Monthly Archive for July, 2010

Salsa Showdown: Grilled Pineapple & Mango Salsa

Published on July 29, 2010 in Appetizer, Lifestyle and Vegetarian. 2 Comments

There’s nothing like fresh salsa on a hot summer’s day…..or at a 4:00 happy hour at work . Last week my company hosted a Salsa Showdown – a competition to seek out the perfect Tostitos topping. You may remember a few months back when my company held it’s second annual cookie bake-off; what can I say? we like competition & food (awesome, I know ).

Having walked away with a winning nod at the last competition, I knew I needed to bring my A-game. I’ve made salsas and guacs in the past, but neither of them would cut it for a competition of this caliber. Instead, I turned to my grill pan for inspiration….and decided to make Grilled Pineapple & Mango Salsa!

Grilling really concentrates the sweetness of the fruit, providing good caramelization and a slight smoky flavor. Per usual, I made the salsa at 7:30 a.m. before work (procrastination is my friend) and it turned out fantastic! Sweet & fruity, with a hint of lime, cilantro & spice.

At 4:00 p.m. the competition laid out their goods – salsa and guacs of every kind. Black beans, peppers, mangoes, pineapple, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, cilantro, lemon, lime – the ingredients ran the gamut, producing fresh tasty dishes to sample. Even hummus made the list! Check out this amazing presentation!

At the end of the grueling competition (bevies were generously provided to cool us off), I was honored to take home the award for ‘Should Be On A Menu’

Shout out to Ciri for taking home ‘Best Dip’ with her awesome Guacamole and Beardy Lollipop‘s Mike for his Pineapple Ginger Salsa that won the ‘Hottest’ award! And a big thanks to SHIFT for hosting!

Recipe for Grilled Pineapple & Mango Salsa:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/3 cup diced & seeded cucumber
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 1/2 half cups cubed grilled pineapple
1 cup diced grilled mango
1 1/2 tablespoons minced cilantro
1 teaspoon minced jalapeno
Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

To grill the pineapple & mango

Spray a medium grill pan with non-stick cooking spray and heat to medium-high. Place 1 inch-thick strips of pineapple on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until nice grill marks appear. Repeat with the mango.

To assemble the salsa

In a small bowl, add the red pepper, cucumber, red onion, cilantro & jalapeno.
Cube the grilled pineapple and mango and add to the bowl.
Finish the salsa with the lime juice and S&P to taste. Mix & enjoy!

Bon appetit!

A few more pics from the showdown:

Yum!

Ole!

Refreshing beverages to wash down the heat

Do you ever have friendly food competitions at work?

-Christina

Choco-Loco Dream Cake

Published on July 27, 2010 in Dessert. 2 Comments

Holy chocolate! This cake is amazing – moist chocolate bundt cake, smooth chocolate glaze…..yum! This was the first time I’d ever attempted to make a cake from scratch and it came out perfectly. The recipe is super easy – honestly, the hardest part was the 1 cup of strong hot coffee (I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t actually know how to make coffee from a machine, so I ended up boiling it – thanks Mom for the tip!). Based on a few cooking shows I’ve seen, it’s the coffee that really brings out the strong chocolatey flavor.

The glaze is almost like the chocolate glaze on a Boston creme doughnut, really taking this cake to the next level.

The perfect dessert for a special occasion or birthday . The recipe is adapted from Eating Well’s Died and Went to Heaven Chocolate Cake.

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup hot black coffee, extra strong!

Glaze:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add the buttermilk, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract and beat with a hand held electric mixer for 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot coffee – note: the batter will be very thin.
Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a tooth pick (pick a long one!) comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely.

For the glaze:

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and water.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the confectioners sugar and vanilla until the mixture has a thick, shiny, glaze consistency.
Spoon over the cooled chocolate bundt cake.

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Sweet Potato Quinoa with Black Beans & Feta

Published on July 23, 2010 in Side Dish and Vegetarian. 3 Comments

Quinoa – have you tried it? The popular grain, pronounced “KEEN-wah,” has been all over menus and cookbooks for the past year. I’ve certainly tried it, but never actually made it myself…until now . Inspired by some of my favorite bloggers’ recent posts incorporating feta cheese, I combined quinoa, sweet potato, black beans, corn & feta to make a delicious & easy side dish with a southwestern flair. This dish made it’s debut at dinner in my friend’s recently purchased condo – congrats Ang on being a homeowner!

