Fave soups & main dishes

This is about part three in a four-part series recapping my favorite recipes from our church's annual progressive dinner. You can read the first two posts here (appetizers and drinks) and here (breads and salads). Today I bring you soups and main dishes. You for sure need to try the two chilled berry soups. They are delish! Soup's on!


8 Can Soup
1 can (14 oz.) Veg-All
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 can (14 oz.) diced potatoes
1 can (14 oz.) vegetable soup
1 can (14 oz.) kernel corn
1 can (14 oz.) green beans, sliced
1 can (14 oz.) Hormel chili with beans
1 can (14 oz.) Hormel chili w/no beans

Mix all together and heat thoroughly. Serve w/grated cheese, sour cream and nacho chips.


Chilled Raspberry Soup
1 (32 oz.) nonfat raspberry yogurt
2 cups sour cream
1 cup Cran-Raspberry juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 whole cloves

Set yogurt and sour cream to the side and chill. Stir together remaining ingredients. Cook in crock pot for 15 min. and sugar dissolves. When done, strain out whole cloves and put juice on ice. Add the yogurt and sour cream just before serving. Whisk together until smooth. op with berries when serving.


Cool Berry Soup
1 (32 oz.)plain or vanilla yogurt
1 - 1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1 cup powdered sugar
Frozen berries

Combine all ingredients, whisk until all sugar is dissolved and is smooth. Serve with frozen berries on top.


Spicy Tomato Bisque
1 (28 oz.) can chopped tomatoes or tomato puree
1/3 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup milk
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed

In saucepan over medium heat, stir together tomato puree, red pepper flakes, black pepper, basil and sugar. Bring to a simmer, and cook 10 - 15 minutes. Whisk in cream cheese until well blended, then stir in the milk. Heat through without boiling. Serve with grilled cheese sandwiches!


White Chicken Chili
1 tablespoon. oil
1 lb chicken, cooked and diced
1 med. onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans great northern beans
1 can chicken broth
2 cans chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup. sour cream
1/2 cup heavy cream

Sauté chicken, garlic and onion in oil in a skillet. Place in stock pot or crock pot with remaining ingredients except sour cream and heavy cream. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add sour cream and heavy cream. Stir and serve. Serves 6. For a lighter version, add 1 cup of Fat Free sour cream instead and omit cream. Still just as yummy!


Oven Kalua Pork
4-5 lbs pork roast (pork or shoulder)
1 T liquid smoke
2 1/2 tablespoons sea salt, divided

Preheat oven to 325. Rub pork with liquid smoke and 1 ½ T. salt. Wrap pork several times with foil and seal completely. Place pork in roasting pan and bake for 5 hours. After baking, shred pork, sprinkle with the remaining salt. Serve with rice.


Parmesan Chicken
4-8 chicken breast halves
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix (dry)
1 cup crushed cornflake crumbs
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup butter, melted

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Mix all dry ingredients together. Melt butter in separate bowl. Dip chicken in butter and then in dry ingredients. Place in greased baking dish. Sprinkle remaining dry mixture on top. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until done.


Spinach Ravioli Lasagna w/Pesto Bread Crumbs
Note: all these ingredients can be found at Costco

1 (23 oz.) Alfredo Sauce, divided
1 (38 oz.) pkg. spinach & cheese ravioli, cooked according to directions
1/4 C. basil pesto
1 C. roasted red peppers, sliced into ½ inch strips

Pesto Bread Crumbs:
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup basil pesto
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 13x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. To prepare the bread crumbs, mix all ingredients in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Smooth 1 1/2 cups of Alfredo sauce over the bottom of the pan. Layer 18 of the ravioli in slightly overlapping rows - 3 across and 6 lengthwise. Tuck any extra ravioli into this layer. Smooth 1/2 cup Alfredo Sauce over the Ravioli. Place red pepper strips evenly across the top. Sprinkle with Pesto Bread Crumbs.

Cover with foil and bake until the sauce is bubbling, about 35 minutes. Remove the foil and broil until the bread crumbs are lightly browned. Let the Lasagna rest for about 5 minutes.


Taco Pie
1 can crescent rolls
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1/2 onion, chopped
1 sm. can tomato soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups crushed corn chips

Press crescent rolls into bottom and sides of a 9" pie dish for crust. Brown and drain ground beef. Add taco seasoning, onion and tomato soup. Layer into crust 1 cup crushed corn chips, meat mixture, sour cream, cheddar cheese and remaining corn chips. Bake at 375° for 20 - 25 minutes. Serve with chopped lettuce and tomatoes.

