Red-Eye Poutine

here's to Dad...

When I think about my dad and the things he likes they include: house projects (he's the ultimate fixer-upper), TV (he's master of the controller), hamburgers/hot dogs/chicken patties (he's pretty much a simple meat guy), and coffee. When I was growing up that was a very familiar smell to me every morning and on evenings when we had family or friends over. I have grown to love coffee myself (must have every morning to function!) and that started at a very young age. So, for this next series I'll be focusing on coffee and at the same time creating Dad-worthy dishes.

This dish is an appetizer my dad is sure to love - poutine. Poutine is a Canadian-born concoction of french fries, gravy, and cheddar cheese curds. If you've never had it or heard of it, check out this article. I'm twisting up this classic dish by adding coffee. I was inspired by "red-eye gravy," which is typically served with ham. My dad loves gravy and biscuits and loaded cheese fries, so I think I have a winner here. Celebrate Dad today, make this dish. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 6-8
1 (32 oz.) Bag Frozen French Fries
4 T Unsalted Butter
1/4 C All-Purpose Flour
1 Shallot, minced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 1/2 C Low-Sodium Beef Broth
1 1/2 C Brewed Coffee
2 T Ketchup
1 T Cider Vinegar
1 T Black Pepper Corns
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
10 oz. Cheddar Cheese Curds

Directions
Make the fries: Follow the baking (or frying) instructions on the bag. If baking, keep the oven warm. If not, heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Meanwhile, make the gravy: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and flour and whisk to make a roux. Add the minced shallot and garlic, cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the beef broth and coffee, whisking. Whisk in the remaining ingredients, except for the cheese curds. Increase the heat to med-high and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking, until thickened, about 15 minutes. Keep warm. Optional: Strain the gravy to remove the peppercorns.

Make the poutine: Put the fries in a shallow dish, top with the gravy and cheese curds. Put into the warm oven and bake until warmed through and the cheese begins to melt, 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately. Make this Dad-worthy meal today.

Happy Father's Day Dad!

Curry Chickpea Tikka w/ Cool Cucumber Dipping Sauce

golden as the setting sun...

For this next series of posts I'm focusing on curry powder. There are many varieties of curry powder, but ironically, they don't exist in or come from India. Instead, curry powder is thought to have been invented by the English to help recreate dishes had while in India. Thus, we have many varieties of what we call "curry powder" here in America.

So, I've created my own version of curry powder and will then incorporate it into each recipe for this series. Traditionally whole spices would be used. They would be toasted in a dry skillet and then ground with a spice grinder. I'm taking a few short cuts and using all ground spices. I hope that makes it more feasible for you to make this at home. Once the golden curry powder has been made, it can be stored for months in a cool dry place (with other spices). First, let's make the curry powder...

Ingredients - Makes ~1/2 C
2 T Ground Cumin
2 T Ground Cardamom
2 T Ground Coriander
1/4 C Ground Turmeric
1/2 T Ground Cloves
1 tsp. Ground Red Pepper (Cayenne)
1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

Directions
In a small bowl combine all of the spices. Whisk together. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Next, lets make the appetizer...

I've created this appetizer by fusing my Indian curry powder with a Middle Eastern favorite - falafel. These delicate "tikka" or chickpea balls are made in a food processor, rolled in panko, and originally were to be fried. However, I found that the tikka were too delicate to be fried. So, to avoid disaster, I put them into a well oiled mini muffin tin to bake. This recipe is quite delicious, but it was definitely trial and error on my part. I've therefore adjusted this recipe and I believe it will work just fine for you! Let me know if it doesn't. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Makes ~20
Curry Chickpea Tikka
2 Cans Low-Sodium Chickpeas, rinsed & drained
2 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
1 Inch Ginger, peeled & roughly chopped
2-3 Green Onions, roughly chopped
1/2 C Cilantro
1/2 Lemon, juiced
1 T Curry Powder (recipe above)
1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1-1 1/2 C Panko Bread Crumbs
Cooking Spray

Cool Cucumber Dipping Sauce
1 C Low-Fat Greek Yogurt
1/2 Cucumber, shredded & squeezed dry
1/2 Lemon, juiced
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Directions
Make the curry powder following the directions above. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine the chickpeas, garlic, ginger, green onions, cilantro, lemon juice, and curry powder in a food processor. Pulse 10-15 times to finely chop everything. Then, with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil and continue to process until a thick paste forms. Don't add too much oil. This will cause the paste to become too soft and you won't be able to make the balls.

