Tasty Kitchen Blog » whatsgabycooking

Garlic and Mushroom Queso Fundido

whatsgabycooking — Mon, 20 Jan 2014 14:31:39 +0000

I’m convinced that I should be living in Texas. Mostly because eating queso for breakfast, lunch and dinner is totally acceptable there. Here in LA? Not so much! But whatever. I do what I want, and this Garlic and Mushroom Queso Fundido was screaming my name.

It’s the most epic game day food ever invented and when I made it a few days ago, I literally died. Yes, Stephanie killed me. Okay, not really, but you get the point. Ooey gooey melted cheese with plenty of mushrooms and onions and a hint of spice? Oh, I think so.

Ready for this? Okay, let’s go!

Let’s start by sautéing some onions.

Add in the sliced mushrooms and give them a quick stir.

Let’s add some more flavor and throw in some garlic!

Saute everything together until the mushrooms are just caramelized and delicious.

Hit the mushroom mixture with some herbs and spice (Stephanie uses cayenne, thyme, and salt and pepper) and stir it all to combine. Remove the mixture from the pan and set it aside for a hot second.

Place half of the cheese into the skillet.

Top the cheese with the mushroom mixture.

And then pile on even more cheese! Oh my. I can’t even handle the suspense.

Carefully place the skillet into the oven and let the cheese get melty and golden brown on top.

Add some fresh cilantro because it’s the right thing to do.

And get ready to dig in!

A huge thank you to Stephanie from Girl Versus Dough for such a crazy delicious recipe! I wish we could all eat queso for every meal for the rest of our lives. That’s totally acceptable, right?

Printable Recipe

Garlic and Mushroom Queso Fundido

by Stephanie | Girl Versus Dough on April 29, 2013 in Appetizers, Warm Dips

See post on Stephanie | Girl Versus Dough’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Description

Garlicky, mushroomy cheese dip. You know you want to face plant in it.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
¼ cups Chopped Red Or Yellow Onion
1 cup Sliced White Mushrooms
4 teaspoons Minced Garlic
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper, to taste
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Heat oven to 425 F. In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook until mushrooms have released all their liquid, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in thyme, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese in the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Top with half of the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese then top with remaining mushroom mixture. Place pie plate in the oven and bake until cheese is melted, browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray.

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Gaby Dalkin is the young lady behind What’s Gaby Cooking, a food blog that’s bursting at the seams with incredible recipes and food photography. She’s a personal chef and professional recipe developer, and if you follow her on Twitter, you’ll soon discover her two-fold obsession: guacamole and cheese. She has small feet, a large heart, and a smile that can light up the whole building. We’re pretty stoked to have her here.

Jalapeno Popper Pizza

whatsgabycooking — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 07:25:50 +0000

If you’re like me, anything that ends with ‘pizza’ is pretty much the best thing ever. I’m obsessed to say the least! So when I ran across this Jalapeno Popper Pizza from Dax Phillips over on Tasty Kitchen, I knew it was destined to be in my future!

This tastes just like one of those insanely addictive jalapeno poppers, but it’s on a pizza! A pizza, you guys! It’s going to rock your world—and all of your tailgate parties from here on out!

First you’ll need some pizza dough. You can make your own, or buy some freshly made at the market. I opted for the market.

Roll out the dough to whatever shape you want.

Slide the dough into the oven and par-bake it for a few minutes until it starts to puff. Try not to start snacking on it right now. I know it’s hard to resist freshly baked dough!

Next you’ll need some cream cheese.

Dot the top of the dough with the cream cheese and let it start to soften.

Slather the cream cheese all over the dough. You could even jazz things up at this step and use a flavored cream cheese! Chive would be extra delicious, if you ask me.

Next, let’s grate some cheese. Again, refrain from snacking on all of the cheese like me.

Pile the cheese on top of the pizza.

Throw a few jalapenos over an open flame and roast them until the skin is black.

Remove the blackened skin from the pepper and slice the remaining green parts into rings.

Arrange the jalapeno rings on top of the cheese and slide the entire thing back into the oven until the cheese is bubbly and melted.

Pour yourself a cold beverage and enjoy!

A big thanks to Dax for this killer recipe! I’m 100% hooked. Have you seen his blog Simple Comfort Food? It’s loaded with tons of great recipes like this. Go check it out!

Printable Recipe

Jalapeño Popper Pizza

by Dax Phillips on May 10, 2013 in Main Courses, Pizza

See post on Dax Phillips’s site!

4.33 Mitt(s) 3 Rating(s)

Description

Everything you want and expect in a great jalapeño popper, but turned into a pizza.

