From the category archives:

Tailgating

Bobby Flay Shares His Grilling Tips and Recipes

by Joi on August 26, 2010

Planning on grilling out this Labor Day weekend? Many people wouldn’t think of having it any other way. I’ve always thought of Labor Day weekend as kind of a farewell to summer as we welcome autumn, so grilling out seems only fitting.

One of the best-known TV personalities, and one of the reasons we needed the phrase Celebrity Chef in the first place, Bobby Flay (who has opened his first steakhouse, Bobby Flay Steak, at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa) is eager to share his tips on how to become a grilling pro just in time for Labor Day.

Grilling tips from Bobby Flay – does it get any better than that?

Bobby Flay shares his nine best tips, tricks and techniques, in addition to his delicious Ribeye & Anaheim Chile Quesadilla that will wow guests and have everyone licking their fingers.

Here are Bobby Flay’s grilling tips and recipes. Enjoy!

DON’T BE INTIMIDATED BY THE GRILL

  • A grill is just a source of heat. Just like a stove, it is very user-friendly.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT GRILL FOR YOU

  • Charcoal or gas. Both give excellent results, so choose the one that best suits your style of cooking.

GIVE YOURSELF ROOM

  • Don’t underestimate the importance of having enough room to work. Grilling is much more relaxing when you are not trying to juggle a whole collection of plates and bowls as you do it. If your grill doesn’t have enough workspace – and they almost never do – set up a table right next to your grill.

ORGANIZE & PRIORITIZE

  • Organize your tasks: plan a menu, make lists, do the shopping. When it’s time to hit the grill, get everything out in front of you: food, spices and tools. Everything you are going to need should be within easy reach.

MAKE SURE IT’S HOT

  • Most of the time, I grill over high heat. I like things to move fast. I like the sound and smell of a very hot fire. I gravitate towards dishes that you can get on and off the grill as quickly as possible. After a while, you’ll know without thinking about it how hot the fire is – high, medium-high, etc. Until then, you can use the time-tested method of holding your hand 4 inches above the grate and seeing how long you can keep it there. It may sound a little dangerous, but you’ll pull your hand back at just the right moment.

◦ High: 2 counts

◦ Medium-high: 4 counts

◦ Medium: 6 counts

◦ Medium-low: 8 counts

◦ Low: 10 counts

KEEP THE LID CLOSED WHEN COOKING ITEMS THAT TAKE LONGER THAN 10 MINUTES

  • Items like ribs, whole chicken, bone-in chicken breasts, etc.

DON’T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD

  • The more you touch the food on the grill, the more it will stick and begin to fall apart. Brush your burgers, fish, vegetables with oil and season with salt and pepper and place on a hot grill. Don’t touch it for at least 2 minutes! It needs to form a crust so that it can naturally pull away from the grill. If you begin to turn it before the crust has formed, it will stick.

DON’T FLATTEN BURGERS, STEAKS & CHOPS WITH THE SPATULA

  • It will only press out flavorful juices and cause flare-ups. Flip the food only once if possible.

GRILLING MEAT: WHEN IN DOUBT, IT’S BETTER TO UNDERCOOK THAN OVERCOOK

  • You can always put food back on the fire if you need to.

RIBEYE & ANAHEIM CHILE QUESADILLA RECIPE

Serves: 4

Marinated Ribeye:

8 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
2 Anaheim Chiles, stems removed and coarsely chopped
3 Tablespoons Oregano, finely chopped
1/2 Cup Canola Oil
1 (1-1/4 inch thick) Boneless Ribeye (about 1 lb)
Salt and coarsely ground Black Pepper

1. Stir together the garlic, chiles, oregano and oil in a medium baking dish. Add the steaks and turn to coat in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours.

2. Heat grill to high. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling to take the chill of it. Remove from the marinade and season liberally on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill the steak on both sides until golden brown and slightly charred and cooked to medium-rare (130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer) – about 9 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest, loosely tented with foil, for 10 minutes. Slice into ¼-inch thick slices.

Anaheim Chile Vinaigrette:

3 Large Anaheim Chiles, grilled, peeled, seeded and diced
4 Cloves of Roasted Garlic, peeled
3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
3 Tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Honey, or more if needed
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
3/4 Cup Canola Oil
1/4 Cup chopped fresh Cilantro

1. Combine the Anaheim chiles, garlic, vinegar, lime juice, a few tablespoons of water, honey, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth.

2. With the motor running, slowly add the oil until emulsified. Add the cilantro, blend 5 seconds longer. There should be flecks of the cilantro in the vinaigrette.

Quesadilla:

12 Flour Tortillas, 6-inch in diameter
1-1/2 Cups grated Monterey Jack Cheese
Marinated Ribeye slices, from above
6 Ounces Soft Goat Cheese, crumbled
3 Green Onions, thinly sliced
Canola Oil
Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
1 Teaspoon Ancho Chile Powder
Cilantro Leaves, for garnish

1. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Place 8 tortillas on a flat surface and divide the Monterey Jack, some of the beef, goat cheese and green onion among the tortillas (in that order); season with salt and pepper to taste.

