Showing posts with label hot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hot. Show all posts
Friday, May 22, 2015
El Yucateco Hot Sauce Giveaway Featuring Caliente Frito Pie Deluxe SauceOn CollectiveBias
Disclosure: This shop and giveaway has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its Advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
I recently discovered a new-to-me a habanero hot sauce that lets me #SauceOn to bring a burst of spicy heat to many of my favorite recipes. El YucatecoHot Sauce is made in Mexico and comes in four different spicy varieties: Red Habanero Sauce, Green Habanero Sauce, XXXtra Hot Kutbil-ik Sauce, and Black Label Reserve -- their newest flavor! Thanks to #CollectiveBias, I recently learned that all four flavors of El Yucateco hot sauce can be found in the Hispanic Foods aisle at Walmart.
If youve shied away from hot sauces made with habanero peppers in the past because you feared that theyd be TOO hot...dont! I found the El Yucateco Chile Habanero sauces very tasty. They definitely pack a fiery kick -- especially straight from the bottle -- but they also have lots of flavor. When added as a recipe ingredient, they bring a smooth heat...more of a slow burn than in-your-face fire. For example, I used the Black Label Reserve hot sauce to amp up a comfort classic: Caliente Frito Pie Deluxe. Let me show you how I took a gameday classic and gave it a grown-up twist.
Caliente Frito Pie Deluxe
a Weekend Gourmet Original
Ingredients (for one serving):
- 1 cup Fritos corn chips
- 3/4 cup of your favorite chili
- El Yucateco Black Label Reserve hot sauce to taste -- I used 1/2 tsp.
- 1/2 cup shredded colby-cheddar cheese
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 1/4 Roma tomato, diced
- 1/4 avocado, diced
- 2 tbs. sour cream mixed with 2 drops El Yucateco Black Label Reserved hot sauce
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375. Place the corn chips in an oven-safe crock or serving bowl. Heat the chili, stir in the El Yucateco Black Label Reserve hot sauce, and pour over the chips. Top with the shredded cheddar. Bake at 375 until the cheese is melted -- about 5 minutes.
Step 2: While the cheese is melting, mix the sour cream with 2 drops El Yucateco Black Label reserve. Spoon the sour cream in the middle of the cooked Frito pie. Sprinkle the green onion, avocado, and tomatoes on top. Eat immediately, while the chips are still crunchy.
Thats it! In about 15 minutes, you can have a spicy deluxe version of plain ol Frito pie. The El Yucateco hot sauce definitely upped the spice factor of the chili, but the sour cream and avocado cooled each bite off very nicely. For those who really love their food spicy, additional El Yucateco can be sprinkled on top of their Frito pie. I enjoyed this fancier version of Frito pie much more than the traditional version I usually make. To make this dish for a crowd, simply multiply the ingredients by 4 and bake in a casserole dish.
Want to learn more about El Yucateco Hot Sauce? All you have to do is Like El Yucateco on Facebook or visit their Recipe Page. Then, make plans to join us at the bilingual #SauceOn Twitter Party for inspiration and ideas on how to bring more excitement to your everyday meals by using El Yucateco. We’ll be sharing delicious, exciting recipes using El Yucateco -- and there will be $550 in Walmart gift cards! Make sure to RSVP. Speaking of prizes...who wants to win a fabulous El Yucateco Prize Pack?!?!? The winner will receive a $75 Walmart gift card and a gift basket that includes El Yucateco products and apparel, a wood cutting board, and cheese knives! To enter, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!
Want to learn more about El Yucateco Hot Sauce? All you have to do is Like El Yucateco on Facebook or visit their Recipe Page. Then, make plans to join us at the bilingual #SauceOn Twitter Party for inspiration and ideas on how to bring more excitement to your everyday meals by using El Yucateco. We’ll be sharing delicious, exciting recipes using El Yucateco -- and there will be $550 in Walmart gift cards! Make sure to RSVP. Speaking of prizes...who wants to win a fabulous El Yucateco Prize Pack?!?!? The winner will receive a $75 Walmart gift card and a gift basket that includes El Yucateco products and apparel, a wood cutting board, and cheese knives! To enter, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter below. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. El Yucateco giveaway ends on 8/29/14 at 6:00PM ET. Open only to (i) legal residents of the fifty (50) United States, the District of Columbia, and (ii) who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry. Void in PR and where prohibited. Sponsor: Collective Bias, Inc.
