I absolutely love guacamole - good old fashioned guac with avocado, lime, red onion, and jalapenos.  But my whole avocado loving world changed when my friend brought over guacamole with FETA cheese in it.  Not normal, I know, but please trust me on this and try it out.  This "guacamole" recipe is so good you will probably want to eat the whole bowl yourself...oh wait, that's what my husband did with the bowl Kim brought over!  Ok, ok fine that also what I did when I made my own version the next day!  Point being, it's awesome.

This is what I came up with when I tried to re-invent Kim's awesome guac...

You will need:
2 large tomatoes, chopped
2-3 ripe avocados - chopped
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 large clove garlic, minced/pressed
1 Tbs parsley, chopped
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1/2 cup feta cheese, chopped (I prefer to use the block of feta and cut it up yourself so you can control how large the chunks are)
S&P to taste

To Make:
Now here is the complicated part...but if I can do it, you can do it!  In a bowl, combine everything but the feta and toss.  Tough stuff, I know, I will try for something a little more challenging next time.

The avocado will break apart a bit but I think leaving it chunkier is better (as opposed to smooth creamy like in traditional guac).  Chop feta and add to bowl and toss.  

Serve with tortilla chips and be careful to not eat the whole bowl before your guests arrive (or just make a double batch so you can eat as much as you want).

And thanks Kim for the great idea!  Feta really does make everything BETTA! 

This is a recipe for a breakfast dish involving grits.  Being a Jersey girl, this was the first time I made anything with grits, the first time I ever bought grits, and I think the second time ever eating them.  But, they work in this recipe, and I actually like them, which surprised me.  So if you're a Yankee too and haven't had grits, maybe it's time to try them!

You'll Need:
small amount of butter for pan
Quaker grits, or any other brand you like
1/3-1/2 lb pancetta, chopped up small bite sized pcs
Approx 5 oz (fresh) baby spinach
salt and pepper
2 sprigs of fresh thyme (use leaves only and chop)
3 or 4 oz soft goat cheese
1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan
4 eggs
pinch of grated nutmeg

To Make:
Butter a small baking dish, about 8" diameter and at least 3 1/2 to 4" tall because you'll be layering a few things and you'll need the height (I used a large porcelain ramekin, smaller than a pie dish but much taller).

Preheat oven to 375'.

Cook 2 servings of grits as package indicates to do so.  

In the meantime, cook pancetta in a large frying pan on Medium heat until crispy and browned on all sides (toss every few minutes so it doesn't burn).  Remove and set aside on paper towel.  If there is more than 1 TB of oil in the pan, drain it out until there is only about a tablespoon remaining.  Add the fresh spinach to the hot pan and sprinkle with S & P.   Toss as it wilts and cooks, about 5 minutes.  Add thyme.  Set pan aside off of heat.  

To assemble:
Sprinkle cooked pancetta in the bottom of the buttered baking dish.  When grits are done cooking, season them with S & P and layer them on top of the pancetta in the baking dish.  Sprinkle with half the fresh grated parmesan.  Then top that layer with the cooked spinach/thyme, then the goat cheese.  

Crack 4 eggs on top of everything. 

Top with remaining parmesan and a pinch of nutmeg.

Place in oven on a baking sheet, in case it overflows a bit.  Cook about 20-25 minutes.  (this will vary upon what kind of baking dish you use, but you want the eggs cooked over easy, meaning yolks still runny).

ENJOY!

This potato salad was always a favorite of mine from the deli I worked at growing up.  I don't have their recipe but I think this is pretty close.  It's a great addition to any cookout - just brought this one to a party today and came home with an empty bowl.  You can make it creamier by adding more sourcream (duh) but I tend to make mine slightly dry.

You will need:
5 lb bag of redskin potatoes, washed and quartered
1 cup sourcream
3/4 cup mayo
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh dill, rinsed and chopped
3 Tbsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp salt plus 1 Tbsp for cooking potatoes
1/2 tsp white sugar
Pepper to taste

To make:
Place quartered potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water.  Add 1 Tbsp salt.  Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer and cook, uncovered for about 20 minutes or until tender.  Drain in a colander and immediately sprinkle 3 Tbsp white vinegar over hot potatoes (they absorb it more when hot/warm).  

While potatoes are cooling, mix together in a medium bowl the sourcream, mayo, dill, 1/4 tsp salt (more to taste), sugar and pepper.  Stir until combined.  (Taste this and add more salt if needed but remember that your potatoes will be
slightly salted from the cooking water).  

When potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut into bitesize pieces (the pieces will get a bit smaller as you mix them too) and put them into a large bowl.  Gently fold the sourcream mixture into the potatoes just until potatoes are coated, being careful not to break down the potatoes too much. 

Enjoy!

This is my attempt at recreating my brother in laws amazing pork tacos.  The pork takes a long time to cook but it is super easy considering you basically just dump it all into a crock pot and walk away!  The result is a really tender, slightly sweetened pork with a kick.  It is going to be hard to go back to chicken after this!

You will need (for the pork):
2 bottles of beer (I used lager, Dos Equis)
2 cups orange juice
2 large jalapenos, chopped big
1 large onion, chopped big
4 cloves garlic, left whole
1 habanero, left whole
1 mango, chopped big
1 peach, chopped big
Juice of one lime
4 country style ribs (about 3-4lbs)
*When I say chopped big, I mean cut up but into large enough pieces that you can pick them out later - these ingredients are for flavoring the meat, not for eating.