The only man who is really free is the one who can turn down an invitation to dinner without giving an excuse. ~Jules Renard

Image by Carol's Lines, shared via Flickr.

Fave breads and salads

Here are my favorite bread and salad recipes from our 2009 progressive dinner. For past recipes check out Monday's post and the bottom of this post. I won't stop until I've shared all my faves with you! But only a few at a time, mind you. This time of year it's all about portion control...

Bran Muffins
1 cup boiling water
3 cups All Bran (divided)
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil OR 1/3 cup oil + 6 tabelspoons flax seed meal
2 eggs
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons soda

Combine water and 1 cup All Bran. Let cool then add 2 cups All Bran and buttermilk. Set aside. Cream sugar and oil. Add eggs, flax seed (if using) and molasses. Mix well then add dry ingredients. Stir in buttermilk/All Bran mixture until combined. Bake in greased muffin tins at 400° for 15 min.


Cornbread
3/4 cup melted butter
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup milk
2 1/2 cups Bisquick
1 cup sugar
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Stir together well. Pour into greased 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350° for approximately 25 minutes.


No Knead Artisan Bread
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon rapid rise yeast
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water

Mix all ingredients and let sit for at least 12 hours, preferably 18 hours. Dough will generally be loose and bubbly. Pour onto floured surface and fold over a couple of times. Let rest. Shape into loose ball and place on well-floured piece of wax paper or hand towel. Cover with towel and let rise 2-3 hours.

When dough has risen, place a covered casserole into oven and preheat to 450 degrees. You want the casserole dish to be very hot (no need to preheat the lid). Remove the dish from the oven, invert the dough into the dish, give a shake to center and place back into the oven and cover with lid. Bake at 450° for 35 minutes, remove lid and bake another 10-15 minutes until loaf is browned nicely. Remove from casserole and cool on wire rack.


BLT Salad
1 head lettuce
10 slices bacon fried crispy and crumbled
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon onion, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix and chill sauce. Just before serving toss salad with dressing. Or you can toss it all and chill overnight.


Fruity Lemon Salad
1 small pkg. lemon Jell-O
1 small pkg. lemon pudding (cooked, not instant)
1 cup whipped cream or Cool Whip

Dissolve lemon Jell-O in 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Cool in fridge until almost set. Prepare COOKED lemon pudding, following directions on box (adding an egg); then cool in fridge. When pudding and Jell-O are both partially set, whip them together with electric mixer. Fold in whipped cream (or Cool Whip).

Add any combination of fresh, canned, or frozen fruit, such as bananas, grapes, strawberries, apples, peaches, pineapple tidbits (drained), pears, Mandarin oranges (drained), blueberries. Also add mini-marshmallows or nuts. Chill until served.


Potato Salad
6 large potatoes, cooked and peeled
6 hard boiled eggs
sweet pickles, diced small (as many as desired)

Dressing: Experiment with portions since it depends on how much dressing you like.

Miracle whip
Mustard - just a little bit!
Sugar to taste
A little milk just to make creamy
A shake of celery seed and pepper

Mix dressing ingredients with a wire whisk, then pour over potatoes and eggs and mix gently with wooden spoon. It needs to sit at least four or five hours and tastes really good the next day! (Note: add dressing while the potatoes and eggs are still a little warm - not hot. The flavors seem to blend better.)

Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant?? I'm halfway through my fish burger and I realize, .... I could be eating a slow learner. ~Lynda Montgomery

Image by prettytypewriters, shared via Flickr.

Bite-size brownies with peppermint frosting

I'm all about easy when it comes to the holidays, and that includes holiday treats. Don't get me wrong, I love a made-from-scratch spinach and artichoke dip, tomato bruschetta or chocolate trifle, but sometimes you need something quick, easy and tasty. That's how I came up with these simple yet sweet (both in taste and presentation) treats that would work easily for both neighbor plates and holiday parties.


Take the idea and run with it! You could use white frosting with green and red sprinkles, or I even thought of making a peanut butter-flavored frosting and using semisweet chocolate shavings instead. I started experimenting with different designs, including a Christmas tree shape (middle). You can't beat Costco's brownie bites for quick and easy and they taste yummy too!



Bite-size Brownies with Peppermint Frosting
1 package Costco brownie bites
Mini semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 recipe peppermint frosting

Peppermint frosting:
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
2 16-oz. packages powdered sugar
2 teaspoons peppermint extract (not oil)

For frosting, beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar and peppermint extract and beat until thoroughly combined. Use a piping bag with your favorite tip (I used the small circle tip in the photos) and pipe the frosting on top of each brownie bite. Sprinkle with semisweet chocolate chips. How easy is that?!?!

