Had some good friends over for brunch today and made some peppered buttermilk biscuits. Everybody loves buttery biscuits….
I posted this recipe about 5 years ago here. Last time, I photographed the end result with my DSLR. This time around, I used my iPhone 5 & Camera+, my favorite camera app for the iPhone.
I randomly found myself at a Mexican grocery store over the weekend in Detroit and found some AWESOME bargains on fresh produce so I went nuts and got a serious load of tomatillos for only 2 bucks and made this delicious sauce for my chicken enchiladas that I planned for dinner on Sunday.
Perfection all the way around!
Ingredients:
– 2 lbs Tomatillos (roasted)
– 5 Cloves of garlic (minced)
– 2 Jalapeño peppers (halved & seeded)
– Lime (Juice)
– Cilantro (handful)
– Tequila (teaspoon)
- ½ Vidalia or sweet white onion
Roasted Tomatillos:
– Cut each tomatillo in half and place cut side down baking sheet
– (Optional) Drizzle a little olive oil (very little) & salt over your tomatillos
– Place your tray in the oven on broil for about 4-6 minutes or until the skins get a light/golden brown
- Once down broiling drain most of the juice & allow your roasted tomatillos time to cool
Back to the Salsa:
– In a food processor (or blender) add your roasted tomatillos & other ingredients then pulse until you get your desired texture
– Take a sip of the teaspoon of tequila then add the rest to your fresh ingredients
– Once you are satisfied with your salsa texture, salt & pepper to taste
- Allow your concoction to chill then serve with your favorite tortilla chips
If you’re looking for an easy Sunday brunch sandwich that combines the best of all worlds… well, you have to try this. Have to!
Ingredients:
- Applewood smoked bacon
- Creamy Brie
- Fig butter
- Pumpernickel
The jump Off:
Spread the fig butter (available at Trader Joe’s) on your bread.
Cut the brie and layer it on your bread.
Add your pre-cook bacon…… and BAM, you’re basically done.
Butter & heat a skillet then toast each side of your sandwich.
Once toasted, slice as desired then fall into decadent sandwich heaven!
The saltiness from the bacon is totally complimented by the sweetness of the fig butter. And every body knows that figs and brie are everything you need in life.
I’ve been celebrating myself with no shame at all this week. Why, because I am free to do so and I love it.
My birthday was all that I wanted it to be and more.
I was able to get my fresh hot shave, the breakfast that I wanted, attend a Tigers baseball game with my friends and have the Tigers win. That was enough right….
No….
When I got home, I was surprised by my boo who had a massage therapist set up to give me a full body massage, one of my favorite bottles of champagne etc. etc. etc. This was the best ever.
The night wrapped with dinner at one of my favorite restaurants followed by a nightcap with friends.
Some really great surprises!
It feels so good to be sounded by warm love.
Tonight, I’ll be hosting a birthday celebration. I don’t know why I’m sitting here writing this when I should be preparing food.
On that note, I’m out!
Summer just isn’t summer without fried green tomatoes! And what a perfect Saturday to have them.
I went a little extra & made pesto with basil from my garden and added a little creamy brie to make this snack more decadent for a midday boo up.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup Pearl couscous
- 1 cup Chicken stock
- 1 cup White wine
- ½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- ½ Small red onion diced
- ½ Cucumber (diced)
- ½ Red bell pepper (diced)
- ¼ cup Green olives (diced)
- 1 tsp Lemon zest
- 1/8 tsp Cumin
- 1/8 tsp Crushed chili flakes
- Fresh dill (as desired)
- Fresh basil (as desired)
The Jump Off:
In a saucepan, bring chicken broth, white wine, chili flakes, and cumin to a boil. Add couscous and boil for about 5-6 additional minutes covered. The couscous will absorb the liquid and delicious flavors while cooking.
After boiling remove from heat and allow the pot to sit covered for about 5 more minutes.
Your couscous should be soft, so be sure to test after sitting.
Alternative | Follow the package cooking instructions…. I just tend to do my own thing.
After the couscous has cooled, pour it into a large mixing bowl and add your olive oil and stir.
Add all of your diced veggies & herbs to the bowl and toss well.
Salt & pepper to taste and allow your salad to chill before serving.
Perfect alone or with chicken or fish for a light meal.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of fingerling potatoes
- 1/2 tsp Sea salt
- 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
- 3 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
The Jump Off:
Preheat your oven to 350º
Thoroughly wash then slice your potatoes in half or leave them whole if you’re about that life.
Place the potatoes in a mixing bowl with the rest of your ingredients and mix well making sure to evenly coat.
Pour your concoction into a 10-12″ pan (non-stick, aluminum, cast iron, whatever) and place in the oven for 1 hour.
Allow to cool a bit and serve.
These multi-purpose potatoes are great to serve during brunches, lunches or interviews by the pool (had to make a Biggie reference).
Enjoy!
Pinto beans are my FAVORITE beans!!! Growing up beans were a constant in my diet and I grew to hate them. All beans. Pinto beans, lima beans, navy beans, baked beans, kidney beans, pork & beans…. YUCK….
A few years a go, I opened myself back up to beans and enjoy differently from how my momma prepared them, which usually involved a nasty looking ham hock bobbing up and down in a steaming pot. I think I just had a real bad flashback.
