Showing posts with label maker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maker. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Sneak Peek The Weekend Gourmet Is Taking Part in H E Bs 2013 Meal Maker Challenge!
I’m thrilled to share some really fun and exciting news with yall today: The Weekend Gourmet has been selected as one of 10 Texas food blogs to participate in this year’s 4th annual Meal Maker Challenge, sponsored by H-E-B grocery stores and ConAgra Foods. The challenge is to create fast and delicious meals to help combat the back-to-school rush. For the next five Sundays, I’m going to be sharing a big-flavor family-friendly dish that’s centered around a theme ingredient. Each recipe contains only 7 ingredients and can be ready to serve a family of four in 30 minutes or less. I’m delighted to share the recipes that I’ve come up with for this fun contest! Here’s a sneak peek of each of my recipes to whet your appetite.
The weekly featured products include:
· Week 1: H-E-B Salsas
· Week 2: Hunts Tomatoes
· Week 3: H-E-B Natural Chicken Breasts
· Week 4: Egg Beaters
· Week 5: Peter Pan Peanut Butter
Make sure to come back each week to get all these great recipes...starting this Sunday with my Salsarific Taco Skillet, featuring H-E-B Smoky Citrus Salsa. My Texas-based readers can visit their local H-E-B store weekly to receive a Combo Loco coupon to purchase that week’s theme ingredient and try my recipe out in their kitchens. Since this is a contest, I’ll also tell you how you can vote for and Pin my recipes each week. At the end of the contest, the two bloggers with the most votes will receive some pretty cool prizes! Honestly, just being selected to take part in this event is a huge honor…but winning would be pretty cool too!
Disclosure: I am being compensated for participating in this program. However, all opinions expressed are solely mine.
Friday, February 6, 2015
H E B Con Agra Meal Maker Challenge Week 2 Chicken Caprese Tortellini Salad Featuring Hunts Diced Tomatoes
To make the prep work as quick and simple as possible, I used refrigerated tortellini, pre-cooked chicken breast strips and bottled Italian dressing. While the tortellini cooks, you have a pocket of time to chop some red onions and fresh basil. Simply add all of the ingredients to a pretty serving bowl, pour the zesty dressing on top, and give it a quick toss before serving!
Chicken Caprese Tortellini Salad
a Weekend Gourmet Original
Ingredients:
- 14-ounce can Hunts Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic, drained well
- 8-ounce package refrigerated cheese tortellini (mixed spinach and regular)
- 1 cup fresh mozzarella pearls (or diced fresh mozzarella)
- 2 cups HEB Fully Cooked Diced Chicken Breast
- 1/4 cup purple onion, cut into thin slivers
- 3-4 basil leaves cut in a chiffonade
- 1 cup bottled Italian dressing
Directions:
- Cook the tortellini according to package directions. When cooked, immediately drain and plunge them into a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes to quick chill.
- While the pasta cooks, prep the onion and basil.
- To assemble the salad, add the cooled tortellini to a large serving bowl. Drain the tomatoes very well. Add the tomatoes, diced chicken, mozzarella pearls, purple onion and basil to the bowl.
- Pour the Italian dressing over the top and toss well to combine all ingredients.
Thats it! This dish is simple to make, gorgeous to look at...and delicious to eat. This is the kind of salad that will even get the thumbs up from everyone who tries it...even men who might not normally enjoy salad for dinner. The hearty tortellini and double shot of protein from the chicken and mozzarella make this dish filling, yet light. We loved the freshness of the Hunts tomatoes, and the way the fire roasting brought out their sweetness. This is a regular in my Summer dinner rotation, and I hope your family enjoys it as much as we do!
The H-E-B/ConAgra Meal Maker Challenge is a lot of fun, but its also a contest. So...if you like my recipe, I would certainly appreciate it if you visited the H-E-B voting microsite and repinned it via Pinterest. Anybody can take part in the voting process, but my Texas readers will receive an added bonus: weekly coupons to save on the featured ingredient at your local H-E-B. At the end of the contest next month, the two food bloggers with the most votes will win some really cool prizes. Id be honored if you voted for my Salsarific Taco Skillet! Be sure to come back next Sunday for
another speedy family-friendly recipe.
