Showing posts with label texas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label texas. Show all posts
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Texas Brew Salsa 3 Pack Giveaway Featuring Sweet Heat Buried Treasure Meatballs
One of my favorite things about blogging is sharing new food finds …and I LOVE it when I get to feature Texas-based companies! Today, I’d like to tell you about a product that’s based right here in San Antonio: Texas Brew Salsa. Owner Brenda Craig produces a wide variety of fire-roasted salsas in varying degrees of heat…including a line of delicious fruit-infused salsas that combine heat and sweet! Her all-natural salsas contain ingredients like fire-roasted tomatoes, roasted chipotle peppers, roasted poblano peppers, roasted onions, cooked black beans, sweet corn, real peaches, real roasted pineapple, real mangos, and real apples. Brenda recently sent me a few jars of salsa to sample and share my thoughts with you.
First up was what I like to call The Chip Test. We opened a big bag of tortilla chips and cracked open six jars of salsa in the following flavors: Fire-Roasted Poblano, Medium Honey-Roasted Chipotle, Hot-Iron Habanero, Honey-Roasted Mango, Honey-Roasted Pineapple, and Honey-Roasted Apple Cinnamon. We enjoyed all of the flavors – you can definitely tell this salsa is made from fresh, quality ingredients. I have to confess that I am a bit of a wuss! The hot habanero was almost too spicy for me. That said, Michael actually proclaimed the habanero his favorite…so its perfect if you like your salsa muy caliente! My personal favorite was the unique Honey-Roasted Chipotle. The smoky flavor of the chipotle was met with just a touch of sweetness in the background. Add in a salty chip, and you’ve got a winning flavor combination. The fruit salsas had a nice balance of sweet and heat, and I’d love to play around with those in a dessert recipe sometime!
I decided to create an original recipe using two flavors of Texas Brew salsa, so I went to my kitchen and got to work. I came up with Sweet Heat ‘Buried Treasure’ Meatballs. These juicy meatballs are seasoned with all sorts of goodies, including a healthy dose of Texas Brew’s Medium Fire-Roasted Poblano salsa. After baking in the oven, the meatballs are glazed in a flavorful sauce containing BBQ sauce and a jar of Texas Brew’s Honey-Roasted Pineapple salsa. These meatballs are seriously good…and really easy to make!
Sweet Heat ‘Buried Treasure’ Meatballs
a Weekend Gourmet Original
Step 1: Add the following ingredients to a large mixing bowl: ½ lb. 93% lean ground beef, ½ lb. ground pork, ½ cup Texas Brew Fire-Roasted Poblano Salsa, 2 sliced green onions, 2 grated garlic cloves, 1 tbs. cilantro paste (or chopped fresh cilantro), 1 cup crushed tortilla chips, 1 egg, 1 tsp. cumin, a few grinds of black pepper, and 1 tsp. garlic salt. Using pristinely clean hands, combine ingredients just until combined – be gentle.
Step 2: Preheat oven to 375. Divide the mixture into 12 portions – approximately 2 tbs. Insert one cube of co-jack cheese in the middle, then roll the meatball around the cheese cube. Place the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked. Don’t panic if a few of the meatballs start to ooze melted cheese…those are good for taste testing!
Step 3: While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Add 2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce and 1 jar of Texas Brew Honey-Roasted Pineapple salsa to a high-rimmed non-stick pan. Combine with a whisk and cook over medium heat. When the meatballs are cooked, add to the sauce and use tongs to coat them in the glaze. Let them simmer in the sauce for a few minutes while you pour drinks and get the plates ready. I served three meatballs and a spoonful of the sauce over Mexican rice. It’s fun to cut into the meatballs and see the cheese inside…like buried treasure!
