Teedo’s Famous Salsa

Teedo's Famous Salsa

Ok, so I’m starting to think that I am part Mexican. I just can’t stop posting Mexican recipes. I’m not sorry! Aside from maybe a Cinco de Mayo roundup, I will take a break from all the Mexican, okay? Good. Great. Wonderful.

Many of you might know Jenny from Picky Palate. If you don’t know Jenny, then you must visit her blog immediately! Jenny’s blog is amazing and has pretty much any recipe you will ever need!

Jenny wrote her first cookbook last fall. I received a copy of the book for Christmas and just had to dive right in. I basically want to make every recipe in this book! One recipe that has been on my list for some time is the Teedo’s Famous Salsa recipe. Teedo is the nickname Jenny has for her father and this salsa recipe is his specialty!

Teedo's Famous Salsa

While I am constantly making guacamole around this house, I have not yet made my own salsa, until now! I don’t know why this took me so long because it is so easy to make! One of the ingredients that really stood out to me in this recipe was the addition of avocados. Avocados in salsa! What a brilliant idea! The avocado adds a slightly creamy texture to this salsa which is just wonderful! Next time I make it, I think I will do less time in the processor. I tend to prefer chunkier salsas!

Teedo's Famous Salsa

Teedo’s Famous Salsa

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 10-12 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 14.5-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes (you can also use petite diced tomatoes)
  • 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies
  • 2 avocados, peeled, seeded, and mashed
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, add in all of the ingredients and pulse until the salsa reaches your desired consistency.
  2. Serve or cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Notes

This recipe has been reprinted with permission from the author, Jenny Flake Picky Palate, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/05/teedos-famous-salsa/

Teedo's Famous Salsa

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No-Bake Energy Bites

No-Bake Energy Bites

So it turns out that when you try to take pictures of brown balls, they either look like a). meatballs or b). poo. Yes, I just said poo in a food blog. Forgive me.

No-Bake Energy Bites

But really, these are neither of those things. They are tasty little no-bake energy bites that I can’t stop eating. And the great thing about them is that they are healthy! These little bites are packed with fiber, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. These bites will fill you up and satisfy any sugar cravings (without there actually being a ton of sugar in them). And at only 90 calories per bite, you don’t have to feel guilty about eating them! They would also be perfect for an after-school snack for your kiddos.

No-Bake Energy Bites

Since these bites are no-bake, feel free to play around with the ingredients! I just added some mini chocolate chips to mine, but you could also add raisins, dried fruits, coconut, or nuts. Oh, and did I mention that they are also gluten-free and vegan?! You can’t go wrong with these little bites, so go make a batch right now!

No-Bake Energy Bites

No-Bake Energy Bites

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: About 20 bites

Serving Size: 1 bite

Calories per serving: 90

Fat per serving: 5.3 g

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quick oats (use gluten-free oats if you want to for these to be gluten-free)
  • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or any nut butter of your choice)
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar (you can also use honey or maple syrup)
  • 1 tbs. melted coconut oil
  • 1 tbs. chia seeds
  • 2 tbs. flax seed meal
  • 3 tbs. mini chocolate chips
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • Other add ins:
  • raisins
  • nuts
  • dried fruits
  • shredded coconut

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients until well-combined. Cover and refrigerate the mixture for about 30 minutes.
  2. Using your hands, roll the mixture into balls. Mine were about 1-1 1/2-inch in diameter.
  3. Place the bites into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for about 1 week.
http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/04/no-bake-energy-bites/

No-Bake Energy Bites

Greek Omelet

Greek Omelet

My friends over at OXO recently sent me a package of some of their new tools to try out! And all of the tools they sent me are all about eggs!. They sent me the 3-in-1 Egg Separator, the Egg Beater, and their new Flip and Fold Omelet Turner!

Greek Omelet

I couldn’t want to put these tools to use. I think the one I was most excited about though was the omelet turner. I have a history of having issues with flipping omelets. They often fall apart or the filling falls out. But let me tell you, this little spatula is awesome! It’s comfortable to hold, it’s the perfect shape to flip omelets! I was easily able to turn my omelet without any tearing.

