Creamy Chile con Queso
“In Texas you can buy happiness. People generally order it as an appetizer. It’s called queso.” – @TexasHumor It is supposed to be a joke, but I find that chile con queso can, in actual fact, make most people quite happy! It may just be a Texas thing, but whenever people gather to have a party – be it watching sports, celebrating a birthday, or ringing in the holidays – there will inevitably be a...
Chorizo Cheddar Potato Puffs
It is almost time for the BEST part of Thanksgiving. If you would guess the big meal itself you would only be half right. My favorite part of this feasting holiday would be the day AFTER the big event when the left-overs roam free! I love left-overs more than the actual meal because they can either be reheated and eaten as is, or they can be transformed into all manner of interesting dishes like soups, casseroles, or in this case...
Independence Day Round-Up!!
Happy Independence Day!! If you live in the States it is time for fireworks, parades, and celebrating the birth of our nation. I am planning to spend a great deal of this long weekend in my kitchen because what celebration is complete with out some really good food? I am always looking for inspiration, and if you are too then I think I can help! Below are my picks for this year’s 4th of July festivities. ‘Big Evil’...
Beef Short Rib Tamales
I am really quite a tamale snob. Let me explain. You see, the ratio of well prepared tamales to terrible tamales is currently around 1 to 100. What makes a bad tamale? First, the masa. A bad tamale has either dry, crumbly masa, or gooey, undercooked masa. Typically you see the former, which is why a lot of tamales are served with some sort of chili sauce to disguise their crimes against corn. Second, bad tamales have a greasy...
Chorizo Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates
Happy Cinco de Mayo!! Rather than give you yet another dip, enchilada, nacho, or taco recipe I thought to provide you a spicy/salty nibble to help soak up all the celebratory May 5th drinks. For a long while I have been in love with bacon wrapped dates. Something about sweet, tender dates wrapped in crisp, salty bacon makes my heart go pitter-pat. Something else that makes my evil heart trip with joy is Mexican style chorizo...
Shredded Beef Sliders with Carrot Apple Slaw
I think the best way to cook a beef roast is in the slow cooker. I love that I can spend about ten minutes puttering in the kitchen, then I sit back for eight hours and, as if by magic, I have a pot of juicy, tender, wonderfully flavorful beef. Speaking of beef, this is my second in a series of four recipes brought to you by the Texas Beef Council*. Shredded beef is one of those go-to dishes for me since I can use it in all sorts of...
