Greek Salad Style Potato Skins

I took a delicious classic appetizer, the potato skin, and put a healthy new spin on them! 

Typically loaded with sour cream, bacon and tons of cheddar cheese, potato skins are delicious but loaded with calories and fat. These beauties are baked until crispy, filled with fresh veggies and topped with feta cheese and tzatziki sauce. Now, tzatziki sauce can easily be found in the grocery store, but I always make my own. I never measure, it's just super simple to throw together. Mix together some Greek yogurt, a small pinch of garlic salt and a splash of fresh lemon juice in a small bowl. Then use a grater and grate some red onion and cucumber over the bowl. Mix it well, and set it in the fridge. That's it!

Greek Salad Style Potato Skins

4 small to medium russet potatoes 

2 Tablespoons olive oil 

2 Tablespoons Greek seasoning

1 Tablespoon minced red onion

2 Tablespoons chopped cucumber

2 Tablespoons chopped tomato

2 Tablespoons chopped olives

3 ounces crumbled Mediterranean Feta Cheese

½ cup tzatziki sauce (store bought or homemade)

Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Scrub potatoes, pat dry and pierce with a fork several times. Rub each potato with 1/2 tbsp. olive oil and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake your potatoes for about an hour or until they are fork tender. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the potatoes to cool enough to handle.

Turn the oven temperature up to 450°F. 

Cut each potato in half lengthwise with a serrated knife and scoop out the middle, leaving a 1/4-inch thick layer of potato along the sides and bottoms of the skins. 

Spray the hollowed potato skins inside and outside with olive oil spray and sprinkle generously with Greek seasoning. Return the potatoes to the oven for 10 minutes. 

Remove from oven, sprinkle skins with minced red onion, chopped cucumber, chopped tomato, chopped olives and crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle with tzatziki sauce and serve immediately. 

Makes 8 potato skins.

These are great as an appetizer, or pair them with a green salad for a main course.

Southwest Sweet Potato Hash Skillet

This is my entry for the 2017 Healthy Solutions Spice Blends Recipe Contest!

I've really enjoyed working with these spice blends and was honored to have won first place in the contest a few years ago with my Greek Style Baked Turkey Taquitos with Tzatziki Drizzle.

This year, I created a dish that combines a few of my favorite things- brunch, southwest flavors and sweet potatoes!

Southwest Sweet Potato Hash Skillet

1 Tablespoon canola oil

2 sweet potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

1 cup red onion, cut into ½ inch cubes

1 poblano pepper, cut into ½ inch cubes

1 cup red bell pepper, cut into ½ inch cubes

2 Tablespoons Healthy Solutions Spice Blends Authentic Chili/Taco Seasoning

4 eggs

¼ cup chopped cilantro

¼ cup crumbled Cotija cheese

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat a large cast iron skillet, over medium high heat and add the oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the sweet potatoes, red onion, poblano pepper and red bell pepper. Stir the vegetables to coat and place the pan in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are easily pierced with a knife.

Remove the pan from the oven, and season the mixture with the taco seasoning. Stir until all of the vegetables are evenly coated. Create four wells with a spoon in the hash and crack an egg into each well. Place the pan back in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the egg whites have fully set.

Sprinkle with cilantro and cotija cheese.

Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Cubano Meatballs with Mustard Cream Sauce

I love a good Cuban sandwich! The crispy griddled bread, melty swiss, pickles, mustard and 2 kinds of pork. What's not to love?! My Cubano meatballs combine all of those flavors into one delicious bite!

Meatballs:

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg

2 teaspoons Dry Mustard Powder

½ teaspoon dry oregano

½ teaspoon cumin

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

1 pound ground pork

18 (¾ inch) cubes of Swiss cheese

Mustard Cream Sauce:

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

1 cup half and half

½ teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon Dry Mustard Powder

1 cup sliced pickles

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the salt, pepper, garlic, egg, Mustard Powder, oregano, cumin and panko. Add the ground pork and mix gently until well incorporated. Scoop the meatball mixture into a small ball (about 2 tablespoons) and press 1 cube of cheese into the center, sealing the meat tightly around the cheese. Repeat with remaining meatball mixture and cheese, creating 18 meatballs. Place the stuffed meatballs onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes.

While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. In a small sauce pan melt the butter over low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the half and half, salt and mustard powder and allow the sauce to simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into a small bowl and serve with the meatballs and pickle slices.

