Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the wonderful Tabasco family. It is my pleasure to be a Tabasco Tastemaker. The recipe and opinions are my own.

Oh yeah, the summer is still lingering. Even though my mind is completely consumed with “back to school” my kitchen is still telling me it’s “hot in here.” I guess I’m hanging on to the last couple of weeks of longer days, eating on the patio, and entertaining guests all in a very simple easy style.  I want to enjoy these last moments of the summer of 2014 with easy to make snacks, refreshing drinks and a gaggle of family and friends.

Since the clock is ticking, carpe diem…. I started with this spicy yet cool dip. I imagine myself outside in the patio with a slight breeze blowing through, good music from the 70’s creating a heartfelt ambiance, a tall drink on ice, my nearest and dearest hanging out in comfy clothes, and a big bowl of spicy habanero blistered tomato dip with chips to bring it all together.

I used sour cream as my base, spiked it with a nice helping of Tabasco Habanero Sauce, and added a tribe of blistered tomatoes. Mixed it all together, served it with corn chips, and sat down to enjoy my afternoon. The dip has a amazing contrast of flavors going on, from very cool and creamy to spicy with a slight hint of sweet. It is very addicting and could be eaten by the spoonful or poured over rice, but I should warn you now it is fiery hot with a vibrant intensity and delicious tangy taste! Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Ingredients for spicy habanero blistered tomato dip:

• 2 – tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 – cups cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
• 1 – teaspoon Tabasco Spicy Salt
• 2 – cups sour cream
• 4 – green onion stalks (chopped)
• 1 – tablespoon Tabasco Habanero Sauce

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan over a medium high flame add in olive oil and allow to get hot.
2. Add in tomato halves and sprinkle with tabasco spicy salt. 
3. Cook on each side for about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove pan from flame. Set to the side and allow to cool. 
4. In a bowl combine sour cream, green onion, and Tabasco Habanero Sauce.
5. Add blistered tomatoes to sour cream mixture. Mix to combine and serve with chips.
6. Enjoy!

Chilaquiles Divorciados

Some things just stand better on their own. Chilaquiles Divorciados is one of them. I heart everything about them…especially the name. Two completely different chilaquiles that decided to throw in the towel on their union and disconnect whole heartedly. One hot and spicy “Chila” stands in all her red distinction , and the other easy going and smooth “Quiles” swims in his pool of green chile. Two separate dishes plated together but each making a different statement on their own. (more…)

My belief is no matter what religion you believe in or not: To believe in the spirit of humanity. To be kind. To treat the people you love with tenderness, patience, and respect.  To extend a hand when you can. To love with everything you got. To let people live their lives as they see fit without judging them. I believe in unconditional love.

Two weeks ago I was out having dinner with my family and on the ceiling of the restaurant was a painting of Jesus. My 4 year old son asked me who was that man and what was he looking at? I found myself at a crossroads of how to explain faith to him. I myself am still coming to terms with what I believe and what I don’t believe, plus I wanted to be mindful to not force my beliefs onto what my son should believe. Instead I would love to open him up to all sorts of different religions and theories and let him decide on his own as he grows and matures.

I decided to start a gradual introduction of religion, so he would have the tools needed when he gets older to make that decision on what he chooses to believe. I announced we would have a family movie night, and I was going to make a heavenly dessert of coconut donut cakes to go with our movie viewing. I wanted to make the evening fun, and show the lighter side of faith first. I had heard that “Heaven Is For Real” was a great family friendly movie and could be our initial stepping stone into the world of faith. The movie didn’t depict the type of church I grew up with, but the message was the same. I’m not sure if my son understood what heaven was from this film because I asked him to draw a picture of heaven and he drew a picture of my coconut donuts instead, but he did understand the core of human emotions and reached his arms around me as the film left me teary eyed, saying “You’ll be okay Mom.” That’s all I could hope for from him at this age.

I absolutely loved that Heaven is for Real was based on a true story and was the story of a small-town couple who must find the courage and conviction to share their 4 year old son’s life changing experience with their town and the world. The film stars Greg Kinnear and Kelly Reilly as Todd and Sonja Burpo, the real life couple whose son Colton claims to have visited heaven while having a near death experience. I got my DVD at Walmart, which includes an exclusive bonus disc. That bonus disc filled my enquiring mind…. because of course I didn’t want the story to end… I wondered what happened to them, and where are they now? Here are a few of the bonus tracks you could look forward to if you buy your disc at Walmart.