2. Stack the tortillas to make four 2-layer tortillas and top each with the remaining tortillas. Brush the tops of the tortillas with canola oil and sprinkle with some of the ancho powder. Carefully place on the grill, ancho-side down and grill until lightly golden brown – about 2 minutes. Flip the quesadillas over, close the lid of the grill until the bottom of the tortillas are lightly golden brown and the cheese has melted. Remove from the grill, cut into quarters and top each quarter with some of the Anaheim vinaigrette and garnish with cilantro leaves.

ABOUT BOBBY FLAY STEAK:

Bobby Flay puts his avant-garde touch on the quintessential American entrée with his first ever steakhouse, Bobby Flay Steak at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. Showcasing a variety of regional steaks prepared with zesty rubs and seasonal ingredients and a special Lobster Bar that features fresh lobster creations, Bobby Flay Steak was designed by David Rockwell to present a chic, comfortable steakhouse that complements the exciting backdrop of Borgata.

ABOUT BORGATA HOTEL CASINO & SPA:

Located at Renaissance Pointe in Atlantic City, Borgata features 2,000 guest rooms and suites; 161,000 square feet of gaming; 182 gaming tables; 4,100 slot machines; an 85-table poker room; 11 retail boutiques; 6 acclaimed fine dining restaurants by renowned chefs; 6 casual dining options; a 54,000 square foot spa; 70,000 square feet of event space; 4 signature nightlife experiences; and parking for 7,100 cars. The resort also features Atlantic City’s first cosmopolitan hotel experience, The Water Club at Borgata, with 800 guest rooms and suites; a 36,000 square foot spa; 18,000 square feet of meeting space; 6 designer retail boutiques; and 5 heated indoor and outdoor pools.

Cooking for Isaiah Has Recipes That’ll Astonish PLUS a Tailgating Recipe for Proof

by Joi on August 23, 2010

I was recently sent a new cookbook to review that I’m very excited about. Excited to tell you about and excited to cook each and every recipe in the 223 page book! You know how, sometimes, as you’re thumbing through a cookbook you’ll go, “I might make that… I’ll try that one… nah… nah… There’s one I might try…. nah…” With this cookbook, I thumbed through the entire book and each recipe was met with a, “I can’t wait to make that one!”

Not a single nah.

Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes for Easy Delicious Meals was written by Silvana Nardone, founding editor in Chief of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine. Rachael Ray, herself, wrote the foreword. Silvana is also a columnist for Every Day with Rachael Ray with the “No-Recipe Zone” and “Sweet Spot” columns.

However, in this particular interest, I’m certain she carries a much simpler name – one worn closer to the heart. When you get down to it, this cookbook was written by “Isaiah’s Mom.”

Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes for Easy Delicious Meals is a labor of love. Silvana Nardone was challenged to create delicious meals for her young son, Isaiah, after he was diagnosed with food intolerances to gluten and dairy.

Description:
“The cornbread was flavorful, moist and light with a deliciously tender crumb. My only hope with this recipe was that Isaiah would love it… And then Isaiah took a bite. The look on his face was pure heaven.”
Cooking for Isaiah is a love story of Silvana Nardone’s journey to develop great-tasting meals for her son, Isaiah, after he was diagnosed with food intolerances to gluten and dairy. The results of her efforts are found in the pages of this book, through 135 recipes that are not only easy to make, but taste and look delicious.
From “S’mores Pancakes with Marshmallow Sauce” to “Double-Decker Toasted Cornbread and Spicy Greens Stack,” and “Chicken and Waffles with Maple Bacon Gravy” to “Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting,” all of the recipes in Cooking for Isaiah are entirely free of gluten and dairy. Crafted with a variety of cooks in mind, an ingredient substitution chart shows you what to swap if, for example, you need to cook without gluten, but dairy is okay. You’ll also find Silvana’s tried-and-tested all-purpose flour and pancake mix recipes, sure to make gluten-free cooking and baking accessible to all. Written by Silvana Nardone, Editor in Chief of Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine, this charming, personal cookbook belongs on every cook’s shelf.

The cookbook is a labor of love.  Silvana Nardone was challenged to develop delicious (so delicious even a child would love them, without feeling like he was being robbed of a normal childhood filled with the kinds of foods kids love) meals for her son, Isaiah, after he was diagnosed with food-intolerances to gluten and dairy.

Remarkably, symptoms that had been plaguing young Isaiah cleared up almost immediately after his mom removed gluten and dairy from his diet.

While this cookbook would seem like a gift straight from Heaven for people of all ages who avoid gluten and/or dairy, I want to make one thing perfectly clear: Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes for Easy Delicious Meals is an outstanding cookbook for anyone – even those of us who are bedfellows with gluten and dairy.

