Cowboy Caviar

I love this side dish, relish, snack, appetizer or salad topping.  It has many uses. 

The obvious way to enjoy the Cowboy Caviar is with tortilla chips but I also like to use the left overs for salads and sandwiches.

Honestly, you can add anything to this wonderful array of color served in a bowl or take out what you don't like.  

I think these are some of the best recipes because they are so easily adaptable to your own families likes and dislikes.   I know that when I make it when my Mom is in town to leave out the black-eyed peas--she hates them.  I know that if I am going to be eating it I have to make a small batch for myself without the peppers.  I just learned that I am very allergic to bell peppers (and here I thought it was the eggs--LOL)

Do you see how this can be altered and recreated a ton of different ways.  I think adding jicama to this would also be really good.  I just thought of that so next time I will change it up a bit.

I like to serve this dish warm instead of cold.  My teeth are really sensitive to cold things. I just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds, enough to take the cold edge off.

I think we will be making this soon, I smell a good football game right around the corner.

ENJOY!

Cowboy Caviar

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Serves: 6-8

1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15.5 oz can of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 cup of orange bell pepper, chopped small

2/3 cup red onion, chopped small

1 15 oz. can white or yellow corn, drained

2 medium tomatoes, chopped small

1/2-1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1.5 cups of your favorite Italian salad dressing

Salt to taste

Jalapenos (optional--not pictured)

Combine all ingredients into a medium bowl. Stir well

Serve with chips, as a salad topping, over fish or by itself.

Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Italian Loaf

This sandwich is a family favorite!

I wanted to share it with you right before the big Super Bowl game coming up on February 2nd.

What I enjoy about this sandwich is that you make it the night before and let it sit all night.  Then when you are ready to eat, you simply pull it out and slice it up like a big pie or pizza.  The wedges look amazing, your guest will be thrilled with the flavors and the best part--you are not spending a lot of time away from the game.  

You did all the work the day before.

As with all of my recipes, I urge you to use the best ingredients to bring out the full flavor and potential of this show stopping meal.

Serve with a few of your favorite side dishes, chips, a vegetable platter and some cold drinks.  You should be set for the game!

ENJOY.

Italian Loaf

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 8-10

1 (6-8 inch) round loaf of your favorite bread (Use a gluten free loaf to make this gluten free)

4-6 slices of ham

12-15 slices of Genoa salami

4-6 slices of turkey

10-12 slices of pepperoni

3-4 slices of provolone cheese

3-4 slices of mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup olive medley-recipe below

2 slices of red onion

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, chopped

A handful of Arugula or lettuce greens

Dash of olive oil

Dash of balsamic vinegar-your favorite flavor

To prepare bread:  Cut a 5-inch circle in the top of the round loaf of the bread.  Using your fingers, dig out the inside so that you have a hollow shell of crust. Remove any extra bread on the "lid" of your loaf.

Layer your meat and cheese in any order on the bottom. 

To make the olive medley: Buy three different kinds of your favorite pitted olives; add them to a food processor. Pulse a few times.  Add this medley to your sandwich after the meat.

Layer the onions, sun-dried tomatoes and fill the top in with your favorite lettuce greens.  

Top the lettuce with a dash of olive oil and vinegar.  Replace the 5-inch circle and wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap.

Let sit overnight in the refrigerator.  When ready to serve, slice like a pie. 

Serve with your favorite side dishes and condiments.

Written by Sherron Watson

Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Crustini

Easy is what I am looking for in my meals recently.  I also need something that I can make fast.

Holding a baby in one hand has allowed me to get really good at doing things with my left hand and using only one hand.  Not to mention my right arm is getting pretty buff.  Now I need to find the time to work on my left arm or I may look like Popeye pretty soon, or half of Popeye.

The one hand "everything" also applies to eating.  I really can't hold a sandwich very well. The insides seem to be falling out constantly or I spill mayonnaise onto Finnleys outfit or forehead.  She does not like that much.  Speaking of Finnley, here she is at 3 months old.   Her hands are keeping her very busy these days.

So I find that these small crustini appetizers work well for me.  I can buy the baguettes or make my own bread, cut them into small rounds and load them up with what I like.  On this day I chose to mix the sweet flavor of cantaloupe with a bit of mozzarella cheese and Prosciutto.   The melted mozzarella was a nice touch.

MMMMMM, my taste buds were thanking me on this day.  I love pairing sweet with salty ingredients. I also love to add a bit of tartness so I drizzled a few drops of my favorite balsamic vinegar, this month I chose the bordeaux cherry flavor.

Other combinations that I like to use are: cream cheese, ham, chicken salad, fresh herbs, olive oil, sharp cheddar cheese--really, the options are endless.

If you have time, share with me your favorite combination of flavors and textures when you prepare a platter of crustini for your family or friends.

Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Crustini

Prep. Time:  15 minutes

Bake Time:  15 minutes

16 slices of baguette style bread

2 T. olive oil

8 slices of mozzarella cheese, cut in half

1/2 cantaloupe

8 slices of Prosciutto

Flavored vinaigrette, optional

Mint leaves, optional 

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Cut bread into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Brush each side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3.  Bake bread for 10 minutes.  Remove, add 1/2 slice of mozzarella cheese and return to oven for 5 more minutes.  

4.  While the cheese is melting.  Use a potato peeler to make thin slices of cantaloupe.  Cut Prosciutto in half. 

5.  Remove crustini from oven and lay a folded piece of Prosciutto on top of cheese, add folded cantaloupe, top with a small leaf of mint.

Optional:  add a drop or two of your favorite balsamic vinegar. I used Cherry (see picture).

Written by Sherron Watson

Merlot Meatballs

Back in October I was sent a gift basket that included a bottle of Merlot, along with cheese, crackers and an apple slicer.  At the time I was tending to Finnley and put the bottle under the cupboard for a later date.  To be honest, I forgot about it until I ventured into the kitchen to make these wonderful creamed mushrooms.

I guess I was in the mood for something creamy and warm.  I ended up on Pinterest scrolling though some easy recipes because I was out of some of the ingredients to make the Creamed Mushrooms.

Bummer.

It was a bummer until I found this recipe for Merlot Meatballs by The Midnight Baker.  They sounded easy enough; plus,  I had the Merlot.

The recipe below has been adapted from the original.  I modified it to fit our families taste buds and to use what I had on hand.

Delicious sums up the end result of this dish.   Pre-made meatballs are easy but I think homemade meatballs taste better.  Here is an easy recipe for Homemade Meatballs that I use quite often with a variety of meatball dishes or this recipe for Turkey Meatballs would work well too.

As with some recipes, they tend to taste a little bit better the next day.  The sauce on the meatballs got a bit thicker and the flavors really shined through.  I enjoyed the meatballs but the sauce was the star of this dish.  I highly recommend that you have some fresh bread  (gluten free bread found here) on hand.


Recipe:  Merlot Meatballs
Adapted from The Midnight Baker

Makes 16/18 meatballs

Prep. Time:  30 minutes

1 bag of pre-made meatballs (16-18 count)

1/2 cup diced mushrooms, small

1/2 cup diced onions, small

2 T. butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup Merlot wine

1 1/4 cup of heavy cream

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon honey

Loaf of Italian Bread, optional

1.  Bake meatballs according to package directions.

2.  In a large saute pan on medium high heat, melt butter; add garlic, mushrooms, salt/pepper and onion.  Cook until onion is clear. 

3.  Turn heat down to medium, add wine, cream, honey and parsley.  

4.  Add Meatballs and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened.  Sauce should simmer for at least 15 minutes. The longer it reduces the thicker and creamier the sauce will be.

5.  Serve in a large bowl, over noodles, or in individual serving dishes as an appetizer. 

The sauce is too good to waste, use the bread to sop up every last drop.

Written by Sherron Watson

Easy Eggnog Bread Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

Around this time each year my family decides that they have had enough eggnog.  After all, I did start buying it around Thanksgiving time with a steady purchase of 1/2 a gallon every week.  I usually don't figure this out until I find myself pouring it down the drain because we have surpassed the expiration date and I need to make room in the refrigerator.

This year I decided to do things differently. I rounded up some ideas of how I could use the left over eggnog that I knew I would find it on the top shelf hiding behind the orange juice and milk.   My thoughts went from fudge, to bread pudding, then to an eggnog applesauce cake or, the best one, eggnog ice cream.  These recipes would pretty much cover any amount that I would find nestled in the very back shelf.   The ice cream is going to require a lot of eggnog, I can only hope I find a full half gallon.

Last night I could not sleep.  I call it Holiday/Christmas/Company anxiety.  My parents are coming into town on Saturday and any company causes me to "wig out" a bit.  The older I get the worse it becomes.  When my guests arrive on my doorstep, the anxiety melts away. It is the anticipation of people coming to stay in my home that riles me up.  

These are some of the random thoughts that swirl around in my head:

"What if I forget to clean something"? Like the microwave, which I have done before.

"What if I make something they don't like?" Again, it has happened.

"What if the activities I have planned don't work out?" This usually doesn't happen, but it could.

"What if I decide to run away and come home when it is all over?" This is one question I ask myself a lot but I have actually never done because, like I mentioned above, I always have a great time and things go according to plan.

I believe I am my own worst enemy and I am sure it stems from my childhood and the need to please everyone, be the peace maker and strive for perfection.

 
So what does this have to do with bread pudding, early mornings and eggnog?

Everything.

The anxiety was my reason for not sleeping, which caused me to clean out the fridge, which then led me to find the eggnog hiding behind the beef broth, that triggered my crazy 4am brain to make bread pudding. Remember that was on my list of things I could make.

I am going to assume that if you are like me, have Celiac or are gluten intolerant , then bread pudding is something that you do not make often (or, if you are like me, never). I don't usually make it because my family says they don't like it and I have never found the right type of gluten free bread to hold the egg/milk mixture (again, that was the case, until today).

A while back I was contacted by Udi's to try some of their products. If you remember I was a bit busy being pregnant and trying to stay afloat with the pregnancy. I turned down a lot of opportunities because I just could not handle one more thing.

After Finnley was born, I reached out to all of the companies that I wanted to work with.  Udi's made the cut.  They graciously sent me a box of goodies to sample and try.  

Let me tell you about this box: it was huge, filled to the rim and contained things that I did not even know they made. Gluten Free Flour tortilla's, pizza crust and bagels were three things I jumped for joy over.  I have to get my exercise in where I can.  {grin}

My family was equally excited at the sight of a box of food being delivered to our doorstep.  I just want to say thank you to Udi's for asking me to create a recipe using their products.

The one thing I find necessary when eating bread pudding is a sauce.  My daughter has been asking for butterscotch everything this year and so it sounded like the perfect addition to this Easy Eggnog Bread Pudding.  I am going to be the first to say, that it was excellent and I will be making it again.

Bread pudding has a tendency to get a little crispy or dry on top with the middle being warm and soggy.  Serving the bread pudding with a sauce will make the top layer soften a bit and add even more gooey-ness to the dish.

Two things I would recommend.  The first is to buy the best eggnog you can find and afford.  The second, don't try to change the bread combination.  You really need the gluten free bagel's texture to hold it all together.

My final comment is that this bread pudding does not have any added sugar.  I am trying to be mindful of the amount of sugar my family consumes.  If I can go without it, I do.  With that being said, this recipe is in no way a low sugar bread pudding because the eggnog has a lot and if you use the butterscotch sauce, well...it is super sweet.

I strongly recommend making the butterscotch sauce.

Strongly.

Let me know what you think. I do love hearing from readers.  Enjoy!

*Disclosure:  The opinions expressed in the above written content are those of the writer, Sherron Watson.  She has not been paid to write a review or create a recipe.  Sherron was given a box of products and asked to participate in a recipe round-up which will appear on Udi's pinterest board.  


Easy Eggnog Bread Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

2 Udi's bagels, cubed
8 slices of Udi's white gluten free bread, cubed
1 1/2 cups eggnog
1/2 cup whole milk
4 eggs
1 Tablespoon butter, softened
Butterscotch Sauce (recipe below)

The night before:

1. Combine the bread, eggnog, milk and eggs.  Using a spatula, mix well. The bread will need to be stirred a few times to ensure that each piece is coated with the wet ingredients.

2. Place bread mixture into a well buttered baking dish.  I use a dish that is an odd size, 8X11 rectangular dish.  My mixture ends up being about 2 inches thick.  I would not go any shallower than this.

3. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.  I would recommend a minimum of 4 hours if you decide to do this on the same day.

Day of:

4.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove bread pudding from refrigerator. Pull back the foil and give it a good stir to re-coat the top layer. Cover again.

5.  Bake eggnog bread pudding for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and continue baking for 15-20 more minutes.  You want the tips of the bread cubes to be a golden brown and the egg mixture to be firm.

6.  The last 15 minutes make the butterscotch sauce (recipe below).

7.  Remove from oven, cool for a few minutes and serve with sauce.

8.  Refrigerate all left overs and reheat in the microwave.


Butterscotch Sauce

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons soft butter

1.  In a small saucepan, combine all of the above sauce ingredients.

2.  Set your heat to medium and bring to a boil (5 minutes or so), stirring every once in a while.

3.  Once the sauce boils, turn heat down to a medium low and simmer to thicken the sauce.   Continue cooking for 5 minutes.  Stirring occasionally.  Sauce will start to darken when it is close to finishing.

4.  Remove from heat and serve warm.  Sauce will thicken more the longer it sits.

Written by Sherron Watson

Chorizo and Rice Casserole

Sometimes my kitchen is similar to the show "Chopped".  The only difference is that I don't keep my food in a basket.  Well, unless it is a bag of cereal and then I have a vintage picnic basket that all of the "last remaining cup of cereal that nobody wants in the bag before they move on and open a new box"is folded up and tossed in to.  When this is full I remove the bags, crush them all together and make some type of magic seven layer cookie bar.  You know the one with sweetened condense milk poured over the top. Thats a good day at my house.

