Red Pepper and Spinach Dip, Three Ways!

I visited my sister in Phoenix over the weekend, and made this dip for her and her friends! I made it a little on the spicy side to give it a nice kick and they loved it! The sweet red peppers and spinach are a perfect combination in this dish. I have used this recipe in three different ways, so it is really versatile! I serve it as a dip, I mix it in with some hot pasta for a quick and easy red pepper and spinach alfredo, I also use it as a filling for panini's and sandwiches! Try a batch of this yummy dip and all the different ways to eat it!

Ingredients
- 1 cup diced sweet bell pepper
- 1 packet of frozen spinach, thawed and drained thoroughly
- 3 TBSP butter
- 3 TBSP flour
- 2-1/2 cup half and half (fat free if you like)
- 1 cup your favorite shredded cheese
- 4 oz reduced fat cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup parmesan
- 1-1/2 cup diced tomato (fresh or canned)
- 1/3 cup spicy diced jalapeño
- 1/2 TSP crushed red pepper
- salt and pepper to taste

Directions
- In a medium non stick pan melt 3 TBSP butter on medium heat.
- Add the sweet red bell peppers and let cook for 2-4 minutes.
- Add 3 TBSP of flour and mix with a whisk, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes (until the flour absorbs the butter and turns a golden color).
- Add half and half and whisk until smooth, as the mixture heats it will start to thicken.
- Add spinach, jalapeño, tomato and crushed red pepper, mix until everything is well combined.
- Add shredded cheese, parmesan and cream cheese and mix until cheese is mixed thoroughly.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot with tortilla chips or crackers.

Roasted Veggie Quinoa

Quinoa is one of my favorite "go to" items that has now become a staple in our house.  Quinoa is grain like in texture but technically it is a seed.  It is packed with protein and adapts to anything you cook it with.  This particular recipe is one of my personal favorites because it's quick and easy to make yet very filling.  I tend to eat it by itself but my hubby likes to stuff it in a tortilla and eat it burrito style.  I hope you try it at home and enjoy it as much as we do!

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked quinoa (follow directions on the package to cook)
1/2 cup diced bell peppers (I used green, yellow, orange, & red peppers all mixed together)
1/3 cup frozen sweet corn kernels
Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tsp if you're using a lemon juice concentrate)
10 average size mint leaves (chopped finely)
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
Pam or another non stick cooking spray

Directions:
1.  Place a non stick pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp EVOO.
2.  Add frozen corn to the pan and spray 2 shots of Pam.  Add a bit of salt and pepper to taste.
3.  Roast corn until it starts to brown (about 5-6 minutes).
4.  Transfer corn to a different bowl and roast the bell peppers the same way as the corn using the remainder of the EVOO in the same pan.
5.  After the bell peppers are done roasting, add corn and cooked quinoa to the pan.
6.  Add in lemon juice, mint, and stir.
7.  Add salt and pepper if needed.
8.  Cook for another 4-5 minutes until the entire dish is thoroughly heated.
9.  Enjoy!

Wild Rice and Tofu

I was experimenting with different food items this week, and I came up with this recipe for wild rice and tofu, which turned out to be a hit! I'm not a huge fan of rice, but this dish is definitely an exception. The wild rice has a richer flavor and a great texture also. You can eat this dish so many ways, I had it on it's own for lunch, the next day I made a burrito or you can even have it with some salad! I used the vegetables that I had on hand, but you're welcome to use a variety of your own favorite veggies!