My little ones loved helping sprinkle the chocolate chips and then they had to sample their work:

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Recipe wrap-up, part 2

Last week I went through and put together a list of ten bookmarked recipes in an effort to get through the extensive collection of bookmarked pages in my browser. This week I'm giving you ten more...and it looks like I'll have enough for a part 3! Hopefully you'll discover some new recipes to try, new blogs to read and new indulgences to, well, indulge in. Happy browsing!

• Sarah's Cucina Bella: Bread Machine Olive Oil Bread (I love any dough you can do in your bread machine--it's all about multitasking!)
• Cheat Day Cafe: Nutter Butter Eggs (I know it's not Easter but you could easily turn these into a holiday treat by piping green leaves and adding a red hot or two for some "berry" merry goodness!)
• The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Fried Zucchini Strings (Though not as plentiful now as it is in the summer/fall, you can still find zucchini in the produce section. Wouldn't this make a fun alternative to green bean casserole?)
• The Healthy Pantry: Healthy Baking Substitutions (Not a recipe per se but this is something super handy so print it out and slip it into your favorite cookbook. Oh, and check out The Healthy Pantry's meal kits. We've tried a few and they're super yummy and great to have on hand for last-minute meals!)
• smitten kitchen: ranch rugelach (I adore smitten kitchen and her recipes. I think I can feel my thighs getting larger just looking at the photos for this one!)
• Real Simple: Caramelized Pineapple with Coconut Sorbet (You'd think it were a summertime treat but I'm happy to enjoy pineapple and coconut all year long.)
• Tongue-N-Cheeky: NieNie's Mud Cake Magnifique (Touted as "the perfect chocolate cake" I can believe it when you're talking a fudgy chocolate cake with "chocolate mascarpone mousse & ganache bittercream". Um, YUM!)
• I Never Grew Up: Perfect Potluck Item (Have you lost count of how many potlucks you've been to and are going to this month? If you need a new idea for a dish, try this one!)
• The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Lazy Chile Rellenos (Another great idea for a potluck dish or appetizer...and I'm all about lazy when it comes to the holidays. The less work I have to do the better!)
• smitten kitchen: homemade oreos (I'm including this one because I have Oreos on the brain thanks to the huge one I just ate from Dippidee's, a local bakery in American Fork. Oh, and these would make a great addition to your neighbor goodie plates!)

After part 3 next week I'll be posting some of my favorite recipes from this year's church progressive dinner. You can find all my faves from 2008 here:

• cranberry punch, zesty cheese spread and coconut bread
• red hot christmas slush, cranberry orange scones & mediterranean hummus bars
• chile verde, chicken & corn chowder and sweet tortilla soup
• zuppa soup, cafe rio style chicken and chicken enchilada casserole
• chocolate eclair cake, chocolate mint bars and chocolate peppermint candy cookies

And here's one from 2007:

• good food and good friends make for a great night!

If you have any tried and true recipes perfect for the holidays I'd love for you to share them in the comments below. I always need new ideas for holiday potlucks and parties!

Recipe wrap-up

Like many of you whenever I come across a great blog post or tempting recipe or wonderful online resource, I add it to my browser's bookmarks (in its appropriate folder, of course). Because Friday has typically been food for thought friday around here I have more than my fair share of food-related bookmarks in that folder. I'm starting to crumble under the weight of them all so today I thought I'd simply choose ten, which you can click on and browse at your leisure.

Sure, it's the lazy way to do things but with my holiday schedule--and new website's layout itching to be designed--it's all I've got. Next week you might be lucky enough to find ten more. (I collect online bookmarks like my daughter collects stray insects for pets.) By the way, I am still anxious to post those laundry tips and the photo of Mr. Maytag Repairman and hope to do so on Monday!

• The Mother Load: Our Favorite Hot Cocoa Mix (This one is perfect for the holidays!)
• Savor the Success: Swiss Mac & Cheese Recipe (I have yet to make homemade macaroni and cheese my family likes. If you have a great recipe comment below!)
• Sarah's Cucina Bella: Love It: Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Bread (You'd definitely be the favorite at the next holiday party!)
• Taste of Home: Chocolate Mallow Fondue Recipe (Fondue is a New Year's Even tradition with my in-laws. We love it!)
• Noble Pig: Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Dip (I'm thinking ahead to Superbowl Sunday...)
• The Pioneer Woman: Monkey Muffins (We make a version of this in a bundt pan and LeShan has another recipe that uses butterscotch pudding--click here for her version.)
• Two Peas and Their Pod: Cranberry Orange Scones (These would be yummy Christmas morning.)
• stephmodo: Lemon Curd (I still know very little about lemon curd but someday I'll learn! Do you make it/use it and if so, how and for what? This link has how you can use it and includes a link to Gourmet mag's lemon curd recipe.)
• notes from my food diary: Virginia Light Rolls (Everyone needs a good dinner roll recipe, right? I have one but it's a closely guarded secret...okay, you can find it by searching AllRecipes.com for "sweet dinner rolls" and clicking on the one with over 1k ratings...but don't tell!)
  

