Mango Salsa

This summer my family took a trip to Wyoming for, what I would consider, our first 'real' family vacation. We drove over 17 hours one way to visit my brother and his family in Northern Wyoming. They chauffeured us all over the landscape taking us to really some cool places. One of the days we did the 'tourist' thing and spent the day in Cody, Wyoming; walking the main street and visiting all the shops.
One of our favorite little shops was the "Wyoming Buffalo Co." A specialty shop filled with products 'Made in Wyoming.' They had all kinds of sauces, jams, sausages, cheese, salsas... all made in Wyoming from local small businesses. The best part was the samples! We could sample the BBQ sauces, syrups, salsas... even the sausage! We tried buffalo and venison sausage...yummy!
My favorite salsa (because of course, I'd choose to buy something hot!) was a mango-habanero salsa. So delicious. It was spicy and sweet at the same time. So good. The only problem? It came in a 2 cup mason jar and I'm nearly out all ready! The other problem?

It's a 17hr drive to Wyoming to get some more!
So, I did what I usually do. I came up with my own version. This salsa was different than my Super EASY salsa. This salsa had a more cohesive consistency (if that makes any sense)...and the veggies were soft like it had been cooked. So that's what I did. I was totally winging it as I had not ever attempted a cooked salsa before. But I have to say, I really liked it. The only problem? This one didn't last very long either! Time for another batch ;)



What You'll Need:
1 Tbs olive oil
Half an onion, diced
1 ripe mango. Peeled and diced. (Check out this site on how to cut and dice a mango.)
2 jalapenos, diced. Leave the veins and seeds in tact if you want the heat. (You can use a habanero if you're brave enough! I just didn't have any on hand). 
1 small (8oz) can crushed pineapple
1 15oz can diced tomatoes (blended)
¼ tsp ground cumin

What You'll Do:
Heat the oil in a medium sized sauce pot.
Add the diced onions and cook and stir over med-high heat until caramelized.
Add the diced mango and jalapenos. Cook and stir until the jalapenos begin to soften.
Add the crushed pineapple. Stir. Lower the heat and simmer.
While the pot is simmering, place the diced tomatoes in a blender and give them a quick spin just to crush them. Add the blended tomatoes to the sauce pot. Add the cumin. Stir. Cover and simmer for 10-15 mins. Remove from heat and allow to cool in the pot. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If it lasts that long!

(Almost as good as Papa Jerry's) Steak Picado

This time of year (baseball/softball season) always reminds me of old times spent at the ball park in Fallon, NV and long, lost friends and family made there. One of those people that I considered family was Papa Jerry; and one of the best memories of summers in Nevada was softball tournaments. Especially the Mike Llamas Memorial Tournament. Every August, for several years (I'm not quite sure if the tradition has continued) the tournament was held to raise money for a scholarship fund and keep Mike's memory alive. Papa Jerry (Mike's dad) could always be found at the park cooking up some of his famous Steak Picado during the tournament. Forget the hot dogs and nachos. Everyone wanted a burrito from Papa Jerry!
I've tried for years to duplicate the flavor and consistency of Papa Jerry's Steak Picado. I'm sure this recipe is nowhere near as awesome but it does taste pretty yummy! It makes a great burrito, steak-bowl over rice, or even a delicious topping for a plate of nachos.

What You'll Need:
2 Tbs oil
2 lbs steak, cut into 1-1½" pieces (you can find 'picado' meat in the meat section at some grocery stores. Saves tons of time!)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste

What You'll Do:
Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over high heat. Place the diced onions in the hot pan and saute until they are soft. Add the diced potatoes and cook and stir for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped steak and let cook until the meat is browned. Add the garlic and stir. Add the Rotel and the diced tomatoes and stir. Add the spices and stir. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes on low. Serve hot in tortillas, over rice or on top nachos.

Grilled Steak and Watermelon Feta Salad

I recently had dinner at a restaurant (BJ's), but I won't mention any names (BJ's) and had the worst service on the face of the planet (BJ's)! I hate it when that happens! Especially because there was a new salad on the menu (at least, it was new to me) that sounded delicious and I was excited to try. When my salad finally came I was delighted! It looked delicious! Then about 5 seconds later another server showed up at the table with the entrées... What?! I was so mad... I wanted my salad but I wanted my entrée and I was the only one who had ordered a salad. Sigh.... I handed the salad back to the server and ate my dinner with the rest of the table. Man, was I bummed! I wanted that salad! So what did I do? I made my own the following night at home! Ha! Take that anonymous restaurant with crappy service (BJ's)!

