Welcome to margarita week. It’s the genius idea of Kate Ramos from Hola Jalapeño. When she invited me share a recipe in her curated mix, I ran to get my shaker. Nothing like a good marg to beat the Texas heat and humidity. Especially a jalapeño mint margarita that tastes fresh from the garden. In March, we had two quick trips to Mexico…
Kale Guacamole
Just in time for your Cinco de Mayo fiesta, kale guacamole that will satisfy a crowd. We’ve been eating this non-stop over here: As an after school snack, on toast and of course tacos. It’s fresh, tasty and quick to put together. When we recently found ourselves with a bowl of ripe avocados and leftover…
Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
This is a simple Mexican soup. If you would like to add corn tortillas as a garnish, toast and cut them into thin strips. I prefer my soup with a lot of lime – about a whole juiced lime on top of every bowl. This would also be delicious with a cup of hominy or…
Weeknight Dinners: May 1-5
Olé! We are officially entering margarita weather, and I can’t wait to share a recipe for a healthy(ish) jalapeno and mint version later this week. We are working towards the finish line of summer, but first there are dance recitals, baseball playoffs and finals. One foot in front of the other, soldiers. I feel like the best way to…
Wine Pick: Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier
Finally, a go-to white wine from Trader Joe’s. Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc + Viognier pairs well with my spatchcocked chicken and whole chicken in the crock pot, and it’s a crisp and slightly sweet white that you can grab and go when you’re shopping at Traders. For several years after moving to Houston from San Francisco, I found…
Oatmeal Cranberry Energy Bites
These little energy bites are as good as stolen bits of cookie dough, serepticiously swiped from the bowl. Made from gluten-free oats, cinnamon, cranberries, maple syrup and crunchy almond butter, there’s also a little ground flaxseed for Omega-3s and cinnamon to stabilize the metabolism. Oatmeal cranberry energy bites are a bitesize nutritional bomb. Basically, you…
Weeknight Dinners: April 23-28
SUNDAY It’s gorgeous in Houston, cool and crisp with a full blue sky. A good grill night for sure. Since I already have pre-marinated carne asada from Trader Joe’s, I’ll just doctor it up with some fresh lime juice. It wakes up the flavor and makes it taste brighter. I’ll let it sit at room temperature…
Wine Pick: Broadbent Vinho Verde
Weekly Wine Pick: Broadbent Vinho Verde Summer, summer, summer wine. Refreshing, a little effervescent, spritzy and crisp. Something you’ll want to order by the case and keep cool for impromptu barbecues and neighborhood swim parties. Broadbent Vinho Verde, developed by British wine author, Michael Broadbent, and his son Batholomew, a wine lecturer, is a reliable people…
Pork Chile Verde
Earlier this year, we had an interesting run in with food allergies around here. After a blood test showed that our oldest had 20 class III food allergies, I had to cook pretty creatively until we could get her into Texas Children’s Allergy and Immunology Center. During that time, I scoured cookbooks and the internet to…
Weeknight Dinners: April 17-21
MONDAY Meatless Monday is happening — we need to pay for all the chocolate and jelly beans. On deck: Veggie stir fry with ginger, garlic and Tamari with steamed rice and edamame on the side. There are plenty of recipes online for stir fries, but you really don’t need one. I like to sauté veggies and…