born to cook!

I've been on a cranberry kick lately (I know they're a tad out of season, but hey, I've never been one to let that stop me from feeding a craving!).  This Cranberry Salsa was the perfect lazy Sunday snack.  Both Andy and I found ourselves going back for more - this definitely will be on rotation when we have a snack craving!

The only change I made was that I used dried cranberries, and just rehydrated them in some apple juice for about 30 minutes.  Also I omitted the sugar and the jalapenos (mostly because I forgot that they were on the ingredient list, but the dip tasted just fine without them, although next time I definitely will not be forgetting the jalapeno - we could all use a little spice in our lives!)

Ingredients:
Adapted from I Was Born To Cook's Recipe

1 cup dried cranberries
1 & 1/2 cups apple juice
juice from 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro
2 green onions, chopped
salt, to taste
8 oz. cream cheese, softened

Place the cranberries in a small bowl and pour apple juice over top.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes to rehydrate.  Drain.

In a blender (I've been experimenting with my new Magic Bullet - it actually is pretty awesome), combine the cranberries, lime, cilantro, green onions, and salt.  Puree until you reach your desired consistency.

Place the cream cheese on the center of a plate.  Spread the cranberry mixture over top and serve with crackers.  Prepare to get your snack on!

Like I said, this was an awesome dip, just different enough to make you say "Wow!"  I'll definitely be checking out Melissa's blog from now on because she's always coming up with tasty eats!

Want to join the Secret Recipe Club?  Check out the website now!  Be paired off with another "Secret" blogger and enjoy the fun of seeing someone recreate a recipe of yours as well!  All the cool kids are doing it =)

Scallops with Honeydew-Avocado Salsa

Lately I've been overwhelmed with emotions.  I mean, in exactly one week, I'll be an official student in Sullivan University's Culinary Arts program.  I'm scared.  Scared that I won't be good enough.  Excited. Excited that I'm taking a leap of faith.  And ready.  Ready for anything that's thrown at me. 

It will be a big change.  One of the biggest decisions I've made in my life to just jump into something new.  Something that I'm passionate about.  Something that won't make me a lot of money.  But you know what.  I don't care about money, never did.  As long as I have a roof over my head, food in my belly, and my bills are paid - I'm content.  I want to do something that will truly make me happy at the end of the day.  And I feel that taking this leap of faith and starting into a career that I truly feel that I can succeed in - will keep me happy at the end of every day.

So I wanted to let you know that starting next week, I may not be as present in the blogosphere.  I'm going to see how my new schedule affects my day-to-day and then revamp my blogging schedule accordingly.  Maybe I'll even do a new post series of "what-I've-learned-in-culinary-school-this-week".  Who knows.  But bear with me.  Stay with me.  I promise I won't disappear.  And hell, who knows - maybe I'll still be able to post daily like I try to do now.

Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's recipe

Zest of 1 lime
juice from 1 lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small honeydew melon, rind removed and diced
1 avocado, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
16 sea scallops
Black beans, optional

In a medium bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, and olive oil.  Toss in the melon and avocado and coat well with lime-olive oil mixture.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Brush the scallops with olive and season with salt and pepper.  Heat a large skillet under medium high heat.  Sear scallops for about 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. 

Serve the scallops with the honeydew salsa and black beans.

This dish was simple and made us feel real good after eating it.  And not to mention it's just darn pretty to look at!

Speaking of pretty to look at, we recently had one of Andy's friends over for dinner.  His girlfriend happens to be the pastry chef for the restaurant Proof On Main, here in Louisville.  She brought dessert - a corn gelato (Oh. my. god. was it good!) and chocolate cake.  Just look at how awesome this looks!

And talking with her really excited me for the upcoming weeks.  They both loved the dinner I cooked them, which I was nervous about because I've never had a true culinary professional eat something I've made.  And she told me about her journey to becoming the pastry chef she is today which was definitely inspiring, as well.  She's even trying to start her own business - Sugar Monster Sweets
I mean, just checking out those cakes makes me jealous of her mad skills!  Anybody in Louisville or the surrounding areas in need of a cake or sweet treat of any kind should definitely look into her!

Hope you guys have a great Tuesday!

Strawberry-Cucumber Salsa

It's almost Friday! Woohoo!

I have to work on Saturday, so I still have 2 more days to go, as opposed to most of you who just have 1, but that's fine with me!  A weekend is a weekend. 