1.  The Burpos: 11 Heavenly Years Later – An intimate sit down with the Burpos and a look at their home town to get a sense of their life now and how Colton’s miraculous story changed them.
2.  Heart of the Movie – Todd Burpo reflects on the events from his story and how they are reflected in the film
3.  Answers – Todd Burpo reflecting on the events in the movie.
4.  Religious Leader Vignettes – Religious leaders reflect on the themes of the film and how they translate to real life lessons for everyone.

What is your faith? Do you have one or many or none? When was the last time you had a family movie night? What would you like to eat these coconut donut cakes with?

Ingredients for coconut donut cakes:

• 2 – sticks butter (room temp)
• 3/4 – cup dark brown sugar
• 1 1/4 – cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 – teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 – teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 – teaspoon salt
• 1/8 – teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 – large egg
• 2 – egg yolks
• 1 – teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 – cup butter milk
• 2 – cups powdered sugar
• 3 – tablespoons whipping cream
• 1 – cup shredded sweetened coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Spray a donut baking pan with a non stick baking spray. I used a mini donut tray and a normal sized one. Set to the side.
3. In a mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy. For about 3 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Set to the side.
5. Slowly add eggs to butter/sugar mixture and continue to mix until fully mixed in.
6. Alternate between adding in the flour mixture and the buttermilk. Mix until fully combined.
7. Fill the donut cavity one third of the way up. Use your finger to smooth the top of the batter. For the mini donuts I used 1 teaspoon of batter, and for the normal sized donuts I used 5 teaspoons of batter.
8. Bake for 7 minutes for mini donuts, and 12 minutes for normal sized donuts.
9. Remove from oven and  allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes. Then invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely. 
10. In a bowl whisk powdered sugar and whipping cream together to make an icing.
11. Dip each donut into the icing. 
12. Top with coconut. 
13. Let set on a cooling rack for 30 minutes.
14. Enjoy!

This post is part of a compensated campaign between Kikkoman and Latina Bloggers Connect.

I’ve been making roasted vegetables for over a decade now. Once I discovered roasting vegetables was far more superior over boiled or fried in flavor I never turned back. I make roasted veggies quite often, and love to switch up the flavor in my vegetables when ever I can. Let’s take the precious brussels sprout for instance… my family won’t have anything to do with them, unless they’re roasted.

The other day my fiancé said he wanted a salad, and I looked into the fridge but didn’t have a head of lettuce in sight. I saw a nice plump supply of raw brussels sprouts sitting there begging to be made. I thought “What if I make a brussels sprout salad and enhance the flavor with Kikkoman soy sauce? I could coat the brussels sprouts with soy sauce before roasting, then make a soy sauce mustard dressing, and sprinkle the whole thing in goat cheese.” The thought of it made my mouth water. I then started kicking myself for not thinking of making my brussels sprouts with Kikkoman sooner. I skipped the regret and started making my old recipe with a new twist. It was so easy and simple to make and seriously the salad was so cosmic it belonged to the stars. You have to try this super yum-a-licious salad, it makes the perfect accompaniment to dinner, or a solo act for lunch.

Ingredients for roasted brussels sprouts and goat cheese salad:

• 1 – pound fresh brussels sprouts (stems trimmed off and cut in half)
• 4 – tablespoons olive oil
• 4 – teaspoons Kikkoman Soy Sauce
• 1 – teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 – teaspoons deli mustard
• 3 – ounces crumbled goat cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Wash, trim, and cut brussels sprouts.
3. Place brussels sprout halves in a large bowl.
4. Pour in 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 tablespoons Kikkoman soy sauce over the brussels sprout halves. Mix with your hands to evenly coat brussels sprouts. 
5. Remove the brussels sprouts out of the bowl with your hands ( Note: Do not pour the brussels sprouts out onto the sheet, you don’t want the baking sheet to be wet) and place on a large baking sheet.
6. Place baking sheet in the oven for 10 minutes to roast. Then remove the brussels sprout halves from oven and using a spatula flip to roast the other side. Place back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Brussels sprout halves will be in the oven for a total of 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Some will be extra crisp and slightly charred and others will be a little browned. Set to the side and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
7. In a small bowl whisk 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons Kikkoman soy sauce, garlic and mustard. 
8. Pour dressing over roasted brussels sprouts, and mix to coat evenly. 
9. Sprinkle goat cheese into the top of the salad, and mix one final time. 
10. Eat either warm or cold. 
11. Enjoy!

