Monthly Archives: September 2012

Sep 9 2012

Pinterest Tested: For #Sunday Supper- Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapeño Bites

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For this week’s #SundaySupper we are featuring tailgate food, a football season must have! This week, I decided to test out an amazing looking recipe I’ve had pinned for a while on Pinterest:

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapeño Bites

I chose these because I LOVE jalapeño poppers and my hubby LOVES bacon. I also wanted to find something new to bring to football parties besides the usual chips & dip. This recipe comes from Doughmesstic.com.

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapeno Bites

makes 24

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 12 Jalapenos, halved & seeded
  • 24 – six inch pieces of bacon, uncooked

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine cream cheese and spices in small bowl.  Spoon mixture into each pepper half, until level.  Wrap each in bacon, and place on baking sheet.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.  Remove and enjoy!

And now for the Real Best Recipe “Pinterest Tested” Results…

Overall rating: 7

Cost: $ (scale: $-$$$)

Difficulty level: Beginner (scale: beginner, moderate, intermediate, advanced)

Thoughts: I had high hopes for these. They were okay, but not what I was expecting. While the concept was amazing (spicy+creamy+salty), there was something amiss here… I think it was the seasoning in the cream cheese. I found it a little strange to be putting a common seafood spice (Old Bay Seasoning) in these but figured if thats what the recipe called for, it should be fine. But after taking a bite of these, I knew I should have listened to my gut reaction and made some without it. Hubby is not a very big fan of these types of snacks but he liked them more than I expected so I give this recipe a 7 out of 10. Would I make these again? Yes but I would alter the spices in the cream cheese (i.e. no Old Bay Seasoning.) and maybe mix some parmesan cheese into it. I probably won’t make these again soon but I am glad I finally got to try them! I have already been eyeballing another recipe on Doughmesstic.com that looks very similar but is a bit different- Bacon and Jalapeño Popovers.

For new home cooks, here is a tip you will thank me for (I learned the hard way!): Make sure you really get those seeds out of the jalapeños. Those are the spice in the pepper and trust me you will taste any seeds you miss because your mouth will be on FIRE! I love spicy foods and even I was kicking myself for leaving a few hard to reach seeds in these because I was just too lazy. You can always whip out a dairy product (i.e. milk, ice cream, yogurt, etc.) to calm your tastebuds after a hot pepper incident but its better not to experience one  at all! :)

In any case, don’t forget to check out what our friend’s at #SundaySupper are making for their football tailgates this season! I have to tell you, some of the best meals I’ve made at home lately come from this group and they all turn out AMAZING!

Join us on Sunday as we share our favorite tailgate recipes and tips. Hop on twitter at 7pm EST for the live #SundaySupper chat.

The Lineup

Pre Game Warm-ups:

On the Sidelines:

Main Events:

Overtime:

From the Cooler:

Wine Pairings by Wine Everyday

Happy Gameday!

 

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Sep 6 2012

Pinterest Tested: Man-Pleasing Chicken

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I saw this on Pinterest; the exact description was: “One pinner said, ‘I have never gotten so many compliments before, let alone for a piece of chicken. David suggested calling this chicken, So Good it Cant Be Described, Explosion on Your Taste Buds Chicken. Exactly. I have never encountered a dish that is so basic and simple to put together yet creates such a big pay off. This chicken, quite simply, is one of the most savory things Ive ever eaten.’ Must try.”

So, naturally, I had to try it. I made it that very night.

Overall rating: 8

Cost: $$

Difficulty level: Beginner (scale: beginner, moderate, intermediate, advanced)

Thoughts: First off, the comments on that recipe are hilarious. “I don’t like mustard, can I substitute something else?” Uh, yeah, seeing as mustard is the main ingredient, you should substitute an entirely different recipe. Anyway, I loved how easy and quick this was. Cut up the chicken, mix the sauce, pour it on top, put in the oven, take out, add rosemary. Almost foolproof.

But– you want to know the important stuff: how did it taste? The comments had plenty of rave reviews that hyped up this chicken even more, but there was also a good amount of not-so-good reviews (mostly from the people who hate mustard but decided to make this anyway– whyyyy?).

What this was: It was pretty good. A good, solid, 8  My boyfriend agreed.

What this was not: This was not ~TaStE BuD ExpLosIoN~ nor “the most savory thing that has ever crossed my lips”. This didn’t taste overly mustard-y, as some of the ~mustard haters~ claimed. It also didn’t taste overly sweet, as some people commented. My sauce also did not do weird things, as some mentioned, such as separate, congeal, turn into Flubber and come alive, etc.

Final verdict: I will make this again because it was so easy and it is good, but I won’t be running through the town praising this chicken any time soon.

*side note: I used chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs. Also, because I caught my oven on fire a few weeks ago and I’m terrified of using high heats now I cut them thin, I decided to cook it on 400 degrees (vs. 450) and it only needed 35 mins (vs. 40).  I bet this is even better when it browns (as it looks in the original recipe’s picture), so next time I will use thighs and cook on the recommended heat, and I’ll report back as to whether it made a difference.

