Whole Wheat Tortillas and Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Guacamole

Cinco de Mayo is coming!
Would you like some healthy options? Well, of course you do.

While I could live on chips and salsa forever, that would be no bueno for my waistline. I wanted to share a couple of recipes that you could enjoy guilt-free this weekend.

Let's start with these tortillas.

Have you ever made tortillas at home? Since my father-in-law picked up a tortilla press at a flea market, I've gone a little crazy. They are so easy! Once you taste them, you will know they are worth that little bit of extra work. These warm, soft little guys only have five pantry-staple ingredients, so they are just as easy on your pocket.

This recipe can easily be doubled for more tortillas.

Whole Wheat Tortillas:
Makes 8 6-inch tortillas


1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

Whisk the dry ingredients together.

With a spatula, stir in the water and oil, mixing until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a flour surface and knead for just one minute. The dough should be soft.

Let the dough rest for about 20 minutes before shaping the tortillas. This is where you can brown taco meat or prepare fajita filling. 


After the dough has rested, place a dry skillet over medium-low heat. Divide the dough in half and then into fourths for eight tortillas. Form each portion into a ball.

Cover your friends with a towel. Using a rolling pin or a tortillas press, roll one dough ball out to about a 6-inch round. If necessary, use a little additional flour to roll out the tortillas. To keep the tortillas soft, you'll want to add as little extra flour as possible to the dough.

Lay the tortilla in the dry skillet and cook for about 1 1/2-2 minutes on each side. The tortillas just need to be cooked through, not necessarily browned. This will keep the tortillas soft and pliable.

Layer all of your soft little friends into a towel-lined tortilla warmer.

Finish with the rest of the dough and enjoy fresh, warm, soft tortillas!

Do you want something to put in these tortillas?
Yes.
Me, too.

Surely its guacamole you want. Right?


Right.

There really is guacamole in there. Its under all that cool, creamy queso fresco. Roasting the red onion and tomatoes adds a great layer of flavor to the cool and creamy avocados. I like a very chunky guacamole, so the onion and tomatoes are roasted in larger pieces. Cut them as large or small as you want.

Roasted Red Onion & Tomato Guacamole:
Makes 4 very generous tacos, Serves 5-6 as an appetizer

1/2 large red onion
1+ cup cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 avocados
juice of 1 lime or lemon
1 teaspoon dried cilantro or 1 bunch chopped fresh cilantro
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt to taste

Turn your oven on to broil and place a rack directly underneath the broiler. This could also be done out on the grill if your party is outside, just load your veggies on skewers.


Slice the onion into 1-inch pieces and half the tomatoes. Toss them with the olive oil.

Spread out the onion and tomato in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil 10-12 minutes, until the edges of the onion are toasted and the tomatoes have burst.

Allow to cool on the counter for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make friends with your avocados. Tell them how wonderful your tortillas are and that they will be the best of friends.

Half and pit the avocados, removing the skin from the flesh. Toss the halves into a bowl with the lime or lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Use a potato masher to break up the avocados. Mash in the garlic and cilantro.

Add your cooled roasted onion and tomatoes. 

Let the flavors hang out together in the fridge for about 20 minutes. 

Then introduce the guacamole to the tacos. Enjoy!

Can't get enough Cinco de Mayo? Don't forget these goodies:

Cowboy Caviar

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

Taco & Fajita Seasonings

Check out these other great recipes from around the blogosphere:

Chicken Tamale Casserole by Table for Two blog

DIY Tostada Shells by at Bake at 350

Cilantro Lime Quinoa by Two Peas and Their Pod

Mexican Slaw with Mango, Avocado, and Cumin by Cookin' Canuck

What's your favorite way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

Barbecue Sauce & Pulled Pork Sandwiches

If there ever was a time for smell-o-vision...

That time is now. If you only make barbecue sauce just to have your house filled with the most wonderful sweet, savory, tart aromas, then you have not wasted a moment.

This is so easy, you can't resist!

Barbecue Sauce:
Makes approx. 3 cups

1 1/2 tablespoon butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground cayenne
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon cumin
1 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup dark brown sugar or honey

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the onion and cook until translucent and soft, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cayenne, ginger and cumin and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

At this point, the sauce is ready -- slather over ribs, spread on a burger, or marinate shrimp. Cool and store in the fridge for a few days. 

