Beet Chips

Holy Geeze I love beets. I once made a beet cake, big win. (tastes exactly like carrot cake in case you were wondering) And now we get to enjoy them in chip form. Everything is better in chip form, this I know.

Beet Chips::
4 medium beets
2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil (I used smoked olive oil)
Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Peel beets and slice 1/16 inch thick with a mandoline. In a large bowl, toss beets with extra-virgin olive oil. The beets should have a very thin coat.

On two rimmed baking sheets (or use one sheet and bake in two batches), arrange beets in a single layer. Sprinkle with a small amount of sea salt.

Stack another rimmed baking sheet on top of each. Bake until edges of beets begin to dry out, about 20 minutes. Uncover and rotate sheets. Bake 10 to 20 minutes, removing chips as they become lightened and pale in color. Note: Pretty much all of mine needed the full extra 20 minutes of baking time. Transfer to a wire rack; chips will crisp up as they cool.

Sweet Swine

Friends. Sweet, wonderful, beautiful friends. This is life changing.

I texted that to Cody. When he asked what was life changing, and my response was bacon candy, well let's just say he said to never use "life changing" again in regards to pig.

Dang. But for real this is life changing.

Sweet. Spicy. Bacon. Holy Hell.

Sweet Swine::
10 slices of bacon (about 1 1/4 lb of thick-cut bacon)
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cayenne.

Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment. (This will help with the clean-up.) Place a baking rack atop the lined baking sheet and lay bacon side-by-side.

Coat both sides of bacon with the brown sugar mixture, pressing it into the bacon to be sure it adheres.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Take bacon out of the oven and coat one side with maple syrup. Place it back in the oven and bake for 5-7 additional minutes. After the 5 minute mark, flip bacon over, coat with maple syrup and return to oven for the last 5-7 minutes.

Place in refrigerator to harden for an hour. Cut into pieces and serve with anything, everything, or nothing.

Try not to eat it all before you share with your friends. But only your really good friends. This is too good dot sure with just the "eh" friends.

Orange, Almond, and Oilve Oil Muffins

I have had an epic week of failures. I should probably have been locked in a padded room for my own safety, as well as that of the general population.

Let me give you a little run down, just so we can all be on the same page:

-tried to make mozzerlla cheese (homemade)- FAIL
-tried to make ricotta strawberry muffins- FAIL
-tried to make lemon bars (which I have made a dozen times before)- FAIL
-got sideswiped by a cement truck- that drove off
-dropped my iPhone face down- smashed the screen
-kicked over my favorite garden gnome- broke his green hat off
-was told by 4 companies I am overqualified for their job openings- meaning I remain unemployed... for THREE MONTHS now.

Needless to say I've been having a pitty party, and I am the only one invited. Then I had a win today- this recipe it absolutely delicious. Light and fluffy and not overly sugary and toxic. Right up my desert alley. Perhaps things are a-turnin around. March Madness is upon us and if there is one person who could use the casheesh from a big bracket win, it's this girl. Meanwhile- eat these and be happy... in a padded room or not. Your call.

Orange, Almond, and Olive Oil Muffins::
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup fresh orange juice, at room temperature
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 large orange, zested
1 cup almond flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted (see Cook's Note)
Powdered sugar, for dusting

To toast the almonds, arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly toasted. Cool completely before using.

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line an 18 muffin cup pan with paper liners. Set aside.

Using a hand mixer on medium speed, in a medium bowl, beat the sugar and eggs together until pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Beat in the orange juice, olive oil, yogurt, vanilla extract, almond extract, and orange zest.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt.

In batches, stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just blended. Stir in the almonds.

Fill the cups with batter, 1/3 of the way full. Bake until golden on top and a tester inserted into the center of the muffins comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 20 minutes. Place on a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Pork Chops with Salsa Verde Rice

I am not a pork chop fan, but this recipe went along with my Texas theme for Cody's birthday. It's from the cookbook entitled Homesick Texan. This is a real gem if you are a fan of southern food. And this recipe was unique and tasty- especially the crunchy rice. I think next time I would partially cook the rice. Regardless- this is a fairly easy recipe that looks fancy- my favorite kind.

Pork Chops with Salsa Verde Rice::
½ pound tomatillos, husks removed,cut in half
¼ medium yellow onion, cut into slivers, divided
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup cilantro
1 jalapeño chile, seeds and stems removed, roughly chopped
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 bone-in, thick-cut pork chops (they should be about ½ pound each)
Salt and black pepper to taste
½ cup rice, soaked in water for 30 minutes and then drained

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a blender, mix together the tomatillos, half the slivered onions, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, cumin, chicken broth, and lime juice. Add salt to taste. (Check out my antler wine stopper, that can be yours too- just put your order in!)