Next, make the tikka by rolling ~2 T chickpea mixture into a ball. Roll the ball in the panko, pressing a bit to help it adhere. Continue making the tikka until all of the chickpea mixture has been used up. Then, liberally spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Put the tikka into the mini muffin cups and then liberally spray each with the cooking spray. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Cool and serve.

While the tikka cook, make the dip. Combine the yogurt, shredded cucumber, lemon juice, and a pinch each salt and pepper in a bowl. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Place the room temperature Curry Chickpea Tikka on a platter and serve with the Cool Cucumber Dipping Sauce. Enjoy!

Citrus Salsa

celebrate Cinco de Mayo...

It is indeed May 5th (where has the time gone?) and the year is just flying by. Today we celebrate the Mexican heritage and Mexico's victory over the French during the Battle of Puebla. While this unofficial holiday is celebrated today, it shouldn't be confused with Mexico's Independence Day, which is September 16th. The best thing about today is that I always celebrate with food, such as tacos, margaritas, churros, and of course chips and salsa.

This year I've made a very different salsa - one that I saw on Pintrest. So, this is not my recipe. All credit goes to this site and cook: Closet Cooking. This recipe is tangy and sweet and full of citrus fruits. Yum! For this series of posts I'm focusing on Ruby Red Grapefruit. Nothing says spring more than citrus and this one just happens to be red. Try this unconventional salsa today. Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 6-8
2 Large Navel Oranges
2 Large Ruby Red Grapefruits
1 Lime
1 Jalapeno, diced
1/4 C Red Onion, diced
2 T Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Kosher Salt
To Serve: "Hint of Lime" Tortilla Chips

Directions
Supreme the citrus: Begin by cutting the oranges, grapefruits, and lime into bite-size pieces. The best way to do this is to "supreme" the fruits. Cut off the top and bottom of each fruit. Set flat and cut away the rind, working from top to bottom and rotating the fruit. Then, cut between the membranes to release the segments. Hold the fruit over a bowl while cutting out the segments, that way the juice is captured. Finally, cut each segment into bite-size pieces.

Prepare the salsa: Put the diced fruit, jalapeno, red onion, and cilantro into the bowl with the collected juices. Add a big pinch of salt. Mix everything together well and refrigerate until ready to serve (at least 1 hour).

Serve: I suggest pairing this salsa with my favorite tortilla chips - "Hint of Lime" and serving it as an appetizer. But, this would also be delicious on top of fish tacos, shrimp quesadillas, or margarita marinated grilled chicken. Get creative! It's a Cinco de Mayo celebration. Enjoy!

Black Bean Hummus

little black beans...

This past week our church, Crossroads, hosted their annual "beans and rice week" to save money and change lives. We've attended this church for the past 3 years and have participated in this fundraiser each year. The idea is that for one week you eat rice and beans (or eat cheaply - we just eat whatever we have in the house), then subtract that cost from your usual weekly grocery bill, and then donate the difference. You can learn more here. So for this series I'm repeating (for the first time in 3 years - yes, I've been posting to my blog for that long!) an ingredient - black beans.