Ingredients

FOR THE PIZZA DOUGH:
3-¾ cups Bread Flour
2-½ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
¾ teaspoons Table Salt
¾ teaspoons Sugar
1-⅓ cup Room Temperature Water
FOR THE PIZZA:
1 whole Pizza Dough, Shaped Into Your Desired Circumference And Thickness
6 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
½ cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 whole Jalapeño Peppers, Roasted, Skins Peeled And Discarded, Sliced
1 whole Pizza Stone, Optional

Preparation Instructions

Note: The pizza dough recipe makes enough for 3 large sized pizzas. The toppings in the above list are enough for only one pizza.

For the dough:
In a large bowl combine the flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Mix. Add the water, and with your wooden spoons, or hands, mix until blended. I use my KitchenAid mixer for this process to keep everything in the bowl during the rising process. Mix for about 30 seconds. The dough should be a bit stiff. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let it sit at room temperature until the dough has doubled in volume, about 2 hours.

Once risen, divide dough into three portions. Add a sprinkling of flour to a large pastry board and put one of the dough portions on top. Start rolling it out into your desired pizza shape. If you are adventurous, try tossing the pizza, to get your desired thickness.

Preheat your oven to 500 F with the pizza stone inside.

When oven is preheated carefully place the shaped pizza dough into the oven on the preheated pizza stone, and bake for about 10 minutes.

Remove the pizza stone from the oven, then smear the cream cheese over the top of the crust, leaving about an inch border. Top with the cheddar cheese and the mozzarella cheese, then arrange the sliced jalapeño peppers over the top.

Place it back into the oven for an additional 15 minutes or until the crust is nice and golden and the cheese is fully melted.

Remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes before slicing into it, then dig in.

When you first bite into it, you get that surprise from the cream cheese base, and it has that richness to it. But when you get that paired with the roasted jalapeño peppers, well, then it all comes together. This is a real treat, and one slice will do you just fine. Hope you enjoy.

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Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Pretzel Cookies

whatsgabycooking — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 15:20:08 +0000

When I first made these Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Pretzel Cookies from TK member Katie, I posted a pic on Instagram and someone commented saying, “HOLY UNIVERSE” and I really haven’t been able to come up with a better way to introduce these bites of heaven to you since. They will rock your world, your universe and your life all at the same time.

Are you ready to get into these? Let’s get moving! We’ve got cookies to make!

First we’ve got to melt some butter and dark chocolate together. You can do this over a double boiler if you’re awesome, but if you’re lazy like me, a microwave works too.

Then let’s start combining the dry ingredients. Let’s start with flour.

We’ll add in a few tablespoons of cocoa powder …

Followed by some baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Give it all a whisk to evenly combine and then set it aside.

Now, let’s combine our eggs, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a mixer. Mix it up until it’s evenly incorporated.

Add in the chocolate and give it another good mix or two until the chocolate is incorporated.

And then fold in the flour and chocolate chips. Your cookie dough will look delicious, just like this. Try to do everything in your power to not grab a spoon and go to town like I did. If you wait about 15 more minutes, I promise it’s going to be worth it.

First, we need to whisk together some creamy peanut butter and powdered sugar in a bowl. Once that’s whisked together we’re ready to assemble!

Okay, let’s scoop some cookie dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and press them into little discs. Add a touch of the PB mixture on top of each disc

Add a little more dough on top of each cookie to seal the PB mixture into the middle! I placed the whole sheet pan with the stuffed cookies into the fridge for a bit while I did the next two steps.

Place a handful of pretzels into a food processor or blender.

Blend them up until they are of sand-like consistency. Then take your cookie dough balls out of the fridge, roll them in the pretzel mixture and pop them into the oven at 350ºF for about 11 minutes.

And then you’re going to have these! Be still my heart and get in my belly!

Big thanks to Katie for creating these decadent and sinfully delicious treats! She has more treats in her blog, Veggie and The Beast, so go pay her a visit there!

Printable Recipe

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Pretzel Cookies

by Katie | Veggie and the Beast on May 29, 2013 in Cookies, Desserts

See post on Katie | Veggie and the Beast’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 2 Rating(s)

Description

Super dark chocolate cookies stuffed with peanut butter and rolled in pretzel crumbs. It’s the cookie you always wished existed, and now it does!