Makes 18

Blood Orange Pomegranate Mai Tai

I realize that most people around the country are dealing with snow and frigid temperatures right now, but here in Texas, it's 75 degrees. So whether you are shoveling snow and needing a tropical getaway or you are already in flip flops like me, this tiki drink is the perfect thing to ease you into the weekend!

Blood Orange Pomegranate Mai Tai
3 limes slices
Stirrings Lemon Drop Rimmer
6 ounces Stirrings Blood Orange Martini Mixer
2 ounces gold rum
2 ounces silver rum
2 teaspoons almond flavored simple syrup
1 Tablespoon lime juice
2 Tablespoons fresh pomegranate arils
2 orange slices

Rub a lime slice around the rim of 2 cocktail glasses and then press the rims into the Stirrings Lemon Drop Rimmer to coat. Fill a shaker with ice then pour in the Stirrings Simple Blood Orange Martini Mix, gold rum, silver rum, almond syrup and lime juice. Shake for 30 seconds and strain into glasses. Garnish with pomegranate arils, lime and orange slices. Serves 2

Cheers!

Cranberry Char Siu Pork Tenderloin

I'm so excited to be using Cape Cod Select premium frozen cranberries for their Holiday Blogger Recipe Challenge! They were nice enough to send me two bags of the most gorgeous cranberries I've ever seen to work with. Farm fresh, recipe ready, no additives, preservatives or GMOs, what more could you ask for?

Char Siu Pork, or Chinese BBQ Pork, is a delicious dish that combines juicy savory pork covered in a sticky sweet glaze. It’s absolutely delicious. The only problem is, when trying to re-create this dish at home, I realized that the signature red color of the meat was due to an alarming amount of red food dye.

Not so appetizing, right?

Well, when I was brainstorming what to create with these gorgeous cranberries it hit me! Why not turn these gorgeous red berries into a naturally bright red, tangy and delicious Char Siu Pork! No red dye needed. I hope you love my version as much as my family did!

Cranberry Char Siu Pork Tenderloin

Brine:
1/4 cup kosher salt
3 cups warm water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup ice cubes
2 pork tenderloins, (about 14-16 oz. each) trimmed of all silver skin

Pork:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt

Sauce:
1 ½ cups Cape Cod Select Premium frozen cranberries
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, grated
2 teaspoons chili garlic paste
3 tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

In a large zip top bag, dissolve the salt in the warm water. Add the remaining brine ingredients and the tenderloins. Brine for 15-20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove the pork from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Brush the pork with half of the oil, and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 425°F.

While the pork is brining, make the sauce. Stir together the cranberries, hoisin, Chinese five spice, garlic, ginger, chili paste, honey, soy sauce and sesame oil in a medium sauce pot over low heat. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens.

Heat the remaining oil in a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium high heat. When oil is very hot and rippling, add the tenderloins. Sear each side until browned, about 2 minutes per side.

Brush with cranberry sauce, and place the pan in the oven. After 15 minutes of cooking, brush with the glaze again. Roast for another 10-15 minutes or until the meat reaches an internal temp of 145-150 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven. Tent lightly with a piece of foil and allow it to sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining cranberry sauce.


You can follow Cape Cod Select on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest

To find Cape Cod Select Premium Frozen Cranberries near you click HERE

Sage and Pomegranate Sparkler

When I saw that Stirrings was hosting the Stir It Up Holiday Blogger Mixology Challenge I knew I had to join in the fun, and the holidays are the perfect time to try a cocktail challenge. I was thrilled when they sent me some delicious samples to work with. My first entry is totally delicious and would be a festive way to toast the new year!



Sage and Pomegranate Sparkler

Stirrings Cosmopolitan Rimmer
6 fresh sage leaves
6 ounces Stirrings Simple Pomegranate Martini Cocktail Mix
3 ounces vodka
juice of 1/2 a lime
4 ounces prosecco


Rub a sage leaf around the rim of 2 cocktail glasses and then press the rims into the Stirrings Cosmopolitan Rimmer to coat. In a cocktail shaker muddle 4 sage leaves. Fill the shaker with ice then pour in the Stirrings Simple Pomegranate Martini Cocktail Mix, vodka and lime juice. Shake for 30 seconds and strain into glasses. Top each off with the prosecco and garnish with the remaining sage leaves. Serves 2

To get your hands on some of these delicious mixers yourself, they can be found in Austin, TX at: 1st Colony Liquors, Total Wines & More, 34 Wine & Liquors, 6S Spirits, ABC Liquors, 82 Liquor

To follow Stirrings you can find them: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest

#STIRRINGSMIXOLOGYCONTEST

Cranberry White Chocolate Chess Pie

Don't cranberries just scream holiday?!

