Sugar & Spice by Celeste

  Oh, how I love this dish.  First of all, Brad and I adore Mexican food.  We make it a point to fit it into our schedules at least once a week, if not more.  Secondly, this dish is so easy and flavorful, that I made it three times within the same week.  See, we had extra ingredients on hand after the first night, and I didn't want them to go to waste.  The solution?  Enjoy it multiple times, of course! Making use of a rotisserie chicken makes this meal even easier.  If you can't get your hands on a rotisserie chicken, simply poach some chicken breasts ahead of time and shred the meat.  In fact, that's what the original recipe called for. The tortillas are covered with shredded cheese and then baked to crispy, cheesy perfection.  Then, they are topped with a mixture of tender chicken, salsa verde, fresh cilantro and ground cumin.  This all bakes in the oven until piping hot, and then it's served with a mountain of shredded le...

I recently saw a gorgeous photo of fish tacos that literally made my mouth water.   Ever since, I've been craving them like something fierce!  For the life of me, I can't remember where I saw that photo....I think it might have been a restaurant advertisement.  I keep thinking I'll see the photo again, but not so far. Plus, the May issue of Food Network Magazine ran a special section on tacos, with 50 Taco Recipes .  Well, after seeing that original photo and seeing all the delicious taco options in FN mag, I've been on somewhat of a taco kick.  Do you ever get on food kicks?   Well, fish tacos were at the very tip-top of my taco list, so I came up with the recipe below.  I have to say that they came out quite scrumptious...Gorgeous to look at with an incredibly fresh and citrusy flavor.  The creamy guacamole, paired with the fresh lime and cilantro in the pico de gallo results in a stellar combination. Brad and ...

When summertime draws near, I find myself craving light, citrusy and fruity flavors.  This recipe for fresh guacamole hits all the right marks this time of year.  It's great in everything from Fish Tacos (which will be my next post!) to simply served alongside your favorite tortilla chips. Plus, avocados are packed with health benefits.  Although avocados have a high fat content, it is mostly the healthy, monounsaturated fat.  Avocados can also help you to maintain a healthy heart, lower your cholesterol levels, as well as help fight against cancer and inflammation.  Check out these 15 Health Benefits of Avocados. This particular recipe for Guacamole is my favorite way to make it.  I love the bright splash of lime juice, paired with the creamy avocado and fresh cilantro.  Juicy tomatoes are the perfect way to finish it off. Bon Appetit! Fresh Guacamole Ingredients: 2 Hass avocados, halved, pitted and peeled Juice of...

We love Mexican food around our house.  It's delicious, inexpensive, and seems to always hit the spot.   So, in honor of Cinco de Mayo this year, what do you say we celebrate with one of the following Mexican-inspired recipes?  These are all favorites that I've previously blogged about and enjoyed.  Gosh...I'm getting hungry just writing this post! Now, go get those margarita glasses ready and have some fun! Mexican Lasagne Nacho Spuds Chicken Fajitas & Homemade Flour Tortillas  Fresh Pico de Gallo with Homemade Tortilla Chips Authentic Beef Enchiladas  Emeril's Shredded Chicken Nachos Happy Cinco de Mayo!

How do mexican ingredients piled into tall layers in between soft flour tortillas sound?  Oh, yes...that is the deliciousness that is Mexican Lasagne!   A yummy sauce packed with onion, red bell pepper and tomatoes is used, along with a filling of black beans, sweet corn, and cheddar cheese to make the lasagne-like layers.  And what to use instead of pasta...?  Well, soft flour tortillas are just perfect.  They dissolve just enough to almost taste like soft cheese in between the layers.  Who knew?? Nigella tops hers off with a fresh Avocado Salsa that sounds divine.  Unfortunately, I didn't have the needed ingredients for the salsa, so I couldn't make it.  However, I served mine with a fresh salad of chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and a dollop of sour cream...just like they do at my favorite Mexican restaurant.  It was perfection on a plate! And leftovers?  Yep...this lasagne is even better the next day, after all those f...

***Do you ever run into kitchen dilemmas or realize that you don't have that one special ingredient that would make your dish just perfect?  Well, that happened recently when I decided to make Chicken Fajitas.  I had all of the necessary ingredients...except for one very, very important element - the flour tortillas! Oh no...what is a girl to do?!? The answer?  Well, make your own of course! Tortillas are one of those things that I have always just picked up at the grocery store.  It's never even dawned on me to make my own.  I was determined to make fajitas that night, so I started to browse through cookbooks and food blogs to see what I could find.  I came across THIS recipe and decided to give it a whirl.  The recipe was fairly simple.  It requires ingredients that you've probably already got in your pantry.  They were delicious, especially when filled with the chicken fajita mixture. You'll enjoy this simple and...