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Holiday Fun with Peeps Featuring Gingerbread White Hot Cocoa PEEPSONALITY
My Gingerbread Hot White Cocoa features a trio of warm spices normally found in gingerbread. To make this decadent treat extra fun, each mug of cocoa is served garnished with an easy-to-make gingerbread man marshmallow Peep stirrer. Its a win-win: everyone gets to enjoy a comforting mug of white chocolate-infused cocoa...and they get to enjoy a tasty gingerbread marshmallow Peep too. This white cocoa is ready to drink in about 20 minutes. While the cocoa is heating on the stovetop, you have a pocket of time to make the adorable Peep stirrers. Let me show you how easy it is!
Gingerbread Hot White Cocoa
a Weekend Gourmet Original
Ingredients (makes 3-4 mugs of cocoa):
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- Whipped cream for garnish
For the gingerbread man marshmallow Peep stirrers:
- 3-4 gingerbread man marshmallow Peeps
- 3-4 drinking straws -- preferably with red and white stripes, if you can find them
Directions:
Step 1: Add the milk, half and half, white chocolate, brown sugar, and vanilla to a medium non-stick saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and cook until the white chocolate and brown sugar have melted into the milk mixture. Whisk every few minutes to ensure nothing sticks and the mixture is very smooth. Add the spices to the warm cocoa.
Step 2: Use a whisk to ensure the spices incorporate into the cocoa instead of simply floating on top. Turn off the heat and let the mixture steep for 5 minutes -- this allows the flavor of the spices to infuse into the cocoa.
Step 3: Use a ladle to transfer the warm cocoa into 3-4 holiday mugs. To make the marshmallow Peeps stirrer: insert one end of the straw into the bottom of each gingerbread man marshmallow Peep -- go slow so you dont stretch out the Peep too much. Top the cocoa with whipped cream and sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon. Insert the straw end of each stirrer into each mug of cocoa.
[NOTE: Depending on the depth of your mug and the length of your straw, you may need to cut the straw so the Peep rests just above the whipped cream -- with a bit of the straw showing!]
This hot white cocoa is decadently good...the white chocolate provides a rich creaminess, and the brown sugar and vanilla adds a slight caramel flavor in the background. The combination of warm spices is so comforting...with a little kick from the ginger. I especially enjoyed how the flavors in the cocoa combined with the spiced sugar coating on the cute gingerbread man marshmallow Peeps! This cocoa is a fun little treat that kids of all ages will love. I hope you make a batch soon for a pre-Christmas break from all the last-minute preparations.
Disclosure: Peeps sent me a package of their seasonal holiday products to facilitate this feature. All opinions expressed are solely my own.
Sunday, March 8, 2015
AD Game Day Hot Wings Bar Featuring Diablo Ranch and Cranberry Honey Mustard Dipping Sauces GameTimeHero CollectiveBias
This #GameTimeHero shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions expressed are solely mine. 
Its no big secret that were huge football fans at Casa Garcia...we never miss a big game! I also love to serve a variety of tasty snacks for us to munch on while we cheer on our favorite team. However, I like to keep my game-day menu as stress-free as possible -- I dont want to miss a big play because Im in the kitchen cooking. Thanks to my convenient neighborhood Walmart Deli, I was able to purchase a Pick 3 Bucket of pre-cooked Tyson deli wings for an easy and fun game-day hot wings bar. I selected three different flavors: the sweet and spicy Boneless General Tsos, crispy Bone-in Hot Wings, and traditional Buffalo Wing flavors. All I had to do was take the ready-to-serve wings home and set them out for everyone to enjoy! Earlier in the day, I had prepared a duo of tasty dipping sauces to pair with our wings: spicy Diablo Ranch and tangy Cranberry Honey Mustard. Making the sauces ahead saved me lots of time and stress. All I had to do before kickoff was pour some sodas and open a couple of bags of chips -- and we were ready to watch some exciting playoff football. 
