DRUNKEN BEANS (BLACK BEANS W/ BACON & BEER)

Most weekends in the winter, you will find us in Vermont skiing. One of our traditions is Mexican Night. It’s probably the only weekend I actually cook up in Vermont. I tend to come up here and shut down cooking wise and my mom takes over. It’s a treat for me, because it’s one of the only times someone cooks for me! 

So can you blame me for not wanting to cook..lol. A home cooked “Mom” meal, every weekend, yes please.

This is MY weekend thou. The menu starts off w/ Tortilla Soup. I have been using this same recipe for over 7 years and it’s still my favorite, always a crowd pleaser. I usually rotate in different types of tacos; ground beef, pork carnitas, shrimp, shredded chicken, and skirt steak. 

Some combination of those. Then the sides….my favorite.

Up first, Drunken Beans. My dad brought up some fresh bacon that one of his customers gave him, so it was perfect timing for us, but you can use any bacon on hand.

Ingredients:

• 2 (29 oz cans) Black Beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 bunch of cilantro (chopped)

• 1 lb bacon, diced

• 2 beers – I used Vermont brewed beer – Mexican beer is best thou

Directions

Render bacon crispy in medium to large stock pot. Since this was fresh bacon from the provisions, it didn’t have too much fat, so I added some oil to pan to help it along. If you use any packaged bacon for this, it will be fine and have enough fat to render it crispy. Once it’s rendered down crispy, deglaze pan with beer. Cook down for 10-15 minutes.

Add in the drained and rinsed beans and cook down for 15 minutes or so, to meld the flavors. If you still taste the beer and it’s overpowering, keep cooking it down. The beer type will vary this. Since I used a pilsner, it took a little longer than if I was using a Corona.

Once you achieve desired taste. Toss in the bunch of chopped cilantro. The amount of cilantro can vary by your preference. We LOVE cilantro, so used a whole bunch. You could get away with a few tablespoons.

Cook another minute or so until the cilantro marries the beans. Taste for flavor. I have never had to add salt to this dish, but ya never know. Taste it for salt. I would be really sad if your beans didn’t have enough salt, so do us all a favor 

Serve hot, since they have more liquid, you can serve these in small side bowls.

MEXICAN ROASTED CORN & ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE W/ CHORIZO

Mexican night continues. I made this one up because I love all of the ingredients individually, so how amazing could they all be together. AMAZING. This should be a classic side for your Mexican dinners going forward.

Ingredients:

• 4 large zucchini – more or less depending on size, diced

• 2 (15 oz cans) corn drained and rinsed

• 1 bunch of cilantro (chopped)

• 1/2 lb chourico or chorizo, diced – casing removed if fresh, otherwise just diced

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Cut the zucchini however you want. I diced mine, but you can cut larger chunks or cut it into ribbons. Toss into roasting pan. Rinse and drain corn, toss into pan as well. 

Drizzle w. corn or olive oil (2-3 TBLS). Sprinkle some salt over. To taste.

Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes until zucchini is fork tender.

Meanwhile, saute the diced chorizo in pan until crisp. Pour over roasted zucchini/corn mixture. Roughly chop cilantro and evenly sprinkle over mixture. Crumble cojita cheese over mixture.

Stick back in oven and roast for an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese melts. 

**note – you could skip the second roasting and just serve it after you toss it with cheese – hit it with some fresh lime and it’s amazing – this time I roasted it.

Serve and enjoy the fiesta.

SEASONED BAKED POTATO WEDGES

I crave KFC potato wedges all the time, the reason they are so good is because they are twice fried. Obviously they are going to be delicious, they get that insanely yummy coating/crust on them. Since it's summer and I am on Fire Island, clothing is optional and frying is not. I wanted to satisfy my urge somehow in a healthier way. Roasting at high heat is a way to accomplish a similar texture on the potatoes.

Ingredients

• 6-8 Russet Potatoes (works with others as well)

• 3 teaspoons paprika

• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• 2 teaspoons onion powder

• Salt & pepper

• 2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 450F. Line (2) baking sheets with non-stick foil or a silicone baking mat. You can also just use regular foil, but make to spray with cooking spray generously, they are likely to stick. The silicon baking mat works best in my opinion. I also prefer to use rimmed baking sheets. They are like guard rails for everything I wanna cook on them. 

