PEANUT BUTTER TRUFFLES

                                                                          

Eric told me this recipe from America's Test Kitchen is delicious and easy, so when I wanted to make a sweet bite to go with our football food I decided they would be perfect.  They did not disappoint! The peanut butter inside with the crunch of peanuts was a perfect complement to the chocolate coating.  Who doesn't like peanut butter and chocolate together anyway?!  What makes this an even better recipe is how easy they are to make.  The original recipe only makes 20 that are 1/2" in circumference, so I doubled their recipe and made mine into 1" balls.  What I am blogging here is the amount of ingredients I used. Scott especially loved them since chocolate paired with peanut butter is one of his favorite sweet treats, so  of course it was one of the main reasons I chose to make these.  Gotta spoil all my boys!

1 c. (114 grams) powdered sugar

6 TB creamy or chunky peanut butter (I used chunky for even more crunch.)

2 oz (56 grams) cream cheese, softened

1/4 c salted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped coarsely, plus 20 peanut halves

1/2 t vanilla

8 oz (226 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped or 1-1/3 c semisweet chocolate chips

2 TB vegetable or peanut oil

Line a large plate with parchment paper.  Stir sugar, peanut butter, cream cheese, chopped peanuts and vanilla in a bowl until uniform.  Roll mixture into 1" balls, and space them evenly apart on prepared plate.  Freeze, uncovered for 15 minutes.

Microwave chocolate and oil in bowl, covered at 50% power, stirring occasionally until smooth, 2-4 minutes. (Because I doubled the recipe it was taking the chocolate too long to start melting so I did it on full power for 30 seconds until it started melting.  Then I kept stirring it on shorter microwave times.  Once it was almost completely melted I took it out of the microwave and stirred it until all of it was melted. If it is overheated in the microwave the chocolate will start to harden and can't be salvaged, so be very careful when melting chocolate in the microwave.)

Stick a toothpick into a ball and dip it into the melted chocolate to coat, letting excess chocolate drip back into the bowl.  Return the ball to the plate, remove the toothpick and immediately place a peanut half over the toothpick hole.  Repeat with remains balls.  Freeze balls, uncovered until the chocolate has hardened, only about 10 minutes.  Serve, or store in refrigerator until serving time.  (Truffles can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 1 week.)

HAM AND CHEESE PUFF PASTRIES

                                                                             

Don't judge this recipe by my picture!! By the time I thought to take a picture I only had slices from the two pastries left so they aren't even the same size, but I decided seeing them will help even though the picture isn't good.  I will get a better picture of it next time I make these, because I will definitely be making these again.  Since our football game was at 11:00 I googled brunch football food and found these.  Because I had an abundance of puff pastry in the freezer I decided to make them and man are they easy to throw together but also very tasty.  Since I refrigerated the leftovers I heated one this morning for a quick breakfast and enjoyed it again.  They were served at room temperature but of course are especially tasty when the cheese is melted and warm.

3 TB Creole mustard*

1 TB honey

1 (17 oz) pkg. frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Flour for work surface

8 deli ham slices (I used HEB Old Fashioned ham, sliced on a 3, but any good ham would work.)

4 Gruyere cheese slices (I also had it sliced on a 3.)

3/4 t chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 large egg, lightly beaten**

Preheat oven to 425 degrees with racks in upper third and lower third positions.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.**

Stir together Creole mustard and honey in a small bowl.

Unfold each puff pastry sheet on a lightly flowered work surface.  Roll each sheet into a 15x12" rectangle.  Transfer pastry rectangles to prepared baking sheets.

Spread mustard mixture evenly over bottom half of each rectangle lengthwise, leaving a 1/2" border around edges. Layer ham and cheese slices evenly over mustard mixture, leaving a 1/2" border. Sprinkle with half of the thyme.

Whisk together egg and 1 TB water in a small bowl.  Brush edges of both pastry rectangles with egg wash, and fold in half lengthwise over filling,  creating 2 (15x6" rectangles), and crimp all edges with a fork to seal. Brush top of each pastry with egg wash. **  Cut 5 diagonal 3" slits on top of each pastry and gently separate slits to slightly reveal filling.**

Bake in preheated oven until puff pastries are deep golden brown 20-25 minutes, rotating baking sheets between top and bottom racks halfway through bake time.  Remove from oven and cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut each pastry crosswise into 5 pieces. Transfer to a serving plate.

*Creole Mustard is difficult to find so I found a recipe and made it, but I think any interesting mustard would work here -- possibly even a honey mustard so you can skip that step of adding honey.

**These pastries can be filled, sealed, and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead, or frozen for up to 2 weeks.  Thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen.  I didn't freeze mine but instead covered and refrigerated them overnight.  Before baking I brushed the tops with the egg wash, cut slits and baked as directed.

COWBOY CAVIAR

                                                                              

Football season is back, and I decided to make what we used to refer to as Texas Caviar.  There were quite a few recipes so I combined some and made my own version of it.  In most recipes it was listed as Cowboy Caviar, and since I'm not very proud to be a Texan these days I have decided to stick with the name Cowboy Caviar.  It is a tasty change from my usual Black Bean and Corn Salsa which we also love.  They are similar but this one has a flavorful dressing and has the addition of fresh tomatoes, avocados, peppers, and red onion.  Saved with good tortilla chips it is a perfect football munchie!

Grape tomatoes (the equivalent of 3 Roma tomatoes), finely diced *

2 avocados, finely diced *

1/3 c finely diced red onion

15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

15 oz can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1-1/2 c frozen corn kernels thawed, or 1-2 cans shoepeg corn, drained

1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper, finely diced

1-2 fresh jalapeños, finely diced, seeds optional depending on how much heat you want

1/3 c chopped fresh cilantro

Tortilla chips for serving

Dressing:

1/3 c good olive oil

2 TB lime juice

2 TB red wine vinegar

1 t white sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

1/4 t garlic powder

*I made everything the day before and waited to add the tomatoes and avocados until a couple hours before serving.  Since it made a lot, I took out half of the bean mixture and only added half of the tomatoes and avocados to it and saved the rest of the bean mixture for another day.  Will add the remainder of the tomatoes and avocados then.

Combine all the caviar ingredients in a bowl.  Stir so that all ingredients are well combined.

In a separate bowl whisk all the dressing ingredients together.  Pour dressing over the bean mixture and stir very well.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Stir well before serving.

LOGAN'S FIG APPETIZER

 

                                                                                

My boy does love figs!!  Pesto and sharp white cheddar cheese are also on his favorites list.  This was his creation for our first football game, and we all loved it!.  Trader Joe's had fresh figs very reasonably priced, and he couldn't pass them up.  I am blogging it so I will remember the combination.  As much as he also loves honey, he drizzled a little over the top.  Even a hot honey would be delicious.  It was obviously very easy yet very delicious!

