About liz

Green Jalapeño Margarita: Go Green on Cinco de Mayo

by liz · May 4, 2020

Here’s a trend I’ve been seeing lately: adding spinach to smoothies, grating zucchini into brownies and stirring pumpkin into soup and pastas. This may sound crazy, but these are all good ways to get more nutrients into our diets, which most of us need! And, they really do taste delicious…or, rather, I should say they don’t taste at all. I can’t even detect the extra veggies added to these particular dishes, so I get to eat my favorite foods with one extra, effortless serving of vegetables.

So, I soon became a spinach-smoothie convert, throwing a handful of spinach into any combination of frozen fruit, yogurt and instant breakfast mix I was blending. As May rolled around, I realized I could easily incorporate this trick into one of my favorite cocktails: the frozen margarita! Plus, I love jalapeños and drinks with a bit of spice. Adding a few fresh slices of this hot pepper + spinach gives your frozen margarita some heat, as well as a gorgeous green color. And it still tastes like that awesome beach trip to Mexico.

I give you the Green Jalapeño Margarita: your new favorite frozen summery drink.

Green Jalapeño Margarita

Ingredients for 2 servings:

3/4 cup fresh spinach leaves
1/4 cup Tequila blanco
1/4 cup orange liqueur (such as Triple Sec or Grand Marnier)
1/4 cup apple juice or orange juice
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 to 4 slices fresh jalapeño chile
10 to 12 cilantro leaves
2 cups crushed ice
Coarse salt

Directions:

PLACE spinach, Tequila, liqueur, Juicy Juice, lime juice, jalapeño slices, cilantro and ice in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.

DIP rims of glasses into water; dip into salt and shake off excess. Pour margarita mixture into glasses. Garnish each with a jalapeño slice, if desired.

Cook’s Tip: Increase amounts of jalapeño, cilantro and spinach leaves according to taste.

Green Jalapeño Margarita

Author: Food Charmer

Recipe type: Drinks

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 1

Try this healthier - and still delicious - take on a spicy, frozen margarita.

Ingredients

¾ cup fresh spinach leaves
¼ cup Tequila blanco
¼ cup orange liqueur (such as Triple Sec or Grand Marnier)
¼ cup apple juice or orange juice
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 to 4 slices fresh jalapeño chile
10 to 12 cilantro leaves
2 slices cucumber
2 cups crushed ice
Coarse salt

Instructions

PLACE spinach, Tequila, liqueur, apple or orange juice, lime juice, jalapeño slices, cilantro, cucumber and ice in blender; cover. Blend until smooth.
DIP rims of glasses into water; dip into salt and shake off excess. Pour margarita mixture into glasses. Garnish each with a jalapeño slice, if desired.
Cook's Tip: Increase amounts of jalapeño, cilantro and spinach leaves according to taste.

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Quick & Easy Dinners: Cheese & Chicken Enchiladas

by liz · May 4, 2020

Enchiladas mean different things to different people. To some, they mean spicy chicken or pork, topped with red chile sauce. To others, they’re tangy green chile sauce with cheese. Still others add sour cream or cream cheese, potatoes, peanuts or almonds. And to purists, enchiladas mean simple tortillas heated on a stove-top one-by-one, dipped in chile sauce, then folded once and topped with cheese and onion.

This Cheese & Chicken Enchiladas recipe means quick, easy and scrumptious. I made them with my new boyfriend and my dad — they’ve cumulatively eaten a lot of enchiladas — and it was agreed these enchiladas were delicious (better the next day and even more so with a fried egg on top for breakfast). And don’t forget flexible! This recipe features chicken, cheddar cheese, tomato salsa and cream cheese, but make a few changes and you can please even your pickiest friends and family members. Just use any variety of salsa or enchilada sauce you like (I used tomato-raspberry-chipotle salsa; the sweet/spicy combination was addictive!) and substitute different cheeses like smoked Gouda, sharp white cheddar or queso fresco. You can also use Greek yogurt or sour cream in place of cream cheese.