Do you have any bookmarked recipes or food-related links you'd like to share? I'd love to add more to the list!

Image by Muffet, shared via Flickr.

Tangy slow cooker pork roast

The other day I made the yummiest pork roast in the slow cooker and I just had to share. Not only did the husband and daughter rave about it but it was super easy and the leftovers have been scrumptious. I should know since I've been eating them for the past two days!

I found the original recipe on AllRecipes.com and tweaked it according to a view reviewers suggestions. The final result was super tasty. Here's the recipe with my changes. (You can find the original Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Roast recipe here.)

Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Roast
1 large onion, sliced
2 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin roast
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 dashes hot pepper sauce, or to taste

Arrange onion slices evenly over the bottom of the slow cooker and place the roast on top of the onion. In a bowl mix together water, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, ketchup, black pepper, salt, minced garlic and hot sauce; pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

We enjoyed it that night as is and then shredded the leftovers for pork tacos, which I have been eating incessantly since yesterday. My fave is to put a small tortilla on a plate, top with shredded pork, heat in the microwave for 30 seconds and then top with shredded cheese and a little ranch.


What would be even better is some creamy cilantro-type ranch dressing from Cafe Rio or Bajio! Can you say "party in my tummy?" --Emily

Shark cupcakes even Spielberg would love

This post is about three weeks overdue but that's about my speed right now--three weeks behind everything including laundry and sleep. I've been anxious to post about the super nifty shark and life preserver cupcakes I made for George's birthday because they were not only easy (don't confuse easy with quick) but really, really fun AND I received compliments from complete strangers when they saw them adorning the party table at Jungle Jim's.

Like I said, don't confuse easy with quick as these babies did take time but it was worth it. We did have some cupcake malfunctions; I will share those with you so you can learn from my mistakes. Maybe then your sharks won't take a nosedive onto the cupcake tray.

What you'll need:

• 2 dozen baked and cooled cupcakes
• 1-2 cans vanilla or cream cheese frosting
• Blue sugar sprinkles
  
• 1 can white decorating icing (the kind that is pressurized and comes with a few different tips) * this is optional if you want to use a piping bag and #4 icing tip
• 12 Twinkies
• 24 Mini chocolate chips (or more since we like to nibble as we bake)
• 3+ Oreo cookies (the plus is because you'll break a few and eat a few)
• Red fruit leather
• Small tube of black decorating gel
  
• 12 Gummy LifeSavers or peach rings
• Black and blue food coloring

How you'll do it:

First, make sure you only use Twinkies without any splits on the sides or tops. Notice in the photo below the one on the left has filling bustin' out the side. Trust me, you want to eat this rather than use it.


To created the shark's body lay the Twinkie on its side and trim a good inch or two (at an angle) off the bottom so the shark's body angles out of the cupcake.

Possible cupcake malfunction: DO NOT make this angle too steep or the shark WILL fall over. If you want it at more of an angle then I suggest propping it up with a hidden gumdrop or something once you press it into the cupcake's frosting. Either that or slather on a ton more frosting than I did so it has a good support system. And of course don't let them sit too long before eating. Those sharks do get tired!


After all your sharks are lined up in a row you'll want to trim a very small "V" shape where the shark's jaws will go.


Now it's time to make the fins. Twist, pull, pray...whatever you have to do to get the Oreos apart so you can scrape off the filling. I found Pampered Chef's Quikut paring knife* (I own like five of these handy, super sharp little things--they're only $1.75!) perfect for this job and for cutting the cookies in half, which you need to do so you have your fins. After you've eaten the broken cookies and had a swig of your ginormous Diet Coke (pictured at the top of photo below and a must for any cupcake adventure like this), cut a slit in your Twinkie and oh so gently slide that fin into place.

