Hot and spicy salsa recipe from an author friend

Hey there guys!
Do you like hot and spicy salsa?
Well if you do, then I have the recipe for you.  An author friend of mine shared the recipe with me, and now I am sharing the recipe with you.

If you want to check out her writing, here is a link to her website:

Patricia T. Macias

And here is a link to her Amazon author's page, where you can buy her books:

Patricia T. Macias Amazon author page

And now, here is her recipe for:


Hot & Spicy salsa recipe

You will need:

8- Jose Enrique's hot green jalapeno peppers
2-Jessica red tomatoes or you can use one 8oz can of tomato sauce
1-Mexican cartel white onion
1-De La Cruz familia cilantro (bundle)
1-teaspoon salt
Optional garlic to your Hot & Spicy taste

You will need to boil Jose Enrique's hot green jalapeno peppers and Jessica's red tomatoes until soft and cooked.

Take the Mexican cartel cilantro bundle and rinse.  Then cut off the stems, only use the leaf.

You then throw Jose Enrique's hot jalapeno peppers (without stems), Jessica's red tomatoes (skinned), 1/2 of the Mexican cartel white onion, the De La Cruz cilantro, and salt into blender.

You blend to the Hot & Spicy desired consistency that you love.  If you want it even hotter you need to use additional Jose Enrique’s hot green jalapeno peppers or use some serrano peppers.

Now you have your very own Jose Enrique's Hot & Spicy salsa!

Enjoy!

-- Hope you enjoy the recipe,
-- jd --

Recipe share - Yummy Zucchini Bread

Hey there!  Have a recipe for you, shared by one of our facebook friends, Annette Packer.  Today she shares with us her favorite recipe for zucchini bread:

Yummy Zucchini Bread

2 cups grated zucchini ( 2 med usually good)

3 cups  flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

4 eggs

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup canola oil or vegetable oil

2 cups sugar ( if diabetic NO sugar)

3 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped walnuts

* for chocolate lovers add 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Grease 2 medium loaf pans or 3 small (not real small) ones.  Grate zucchini then set aside, DON’T DRAIN.  Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Then beat eggs, oil, vanilla, lemon juice, and sugar together until creamy; then add sifted dry ingredients into bowl.  Beat well, then add zucchini and walnuts.  And of course don’t forget the chocolate chips if desired.  Fill pans three-quarters of the way full, and  bake for about 40 to 50 minutes.  Let cool about 10 to 15 minutes.  Cream cheese is also yummy on it .. ENJOY !!

*** Have a recipe you would like to share?  Just drop me an email at:
rcandfood@yahoo.com
-- jd --

Sherrie Collis's recipe for Vienna Bread

Hi all!  Here is a recipe shared with us by one of our facebook buddies, Sherrie Collis.  It is her recipe for Vienna Bread.  Sounds yummy!  French bread and mozzarella cheese?  Are you kidding me!  That is always good!  So enough with the chit-chat, and on to the recipe.  Enjoy!



VIENNA BREAD

1 loaf uncut French Bread
1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter
1 TB poppy seeds
2 TB chopped onions
1 TB dry mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Lawrey's seasoned salt
8 oz. Sliced Swiss cheese, or use sliced Mozarella or Provolone (I use more & usually Mozarella)

Cut loaf in criss cross #### atop loaf about 1 inch apart, but not clear through to the bottom. Sit on foil, I use extra wide heavy duty, then a sheet of release foil that I sit the bread on. Melt oleo & mix with all BUT the cheese in sauce pan. Stuff parts of the sliced cheese in slits of bread. I fold the cheese in half tear apart, then in half again & stuff into the bread. Pour sauce over bread. Wrap in foil & bake 35 minutes at 350. Reheats well.

Product Review - Lentil and Hummus Chips by Simply 7 Snacks

The company:  Simply 7 Snacks

Their facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/simply7snacks
Their website:  http://www.simply7snacks.com

According to their website, their family has been in the food industry for generations.  They are out to provide people with healthy snacks that not only are good for you, but are really good too.  This brings us to . . .

