Posts Tagged ‘vinegar’
Rainbow Guacamole Deviled Eggs
April 1, 2013 | 
Author Happy belated Easter! I hope you all had a splendid weekend. On Sunday, I went to a friend’s for Easter brunch with other friends who were spending the holiday away from family and I brought along these fun deviled eggs. Not only are they festively colored, but they are stuffed with guacamole instead of traditional deviled eggs yolks.
In other news, my March Madness bracket completely imploded over the weekend. I’m not really a basketball fan aside from always cheering for any Ohio State sport’s team, but I always enjoy making a bracket and seeing how it all plays out. Not a single of my final four made it and of course the most disappointing one was Ohio State. Figures that the one Big Ten team that made it was Michigan. Boo. I guess I should cheer for Syracuse now since it’s close to Rochester where I grew up.
Two years ago: Baked Funfetti Doughnuts
RAINBOW GUACAMOLE DEVILED EGGS
Makes 24
Ingredients:
EGGS
12 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
Food coloring
White vinegar
Water
Cups or mugs
FILLING
2 avocados
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbsp red onion, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Roma tomato, diced
Chile powder, for garnish
Directions:
- Mix 20 drops of food coloring* with 1/2 tsp vinegar and 1 cup water in a mug or small cup. Place eggs into colored water and allow them to sit for one hour. Remove eggs from the colored water and rinse well. Slice in half to reveal the beautiful rings around the whites of the cooked egg. Remove yolks and place in a medium bowl.
- Mash the avocado and egg yolks. Mix in lime juice, red onion, jalapeño, cilantro, salt and pepper and adjust to taste. Gently fold in tomato.
- Scoop heaping spoonfuls of the guacamole into the 24 halved eggs. Sprinkle with a little chile powder for color and arrange on a platter.
*Color variations: Orange = 17 yellow, 3 red, Purple = 15 blue, 5 red, Teal = 15 green, 5 blue, Pink Berry = 14 red, 6 blue, Yellow Green = 14 green, 6 yellow
Source: Color adapted slightly from Crafts by Amanda. Egg filling adapted from Skinny Taste.
Posted in Appetizers & Snacks, Easter, Holidays | 
Tags: avocado, cilantro, eggs, jalapenos, lime juice, red onion, tomatoes, vinegar | 
2 Comments »
Italian Dressing Mix & OXO Salad Dressing Shaker Giveaway
The frequency at which salad dressing is homemade in my kitchen is less than a salad itself. And if you’ve read my blog long enough, you will have noticed that there is a whopping 4 posts that have the word “salad” in their title. I do eat a lot of green leafy things, but it tends to be in the form of green monster smoothies several times a week (it’s my ultimate lazy-no-bake meal option). But despite my history with salads, when I was given the opportunity to test the OXO Salad Dressing Shaker I couldn’t turn it down.
I started out by making a homemade Italian salad dressing which was destined for marinating zucchini. The markings on the side of the shaker really helped in reducing the number of dirty dishes created since there was no need for measuring cups (yay!). The dry seasoning then went for a swim before screwing the top on.
Make sure the pour spout is closed and then shake shake shake. Shake your booty! No seriously, when I shake things a lot my whole body starts to join in. But moving on… so once your dressing has been fully shaken, You just push open the spout with your finger and pour all in one fluid motion. Afterwards, any leftover dressing can be stored in the shaker with the spout closed. Did I mention this contraption reduces dirty dishes?
Now that I know how easy it is to make my own dressing at home, you might see a few more salad posts pop up in the future. Maybe I will even use the dressing on an actual salad next time - gasp!
Want a salad dressing shaker for yourself? Just answer this simple question in a comment on this post: What is your favorite salad dressing? Giveaway ends on Tuesday, May 15th at 11pm central time. Winner will be notified by e-mail and given 24 hours to respond. GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED.
The winner is #16 Lynna from Hearts in my Oven.
One year ago: Pineapple Chicken Kabobs
ITALIAN DRESSING MIX
Makes approximately 1/2 cup mix (or 4 cups prepared dressing)
Ingredients:
DRY MIX
1 Tbsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp celery salt
1 Tbsp salt
DRESSING (Makes approximately 1 cup)
1/4 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp water
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic salt, onion powder, sugar, oregano, pepper, thyme, basil, parsley, celery salt and regular salt. Store in a tightly sealed container.
- To prepare dressing, combine white vinegar, olive oil, water and 2 tablespoons of the dry mix in the salad dressing shaker.
Source: Adapted slightly from Allrecipes.com
Disclosure: I received two OXO Salad Dressing Shakers for free from OXO’s Blogger Outreach Program – one to review and one to giveaway. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
Posted in Dressing Sauces & Condiments, Giveaways | Tags: basil, garlic, onions, parsley, vinegar | 40 Comments »
Veggie Eggs Benedict
Last summer a couple friends and I went up to Ann Arbor, MI (Muck Fichigan!) to visit another friend attending Dental school, for her birthday. The morning before we all departed she took us to this place called Afternoon Delight for Breakfast. One of my most favoritest things to get for Breakfast is eggs benedict, and they had three different kinds to choose from. I went with the veggie-style and instantly fell in love. But I had almost forgotten about this wonderful experience until I saw on my food calendar, that not only is today doughnut day, but also egg day!
Unfortunately I could not exactly remember which vegetables were used, and their menu just says “assorted”… so I called them up and asked! I’m not shy when it comes to making phone calls to ask a (sometimes silly) question. Growing up I tended to be the only one making the phone call to order pizza – apparently others thought the pizza man was scary? Anyway, ingredient list in hand I knew what I would be having for Breakfast today, for National Egg Day!
My Bearnaise sauce didn’t come out to the perfect consistency, mostly because I overheated the eggs yolks and neglected to whisk them for a moment. Seriously, you need to constantly whisk! Next time I might try the blender method. But the flavor was spot on, so I really couldn’t complain. It’s a weekday after all, I can give myself a little slack for cooking in the early morning!
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped broccoli
1/4 cup chopped calliflower
1/4 cup chopped zucchini
Salt and pepper
4 Eggs
1/4 cup reduced fat cream cheese
2 whole wheat English muffins, toasted
1 recipe Bearnaise Sauce (below)
Directions:
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Cook and stir the broccoli, calliflower, and zucchini for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste; cook and stir about 2 minutes longer or until the vegetables are cooked to desired doneness. Set aside.
- Heat a sauce pan with 2 inches of water to a simmer. Crack 1 egg at a time into a separate small bowl or cup. Stir the simmering water with a spoon and
gently pour the egg into the swirling water. Repeat with the second egg (I poached two at a time). - Cook the eggs for 2-1/2 minutes, until the whites are cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain for a minute on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Spread 1 Tbsp of cream cheese onto each slice of toasted English muffin; top with veggies, egg, and Bearnaise Sauce. Serve seasoned with salt and pepper.
BEARNAISE SAUCE
Ingredients:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp minced shallot
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup hot melted butter
Directions
- Combine the vinegar, wine, shallots, tarragon, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan. Boil over medium-high heat until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Strain vinegar reduction into a large bowl; set aside.
- Bring several inches of water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat, then reduce heat to low or medium-low to maintain the water at a bare simmer. Whisk the egg yolks into the vinegar reduction, then place the bowl over the simmering water. Whisk constantly until the yolks have thickened and turned a pale lemon yellow color. The mixture will form ribbons when the whisk is lifted from the bowl. Once the yolk has reached this point, remove the bowl from the simmering water.
- Slowly pour the hot butter into the egg yolk mixture while continuing to whisk vigorously. Do not stop whisking until all of the butter is fully incorporated or the sauce will separate. Once finished, the mixture will have become a thick and creamy sauce. Serve immediately.
Source: Inspired by Afternoon Delight. Eggs from Confections of a Foodie Bride. Bearnaise Sauce from All Recipes.
Posted in Breakfast, Dressing Sauces & Condiments, Sandwich | Tags: broccoli, butter, cauliflower, cream cheese, eggs, english muffin, shallot, tarragon, vinegar, wine, zucchini | 1 Comment »
Homemade Olive Garden Salad and Dressing
Although I do not frequent the Olive Garden often at all, I do enjoy their salad. Of course that meant when I craved it the other day I had to figure out how to make it on my own. Thanks to Copykat Recipes I was able to recreate the salad and dressing without troubleshooting (yes I was lazy). And it really does taste like their salad! I may have to use the dressing on other things too now that I’ve got my hands on it.
I served this along with dinner Saturday night with a group of friends. Huge hit! One person was even tricked into liking mayonnaise, which is part of the dressing. I feel like a mom trying to think of ways to get her kids to eat vegetables, but in this case it’s a not-so-healthy item O:-).
DRESSING
Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used reduced fat)
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp corn syrup
2 Tbsp Parmesan, shredded
2 Tbsp Romano, shredded
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp Parsley
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp sugar (optional)
Directions:
- Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until combined. Add sugar to taste (I used 1/2 Tbsp). Place in airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
SALAD
Ingredients:
1-12 oz bag American blend salad
4-5 red onion slices
4-5 black olives, sliced (I don’t like olives so I opted out)
2-4 pepperoncini or banana peppers
1/2 cup croutons
Small tomato, chopped
Fresh shredded Parmesan, for topping
Directions:
- Place all ingredients in a salad bowl and toss. Top with Parmesan and serve with dressing.
Source: Copykat Recipes for both the Salad and the Dressing
Posted in Dressing Sauces & Condiments, Salads, Vegetarian | Tags: Italian, lettuce, mayonnaise, onions, Parmesan, tomatoes, vinegar | 3 Comments »