Wash and scrub the potatoes. Make sure to get into grooves and clean dirt out, cut away any bad parts. Cut each potato in half lengthwise then cut into 4 wedges so that eat potato yields 8 wedges. If you are using other potatoes you may make smaller and less wedges. 

Place wedges in large bowl. Add spices and drizzle with oil. Toss to coat. Season well with salt and pepper. 

Spread the wedges in single layer on baking sheets. Bake 40 mins or so, until golden and cooked. You can test doneness with a fork. I like mine a little extra crispy, so I may or may not leave them in the oven a little longer. It's up to you. 

For dinner tonight, I paired these with Sloppy Nick.

Enjoy. I am still going to KFC, but these work for now.

BLACK BEAN VEGGIE BURGER

I will never be a vegetarian. NEVER. Unless the bacon industry collapsed and pigs went extinct…..

I do enjoy cooking for vegetarians. I have a handful of signature dishes I turn to that are always a crowd pleaser, vegetarian or not. 

This recipe is from one of my favorites: SkinnyTaste. If you aren’t following Gina, than you are really missing out.

I slightly modified – but the original recipe is just as amazing. I typically will always follow a recipe to the T @ first, then make it my own over time.

I made these in Vermont after skiing, they were a HUGE hit.  I was then harassed all week for the recipe…haha. Harassed! Can you believe it? My own family was threatening me to share the recipe. Love you guys.

These freeze super well. I try to keep these on hand at all times for the unexpected vegetarian, or when we just want to have a meatless Monday. Enjoy.

Ingredients - makes 8 burgers

• (2) 16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped

• 1 cup chopped scallions, roughly chopped

• bunch of cilantro – adjust to taste – I LOVE IT

• 1 clove garlic

• 2 eggs

• 2 tbsp cumin

• 1/2 to 1 tsp kosher salt

• hot sauce to taste (I think I used about 2 tsp)

• 1 cup quick oats

Directions:

Drain and rinse beans well, make sure to dry well. Add to large bowl and mash with fork, or potato masher. If you wanna save your wrist, use a potato masher, but it’s just as easy to do with large fork. Set aside.

In a food processor, add cilantro, pepper, scallion, and garlic, mix well. In a pinch, you can always just use a knife and finely chop everything – in case you don’t wanna break out the food processor, but make sure you finely chop.

Next, add oats, then eggs, cumin, hot sauce and salt into the food processor, mix well.

Add to bowl and fold into bean mixture.

Form into eight patties and place on a wax paper lined rimmed baking sheet. Skinny Taste recommends that if it’s too wet, chill the mixture 30 minutes in the refrigerator or add another tablespoon of oats – totally works.

Pop in the freezer at least 2 hours before cooking or keep frozen until ready to cook.

Heat a lightly sprayed skillet to medium heat and cook frozen burgers about 7 minutes on each side.

If grilling, lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil; grill 7-8 minutes on each side or you can bake in the oven at 375° on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Serve as you wish. I just topped mine with avocado, but you can put on a bun with spicy mayo and it’s delicious.

BACON LENTIL SOUP

This is one of my favorite soups from Once Upon a Chef. 

The only thing I modified was adding more bacon.

It seemed like a great idea. It was. I would even add more….but a 1/2 lb sounded like a good start.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb bacon (6 or so slices bacon) finely chopped

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 1 stalk celery, chopped

• 2 medium carrots, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

• 6 cups chicken broth

• 1 cup lentils

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• A few tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Fry the bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, 4-5 minutes. mmmm bacon.

Add the olive oil, onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the carrots and garlic, stirring constantly, and cook 1 minute more.

Add the diced tomatoes juice and all, chicken broth, lentils, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.

Cover partially, reduce heat to low and simmer until the lentils are tender, 45-50 minutes. Remove bay leaves, or don’t – sometimes I miss them…haha

Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until the broth is slightly thickened, or to desired consistency.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you should order one right now, but you could also just transfer about 2 cups of the soup to a blender and purée until smooth, then return the blended soup to the pot.

Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired and serve.