There are two groups of people who will want to RUSH over to Amazon and buy this cookbook the very minute they finish reading this cookbook review:

  1. Anyone who is gluten and/or dairy-intolerant – or loves someone who is.  These highly-original and creative recipes and meal ideas will knock your socks off.  The recipes will open up a whole new culinary world in which you’ll delight in exploring.  It’ll make eating fun and exciting again.
  2. Everyone else!  Even those of us who aren’t the least bit intolerant of gluten or dairy will fall instantly in love with this cookbook.  There is a wonderful chart on the inside back cover (as well as on page 17) that gives you substitutions to use if you want to… well… gluten-ize and dairy-ize the recipes.   Basically, it’s as simple as using your everyday flour, cow’s milk, pancake mix, and cornbread where the author has used her own gluten-free recipe for flour and pancake mix, or where she has substituted with Rice Milk (although I’m such a fanatic for Rice Milk, I wouldn’t dream of substituting for it… LOVE the stuff!).

The creativity the mom-author shows in these recipes boggles the mind while it leaves you drooling over the pictures (the ones in the book as well as the ones in your own mind).

About the Author, Silvana Nardone
Silvana Nardone is the founding Editor in Chief of Every Day with Rachael Ray, where she has been honored with the magazine industry’s top awards since its launch in 2005. She is the magazine’s “No-Recipe Zone” and “Sweet Spot” columnist. A writer, editor, cooking instructor, and food consultant, she is the coauthor of Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian, has been featured in many publications including the New York Times, and has appeared on NBC Weekend Today, WCBS News This Morning, WABC Eyewitness News This Morning, E! Entertainment True Hollywood Story, Fox News Fox & Friends, and the Food Network’s Roker on the Road. She was profiled by Big Apple Parent and About.com for her focus on gluten-free and dairy- free cooking. Silvana owned an Italian bakery, Fanciulla, when Rachael Ray hired her to launch her magazine. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband Stephen and two children, Isaiah and Chiara. Visit her blog at DishTowelDiaries.com.

The first recipe I made from this outstanding cookbook was the Toasted Ham-and-Tomato Cornbread Sandwiches with Jalapeno Mayonnaise.  I simply used my favorite Buttermilk Cornbread Recipe instead of the “Double Corn Cornbread” called for.  The Double Corn Cornbread recipe is found in the book on page 75 and sounds awesome.  In fact, I plan to give it a try – but I simply had the ingredients on hand for Buttermilk Cornbread, so I went with it.

Besides, I adore buttermilk cornbread and I knew there’d be enough left over for breakfast the next morning.  I love to split cornbread in half, butter it, and toast it lightly on the griddle, right beside eggs as they fry.  Then I top off the cornbread with a layer of Pepper Jelly and place the fried egg right up on top.  SO GOOD.  Then again, the cornbread with pepper jelly is a special experience, with or without the egg.

Toasted Ham-and-Tomato Cornbread Sandwiches with Jalapeno Mayonnaise

1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or parsley leaves (I used cilantro)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt
4 (4-inch) squares Double Corn Cornbread (page 75) or store-bought cornbread – split and toasted
shredded lettuce (about 2 cups) for topping
1 pound deli-sliced smoked ham
4 tomato slices, for topping

1. In a food processor, combine the mayonnaise, jalapenos, cilantro, lime juice, honey, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Process until smooth. (This jalapeno mayonnaise is so good you’ll want to eat it straight from the food processor bowl – trust me on this one. Your’s truly spread some on a Ritz cracker and had a fine time.)
2. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the jalapeno mayonnaise on each cornbread bottom; top each with shredded lettuce, ham, and a tomato slice. Spread the remaining jalapeno mayonnaise on each cornbread top and set in place. To serve, cut diagonally.

I actually cooked my cornbread in a large round pan, so my sandwiches were triangular. They were all kinds of cute and even more delicious than I can tell you – however, next time (and there will be many, many next times) I’ll go the square route because it’d be easier to maneuver the tomatoes and lettuce on a wider playing field.

The jalapeno mayonnaise would be incredible on…

  • BLTs
  • Homemade Vegetarian Subway Sandwiches
  • Turkey Paninis
  • Chicken Paninis,
  • Egg sandwiches
  • Ritz Crackers…

The Toasted Ham-and-Tomato Cornbread Sandwiches with Jalapeno Mayonnaise would be an excellent recipe for tailgating.  You’d surely rack up points for creativity AND taste.

Recipes such as this one keep your family on their toes.  The reason I love creative, original recipes is this:  They show your family that you love them enough to make their meals extra-special.  Who wants to come home to the same meal every night?  Keep things interesting and unexpected!

