Once upon a time, I used to go to Costco and get the giant flats of strawberries and make freezers full of strawberry freezer jam. In the pectin box, there were recipes for other jams and jellies and I remember seeing pepper jelly. Being the Utah girl that I am (was? Do I still count as a Utah girl?), I had never heard of pepper jelly and it sounded horrific. I could not imagine a world in which eating pepper jelly would be okay, or how you’d eat it, or why you would ever want to eat it. Peanut butter and pepper jelly sandwiches? Pepper jelly on toast or waffles? No. Just no.

And then I moved to Louisiana and overcame my fear of spiders (there are bigger, badder critters that need to die…spiders are pretty low on my list), learned that “bless your heart” is almost never nice, and that pepper jelly is amazing.

Just to be clear, pepper jelly isn’t really for toast. Or peanut butter. I dunno, maybe it is for some people (bless their hearts), but the only times I’ve ever used or been served pepper jelly, it’s been in conjunction with something savory; the pepper jelly is sweet and spicy, so I’ve seen it in sauces and stir fries and served with cheeses (like this baked brie).

I recently went to dinner here with some friends and there was a salad with pepper jelly vinaigrette. The salad itself sounded good, but the resounding recommendation from everyone was no matter what I got, the pepper jelly vinaigrette would make it all worth it. And they were right–it was tangy and sweet and spicy, but not so spicy I couldn’t enjoy it–the perfect complement for the chicken and the salty feta crumbles and the sweet oranges.

I tweaked the salad a little at home–I added avocados and onions because the whole time, I kept thinking that onions were the one thing missing. I also added fresh oranges instead of Mandarin oranges because, you know, I’m so fancy.

For the dressing, the main thing  you’re going to need is pepper jelly. Now…I know pepper jelly may be hard to find if you don’t live in the land of pepper jelly. I used Tabasco pepper jelly here because it’s a national brand and you’re probably most likely to find this in your regular grocery store.

That said, it wasn’t my favorite. I’ve tried other brands (from the grocery store) as well as homemade jellies (or jellies from farmer’s markets) that I like better. But. If all else fails, there’s Tabasco.

If you have a World Market, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, etc., you’re very likely to find good brands there.

My favorites have probably come from local farmer’s markets, so if farmer’s markets are your thing, you might get lucky and find pepper jelly there (I had apple pepper jelly once that was pretty much one of the most delicious things I’d ever eaten.)

The other option is to make your own. Be a pepper jelly-making pioneer. Share the good news of pepper jelly with those who may not yet understand.

ANYWAY.

You’ll need pepper jelly. And apple cider vinegar (Bragg’s, if you can find it), a little Creole mustard (Walmart makes a great house brand called Great Value Coarse Grain Mustard), salt, pepper, garlic, a little onion, and some extra-virgin olive oil.

Place all the ingredients except the oil in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth. While the blender is running, add the oil in a steady stream. Allow to stand for at least 1 hour before serving.

Now…to re-create the salad I had, you’ll need a plate of this…

And then top it with some of these:

and then some of these…

and these:

and some of these.

Sprinkle it with some feta…

Drizzle it with dressing and eat up right away!

It’s Ice Cream Weekend for your Boise-Area peeps!  Swing by one of the following locations to say hi to Sara and have a taste of her yummy new Ice Cream flavor, sold in Kroger family stores!

The post Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette (& Salad) appeared first on Our Best Bites.

I have this weird thing about berries. It’s complicated, way too complicated to write out in great detail, but suffice it to say that the berries I like to eat by themselves are rarely the berries I like in stuff and vice versa. I would also rather die than eat raspberry-flavored anything, like candy.

So when it comes to blackberries, I don’t really like to just, say, pop a blackberry into my mouth. Too spiny and seedy and bitter. But in stuff? And blackberry-flavored stuff? My favorite. Like…all-time favorite.  Blackberry Italian Sodas…blackberry ice cream…any time I get frozen yogurt, forget all the many, many flavors of yogurt and the candy bar chunks and the brownies and the gummy bears–I always, always get the tart frozen yogurt with kiwi chunks and big, fat, juicy blackberries.

Since it’s blackberry season, I’m seeing all sorts of Facebook and Instagram posts about people going blackberry picking with their kids. I also totally took my kids blackberry picking. And by picking, I mean picking out blackberries at the grocery store that are on sale for a reasonable price, then paying for them with a debit card at the self checkout line. We needed more blackberries in our lives. In the form of blackberry syrup, because, you know, syrup.