There are so many different things you can do with black beans, so even though I'm repeating this ingredient, these recipes will be original. Also, all of these recipes will start with dried beans instead of canned. I'm starting off with a black bean hummus. This recipe is quick and easy to make. You can adjust any of the ingredients to your liking - make it spicier with more cayenne or a add a diced jalapeño, make it smokier with more cumin, or load it up with freshness by adding more green onion and cilantro. Use what you have on hand and make this recipe (that's what I did). Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 6-8
2 C Prepared Black Beans (1 C dried beans)
2 T Tahini Paste
3 Green Onions, chopped
1/4 C Cilantro, roughly chopped
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 T Lemon Juice
1/2 T Chili Powder
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
~1/2 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil, more for drizzling
Kosher Salt
To Serve: Tortilla Chips and Assorted Veggies

Directions
To prepare the beans: The night before, put 1 cup dried black beans in a pot and cover with water by an inch or two. Cover, refrigerate, and soak until ready to cook. The day of, drain the beans, put them back into the pot, and just cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer with the lid on. Cook until tender, about 35-40 minutes. Salt about 10 minutes before the beans are done cooking. Drain, cool, and store. You will end up with 2-3 cups cooked beans.

Make the hummus: Put the beans, tahini paste, green onions, cilantro, garlic, lemon juice, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper into a food processor. Pulse about 10 times, or until the beans are coarsely chopped. Next, with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until the hummus comes together. It will be smooth and creamy. Season with salt to taste.

Scrape the black bean hummus into a bowl and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Serve with tortilla chips and assorted veggies. The hummus will stay good refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 10 days. Enjoy!

Kalamata Olive Tapenade with Homemade Pita Chips

new year + new goals = new you

It's a new year and with that comes new goals, ambitions, and a vision of a better life. Many of you will have goals of exercising more (me), watching less TV (yes, me), and eating healthier (yup, you guessed it).  I like to think that I eat healthy now, but there are definitely days, weeks, and December that mess that up. So, it's a new year and I'm starting off on the right foot with this easy appetizer.

This tapenade is full of kalamata and black olives, which are very good for you. They are low in calories, contain healthy monounsaturated fat (good for your heart), and can help with pain (they contain a compound that has anti-inflammatory properties, mimicking pain killers). As with anything, moderation is key as they are high in sodium. So, try out this appetizer and only have a little! Here's how to make it...

Ingredients - Serves 6-8
Tapenade
1 C Pitted Kalamata Olives, drained
1/2 C Pitted Black Olives, drained
2 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 C Flat-leaf Parsley
1 T Anchovy Paste
2 T Capers, drained
1/2 Lemon, juiced (~2T)
1-2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pita Chips
2 Whole Wheat Pita Pockets
Cooking Spray
Kosher or Sea Salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Make the pita chips: Cut each pita pocket in half. Cut each half into 4 wedges. Separate each wedge by cutting or tearing long the "pocket" side. Each pita pocket will yield 16 pita pieces (32 pieces total). Line the pita pieces up on a large baking sheet and spray them liberally with cooking spray. Flip and spray on the other side. Sprinkle with a little salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Meanwhile, make the tapenade: Combine the olives and garlic in a food processor. Pulse 6-8 times or until roughly chopped. Add the parsley, anchovy paste, capers, and lemon juice. Pulse a few more times to combine everything well. Stir in the extra virgin olive oil, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve the tapenade with the homemade pita chips. Enjoy (in moderation of course)!

Rosemary Roasted Almonds

sometime you feel like a nut...

My family always serves mixed nuts as part of our appetizer spread. That can get boring, expected, and frankly just old. So, I'm mixing it up with these Rosemary Roasted Almonds. This recipe is super easy and a great make ahead, especially for Christmas!

While I'm only using almonds in this recipe, you can use any nut - even the mixed ones. I've flavored skin-on and blanched almonds with maple syrup, cinnamon, cayenne, rosemary, and salt. Roasting the almonds brings out their nuttiness and the egg white helps bind everything. So, mix up your usual bowl of nuts and make these. Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 3 Cups
Cooking Spray
1 Large Egg White
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
2 T Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
2 T Fresh Rosemary, minced
1 1/2 C Whole Almonds (skin-on)
1 1/2 C Whole Blanched Almonds

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Be sure to coat well!

In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg white and salt until foamy. Add the syrup, cinnamon, cayenne, and rosemary. Whisk to combine. Stir in the almonds and toss until coated.

Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until the nuts are brown, 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Cool completely before serving or storing. The nuts can be stored for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed container. Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

a red, red roasted bell pepper

One of my favorite things to take for lunch or have as a snack is hummus. But, I hate paying $4 or more for a good quality hummus, so I learned how to make my own. All you need are a few key ingredients: chickpeas (garbanzo beans), tahini (sesame seed paste), and extra virgin olive oil and a food processor. The hummus can then be flavored any way you like. I'm focusing on roasted red bell peppers for this series, so that's the kind I made.

This hummus is very inexpensive and easy to make. The food processor does nearly all of the work for you. I do take this one step further though, because I make my own roasted red pepper. I don't use jarred roasted peppers because I don't think they taste nearly as good, they are super easy to make, and they are over priced. So, keep this appetizer really economical and make it from scratch. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 8
1 Large Red Bell Pepper
1 T Tahini (Sesame Seed Paste)

1/2 Lemon, juiced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp. Kosher Salt
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
1 Can No Salt Added Chickpeas (or Garbanzo Beans), rinsed & drained
1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil
To Serve: Assorted Vegetables and/or Pita Chips

Directions
Preheat the broiler to high and move the oven rack to two spots from the top. Line a sheet tray with foil.

Begin by roasting the red bell pepper: Cut the top off the pepper. Cut it in half and remove the seeds and ribs. Press flat, cut side down, onto the prepared sheet tray. Broil for 5-8 minutes, or until the skin is charred. Carefully remove the pepper to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Peel off the charred skin, discard. Set the peeled pepper aside.

Make the hummus: In a food processor combine all of the ingredients, except for the olive oil. Add the roasted red pepper and pulse 8-10 times to roughly chop the mixture. Turn on the motor and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture is nearly smooth. Scrape down the sides and, as needed, process once more. Scoop the hummus into a bowl, put in the refrigerator, and chill for 1-2 hours.

Serve with assorted vegetables and/or pita chips. Enjoy this easy economical appetizer!

Slow-Cooker Cheesy Queso Dip

say cheese...

For my next three rainbow series posts I'll be using my trusty slow-cooker. As the days have finally turned cold for good, out comes my slow-cooker. It's definitely one of the best pieces of equipment in my kitchen, but probably one of the least used. Well, it's going to get a workout over the next few days!

This appetizer is super quick, yet quite tasty. It combines roasted peppers, onion, tomatoes, black beans, and Velveeta Cheese. It's perfect served with blue corn chips or it can be poured over a baked potato to create a meal out of it. This recipe is the epitome of easy, so no excuses, make this dish. Here's how...

Ingredients - Serves 8-10
2-3 Poblano Peppers
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Onion
2 lbs. (1 large box) Velveeta Cheese (low-fat okay)
1-2 Chipotles in Adobo
15 oz. Can No Salt Added Tomatoes
15 oz. Can Black Beans, rinsed & drained
To Serve: Blue Corn Chips

Directions
Preheat the broiler to high. Line a sheet tray with foil.

Begin by roasting the peppers: Cut the tops off the poblanos and the red bell pepper. Cut each pepper in half and remove the seeds and ribs. Press flat, cut side down, onto the prepared sheet tray. Broil for 5-8 minutes, or until the skin is charred. Carefully remove the peppers to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow them to steam for 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board, peel off the charred skin and chop. Put into the slow-cooker.

Roast the onion: While the peppers are steaming, cook the onion. Cut the onion into wedges, spread on the foil lined sheet tray, and place under the broiler. Cook for a few minutes, turn, and continue to cook until the edges are charred. Allow the onion to cool, then chop, and add to the slow cooker.

Make the queso: Cut the Velveeta into cubes, dice the chipotle peppers, and add to the slow-cooker. Finish by adding the tomatoes and black beans. Set the slow-cooker to low and cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve the cheesy queso dip warm with blue corn chips. Enjoy!

Maple Goat Cheese Canapés

it's ba-ack...

