Dessert Nachos? I think so.

Dessert Nachos? These fruity, not too sweet, just right snacks are the most delicious thing and everyone kept coming back for more! A great conversation piece, a fabulous food to bring to a friends house, and a fun project to make with kids! Thanks to my wonderful roomie Sarah for introducing me to these glorious delights! They look a little complicated, but I promise, easy as pie!  Enjoy!

Fruit Salsa:

2 cups strawberries, hulled and diced
2 large kiwi, peeled and diced
1 can mandarin orange slices, drained

Mix together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Cheese Sauce:
1 8 ounce package of Neufchatel cream cheese
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 Tablespoons honey

In a 1 quart pan, combine Neufchatel cheese, orange juice and honey. Whisk (important to use a whisk because it will be lumpy if you don’t) over low heat until sauce is smooth (about 3 minutes)

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Nacho Chips:
You need about 8 6-inch tortillas and about 1/2 cup sugar and some cinnamon to taste.

In a shallow bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon. Working with one tortilla at a time, brush both sides lightly with water; Dip one side of each wedge in sugar mixture. Cut into about 6 wedges using a pizza cutter. Arrange wedges in a single layer, sugared sides up, on baking sheets. Bake, one sheet at a time, in a 500 degree oven until tortilla wedges are crisp and golden (watch closely but in my oven it takes about 4 minutes. It depends on the tortillas. Some burn quickly). Remove wedges from baking sheets and let cool slightly on racks.


And there you go! Viola! Delish! Combine! Gorge! Partake!
Let me know how it goes :)

Rice Pudding -For Breakfast?

A few weeks ago while staying at the ADC Gastinsza (a “Hotel” in Zavolzhye) we were served this delightful dish -actually, every morning for breakfast. I personally thought it was absolutely delicious, and reminiscent of something I have had before. So I consulted my Russian friend and she said that it was probably just rice boiled in milk.

I made my way to the Spar grocery store across the street and bought the best kind of rice I could come up with, as well as some good old 2.5% milk. Then something clicked- Holy moly! It’s Rice Pudding! So I looked for a recipe online to guide me and marched forward, excitedly anticipating the results.
Since they don’t have half the ingredients here that are called for in this original recipe (which I encourage you to check out HERE) I will give you my Russian interpretation:

• 2 1/2 cups of any kind of milk
• 1/3 cup of uncooked short grain white rice
• Pinch of salt

1. Put the rice, milk, salt in a pot, bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
2. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until rice is tender, continuing to stir.
3. Eat your heart out.

Can you say easy and cheap and delicious- and exactly what we were eating last week! Due to my low budget and lack of resources, I am literally going to make this weekly. (Can someone ship me some cinnamon or nutmeg? I will love you forever.) It’s almost as good as my grandma graham’s recipe.

The Haynes Black Bean Soup Recipe

So I was at a friends house recently when they served me this beauty of a meal. Im all for great tasting and cheap delicious eats. Let me tell you, this fits right into my budget and delights my taste buds. Ive made 2 pots in the past two weeks and both my roommate and I have taken  it to work for lunch  multiple times. It would also be a great main course for a family!

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp olive oil
½ c. chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
¾ c. chopped celery
¾ c. chopped carrot
4 c. chicken or vegetable stock
3 (15.5 oz. each) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
juice from 1 lime
1 T. tomato paste

In large stockpot heat oil, onion, and garlic. Cook until tender. Stir in cumin and cook 1 minute. Add celery, carrots, stock, and beans. Heat to boiling. Cook on low, covered for 15-20 minutes. Stir in lime juice and tomato paste. To thicken, puree beans and return to pot. (I used a potato masher and just mashed the beans in the soup while still in the stockpot).

Variations on how you can enjoy this dish:

• with cheese and sour cream on top
• with smooth guacamole, sour cream, and cheese mixed in
• over a bed of rice
• next to or mixed with seasoned diced tomatoes 
• add diced tomatoes and create a dip for tortilla chips   
• all of the above? haha 

Note: At first I had no idea what Cumin was, and didnt even have any. But I found it at my local market and as soon as I smelled it I knew exactly what it was! I recommend buying this spice for future dishes. Its very popular in many ethnic cuisines and makes beans, rice, and meat stand out. Dont be afraid of picking some up!

I already had all of the ingredients, but per serving I would say about $1.50. 

Enjoy! 

A Delightful Thanksgiving Recipe

Hey yo! This is cross posted with my other blog, Shoot Son. Dang Girl, so fee free o head over there if you for some reason want to see the exact same post.
I figured that I would share with you a recipe that I have made countless times, and each time the pot is completely wiped clean by the end of the meal. (Great for potlucks or big gatherings of people.)

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE: Crock pot style.

