Jessica Merchant's Blog, page 330

Pimento Cheese Grilled Cheese with Spiralized Pickle Slaw.

That’s right. We’re putting pimento cheese in your grilled cheese!

As if grilled cheese couldn’t get any more indulgent. We’re making pimento cheese grilled cheese like a boss. And loving it.

Don’t worry. I threw some arugula in there too. Because health. 

We’re just grilling the heck out of pimento cheese.

Stuffing it inside the fluffiest bread with some extra cheddar and topping the entire thing with spiralized pickle slaw. OMG.

Yes!

This spiralized pickle slaw is going to be my BFF this summer. I’m going to put it on all the things. It’s basically just a refrigerator pickle recipe, but I quickly spiralized the cucumbers so they would be more slaw-like. A local restaurant does that here and puts them on cheese fries and it’s INSANE. I’ve been wanting to try it for weeks and it did not disappoint.

It’s a super fast recipe too. I like to use apple cider vinegar because I use that for everything. Some fresh dill. Garlic. Red pepper flakes!

If you are a pickle freak like me, you’ll love it. So easy and simple and crisp and fresh.

You can even shove it IN the sandwich. I prefer mine on top though. I just do!

So while this recipe is super great for the Kentucky Derby, it’s actually great for the day or two after when you have leftover pimento cheese and have no idea what to do with it. I mean, you could also make these pimento cheese burgers. Or this pimento cheese crostini. Or the pimento cheese brunch grits that I shared last week!

But this is your easiest, no-fuss option. Slather it on some bread. Add extra cheese because we’re terrible here. Cook it in a skillet until it’s golden and cheese is oozing all over the pan. If you want to piss people off you could also go as far as dipping it in ketchup! That’s a thing. Trust me.

Make it for yourself and/or your friends. It’s the ultimate comfort food – a hug of cheese.

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Pimento Cheese Grilled Cheese with Spiralized Pickle Slaw










Ingredients:

pickle slaw

1 medium cucumber, spiralized
3/4 cups apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup fresh dill
1 cup hot water
3 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

grilled cheese

4 slices brioche bread
4 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup pimento cheese
1 cup arugula
2 tablespoons chopped chives
softened butter for spreading



Directions:

pickle slaw

Place the cucumber spirals in a large jar or bowl.

In another large bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the vinegar, salt, dill and hot water. Stir until the salt dissolves. Let the mixture cool. Once cool. pour it over the cucumber spirals. Add the garlic and pepper flakes. Make sure the spirals are all submerged in the liquid. Refrigerate overnight, shaking or stirring once or twice. These stay great for about a week!

grilled cheese

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Spread the outsides of the bread with the softened butter. Top one side with 1 ounce grated cheese, then about 1/4 cup pimento cheese. Spread it out gently with a spoon – it won’t be even, but just kind of spread it around! Top with 1/2 cup arugula, a sprinkling of chives and then another ounce of grated cheese and other slice of bread. Repeat with remaining bread and ingredients.

Cook the sandwich in the skillet until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the bread is golden brown. Be sure to cool slowly so the center of the pimento cheese gets melty and warm! Serve immediately with the pickle slaw and chives on top!

[pickles adapted from food and wine]

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The gooeyness!

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Smoked Strawberry Mezcal Margaritas.

Welcome to my new elevated love language: mezcal margaritas!

But more specifically, SMOKED STRAWBERRY mezcal margaritas.

Hello lovers!

These are smoky, tart, sweet and potent from some perfect tequila. I LOVE IT.

After what I just did, my life may need some elevating.

Last night I found myself watching the new Jersey Shore AGAIN at like midnight. Whyyyy. So embarrassing. Am I trying to relive 2011 or something? It’s like I’m invested and horrified at my own investment.

So I need an upgrade in my life. Let’s do it here!

Since I love all things tequila, I knew that I’d love anything mezcal. And smoky drinks are something I gravitate to (much more than spicy drinks! Never mind that spicy champagne fizz I shared two weeks ago…) and find so interesting. The ones with mezcal are usually done so well because it’s naturally smoky and doesn’t taste like you’re drinking alcohol poured from an ashtray. You know?

I know!

Instead of using the straight strawberry puree (which I do all the time for my drinks, like here and here and here and here), I wanted things to be a little lighter. So I pureed the smoky strawberries and then drained the juice, and just used the juice!