Cracker (he used a multigrain but was wishing it had been smaller)

Bought pesto (his favorite is from Costco)

Sharp white cheddar cheese (actually any flavorful cheese would work)

Sliced fresh fig

Honey

ASIAN SUGAR SNAP PEAS

 

                                                                         

I love sugar snaps.  In fact when I am serving a dip they are my favorite dipper.  However, I prefer them blanched rather than raw when used as a crudite.  Years ago when I was on the South Beach Diet, I came across this recipe.  Now they are my favorite side dish when serving an Asian-influenced meal, and they are so quick and easy to make.  Yesterday I wanted to make a healthier meal so I served the Asian Ground Turkey in lettuce cups (on the blog under Poultry)  and made these as a side dish.  It was a light meal, but we were ready for something light so it was perfect!  Today I will probably use that ground turkey in a salad and toss some of these into it.  

1 lb fresh sugar snap peas

2 TB light soy sauce

Scant t sesame oil

1 t Sriracha sauce (or more if you like spicy)

3 slices fresh ginger root

2 lg garlic cloves, sliced

1 TB peanut oil

1 t black sesame seeds or toasted sesame seeds for garnish, optional

Remove the strings from each sugar snap pea then slice each one on the diagonal.  Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil and Sriracha sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

Cut slices of ginger and garlic to use for seasoning the oil.  Preheat a wok or heavy frying pan for at least a minute.  Once the pan is hot, add the oil and let it heat until it is shimmering (about 15-30 seconds).  Add the sliced ginger and garlic and stir-fry just long enough so they become fragrant and season the oil, then remove and discard.  Be careful not to let them brown or they will have a bitter taste.

Add the sugar snaps and cook over high heat, stirring constantly until the peas turn bright green and are just starting to cook, about 2 minutes.  Pour in the sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce just starts to coat the peas, about 2 minutes more.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

SCOTT'S TOMATO PIE

 

Also on the blog is Carla's Tomato pie that I have made for years, and it is delicious!  Scott recently made this one, and I love it too!  The tomatoes in this one are sliced instead of chunked like in Carla's, and this one is more of an Italian flavor, with basil, red wine vinegar, and the addition of Parmesan.  I have made it several times this summer, and everyone loved it every time I made it.  Full disclosure -- I made Carla's one time and it was loved as well.  Try them both if you love summer tomatoes as much as we do.  Neither will disappoint!  The picture is Scott's, and I chose to add Parmesan on top of my pie so it will look like this picture except with a little melted Parmesan on top.

6-8 medium tomatoes, either heirloom or fresh from a farmer's market

3 t salt divided

2 t red wine vinegar

Unbaked pie crust

2-3 c shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

1/3 c mayonnaise

1/4 c chopped green onion

1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

2 TB all-purpose flour

2 TB chopped fresh basil*

1 TB chopped fresh oregano*

1 TB chopped fresh dill, optional*

1/2 t black pepper

Place tomato slices on 3 layers of paper towels, and sprinkle with 1-1/2 t salt.  Let stand for 1 hour.  Pat tomatoes dry.  Drizzle with vinegar.  Reserve 7 slices for top.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine cheddar, mayo, green onion, flour, herbs and remaining 1-1/2 t salt.

Sprinkle half of Parmesan in bottom of prepared crust.  Top with half of tomato slices, half of cheddar mixture and repeat with other half of tomatoes and cheddar.  Top with reserved tomato slices and sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese.  

Bake until edges of crust begin to lightly brown, about 55 minutes to an hour, covering edges with foil to prevent excess browning, if necessary.  Let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour before serving.  This step is necessary or the pie will be too soft.

*The dill in my herb garden bolted so I didn't have it any of the times I made this pie, but the original recipe called for it so I listed it as optional.  The second time I made it I wasn't at home and didn't have fresh herbs so I sprinkled Italian seasoning instead, and it was still tasty.

PEACHES AND TOMATOES WITH BURRATA

 

Recently I was visiting Electra and Glen came to visit her.  She had requested I make a peach cobbler, so Glen of course had some.  He said this tastes like Texas.  He now lives in Georgia and two weeks ago he sent us two boxes of Georgia peaches!  I don't ever remember having peaches that good.  We will have to order some ourselves next summer.  Our Fredericksburg peaches don't even begin to compare.  Eric also loves peaches, and we had bought summer tomatoes at Lou's farm stand in Luling so Eric made this appetizer for us.  It was pretty close to what I call moanable, but of course it was largely due to the wonderful peaches and tomatoes.  If you have access to either of them you will enjoy this dish.  It tastes like summer!!

1-1/2 lbs ripe but slightly firm peaches, halved and pitted

2 TB unsalted butter, melted

12 oz ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2" pieces

3/4 t table salt, divided

5 TB extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 TB white wine vinegar

8 oz burrata cheese, room temperature

1/3 c chopped fresh basil

Toasted baguette or ciabatta slices for serving

Brush cut side of peaches with melted butter.  Turn all burners of gas grill to high; cover, and heat grill until hot about 15 minutes.  Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burners. Clean and oil cooking grate.  Arrange peaches cut side down on hotter side of grill and cook with lid closed until grill marks have formed, 5-7 minutes, moving peaches as needed to ensure even cooking.

Transfer peaches cut side up to 13x9" baking pan and cover loosely with foil.  Place pan on cooler side of grill.  Turn primary burner to medium; cover and cook until peaches are very tender and paring knife slips in and out with little resistance, 10-15 minutes.  When peaches are cool enough to handle, discard skins and let cool completely.

While peaches cool, toss tomatoes with 1/2 t salt and let drain in colander for 30 minutes.  Cut each peach half into 4 wedges and cut each wedge in half crosswise.

Whisk vinegar and remaining 1/2 t salt together in large bowl.  Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in 1/4 c. oil.  Add peaches and tomatoes and toss gently to combine: transfer to shallow serving bowl or platter.  Place burrata on top of tomato mixture and drizzle with remaining 1 TB oil.  Season with pepper to taste and sprinkle with basil.  

Serve, breaking up burrata with spoon ad allowing creamy liquid to meld with dressing.  It can be eaten as a salad, but we enjoyed our grilled ciabatta slices oozing with this heavenly mixture.

GREEN SALAD WITH AVOCADO AND ALMONDS AND CHAMPAGNE VINAIGRETTE

                                                                        

 I have always referred to this as Electra's favorite green salad.  It is extremely light and delicate and complements a heavy entree perfectly.  The champagne vinaigrette isn't over-powering and is just perfect for the delicate lettuce.  The recipe came from a magazine clipping I tore out years ago but never blogged.  Every time I wanted to make it I had to search through my piles of recipes for it and that was annoying. Electra had printed a copy of it years ago and she sent me a pic of it.  I promised I would blog it immediately so here it is.  I sometimes add a little crumbled goat or feta cheese, but the original recipe doesn't have cheese. I know I shouldn't mess with perfection, but being a cheese lover, I oftentimes can't resist adding it to a green salad if I have it on hand.

2 TB nice quality extra-virgin olive oil

1 TB diced shallots

1TB Champagne vinegar

1 t diced fresh thyme

1 t Dijon mustard

1/8 t kosher salt

1/2 t cracked black pepper

4 c spring mix lettuce

1 diced, ripe avocado

3 TB toasted sliced almonds

Crumbled feta or goat cheese, optional

In the bottom of a salad bowl combine all the dressing ingredients.  Add the lettuce, avocado, almonds and cheese if you want cheese.  Toss and serve immediately.

FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

Eric loves fried green tomatoes, and since he was here last week and we found green tomatoes at Lou's farm stand in Luling, it was a no-brainer that we were going to make them.  Most recipes we had made in the past didn't keep the breading on them when fried, so we were thrilled with this one we found on-line.  Eric made them twice while he was here, and both times they were perfect and delicious.  I had made a mustard sauce a couple days before, and we enjoyed dipping them in it.  However, the Jalapeño Ranch Dip (also on the blog) was our favorite dipping sauce.  If you can find some green tomatoes, these are definitely worth making!

3 large, firm (unripe) green tomatoes

kosher salt

3/4 c all-purpose flour

1-1/2 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. smoked paprika

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/4 t. onion powder

1/4 t. black pepper

1/2 c. buttermilk

1 lg egg white

1/2 t. hot sauce (such as Texas Pete's)

1/2 c. panko bread crumbs

1/3 c. cornmeal

1-1/2 c. vegetable oil, for frying

Using a serrated knife, slice tomatoes in 3/8" thick slices.  Sprinkle both sides with salt and let stand for 30 minutes to draw out the moisture.  This helps the breading stick better.  Gently pat dry with paper towels.

Set up the breading station with 3 separate shallow dishes.

1st dish: Whisk together flour with all 5 spices.

2nd dish:  Whisk together buttermilk, egg white, and hot sauce.

3rd dish:  Combine panko and cornmeal.

Fit a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towels.  Dip each tomato slice in the flour mixture and shake off excess.  Next dip in the buttermilk mixture and finally the cornmeal mixture, pressing gently to adhere.  Place the breaded tomato slices on the rack in a single layer and let sit while you heat up the oil.  This allows tine for the breading to set.

In a large cast iron skillet warm oil over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 degrees and shimmering.  The oil should sizzle immediately if you sprinkle water into it. Starting with the tomatoes you breaded first, carefully add 4-5 slices to the hot skillet, taking care not to over-crowd them.  Fry until golden-brown, 3-5 minutes per side, regulating the heat if the oil gets too hot.  Transfer the fried tomatoes to a paper towel-lied plate to drain.  Fry the remaining slices and serve immediately with a dipping sauce.

ALMOND CRUNCH TOPPING

Eric sent me this recipe when he made it for July 4th.  He served it over grilled peach halves and ice cream.  I made it at Denise and Mark's and served it over our peach cobbler and ice cream.  We liked it so much we made another batch to eat with the rest of the cobbler.  You will want to make a double batch of it, which is now what we do.  It has just a nice amount of crunch and sweetness, and we love it over ice cream.  It stores well in an airtight container.  Denise requested that I blog it, so here you are Neecy!

1/2 c (71 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 c  sliced almonds

1/4 c packed (50 grams) light brown sugar

1/4 t. table salt

3 TB unsalted butter, melted

1 t. vanilla

1 t. water

Stir flour almonds, sugar, and salt in medium bowl until combined.  Add melted butter, vanilla, and water and stir until clumps form and no dry flour remains.

Transfer flour mixture to 10" nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until clumps break down into finer pieces and topping is fragrant and just beginning to brown, 7-9 minutes.  Spread topping on large plate and let cool and crisp, at least 15 minutes.  (Topping can be stored in airtight container for up to 3 days.)

WHITE CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY PISTACHIO COOKIES

 

These are one of my favorite all-time cookies, and I have made many different recipes but this one from Sally's Baking Addiction is my favorite.  They stay fresh longer than most recipes I have tried, and they freeze beautifully.  Usually I freeze cookies before they are baked but when I made these I wanted to save some for later so I froze them in an airtight container already baked.  I honestly couldn't really tell any difference than the ones I ate right after baking.  Love, love, love them!

3/4 c. (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

3/4 c. (150 grams) packed light brown sugar

1/4 c. (50 grams) granulated sugar

1 large egg at room temperature

2 t. vanilla extract

2 c. (250 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

2 t. cornstarch

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

4 oz. bar Ghirardelli white chocolate, roughly chopped*

3/4 c. (75 grams) dried cranberries, roughly chopped

1/2 c. (62 grams) salted, shelled pistachios

In a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy.  Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix on medium-high speed until fluffy and light in color.  Beat in egg and vanilla on high speed.  Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together until combined.  On low speed, slowly mix into the wet ingredients until combined.  The cookie dough will be quite thick.  Add the white chocolate, dried cranberries, and pistachios and mix on low for about 5-10 seconds until evenly disbursed.  Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.  Chilling is mandatory for this cookie dough.

Remove cookie dough from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.  If the dough chilled longer than 2 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.  This makes the dough easier to scoop and roll.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

Once chilled, the dough may be slightly crumbly but will come together if you work the dough with your hands as you roll into individual balls.  Scoop and roll balls of dough, about 1 TB of dough each, into balls. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. (I baked mine for 8 minutes.)  They will look extremely soft when you remove them from the oven.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet.  If the cookies are too puffy, try gently pressing down on them with the back of a spoon.  They will slightly deflate as you let them cool.  (I didn't have to do this.  Mine weren't too puffy.) Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

*White baking chips are not actually chocolate, because they don't have cocoa butter in them.  You will be much happier if you buy the Ghirardelli white chocolate bar and chop it.  Trust me on this.

Make ahead & freezing instructions: Cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.  Baked cookies freeze well -- up to 3 months.  Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well -- up to 3 months.  Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.

 

APPLE TART

 

I have become obsessed with using puff pastry, and Eric told me about these tarts that Ina Garten makes.  They are so easy and quick that I had to try them since JT loves any dessert made with apples. While my side dish for dinner last night was in the oven for 30 minutes, I had time to throw these together -- they are that fast and easy.  JT loved them of course, and I enjoyed it too but am thinking I will add a little cinnamon into my sugar the next time I make them.  I know that's not how the French roll, and Ina considered it so "French", but this old Southern girl likes cinnamon in apple desserts.  I halved this recipe and used one sheet of puff pasty to make 4 instead of 8 tarts since there were only 2 of us, so you can easily do that as well.

2 sheets puff pastry

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced about 1/4' thick

3/4 c. granulated sugar (add cinnamon, if desired)

6 TB unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

3/4 c. Apricot jam

3 TB rum or water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut each sheet of puff pastry into 4 squares and put on a baking sheet lined with parchment.  Arrange as many slices of apple slightly overlapped on each square tart.  Drizzle sugar over tarts.  Top each tart with cubes of butter and bake about 35 minutes. My oven cooks hot and the sugar charred a little on the outside edges, so just check yours about 30 minutes and go from there.  Ina bakes hers 40 minutes.

Stir the rum or water into the jam and heat it in the microwave until it is syrupy.  Brush it on the tart.  