Ingredients
- 12 oz extra firm tofu cubed
- 2 TBSP vegetable oil divided
- 1 cup diced bell pepper
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 1.5 cups grape tomato quartered
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 2.5 cups cooked wild rice blend
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 3 TBSP soy sauce
- 2 TBSP fresh grated ginger
- 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar (or any other clear vinegar)
- 1 TBSP sambalal chili sauce (2 TBSP if you want it really spicy!)
- 2 TBSP sweet thai chili sauce
- Squeeze of fresh lemon
- 1/2 TSP crushed red pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
- Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add oil and let heat through.
- Slowly add tofu cubes to the wok, Cook for 5-7 minutes to burn any excess water off and brown the edges. Remove tofu from wok, set aside.
- Add 1 TBSP oil to the wok and let heat over medium heat. Add bell peppers, mushrooms and spinach, saute for 5 minutes (until most the liquid from the vegetables has evaporated).
- Add cooked tofu, cilantro, grated ginger, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to the vegetables and mix thoroughly.
- Mix 2.5 cups of the cooked wild rice to the vegetable mixture and mix until rice is evenly distributed.
- Add soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce, thai chili sauce and a squeeze of lemon juice to the tofu rice and mix thoroughly.
- Taste for seasoning, serve hot or at room temperature.

Serving size- 4-6 people

Basil Couscous with Roasted Veggies

This year, the groundhog predicted an early spring (at least in the state of Texas), and with that, I was inspired to cook something light, fresh, and crisp because that is what I think of when I hear the word spring.  This is a recipe that is packed with flavor that can be whipped up in no time and makes the perfect side dish (or main meal) for lunch or dinner.  Try it at home and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

1/2 box Near East Brand Couscous

1 TBSP (maybe a bit more) EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

1/4 cup diced bell peppers (I used a combination of red and yellow)

1/4 cup frozen sweet corn kernels

2 TBSP pine nuts (optional)

Roughly 1-2 TBSP dried basil (you can use fresh as well ; I just didn't have any on hand)

Salt and pepper to taste

Non stick cooking spray (I use Pam with olive oil)

Directions:

1.  Cook couscous according to the directions on the package

2.  Place the frozen corn kernels in a non stick skilled placed over medium to low heat and spray with the cooking spray.

3.  Add salt and black pepper and stir.

4.  Roast corn until the kernels begin to turn brown (this usually takes about 5 minutes or so).

5.  Once the corn is done roasting, transfer to a separate bowl.

6.  In the same pan, sauté the bell peppers & pine nuts.

7.  Add salt and pepper to vegetables and cook for about 3-4 minutes.

8.  Mix in the cooked couscous.

9.  Add basil and cook until everything is thoroughly heated.  

Chocolate cake in a mug!

This recipe is so awesome, and I know I say all of my recipes are...but this one really is! Who ever thought you could make cake in less than a minute?! It was my moms birthday on Thursday, so I got home from class and whipped this up in literally 5 minutes, and it's the perfect size for one person! If you're running tight on time or really want to impress your guests, try this out! They'll love it! Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or cool whip. YUM!

Happy birthday to the greatest mom!

Ingredients
- 3 TBSP all purpose flour
- 1-1/2 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 TBSP packed brown sugar
- 1 TBSP powdered sugar
- 1/4 TSP baking powder
- 1-1/2 TBSP vegetable oil
- 1 TBSP apple sauce
-1/2 TSP vanilla extract
- 3 TBSP buttermilk or milk
- 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions
- Sift flour, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, baking powder in a mixing bowl.
- In another bowl mix brown sugar, apple sauce, vegetable oil and buttermilk together. Try dissolve as much of the brown sugar as possible. (It won't completely dissolve)
- Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients. Mix until smooth mixture forms. Add chocolate chips.
- Pour in a large mug or two small mugs and microwave on high for a minute and twenty seconds (cooking time varies, depending on microwave). Insert tooth pick to check if it's done.
- Scoop some ice cream and serve immediately!

Butternut Squash Soup with Panca Pepper Sour Cream

The weather in Texas has been crazy lately!  One day it's 70 and the next it's in the 40's...you don't know if you should turn on the AC or keep the heat going.  The other day, the temps dipped down into the 30's so naturally, I wanted to make something warm, filling, and delicious.  Today's recipe is the perfect go to recipe for those cold nights when all you want to do is sit in front of the fire place and curl up with a good book.  I hope you enjoy it in your house as much as it is enjoyed in mine!

