I didn’t even know that they still made Pop Rocks until a few weeks ago when a friend of ours brought them out at the end of a party. (Yes, we tend to get a little silly sometimes.) These little popping candies bring back some fond childhood memories for me so when I stumbled across Noble Pig’s Firecracker Cupcakes recipe with Pop Rocks, I knew that I would be making them soon.

By the way, Noble Pig’s Firecracker Cupcakes garnished with blueberries and raspberries are the most gorgeous cupcakes that I’ve ever seen!

I made my simpler version, Funfetti Firecracker Cupcakes last Sunday for our 4th of July Party but in all the excitement of getting ready for the party, I didn’t get photos taken of that batch. So, I decided to make them again since these fun cupcakes don’t have to be made exclusively for the 4th of July. They could bring a bang to any holiday or birthday celebration.  What kid doesn’t get a kick out of of Pop Rocks? (And most adults love them, too!)

Note: I don’t do a lot of baking from scratch, so this is my easy, breezy, simple way to make these cupcakes.

Funfetti Firecracker Cupcakes
(adapted from Noble Pig)

One Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Mix
3 eggs
1/3 c. oil
1 c. water
Pillsbury Whipped Supreme Cream Cheese frosting
One 1.75 oz Betty Crocker Rainbow Mix sprinkles
Assorted colors of Pop Rocks
Various candies or fruit

In a large bowl, add the cake mix, eggs, oil, and water and mix for two minutes on low mixer or whisk by hand for two minutes. Fold in the candy sprinkles. Line cupcake pan with baking cups and fill with batter. Bake at 350 degrees until done. If the cups are filled 2/3 to the top, the cupcakes should take 18-22 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before frosting.

I prefer to fill the baking cups almost all the way to the top so they take between 22-25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

When you're talking about cupcakes, a muffin top is a good thing!

I could actually enjoy one of these cupcakes just like this without the frosting, but decorating these cupcakes is where the fun comes in!

Frost the cupcakes or pipe on the frosting as I did and then sprinkle the tops with various flavors of Pop Rocks. I found a variety pack at Walgreens that contained one of each flavor: Strawberry, Watermelon, and Tropical Punch.

(I thought the Watermelon flavor in the green packet would turn out to be green Pop Rocks, but they were also pink like the Strawberry flavor.)

To achieve a good firecracker effect, sprinkle the Pop Rocks on just before serving. The moisture is what makes the candies pop, so they will start popping immediately.

How’s this for a big teenage boy bite?

It’s like a little party of explosions going off in your mouth!

Later this week, I’ll be sharing with you another fun Pop Rocks recipe. Ever tried a cocktail beverage with Pop Rocks?

~LilSis

I noticed on Woopra the other day that someone got to BigSisLilSis.com by typing “adam richman weight gain” into Google.  I’ve never ever mentioned those words, I swear, Adam!  You know I love you!

That started me thinking though.  How much has Adam actually had to eat in the last 2 full seasons, plus what we’ve seen of Season 3 so far?  Here’s what I come up with:

Amarillo:

• Spicy “burger from Hell” at Coyote Bluff
• Barbecued ribs at Moose’s
• Golden Light’s Albuquerque (Frito pie)
• Chicken-fried steak at Youngblood’s
• 72-oz. Steak Challenge at the Big Texan (72-oz steak, dinner salad, shrimp cocktail, baked potato, and dinner roll in under one hour)

Anchorage:

• Massive sandwich at West Rib Café and Pub
• Mountainous breakfast with sourdough pancakes at Talkeetna Roadhouse

• 6-lb. Kodiak Arrest Challenge at Humpy’s Alaskan Alehouse (6 lbs. of Alaskan King Crab, salmon cakes and reindeer sausage)

Atlanta:

• Chicken and waffles with soul legend Gladys Knight

• 11-lb. Carnivore Pizza Challenge at Big Pie in the Sky (30-inches of meat-laden pie)

Austin:

• Texas-sized donuts at Round Rock

• All-you-can-eat barbecue plate at the Salt Lick

• Don Juan Taco Challenge at Juan in a Million (eat 8 massive breakfast tacos as fast as you can)

Baltimore:

• Pit beef at Chap’s Charcoal
• Blue crabs at Obrycki’s

• Great Steak Challenge at Steak and Main

Baseball Stadiums:

• Homewrecker hot dog

• Burger served between 2 donuts
• Fifth Third Burger Challenge

Boise:

• Double Big Jud with burger patties the size of Frisbees
• Spicy habanero pizza from Flying Pie
• Johnny B. Goode Challenge at Rockies Diner

Boston:

• Traditional New England clambake from the Barking Crab

• Spicy feast from Hell from East Coast Grill
• 12-lb. Eagle Challenge (5 lbs of hamburger with 2 lbs of bacon and cheese, and 5 lbs of fries)

Boulder:

• Wing King Challenge at West End Tavern (50 wings in 30 minutes)

• Mountain Pie at Beau Jo’s

• Saddlebags at The Buff (a secret recipe of pancakes with bits of bacon and sausage cooked into the batter)

Brooklyn:

• Gargiulo Burger from Brennan & Carr (tender roast beef on top of a cheeseburger)
• Brooklyn’s best Sicilian pie from L&B Spumoni Gardens

• Suicide Wings Challenge at Buffalo Cantina

Charleston:

• Oysters served by the shovel
• Fried chicken sandwich smothered in sausage gravy

• Spicy Tuna Sushi Challenge at Bushido Japanese Restaurant (3 pounds of sushi!)

Chicago:

• Lucky’s Overstuffed Sandwich Challenge (eat 3 of their monster sandwiches in an hour)
• Italian beef from Al’s

• Famous deep-dish pizza from Gino’s

Cleveland:

• Greek gyro bursting with savory beef at Steve’s
• Polish Boy from Hot Sauce Williams (kielbasa sausage buried by fries and slaw, stuffed in a bun, and drenched in spicy barbecue sauce)

• 5-lb. Grilled Cheese Challenge at Melt Bar & Grilled (3 giant slices of bread with 3.5 lbs and 14 varieties of cheese, plus fries and slaw)

Columbus:

• Thurmanator burger at Thurman Cafe
• Half pound cream puffs and all-you-can-eat-sausage buffet at Schmidt’s Sausage Haus

• 2-1/2-lb. Dagwood Challenge at Ohio Deli (2-1/2 lb cold cut sandwich with fries in less than 30 minutes)

Denver:

• Cricket Burger at Duffy’s (half-lb. patty with choice of 21 different toppings)

• Rocky Mountain oysters
• Breakfast Burrito Challenge at Jack-N-Grill  (7 potatoes, a pound of ham, 12 eggs, a whole onion, cheese and chili)

Detroit:

• Triple Threat Sandwich (bacon, ham and pulled pork)
• Coney dogs
• World’s biggest burger at Mallie’s Sports Grill and Bar

Durham:

• Burgers at Wimpy’s Grill

• Chopped barbecue and smoked ribs

• Doughman Challenge (running, swimming, biking, and eating at 5 places)

Hartford:

• Woody’s loaded Deputy Dog (a foot-long hot dog topped with pulled pork, melted cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce), and 2 ft Works Dog with every topping
• Steamed cheeseburgers
• 10-pound Super-Stuffed Pizza Challenge at Randy’s Wooster St. Pizza Shop (4 pizza doughs packed with meats, cheeses and veggies)

Hawaii:

• Pipikaula short rib and kalua pig
• Loco Moco (a burger dish topped with fried eggs and gravy)
• Mac Daddy Pancake Challenge (3 pancakes, 14 inches wide, covered in toppings in less than 90 minutes)

Las Vegas:

• Hottest crawfish in the country

• Fried chicken benedict and a stuffed egg burger at Hash House A G0 G0

• Big Badass Burrito Challenge at the Nascar Cafe (6 lbs and 2 ft long, covered with melted cheese, guacamole and sour cream)

Little Rock:

• Quadruple Hubcap Burger at Cotham’s Mercantile
• Huge community barbecue at the Osborne Family Farm
• Shut Up Juice Spicy Pulled-Pork Challenge at The Mean Pig BBQ (super spicy pulled-pork sandwich)

Los Angeles:

• French dip at Philippe’s
• 5-lb. Manuel’s Special at el Tepeyac (designed to feed 2 to 4 people)

• Special Number 2 (a spicy Ramen made with 10 different chilies)

Man v Food Live:

• Don Shula’s 48-oz Steak Challenge (Adam’s the first to finish it in 20 minutes)

• Joe’s jumbo stone crab claws

• Supermoon Perro (a Colombian-style hot dog topped with bacon, potato strips, 5 different sauces, and a quail egg)

