Creme Brulee?

Does anyone have a good recipe for Creme Brulee? 

Peach & Jalapeno Margaritas!

So I just made these Margs and although it sounds weird, they are so good! The jalapeno doesn't give it a whole lot of spice, just a bit of warmth to the back of your throat. They're also super easy - I left the skin on the peaches and chopped everything roughly because at the end, I ran it all through a sieve.

3 Ripe Peaches, roughly chopped
1 Jalapeno, roughly chopped
1/4 cup Simple Syrup, with a 3 sugar to 1 water ratio
1 Lime, zest and juice
Pinch of salt (just to bring out the sweetness)

Throw all the ingredients in the food processor or blender and run until smooth.
Run it through a sieve to catch the skins, seeds and any chunks.

Shake with a bit of ice and your favorite tequila and serve in a margarita or martini glass with a lime or sliced jalapeno garnish.

Summer Fab

I am adoring trifles right now <3

Chris has taken pictures of the ones I

have created, but here is the basic idea.

Ladies..these are classy. delicious. & simple.

I'm sure you have made them before...

but bring the trifle bowl back out

& make it your staple for summer!

Love,

this summer's trifle queen <3

Southern BBQ - In my oven

There is something about Southern BBQ that is comforting to me. I've never lived in the south yet when I think of what I want for Sunday Night Dinner, it's pulled pork, slow roasted ribs, with baked macaroni and cheese, smashed potatoes, wilted spinach... you get the idea. I happened to see pork butt on sale at Safeway while grocery shopping late this week so I grabbed it, knowing that pulled pork sandos were in my future. They're easy, delish and so incredibly comforting to me.
Here's what I do - and give yourself a few hours, this recipe is low & slow.

Heat your oven to 425º and let your pork butt or Boston butt come to room temperature (I do this with almost every meat or poultry I cook because it allows for more even cooking and only takes 25-30 minutes)

Season your pork liberally with salt and pepper

Pop in the 425º oven for about 20-25 minutes and then drop the temperature between 250º-275º and let it go low and slow for 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours. It honestly doesn't need anymore than that which I recently learned. I used to literally give mine 8 hours and although that's yum too, it's just not necessary.

I love my pulled pork sandos with coleslaw on top. Every time I tell my Dad I'm making pulled pork he says, "you gonna make 'em Memphis Style and pull your coleslaw on the sandwich?" And for me, there's no other way. You have a great flavor balance from the savory salty pork with the sweet crunchy slaw. It's amazing.
So at this point, put your coleslaw together. I sometimes cheat because although half a head of both red and green cabbage don't look like a lot in the store, they are!! So sometimes, when it's just JP and I, I use the bag and add to it. No shame, it's just convenient. Use your favorite recipe, here. And I'm saying this because I don't measure unless I'm baking so I can't give an accurate recipe. Mayo, I add a little sour cream or buttermilk if I've got it, grated onion, celery seed, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt pepper, maybe a little cayenne. Do what suits you though.

With about an hour until your pork is done, start your barbecue sauce. Mine is ketchup based and so easy. This make's probably a bit more than a cup of sauce so change the quantities based on your needs.
1/2 a yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 Cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 Cup Molasses
1/4 Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
3/4 Cup ketchup
I start by sweating my onions and garlic in a bit of olive oil with salt and pepper. When the onions are translucent, add the chili powder and apple cider vinegar. When the vinegar reduces a bit, add the brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire, when all that is mixed together add the ketchup, mix and let the flavors meld together and cook on low heat until your pork is done.

When your pork is done, use two forks to pull it apart into bit sized pieces. Pour your BBQ sauce over the pork and toss until combined.
Top your buns with a mound of pulled pork, and scoop on a bit of coleslaw. Or you can serve your coleslaw on the side.

I serve my sandos with baked beans, french fries, etc.

Enjoy a little Southern Comfort Ladies!

HAWAIIAN STYLE COCONUT SHRIMP

Hawaiian Style Coconut Shrimp

This is one of my favorite shrimp dishes and it is really tasty and easy to make.  If you are allergic to shellfish, you can also sub in your favorite fish. Halibut, Salmon or other mild white fish work well. It works great with the bags of frozen shrimp or frozen fish as long as you slowly thaw them under COLD water.  A trick with frozen seafood is that you never want to run it under warm or hot water, it makes it tough and chewy. 