ERIC'S CHEESY TACOS

 

Eric is a genius when it comes to easy but incredibly tasty recipes.  I normally wouldn't show the steps with pictures, but it will make it much easier to understand. The first picture is a breakfast version of these tacos, with an egg and garnishes of sour cream and Salsa Verde on top.  When Eric first made these for us at Christmas this year he was also putting pieces of rotisserie chicken in them and on top was just sour cream, pico de gallo and avocado.  We all fell in love with them and anytime anyone wanted a little bite of something we would make a different version of these.  One morning for breakfast we decided to forego the meat inside and put an egg on top, which is what I made for JT for breakfast this morning.  The last picture is the lunch/dinner version, and I was so into eating the deliciousness that I forgot to take a picture first.  It is the only picture I have of that version and wanted to inspire you to make one.  Sorry I didn't wipe the plate or make it prettier.  

If you will grate a block of cheese and keep it in your fridge and a container of refried beans, you can make one of these in 5 minutes tops.  Trust me this is one recipe that is addictive because of how quickly you can make them, and how much you will love the taste.  Experiment with your favorite flavors.  Thanks Eric for introducing us to these wonderful tacos!

Grated cheese (This was Colby Jack but I frequently use Sharp Cheddar.)

Refried beans -- pinto or black

Corn tortillas

Queso if you have access to bought containers (This was HEB Queso Blanco.)

Rotisserie chicken or any other cooked meat (Beef fajita or Pork fajita meat would be great.)

Mashed potatoes? (an idea that just came to me that would be delicious)

Toppings suggestions:

Sour cream

Pico de Gallo

Salsa

Avocado

Spread a little refried beans onto one side of a corn tortilla.  Sprinkle some grated cheese into a small nonstick skillet.  It will immediately start to melt so have your tortilla ready and lay it on top of the cheese.  Drizzle a little queso on it or possibly sprinkle a little cheese on it.  If you are doing a lunch/dinner taco lay small pieces of meat on top. (OR if you also like the idea of a potato taco, dollop some mashed potatoes on the tortilla and either drizzle queso or sprinkle cheese on them.  I might even have to make some mashed potatoes just to have leftovers so I can have one.  I love potato tacos and have only had them in LA while visiting Eric.)

Once you can see that the cheese underneath is starting to brown flip one side of the tortilla onto the other side.  You can gently press it to be sure the top adheres to the bottom to keep the ingredients inside.  Let it cook another minute to be sure the cheese on the bottom begins to lightly brown then flip it over and let the other side brown a little.

Serve it immediately with any choice of toppings.  If you are doing the breakfast version you can cook the egg in the same skillet.  It didn't fit well inside the taco so we just serve it on top and then add our favorite toppings on top of the egg.

RED VELVET COOKIE WITH CREAM CHEESE CENTER

                                                                             

This was my favorite cookie that we made on our baking day.  The color of the picture isn't accurate (the napkin was white!) Trust me, this is the color of red velvet cake.  I just desperately need to invest in a lighting system so that I can take pictures that are a better representation of the finished product at all times of the day and night.  Despite the poor picture, the decadent cream cheese filling takes this cookie over the top.  It is similar to a chocolate crinkle cookie in flavor, which is one of my all-time favorite cookies.  The cookie itself is firm on the outside and soft in the middle.  I keep thinking of other cookies that this cream cheese would enhance, and I will be doing that shortly.  Maybe Snickerdoodles?

Cream cheese filling:

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

2/3 c. (75 grams) powdered sugar

2 TB (15 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 t. vanilla extract

1/8 t. table salt

Dough:

2 c. (240 grams) all-purpose flour

1/3 c. (28 grams) cocoa powder

1-1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. table salt

1-1/3 c. (266 grams) granulated sugar

8 TB (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 t. vanilla extract

1 t. gel red food color

Assembly:

1/2 c (99 grams) granulated sugar

1/2 c. (57 grams) powdered sugar  

To prepare the cream cheese filling combine the filling ingredients in the large bowl of a sand mixer fitted with the flat beater.  Gradually increase the speed to medium-high, and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Scrape the bowl as needed to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated.  Use a rounded tablespoon cookie scoop to portion 16 mounds (about 17 gram each) of filling onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Freeze the scooped mounds, uncovered, for a minimum of 2 hours or up to a week in advance. (Once the mounds are frozen they can be transferred to a ziplock bag or other airtight freezer container.)

To make the dough sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.  Set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater beat together the granulated sugar and butter until fluffy, about 1 minute on medium speed.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate and scraping the bowl between additions.  Add the vanilla and food color, beating to incorporate.

Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until no dry ingredients remain, scraping the bowl as needed, less than 1 minute.  Refrigerate the dough, covered for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day ahead.

To assemble and bake the cookies preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.  Add the remaining granulate sugar and powdered sugar in 2 separate small bowls.

Use a rounded jumbo cookie scoop to portion 16 mounds (about 47 grams each) of cookie dough onto 1 of the baking sheets.  Remove half of the frozen filling mounds from the freezer.  Working quickly, pick up one cookie dough portion and use your thumb to press a well in the center.  Place a frozen mound of filling into the well and pinch the dough together around the filling to fully enclose.  Roll the dough between your hands to form a ball.  Repeat with 7 more portions of dough and filling. (If at any point the dough or filling becomes too soft to work with refrigerate the dough and freeze the filling for 20 minutes before resuming.)

Roll the filled dough balls in the granulated sugar followed by the powdered sugar to coat and transfer to the baking sheet.  Bake the cookies 16-18 minutes or until they are cracked all over and dry around the edges.  The tops will still be shiny and moist but should not stick to your finger if touched lightly. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet until set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the first batch bakes, fill and coat the remaining cookies.  Bake the second batch, cool as described above and store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.  Mine were left for several days and still were great.

Tip:  The best way to make these cookies ahead is to freeze portions of the dough, thaw them overnight in the fridge, and then assemble them with still-frozen mounds.  Roll them in sugar just before baking.  (Freezing the fully assembled cookies causes the filling to leak out during baking.

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE COOKIES

                                                                         

Kim hosted our annual Xmas cookie baking day this year for Scott and me, and Eric was in town and joined us!  It was so fun, and we made a variety of yummy cookies.  This one was a favorite of us all.  The chocolate dough has cinnamon and a bit of ground cayenne, a combination commonly found in Mexican hot chocolate that is a unique flavor with a slight kick at the end.  The marshmallowy interior provides a wonderful chew even after a few days in an airtight container.  Be sure to freeze the marshmallows fully to give the cookies their ripple of white.  Otherwise, the marshmallows will dissolve into the cookies as they bake.

1-1/2 c. (192 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 c. (51 grams) cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed

1 t. baking soda

1 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. ground cayenne

3 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 c. (113 grams) unsalted butter at room temperature

1-1/2 c. (305 grams) light brown sugar

1 large egg at room temperature

Mini marshmallows, frozen solid

1/4 c. (50 grams) granulated sugar

In a medium bowl whisk the flour, cocoa power, baking soda, salt, cayenne and 2 t. ground cinnamon.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add the egg and vanilla.  Beat until creamy, 2 more minutes.  Add the flour mixture and beat on low until no dry spots remain, about 1 minute.