Find out what enchiladas mean to you!

Cheese & Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients for 4 servings:

Nonstick cooking spray
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast meat
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups (12-ounce bottle) chunky salsa, divided
1/2 of an 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese
8 (7- or 8-inch) soft taco-size fat free or regular flour tortillas

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Spray large, nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add onion; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender.

Add chicken, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 3/4 cup salsa and cream cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheeses are melted as shown above.

SPOON a scant 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place in 13 x 9-inch (3-quart rectangular) baking dish as shown above.

Drizzle with remaining salsa. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese (as shown with queso fresco above); cover. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese on top is melted.

I served mine with fresh cilantro (shown above), a dry rosé wine, and a green salad. Salud!

Cheese & Chicken Enchiladas

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep time: 25 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1 small onion, chopped
1½ cups cooked, shredded chicken breast meat
¾ cup (3 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1½ cups (12-ounce bottle) chunky salsa, divided
½ of an 8-ounce package reduced-fat cream cheese
8 (7- or 8-inch) soft taco-size fat free or regular flour tortillas

Instructions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Spray large, nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add onion; cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender.
Add chicken, ½ cup cheddar cheese, ¾ cup salsa and cream cheese. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheeses are melted as shown above.
SPOON a scant ⅓ cup chicken mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place in 13 x 9-inch (3-quart rectangular) baking dish as shown above.
Drizzle with remaining salsa. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese (as shown with queso fresco above); cover. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through and cheese on top is melted.

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Mom’s Margarita Wine Punch

by liz · May 4, 2020

Ever since I found a cake stand that doubles as a punch bowl, I’ve been excited to serve wine punch like my mom used to do back in the ’70s. I remember her as fabulous in her polyester pant suit, hair piled high, serving pretty punch in a gorgeous glass bowl at parties my parents sometimes threw. I love this Margarita Wine Punch because it tastes like a margarita, but is made with wine, my favorite drink.

She sent me this recipe so I could have a great punch at my party too; it’s great for Cinco de Mayo, outdoor summer events, or any weekend when you crave a frosty Mexican beverage.

Margarita Wine Punch Recipe

adapted from a Sunsest magazine recipe, from sometime in the late ’70s

In a punch bowl, stir together:

3 6-oz. cans thawed frozen concentrate for limeaid
1 12-oz. can thawed frozen concentrate for lemonade
2 bottles (75 ml.) cold dry white wine, such as Chablis or Chenin Blanc (total of 9 C. wine)
If desired tint with A DROP OR TWO of green food coloring.

Shortly before serving add an ice ring or ice cubes. This can be mixed in a large bowl and served in a pitcher (or pitchers).

If desired set out a bowl of salt and a bowl of lemon or lime wedges so guests can rub glass rims with citrus wedges and dip in salt before adding punch.

Makes 3 quarts.

You can use any amount of wine in this recipe, anywhere between 1 bottle and 2 bottles. This recipe has double the wine of the original recipe my mom used, as the lime-aid is very tart and needed cutting. Very dry wine works best.

Now all I need is a fabulous summer pantsuit!

Margarita Wine Punch

Author: Sunset Magazine

Recipe type: Drinks

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Ingredients

3 6-oz. cans thawed frozen concentrate for limeaid
1 12-oz. can thawed frozen concentrate for lemonade
2 bottles (75 ml.) cold dry white wine, such as Chablis or Chenin Blanc (total of 9 C. wine)
If desired tint with A DROP OR TWO of green food coloring.

Instructions

In a punch bowl, stir ingredients together.
Shortly before serving add an ice ring or ice cubes. This can be mixed in a large bowl and served in a pitcher (or pitchers).
If desired set out a bowl of salt and a bowl of lemon or lime wedges so guests can rub glass rims with citrus wedges and dip in salt before adding punch.
Makes 3-4 quarts.