• Sarussi Original (a massive 16-in., 2 1/2-lb. Cuban sandwich)
• 10-lb. Mother Burger Challenge

Minneapolis:

• Juicy Lucy (burger with the cheese on the inside)
• Lutefisk at Landmark Grill

• Meterbratwurst Challenge (a meter-long 40-oz bratwurst with 2 sides)

New Jersey:

• Gigantic Strombolis from Stuff Yer Face (their biggest ‘Bolis are 18 inches and weigh 2 lbs)
• Fat Sandwich Challenge at R.U. Hungry grease truck (5 fat sandwiches in 45 minutes)
• Triple-decker deli sandwiches from Harold’s Deli

New Orleans:

• Po’ boys at Mother’s Restaurant
• Seafood at Deanie’s Seafood Restaurant

• Coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde
• 180 oysters in the Acme Oyster House Challenge (15 dozen in under 1 hour)

New York:

• 1-lb. sandwich at Katz’s Delicatessen
• Soul food at Sylvia’s
• Hottest curry in the country at Brick Lane Curry House

North Carolina:

• Chicken biscuit sandwiches
• Whole-hog barbecue
• Hot dog Eating Challenge (17 hot dogs in under 1 hour)

Philadelphia:

• Italian roast pork sandwich
• Mt. Vesuvius at Franklin Fountain (a mountain of homemade chocolate ice cream erupting with hot fudge, brownie chunks and whipped cream)
• Ultimate Cheesesteak Challenge at Tony Luke’s (2-1/2 lbs. of beef over 1 lb. of cheese, fried onions and a 20-inch roll)
• Italian ice at John’s Water Ice

Pittsburgh:

• Scorching Atomic Hot Wings Challenge (150,000 Scoville units)

• Sandwich from the famed Primanti Brothers, served with fries on top of all the other fixings
• Hearty breakfast at Deluca’s Restaurant

Portland:

• Plate-sized mancakes (a stack of 13-inch pancakes)
• Doughnuts shaped like voodoo dolls, and a maple bacon bar

• Great Balls of Fire Challenge at Salvador Molly’s (5 blazing hot habanero fritters)

Richmond:

• Buz and Ned’s hickory-smoked spare ribs
• Black Sheep’s battleship size sandwiches (2-ft long, 2-1/2-lb. monster sandwiches loaded with toppings)

• Stupid Wings Challenge (8 jumbo wings drenched in habanero, cayenne and pure chili extract)

San Antonio:

• Lulu’s Bakery and Café’s 3 1/2-lb. cinnamon roll

• The Police Chief Special from Lulu’s (48-oz. chicken-fried steak)
• Big Lou Pizza (a 42-inch, 3 1/2-foot wide, 70-lb. mega pizza piled high with toppings)
• Four Horseman Challenge at Chunky’s Burgers (a half-pound burger topped with the spiciest chilies in the world, including the infamous ghost chili)

San Diego:

• Surfin’ California Burrito from Lucha Libre (filled with steak, shrimp and french-fries)
• Tri-tip barbecue and ribs

• Ironman Challenge at the Broken Yolk Cafe (a 6-lb. breakfast served on a 15-inch pizza pan: 12-egg omelet with chili plus a mountain of home fries and 2 biscuits in less than 1 hour)

San Francisco:

• Mission Style Super Burrito

• Kryptonite Sandwich from Ike’s Place
• Kitchen Sink Challenge at the San Francisco Creamery (2-gallon sundae heaped with 8 softball-sized scoops of ice cream, 8 servings of whipped cream and 8 different toppings including sprinkles)

San Jose:

• Baby back ribs from Henry’s
• Burritozilla from Iguana’s (a 17-in, 5 lb burrito)
• Hellfire Hot Wing Challenge from SmokeEaters (a dozen wings drenched in lethal sauce that isn’t even on the menu)

Sarasota:

• Homemade pies (cherry pie, shoofly pie, and peanut butter cream), and more!