 I recently created these Cheese Pretzels for National Pretzel Day.  They were the BEST freshly baked pretzels that I’ve ever had, and I’m not trying to brag but it’s the truth. I promise you won’t be disappointed. 🙂

Ingredients for cheese pretzels:

• 1 – packet active dry yeast
• 1 – cup warm water plus 1 ½ tablespoons
• 3 – cups unbleached flour
• 1 – tablespoon sugar
• 1 – teaspoon salt
• 8 – cups boiling hot water
• 1 – tablespoon honey
• 4 – tablespoons baking soda
• 1 – egg
• 1 – tablespoon water
• 1 – cup jack cheese (grated)
• sea salt

Directions:

1. Add yeast and warm water to mixer and allow to sit there for 10 to 15 minutes. The water will become cloudy and slightly foam.
2. Add dough hook attachment to mixer.
3. In a bowl add flour, sugar and salt. Mix to combine.
4. Pour flour mixture into warm water mixture, and turn mixer on to medium speed. Allow dough to come together for about 5 to 7 minutes. The dough will form a ball shape. This means it is ready.
5. Remove dough from mixer, and kneed with hands for 2 minutes.
6. Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil and place dough in bowl. Cover top of bowl with plastic wrap, and let rest in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours or until dough doubles in size.
7. Remove dough from dough, and cut into 8 even pieces.
8. Roll one piece of dough at a time, by rolling it with two hands to form a long skinny snake like shape. Then carefully shape dough into a pretzel by bringing both ends toward the top and twisting once, then fold back down to press into the dough.
9. Place pretzels on a baking mat lined cookie sheet and allow to rise for another 20 minutes.
10. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
11. In a large pot over a high flame add in hot water and bring to a rolling boil. Once water is boiling add in honey and mix to dissolve. Then pour in baking soda. Mix to combine.
12. Slowly dip each pretzel into the boiling water for 30 seconds on each side. Then with a slotted spoon remove pretzels. I did one pretzel at a time.
13. Place pretzels back on baking mat lined cookie sheet.
14. In a small bowl whisk egg and water together creating an egg wash.
15. Using a pastry brush, brush each pretzel with egg wash.
16. Sprinkle 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) of jack Cheese on top of each pretzel.
17. Top with a tiny pinch of sea salt.
18. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes.
19. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before eating.
20. Enjoy.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by the wonderful Tabasco family. It is my pleasure to be a Tabasco Tastemaker. The recipe and opinions are my own.

Are you ever surprised by a secret ingredient? A few months ago I spent some time on Avery Island, the home of Tabasco. Like most food trips I was able to taste some of the best foods I’ve ever experienced. At the time of the trip I was very ill with a bad cold and cough, but I was still able to appreciate what I was eating. Even though it was only at a fraction of it’s full capacity, it was still marvelous. I can only imagine had my palate been 100% those days… it would have knocked me off my feet.  Never the less the experience was not wasted on me. I learned from some of the best chefs in Louisiana how to combine tabasco into foods I would never expect to find it in. For instance we had a delicious sweet potato hand pie served with bourbon ice cream and candied pecans that was glazed in a sweet tabasco sauce. I could taste the undertones of the tabasco, but was so surprised at how well it worked against the other flavors. This odd but successful pairing made me want to experiment with the hot sauce in a dessert of my own.

Last week I pulled up along side a road at the sight of a cherry stand. I got off the car and sampled a few sweet cherries before buying a few bags to take home. When I arrived in my kitchen, I wondered what I was going to make with the divine fruit? Then I thought the time to combine a spicy element to a sweet one was now upon me. I started off by pitting a few cherries then boiling them in a sugar water base, smashing them with a masher, and adding tabasco and jam. The mixture was sweet with a bit of a kick to it. Once I had my kicking cherry base, I wanted to spread it in a peanut butter sandwich, but thought it to be too simple. Before long I was making a batter for a batch of peanut butter blondies, and added the kicking cherry base right on top. I baked them and was thankful my tastebuds were not plagued with a cold, because I was able to savor every nuance of my blondies and they were quite amazing.

