Pesto Caprese Penne

So a little background, Caprese is a dish that originated from the area Campania in Italy, and consists of four main ingredients: Mozzarella, tomato, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. These main ingredients are a perfect combo for any Italian dish; pizza, pasta, sandwiches and anything else you can think of! This is a really minimal recipe guys! It's one of my favorites because it takes no time at all, and there are so few ingredients, mostly which are in the pantry/fridge! I use fresh mozzarella for this recipe, it really makes a difference vs. using regular shredded, and if you don't have any pesto on hand no worries! Just use some fresh basil and olive oil instead!

Ingredients

- 3 cups cooked penne (or any pasta you like)

- 1 cup cherry/grape tomato's halved

- 3/4 cup fresh mozzarella. cubed

- 1/4 cup basil pesto or 1/4 cup fresh basil

- 2 TBSP EVOO

- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil for garnishing.

Directions

- In a deep saute pan or pot, combine cooked penne pasta and EVOO until hot.

- Add basil pesto and stir until penne is coated thoroughly with the pesto.

- Once the pasta is heated through, add mozzarella and cherry tomato's and stir.

- Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with more chopped basil.

Serving size: 3-4

Serving suggestions

- Serve immediately right out of the pan while the mozzarella is still ooey gooey!

"Killa" Queso!

Before I begin listing out the ingredients for this recipe, I will put this disclosure out there...this is not a healthy recipe but it's so good, it is hard to resist it.  This recipe is one of the signature items that my husband makes so well that it is the most requested item at any given pot luck, football party, or just a regular old get together with friends.  Right in time for the Super Bowl, this recipe is sure to be a crowd pleaser!!!

Ingredients:

1 can black beans (or any beans of your choice)

2 cans rotel 

A couple of fresh serrano or jalapeño peppers (deseeded)

1 big block of velveeta cheese

1 tsp - TBSP cumin powder

A handful of cilantro (chopped)

Juice of 1/2 of a lime

1/2 cup of milk

Directions:

1. Cut the Velveeta in cubes that are about an inch big cubes.

2. Place the Velveeta cubes in a crockpot and turn it on low.

3. In the mean time, chop the cilantro and mix it with the black beans & add the lime juice. 

4. Place the black beans in a bowl and pour the rotel on top but do not mix everything together.

5. Once the cheese has been melting for about an hour, scoop the top of the mixture (mainly just the tomatoes) and mix them with the cheese.  

6.  After the cheese is completely melted, add the remaining of the bean mixture (this is what my husband calls the "killa").

7.  Add the milk and stir. 

7.  Serve warn with chips and/ or tortillas. 

Zesty Guacamole!

Y'all I have been in India for the past two weeks, and even though I have had some really good food here, I am missing Tex-Mex like crazy! I have been craving chips and dip every other day, so this post is dedicated to a Mexican staple- Guacamole. I love avacados, they're full of yummy goodness and this Guac is so easy and so tasty! I can't wait to come home and make some of this! The lime and the zest make this dip so good, I usually put 2 limes in, but just in case, put one in first and see if you need more zing!

Ingredients
- 3 ripe avocados
- 1/3- 1/2 cup diced tomato
- 2 TBSP finely chopped jalapeno
- 2 TBSP finely chopped cilantro
- 1-2 small limes. squeezed and zested
- 1/4 TSP ground cumin
- salt to taste
- 1/4 TSP freshly ground black pepper

Directions
- Cut avocado in half and scoop out filling into a bowl.
- Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and using a fork mash and mix thoroughly until a chunky dip forms. Add salt as needed.
- If serving at a later time, leave pits in the dip and seran wrap directly onto the dip so the guacamole doesn't oxidize.

Fennel Tea

Last month, Both my husband and I had the worse cold, sore throat, sinus infection, and just gunk that we just couldn't seem to shake off.  In a matter of a week, we went through 3 boxes of kleenex between the two of us! =( But more than anything else, my itchy, scratchy, & sore throat was what bothered me the most.  After talking to a friend of mine about it, she suggested I make this tea to soothe my throat and help it get back to normal.  After just drinking 2 cups of this little mix, my throat was no longer sore  or scratchy & back to normal in no time.  Since this is the time of the year when so many people come down with the common cold, I thought it was the perfect time to share this recipe with y'all bc it is truly a Godsend!  The picture below shows what raw fennel seeds look like as well as the tea itself.

Ingredients:
8 oz hot water
1 TBSP raw fennel seeds
Honey to taste (I used about 2 tsp)

Directions:
1.  Heat up 8 oz of water in the microwave for about 2 minutes on high heat.
2.  Once the water is done heating up, pull it out of the microwave and add fennel seeds.
3.  Add honey and stir.
4.  Cover with a dish or saucer and let it steep for about 5 minutes.
5.  Strain the tea into a clean cup.
6.  Enjoy!

P.S. You can either eat the fennel seeds or toss them.  Personally, I like the taste of them so I tend to eat them.