With a 2 TB (1 oz) cookie scoop, scoop the dough into mounds on a baking sheet.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.  Freeze marshmallows, if you haven't already.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Add granulated sugar and remaining t. cinnamon to a small bowl.

Remove half of the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes if the dough is very stiff.  Take a mound of dough and flatten it slightly in the palm of you hand.  Pile 5 frozen mini marshmallows on top of the flattened dough, then bring the outer edges over the marshmallows to envelope them. Roll into a ball but leave a little of the white showing in the middle, and then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat.  Place on the baking sheet 3 " apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating halfway through, until the cookies puff slightly and bits of molten marshmallow peek through the surface.  Cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store cookies in an airtight container. They stay fresh for 3 days, but honestly mine were still chewy and tasty 5 days later.

Tip:  Balls of dough (not coated in Cinnamon sugar) can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container.  To bake, thaw for 5 minutes at room temperature, roll in cinnamon sugar and bake for 13-15 minutes.

POSOLE

                                                                             

Our friend Scott loves posole.  I had never really had it and was curious if we would like it.  We were expecting several days of miserably freezing weather here so I bought the ingredients as best I could find them and tried my hand at it.  Scott orders all the ingredients from The Fresh Chile Company out of Las Cruces, NM, so his version is straight forward. When he traveled through Las Cruces last Spring he brought me several items from there, and one was the Posole seasoning.  I didn't have time to order the dried posole and couldn't find it at any of the Mexican groceries in the area but was able to find a Mexican brand of hominy.  I'm not sure it was much different than any hominy I would have bought at HEB. Secondly I didn't have the red chile sauce that Fresh Chile Co sells so I went to Pati Jinich's recipe for posole and made the chile sauce like she does.  Her recipe was extremely involved but I took parts of it, and parts of Scott's Fresh Chile Co recipe and made my own version.  I made the mistake of salting the pork and then not tasting it before I added the posole seasoning, so my soup was very salty.  I tried the old trick of putting potatoes in it to soak up the salt, and it worked!  However, by having to cook it long enough to soak up the salt some of my meat totally fell apart and shredded.  Oddly we didn't mind the shredded meat.  BTW I picked out the potato chunks before I served it.  My boys loved it, especially with the raw cabbage, onions and radishes stirred into it. Justin didn't think he liked radishes but decided he didn't mind them stirred into posole.  Janice and Kim were coming over to celebrate Janice's birthday and when she shared that posole was one of her favorite dishes I saved the rest of it for us to have that night.  Janice has since asked me how I made it, so I am blogging this for you Janice.  Since it was such a trial and error I recommend tasting as you go to be sure you are happy with the seasonings.  I am going to estimate the amounts I will use next time based on my experience of making it the first time.  Good luck!

2-29 oz cans hominy (or dried posole if you can find it, and follow the directions)

2-4 oz dried chiles (I used a combination of ancho, guajillo and a few chiles de arbol)

3 TB coarsely chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, coarsely diced

Pinch ground cumin

1 t. kosher salt

3 TB oil (I used avocado oil) + more to brown meat

3 lbs. pork roast (I bought pork carnitas meat), cut into 1" chunks

2 TB posole seasoning (estimate so taste as you go) -- It is a combination of salt, granulated garlic, cumin and Mexican oregano ground into a fine powder.

Toppings:

Shredded green cabbage

Onion, diced

Radishes, sliced thin

Avocado, diced

Lime wedges

Sour cream or crema, optional

Cheese of your choice, optional (I offered cotija)

Place the chiles in a 3 qt saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chiles have softened and rehydrated.  Once rehydrated remove the veins and seeds.  Place the chiles, along with 1/2 c. of their cooking liquid, onion, garlic, cumin and salt in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Reserve the remainder of the chile water in case your soup gets too thick, and if so only add a little at a time.  Pass the sauce from the blender through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing gently on the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.  Heat the 3 TB oil and pour in the chile sauce.  Bring it to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer it about 6-8 minutes, allowing it to slightly thicken.

Heat a little oil in a Dutch oven and brown the meat in batches.  Do not season the meat.  Add all the meat back into the pan and add the chile sauce.  Cover and simmer it about 2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Add the hominy and posole seasoning, cover it again and let it simmer for another hour, stirring it occasionally to be sure it isn't sticking.  If it is beginning to stick then stir in a bit of the reserved water you used to soften the chiles.  You might possibly use a little chicken broth if you prefer but only if it gets so thick that it is sticking.  

Serve hot in bowls with the toppings of your choice and a squeeze of lime.  We all used more of the toppings than in the picture.  Surprisingly they really added a nice texture and flavor to the dish without tasting too raw or strong.

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN TORTILLA SOUP

                                                                                     

About five years ago the 5 of us went to San Miguel de Allende for Christmas.  We had a fabulous time, and I highly recommend it as a wonderful city to visit.  The trip itself was very special to our family, and we have lots of fun stories to tell.  Of course we ate scrumptious meals, but there was a tortilla soup my kiddos fell in love with so much that we ate it several times -- especially if we had been drinking margaritas all night and needed a little something extra in our stomachs.  The restaurant was Hecho en Mexico, and by the way there is an Austin restaurant by that name.  After visiting with the chef I learned that he had family that worked at the restaurant in San Miguel.  The food here is excellent, but unfortunately they don't make the tortilla soup.   Eric and Lauren loved it so much that Eric did his best to duplicate it.  This is my version of his version of the authentic tortilla soup.  It is a much thicker tomato base than the other tortilla soup that I make which I also love.  Try them both.  In our home there can never be too much Mexican-flavored food! 

BTW no clue why the blog below is double spaced.  This blog software is a nightmare to use and from one recipe to the next nothing stays the same. I have spent hours trying to figure it out and have tried to change blogs, but the recipes won't transfer easily; and I have too many recipes to retype them.  So I apologize for the appearance of this blog.  Hopefully the recipes are worth dealing with the inconsistent appearance.  My frustration is out the roof with it!!

1 TB butter & 1 TB oil (I used avocado oil)

1 yellow onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, diced

2 - 28 oz cans good quality whole tomatoes (I used Cento)

3 TB fresh epazote, coarsely diced (or cilantro if you can't find epazote)

4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

3 c. chicken broth

1 TB kosher salt

2-3 c. frozen corn (I use Trader Joe's frozen Roasted Corn)

1 rotisserie chicken, deboned and diced

Toppings:

Avocado

Questo panela, cut in 1/2" cubes

Shredded gouda or cotija cheese

Mexican crema or sour cream

Tortilla strips*

Leftover adobo sauce, stirred in if you want more of a kick

In a skillet heat the butter and oil.  Saute the onion until soft; stir in the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds more.  Put the onion and garlic in a blender, reserving the skillet to use later.

Also in the blender add the tomatoes, epazote (or cilantro) and chipotle peppers, making sure there is plenty of adobo sauce on each pepper.  Blend until smooth and pour back into the skillet.  Add the chicken broth and salt and bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer on low heat about 20 minutes until the flavors have melded.  Check it periodically and stir to be sure it isn't sticking. Stir in the corn and chicken and simmer just until both are heated.