Ingredients for kickin cherry peanut butter blondies:

• 1/2 – cup cherries (pitted and stems removed)
• 1/4 – cup sugar
• 2 – tablespoons water
• 1 – teaspoon Tabasco Original Red Sauce
• 1/4 – cup cherry jam
• 1 – stick butter (8 tablespoons) (melted)
• 1/2 – cup peanut butter
• 1 – cup dark brown sugar
• 1 – egg
• 1/2 – tablespoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 – cups unbleached flour
• 1/4 – teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a small sauce pan over a medium flame add cherries, sugar, and water. Mix to combine allowing sugar to dissolve, then smash with a potato masher. 
2. Pour tabasco into cherry mixture, and allow t cook for another 3 minutes. 
3. Then mix jam into mixture. Remove from flame and set to the side to cool.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Line an 8×8 baking pan with aluminum foil (allow a 1 inch overlay to hang out of the pan for easy removal of the blondies) and spray with a non-stick baking spray. Set to the side.
6. Place butter and 1/4 cup of peanut butter (reserve the other 1/4 of peanut butter for a later use) in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds to melt. Then stir the two together. The liquid should be smooth.
7. In a mixer, add brown sugar and peanut butter/butter mixture together and mix until fully combined about 2 minutes.
8. Add in egg and vanilla. Mix to combine.
9. Slowly pour in flour, and mix until batter comes together. Do not over mix.
10. Scoop batter into the 8×8 prepared pan, and with the back of a spoon smooth it out evenly to each corner of the pan. 
11. Drop by heaping teaspoons 1/4 cup peanut butter onto the top of the batter.
12. Then use 1/4 cup of cherry mixture, and drop by teaspoon by the peanut butter.  
13. Using a knife swirl the two together. 
14. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Or until the edges pull away from the sides of the pan.
15. Allow blondies to cool for 2 hours.
16. Remove from pan and cut into squares. 
17. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Maseca. However, the recipe and all opinions are my own.

What type of effect does that crumbly little bit that sits on top of coffee cake, or fruit crisps, or crumble bars have on you? I’ve come to accept those scrumptious crumbs as my weakening kryptonite. I have zero will power or restraint when a crumbly beauty is near, especially if a fork is within hands reach. Forget about it.

I have been in a cooking frenzy the last couple of days, working on project after project. Then at a certain point, I realized I needed a reward treat for my cooking efforts. Don’t misinterpret what I’m saying… everything I’ve been creating has been lovely and delicious, it’s just that I needed a crumbly mouthwatering topping in my mouth. I had a big basket of fresh peaches on the table, and the earning desire of the taste of corn. I though how can I get all these desires into one dish, and make it fast? The answer my friend is Maseca. I used it as my base flour and built around it. I made fresh peach crumble bars from start to finish in under an hour, and I was pleased as peach punch! Give it a try. Make it for the next family function you’re attending, or make a batch and plan a picnic, they are that delicious and deliver all the crumbles you’ll ever need.

Ingredients for fresh peach crumble bars:

• 1 – cup Maseca corn flour
• 3/4 – cup almond meal
• 1/2 – cup corn meal
• 1 – cup unbleached flour
• 1/2 – teaspoon sea salt
• 1 – cup sugar
• 16 – tablespoons butter (2 sticks) (melted)
• 4 – large peaches (ripe, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges)
• 1/2 – cup brown sugar
• 1/4 – teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Line a 8×8 baking pan with wax paper allowing an inch to stick out over the edges. This will help remove the bars once baked.
3. Combine Maseca, almond meal, corn meal, flour, salt, and sugar to a mixer. Mix on low for 1 minute to combine dry ingredients.
4. Pour butter into dry ingredients, then mix on medium to combine. Mixture will be crumbly and appear like little peas.
5. Press 2/3 of mixture into the bottom of prepared 8×8 pan. 
6. Top with fresh peach slices. 
7. Then sprinkle peaches with brown sugar and cinnamon. 
8. Top peaches with remaining crumble mixture by crumbling over the top. 
9. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
10. Remove from oven, and cool for 1 hour. Cut into 9 generous servings. 
11. Enjoy!