Quinoa is super versatile and a little goes a long way (I used 1/2 cup dry quinoa and it made enough for 4 people!) I can definitely see this healthy grain making it into many future dinners .

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dry quinoa
1 cup water
1 medium sweet potato, cooked & chopped (I cooked mine in the microwave)
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 tablespoon EVOO
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Juice of 1 lime or lemon
S&P

Directions:

Rinse & drain the quinoa.
In a small pot, add the quinoa, water and pinch of salt then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer the quinoa for 15-20 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff and cool.
In a medium bowl, add the quinoa, EVOO, sweet potato chunks, black beans, corn, feta, lemon juice and S&P. Mix to combine and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Monkey Bars

Published on July 21, 2010 in Dessert. 2 Comments

Two sweet treat posts in a row…overload??? I think not . In addition to the Marshmallow Brownies, I also made Monkey Bars to bring up to my family reunion. The original recipe comes from Maris at In Good Taste. In her post, Maris talks about the woes of brown and squishy unused bananas and the joke that is ‘healthy’ banana bread with chocolate chips (sugar, eggs, etc). The solution? Monkey Bars – banana, chocolate chips and pecans – a treat that doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t – absolutely delicious

I baked these babies in an 8×8 baking pan, but for a thinner bar you can use a 9×13; your preference.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
2 cups mashed banana (about 3 med bananas)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Coat an 8×8 baking pan with butter.
In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar into butter, followed by eggs, vanilla and mashed banana.
In a second bowl, sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture.
Add in chocolate chips and pecans, stirring until just mixed (don’t over mix!)
Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove and cool, then cut into 12 squares.

Bon appetit!

-Christina

Marshmallow Brownies

Published on July 19, 2010 in Dessert. 0 Comments

What a fantastic weekend! I had such a great time visiting my family in Canada and am absolutely stuffed from all the delicious food. For the past few years it’s been a tradition to bring up food to share with each other throughout the course of the weekend. Wanting to participate, I decided to bring up Marshmallow Brownies and Monkey Bars (recipe to come this week!). I had seen First Look, Then Cook‘s Marshmallow Brownies a few weeks back and knew these would be the perfect sweet treat to bring to the reunion – chocolate and marshmallow?? How could you go wrong!?! The original recipe adds a chocolate glaze over the top layer of marshmallows – I had to forgo this step because I didn’t have confectioners sugar on hand. No matter; to decorate I added sifted cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips – still pretty cute and absolutely delicious! These were a big hit on the dessert table; I’m pretty sure my little brother ate about 15 .

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
1 tablespoon cocoa powder & mini chocolate chips for decoration

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9×13 baking pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, cocoa, eggs, vanilla and salt. Slowly add in the flour and mix with a wooden spoon, just until combined (don’t over mix!)
Pour batter into the baking pan and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and immediately top with the marshmallows. Return to the oven and bake for 2 more minutes. With a knife, spread the melted marshmallows into an even layer (it helps if you regularly run the knife under hot water).
Cool completely and cut into squares (running your knife under hot water should make cutting easier).
To decorate, lightly sift cocoa powder over the tops of the brownies & dot with a mini chocolate chip.

Bon appetit!

Full recap of the reunion and Monkey Bars recipe coming this week .

-Christina

Headed to the Great White North

Published on July 16, 2010 in Lifestyle. 0 Comments

It’s that time of year – the Haddad Family reunion. Once a year my Mom’s side of the family gets together in Canada for a weekend to catch up, play wist and eat lots of delicious food. I’m headed up today, but will be back bright and early on Monday to share recipes & a recap of the weekend.

Have a great weekend!

-Christina

Tangerino: Mouth-Watering Moroccan

Published on July 14, 2010 in Restaurant and Review. 1 Comment

It’s been four years since I studied abroad in Spain for what was by far the best four months of my life. I loved so much about the Spanish culture, food, people, nightlife and most importantly, the ability to hop on a bus, boat, plane or train and find myself in a different country for next to nothing. My favorite trip was to Morocco. A group of students from my program traveled to the beautiful country for a week, riding camels in the Sahara desert, sleeping in tents under a starry sky, finding our way through the labyrinth-esque structure of the Medina and smelling the tangy air of the leather factory. All along the way we sampled flavorful meat stewed in gorgeous clay Tangines, coupled with fluffy couscous and preserved lemons. Sweet, savory, rich and smoky; the flavors of Morocco provide a unique yet comforting combination.