Serve while hot, stirring in the queso panela cubes so they will soften and slightly melt.  We also added a little shredded gouda to our bowls as well as the avocado, crema, and tortilla strips.  Since my family likes a bit of a kick we stirred in the rest of the can of adobo sauce.

*You can strip and fry fresh corn tortillas for the topping, but I just bought the packaged tortilla strips that are usually with other packaged salad toppers.

CAMBOZOLA ONION TARTS

 

I had another sleeve of puff pastry, and I had seen a version of this on Instagrm, so I decided I would make it as the appetizer for dinner with our neighbors.  OMG, this took 10 minutes to assemble, and it was delicious!  Cambozola cheese is is triple cream cheese with a hint of blue cheese.  Any melting cheese would work, and I have bought Brie to try next time for my friends who don't like blue cheese, but the blue with the onion and hot honey paired so well together that it will be hard to make it any other way.  It is essentially puff pastry with a slice of red onion, topped with a yummy melting cheese and drizzled with hot honey.  So head to Trader Joe's and stock up on their puff pastry before they are gone and make this easy but impressive and extremely yummy appetizer.   (Need I remind you that TJ's puff pastry is one of the few out there made with butter and at less than half the price of the others -- and it is seasonal.  Luckily this Christmas they overstocked in Austin, so I was able to buy more yesterday.  I now have a dozen in my freezer and only hope they last me now that I have discovered what easy and wonderful recipes I can make with it!)

6 slices red onion, cut in half

Olive oil

Kosher salt and fresh black pepper

1 sleeve puff pastry, thawed but cold

Cambozola cheese *

1/4 c Honey

Aleppo Pepper

Fresh thyme, optiional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  On a baking sheet, lined with parchment, place the onion as pictured above.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

On a floured board roll out the puff pastry into a 10" square.  Cut it in half and then cut each half into 3 equal rectangles, giving you 6 pieces of pastry.  Poke each one with a fork, making lots of holes so that the pastry won't puff too much.  Lay each rectangle over a slice of the onion on the baking sheet and press the sides down so that the outside edges and the area around the onion are flat.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Meanwhile put the cheese in the freezer for the first 15 minutes the pastry is in the oven.  This will make it easier to slice.  Before you take the pastry out of the oven, slice the cheese into enough slices to cover the onion.  I cut 6 slices but didn't really use all of them.  Immediately when the pastry comes out of the oven lay the cheese on top of the onions and press slightly so it will begin to melt the cheese a litte.

Heat the honey in the microwave with a small amount of Aleppo Pepper, depending on how much spice you like.  I had Mike's Hot Honey so I used that, but it didn't have enough spice, so I have now bought Aleppo pepper to use next time.  I will probably start out with about 1/2 t pepper and then adjust it according to our taste.  Drizzle over the pastry.  Sprinkle with a little fresh thyme if you prefer and serve. I forgot to do it and didn't miss it at all but will try to remember next time!

*Any melting cheese will work.  Brie would be another good choice.

MUSHROOM AND LEEK GALETTE

Our family loves everything mushrooms, and the holiday season is the time of the year that Trader Joe's has their puff pastry so I knew I wanted to try something savory with one so I combined several recipes I read online.  (BTW TJ's sells one of the few puff pastries that is made with butter, so I stock up on them the short time they have them available.)  I made this for our holiday celebration with our neighbors, and they loved it so Cathy asked me to blog it.  I have a stack of recipes I have been needing to blog, so I am happy to have a nudge to get back to blogging.  Hopefully this will be the first of many more coming. Don't be deterred if the picture doesn't make you want to try it.  If you love mushroons, this is a definitely winner.  Update:  Our son Logan loved this so much that he made one himself to take to his friends' house for the football playoff game.  They moaned; and when he brought me a piece home, and I heated it in the microwave, I moaned.  It brings out the mushroom flavor unlike anything I have eaten. He added a third mushroom, King Oyster Mushrooms, but made sure the total mushroom amount was about 1-1/4 lbs.  

1/2 pkg puff pastry, thawed but still cold

1 lb. baby bella mushrooms, stems removed*

4-5 oz. pkg shitake mushrooms, stems removed*

Olive oil

1 lb leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced thin and washed thoroughly (3 cups)

1 t. fresh minced thyme

2 TB creme fraiche** 

1 TB Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

4 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated ***

Kosher salt

2 TB minced fresh parsley, optional

In your largest skillet (I used a 12" black cast iron) heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the baby bellas until they are soft.  Don't stir too often or you will cause them to release too much liquid.  Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Once they are soft set aside and if there is any liquid drain it off and discard.   Do the same with the shitakes.  Dice both mushrooms finely and gently stir together in a bowl.*  Set aside.

In the same skillet heat a little more olive oil and add the leeks and thyme, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are tender and beginning to brown, 5-7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir into the bowl with the mushrooms.   Gently stir in the creme fraiche and Dijon mustard. Set aside.

*The mushroom filling may be done earlier in the day but wait to assemble and bake until just before serving.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  On a lightly floured surface roll out the puff pastry to approximately 1/8" thickness.  If you are good with a roller, roll it into a circle.  It is one of my least favorite aspects of cooking/baking, so mine was a somewhat misshapen rectangle.  Gently transfer the pastry to a baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush lightly with a little olive oil. (If you prefer to use a pizza stone heat it in the oven at 400 degrees and then reduce the temp to 375, but wait until the galette is assembled before transferring it onto the pizza stone.)

To assemble the galette, spread half of the mushroom filling onto the dough, leaving about 2" of the dough exposed around the entire circumference.  Sprinkle with half of the cheese.  Cover with the remaining filling and top with the remaining cheese.  Drizzle about a teaspoon oil over the filling.  

Grasp the edge of the dough and fold up outer 2 inches over filling.  Repeat around circumference of the tart, overlapping the dough over the filling.  Gently press dough to secure but do not press dough into filling.  Brush dough with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is beginning to brown, checking it at about 35 minutes.  Cool the galette on the baking sheet on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Using offset or wide metal spatula loosen the galette from the parchment paper and carefully slide onto a cutting board.  Sprinkle with parsley, if using, cut into wedges and serve warm.

*Any variety of mushrooms will work, but since shitakes are so pricey I opted for mixing baby bellas with them. My HEB sells a package of shitakes in a 5 oz container, but by the time I removed all the stems I'm sure it was only 4 oz of actual mushrooms.  If you want to splurge use a variety of unique mushrooms, just be sure and drain any liquid off them once they are sauteed.

The second time I made it I diced the mushrooms before sauteing them.  If you choose to do that be sure and watch them carefully because it won't take long for them to soften.  It is imperative that they are very finely diced or they won't all fit in the puff pastry.

**You may substitute sour cream if you don't have a use for the remainder of the creme fraiche, but we were having caviar (thanks to our generous son Eric) for Christmas Day so I bought creme fraiche.

