Candied Orange Slices

As the sun sets on summertime, I am welcoming fall with open arms, but before I bid summer a final adieu, I decided I needed to savor the last of the bright, citrus flavors. Have you ever candied fruit? If yes, you go, girl! If no, that was me too three weeks ago. I had these giant, juicy oranges that were going to waste. So, I decided it was time to add a new cooking skill in my toolbelt: candying. I won't lie; I was very intimidated at first. Candied fruit is something that I am used to seeing at Neiman's during Christmas in the most gorgeous tins. But with a little research and a little pep talk, I was well on my way, and before I knew it, my oranges were candied and, if I may, delicious! Here's to savoring the last of summer and welcoming fall! I cannot wait to candy some grapefruit slices around Christmas now!

Ingredients:

• Fruit of your choice, sliced into 1/8 of an inch slices, with seeds taken out

  • I used 1 large orange here

• 3 cups of water

• 2 1/2 cups of sugar

• 1 tablespoon of fresh juice of the fruit you are using

  • For this I used 1 tablespoon of fresh orange juice

• Extra sugar for finishing

Method:

1. Combine water and sugar over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.

2. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low and add fruit juice.

3. Place fruit in a single layer (it would probably be easiest to do this in a skillet) and cook until rind is translucent, about 45-60 minutes.

4. Once translucent, take out one at a time—allowing the syrup to drip off.

5. Place on a cooling rack, with a lined pan underneath it. You really don’t want to scrub syrup off your metal pan!

6. Dust with granulated sugar, if so desired, and allow to dry for 3-4 hours or overnight.

7. Stores in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days and the syrup used to make the candied fruit can be saved and refrigerated for cocktail making!

My Grandmother's Pico de Gallo

My grandmother, Mimi, taught me a lot of things. Her one-liners always taught from a place of humor, wisdom, sometimes tough love, and rang the bell for common sense. A few examples:

• When telling her about something holding you back, but really you were in your own way:

  • “And what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?”

• When being too myopic about a problem in the present day:

  • “A 100 years from now, we will never know the difference.”

• When it came to loving her family:

  • “You can’t be spoiled if it’s done with love.”

• When it came to dispensing marriage advice:

  • “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”

• And finally when it came to making pico de gallo:

  • “The finer you chop it, the better it tastes.”

She was always trying to make sure that we were prepared. However, I fear I let her down as the first time I made something with jalapenos, and it went disastrously wrong. Picture this: Dallas, 2015. A young graduate school student, living with her parents (me), was trying to make a snack for her then boyfriend (now husband) for football game viewing. Jalapeno poppers seemed like a great idea—I came up with the recipe myself, he was bound to be impressed! So I set the oven to 350, cut open the peppers, scooped out the membranes, filled them with pimento cheese, and wrapped then with bacon. Yum! How amazing they looked! Quickly popped them in the oven, set the timer, and ran upstairs to shower, and get ready. Practically beaming at my ingenuity: Efficient and delicious. Oh, how the mighty were about to fall.

Sometime in the shower, I thought it would be a really great idea to shave my legs, not remembering…

… I did not wear gloves when I cut the peppers.

There was still pepper oil on my fingers.

Houston, we have a problem. There was a 3-alarm fire on my legs. *sirens sounding*

As the timer went off for my poppers, I found myself wrapped in a towel in my parents’ kitchen, arms full of every single milk product I could get my hands on—desperate for relief.

My mom, dad, and boyfriend enjoyed the poppers and the game, while I took a milk bath.

But I learned a valuable lesson, always use gloves when dealing with peppers, people. Especially if you wear contacts! Can you imagine?!

As much as our loved ones try and prepare us for the twists and (spicy!) turns of life, sometimes you have to feel the burn to learn the lessons. My grandmother laughed hysterically when I told her this story and I told her that would leave all future pepper dealing to her—also teasing her about where was her wisdom-filled quote for jalapenos?

This is her fabulous pico de gallo recipe that was often served at every major family event, by popular demand. Since her passing, I have tried to make this recipe the way she would have, finely dicing everything and tasting with a chip. “Taste with a spoon and your salt will be off” as she would say.

Ingredients:

• 6 roma tomatoes, diced

• 1 medium onion, finely diced

• 1 avocado, cubed

• juice of 1 lime

• a pinch or two of kosher salt

• a large handful of cilantro, chopped

• 2 serrano peppers

  • one chopped with ribs and seeds

  • one de-seeded and ribs taken out

• plenty of crunchy, well-salted chips!

Method:

1. Finely dice onion, roma tomatoes, cilantro, and serranos and put into a large bowl. To help keep seeds out when cutting tomatoes, make a cut length-wise, half way until you hit the core, then slice around the core. The tomato skin will be in a flat-ish sheet. It’ll be easier to cut and no seeds!

   Tip: To help control the spice, take out the seeds and membrane of one of the peppers (with a gloved hand!)