So it’s a very light strawberry flavor (not overly sweet!) and the mezcal really shines.

Add a smoked strawberry on top and you’re good to go!

These are such a FUN and unusual twist on what has always been my favorite cocktail. It just tastes different enough that you love the change – not weird enough that you miss your normal favorite.

Which is exactly how I like my life to go.

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Smoked Strawberry Mezcal Margaritas

Yield: makes 1 drink, is easily multiplied

Ingredients:

smoked strawberries

1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced

mezcal margarita

1 1/2 ounces Tequila
1 ounce Mezcal
1 ounce Grand Marnier
2 ounces smoked strawberry juice
2 ounces fresh lime juice
2 ounce simple syrup
salt for rim
lime wedges for garnish
strawberries for garnish



Directions:

smoky strawberry juice

To make the smoked strawberries, you have a few options! You can throw them on a grill (a grill plate or basket works best), char them under the broiler or even char them over your open gas stovetop flame. You want them to be a bit charred so they impart that smoky flavor into the mix!

Once the strawberries are charred, place them in the blender. I like to use a few tablespoons of water when blending to help the berry mixture turn into liquid! At this point, you can totally use the strawberry puree. However, I press it through a fine mesh sieve here and just use the juice!

This makes extra juice, so you can store it in the fridge for a week or so. It should make enough for about 4 margaritas.

mezcal margarita

I suggest making a single serving first and taste it so you can add more/less tequila, mezcal or syrup to your liking. Everyone is different and prefers their drinks a different way, so feel free to add more or less tequila, more simple syrup, more lime juice, etc. This is my absolute favorite combo listed above.

Before serving, rim the edge of the glass with a lime slice and then dip it in coarse salt. Fill the glass with just a few ice cubes or even with crushed ice – my ice preference of late.

In a shaker with ice, combine the tequila, mezcal, grand marnier, strawberry juice, lime juice and simple syrup. Shake well for 30 seconds, then pour it over the crushed ice. Add a lime slice and a strawberry and serve!

As a note, I like to char the strawberries for garnish too! I do this on the grill or on the gas stovetop burner.

For simple syrup, I bring equal parts water and sugar (so, like 1/2 cup each) to a simmer in a saucepan while whisking. Let cool completely then store in the fridge!

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Just add chips + guac.

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An NYC weekend for The Pretty Dish!

I’m back with a little recap of our quick weekend trip to NYC for The Pretty Dish!

So let’s see. This trip was SO different having two kids! Eddie and I have been to NYC a bunch of times by ourselves. We love to just walk and walk for miles. We’ve been with Max a handful of times too. With both kids, in icky weather though? This was a leeeettle bit of a challenge.

Max remembers being in the city last year, so he was excited to go. For weeks leading up to it, he kept asking “do we go to New York City today mama?” and once we got there, he was just in awe. The tall buildings! All the cars! Cranes on top of the buildings! All the pigeons!

His excitement was contagious and just oh-so cute.

First up, the hotel! Remember in my Boston recap when I told you that the Fairmont hosted us for our stay? Well, they are amazing and did the same for a portion of the NYC trip. And it turned out that the Fairmont in NYC is The Plaza Hotel!

Cue all the Kevin McAllister vibes, right? I was definitely living my best 90s life on a stage of Home Alone 2.

I can’t even TAKE how gorgeous this hotel is. Since the four of us went, we did a room with two double beds. This is the only way we could really work around it with Max only being three years old, but not sleeping in a crib. This is what we’ve done for the other travel since, and it’s worked out. I take the DockaTot for Emilia and place it (on top of the covers, obviously) on the bed, then I am under the covers in that bed. Max and Eddie are in the second one, and it’s great!

Sure, definitely different from our lives as a no-kids couple for seven years, but this is fun. Ha!

Now for this stunning place. Oh my gosh.

LOOK AT THIS BATHROOM. I basically wanted to live in the bathroom that weekend. The shower, the tub – all of it was so stunning.

The best part about this room was that it was big enough to comfortably hold our double stroller with the four of us + all the luggage. That’s huge, because that double stroller is huge! And with Emilia still in an infant seat, and with Eddie having the kids on his own for a lot of the time while I had meetings, we HAD to bring that stroller. This room was perrrfect.