You’re going to need about 3 cups of blackberries and some fresh mint.

If mint is not your thing, you can leave it out. Mint is my thing.

You’re also going to need some sugar and a lime, but they didn’t make the picture, soooo…

Anyway.

Place the blackberries and mint leaves in a medium saucepan

and sprinkle with the sugar.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, and squishing the berries against the side of the pan as they cook to help release the juices, for about 10-15 minutes or until the berries are significantly broken down. Remove from heat.

Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender), blend until the berries are puréed. Now. There will be a lot of pulp–it’s just how things are. I don’t mind it–I’m a heavy pulp in my orange juice kind of girl. But if you prefer a smoother sauce, you can push things through a fine mesh strainer. I would recommend re-adding about half of the pulp, and, if necessary, returning the mixture back to the pan, reheating, and adding a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with a tablespoon of cold water and stirring until it’s thickened. If you remove ALL the pulp, it will be thin like juice and you’ll have significantly less syrup to work with, but it’s just a matter of personal preference.

So now that I’m done over-explaining, add the lime juice and salt.

You can refrigerate this for up to a week or freeze for several months.

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Fresh herbs are one of my favorite things about having a home garden, but they’re also one of the hardest things for me to keep up with.  They need quite a bit of trimming and pinching back to really stay viable and they can get out of control really quickly.  I use a lot of fresh herbs in my cooking, and I still can’t keep up with my own plants.  I started making these little frozen herb cubes years ago, (long before the idea went viral on Pinterest!) and thought it was about time I shared it here because it’s a great way to preserve the fresh flavors of summer and then enjoy them all year long in lots of different recipes.  It’s so quick and easy, you can feel really productive with your preserving skills.  And I’m all about easy things that make me feel productive!

I’ve always used ice cube trays to make these, or these silicone baking trays (which work, but they’re floppy, so you need to set them in a larger pan and then place it in the freezer.  They also have rather small capacity per square).  A few weeks ago I ran to the store to stock up on more ice cube trays and ironically, they were on the same aisle as the canning and preserving stuff and I noticed these Frozen Herb Starter Trays.  I had no idea they even made these, so I bought some and they work awesome.  I love how deep the squares are, the silicone makes it so they pop out really easily, and I like that they have a lid.  You can order them on Amazon, or just use a ice cube tray lined in plastic wrap for this recipe.

Start with any herb, or combination of herbs you like.  Make sure they’re washed and cleaned, and then snip them up.  I tend to use the same combo in most of my recipes, so I just mixed fresh basil, oregano, and rosemary together.

You can use herbs alone, or add other flavor components.  My favorite combination with fresh herbs is garlic and lemon, so I’m adding fresh minced garlic, and some fresh zest from the lemon.

You can actually stuff quite a large quantity of herbs into a small space, so you can make these as full as you like.  Just remember that 1 teaspoon of a dried herb equals 1 tablespoon of the fresh one, so you can go heavy handed on the fresh when you think about using them in your favorite recipes.  They’re not as strong as dried herbs.  I just toss in a little garlic and lemon right on top.

The next step is to encase the herbs in a cooking liquid, and you can use one of 4 things.  Aside from water, you can use broth, melted butter, or olive oil.  All of them work well, and are well suited for different purposes when they’re all finished.

After your cubes are filled, add in your desired liquid  You don’t have to be adding copious amounts of butter or oil.  If you stuff the cubes with herbs and flavorings, you really only need a couple of teaspoons of liquid, which is a great amount for most recipes.

I’m using our Rosemary olive oil in this batch.  Kate and I have mentioned that of all of our specialty oils, the rosemary is our favorite.  I’m pretty sure we could both drink shots of it, but don’t tell anyone that.  This flavor used to only be available in our Flavor Variety Pack, but we currently have larger bottles in stock that you can buy on their own.  Grab some before they’re gone!

Pretty much ANY of our olive oils would be amazing in these cubes; this is a perfect use for them, easily adding a burst of flavor to your cooking.  Basil and Rosemary are obvious choices, for their herby-ness, but try chili for a little kick, or lemon for a hint of brightness or garlic for deep flavor even without the added fresh garlic.  Bacon would even work here with the right combo.

Pour a little in, and then gently press herbs down so they’re all submerged.

After freezing you can pop them in freezer containers or bags,

and them use them straight from the freezer for fresh herb flavor all year long.

Some of my favorite uses:

- Melt a cube in a saute pan before scrambling eggs or making an omelet
- Use them to saute fresh vegetables
- Rub on top of hot corn on the cob
- Slice pats on top of grilled steak
- Saute chicken or fish on the stovetop
- Drop in a pot of homemade soup
- Add to pasta sauces
- Toss a couple with fresh hot pasta or ravioli
- Soften and spread on french bread and broil until golden brown

If you’re a fan of canning and preserving, then make a note that this Saturday August 16, Jarden Home Brands (Ball brand) will host the first annual International Can-It-Forward Day.  You can connect via a variety of online and in-person activities, including participation in a live webcast on www.frespreserving.com, taking place on ground in Brooklyn Borough Hall Farmers Market, where viewer questions will be answered in real-time by Top Chef’s Judge- Chef Acheson.   Twenty five farmers markets across the country will also be hosting Can-It-Forward Day celebrations, so check it out near where you live!  Also, don’t miss The Scoop tomorrow, because I’ll be giving away lots of goodies! 

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Tomatoes, tomatoes.  August is when I typically have them going absolutely bonkers in the garden, but I’m also so busy with back to school stuff that I just don’t have time to do a giant canning project.  I like to do something with them so they don’t go bad so I often turn to roasting or freezing because it’s fairly quick and easy and it gives me lots of ways to use it a few days, weeks, or months down the road.  Since I know you will ask, no this is not a canning recipe.  It’s great to stock up on and store in the freezer, but if you want a recipe that has been tested for home canning, you’ll find my favorite, here.  For this recipe, I slow-roast tomatoes along with onions, garlic, and carrots.  All of those vegetables do magical things in the oven and the flavors intensify and sweeten into the most amazing sauce blend.

You can use any variety of tomato in this recipe, and you don’t need to peel them first, so it’s super simple

Continue reading: Roasted Garden Tomato Sauce

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Long-time readers know we love a good spread.  A flavorful Aioli is the perfect way to dress up things like sandwiches and sliders, burgers, crudites, grilled vegetables and more.  I love to whip up mixes like this and keep them in my fridge during the week.  We use them on everything from my lunch-time wrap to dinner on the patio.  This one is extra easy, and features one of our most favorite flavors: roasted garlic.

Start by roasting a head of garlic.  Just like in our tutorial, you’ll cut off the top of a whole clove of garlic, and drizzle the rest with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil.  (Roasted garlic with Garlic olive oil?  Yes please.)  Bundle it up in foil and pop it in your oven.

Your house will smell amazing.  Cooking time depends on the size of your head of garlic.  I like to use a potholder or kitchen towel to gently squeeze, and when it’s soft to the touch it’s usually perfect.  If it still feels firm, it probably needs a little longer.   When it comes out, you’ll find the garlic cloves soft and golden caramel colored.  Once it’s cooled down, you can use your hands to gently squeeze the garlic right out.

Since this is a tangy aioli, we’re using Miracle Whip dressing.  Mix the roasted garlic and Miracle Whip together, smashing the garlic cloves with a fork as you go.

Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (some of the zest would be a great addition, too!) and mix it all up.

That’s all there is to it!

Use it to spread on sandwiches, or as a dip for grilled or fresh vegetables.  It adds a great tangy, garlicky taste to everything.

You can keep this stored in your fridge for several days and use it in all sorts of ways.  Try it on a wrap, or in a chicken salad, too!

Miracle Whip Aioli
Recipe from Kraft

Ingredients
1 head garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup Miracle Whip Dressing
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions
Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut a thin slice off the top of garlic head to expose tops of all cloves; drizzle with oil.  Wrap in foil.  Place on baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until soft.  Cool 5 minutes.  Squeeze roasted garlic into a bowl with dressing and lemon juice and stir to combine.

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Once upon a time, I had this recipe for pork chops that you put in a baking dish and then topped with ketchup, some spices, and some Coke. Yes, it sounds kind of weird, but it was delicious. I mean, I was pregnant with my oldest son at the time, a time when food could taste more delicious and could taste more horrible than at any time ever, so I could be way off base. But I remember it being delicious.

I’m not sure what happened to that recipe, but I remembered it not too long ago when I had a craving for that sweet and tangy sauce that it was cooked in. After some light google stalking, I discovered that apparently this sauce thing isn’t so weird–it seems to be a staple, handed-down recipe in lots and lots of families and I had no idea it was a thing.