ROASTED BROCCOLINI SALAD W/ PROSCIUTTO & CHICKPEAS

I love the color and textures of this salad. Could easily do this with broccoli or cauliflower, but the broccolini is perfect size and delicate. Could even add more of a crunch to this with some chopped shelled pistachios, which I wish I had added….next time. I wanted to do something different for Memorial day, so I made this.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 bunches of broccolini

• 1/2 red onion sliced thin

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 4 -8 oz prosciutto….don’t be shy

• 1 can, chickpeas, drained

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 cup dried cherries

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp goat cheese

• 1 heaping tbsp parmesan

• crushed black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Thinly slice 1/2 of a red onion. Zest 1 tsp of lemon zest. In a large bowl add broccolini, onion, zest, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Toss well to combine.

Place ingredients on a rimmed baking sheet, spread out evenly. 

Roast in oven 20-25 minutes.

Take out of oven. Slice prosciutto into ribbons. Place over slightly roasted broccolini. Add dried cherries, chickpeas, sprinkle parmesan, and finally dollop goat cheese over the salad.

Place back in oven for 10-15 minutes. 

I would even broil it for a bit to crisp it up and add texture. 

Toss to serve, warm or cold.

HONEY-SOY BROILED SALMON

I swore I posted this recipe before, but I can’t seem to find it….so clearly I am going crazy. I am surprised it took me so long to post this one from EatingWell. 

I never used to eat salmon, I even used to avoid it. 

It was always the fishiest in my head, but I don’t ever remember trying it. I saw this one day on EatingWell and loved the ingredients. I thought maybe I could learn to like salmon, if I cooked it myself.

So here I was, scared to even touch salmon and I made this recipe. The minute I could smell the honey caramelize, I knew I was going to love it. I was right.

Ingredients:

• 1 scallion, minced

• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon honey

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

• 1 pound center-cut salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 4 portions (they can skin it where you buy it - highly recommend having them do this for you)

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved.

Place salmon in a sealable plastic bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.


Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.

Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.)

Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP W/ APPLE & BACON

Happy New Year! I wanted to start the new year off right with one of my favorite recipes. I know I am a season off, considering it’s winter now, but better late than never….this soup is still timely in the winter, but perfect for fall. 

I make this every Thanksgiving. Always a hit. 

I adapted this slightly from Fine Cooking and have been meaning to post it for years. I never used to like Butternut Squash soup until I started making this…it’s probably because Bacon makes everything better. I like to serve this with croutons, homemade or store bought.

Ingredients:

• 8 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips

• 2-1/2 lb. butternut squash (about 1 medium), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (to yield about 6 cups)

• 1 small Granny Smith or other tart-sweet apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (to yield about 1 cup)

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 4 cups homemade or low-salt chicken or vegetable broth

In a 5-quart or larger stockpot set over medium heat, saute the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Increase heat to medium high. Add the squash to the pot with the bacon fat (YES!) and cook until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes – don’t stir too much, or the squash won’t brown. Stir in the apple, salt, and pepper and cook for about 4 minutes (you’ll see more browning occur on the bottom of the pot than on the vegetables).

Add the broth, scraping up any browned bits in the pot with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the squash and apples are very soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool somewhat…Cooper (puggle) is watching the stove too…woof.

Add about half the bacon to the soup and purée, using a stand or immersion blender (you’ll need to work in batches if using a stand blender). Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Reheat the soup and garnish each serving with the remaining bacon….of course, more bacon.

SPICY BUTTERNUT SQUASH TURKEY MEATLOAF

Martha Stewart, enough said. She just gets me. This is exactly what I needed in my life.

I have been wanting to make meatloaf for weeks now and was pressured in my house to stay away from beef. So, was thinking about making a meatloaf with turkey, but wasn’t sure what I wanted to put in it to keep it moist, since turkey is more lean than beef. My mind immediately goes to BACON, naturally. 

Then Martha goes ahead and comes up with this sh$t…..bacon, butternut squash and sage….what the hell does she smoke, because I want some. 

This is a keeper. 

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 small yellow onion, diced medium (3/4 cup)

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled and diced medium (1 1/3 cups)

• 3 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced medium (1/2 cup)

• 1 3/4 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

• 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes

• Coarse salt and ground pepper

• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork or turkey

• 1 cup grated Parmesan (2 3/4 ounces)

• 1 to 2 slices white sandwich bread, diced medium (1 cup)

• 1 large egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, garlic, butternut squash, and bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and vegetables begin to brown, 5-7 minutes.