***Alrighty, here's the Taco Soup recipe that I mentioned in my Halloween post below. We had so much fun making this at our little Halloween party. It was SUPER easy to make, and you know that I love any recipe that I can use my Dutch Oven on. ;) I found this recipe on Monica's food blog, Buon Appetito! ...be sure to hop over and check her site out also! I'll definitely be making this again in the upcoming chilly months. It will be perfect on a cold winter night...plus, it couldn't be easier to throw together. The only change that I made to the original recipe was the addition of water...you'll see my notes below. Enjoy!*** Ingredients: 1 lb. ground beef (I use round) 1 onion, chopped 1 can chili beans 1 can black beans 1 can kidney beans 1 can corn, drained 1 can rotel 1 can diced tomatoes 1 pkg. taco seasoning 1 pkg. ranch dressing mix 2 to 4 cups water (add water until your desired consistency is reached) Directions: Heat dutch oven to medium heat. Add about 1 ...

Hola! I just wanted to share a photo from our Cinco de Mayo celebration. I know, I know...you're probably thinking "But that was a month ago!" It turned out to be quite the fiesta...we had friends, food, and even Mexican music playing in the background. After the party, I got to thinking that it would be fun to have some sort of themed night maybe once a month. Maybe we can host an Italian themed dinner next...who knows? I took this picture with every intention of posting it the next day, but somehow it managed to get lost among a bevy of other food shots. So here it is! Our menu consisted of the following: 1. Authentic Beef Enchiladas 2. Nacho Spuds 3. Fresh Pico de Gallo 4. Homemade Tortilla Chips 5. We washed everything down with margaritas and Corona =) Recipes for the first 4 dishes are already included in this blog.

***Brad and I took our honeymoon in the Mayan Riviera. It was the most incredible place I've ever been to...from our beautiful resort, to the fabulous food. One thing that stands out was the yummy chips and pico de gallo. I swear, we could have eaten nothing but that and we would have been happy....LOL. This recipe for pico de gallo is as close to the real thing as I could probably ever get (short of taking a trip back to Mexico!). So, here it is!*** Pico de Gallo: ***I never measure things when making this recipe, so these amounts are just guesstimates....please feel free to adjust these amounts to your liking!*** Ingredients: 1 large tomato, diced into small pieces 1 small onion, diced 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped Fresh lime juice, to taste Directions: Mix all ingredients. Stir well and chill in the fridge. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips! Homemade Tortilla Chips: ***I know, I know....buying a bag of store-bought tortilla chips is much easier. However, if you have the...

***Hola! Okay, this has officially made Brad's Top 5 list of favorites. It was one of those times when no left-overs were thrown away. To accompany this dish, I made fresh pico de gallo and homemade tortilla chips....in other words, we had a Mexican Fiesta!!! It was muy bien! I did substitute ground beef for the blade steaks. That cut the cook time down drastically, because the meat didn't have to simmer for the full 1.5 hours.*** Authentic Beef Enchiladas Cooks Country magazine Ingredients: 3 garlic cloves, minced 3 tbsp chili powder 2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 tsp sugar Salt 1 to 1.25 lbs blade or chuck steaks, trimmed to small pieces 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 15 oz can tomato sauce ½ cup water 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack or mild cheddar ¼ cup chopped cilantro ¼ cup canned japapenos, chopped fine 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, white or yellow ***If you have any of the meat mixture left over, it is great to use as a dip with the tortilla chips!*** D...

***Wow...these nachos were awesome! I don't watch Emeril on a regular basis, but I caught this as he was making it. I had to change the recipe a good bit, because I didn't have all the needed ingredients on-hand (and I didn't want to wait until I did...hah!). However, you can find the original recipe HERE . I also had no idea that tortilla chips were so easy to make at home. They were delicious.*** With cheese sauce added: For the Chicken Mixture: 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast diced into 3-inch strips 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups thinly sliced onions 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 cups chicken stock 1 can diced tomatoes 1 pkg taco seasoning Directions: Set a wide-mouthed 3-quart saucepan with lid over medium-high heat and add the oil to the pan. Season the chicken pieces with salt & pepper. Add the chicken to the pan and sear for 3 minutes per side. Add the onions to the pan and saute for another 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and sau...

Garlicky Bean Enchiladas Everyday with Rachael Ray mag ***Hola! This is probably the first vegetarian dish that I've ever really made, and these weren't Brad's favorite for that very reason. He said that they would have been much better if they had chicken or beef in them...oh well. There's always next time! On the other hand, I thought they were really good. I added salsa and sour cream to jazz them up a bit. Even though they don't have any meat in them, they really do fill you up!*** Ingredients: 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Two 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained 1/3 cup chicken broth Salt Twelve 6-inch corn tortillas 2 cups store-bought salsa verde 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese Directions: 1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until just golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook for 1 minute, then sti...

***Okay, these may not be the healthiest thing in the world, but they are worth every calorie! Brad loved them....I'll definitely be making these again.*** 2 large baking potatoes (1.5 pounds total), sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds 2 1/2 tbsp. E.V.O.O. Salt & Pepper 1/2 lb. lean ground beef sirloin One 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed 2 tbsp. taco seasoning One 8 oz. package shredded sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups) 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered lengthwise Sour cream and shredded lettuce, for serving Directions: 1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 2 tbsp. olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer and bake until golden, about 20 minutes. 2. Meanwhile, heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1/2 tbsp. olive oil and the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the beans, taco seasoning...