It’s funny that this is considered a recipe since it basically consists of other sauces all mixed together. But it’s not so funny once you’ve taken the 6-8 minutes it takes to make this sauce–it’s super serious. Like, the-most-delicicous-barbecue-sauce-recipe serious. I don’t jest about barbecue sauce.

You’re going to need 8 ounces of Coca-Cola, some ketchup, some Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, A-1 Sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, and freshly ground black pepper.

All you’ve gotta do is combine the ketchup, A-1, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper in a medium saucepan. Pop open the Coke (this is totally not sponsored, I’m just a sucker for drinks in adorable retro bottles)

in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 6-8 minutes or until slightly reduced. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer to a storage or serving container and refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with pulled pork, shredded beef (like this leftover French Dip beef), chicken, drizzled on top of fire-roasted post trick-or-treating hot dogs, or ribs. This can be stored for several weeks. Makes 2 cups.

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Premium nut butters are becoming more and more popular, and for good reason.  Freshly made butter tastes out-of-this-world amazing when compared to it’s pre-made, processed counterpart.  Fancy nut butters can also be incredibly expensive, but with a little  know-how (and the right tools), you can easily make these amazingly flavorful mixes at home.   A few weeks ago I posted this photo on Instagram, and it caused quite a stir!  The subject of my affection: This Designer Series Blendtec Blender.  In SEAFOAM.  Anyone who knows me knows that I loved this color long before it took over Pinterest.  We’ve talked so much over the years about things we love about our Blendtecs , but we’ve never actually posted about nut butter!  Let me just say first- if you want your dreams to come true and you’d like one of these bad boys delivered to your doorstep fo’ free, be here tomorrow.  On the Scoop.  Don’t claim we didn’t warn you.

Choosing Nuts
You can use pretty much any variety of nuts to make nut butter.  Each variety yields a different flavor, and a different texture.  Nuts with higher oil contents, like macadamia nuts for example, will yield looser butters.  It’s really fun to experiment with different varieties, but it’s safe to say, that if you like a certain nut, you’ll probably like it in butter form!  This link is an awesome resource from Cooking Light that gives a general description for different nuts and the type of butter they yield.

Prepping Nuts
I always always toast my nuts before making butter with them.  You might prefer the flavor of a raw nut, but I’ve never made a nut better that didn’t taste better when the nuts were toasted first.  To roast at home, roughly chop your nuts and spread out on a baking sheet.  Bake in a 400 degree oven until golden brown. You can usually smell them when they’re just right.  Cooking time really depends on the variety so just keep an eye on them.

My local Fred Meyer (Kroger) sells roughly chopped, toasted nuts in the bulk section that are literally labeled “Almond Butter”.  They’re a great deal, so it makes it quick and easy!

The Blendtec has a Twister Jar  (there’s also a mini Twister Jar option) that is specifically made for making things like nut butter.  It makes it SO easy.  If you don’t have a high-powered blender like a Blendtec, you can use a food processor.  The amount of nuts you use is going to be dependent on the container you’re working with.  I really love my  Twister jar because I can make nut butter with as little as a cup of nuts, or up to 2-3 cups.  If you have a large food processor, you’ll need enough nuts that they can fully process in there.

As you start blending, the nuts go through 3 phases.  In this photo below, I’m making cashew butter, and I’ve added a fresh vanilla bean to it, which is why you’ll see little dark specks.  First, they become finely chopped, almost like a powder:

As the oils release, they start to have a paste-like consistency, like a really thick peanut butter dough:

Then finally as all of the oils are released, they transform into this smooth, creamy, in some cases pourable mixture:

Now with a food processor, you sometimes have to be patient for that process to happen.  Depending on the nut variety, and the volume, they can turn to butter quickly, or other times take up to 15 minutes or so.

One thing that’s especially awesome about a Blendtec is that it happens fast.  Like, really fast.  I timed it.

Less that 30 seconds, not bad.

Sweeteners
When you’re making your own nut butter, you can choose how and to what level, you sweeten it.  Kate had a great idea she shared on Instagram recently, where she just processes a can of honey roasted peanuts.  Brilliant!  If you want to control sweetness a little more,  just add your own to taste.  Granulated sugar is always a good bet.  I like to use dark brown sugar for a delicious warm sweetness.  You can also use honey, or my favorite: pure maple syrup.  Add your sweetener (and salt, if you like) at the very end.