Add sage and red-pepper flakes, season with salt, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, cheese, bread, and egg.

Add vegetable mixture and season with 2 teaspoons salt. Using your hands, mix until ingredients are combined. 

Transfer to lightly oiled roasting pan, form into a loaf.

Bake until meatloaf is cooked through, 40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing…or just eat it. haha

MAPLE-ROASTED SWEET POTATOES & APPLES

It’s fall. I can’t stop. I was doing what every normal person does on Sunday in October…organize their liquor cabinet(s) and google fall dishes. I was going to make sweet potato wedges today and then found this recipe on a few blogs, but started @ Smitten Kitchen’s. They did theirs in a cast iron pan and it made me realize I need to go shopping…Amazon Prime…thanks.

This is super easy to make and looks like it’s fancy. So grab your UGG’s, stop being so basic and get to slicing.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds

• 3-4 red potatoes, thinly sliced

• 2 Apples, thinly sliced (like fuji or gala)

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/3 cup maple syrup

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon sage, chopped

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  

Preheat oven to 400º F. Place sliced sweet potatoes and red potatoes in a medium bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and toss to evenly coat. Arrange the slices alternating between sweet potatoes, red potatoes, and apples in the bottom of a baking dish.

In a medium skillet, heat remaining olive oil over medium heat. Saute garlic for 5 minutes, sprinkle in chopped sage. Stir in Dijon and add in the maple syrup.

Continue cooking for 2 additional minutes until syrup starts to simmer. Pour syrup over the sweet potatoes mixture evenly. Sprinkle with fresh cracked salt.

Cover, Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes until cooked through. Uncover, sprinkle with brown sugar and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to stand 5 minutes.

GOLDEN BAKED PORK CUTLETS

I have been making these for years and every time I take my first bite, its like an explosion of flavor in my mouth.

This is a great recipe to spice up your weeknight meals. Pork is pretty cheap, so it’s a great dinner that tastes more expensive than it is. I found the recipe on EatingWell and follow it pretty much the same, except I use pork chops vs. a pork tenderloin cut up. I used to buy the pork tenderloin and slice it into cutlets, but I got lazy and rushed during the weeknights after work, so now I just buy the chops. You can make any variation to this, I know some folks don’t like added sugar, so you can omit that and even the onion powder and they still come out great. Also I have substituted Olive Oil in the past and they came out fine, a little heavier to me, but again I know some folks are anti-canola.

This is a staple in our house. Serve it with some cinnamon-spiced applesauce and you are good to go. The cinnamon compliments this well, trust me.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds center cut boneless pork chops sliced thin (trimmed of most of fat)

• 1 cup dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 8 teaspoons canola oil

• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

• 4-6 teaspoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.

Mix breadcrumbs, sugar, paprika, onion powder and salt in a shallow dish. Drizzle with oil and mash with a fork until the oil is thoroughly incorporated.

Lightly beat egg white with a fork in another shallow dish.

Sprinkle cornstarch over the pork slices and pat to coat evenly on both sides. Dip the pork into the egg, then press into the breading mixture until evenly coated on both sides. (Discard leftover mixture.)

Place the pork on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until just barely pink in the center and an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F, 14 to 16 minutes. 

CRISPY SPANISH OVEN-ROASTED KALE

We eat A LOT of kale. I mean a lot. My favorite way to cook it, is to roast it. I roast kale every week with just a little oil and salt, basically this recipe minus the “Spanish” influence. I try to spice it up every now and then, so we don’t get bored of it. I sometimes use soy instead of salt and other times I use brine of some kind instead of salt. 

This one is made with olives and olive brine to mellow it out and motor boat ur mouth with flavor.

The olives themselves get nice and crispy along with the kale, I love it. I also love olives. If you don’t love olives, just omit them – but use the brine. 

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of kale – pick out any large stems and tear large pieces into smaller pieces

• 2-4 tablespoons light oil – canola or light olive oil

• 1 cup chopped Spanish pimiento stuffed olives

• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder

• few tbls olive brine

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F – yea kinda high…but I like to cook kale @ high temp. You can easily cook this at 350, 400 – it’ll just take a little longer.

