Wine Label Place Cards

I saved my favorite wine labels by steaming them off the wine bottles!  It took me a long time to get the ones I wanted.  Then for a party, I glued them to cardstock cut the same height, but different widths depending on the size of the wine label. Then, I wrote the names of my guests with a metallic-colored sharpie.

I couldn't figure out how to make them stand up until I remembered that I had so many corks from my favorite wines.  I simply glued them to the back of the cardstock with a glue gun! 

It was a fun party!

Papá's Salsa

Hello! I'm back! This is one of those beautiful sunsets from San Angelo. We just returned from a Texas vacation and I promised my friends that I would post this salsa recipe. It is actually an adapted version of my father-in-law's recipe. It is a family classic!

 Papás Salsa

1-2 jalapeños
5-7 Roma tomatoes
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt

In a cast iron skillet, roast 1-2 whole jalapeños. While jalapeños are roasting, rinse and cut Roma tomatoes in half to fill your skillet. Cook until both the jalapeños and tomatoes are blackened. 

Remove jalapeños from skillet and cut up.  Discard the stems. If you want less heat, then don't use the seeds. Place cut jalapeños at the bottom of a blender and then add blackened tomatoes. 

In the blender, add 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, that has been roughly chopped, and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Slowly pulse salsa in blender until all ingredients have been blended. 

Spanish Rice

My daughter is having a girlfriend over and she wants to make rice like her mama makes.  So, here is the way a Tex-Mex mama makes her Spanish Rice!Add small amount of canola or veg. oil.

Add 1 cup of long-grain rice, and lightly brown.

Add 1/4 cup diced onion and 1 minced garlic clove.

Brown rice, onion, and garlic together.

Add 1 small can Hunts tomato sauce, and 2 1/2 cans water.

Season with salt.

...And cumin

It should look like this.  Stir well.

Cover with foil and a lid.  Bring to a boil.

I put my gas stove dial inbetween Med-lo and Med.  Let simmer for 15 min.  All the water should have evaporated.  Let sit covered for at least 5 min.  Enjoy!

Coconut Cream Pie

Did someone say Coconut Cream Pie? That sounds delicious!  

THAT... it is! This is the easy version.  I don't even like coconut, but somehow I like it in this pie!  

This is best made the day before, but at least make it ahead of time to give it a few hours to set.  

Use your food processor to make the crust.  It is a fast way to make a crust.

Press the moist crumbs into a pie pan using a measuring cup!

 Soak the coconut in warm milk.

Mix the filling together.

Add  mixture to strained milk.  

Add vanilla, cover and chill.  

Brown coconut in oven.

Pipe whipped cream or Cool Whip on chilled pie filling and top with toasted coconut!

Coconut Cream Pie

For the crust:

1 1/4 cup flour

1 stick butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut (4 oz.), divided

2 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

Pinch of salt

3 large egg yolks

Cool Whip Lite OR...

Whipped cream- 1 cup of heavy whipping cream whipped in mixer with 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Make crust:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a food processor, pulse flour, butter, sugar, & salt until moist crumbs form, transfer to a tart pan or pie plate.  Press lightly with a measuring cup into bottom and up sides of pan.  Freeze until firm, 15 minutes.

Prick crust all over with a fork. Bake, until golden, 25 minutes. Cool completely.

Make filling: Spread 3/4 cup coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden, 5-7 minutes. Set toasted coconut aside.

In medium saucepan, heat 2 cups milk and remaining 3/4 cup coconut until milk begins to simmer. Remove from heat, cover; let stand 10 minutes. Strain through sieve, and return milk to saucepan; discard coconut.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg yolks, & remaining 1/2 cup milk until blended. Gradually whisk into saucepan. Bring to simmer over med-low heat, whisking constantly until mixture begins to thicken, about 3 min.  Cook, whisking, 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl, add vanilla.  Cover and refrigerate until cool, 45 minutes. 

In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, beat cream on medium until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. (Note: I use Cool Whip Lite)

To assemble the tart, sprinkle 1/4 cup toasted coconut on crust. Spoon on cooled filling, mounding slightly in center. Top with whipped cream, and garnish with remaining coconut. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pasta Primavera

 

This is so easy to make!  I made it using whole wheat pasta!  Yes, you better believe it!  I found it at Whole Foods, but it may not be available in your store.  If you want protein, add a grilled chicken breast or sausage.

 

This is the package of pasta.  Boil the pasta and drain. 

Grill the veggies.  I just season them with salt and pepper and then toss them in a little bit of olive oil.  You might want to use a variety of vegetables.

In a saute pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and then toss the pasta in the butter.  

    

Add the veggies and then toss the pasta again.

It is soooooooo easy!

                                                      

Whole Salt-Crusted Trout

This is a quick dinner that I made if you love fish!  I used trout, but you can use any whole fish you like.  (It does take a little planning to have the few special ingredients on hand.) The fish is sooooooo moist and the vinaigrette on top is quite flavorful! I know that it seems like that combination would go together, but my family loved it!

These are all the ingredients that go inside the fish. 

Just lay the fish on a sheet pan and stuff!

After mixing the salt and egg white mixture, pat on top of fish and bake.

While the fish is baking, make the vinaigrette.

Carefully remove the hard salt shell and peel off the skin.  Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve with a salad!

Whole Salt-Crusted Trout

(adaped from Todd English)

For fish:

1 - 2 medium sized whole trout

1 - 3 lb. box of Kosher Salt

6 egg whites

3 cups water

1 orange, sliced

6 cloves garlic

3 star anise

1 small handful whole allspice

1 Tablespoon dried fennel

Fresh cracked black pepper to taste

For vinaigrette:

4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped

1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk together.

Preparation:

Preheat over to 425 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine fennel, star anise, black pepper, garlic and allspice and mix to incorporate. Lay whole fish on a sheet pan and stuff cavity of fish with spice mixture then orange slices.

In another mixing bowl, mix salt, egg whites and water.  Pack salt mixture over the top of fish, covering thickly and completely, and place in oven to bake.  Bake about 35-40 min. (factor 10 to 12 minutes per pound of fish).

Serving:

Remove fish from oven and crack the salt crust.  Gently peel back the skin of the fish and carefully, with a spoon, scoop out the meat of the fish and place onto serving plates.  Dress with vinaigrette.