Possible cupcake malfunction #2: If you have a shorter shark body you'll need much smaller fins so cut the cookies in half and then shave off a little more cookie. Otherwise you'll either have to cut the slit so big it goes right off the Twinkie's back edge and your Oreo won't stay put (trust me on this one) OR simply make a bigger shark body so you can have whatever size fin you'd like.

If you're going to use a pastry bag to pipe the teeth, set aside a spoonful or two of icing. If you're going with my quick-and-dirty method of those pressurized frosting cans complete with tip, ignore the previous sentence.

Divide the icing and tint half of it whatever blue you'd like (can of frosting on left, below) for the ocean water and the other half gray.

Possible cupcake malfunction #3: If you don't have black food coloring (usually as a gel) leave immediately and buy some. Otherwise you will try making gray with a little neon purple mixed with whatever colors you have on hand just hoping you'll get gray. You'll then realize it's still very purple (bowl of frosting in the middle, above) and bust open a very old bottle of black food coloring gel, scrape out what you can using a toothpick and then use that to achieve a nice, sharky gray (can of frosting on right, above). Sounds much easier to just buy the black gel, doesn't it? Yeah, I quickly learned that too.

Ice the cupcakes using the blue frosting. Use whatever technique you'd like to make it appear frothy and wavy. I used the back side of my mini spreading knife and patted it up and down randomly on the top of the cupcake.

Then for an extra fun step we sprinkled the top with blue sugar. This was when George got to jump in and have a little fun. (I rarely let my kids get involved when I do their birthday cakes and cupcakes but I made an exception this time. Yes, he's spoiled.) If you want to avoid sprinkles all over the counter and floor, try using a large bowl to catch them. You'll be amazed how many sprinkles you end up recycling!


Now you get to nestle your Twinkies into the frosting and then freeze them for at least 20 minutes. (Refer to possible cupcake malfunction #1 for tips on shark placement and projection.)


Now you can quickly work on the life preservers. Simply place on Gummy LifeSaver or peach ring off center on each cupcake then pipe three small lines with white frosting. Okay, so these were quick AND easy!


While your sharks are freezing their little fins off, trim your fruit leather in a sort of curved rectangle or oval about 1 1/2" long and set aside. (Um, setting aside fruit leather is easier said than done. That stuff sticks like crazy so good luck!)

Now, the original recipe suggested warming the icing until smooth and then brushing it on with a silicone brush. I removed the cupcakes from the freezer, tried this and immediately decided this was so not going to work. So I simply took one of my other favorite Pampered Chef products, the Small Spreader, and used that to get the frosting well lathered over the shark's body. I found it much easier, much less frustrating and requiring far less swigs on that Diet Coke. By the way, I have no photos at this point because my hands are covered in fruit leather and there was a snowball's chance I was going to be able to take photos while frosting those sharks!

Before the frosting dries, apply your bloody red fruit leather mouth to the front of the shark and a little black gel for gills. Then press in the mini chocolate chips so the shark can see just what it's biting. Note to self: make sure all sharks have two sets of gills.


And for the grand finale, pipe white teeth around the fruit leather. Might I suggest investing in one of these fab cupcake carriers if you're going to bake-and-take cupcakes more than once a year. I don't have the top on it this time since those sharks were just too dang tall, but I love this thing! Mine is from The Cupcake Courier but I think you can find them elsewhere as well.


Whew! We made it to Jungle Jim's Playland in time and only lost one shark on the way. Actually, it kind of made that shark look like it had battle wounds so I just told my kids it looked more lifelike that way. The best compliment should've been from George, who loved his cupcakes but it came from one of the helpers at Jungle Jim's. She basically said those were the coolest cupcakes she had ever seen...and she'd seen a LOT of cupcakes!



Disclaimer: I don't sell Pampered Chef and have hosted only one party—but it was a really fun party!

Note: I found the original recipe on The Celebration Shoppe and simply tweaked it a bit.

Z'Tejas: Triple-threat salsa & some serious skillet cornbread

My husband and I love to go on dates and we love to eat and we combine the two whenever possible. Of course paying for a sitter and dinner for two can really add up so it was a real treat when Z'Tejas invited me to review their restaurant for freshly baked. It was like the ol' dine-and-dash but only all above board. I guess you'd say it was a "Flip, photograph, dine, interview, dash and review." Whatever you call it I was excited to do it.


Z'Tejas is located at the south end of The Gateway Mall in downtown Salt Lake City right across from Happy Sumo and next door to Häagen Dazs. It has been there since The Gateway first opened and is a favorite for many locals. Inside you'll find the lights turned low and a super cozy atmosphere—perfect for a date night or night out with friends. The restaurant features a lot of south-of-the-border food mixed with some great southwestern dishes. With all those yummy dishes on the menu it was hard to decide. Here we are studying the menu (okay, I was striking a pose but Nathan really was studying). We probably asked the waitress four times to give us five more minutes!