***One of the recipes called for Gorgonzola cheese, and I think that or even fontina would be good.  We love Gruyere so I opted for it.

NO MAYO COLE SLAW

 

Normally I love cole slaw made with mayo, but sometimes one without mayo is a better option.  Logan smoked a pork butt roast, and I decided this was a good time to try a no mayo recipe.  This Spring Lauren did a book-signing event for Camila Alves McConaughey's children's book Just Try One Bite.  I got to visit with her, and she is such a lovely, down-to-earth lady!  Since her book was about cooking I decided to look up some of her recipes on-line, and I found her No Mayo Cole Slaw recipe.  Her recipe called for a whole head of green cabbage, but since I had on hand a package of shredded cabbage I reduced her ingredients to half except for the apple.  So if you decide you want to shred a whole head of cabbage, just double all the ingredients.  I am so happy to have found a cole slaw that is so tasty and healthier than the ones I usually make!

10 oz. pkg. Angel Hair Coleslaw

1 red apple, skin on, julienned or even grated

1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced

1-1/2 TB chopped fresh mint

1 TB fresh lemon juice

1 TB olive oil

1 t. apple cider vinegar

1 t. white wine vinegar

Salt to taste

If you decide to use a head of cabbage instead of the Angel Hair package, shred the cabbage finely with a mandoline or a sharp knife.  The thinner the cabbage, the better this will taste.  Combine all the ingredients and mix together in a large bowl.  Taste as you go to see if it needs any more acidity, moisture or salt.  It can be served immediately, but it gets better refrigerated for a few hours or overnight.

SALSA VERDE

 

Normally I am a red salsa gal, but I was having a girls' night this week and decided I wanted some variety.  I looked at several recipes online and decided to do my own thing based on years of enjoying and cooking Mexican dishes.  I love the extra layer of flavor chile de arbols add so I knew I wanted to include them even though I didn't find any salsa verde recipes that included them.  They do add a little heat, but what is interesting about this salsa is the first bite or two tastes really hot.  After a few more bites the heat isn't that noticeable because the flavor is the frontrunner.  I had to stop myself from eating it all.  When I took the leftovers to Lauren's for a canasta night she asked me to blog it.  When my picky-eater daughter asks me to blog something I know it's good, so here I go!  It's quick and easy too which is also a plus.

2 chile de arbols, stems removed

1-1/2 lbs tomatillo tomatoes, husks removed and washed

2 lg. whole garlic cloves, peeled 

1/2 medium to large onion left intact

1 whole large fresh jalapeno, stem removed (add a second one if you want even more heat)

2 - 3 TB fresh lime juice *

1/4 c. fresh cilantro leaves

Heaping 1/2 t. table salt (or more to your taste)

1-2 diced avocadoes, optional**

Set the oven to broil.

In a small sauce pan bring salted water to a boil; add the chile de arbols.  Put a lid on and remove them from the heat.  Let this steep at least 15 minutes to soften the chiles.  Set aside.

Spray a cookie sheet with Pam.  Set the tomatillos, garlic, onion, and jalapeno on the cookie sheet and put it in the oven.  Broil 5-7 minutes, checking it every few minutes, until the tops of the tomatillos are somewhat charred.  Flip all the veggies over and broil until that side is also charred, which should take about 5 minutes.  

Remove the chile de arbols from the water and put in your blender; add the cilantro leaves.  Scrape all the veggies, including any juice on the cookie sheet, into the blender.  It's not necessary to peel the tomatillos or jalapeno.  Add the lime juice and salt and blend until smooth.  The best way to judge when it is smooth enough is when the red chile de arbols are finely ground.  Refrigerate a few hours to let the flavors meld before serving.  Refrigerate leftovers.

*The first time I made it I used 3 TB lime juice, and the second time I used 2 TB.  Experiment and see which flavor you prefer.

** I haven't tried it with diced avocadoes but I will add them the next time I am having company and expect it to all be eaten.  The salsa won't keep as long with them in it, so I regularly make it without them.  However, I think they will take this salsa to another level of creaminess with them in it.

PEACH TARTE

Every summer I make DeDe's peach cobbler when peaches are in season.  There is no denying it is truly scrumptious.  Since Justin has been trying to keep his blood sugar in check and he loves peaches, I decided to make a simpler peach dessert.  This tarte recipe has less crust and less sugar, and I served it with sweetened whipped cream instead of Blue Bell vanilla,  so it was definitely a better choice for him.  Granted, even a small piece for him wasn't great for his blood sugar, but it was definitely better than him having the cobbler and ice cream.  It was much easier and quicker to make; he loved it, and actually I enjoyed it as well.  It was the perfect finale to our shrimp diablo dinner!

Crust:

10 TB unsalted butter, chilled

1-1/4 c. (6-1/4 oz) all purpose flour

1 TB sugar

1/2 t. salt

1/4 c. ice water

Grate 2 TB butter on large holes of box grater and place in freezer.  Cut remaining 8 TB butter into 1/2" cubes.  

Pulse 3/4 c. flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, 2 pulses.  Add cubed butter and process until a paste forms, about 30 seconds.  Using your hands carefully break paste into 2" chunks and redistribute evenly around processor bowl.  Add remaining 1/2 c. flour and pulse until mixture is broken into pea size or slightly larger pieces, approximately 4-5 pulses.  Transfer mixture to medium bowl.  Add grated butter and toss until butter pieces are separated and coated with flour.

Sprinkle 2 TB ice water over mixture.  Toss with rubber spatula until mixture is evenly moistened.  Sprinkle remaining 2 TB ice water over mixture and toss to combine.  Press dough with spatula until dough sticks together.  Transfer dough to sheet of Saran.  Draw edges of plastic over dough and press firmly on sides and top to form compact mass.  Wrap in plastic and flatten to form 5" disk.  Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.  Let chilled dough sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes, before rolling.  (Wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 1 month.  If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling.)

Roll dough into 10" circle on well-floured counter.  Slide it onto a piece of parchment paper that is on an inverted rimmed baking sheet.  Turn under 1/2" dough and pinch it to form a 9" round with raised rim.  Cut 3 venting slits in dough.  Refrigerate it while you prepare peaches.

Peaches:

3 TB unsalted butter, softened

1/2 c. plus 2 TB sugar

1/4 t. salt

2 lbs ripe but firm peaches, peeled, pitted, and quartered

1 TB bourbon (optional)

Adjust rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.  Smear butter over bottom of a 10" oven safe skillet.  Sprinkle 1/2 c. sugar over butter and shake skillet to distribute sugar in even layer.  Sprinkle salt over sugar.  Arrange peaches in circular pattern around age of skillet, cut side down, nestling fruit snugly.  Tuck remaining peaches into center, squeezing in as much fruit as possible.

Place skillet over high heat and cook without stirring fruit, until juice is released and turns from pink to deep amber, 8-12 minutes.  If necessary, adjust skillet's placement on burner to even out hot spots and encourage even browning.  Remove skillet from heat.  Carefully flip prepared dough and slide it over fruit, making sure dough is centered and not touching the edge of the skillet.  Brush dough lightly with water and sprinkle with remaining 2 TB sugar.  Bake until crust is very well browned, 30-35 minutes.  Transfer skillet to wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and let cool for 20 minutes.

