One of my best girlfriend’s is a hardcore football fanatic… some people even call her “Football Monique.” Needless to say she’s hosting a party for the big game this year at her place since her team has earned it’s way into the championship. I won’t be (more…)

Amongst my friends…. I’m the nacho girl. I love EVERYTHING about nachos, especially the melted cheese and crema. Well, for the big game this Saturday I will be serving Nacho Fries for all to dig into. I may have to hog them all for myself, but I guess I wouldn’t be much of a hostess if I did that.  I could pretend I made them for another occasion and eat them secretly. I’ll be a sport (get it sport?) and make a big enough batch for everyone to RA-RA-RA over the game with.

Football is at an all time frenzy as we approach the big game.  In addition to which team will take the trophy, and who will perform, there is the glorious house parties that happen all across America. People gathering in their homes, hosting private parties to watch the game. I know the drill of getting everything in order from the decorations and banners to the most important part of the party….. the food. For the men it might be all about the game but for me, and most of my female friends, it’s all about the eats.  I will be hosting a private gathering in my home this year, and have already started to test some of the recipes out on my football frenzied family. I asked my man what he would like served. These were his prerequisites:

1. It has to be delicious.
2. It has to have melted cheese on top.
3. Something people could eat with their hands. Think finger food.
4. Vegetarian…. Because we are vegetarians.
5. Oh, and it has to be delicious.

I looked over his list and knew exactly what to make. I settled on making French Fry Nachos and used Soy Chorizo to give it an extra punch of flavor.  I gave my idea a test run this past weekend, that way the day of the big game…. I know what I’m doing and there would be no touchdown missed.  I made a big batch of homemade French fries, then sprinkled them with soy chorizo clumps, and generously covered the top in Queso Quesadilla. Then I placed the fries in the oven and let the cheese melt over the soy chorizo and fries. When it came out of the oven…. I sprinkled some cotija cheese, fresh diced tomatoes over the top, added some guacamole, and for the finale doused it in Crema…. Oh it was delicious. My family devoured it with their hands until there was none left.  We got a winner.

Ingredients:

• 6 to 7 large potatoes (cut into ½ inch wedges)
• 1 – cup vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 – Soy Chorizo
• 1 ½ – cups Quesadilla Jalapeno (grated)
• Pickled jalapenos
• 1 – tomato (diced)
• 1/2 – cup Cotija (crumbled)
• 1 – cup guacamole
• 1/8 – cup Crema Mexicana Agria

Directions:

1. In a large pot filled with water over a medium flame, bring to boil.
2. Boil wedged potatoes for 12 minutes.
3. Drain potatoes from water. Season with salt and pepper.
4. In a large frying pan over a medium high flame add in vegetable oil and allow it to get hot. Once the oil is hot add in the boiled potatoes.
5. Fry on each side until golden crisp, about 10 minutes on each side.
6. Remove fries from oil and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. In a medium frying pan over a medium flame remove soy chorizo from casing and cook until completely heated through, about 5 minutes. 
9. Place French fries in a ceramic baking dish, one big enough to fit all of the fries. Then scoop tablespoons of soy chorizo on top of fries.
10. Sprinkle the top of the fries and soy chorizo with quesadilla jalapeno grated cheese.  
11. Place dish in the oven for 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
12. Remove from oven and sprinkle the top with diced tomatoes, and cotija crumbles.
13. Then add a scoop of guacamole, and crema Mexicana to the top.
14. Dig in and enjoy!

I’m thinking of my feisty friend Alfonso (my fiancés father) as Dia De Los Muertos approaches.  It’s been almost 5 years since he stepped out of his human life and floated into the other side. I was there as he passed and watched his face go calm in peace.  Awwww, that man. He loved to fight with me.  I think I was probably the only female in his world brave enough to not agree with his every word.  He knew I had a good heart but wasn’t gonna back down.  He use to call me his lawyer because when he needed something done or figured out, I was the one he would turn to to get it done.  He said I had a persuasive way. When we first met he questioned my ability to cook and doubted I could find my way around the kitchen.  I loved proving him wrong.  I think he thought of himself as somewhat of a master of the cocina, but the truth was he was seriously the salsa king.  I had to give it to him, his salsa rocked.  I would bring him empty jars all the time so he never had an excuse not to share his salsa with me.  He took such pride in making his salsa and would just gloat to everyone how great it was, and most of the time people had no other choice but to agree.   He would set up a bowl of his salsa, a slab of queso fresco, chopped up avocado cubes, and a pile of corn chips, and that combo was his snack.