Other Recipes in Cooking for Isaiah:

  • Penne with Walnut Cream Sauce
  • Tomato Live Black Bean Soup with Avocado Cream
  • Chicken Potpie Soup
  • Hash Brown Belgian Waffles with Apple Sausage and Fried Eggs (You should see the picture!)
  • Chocolate-Dipped Chocolate Doughnuts
  • Bacon-Apple Cornbread Stuffing
  • Creamed Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
  • Grilled BBQ Onion-Smothered Double Bacon Burgers (I don’t think a teenager would even breath between bites.)
  • Raspberry-Lemon Meringue Layer Cake
  • Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Frosting
  • Super Fudge Brownies
  • Rocky Road Rice Crispy Treats
  • Grilled Vegetable Pesto Pizza
  • Chocolate Chip-Banana Split Belgian Waffles with Wet Walnuts and Hot Fudge Sauce
  • Grilled Corn Cakes with Strawberry Syrup
  • Isaiah’s Pumpkin Muffins with Crumble Topping
  • Asparagus Risotto Casserole
  • Creamy Corn Chowder
  • Isaiah’s Whipped Hot Cocoaccino (I’m enjoying one right this minute!!!  This is so delicious – it calls for rice milk, which I always have on hand.  Amazing – you’d know how amazing if you could see me licking my lips like crazy.)

Do yourself a huge favor and order a copy of Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes for Easy Delicious Meals right now. You will not find recipes like these anywhere else.

As for me, my oldest daughter will be home on her lunch break in a few minutes, and I plan on meeting her in the kitchen with a mug of Isaiah’s Whipped Hot Cocoaccino. She’s kind of under the weather and I KNOW this will set her world right again.

Roast Beef Dippers With French Onion Soup

by Joi on May 25, 2010

I made these delicious Roast Beef Dippers for supper last night and they quickly disappeared.  I served them with a great tossed salad and fried apples.

Roast Beef Dippers With French Onion Soup

1 can condensed Campbell’s French Onion Soup
package of sliced quality roast beef
6 French rolls – about 3 to 4 inches long, each
6 Slices Provolone Cheese (I use Sargento)

Combine the soup and 1 can of water in a saucepan. Heat the soup until warm.  Add the slices of Roast Beef.  I bought deli roast beef because it simply tastes better than most of the varieties you find in the lunch meat aisle. However, there are some very good roast beef slices available – just be choosy and don’t pinch Penny too hard!  Roast beef slices are one of those things in the grocery store that you most definitely get what you pay for.

Heat the beef in the soup for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until heated through.

Cut the rolls in half.  Using a slotted spoon, put the roast beef slices on the bottom halves of the rolls.  Put a few onions from the soup on top of the beef and top with the provolone cheese.  I folded the cheese in half and placed 1 piece of cheese on each slider – and, trust me, provolone is the cheese you’ll want to use in this instance.  Provolone is a Heavenly cheese and never more so than when it’s paired with roast beef.

Top each with the top halves of the rolls.

Divide the soup amongst 6 small bowls or custard cups.  Serve the sandwiches with the warm soup for dipping.

This is a very delicious, satisfying, and quick-as-a-wink recipe. These dippers can be served with a tossed salad, pasta salad, jell-o, or even a bag of Frito’s.  They’re as perfect for supper as they are for lunch.

Healthy Recipes from Prevention’s Flat Belly Diet For Men

by Joi on February 6, 2010

Football and unhealthy food often go hand in hand. Chips, dips, nachos, wings — not necessarily the best food for one’s waistline! The following recipes are from Prevention’s new book, The Flat Belly Diet! for Men and I can easily see them putting the other foods on the DL – as in Don’t touch List. Okay, that would actually be the DTL, but we’ll just let it go.

Of course, these recipes will be fantastic whether it’s Superbowl Sunday or not.

Every recipe in this book, written by Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief of Prevention, with Milton Stokes, MPH, RD, weighs in at less than 400 calories per serving and boasts a MUFA, or mono-unsaturated fatty acid, which have been proven to help shed belly fat (including the dangerous visceral fat that increases your risk for a number of serious health problems) and improve heart health.

They certainly have my attention, how about you?

For more information, visit Flat Belly Diet for Men.com.   After checking out Flat Belly Diet for Men’s website, you’ll want to head to Prevention’s website for more great recipes from the Flat Belly Diet.   There’s a Spinach-Pesto dip that I have an appointment with soon.  Very soon.

SPICY CHICKEN CHEESE STEAK WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND PEPPERS

Preparation time: 10 minutes / Cooking time: 16 minutes / Makes 4 servings

1/4 cup olive oil (MUFA)
12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ounces shredded 50 percent reduced fat sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (8-ounce) French baguette, split lengthwise

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and reserve. Return the skillet to the stove and heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, oregano, and red-pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8 to 9 minutes, or until the onions are golden. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute, or until starting to brown. Add the chicken, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Cook 1 minute, or until hot. Remove from the heat and add in the cheese, stirring until melted.

2. Top the baguette with the chicken mixture. Cut into 4 portions and serve.

*********************************

BLACK AND RED BEAN CHILI WITH WAGON WHEELS

Preparation time: 10 minutes / Cooking time: 30 minutes / Makes 4 Servings

4 ounces wagon wheel pasta
1/4 cup olive oil (MUFA)
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (15-ounce) no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/2 ounce semisweet chocolate
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Bring pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, then drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Cook 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook 1 minute. Add the black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and salt, stirring until the chocolate has melted. Serve over the pasta.