For Pulled Pork Sammies, nestle 2-2 1/2 pounds pork sirloin into the barbecue sauce, cover, and slide into a 325 degree oven (or alternately, in a slow cooker on low heat for about 4 hours). 

Check the pork after an hour, it should come apart easily with only the slightest pressure. Cook for an additional 10 minutes at a time if necessary. Add a splash of water if the sauce appears too dry. 

Serve on a whole wheat bun and enjoy!

Avocado Dream Pasta

A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...

I didn't like avocados.

Wha--?!?

Crazy, I know.

Ludicrous.
Preposterous.
Ridiculous.
And every -ous adjective you might conjure up.


Aren't you glad my insanity has been cured? This form of my insanity, at least, let's not get too excited. 


Do you want a little avocado in your pasta? Well, let's get to it.

Avocado Dream Pasta:
Serves 2, 15-20 minutes

1/3-1/2 pound pasta
1 avocado
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon cilantro
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 pound large shrimp

Cook pasta according to directions.

Meanwhile, peel and pit the avocado. In a medium bowl, combine the avocado, yogurt, cilantro, garlic and parmesan with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and a pinch of salt, cooking until the onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until they are curled and pink, another 4-5 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot and add the avocado mixture and the shrimp, stirring to combine. Add just enough of the pasta water to coat the pasta and shrimp with the avocado sauce.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Bunny Bait

I have fallen in love with popcorn all over again.

When I was little, I used to stay with my grandparents for a few weeks over the summer. One of my favorite memories was eating air-popped popcorn and Neapolitan ice cream (I called it "Napoleon") with Bobby while watching Nick-At-Nite. I even remember their air-popper in all of its 1980's glory.

I've been making stove-top popcorn for years, but it never occurred to me to air-pop my popcorn at home. While my corn pop-pop-popped in the microwave, I hop-hop-hopped around the kitchen with joy. There's nothing quite like ditching the vegetable oil for thermodynamics to pop your corn.

And make a sweet Easter treat. 


Use your microwave -- its faster, healthier, and dish-free.

Dish-free!!


All you need is a brown paper bag, a few tablespoons of popcorn and three minutes.

Load your paper bag with two tablespoons of popcorn and fold up the edge. Place the bag in the microwave just as you would any other microwave popcorn.

With the power on high, go for three minutes and listen for the pops and crackles to spread to about two seconds apart. Open the microwave, toss a pinch of salt in the bag and enjoy. Every microwave is different, so use your ears to find the sweet spot. The paper bag is even reusable!

You can't get any more "whole grain" than leveraging thermodynamic properties to explode a kernel of corn into a crunchy snack. The microwaves cause the tiny bit of moisture in the kernel to expand until the little starchy casing ruptures into the crispy goodness we know and love. Stove-top, fireside or in the microwave, the process is all the same. Popcorn is edible science!

But didn't I say something about a sweet Easter treat?


Yes, yes I did. Bunny Bait. The easiest Easter treat you will ever make. Four ingredients.

Four ingredients!!

Bunny Bait:
3-4 cups air-popped popcorn (from about 3-4 tablespoons popcorn)
1 cup mini marshmallows
3/4 cup m&m's speckled eggs (your flavor of choice)
pinch of salt

Pop the corn in the microwave and immediately toss with marshmallows, m&m's and salt in a medium bowl or large zip bag. Enjoy!

Remember, if you actually want to snag a bunny, you cannot eat all of the bait. 
Good luck!


The heat from the popcorn softens the mallows and the chocolate and the salt brings the flavors together in perfect harmony. The peanut butter speckled eggs are my favorite, but all the flavors -- milk chocolate, coconut, pretzel -- go well with popcorn and mallows.

Whether or not you catch a bunny, have a blessed Easter!

Cowboy Caviar

Spring is here!

Botanica did me right with their tulips last fall, these have been amazing! Olympic Flame tulips came just in time!

But you're here for food, right? 

Right. 

