The Superbowl is coming up; I only know that because The Voice premiers right after it and that’s what I really want to watch. Maybe I’ll sit through 3 hours of football or maybe I’ll just eat chips and dip the whole time and not look up at the TV; the latter sounds more fun.
I never really made guacamole before and my first time got off to a rough start: I confused jalapeno and habanero peppers. I’m pretty sure traditional guacamole has jalapenos. This one has habaneros which are a little spicier. I didn’t wear gloves or anything while I was dicing it and ended up sniffling for the rest of the afternoon; those little buggers are hot!
What makes this guacamole unique is that the onions are gently cooked. No one wants raw onion breath, especially at a party. Sautéing them in a pan in some water takes away that bitterness, and since it’s cooked in water and not oil it saves the guacamole from getting too oily. You can include or exclude the cilantro based on your preference; I can’t stand the flavor so I left it out.
Firecracker Guacamole
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 ripe medium-sized avocadoes
- 1 small tomato
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 1 habanero pepper
- 1/2 Tablespoon lemon or lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro(optional)
Method:
- Peel and mash your avocadoes together in a large bowl.
- Carefully dice the onion, tomato, and pepper. Add the tomato and pepper in with the avocado reserving the onion.
- Heat a large pan over medium with a little water in the bottom. Quickly sauté the onion in the water for a couple minutes until the diced onions are semi-translucent. Remove from the heat and add in with the avocado.
- Add in your citrus and salt and cilantro if using and mix all of the ingredients together.
- Serve at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to a day.
This wasn’t the spiciest thing I’ve ever tasted but it certainly wasn’t mild, either; it was right around my heat level. Just be careful to wash your hands after handling the pepper. Nobody wants to rub that into their eyes or worse.
It’s impossible for me to say “salt and pepper” without finishing it up with an “Ah, push it. Push it good.” Anyone else? No? Just me? Never mind then.
These really are good. Maybe not push-it-good, but good nonetheless.
I’ve roasted a few pumpkins so far this season and every time kept the seeds. I really just want to throw them away because they feel like a hassle but why do that when you can make something delicious with them?
Salt And Pepper Pumpkin Seeds
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
Method:
- Clean and rinse the pumpkin seeds to remain any lingering pumpkin on them.
- Lay the seeds out and dry them on a paper towel
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
- Toss the seeds with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Lay the seeds out in a single layer on a baking pan
- Roast until the seeds are dry and crispy, about 50 minutes depending on how wet your seeds are.
- Remove from the oven and let cool before touching.
These are addictive on their own, but even better on a salad or mixed with popcorn for a savory snack.
My weekly schedule is a little funny. Tuesday and Thursday are always go-go-go and I hardly have time to sit down and eat let alone cook. But on Wednesday I have all the time in the world if I work enough over the weekend to take my time and lounge around. This Wednesday I realized I didn’t have very much food to get me through the next couple of days, so what did I do? Cook. A lot.
On top of lunch and dinner, I roasted a spaghetti squash, acorn squash, and used up a dozen eggs in this frittata. My 3-foot fridge might have been bursting open with squash that night, but it’s made my next couple days a breeze. I ate 3 servings of this frittata yesterday and still wanted more after dinner. I can tell I’ll be making another again soon.
If you don’t feel like cutting the peppers and onion yourself, check in the frozen section of your grocery store for something called a “southwestern vegetable blend” and substitute the vegetables here for 1 cup of the vegetable blend.
Southwestern Stovetop Frittata
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):
-
12 medium eggs
-
1 red bell pepper, julienned
-
1 green bell pepper, julienned
-
1 yellow onion, diced
-
1 Tablespoon oil
-
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
-
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
-
1/4 teaspoon cumin
-
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
-
1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend or cheddar cheese(optional)
Method:
- Heat the oil in an 8’ non-stick pan with a fitting lid over medium heat.
