Spicy fresh salsa

I was excited when a sweet friend gave me a plentiful amount of her tomato crop a few weeks ago. Being the foodie that I am, I squealed with delight! I had tomatoes stacked upon tomatoes on my countertop. It was a foodie's dream! After throwing a bunch of them into a salad and eating a few for snacks (topped with salt of course), I decided to throw a salsa together so that not a single one of them was wasted.

Dan and I actually had a Salsa-Off, which I believe I won, according to a handful of our testers. :)

Here was a small portion of the tomatoes I received. Thank you, Monica!

In a large bowl, combine:

12 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped

3 serrano peppers, finely chopped

Grab two bumpy (or non-bumpy), limes and juice them.

Once they are juiced, they could possibly turn into green-toothed caterpillars. That is what Elijah thinks.

Add to the bowl:

1/3 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Juice from 2 limes

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix well and add:

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper 

Mix well!

Store in the refrigerator in mason jars or in an air-tight container. This salsa will remain fresh in the fridge for 1 week.

Serve chilled with tortilla chips or as a taco topping. Or do as Dan and I do when we have this in our fridge. PUT IT ON EVERYTHING.

Printable recipe: Spicy fresh salsa

Tabbouleh

I kept trying to figure out why today felt like Monday and then I realized that it was our Monday. Mondays are our Saturdays and Tuesdays are our Sundays, which would make today Monday! The boys went to daycare, so I got a ton of work done in the morning. I was tired. I desperately wanted a nap. The only thing better than a nap is what I actually ended up doing which was getting a manicure and pedicure courtesy of (and with!) my friend Emily! Awesome! I have pretty toes and fingers and I got to spend time with a sweet sweet friend.

I made a batch of Tabbouleh this morning and it was a delightful and fresh little snack to munch on throughout the day. You know, in between manicures and pedicures and everything else good in life.

Pour one 5.25-oz. box of taboule mix wheat salad (minus the enclosed spice packet) into a medium bowl. This is the same thing as bulghur wheat, and it measures out to be nearly 1 cup. The brand that is easily found in most grocery stores is called Near East.

Pour 1 1/2 cups of boiling water over top of the bulghur wheat.

Add:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Juice from 2 lemons

1 teaspoon salt

Cover and let this mixture stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

In the meantime, prepare your veggies and herbs.

Slice the white and light green parts from 1 bunch of green onions.

Peel and chop 1 English seedless cucumber.

Chop 2 medium tomatoes.

Finely chop 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves.

Finely chop 1 cup flat-leaf parsley.

When the bulghur is finished soaking, it will look something like this. It will taste delicious.

Add the prepared veggies and herbs to the bowl.

Mix well. 

Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Cover and chill until ready to serve. Serve with or without crackers. Personally, I prefer a plain ol' fork and diggin' right in.

Crumble feta cheese over the top before serving, if desired.

Happy Monday, er, Wednesday!

Printable recipe: Tabbouleh

My McCormick Gourmet "Longest Dinner Party Chain" dinner party!

Earlier this week I hosted a dinner party at my house as a part of McCormick Gourmet's Longest Dinner Party Chain. It was so much fun! I was so happy McCormick asked me to be a part of this dinner party chain. I have always loved to entertain, and as I have gotten older it has only become more fun. Creating good food is awesome, but creating it for others and watching others enjoy it is way more awesome.

Here is a photo of the many incredible items McCormick sent to me as a part of my dinner party kit! 

Spices, too! 16, to be exact.

YOU can be entered to win a similar kit. More on that in a bit.

First, please allow me to tell you about my dinner party!

I invited four friends over to make six adults, including my husband and myself. It was the absolute perfect mix of people because they were easy to please and they were great company. Thank you so much for being a part of my evening, Jesse, Jody, Jess, Trev and Dan! (Benji, Esme, Elijah and Sammy, too, of course, even though graham crackers and milk were more your style.)

My first course was a warm, creamy crab and artichoke dip, served with baked pita wedges and crackers. I loved the combination of McCormick thyme leaves and fresh parsley in this one. Also, artichokes and jumbo lump crab meat are two of my absolute favorites!

