Easy Guacamole

Fresh guacamole is one of life's most wonderful things. There's just something about the combination of rich avocado with diced onions, tomatoes and jalapenos with just a squeeze of lime juice that begs you to keep dipping tortilla chips into it. 


Okay, so guacamole is my crack.


And sometimes, I don't have onions, tomatoes and jalapenos on hand to mix in. So the trick I learned (from a legit Hispanic family, so don't hate) is to mix in some salsa! It already has all of the flavors you would mix into the guacamole all melded together in its own delicious form.  So if you don't have time to dice up all the fresh veggies, this is a perfectly acceptable and functional alternative. 

What You'll Need: 
3 Haas avocados
salt and fresh cracked black pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
1/2 lime, juiced
3 tablespoons of salsa 


What To Do:
Scoop avocado into a bowl and mash with a fork to desired smoothness or chunkiness. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder to taste. Mix in salsa and lime juice. Adjust to taste. Consume immediately and if, unlike me, you have enough self control to have leftovers, refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container. 


So easy. So addicting. Enjoy responsibly.

Queso Blanco

This Saturday is Cinco de Mayo! 

(my silly students)

Working at a predominantly Hispanic church , dating a Hispanic guy and living in Texas in general makes me really appreciate all the Mexican heritage around me. The culture is so vibrant and colorful... and the food is some of the best in the world!

(my love)

So I'll be sharing some of my favorite Mexican-influenced recipes between now and then to give you some fun ideas on how you can celebrate this weekend.

This queso blanco is the perfect dip for a Cinco de Mayo party or gathering because it's simple to throw together... and who doesn't like melted cheese?? Serve it with tortilla chips or warm tortillas. I've poured leftover queso over scrambled eggs!

I will note that I use quite a bit more milk/cream than this recipe calls for, probably about 1.5-2 cups as needed to keep it nice and smooth. However, if you can keep your queso dip warm in a crock pot or over a candle warmer, then there should be no problem!

The secret to this melty goodness is White American Cheese

(You can get it at the deli counter at the grocery store)

So make sure you don't substitute in a different white cheese

You can end up with a gooey mess! 

What You’ll Need:

1 tbsp cooking oil

¼ cup white onion, diced

1 large jalapeno, seeds and stem removed, diced

12 oz White American cheese, shredded (ask for 3 slices on 10 at the deli!)

4 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded (but not pre-shredded)

¼- 2/3 cup heavy cream or milk

1 roma tomato, seeded and diced

1small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

1 small avocado- optional

Tortilla chips 

What To Do:

Heat the oil in a sauté pan. Cook the onion and pepper until softened (about five minutes) and  reduce heat to medium-low. Add the shredded cheese and ¼ cup of the cream. Stir until mostly melted. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, and additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Serve warm topped with sliced avocado, along with chips, tortillas or over tacos!

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Christmas Dinner Party: Baked Brie

On Monday I hosted a fun dinner party for David and his roommates. 

This is the third year I've done it and I'd have to say 

this was definitely the best meal to date!

Menu:

Drinks:

Cranberry Punch

Glass Bottled Dr Pepper

 (don't judge. this is definitely holiday-party-worthy)

Appetizers:

Baked Brie served with  sliced apples

Spinach Salad 

with dried cranberries, walnuts and feta cheese

Entree:

Sliced Rib Roast

Side Dishes:

Scalloped Potatoes

Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles 

Dinner Rolls 

Dessert:

Tuxedo Cake

Although it felt like so many things went wrong during the prep time, 

(forgetting to bring beaters for the hand mixer,

not having enough time to let rolls rise and having to get store bought ones

totally planning around the wrong cut of meat...)

this meal turned out truly delicious. And if this amateur cook 

can pull it off, so can you. I'm going to share a few of the recipes 

I used with tips to make them simpler!

The first is the baked brie. 

It's really easy and delicious and makes a beautiful presentation. 

Plus, cheese is awesome. 

Who doesn't like cheese?

I served this while I finished up the rest of the prep for the meal. 

You'll need:
One 15oz Brie wheel
One puff pastry sheet
1 egg plus 1 tsp water
sliced apples (optional)


What To Do:
Wrap the brie wheel in the pastry sheet the flip over so the smooth side is on top. Decorate with any extra pastry dough (I made a bow on top). Brush with the egg wash. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until browned on top. Let it sit for about fifteen minutes before you slice into it, or all the cheese will be too gooey and will run out everywhere!


You can also include pecans and raspberry jam inside for a fantastic twist on this. 
There are so many ways to customize it to include things that you like. 

Stay tuned for more recipes from this Christmas Dinner menu!

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Jalapeno Bites

Add this to your appetizer go-to list,

because it's a sure win across age groups and taste preferences

Plus it doesn't take a whole lot of food to make 

plenty of individual portions!

And bacon makes everything better.

You'll Need:

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

1 jalapeno pepper

1 pkg bacon

2 oz cream cheese

brown sugar

chili powder 

toothpicks

What To Do:

Cube the chicken and cut the bacon strips in half. 

Deseed the jalapeno and slice it in half longways 

and then chop each half into little slices. 

Assemble the parts, beginning with the strip of bacon 

then layer on the chicken, small dollop of cream cheese

 and jalapeno slice. Secure together with a toothpick. 

Roll each bite in brown sugar and chili powder. 

Place on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for twenty minutes 

or until the bacon is done to your liking!

Do you think bacon makes everything better?

Stuffed Mushrooms

I used to think that mushrooms were gross.
It was one of those things I'd pick out of
pizza
salad 
or restaurant entrees.


But then, I saw the light. 
Madisonville launched the Texas Mushroom Festival
I competed in a scholarship pageant 
and they made me try mushrooms.
The first thing I had was Olive Garden's stuffed mushrooms
Since then I've been hooked!

Here's a simple recipe for them 
that's great to take to Christmas parties
or as an appetizer at a formal dinner  

I've included some tips for quicker prep as well!

You'll need:

24 whole fresh button mushrooms

3-4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

2 tsp. vegetable oil

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Bread crumbs and minced fresh herbs, for garnish (optional)

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Buy the pre-washed mushrooms and save a few minutes.

If you saved money instead and don't buy the pre-washed ones,
 clean the mushrooms with a damp towel 

and remove the stems, saving for later use

Add the stems and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped
Although I love fresh garlic, I bought the jar of minced garlic

Heat oil on medium head and add your garlic and stem mush, 
cooking 5-7 minutes or until all the moisture is gone. 

Lower to medium-low heat and add in cream cheese, 

Parmesan cheese and spices.

Stir together until smooth and creamy

Remove from heat

Fill the mushroom caps with the 

cream cheese mixture using a small spoon

Top with breadcrumbs if desired. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are hot

and liquid starts to form under the cap

Tranfer to a serving platter

Garnish with fresh herbs if desired

 and serve immediately!

This recipe is great because you can mix in 

any number of yummy things you'd like:

bacon bits

crumbled sausage

diced jalapeno 

etc etc

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats

What's your go-to holiday appetizer or snack?