 

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Sep 6 2012

From Our Kitchen: Easy at Home Happy Hour

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Sometimes after a long, stressful day all you want to do is kick back and relax at home. Around here, that usually means it’s time to bring out the red wine. One day, I had (what I thought was) the greatest idea ever- an at home Happy Hour! I grabbed some simple snacks at the store, including a Rotola, stuffed olives, and roasted red peppers, and -voila- we had a picture perfect appetizer spread. You can also make your own appetizers with things as simple as cheese & crackers, assorted deli meats (we usually do a quarter pound of the deli sale items, such as special salamis, prosciutto, etc.) or even with a homemade spinach and artichoke dip with fresh bread. Don’t like wine? You can also mix this up with cocktails or beer. Just look up what pairs well with your drink of choice. Even if you don’t drink at all, you can whip up a delicious lemonade (we recently rated some delicious recipes) or a punch with some fresh fruit inside to be a little more festive than usual. You can even do this when you have guests over before heading out for the evening. This is a relatively quick, cheap, and easy way to unwind and treat your family and friends. One of the most important elements of an at home Happy Hour is the music, so remember to turn on some tunes to help set the mood (my favorite free music player is Pandora). I personally usually tune it to the Jimmy Buffet or Eric Clapton stations.

Try this tonight in your home! You will be amazed at how relaxing it truly is!

Enjoy!

 

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Sep 5 2012

From Our Kitchen: Weeknight Cobb Salad

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Weeknight Cobb Salad

Overall Score: 10 (on a scale of 1-10)

Husband Score: 10 (on a scale of 1-10)

Difficulty Level: Easy

Price: $$ (on a scale of $-$$$)

If you are anything like me, you are constantly trying to figure out how to make a delicious, filling meal that also satisfies your waistline. With a picky eater for a husband, I have wasted too much money and time making meals that were “healthified” versions of something normally delicious-but-too-fattening-to-make-the-actual-version, only to end up watching it sit untouched for the rest of the week in the fridge. Sometimes, even worse, it goes straight to the trash. Lets get real- there’s no fooling yourself or your family. You cannot substitute fat free Greek yogurt for cream cheese and expect nobody to notice (unless you prefer it). That does not fly around here. Therefore I was left with a challenge, how do I make healthy meals while still making them appealing enough for a meat and potatoes guy to eat? Then it hit me- salad! I know what you’re thinking- let me explain. There are so many delicious salads that you can make and just adjust the toppings and dressing for each person, which is great because everyone can personalize it to their liking. One of my favorites is a basic cobb salad. It has tons of fresh veggies and of course some delicious fattening toppings too. You can go all the way with blue cheese dressing or lighten it up with balsamic vinaigrette- they both taste great. I must say, we don’t do shortcuts around here- no canned or frozen veggies,etc. I do almost everything from scratch, which is especially important in dishes like salads, where you want the freshness of the veggies to be at their max, plus, you get more nutrients that way. This dish can be easily adapted for vegetarians or vegans too. Just don’t use what you can’t eat (i.e. cheese, bacon, etc.) and throw in some more veggies (shredded carrots, cucumbers, etc.) or vegan substitutes (Smart Bacon, etc.) to give it the added touch.

Enjoy!

Weeknight Cobb Salad

Serves 2- Adjusts easily for more or less

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 hearts of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
  • 1 tomato on the vine, washed and diced
  • 1 avocado, peeled & de-pitted, diced
  • 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 cup of blue cheese crumbles
  • 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
  • 6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Place your lettuce in serving dishes. Top it with all ingredients (only use half of the amount listed per salad-again, this recipe makes 2 salads), finishing with salt & pepper on top. You can add more or less of everything depending on your tastes.
  2. Top with dressing and enjoy! (Blue cheese, ranch, or balsamic vinaigrette go great!)

 I usually try to make my toppings line up in neat rows over the lettuce, for visual appeal. But, really, it all tastes the same no matter how you swing it!

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Sep 4 2012

From Our Kitchen: Bacon, Egg, Cheese, & Avocado Breakfast Sandwich

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Every Sunday morning I make the hubby coffee & breakfast. It’s our tradition. He is not a big sweets guy so he usually goes for bacon (his favorite), toast, and eggs. Hubby is one of those people who will eat the same thing over and over until he is sick of it so I try to mix it up a bit when I can. Sometimes I will do an omelet, sometimes a breakfast scramble, but this time I decided to make use of those BOGO English Muffins I bought and do a breakfast sandwich. Since avocados are on sale (YAY!) I had one lying around just begging to get eaten so I threw a few ingredients together an voila- a delicious breakfast sandwich was born! This was amazing and I will definitely be throwing it into the mix again!

Overall Score: 10 (on a scale of 1-10)

Husband Score: 10 (on a scale of 1-10)

Difficulty Level: Easy

Price: $ (on a scale of $-$$$)

Bacon, Egg, Cheese, & Avocado Breakfast Sandwich

Serves 2- Adjusts easily for more or less

Ingredients:

  • 2 English Muffins, sliced
  • 1 Avocado (skin & pit removed, sliced)
  • 6 slices of cooked bacon
  • 1/4-1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (can vary depending how much cheese you want)
  • 2 eggs, scrambled
  1. With sliced sides of english muffins facing upwards (think open-faced sandwich), top each slice with scrambled eggs, a few slices of avocado, 3 slices of bacon (break in halves to fit), and lastly, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top.
  2. Put all english muffin slices, toppings side up, in the oven on a non-stick pan and turn to broil for about 2 minutes (keep a close eye to make sure it doesn’t burn) until the cheese is melted.
  3. Let cool for about a minute then (carefully) place muffin sides on top of the others to make 2 closed sandwiches.
  4. Enjoy!
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