One thing I’ve learned about liquid sweeteners, honey in particular, is that it often changes the consistency of the nut butter.  Generally it causes it to immediately thicken (which can in some cases be a good thing.)  Because of this, I recommend stirring in a little honey by hand to a spoonful of your butter in a separate little bowl, just to make sure the consistency is okay, and then go ahead with the whole batch.

Flavors
You can also add spices and seasonings to your butter.  One of my favorite things to add is vanilla bean paste. I also almost always add a little cinnamon.  This one pictured below is Maple Vanilla Almond Butter and it’s amaaazing.  You can also experiment with cocoa powder and even melted chocolate.  Have you all seen our recipe for Homemade Nutella?  You’re basically just combining homemade hazelnut butter with melted chocolate, cream, and butter.  Can’t go wrong with that.

(I did not notice until just now- but look at that above photo.  Doesn’t it look like a little almond butter man lying face first waist-up in a puddle of almond butter??  Like he tried so hard to get out and just gave up.  Sorry little dude.)  Have fun playing around with seasonings.  Pecan butter is out of this world when sweetened with maple syrup, and spiced up with cinnamon, cloves, and a little nutmeg.  You can also play around with savory seasonings like curry, chili, and cumin.  Savory nut butters work beautifully in Thai dishes like peanut noodles or satays.

And of course sweet butters are killer on toast, waffles and pancakes, swirled in oatmeal, on a sandwich, or even mixed into ice cream.

Now, I definitely want you all to enjoy the beautiful world that is nut butter, and what better way to do it than with a brand spankin’ new Designer Series Blendtec Blender??  I’m going to make you be a little patient though, so you have to wait until tomorrow.  Actually, it will be live on the Scoop tonight at midnight.  Set an reminder on your phone for tomorrow so you don’t forget to come back and enter!

And let me know if you have a favorite nut butter combo!

The post How to make Homemade Nut Butter appeared first on Our Best Bites.

One of my most favorite things in the whole entire world is cheese sauce. Over noodles (I’d way rather have it drizzled on top of pasta than mixed together), over veggies (just about any vegetable is edible with cheese sauce and mu children agree), with tortilla chips (do I really need to explain?) My conundrum with cheese sauce is that a) I don’t love “cheese product” and b) it’s rarely healthy eating-friendly.

Well.

This sauce has made my life. I got the recipe from America’s Test Kitchen Comfort Food Makeovers, but I made a few very minor tweaks, all relating to the cheese (because, well, cheese). The original recipe called for low-fat cheddar cheese, and not too much of it. One thing I’ve found in my most recent weight-loss journey is that it is no longer 1990 and dietary fat isn’t the enemy (in most cases), not really. I’ve had much, much more success when I cut down on refined carbs and sugars and don’t worry so much about the fat. It makes our food taste good and, when paired with protein, it helps signal our brains when we’re full.

So.

I went for the full-fat cheese and I also increased it a little. It still comes in at a very respectable 125 calories–If you have 1 cup of steamed broccoli topped with 1/4 of this sauce, you’ve got a 150-calorie mid-afternoon snack.

You’re going to need chicken broth, a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper, cornstarch, a little Dijon mustard, some light cream cheese, and 1 cup (4 ounces) of freshly shredded medium or sharp cheddar. Medium or sharp because you’ll get more flavor by using less, and freshly shredded (instead of a bag of pre-shredded cheese) because they coat the shreds with a chemical that results in a weird texture when you try to melt it.

In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup chicken broth and the cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil. While the broth is heating, whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup broth, cornstarch, and the Dijon mustard. When it comes to a boil, add the cornstarch mixture and boil for about 1 minute or until thickened. Turn heat to low and whisk in the light cream cheese. When totally smooth, whisk in the cheddar cheese. Drizzle over steamed or roasted vegetables,

zoodles, cooked pasta, baked potatoes, or use it as a dip for chips or like fondue. Makes 4-6 servings.

P.S. If you haven’t heart, people are getting their cookbooks THIS WEEK!! EEEK! I don’t think they’re on too many shelves yet, but you can order it from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Deseret Book, or your favorite independent bookseller.

ALSO.

Our olive oil sale ends TODAY! So head over to the shop and use the code LUCKY to get 15% off your order!

The post Lightened-Up Cheese Sauce appeared first on Our Best Bites.

