Cilantro Lime Rice

We’ve been having some gorgeous weather lately in Florida. No rain, no humidity, plenty of sunshine but not too hot and cool breezy evenings. My friend Molly invited some friends over last week for an evening cookout and s’mores over the fire pit. Sounded fantastic, count me in please! She mentioned grilled chicken and shrimp were on the menu. I decided to make some cilantro lime rice as a side dish.

 INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 3 cups water
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• ½ white onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 limes
• black pepper to taste
• 1 handful of cilantro, finely chopped plus extra leaves for garnish 

DIRECTIONS

1. I cook my rice in a rice cooker then I add all the flavorings. Swirl and rinse the rice the rice cooker bowl a couple of times until the water clears and is not so cloudy. Add the salt and let your rice cooker do it’s magic.
2. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until the onions are slightly caramelized. Set aside.
3. Finely chop the cilantro, discarding the large stems. Reserve some cilantro leaves for garnish. Juice and zest the limes. 
4. When the rice is done, dump it out onto a large bowl or platter. Add the chopped cilantro, lime juice and lime zest. Season with black pepper. Mix thoroughly. Garnish with cilantro leaves and lime wedges. 

Breakfast Potatoes

I love breakfast. Usually I like to make scrambled eggs or omelets served with a side of buttered toast. When I have time, I like to make pan-fried breakfast potatoes (or home fries). I like to do it up on Sundays cause that’s when the hubby’s off. He likes his eggs fried, over-easy. ;)

INGREDIENTS

• 2-3 russet potatoes, chopped
• ½ small onion, diced
• ¼ cup canola oil
• salt and pepper
• other seasonings (rosemary, garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, paprika etc.)
   

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash and scrub the potatoes and pat dry. Par-cook the potatoes in the microwave for 5 minutes. Chop the potatoes into small cubes.
2. Dice the onion and set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the potatoes in an even layer. Fry the potatoes for about 8-10 minutes. Turn the potatoes over. Add the onions and continue frying for another 10 minutes or so. Turn the potatoes every few minutes until they are brown and crispy.
4. Season the potatoes with your favorite seasonings; garlic salt, garlic powder, paprika, Cajun seasoning, parsley, rosemary, thyme etc.
5. Drain the potatoes on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Notes: This also works well if you have any leftover baked potatoes and you don’t have to fry the potatoes as long. You can also do a variation with onions and bell peppers (Potatoes O'Brien).

Microphone Cupcakes

I know it’s been a while since I posted anything. My sweetpea turned 4 a few weeks ago. I’ve been recuperating from his birthday party. Haha! He wanted a PSY/Gangnam Style inspired party so how could I resist? He got a karaoke machine for Christmas that’s he’s been really into lately. So I made these microphone cupcakes to go with the theme. I made some other Asian party food – pork banh mi sandwiches, teriyaki meatballs, crap rangoon dip, prawn chips with peanut sauce, and Korean gochujang deviled eggs. Of course I was too busy setting up the party to take any pictures of the food! Since I did take some pics of the cupcakes (before I realized I was running out of time) I thought I would share them and how to make them. They would be a hit at any music themed party.

INGREDIENTS
• 1 package of boxed cake mix (and cake ingredients - eggs, water, oil)
• 1 container of store bought frosting (I used chocolate)
• 4 oz. of black sanding sugar
• 24 ice cream cones (cake cones with the flat bottom)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.

Cover a 12-Cup muffin pan with aluminum foil. (I worked in batches.) With a knife, cut a small x in the center of each muffin opening large enough to fit an ice cream cone. You can omit this step but I was worried about the filled cones tipping over.

Mix cake batter to box directions. Fill each cone about 1/2 full and place in muffin pan. Bake about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

When cool, frost the cupcakes. Pour the sanding sugar in a small bowl and dip the frosted cupcakes in the sanding sugar and cover completely. 

The Birthday Boy and his pals!

Valentine’s Day Pretzels

Looking to make a little treat for Valentine’s Day? These salty and sweet pretzels are so easy to make! Just grab a bag of your favorite pretzels – twists, sticks, thins, rods, whatever you like. You can make these for any theme or holiday. The possibilities are endless! I made them for a Valentine’s play date last year and they were a hit. I didn’t cover the entire pretzel with chocolate because I wanted to taste the pretzel. I only did a corner but they were sweet enough and they also looked cute. I’ll probably make a variation with goldfish pretzels for my mini-me. ;)

Here’s how you do it. Line a tray with parchment or waxed paper. Arrange the pretzels in a single layer. Melt some white chocolate or milk chocolate or both (or even candy melts) in the microwave. Spoon it into a zip bag. Snip a corner with a pair of scissors. Pipe the chocolate onto the pretzels for a cleaner look or drizzle it all over and cover with your favorite sprinkles, jimmies, nonpareils, sugar crystals or sanding sugar. So, so simple, right? 

