Cheddar and Black Pepper Biscuits with Spicy Sausage Gravy

I want to be the mom that makes the world’s best biscuits and gravy. I want my biscuit making skills to be that of which legends are made of, a tale that my children will spread far and wide, allowing my name to live beyond my years. Yes. I have (unreasonably) high expectations for myself and these biscuits. But I have a confession: I have never made homemade biscuits. Unless, of course, you consider drop biscuits made from the likes of Bisquick powder homemade? I didn’t think so…

Spicy Pickled Carrots

I spent the early part of my childhood moving around from city to city: born in Oklahoma, grew up young in Arkansas, briefly settled down in Seattle and moved to Texas at the end of my 4th grade year. So it’s no surprise that I (proudly) consider myself a Texan. After all, I did spend the majority of my life living there. Enough with the history lesson however, my point is this: I’m no stranger to Mexican or Tex Mex food. In fact, I was raised on it. My mom always swore, and still does to this day, that she could eat chips and salsa and an enchilada lunch special every day of her life. I feel the same way. It’s something I could just possibly never get sick of. We must have spicy salsa running through our veins… So, with 27 years of eating Mexican food, most often on a weekly basis, it comes as a surprise, to myself and Jon, that I had never heard of Spicy Carrots- that is until I moved to Arizona.

Jon likes to eat breakfast burritos most weekends and we usually get them at cheap, shack like places titled something along the lines of “Fiesta Burrito” or “Super Burrito”- so you know they’re classy. For those in the know, they ask for a side of Spicy Carrots to go along with their egg, cheese and potato burrito. When I first moved here, Jon could see the quizzical look on my face- the one that gave away that I had never been exposed to these tangy, spicy, crunchy pickled carrots. He was in disbelief. How had I, a long time lover of Mexican food, never experienced this traditional Mexican accompaniment?

Wasabi Mustard Seared Tuna on Crispy Rice

It's almost summer time, and the heat is nearly upon us.  I understand that not all of you live in the Phoenix area, so perhaps you can't relate quite yet (we've already hit temperatures of over 100º F), but it will be here soon enough for the rest of you- this I know.  The warmer months always bring about cravings that have been hibernating throughout the winter, unknowingly triggered by that first crank of the AC.  I don't think it's uncommon to frequently yearn for a double scoop of strawberry ice cream, a refreshing cocktail or ceviche during the summer time, just like it's not uncommon to indulge in soups, stews and roasts when it's cooler outside.

So when I was challenged by Stonewall Kitchen (an innovative retailer of incredibly yummy sauces/jams/chutneys/mixes/marinades... you get the idea) to create a recipe inspired by one of their mustards, I pretty much knew that I wanted to create something that could be enjoyed when it was inhumanely hot outside.

Elote- Mexican Street Corn

Food flavor profiles and the combination of ingredients can sometimes surprise you.  Something as simple as chocolate dipped potato chips may sound wildly outrageous to a few of you, but in reality, it is delicious. (Who doesn't like that sweet and salty combination?)  Elote is no exception.  The two main ingredients here are corn and good ol' mayonnaise.  I know some of you reading this are cringing at the mere thought of it.

I've never understood why so many people out there absolutely detest mayonnaise.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I love it.  Cream cheese, sour cream, alfredo sauce- if it's white and creamy, chances are I'm a fan, and yes, go ahead and insert your inappropriate joke here.

So while others may be hesitant to give elote- also called Mexican street corn- a try, the idea of corn rubbed in a mixture of mayonnaise, lime juice and smoky spices was something I was immediately drawn to.  I was first introduced to this dish back in September at The Mission, a mexican restaurant located here in Scottsdale, and was instantaneously hooked.  The idea of it was so simple, but it was unlike anything I had ever had.

Cut to February, the weekend before Valentine's day when Jon and I traveled to Sedona to celebrate our 1 year anniversary, and I had my second encounter with this creamy corn that, honestly, I had been thinking about for months now at this point.  I had been trying to sell elote to Jon ever since my first bite at The Mission, and wouldn't you know that Sedona had a restaurant that went by that very name.

Elote (the restaurant that is) doesn't take reservations, and they are only open for dinner.  As per the recommendations listed on Yelp, Jon and I arrived around 4:45 pm and joined the line of about 100 other individuals who had gotten there before us to eagerly await Elote's nightly opening of its doors at 5 pm sharp.

Of course, elote was obviously featured on the menu, their interpretation served off the cob in a bowl mixed with the mayo mixture, but Jon and I also savored their shredded beef empanada, the Colorado lamb shank braised in a spicy adobo sauce and the smoked duck breast with pasilla chiles.  Needless to say, the meal was spectacular.  It's upscale, yet traditional Mexican cuisine layered with complex flavors of spice and smoke.  And while the lamb was nothing short of perfection, wouldn't you know what Jon's favorite part of the meal was- the elote.