• Mystery Challenge at Munchies 420 Cafe

• Old Salty Dog (a foot-long hot dog, dipped in beer batter and deep-fried)

Seattle:

• Award-winning burgers at Red Mill
• Mountains of ultra-fresh seafood at the Crab Pot
• Southwestern Exposure Challenge at Beth’s Cafe (12 eggs packed with chili, salsa, sour cream and cheddar cheese)

Springfield:

• The Horseshoe at D’Arcy’s Pint
• Corndogs at Cozy Dog Drive-In
• Firebrand Chili Challenge at Joe Roger’s Chili Parlor

St Louis:

• Monte Cristo hot dogs and oak-roasted pork loin entree from Iron Barley
• Big Ben from Pappy’s Smokehouse (6 lbs of pulled pork, beef brisket, chicken, loin ribs, and 4 sides)
• Crown Candy’s Malt Milkshake Challenge (5 malt shakes in 30 minutes…almost a gallon of milkshake!)

Tucson:

• The President’s Plate at Mi Nidito (bean tostada, birria taco, chile relleno, beef tamale and carne seca enchilada)
• Sonoran hot dog wrapped in bacon and covered in all the fixins
• O.M.G. Burger Challenge at Lindy’s Diner (12 patties and 12 slices of cheese)

Washington, DC:

• Jumbo fish sandwich at Horace and Dickie’s
• Half-smoke at Ben’s Chili Bowl
• Colossal Challenge at Chick & Ruth’s Delly in Anapolis, MD (1-1/2 lb sandwich and a huge milkshake)

Ok, so all of you guys who’re hatin’ on my boy, Adam, consider this.  Would you gain a pound or two if you’d just eaten all that?  Hmmm?  I’d say Adam looks pretty ding dang good.  Plus, he’s got awesome hair, so stop the hatin’.  Maybe you’re just jealous that you don’t get paid to eat? 

Eat on, Adam!  We can’t wait to see what’s next on your menu!

~BigSis

Man v Food!  Man v Food!  Man v Food!  Yes!  It’s finally time for season 3, and Adam’s back with a vengeance for vittles!  Woo hoo!!

What’s Man v Food, you ask?  Only the coolest, funnest show on TV, that’s what!  Adam Richman is our host, and he travels the country sampling the biggest and most fabulous, crazy food you can imagine.  Oh yeah, and he gets down with the wildest food challenges ever!

Why should you watch Man v Food?

• Adam Richman is adorable!  He’s cute, he’s funny, he can eat like a son-of-a-gun, and he has great hair!  Yes, we have a little crush on him!

• You get to see unbelievable food, without traveling all over the ding dang country yourself, and you can eat it all vicariously through Adam without indigestion or weight gain!

• It’s just plain great TV!  How fun is it to watch a guy try to beat the Big Texan challenge in Amarillo (season 1)?  That would be a 72 ounce steak with a salad, potato and roll.  In one hour.   In that challenge between Man versus Food, Man definitely won!

Where do you find Man v Food?  On the Travel Channel; new episodes begin Wednesday June 16 at 9 pm E/P and 8 pm C.  Be there, and set your DVRs!

~BigSis

Since our next SPCA Bake Sale is only 6 months away, I better get myself busy building a repertoire of vegan recipes!  I’m almost 6 months into “eating vegan”, but I’m not a big sweets eater so I haven’t done much baking.

After my coworker K-to-the-T brought these awesome Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Coconut Cookies to the office the other day though, I knew this was a recipe I had to adapt asap!  They were scrumptious, and reminded me of a Cowboy Cookie I used to make.  She had made a few tweaks of her own to the original Epicurious recipe, and I tweaked it even more.  Voila and ta da!  Here’s my first adapted cookie recipe, sans eggs and dairy products!

Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Vegan Cookies

Adapted from K-to-the-T and Epicurious

1 stick (1/2 cup) Earth Balance, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup + 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup semisweet vegan chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

~BigSis

Spinach and Orzo Salad

Still need a quick and easy idea for a side salad to include in your Memorial Day menu?

This is the perfect salad to take to an outdoor cookout or to pack up individually for a nice Summer picnic.  Since there’s no mayo in this herb vinaigrette-dressed pasta salad, it lasts up to two hours at room temperature and up to four hours on ice packs.

I just made this salad and am taking it tomorrow to serve at our Memorial Day cookout. It turned out awesome and I think it’ll be even better tomorrow after the flavors have a chance to meld together overnight.

If you saw my Toasted Orzo soup recipe that I made recently, you know that I’m a huge fan of orzo pasta. And even though you could make this same recipe with different pasta noodles, the orzo was perfect in this salad. The only thing I changed in this recipe is that I used fresh basil instead of dried.

Spinach and Orzo Salad
(Sunset Magazine May 2010)

1 c. orzo pasta
3 T. each olive oil and red wine vinegar
1 tsp. fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. fresh ground pepper
1 qt. lightly packed baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 c. slivered sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
12 pitted kalamata olives, sliced

Cook orzo according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper and reserve.