The product:  Simply 7 hummus chips and lentil chips

 

Now I can't remember how I found my way to Simply 7's facebook page.  Probably thru a side ad maybe.  I love facebook side ads.  But I am really glad I did.

I found my way to their website and offered to do a product review here in my blog of their products.  They emailed me back and said that yes, they were interested.  And so they sent me a case of their hummus and lentil chips to try out.

Now they are offering consumers something different in the way of chips.  These chips are made out of lentils and chickpeas.  Traditionally chips have been made out of corn or potatoes.  But why not beans?

Behind their new chip concept are their 7 core standards:
(http://www.simply7snacks.com/Pages/our-7-standards.aspx)

1. 0 Grams Trans Fat and No Cholesterol
2. No Artificial Colors or Flavors
3. No Additives or Preservatives
4. Gluten Free Ingredients
5. All Natural Recipes
6. Simple Ingredients
7. Simply Delicious

Sounding good so far, right?  They have 6 varieties of their chips:

• sea salt hummus chips
• sea salt lentil chips
• tomato basil hummus chips
• spicy chili pepper hummus chips
• creamy dill lentil chips
• bruschetta lentil chips

But the proof is in the tasting, and I have been tasting.  The first thing you may be wondering is:  what is the difference between lentil chips and hummus chips?  Well, there is a difference in the shape and texture of the two chips, and in the taste.  I don't know quite how to describe the difference in taste between the two, but I like them both.  As for texture, the hummus chips seem to have a crunchier and lighter texture than the lentil chips.  What I like about both chips is they are bite size.  And here is one thing that I love about both chips:

They are perfectly designed to hold dips and salsa.  These are a couple of the sea salt hummus chips, and one has dip in it; while the other has salsa in it.  Now dip will usually hold onto a traditional potato chip.  But when was the last time you ran across a bowl shaped chip that basically worked as an edible spoon?  They are particularly great for salsa.  With most chips,  the liquid part of salsa will hold onto the chip; but the good chunky parts will usually try to fall off.  These chips don't let that happen, and are especially great for eating with salsa.  I am really enjoying them for that purpose, and so is my hubby.

Another thing that I really like about these chips, and I just realized this today, is that they don't have that chip greasiness that you get sometimes.  They have a wonderfully light, non-greasy taste.  Now on to the individual flavors:


Sea salt lentil chips

  

Sea salt hummus chips

 


Now here you can see the difference between the hummus and the lentil chips.  Both are of the sea salt flavor.  There is a difference in shape, and a difference in texture, and difference in flavor.  If I had to compare them to something on the market (and this is a stretch because there is nothing else quite like them), I would compare the texture of the hummus chips to that of Munchos chips; but much better.  The flavor on the other hand is uniquely different from munchos.  With the lentil chips, I would have to use the following comparison:  if a cracker and a chip had a baby, it would be the lentil chip.  But very light and with a flavor all its own.


Bruschetta lentil chips

 

These chips have a flavor that, upon first taste, is almost a barbecue type taste.  But then as you eat more, you get a fresh tomato flavor too; combined with the taste of a good Italian tomato sauce.  A very delightful combination of seasonings.

Creamy dill lentil chips

 


Have you ever had sour cream and chive potato chips?  But what if you don't like chives, yet like the sour cream part?  Well here's your chip.  This creamy dill flavor has the wonderful creamy flavor, with the lively dill flavor mixed in.  Now I am a big pickle lover, and I really like this flavor.  And the dill flavor isn't an overpowering one, but it is a very nice subtle one.  And it tastes really good with salsa too.

Tomato basil hummus chips



Now upon first impression, some might tend to think that the bruschetta flavor and this one would be very similar, since both involve tomatoes.  But they are very different flavors indeed.  For one thing, one flavor is a lentil chip, and these are hummus chips.  Another clue in the difference in flavors is the look.  The flavor of these chips put me in mind of my mom's stewed tomatoes.  If you took the flavor of stewed tomatoes, and turned it into a chip, it would be this chip.  The tomato flavor is much milder and less pronounced.  But it is a delicious chip, and a delicious flavor.  I have a curry dip recipe that I bet these would be great with.