Omelets are perfect for a quick and easy breakfast. Heck, I even make them for dinner sometimes. You can stuff pretty much anything you want inside of them. I love Greek flavors and I am kind of obsessed with putting feta cheese in my omelets. Thus, you have the Greek omelet. I love feta because it has a nice and strong flavor and so you don’t need to use too much of it. I filled this omelet with fresh spinach, garlic, onions, and tomatoes. You could also even add some kalamata olives if you wanted!

Greek Omelet

Greek Omelet

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 1 omelet

Calories per serving: 290

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tbs. onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • cooking spray
  • 2 large eggs, beat together
  • splash of water
  • 1/8 cup crumbed feta cheese (I used reduced fat)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a fry pan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add in the onion and cook for about 1 minute or until translucent. Add in the garlic, spinach, and tomatoes and saute for about 2-3 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Season with a little salt and pepper. Remove the mixture from the pan.
  2. Spray the pan with cooking spray. Stir in a splash of water in the eggs. Pour the eggs into the pan. Turn the pan to spread the eggs evenly on the bottom of the pan. Let the eggs cook for about 2 minutes until the eggs are no longer "wet". Spread the spinach mixture on one half of the omelet. Sprinkle the feta cheese on top. Using a spatula, flip the other half over the top of the spinach and cheese. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Remove the pan from the heat and gently slide the omelet off the pan and onto a plate and serve.

Notes

I used 2 whole eggs for my omelet. You can certainly use egg beaters or just egg whites if you want to cut down more on the fat.

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/04/greek-omelet/

Greek Omelet

Bailey’s Irish Cream Dark Chocolate Truffles

Bailey's Irish Cream Dark Chocolate Truffles

Bailey’s Irish Cream dark chocolate truffles. Oh Lord, help me. These are amazing. You must trust me on this one. Due to my crazy schedule as of late, this will probably be the only St. Patrick’s Day recipe I can get up, but at least it’s a good one, right?! And the best thing about these is that they are so rich and decadent, you won’t need to eat many to satisfy your sweet tooth!

Bailey's Irish Cream Dark Chocolate Truffles

The prep for these truffles is super easy. The hard part comes when you are ready to roll them. I don’t think I have ever made more of a mess in my life. Like ever. I highly recommend using a melon baller or a small cookie scoop for this. I had neither, so I used a 1/2 tbs. sized measuring spoon and I had a hard time getting the chocolate out of it. I wanted to really be able to taste the Bailey’s so I added about 4 tablespoons, but you can easily adjust this to meet your own taste. I went for dark chocolate because well, it’s my favorite, but you could also use milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate. Whatever you go with though, don’t skimp on the quality. I think the quality of the chocolate really makes a difference with these. And how great would this be with different liqueurs? Experiment away!

Bailey's Irish Cream Dark Chocolate Truffles

Bailey’s Irish Cream Dark Chocolate Truffles

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Yield: makes about 25-30 truffles

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 10 oz. good quality dark chocolate
  • 3-4 tbs. Bailey's Irish Cream
  • sprinkles, nonpareils, cocoa powder

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the heavy cream until it is heated through.
  2. In a mixing bowl, add the chocolate. Pour the heated heavy cream over the chocolate. Whisk together until the chocolate is completely melted. Stir in the Bailey's Irish Cream. Cover and refrigerate for a least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
  3. Lay out a sheet of wax paper on the counter. Using a melon baller or small cookie scoop, scoop out about 2 tsp. of the chocolate at a time. Roll the chocolate into a ball and dip into desired toppings such as sprinkles or cocoa powder.* (see note)
  4. Store the truffles in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

If you choose to use your hands to shape the truffles, I recommend rubbing some oil on your hands to help keep the chocolate from sticking to your hands. The easiest way to do this is to cover your hands in cocoa powder and then roll, however, if you do it this way, you won't be able to use sprinkles.

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/03/baileys-irish-cream-dark-chocolate-truffles/

Bailey's Irish Cream Dark Chocolate Truffles

Bailey's Irish Cream Dark Chocolate Truffles

Looking for more St. Patrick’s Day recipes?:
- Irish Cream No-Bake Cheesecakes
- Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread Scones

Grapefruit Brûlée

Grapefruit Brûlée

Citrus, citrus, citrus. I can’t get enough right now and I think that this grapefruit brûlée might be one of my new favorite treats!