Nathan decided on the Wild Mushroom Enchiladas and I decided to try one of their specials, the Green Chile Pulled Pork Chile Relleno. (Say that quickly ten times!) To start us off our waitress brought us their Bottomless Basket of Chips & Three Salsas, one of which is a house picante and then two other salsa chosen by the chef. Here they are—and we are—in action:



Those salsas were so yummy and the cornbread? I had three slices and Nathan had one—and he was lucky I even let him have one!

Our main dishes arrived and we couldn't wait to dive in, and if I were Quinn from Limelight Food Photography you'd have photos that look as good online as the food looks in person but I'm not so you'll have to settle for the best I could do that night...and scaled down so they look even better:

Want to eavesdrop on our dinner conversation and catch us talking with our mouths full? Here you go!



I will say my chile relleno could've been a bit warmer but that coleslaw? SO totally yuummy! I've been craving it ever since! Nathan's wild mushroom enchiladas were good but since he was hesitant to share (hey, that's what I usually do!) I can't give them a full review.

Believe it or not we had room for dessert so we tried their hot apple cobbler baked in a skillet and topped with vanilla bean ice cream. I don't have video of that—we inhaled it and it wasn't pretty! Let me clarify: the dessert was pretty but watching us wolf it down was not.

After our meal I took a few minutes to talk with the manager about Z'Tejas. I found out the most popular dish on the menu (you'll have to watch to find out), what customers remember most about the restaurant (hint: it is comes in a skillet with a side of honey butter) and just how long this Ivan guy's been the manager (who says you can't work your way up the ranks?).

Craving Z'Tejas cornbread or dying to try their salsas? You're in luck!
Z'Tejas is giving away a $40 gift certificate to one of our readers!

Here's how to enter. You can do as many of these as you'd like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway:

• Check out Z'Tejas' lunch or dinner menu and leave a comment telling us which dish you can't wait to order.
• Become a friend of Z'Tejas Restaurants on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
• Follow Z'Tejas on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
• Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
• Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We'll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: November 13, 2009 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen. Good luck! --Emily

P.S. I was just sent a tweet from Z'Tejas with a link to some of their popular recipes, so here you go! Enjoy! (I'll be making the cornbread within the week!)

** Congratulations to Sell...Party of 3, who won our Z'Tejas drawing! Thanks to all who visited and commented!

Foodzie, the Etsy of food

I love all the blogs on my Google Reader but there are a handful I love more than others, mainly because they introduce me to sites/products/services I would've never discovered on my own. Well, maybe not never but it does speed up the process a bit.

Once such blog is Cool Mom Picks, which recently featured Foodzie, an "online marketplace where you can discover and buy food directly from small passionate food producers and growers." It's kind of like Etsy for food crafters and features food artisans from all over the United States. You'll find everything from chocolate and cookies to sauces and snacks. You can even search by zip code for artisans in your area. I discovered Chocolot out of Ogden is currently selling its tasty treats on Foodzie.

Right now you'll find some special holiday flavors like pumpkin ginger sandwich cookies, spiced gold sugar and even pumpkin pie marshmallows. Yum! I love how Foodzie even offers some specific food-related guides such as the latest one all about tasting tea. Did you know tea is only second only to wine in terms of its range of tastes? You'll also find interviews with some of the food producers, articles and the company's latest blog posts.

If you're all about supporting the local crafter and love buying handmade goodies then you definitely need to check out Foodzie. If you're not already an avid Etsy user and buyer then let me warn you, a site like Foodzie can be extremely addicting so proceed with caution. Then again it is just about holiday shopping time so just throw caution to the wind and shop away! --Emily

"If we're not willing to settle for junk living, we certainly shouldn't settle for junk food." ~Sally Edwards

Thank you, Costco

My energy is sapped so today's food for thought friday is a simple one. I love Costco. I love Costco enough that I limit my visits to only going when Livi needs more diapers. (I'm not sure what I'll do when she's finally potty trained--perhaps limit my trips to only going when we run out of Fresh Gourmet Roasted Garlic Focaccia Croutons?) Today was one of those days so we headed there with list in hand, and with two kids sitting side by side in a Costco cart I was determined to make it a quick trip.