I've discovered a new route to work, which involves taking the scenic route downtown, but it avoids the congested highway and gets me to work on time - without me having to leave any earlier than normal.  So score one for me!

I know this is late in the season, fresh strawberries are hard to come by - but that doesn't necessarily stop me from making this.  It's a great condiment for tacos or fish, and even better as a replacement for tomato-based salsa as a dip for tortilla chips!  I've been in a real dippy mood the past couple of days, haven't I?  Sorry, can't help it!

Ingredients:
Adapted from Perry's Plate's recipe

10 strawberries, diced
1/2 English cucumber, diced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
small handful of cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

In a medium bowl, combine strawberries, cucumber, scallion, cilantro, and jalapeno.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve with tortilla chips or as a topping for fish or tacos!

Well, I'm off to enjoy a nice bowl of some carrot-ginger soup and some of Andy's famous grilled cheese!  Have a great night guys!

Springtime Salsa

Hey guys!  Happy Friday to ya!  Am I ever happy for this week to be over with!  It's just been quite hellish, to tell you the truth.  And after my shift tomorrow morning, I'll have Sunday and Monday off, so I'm definitely looking forward to some rest!

On a side note - sorry if any of you tried to visit the blog the past day or so - Blogger was apparently working out some kinks and removed Wednesday's & Thursday's post amidst all the craziness!  They're back now though, so all is (seemingly) back to normal!

Anyway, no big plans for the weekend - just relaxing!  How about you guys?

I know I'll be finishing off this salsa, because it was super delicious!  Next time, I'll probably make my own tortilla chips, though - has anyone noticed that store-bought tortilla chips just keep getting saltier and saltier?  I felt like I was eating a salt lick by eating the ones pictures with the salsa! 

Ingredients:

28 oz. can whole tomatoes, with juice 
1-2 jalapeno peppers (depending on how spicy you want it! - I only removed half of the seeds, I live on the edge!)
1/2 small onion
small handful cilantro
salt and pepper, to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, combine tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, onion, and cilantro.  Puree until smooth (or keep it chunky - it's your salsa, get it to your liking!).  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. 

Bam!  You've got yourself salsa in about 10 minutes.  Seriously, I'll be eating salsa with everything now that the weather is warm and sunny!  It's just one of those "sunshine" foods, don't you think?  And of course, you could always use fresh tomatoes - but it's still a little too early for my garden beauties, and I just had a can in the pantry, so I said why not?


What's your favorite way to make salsa?

Anyway, sorry for the short and simple posts this week!  I'm still working on getting the congestion out of my head from being sick and it's just easier to do simple things right now!  So I promise I'll be back Monday with some awesome stuff (esp. Derby Pie Fudge!!)

Have a great weekend guys!

CSA Week #1

I figured since our CSA started yesterday, I'd do a special weekly post every Thursday from now on! 

The mass amount of rain had a big effect on many Kentucky farms so our first share wasn't as plentiful as Grasshopper's had hoped for us.  But you know... that's also the risk you take with joining a CSA.  You benefit when the farmers benefit.  But you also go through the sparse times also.  I think it kind of gives you perspective of how the weather really effects the produce we receive.  Me?  I'm not complaining at all, because I definitely appreciate all that our local farms do for us and I'm happy to get anything and support our farmers!

Grasshopper's Distribution does a good job with substituting some canned produce in these times, so we're very lucky either way!

So this was our box this week...

Lots of greenery, obviously!  The contents included:

• green onions
• mixed greens
• head lettuce (which still had the roots attached so I chopped the top off and planted the root part in my garden... all you avid gardeners out there - was that a good idea or am I just a novice idiot? lol)
• pint of strawberries
• bunch of swiss chard
• bottle of Bourbon Barrel Foods Soy Sauce
• jar of pumpkin butter
• jar of salsa

All locally made products!

Some beautiful strawberries!

So yeah, that was our haul this week.  You guys have any recipe ideas for me?  I'm in the process of making some strawberry shortcakes with some of those strawberries, so that should be delicious!

