Baked Chili Fries

Craving fries without the grease? You must give this recipe a try! Simple to put together and perfect for munching on while hanging out with friends. Serve these up with your favorite Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing!

* 1 1/2 pounds poblano peppers, seeded & cut into long strips
* 1 cup flour, divided
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
* 2 tablespoons mustard
* 1 cup breadcrumbs
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
* Salt and ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Set up 3 plates for your breading process; in one spread the flour, in the second beat the eggs with the mustard and about 2 tablespoons of flour, in the third combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, and some salt and pepper.

Coat the peppers in the flour, then in egg, and finally in the breadcrumbs, pressing to make sure coating sticks. Place the coated peppers on a baking sheet and roast about 18 minutes, turning halfway through baking until golden brown and crispy. All that is left is to enjoy!

Chili Tamale Bowls

I found this really neat twist on tamales that I just have to share with you. The concept of this recipe works with any chili recipe out there, but seriously, give this one a try! The polenta mixed with the chili really adds something extra special.

* 3 dried chili peppers, seeds and stems removed
* 1 quart chicken stock
* 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 3/4 tablespoon ground coriander
* 3/4 tablespoon paprika
* 1 1/2 pinches cinnamon
* 1/2 pinch of ground cloves
* 3 teaspoons brown sugar
* Salt and black pepper
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 1 cup lager beer
* 2 tablespoons tomato paste
* 1 1/2 cups whole milk
* 1 cup quick cooking polenta
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 rounded tablespoon honey
* 2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese

Let’s get started! Place the chilies in a pot and cover with 2 1/2 cups stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer to soften, 7 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, brown meat, breaking into small pieces. Season the meat with cumin, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper. Add onions and garlic to meat and cook to tender. Stir in tomato paste, incorporate it, and then add beer to the pan, scraping up the bits.

In a blender, purée the stock and softened peppers, then stir into chili. Add the brown sugar and let the chili simmer on low for about 30 minutes.

Right before you are ready to serve the chili, bring remaining 1 1/2 cups of stock and milk to a boil then whisk in polenta and whisk about 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Stir in butter and honey and season the polenta with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour polenta into individual bowl and form a well in the center. Fill polenta lined bowls with chili and top with shredded cheese. Enjoy!

Tilapia with Tomatillo Sauce & Corn and Pepper Succotash

This recipe is one of our all-time favorites, especially during the summer. Tomatillos (known as tomate verde, or “green tomatoes” in Mexico) are a staple of Latin American cooking. Interestingly, they are not tomatoes at all, but are more closely related to gooseberries. Tomatillos have a sweet, slightly tart flavor that works well with this spicy fish recipe.

Tilapia and Tomatillo Sauce

* 1 to 1 1/2 pounds tilapia (3 fillets)
* Coarse salt
* Ground pepper
* 1 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
* 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 lime, halved
* 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
* 1 jalapeno seeded and finely chopped
* 2 or 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 8 to 10 tomatillos, husks removed and diced
* 1/2 bottle of beer (Killian’s Irish Red and similar lagers work well)
* 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

Corn & Pepper Succotash

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
* 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
* 1 small red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
* 1 15 oz can yellow corn
* sugar to taste
* Dash chili powder
* Salt
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1 lime, juiced

Let’s get started! Season fish with salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Heat a nonstick skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Heat an ovenproof serving plate in a warm oven. Sauté fish 3 to 4 minutes on each side until opaque, then squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime over the fish and carefully slide the fillets onto the warm plate. Cover the fish to keep it warm.

Return pan to heat and add the remaining oil. Over medium high heat, quickly sauté the red onion, jalapeno and garlic for a minute or so, then add the diced tomatillos (with seeds and juice). Season mixture with coarse salt and sauté the mixture of vegetables for 5 minutes to thicken and meld it.

Once you get your tomatillo sauce going, get a second sauté pan hot over moderate heat for the succotash. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, chopped onion, jalapeno and bell pepper. Sauté 2 or 3 minutes. Combine corn with peppers and onions. Season with a sprinkle of sugar, a dash of chili powder and salt. When the mixture bubbles, reduce heat to simmer. Cut butter into pieces and stir into corn mixture. Allow mixture to simmer and cook 3-5 more minutes.

While corn is working, go back to your sauce for the fish. Add the beer and the juice of 1/2 lime and cilantro to the pan. Simmer sauce 5 minutes longer, then spoon hot sauce down over the fish fillets.

Chocolate Amaretti Cake

I am 100% in love with this cake! Its texture makes me think of a brownie and a cheesecake. When I came across this recipe by Giada de Laurentiis, I knew I would fall in love.

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
* 1 cup slivered almonds
* 1 cup amaretti cookies
* 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
* 2/3 cup sugar
* 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
* 4 large eggs
* about 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, for sifting

Before we start, spray a 9-inch spring form pan with nonstick spray, place it in the fridge, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.

Combine the almonds and amaretti cookies in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Transfer that to a bowl and set aside. Place the butter, sugar and orange zest in the food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, with the machine running. Finally, add the nut mixture back to the processor along with the melted chocolate. Pulse until blended.

Pour the batter into the spring form pan and bake for about 35 minutes, until the center puffs up and a tester comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before sifting the cocoa powder. Enjoy!

Baked Tilapia, Lemon Spaghetti, Broccoli and Green Beans

This meal makes for a very beautiful plate! Using the freshest of foods whenever possible really does infuse the flavors of your meals. Even though you have three parts to this meal, it is simple to put together. Keep in mind that any of these three parts can be served with other sides or your main dish. The spaghetti makes 6 side dish servings and the broccoli/green beans make 4 side dish servings.

Ingredients (Tilapia)

* 2-3 Tilapia filets
* Fish Seasoning: ½ teaspoon each of chili powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper

Ingredients (Lemon Spaghetti)

* 2/3 cup olive oil
* 2/3 grated Parmesan Cheese
* 1/2 cup lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
* 1 pound dried spaghetti
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
* 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Ingredients (Broccoli and Green Beans)

* 8 cups broccoli florets
* 1/2 pound green beans, rimmed
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried red pepper flakes
* 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste

Let’s begin with the fish. Lightly drizzle the filets with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides of the fish with the seasoning mixture and bake in the oven at 400F for 18-22 minutes or until it flakes easily.

Let’s prepare the Lemon Spaghetti. In a bowl, whisk the oil, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water, and add the spaghetti to the lemon sauce, tossing with the basil and lemon zest. Add 1/4 cup of the pasta water at a time to moisten. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, add the broccoli and cook just until the color brightens (about 2 minutes). Transfer the broccoli to a bowl of ice water to cool then drain and set aside. In the same pot of boiling water, cook the green beans about 4 minutes. Transfer to a boil of ice water to cool then drain and set aside. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Add in the broccoli and green beans, along with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the veggies are heated and crisp-tender. Season with more red pepper flakes, salt and pepper if needed.
Enjoy!

Grilled Shrimp with Arugula Pesto

Pesto is extremely easy to make and very versatile (and freezes well). You can serve it with toasted Italian bread or top it over pasta. Adding shrimp (or any other meat) to this meal makes for a light weeknight dinner that is healthy and filling.

Ingredients (Pesto)

* 2 cups (packed) fresh baby arugula
* 1 garlic clove
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
* 12 oz pasta (your choice)

Ingredients (Grilled Shrimp)

* 1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil
* 1 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
* 2 tablespoons salt
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Let’s get started. First, place a pot of water on the stove, bring to a boil, and cook your pasta of choice according to package directions.

In a food processor, blend the arugula and garlic until finely chopped. With the machine still running, slowly add the olive oil until blended. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and mix in the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix over your choice of cooked pasta.

Prepare an indoor grill (our outdoor if you prefer) on medium high heat with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Brush 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the shrimp, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the shrimp until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Plate the shrimp over the arugula pesto pasta and enjoy!

Roasted Eggplant Pasta with Goat Cheese

Who doesn’t love Eggplant Parmesan? This recipe reminds me of just that, without all of the frying and breading! You cannot see the eggplant in this dish, but trust me, you certainly can taste it. The goat cheese crumbled on top adds a nice creamy texture!

Ingredients:

* 2 small, firm eggplants, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
* 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground pepper
* 6-8 garlic cloves, cracked from the skins
* 1 lb penne rigate pasta
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
* 20-25 fresh basil leaves, shredded
* 2 cups Goat Cheese, crumbled

Let's cook! Turn on the oven to 425F while you cut up the eggplant and crack the garlic. Place the garlic and eggplant on a baking sheet (you may need two). Brush the eggplant and garlic with 1/2 cup olive oil then lightly add salt and pepper. Roast for 18-20 minutes.

Cook your pasta according to package directions. While the eggplant is roasting and the pasta is cooking, chop up the onion and basil. Here is a trick I use when cutting fresh basil. I gather several leaves together and roll them up. Then slice. You have nice little strips of basil when you are finished.

Ok! Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onions. Meanwhile, the eggplant should be finished. Take it out and place it into a food processor and process into a smooth paste. Add the paste to the onions and stir in the tomatoes. Adjust salt and pepper as needed and heat the tomatoes. Right before serving, stir in the basil then top with the goat cheese. Enjoy!