Spring means more time outside, the beginning of BBQs, campfires, and late evenings on the patio. Cowboy Caviar is my favorite dish to bring to any get-together. The texture has a little something for everyone -- sweet, crunchy corn and onion offset the creamy avocado and red and black beans. Salty, spicy, sweet, its all here.

Cowboy Caviar:

2 10 ounce cans Rotel (diced tomatoes with chiles, mild or medium)

2 cups (or 2 cans) black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups (or 2 cans) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

16 ounces frozen white and gold corn, defrosted

2-3 avocados

1 medium yellow onion

1 bunch cilantro

2 limes

1 lemon

salt

cayenne pepper

Pour Rotel into a fine mesh sieve over a bowl, salt generously and set aside to drain. 

Add beans and corn to a large bowl. Dice avocados and onion and add to bowl. Chop cilantro and juice the limes and lemon and add to bowl. When the Rotel is well-drained, add to bowl. 

Sprinkle with cayenne pepper and toss to combine. 

Get your hands in there, this is Cowbow caviar, after all. 

Season to taste. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Serve cold with fresh baked tortilla chips. 

This recipe is really just a guide, the ratio of ingredients is not vital. Use ingredients you love. 

Want to bake your own tortilla chips? 

Grab a package of small corn tortillas. 

Use a pizza cutter to slice these bad boys into chips. 

Spread out in an even layer on a baking sheet. Give them a quick mist of canola oil and a sprinkle of salt. 

Bake at 425 degrees 8-11 minutes until they begin to brown. Serve them warm with Cowboy Caviar. 

Three-Grain Waffles

A smirk, because he ate almost all of the raspberries.

For Christmas this year, my in-laws got me a waffle maker.

I jumped up and down on the couch.

And squealed.

I can't begin to tell you how excited I was.

We've had waffles for breakfast every Sunday morning since.

I've used a handful of different recipes and finally smushed them all together to come up with a healthy and crispy waffle. For you!

And for my nephews, because they love food waffles. 


These waffles are still a little calorie-dense, so don't go bananas. Instead of refined flours and mounts of butter, these are packed with three different grains and milk. The corn meal adds to the crispy texture so we don't have to rely on butter for the same result.

They'll definitely keep you full all morning so you won't bother your pew neighbors with a growling tummy.

The hubby & I like to split our waffles when they come out so we can both enjoy them hot.

Shake, shake shake!

I like to quadruple the dry ingredients and store the mix in an air-tight container. It makes the process even easier and leaves you with more time to enjoy your coffee. Just scoop out two scant cups of the mix and add the wet ingredients.

You might even be able to get your super cute nephew to help with the mixing! 

He would have done backflips for a waffle. 

A few tips before you get going:

• Plug in your waffle maker early while you make coffee and whip up the batter. A hot-hot-hot waffle maker will give you a crispier waffle.
• Allow the batter to rest for a few minutes to activate the baking powder and soda. This gives the waffle a light, fluffy texture.
• Swap out the cinnamon for any other flavor -- use vanilla, nutmeg, lemon or orange juice, or add frozen blueberries or chocolate chips.
• Even if your waffle maker says it is non-stick, it helps to use a little non-stick spray. That will keep you from scratching your waffle maker with a fork while prying out your waffles.
• Ease up on the whopping syrup calories by swapping it for a quick berry syrup you can make while your waffles are cooking.
• Your waffle maker is probably different from mine, so have a peek at the manual to see what works best.

Three-Grain Waffles
Makes about 4 8-inch round waffles

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup milk, I use skim milk
1 cup buttermilk (or additional milk)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled

Grind the oatmeal in a coffee grinder or food processor for a few seconds. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients, breaking up the eggs. Add the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing until just combined. 

Let the batter rest for about 5 minutes, then add 1/4 of the batter into your waffle maker, about 3/4 - 1 cup. Allow the waffle to cook according to the directions from your waffle maker.

Enjoy your waffles hot with warm maple syrup. Want to add some fruit to your breakfast? 

Toss a handful of berries and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup into a microwave-safe container. Microwave the berries 30 seconds at a time until the berries have burst and turned into a delicious syrup, 3-4 times. Pour over your waffles and enjoy!

Happy Pi Day!