If using a rimmed baking sheet:

In a large bowl, toss the kale with all the ingredients – use your hands or tongs and mix really well. I tend to use my hands so I can really work all the ingredients together. Roll up your sleeves.Spread out the kale on the baking sheet; the kale can be piled up a bit.

If using a deep roasting pan (my preferred method):

Just mix all the ingredients directly in the pan itself.

Bake until a little crispy on the edges but still tender, about 20 minutes. I always give the tray a few jiggles during the cook process to evenly move it around. Roast till crispy. 

We like ours really well done – so you”ll seen mine is border-line burnt, but thats how we like it.

PICKLED FARMSTAND CORN, CUCUMBER & CHILE

If you recall from my post on Fresh Dill Pickles post….then that makes one of us. I forgot I had posted that recipe – but make sure to check it out. I have a lot of requests for those, but decided while Corn was still in season to try this one out. I can usually read through a recipe and tell how it’s going to taste, I have never done meth or crack, so I assume these are the base ingredients? Let’s just say these are addicting. I made them for Labor Day to serve up with my Grilled Blackened Chicken, but can’t stop eating them.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium cucumber, ends trimmed, unpeeled, cut into small dice (about 1 cup)

• 2 teaspoons kosher or other coarse salt

• 1 3/4 cups distilled white vinegar

• 1/2 cup pineapple juice

• 2/3 cup sugar

• 2 Tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger

• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic

• 1 Tablespoon mustard seed

• 1 Tablespoon celery seed

• 9 ears corn, blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes, drained, and the kernels cut off the cobs (about 4 cups of kernels) - I've never made this with canned corn, but I am sure it would be yummy too. I know I will try one day. 

• 1/4 to 3/4 cup finely diced fresh chiles of your choice

• 3/4 cup diced onion

• Juice of 1/2 lime

• Salt and white pepper

In a large nonreactive bowl, combine the cucumber and salt, mix well, and allow to stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse twice to remove the salt, then set aside.

In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the vinegar, pineapple juice, sugar, ginger, garlic, mustard seed, and celery seed and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring once or twice to dissolve the sugar. 

Add the corn kernels, chiles, and onion and bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the corn is just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

Cool the liquid to room temperature, uncovered, then add the cucumbers, mix well, cover and refrigerate.

These pickles will keep, covered and refrigerated, for 2 to 3 weeks.

AVOCADO BASIL CREMA

Happy Labor Day! I was sick this weekend and laid low for most of it, but hope everyone had a great holiday. I think I slept a solid day straight and also read a few back issues of the Food Network Magazine. I honestly have no idea how long I’ve been getting this magazine…its like the gym membership I signed up for (3) years ago and have never even been (true story). Anyways, so here I am on the couch, reading the first of these in years…and there is this delicious looking sauce. I had to have it in my mouth.

Ingredients:

• 1 Avocado, chopped

• 1 cup Basil leaves

• 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream

• 1 lime, juiced

• salt

Place Basil, crema or sour cream, avocado, lime juice in food processor.

Pulse till smooth. Transfer to serving bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

BASIL LEMON DIP

This is such a perfect dip for the summer. 

I am sure I have said it in prior posts, but I am not a fan of sour cream or mayo, literally won’t eat them on their own.

So what’s the base of this dip…..sour cream and mayo…and I love it, so I just don’t know anymore.

I randomly learned how to make this recipe from a personal chef @ her clients $30 million dollar penthouse on Central Park in NYC…..i’ll never forget it, the kitchen was a dream and it was a pleasure to cook with her and learn from her.

I make this often and use different herbs, whatever I have on hand. I also sometimes omit the mayo and it’s not as creamy, but still delicious. 

You can also use reduced fat if you are going to lather this on your bikini body as you lay out on the beach….