Drain pasta, rinse with water until cool and drain again. Add to bowl with dressing and gently mix in spinach, tomatoes, and olives to combine. Add more salt, if desired.

(Photo credit: Sunset Magazine, May 2010 issue)

~LilSis

Around this time of the year, there are usually signs of Spring in the air, right? I guess it all depends on where you live because May can bring some strange weather in some parts of the country.  I remember our last year in Upstate New York, it actually snowed on Mother’s Day and I had already planted my herb garden. I was not a happy camper. That had obviously never happened to me in Texas. Not that Texas has fantastic Spring weather either; humidity, thunderstorms, hail, tornadoes, you name it.

For us here in Southern California, May and June are the only two dreary months of the entire year. We call it May Gray/June Gloom because for most of the day we’re covered in the infamous Southern California “marine layer.” So far this month, we’ve had our fair share of foggy, gray days. We haven’t see the sun at all for about four days now.

I’m not complaining, though, I promise!

You don’t have to tell me how spoiled we San Diegans are when it comes to weather; I know it. I consider us extremely lucky to be able to live here where it’s perfect weather almost year round.

So, are you wondering why the heck I’m talking about the weather instead of the soup? Well, with no sunshine during the days, we are still having some pretty cool nights here; in the low 50s. That’s why I’m still in the “soup making” mode instead of in my Summertime salad mode.

I don’t make too many Rachel Ray recipes, but yesterday I was in the mood to make homemade soup for dinner and I didn’t want to spend hours making my usual chicken vegetable soup. The dreary gray days can put me in a little bit of a funk and yesterday, I wasn’t in an energetic enough mood to start with a whole chicken and have to deal with de-boning it.

I bookmarked this recipe when I first saw it on Taste and Tell because I knew it would come in handy on a night when I wanted to make homemade soup but something a little quicker and easier than some of my recipes.

Toasted Orzo Chicken Soup
(adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray February 2010)

Two 32-ounce containers low sodium chicken stock
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast (I used chicken tenders)
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup orzo pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 c. baby carrots, finely chopped
1 cup sliced Shitake mushrooms
1 shallot, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1 cup frozen edamame
1 cup frozen corn
1 can petite diced tomato
1 tsp. Penzeys Shallot Pepper
1 tsp. low sodium Spike
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

In a medium pot, bring the chicken stock and chicken to a simmer. Lower the heat and poach the chicken for approximately 12 minutes. (The chicken tenders take a little less time.)

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add the butter to melt. Add the orzo and cook, stirring, until deeply toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the olive oil to the soup pan. Add the carrots, mushrooms, shallot, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Return the orzo to the pot.

Remove the chicken from the stock. Skim and discard the fat from the stock; transfer the stock to the soup pot. Chop, dice or shred the chicken and add to the soup with 2 cups water. Bring the soup to a boil and cook until the orzo is just tender, 5 minutes. Add the edamame, corn, and tomatoes during the last minute of cooking. Turn off the heat; stir in the parsley and lemon peel. Serve immediately.

Notes: I made several changes to the original recipe, but that’s why I love soups, they’re easy to adjust according to your own taste. I doubled the liquid and the orzo because I knew the original recipe would not be enough for my big eaters. I also added some extra garlic, eliminated the zucchini and used edamame instead of peas and added some diced tomatoes and mushrooms. And I had to add Shallot Pepper and Spike like I do in every soup recipe that I make.

My version didn’t turn out very soupy because the orzo really absorbs most of the liquid, but it didn’t matter, we all loved it anyway. It was more like a big bowl of pasta instead of a bowl of soup! And, I’m so glad that I decided to leave in the lemon zest. I’ve never added lemon zest to a soup before and I almost eliminated it, but it really did add such a fresh, great flavor to this soup!

~LilSis

No!  It’s a yummy crunchy chip.

Actually, you’re both right.  We’re talking about kale chips!

I know, you’re skeptical.  Even though I KNOW the health benefits of eating kale, I just don’t like it much.  It’s bitter and pretty tough, especially when it’s raw.  I never really had a kale dish I liked much. Until now!

You can drive to Whole Foods and buy a small bag of kale chips.  They’re delicious, but they’re $7 or $8.  No joke.

