Orzo, Ham, and Green Bean Salad

I tried this out tonight. It's tasty and can be eaten warm or cold. It's also considered to be diet friendly, so yay!

What you will Need:

• 10 teaspoons of Rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 4 teaspoons of olive oil
• 3 teaspoons of honey
• 4 1/2 teaspoons of spicy brown mustard
• 1 cup uncooked orzo
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 1 can of green beans drained
• 1 roasted red bell pepper diced
• 5-8 grape tomatoes chopped
• 1/3 cup diced ham

How to Make it:

1. Whisk first 5 ingredients together. Set aside.
2. Cook orzo and shallots about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and green beans, cook for about a minute or 2.
3. Drain orzo mixture and rinse well. Add to a medium bowl. salt and pepper to taste. Add bell pepper and ham to orzo mixture.
4. Whisk small bowl of dressing and add to orzo mixture, toss to coat.
5. Enjoy!

Roasted Almond Treat

Toasted almonds with a sweet and spicy coating, oh yeah, give me a handful of that! And it's an easy one to do for a nice go to snack.

What you will need:

• 2 (6 oz) packages whole almonds
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon of water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Sprinkles of cinnamon sugar

How to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees and spray a baking sheet lined with foil to prevent sticking.
2. Mix sugar, salt, paprika, cumin, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl.
3. Whisk egg white and water in a medium bowl until frothy, add almonds stirring them around to coat.
4. Strain the almonds (shaking excess egg mixture off).
5. Put almonds back into bowl and add spice mixture, stir to coat. Spread evenly on baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Stir almonds around, decrease temperature to 250 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes. (Almonds may be slightly sticky, but not wet) Sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar and let cool for abut 20 minutes.

ENJOY! :)

Some Sugar and Spice, but what to do with it....?

I think it's very important to know what herbs and spices pair with meals that you can make. It's not going to come to you overnight, and sometimes a recipe calls for something that you know you don't like and you need to come up with an alternative.

I watch Food Network a lot. Like I said, it was my inspiration to get into the kitchen. But I listen to what they say. What they think something tastes like or how they prepare a certain meal. Believe it or not, I absorbed SOOO MANY facts about the ingredients I can cook with.

I do have my "circle" of flavors that I do like to use. But I know how to use them very well.

Cilantro, preferably fresh, is my FAVORITE herb. The smell of it alone is just magnificent. Try to stick with just the leafy parts of the cilantro (smaller stems are edible too though). Cilantro pairs well with tomato, corn, chicken, and in sauces. Mexican type of dishes are what I use cilantro the most for. I've made it into a cilantro sour cream sauce for my enchiladas, and this stuff tastes AMAZING.

I like using a touch of Cayenne Pepper every once in a while. But taster beware, this stuff has a kick. It can over power your dish, so a touch really goes a long way. It's best described as just hot. So you have to know what type of heat you are going for.

Thyme, I prefer dry in this case, it goes well with chicken and fish. It's fresh like lemon and pairs well with it in a sauce or marinade.

Cinnamon, not always used for sweet dishes. While cinnamon is mixed great with sugar and used as a topping for toast or sweet potato fries, it can also be used in savory dishes. Cinnamon is used a lot in Middle Eastern dishes, such as with chicken or lamb.

Brown Sugar, so sweet and good. I LOVE brown sugar. Brown sugar is just sugar with molasses, it feels almost damp to the touch and this yummy sugar can go in so many things. It pairs with sweet potatoes, in a BBQ sauce, in a caramel sauce, in cookies, and smells great when cooked together with butter. It's sweeter than white sugar but it is tasty.

White sugar, I hope this is known where it should be used. In coffee, tea, cookies, cakes, sauce, fresh fruit and so on... Sugar is a delectable treat, but can get the best of you.

There are a lot of spices you can buy that are a mix. Cajun seasoning, garlic pepper, Italian seasoning, and Jamaican blend (these are just a few that I personally have in the cupboard). I use them when flavoring meat and pasta, and sometimes french fries.

This is a small lesson in spices, but these are some of my more important ones. If you want to know more, just ask. I will give you my best answer :)

Until next time, have a sweet day!

Cheesy Enchilada Soup

This one is a random fix. I'm telling you I was making some wraps and decided that a nice soup would go well with it. This is soooo easy, and very tasty! My little girls loved it!


What you will need:


1 small onion, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 can diced tomatos with green chiles (undrained)
1 can of cream corn
1/2 cup of sour cream, and additional sour cream for garnish
Sharp cheddar cheese (as little or as much as you'd like)
Crunched up tortillas for garnish
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste


Here's the Steps:


Step 1- Heat your pan over medium high heat with the butter. Once butter melts and starts to sizzle add the onion. Sprinkle onion with a little salt, a little pepper, and a little garlic powder. Cook onions for about 4 or 5 minutes until softened.


Step 2- Add your tomatos and creamed corn. Add more salt and pepper (to taste) and cook for about 3 minutes.


Step 3- Transfer mixture to a blender and puree. Once mixture is smooth add it back to the pan. Reduce heat to low.


Step 4- Add the sour cream, one spoonful at a time, mixing it well into the soup. Add shredded cheddar (I added between 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup).


Step 5-Once cheese is melted in, turn off the heat. You are done.


Step 6- Serve yourself up a bowl, top with some more shredded chedder, a dollop of sour cream and some crunchy tortillas.




ENJOY!

Let's Make a Little Something

I wasn't always big on the cooking. I liked to dabble here and there... I made some great scrambled eggs ;) But nothing extravagant.

It wasn't until I became pregnant with my first baby, Lorelai, that I started watching Food Network. I became curious and inspired, and started trying new ingredients and recipes.

Sometimes when I get into the kitchen I really don't know what I'm making, I just know what I'm working with. So here is my advice to you, the cook. Try tasting different ingredients, and educating yourself about what flavors go well with others, or what spices go well on certain proteins or veggies. So if you ever have a question, regarding a meat, a veggie, an herb or whatever, ask me, I may have an answer for you.

So keep on reading, this momma knows what she is doing.