Oh, and I don't wear a chef outfit, nor do I have a row of 3 judges watching my every move. Instead I wear my favorite apron and have four kids, one husband and three really loud cats that give me plenty of feedback.  Have you ever watched the judges eat the food..a tiny bite here, a lick there and then their eyes never leave the chef.  Some days this is what it feels like in my kitchen too.

I used to plan a week long menu and try to stick to it and get upset if someone ate a much needed item out of the fridge.

Yeah, those were the days. Now, I buy what I want and I will often throw things together based on what I have left in the refrigerator. Our nights are hectic with busy schedules and it is not uncommon for me to have "20 minutes on the clock" and to hear myself say "your time starts now".

I run from drawer to cupboard to sink to refrigerator to stove and then repeat.

I am sweating, my hair is frazzled and I am in the zone. A bead of sweat trying to escape my forehead before the back of my hand finds it with a towel.

Are you wondering what I had in my "basket" aka: refrigerator? 

chorizo Sausage, cream cheese, rice and red pepper.

I can work with these ingredients and my mind starts to race.  We have to leave in one hour to get Isabella to gymnastics. 

I start preheating the oven, turn the saute pan on and throw some butter into it.  Dice the onions and bell pepper.  Start another pan and cook the sausage, warm the rice in the microwave to soften it a bit and find my two favorite casserole dishes.  I still don't own a 9X13 pan so I use two small dishes.

My hands are moving from pan to pan, stirring and flipping; all the while working the microwave to soften the cream cheese, open the broth box and add seasonings to a medium size bowl.

I am on fire! <----Cue Alicia Keys song here.

I throw it all together, toss it in the dishes and bake for 20 minutes.  

CRAP--Did I add salt goes through my mind? I don't want my dish to be under-seasoned.

Oh well, my kids and hubby can add their own.  Its not like I am cooking for $10,000 dollars tonight.

I wonder if I will make the cut to the next round?  wink wink

Of course I will.  My family would starve if I did not cook for them each night or they would live strictly on ham sandwiches.  They have done this before while I was away for a girls getaway.

My five judges were unanimous in saying this casserole was very good.  The chorizo is a bit spicy so beware if you have those that don't enjoy spicy AND it needed a bit of salt.

Over all they loved it and want me to make it again.  I can certainly do that because it was quick, simple and hit the spot on these cold, wintery nights.

ENJOY!

Chorizo and Rice Casserole

4 chorizo sausages ( I buy mine from Whole Foods)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon oil for sautéing
3/4 cup chicken broth
3-4 cups prepared rice (white or brown)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 brick of cream cheese, soft
1/2 cup grated fine parmesan cheese

1 cup of Jack Cheese, for the top


Preheat oven to 350.

1.  Heat oil over medium high heat.  I remove sausage from casings and break apart.

2.  Saute sausage, onion, garlic and bell pepper until sausage is browned and onion is clear.

3.  In a large bowl add remaining ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Add the ingredients from step 2.

4.  Add bowl to 9X13 baking dish, top with jack cheese and bake for 20 minutes.

5.  Serve immediately.

Written by Sherron Watson

Peppermint Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies

I love a cookie that melts in  your mouth.   These little morsels of tenderness have a wonderful texture that is soft.   The  buttery flavor reminds me of my grandmothers sugar cookies.  The frosting on top adds a little cloud of fluffiness and to top it off, the peppermint candy bits,  add the right amount of color and flair.

The reason I used these Thin Mint Peppermint Bits is because I made Cookies and Cream Popcorn with mini chocolate filled cookies and decided to throw these in the bowl for flavor and color.  It turned out pretty good.  So, don't fret about using the whole bag because you can easily make both items.

I am excited for the Christmas season in our home. We have a new baby and my parents are coming for a visit.  We have not spent a Christmas with them in 9 years.  My big kids were so little and now they are almost out of the house.

We will fill our home with lots of goodies and these cookies will be at the top of the list.

Enjoy!

Peppermint Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies

{adapted from Taste of Home Quick Cooking, 2009}

Makes 30 small cookies

1 cup of butter, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 & 1/4 cup flour, sifted (to make gluten free-use an all purpose gluten free flour blend)

1/2 cup corn starch

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

*Eggs are not used in this recipe

FROSTING

1 oz. cream cheese

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Crushed Candy Canes or Peppermint Thin Mints

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1.  Cream Butter and powdered sugar together in a medium size bowl; add extract and beat well. 

2.  Combine flour and corn starch in a separate bowl. Gradually add to butter/sugar mixture. Mix well. 

3.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Using a small cookie scoop, space cookie scoops two inches apart.

4.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Do not over bake. 

For Frosting:   

1.  Beat cream cheese until its fluffy.

2.  Add powdered sugar, milk, and peppermint extract until smooth.

3.  Spread over cooled cookies and sprinkle with crushed candies.