Easter is almost here and most of you probably already have your menus planned, but the last-minute addition is so easy and so delicious that it’s totally worth adding it to your plans!

I got this honey butter recipe from my next-door neighbor back in our newlywed, pre-kids, college years. I can’t remember her name for the life of me, but if you lived on the top floor of Grandview Manor in Provo, Utah sometime between 2002 and 2004 and gave me your honey butter recipe, this one goes out to you.

I added some lemon zest and raspberries because I feel like lemon and raspberries are made for each other and that raspberries and honey are made for each other. You wind up with the fluffy, light-as-air, almost ice-cream-y raspberry honey butter that’s perfect for spreading on rolls, challah, cornbread, pancakes, waffles, scones, (so pretty much anything from our breads or breakfast departments), your finger…

To get started, you’ll need a cup of salted butter, 1/2 cup of honey, 1/4 cup of marshmallow creme, 3/4 cup raspberries, and a medium lemon.

P

Place the butter and honey in a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the wire whisk)

Add 1/4 cup marshmallow creme.

Beat with an electric mixer on high for 1-2 minutes or until very light and fluffy. Add the zest of 1 medium lemon (if you don’t have a microplane zester, you need one) 

and 3/4 cup fresh raspberries, washed and patted dry (a lot of excess moisture will make it hard for the raspberries to combine with the butter).

Continue to whip until the raspberries are broken down and thoroughly combined. Serve at at room temperature. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

The post Fluffy Raspberry-Lemon Honey Butter appeared first on Our Best Bites.

 So Sara and I have always said that we could sit down with a bowl of pico de gallo and eat it with a spoon. Which is generally considered socially unacceptable (kind of like how eating plain Greek yogurt out of the container is so hiptrendycoolhealthy, but eating plain sour cream is something Homer Simpson would do. Even if they taste pretty much the same.)

Well.

I’ve discovered the way to escape this is to call it a salad, maybe after putting it into a cute cocktail glass. Tomato-cilantro-jalapeno salad, with a light lime juice dressing. Mango Avocado Salad. See? Bon appétit!

(And really, this is a delicious, healthy way to pack in fresh fruit and healthy fats–if you want to add a little more bulk to your snack or side dish, toss in some rinsed black beans, and if you’re fancying some meat, try it on top of grilled or fried fish tacos, grilled flank steak, grilled chicken, or try the Honey-Lime shrimp in our new book.)

For this mango avocado salad recipe, you’re going to start with 2 mangoes, 2 avocados, and 1/2 of a red onion.

If you need help figuring out how in the heck to work that mango or the avocado, check out our mango and avocado tutorials.

Immediately before serving, toss together the mango, avocado, and red onion.

Whisk together some extra-virgin olive oil, lime juice, and balsamic vinegar. I can hear you–”Ew, balsamic vinegar! No, Kate!” you say. I promise, it’s delicious; the balsamic is naturally sweet and fruity, so it complements these flavors nicely (although it will discolor your mangoes and avocados, so prepare yourself emotionally.)

I used our orange olive oil and our raspberry balsamic vinegar,

but you could use so many flavored olive oils–chili, lime, even garlic–or just plain extra-virgin olive oil and regular balsamic vinegar. Drizzle this over the mango mixture. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately, either as a salad or as a salsa (this is delicious over fish tacos or grilled steak or chicken).

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I have a deep and abiding weakness for chips and salsa. If I’m going to fall off the healthy eating wagon, it’s going to be while I’m firmly grasping a bag of tortilla chips. We don’t have great Mexican food in my particular neck of the Louisiana woods, so I could dream dreams of street tacos and fish tacos and burritos, but when push comes to shove and I finally find myself with some good Mexican food, it all comes down to the chips and salsa. 

Well. I’m not really on the chips right now. But the salsa? Yes, please. I still love it–on eggs, omelets, tacos, salads, fajitas, black beans. If I can put salsa on it, you can bet that I’ll be putting this salsa on it. 

I started making this salsa when my husband and I were in college, dead broke, when fresh produce was a luxury and Mexican restaurants were a distant dream. You know that fancy salsa in the plastic tubs at the grocery store? This is kind of like that. Only it tastes way better. And it’s significantly cheaper, especially since you probably have most of the ingredients in your cupboards and your fridge.