Spicy chili pepper hummus chips

 

Well for those of you who like a little heat, here is your chip.  But it's not a strong, overpowering heat either.  These have a nice chili flavor, but not a tomatoey flavor.  Now I'm not a person who goes in for anything hot, but these aren't bad.  Pair these up with your favorite hot salsa, and all you heat seekers out there will be set.  Remember, all those nice chunks won't fall off of these.  You can take these babies and scoop the goodness up.

In conclusion . . .

• Did I like the chips?  A definite resounding yes.
• If these chips were available where I shop, would I buy them on a regular basis?  Again a resounding yes.
• What were my favorite flavors?  The sea salt, the tomato basil, the creamy dill, and the bruschetta.
• Which do I like best, the lentil or the hummus chips?  Well, since I love garbanzo beans, I like the hummus chips best.  They seem to have a slightly crunchier texture that I like.
• What do I like them best with?  Salsa.
• Do I have any flavor addition suggestions for Simply 7?  Yes - ranch, barbecue, and cheese.  I think these flavors would taste great on their chips.
• With no preservatives, do they keep well after opening?  Yes, they keep just fine.  I have had several bags open doing tasting for this post.  I fold the top over and use a plastic clothes pin to hold it closed.  They hold their taste and crispness just fine.

Simply 7 is forging new ground in the chip/snack industry by creating a light and crunchy snack chip made from beans.  And they aren't at all greasy either.  I would compare them to air-popped popcorn, only no husks.  If you get the chance to try these, I would encourage you to do so.  I think you will really like them.  One thing I have thought of is how great these would be used in recipes.  You know how many casserole recipes call for a cracker or chip topping?  I bet these would be really good as a casserole topping.  Another place they would be good would be to use them in place of tortilla chips in a taco salad.  And of course they are just great for snacking.  They aren't the same old potato chip.  Far from it.  They are a new breed of chip for a new century.

Happy snacking!

-- jd --

the cook behind it all

Copyright April 13th, 2012 by Jacqueline Driggers.

JD'S Oven baked french toast

Just finished up a food experiment that was an unqualified success.  Sorry, but no pictures to share; as it was yummy and we were hungry.  Will be making this for hubby and I again.

This recipe springs from my mom's way of making french toast.  She would prepare eggs as she would for scrambling, then she would soak a piece of bread in it and fry it in the skillet.  Here is my oven baked version:

JD's oven baked french toast


bread
eggs
water
salt and pepper
Reynolds Non-Stick foil (http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/product/nonstick.asp?)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Then take a paper bowl, and break an egg in it.  Add about 1 T. of water (I use bottled spring water in all my cooking).  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Beat well with a fork.  Next take a paper plate with a rim on it, or a pie plate, and put a piece of bread on it.  I use Dixie brand plates which work beautifully (http://www.dixie.com/prdct-plates.html#).  Then pour the egg mixture over the bread.  Let the egg soak into one side then gently turn the bread and get it soaked into the other side.

Next take a piece of the non-stick foil big enough to hold the piece of bread and be folded over to make a packet.  Fold up the ends and sides of the foil a bit so your egg won't all run off, then place the soaked piece of bread on the foil.  Pour any excess egg mixture onto the piece of bread, and fold the foil over making a packet (http://www.reynoldskitchens.com/how_to_detail.asp?info_page_id=746).  Then place the packet on a cookie sheet.

Repeat the process for as many pieces of french toast as you want to make.  Then bake them for 20-30 minutes.  I baked mine for 30 minutes, but I think 25 might have been a bit better.

So now you have a simple, no-mess way to make french toast any time you want it.    This worked really well!  Hubby and I loved it.  The bottom of the toast got nice and brown, but the inside was nice and fluffy; and it tasted wonderful.  You could use any bread that you like best.  I used just regular wheat bread.  Using the non-stick foil ensures that the bread doesn't stick, and allows you to cook it oil-free.  Plus this recipe is milk-free, as you only use water.

Happy cooking and delightful eating!
-- jd --