Bomb-Diggity Bacon Salsa

The other day I was watching the Food Network (shocker), and saw that my old friend Trisha Yearwood now has a cooking show (coincidentally, she also does Zumba). I already had an appreciation for Trisha, but this knowledge brought it to a whole new level. Turns out she's a pretty bomb cook too, and makes her salsa with...

wait for it...

bacon.

I've been dying to try the recipe ever since. Needless to say, I finished off my bag of chips (I'm going to need to start looking for something else to put this salsa on).

Below is a slightly modified version of her "Salsa Ranchera" (see original recipe here). Salsa Ranchera just didn't quite capture the greatness of the recipe... so I also modified the title.

Bomb-Diggity Bacon Salsa

6 slices thick-sliced bacon, cut into strips

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced 

1 serrano pepper (see note below), de-stemmed, de-seeded, and finely diced

1/2 tsp cumin

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp salt

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon until it gets brown, but before it gets crispy. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for ten minutes. Serve warm or cold. Probably warm, since you're not going to want to wait (I prefer it warm anyway).

Note: I know everyone's spiciness preference is different, so you will want to adjust this recipe to your taste. I thought two peppers made it just a little too spicy (my lips were burning). If you don't like any heat at all, I would probably just replace the serrano pepper with a green bell pepper. If you're not as much of a pansy as I am, go for two. 

Quinoa Burrito Bowls

So... I've been hearing all this hype about "quinoa." After finally learning how to say it (keen-wah), I decided I better get on this bandwagon and learn to cook it. I went to buy some at Wal-Mart, and the cashier was asking me all these questions about it. I felt like kind of like an idiot when I didn't even really know what it was, so here are some quick fun facts about quinoa before we start:

• It is a species of goosefoot, which is a grain-like crop primarily grown for its edible seeds.
• It is classified as a "chenopod," which makes it closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds.
• Nutritional value: high protein content (14%), and it is a complete protein (meaning it contains all nine of the amino acids necessary for our dietary needs). It is also a good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and calcium. Source

So, pretty much, quinoa is an amazing superfood. I feel good about that. And, turns out, it tastes pretty darn good.

Quinoa Burrito Bowls
1 cup quinoa
1 cube tomato bouillon with chicken flavor (you may find it in the store as "caldo de tomate")

Cook the quinoa as directed on the package, but add the bouillon to the water as the quinoa is boiling. This will give it an amazing flavor, similar to Mexican rice.Make sure to stir the quinoa as it is cooking, so it doesn't burn.

Toppings (serve these Hawaiian-haystack style):
Shredded chicken (as usual, I prefer rotisserie chicken - brown in a medium saucepan with a bit of olive oil)
Black beans (heat in a medium saucepan)
Lime juice
Corn
Cheddar or Jack Cheese
Shredded Lettuce
Greek yogurt
Diced tomatoes
Cilantro
Sliced avocados or guacamole
Hot sauce

I loaded all of this on my bowl, and it was AMAZING. I didn't even realize I was eating something totally healthy, which is the way I like it! This recipe yields about 4 servings.

This recipe was altered from the recipe found at The Shiksa In the Kitchen.

Black Bean & Avocado Salsa

This recipe is almost... embarrassingly easy. I get so many requests for the recipe, though, so I decided it would be a great addition to my blog.

You will need:
3 ripe avocados
1 red onion
3-4 tomatoes
juice of 4 limes
1 bunch of cilantro
4 ears of fresh corn (or 1 can of golden corn)
1 can black beans, rinsed
Fresh jalapeno or serrano pepper for an extra kick (optional)
Italian dressing seasoning packet
Salt & pepper to taste

Okay so the instructions are as follows... chop the tomatoes, onion, cilantro & avocado and put into a bowl. Add the corn, black beans, & lime juice. Use Italian dressing seasoning packet and salt and pepper to taste... and that's it! If you let it sit in the fridge for about an hour, it allows the flavor to come out better.


For this batch of salsa, I was especially lucky to be able to use mostly produce that was in season:

Delicious, red tomatoes


Fresh corn on the cob


Crisp red onion...


All locally grown!

And then there was the fresh cilantro, lime, and avocado from the grocery store... I guess everything can't be in season at once.







MOST. DELICIOUS. SALSA. EVER.

Tres Leches

Okay, it's time for the greatest blog post of all time.


It's tres leches time.

I have received rave reviews many a time for this recipe (thanks, Martha Stewart... not that she gave me a rave review... but she gave me the recipe). I had one guy tell me,

"The only thing I don't like about tres leches is that it ruins all other cake for me."

So... consider yourself warned.

Here's what you will need:
1 stick butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
5 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream


fruit for the top (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches... or all of the above)

And... don't forget... the tres leches:


1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (first leche)
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk (second leche)
1 cup whole milk (third leche, baby)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then, whisk the dry ingredients together in a pan--the flour, baking powder, and salt.


I'd like to just take a moment to highlight some of our key players here; ingredients that really take this cake to the next level. #1--there's the PURE vanilla extract. Let's just say... I'm pretty sure pure anything is always better than imitation.


#2-COARSE salt... I'd just like to point out that it says perfect for GOURMET baking. That's right.


Last, my favorite cooking spray. It actually has flour IN it--so you get the whole floured pan effect, without the work.


In a separate bowl, beat the eggs & 3/4 cup sugar till they are pale and thick--about 4 minutes at high speed (thank heavens for my Kitchen Aid)

Add the vanilla and beat to mix. Then, gradually add the dry mixture until thoroughly combined (put your mixer on low). Last, fold the butter in with a rubber spatula.


Make sure you grease the pan first, then pour the mixture into a rectangular cake pan. Put in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes (I used a metal pan... it may take a bit longer if you use a glass pan). Keep an eye on it, and take it out when the top is golden brown and a toothpick placed in the middle comes out clean.

Now, to get the leches ready. Mix together the evaporated, sweetened condensed, and whole milk in a bowl.


Then take a toothpick, fork, or other sharp object and poke holes all over the top of the cake (yes, you can do this while it is still warm).


Pour the milk mixture over the top, making sure to cover the cake evenly. Let the cake sit for about an hour (or longer... if it's longer, I would stick it in the fridge).


Last, mix the heavy whipping cream and 1/4 cup of the sugar to medium peaks (it should look like it does above).

Spread it all over the cake, and then top with fruit. Or, you can serve the fruit separately and let people put however much on it they want (that's how I like to do it).


Then, die and go to heaven. Seriously. You won't regret it.

In Search of the Perfect Chipotle Dressing...

I love the taste of chipotle.

I don't know what it is, but it is amazing.

Every time I go to a restaurant and something has any kind of chipotle sauce on it, there's a good chance I'm ordering it.

However, I've never been able to find a delicious chipotle sauce/dressing/anything at the store. I've tried a few different recipes, but nothing has quite done it for me.

So I decided to concoct my own dressing. It was pretty simple, but the results were amazing. Here's what I came up with:


Chipotle Ranch Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise (I used Smart Balance... I guess that makes me feel healthier)*
1/2-1 cup milk
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Ranch dressing mix
Salt, to taste
Juice from one lime

*To make this even healthier, use Greek yogurt.

Put all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor, and let the magic happen. You can adjust the quantity of peppers for spiciness, and the salt/ranch dressing mix for taste. You can add more or less milk to adjust creaminess. This is perfect with a delicious taco salad!


I made a yummy taco salad with cilantro, lime, shredded lettuce, black beans, red onions, and ground beef. It was life changing.


YUM.