You’re going to need two cans of stewed tomatoes (yes, stewed tomatoes–they’re not just for your grandma anymore), half a red onion, a couple cloves of garlic, some kosher salt, a handful of cilantro, and a big, juicy lime. My lime was feeling shy and didn’t make it into the picture, but it definitely made it into my salsa because lime juice. You’re also going to need Chipotle Tabasco Sauce (I know, I had Tabasco in my last recipe, too. Apparently when I’m eating healthy, I need a wide variety of spicy condiments in my life.) More about the Tabasco in a minute.

Place the tomatoes, juice and everything, in the jar of a blender. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt.

Add the onion and garlic (you don’t even need to chop ’em first)…

Add a handful of cilantro (about 1/2 cup).

Pulse the mixture in the blender until the onion is roughly chopped.

Now…about adding some heat.  I’ve tried all the things to spice up this salsa–fresh peppers (like jalapeños), cayenne pepper, chipotle chili powder–and this is hands-down my favorite.

It adds a little heat and a lot of flavor. Jalapeños are fickle–it can be difficult to tell how much heat you’re adding (or not adding) and sometimes they leave a weird aftertaste. Cayenne is dependable heat-wise but doesn’t add much in terms of flavor. But this? It’s smoky. It’s tangy. It’s spicy, but not nearly as spicy as traditional Tabasco sauce. So give it a few good shakes, pulse it again, have a taste, and then add more as needed.

And that’s it. It takes 5 minutes and it’s so delicious and is something you can basically eat in unlimited amounts. 

Speaking of blenders…we may or may not be giving away a BlendTec blender in our DietBet that’s going on right now! If you’ve been on the fence about joining, the blender is basically telling you that you need to do this!

Cantina-Style Salsa

2016-01-11 04:14:06

Yields 4

Make cantina-style salsa at home in just a few minutes with refrigerator and pantry staples!

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Prep Time

5 min

Total Time

5 min

Prep Time

5 min

Total Time

5 min

Ingredients

1. 2 14.5-ounce cans stewed tomatoes
2. 1/2 red onion
3. 2 cloves garlic
4. Juice of 1 lime
5. 1 handful cilantro (about 1/2 cup)
6. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
7. Chipotle Tabasco Sauce (amount varies depending on heat preference)

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients except the Tabasco in a blender. Pulse until the ingredients are chopped but not pureed. Add Tabasco sauce to taste. For best flavor, refrigerate at least 2-3 hours before serving.

By Our Best Bites

Our Best Bites http://ourbestbites.com/

The post Cantina-Style Salsa appeared first on Our Best Bites.

When we do pancakes at our house, I usually ask my kids if they want fruity or syrupy.  I’ll do butter and jam, fresh fruit, or a fruit sauce, OR go traditional with butter and maple syrup.  I have one kid that when given choices, almost always says “both!”  Because why choose one when you can slather everything on?  He also usually wants to keep up with his big brothers and have about twice as big of a serving size as I know he can handle, but I usually go with it because I secretly want to have an excuse to finish off a giant plate of everything-0n-it-pancakes when I have told myself ten times I was going to stick only to my protein shake.  

I always finish the pancakes.

The other day I as I mopped up the pools of maple syrup with giant berries, I realized he was onto something.  The warm maple notes combined with bright fresh berries was uniquely delicious.  We love making fruit sauces around here, and really a good fruit sauce is mostly fruit and sugar, so I decided to use maple syrup instead.

You’ll need 12 ounces of blackberries- which is 2 of those little clamshells, or a heaping two cups if you’re lucky enough to live somewhere like the northwest where no one in their right mind actually purchases blackberries at the store, but instead pulls over to the side of the road and picks them.  

Put them in a small sauce pan and add about a cup of maple syrup.  I’m using 100% pure maple syrup, the good stuff.

Let it simmer away on the stove for about 15 minutes.  The berries will let out a lot of moisture, so we’re letting some of that evaporate to thicken the sauce.  While it’s simmering, use a fork or the back of a spoon to smash the berries around a bit. 

This part is optional, but I also add a hit of our Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar.  ANY of our four balsamics would be fabulous here.  It deepens the flavor and adds a little tang that balances out the sweet syrup.

I find I need to thicken it up a little bit as well, so I add a little cornstarch slurry right at the end to thicken to a good syrup consistency.

This is awesome on french toast, but I was too lazy to make french toast for this post (not too lazy to combine pancake mix + water) but also great on pancakes, waffles, and definitely ice cream!  