Original Super Bowl Recipes Courtesy of the Amazing Avocado!

by Joi on January 31, 2010

I can’t even tell you how much I love avocados.  I’ve tried before and felt that I came up short, so I figure why even try?  Suffice to say, I could eat two every single day for the rest of my life and want more.  I use them in guacamole (of course), on paninis, in tossed salads, in pasta salads, on pizza, in tacos, in fajitas, and I’ve even put them into scrambled eggs before.

I also love to slice them, remove the pit, and sprinkle a little fresh lemon juice inside.  Then I toss a little finely chopped tomato with a little olive oil and salt and glob the tomato mixture onto the avocado.  If I have fresh cilantro on hand, I sprinkle some on top.  Then I have a party in my mouth.  Naturally, I also simply slice them and eat them quite often as well.

A year or so ago, while reading a favorite cookbook, Nigella Express, I came across this quote from the beautiful author:  “I eat an enormous amount of avocados…. (I remember reading) when I was really quite young, just in my teens, that the dogs that lived in avocado orchards always had shiny, glossy coats because of all the windfall fruit they snaffled up daily.  That image has stuck with me, and it is such an appealing one.  I always have it in mind as I prepare myself an avocado, which is often.”

Ever since reading that quote, I picture Nigella’s gorgeous hair when I cut open an avocado!

Below you’ll find a wealth of Avocado information – how to pick an avocado, how to cut an avocado, how to prepare an avocado, the nutritional values of avocados, a guacamole recipe, and a Chicken and Avocado Pizza recipe.  Have mercy!   The avocado recipes below (as well as the ones linked to at the end of this Mega Avocado Post) can give you the power to have the best Superbowl Snacks on the block when the Colts and the Saints fight it out for the big one.  This has nothing to do with avocados or even cooking, but for the first time EVER, I honestly don’t care which team wins this year – I like them about the same.  Peyton Manning is a class act and the Colts are a classy organization -what’s not to like about them?  At the same time, the Saints are a lot of fun to watch and they’ve really built their program up to a position of dominance.  It’d be great to see them rewarded for all their hard work.

I guess I’ll just sit back and enjoy the game, almost as much as the snacks!

Guacamole Monster Dip Recipe

1 fully ripened Avocado from Mexico – halved, pitted and diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon wasabi
1 cup plain thick Greek-style yogurt
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

  1. In bowl, combine avocado, yogurt, ginger, salt, wasabi, garlic, and lime juice; stir until well mixed.
  2. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
  3. Garnish with chopped chives, if desired.
  4. Serve as a dip with chips or vegetables or topping for iceberg lettuce wedges or romaine hearts.

Preparation time is about 5 minutes. Yields about 1-1/2 cups.

Chicken and Avocado Pizza Recipe

California-style pizza, ready to enjoy in less than 15 minutes | Serves 2-4

1 12-inch Boboli ready-made pizza crust
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1/4 teaspoon chipotle Tabasco
1 cup cooked shredded chicken
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 fully ripened Avocado from Mexico, halved pitted, peeled and sliced

-Heat oven to 425°F. Place pizza crust on a baking sheet; bake crust 7 minutes.
-In small bowl, combine pizza sauce and Tabasco.
-Spread pizza with sauce; top with chicken, Avocado and cheese.
-Bake until crust is crisp on the bottom, 4 to 6 minutes longer. Yields 8 slices.

Nutritional Information for Avocados:

  • One-fifth of a medium avocado (3 slices), or about one ounce, has only 50 calories.
  • Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including 4% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, 4% vitamin C, 8% folate, 4% fiber, 2% iron, 4% potassium, with 81 micrograms of lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene.
  • Avocados contribute good fats to one’s diet, providing 3 grams monounsaturated fat and 0.5 polyunsaturated grams fat per 1 oz. serving.
  • Avocados have a favorable unsaturated-to-saturated fat ratio of 3.5 grams to 0.5 grams, making them a great substitute for foods rich in saturated fats.
  • Avocados can help consumers meet the dietary guidelines of the American Heart Association (AHA), which are to eat a diet that is low to moderate in fat. According to the AHA, mono and polyunsaturated fats, when consumed in moderation and eaten in place of saturated or trans fats, can help reduce blood cholesterol levels and decrease risk for heart disease.
  • Avocados are cholesterol- and sodium-free, and more than 50 percent of the fruit’s fat content comes from monounsaturated fats. The avocado is virtually the only fruit that has monounsaturated fat.
  • Avocados act as a “nutrient booster” by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha- and beta-carotene as well as lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.
  • Avocados contain 76 milligrams beta-sitosterol in a 3-oz serving of avocado. Beta-sitosterol is a natural plant sterol which may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
  • Avocados contain 81 micrograms of the carotenoid lutein in a 1 oz. serving, which some studies suggest may help maintain healthy eyes.