Ingredients for the soup:
2-3 TBSP EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 medium butternut squash (cut length wise with seeds discarded)
2 celery stocks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 - 5 cups vegetable broth (I made a vegetable broth but you can use a store bought one or water)
2 teaspoons ground panca peppers (you can use a chiptole pepper or even green serrano peppers)
Salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients for the sour cream:
1 tsp ground panca peppers (I found these in a jar at my local Latin grocery store but it may be in the international food isle at your regular grocery store); you can also use another pepper in its place
1/2 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2.  Wash and cut squash in half length wise.  Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds, drizzle 1 TBSP EVOO, and sprinkle with salt & pepper.
3.  Bake in the oven until the squash is tender ~ 45 minutes.
4.  In a heavy pot, heat the remaining EVOO on medium to low heat.  Add celery, carrots, black pepper, & salt and saute for 10-12 minutes (until the veggies are tender).
5.  Scoop the butternut squash flesh out of the shell and add to the sauteed veggies.
6.  Add the broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover pot, and cook for about 20-30 minutes.
7.  Using an immersion blender, carefully puree  the soup until you reach a desired consistency.  If you don't have an immersion blender, you can blend the veggies in batches in a regular blender or food processor.    
8.  Stir in the the panca pepper.

Directions for sour cream:
1.  In a bowl, mix sour cream with panca pepper.
2.  Stir in salt, & black pepper.
3.  Top soup with a dollop of sour cream and enjoy!

   

Mexican Pizza!

I had family over for dinner this week, and I usually play it safe when it comes to making food for a bigger group, but I decided to cook outside the box and decided on Mexican pizza! This dish is YUM! I have to say it was a little time consuming because of toasting all the tortillas before assembling, but all in all not too bad! The crunchy texture of the tortilla and creaminess of the refried beans is perfect! Hope y'all enjoy this as much as my family and I did!

Ingredients
- 8 uncooked flour tortillas (I used azteca taco salad shells)
- 2 cups of refried beans
- 2 cups of mexican blend shredded cheese
- 1 cup finely diced red and green bell pepper mixed
- 1 cup finely diced tomato
- 1/2 cup sliced olives and jalapeños
- 1-2/3 cup tomato sauce
- 1 can of rotel (Yes, I loveee rotel!)
- 1-1/2 TBSP fajita seasoning
- 1 TSP ground cumin
- 1/2 TSP ground black pepper
- 1/2 TSP salt

Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 350. Spray tortillas with non stick spray, poke a few holes in the tortilla to prevent puffing. Bake in oven until a deep golden color, and crisp to the touch, about 7-10 minutes. (Oven times vary so keep a close eye on, to prevent burning). Cool completely
- Warm refried beans on low, stirring every few minutes.
- For the Mexican pizza sauce, combine rotel, sauce, ground cumin, black pepper and salt in a pot and warm on medium heat.
- Microwave two tablespoons of water in a mug for 30 seconds, add Fajita seasoning and stir until completely dissolved. Add to pizza sauce. Taste for seasoning, add more salt/pepper if necessary.
- Remove beans from heat.
- Place one cooked tortilla on baking tray, gently spread 1/3-1/2 cup refried beans on the tortilla, and place another cooked tortilla on top.
- On the top tortilla pour 1/3 cup sauce and spread to the edges, then top with 1/2 cup cheese
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the diced bell pepper and 1/4 cup diced tomato along with some chopped jalapeños and olives.
- Assemble rest of the pizzas. (Get an assembly line going in the kitchen, it goes by a lot quicker!)
- Place assembled pizzas back in the oven, until the cheese is nice and bubbly and starts to brown!
- Serve immediately while they're nice and hot! Use a pizza cutter to cut into fourths.

Serving size- Makes 4 Mexican pizzas

Serving suggestions
- Serve with some of my Zesty Guacamole, and a dollop of sour cream!
- If there is extra pizza sauce, leave it on the table for whoever wants extra!

Substitutions
- If you like your food more spicy, try the rotel with habanero for a really good kick!
- Also black refried beans taste amazing with this too!