Fiesta Night

Sundays mean a few things around here. Sleep in an extra hour or two, catch up on some reading, maybe watch a movie or TV show, and of course end the night with a delicious meal that might be a bit too involved to make on a weeknight. I will be honest and say that most Sunday nights we have a big Italian dinner, usually my Sunday sauce that’s been cooking all day, served that with gnocchi or maybe lasagna, stuffed shells and things of that sort. But this week when I was heading out to the supermarket, I asked my husband what he would like me to make this Sunday (that's how good of a wife I am) so I could get all the necessary ingredients, he choose steak fajitas with all the trimmings. 

It did take a bit of prep work to make the pico de gallo salsa, guacamole, spicy black beans and everything else, but that’s what I love about cooking on weekends, I actually have the time to do it. Everything came out so good and we really enjoyed ourselves, we might have eaten a bit too much but hey, it was that good!

The recipe for the steak fajita is not only simple but its really quick, throw a marinade together, coat the slices of beef in it and let it marinade the whole day in the fridge. Having the steak pretty much out of the way ahead of time, allows me to spend a bit more time making everything else, and also sip on a margarita as a leisurely prepare the meal (don't look at me like that, I'm an adult, I can have a margarita or two..or three) Here is my recipe for my favorite margaritas,

And because no Mexican inspired meal is complete without the trimmings, here are the recipes for the salsa and guacamole.

Look at those colors!!! 

Smooth, rich and delicious! :) 

Smart Shortcut!

As much as I love cooking and always try to make everything from scratch, I would like to point out that there is one shortcut I always take when making certain recipes. Anytime I make a recipe calling for puff pastry, I buy it pre-made from the supermarket, that’s one short cut I am not apologizing for. If you have ever made your own puff pastry then you know how incredibly time consuming it is, the whole process takes about 7 hours and I just don’t have the time or patience to do that, especially since it’s 7 hours of constant hands on action, if it just took me 10 minutes to prepare and then sat somewhere for 7 hours, that would be a different story, but this process involves having to fold and roll every 30 minutes and I don’t know about you but I know I can use that time to do plenty of other things. The supermarkets nowadays carry a wonderful puff pastry in the freezer section and you get 2 sheets of it for way less than 5 dollars so it’s totally worth it in my book. I always have Puff Pastry on hand because it's amazing for all sorts of recipes, so I figured I would share a few of my favorites with you.

Homemade Cheese Danishes have never been easier or more delicious with this recipe, my cousin Jaime asks me to make these for her every year for her birthday, she's obsessed with them and after you eat one you will understand why. These bad boys (or girls) are the bomb diggity! 

I'll take a croissant please! (I'm saying this out loud right now in a horrible French accent) let me ask you,  does flaky crust, gooey cheese, and salty ham sound like a combination made in food heaven or what?! It's impossible to eat just one of these, I like to serve them for brunch and they go super fast! 

The last recipe I'l leave you with is my chicken pot pie, one of the world's best and most delicious comfort dishes. Let me tell you this, it's not the best if it's not topped with puff pastry (I think anyway) and my friends and family would probably disown me if I brought this to the table and it wasn't topped with that buttery and flaky goodness. Just looking at it really makes my mouth water, you must make this like now!

Run to the grocery store and stock up on a couple boxes of Puff Pastry, unless you have the patience to make your own, in that case, please send me some, that would rock my world! 

Happy Cooking! 

Summer Days.. Oh how I miss them!

Let me ask you all a question: Am I the only one ready to put away my boots, scarves, hats, and coats away and bring out bikinis, shorts, tank tops, and beach towels? I am so ready for spring and summer, having the kitchen door wide open, flowers blooming, fresh and colorful food all around and cold drinks in hand, are you with me on this?! I recently came back from a shorty trip to Miami and being out on the beach and walking around with the sun shining on my face just felt like heaven! I was looking through my phone and stumbled upon a few summery pictures and I wanted to share them with you. 

My all time favorite summer snack. Sweet and delicious watermelon, cant wait to be snacking on this all day! 

A beautiful small beach in Sperlonga, Italy. We went there last summer and fell completely in love! Can't wait to go back! 

My pretty hot pink roses, looking forward to seeing those colors again in my back yard.

This picture is from our quick trip to Miami, it's the only picture we took of the two of us during the day the whole time we were there. 

The last one I'll leave you with is this funny one of me, sorry for the quality but I had to share it simply because it really shows how silly I am :) 

Eggs, Anyone?

I'm not sure if I have really ever mentioned this but, I LOVE EGGS!! I do, I can’t help it. I love them for breakfast scrambled to perfection, poached on a fabulous salad for lunch, swimming in a spicy sauce for dinner or baked in a light and super crisp meringue for dessert. The number of things we can do with eggs is really endless if you think about it. It’s one of the most humble ingredients in the world, but if prepared properly, it can taste like a million bucks! This week, I wanted to share with you a couple of super simple recipes that showcase this humble ingredient beautifully!

  The first dish is a very classic Italian dish called eggs in purgatory, it’s basically a spicy sauce with a few eggs cracked on top, covered with parmesan cheese then cooked just long enough for the white to be fully set but for the yolk to still be just a hair runny. Served with the crunchiest piece of Italian bread you can get your hands on and this is one of the quickest and most delicious dinners you will ever eat. Trust me on this one! 

I’m sure you have all heard of or had mirengue cookies before but for some reason, anyone I ask tells me that they have never made them at home and that they look too intimidating. Not so sure why anyone would think that, but I’m here to tell you that there is nothing to be intimidated about and these little babies are ridiculously easy to make and ridiculously delicious! My recipe is one that I've been using for years and it's never failed me, the meringues don’t stay perfectly white, they turn a very very pale beige color but somehow I think this gives the cookie itself a better flavor and texture. I like to sprinkle mine with some coconut, it not only gives the meringue itself great flavor, but as they toast and dry out in the oven, the coconut flakes turn a toasty brown color and stay so crispy, it’s truly divine! 

Next time you’re in the mood for eggs, give these recipes a try, they wont fail you!