I used to sit in his kitchen sometimes and watch him make it.  I’ve never tried to recreate his perfect salsa since he’s been gone, but I do think of him every time I make my own salsa.  I have to eat it the same way he did, with queso fresco (Mexican cheese), avocado, and chips.  This Calavera Queso Fresco Salsa Dip is my ode to that lovely grump Alfonso Lopez that I still love and I once knew.

Ingredients for Calavera Salsa Dip:

• 1 – package Queso Fresco
• 3 – tomatoes
• 1 – tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 – jalapeños
• 4- serrano chiles
• 4 – fresh chile de arbol
• 1 – onion (peeled and cut in half)
• 4 – garlic cloves (peeled)
• 1 – teaspoon vinegar
• 1 pinch of dried oregano
• salt and pepper
• 2 – cups of water
• avocado
• corn chips
• Pistachios, and chile flakes for decorating calavera

Directions:

• Remove queso fresco from package, and with a small pairing knife cut the sides of the cheese to shape into a skeleton head.  Then with a small circle cookie cutter punch out the eyes. Place on a platter and place back in the fridge.  
• In a medium pot filled halfway with water over a high flame, bring to a boil.  Add in tomatoes and boil for 30 minutes.  Set to the side. 
• In a frying pan over a medium flame add vegetable oil and allow it to get hot.
• Add in chiles, onion, and garlic cloves. Fry on all sides until charred and browned. 
• Remove stems from chiles, and place in the blender with tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves,  vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, and water (I use the water the tomatoes boiled in). Blend until desired consistency is reached. 
• Decorate the calavera with chile flakes around the eyes, and use pistachios for the mouth. 
• Place calavera shaped queso fresco on a plate, then pour the salsa  around the plate. Decorate the edges with avocado cubes.
• Serve with chips. 
• ENJOY!

Im memory of my sweet friend Alfonso… I miss you.

I have a friend who is getting married in a couple of weeks and asked me to make a fancy appetizer for her bridal shower.  She said she wanted something super tasty, simple, in season, and then she threw in the words “elegant and stylized.”  I pondered this idea for a while and wondered what I could come up with.  I never want to disappoint a bride, especially in her glorious moments of celebration.  My thinking cap was running on overdrive when the idea of grapes crossed my mind.  Grapes are in season and super tasty right now, that was all I needed to get the ball rolling.  I started looking around my local markets for grapes.  I’m the type of person that will pick a grape from the package before I purchase a bag, clean it on my clothes, and plop it in my mouth to measure how sweet they are.  I walked into Walmart and lo and behold was a huge display of grapes.  I ran over and scanned the wide variety they had…. seedless, organic, table, seeds, champagne, green, red, and black.  Hmmmm, choices.  I settled on black seedless grapes, not only would they add a pretty color to my appetizer, but they were the most flavorful.

I personally love grapes paired with nice cheese and must admit to eating that combo quite often while I work or watch television. But I wouldn’t be any kind of friend if I just plated the two and served them that way.  Once I was back in my kitchen I started to experiment with cheese and grapes…. here’s what I came up with.  I pinched a bit of goat cheese and patted it flat in my hand, then carefully rolled the grape in the center of the cheese till it was fully encased, then I encrusted it in chopped pistachios for a wonderful little nibble. That’s it, 3 ingredients and the brides wishes were met!

Ingredients for grape goat cheese pistachio nibbles:

• black seedless grapes
• goat cheese
• shelled pistachios (chopped)

Directions:

1. Rinse and dry grapes.
2. Remove each grape from stem/vine.
3. Take a teaspoon of goat cheese and pat it in the palm of your hand to create a flat surface.
4. Place a grape in the center.
5. Then carefully roll the cheese around the entire grape until fully covered.
6. Place covered cheese grapes on a plate and store in fridge while you work on all the other grapes. 
7. Chop pistachios.
8. Then roll each grape in chopped pistachios to coat. 
9. Enjoy! 

And if the recipe is not enough for you grape lovers…. here is a quick video on how to make grape jelly in 30 seconds:

I am passionate about nachos.  I’m kinda like a little scavenger when it comes to the crunchy finger food.  I am constantly on the hunt for a good plate of them and when I find one, I practically lick it clean.  The problem is they are sort of hard to acquire.  I’m not talking about the fake plastic cheese version that every movie theater and ballpark carry. I’m talking about the kind that are loaded with fresh guacamole, crumbled cheese, chopped grilled meat, cilantro, and a wonderful helping of spicy salsa.  Yes, those are the nachos I dream of.  Most of the time the only way to devour a spectacular dish of this stature is to make them yourself.