Or you can make you own.  Now, pay close attention because this is pretty darn complicated.  To make kale chips, you go to the store and buy a couple of bunches of kale (organic if you can get it).  You come home and wash it, dry it and tear it into pieces.  Then you spray it with a touch of oil, season it, and bake it til it’s crunchy.  Then you eat it and feel very, very virtuous.  

Kale Chips: before baking

Kale Chips

2 bunches kale (I like the curly kind)
Nonstick cooking spray (olive oil or canola)
Your favorite seasoning to taste

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Wash the kale and dry thoroughly.  Pull off the tough center rib and tear each leaf into medium-size pieces.  Place onto a baking sheet and spritz with a touch of oil.  Sprinkle with whatever seasonings you like and toss the kale to evenly coat with oil and seasonings.  Be careful with the salt; it will intensify as the kale shrinks and your chips will be way too salty.

Bake until the kale is dried out and crispy, 20 to 23 minutes.  I like mine lightly browned and pretty crispy.  Enjoy as a snack, or as a garnish on soup.

Note: I seasoned with very little salt, plus a big dash of lemon pepper and a salt-free Penzeys spice blend called Mural of Flavor.

Kale Chips: after baking. Not pretty, but delicious!

~BigSis

Is it really May already? I must say this every month, but it does seem like time is flying by faster than ever before.  I know we had an early Easter this year but where did the rest of April go? We’ve got Mother’s Day already right around the corner and before you know it we’ll be celebrating Memorial Day and the Fourth of July!

But before we get ahead of ourselves, we’ve got Cinco de Mayo sneaking up on us in just two days. So, whether you’re looking for an easy appetizer to take to a party or you’re cooking for a large group of friends and family, here are some of our all time favorite recipes that are perfect for a Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Hatch Green Chile and Garlic Goat Cheese

Ceviche Salad with Avocado, Cilantro and Green Chile

Super Simple Guacamole

Roasted Garlic Dressing with Green Chilli

Homemade Pita Chips

(This is a terrible photo, but this soup is perfect topped with grated cheese, sour cream and toasted tortilla strips)

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Classic Tortilla Soup

Spinach Mushroom Enchiladas

Shrimp with Garlic and Chile Pepper

This next recipe is one of Bry’s favorite appetizers but every time he makes them they’re gobbled up so quickly we never have time to take a photo! Yes, they’re that yummy!

Bry’s Stuffed Peppers

15 fresh jalapeno peppers
1 pound Italian sausage
1 (8 oz) cream cheese
1/2 pound bacon

Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Clean out seeds with spoon. Set aside on foiled lined cookie sheet. Saute sausage and drain. Add the cream cheese to the sausage and mix well.  Spoon into peppers and wrap 1/3 slice of bacon around each pepper. Bake at 350 for approximately 20 – 30 minutes. Put under the broiler for a few minutes to further brown the bacon, if desired. Drain on a paper towel, then serve warm.

And, lastly, we can’t forget about something sweet.

Mexican Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

Hopefully, we’ve given you a couple of ideas to help you with your celebration, but whatever you decide to do on Wednesday, have a safe Cinco de Mayo!

~LilSis

When we were on our tour of downtown Chicago last week, we happened to pass Rick Bayless’ Frontera Grill on North Clark Street. We all wished that we could stop and eat lunch there but we knew that we didn’t have time so we’ll have to plan that for another visit. Passing Frontera Grill reminded me that I bought Rick Bayless’ Mexican Everyday cookbook sometime last year and have yet to cook a recipe from it.

I decided to browse through his cookbook yesterday to find something to make as a side to go along with the Chicken Enchilada Casserole that I had planned for dinner. And since Cinco de Mayo is only a week away, I thought this would be a great time to try one of his recipes.

I ended up making the Roasted Garlic Dressing with Green Chili. Rick Bayless says that this is one of the most versatile dressings that he makes and that grilled onions and radishes have gone into the roasted garlic-dressed romaine salad at Frontera Grill since the day they opened. He also suggests that it’s great on top of a salad of sliced tomatoes and cilantro, which is what I decided to do. This recipe makes about one cup.

This recipe was quick and easy yet had a terrific flavor because of the roasted garlic and chiles. Salad dressing is not the best recipe for photographing, but this dressing was perfect drizzled on top of this tomato and cilantro salad.