And by quick trip I mean not stopping and tasting every little thing offered through what I call the Costco "buffet." Those tasting tables have suckered me into buying a few things not on my list, most of which I'm eternally grateful for (Ghirardelli brownies, freshly made tortillas and Johnny's Great Caesar! Garlic Spread & Seasoning to name a few), and today was no exception. Here are the previously unlisted items I brought home from Costco today. They will be on my list from here on out:

Sabra Hummus with Sun Dried Tomatoes &
Brookside Dark Chocolate Pomegranate

We were already fans of Food Should Taste Good MultiGrain Tortilla Chips and had those in our pantry--how handy, especially since those are what the fabulous taste-testing lady was using to sample the hummus. And that hummus? Super tasty...and I don't even like hummus! As for the dark chocolate pomegranate? TO. DIE. FOR. I may need a 12-step program once I've consumed the entire bag.

Anyone else tasted and then purchased while walking the aisles at Costco? What's been your best find thanks to those all-knowing, latex-gloved ladies? Do share! --Emily

When all else fails, make grasshopper pie

My oldest daughter recently celebrated her 12th birthday. For birthdays 1 through 8 I am all about making super cool theme cakes. I've done everything from a princess castle to Blue from Blue's Clues to a spider complete with pudding guts. After they turn 8 their cakes mellow out and are simply their favorite cake flavor topped with their favorite frosting. Once in a while I throw on a few sparklies or embellishments, but they're not nearly as time consuming as those earlier cakes.

Because my daughter's favorite candy is Ferrero Rocher, I searched the internet for a recipe similar to the candy and found this Ferrero Rocher cupcake recipe on Cupcake Project. (Image at right from the original recipe on Cupcake Project.) It was going to be a super nifty surprise and I couldn't wait to get started! The first thing I had to do was locate hazelnut extract and hazelnuts (aka filbert nuts), which I found at Pirate O's, a local version of my out-of-state favorite, Trader Joe's.

The morning of her birthday I decided to bake some chocolate zucchini bread, which I ended up burning by forgetting to adjust the time for mini loaves. That should've been a sign of what was to come. Here it is in a "hazelnut" shell:

• I couldn't find gold foil wrappers at Spoons 'n Spice so I went with white wrappers with gold swirl. Once baked you couldn't even tell the darn cupcakes had wrappers--sheesh!
• My cupcakes didn't rise like the recipe said they would so I had to fill them at least 2/3 to 3/4 full to break even.
• The filling was pretty runny, more like hot fudge than the center of a Ferrero Rocher; next time I'd use Nutella if I could find it.
• Without the internet I would've never known how to roast hazelnuts. (Thank you, Cottage Magpie, for your step-by-step post on how to do so.) It wasn't hard but trying to rub the skin off was a workout in itself.

• Without the internet I would've never known the easiest way to fill cupcakes without piping. (Thank you, Baking Bites, for your step-by-step post on how to do so.) After 8 or so cupcakes I finally got it right.
• My ganache didn't turn out nearly as nice as the one in the recipe's photo and was also runny. I'm going to blame the runs on the weather. (Better than blaming it on bad Mexican food.)

By the time I was done mixing, baking, roasting, rubbing, processing, filling and frosting the cupcakes it had taken just as much time, if not more, than it took me to build a pretty impressive train complete with candy-filled cars.

• Madison's favorite part was the cake, not the filling or frosting. (Note to self: next time use a boxed cake mix and simply add the hazelnut extract to the mix and decrease the water.)

I had a taste of one of the Ferrero Rocher cupcakes and I wasn't that impressed, especially with all the work that went into it. Perhaps if they'd risen better or my filling had thickened or the ganache had been Food Network Challenge-worthy they'd have been a bigger hit. I'll never know because that recipe has long since been recycled.

So what do you do when the birthday girl isn't a big fan of her birthday cake--or cupcakes in this case? You have a do-over the next night and go with the ever-popular grasshopper pie:

Grasshopper Pie
1 store-bought Oreo cookie pie crust
1 "used to be a real half-gallon" container of Dreyer's Loaded Chocolate Mint Brownie
1 can whip cream
1 bottle dark chocolate sauce
1 small jar maraschino cherries
1 small can nut topping

Take the lid off the pie crust, peel off the label and wash. Soften the ice cream in the microwave at a super low temperature at about 30-second intervals, stirring often until it's about the consistency of, well, that ice cream soup kids like to make. Spread evenly in the pie crust and place the lid upside down to cover. Crimp the foil edges around the lid to secure it. Place on an even surface in the freezer and freeze until set (at least a couple hours).

To serve, remove the pie from the freezer and let stand at room temperature for a few minutes until soft enough to cut with a sharp knife. Cut pie into slices and top with chocolate sauce, whip cream, cherry and nuts. Serve immediately.