I didn't get to try the salad at the restaurant as reference so I have no idea if mine turned out the same. In fact, I know it isn't the same because I made a few variations from the salad listed on the menu. I added thinly sliced, grilled steak, toasted sunflower seeds, and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing instead of the honey vinaigrette dressing on the menu. It was DE-lish-Us!

I've included a recipe for the Balsamic Vinaigrette here as well. Of course, you can always use bottled...but homemade is so much fresher.

One Serving of Salad

What You'll Need:
2 cups mixed greens (You can use whatever you like most. I like the Spring Mix with arugula, red leaf lettuce, endive, etc. and I add a little chopped romaine as well.)
1/2 cup bite size watermelon cubes
1-2 Tbs coarsely chopped/sliced red onions
1-2 Tbs crumbled Feta cheese
1 tsp toasted, salted sunflower seeds
2 oz thinly sliced strips of grilled steak (you can use an inexpensive cut of meat for this. Marinate the meat in some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, pressed garlic clove, and brown sugar for at least an hour before grilling and slice thin before serving)
1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette (more or less to taste)

What You'll Do:
Grill the steak how you like it... I prefer medium. Chop the watermelon and onion and set aside. Place the salad greens on a plate or salad bowl, layer the rest of the ingredients and finish with the balsamic dressing.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

What You'll Need:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbs honey
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

What You'll Do:
Place all ingredients in a screw-top jar or 'shaker cup.' Shake to combine. I noticed the longer I shook the more 'frothy' the dressing got. (Is that even a word? The dressing got thicker! lol) Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Especially if you like it more or less sweet.
Cover and refrigerate. Shake before use.

Pasta and Mushroom Wine Sauce

 I hesitate to call this a Marsala Wine Sauce because I didn't use Marsala wine...so we'll just call it a "Mushroom Wine Sauce." I wanted to make a sauce similar to the one I love from my favorite Italian restaurant and decided to just use one of the white wines I had at home. I had a Riesling and a Moscato and went with the Moscato because of the similar sweet qualities that I taste in a Marsala sauce. It turned out AH-mazing! 

My kids are with family for a couple weeks for summer vacation so this was my opportunity to cook something they wouldn't usually eat. They don't like anything with big hunks of onion, or mushrooms for that matter. This should be a fun couple weeks for me in the kitchen. I can make all the spicy, oniony, garlicy, crazy creations I want!

What You'll Need:
 3 TBS Olive Oil
1/4 cup onion, sliced
1 TBS garlic, chopped ( I used 3 cloves of garlic, pressed)
1/2 pound mushroom, sliced
3 TBS flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 ½ cups beef stock
salt and pepper to taste

What You'll Do:
Add olive oil to a heavy, hot saucepan. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are tender. Add flour, stir to coat the veggies, and cook about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with the 1/2 cup wine. Add the beef stock and cook until the sauce thickens.  Serve over baked chicken breast or pasta. (Or both!)

Simple Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is one of those "go-to" recipes in my repertoire. It's super easy to make, comes together quickly and everybody loves it. It's nothing like the Chinese restaurant version of sweet and sour chicken but is tasty just the same. And a much healthier version without all that breading and oil from frying the chicken.

What You'll Need:
1-2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup chopped carrots (I cheated... I bought a bag of precut slices at Trader Joes)
3 chicken breasts
1 can diced tomatoes
1 small can pineapple tidbits
1/4 brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 Tbs soy sauce

What You'll Do:
Using a large sauté pan, heat 2 Tbs olive oil over high heat. I prefer the pan be nice and hot before I even put the chicken in the pan. I want it to sizzle as soon as I place the chicken. Gives it a better sear and color. Cook the chicken until nearly cooked all the way through. (4-5 minutes each side). Remove the chicken and set aside. You don't want to fully cook the chicken in this step or it will be over cooked in the finished dish. Reserve the oil in the pan.