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Less Guilt Dessert: Coconut-Lime Tres Leches Cake

by liz · May 3, 2020

If you’re trying to cut calories and fat, you can always adapt dessert to be better for you! One of my favorites is this recipe for chocolate brownies with zucchini, and the other one that’s great for cookouts, birthday parties and even Cinco de Mayo, is this Coconut Lime Tres Leches Cake.

Coconut-Lime Tres Leches Cake

Recipe by El Mejor Nido

Ingredients for 12 servings:

1 box (18.25 ounces) white cake mix
3 limes
1 can (13.5 fluid ounces) light coconut milk
1 can (14 ounces) Sweetened Condensed Milk
2/3 cup (5 fluid-ounce can) Evaporated Fat Free Milk
1/3 cup light rum (or to taste)
2 cups light whipped topping, thawed, or 2 cups sweetened whipped cream
1/2 cup shredded or flaked coconut, lightly toasted (optional)

Directions:

PREPARE cake mix according to package directions using egg whites; fold in grated peel from 1 lime. Bake in 13 x 9-inch baking pan for duration listed on package. Meanwhile, prepare tres leches mixture.

COMBINE coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and grated peel from 1 lime in large bowl; stir well. When cake tests done, remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.

POKE holes in cake with a long-tined fork every ½ inch. Carefully pour milk mixture over cake, spooning any pooled mixture along the sides over the top of the cake. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

CUT the cake; top with dollop of whipped topping. Grate peel from remaining lime over cake; sprinkle with toasted coconut (or to achieve look in picture, use round biscuit cutters to cut cake, transfer to serving plate, then add toppings).

Coconut-Lime Tres Leches Cake

Author: Meals.com

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 12 servings

With the end of summer heat kicking up and Hispanic heritage month (September) just around the corner, this makes this the perfect less-guilt dessert for Labor Day weekend's cookouts and celebrations. Especially if you love tres leches cake!

Ingredients

1 box (18.25 ounces) white cake mix
3 limes
1 can (13.5 fluid ounces) light coconut milk
1 can (14 ounces) Sweetened Condensed Milk
⅔ cup (5 fluid-ounce can) Evaporated Fat Free Milk
⅓ cup light rum (or to taste)
2 cups light whipped topping, thawed, or 2 cups sweetened whipped cream
½ cup shredded or flaked coconut, lightly toasted (optional)

Instructions

PREPARE cake mix according to package directions using egg whites; fold in grated peel from 1 lime. Bake in 13 x 9-inch baking pan for duration listed on package. Meanwhile, prepare tres leches mixture.
COMBINE coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and grated peel from 1 lime in large bowl; stir well. When cake tests done, remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes.
POKE holes in cake with a long-tined fork every ½ inch. Carefully pour milk mixture over cake, spooning any pooled mixture along the sides over the top of the cake. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
CUT the cake; top with dollop of whipped topping. Grate peel from remaining lime over cake; sprinkle with toasted coconut (or to achieve look in picture, use round biscuit cutters to cut cake, transfer to serving plate, then add toppings).

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Baked Alaska Cups: Remaking a Classic 1950s Dessert

by liz · May 2, 2020

Baked Alaska Cups recipe — Photo by Meals.com

If you’re like me, you have nostalgic taste buds and you remember Baked Alaska being a fancy dessert your mom only made for special dinner parties. It went very well with an Old Fashioned cocktail, Beef Wellington and brightly colored polyester pantsuits. She probably learned how to make this dessert from her mom, who impressed her 1950s dinner guests even more than her daughter did.

This dessert is a version of ice cream cake that’s finished by flash-baking it in a very hot oven to brown the outside, keeping the inside frozen. It has Swiss and French origins, then migrated to America with several modifications, like replacing the outer pastry crust with whipped egg-whites with sugar — otherwise known as meringue. The dessert picked up its current name by a pastry chef in New York, who made it famous during the time the U.S. acquired the Alaska territory.

This Baked Alaska Cups recipe uses brownies for the cake portion, strawberry ice cream, then classic meringue in individual serving cups — canning jars work very well for this! And it’s easier than you think. You can make them ahead of time, then store the cups in the freezer until dessert time. Just pop them in a 500-degree oven for 2 minutes and your guests can enjoy their own retro-chic treat. (And don’t worry; canning jars were made to withstand extreme cold and heat, as well as going in between.) The combination of frozen ice cream and brownie with hot meringue is sublime.

Baked Alaska Cups from Meals.com

Ingredients for 6 servings:

Nonstick cooking spray
1 box (18.3 ounces) brownie mix or your favorite brownie recipe
3 cups Strawberry Ice Cream, slightly softened
3/4 cup pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

PLACE six 8-ounce custard cups on baking sheet; set aside.

SPRAY 11 x 7-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; line pan with foil, allowing foil to hang over edges of pan. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

PREPARE brownie mix (or your favorite brownie recipe) according to package directions; spread in prepared pan. Bake according to package directions. Cool completely in pan; lift brownie from pan using foil overhang. Cut into six rounds with a 3-inch diameter cookie or biscuit cutter. (If you’re using canning jars, you can use the jar to cut the brownies to correct size: turn jar upside down, press into brownies, turn back over and press brownie down with spoon, as shown above).

PLACE each brownie round in the bottom of the custard cups. Top with ½ cup of slightly softened ice cream and smooth to sides of cup, as shown above. Place on baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

BEAT egg whites in an electric mixer with whisk attachment on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar; continue to beat until soft peaks form, as shown above. Slowly add sugar and vanilla; continue beating until glossy peaks form.

REMOVE cups from freezer. Spoon the meringue evenly over the top of each cup (roughly ½-3/4 cup each), covering the top completely and swirling the meringue into a high dome, as shown above.

PREHEAT oven to 500° F.

BAKE for 2 minutes or until meringue is browned, as shown above. Serve immediately.

Baked Alaska Cups

Author: Meals.com

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 6 servings

This Baked Alaska Cups recipe uses brownies for the cake portion, strawberry ice cream, then classic meringue in individual serving cups — canning jars work very well for this! And it's easier than you think. You can make them ahead of time, then store the cups in the freezer until dessert time. Just pop them in a 500-degree oven for 2 minutes and your guests can enjoy their own retro-chic treat. The combination of frozen ice cream and brownie with hot meringue is sublime.

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1 box (18.3 ounces) brownie mix or your favorite brownie recipe
3 cups Strawberry Ice Cream, slightly softened
¾ cup pasteurized egg whites, at room temperature
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
⅔ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

PLACE six 8-ounce custard cups on baking sheet; set aside.
SPRAY 11 x 7-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; line pan with foil, allowing foil to hang over edges of pan. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
PREPARE brownie mix according to package directions; spread in prepared pan. Bake according to package directions. Cool completely in pan; lift brownie from pan using foil overhang. Cut into six rounds with a 3-inch diameter cookie or biscuit cutter.
PLACE each brownie round in the bottom of the custard cups. Top with ½ cup of slightly softened ice cream and smooth to sides of cup. Place on baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
BEAT egg whites in an electric mixer with whisk attachment on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar; continue to beat until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar and vanilla extract; continue beating until glossy peaks form.
REMOVE cups from freezer. Spoon the meringue evenly over the top of each cup (roughly ½-3/4 cup each), covering the top completely and swirling the meringue into a high dome.
PREHEAT oven to 500° F.
BAKE for 2 minutes or until meringue is browned. Serve immediately.

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Baked French Toast with Apples

by liz · Mar 1, 2020

French Toast is my favorite breakfast! It’s also my favorite food translation into French: pain perdu or lost bread. I just love the idea of bread that has lost its way and fallen into naughty behaviors like a mounds of milk, eggs, sugar and cinnamon.