Happy Heart Day!
xoxo H

* I made the chocolate covered pretzel goldfish. ;)

Pull-Apart Pizza Bread

What are you making for game day? I saw this video for Pull-Apart Pizza Bread by Babble come through on my Facebook feed and decided to make it to bring along to a Super Bowl party. Looked simple enough. I adjusted the ingredients to my taste and added some fresh chopped garlic. The recipe calls for Parmesan but I had Pecorino Romano on hand so used that instead. The recipe is found at the link but I've listed it below as well:

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cans pizza dough
• 1/3 cup olive oil 
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons parsley flakes
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 
• 1/2 cup basil, freshly shredded (plus extra for garnish
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 pack mini pepperonis
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (plus extra for garnish)
• Pasta sauce (for dipping)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Cut pizza dough into 1-inch strips and then cut the strips into 2-inch sections.
3. Put the olive oil, mozzarella, parsley, Italian seasoning, basil, garlic powder, mini pepperonis, and Parmesan into the mixing bowl.
4.  Mix all the ingredients and toss so the olive oil is spread evenly on each piece of dough. Then pour into a Bundt pan.
5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is brown and the center is thoroughly cooked. Tip: Be sure to check the middle of the pizza bread. If it is still not cooked thoroughly, let it cook for 5 minutes at a time until it’s done.
6. Flip over onto a plate while it’s still hot, and garnish with shredded basil and Parmesan cheese. Use pasta sauce for dipping, if desired.

Notes: I adapted this recipe to my taste and what I had on hand. I added 4 cloves of chopped garlic. I used regular peperoni and cut them into quarters rather than using the mini pepperoni. I also used Pecorino Romano instead of Parmesan cheese.

If you don't have a Bundt pan, you can also use a springform pan. I wadded a piece of foil and placed it in the center to make a hole for the dipping sauce. I've used a springform pan in the past to make bread "wreaths" and it works great. Just make sure to wrap the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid a greasy mess.

Sticky Hoisin Wings

We’re heading to our friends, Jessica and Donnie’s house tomorrow for their annual Super Bowl party. (Actually, this is their 2nd one in their new home so I hope I’m not volunteering them to host every year! Ha!) Was thinking about what I could bring... Since they’ve got the wings covered, I’m probably going to make some type of pull-apart pepperoni bread, a safe, classic football grub. Last year, I brought some savory tartlets – pear/gorgonzola and caramelized onion/mushroom/goat cheese drizzled with a balsamic glaze. And the women ate them all up. But if you’re looking for a different wing recipe to make other than the usual buffalo, try out my easy Sticky Hoisin Wings recipe. I made these for a girl’s night. (Hubs wasn’t around to grill the wings for me, but the oven worked just fine.) Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs. chicken wings (I used all drumettes to make it easier to eat.)
• salt and pepper to taste

For the glaze:
• 3 teaspoons Hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• toasted sesame seeds or chopped green scallions for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat your oven to 375º. Pat your wings dry with paper towels. Season wings with salt and pepper. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Line the wings in a single layer and bake for 30 minutes. Turn them once halfway through cooking.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the glaze; hoisin, honey, soy sauce and garlic. Set aside.
3. When the wings are cooked through, remove them from the oven. Crank the oven up to 400º. Coat the wings with the hoisin glaze and return them to the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the glaze gets gooey and sticky and a bit caramelized. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds or chopped green scallions.

Notes: If you like everything with a little spice like I do, you can add some sriracha to the glaze mixture. I wasn’t sure if all of my guests could handle the spice so I left it out.

Wasabi Deviled Eggs

I am obsessed with furikake. It’s a mixture of nori (roasted seaweed), bonito, sesame seeds and other flavorings. It’s like the Japanese Mrs. Dash. You can throw it on top of garlic-fried rice, steamed rice with fried eggs, noodles, fish, vegetables, popcorn…you get the idea! You can find furikake at your local Asian market or maybe even the ethnic aisle at your local grocery store. I bought a variety set to try out and one of my faves was the wasabi fumi furikake. I used it in my wasabi deviled eggs. Check out the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 teaspoon wasabi paste (comes in a tube but you can also use the power, mixed as directed)
• a splash of mirin
• wasabi fumi furikake or black sesame seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, cover eggs with water. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Drain eggs; run under cold water until cool enough to handle.
2. Peel and halve eggs lengthwise; remove the yolks and transfer to a bowl. Mash with a fork. Mix in mayonnaise, wasabi paste and mirin into yolk mixture.
3. Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into whites. Chill in the fridge. Garnish with wasabi fumi furikake or black sesame seeds. 

Notes:  I recommend topping the eggs with the wasabi fumi furikake after they are chilled or before serving. This way it doesn’t get soggy from the moisture of the eggs.

Sriracha Deviled Eggs

I like it spicy! Gotta love the rooster sauce from Huy Fong Foods! (I love it so much, that it was my Halloween costume a couple of years ago.) I made these deviled eggs recently for a get together at my friend Jessica's house for football Sunday. They are so simple with a few ingredients and the sriracha does all the work on the flavor.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 teaspoon sriracha
• garlic powder to taste (optional)
• black sesame seeds or black caviar for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, cover eggs with water. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Drain eggs; run under cold water until cool enough to handle.
2. Peel and halve eggs lengthwise; remove the yolks and transfer to a bowl. Mash with a fork. Mix in mayonnaise, sriracha and garlic powder into yolk mixture.
3. Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into whites. Garnish with black sesame seeds or black caviar. Chill and serve.

Notes:  Next time, I will top the eggs with the caviar after the eggs are chilled or before serving. I found that the liquid from the caviar bled a bit into the egg yolk mixture before it set (or maybe I was a bit heavy handed on the caviar!). 

Halloween 2014 - Me and my mini rooster sauce