The other day, I made a pot of pinto beans and called my momma to brag. She was like, OK, baby.
Ingredients:
- 1lb Dried Pinto Beans
- 1lb Fresh Chorizo (Mexican sausage)
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion (diced)
- 1 Jalapeño (seeded and diced)
- 1/2 Red Bell Pepper (diced)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 1 Tsp Cumin
- Sea Salt
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
- 6 Cups Chicken Stock (Homemade or store-bought (if you’re basic))
- 3 Tbsp Olive Oil
The Jump Off:
Soak your dried beans in water over night. Be sure to cover the beans fully. After soaking, drain and rinse your beans. You will notice they have softened a bit. Go through the beans and check for small rocks. Set beans aside to continue your prep.
In a large heated pot (medium heat), add your olive oil & toss in your chorizo. Stir and break up the chorizo as it browns for about 3-5 minutes. The toss your veggies in and cook until the onions become translucent.
Toss your beans into the browned chorizo and veggies and stir to coat the beans then add your chicken stock in. The six cups should cover all of the ingredients fully.
Add your cumin and bring the pot to a good boil, which should take about 5-8 minutes. Once you have a boil, bring the heat down a bit and cover the pot for an hour making sure to stir occasionally.
After an hour, uncover your pot and let the beans cook for another thirty minutes to thicken the beans a bit. Salt & pepper to taste.
I garnished my beans with fresh scallions and served them with yellow rice and an avocado salad…
Thought I’d make something for me to have a few days this week because I haven’t felt like cooking much theses days.
I got a few packs of pinto beans and a pack of red lentils. Needless to say, it will be a gassy week but it’s all good!
This recipe has a fair amount of prep work but it’s totally worth the time to prepare this earthy hearty meal. And the Mid Eastern flavor is soooooo very delicious!
Ingredients:
- 3 Cups of Red Lentils
- 8 Cups of Chicken Broth (homemade or store-bought (if you’re basic))
- 1 Cup of Celery (diced)
- 1 Cup of Carrots (diced)
- 1 Large Onion (diced)
- 1 Jalapeño (seeded and diced)
- 4 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- Small Piece of Ginger (minced)
- 1/2 Lb Ham (diced & totally optional)
- 2 Tsp Turmeric
- 2 Tsp Paprika
- 2 Tsp Cumin
- 1 Tsp Za’atar
- 4 Tbsp Olive Oil
The Jump off:
Soak your lentils in water for about an hour to soften then. After soaking, drain and rinse your lentils and set aside.
Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a heated pot. Once the oil is hot, toss in your ham & vegetables. Watch and Stir the mixture until vegetables sweat or at least until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Once the mix is set, toss in your drained lentils and stir. This will coat the lentils with flavor. Once mixed well, pour in your chicken broth. The lentils should be covered totally by the broth.
Bring your lentils to a good boil then reduce your heat to about medium so that the lentils slow to a simmer for about 35 minutes. Leave your pot uncovered and stir the lentils occasionally.
Now…. In a separate saucepan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and stir in your spices. Let them mix well. This should take no longer than 1-2 minutes at the most. Then thoroughly stir the seasoned oil into your lentils. This will no doubt add a little more color to your dish. Salt & pepper to taste.
I served my lentils over Basmati rice because I like rice with everything but these lentils can certainly stand by themselves!
Like a food nerd, I got excited when I went to the market & found blood oranges in the produce section.
Blood oranges happen to be one of my favorite citrus fruits. Not too sweet, super juicy, and fun to look at.
When you slice one open, you never know what you will see. The flesh of the fruit can range from dark orange to dark red.
I was having company for dinner the other night and was going to keep it simple with wine but since I scored the blood oranges, I decided to have some fun and do martinis instead.
Ingredients
- 3 oz fresh blood orange juice
- 3 oz Tanqueray Gin
- 1 oz St Germain (elder flower liqueur)
Add your liquids to a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously.
Strain and pour the refreshing concoction into a chilled garnished martini glass and enjoy. This mix is enough for two drinks.
If you’re in the market for a great citrus juicer, I HIGHLY recommend the Breville Citrus Press. I found one on eBay as a refurb a few years ago via Breville and it is one of my favorite kitchen tools.
And then there were three. Introducing Reginald Alexander Butler….
Photographing this precious baby boy was fairly easy and he cooperated without a fuss and for that, I was grateful… Babies seem to have their own agenda. At least when I encounter them.
Congrats again Adrienne and Reggie!
Found these carrots on Pinterest earlier this year & they are one of my favorite things to snack on. Very easy to make & super savory.
Ingredients:
The Jump Off:
Preheat your oven to 350º.
Add all of your wet ingredients and cumin to a bowl and mix until fully combined.
Toss in the carrots and coat them. Season with a little fresh pepper and coarse sea salt to taste. Add crushed red pepper to taste. This bit of heat adds a nice counter punch to the sweetness from the carrots/honey & acidity of the lime.
Add the coated carrots to a baking dish or oven proof pan being sure to add all of the remaining juice.
Bake for 25 minutes or until tender.
Toss carrots, garnish with cilantro, and scallions.
Allow to cool and serve.
Side note: The 1st few times that I made this, I had a lot of juice left over, I drained it and reduced it in a saute pan then poured the reduction back over the carrots. This added a very nice concentrated flavor punch!