How to Choose the Perfect Avocado from Mexico

(Or, How to recognize your Hass!)

  • Avocados from Mexico are available year round. You can spot a ripe Hass Avocado from Mexico by its green-black pebbly textured skin.
  • Look for the “Avocados from Mexico” sticker
  • It appears on only the finest Avocados imported from Mexico.
  • Hass has heft
  • When you hold the Avocado, it should feel heavy for its size and have no mushy spots.

Get it ripe
Avocados mature on the tree, but they soften and develop their fullest flavor after picking. You can count on a firm green Avocado to ripen within three to four days. If the skin is a mottled color – green with black patches – it will be ready for use in a shorter time, two to three days.

Need your Avocado now?
If you need Avocados to use right away, look for fruit whose skin has turned dark green or black. The Avocado should yield to gentle pressure from a thumb.

Avocado Ripening and Storage Information

How to tell if your Avocado is ripe
To determine if your Avocado from Mexico is ripe, gently press on the bottom with your finger; ripe Avocados will feel slightly soft. And when shopping for and storing Avocados, use this guide:

Storing ripe Avocados
Avocados at stages 2 – 4 can be stored at room temperature in an area with good circulation to continue their ripening. For speedier ripening, keep Avocados in a closed paper bag. To slow down ripening, refrigerate them until a few days before use.
Avocados at stages 4 – 5 can be stored in your refrigerator (36º to 40º F) for up to one week. When saving part of an Avocado for later use, cover the exposed flesh with plastic wrap to slow oxidation.

How to Cut and Prepare an Avocado

Cut
Using a sharp knife, cut into the Avocado straight down, longitudinally (from top to bottom) until you hit the pit.
Twist
Take the Avocado and twist it until it separates into two halves, one of which will contain the pit.
Hit
Carefully strike the pit with your knife. Using a twisting motion, use the knife’s leverage to loosen and dislodge the pit.
Spoon
With a spoon, gently scoop away the Avocado’s flesh from the outer skin.
Enjoy
Your Avocado is now ready to make your appetizer or entrée a work of culinary art.

Ways to Serve Avocados

Avocados are most commonly used to make guacamole, but they are so versatile and can be incorporated into many other dishes like main entrees,, salads, dips, desserts, and sandwiches.

Avocados substituted as a spread in place of many other popular foods may help reduce dietary intake of calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol.

Images, recipes, and information are courtesy of  www.theamazingavocado.com.  Visit their site  for hundreds of recipes.  I just found one for Fish Tacos that I’ll be trying this week (I’d make it tonight  if I didn’t already have a huge pot of Great Northern beans, potatoes, and ham cooking!).   Another favorite is the Portabella Burgers with Avocado Spread.  I’ve linked you to the page containing these recipes – be sure to browse around for more.  That’s where I’m headed!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs for Dummies

by Joi on January 17, 2010

I just made some Sweet and Sour Meatballs that I found on, of all places, Dummies.com. How outrageous is that?

What’s more, these are the best meatballs I’ve ever had – they’re sensational! Click the link, print out the recipe and give these amazing meatballs a try asap. In the category of by the way, I used grape jelly (the recipe gives you a choice between apple jelly and grape jelly).

I also made my famous Spinach Artichoke Dip to serve with tortilla chips We take Game Day seriously in our house!

Outstandingly Delicious and Healthy Snacks for Game Day

by Joi on January 15, 2010

One of our biggest pitfalls as a family trying to eat healthy foods is snack time.  I make healthy meals and, even when we eat out, we make healthy choices.  But when we’re watching football games, basketball games, baseball, Survivor, The Biggest Loser, or anything else on TV – we love our snacks.

Also – aside from my youngest daughter and our cats – the members of my family come and go all day and night.  It can be exhausting for us homebodies watching them come and go.  I’ve noticed that they all love to snack along their journeys… fuel for the road, I suppose.   I try to keep healthier options in the kitchen and dining room for them to grab.  Sure, we’ll have various forms of chocolate at any given time – I won’t even try to deny that.  Besides, you’d smell the chocolate on my breath and call me out.

I always remind people that chocolate…

  • Is actually good for you – nutritionists sing the praises of dark chocolate almost as much as I do
  • Chocolate makes the world go round
  • Chocolate is sexy

So, you can count on this  kitchen always, always, always boasting plenty of chocolate goodness just as surely as there will always be a coffee pot ready to play .  The coffee will warm your body as the chocolate warms your mood.  But potato chips, soft drinks, and fried, greasy crap has been exiled from our home.

Nuts are also remarkably good for you, so I keep several candy dishes filled with different kinds of nuts and nut blends.  The largest candy dish is currently holding chocolate covered raisins and chocolate covered nuts.  Another has almonds, which are a huge hit in my family.