Can we talk about my favorite part of the The Plaza? Well, ONE of my favorite parts?

The Champagne Bar. OMG.

OMG!

I loved this. I met my publicist (but also, really, my friend/girl crush) Kate there for a drink/snacks on Friday and that’s when we had the incredible strawberry jalapeño champagne drink that I recreated last week. Just the atmosphere of this little corner of the room was fabulous. I had many many thoughts after that happy hour, like

I need to come back here ASAP without kids.

How inappropriate would it be for Eddie and I to go down there for a drink with two babes in a stroller?

Should I see if they can deliver me a drink to my room even though my kids are six inches from me? Hmmmm.

Really though, this just makes happy hour feel extra special! The drinks on the menu were so inspiring.

The breakfast in The Palm Court was also such a lovely experience. Max agreed, and we were very classy being downstairs at 7AM (hello toddler hours) in his PJs.

What else.

In all the times we have been to New York, we had never ventured down to the Shops in the Plaza. There are a few shops on the main level, but once you get downstairs – OMG, so much delicious food! I love the open concept where you can try multiple things. Max had ice cream here, I had coffee, I had a delish lobster roll, Eddie had pizza at one point, Max had a doughnut – the morning we left I had an almond croissant that was top notch – so much goodness. There were crepes! Pizza! A market!

Everything!

The great part about that was that you didn’t even have to LEAVE THE HOTEL! Sure, this was totally different from our normal NYC adventures, but come Sunday, when it was 30 degrees and torrentially down-pouring and we had two kids under the age of three in car seats/stroller? It was super challenging to get anywhere without being drenched and miserable.

Gah. I just felt like this was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to stay there and it was just so incredible! Just as dreamy as I thought, you know? I am so grateful that this is a part of the book tour. I can’t believe it’s real life.

Our other highlights?

The night we got there, we did end up walking for miles. It was kind of chilly, but I wore Emilia and Eddie mostly carried Max and we just went. That was so fun. I ended up in Sephora and Eddie found this carbonara pizza (which I totally recreated! Coming soon!) from B Side Pizza and Wine and it was unreal. He brought it back for us to enjoy so we didn’t have to cram strollers into tiny nooks.

Thankfully on the day of my book signing at MacKenzie-Childs, it was a gorgeous 70 degrees! I had the event, we got to stroll a ton in central park, head to the zoo – all that fun stuff! It was so lovely and nice.

Not only is the MacKenzie-Childs store incredible (it’s like being in Alice in Wonderland, for real), the staff is so warm and welcoming and they always go over the top. The event was so fun and I love working with them. It was amazing meeting people who had driven in from all over. I’m so glad that you guys love the book! Max really enjoyed the event too, as evidenced above.

Again, we spent lots of time in Central Park so we could walk and run and play!

We also had Milk Bar! Even though we had been there before, I had never tried the cereal milk ice cream! It was delicious – not sweet at all – and I was wearing Emilia while carrying it who promptly dunked her little baby hand into it which caused me to accidentally dump the container on the sidewalk after three bites. Whomp whomp.

And Eddie found his new love that weekend: Sprinkles cupcakes. They are definitely the best bakery cupcakes I’ve ever had!

On Sunday, I did a fun DIY event/workshop at Word bookstore in Brooklyn. We made the beachy waves sea salt spray and a lavender vanilla lip scrub and it was super fun. These kind of bookstores are my most favorite. Like I want to get lost in the little stacks, a la Felicity. We had a small group for the workshop so it was intimate and fun and we just had the best conversation.

After that, it got freezing cold again and all the rain came, so we cuddled up under the covers and snuggled for the rest of the night. I love being in a hotel. Granted, I enjoy it a bit more when I’m alone, but we had such an amazing time on this trip!

And with that, we were on to our next stop! xo

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Bang Bang Cauliflower Tacos.

I need no other tacos right now. None. These bang bang cauliflower tacos are all that exist.

It’s no secret that I have a lot of favorites.

But wait, tell me – who doesn’t have a lot of favorites right now? Is it possible to live in 2018 and NOT have a ton of favorites? I think not.

So. I’m saying it.

This is seriously the best new favorite thing ever and that’s it.

I told you that I’m in a cauliflower mood!

Like, three years too late, right?