Grapefruit Brûlée

Yet again, you can tell my mind is ready for spring and summer foods. While good ol’ crème brûlée is one of my most favorite desserts of all time sometimes ya just gotta have something a little lighter. This grapefruit brûlée is stupid easy to make. The hardest part is segmenting the grapefruit. Other than that all you need is your kitchen torch, brown sugar, and a little whipped cream! I took the time to segment my grapefruit, but if you do not want to do that, you can just cut one in half and prepare it that way, but I like being able to actually eat the slices instead of digging a spoon in and squirting grapefruit juice all over the place and making a huge mess which is basically what happens to me every time I eat a grapefruit.

This dessert is refreshing with just the right amount of sweetness! I think this dessert would also work nicely with pineapples if you want to use that instead or in combination to the grapefruit.

Grapefruit Brûlée

Grapefruit Brûlée

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

  • 1 medium sized grapefruit, peeled and segmented
  • 1 tbs. light brown sugar
  • whipped cream or Greek yogurt
  • ground cinnamon (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Peel and segment your grapefruit and layer the slices onto a small bowl or creme brulee dish.
  2. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top of the slices.
  3. Using a kitchen torch, burn the brown sugar until it caramelizes.
  4. Scoop a dollop of whipped cream or Greek yogurt on top and sprinkle some cinnamon on top for garnish and serve immediately.

Notes

If you do not own a kitchen torch, you can use your broiler. Just place the slices into oven-safe dishes.

If you decide that you do not want to worry about peeling and segmenting the grapefruit, you can cut it half and it will serve two people.

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/03/grapefruit-brulee/

Grapefruit Brûlée

Copycat P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Who watched the Oscars last night? I have to admit that they usually bore me. I didn’t really tune in until it was towards the end. Here are some of my thoughts:

- Anne Hathaway, I adore you, but please grow you hair back out. Your mouth is entirely too big for short hair. Also, that dress was no good.
- Kristen Stewart, how many drugs were you on last night?
- Jennifer Lawrence, you tripped walking up the stairs and it made me love you even more.
- Daniel Day Lewis, you are the man. The lipstick stain on your cheek from your wife while you were giving your speech was adorbs.

Who were your favorites last night?

Copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ok, ok, enough Oscar talk. Let’s get to the food. Copycat P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Let’s do this.

These lettuce wraps are probably one of the most popular dishes at P.F. Chang’s and it is certainly my favorite. I’ve been wanting to re-create them at home for some time and finally got around to it. I love the flavor of the chicken mixture and eating it with lettuce instead of rice is much healthier! The water chestnuts add a nice crunch. These wraps are just refreshing to me.

I had this dish ready to go in about 20 minutes. P.F. Chang’s serves these as an appetizer, but they are definitely filling enough for lunch or even dinner!

Copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Copycat P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tbs. vegetable oil
  • 1 lb. ground chicken breast
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 tbs. minced garlic
  • 1 tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
  • 1 tbs. rice wine vinegar
  • 3 tsp. sriracha (can adjust if you don't like spicy)
  • 1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped
  • 1 bunch green onions sliced
  • 2 tsp. sesame oil
  • salt to taste
  • Iceberg, Bibb or butter lettuce leaves, rinsed and drained
  • cilantro (for garnish, optional)
  • soy sauce, hoisin, spicy mustard sauce (for dipping, if desired)

Instructions

  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks.
  2. Pour in the onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and the sriracha. Toss the mixture to coat all of the chicken. Continue cooking until the chicken is thoroughly cooked (about 1-2 minutes).
  3. Stir in the water chestnuts and the green onions. Pour in the sesame oil, and add salt to taste.
  4. Transfer the chicken to a bowl or a large plate. Scoop the chicken mixture onto the lettuce leaves. Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve!