In a large ovenproof skillet, preferably a cast-iron skillet,heat up the oil on medium heat. Lightly season the pork chops with salt and pepper and then cook for 6 minutes, turning once.

Remove the skillet from heat. On top of each chop, place 2 tablespoons of the soaked rice and the remaining onions slivers. Pour the tomatillo salsa over the chops (I swear the chops are underneath there somewhere, I overdid it with the sauce obviously), cover the skillet tightly with foil, and bake for 1 hour.

Then remove the skilet from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Remove foil and serve chops with the rice and salsa.

Texas Caviar

I made this recipe simply because of the name. The fact is it's one of the tastiest dips I have ever had.
Texas does it again.
Bonus- its gluten free AND vegan.

Texas Caviar::
4 cups of cooked black-eyed peas (2 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained)
8 green onions, just the green parts thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
3 jalapeño chile peppers, stems and seeds removed finely chopped
2 plum tomatoes, diced, or 1/2 cup of canned diced tomatoes, drained
1 yellow bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and black pepper, to taste

In a medium bowl, stir together the black-eyed peas, green onion greens, cilantro, chopped jalapeño, tomatoes, bell pepper, and garlic.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, and cumin. Pour over the the black-eyed pea mixture. Stir to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Best chilled for several hours. Serve cold as a side salad or with tortilla chips.

French Silk Pie + My Cooking Idol

Every aspiring cook has a food idol. Mine doesn't have a cooking show, she doesn't have a line of cookware named after her, nor does she have a published cookbook (though she should).

She does however have a kitchen that looks like this::

And this is how she organizes her recipes::

Swoon right?

She happens to be my boyfriend's mama and she is the most amazing chef I know- her name is Donna Beth. She not only has crazy skills cooking, but her presentation is second to none. She is old school, every meal is literally a work of art; which makes sense as she is a top notch painter as well.

Poor Cody was set up for disappoinment having her as a mama as no woman will ever be able to match her in the kitchen, but lucky for me I get to learn from her. His birthday was yesterday and Donna Beth was nice enough to share her wonderful Frech Silk Pie with me so he could have a little Texas treat to celebrate.

Look how excited I look, so proud of my creation (I had yet to taste it)::

Turns out the difference between regular sugar and super fine sugar is tremedous. There was nothing silky about this pie, if it was calld French Grit Pie I would have nailed it. Whoops- all part of the learning curve I suppose.

French Silk Pie::
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
3/4 cup sugar (superfine, for real SUPERFINE)
2 large eggs
2 squares melted unsweetened chocolate slightly cooled
1 tsp vanilla

Cream sugar and butter.
Add chocolate and vanilla.
Add 1 egg & beat 5 minutes at high speed.
Add the other egg & beat 5 minutes more.

Pile into a pie shell with a graham cracker crust.

Crust::
1 1/4 cups grahm cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
5 tbsp. melted butter.

Mix and press in bottom of pie pan and bake at 350 for 5 or 6 minutes. Place in the freezer once cooled- make sure it's really cold or frozen before filling.

Refrigerate over night and before serving add a little pile of real whipped cream around the edge or in the center. You can add shaved chocolate on top or dip room temp strawberries in chocolate ahead of time to set on the ring of cream.

This is a very rich dessert so the slices don't need to be huge. She likes to double the recipe for 1 pie so it piles high and looks pretty.

I have some work on my presentation skills, as well as my cooking skills. Oh well, at least he got to blow out a candle to make that ever important birthday wish.

Bang Bang Cauliflower

I have a hard time deciphering between the line of hunger and boredom sometimes. The fridge is so tempting when there isn't much going on. So when that strikes, I search for something mediocrely healthy. And this is not it. Oh well, it's dang tasty so roll with it. It's pretty spicy so I serve with a side of ranch to add a lil cool relief. A full head of cauliflower feeds 4-5 unless you are my friends, then it only serves 2.

Bang Bang Cauliflower::
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup egg whites
1 head cauliflower
Salt & pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Green onion
1/4 cup coconut oil

Sauce::
1/4 cup lite mayo
1/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sweet Chili Sauce or Siracha (depends on how hot you can handle it)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar

Slice your cauliflower florets. Mix salt, pepper and garlic powder into your Panko breadcrumbs in a shallow dish.

Set separate bowls aside with egg whites and cornstarch. Dip your florets one by one into the cornstarch, and shake off excess. Then dip into egg whites, and then coat with Panko mixture.

After coating all of your florets, warm up your coconut oil in a large frying pan and place all florets in hot oil. Turn with tongs making sure all sides are browned. Set on top of paper towels to remove excess oil. Top with more salt.

In a small bowl mix all of your sauce ingredients.

Coat your breaded and pan fried florets with sauce, top with sprinkles of green onion and serve right away.