Recently, I happened upon a combination that blew me completely away: Mariani Vanilla Yogurt Raisins and walnut pieces. I keep these yogurt covered raisins on hand because I’m totally addicted to them. They are ridiculously delicious. They had commandeered a large candy dish and I couldn’t find a spot for a bag of walnut pieces I’d just brought home from the store. So, I tossed the walnuts in with the yogurt covered raisins. When I passed by, I’d either pick out the raisins or the walnuts until I saw my husband grab a mixture and put them in his mouth. In an unsettling display of monkey-see/monkey-do, I jumped over and tried it for myself.

Holy deliciousness, Batman!!!

The combination reminds me of one of my favorite cookies, Iced Oatmeal Cookies. For whatever reasons, the vanilla-flavored yogurt, the raisins, and the walnuts make a powerhouse combination that convinces your mind that you’re eating the best Iced Oatmeal Cookie ever made. With less calories.

Try different combinations of nuts and dried fruit with your snackers… but, whatever you do, try the Vanilla-Flavored Yogurt-Covered Raisins paired with Walnuts first. It’ll blow you smack away.  These yogurt-covered raisins are also outstanding when eaten with fruit such as pineapple wedges, grapes, strawberries, raspberries (!!!), blueberries, blackberries, and so on.

Below is a great recipe for Trail Mix Bars from Mariani – makers, not only of the yogurt covered raisins I eat like a cat with salmon, but also makers of many outstanding dried fruits and other snacks. Look for them on the shelves at your grocery store. In my favorite store, they’re located in the health food section.

Mariani Trail Mix Bars Recipe

2 cups margarine
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
6 cups mixture of Mariani Premium Banana Chips – crushed, raisins, mixed nuts, and chopped, Mariani Premium Mixed Fruit.
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
3 cups granola

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix margarine, brown sugar, and white sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda, and add to butter and egg mixture. Stir in trail mix, oats, and granola. When mixed, drop spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

For more healthy recipes from Mariani, see their website.

Did you know that walnuts are very good for your brain? Click the link to learn how!

Delicious Pace Recipes For Superbowl Snacks: From Wings to Spinach Dip

by Joi on January 11, 2010

As a nation, we love our food, don’t we?! So much so that in a study they conducted, Pace found that the Super Bowl has become as much about the food as it is about football. Especially if, like me, your team never seems to make it to the big game. But enough about my Broncos.

The study revealed that Super Bowl Sunday has become the top at-home party day of the year (surpassing even New Year’s Eve!) and is second only to Thanksgiving as the biggest eating day of the year. The study even found that more people remember what they ate on Super Bowl Sunday than who won the game.

I can attest to that… Who did win last year?

In preparation for Super Bowl XLIV (taking place Feb. 7 in Miami), here are four of Pace Kitchens’ favorite recipes for Super Bowl Sunday, to help make your party more festive and more memorable.

Warm Spinach Dip with a Kick
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 15 minutes Yield: 32 servings (2 tablespoons each)

Vegetable cooking spray
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
4 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1cup)
Tortilla chips or fresh vegetables

1. Spray a 2-quart saucepan with the cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook until it’s tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir the spinach and flour in the skillet. Gradually stir the milk in the skillet. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the picante sauce and cheese and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve with the tortilla chips for dipping.

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings
Prep: 10 min. Bake: 35 min. Yield: 24 pieces

12 chicken wings or 24 chicken drumettes
1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1. Cut off chicken wing tips and discard. Cut chicken wings in half at joint. Place chicken into foil-lined shallow baking pan.
2. Stir picante sauce, honey and ginger in large bowl. Toss chicken with 1/3 cup of picante mixture.
3. Bake at 500°F. on lowest oven rack 35 min. or until crispy and cooked through, turning chicken over once halfway through baking. Remove chicken and toss with remaining picante mixture.

Sweet & Spicy Barbecued Brisket
Prep: 10 minutes Marinate: 8 hours Bake: 4 hours 30 minutes Yield: 10 servings

1 trimmed beef brisket (about 5 pounds)
Ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 cups Pace® Picante Sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
10 Pepperidge Farm® Classic Sandwich Buns with Sesame Seeds or Pepperidge
Farm® Farmhouse Premium White Rolls with Sesame Seeds

1. Season the beef with the black pepper and garlic powder and place into a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Stir the picante sauce, brown sugar and Worcestershire in a small bowl. Spread the picante sauce mixture over the beef. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.
2. Bake, covered, at 300°F. for 4 1/2 hours or until the beef is fork-tender. Slice or shred the beef. Divide the beef and sauce among the rolls.

Salsa Verde Meatballs
Prep: 15 min. Bake: 20 min. Yield: 16 meatballs

1 1/4 cups Pace® Salsa Verde
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 egg
3/4 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
4 green onions, minced

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Thoroughly mix 3/4 cup salsa, beef, egg, tortilla chips and green onions in large bowl. Shape mixture firmly into 16 meatballs.
3. Place meatballs into 3-qt. shallow baking dish. Top each with 1 tsp. salsa.
4. Bake 20 min. or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with remaining salsa. Mini Meatballs: Prepare beef mixture as directed above. Shape mixture firmly into 48 mini meatballs. Place meatballs into 4-qt. shallow baking dish. Bake at 350°F. 10 min. or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with remaining salsa.

Buffalo Chicken and Sargento White Cheddar Cheese Panini with a Special, Unexpected Guest

by Joi on December 8, 2009

Hamilton Beach Panini Press Gourmet Sandwich Maker You know me, I’m always playing with, and loving, my Hamilton Beach Panini Press Gourmet Sandwich Maker. But this afternoon, I took it for a ride that neither one of us were too sure of.

I kept saying, “Trust me. Been doing this for ages,” and P.P. (He goes by his initials – come on, wouldn’t you if your name was Panini Press?) kept saying, “I – just – don’t – know –” As it turned out, I was so totally right! The panini I built today goes down in history as one of my own personal best.

I heated up the Panini Press and lightly buttered the top and bottom. I would have gone with Olive Oil but, somehow, I ran out of this wonderful staple. Oh, well… I’m never out of butter, so butter it was.

I spread a little spicy brown mustard on one slice of my Sarah Lee White Whole Wheat bread and placed it onto the buttered press. Then I added a slice of “Buffalo Chicken” deli meat (from Kroger’s deli). Any sliced chicken sandwich meat would suffice, but this was extra, extra special. On top of the chicken, I spread a little Cattlemen’s Smokehouse Barbecue Sauce (sensational BBQ sauce). Then I placed a slice of Sargento White Cheddar cheese on top of the Cattlemen’s. Then… now this is where P.P. nearly fell off the counter – I spread a tablespoon of leftover coleslaw on top of the White Cheddar cheese. I caught the press as it started to commit Harry Carry and topped the whole production off with the other piece of bread.

I cooked it until the texture amused me, then sat the deliciously aromatic sandwich on my cutting board – allowing it to get its bearings for a minute. Then I cut him in half, plated him with a few pickles and sat down to see how the experiment turned out. Two minutes (at most) later, I was kicking myself for only making one.  I generally never eat much at a time – especially since a recent dental extraction – but I seriously wanted a second sandwich right then and there.

The different flavors mingled and tingled and created one of the best – if not the best – panini I’ve ever tasted. The coleslaw gave a wonderful crunch in the background of a delicious party being thrown by some of my personal favorites:  remarkable deli luncheon meat, Cattlemen’s extraordinary bbq sauce, and Sargento’s white cheddar cheese,  a flat-out addiction.   Also, Sarah Lee makes the best bread known to man.  Or woman. Or Panini Presses.

The buffalo chicken could have been replaced just as splendidly with smoked turkey or smoked chicken.  Give this one a try – and don’t you dare leave out the coleslaw.  Grab an individual size from KFC or Long John Silver’s if you don’t have any made up.

Sauerkraut and Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage: A Fast and Easy Recipe

by Joi on December 2, 2009

Kroger Sauerkraut

My husband had a business dinner tonight and our resident vegetarian (daughter #2, Brittany) is at work, so I made the rest of us a meal with a German accent.

In a large skillet, I combined a little Olive Oil and butter (no imitations allowed or encouraged).  Then I threw in some fresh coarsely chopped garlic.  After a minute, I added my chopped up Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage.  There are tons of varieties, but my favorite of the moment is the Smoked Sausage.  When a lot of people get to this stage, they make a grave error – they don’t cook the sausage nearly long enough.  If it’s still piggy pink, keep it in the pan!

I added salt and pepper and cooked until the sausage was the beautiful golden color I was after.

I opened my large can of Kroger Sauerkraut (As you know I’m a brand snob, like, 98 percent of the time – but Kroger brands are almost always first rate and their Sauerkraut is honestly my favorite of all the brands. It’s slightly sweet and that amuses me.).  After draining about half the liquid off of the kraut, I added it along with a heaping tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar to the sausage and it’s drippings.

It simmered. I stirred.  My cat watched.

This is a fast, inexpensive, easy, and delicious meal.  It’s great served alongside applesauce and corn muffins or even toasted bread and sweet potatoes.

This particular recipe is a perfect example of one of my favorite, most consistent cooking tips:  When cooking, never just throw ingredients together and expect magic to happen.  Give each ingredient and each step in the cooking process your complete attention… and flavor!  When I’m making spaghetti, for example, I season the pasta as though it will be a dish all on its own.  By the time it’s hit with the right amount of olive oil, rosemary, basil, and salt, it could be.  In fact, my daughters will often simply put a little butter on the noodles and let the spaghetti sauce wait in the bowl for a while.

The end results in any meal will be a lot more satisfying if you treat each ingredient as though it will be flying solo.  That’s why I always season the sausage before adding the kraut in this particular dish.  When a cook simply opens packages and throws them all together, it’s obvious in each bite.  But when each ingredient has the self confidence it needs… magic!

Hillshire Farms Smoked Sausage

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