Combine all the above ingredients in your crock pot and set to high for 6-8 hours.  The meat should be falling off the bone when it is done.  

After the meat is done, strain the juices from the crock AND SAVE THEM!  This is what you will store the meat in (there will be leftovers unless you are making for more than 4 people).

Separate the meat from the rest of the ingredients and discard the rest of the ingredients. Pull the meat off the bone and shred with a fork or loosely chop with a knife.  Go ahead and take a bite...but be warned, if you taste it now there may not be any left for the tacos!

Taco Toppings:
Corn
Black beans
Cilantro
Cheddar
Salsa/Tomatoes
Sour Cream
Limes

You can definitely use whatever toppings you want.  I made a cilantro lime slaw the second time I made these and it was AWESOME.  I will post that recipe soon.  

For the picture above, I roasted the corn and black beans with some S&P and cumin before using as a topping.  Whatever floats your boat I say give it a try.  The real show stopper here is the meat - it's so good! 

Enjoy!

I am not a huge carrot fan, but I was looking for something to do with a ton of carrots leftover from a batch of baby food for my 5 month old.  I found this idea from an old, old cookbook that I had dusted off from college days (which is funny, because who cooks in college, besides boiling water for Ramen noodles?).  Anyway, Matt called this "20/20 soup"; because it's pretty much all carrots.  I, however, like to think of it as  "complexion soup" : )  Somehow it's a really good and light, summery soup for dinner, or a tasty starter.  It's VERY easy too.

You'll Need:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp honey
3 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp coriander seeds
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp ground sea salt
Ground black pepper
3 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into even chunks about 1-1 1/2" long
3 cups chicken stock
3 1/2 oz heavy cream
3/4 cup sour cream, for garnish
A few sprigs of cilantro leaves, for garnish

To Make:
Preheat the oven to 400' F. Combine oil, honey, cumin, coriander, cinnamon sticks, 1 tsp sea salt and lots of ground pepper in a roasting pan.  Add the chunks of carrot and mix well to coat all pieces of carrot.  Roast for 1 hour until carrot is tender (toss the carrots once after 30 minutes or so).  

Transfer half the carrot chunks (minus the coriander seeds and cinnamon sticks), 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock, and 1 cup of water to a food processor or blender and blend until completely smooth.  

To get the carrots into the blender without the coriander seeds and cinnamon sticks, just use your fingers and brush them off.  It's pretty easy.  But you don't want the seeds or cinnamon in the blender because it doesn't ground up very well and then you'll have to pick them out of the soup as you eat (I did this the first time I made it and it got a little tedious).  

Transfer the pureed carrot mixture to a soup pot and put on Medium heat.  Then repeat pureeing the remainder of the roasted carrots, another 1 1/2 c. chicken stock and another 1 c. water.  Add this to soup pot too.  Simmer this for about 10 minutes.  Add the cream and season with salt & pepper as needed.  

Garnish with 1/4 tsp sour cream and a little cilantro sprig.     

I am way past Cinco de Mayo, but made these anyway and they were great.  You can
definitely taste the tequila and lime in them - but don't be scared, they are still sweet and delicious!  I made them with part butter and part vegetable oil because while I like the butter flavor, the oil helps them stay moist :) 

Makes about 12 cupcakes

For the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 Tbsp soft butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
Zest and juice of 1 1/2 limes
2 Tbsp tequila (for the batter)
1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbsp tequila (to brush on after baking)

For the frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, soft
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp tequila
Large pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups confectioners sugar (perhaps more)

Cream butter and sugar then add oil and mix well.  Add eggs and lime and 2 Tbs of tequila.  (mixture will look curtled after this but keep going!) Add dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk, then add vanilla.  

Bake at 325F for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean (cupcakes will still look very light when done- dont overbake).  

Brush with 1-2 Tbsp tequila when they are warm.   Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then move to wire rack to cool completely.  

To make frosting, cream butter on high for about 5 minutes.  Add lime juice, tequila, salt and vanilla until smooth (scrape sides) then add confectioners sugar and beat until smooth.  Add sugar as needed until desired consistency.  
Olè!  Oops, I mean ENJOY!

NOTE: Make sure you use good tequila because you can definitely taste it!

Lately I have been making a lot of my own salad dressings...which I never before realized could be so simple and so delicious!  My new favorite go-to is a dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar vinaigrette.  It's a little sweet, got a bit of a kick from the dijon, and goes really well with a light, summery salad.

You will need:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil (this is what I used but I imagine any oil will do)
1 heaping Tbs good dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
S&P to taste

SO simple.  You just whisk all those ingredients together and voila!  I like to use fresh cracked pepper rather than all ready ground for a bit more flavor.  And I tend to like this dressing most on a salad with a little bit of sweetness to it (like fresh strawberries or candied walnuts or something).  

Note: You can make your own candied walnuts super easily by simply heating up granulated sugar in a saucepan.  As the sugar heats up, swirl it around until it's all melted and turning caramel colored.  Once all melted pour in a bunch of walnuts and stir to coat.  Turn the walnuts out onto a cutting board and cool.  As they cool they will harden and then you can chop them up and throw them on your salad.  YUM!