Baking French Toast makes the whole process a lot easier, and creates a creamy, bread-pudding-style French Toast, which just makes it more delicious, in my humble, lost-girl opinion. This version uses baked apples, but you can use any kind of fruit pie filling recipe for this.

Baked French Toast with Apples, adapted from Meals.com

Ingredients:

homemade pie filling of any fruit, like these simple baked apples
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 pieces of bread

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Melt butter in 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Add brown sugar and Harvest Apples; stir well.

Whisk eggs, milk and vanilla extract in medium bowl until well combined.

Dip bread into egg mixture; place on top of apples.

Bake in oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until bread centers are firm.

Baked French Toast with Apples

Author: Meals.com

Recipe type: Breakfast

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 6

Baked French Toast is any easy way to enjoy my favorite breakfast - and the apples add a lovely sweetness.

Ingredients

homemade pie filling of any fruit, like simple baked apples (see post for recipe link)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
6 pieces of bread

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Melt butter in 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Add brown sugar and Harvest Apples; stir well.
Whisk eggs, milk and vanilla extract in medium bowl until well combined.
Dip bread into egg mixture; place on top of apples.
Bake in oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until bread centers are firm.

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Easy Spring Pasta Recipe: Fettuccine with Peas, Leeks & Thyme

by liz · Mar 5, 2019

Fresh pasta with local, organic spring peas, leeks and thyme for an easy, impressive dinner.

Spring has sprung in California – as well as most of the country. To me that means spring vegetable season; asparagus, leeks, peas, artichoke, fennel and fresh herbs are bountiful in farmers markets. Much of this produce is available year-round, but spring is the best time to get the freshest spring vegetables, whether at your local market, grocery store or from your own garden!

And those fresh spring flavors really come through in this easy spring pasta recipe, Fettuccine with Peas, Leeks & Thyme. It’s a cinch to make and it’s packed with flavor and nutrients, plus spring is a great time to get hooked on the Mediterranean way of eating. Adding a bit of the pasta water instead of using sauce is a traditional way to make pasta dishes in Italy. This recipe is a sure way to eat more vegetables and wow your friends with your culinary savvy!

Fettuccine with Peas, Leeks & Thyme

Recipe courtesy of Buitoni.

Ingredients for 3 servings:

1 package (9 ounces) Refrigerated Fettuccine
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sliced fresh leek
1/3 cup frozen peas
Salt and ground black pepper
2 thyme sprigs, leaves removed and stems discarded
1/4 cup (1 ounce) freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

PREPARE pasta according to package directions, reserving ½ cup cooking water. While pasta is cooking, prepare leek mixture.

HEAT oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leek; cook, stirring frequently, until softened and golden. Stir in peas; cook for 1 minute or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, as shown above.

ADD reserved pasta cooking water, thyme leaves and cheese; stir in gently. Toss pasta with leek mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

Wine Pairing

Italian wines can be hard to find, other than the super popular Pinot Grigio. If you can find a Soave wine, it’s a soft, fruity, clean wine with crisp lemon flavors and really complements this dish.
Grenache Blanc with its acidity and rounded flavors, or Sauvignon Blanc with its herbaceousness, would also be great wines with this pasta.

Fettuccine with Peas, Leeks & Thyme

Author: Buitoni

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Total time: 20 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 package Refrigerated Fettuccine (9 oz.)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup sliced fresh leek
⅓ cup frozen peas
Salt and ground black pepper
2 thyme sprigs
¼ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (5 oz.)

Instructions

PREPARE pasta according to package directions, reserving ½ cup cooking water. While pasta is cooking, prepare leek mixture.
HEAT oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leek; cook, stirring frequently, until softened and golden. Stir in peas; cook for 1 minute or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
ADD reserved pasta cooking water, thyme leaves and cheese; stir in gently. Toss pasta with leek mixture. Season with salt and pepper.

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