Snack

Chicken Parmesan Dip

January 17, 2018

I love a good mash-up recipe first thing in the morning, don’t you? It’s a great way to get us through the work week, and have us looking forward to the weekend. This mash-up in particular is here to prompt us to start discussing game-day appetizers and snacks. It’s never too early to start planning our menu. Take it from me, the earlier you start the better. Also, it’s never about the sports themselves, it’s more about what you’re serving. Dips are the perfect game day appetizer because they feed a crowd, they’re easy to make, can be made ahead of time, and almost always involve loads of melted cheese. That’s never a bad thing in my book. I’m taking the classic chicken parmesan and turning it into a delicious, and I’m warning you now, incredibly addictive dip. You’re going to want to eat it by the boatload. I recommend making it a few times before the big day, you know so that way you can really perfect it before you serve it to your guests, and of course eating it a few times is the main objective.

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Nicaraguan Vigoron

January 26, 2017

I’ve decided to start sharing a few Nicaraguan recipes on the blog over the next couple of weeks. They’ll be dishes I’ve grown up eating, and you’ll probably never have heard of them, but I think it’s important to share them with you because they’re a piece of me, and because Nicaraguan food is delicious. I might be slightly biased, but hopefully you’ll think so too. I’m a third generation American and so it’ll be a great way for both of us to get to know this great culture of mine. It will be a learning process for you and I, and I’m excited to share it with you. The first recipe is this Nicaraguan Vigoron, there really isn’t an english translation for it, but basically it’s boiled yuca (cassava) with crispy pork skin and a refreshing cabbage salad. In Nicaragua it’s served as an appetizer or as an all in one main dish. You’ll find street vendors all over the country selling this dish which is traditionally served on top of a banana leaf. It’s a great dish to start with because Nicaraguans eat a lot of yuca on a daily basis.

This is one of my mom’s favorite dishes, and I have to admit that I really didn’t care for it when I was younger. That’s because up until recently I didn’t like yuca. When I was a kid I found it to have a weird texture, but as an adult, I have a new found appreciation for it. I’m obsessed with it now, more so because Julian is obsessed with it, so I cook it more often. It’s also great fried, which is how I’m sure you’re familiar with it. A lot of Cuban restaurants serve fried yuca and so maybe you’ve had it there? If you’ve never eaten it before and are like, what in the world is that? Then now is the moment to branch out and try something new!

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Easy Braised Cannellini Beans with Chorizo

November 11, 2016

Easy Braised Cannellini Beans with Chorizo is the name of today’s game. Most braised white bean recipes go from dry beans, to soaking them overnight, to then braising, but who has that kind of time? Also, who can remember to soak the beans the night before to begin with? I for one can never remember! As a matter of fact, I still have a bag of red beans in my pantry from weeks ago of when I was supposed to make Red Beans and Rice and I just keep forgetting to soak them overnight. It’s a constant battle for me, and one that I always seem to be losing. Can’t a guy have red beans and rice for dinner whenever he wants?! Anyhow, so I decided to use canned cannellini beans for this recipe instead, because it’s quicker and a lot easier to deal with. I promise you’ll still get tons of flavor out of the beans because I’m sharing some of my tips and tricks on how to get the most flavor out of those cans and into this delicious dish. So whether you’re in need of a new irresistible appetizer, or looking for a quick and easy meal to make when you really don’t feel like cooking, these braised beans have your name all over them. Grab the ingredients from the store and give it a try this weekend, you won’t be disappointed. I do have to warn you though, this will quickly become your new favorite dish. Don’t let the brown color and mushy appearance throw you off, because this is one of the best recipes I’ve ever shared on here (and that’s really saying something).

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Cheers to the Weekend: Mini Vegetarian Tostadas

September 2, 2016

It’s time for yet another installment of my new favorite segment on the blog called, CHEERS TO THE WEEKEND! I’m typing this with enthusiasm because I’m very excited about this segment. I think it’s a great way to bring a constant theme to the blog week after week. If you’re paying attention, last week I featured a Blended Peach Bellini that I think makes brunch even more exciting. How can we not be happy about adult smoothies?! This week I’m tackling on appetizers, but not just any appetizer…the perfect party appetizer. These Mini Vegetarian Tostadas pack quite the punch. Now, I’m not a vegetarian at all, not even in the slightest. I’m always trying to figure out new ways to incorporate more beef, more chicken and more pork into my diet. Yet there are some days that I, for some unknown reason, am just really craving a vegetarian meal. Don’t ask me how. Don’t ask me why. It just happens. These tostadas are topped with refried white beans that we can make ourselves with a little help from the store, along with slightly spicy verde rice. That’s carb on carb on carb, with a bit of protein from the beans and lots of healthy toppings like tomatoes and lettuce and avocado and cheese. Cheese is a healthy topping. Trust me.