Ever since the news that Walmart was going to carry ‘Wild Oats Organic’ hit the press, I have been dying to try the new organic corn chips, with one thing in mind… NACHOS! Today is the day, I found the corn chips at my local Walmart along with wild oats black beans and spicy hot salsa. I grabbed a couple of other ingredients and the rest is just a faded memory, because the plate is gone.  I miss you already nachos, until we meet again (probably next week)!

Ingredients for nachos:

• 1 – bag Wild Oats Organic white corn tortilla chips
• 1 – can Wild Oats Organic black beans or pinto beans (drained)
• 1/2 – cup corn kernels
• 10 – cherry tomatoes (cut into 4’s)
• 1 – jar Wild Oats hot salsa
• 1 – grilled chicken breast (cubed)
• 1 – cup guacamole
• 1/2 – cup queso fresco
• 1/4 – cup sour cream
• 1/8 – fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/8 – cup olives

Directions:

1. Place a handful of chips on a platter.
2. In a small bowl combine black beans, corn kernels, and diced cherry tomatoes. Mix to combine.
3. Spoon half of the bean mixture over the chips.
4. Add a few spoons full of salsa over the top, along with chicken and guacamole.
5. Crumble 1/2 of the queso fresco, dollop sour cream, and sprinkle cilantro and olives.
6. Repeat process with remaining ingredients.
7. Enjoy!

I relish the moments when I can spend a little me time alone with a book. It’s usually a big deal for me, so I try and make an event out of it.  I wait for my son to be tucked away and fast asleep, that way I could be sure there will be little to no interuptions. I put on my softest p.j.’s , make a little snack and serve myself a lovely beverage (either wine or tea….depending on my mood). Lately I have been reading an advanced copy of this book called “Blossom Street Brides” by Debbie Macomber. I’m a total sucker for a sweep me off my feet romance, especially when it’s an easy read, and this book is just that. If you love these types of books too, then you gotta read this one. I was so endeared with “Blossom Street Brides” I would make wedding cheese-cake plates at night as I read to fit in theme with the story. I couldn’t help it… I wanted to live vicariously through the characters, and the cheese-cake just made it all the more realistic! Okay, let me tell you just a little about the book without giving too much away….

It’s based in Seattle, and the story revolves around three woman and their relationships. It starts with Lauren Elliot who has been waiting for her long term boyfriend, Todd, to propose to her. When his timing isn’t working out with hers, she makes a bold choice and leaves him. Only to find herself on a new exciting adventure with a man named Rooster that she would never expect to like. Then there is Bethanne Scranton who is newly married to her second husband, Max. These two are blissfully in love, but there is one big problem…. Max’s business is in California, and Bethanne’s is in Seattle. The strain of distance is hard on their marriage, especially when Bethanne’s first husband Grant (who lives in Seattle) is trying to win her back. Lastly is Lydia Goetz,  a happily married business woman who owns a local yarn shop. Lately she worries about bringing in more business to A Good Yarn. Then without her knowing, someone hatches up a brilliant plan to drop baskets of yarn all around town with instructions to knit a scarf for charity and return it to Lydia’s shop. This is the exact boost her shop needs and the mystery starts to be the buzz on the streets, but who should  she thank for this great upturn?

As three woman’s lives intersect they realize that love heals every heart and the best surprises still lay ahead. There are lots of marriages, hearts filled with romance and an addicting story that doesn’t let you put the book down. You’ll be able to buy the book on 4.8.14 and it will be $17.97 only at Walmart (31% off list price of $26). Just for the record…. I got my cheeses at Walmart too.

Ingredients for mini wedding cheese-cake:

• Queso fresco
• fresh water mozzarella
• cream cheese
• laughing cow mini babybel
• edible flowers

Directions:

1. Stack cheeses on a plate with the largest cheese on the bottom as a base and the smallest on top. I shaped the cream cheese into a circle with a cookie cutter.
2. Decorate each tier with flowers.
3. Serve with crackers.
4. Enjoy, read, and fall in love!

ARE YOU A NEW BRIDE OR BRIDE TO BE? I GOT A CONTEST FOR YOU!!!!!             “Start your new lives together! Enter for a chance to win a $3,000 Walmart gift card”  To enter the contest visit www.debbiemacomber.com ! Sweepstakes will run from now till 5/25/14! Winner will be chosen on 6/14! Enter now!

Some people call this super yummy treat “crack candy” as a nickname since you need to reach 285 degrees on a candy thermometer when making the candy portion, which is the soft crack temperature. I just think it is one of the best snack foods around. I decided to make Planters Peanuts the star of this show and they performed so well. Standing ovations are in order! Find the recipe on Babble by clicking here!