Everyone knows Superbowl Sunday is all about the snacks, the beer, potential halftime show drama (think Janet Jackson) and the commercials. Oh and I guess football. And since this year's matchup happens to be between two of the most commercialized teams in the NFL, I decided to also sell out and share some Superbowl recipes and ideas.
So first off, some ideas. 1. This is a big deal. It only happens once a year. Don't go buy another 30-pack of Natty or Coors: live a little! I suggest Shock Top because it's light enough to drink throughout the game and packs a strong flavor usually only available in darker brews. Plus, the sunny flavors will keep everyone at your party amicable despite the score. Trust me, you'll be happy you did. 2. Don't tell your guests to just bring something: delegate. Tell Suzy to bring pita chips, Mark to bring tortilla chips and Amy to bring her brownies everyone loves. Not being specific and telling people exactly what to bring will result in a Superbowl party complete with four bags of chips and five flavorless, unoriginal ranch-from-a-pack dips. And that just sounds tragic! One thing I'll be making for the Superbowl is my 7-layer dip. It's so good, so easy, and has a little something for everyone!
Ingredients:
One container of Lite Sour Cream
One package of taco seasoning
Guacamole - I use two bags (one box) of frozen guacamole but one refrigerator container of Wholly Guacamole would work too
One can of refried beans
One small can of olives
4-6 scallions, depending on your flavor preference
Shredded Mexican or Cheddar cheese
Grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or regular tomatoes, diced
The night before you plan to eat the dip, combine the whole container of sour cream with the package of taco seasoning and stir well so that it is evenly mixed. Place it covered, in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator overnight. The day of the party, get out some type of shallow baking dish. I usually use a 1/2 thick, 8" round glass baking dish. First, layer the beans evenly on the bottom of the dish so they coat the entire dish. Then, spread a layer of the guacamole evenly on top of the beans. Next, double check the that the sour cream is well mixed and give it a quick stir if needed. Then spread the whole mixture evenly on top of the guacamole. Add a layer of shredded cheese so the spiced spur cream is covered. Then sprinkle the top with tomatoes, olives and scallions to flavor. Cover with foil and pop it in the fridge until you're ready to eat. It's that simple and so delicious!
Enjoy and good luck with your Superbowl preparations!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Food Truck Feast
Today for lunch I decided to mix it up and venture to one of the many food trucks that have become ever-present around DC and particularly, GWU's campus. In the spirit of trying new things, I settled on Kimchi BBQ Taco: a brightly colored truck that enticed with its flavorful aroma. Despite the colorful and elaborately decorated outside, the operation is simple: a grill, two people preparing the food, and bomb-ass sauces.
For the tacos and burritos, the main draw, guests have the choice between bologi beef, spicy pork, spicy chicken, or tofu for their protein and a choice of six kimchis. I chose the bologi beef because it seemed the classic choice and sweet-and-sour kimchi because it intrigued me the most. I definitely chose well! I was served three large tortillas overflowing with beef, kimchi, corn, lettuce and then had the choice of homemade sauces to pour on top. In the adventurous spirit, without tasting the sauces, I poured Kimchi BBQ Taco's "spicier spicy mayonnaise" "sweetened sriracha" and a sweet hoison sauce over all three. The dish initially struck me because of the color. There were vibrant pinks from the mayonnaise, reddish-orange form the kimshi, light orange from the sweet sauce, green from the lettuce, yellow of the corn, and brown from the bologi all set against unassuming tortillas in a deceptively simple Styrofoam box. My first bite was a delicious explosion of flavors. The first was a the acidity and crunch of the kimchi (For those that don't know, kimchi is basically Korean pickled cabbage). The sweet-and-sour flavor of the kimchi was not overpowering because I first tasted the crunch and freshness of the cabbage, then the sweet flavor, and finally the kick. By time the kick of the kimchi settled in I was absorbing the calming tastes of lettuce and corn. The real wow factor was the bologi beef: prepared on a grill and doused in the hoisin sauce giving the meat a sweet and perfectly cooked flavor. The final bite was the tortilla which by this point had soaked up the sweet hoisin sauce, spicy mustard, the sweet-and-sour vinegar from the kimchi and the juice from the meat making even the tortilla awesome and full of flavor.
This was a truly great and unique lunch and I enjoyed every last bite of the dynamite tacos dripping down my chin. And it was all from a food truck! I'm definitely going to try more of these trucks, I'm thinking once a week? And obviously an accompanying blog entry to leave you all hungry!
For the tacos and burritos, the main draw, guests have the choice between bologi beef, spicy pork, spicy chicken, or tofu for their protein and a choice of six kimchis. I chose the bologi beef because it seemed the classic choice and sweet-and-sour kimchi because it intrigued me the most. I definitely chose well! I was served three large tortillas overflowing with beef, kimchi, corn, lettuce and then had the choice of homemade sauces to pour on top. In the adventurous spirit, without tasting the sauces, I poured Kimchi BBQ Taco's "spicier spicy mayonnaise" "sweetened sriracha" and a sweet hoison sauce over all three. The dish initially struck me because of the color. There were vibrant pinks from the mayonnaise, reddish-orange form the kimshi, light orange from the sweet sauce, green from the lettuce, yellow of the corn, and brown from the bologi all set against unassuming tortillas in a deceptively simple Styrofoam box. My first bite was a delicious explosion of flavors. The first was a the acidity and crunch of the kimchi (For those that don't know, kimchi is basically Korean pickled cabbage). The sweet-and-sour flavor of the kimchi was not overpowering because I first tasted the crunch and freshness of the cabbage, then the sweet flavor, and finally the kick. By time the kick of the kimchi settled in I was absorbing the calming tastes of lettuce and corn. The real wow factor was the bologi beef: prepared on a grill and doused in the hoisin sauce giving the meat a sweet and perfectly cooked flavor. The final bite was the tortilla which by this point had soaked up the sweet hoisin sauce, spicy mustard, the sweet-and-sour vinegar from the kimchi and the juice from the meat making even the tortilla awesome and full of flavor.
This was a truly great and unique lunch and I enjoyed every last bite of the dynamite tacos dripping down my chin. And it was all from a food truck! I'm definitely going to try more of these trucks, I'm thinking once a week? And obviously an accompanying blog entry to leave you all hungry!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Ellie's Easy Ceviche
Since I've been home for winter break, I've been cooking a lot and I wanted to share with you all something delicious I made this week. I know ceviche sounds complicated or in the very least, may scare you off because of concerns about the seafood not fully cooking but I assure you, it's very easy! For starters, I used Costco frozen, raw, tail-on shrimp and let the defrost in the refrigerator overnight , then made a citrus marinade for the shrimp which is what cooks them and left them in the marinade for another night in the fridge. Finally, a made an avocado salad that I mixed the shrimp into and enjoyed! This dish is a great snack from the bowl or an excellent cocktail party treat with tortilla chips. It's so easy and really delicious! I hope you enjoy it as much my family and I did!
For the marinade:
8-12 tail on shrimp
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
Lemon juice
Orange juice
Soy sauce
Once the shrimp are thawed, remove the tails and cut each shrimp into bite size pieces: I was basically cutting each shrimp into fourths. Place the shrimp in a quart size ziploc freezer bag and add in the chopped garlic. Then pour in around 1/4-1/3 cup lemon juice depending on your acidity preferences and then add orange juice until the bag is roughy 3/4 full of liquid. Add a splash of soy sauce, shake, and place in the fridge for 24 hours.
Avocado salad:
2 large avocados
medium red onion finely chopped to taste
Approx. 1 1/2 T. Lemon juice (based on your taste preference)
2 t. Lime juice
1 t. Soy sauce
1 t. Sugar
A few dashes Sea salt
1 T. Orange juice
Cut the avocado into various sized pieces and put them in a small bowl. Pour on some of the lemon juice to keep the avocado fresh while you work. Add the chopped red onion, more lemon juice, lime juice, and soy sauce. Then add the sugar and salt. Taste the mixture and feel free to add more of any of the ingredients, it's not a science at all and totally about your tastes. Cover the mixture very tightly with almost no air reaching it to keep the avocado from browning. I use a piece of plastic wrap touching the salad and then a Tupperware lid on the bowl itself. Leave the mix in the fridge for about an hour to allow all the flavors to come together. Taste the salad. Then, drain the shrimp reserving the marinade. Gently stir in the shrimp and add some of the remaining marinade to taste, I added about half. Enjoy!
For the marinade:
8-12 tail on shrimp
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
Lemon juice
Orange juice
Soy sauce
Once the shrimp are thawed, remove the tails and cut each shrimp into bite size pieces: I was basically cutting each shrimp into fourths. Place the shrimp in a quart size ziploc freezer bag and add in the chopped garlic. Then pour in around 1/4-1/3 cup lemon juice depending on your acidity preferences and then add orange juice until the bag is roughy 3/4 full of liquid. Add a splash of soy sauce, shake, and place in the fridge for 24 hours.
Avocado salad:
2 large avocados
medium red onion finely chopped to taste
Approx. 1 1/2 T. Lemon juice (based on your taste preference)
2 t. Lime juice
1 t. Soy sauce
1 t. Sugar
A few dashes Sea salt
1 T. Orange juice
Cut the avocado into various sized pieces and put them in a small bowl. Pour on some of the lemon juice to keep the avocado fresh while you work. Add the chopped red onion, more lemon juice, lime juice, and soy sauce. Then add the sugar and salt. Taste the mixture and feel free to add more of any of the ingredients, it's not a science at all and totally about your tastes. Cover the mixture very tightly with almost no air reaching it to keep the avocado from browning. I use a piece of plastic wrap touching the salad and then a Tupperware lid on the bowl itself. Leave the mix in the fridge for about an hour to allow all the flavors to come together. Taste the salad. Then, drain the shrimp reserving the marinade. Gently stir in the shrimp and add some of the remaining marinade to taste, I added about half. Enjoy!
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