I made some great friends while studying abroad and one of them is actually returning this fall to complete her masters in teaching Spanish. Prior to her voyage, we decided to meet at Tangerino in Charlestown for a true Morracan meal. On its website, Tangerino is described as ‘Casablanca chic in the heart of historic Charlestown‘. I’d been dying to try this resturant for months and jumped at the chance for a few tastes. Our original plan was to sample the ‘tapas’ on the menu. However, upon arrival, we were a little disappointed to find out that tapas could only be ordered at the bar or in the lounge and alas, we were already seated with drinks in the main dinning room. No matter, having checked out Tangerino’s fantastic menu and all of the reviews on yelp, we confidently ordered appetizers including the Chicken B’stila (delicate phyllo pie of chicken, toasted almonds, mint-yogurt sauce), 4 Layer Tuna Tartare (layers of spicy tuna, honey-mango, guacamole, scallions, cucumber, cilantro), Maine Sea Scallops (pumpkin seed encrusted scallops, artichoke salad, Grand Marnier orange glaze) and Tangine of Calamari (crispy calamari, Moroccan marinated olives, harissa aioli) – all delicious!

Maine Sea Scallops and Chicken B’stila

Tangine of Calamari and 4 Layer Tuna Tartare

While of course, all four of these appetizers arn’t authentic Moroccan, the really were quite tasty! My favorite was the Chicken B’stila; a fantastic combination of sweet and savory . We also made sure to order a few rounds of sangria – and as a self-proclaimed sangria aficionado – Tangerino’s were very good.

I of course have to mention the decor. The restaurant is draped in flowy, jewel-toned fabrics and the walls are adorned with pictures of burka-clad women peering at you with beautiful dark brown eyes. The fabrics create a cave-like atmosphere, illuminated with eye catching lanterns and soft candles. The atmosphere alone is a reason to visit.

Like I said, it was a little dark in there so most of my decor pictures didn’t come out. To give you an idea, the below are from the restaurant’s website:

Tangerino is on the pricey side, best suited for a special date or for ordering apps/tapas & drinks with friends. The next time I go (yes, there will absolutely be a next time ) I’ll plan to order the Chicken Tangine or make arrangements to sit in the lounge and order tapas.

Tangerino Restaurant

83 Main Street

Charlestown, MA 02129

Hours:

Sunday – Thursday:

5:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Friday & Saturday:

5:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.

Bar food available until 12:00 a.m.

Bon appetit!

-Christina

SPAM

Published on July 12, 2010 in Lifestyle. 4 Comments

Source: CrunchGear

Spam – since I’ve started blogging I’ve received a lot of it in the comments section. Currently, I ‘review’ comments before they’re posted by a 1st-time commentor, so I’ve listed a few of the funny ones below that clearly didn’t show up on the blog. Let me remind you that I blog about food & recipes….let the giggles and raised brows begin .

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…. a least they make me laugh .

If you blog, do you get spam like this? How do you reduce it?

- Christina

What A Weekend!

Published on July 7, 2010 in Holiday. 2 Comments

Aaaannndd we’re back! What an awesome weekend (and two extra days!) I had. BBQ in Ct, beach in Maine, food, friends, sun, surf…and did I mention food?? . It was a much needed mini vaca and I’m back feeling refreshed and full! I remembered to bring my camera, so instead of giving you a wordy post, I’ve included a sampling of great pics below.

Enjoy!

Red, White & Blue 4th of July Cupcakes (full recap to come!)

Cheesecake Cookie Cups – delish!

The Juicy Lucy!

Chicken & Caprese Salad

Beth’s Guacamole Salad

The Scoop Deck in Wells, ME

Hawaiian Honeymoon flavor – sweet, fruity, refreshing & chocolaty – perfection!

Italian subs from Amato’s

Wells Beach, ME

How was your 4th of July weekend???

- Christina

4th of July Sweets Round-Up

Published on July 2, 2010 in Dessert and Holiday. 1 Comment

Source: Always Hungry NY

Whelp, kiddos – the 4th is almost here! I have a fun-packed weekend (and a little extra vaca time woohoo!) to be spent in Ct and Maine – can.not.wait! Per usual, I’ll want to bring a little something special (read: sweet treat) along for the occasion. Are you in the same boat? Well, I’ve been perusing some my favorite foodie blogs for inspiration and have rounded up a few great options for ya as well.

1.) Fourth of July Cupcakes from Baking Bites: