Pico de Gallo Salsa with Avocado

This is one of my favorite salsas. Its fresh, spicy and goes great on everything!

Ingredients:

5 small vine-rippened tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
1 large lime, juiced
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, de-stemmed and chopped
2 serrano peppers, de-seeded and minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large avocado, chopped

1. Wash and de-seed the tomatoes. Chop the tomato and place in a large bowl. Add the onion, serrano peppers, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix throughly.

2. Add avocado and mix till combined. Cover and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes, so all of the ingredients can marry. Enjoy over eggs, with chips or anything else you want.

De-seed the tomatoes.

Add the chopped tomatoes to a large bowl.

Chop the red onion.

Cut the tops off the serrano peppers and cut length way.

De-seed the peppers with a fork.

Mince the peppers and add to the bowl.

Press the garlic down with the flat side of your knife. Makes it easier to peel.

Mince the garlic.

De-stem the cilantro and loosely chop.

Juice the lime over the salsa.

Add the salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.

Cut the avocado in half and score in cubes. Scoop out the avocado with a spoon.

Mix in the avocado and place in the refrigerator, for about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Open-Face Egg Sandwich

This is one of my husband's favorite breakfast dishes. I got the original recipe from Giada's Everyday Italian cookbook. This is a little similar take on it.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 loaf of a baguette

4 eggs

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

canola oil spray

1. Cut the bread in 4 slices and toast.

2. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the eggs till medium. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Place the two slices of bread on each plate. Spoon some of the heated tomato sauce on each slice. Top with two eggs and cheese. Repeat with second plate. 

Use half of a good loaf of bread.

Toast!

Cook the eggs till medium.

Pour some tomato sauce and microwave till warm.

Place two slices on each plate.

Top with sauce.

Next add the eggs.

Finally sprinkle generously with cheese.

Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree

On a whim last week, I bought some eggplant at the grocery store. I wanted to try something besides eggplant parmesan, I found this recipe. Its actually super easy and cheap to make. I used a can of diced tomatoes, because fresh was a little too expensive right now. 

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 can diced tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic

kosher salt

black pepper

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 pound rigatoni pasta

1/2 cup grated parmesan

olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Toss the eggplant, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Spread the veggies on the baking sheet in an even layer and place in the oven for about 30 minutes. Place the pine nuts on a small baking sheet and roast for a few minutes, till golden brown. Set aside.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni till al dente. Keep about 2 cups of the pasta water. Place the pasta in a large bowl.

4. Once the eggplant is roasted, place in a food processor, with the can of tomatoes. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and puree till everything is nice and creamy.

5. Add the eggplant puree with the pasta and toss. Add the pasta water till everything is nice and saucy. Mix in the parmesan cheese and pine nuts. 

Toss the eggplant, oil, pepper, salt, red pepper flakes and garlic.

Spread on a baking sheet and roast.

Place the pine nuts on a small baking sheet and roast.

I toasted the pine nuts a little too much. :(

Add the canned tomatoes to the food processor.

Cook the pasta.

Remove the roasted eggplant from the oven.

Add to the food processor.

Puree the veggies.

Toss the pasta with the cheese, pine nuts, puree and pasta water.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

While searching thru my freezer, I found a bag of cauliflower and decided to try a new soup. I found this recipe in Weeknights with Giada. I used frozen cauliflower rather than fresh, but you can use whatever is easier for you. Frozen tends to be cheaper, unless cauliflower is on sale. You can add cooked bacon as well.

Soup time!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

2 large celery ribs, chopped

Kosher salt and black pepper

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 head of cauliflower (or one bag of frozen cauliflower)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

4 cups chicken broth

In a large pot, melt the butter, then add the shallots and celery. Add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and cook for about 4 minutes or until the onions are soft. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Next add the chicken broth.

And the cauliflower and thyme. Raise the heat till the soup is boiling. Then lower the heat and cover till the cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes for fresh and 10 minutes for frozen.

Next remove from heat.

In batches, puree the soup in a blender. Then return to the pot.

Serve with some nice crusty bread.

Cheddar Potato Soup

This is a great go-to soup for a cold night. I love potato soups. One of my favorite soups of all time. You can play around with different ingredients: bacon, cheeses, leeks, etc.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of red potatoes, cut and cubed
1 large onion, chopped
4 tablespoons of butter
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups milk
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
4 spring green onions, chopped (optional)

1. Melt the butter in a medium stockpot, over medium heat. When the butter is bubbling, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

2. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.

3. Add the milk, vegetable stock, salt, pepper, thyme, and potatoes. Raise the heat till the soup is boiling, then lower the heat and simmer till the potatoes are fork tender.

4. Using a blender or hand held blender, puree the soup. I like to leave the soup a little chunky. Remove the soup from the heat and add the cheese and mix till the cheese has melted and creamy. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese and green onions.

White Bean Dip

With the Seahawks going to the Super Bowl (again!!) I'll be focusing on making some cool side dishes and snack foods to get prepared for the big game. Since moving to Seattle, I've loved living in a city with a professional football team. I know Southern California has the San Diego Chargers, but its just not the same for all of us who are or who have lived in the Los Angeles/ Orange County area. This is my take on Giada De Laurentiis's White Bean Dip, from her Everyday Italian cookbook.  

Yum Yum!

Ingredients:

2 cans of cannellini beans (white kidney beans) drained and rinsed

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from about 1 whole lemon)

1 teaspoon dried parsley

4 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Place the beans, garlic, 1 tsp kosher salt, lemon juice, pepper, and parsley in a food processor. 

Plus to just combined. Then while the processor is running add the olive oil till its nice and creamy. Place in a dish and serve right away or cover and refrigerate for one day.

Goes great with pita chips!

Twice-baked Potato Casserole

This is the perfect comfort food dish, so it makes sense that it's one of Ree Drummond's recipes (The Pioneer Women). You can make it as an entire meal or as a side dish. (Think Super Bowl!) I only did half the recipe, from the one listed on foodnetwork.com. This recipe is the edited half recipe.

Ingredients:

8 russet potatoes
Canola oil spray
2 sticks of unsalted butter (plus more of buttering the dish)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese (you can experiment with jack, pepper jack, mild or sharp cheddar), plus more for topping
1 cup milk
2 tsp kosher salt
5 green onions
salt and pepper

So much amazing cheese!

First clean, scrub and pierce the skin of the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray all the potatoes with the canola oil spray and place on a baking sheet. After oven reaches 400, place in the oven for one hour. Remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

Cut all of the potatoes in half and scoop out the pulp. You can have some of the skins from the potato, if you want. In a large bowl add the potato pulp, 2 sticks of butter and sour cream.

Mash the potato, butter and sour cream together, with a potato masher.

Next add the cheese, milk, onion and 2 tsp kosher salt. Now mix everything together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Be careful to not over salt.

Spread the mashed potato mixture into a buttered dish. Top with more cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Let sit for a few minutes, it will be super hot! Enjoy!