Shake it up with Sauza!!!

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, but it's also 1700 somewhere (that's 5 o'clock for those not used to military time)...that means it's the perfect time for Sauza 100% blue agave tequila!!!

As an allrecipes brand ambassador I was selected to product test this tequila, and let me tell you this has a bright, refreshing citrus taste!

Tequila seems to be the outcast of most liquor, and most people are quick to voice their dislike for tequila but I enjoy tequila. It has many uses whether in your favourite mixed beverage, a dessert, or used in a marinade.

For this purpose I made a Night lemon Sauza rita

It couldn't have been easier! This drink was perfectly refreshing and note that you don't have to use the gold tequila feel free to sub the blue agave tequila!

Let's eat fish!

Fish is a food most people love to hate.  Typically it's the smell that creates the dislike.  Fresh fish tho has no "fishy" smell.  If you're landlocked like me, finding a reputable grocer that has fresh fish is a challenge! 

I've learned to turn to the freezer section for fish. I can hear the critics gasping in horror, but when the fish is flash frozen the quality is preserved. 

In my cooking adventure I wanted to make something fast, tasty, and healthy.  I also wanted to get a kick start on Cinco de Mayo and I did some searching until I found the perfect recipe...presenting Mexican Baked Fish.   Let me stop for a moment and make a confession. When I first saw one of the ingredients was corn chips I wrinkled up my nose as I thought "hmm corn chips - it will end up soggy".

Much to my delight the corn chips stayed crunchy!  Oh and the smooth texture of the sour cream and avocado provided the perfect texture to the the crunch from the corn chips.  The bonus...it has just SIX -count 'em- ingredients!!!

Oh and get this...it's comprised of ingredients the food pyramid god would smile about.  Lean protein, dairy, vegetables, healthy fats, etc., 

One more lovely bonus...if you're concerned about sodium intake our friends at FritoLay have introduced FRITOS® Lightly Salted Corn Chips - Yay! that means that you still get that crunchy corn chip goodness and half the salt!

¡Hola Herdez!

This month I was introduced to a food brand I've never heard of before.  Herdez.  I received four of their products -two each of the tomatillo verde, and two red guajillo chile sauce- to sample. I love food w/ flair, and Mexican food as well as seafood are no exception for this foodie!

The only product I've used so far has been the red guajillo chile sauce, and let me tell you this sauce boasts a heat that will sneak up on you!

I was given a task to create a recipe, and I chose to incorporate my love of seafood and Herdez. Presenting Pan-seared crab cake salad w/ a guajillo ranch dressing.

Crab cakes:

1/2 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Herdez red guajillo chile sauce
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp dry ground mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

8 oz lump crab meat (not imitation)
3 Tbsp plain Panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp grape seed oil 
4 Tbsp butter

Mix the first six ingredients together, add the crab, and bread crumbs. Mix well. Shape into four crab cakes. I find it easier and cleaner to use disposable food safe gloves, and mix the mixture w/ my hands. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter with the grape seed oil. Fry the crab cakes, turning once, until crisp and golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the crab cakes to the prepared baking sheet to drain. 

Salad:

Mixed spring greens
Julienned carrots
1/4 cup chopped, roasted pecans
4 oz mandarin oranges, drained and patted dry
Goat cheese, cut into medallions - if desired (I lightly coated mine w/ a mixture of dried herbs)

Dressing:
3 Tbsp freshly prepared ranch dressing
2 Tbsp Herdez red guajillo chile sauce

Mix together and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Place salad greens on individual plates, top with carrots, pecans, and oranges. Drizzle w/ the guajillo ranch dressing. Place one cooked crab cake on top of each salad, and place a goat cheese medallion on the side.

Simple Stir fry

For the longest time I've always made Thursday my international meal night. This may not qualify as authentic Asian food but it has great appeal in both taste and preparation.  Spicy cashew shrimp stir fry is fast to make, and may just become a repeat offender - it is that good!

• To make you will need
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon EACH soy sauce, dark sesame oil, and rice cooking wine (this is actually called sweet rice cooking seasoning). Mix all three together
• 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil - divided
• 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
• 3/4 cup roasted salted cashews (4 ounces)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 pound peeled and cleaned medium shrimp, tails off
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced white and green, separated
• Cooked jasmine rice

Directions

Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil and wine, in a medium bowl, set aside. Mince the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a mini chopper.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat until very hot, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, the celery and cashews. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, and stir-fry until the celery turns jade green, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a plate.

Return the skillet to high heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the shrimp and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir-fry until shrimp turn pink and curl up, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger-garlic mixture and the scallion whites, and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return the celery and cashews to the pan with most of the scallion greens and the reserved soy sauce mixture and stir over the heat for about 1 minute to mix together evenly and blend flavors. Mound the rice on a plate, top with shrimp mixture, and garnish with the remaining scallion greens.

Savoury sausage

Is it already March? Life has been incredibly busy lately, and I finally managed to find some time to share one of my loves. Johnsonville sausage. So hearty, complex, and bursting w/ flavour!

I made an amazingly simple Sausage Calzone it couldn't have been any faster!  You can make this custom to suit your taste - bell pepper, mushrooms, olives, bacon, etc.,  why go out when you can save money, and make it better at home!

Reflections on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday that is largely centred around food, but sometimes amidst the rush of the upcoming holiday season it's easy to forget that Thanksgiving should be a time to remember the blessings that have been given to us.

For just a moment I will deviate from food and say that I have SO much to be thankful for.  One huge blessing was after being unemployed for more than two years I received a job offer!!! I promptly accepted the position, and I am thrilled to have stable full time employment with benefits!  

I look around and know that I'm blessed with a warm place to live, a vehicle that runs (and it's paid off!) clothes, health, etc.,

I also am thankful for our military members.  The typical military member doesn't serve out of desire for accolades, but I would encourage everyone reading this to try and give back to a military member and be a blessing to them...it doesn't take much - perhaps put $5 toward their tab if you see a member in uniform at a restaurant, bake some cookies and take them to a local recruiters office, see if there is  a USO that you can volunteer at, etc.,

I'm especially thankful that I could spend Thanksgiving with my family this year.  One of the highlights for my thanksgiving was some food art that I made.   These pumpkin praline mousse cornucopias are both fast and tasty!

The mousse is light and airy, the caramel adds a velvety texture, and the toasted pecans add the right amount of crunch.  It's truly a dessert that will give an elegant look to any Thanksgiving meal!

Spook-tacular treats!

Pumpkins, goblins, candy, costumes, and Karo syrup!  The bewitching hour of Halloween is always a fun time for kids and adults alike.

This year I hosted a small Halloween "drop in" style party.  I chose to keep things simple and one of my treats that I had available was Caramel Popcorn.

Prior to continuing my blog post let me preface my blog and say I *HATE* popcorn - I can't stand the stuff!!!  I procrastinated making the Caramel popcorn and finally the moment came where I couldn't put it off any longer.  I made the popcorn, and started out on the caramel glaze.  I coated the popcorn and allowed it to cook in the oven.  I confess it smelled good, and once cooled I grabbed a piece of popcorn.  Then I grabbed another handful, and another.  I couldn't stop eating this stuff and this is from a person who had not eaten popcorn in YEARS!!!  I finally had to force myself away from this tasty treat!!! 

This caramel popcorn is amazing by itself but below are some add in ideas:

M&M's, Reece Pieces Candies, Candy Corn, Pretzels, Gummy Worms, Toasted Pecans, Toasted Almonds, Dried cranberries, Dried apricots, Toasted coconut
Semi-sweet chocolate chips, Goldfish crackers etc.,

Add ins are a great idea for those who like a sweet-n-salty effect, and it allows for a different texture.

I chose to use some Halloween cups for serving individual portions.  The bonus is that the cups are re-usable so it's a small treat for the attendee.   Thank you Karo for an incredibly simple treat to share!  I received MANY rave reviews and recipe requests.

Ideas for other food to serve:

A "mummy" meatloaf (this is your basic "dead man" meatloaf but switched up w/ some yummy strips of bacon)

Black Halloween punch - take a non latex disposable glove and fill it with water*, seal with a rubber band and freeze until hard. *You can make this super cool by taking some grenadine cherry syrup and pouring some in and this will give it a bloody look!

Cupcakes - these are great b/c the portion size is controlled and there are MANY ways of making these festive!  Make a "mummy" cupcake by doing lines of white frosting on a chocolate cupcake.  Make a spider web and top w/ a black plastic spider ring.  Take white frosting and pipe on top in a tall swirl design and use two mini chocolate chip for a ghostly effect on a vanilla cupcake!

and ABSOLUTELY make the caramel popcorn - it's *THAT* good!

I am a voluntary Allrecipes Allstar Brand Ambassador and I do not receive compensation for my work with Allrecipes.com. Any product received is only used for experience-based reviews on The Daily Gourmet. The reviews, content and opinions expressed in this blog are the sole opinions of Sarah.