If you guys received a CSA this week, what did you end up getting?  I'd love to have a weekly round-up of your CSA goodies (if you participate in one), or even if you made a weekly visit to your Farmer's market - I'd love to see the local produce everyone gets!  So feel free to e-mail a snapshot of your goods (as well as your name and blog title (and don't worry if you don't have a blog, your name will be just fine!) as well as link to your blog) at mtlabor85 (at) yahoo (dot) com and I'll post them in next Thursday's CSA post!  

Flank Steak Tacos

This past Sunday, I had a few friends over for a little shindig.  I was kind of worried because there was a forecast that it was supposed to rain all day, but you know what?  It didn't rain a drop!  And it was great because for the first time this year, we got to eat out back on the patio.  It was the perfect weather, the perfect company, and some damn delicious food!

We've been on a healthy kick this week, and this was a perfect way to start it off.  The simplicity of the salsa and the lean cut of meat made for a delicious meal!  Even mocha was happy about it -

Ingredients:
Adapted from Food & Wine's recipe

3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 scallions, chopped
small handful of cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno, halfway seeded (I like the heat) and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large flank steak (about 1-2 lbs.)
olive oil, for rubbing
warm flour tortillas, optional
sour cream, optional
1 onion, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced

Light a charcoal grill under medium high heat.

Take a medium sized sheet (12 by 12 inches) of aluminum foil and place onions and both bell peppers in the middle.  Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Gently toss and fold over edges of aluminum foil to loosely enclose ingredients.  Place on indirect heat on the grill and allow to cook for about 20-25 minutes or until softened, but still somewhat crisp.

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, mint, jalapeno, garlic, and lemon juice.  Mix well and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Rub the flank steak on both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill over high heat until charred and cooked to about medium rare to medium, about 8 minutes per side.  It really depends on the size of your flank steak on this one, the timing can vary. (I think I had a steak a little under 2 lbs.)

Transfer steak to a cutting board to rest for about 5 minutes before cutting. 

Warm your tortillas on the grill for about 30 seconds, if you want to.

Now I know this may be blasphemy, but I first cut the steak in half, along the grain.  I wouldn't normally do this, but the steak was so wide and I didn't want huge slices in my small tortillas.  Then slice against the grain and transfer slices to a platter.

Place about 3-4 steak slices in the tortilla shells and top with salsa, grilled vegetables, and sour cream. 

We served this with a side of rice and black beans.  It was seriously the perfect springtime meal.  We couldn't have asked for better weather (the breeze was light, the warmth was perfect!).  So next time you're in a rut for what to make... let this be it!  You won't be sorry!  Enjoy your Wednesday guys!

Mexican BLTs

I didn't say it wasn't messy.

I've been making a lot of sandwiches lately.  I blame it on my new found love (and New Year's resolution) of making our own bread.  There's just something about a freshly made loaf that makes a sandwich better, don't you think?

So the other day, I came home to a box from Foodbuzz.  Inside was some Pace Picante Sauce, thanks to Foodbuzz's Tastemakers program.  I'll be honest, I don't usually buy salsa at the grocery.  I prefer mine chunky and fresh.  But Pace is different.  It reminds me of being at a Mexican restaurant.  The salsa is usually thin and packs some heat.

I pondered what I would make with the sauce.  Should I stick with a Mexican theme since it made me nostalgic?  Or should I go a different route?  If you know me, I don't like to go with the obvious, so of course, I had to do something out of the box.  And so ties in my love for sandwiches.  BLT's in particular.


Ingredients:
Adapted from Mommy Cooks!'s recipe

Fresh baked bread, sliced
olive oil
pinch of cumin powder
pinch of chipotle chili powder  
8 slices of thick-cut bacon
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Pace Picante Sauce
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
1 tomato, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 F.




Place bacon a rack over a baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 15-20 minutes.  Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Brush the olive oil over the top of the pieces of bread.  Sprinkle cumin and chipotle chili powder over top of bread slices.

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, Pace Picante sauce, and the chopped poblano pepper.

Spread the mixture over the top of your bread slices.

Top bread slices with pepper jack cheese (you can do one slice if you want, but I like the cheese coming at me from both ends!)



Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and bake for about 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is nice and melted.  You could always broil it also if you want the cheese to brown and crunch up a bit.

My bacon slices were pretty long so I just snapped them in half.  Place about 4-6 pieces of bacon (and of course, you could get buck wild and go with more if you're so inclined) on top of one slice of bread.  Top with a tomato slice and finally some romaine lettuce.  Close sandwich with another slice of bread.