Our team didnt make the playoffs this year, but we certainly enjoyed our game-day wing bar while watching all of the Wild Card playoff action! Let me show you how simple my duo of flavorful dipping sauces is to prepare -- and how I used brightly colored decor to create a festive mood. Youll be ready to throw a game-day hot wing fiesta of your own in time for the next big game. Because the Pick 3 Bucket has convenient inserts that keep each flavor of wings separate, you can simply serve the warm wings directly from the bucket -- no need to dirty a serving platter!
I had originally planned to include a third Asian-inspired dipping sauce, but the boneless General Tsos wings were so delicious and saucy on their own that I decided to focus on the other two sauces instead. The Diablo Ranch dipping sauce takes ordinary ranch to spicy new levels of flavor, and the Cranberry Honey Mustard is tart and tangy. Even better? Both sauces are ready to serve in less than 15 minutes!Diablo Ranch Dipping Sauce:
- 1/2 cup prepared ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup medium chunky salsa
- 1 tbs. taco seasoning mix
- 1 tbs. dried cilantro
Combine the ranch dressing and chunky salsa in a bowl. Add the taco seasoning and cilantro. Stir well, until all the ingredients are completely incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Cranberry Honey Mustard:
- 3/4 cup canned jellied cranberry sauce
- 2 tbs. grainy brown mustard
- 2 tbs. honey
- 1 tbs. parsley
- 1 tsp. curry powder
Add the cranberry sauce, mustard, and honey to a bowl. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the honey and mustard with the cranberry sauce. Add the parsley and curry powder and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Both of these dipping sauces feature robust flavors that pair very nicely with the spiciness of the hot wings -- the flavors enhance each other without overpowering. My favorite combos were the Diablo Ranch on the Spicy Hot Wings...and the Cranberry Honey Mustard with the Buffalo Wings. Tip: be sure to include plenty of festive napkins and wet wipes so everyone is able to keep their hands clean -- thatll save you lots of time and stress on your post-game cleanup!! Now that youve seen how I paired these deli hot wings with dipping sauces...tell me what sauce YOU like to dip your hot wings in.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Citrus and Ginger Hot Toddy
I often go all-out when it comes to potluck contributions — especially smaller potlucks. Partly to have an excuse to play around in the kitchen, and partly to ensure that theres a substantial veg-friendly option that I can actually make a meal of. But for my recent book club potluck, I decided to just contribute a beverage. The host had said that thered be a vegetarian main dish, so I didnt need to worry. And also, I was sick. So I brought hot toddies.
In retrospect, I probably should have stayed home (as I was much, much more gross and snuffly than Id thought I would be). But oh, those toddies. Everyone loved them. Perhaps because folks were still basking in a post-holiday glow, and perhaps because they wanted something seemingly healthy to keep them from getting what I was clearly dying of. And perhaps because this toddy was just really delicious.
When Ive made toddies in the past, theyve usually just been versions of lemony, honey-spiked tea, sometimes with a shot of booze. But this time I upped the citrus component (thanks to the last of my California backyard Meyer lemons), threw in some fragrant mandarins, and some sharp-hot ginger. I added a few optional touches that I happened to have on hand (a few shakes of bitters and a dozen piney-clean juniper berries), and stirred in some honey. With all that going on, I left out the tea bags, to let the flavors better come through. And yes, I also brought a bottle of bourbon on the side.
If youve got a winter potluck, this makes a phenomenal contribution (even if you dont have a cold). And if youve got an insulated airpot or similar thermos, its even easier — instead of simmering and infusing on the stove, you can just toss everything in the canister, pour the boiling water over it, and let it infuse for an hour or so. Its great for toasting in whatever the new year may bring, or for just getting you through a snuffly night.
Citrus and Ginger Hot Toddy
yields ~8 servings
3 meyer lemons (2 juiced, 1 sliced)
2 mandarins (1 juiced, 1 sliced)
~2-3 inches fresh ginger (depending upon the thickness), thinly sliced
~a dozen juniper berries, thwacked with a knife to bruise them (optional)
a few shakes bitters
1/4 cup honey
scant 8 cups boiling water
bourbon
If you have an airpot/thermos, place the citrus (slices and juice), ginger, juniper berries, and bitters in the pot. Place the honey in a heat-proof dish, and pour about a half-cup of the boiling water in to dissolve, then pour that in as well. Add the remaining boiling water to top it off, then cover and let infuse for about an hour (if you dont have an airpot, you can just simmer things on the stove). Serve with an optional slug of bourbon on the side.
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