Roasted Garlic Dressing with Green Chile
(from Mexican Everyday)

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (I only used 1 serrano)
3/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
Salt

Set a small dry skillet over medium heat. Lay in the unpeeled garlic cloves and the chiles. Roast, turning frequently, until soft and blotchy brown in spots, about 10 minutes for the chiles, 15 minutes for the garlic. Cool until able to handle, then slip the skins off the garlic and roughly chop the chiles (no need to remove the seeds).

Combine the garlic, chiles, oil, vinegar and a scant teaspoon of salt into a blender jar or food processor. Process until smooth. Taste and season highly with additional salt if necessary. Pour into a jar and secure the lid. Refrigerate until ready to use. Shake well immediately before pouring out.

~LilSis

There are lots of fancy restaurants in Chicago that might come to mind, like Charlie Trotter’s and Tru.  We didn’t eat at any fah fah fahncy places, but we did use the ladies room in The Gage!  Does that count?

We had a crowd of people with us and were super busy all weekend, so fine dining wasn’t on our agenda.  There really wasn’t time to spend on that kind of a meal, and we didn’t want to break the bank either.  The weekend was about spending time with Bry, and celebrating his Navy graduation and LilSis’ birthday on Sunday.  So where did we eat?  We WERE in Chicago, so we had to check out at least a couple of the foods that Chicago is known for!

Portillos in Chicago

What says “Chicago” more than hot dogs and Italian beef?  Our first night in town, we headed for Portillo’s.  Portillo’s is known for their hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches (juicy or dry), polish sausages and burgers.  There are close to 50 Portillo’s locations now, and all of them are in Illinois and Indiana except for two in California.  This place was crazy!  It was packed with customers eating and two full lines of customers waiting to place their orders.  I couldn’t eat much there – even most of the salads are not vegetarian friendly – so I ended up with lettuce and tomato salad, but I really enjoyed the decor and the feel of the restaurant.  And I did sample their french fries: crispy, tender, hot, crinkle fries…delicious!

You can’t come to Chicago without having pizza, right?  We headed to Gino’s East since there was one close to our hotel in Great Lakes.  The restaurant looks and feels like a pizza joint in any other place in the country, but the pizza is all Chicago.  We loved that we could all get an individual-size pizza (thin or thick crust), plus a salad and a drink for only $5.99.  Not bad!  LilSis got the thin crust, and I wished I had done the same because it was scrumptious. I got their “thick golden crust” since I thought that was more authentically Chicago-like, but it wasn’t what I expected.  I imagined a tender thick crust like Uno’s, but it was a cornbread crust that I wasn’t crazy about.  The toppings were great though; I just should have asked more questions before I ordered.

The day that we zipped around downtown Chicago on the double-decker bus tour, we were famished and happened across Cosi as we were leaving Millennium Park.  Our group included all ages and all kinds of eating preferences, and Cosi’s menu satisfied us all.

The ambience reminded me of Starbucks, and it’s my understanding that Cosi started out as a coffee shop and added food later. It was a good move!  We all loved the flatbread that comes with soups and salads, and is used on sandwiches too.  It’s great soft bread untoasted, but when toasted it gets nice and crispy on the outside.  Our group tried the fire roasted veggie sandwich, cobb salad, tomato basil soup, bacon cheddar turkey melt, and the chicken club.  It was all delicious, and affordable.  There are bunches of Cosi restaurants in the Chicago area, but none in Texas.  Boo.  This is my kind of food!

We also ate at a couple of chains that are maybe a little more generic, but still really good.  You can’t go wrong with Jason’s Deli in a pinch.  Who doesn’t love Jason’s?  It’s another place with a menu big enough and good enough to satisfy pretty much anyone in your group.  I have one near my office and eat their Spinach Veggie Wrap minus the cheese all the time.

At the airport, some of us grabbed a quick sandwich at the Potbelly Sandwich Shop.  I have a Potbelly right down the street from me here in Dallas, but I’d never been there although I’ve heard it’s good.  I wasn’t disappointed.  The veggie sandwich on whole-grain wheat bread was excellent, and I love that you can request “Thin-Cut” bread on any sandwich, which gives you 1/3 less bread to deal with.

So there’s your quick and cheap tour of Chicago eats.  Overall, it seemed to me that Chicago cuisine is pretty “meaty” and not super-veggie friendly, but it’s clear that Chicagoans are really passionate about their food!  We’re hoping to visit Bry again in a few months, and when we do, we’ll no doubt eat a bunch more and report back on it!

~BigSis