Obviously you can make any version of this ice cream pie you'd like. You could fill it with cookie dough ice cream or take a graham cracker crust and fill it with sherbet. Go crazy! --Emily

"I doubt whether the world holds for any one a more soul-stirring surprise than the first adventure with ice cream." ~Heywood C. Broun

Have you ever had any birthday cake mishaps? Do share!

Fresh tomato & mozzarella panini

Last food for thought friday I shared with you a recipe for molten chocolate cake, a version of a delectable dessert I had while on our cruise. Today I'm doing the same, only this time it's for my take on the super tasty hot version of Carnival's tomato & mozzarella sandwich from the deli. In fact, all the sandwiches from that mini deli were yummy and a great option if you're just not into the all-you-can-eat buffet thing.

I've made tomato and mozzarella panini before but this time, thanks to Carnival, I threw in a creamy pesto sauce. It took a darn good sandwich and turned it into a "holy cow I could eat this every freakin' day" sandwich. I picked up the pesto from Pirate O's in Draper, Utah's version of Trader Joe's. (Note: this store is just as dangerous as Target; only the strong will come out having spent under $50.) The pesto was fresh and made locally, two great selling points. I only wish I'd had fresh basil from the Salt Lake City Farmer's Market but alas, the standard grocery store standby was all I had on hand. The same goes for the mozzarella. I bet if I'd had some freshly made mozzarella from Tony Caputo's Market & Deli this sandwich would've been orgasmic. And I'll stop there.

Get out your panini press and your taste buds--it's time to do a little sandwich grillin'!

Fresh Tomato & Mozzarella Panini
Serves 2 to 4 depending on your appetite

1 beefsteak tomato or 2-3 Roma tomatoes sliced about 1/4" or so thick
4 oz. or so fresh mozzarella sliced no more than 1/4" or so thick
1 bunch basil leaves, chiffonade
1/4 c. fresh pesto
1 T mayonnaise
1 loaf ciabatta or focaccia bread (I have a recipe for an easy and tasty focaccia bread (click here); the Pugliese bread from Costco is also really good for panini)

Preheat your panini grill according to the manufacturer's directions.

In a small bowl combine the fresh pesto and mayo so you have a nice creamy pesto.

Slice the bread into two or three sections vertically depending on its size, then slice the sections in half horizontally so you have a top and bottom for each sandwich.

Brush the outside of the top and bottom pieces with olive oil (or do what I do and use an olive oil cooking spray and lightly spray the pieces--so much easier!). Open up the sandwich and spread a layer of pesto on the inside of both the top and bottom pieces. On one side layer the tomatoes followed by the mozzarella, then sprinkle with the strips of basil. Place the other piece of bread on top and follow your panini grill's instructions for grilling the sandwich.


Voilà! No need to wait in line for the buffet and no need to fork over a gratuity! --Emily

"There's nothing like unrequited love to take all the flavor out of a peanut butter sandwich." ~Charlie Brown

P.S. Yes, I should've taken more photos but four hungry kids and one hungry husband meant little time for snapping pics. Sorry!

Warm Chocolate Melting Cake

Need I say more? The name of this dessert gets my mouth watering every time I read it, write it or tell someone about it. This was my favorite dessert while on our Carnival cruise through the southern Caribbean last week. (The best was ordering it with a side of their butter pecan ice cream--on a daily basis!) Baked in a simple white ramekin this moist chocolate cake had the ooiest, gooiest center; it was even better than underbaked brownies. Once my spoon broke the surface that hot, liquid chocolate center clung to it and begged to be eaten. I swear it was a religious experience.

I once tried a slow cooker recipe for a similar sort of pudding cake but it just didn't cut it. The texture and flavor left something to be desired. That's why I was super excited when Kristyn, one of our cruising cohorts (see photo below), said she had a recipe for a dessert similar to Carnival's Warm Chocolate Melting Cake. My grandfather-in-law used to say, "Food tastes better when shared." I'm not sure how this dessert could taste any better, but in the spirit of sharing, here you go!

Back: Julie & Dave; Front: Kristyn, Kim, me & Nathan

Kristyn's Decadent Chocolate Cake (aka Martha Stewart's Molten Chocolate Cake)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins
3 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Whipped Cream , for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 6 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour and salt until just combined. Beat in chocolate until just combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.

Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.

To serve, turn out cakes and place on serving plates, bottom sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with whipped cream if desired.

"A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest piece." ~Ludwig Erhard

Cake photo by stu_spivack, shared via Flickr.