Place the chopped onion, bell peppers, carrots and crushed garlic in the hot pan and stir fry 2-3 minutes until the onions begin to soften, cooking and stirring consistently. Add the can of diced tomatoes and pineapple. Stir until combined and let simmer 2-3 minutes.

Add brown sugar and ketchup and stir. Add soy sauce and ground ginger and stir. Chop the chicken breasts and return the chicken to the pot. Stir. Cover and let simmer about 5 mins. Serve over hot rice.

Piña Colada Muffins

It's getting warmer and already I'm excited about the fresh fruit of summer. I LOVE Pineapple. It is the sweetest, most delicious fruit in my opinion. There's nothing like cutting into a pineapple and taking that first juicy bite while you're cutting because you can't wait for the finished product. The canned stuff just fails in comparison. The flavor is just not the same. Fresh is always best.
That being said, canned is really convenient in cooking. I never buy the stuff packed in syrup however. Always look for packed in water or in its own juice.
The inspiration for this crazy creation was just that.. a can of pineapple. I wanted to make something for breakfast for my girls that was creative and different. I opened the pantry and stood there for awhile... searching... what to do, what to do... saw the can of pineapple. Hmm.. pineapple upside down breakfast cake? Nah... they wouldn't eat it. A bag of coconut... ah... now we're getting somewhere. Do I have any bananas? Yup.. Yes! That's it! Piña Colada Muffins.. they'll think its funky and fun!
And they did. They loved them and the muffins turned out moist and delicious because of the extra fruit in the mix.
What You'll Need:
This recipe is a variation on a previous post for muffins. The ingredients are the same... just a couple of additions:
1 ripe banana
A can of crushed pineapple
1 cup shredded coconut

What You'll Do:
Prepare ingredients according to the directions in the previous post.
Add 1/2 cup of coconut to the dry ingredients and set aside. When mixing the wet ingredients, begin with mashing a banana in a bowl. Add the crushed pineapple and the rest of the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Fill muffins tins 2/3 full with batter. Use the other 1/2 cup of coconut to top each muffin.
Bake for 20 mins at 350º.

Zuppa Toscana

♫ ♪ "Oh the wind is lashing lustily
And the trees are thrashing thrustily
And the leaves are rustling gustily
So it's rather safe to say...
That it seems that it may turn out to be
It feels that it will undoubtedly
It looks like a rather blustery day, today
It sounds that it may turn out to be
Feels that it will undoubtedly
Looks like a rather blustery day today" ♪ ♫

Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day

It's been a rather blustery day today in the AV and all day long it's felt like a soup kind of day. While at the grocery store in search of all things green, I found some really beautiful and vibrant red chard. I couldn't wait to use the chard in some form for dinner and this soup came to mind.

I wouldn't call it a copy cat recipe because it's not exact, but this soup is loosely based on the soup by the same name at that Italian-American restaurant we all know and love with the grapes in it's logo. Which is really an odd choice for their logo considering the name speaks of olives in a garden. ;)

What You'll Need:
1lb. sausage
1 large baking potato, diced into bite size pieces
½ large onion, diced
1 large garlic clove
2 cups swiss chard or kale, chopped (vein removed)
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
2 Tbs flour
salt and pepper to taste

What You'll Do:
Break up the sausage and place in a large sauce pot over med-high heat.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage begins to brown.

While the sausage is browning, chop and dice the onion.
Add to the sausage.
Add minced or freshly pressed garlic clove.
Cook, stir occasionally, until the onion begins to soften.

While the onion and sausage are cooking, chop the potato and add to the pot.
Stir to incorporate and cook for 1-2 mins over med-high heat and reduce heat to low.

While the potato is cooking, wash and chop the chard, removing the vein.
Stir all ingredients and add the chicken broth and 1 cup of milk.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, make a 'slurry' with 1 cup of milk and 2 Tbs. flour.
You can use a 'blender cup' or just blend it together in a cup using a fork or small whisk.

Increase heat back up to med-high and add the slurry to the soup.
Bring to a boil.
Once the soup reaches a boil it will thicken slightly.
Cook and stir for 1-2 mins until soup is thick and bubbly.
Serve hot!