Ingredients:

• 16 oz Sour Cream

• 1/2 cup mayo

• Fresh Basil bunch

• Chives

• Flat-leaf Parsley

• 1 lemon

• Salt

Make sure to clean all of your herbs well, I found a bug in my basil the other day, so ya never know. Dry them well, but don’t go crazy, you are about to pulverize them. Take out your weapon of choice; blender, immersion blender or a food processor. I prefer the food processor, so used it here, but have also made this in my blendtec blender and I may have found a new love= blendtec. I don’t suggest getting intimately involved with your blendtec, it could get messy.

So food processor, add sour cream and mayo.

Add herbs, but reserve some chives for garnish later. Yes garnish, you can get fancy, treat yourself….

How friggan pretty are all those greens…the basil smells unreal. Squeeze in the lemon and turn on. 

Blend till smooth. Taste for salt and add as needed. You wanna make sure you taste the lemon, so add some if you don’t taste it. Place in bowl and garnish with some chopped chives.

Serve with fresh veggies, I like to serve it with baby carrots, cucumbers, haricot verts, endive, peppers and grape tomatoes – but you can dip anything into this.

TORTILLA SOUP

Anytime I see “Tortilla Soup” on a menu - I must order it.

I have never had one that taste like the other, every one has their own unique twist. I first tasted it at California Pizza Kitchen (of all places) in the King of Prussia Mall when I was going to college in the area. Since then, I have been making it myself, testing out recipes, altering it into something that I feel it much better than the original I tasted years ago.

I had a few go-to-recipes that I was mix and matching and I omitted most of what was overpowering the soup itself. Now what I make, is more of a bath for the salted tortilla strips, avocados and Monterrey Jack cheese. It’s very basic and can be thrown together in 20-30 mins. This is certainly a week night, come home from work late soup, but it taste likes it been cooking for hours. I typically use chicken for this, but have been known to use the leftovers from my 6 hr slow roasted pork pernil. Sometimes I bake a couple of chicken breasts in the oven, then shred them with a fork and other times, I boil the chicken right in the broth, then remove and shred.

Tonight, I am running home from work and just feel like eating, so I picked up a roasted chicken at the store. I think every grocery store is equipped with their own rotisseries now and while I am diligently working all day, these little guys are slow rotating on a spit, waiting for me to eat them. The great thing is they only cost $5 to $7 dollars.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and embrace is at one of your own and adapt it to your likings.

This recipe will make 4 dinner servings and approx 6 if this is just an appetizer or a side to a main course.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded chicken or pork

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 48oz can of chicken broth (6 cups)

• 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz) with the juice

• handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

• 4 TBLS Vegetable Oil ; 2 TBLS for the soup and 2 TBLS for the tortilla strips

• 3/4 cup corn (fresh/frozen/canned) (optional)

• coarse salt (sea salt or kosher)

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)

Toppings:

• 16-8 oz Package Soft Corn Tortillas (just grab like 10 of them out of the package)  follow cooking instructions below

• 2 Ripe Avocados, diced

• shredded Monterey jack Cheese

• Lime

• Sour Cream (optional)

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F and line a rimed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Meanwhile place 10 or so corn tortillas on a cutting board, cut in half and then cut into strips.

Scatter the strips onto the baking sheet, drizzle with 2 TBLS of the vegetable oil and sprinkle with coarse salt. Work everything together with your hands, to make sure the oil and salt get on as many strips as possible.

Place these in the oven and bake for approx 20 minutes, keep an eye on them and move them around a few times, because the outside edges tend to cook quicker. You just want to get the strips golden brown and crispy. I usually place these in the oven first and then continue on with making the soup, by the time the strips are done, your soup will be ready as well.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 TBLS Vegetable oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for a min or so.

Next, add the can of diced tomatoes with their juice, corn, the can of chicken broth and the shredded chicken or pork.

Raise the heat and bring to a boil, cover partially and reduce the heat to medium, cooking for 10 mins. Stir in a palmful  (approx 3 TBLS of fresh chopped cilantro). Continue cooking for another minute or so. Here is where you can taste it and add salt as needed. I rarely add salt because of the salt on the tortilla strips. Remove the soup from the heat and ladle into bowls.

Add a spoonful of diced avocado, a handful of the freshly baked tortilla strips and sprinkle with some Monterey jack cheese. You can add a scoop of sour cream on top as well. 

Serve with Lime.

TURKEY CHILI W/ BEER & CILANTRO

I am in love with this chili. I have been making it for at least 5 years now and it’s amazing every time. 