Disclosure: I received compensation, as well as H-E-B and ConAgra products as part of this promotion. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Daily Buzz Food Taste Maker Outreach Panera Bakery Cafe Soup!
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| Vegetarian Creamy Tomato Soup was just the thing I needed to warm up on a chilly afternoon! |
My friendly server recommended I try the Vegetarian Creamy Tomato Soup coupled with the new Big Kid Grilled Cheese sandwich. That sounded like a winning combo, so I gave it a try…and I’m so glad I did. The tomato soup was warm and fresh-tasting…with chunks of tomatoes and just a touch of cream. It wasn’t too rich, but it wasn’t overly acidic either – it was a perfect balance. The portion size was nice as well…just enough to fill me up without being overly stuffed. Best of all, it came with some yummy croutons to sprinkle on top. The grilled cheese sandwich was majorly cheesy, with four kinds of cheese: gruyere, Vermont white cheddar, organic American, and Applewood smoked bacon.
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| My You Pick 2 combo: Vegetarian Creamy Tomato Soup and half of a Big Kid Grilled Cheese sandwich... |
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| The best way to end a yummy lunch! |
Disclosure: Daily Buzz Food sent me a Panera Bread gift card to facilitate this post. I am also receiving a stipend for this post. The pictures taken and opinions expressed are my own.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
HEB ConAgra Meal Maker Challenge Week 1 Salsarific Taco Skillet Featuring HEB Smoky Citrus Salsa HEBMeals
Welcome, everyone, to Week #1 of the H-E-B/ ConAgra Foods Meal Maker Challenge. For the next five Sundays, ten Texas food bloggers -- including yours truly -- will be sharing lots of great easy family meal ideas. All featured recipes contain no more than seven ingredients and are ready to eat in 30 minutes or less. These recipes are ideal for the upcoming back-to-school rush, easily feeding a family of four. Each weeks recipes are built around a theme ingredient thats an H-E-B or ConAgra product. Just wait until you see what I have for you this week!
This weeks theme ingredient is H-E-B Salsa. There are several different flavors to choose from, but the Smoky Citrus immediately caught my eye. Flavored with smoky chipotle chile and lime, I knew it was just the flavor profile I was looking for. I knew that I wanted to make a skillet meal, because they are ideal for busy cooks since you can cook and serve the meal right from your pan. That means fewer dirty dishes during the cooking process and less time cleaning up later...a win-win scenario in my book! I came up with my quick-cook Salsarific Taco Skillet, which combines all my favorite Tex-Mex flavors in one bite!
Lean ground beef is flavored with the salsa, then pre-cooked Spanish rice and flavorful canned borracho beans are added. Then the mixture is topped with cheese and crunchy, colorful tortilla strips. A ramekin of cooling sour cream is served right in the skillet for those who want to top their serving with sour cream. I also like to serve the remaining salsa on the side for those who want to spoon more of it on top. Wait until you see how simple this dish is to whip up!
Salsarific Taco Skillet
A Weekend Gourmet Original
Ingredients:
- 1 cup H-E-B Smoky Citrus Salsa
- 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
- 1 package H-E-B frozen pre-cooked Spanish rice
- 1 can H-E-B Borracho Beans with Shiner Bock
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese blend
- 1 cup Fresh Gourmet tri-color tortilla strips
- 8 ounces light sour cream
Directions:
- Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Add the ground beef and salt & pepper to taste. Cook until the meat is browned, then add the salsa. Stir to combine and cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes, until thickened.
- While the meat and salsa cook, prepare the Spanish rice according to package directions. Add the rice to the skillet, along with the can of borracho beans. Stir well to combine all ingredients, and cook until heated through.
- Turn off the heat. Make a well in the center of the pan for a small ramekin; place the ramekin in the well. Sprinkle the perimeter of the skillet around the ramekin with the cheese and the tortilla strips.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Just before serving, spoon the sour cream into the ramekin. To serve, spoon some of the taco mixture into bowls. Top each serving with sour cream and more of the salsa, if desired.