Printable recipe: Warm crab & artichoke dip

Dan and I love starting parties out with warm, gooey dips. Even on a hot summer day, it seemed fitting to keep with the trend. 

My second course was perhaps my favorite of the night, a fried tomato and and 2 fried scallops served over leafy greens. It was light, super tasty and perfect for summer. I love scallops, and I don't get the chance to eat them often enough. 

Printable recipe: Fried tomato & scallop salad

My third and fourth courses were served together. The main dish, sweet basil & oregano bruschetta chicken, was a recipe I borrowed from McCormick. It was delicious! The McCormick seasoning packet made this dish. I served along with it a side of grilled broccoli with McCormick crushed rosemary & feta cheese. (Please forgive me for forgetting the feta in the photos.) I am a huge broccoli lover and I think it is always such a delicious and pretty side dish.  

Printable recipe: Sweet basil & oregano bruschetta chicken

Printable recipe: Grilled broccoli with rosemary & feta

I had a very happy tummy at the end of the evening. 

And the dessert, oh the dessert. It didn't turn out exactly as I had wished because apparently I am not a skilled maker of caramel. I tried it twice with the same result. 

So here, friends, is a photo of a delicious salted caramel brownie that I wish had been a little more caramel-y and less sugary. I will say that the McCormick Sicilian Sea Salt I sprinkled on the top added just the perfect twist of salty that I was hoping for. 

I'm not going to post this one until I perfect the caramel layer, so check back!

And now for a few party pics! Jesse and Dan were responsible for these creative shots. Thanks for helping, guys. 

Food aside, it was great to bring friends together for an evening. Our children enjoyed running around outside in the heat, eating ice cream sandwiches, splashing in the blow-up pool and enjoying a show together. It was a perfect summer evening!

Would you like to have a chance to win a McCormick dinner kit? Visit the McCormick Gourmet Facebook page and submit an idea for what your dream dinner party would be! You will be entered to win a similar kit, but themed to a holiday of your choice. 

Good luck! And thanks for reading! 

7-layer taco dip

I find it impossible that I haven't shared this recipe yet. This is one of my all-time favorites! Dan and I make this 7-layer dip a handful of times every year, and for various occasions. One being Cinco de Mayo! We plan to celebrate the holiday tomorrow night with our skydiving friends, Dan in his beer holster, me in my chili pepper earrings and the boys in their sombreros. Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone! (I will try to get a picture of all of us in our festive attire.)

I spent literally years perfecting this recipe, and let me tell you...it is PERFECT! Please trust me on this. Prepare it exactly as it is, and you will not be disappointed. Your guests will adore you, I promise!

In a medium bowl, combine:

16-oz. can refried beans

1 heaping tablespoon taco seasoning (I use Ortego Chipotle-flavored seasoning)

Mix well. Spread mixture evenly onto the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

In another medium bowl, combine:

10 oz. sour cream

8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

Mix well. Spread mixture over the bean mixture in the pan.

Top with:

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

16-oz. jar salsa

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/2 of a head of iceberg lettuce, coarsely chopped

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with chips. Enjoy the fiesta!

Printable recipe: 7-layer dip

Green beans with tomatoes, olives and eggs

Whew! What a weekend. I shot my first wedding over the weekend, which turned out to be an incredible experience. The rest of the weekend involved sickness, sickness and more sickness. I had a parenting moment on Saturday ("moment" = 3-hour period) that I will never forget, for as long as I live. I won't go into details because I will shortly be talking about food and I do not wish to turn anyone away from reading! So, yes, the weekend is done and I am somewhat thankful for that.

Abrupt change of subject here. Food! Salads! If you've been reading for a while, you know that I am quite fond of The Salad. I salivate over salads the way most people salivate over fried chicken. Or sweets. Or Chinese food. This green bean salad is such a simple concept, but the flavors are anything but simple. It is such a delicious combination of flavors that will keep you coming back to the fridge until the bowl is empty. 

(Source: Food Everyday: Martha Stewart)

In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook 1 pound of trimmed green beans until crisp-tender, 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water.

Halve the beans and place in a large bowl. Add:

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste

Serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Click here for a printable recipe!