I'm so excited to be using Cape Cod Select premium frozen cranberries for their Holiday Blogger Recipe Challenge! They were nice enough to send me two bags of the most gorgeous cranberries I've ever seen to work with. Farm fresh, recipe ready, no additives, preservatives or GMOs, what more could you ask for?

Let's start with dessert, shall we?

My first entry is this gorgeous and festive Cranberry White Chocolate Chess Pie.

Cranberry White Chocolate Chess Pie

1 stick of butter

1 cup sugar

4 ounces white chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup Cape Cod Select premium frozen cranberries

1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, whisk in the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate chips and stir until smooth.

Add the eggs, vanilla and cornmeal. Whisk until smooth. Pour into the pie shell. Sprinkle the cranberries evenly over the filling. Bake for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

You can follow Cape Cod Select on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest

To find Cape Cod Select Premium Frozen Cranberries near you click HERE

Cheddar Jalapeno Churros with Cilantro Ranch Dip

Holy Moly

Apparently, me and the deep fryer have a thing going on right now, and man is it dangerous!

These cheesy puffy sticks of deliciousness are so easy to make, and I can't wait to throw a party and make them tot size

This is my entry for the Old Croc Most Aussome Recipe Contest and I really hope those judges love these as much as I did!

Cheddar Jalapeno Churros with Cilantro Ranch Dip

4 cups canola oil

4 Tablespoons butter

2/3 cup water

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1/2 cup flour

2 medium eggs, beaten

2/3 cup OldCroc Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

3 Tbsp. fresh jalapeno, minced finely

1/3 cup ranch dressing

½ cup cilantro leaves

Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 400 degrees F.

Heat butter, water and half of the salt together in a large saucepan, over medium high heat, until the butter has melted and bring the mixture to a boil. Whisk in the flour and remove the pot from the heat. Stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball of dough. Allow the dough to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Gradually add eggs, beating well between each addition. Add cheese and half of the jalapeno and stir to combine.

Spoon the dough into a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe and snip off 3-4 inch sections of dough from the pastry bag into the oil. Fry for 3-4 minutes, or until all sides are golden brown. Remove from the oil and let rest on a paper towel lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with remaining salt.

Place the remaining jalapeno, ranch and cilantro in a small food processor and blend until smooth. Serve with churros.

Makes 24 churros

Bacon Fried Potato Salad Bites with Fry Sauce

How many times after picnics, BBQs or tailgates have you been left with a container, half filled, of potato salad?

Growing up in the South, there's not a party or BBQ without potato salad on the menu! Trying to use up the leftovers the next day, I came up with this dish. I pump up my potato salad with bacon and then deep fry it! What's more Southern than deep fried party food?! Dip it into the delicious fry sauce and you've got an appetizer or side the whole crowd will love!

Bacon Fried Potato Salad Bites with Fry Sauce

6 cups cubed, peeled Idaho potatoes

1 Tablespoon salt

4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

6 slices cooked bacon, chopped fine

1/3 cup minced celery

1/3 cup sliced green onion

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning blend

¼ cup sweet pickle relish

2 Tablespoons yellow mustard

2 Tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley

1/3 cup mayonnaise

6 cups vegetable oil

1 cup flour

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons water

2 cups panko bread crumbs

For the Fry Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon sriracha

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Place the cubed potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Season the water with 2 teaspoons of the salt, and cook until fork tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to hot pot to dry.  

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the chopped egg, bacon, celery, green onion, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, pickle relish, mustard, parsley and mayonnaise. Add the potatoes and stir, slightly mashing, until the mixture is evenly blended and there is an equal amount of smooth and cubed potatoes.

Line a large cookie sheet with wax paper. Using a small cookie scoop, create small balls about 1 heaping Tablespoon each, of the potato salad mixture and line them up evenly on the cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes, or until the balls are firm enough to roll.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees in a large, high sided pot over medium-high heat, fitted with a candy thermometer.  

To set up the breading station, pour the remaining 1 teaspoon of the salt and the flour into a small pie plate and whisk it together. Whisk together the eggs and water in another pie plate and the panko in a third plate. Set aside for later use.

Remove the tray of the potato salad bites from the freezer, and handling them carefully, dredge first in the flour, then egg mixture and finally in the panko mixture. Place the breaded balls in the hot oil carefully and fry for 3-5 minutes, or until browned and crisp. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel lined tray.