Ingredients

8 ounces, weight Baking Chocolate, Roughly Chopped
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
⅔ cups All-purpose Flour
3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
½ teaspoons Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Baking Soda
½ teaspoons Salt
2 whole Eggs
¾ cups Dark Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
½ cups Creamy Peanut Butter
¼ cups Powdered Sugar
1 cup Pretzel Crumbs
⅔ cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Melt the chopped baking chocolate and the unsalted butter in a double boiler (or a makeshift double broiler: simmer water in a pan and set a glass bowl over the top). Stir frequently, and remove from heat as soon as it melts.
3. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
4. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugars and vanilla until fluffy. Slowly mix in the melted chocolate. Gradually add the flour, scraping the bowl after each addition, until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. In a separate bowl, beat together the peanut butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Set aside.
6. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough, roll into a ball, and set on the parchment paper, then flatten with your hand. Drop about 1 teaspoon of the peanut butter filling in the center of the dough, then fold the dough around the peanut butter. If the peanut butter comes out of the top, just grab some extra dough to fill in the gap.
7. Once you have a ball of dough with the peanut butter in the center, flatten the ball slightly and then drop into the pretzel crumbs. You can coat one side or all over (I did a bit of both). Repeat with remaining dough.
8. Bake for about 11 minutes. Watch carefully after 10 minutes, because you want these just a bit underdone.

Chocolate cookie recipe adapted from Martha Stewart. Recipe inspired by Sweet Pea’s Kitchen.

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Fish Tacos with Avocado Cabbage Slaw

whatsgabycooking — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:27:14 +0000

Who doesn’t like fish tacos? They are the best meal for those gorgeous sunny spring and summer days. Add in some cabbage slaw doused with an avocado crema and some salsa and I seriously don’t think you can go wrong. If you’re into having a cerveza, then pour one and call it a day!

These flaky Fish Tacos with Avocado Cabbage Slaw from TK member The Culinary Chronicles are totally to die for. I made them twice this week and both times they were excellent!

Okay, here’s what to do. First we are going to torch some tortillas, which means you need to turn on your burner.

Place a small corn tortilla over the open flame for a few seconds

And then give it a flip to toast the other side for a few seconds more. Repeat this process with all the tortillas and then wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and set them aside.

Next we’re going to put some avocado in a blender …

Followed by some crema or sour cream. I only had sour cream on hand and let me tell you, it’s pure perfection.

Throw in some fresh cilantro and jalapeño pepper …

Followed by some agave nectar just to give it a hint of sweetness.

Blend it until everything is smooth and then remove the avocado crema to a bowl.

I just used some pre-shredded cabbage from Trader Joe’s, but if you shred your own, just go ahead and shred it and place it into a big bowl.

Add in a few spoonfuls of the avocado crema. Reserve some crema for later but be sure to add enough to give all the cabbage a good coating.

Toss it all together and season it with salt and pepper as needed.

Alright let’s move onto the fish. Season some white fish of your choice with some lime zest.

Then add in some red pepper flakes, followed by ground cumin and some garlic powder. You could use fresh garlic too, but I was concerned about the garlic burning when I broiled the fish so I opted for the powder.

Lastly, let’s add on some chopped cilantro.

Throw the fish in the fridge to marinate for a few minutes and then transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet and season it with salt and pepper. I used the juice of 1 lime to juice on top of the fish and then drizzled a touch of olive oil on top. Into the oven it goes on broil for a few minutes on each side until the fish can easily be flaked apart.

And now you’re in the home stretch. Just assemble the tacos with the cabbage slaw, flaked fish, extra avocado crema and some salsa! Serve it up and enjoy.

A big giant avocado-filled thank you to Nam of the amazing blog The Culinary Chronicles for giving us another amazing recipe featuring avocado! These tacos are a winner and you will totally dig them!

Printable Recipe

Fish Tacos with Avocado-Cabbage Slaw

by Nam | The Culinary Chronicles on March 20, 2013 in Fish, Main Courses

See post on Nam | The Culinary Chronicles’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Description

Fish tacos with a creamy avocado-cabbage slaw.

Ingredients

½ pounds Firm White Fish Fillets, Such As Cod Or Tilapia
2 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
1 teaspoon Lime Zest
2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro, Plus More For Garnish
¼ teaspoons Red Pepper Flakes
2 pinches Ground Cumin
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
Kosher Salt And Pepper To Taste
4 whole Corn Or Flour Tortillas
1 cup Chunky Salsa
Lime Wedges
FOR THE SLAW:
1 cup Ripe Avocado, Diced
¼ cups Mexican Crema, Or Sour Cream
¼ cups Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
½ whole Jalapeno Pepper, Finely Diced And Seeded
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice
½ Tablespoons Agave Or Honey
Kosher Salt And Pepper To Taste
2 cups Shredded Cabbage

Preparation Instructions

In a shallow dish, coat the fish with garlic, lime zest, cilantro, red pepper flakes, cumin, and oil. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Allow to marinate for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

For the slaw, in a blender, puree the avocado, crema, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, lime juice and agave until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the cabbage with a few spoonfuls of the avocado puree until lightly coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

Preheat the oven broiler and arrange the marinated fish on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet a few inches away from the broiler, and broil the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the fish becomes opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Warm the tortillas. Divide the fish, salsa and slaw amongst the tortillas. Sprinkle each taco with the extra chopped cilantro and serve warm with lime wedges on the side.

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Chicken Tortilla Soup

whatsgabycooking — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 10:55:47 +0000

Tortilla Soup is basically my favorite soup on earth. Growing up in Tucson, AZ meant that basically it was mandatory for any restaurant to have Tortilla Soup on the menu. And because I take my love for food very seriously, it was basically mandatory for me to try each and every tortilla soup. It’s how I roll. I’ll take one for the team.

I make a big batch of Tortilla Soup every few weeks so I can re-live my Tucson days. I pile the soup with lots of beans, chicken, cheese, crema, and then a heaping pile of fried tortilla strips on top. You really can’t go wrong. And this particular Tortilla Soup recipe from TK member Cassie is a total winner.

Okay, here’s what to do.

First we need to make our spice mixture. It’s just a few pantry staples that we are going to mix together.

Grab some chicken and give it a glug of olive oil.

Then we are going to sprinkle part of the spice rub onto the chicken breasts and bake them in the oven until they are fully cooked.

Once they are cooked, we are going to let them cool for a few minutes so we don’t burn our hands, and then shred them up with 2 forks and set it aside for a bit.

In a big heavy-bottomed pot, let’s sauté some onions and garlic.

Next we are going to add some bell pepper, jalapeno, lime juice and zest and some cilantro and give it a good stir. Let this sauté for a few minutes to start developing some flavor.

Next, add the corn, black beans, green chiles, and diced tomatoes …

Followed by the remaining spices.

And lastly, let’s add the tomato paste. This all gets a good stir to incorporate everything and then we are going to let it cook down for about 5-6 minutes until the veggies get tender.

After the mixture cooks for a bit, add some chicken stock.

And then add all the shredded chicken and make sure to tuck it into the mixture. Let it get fully submerged in the liquid so it can absorb some of that moisture.

Bring the whole pot to a boil and cover it with the lid. Once it’s covered, reduce the heat to a simmer and let it cook for about 15-20 minutes more. This is really going to let the flavors develop.

Once it’s cooked, it’s going to be a touch thicker and it will look like this!

Serve it up with your favorite toppings like scallions, avocado, sour cream and fried tortilla strips and call it a day.

Thanks Cassie for this wonderful recipe that totally transports me back to my days in Arizona! I loved every single spoonful of this soup and it’s even better the next day once the flavors have had even more time to mingle.

Be sure to check out Cassie’s website Bake Your Day because it’s filled to the brim with wonderful recipes that you and your friends and family will be sure to enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Chicken Tortilla Soup

by BakeYourDay on October 10, 2012 in Brothy Soups, Soups

See post on BakeYourDay’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Description

Classic chicken tortilla soup loaded with veggies, roasted chicken and favorite Mexican flavors.

Ingredients

1-½ teaspoon Cumin
1-½ teaspoon Chili Powder
½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
½ teaspoons Black Pepper
¼ teaspoons Kosher Salt
¼ teaspoons Oregano
¼ teaspoons Paprika
1 pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 whole Large Red Onion, Diced
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Stem And Seeds Removed, Then Diced
1 whole Jalapeno Pepper, Stem And Seeds Removed, Then Diced
1 whole Lime, Juiced And Zested
½ cups Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 can (15 Oz. Size) Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed
1 can (7 Oz. Size) Diced Green Chiles
1 can (14 1/2 Oz. Size) Diced Tomatoes
1 cup Fresh Corn
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
Salt And Pepper, to taste
FOR GARNISH:
Sliced Limes
Diced Avocado
Sour Cream
Tortilla Strips (See Note)
Salsa
Diced Onion
Chopped Fresh Cilantro
Shredded Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a small bowl, mix the cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, black pepper, kosher salt, oregano and paprika. Brush both sides of each chicken breast with a light coating of olive oil. Sprinkle a small amount of the spice mixture onto both sides of each chicken breast and transfer to a non-stick baking sheet. Roast the chicken in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through. Allow the chicken to cool for about 10 minutes, and then shred it.

While the chicken cooks, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the onion and garlic, along with a pinch of salt, and saute for 3-4 minutes until the onions are very fragrant and they begin to soften. Add the bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, lime juice and zest, and cilantro and stir well. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the peppers begin to soften. Add the remaining spice mixture, black beans, green chilies, diced tomatoes and the corn and stir well. Cook for about 6 minutes until all of the vegetables are tender. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine.

Slowly stir in the chicken stock and add the cooked and shredded chicken and bring the soup to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes:
– If you prefer beef: Heat one pound of ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Once browned, add about half of the spice mixture and 2 tablespoons water. Cook for about 10 minutes until the liquid is evaporated, stirring occasionally. Add the meat mixture into the soup when instructed to add the chicken.

– To make homemade tortilla strips: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut 4-5 round corn tortillas into strips. Toss the strips with two tablespoons of olive oil and one teaspoon salt. Spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, flipping once, until golden brown and crispy.

Recipe inspired by The Pioneer Woman’s Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe.

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Red Velvet Brownies

whatsgabycooking — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 15:53:44 +0000

I’m so obsessing over these Red Velvet Brownies. They are crazy decadent and gorgeous and sure to make your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/secret admirer super happy this coming Valentine’s Day!

You should totally make these.

First, let’s start with lining a baking pan with foil. You could also use parchment. I just like to line it with something that is going to be easy to lift the brownies out of the pan when it’s time to serve. And also, hello … no cleanup! Love that.

Start by putting some really fab quality cocoa powder in a small bowl.

Add red food coloring and some vanilla.

Give it a little stir until it turns into a little bit of a paste and then set it aside.

In a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and butter.

And then add in the eggs, one at a time.

Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition so the eggs are fully incorporated.

Next, add the red colored paste into the stand mixer.

Beat the mixture until there is a uniform red color throughout.

Add in your flour and salt and then mix very lightly until combined.

Add in some chocolate chips for a little extra decadence!

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and make sure it’s evenly spread out. Place it into the oven and let it do its thing.

While the brownies are baking, let’s make the white chocolate frosting. You’re going to need some white chocolate chips.

You’ll also need some powdered sugar and, of course, butter!

Place the room temperature butter in the mixer and whip until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and whip until light and fluffy.

Meanwhile, when the brownies are done, pull them out of the oven and let them cool to room temperature.

While the brownies are cooling, melt the white chocolate according to the package directions. And then add it into the frosting mixture. Whip until fully combined.

Add a splash or two of milk to thin out the frosting a bit.

It should look like this.

Using an offset spatula, frost the top of the cooled brownies.

And then serve!

A huge thank you to TK member and fellow TK Blog contributor Jessica for these delicious sinful brownies! Have you visited her blog How Sweet It Is yet? Because you should. Trust me.

Printable Recipe

Red Velvet Brownies with White Chocolate Buttercream

by HowSweetEats on March 3, 2011 in Brownies and Bars, Desserts

See post on HowSweetEats’s site!

4.28 Mitt(s) 7 Rating(s)

Description

Dense, chewy brownies with just a hint of cocoa.

Ingredients

FOR THE BROWNIES:
3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
2 Tablespoons Red Food Coloring
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract, Divided Use
½ cups Butter, At Room Temperature
1-½ cup Sugar
2 whole Eggs
1-¼ cup All-purpose Flour
¼ teaspoons Salt
⅔ cups Chocolate Chips (optional)
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FOR THE FROSTING:
1 stick Butter, At Room Temperature
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2-½ cups Powdered Sugar
4 ounces, weight White Chocolate, Melted
2 Tablespoons Milk (may Need More Or Less)

Preparation Instructions

For the brownies:
Preheat oven to 350F.

Butter and flour an 8 x 8 cake pan.

In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder, red food coloring, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to create a paste.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add remaining teaspoon of vanilla. With the mixer on medium speed, add in cocoa powder mixture. Beat until batter is completely red. (If at this time your batter is NOT red, you can add a little more food coloring if desired. Color will depend on brand.) Add flour and salt, mixing until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread into the 8 x 8 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
Cream butter in an electric mixer until fluffy, then add vanilla. Slowly add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time with the mixer on low speed. Add in melted white chocolate and beat until incorporated. To reach desired consistency, add in milk 1 teaspoon at a time with mixer on low speed. If frosting becomes too liquidy, simply add additional sugar.

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Cheese Crisps

whatsgabycooking — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:00:03 +0000

Two words: Cheese Crisps. I’m beyond obsessed. Can I tell you a story? Growing up in Arizona, we ate cheese crisps like it was our JOB. Literally. I was a professional cheese crisp crafter by the age of 8. I could throw them together in no time and I was proud. I started jazzing them up by the time I was 10, and now that I’m in my mid-20s, I still make them like it’s my job. Because, well, they are awesome.

Imagine a baked crisp flour tortilla smothered with 2 kinds of cheeses and topped with whatever kind of toppings you want. Ya, it’s doesn’t get much better than that.

Ready, set, go!

Let’s start with a poblano pepper, shall we?

Cut it in half, and then half again, remove the seeds and slice into thin strips.

Put the poblano pepper and a touch of olive oil in a skillet and sauté.

We are going to sauté these until the pepper just begins to turn golden brown.

Meanwhile, arrange some tortillas on a baking sheet.

Spread some butter on the tops of the tortillas. It’s the right thing to do.

Gorgeous! Pop those babies into the oven for about 5-7 minutes until the edges begin to crisp up.

Now let’s get some cheese ready. I like quesadilla cheese. It looks like this. But you can totally use Monterey Jack if that is more readily available.

Grate the queso quesadilla and some cheddar cheese.

By now you should probably take the poblano peppers off the heat, transfer them to a little bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet that we did the peppers, we are going to add some pork chorizo.

You’ll need to break it up with a wooden spoon and then let it sauté for a few minutes until golden brown and fully cooked.

Right about now, your tortillas should start to crisp up. See how the edges curl up a bit? Remove the baking sheet from the oven when that happens.

Evenly divide the cheeses amongst the tortillas and then pop them back into the oven.

Don’t they look divine once the cheese has melted?

Now, just pile on the toppings! Add some green onions for good measure and serve them up with a side of salsa and an ice cold brew, if that’s your style.

I can’t wait for you guys to be as obsessed with cheese crisps as I am. They are perfect for any football party. Well, really, they are perfect for just about anything!

Printable Recipe

Cheese Crisps

by whatsgabycooking on July 29, 2011 in Main Courses

See post on whatsgabycooking’s site!

4.33 Mitt(s) 3 Rating(s)

Description

A delicious and simple dish from Arizona that will literally rock your world! It’s so good!

Ingredients

1 whole Poblano Pepper
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
½ cups Pork Chorizo
4 whole Small Flour Tortillas
4 teaspoons Butter
1 cup Mexican Cheeses (I Used Cheddar, Queso Quesadilla And Oaxaca)
2 whole Scallions, Thinly Sliced

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Slice the poblano pepper into thin strips.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat with olive oil. Add the sliced poblano and saute for 5 minutes until the skin of the poblano starts to blister. Remove from skillet and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the pork chorizo and saute until fully cooked and browned. Remove and set aside.

Place each of the small tortillas on a baking sheet. Spread 1 teaspoon of butter on each tortilla. Place the baking sheet into the oven and let the tortillas toast. It will take about 5-7 minutes but keep your eyes on them. Once the edges start to turn golden brown, remove from the oven.

Place 1/4 cup of cheese on each of the tortillas and place back into the oven for about 3 minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove from oven.

Top with scallions, poblano peppers and chorizo if desired.

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Shrimp Ceviche Dip

whatsgabycooking — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 14:46:19 +0000

You guys. It’s almost that time of year—the time of year when that thing happens on the TV. And everyone freaks out about it and gets super excited. It has something to do with football.

Oh yes, the Super Bowl. Well, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m not the biggest football fan. Although, I must say, since I watched all 5 seasons of Friday Night Lights in the past few months, I’ve developed a respect for the game. And Tim Riggins. For those of you who don’t know who Tim Riggins is, I’m sorry. He’s basically the most gorgeous man on earth. Anyways.

Let’s talk food. Football food. My friends (and Tasty Kitchen members) Three Many Cooks always have fun and tasty recipes, so when I came across a Shrimp Ceviche Dip with avocados, I knew I had to make it! (If this amazing dish sounds familiar, it’s because it was part of Pam’s Day of Deliciousness over at the ranch.)

Let’s get started, shall we?

Shrimp! Peeled, de-veined, and shells removed.

Throw them in a pot/pan of boiling water and cook them for a few minutes until they are cooked through.

Remove the shrimp from the skillet and lay them on a paper towel to absorb the water. I seasoned them a bit with some lime juice and salt just for good measure. It was the right thing to do!

Give them a rough chop, so they are cut into bite-sized pieces.

Chop up some cucumber too and throw the shrimp and cucumber into a bowl.

Next comes the avocado! Cut it into a similar size as the shrimp and cucumber and add it to the bowl.

Same with the green onions!

Once all that is in the bowl, add in some ketchup. If ketchup’s not your thang, you can totally use salsa instead. I made it both ways and both ways were delish! One tastes more like a tradition shrimp cocktail, and then other more of a Mexican ceviche.

Add some Tabasco sauce for kick. I used the chipotle Tabasco because it’s my all time fav!

I added a little extra because I wanted a kick.

Throw in some freshly squeezed lime juice and a touch of olive oil. Give it a good toss to combine. Taste it and adjust salt if you need more, and then it’s go time!