Who doesn’t love beer and cilantro? Such a good combo. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 teaspoons chili powder

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 clove garlic, chopped

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 pound ground turkey

• One 12-ounce Mexican beer (corona)

• One 15 1/2-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

• One 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juice

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, salt, chili powder, and oregano and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste; cook 1 minute more.

Add the turkey, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until the meat loses its raw color, about 3 minutes.

Add the beer and simmer until reduced by about half, about 8 minutes.

Add the tomatoes withe juiced and the beans; bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in chopped cilantro. Taste for salt, add as needed.

Ladle the chili into bowls and serve with the garnishes of your choice.

FRITO-LAY CORN DIP

So technically this is not a Frito-Lay recipe, but it was given to me from a co-worker who I worked with @ Frito-Lay, so I’m gonna run with it. 

She made this for our team when we visited her in Texas, I have never seen corn the same way since that day. I never found out where she obtained the recipe, but having worked for Frito-Lay for over 20 years, she’s kinda a pro.

Some people have called this “Corn-Crack” – be the judge for yourself.

I highly recommend serving it with Frito-Lay Scoops….they are the perfect vessel for this and are kinda required to re-create that moment I had in Texas.

Ingredients:

• 3 cans Mexican Corn (Mexicorn), drained

• 1 can chopped green chillies, drained

• 6, scallions, chopped

• 10 oz shredded cheddar cheese

• 1 cup Mayo

• 2 teaspoons Cumin

• Cilantro, to taste

• Salt to taste

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix all together and store in fridge until ready to serve- garnish with a few cilantro leaves. Serve with Frito Lay Scoops, or Trader Joes corn scoops.

I would immediately recommend dipping into this with a Frito scoop, do it when no one is looking.

GREEN CHILE PEPPER-JACK BISON BURGER

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE beef but try to eat more chicken and turkey when I can. Bison is a great alternative. I don’t know when I first tried bison, but its very similar to beef, just leaner. A few months ago I had ordered one from a local health food restaurant and it was super dry, so I had to redeem myself and make one myself. This doesn’t even need a sauce, but I put some bbq sauce on mine.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground bison or lean (90% or leaner) ground beef

• 2 4-ounce cans diced green chiles, drained, divided

• 1/2 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese, divided

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 4 whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Directions

Preheat grill.

Place bison (or beef), 1 can drained chiles, 1/4 cup cheese in a medium bowl. Gently combine without over-mixing. Form into 4 patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Make an indent in middle with your thumb – just to help it keep its form while its cooking. Salt and pepper both sides.

Grill the burgers, turning once, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Top each burger with a dollop of the remaining green chiles and sprinkle with shredded pepper-jack or use a slice of cheese. 

Cook until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute more.

GRILLED BLACKENED CHICKEN

Leave it to Martha Stewart to come up with the easiest, quickest, most delicious blackened chicken. There is a God, her name is Martha. 

One day I hope to be sharing a meal, a joint, or a cell with her. GOALS.

The recipe called for bone-in, skin on chicken breasts, but here I am on Labor Day @ the Grocery Store. Who shops on Labor Day? I do..and like 1,000 other people @ Stop & Shop. What a mess. …

I ended up buying an already cut packaged whole chicken - which is just a waste of money. You can just hand the butcher a whole chicken and they will cut it up for you and rewrap it [mine have always done this, but maybe some are just mean?]. I didn't want to be in the store one more second, so I grabbed one and ran. I ended up really liking the legs and wings, since they had more spice rub per bite. When I do this again, I plan to add a whole package of legs.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

• 2 teaspoons Paprika

• 3 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 4lb Whole chicken, cut into smaller pieces

• Can also use bone in breast, or just drumsticks

Set up a grill for indirect cooking over medium-high. Clean and lightly oil hot grill. In a bowl, combine paprika, ground pepper, salt, cayenne, oregano, thyme, garlic, and oil; rub on chicken, like really rub.

Grill chicken, skin side down, directly over heat source until skin is browned, about 4 minutes. Flip chicken; move to cooler side of grill. Cover grill and cook chicken until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a platter and tent with foil. Let chicken rest 10 minutes.