This was one hell of a BLT.  It comes mighty close to beating my ultimate favorite BLATE (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato, Egg - of the poached variety, of course).  I loved the salsa/mayo mixture, which is odd because I usually stray away from mayo at all costs.  This was new to me, this was fresh, and it was a different way to use up some Pace Picante!  Definitely give it a go if you're in the mood for a delicious BLT!

* The Pace Picante Sauce was provided to me by Foodbuzz's Tastemakers program and no additional compensation was given.  The opinions of this post are strictly my own.

* This post was also entered to take part in Foodbuzz & Denny's BACONALIA challenge for a chance to win.

Shrimp Tempura Tacos

TGIF!  That's what I screamed when I woke up this morning.  Well, not literally, but just inside of my head.  But seriously.  Thank. Goodness. It's. Friday.

Definitely have a good weekend lined up.  It's the birthday weekend of a couple pharmacists I know, so we're going out for sushi tomorrow night.  Pretty amped about that because I could use a good meal of sushi right about now!

And I've decided to do something pretty cool here soon.  I've decided to kind of expand my "culinary abilities" and recreate dishes that I've had at restaurants.  I know... nothing new.  People do that all the time.  But I'm going to combine restaurant reviews and meals I've eaten and compare them to what I actually make at home.  Kind of like a side-by-side comparison of sorts.  Don't get it?  Well... the first post will be sometime in the next couple of weeks, and maybe it will be clearer then.

Anyway, this recipe was kind of an evolution of an idea really.  I had set out to make some shrimp ceviche, but then wanted tacos.  So shrimp ceviche tacos sounded pretty good.  Then I opened up the pantry and saw some tempura mix, and it was on.  Shrimp.  Tempura.  Tacos.  Oh yeah.

Oh, and don't forget this week's dessert poll at the end of the post!!


Ingredients:   

1 lb. frozen shrimp, defrosted
2 cups tempura batter
vegetable oil for frying
1 english cucumber, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
small handful cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
corn tortillas, warmed
shredded cheddar cheese, optional
rice and salsa, for serving

In a large bowl, combine shrimp and tempura batter.  (A lot of Asian markets cell tempura batter mix and it's pretty easy... mine was a "just add water" kind of thing and tastes pretty great)  And of course, you could always make up your own tempura mix, but I had the pre-made stuff handy, so that's what I used.  Let sit for about 3-5 minutes.

In a heavy, deep pan or pot, heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil.  You know it's hot enough when you add a little bit of the tempura batter and it sizzles.

Add shrimp and cook for about 1-2 minutes per side, or until the tempura is crispy and golden brown.

Transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper.


In a small bowl, combine the cucumber, tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Mix well.

To assemble tacos, place a thin layer of shredded cheese on each tortilla, then add a few shrimp (about 3-4 per taco), and top with cucumber/tomato salsa.

We served the tacos with some rice (which I basically just cooked in the rice cooker and added about a 1/2-3/4 cup of salsa to and mixed).

This made for a great impromptu taco.  The flavors were fresh and I loved the contrast of the fried tempura shrimp and the delicate salsa.  Definitely a winner in my book!

Have a great weekend guys!


And for the poll this week, I'm feeling like I want to make some cheesecake... so here's some flavors (don't know if some of them actually exist... but hey... I will make it happen if it wins!)

Green Pepper Hot Sauce

How was everyone's weekend?  Ours was pretty laid back.  We went to eat at that Colombian restaurant on Friday and definitely had some good grub!  Saturday we both worked and were pretty exhausted by the end of the day so we just stayed in and watched a movie.  Sunday, was of course, football day!  My Eagles won and I definitely won 2 out of 3 of my fantasy football leagues, so all in all... a good weekend.

Hot sauces has been one of those things that I've tried thousands of... purchased or perused... but never really thought to make one from scratch.  A couple weeks ago I made some Homemade Potato Chips and wanted something to dip them in that wasn't your normal potato chip-type dip. 

Now I know you're first thought was pretty much... "you're going to dip your potato chips into hot sauce?"  And I know, crazy, right?  But hey, it worked and it was pretty tasty!  Pretty good for my first try at hot sauce, and the recipe pretty much used up ingredients I had laying around the kitchen!  So score!