2. Peel, de-pit, and cube the avocado and place into a bowl. Squeeze the lime juice on top and mix together!

3. Add kosher salt to taste, but remember taste test with a chip or your salt will be off!

Spicy Mexican Cucumbers

As I type this, it is a balmy 28 degrees in Dallas. The high today 43 and the low is 26—no thank you. I have been thinking a lot about foods for the upcoming Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, and as I was researching some different ideas I had for a pie crust, I suddenly felt the need for a palate cleanser. Perhaps it is the cold temps or the fact that I start to miss my grandmother especially around the holidays, but either way I was craving some South Texas warmth today. So what did I do? Turned up the mariachi music (my grandmother loved it and so do I—Son de la Negra is my favorite) and let the South of the Border flavors fly. These cucumbers were a favorite after school snack of mine while growing up on the Border. Yes, the cucumber part is delicious and perfect as a side dish, but wanna know a secret? It’s the juice that collects at the bottom of the bowl that will leave you wanting more. Very similar to Aguas Frescas and super refreshing, especially on a hot summer day. You could even add the left over juice to your next tequila cocktail for an extra refreshing kick! The super simple recipe is below, and for a fun twist, I sat a glass bowl into my tortilla basket and served them out of it!

Ingredients:

-2 peeled and chopped cucumbers (yielding about 2 cups)

-2 tbsp of lime juice

-1/2 tsp kosher salt

-1/2 tsp chili powder

-1/4 tsp cayenne

-chopped cilantro (for garnishing as you please)

Method:

1. Peel and chop two cucumbers to about 1/4 of an inch thick. Place in a glass bowl.

2. Juice one lime until you get 2 tablespoons of juice. Add to cucumbers.

3. Add salt, chili powder, and cayenne together in a bowl and stir to combine. Dust over cucumbers, and use a spatula to make sure they are coated evenly.

4. Garnish with cilantro and extra sprinkling of kosher salt and chili powder for color (if you please!).

5. Enjoy/disfrutar!

Sausage Balls

In a season where we find ourselves watching a lot of pigskins spiral through the air, I guess you could call that the inspiration for this tailgate food (especially if you find yourself throwing them at those cheering for the opposing team!). This recipe is not new to my family, as sausage balls are the one of the preferred breakfast foods of Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the re-brand as a tailgate food takes them to new level. In addition to giving more opportunities to make these little piggies, they are perfect for noshing on during games, and can be made GF by just cutting the flour. As Queen Ina likes to say, “How easy is that?” Now Jeffery, (read: Andrew) bring me a Pinot Noir...

Recipe:
In a food processor, pulse to combine:
-1 lb hot or regular sausage
-8 oz of sharp cheddar (if you use a block, break into 4-5 clumps)
-2 cups of pioneer or bisquick (1 cup if you want them super crispy) If you find that you are out of your preferred batter mix, simply measure out two cups of self rising flour, and add in a tablespoon of salt and sugar.
Pulse until well combined and pulled away from the sides, like a dough. Roll into golf ball sized pieces and bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and sausage is cooked (the inside of the sausage ball registers 160 degrees).

Pick your favorite mustard to dip them in, I served mine with course dijon, honey, and spicy brown, and enjoy while cheering on your favorite team to victory.

These are a home run, errrr... touchdown!

Green Goddess Dip

The weeknight version of chips and dip!

This yogurt dip is completely versatile, going from your veggie tray to your salmon and could not be more simple to throw together.

In a food processor combine:

-1 cup of Greek yogurt (unsweetened)

-1/2 an avocado

-1 handful of cilantro

Blend until combined. To thin it out and make a more dippable (or spreadable) consistency, add in a drizzle of olive oil, I did 4 tablespoons, add salt to taste, and then blend together again. I use the Breville Control Grip to make this and it literally could not be easier. See it here.

I like for the consistency to be similar to thick queso. Then I can turn on tejano music (Selena Forever!) and play out my fantasy that I’m actually eating chips and queso. And while this dip may not turn me into a goddess, it certainly makes me feel like one.

Watermelon Caprese Salad

I think we can all agree that when the temperatures rise (especially in Texas) that you rarely will crave a hot meal in the thick of summer. Unless that hot food is queso, which I crave 24/7. If I am seeing clients late, I rarely want to make a big expression with my dinner. Often times I am eating dinner at about 8:30 on my late client nights, and just want a quick dinner before bed. Enter Watermelon Caprese Salad. It’s quick, easy, delicious, and like the earth, watermelon is mostly made up of water (try 90%!) so it will help keep you hydrated in the heat of summer. Filling from the cheese and fiber from the watermelon, in addition to being hydrating and pretty to look at, this salad would graduate valedictorian. Serve as a quick, meatless dinner, salad option, or a side dish. Could also be styled on a skewer!

Ingredients:

-4 cups of cubed watermelon

-8 oz. of mozzarella

- large handful of basil, hand torn yielding about 1/2 c of basil

-2 to 3 second drizzle of olive oil (don’t count in Mississippi’s)…which gets you around 1.5 tablespoons

-a drizzle of balsamic reduction

-pinch of flaky sea salt and pepper (if it suits you)

Method:

Cube up a watermelon into bite size pieces (about 1 in. cubes). Then break the mozzarella into bite size pieces. Hand tear the basil (this is essential because the heat of your hand releases the oils in the basil, thus making it more fragrant/delish). Toss together and sprinkle with some flaky sea salt. Finish with a balsamic reduction, you can make your own on the stove or buy it at your grocer, and your preferred olive oil.

Buckle up, my friend. Your taste buds are going for a wild ride.

P.S. I’ve used peaches before too, and while good, the watermelon soaks all of these flavors up like a sponge.