In fact, we took this left over sauce and popped it in the blender with some vanilla bean ice cream and made the most amazing milkshake.  Pin this one so next time you end up with some juicy fresh berries, you can whip it up!

Blackberry Maple Syrup

2016-05-30 10:11:10

A fruity twist on classic maple syrup, perfect on french toast, waffles, pancakes, and ice cream!

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Ingredients

1. 12 ounces blackberries (heaping 2 cups)
2. 1 cup pure maple syrup
3. 2 teaspoons Blackberry Balsamic (optional)
4. 3 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

1. Place blackberries and maple syrup in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, occasionally breaking up berries with the back of a fork.
2. Combine cornstarch with 2 teaspoons cold water and stir to dissolve. Add cornstarch slurry to pot, along with balsamic, and simmer for about a minute to thicken. Remove from heat and cool to luke warm and serve.

By Our Best Bites

Our Best Bites http://ourbestbites.com/

The post Blackberry Maple Syrup appeared first on Our Best Bites.

So I have a little confession to make: I hate grocery shopping. I hate the list-making and the meal-planning and the fridge-cleaning-outing and the actual act of grocery shopping and the money-spending (it all feels so futile when my kids would happily subsist on Ramen noodles and Dum Dums) and the loading and the unloading, all so I can put it all away and then clean up once all the cooking is done. If I ever find myself in a position where I can hire a personal assistant, said personal assistant will be solely responsible for figuring all this stuff out (and figuring out a way to clean the blinds that doesn’t make me want to cause myself or someone else bodily harm.) 

Sometimes I find myself with all sorts of odds and ends in the refrigerator that need to be used up–chicken and blueberries and jalapeños and onions a cilantro (and three cartons of eggs, because apparently every time I go to the store, I grab a carton of eggs, a bag of powdered sugar, and a can of sweetened condensed milk because subconsciously those are the things I can’t live without. What does this say about me?!)

So when I was scrambling for something to make for dinner one night, I remembered Sara’s Cranberry Salsa and realized I could do something similar with the blueberries. And it. Was. Delicious. Whether you’re making it as a snack (like with chips and salsa or on top of cream cheese and crackers) or adding it to a meal (it’s incredible on marinated and grilled chicken), it’s a great way to use up summer produce (and eat delicious things.)

You’re going to need a pint of blueberries, a little bit of minced red onion, a jalapeño (seeded and minced), some cilantro, the juice of a lime, salt to taste, and, if you want, a little bit of sugar.

Roughly chop the blueberries and add them to a small mixing bowl. Add some minced onion and jalapeño.

Juice the lime over the ingredients and add some salt to taste.

If you want to add a little sugar, feel free. I won’t judge.

Serve immediately with chips and salsa, over marinated and grilled meat (chicken is great), or spread a cracker with cream cheese or goat cheese and top with a spoonful of this salsa.

Blueberry Salsa

2016-07-31 22:36:36

Yields 2

A unique and flavorful twist on summer flavors! Perfect for spooning over grilled chicken or finishing off a cream cheese-topped cracker.

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Prep Time

5 min

Prep Time

5 min

Ingredients

1. 1 pint blueberries, coarsely chopped
2. 1/4 cup minced red onion
3. 1/4-1/3 cup chopped cilantro
4. 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
5. Juice of 1 lime
6. Salt to taste
7. 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Toss ingredients together in a small mixing bowl. Serve over grilled meat, with tortilla chips, or spread crackers (like Ritz Crackers) with cream cheese and top with a spoonful of blueberry salsa.

By Our Best Bites

Our Best Bites http://ourbestbites.com/

The post Blueberry Salsa appeared first on Our Best Bites.

The post Raspberry Chocolate Jam appeared first on Our Best Bites.

  One of my most favorite things in the whole entire world is cheese sauce. Over noodles (I’d way rather have it drizzled on top of pasta than mixed together), over veggies (just about any vegetable is edible with cheese sauce and mu children agree), with tortilla chips (do I really need to explain?) My... Read Post

The post Lightened-Up Cheese Sauce appeared first on Our Best Bites.

We have a lot of compound butters on the blog–on the sweet side, we have this orange-berry butter, maple cinnamon butter and THE BEST honey butter you’ll ever have in your life, and on the savory there’s this garlic butter with lemon and feta and jalapeño-lime butter. But I realized we don’t have a simple garlic butter... Read Post

The post Garlic-Parmesan Compound Butter appeared first on Our Best Bites.