Happy Pi Day!
March 14th
3/14
3.14

The most wonderful day of the high school calculus student's year. Oh, Mr. Schmidt, I miss basketball analogies and bears who leave tracks in the snow. Lots of great memories in high school calculus -- I certainly don't miss the homework, but...

I can still celebrate Pi Day!


Here are some things you can to do enhance your Pi Day experience:

1. Eat a Pi pie. Like these here.

2. Make Pi Cookies. I made some for our youth group tonight (sharing the nerdiness!) My cookies are far from perfection, but I had so much fun working on them.

Please excuse the iPhone picture. I finished the rest of the cookies late last night.

Bridget at Bake at 350 makes tons of amazing cookies, but I especially loved her Pi Day cookies.

3. Get yourself to a Villiage Inn! They're having a "pie rush" today, get some free pie!

4. If you can't get to a VI for a slice of pie, make your own in a pi-plate.

5. Get out your pi t-shirt, pi mug, pi ice-cube tray, and read about pi here, here, and here.

6. Watch the movie Pi.

7. Sing a Pi Day Rap with your friends. Or this song.

8. Laugh at the number e. Pi may be irrational, but it still way more fun than e.

9. Calculate the circumference of everything.

10. Share your nerdiness with everyone around you.


How do you like to celebrate Pi Day?

Roasted Broccoli-Cheese Soup

Kansas weather has been normal this March, which is to say unpredictable. This time of year I practically ignore the forecast and plan for everything with flip flops and ice-scrapers. Its easier to expect the weather to be crazy than it is to get your hopes up for one last snow or a jump straight into spring.

The weather can really affect my food mood and its always great to have a few staples in your arsenal when things outside make you run for the cat's favorite blanket for a furry heater snuggle. Or the porch to watch the lightening. Thundersnow, you know, normal Kansas Spring weather.

This is a new addition to our arsenal. After one bite, the hubby said it was a keeper.

For a better melt, get the cheese out when you begin cooking to allow it to come to room temperature. The red pepper flakes are optional, but give an extra layer of flavor when roasted with the broccoli and onion. I made the soup on Saturday and we had it for lunch on Sunday.

This is what the soup looked like on Sunday via iPhone. Whole garlic cloves toasted with the bread. Oh my.

Roasted Broccoli-Cheese Soup
Serves 2-3

1 1/2 - 2 large florets fresh broccoli
1 yellow onion
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
4-5 garlic cloves
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 ounces fat-free cream cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Heat your oven to 425 degrees. Rinse and chop the broccoli into bite-sized pieces and dice the onion. Toss the broccoli and onion with the olive oil and spread out on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with red pepper and roast in the oven until the tips of the florets begin to brown.

Just before the veggies are done, begin to heat a stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add veggies directly to the hot pot. Cook for a few minutes, using the wooden spoon to break up the florets. Use a microplane to grate the garlic into the pot and cook until fragrant, about a minute. Add about 1/2 cup of the stock and scrape up any brown bits that have accumulated at the bottom of your pot.

Add the cream cheese, breaking it up with your wooden spoon. Add another 1/2 cup of the stock and the remaining cheeses, stirring to melt and combine. Pour in as much of the remaining stock as needed to reach your desired soup consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper as necessary. Serve immediately.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

Have you ever fought a serious cookie craving?


Shyea. I know. What a ridiculous question.


We can't indulge all the time or else we'd break the calorie bank.

Here's a cookie you don't have to feel bad about. They are packed with whole wheat, oats, flax seed and wheat germ.


Yes, cookies can have whole wheat flour. 


And other good-for-you ingredients.


And yes, they still taste good.








Chewy Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 18 cookies

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup quick oats, divided
1 tablespoon flax seed
1 tablespoon wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 egg

Process 1/2 cup quick oats and flax seed in a coffee grinder or spice mill until finely ground.  Whisk all dry ingredients together and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg and honey and blend until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Use a one-ounce scoop to form the cookies, placing 3-4 inches apart so the cookies have room to spread. Bake at 350 degrees 9-11 minutes until browned.

Allow the cookies to set up on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.

Grab one or two for a sweet post-workout snack! Finally, a cookie you don't have to hide from yourself.