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon coriander
1 jalapeno, roughly chopped (I kept the seeds, if you want to do this without them, you surely can)
1 green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 roma tomato, roughly chopped

Easy prep on this too because you pretty much just place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times until you get your desired consistency.

This was uniquely spicy and if anything, could pass as a "sloppy salsa".  It's not too pretty, but it was tasty.  And in the end, that's what really matters right?  So throw this on whatever!  Sandwiches, tacos, fish, steak... the possibilities are endless.  And as for pairing well with the potato chips?  It was unique, but highly satisfying!  Enjoy!

And hey guys!  If you have the time (please say you do!) head on over to Foodbuzz's Project Food Blog page and vote for my blog to become the "Next Food Blog Star!"  (the link is to the right --->) I greatly appreciate all of your comments and continued readership!

Shredded Chicken Tacos

How was everyone's weekend? Mine... pretty eventful. Of course, being in Louisville, it was the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. A pretty rainy day, but had a few beers with friends, which is always good. I don't do any betting, so I can't say I won any money, but nonetheless, a good time.

I'm happy to say that today was my last day of class for the semester. I now have a FULL summer off, no class, just work (which I can deal with)... so plenty more free time.

Speaking of which, I've got a busy May planned. My sister has asked me to cater her sorority formal at the end of the month and I'm scared and excited at the same time. I pretty much have to make enough food for about 30-40 people (it was supposed to be 60+, so it's a tad bit less stressful, but still...) Anybody have any good tips on how to cater for large groups of people? I figure they're college students, so it can't be too hard to give them something other than ramen noodles and easy mac... right?

Anyway, I love tacos because they're quick, they're versatile, and they're pretty much delicious any way you stack 'em up!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 & 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
3 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
1 cup salsa
1 cup chicken stock
juice from 1 lime
tortillas
jalapenos
shredded cheese
sour cream

In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil under medium high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes or so.

Stir in cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.

Add in chicken in one layer, then top with salsa and chicken stock. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. (You could honestly cook for longer if you're using chicken thighs because it's practically impossible to overcook them)

Remove the chicken and let cool on a cutting board for about 5-10 minutes. Continue to heat sauce under medium heat.

Shred chicken with forks and add back into sauce. Stir in lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

Assemble tacos any way you like, we like adding some shredded cheddar cheese, pickled jalapenos, and sour cream.

These were pretty fantastic. They were ready in no time, and definitely made for lots of leftovers. Enjoy!

Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Quesadillas

Ok, quesadillas are a no brainer. Pretty much one of the easiest and most delicious things you can make. Quite versatile, throw anything in there and add cheese... voila, quesadilla. I really like this version because the chicken tastes really delicious in the mix with all the other ingredients. It's a simple dinner, but it's also a quick and filling one!

On a side note, Top Chef Masters starts on Bravo tonight so be sure to watch it!

Ingredients:
Adapted from the Rocco Dispirito cookbook "Now Eat This!"

6 8-inch tortillas
2 cups monterrey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup cotija cheese, grated
1 large chicken breast
1 red bell pepper
Fresh salsa
small handful cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper
non-stick cooking spray
sour cream (optional)
Hot or mild taco sauce (optional)

Preheat your oven to 400 F. Sprinkle chicken breast with salt and pepper and place in glass baking dish. Bake in over for about 20-30 minutes, turning once, until chicken is cooked through.

Allow chicken to cool, then shred or cut into small pieces.

While the chicken is cooling, set your oven broiler to high and place red pepper on closest rack to broiler (without touching the actual broiler, of course). Char the pepper on all sides, about 5-10 minutes. Let cool in brown paper bag (this will let the pepper steam and allow for easier peeling of the charred skin). Peel pepper and evenly dice into small 1/2 inch pieces.

Heat a large skillet (about the size of the tortilla rounds) under medium high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place 1 tortilla on skillet, add a small handful of chicken, some red pepper strips, a little bit (or a lotta bit) or both cheeses, a couple tablespoons of salsa, a pinch of chopped cilantro, and salt and pepper. Then top with another tortilla and cook until bottom is golden, about 4-5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook until remaining side is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 4-5 more minutes.

Repeat with remaining tortillas to make 2 more additional quesadillas.

Cut the rounds into quarters, like a pizza, and serve with sour cream and taco sauce, if desired.

See... easy. And the reward is a delicious cheesy quesadilla that's full of flavor! Enjoy!