Ingredients: 

Shrimp or Fish

 2 cups Fresh Coconut (Shaved/flaked)

1 can of coconut milk

4 tbsp ground almonds (or you can grind them yourself in a food processor for more flavor)

1 tsp Cavendar's Greek Spice (Salt, Pepper, Garlic Power, Basil, Oregano, Paprika, etc)

1 Egg

1/2 cup all purpose flower (I use Wheat Flower)

1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda

2-3 cups of oil for frying 

Directions 

1. In medium bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, coconut milk and baking powder. 

2. Then in a separate bowl, combine the coconut flakes, Greek Spice and ground almonds.

3. Hold shrimp by tail or fish flat, and dredge in the coconut milk mix thoroughly to make sure the entire pieces of seafood in well coated.

4. Then roll the seafood into the dry flake mix of coconut, ground almonds and spices, shaking off excess flakes. 

5.  Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

6. Meanwhile, heat oil to 300 degrees F (170 degrees C) in a deep pan.

3. Lightly fry shrimp or fish in batches: cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Using tongs, remove shrimp to paper towels to drain. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce. 

Dipping Sauces:

I LOVE aioli!  One of my favorites simple mixes:

Pesto Aioli
- Take Mayo and mix in your store bought pesto and pressed garlic.

I also love the Sweet Chili Sauce from Trader Joe's on this recipe.

Buttery Nip Martini

This is a my own invention thanks to my good old college days.  These martinis are sweet, so 2 of them will be about all you can handle.  They taste like a butterscotch candy and are delicious! This martini is also a hit with a lot of men. 

Butterscotch Schnapps ( 3 seconds)

Vodka (2 seconds)

Bailey's Irish Cream (1 1/2 seconds)

Kahlua ( 1 1/2 seconds)

I do free pouring which is easy, you just count your ounces as full seconds (1 Aloha, 2 Aloha, 3 Aloha...)  

Pour all ingredients into a martini shaker filled to the top with ice. Shake hard to break up ice and blend contents well.  Take the martini glass and you can either swirl chocolate syrup or caramel syrup onto the inside before pouring martini into the glass. Delicious!

You can also top with a squirt of whipped cream and a cookie.  You can also add an espresso twist by cutting down the recipe by 1/2 a second all around and then adding a shot in to into the martini shaker before shaking.

Giada's Grilled Eggplant & Goat Cheese Salad

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this recipe. It is delicious with amazing flavors and textures. The only thing I so different is I reduce my balsamic down for a few minutes before drizzling it over the eggplant to make it stick better. If you choose to reduce yours down too, let it cool for a 10-15 minutes prior to drizzling.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
7 Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch wide slices
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup basil, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped mint
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the olive oil over the slices of eggplant and toss to coat. Grill the eggplants until tender and grill marks appear, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Place the eggplants side-by-side on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, goat cheese, basil, and mint. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.

Cook's note: Plating the eggplant salad this way allowed the cheese to stay bright white. The salt and pepper showed up on it. The herbs remained green and fluffy. The grill marks on the eggplant were distinct.

Grillin'

Hi Girls! I know it's been a while since I put a post together so here is last nights dinner. It was easy, delicious & stress-free grilling. I made a balsamic glaze marinated chicken breast with purple smashed potatoes and grilled zucchini. I used the lamb balsamic marinade idea for the chicken and it worked beautifully.

Balsamic Marinade:

1/2 Cup Balsamic, reduced (I put mine in a nonstick sauté pan and let it reduce and thicken for about 15 minutes)

2 Tablespoons Dijon

1/4 Cup Honey

1-2 Springs fresh Rosemary, minced

2 Cloves minced garlic

Salt & Pepper

Mix everything together and pour over the seasoned (salt and pepper) boneless, skinless chicken breasts to sit at room temperature for about 25- 30 minutes while the coals/grill heat up. Pop them on for about 10-12 minutes depending on the thickness.

Purple Smashed Potatoes:

10 small purple potatoes

4 Pads Butter

1/4-1/3 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Sour Cream

This is just like any other smashed potato but I used purple ones. They were so cool and had a great color. I'm always looking for ways to liven up smashed potatoes and this was a great. You can use your favorite recipe, simply substitute your red skinned potatoes for the purple ones. I also left the skins on because I like the texture.

Grilled Zucchini:

Cut them in half lengthwise after cutting off the ends. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill starting with the flesh side down first. Grill for 8-10 minutes. They get beautiful grill marks but are still tender and al dente in the middle.

This is an easy menu but it's got a lot of flavor and pretty colors.

xoxoxoxoxo

Easter Cupcakes

Easter is right around the corner...

I am thinking these are a must <3

Easter Baskets, Cadbury Eggs & an Easter egg hunt are a must!

What are you girls doing for Easter Sunday?

I'm Back!!

Hello my lovely ladies! 

Sorry I haven't been posting on our blog in a while. 

I am back and going to post a few recipes tonight when I get home. 

I am SOOOOOO excited to see you all in 15 days! Woo hoo. 

Julia- Is everything set with the transportation and wineries?  If not, how can I help? 

Kate- Do you have your booby shirts and dresses ready to let the twins out?

Melanie- Are you ready to get your cuddle on with me?

Anyways, thought I would drop a quick note and say hi. 

I hope that you all have a great day and I'll be posting tonight :)

xo

St. Patricks Day!

One of my favorite days!
Love the Irish!

Tonight we are having
people over and the menu...

Corned Beef
LOTS of potatoes
& Green Beer

I'll update pics tomorrow!
Hope you all have a
fabulous St. Patty's Day!

xxoo

Banana Bread

Couldn't decide on a pie...
soooo I decided to make my favorite banana bread

2 1/2 C Flour
1 t Salt
2 t Baking Soda
1/2 lb of Butter
2 C Sugar
3 Eggs
6 Bananas (mashed)

Heat oven to 350 degrees
Mix dry ingredients and wet separately...
combine in a big bowl using a hand mixer

I spray the bread pans with Pam Baking Spray
Pour mix into two pans

Cook for about 40 minutes or until done.

ENJOY : )

This recipe is so easy and it works perfectly every time.
Chris got into the bread before we took a picture...
hence the missing piece.

Love you girls. xxoo

Pies

Hello Ladies!

I have had a huge migraine all day, but I wanted to

get a post on here before bed...

I could use your best pie recipes PLEASE.

I am making a couple of pies for an amazing

non-profit here in the Dallas/Ft Worth area this week

and I absolutely want them to be fabulous

If you ladies have some SwEeT recipes & can post them before Wednesday

afternoon that would be great.

A buttermilk pie recipe is my #1 goal...Apple pie is my favorite...

everything else will be new & fun

xxoo

Sweet Potato Fries

I make sweet potatoes of some kind for
Chris & I at least twice a week and...

here in Texas you can't go far without
finding the most yummy
Sweet Potato Fries...

they are healthy, easy to make & tasty

preheat oven to 400 degrees

take two sweet potatoes and cut them into wedges

put the wedges onto a baking sheet and spray with
baking spray (or I use spray butter...0 cals & works so well)

then put into the oven for 20-30 minutes depending on the
size of the fries.

Try one for taste...they should be somewhat crunchy on
the outside and soft inside.

Sometimes we add salt & have them with ketchup...
sometimes we put a little cinnamon and
butter for a dessert type of treat.

ENJOY xxoo

White Chicken Chili

I have so many recipes that I want to
post...but today I am posting only one.

This is a SiMpLe & DeLiSh...

White Chicken Chili

2 lbs chicken breast
24 oz. great northern beans
jar of mild salsa (pick your favorite)
jar of medium salsa (again your favorite)
large block of monterey jack cheese
large block of pepper jack cheese

clean and trim chicken. cut into cubes.
cook cubed chicken in salsa until no longer pink.

put the chicken and salsa into the crockpot on low
add white beans (entire contents of can)

leave in crockpot on low for 3-4 hrs.
1 hour before serving cut both blocks of cheese into cubes
and add them to the crockpot.

Serve over & with tortilla chips, sour cream & cheese for topping.

text me for questions lovies. <3>

Tia's Skinny Girl Guava Margaritas

Since I occasionally am a lush, used to bartend, and have a ton of misc alcohol in my cabinet that I have been trying to use before I move, I have been experimenting with creating new drinks.  Since I am trying to work out, get hot and snag a man, I have been trying to watch what I eat and drink a lot more.

I also don't drink too often, hence why I have so much alcohol in my cabinet. This drink is very light, very refreshing and you can change it up with the type of juices you use. I also use grapefruit, mango or you can leave it plain.