Fall that is (or almost) and so am I. My favorite time of the year will finally be here next week. And along with fall comes football, mums, pumpkins, apples, cinnamon, and one of my favorite flavors - maple. For this series I'm focusing on maple syrup and all its glorious dark amber color. It seemed to be the perfect flavor to welcome fall.

I made this recipe last night when my husband and our friend James were just hanging out having a "man's" night. There was football, some beer, a lot of burping, and way too much food. These canapés might seem too delicate to be considered man's food. Enter the ultimate man food - bacon. Yep, I added crumbled maple bacon to their canapés and they were rightfully dubbed "manapés". Try these out for your next game day get together. Here's how...

Ingredients - Makes 12 Canapés
1 Whole Wheat Loaf of Bread, sliced
8 oz. Goat Cheese, softened
2 1/2 T 100% Pure Maple Syrup
1 T Fresh Rosemary, chopped
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper
2/3 C Golden Raisins
3/4 C Smoked Salted Almonds, chopped
Optional: Maple Bacon, crumbled

Directions
If using the bacon, cook 3 slices until crisp. Then crumble and set aside.

Toast the bread: Preheat the broiler to high. Line the bread up on a large baking sheet. Toast for 1-2 minutes. Flip and toast for another minute. Set aside.

Make the maple goat cheese: In a medium bowl combine the softened goat cheese, maple syrup, and half the rosemary (1/2 T). Add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside.

Build the canapés: Spread each slice of bread with the maple goat cheese mixture. Top with the golden raisins, smoked almonds, and crumbled bacon (if using). Garnish with the remaining 1/2 T rosemary. Serve immediately! Welcome back fall!!

Shrimp & Scallop Ceviche

lemon or lime...

In early May Steven and I went on a Caribbean Cruise with my family. We ported out of Puerto Rico on a Saturday, but had time prior to leaving. So, we booked a food tour of Old San Juan! The tour was fantastic and I highly recommend it if you are ever there. One interesting thing we learned on the tour is that what we call a lemon is actually a lime and vice verse in Puerto Rico. Our tour guide, Victor, explained that there was a mistranslation at some point and to this day what we call these fruits in the states is the opposite in Puerto Rico. Lemon or lime, one or both can be used in ceviche, so that's what I've made for this post.

In celebration of our trip and food tour of Puerto Rico my next three posts will attempt (emphasis on attempt) to capture what we ate. The ceviche we had at "El Punto"(The Point) was so delicious, I had to try to remake it. While this version is not the same, or as good, as the restaurant's it's still pretty tasty. Make it and try it for yourself. This version is made with only limes...or maybe they are lemons...and we mistranslated somewhere down the line. Either way, here's how to make this appetizer...

Ingredients - Serves 6-8
1/2 lb. Med. Peeled & Deveined Shrimp, cut into pieces
1/2 lb. Bay Scallops, cut in half
1 C Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice, 7-8 limes
1/2 C Cucumber, finely diced
1/2 C Pineapple, finely diced
1/2 C Red Onion, finely diced
1-2 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded & minced
1/2 C Cilantro, minced
1 Firm Avocado, diced
Kosher Salt
To Serve: Blue Corn Chips & Hot Sauce

Directions
In a nonreactive mixing bowl, combine the shrimp, scallops, and 1/2 C lime juice. Toss, cover, and refrigerate for 1 to 1 1/2 hours to "cook" the seafood. The acid in the lime juice actually cooks the shrimp and scallops - pretty cool. Stir occasionally to ensure each piece of seafood is covered and cooks evenly.

Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients. Combine the remaining lime juice, cucumber, pineapple, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and avocado in a large mixing bowl. Stir everything together and set aside until the seafood is ready.

Once the seafood has "cooked" add them to the fruit and veggies. Stir everything together well, cover, and sit aside for 30 more minutes. This will help the flavors marry. Stir once more, taste, and season with kosher salt as needed.

Serve the ceviche with blue corn chips and hot sauce. Enjoy this Puerto Rican inspired super fresh summer appetizer with friends. Then plan your next vacation to taste the real thing!

Looking out over PR from where our cruise ship was docked - Beautiful!