Place inverted plate on top of crust.  With 1 hand firmly securing plate, carefully tip skillet over bowl to drain juice.  When all juice has been transferred to bowl, return skillet to wire rack, remove plate and shake skillet firmly to redistribute peaches.  Carefully invert tarte onto plate, and set onto wire rack.  If peaches have shifted during unfolding, gently nudge them back into place with a spoon.

Pour juice into now-empty skillet.  Stir in bourbon, if using and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is dark and thick and starting to smoke, 2-3 minutes.  Return mixture to bowl and let cool until mixture is the consistency of honey 2-3 minutes.  Brush mixture over peaches.  Let tarte cool for at least 20 minutes.  Cut into wedges and serve with sweetened whipped cream and vanilla.  

GREEN RICE

This recipe came from an old Fonda San Miguel cookbook that I tweaked slightly.  It is a nice change from the typical Spanish rice recipe with tomato flavoring and will be my new go-to when I am making a Mexican-flavored meal.  My boys all commented that they liked it a lot.  It was a perfect side dish for the Shrimp Diablo and Chopped Salad without overpowering either.  Venture out from Spanish rice and try it -- I think you will be glad you did!

1/2 c. chopped cilantro leaves

1/2 c. chopped parsley leaves

2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach

1 poblano chile, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped

3 c. chicken broth

2 TB canola oil

2 c. long-grain white rice*

1/2 of medium onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

In a blender, combine the cilantro, parsley, spinach, chile, and chicken broth; blend until smooth.  

In a heavy, 4 qt saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add rice, onion, and garlic.  Stirring often with a wooden spoon, cook for about 8-10 minutes or until rice is turning golden.   Add pureed mixture , reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.  Fluff with a fork and adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.

*I am a huge fan of America's Test Kitchen and recently they tested a variety of long-grain white rice.  They determined that all the rice they tested was good EXCEPT Uncle Ben's Converted Long-Grain rice, so look on the label to be sure you are not getting a converted long-grain rice.  I actually made this with Uncle Ben's because that is what I have always used, but now I am anxious to try other brands.  They said it was rubbery, and I have frequently had issues with rice sticking to the bottom of the pot, so I am hoping changing brands of rice will help.

CHOPPED SALAD

The secret to this salad is having equal portions of all its ingredients AND sparingly using the Jalapeño Ranch Dip that was previously blogged as the dressing.  Obviously I don't measure things equally, but don't overdo it with lettuce.  In fact the first time I made this salad I didn't put any lettuce in it, and Lauren immediately wanted the recipe for it.  The Jalapeño Ranch Dip makes tons so I generally make this salad any time I have made that dip for a gathering.  The dip always gets rave reviews so don't hesitate to make it.

Canned black beans, rinsed and drained*

Corn on the cob*

Grape tomatoes, sliced in half

Romaine lettuce hearts, diced

Avocado

Jalapeno Ranch Dip (on blog)

Tortilla strips, optional

Rub the corn with oil and season with your favorite seasoning.  Grill it, turning it frequently til some of the kernels are somewhat charred.  Cool and slice off the cob.

In the bottom of your salad bowl, put the beans, corn and grape tomatoes.  Top a small amount of romaine, cover with saran and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, dice the avocado, drizzle with a small amount of the dip and toss well.  Top with tortilla strips if desired.  (I didn't this time because we had tortilla chips with appetizers, but they do add a nice crunch and can be bought in a bag. 

*For 4 of us I used half the can of black beans, half of 3 ears of corn and saved the other half of each for a salad the next day.

SHRIMP DIABLO

 Every now and then the stars align, and dinner is wonderful.  For those of you who know me, this was a "moaner" meal.  JT said it would be on the list for his "last meal".  Scott said it was the kind of meal that is so good you wiggle in your seat in delight as you eat!  Logan ate his fill of everything and complimented each component.  Why was it so special?  Was it because I had met the shrimp boat in Port A to get fresh shrimp or because I had gone to Fiesta earlier in the week and bought fresh Queso Fresca for Chile rellenos or because I carefully picked through all the center cut bacon to find the leanest?  I'm sure all those things contributed to it, but whatever the case I knew I had to blog this meal.  The Green Rice was out of an old Fonda San Miguel cookbook, and I will blog it as well because all my boys loved it.  The Chopped Salad was my own creation, and the use of the Jalapeño Ranch Dip (already on the blog) sparingly used as the dressing pushed it over the top.  Scott even ate seconds of the salad, and that is very unusual for my favorite carnivore.  Justin couldn't bear to waste it and actually ate out of the salad bowl at the end to finish it.  I know I am sounding like I am bragging, but this was a memorable meal.  Sometimes things just come together to create a dining experience that lingers in your mind for days -- especially if you are foodies, like the bunch I feed regularly.

Jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, 4-6 per person

Fresh jalapeños, bigger than your shrimp, a few more than the number of shrimp*

1/2" thick slices of cheese, slightly shorter than jalapeños **

Center cut bacon (HEB brand is thin and cooks faster), pick the leanest 1-1/2 to 2 slices per jalapeño

Make a cut lengthwise in the jalapeño down the middle slightly below the stem and above the tip.  Wearing gloves, carefully use your finger or a thin knife to scrape out the seeds and the veins, because that is where all the heat is in a jalapeño.  If it tears too much then use one of the extra jalapeños and try again. Rinsing them out inside will help get all the seeds out once you have loosened the seeds.  Press the cheese into the back of the jalapeño.  Gently add the shrimp on top of the cheese, being careful that all of the cheese is covered by shrimp so that it doesn't ooze out when cooking.  Wrap the bacon around each jalapeño, being sure to cover all the open areas with the leanest part of the bacon, especially on each end.  If there is a jalapeño that tore a little at the top use a toothpick to keep it closed.  Cover with saran and refrigerate until ready to grill.

With the grill at about 400 degrees, brush the grate with oil and space the jalapeños at least 1" apart.  Close the lid and let them cook until the bacon on the bottom looks done.  Continue turning them until all sides appear done or even slightly charred.  They will hold the heat inside so be careful of that first bite or two!

* I was concerned that the jalapeños might be too hot for Justin, so I used the small red, yellow and orange peppers that come in a bag for a few of them.  They were tasty but Justin agreed that the jalapeño flavored ones were better, and by cleaning out the seeds and veins, they weren't too hot.  Of course you never know from one jalapeño to the next how hot it will be, but the big ones at HEB generally aren't too hot.

**You can use a variety of cheeses here, just nothing too firm.  Fresh Queso Fresca worked beautifully because that is what Mexican cooks generally use in their Chile rellenos.  However, the packaged Queso Fresca we can get at HEB is the kind that crumbles and not the best to use.  Monterrey Jack, Quesadilla, Oaxaca, or Chihuahua cheeses will also work and can be found easily.  In fact I used Oaxaca in some of these jalapeños since I had some on hand.