Yesterday in an interview someone asked me what I thought the next big food trend would be and I didn’t even know what to say because I’m always so behind the trends.

Case in point.

(But if you’re really curious I told her I hoped the next trend would just be CHEESE. Like cheese everywhere. On everything.)

Ever since making that sweet and spicy roasted cauliflower, I’ve been craving another version. We’ve always loved bang bang shrimp and I shared this lightened up version from Gina’s book years ago. And I’ve wanted to do it with cauliflower for soooo long.

So here we are.

I never thought the bang bang sauce would be something that I love, but it’s incredible. And it’s embarrassingly easy. Only three ingredients! Mayo (don’t hate! it’s oil! and egg yolks!), sweet chili sauce and a spicier chili sauce. It creates this amazing flavor profile and you’ll want to put it on everything you eat for the next week.

And I doubled the recipe here because you definitely want a little extra sauce on hand. But make sure not to over-coat the cauliflower. You don’t want it to be a soggy taco mess. I mean. That certainly doesn’t sound delicious.

Now here’s the thing – these are a leeeeettle bit high maintenance. Just a touch. The best version of them? You want to make a (very light) bubbly batter and pan-fry (not deep fry!) them until they get an airy tempura-like coating. Because that makes for the best cauliflower to be tossed in the sauce. It’s worth it. I swear.

However! If you’re in a pinch? I hear you.

Of course, you can roast the cauliflower and cover it in the sauce. You don’t have to lightly fry it at all, but that wonderful crisp batter makes it so super crunchy and delicious. Like texture heaven.

Is there really a question of what kind of taco to eat this week?!

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Bang Bang Cauliflower Tacos

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped napa cabbage
1/2 cup chopped red cabbage
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, juiced
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup club soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
3 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
3 tablespoons fresh chopped chives
8 (4-inch) flour or corn tortillas (your preference!), warmed
lime wedges, for serving



Directions:

In a bowl, toss together both kinds of cabbage and the cilantro. Toss with the lime juice. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Chop the cauliflower into florets – you don’t want the florets to have long stems or else they won’t cook evenly! In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, club soda, salt and pepper to create a batter.

Add the canola oil to the hot skillet. Dip each floret into the batter, coating it completely. Place it in the oil and cook evenly on all sides – until you have a light golden batter. You can do a few pieces at once, but don’t overcrowd the pan! Once each piece is crispy, place it on the paper towel lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining cauliflower.

Once all the cauliflower is crispy, make the sauce. In a bowl, whisk together the mayo, sweet chili sauce and chili garlic sauce. This makes about double the sauce that you need, but it’s SO good to have extra so you can drizzle it on the tacos! Take half of the sauce out of the bowl and set it aside. Add the cauliflower to the remaining sauce and toss it well (but gently!) until the pieces are coated. Top with the fresh chives.

To assemble the tacos, place a scoop of the cabbage slaw in the center of the tortilla. Top with a spoonful of the cauliflower. Drizzle on extra sauce and serve with a spritz of lime!

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Seriously the best thing to come out of my kitchen in weeks!

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Tuesday Things.

1. Even though I’m basically terrified to sit in the window seat of a plane now, these sunrise views may be worth it.

2. How stunning is this lemon vertical roll cake?!

3. For the last month and a half, I pretty much forgot to record my 1 second everyday app. Whomp whomp. Do I just continue now? I know that you can add stuff in each day, but all of my videos are portraits and not landscapes, so it’s almost pointless.

4. TV! How crazy was the end of Homeland? Scary crazy. Also, how are they going to fix that situation? And how AMAZING was Billions? Sometimes I think they have the best episodes since Sopranos. I love watching Bobby and Chuck together in action and that ending was so, so good. Can’t wait for next week!

5. Okay, I’m convinced. Going to watch The Americans!

6. I’m not a huuuuge believer in horoscopes (even though I’m a scorpio to a T), but I’ve almost gone as far as looking up my kids’ horoscopes when they are acting crazy and off. If my mom reads this she is going to laugh in my face. And not in a good way.

7. How to get better at saying no. And how to grow your creativity and productivity at the same time! LOVE.

8. We haven’t been super into the bakery cupcake trend the last few years (except for maybe Baked and Wired?!) but Eddie got Sprinkles cupcakes while we were in NYC and they were the best I’ve ever had. New fave!

