Trifle Mexican Layer Dip

Over the weekend my family and I had a fundraiser called Musclepalooza. I made a mexican layer dip that was gone in 10 minutes. Here are the different layers…

Spanish Rice

Refried Beans

Black Beans with Roasted Red Peppers and Cumin

Cheese

Guacamole

Pico de Gallo

Red Salsa 

Green Salsa

Grated Red Cabbage

Tomatoes

Cilantro

Jalapeños

Goat Cheese Balls…

AND SO MUCH MORE THAT I FORGET!

This is a great food item that will impress everybody

It is even vegetarian!!!!!!

Roasted Potatoes and Mushrooms with Taleggio

My dads favorite cheese is taleggio, and I love taleggio to! Here is a great recipe, that my dad loves, and approves! Here is the recipe:

Roasted Potatoes and Mushrooms with Taleggio
Serves 5

8 ounces of assorted mushrooms
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup of loosely packed sage leaves, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
2 pounds of small fingerling potatoes, stubbed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
6 ounces of taleggio cheese, rind removed, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the mushrooms with 1 1/4 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Toss with sage and garlic. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet, and roast until mushrooms are golden brown and tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Toss the potatoes with the remaining olive oil and salt and pepper. Put the potatoes on a baking sheet, and put them in the oven. Cook until brown and crisp, 35-40 minutes.

Heat the broiler. Toss the mushrooms and potatoes together, and put into a baking dish. Top with taleggio, and broil until the cheese melts and is golden brown. Serve and enjoy!

Serve with a salad

Salmon Roasted with Butter

I don't love salmon, but my parents do and I made this for them. Here is the recipe

Salmon Roasted with Butter

Serves 3

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter

3 (1/2 pound) salmon fillets

Salt, pepper

Thyme sprigs

3 tablespoons of dijon mustard

1 lemon, squeezed, keep the juice

Chives, minced

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Melt the butter in a medium roasting pan, until the foam subsides. 

Place the salmon in the butter, flesh side down, and put the pan in the oven. Roast for about 5 minutes, then turn and roast for another 3-6 minutes longer, until the salmon is done. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with chives and thyme.

In the hot pan with the salmon juices, whisk in the dijon mustard and lemon, and pour on top of the salmon. Top with chives or parsley. Enjoy the wonderful dish!

Lentil Soup

I love soup when I am sick or when it is cold out, it makes your heart feel warm and toasty! Here is a great recipe that tastes like it came out of a restaurant. Here is the recipe:

Lentil Soup
Serves 4

1 cup of lentils, washed and picked over
1 bay leaf
Few pinches of fresh thyme
1 carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes
1 celery stalk, cut into small cubes
6 cups of chicken stock or water, or beef stock, or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
Salt and pepper

Place the lentils, bay leaf, thyme, carrot, and celery in a medium pot with 6 cups of stock. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, place the olive oil in a small skillet and turn the heat to medium low. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it softens. Add the garlic and stir. Cook for 1 minute more.

When the lentils are tender, they usually take about 30 minutes. Fish out the bay leaf and the thyme sprigs, and pour the onion mixture into the soup.

Add more stock if needed, the soup should still be thick, but yet quite soupy. Season with salt and pepper and serve with toasted bread.

Crawfish Etoufee

I have made this so many times with both crawfish and rock shrimp. Both work great!!
You should definitely make it!
Here is the recipe:

Crawfish Etoufee
Serves 4

1 stick of butter
2 cups of chopped onions
1 cup of chopped celery
1/2 cup of chopped green bell peppers
1 pound of peeled crawfish tails, or rock shrimp
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon of flour
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon of salt
Pinch of cayenne
2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
3 tablespoons of chopped scallions

In a large saute pan over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and sauté until the vegetables are wilted, about 10-12 minutes. Add the crawfish, for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dissolve the flour in the water. Add it to the crawfish mixture. Season with salt and cayenne. Stir until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Stir in the parsley, and green onions and continue cooking for 2 minutes. Serve over steamed rice. Top with extra parsley.

Steaming plate of hot etoufee. 

It warms my heart ;)

Cobb Wedge Salad

I was so mad while I was making this salad, I was supposed to grill the lettuce, but it was raining! So, I just used  lettuce without grilling it, it still turned out great though. Here is the recipe:

Cobb Wedge Salad
Serves 2

6 slices of thick cut bacon
2 large eggs, at room temperature
Olive oil, for drizzling
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 leaves of fresh basil, thinly sliced
1 small garlic clove, minced
Kosher salt and pepper
1 head of romaine or iceberg lettuce
1 teaspoon of paprika, (preferably smoked)
1 avocado, halved, peeled, pitted, peeled, and cut into wedges
2 small radishes, thinly sliced
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
Red wine vinegar, for drizzling
1/3 cup of crumbled blue cheese

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels and cut it in half, set it aside.
Soft boil the eggs: Bring a saucepan of water to a boil over medium high heat. Lower the eggs into the water and cook for exactly 6 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a bowl with ice water. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the boiling water, and lower them into the ice water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, then peel.
Combine the olive oil, tomatoes, basil, and garlic in a small bowl, pour over the tomatoes.
To assemble the salad, put a few pieces of lettuce on a plate, cut the eggs in half, and put them on top. Sprinkle with blue cheese, arrange the tomatoes, avocado, bacon, radishes, and onion on the salad. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Top with herbs (optional) Season with pepper.

Always poke the bottom of the egg with a sharp object before boiling!