While on Kauai, Joe and I went out for pasta one night and shared a tasty pesto pasta. It was described as cilantro pesto with macadamia nuts and we thought it was terrific. Being a pesto fanatic I had to come home and make my own version of this delicious dish. I added some fresh tomato and grilled chicken to make it a complete meal.
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I haven’t had a slice of pineapple upside down cake in years but recently in Hawaii I had the chance to have a taste again with sweet Hawaiian pineapple, rum and macadamia nuts. It was fantastic and I wanted to find a recipe that combine all those wonderful ingredients. This cake was so easy to make and baked in a cast iron skillet which worked out perfectly. When the cake had cooled and it was time to flip the cake onto the plate I was a bit nervous. Would the pineapple stick to the bottom of the skillet? Would the cake fall apart? How would it taste? I was ecstatic when I turned it over and it looked this good. And it tasted just as good!
Kauai was beautiful despite how much it rained and stormed throughout our stay. There were maybe 3 good days where we had sunshine and our last day was the absolute best. Here’s my favorite picture from Kauai, its at Kauapea Beach aka Secret Beach. It’s on the north shore and off the beaten path. About a 10 minute hike down a dirt trail lies this beautiful stretch of sand where the surfers, beach walkers and anyone who wants to get away from the crowds hang out. It was paradise, the sun was shining. I sat on the sand and watched the waves while taking pictures. The waves captured my imagination and all I kept hearing in my head was the song “Catch a Wave” by the beach boys.
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Joe and I have just returned from Hawaii where we had the most amazing two weeks. We have dreamed of the day when we could visit these beautiful islands. We spent one week on Hawaii and one week on Kauai. Both islands were unique in their own way but equally gorgeous. The people there are so friendly and upbeat, who wouldn’t be living in such a beautiful place. They are proud people and enjoy sharing their culture much like my fellow New Mexicans do. Hawaii had all the things Joe and I love. . . sand, water, tropical flowers and trees, amazing fruit and vegetables, color, color and more color. What more can I say, it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever encountered. This picture was from Waipi’o Valley. It is my favorite picture and favorite place. After a steep hike down there is an amazing black sand beach that we both fell in love with. Here are some pictures from week one in Hawaii. Enjoy!
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I hinted that I had another idea for the ravioli and what do you know, it was “oh my gosh” good! Joe said I’ve made these before with frozen ravioli, but I don’t remember. I think I would remember if they tasted this good. Anyway, getting back on track . . . I googled ravioli recipes to see what everyone else was doing with them and came across several toasted ravioli that looked so tempting. I already had the ravioli and sauce made so it made sense to try and see if I could make these like those pretty photos I had been looking at. Since my ravioli was made with won ton wrappers they fried up light and crisp. So tell me, which way you prefer ravioli? Toasted or steamed . . .
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One of my favorite things to make is ravioli. And you would be surprised at how easy they are to make if you have a little time. I had a day when everyone was gone, the sun was shining, and I had hours to kill. So I made a quick trip to the store, picked up won ton wrappers, 4 different cheeses, some spinach and I was ready to go. I knew these would go fast so I doubled the recipe so that I could put some aside for another meal. I thought a spicy sauce would go great with the ravioli and decided on Italian sausage and crushed red pepper to spice it up. The guys were so hungry when they got home and the ravioli disappeared quickly, but I had the best day. It was so much fun putting these together, sort of like a craft project. It tasted so good and was pretty on the plate. I love it when that happens!
There are numerous recipes for wings that include different spices and flavor blends. In the back of my mind I’ve always wanted to try a seasoning using green chile. Could I come up with a recipe that would taste as good as it sounded in my head? I’ve never seen Green Chile Wings on any restaurant menu but the thought has always crossed my mind, why not? Red Hot Sauce is the base for Buffalo Wings so why not use Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce as a base for Verde Wings. I’ve searched the web looking for a recipe but frankly there’s not much out there and what I did find wasn’t what I had in mind. So once again, I turned to my spice blend guru, Chef Paul Prudhomme, for inspiration. His Buffalo Wing seasoning is to die for so I used that as my guide and traded out the red spices for green chile powder. This seasoning mix was instrumental in the dry rub for my wings, the verde wing sauce and also making a cilantro dipping sauce. I made a small batch just to see how they would turn out just in case they were a bust. I don’t always get the response I’m hoping for but these Verde Wings turned out way better than I could have hoped for. I got some “Wow’s” but mostly the response was “Oh My Gosh”. I shouldn’t have worried so much because the guys couldn’t stop raving about them until they were completely gone. These would be the perfect finger food for your Super Bowl party!
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Chili is one of those versatile foods that goes beyond your hearty bowl of chili. You can make a number of meals just by changing it up. Add some beans and it’s easy to make a Taco Salad, top your favorite hot dog with cheese and onion and you have a Coney Dog, bake some tater tots or oven fries and you could have Chili Cheese Fries and don’t forget the Frito Pie. There are just so many good things to do with chili. And everyone seems to have a preference when it comes to spice and whether to add beans or not. I like beans in my chili but Joe does not, so I usually don’t put them in the pot of chili, but rather have some on hand to add to my own bowl. This chili is flavorful but not a hot spicy chili. If you need the heat, add some hotter chili powder and it will definitely spice it up. And lets not forget the sweet cornbread with ancho honey butter. I’m one of those girls who has to have her cornbread, it’s just not the same without it.
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Breakfast again . . . actually it’s pancake night at the Cook house. It’s been a long week and I needed quick go to meal that was easy but filling. What’s not to like about a big stack of buttermilk pancakes with some warm blueberry sauce drizzled over the top. I have Kat to thank for the buttermilk pancake recipe, it’s the best! And the blueberry sauce is lightly sweetened with a hint of lemon in the background.
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Breakfast burritos are my favorite thing for lunch believe it or not. Since I don’t do breakfast when normal people do, I sometimes treat Joe and myself to a breakfast burrito on the weekends. We sometimes add bacon or ham, but today we had our traditional burrito with country potatoes, creamy scrambled eggs with cheddar and my homemade salsa. Come hungry, these burritos will leave you feeling full and satisfied no matter the time of day.
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An Inspired Cook 