To make the Fry Sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, sriracha and apple cider vinegar in a small mixing bowl.

Serve immediately with dipping sauce. Makes 45 bites

Bush’s BBQ Tex-Mex Tostadas

Bush's Beans hosted a "Best Darn Backyard BBQ" Contest and when I saw that the prize was a Big Green Egg package, I knew I had to try to win one for Louis!

Well, it's my (and his) lucky day- I was chosen as one of their regional grand prize winners and pretty soon we'll have a Medium Big Green Egg Grill, an Egg Nest, set of two Egg Mates, a 10 pound bag of lump charcoal, an ash tool, grill gripper and a box of charcoal starters!

My kids (and I) love tostadas. They're delicious and really quick to throw together on a busy weeknight. This is my Tex-Mex BBQ twist on tostadas. I piled grilled fajita chicken and smoked cheddar cheese on top of a crispy tostada shell. Instead of traditional re-fried beans, I made BBQ re-fried beans using Bush’s Grillin’ Beans Steakhouse Recipe and drizzled the whole thing with a delicious jalapeno cilantro ranch sauce! If you have any leftover sauce, use it as a salad dressing- you won't be sorry! 

Bush’s BBQ Tex-Mex Tostadas

1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 Tablespoons oil

1 (1.12 oz) packet Fajita seasoning

¼ cup jarred sliced pickled jalapenos

½ cup ranch dressing

1 cup cilantro leaves

1 (22 oz) can Bush’s Grillin’ Beans Steakhouse Recipe

10 crispy tostada shells

8 ounces shredded smoked cheddar cheese

1 ½ cups shredded iceberg lettuce

 

Place the chicken, oil and fajita seasoning in a large zip top bag. Massage the seasoning into the meat to evenly coat it and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Place the pickled jalapeno slices, ranch dressing and cilantro in a blender and puree until smooth. Place in the refrigerator to chill.

Pre-heat a grill over high heat. Place the chicken on the grill, smooth side down for 5 minutes. Flip and continue to grill for 4-5 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Place the Bush’s beans in a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour the beans into a large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the beans, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until heated through and thickened.

Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Spread a heaping Tablespoon of the beans onto each tostada shell. Top with cheese, shredded chicken and lettuce. Drizzle with the cilantro sauce and serve immediately.

 Makes 10 tostadas.

 

Meaty Mushroom Frito Pie Burger

My second entry for The Mushroom Channel's Game Day Blend Contest is a mouthful! 

What goes better with Texas football than Frito Pie? 

Frito Pie Burgers, of course!

Their challenge is to create the best blended burger for your next football party or tailgate session using their method of blending:

"Create delicious, healthy meals with one simple ingredient – mushrooms. Research shows that people who eat mushrooms have better diet quality and increased intake of some nutrients, making them the go-to ingredient for delicious family meals. It’s never been easier to use mushrooms to transform meals, starting with those that may already be in the weekly rotation. Simply chop mushrooms to match the texture of ground meat – beef, pork, chicken, turkey (or tofu) – and use in place of some of the meat in recipes such as burgers, tacos, meatloaf, lasagna, pasta sauce, or meatballs to make every day dishes more healthful and delicious. This technique is referred to as The Blend."

Meaty Mushroom Frito Pie Burger

 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

12 ounces cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon creole seasoning

1 pound lean ground beef

 cheddar cheese

5 bakery hamburger buns

Toppings Bar:

Mayo

Chili

Red onions

Sliced pickled jalapenos

Fritos

Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Roughly chop mushrooms and add them to the hot oil. Cook for 10 minutes or until mushrooms have browned and softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 2-4 more minutes. Place sautéed mushrooms in a large mixing bowl and set aside to allow them to cool.

To the large mixing bowl with the chopped sautéed mushrooms, add the Worcestershire sauce, creole seasoning and ground beef. Mix thoroughly to combine and shape the meat mixture into 5 patties. Heat the remaining Tablespoon of oil in the pan. Once oil is hot add patties to pan and cook 5-7 minutes or until a brown crust has formed on the underside of the patty. Flip burgers over and cook another 3 minutes.

Place cheese on each burger and continue to cook, until melted, for 2-4 minutes.

Toast the buns until nicely golden brown.

To assemble the burgers spread a thin layer of mayo on the top and bottom of each toasted bun half. Place a burger patty on each bun bottom and top with chili, onion, jalapenos and Fritos. Place the bun tops on each and serve immediately.