Ingrideients:

Tequila or Vodka (your choice)
Sliced lemons
Sliced limes
Soda Water
Fruit juice of choice
Ice 

Directions:

In a tall glass, fill to the top of the glass with ice. Depending on how strong you like your drinks (I like mine weak), add in the alcohol. I use about a 1 1/2 shots for me, but used 2 1/2 for Wes.  Then add in soda water to about 1/2in to the top of the glass. Squeeze in about 1/4 lemon, 1/4 lime and add a splash of your favorite fruit juice.

So fresh and yummy :)

AB's Creme Brulee

So I came home from work the other night and all of the sudden got a craving for Creme Brulee. You can't imagine what a happy girl I was to find that I had all the ingredients. This is one of the easiest recipes ever! It's also delicious and was so velverty! I don't have a torch so I used my broiler. It works but it makes the custard a bit warm - but the texture and flavor are all there. I also didn't have a vanilla bean on hand so I used pure vanilla extract. I poured the entire custard mixture in to a big measuring cup so that it was easier and less of a mess to pour in to the ramekins. Also, I used the egg whites to make a simple meringue and made cookies to snack on. You must try this recipe - It is simple, easy and super impressive!

Ingredients

• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 cup vanilla sugar, divided
• 6 large egg yolks
• 2 quarts hot water

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Place the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp into a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and reserve for another use.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and the egg yolks until well blended and it just starts to lighten in color. Add the cream a little at a time, stirring continually. Pour the liquid into 6 (7 to 8-ounce) ramekins. Place the ramekins into a large cake pan or roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake just until the creme brulee is set, but still trembling in the center, approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.

Remove the creme brulee from the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes prior to browning the sugar on top. Divide the remaining 1/2 cup vanilla sugar equally among the 6 dishes and spread evenly on top. Using a torch, melt the sugar and form a crispy top. Allow the creme brulee to sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Giada

Giada is going to be in the Dallas area in April! You should go have her sign a cook book Kate! http://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/calendar/
I can't find when she is going to be in California because her calendar isn't updated that far. I think we should plan a trip to meet Giada. A then wait until she's leaving and jump in her car so that we can ride with her and pick her brain about food/cooking and then she can get us all on Food Network together. I'll change my hair back to blond and we can have a show about the 2 short blonds and the two tall brunettes that all cook together. It'll be fabulous!
Or we could Giada-nap her! She's pretty little so I think if we join forces all together we could steal her away. We could take her to a kitchen and make her cook with us and then pitch our a show idea to her about the brunetties and the blondies.
Or we can simply go to meet her and have her sign our cook books. :)
Let's try to plan a Giada Book Signing trip - I think she'd love us and we wouldn't have to Giada-Nap her to have her talk kitchen with us.
xoxoxo

Engagement Party

So a friend of mine is getting engaged this weekend. She doesn't know yet, but her man called me and wants me to cook for the "after" celebration. He has rented a gorgeous house on the beach for this soiree' but I have never see it, or it's kitchen. I will be allowed access to the house all day in preparation for the party that evening. I will be cooking for around 15 people and serving around 6pm. What should I make???

Mel xx

Chicken Bouillabaisse

I watched Ina make this the other day so I decided to make it last night. The chicken turned out really flavorful and moist. Dev loved it. It is a dish from the South of France so it's very herby. I would use less fennel next time.

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 (4 to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
• Good olive oil
• 1 large head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1 1/2 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons Pernod
• 1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved
• Rouille, for serving, recipe follows
• Crusty French bread, for serving

Directions

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it generously with salt, pepper, and the rosemary. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven and brown the chicken pieces in batches until nicely browned all over, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, saffron, fennel seeds, tomato puree, chicken stock, white wine, Pernod, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper to the pot. Stir and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the garlic is very tender, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Carefully pour the sauce into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree until smooth. Return the sauce to the Dutch oven and add the sliced potatoes and browned chicken pieces with their juices. Stir carefully.

Cover the pot and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is done. Check the seasonings and serve hot in shallow bowls with big dollops of Rouille and slices of crusty bread.

Rouille:

nocoupons

• 4 large garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• *1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup good olive oil

Place the garlic and salt on a cutting board and mince together. Transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, saffron, and red pepper flakes. Process until smooth.

With the machine running, pour the olive oil in a thin, steady stream through the feed tube to make a thick mayonnaise emulsion. Transfer the rouille to a serving bowl and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Yield: 1 cup