We really loved this quick meal! The spice level is quite moderate, but those who like a more pronounced heat can simply spoon more of the reserved salsa on top. The cheese and sour cream provide a nice cooling effect to the salsa, and the crunchy tortilla strips provide texture and an earthy corn flavor. Add it up, and youve got a meal that the whole family will love. This meal will easily feed four, and youre likely to have some left for lunch the next day too.
The H-E-B/ConAgra Meal Maker Challenge is a lot of fun, but its also a contest. So...if you like my recipe, I would certainly appreciate it if you visited the H-E-B voting microsite and repinned it via Pinterest. Anybody can take part in the voting process, but my Texas readers will receive an added bonus: weekly coupons to save on the featured ingredient at your local H-E-B. At the end of the contest next month, the two food bloggers with the most votes will win some really cool prizes. Id be honored if you voted for my Salsarific Taco Skillet! Be sure to come back next Sunday for another speedy family-friendly recipe.
Disclosure: I am being compensated for participating in the H-E-B/ConAgra Meal Maker Challenge. However, all opinions expressed are solely my own.
Review and Giveaway Babycakes Cupcake Maker The Big Book of Babycakes Cupcake Cookbook! Featuring Pumpkin Maple Mini Cupcakes with Biscoff Buttercream Frosting
Just in time for Thanksgiving, I have a fun pumpkin mini cupcake recipe to share...and a really fun gift pack giveaway! I recently received a super-cute pink Babycakes Cupcake Maker to try out in my kitchen and share my thoughts with you. This fun machine fits on the kitchen countertop and cooks eight mini cupcakes at a time…or about two dozen per recipe. Each batch of eight cupcakes cooks in about 5-7 minutes, so its pretty much instant gratification! Even better, this versatile little machine also makes muffins, mini pies, and savory mini appetizers. I also received a copy of the latest Babycakes Cupcake Maker cookbook from my friends at Robert Rose Publishing, so I decided to make a batch of Thanksgiving-inspired cupcakes over the weekend!
We had our Thanksgiving luncheon at work this week, so I decided to use the Babycakes machine to make Pumpkin Maple Cupcakes from the book, along with my slight tweak on their Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting. Instead of Nutella, I used Biscoff spread to compliment the cinnamon and nutmeg that flavored the cupcakes. This duo paired perfectly together…the cupcakes weren’t overly sweet, which really allowed the Biscoff-infused icing to shine! The Babycakes Cupcake Baker was a snap to use: simply plug in and preheat on the countertop. While the machine heated, I whipped up the simple scratch cake batter in my stand mixer. One note: the size of these cupcakes is between a full-sized cupcake and a bite-sized cupcake. That means that cupcake liners that fit the wells can be hard to find. Babycakes makes custom liners specifically for the machine, which can be purchased online. I was able to find them in packages of 100 at my local Kohl’s.
These portion-controlled cupcakes were very tasty…they baked up perfectly in the Babycakes Cupcake Maker. The machine is fun to use and comes with an instruction book, a pastry cutter for making mini pies, and an icing bag and tips. When I iced my cupcakes, I squeezed too hard and split the bag. I had to resort to icing my cupcakes the old-school way: with an offset spatula. They weren’t as fancy as using a piping bag, but I improvised by placing a glazed pecan half on top of each cupcake. It was decorative, and it also let anyone with a nut allergy know that my cupcakes had pecans inside.
Pumpkin Maple Cupcakes with Biscoff Buttercream Frosting
from The Big Book of Babycakes Cupcake Maker Recipes Cookbook
Step 1: Plug in and preheat the Babycakes Cupcake Maker. While it heats, prep the cake batter. Add the following ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer: 1 room-temperature large egg, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filling), 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Combine on med-high speed and beat for 1 minute.
Step 2: In a small bowl, mix together 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl and combine on low speed just until incorporated. Stir in 1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans.
Step 3: Place Babycakes cupcake liners into the wells in the machine...its hot, so be careful! Use a cookie scoop to fill each well with approximately 1.5 tbs. of batter. Close the top of the machine and bake for 6-7 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool and repeat until all batter is used.
Step 4: When the cupcakes are cool -- about an hour -- make the icing. Combine the following ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer: 2 tbs. softened butter, 1/2 cup Biscoff spread. Beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute, or until creamy. Gradually incorporate 1 3/4 cups confectioners sugar until blended. Add 4 tbs. whipping cream until the icing is light and fluffy. Ice the cupcakes and top with a candied pecan half for decor.
These cupcakes are totally yummy, and the portion-controlled size is definitely appreciated during the holiday season. These cupcakes are dense and moist…almost like a muffin in consistency…and the Biscoff-infused icing was divine! I can’t wait to use the Babycakes machine to make simple appetizers and maybe some holiday-themed mini brownies. The machine was easy to clean up since I used liners, and it easily stores in my kitchen cabinets between uses.
Now…who wants to win a Babycakes Cupcake Maker of their own AND a copy of The Big Book of Babycakes cookbook in time for the holidays?!?!?! I’ll be accepting entries through this Saturday, November 24th, and the winner will be notified via e-mail on Sunday, November 26th. For one entry, simply leave a comment below letting me know how you would use this versatile machine in your kitchen. For additional entries, Like Babycakes on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter. Make sure to leave me a separate comment for each entry since I’m using a random number generator to select the winner. One last thing…please be sure to leave your e-mail address on one entry so I can find you if you’re the winner.
I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving! I’m leaving for a quick visit with family in the Houston area after work tomorrow, but I’ll be back with a tasty and super-simple appetizer on Friday evening. I am so very thankful for the many blessings in my life…and this blog and my readers are among the most cherished gifts in my life!
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Product Review Spotlight Zoku Slush Shake Maker and Sparkling Ice Beverages
Have I mentioned that August is hot in Texas? As in H-O-T, with afternoon temps hovering at or above 100. That kind of heat takes a lot out of a gal, which means I need lots of cool beverages to keep me cool and hydrated! Today, I want to share two of my latest discoveries for beating the heat…or at least making it more bearable. I recently received a nifty Zoku Slush & Shake Maker to try out, and it’s just what I need to keep cool on the hottest of afternoons. Simply freeze the inner core insert overnight…or while you’re at work for the day. Then, you simply add the frozen core to the outer holder, pour in your favorite pre-chilled beverage, and stir with the provided scraper/spoon for a few minutes until it’s nice and slushy. I‘m able to get two small frozen drinks made with each freezing, so Michael and I both get an icy treat. Then, I give the core a quick rinse and place it back in the freezer until the next round!The Zoku Slush & Shake Maker can be used to create family-friendly slushes and shakes using any beverage you’re in the mood for. It can even be used to create icy adult beverages like margaritas and daiquiris! So far, we’ve made sugar-free lemonade slushes, orange juice slushes, and frosted root beer using sugar-free root beer and a bit of softened vanilla ice cream. However, my favorite recent discovery is to freeze Sparking ICE beverages. This refreshing sparkling beverage is sweetened with Splenda and comes in lots of fruity flavors, including Raspberry Lemonade. I like to chill the ICE, then use the Slush & Shake Maker to make us an icy treat…I especially love to garnish the glass with a gorgeous Summer strawberry and a fun straw when I serve.
Sparkling ICE comes in a wide variety of yummy flavors. Its delicious on its own, but it can also be used as a mixer in your favorite cocktails! I love to use the Pomegranate Blueberry flavor to make quick individual sangrias. I simply add a few fresh blueberries and chopped strawberries to the bottom of two wine glasses. Then, I fill the glasses halfway with chilled sparkling pink moscato and add an equal amount of the ICE Pomegranate Blueberry. Sometimes, you just dont need to make an entire pitcher of sangria…this quick version is instant gratification! Its perfect for an al fresco dinner for two. It’s fruity and refreshing…and I love the pretty pop of color from the jewel-like fruit! Sangria is my favorite Summertime cocktail…light, fruity and refreshing. With my Simple Pomegranate-Berry Sangria, you can have a glass of sangria ready in less than 5 minutes.
The Zoku Slush & Shake Maker and Sparkling ICE can be found at major retailers nationwide. The Slush & Shake Maker can also be purchased via the Zoku online store. To locate Sparkling ICE at a store near you, visit the ICE store locator.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary Zoku Slush & Shake Maker and sample bottles of Sparking ICE beverage. However, all opinions expressed are my own and I received no further compensation.
Friday, January 30, 2015
H E B ConAgra Meal Maker Challenge Week 3 Bacon Ranch Chicken Pizzas Featuring H E B Natural Chicken Breasts HEBMeals
Happy Sunday, everyone! Its Week #3 of the H-E-B/ConAgra Meal Maker Challenge. Im having a blast sharing my quick-cook family-friendly meals via this event! All of the featured recipes have only 7 ingredients...and they take only 30 minutes to whip up. During these busy August days, thats exactly the kind of meals that I like. Between a busy day job and morphing into The Weekend Gourmet nights and weekends, most nights I want to whip up something fast for dinner...but I dont want it to be flavorless and boring. With the right big-flavor ingredients in your kitchen, you can have a quick meal that makes your tastebuds sing in a matter of minutes!
This week, our featured ingredient is H-E-B Natural Chicken Breasts. Chicken is one of my go-to ingredientsfor quick weeknight dinners: thin-sliced chicken breasts cook up in minutes, and they are so versatile! I never get bored with chicken, because its such a great canvas to work with. For this challenge, I decided to go with pizza. Its the most family-friendly meal that I know of...everyone loves it! I wanted to do a fun spin on pizza, and two of my favorite flavors are bacon and ranch. Thats all I needed to create my super-flavorful Bacon-Ranch Chicken Pizzas. Yeah...I went there! By using pre-cooked chopped bacon and jarred alfredo sauce, these pizzas were ready in right at 30 minutes. Making them individual sized also means each person can adjust the amount of each ingredient to their preference.
This pizza combines seared chicken breast, ranch-infused alfredo sauce, pizza cheese blend, bacon and green onion...all on top of store-bought mini pizza crusts. There are only a few ingredients here, but theyre all so full of flavor that youd never know it. Youre going to make this one folks...its a keeper!!
Bacon-Ranch Chicken Pizzas
a Weekend Gourmet Original
Ingredients:
- 3/4 lb. HEB Thin Sliced Natural Chicken Breast
- 2 tbs. + 1 tbs. dry ranch dressing mix
- 4 HEB Thin Mini Pizza Crusts
- 1 cup HEB Four Cheese Alfredo Sauce
- 2 cups Pizza Blend Cheese
- 1/2 cup pre-cooked real bacon pieces
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with 2 tbs. of the dry ranch dressing and salt & pepper to taste. Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray and heat over med-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until they are golden-brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Set the chicken aside to cool
- Thoroughly combine the alfredo sauce and 1 tbs. dry ranch dressing mix in a small bowl. Place the pizza crusts on a large rimmed cookie sheet thats topped with parchment or foil. Spread 1/4 cup of the sauce on each of the crusts.
- Top each of the pizzas with 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle each pizza with the bacon and green onion.
- Chop the cooled chicken and add a quarter of the chicken to each pizza. Top with salt & pepper to taste. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the crusts are golden-brown. For even cooking, turn the pan around halfway through the baking time.
This pizza is off-the-hook good...its one of my favorite recipe creations this year! If you love bacon and ranch, youll go nuts for this pizza. The creamy ranch-infused alfredo is a nice change of pace from the usual tomato sauce, and it pairs nicely with the ranch-seasoned chicken, bacon and green onions. The portion size is perfect when paired with a simple green salad on the side. This recipe is kid-pleasing...even if youre only a kid at heart like we are here at Casa Garcia!!
If you like this recipe, I sure would appreciate it if you voted for me! Its very easy to do. You can go to the H-E-B microsite OR you can go to the Meal Maker Challenge Pinterest Page and repin my recipe...each repin counts as a vote. It only takes a second to link over and vote, and I really appreciate the support. While youre there, you can also see all of the other great family-friendly meals that my fellow food bloggers are sharing!
Disclosure: I received compensation and free H-E-B and ConAgra products to participate in this promotion. The opinions expressed are all my own, however.
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