- Add in the peppers, onion, spices and salt and sauté until the onion is translucent. Make sure to mix the ingredients to evenly distribute the spices.
- In a large bowl, crack and beat all of the eggs.
- Remove the onion and peppers from the pan and pour in the beaten eggs(if you’re using a pan that’s not non-stick, it’s a good idea to add a little oil to the bottom before doing this).
- Wait 10 seconds and then distribute the onion and peppers and cheese if using into the egg batter.
- Put a lid on the pan and leave untouched for 10 minutes until the egg has cooked through. You’ll be able to tell it’s done when the egg in the center has set.
- Remove from the pan and cut into quarters. Serve hot.
Next time I try this I think I’ll add some cheddar-style Daiya, because if it’s that good without cheese it can only be better with.
Stop the presses. Two of my favorite things have come together for something amazing this Summer, and I’m not talking about NKOTBSB.
I was thinking about these for a while—how I’d cook them, how’d they come out, would it actually work, etc. They took a lot longer to cook than I anticipated(about 30 minutes, definitely not the most efficient way to cook eggs), but flavorwise tasted delicious with the charred pepper. It’s definitely a novelty dish; serve “grilled eggs” at your next outdoor party and expect a great reaction.
Grilled Eggs
Ingredients:
- 2 large bell peppers, top halves removed
- 4 medium eggs
- 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Brush the bottom of the peppers with olive oil.
Crack 2 eggs into each pepper half.
Heat a grill up to 400 degrees. Carefully place the peppers on the grill and close the lid.
Cook the eggs for about 25-30 minutes until the white on top has completely cooked. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.
A little salt and pepper on the eggs brings out all the right flavors. The yolks are fully cooked and not runny, yet even though I don’t like hardboiled eggs these I didn’t mind. These would be perfect slathered in barbeque sauce.
I think I could eat watermelon alone all Summer long and never get tired of it. Well, maybe watermelon and chocolate, you know, for a well-rounded diet. This takes watermelon to the next level. It’s sweet and spicy with just a small kick of flavor from the basil. As soon as I started eating from the bowl I couldn’t put it down, and I’m not even one for savory foods.
This recipe is great to use fancy seasonings like lemon pepper or smoked salt since the watermelon is so pure and really a blank canvas to flavor however you’d like.
Watermelon With Sea Salt, Black Peppercorn, and Basil
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 whole seedless watermelon, cut into cubes
- 3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 10 basil leaves, torn
Method:
- Cube the watermelon into bite-sized chunks.
- Combine the watermelon in a large bowl with the salt, pepper, and basil.
- Toss the ingredients together until they are evenly mixed.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for a few days.
Addictive. Purely addictive. Perfect for Summer, too!
Ketchup is the most perfect food. It’s sweet; it’s salty; it’s tangy; it’s savory; it’s delicious. Some days I choose a meal based on if I can add ketchup to it. Who doesn’t do that?
I’ve been wanting to make my own ketchup for a while and finally got around to it after months of putting it off. I figured since I waited this long I wouldn’t make just ordinary ketchup; instead I’d go for something with a defined flavor and a kick. The maple syrup in this adds a little more depth to the taste and the cayenne definitely hits you in the end. Ketchup becomes a staple food in the Summer so I have no doubt I’ll be making more of this to slather on whatever’s being grilled.
Maple Cayenne Ketchup
Ingredients(Makes a little over 2 cups):
- 56oz tomato puree*
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
*If you can’t find tomato puree, look for whole skinned tomatoes and puree them yourself using a food processor or high-powered blender.
Combine all of the ingredients together in a large pot and mix. Cook over medium heat for 60 minutes stirring occasionally until the puree reaches a thick consistency.
Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks.
Obviously I had to make a scrambled egg breakfast sandwich with chickpea flour crepes the next morning to try it out. This ketchup is spot on, ya’ll. It doesn’t look quite as smooth as store-bought ketchup but their flavor can’t compete.