I originally found this recipe from Crockpot365 but since she isnt personally fond of her own recipe, Ive decided to not copy and paste her words, but instead give you my interpretation, because I mix it up a little bit. I use my crock pot because I like how easy it is, just set it and forget it. It gives you more time and freedom to do other things through the day and not worry about baking time or whatever.

Ingredients
4 cups green beans (however you like them- canned, fresh, french cut, etc)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can French's French fried onions
1 Table spoon of Parmesan Cheese (or parm/ramano mix)
1 dash of garlic powder
1 dash of onion powder
1 dash of pepper

  So get out your crock pot. Pour in the green beans. I try to drain them first. Now pour in the cream of mushroom soup and mix it up. You can slosh around a bit of water in the soup can to get it all out, and then pour all of that in. Add the table spoon of parmesan cheese, and the dash of garlic powder, dash of onion powder, pepper, mix it up.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-3.

***In the middle of your cook time, pour the onions evenly over the top and continue cooking.***

Then serve and enjoy.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone=)

Quick and Cheap Cous Cous

Ok yall. Im back with a better recipe than ever before. I got this recipe from a variation of a meal I had with my friend Matt. I dont know if it has a name other than "freaking delicious."

Ingredients:
1 cup dry cous cous                     $0.50
1 (14oz) can of diced tomatoes    $1.00
1 cup of water                             Free
2 tblspoons of butter                    $0.20

In a medium sized sauce pan, bring 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of butter to a boil. Remove from heat and add 1 cup of cous cous, stirring well. Let sit for 5 minutes, covered.
After 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and mix in 1 can of diced tomatoes.

 So this meal all together costs about $1.70. If used in main course portions, you can get 3 servings. If used as a side dish about 4 servings. That means that if you eat this as a main dish, its less than $0.60 for a meal. You can use whatever brands you have available to you, but I use whole grain couscous from Trader Joes and Del Monte Tomatoes Diced with Basil, Garlic & Oregano from your local super market. I take this to work sometimes as is, just heat up in the micro. Its delicious, cheap, and absolutely a great idea!

Variations:
-Use fresh tomatoes, chop up fresh basil

Obsession Confession: Guacamole

This is the most amazing food that has entered my mouth in many a months.

Guacamole. who knew that it tastes amazing, and is EASY to make!

Ok, here's what to grab:
Ingredients:

3 soft avacados-skinned and mashed into chunky consistancy

(how to cut and peel avacado)

1 lime-juiced
garlic clove-diced

half of an onion- diced

1 large tomato-diced

hint of salt.

Now. Mush it all together. No special order. Just go for it.

And now eat.

Works great with tortilla chips, pita crisps, tacos, burrito's, wheat thins.

The only thing bad about guac- no matter how much you make, it ends up gone in five minutes or less by those ravenous guac lovers and there is never left overs. 

Obsession Confession: Hummus

Ok for realz. I cant get enough hummus. All kinds. All day long I could bask in the glow of the earthy gloppy glory that man kind calls hummus. Seriously, you dont understand. And whats even better. ITS MAD CHEAP TO MAKE! Ok no joke kids. I would say you could make a huge pot of it for under 5 bucks all together.

Now, here is the "recipe" that me and my friends use, even though we dont measure anything and just kinda go with the flow and taste things out.

• 4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed (or galric powder)
  
• 2-3 cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
  
• 2 tablespoons of tahini
  
• 1 squeezed lemon
  
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• sprinkle of paprika

Just step one: Dump everything together in a food processor or chopper thingy and go crazy.

You can pretty much add any sort of spice or taste to it and it will be glorious. I like the red pepper kinds, and garlic kinds. Also plain is pretty fricken good. The most expensive thing about this treat is the tahini, but once you buy a jar it can be used for ten more batches. You should make this right now.

Eat it with: pita chips, carrots, any vegetable, tortilla chips, bread, eggs, pasta, soup, crackers, tomato basil wheat thins, life.

I swear to the good lord, if you spend $4.99 for a little tub of processed weird ingredient hummus, I cant be your friend anymore.

Naked JUICE

LEts say you are in a rush, going to class, no time for breakfast, or lunch for that matter, so you think, WHAT can I pour down my throat to satisfy my need to nutrients, flavor, food, etc.

Well my friends, I have something to recommend. NAKED Juice is Heaven, pure heaven. It cures cancer, it helps you grow thicker hair, it will help you gain muscle tone and attract the ladies, or.. men. I promise you, one stop at your local seveneleven711 or starbucks to pick up a bottle of naked juice, and your life will be quenched. Every bottle has a pound of natural fruits in it, and they all contain nutrients that will energize your life.

I recommend Green machine. It cured my mono last year. Im not kidding. Do it. Drink it. You will not regret it.