These meatballs were really good…so good that Michael cleaned his plate and asked for seconds. Husband-approved is one of the best recipe endorsements I can give! The meatballs are moist, with just enough spice…and the cheesy middles are yummy and fun! The sauce is a little spicy, a little sweet, and a little smoky….an addictive combo that pairs really nicely with the meatballs. This meat mixture is versatile too! Michael thought it would make great meatloaf. For appetizers, simply make the meatballs slightly smaller and add a sturdy toothpick. Heck, I’m thinking that they’d make a great crockpot-friendly Super Bowl food!
Now for the best part: Texas Brew Salsa is going to give one of you a 3-pack of their salsa! Two of the jars will be the ones featured in these meatballs so you can recreate this recipe in your kitchen, and the third jar is Medium Honey-Roasted Chipotle. You can enter up to three times to win. For the first entry, visit the Texas Brew Salsa website, then come back and leave a comment letting me know which flavor caught your eye.. For a second entry, Like Texas Brew Salsa on Facebook and come back and leave a second comment. For a third entry, follow Texas Brew Salsa on Twitter and come back to leave me a third comment. Entries will be accepted through this Sunday 1/27 at 1159 p.m. The winner will be selected at random and notified on Monday 4/28. Good luck!!
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Celebrating SundaySupper July 4th Fun Featuring Texas Creole Crawfish Potato Salad
This week’s #SundaySupper features everything you need to whip up a fun and delicious July 4th meal...from side dishes to main dishes to festive desserts. Think of your #SundaySupper bloggers as your one-stop shop for fantastic holiday-themed recipes! My contribution to the virtual cookout is a modern spin on an American classic: potato salad. Dont get me wrong: I LOVE potato old-fashioned potato salad. But...this time, I wanted to do something a bit different. Michael found a great recipe and showed it to me earlier this week...which usually means that he wants me to make the dish.
When I took a look, I was onboard in a split second. Try this on for size: Texas-Creole Crawfish Potato Salad. This recipe is my take on a recipe from Brennan’s Houston. Its one of my favorite restaurants of all time, and they really have an inventive way of combining Texas and Louisiana Creole flavors in delicious ways! I made a few tweaks to their recipe to suit our taste buds. I subbed cornichons (French baby pickles) for pickled okra, because that’s one veggie we no can do at Casa Garcia. I also left out the bell pepper since I cant eat it unless its cooked really well. Feel free to add 1/2 cup of chopped bell pepper if you like it.
To compensate for these changes, I upped the amount of boiled eggs and cooked bacon...so I hope all is forgiven. This defininitely ain’t your Mama’s potato salad, but it sure is good! It has just enough classic potato salad ingredients to taste familiar: boiled eggs, tangy pickles, and celery. Then? It takes a sharp detour with Cajun-spiced crawfish tails, sauteed shallot, and bacon. I know some of you might be skeptical, but sometimes different is good...
When I took a look, I was onboard in a split second. Try this on for size: Texas-Creole Crawfish Potato Salad. This recipe is my take on a recipe from Brennan’s Houston. Its one of my favorite restaurants of all time, and they really have an inventive way of combining Texas and Louisiana Creole flavors in delicious ways! I made a few tweaks to their recipe to suit our taste buds. I subbed cornichons (French baby pickles) for pickled okra, because that’s one veggie we no can do at Casa Garcia. I also left out the bell pepper since I cant eat it unless its cooked really well. Feel free to add 1/2 cup of chopped bell pepper if you like it.
To compensate for these changes, I upped the amount of boiled eggs and cooked bacon...so I hope all is forgiven. This defininitely ain’t your Mama’s potato salad, but it sure is good! It has just enough classic potato salad ingredients to taste familiar: boiled eggs, tangy pickles, and celery. Then? It takes a sharp detour with Cajun-spiced crawfish tails, sauteed shallot, and bacon. I know some of you might be skeptical, but sometimes different is good...
Texas-Creole Crawfish Potato Salad
adapted from Brennans Houston
Step 1: Boil 1 lb. potatoes and two large eggs in salted water. I used a package of Dutch yellow peewee potatoes, but fingerlings or Yukon gold potatoes would work well too. While the potatoes and eggs cook, make the dressing. Combine the following ingredients in a large measuring cup: 2/3 cup mayo, 1/4 cup Creole mustard (Zatarains is good), the juice of half a lemon, and 1/4 cup pickle brine. Whisk to combine and set aside.
Step 2: Cook 3 slices applewood bacon until crispy and crumble; set aside. Drain the grease from the pan and add 1 tbs. olive oil. Saute 1/3 cup sliced celery and 1/2 cup diced shallot for a few minutes...until they are softened a bit, but still a bit crunchy. Set aside to cool. Add 1 more tbs. olive oil to the pan and add 1/2 pound crawfish tails and 1 tbs. Cajun seasoning. Cook until heated through over med heat.
Step 3: When the potatoes and eggs are cooked, cool. Peel and dice the cooled eggs and set aside. Place the cooled potatoes in a large bowl and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add the reserved shallot, celery, and bacon. Then, add 1/3 cup sliced cornichons, 3 sliced green onions, and the cooked crawfish.
Step 4: Pour the dressing over the top and stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to let the potato salad chill...and the flavors to combine. Serve as a side dish, or as a light Summer supper.
Oh. My. This unique potato salad is OUT of this world!! The earthy potatoes, creamy and tangy dressing, spicy and sweet crawfish, and smoky bacon work perfectly together...and I LOVED the shallot and cornichons. Every bite of this potato salad featured a slightly different flavor and texture profile, depending on what was on the fork. Truth told, I couldve eaten the entire bowl of this potato myself, but I shared with Michael since hes the one who found the recipe!!
If you want to join in the weekly fun, all you have to do is visit our founder Isabel from Family Foodie and let her know you want to take part in our group. We will be sharing our featured recipes all afternoon via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. Then, well be having a live chat on Twitter at 530 EST. Use the hashtag #SundaySupper, and come join in on the fun. While youre at it, take a look at all the fabulous recipes my fellow #SundaySupper bloggers are sharing! We look forward to spending time Around the Family Table with you!!!
Main Dishes:
- Tender & Sweet Crockpot Brisket Juanita’s Cocina
- Savory Patriotic Chicken Kabobs Big Bear’s Wife
- Firecracker Salmon Rolls Comfy Cuisine
- Red, White & Blue Grilled Pizza Momma’s Meals
- Baby Back Ribs with Balsamic Peach BBQ Sauce Damn Delicious
- Bubblin’ Brown Sugar Baby Back Ribs In The Kitchen With KP
- Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
- Grilled Hawaiian Teriyaki Beef Mrs. Mama Hen
- Cantaloupe and Prosciutto Salad with Perfectly Grilled Chicken and Potatoes Daddy Knows Less
- Texas Smoked Brisket Doggie At The Dinner Table
- Grilled Chicken in a Blueberry BBQ Sauce Small Wallet Big Appetite
- Chicken Burgers with Curried Cabbage Slaw-Indian Soni’s Food for Thought
- Finger Foods for the Fourth Pescetarian Journal
- Grilled Pork Satays with Peanut Sauce Tora’s Real Food
Salads and Sides:
- Southwestern Corn and Black Bean Salad Supper for a Steal
- Roasted/Grilled Asparagus with Parmesan Katherine Martinelli
- Patriotic Ranch Potato Salad The Meltaways
- Roasted Red Pepper & White Bean Salad Are you hungry
- Texas-Creole Crawfish Potato Salad The Weekend gourmet
- Spicy Italian Peppers in Sauce What Smells so Good?
- Sangria Fruit Salad Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Stuffed Black Olive Cookistry
- Mexican Quinoa Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing Dinners Dishes and Desserts
- Low Fat Pasta Salad Basic and Delicious
- Bean Salad with Pickled Vegetables Diabetic Foodie
- Tomato and Mozzarella Appetizer Family Foodie
Desserts:
- Red White & Blueberry Ricotta Cupcakes Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
- Red Velvet Brownies Magnolia Days
- S’mores Pastries Daily Dish Recipes
- Red, White and Blue Firecracker Cupcakes Chocolate Moosey
- Caramel-filled Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream The Messy Baker
- Strawberry and Cream Cake Cupcakes and Kale Chips
- White Chocolate Berry Tart Vintage Kitchen Notes
- Red White and Blue Coconut Rum Cake Family Spice
- Individual Red White and Blue Triffles Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence
- Mini Carrot Cakes Mama’s Blissful Bites
- Plum and Apple Pies Cositas Bonitas
Fabulous Wine Pairings by Martin from ENOFYLZ
Monday, February 9, 2015
The Weekend Gourmet Dines Out for December Boiler House Texas Grill Wine Garden
We then shared two entrees from the Boiler Cuts section of the menu, one seafood and one venison. First out of the kitchen was the delicious Pan Roasted Salmon with Creamed Bacon Spinach and Pickled Asparagus. It was followed by Texas Hill Country Axis Venison Loin with a Wild Berry Demi Glaze and Whipped Potatoes.
We opted to share dessert and were thrilled when a gorgeous dish of White Chocolate Peach Bread Pudding with Kraken Run Butterscotch Sauce, Sea Salt and Candied Pecans came out from the kitchen. We love bread pudding, and this is one of the best weve had in ages! It was rich and moist, with tons of fresh peaches and a sinful salted caramel sauce.
Our fruity bread pudding was perfectly paired with a delicious and slightly sweet Lietz "Dragonstone" Riesling from Germany. It was the perfect ending to a fabulous meal! As you can see, we enjoyed all of the wines that we sampled with our meal that evening -- everything from bubbly prosecco to a robust Syrah.
Disclosure: We were provided with a complimentary dinner and wine pairings to facilitate this feature. We received no further compensation, and all opinions are my own. Photographs are copyrighted by Michael K. Garcia and may not be copied or otherwise used without prior permission.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Slow Cooker Cheesy Chive Spoon Bread Featuring Morrisons Texas Style Cornbread Mix
Slow Cooker Cheesy Chive Spoon Bread
Adapted from Taste of Home
Ingredients:
- 1 8-ounce tub chive-flavored cream cheese, softened in the microwave until very soft
- 1 cup 2% milk
- 2 tbs. butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 2.5 cups frozen corn kernels
- 1 14.75 oz. can creamed corn
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 package Morrison Texas Style Corn Kits (this is a sweet cornbread mix…if you use another variety, add 1 tbs. sugar)
- ¼ tsp. grated nutmeg
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1.5 cups shredded four-cheese blend
Directions:
Step 1: Turn your slow cooker on High heat. Add the softened cream cheese and milk. Whisk until combined…it may be a little lumpy, but don’t panic. It’ll smooth out as the other ingredients are added in. Add the eggs and butter and whisk well to combine with the milk-cream cheese mixture.
Step 2: Add the two corns and green onions. Stir to combine. Add the cornbread mix (and sugar, if using), nutmeg, and salt & pepper. Stir just until the cornbread mix is combined and there are no lumps – it should look very creamy by now. Cover and cook on High heat for 3-4 hours. Leave the lid on the entire time to keep the heat and moisture in…no peeking!
Step 3: Remove the container of cooked spoon bread from the heat and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. Let the spoon bread rest covered for 15 minutes before serving. The center may not look completely set at the end of the cooking time, but it will firm up as it cools during the resting time.
The verdict? Success! This spoon bread cooked up perfectly moist and flavorful in the slow cooker. It was creamy and full of corn flavor…and the addition of chives and cheese took it over the top. Unlike spoon breads cooked in an oven, you don’t get a ton of browning on top, so the layer of cheese adds flavor and a bit of eye-appealing color. If you’re looking for a delicious, stress-free dish for your upcoming holiday menus, I hope you’ll give this one a try. It makes a generous amount, so it’s perfect for feeding a small crowd.
Disclosure: Morrison’s sent me samples of their cornbread mixes, Pan Kits and Bis Kits to facilitate this and other upcoming recipe features. I received no further compensation, and all opinions expressed are my own.
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