April 25, 2013

Fresh and Zesty Salsa


Today was take your kids to work day so my sweet hubster was gone all day with our two kiddies. And it was a beautiful spring day here to boot. So mama got her laundry done and did a little gardening. Boy I cannot wait until we are harvesting our own vegetable garden of tomatoes and peppers, but until then I will have to settle for the store bought variety of veggies. 

I was hankering for some fresh salsa, maybe because Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, so I whipped up my salsa in just a few minutes.

3 medium tomatoes
1 medium red onion
1 medium green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1/2 of one jalapeno pepper
1 tsp. ground cumin
2-3 T. lime juice
salt ans pepper to taste


Combine all ingredients and let set in the frig for one hour, serve with blue corn tortilla chips
XO

Linking up to parties at these super blogs...

April 24, 2013

Bacon and Egg CupCakes


I saw a picture of these floating around on Facebook today and I just knew I had to make them. Fortunately I had half a pack of bacon in the freezer and a few eggs still left in the carton.

Prepare muffin tin by placing muffin cups inside the tin and spraying them with cooking spray. Par-cooked the bacon then let it cool and drain on a few paper towels. When cooled, tear a small piece of one slice of bacon and place it on the bottom of the muffin cup. Wrap the remainder of the bacon on the inside of the cup.


Crack an egg into each prepared cupcake holder and baked them in a 350 degree F pre-heated oven for 20 minutes!



And they are totally delicious! The egg will end up with the consistency of a hard boiled egg. You can also add either some goat or cheddar cheese to the top before baking. I think these little beauties would be the perfect addition to a Mother's day breakfast or brunch...hint hint to my kiddies!

XO
Sharing this post at parties over at these super blogs...
Gooseberry Patch
StoneGable
Call Me PMC
Daily Dish Magazine

Mexican Pazole ~ Crock Pot Style



A few years back my husband Chris and I took a trip out to Arizona to attend a wedding in Phoenix. We decided that after the nuptials we would rent a car and drive from Phoenix up through Flagstaff and Sedona to see the Grand Canyon. 


After experiencing the magnificent Canyon, we then drove through the Painted Desert and Monument Park in Utah until we reached The Four Corners. From there it was just a short trek to the quaint Victorian town of Durango Colorado. Durango is located in the southwest corner of Colorado and is considered part of the Four Corners region. It was established as a mining town in 1881 and is the home of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.


As part of our stay at the historic Strater Hotel in downtown Durango, we feasted on a fabulous southwestern breakfast buffet each morning. The one dish on the breakfast menu I remember having was something called Pozole. Pozole or Posole pronounced (poh-SOH-leh) is a Mexican style soup made with hominy, chilies  garlic, pork or sometimes chicken, and fresh cilantro. I'd never had or let alone even heard of Pozole, but when I saw it on the buffet it simply called my name. The Pozole I had was more of a soup but it can be made with a thicker base to make it similar to a stew. Pozole is often served in Mexican Restaurants, and as I had come to learn at the time, it is also very popular in the American Southwest!
 . 

I love this version of pazole...you just fill the crock pot with your ingredients, turn the pot on and forget it...that is if you can ignore the absolutely fabulous aroma emanating from your kitchen.



Ingredients:
1-2 T. canola or vegetable oil
2 lbs. boneless pork loin roast cut into one inch cubes
flour for dredging
2 14.5 oz cans of enchilada sauce
2 15.5 oz. cans of white hominy, drained (I used Goya)
1 cup chicken or beef broth
1 medium onion chopped 
1/2 cup of canned green chilies chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
2-3 tsp. oregano
cayenne to taste
1/3 cup fresh cilantro

Dredge meat in flour and place in pan with hot oil. Brown the meat with a good sear and then place in a 4 quart crock pot. Pour the enchilada sauce over the meat and then top with the remainder of the ingredients except the cilantro. 


Cook in crock pot on high for 6 to 7 hours. Add the cilantro and then cook for another 30 minutes. The traditional way to serve Pazole is topped with shredded cabbage, fresh avocado or guacamole and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Enjoy!

XO

Sharing this post at these wonderful blog parties...

Trip Advisor