These are the perfect appetizer to make for parties because they’ll fill people up without having to provide so many of them. They’re hearty and filling, even though they don’t have any meat or chicken or pork in them. I’m telling you, you won’t miss it. The heartiness from the beans and the rice make alone, make this dish desirable. When you throw in classic taco toppings like tomato, avocado, lettuce and cheese…there’s not turning back from that. So what are you waiting for?! These Mini Vegetarian Tostadas are just waiting to be made and eaten by you and you alone. Let’s all get in the kitchen and Cheers to the Weekend together!

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Spicy Mediterranean Meatballs

April 7, 2016

I’ve been on a major appetizer kick lately, as you can tell from all of the appetizers I’ve been posting recently (there are still some great ones coming up really soon so I hope you’re not tired of this direction). I feel like everyone needs a good arsenal of appetizers up their sleeves to choose from, just in case you need to entertain a horde of people at the very last minute. Starters for some reason are always the hardest for me to decide on. I want that first bite that people taste to be very special, so I take my time in deciding what to make. I figure that with all of these appetizers on the site, it’ll make it easier on you when you go to plan your next dinner party or celebration. My newest addiction comes from my love of tapas restaurants. The idea of having an entire meal comprised of small dishes that are meant to be shared with your friends and family, with a few cocktails in hand obviously, just sounds fun and exciting, doesn’t it? It does.

I’ve been to a few restaurants that actually serve spicy meatballs as an appetizer. I order them all the time because what’s not to love about meat rounds cooked in a red tomato sauce, sans pasta? Most of the time they’re always Italian flavored, which makes sense because spaghetti and meatballs, but I wanted to think outside of the box and give this favorite appetizer of mine a makeover. Whenever I want to make anything over, I automatically think Mediterranean because I feel like those fresh flavors have so much potential and can really transform almost anything. These Spicy Mediterranean Meatballs taste just like a Greek salad, if a Greek salad was filled with ground beef and pork. The ultimate Mediterranean meatball would actually be made with ground lamb, because that just makes sense to me, but I’m not always a fan of lamb so I decided to keep some traditional things the way they were hence the ground beef and pork. So the next time you’re looking for a great appetizer to impress a crowd, remember that I made these meatballs once and they were irresistible.

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Savory BBQ Pulled Pork Cinnamon Rolls

March 25, 2016

I love to really turn things upside down in the kitchen, especially when it comes to making popular dishes that we’re all used to, and giving them a fun and interesting new makeover. Just like with these savory Falafel Waffles. Homemade falafel made into healthy waffles and then topped with a crazy delicious Mediterranean slaw. It’s just like what magic would taste like, if magic had a taste. I like to keep you guys guessing and just when you think you know what’s going on, I throw a curveball your way and take things in a different direction. As a big fan of cinnamon rolls, I decided that what the world needed more of was savory cinnamon rolls. There are plenty of sweet variations out there that people do so well, and so rather than give you another sweet creation, the next best thing are these Savory BBQ Pulled Pork Cinnamon Rolls. So let’s think outside the box and welcome them with open arms. Give them a big hug, and eat as many as you can.

The dough is not sweet at all, and while yes, I’m calling them cinnamon rolls, there really isn’t any sugar or cinnamon in the filling, although you really could if you wanted to as the sweetness from a bit of brown sugar would be great with the BBQ sauce and pork. So if you’re a fan of BBQ sauce, pulled pork and cheese, then you’ll definitely be best friends with these rolls. They’re the perfect recipe to try out over the weekend. Get started in the morning and while the dough rises and the rolls double in size, you could go around the house and get your chores done or cross things off from your to-do list. By the time the rolls are ready, you’ll be done with everything and you’ll have the greatest reward waiting for you. If you want to make these after Easter and have lots of leftover ham lying around, then by all means, dice up the ham and use it as a filling instead of the pulled pork. That would be a great use for that excess Easter ham.

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