Notes

Slightly adapted from this recipe

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/02/copycat-p-f-changs-chicken-lettuce-wraps/

Copycat P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

{Giveaway} Herbed Veggie Dip

Herbed Veggie Dip

When I was a child, my grandpa used to have a huge garden in his backyard. He grew tons of fresh veggies. His garden was his pride and joy. My brother and I used to get in a lot of trouble if went back into the garden. And God forbid if you accidentally stepped on anything. There is something about being a kid that makes them want to do the exact opposite of what an adult tells them not to do! When you are young, you don’t really appreciate fresh vegetables or herbs, but now that I am an adult, I have been wishing for a garden like my grandparents had in their backyard. We have a decent sized patio in our new house and I have been wanting to start planting some fresh herbs, but well, I’ve just been really lazy.

I really hate buying herbs at the grocery store. I usually only need a small handful, but you end up having to buy a large bunch or package that has way more than you need. Then, of course, within a week, those herbs are dunzo! It always seems like such a waste and I cringe every time I have to throw a bunch of herbs in the garbage.

Herbed Veggie Dip

Enter Gourmet Garden. Gourmet Garden makes cooking with herbs so insanely simple. Fresh, organically grown herbs that are then packed into a tube that keeps them fresh for 3 whole months. 3 MONTHS, people! Not only does Gourmet Garden’s herbs last for 3 months, but they also eliminate all of that chopping! Just squeeze out as much as you need and you are set! No matter how busy you are, you can still include fresh and delicious herbs in your meals!

Herbed Veggie Dip

The folks over at Gourmet Garden were so kind to send me 11 tubes of their herbs and spices in a convenient little cooler! I couldn’t wait to break into them and my mind was reeling with ideas of how I could use them all up! This past weekend, I got a craving for veggies and dip. I had the veggies, but no dip! With some cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and some of Gourmet Garden’s herbs, I had this herbed veggie dip ready to go in about 5 minutes! I chose to use the Chunky Garlic, Dill, Italian Herbs, and some of the Cilantro. It may sound like a weird combo, but it was pretty tasty!

And great news! Gourmet Garden is also going to send one of you the same package that I received! After you get the recipe, scroll down and enter for your chance to win!!

Herbed Veggie Dip

Herbed Veggie Dip

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Yield: about 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt (or use sour cream)
  • 1 tbs. Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic Blend (or 2 cloves)
  • 1 tbs. Gourmet Garden Dill Blend (or 1 tbs. fresh dill)
  • 1/2 tbs. Gourmet Garden Italian Herbs Blend
  • 1/2 tbs. Gourmet Garden Cilantro Blend (or 1/2 tbs. fresh cilantro)

Instructions

  1. Add all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend until everything is well-combined.

Notes

If you don't own a food processor, you can also use a blender, or you can also mix everything up by hand.

If you want to make this dip and don't have access to Gourmet Garden products, note the measurements written in parentheses next to each ingredient. For the Italian Herb Blend, it includes basil and oregano.

http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/02/herbed-veggie-dip/

Herbed Veggie Dip

Now you can enter for your own chance to win a package filled with Gourmet Garden’s herbs and spices!

Please use the Rafflecopter below to place your entries for the giveaway. Entries left in the comment section will not be counted in the drawing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Gourmet Garden sent me a package of some of their products to try. As always, all opinions are my own.

Corn Salsa

So, there is this thing called the Super Bowl coming up soon. As far as the game goes, I really don’t care. I prefer the Puppy Bowl. In previous years, my husband hasn’t really cared either, but since there wasn’t any hockey games on this past fall, he had to get his fill of man-ness, so he has been watching football and will probably want to watch the Super Bowl this year. We might be fighting over the remote. There are supposed to be hedgehog cheerleaders on the Puppy Bowl this year. I am not missing that.

Let’s face it though, Whatever game we end up watching, the best part of the Super Bowl is the food. You know this to be true. I love making fun party snacks. I could make a meal out of just dips. Sadly, most dips and Super Bowl food are usually not very healthy. But, I’ve got a great recipe for you that you can enjoy without all the guilt!

This corn salsa is a great snack to serve yourself and your guests! It’s light and fresh, and best of all, low in fat and calories! I love this salsa. I actually make a small batch of it for lunch sometimes and eat it with a handful of whole grain chips and I am one happy girl!