Elote

Recipe Inspired by Elote Café

Ingredients:

4 ears of sweet corn, husks on

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup mayonnaise (I prefer to use reduced fat Hellman's)

2 tsp lime juice

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp + 1/2 tbsp paprika

kosher salt to taste

1/4 cup cotija cheese, crumbled (a mexican cheese available at most supermarkets)

1/2 tbsp ancho chile powder (regular chile powder can be substituted)

2 tbsp chopped cilantro 

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Directions:

1. Soak the corn in cold water for about 30 minutes. Peel back the husks, making sure to leave them intact, and pull off the silk from the corn. Pull the husks back up around the corn.

2. Heat a grill to medium high heat. Place the corn on the grill and cook for about 20-25 minutes, making sure to rotate a few times throughout grilling to ensure the corn is cooked evenly.  Remove from the grill and let cool slightly. 

3. Once the corn is cool enough to handle, pull off the husks and slather each ear with 1/2 tbsp butter. Mix the mayonnaise, lime juice, cayenne, 1/2 tsp paprika and a little salt together in a small bowl and set aside. Mix the ancho chile powder and 1/2 tbsp paprika together in a different small bowl, set aside. 

4. Brush each ear with the mayonnaise mixture, coat with cotija cheese and top with cilantro and a sprinkling of the chile powder mixture. Serve with a lime wedge and enjoy!

Makes 4 servings

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Time to discuss healthy eating once again.  I'll be the first to admit that I'm struggling this time around with my battle for weight loss.  Everyone knows that losing weight requires two key elements: diet and exercise.  Unfortunately, I'm having a difficult time sticking with both.  Exercising after work sounds like no fun at all once I've sat through 45 minutes of bumper to bumper traffic and I know I have a million other things to accomplish that evening.  This problem, though easier said than done, should be easy to solve.  It's all about my own personal motivation.  I just have to make myself "do it".  I need to find that will that makes me crawl out of bed at 6 am to go for an early morning run or drive straight to the gym after work instead of going home with the intentions of working out that quickly fade into a thought of "I'll workout tomorrow instead..." Like I said, easier said than done.

Diet is the element of weight loss that I think requires much more planning and proactive commitment.  It's much more difficult to stick with a diet when you're grabbing lunch on the go, fighting mid afternoon hunger pangs with a bag of Gardetto's from the vending machine (as I did yesterday) or eating out for dinner because you didn't have time to go to the grocery store that week.  Being able to enjoy a healthy lunch, afternoon snack and dinner (assuming that each of these have been made in your own kitchen) is much more demanding than it sounds.  It requires plenty of thinking ahead with menu planning, grocery shopping and food prep.

Of course it's always easier to prep tomorrow's breakfast and lunch the night before (that gives me at least 20 extra minutes to hit the snooze button), but I still don't want to spend hours in the kitchen, after a long day at work, slicing and dicing things to get into place for the next day.  I want meals and snacks that can be made in a snap so that I can't give myself an excuse for not hitting the gym after work.

So I'm beginning a search for healthy quick fix foods that will keep me satisfied throughout the day.  These Spicy Roasted Chickpeas are my lasted find, which I discovered via Pinterest. (Side note: are you on Pinterest?  If you're not, you should be! It's definitely my new favorite way to waste time, but it's also fun and, I think, quite useful- especially for people like me who are constantly bookmarking or ripping pages out of magazines for things I want to remember or save for later).  Anyways, these chickpeas are incredibly easy, require very little prep and almost no clean up.  I get bored sitting in front of my computer all day at work, which makes me want to constantly snack.  I don't feel guilty munching on these throughout the day though and the added bonus is that they're actually quite delicious and flavorful.  So, healthy eating...?  I'm getting there.  Now, I just have to start hitting the gym.

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Recipe Adapted from Willow Bird Baking

Ingredients:

2, 15 oz cans low sodium garbanzo beans

3 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ancho chili powder

2 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp lime juice

3/4 tsp fine sea salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Drain garbanzo beans of their liquid and rinse under cold water in a colander.  Lay out on paper towels to dry completely.  

2. Preheat the oven to 400º F.  Line a baking sheet with non-stick aluminum foil.  Spread the garbanzo beans out in a single layer on the foil. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring about every 15 minutes.

3. While the chickpeas are cooking, combine the chili powders, olive oil, lime juice, sea salt, cumin and cilantro in a small bowl and set aside. After the chickpeas are done cooking, let them cool for a minute, then pour them into a large Ziplock bag. Pour the oil mixture into the bag, seal and then shake to evenly coat the chickpeas. 

4. Pour the chickpeas back onto the baking sheet and continue to bake for 10 minutes longer or until the chickpeas are really crunchy. Enjoy and store in an air tight container.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups