bacon wrapped dates & jalapenos!

This is one of my all time favorite appetizers! The sweetness of the dates along with the saltiness of the bacon and cheese & the spiciness of the jalapeno with the saltiness of the bacon and cheese!
So fast and simple. I normally make 2 of each per person, so you can make as many or few as you like!!

8 dates - pitted
8 jalapenos - with the seeds removed
6 slices of bacon, cut into 3 ( I use the nitrate free Applewood one from Trader Joe's)
Parmesan cheese cut into chunks (you can use any kind you like but I like parmesan)

Preheat the oven to 350.

Remove the seeds from the jalapeno by putting a slit on the longside of it and carefully scrapping out the seeds. Stuff with cheese and wrap bacon around it securing with a toothpick. Place on baking sheet.

Put a slit on the longside of the date, stuff with cheese and wrap bacon around it securing with a toothpick. Place on the same baking sheet as jalapeno's.

Bake for about 25-30mins. until the bacon gets crispy!! Warning - sometimes the jalapenos can be SPICY!

What's cooking for dinner tonight? Zucchini Lasagna without the Noodles!

And tonight's dinner is....zucchini lasagna without the noodles! So fast & easy to make.

5 zucchinis sliced long ways
1 pound ground beef (I used 93/7)
1 white onion chopped
2 cups marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe's)
shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
olive oil
4 canned artichoke hearts quartered (optional)

Preheat oven to 400, lightly oil a baking sheet and line up zucchini on it. Bake for about 20 mins.

In a pan, saute onion and ground beef until ground beef is no longer pink. Add salt, pepper, basil, oregano & marinara sauce and let simmer for 20 mins.

In a 8x8 pyrex, begin to layer. Apply a very thin layer of the ground beef sauce then layer zucchini, ground beef sauce, cheese (if you are using it) and repeat the layers one more time. On the last layer, place the artichoke hearts.  Bake on 350 for 20 minutes.

 Hope you enjoy!

What's cooking tonight? Flank Steak with Chimchurri Sauce & Grilled Mushrooms

Tonight on our dinner menu is a very simple yet tasty meal. Grilled flank steak marinated in chimchurri sauce along with some grilled green beans & mushrooms! Perfect for a hot summer evening.

Chimchurri Sauce:
1/3 bunch cilantro
1/3 bunch parsley
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil + 1 tablespoon
S & P to taste

Place cilantro, parsley, garlic and red wine vinegar in food processor. Pulse for about 15 seconds. Slowly start adding in the olive oil and blend until it becomes liquid form. Add salt & pepper to taste. Should make about 3/4 cups.



Steak & Mushroom Marinade:

2 lbs. flank steak or flap meat
8 button mushrooms


Wash & dry steak and place in ziploc bag. Add about 1/2 cup chimchurri sauce to it and put it in the fridge for about 6 hours. Remove steak from ziploc & grill to your desired wellness. Top with some chimchurri sauce.

Wash & dry the mushrooms. Place them in a ziploc bag. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil & 1 tablespoon chimchurri sauce. Mix well. Grill for about 8 minutes.

Enjoy with a nice glass of Merlot or Zinfandel!

Egg Cupcakes, so easy to make, so good to eat!

This is the perfect breakfast for people on the go like myself. I make about 2 dozen at a time and they last a couple of days.

4 slices canadian bacon chopped
3 mushrooms chopped
1 small sweet potato chopped
1/2 jalapeno chopped
9 eggs
1 cupcake tray for 12 cupcakes
organic butter

Saute the first 4 ingredients in butter until the sweet potato is soft. Put in a bowl to cool. In a seperate bowl crack the 9 eggs and whisk til scrambled. Add the sauteed mixture to the egg mixture and mix with a spoon. Lightly grease the cupcake tray with butter. Pour the egg mixture a little more than halfway full in each cupcake compartment. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 mins., or until the eggs look firm. Remove, cool and enjoy. This can be made with so many different ingredients, this just happens to be my favorite combination. Let me know how creative you can get!

Salmon Cakes & Cabbage Slaw

The weather is hot & I don't feel like cooking. After contemplating for about an hour or so, I decided to make a quick & simple dinner.

Salmon Cakes:
2 cans wild caught salmon from trader joe's
3 green onions chopped
3 roasted peppers chopped ( i buy it from trader joe's in the olive section)
1/4 cup fresh dill chopped
2 eggs
Turn on the oven to 350 degrees and grease a pyrex or baking sheet with olive oil or coconut oil. Drain the salmon and put in a bowl, add all the other ingredients and mix with hands forming into patties (about 6) then bake for about 20 - 25 mins., until the tops of the patties are slightly browned.

Cabbage Slaw:
1/2 bag shredded cabbage from trader joe's
1/2 bag shredded carrots from trader joe's
1 mango cut into cubes
1 cup cucumber diced
1/2 cup chopped parsley
splash of olive oil, lemon juice & balsamic vinegar and salt & cayenne pepper
Put all ingredients in a bowl & mix well.

It's too hot to cook, so let's have some shrimp ceviche!

Summer is almost here and it is too hot to cook. I have decided to make some shrimp ceviche for dinner tonight. Quick, easy & refreshing.

1 lb. cooked, peeled, deveined & tail off shrimp
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
1 lemon
2 lime
salt & pepper
tapatio (optional)

Add the first 5 ingredients in a bowl, juice the lime & lemon, add salt, pepper & tapatio. Mix well, put in refrigerator for about 30 mins to 1 hour so all the flavors marinade. I served mine with gluten free crackers thanks to Elana's Pantry. You can serve with chips if you like! Enjoy.

Ghormeh Sabzi - my ultimate favorite persian dish!

Every since I was a little girl, I loved this dish. I always thought it was so hard to make until a couple of years ago. Now every chance I get to make it, I do. Hope you enjoy!

2lbs. stew meat
2 onions, chopped
1 tablespoon turmeric
5 cups parsley, chopped
1 cup chives, chopped
1/4 cup fresh fenugreek or 2 tablespoon dried
4 dried lemons
4 cups water
1 can kidney beans

Saute meat & onions in olive oil until meat is cooked. Add turmeric, water and dried lemons. Put everything in crock pot.
In another pan, saute the parsley, fenugreek & chives in olive oil til they are kind of burnt. Put the greens in the crock pot with the meat, add salt & pepper to taste. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. In the last 1/2 hour add the drained can of kidney beans. Serve with rice or by itself! Caution: the house may smell very fragrant for a couple of days :)