Corn Salsa

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: Serves 4-6

Calories per serving: about 98 calories (if divided into 6 servings)

Ingredients

  • 4 medium-sized ears of corn, shucked
  • 1/2 medium red onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a light boil over medium high heat. Add the ears of corn and cook for about 5 minutes or until the corn is cooked and tender. Fill a large bowl with cold water. Using tongs, remove the ears of corn from the water and place into the cold water to cool.
  2. While the corn cools, chop the onion and cilantro.
  3. To remove the kernels from the cob, hold the ear upright over a large cutting board or bowl. Take a sharp knife and slide the knife down the cob, cutting the kernels off. Work your way around the cob until all of the kernels have been removed. Repeat with the remaining cobs.
  4. Place the corn into a bowl. Stir in the onion, juice of the 2 limes, cilantro, garlic powder, and the salt. Mix until thoroughly combined.
  5. Cover and chill for at least 20-30 minutes before serving.
http://eat-drink-love.com/2013/01/corn-salsa/

If you like this recipe, then you might also like my Crazy Guacamole!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

There’s really only one word to describe the unpacking of my kitchen yesterday…EPIC! We stopped counting at about 20 boxes. As much as I hate packing and unpacking, I kind of love having a completely new, clean, and totally blank kitchen. I think one of my favorite things about our new place is the pantry. It’s HUGGEEE! And it has tons of storage for extra kitchen boxes that I had to store in the spare bedroom in our old place!

Although we still haven’t even unpacked our clothes yet and haven’t even hung up one picture, we did also put up our Halloween decorations…priorities, people, priorities.

While I continue to unpack the rest our boxes, I have another incredible blogger to introduce you to! Give a warm welcome to Emily from The Best of this Life. Emily was one of the first bloggers I met when I first started blogging and her blog is just beautiful! Not only does she share amazing gluten-free recipes, but she also writes about her family, entertaining, essentials, travel, and more! So after you check out the delicious muffins she has shared today, go check out her site and say hello!

Hi everyone! My name is Emily Smith, from The Best of this Life. When I discovered that food blogs
existed, Stephanie’s was one of the first that I came across. I’ve been following along ever since! She
such has a great sense of humor and a fantastic repertoire of recipes to choose from.

I’m thrilled to be here today to share one of my favorite Fall treats with you. I pretty much love
anything that involves pumpkin and these muffins are no exception! Rich, moist and truly satisfying,
they hit the spot every time. Enjoy one with a chai latte and you’ll be in Autumn heaven!

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 3/4 brown rice flour
  • 1/4 cup of tapioca flour
  • 1/4 cup of coconut sugar (or preferred sweetener)
  • 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin spice
  • 1 Tablespoon of baking powder
  • 3 Tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup of canned pumpkin
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 F and line a muffin pan with twelve paper liners.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine rice flour, tapioca flour, pumpin spice, and baking powder.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk two eggs, and add in coconut sugar and coconut oil.
  4. Combine wet mixture with dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.
  5. Slowly add in almond milk, stirring as you pour.
  6. Finally, mix in canned pumpkin and pinch of salt.
  7. Pour muffin batter into liners and bake for 23-25 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven, allow to cool and enjoy!
http://eat-drink-love.com/2012/10/gluten-free-pumpkin-muffins/

Thanks for having me Stephanie – wishing you safe and happy travels on your way to your new home!

Quinoa Corn Cakes with Peach, Avocado, and Tomato Salsa

Good morning, friends! It’s Friday!! Yeah!! Hubs and I are in Orlando this weekend visiting family. It’s nice to get away for a weekend after the long two weeks I’ve had!

Today I am guest posting on Kym’s lovely blog, Free Spirit Eater. Kym was one of the first people I met when I first starting blogging and she is so incredibly sweet and supportive! I’m so happy to be on her blog today!

I made some tasty little quinoa corn cakes topped with fresh peach, avocado, and tomato salsa! These cakes are light on the tummy, but so tasty. I think I could just eat the salsa with a spoon!

So, please go check out the recipe and say “hi” to Kym!!