Serve it with your favorite tortilla chips and enjoy!

A huge thank you to Pam, Maggy, and Sharon from the incredible food blog Three Many Cooks for such a fun game day recipe!

Printable Recipe

Tortilla Chips with Shrimp Ceviche Dip

by ThreeManyCooks on July 19, 2011 in Appetizers, Cold Dips

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Description

A seafood dip packed with fresh Mexican-style flavors.

Ingredients

2 pounds Cooked Salad Shrimp, Halved If Larger Than A Small Dice
1 Medium Seedless Cucumber, Cut Into Small Dice
2 Avocados, Cut Into Small Dice
8 Medium Scallions, Sliced Thin
⅔ cups Chopped Fresh Cilantro
1 cup Ketchup
2 Tablespoons Tabasco Sauce
½ cups Lime Juice
¼ cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Tastes-Like-Fried Tortillas Or A Bag (16 Oz. Size) Tortilla Chips, To Serve

Preparation Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with Taste-Like-Fried Tortillas or tortilla chips for dipping.

Makes 1 heaping quart.

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Cottage Pie with Yukon Potato Topping

whatsgabycooking — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 11:00:21 +0000

How many of us grew up with Cottage Pie? Or maybe you knew it as Shepherd’s Pie. I know I certainly did! The main difference between the two is that Cottage Pie is made with ground beef and Shepherd’s Pie is traditionally made with ground lamb. And while both are delicious, I think ground beef is a little more widely used, so we totally have to make one!

This recipe for Cottage Pie comes to us from TK member Sheilah. Ready for this? Okay, let’s go!

Let’s start by sautéing some onions, since they are the base of this flavorful recipe. After the onions sweat it out for a few minutes, go ahead and add a bunch of chopped carrots. Give the onions and the carrots a quick mix and then let them sauté over medium high heat for a few minutes.

Next, add the ground beef and break it up so it cooks evenly and is crumbled into little bits. Give it a good stir until all the meat has been cooked and is no longer pink.

Next we are going to start layering in some flavor! Let’s start with a bit of cinnamon, followed by a pinch of thyme. Give that a quick stir to make sure the herbs are evenly distributed throughout the pan.

Then we are going to add in some flour. Stir everything around so the flour soaks up all the excess liquid and the mixture thickens up a bit.

Look at it. Doesn’t it look good enough to eat right now? But let’s make it a little more delicious, shall we?

Add a squeeze or two of tomato paste, followed by some stock. Give everything a good mix and let it cook for a bit.

You just want to cook down the liquid so it continues to thicken and form a gravy-like consistency. Once it’s simmered, remove it from the heat and set it aside.

Now let’s make some tots. Put a bunch of chopped Yukon gold potatoes into a pot of water and boil them off until they are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and then season them with salt, butter and a splash of milk.

Next we are going to add in some cheese! Oh yes. Lots and lots of cheese. I added about an extra ½ cup because who doesn’t want a cheesier topping?

Go ahead and mash everything up, skins, cheese and all! Side note: I typically leave the skin on Yukon gold potatoes because I’m not into peeling them when the skin is delicious, but you could take the skin off before cooking the potatoes if you want. Mmm, love me some mashed potatoes.

Next, place the meat mixture into the bottom of a casserole dish and then layer on the mashed potatoes. Place the whole thing into the oven. Bake until the top is golden brown and then dust it with some salt, pepper and paprika.

And then serve it up because it’s going to be delectable!

A huge thank you to Sheilah, who blogs at Sheilah’s Kitchen, for such a fun, easy and delicious recipe. This would be a super great idea to make when you have guests over!

Printable Recipe

Cottage Pie with Yukon Potato Topping

by sheilahskitchen on November 8, 2012 in Beef, Main Courses

See post on sheilahskitchen’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Description

A unique and tasty alternative to your everyday Shepherd’s Pie.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
2 whole Large Carrots, Peeled And Chopped
1 pound Ground Beef
½ teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
2 teaspoons Thyme, Chopped
1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
1-¼ cup Beef Broth
1 pound Yukon Golden Potatoes, Peeled And Diced
3 Tablespoons Butter
⅔ cups Milk, Cream, Or Half And Half
½ cups Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
2 pinches Paprika

Preparation Instructions

In a large frying pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and simmer until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for another five minutes.

Add the meat to the same pan with the onions and carrots and cook on medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Continue to break up the meat with your spoon. When meat if fully cooked, carefully spoon off any fat. Return pan back to stove top on medium heat and stir in the cinnamon, thyme and the flour (the flour will help thicken things up and make your gravy). Once all of the ingredients are coated in the flour, add the tomato paste and gradually add the beef broth. Simmer for 30 minutes which will make a nice thick gravy.

While the meat is simmering, boil your potatoes in a pot of water until done. Depending on the size of the dice this will take between 10 and 20 minutes. When done drain the potatoes.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, mash the potatoes and add the butter, milk and cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In an 8×8 square or pie pan spread your meat mixture, top with the cheddar potatoes and spread evenly.

Bake in a 400 F oven for 25-30 minutes until golden. Sprinkle with paprika and serve.

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Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup

whatsgabycooking — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 14:39:18 +0000

Hi! Oh my goodness, I’ve missed you guys over here on Tasty Kitchen! The last few months have been a whirlwind, with getting married and finishing a super fun project that’s due out next month. I’m so jazzed to be back and I’m kicking things off with basically the most amazing soup to ever come into existence: Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup. Swoon!

This recipe from Serena is loaded with everything you could possibly want on a baked potato: piles of shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, a handful of green onions, and a dollop or two of Greek yogurt. You guys are going to love it!

Here’s the drill.

Bacon. We’re going to need a fair amount of it. Go ahead and cook it off in whole pieces, we’ll break it up further down the line.

Once it’s cooked, lay it on a paper towel to dry. Serena says to drain the fat from pan. If you do that, make sure you leave those little bits of bacon stuck to the pan. We need that flavor!

Chop up the insides of a few baked potatoes.

Reserve the skin of the baked potatoes for some extra deliciousness coming up at the end. You guys are going to freak. It’s so good.

Throw a pat of butter into the same pot you used to cook the bacon.

Sauté some chopped yellow onions.

Then add in the garlic and give it a quick toss.

Add the flour and stir until the flour is cooked through.

Pour in the stock and whisk the whole time, making sure the flour doesn’t clump anywhere.

Carefully add in the insides of the baked potato that we chopped earlier.

Season it up with some kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Now let this cook for a bit and let’s move on to the part that is going to blow your mind. Ready?

Add some butter into a medium skillet over medium high heat.

Add those potato skins that we chopped up earlier and sauté the heck out of them.

They are going to get extra crispy and you’re going to love them. Once they are golden brown, you can remove them and place them on a paper towel to dry.

Now, let’s take an immersion blender to the potato soup and make things nice and smooth.

Once the soup is smooth, add the broken up bacon, shredded cheddar cheese and a whole lotta scallions.

And don’t forget about the Greek yogurt! Give it all a stir and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

Serve it up with extra bacon, cheese, scallions, and those awesome crispy potato skins as garnish and call it a day! I promise you guys are gonna love this one!

A huge thank you to Serena from Serena Bakes Simply from Scratch for such an awesome recipe!

Printable Recipe

Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup

by serenabakessimplyfromscratch on June 30, 2012 in Creamy Soups, Soups

See post on serenabakessimplyfromscratch’s site!

4.71 Mitt(s) 7 Rating(s)

Description

Fully Loaded Baked Potato Soup. This soup is made over the top by adding crisp potato skins to the top before serving!

Ingredients

4 whole Extra Large Baked Potatoes Or 8 Regular Baked Potatoes
6 slices Bacon, Diced
6 Tablespoons Butter
½ whole Onion, Chopped
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
⅓ cups All-purpose Flour
4 cups Chicken Stock
½ teaspoons Sea Salt (or To Taste)
2 teaspoons Ground Pepper, Or To Taste
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
4 whole Scallions (Green Onions), Sliced
1 cup Greek Yogurt

Preparation Instructions

Scoop the white insides out of the baked potato skins. Roughly chop the white insides and set them aside. Chop potato skins and set aside.

In a large stock pot brown the diced bacon over medium heat. Once it’s crispy, remove bacon from the pan and drain off the grease.

Add 4 tablespoons butter to the brown bits at the bottom of the stock pot. Add onion and continue to cook over medium heat until onion is caramelized. Add minced garlic and flour. Stir flour until absorbed by the butter and cooked, about 1-2 minutes.

While stirring, slowly add chicken stock to the flour mixture to prevent lumps. Bring to a simmer then turn heat to low. Add the insides of the diced baked potato. Add sea salt and pepper. Cover pot and continue to cook over low heat.

In a large saute pan add 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat and heat until all of the butter is melted. Add the chopped potato skins and fry them until crisp and heated through.

Add 1/2 of the crumbled bacon, 2 cups of cheddar cheese, 2/3 of the scallions and Greek yogurt into the pot of soup. Stir well and continue to cook over low heat until heated through and cheese is melted.

Serve soup topped with remaining bacon, cheedar cheese, scallions and crisp potato skins.

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