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April Favorites: Lifestyle.

I’ve got a crazy list of favorites for the month of April! I mean, we’re talking random. Everything below is what I’ve been freaking over this month!

When it comes to music this month, I’m still blasting The Greatest Showman soundtrack nonstop (pretty sure my mom and I listened to it three straight times on the way to Cleveland last week), but there is another album I’m loving too! Have you listened to the Elton John Revamp? It’s SO good! AND this Nancy Meyer’s movie goodness playlist. OMG.

The Passion Planner. Soooo many of you have asked about my current planning situation this year, and this is what I’m using! It’s actually what I’ve been using since January, but I wanted to make sure I liked it. I might do a full post on it, but I love how sleek and simple the black cover is. I miss the whole bullet journaling aspect of a planner but I just have zero time for that right now (and, like, not even 15 minutes a day to spend on that) and found myself skipping my planner and then forgetting all the things. I love this one for the size, for the layout (super easy for lists and notes!) and for the bit of entrepreneurial motivation. I bought both the undated and dated version in December and I think I do prefer the dated version, even if I miss a few days.

Vital Proteins Stick Packs. These little single serve packs having been perfect for traveling! Eddie and I both use collage peptides and having them to take with us has been a game changer. I also dissolve mine into coffee (can’t taste them at all!) but Eddie mixes them into smoothies.

Alo Sports Bras. I love wearing sports bras with a little detail in the front for shirts that dip low, especially right now while nursing. This is still stretchy enough that I can use it for nursing but cute enough that the front straps don’t look messy. I was initially worried that this wouldn’t fit (it only comes in S, M, L) while I’m nursing, but it totally does. So comfy! I don’t wear this to workout though – definitely need more support for that.

Schutz Platform Wedges. OMG. Okay, so you guys know I usually get one pair of nude wedges and wear them into the ground (literally?) each summer. I got these a bit early this year when I was trying to get outfits for the book tour. Turns out that I couldn’t wear these are early as I hoped (oh hi, snow in April), but I LOVE them. I’ve worn them with both dresses and jeans and they are super comfortable (I wore them on the set of Home and Family the whole day and they didn’t hurt!) and just so cute. I’ll probably still get another pair of nude wedges since these are straw and won’t hold up in all weather. Plus, these are pricy and I don’t want to destroy them right away.

Speaking of going out of my comfort zone, I bought this Kate Spade Tossed Berry Shirt Dress when I was looking for things to wear in March for my book launch. This is NEVER something I would have gravitated to in the past, but since it was a weird time of year (after winter, but still freezing?) and it looked so cute on the hanger, I went for it. I absolutely LOVE this dress!! It’s definitely more than I’ve spent on a “regular” dress, but I really wanted to make sure I had things I felt GOOD in since I was starting my book tour at 3.5 months postpartum and tried this on on a whim. I thought about it for awhile before biting the bullet and am so glad I did. Also, I mean, strawberries? So cute.

Fawn Design Diaper Bag. I’ve raved about this diaper bag for about a year now, but what I want to say now is that it was AMAZING for travel! First, I get a weird number of compliments on it. To which I’m like “THANK YOU IT’S A DIAPER BAG!” because I just can’t believe it’s a diaper bag. I have fit SO much stuff in here to travel. All my kid essentials, tons of diapers and wipes, my computer, blankets, clothes for myself and emilia, a scarf, snacks, water bottles, wallet, games for Max, books – all at the same time, without it being overly huge and crowded. It’s the best bag ever. I can’t do life without a backpack during this phase. Hands free is everything.

I’m also in love with my new 13-inch Macbook Pro in rose gold. I needed a new laptop, but wanted one that was super easy to travel with since I’m taking both kids with me to most of the book tour stops. I bought the lightest one and it’s SO tiny and small, but still has a ton of storage. Much faster than my current MacBook Pro that even has the retina display! It’s so easy to cart around (as noted above – it fits right in my diaper bag!). The size is so perfect and I could not be happier with it. Plus, it’s rose gold! Also, I realize this is turning into a weirdly expensive favorites post, but it’s my honest reviews on these things I’m using.

Yeti 30 oz Pink Rambler. This is a repeat but I am SO obsessed. I think I need to buy a second one! This is what I cart with me everywhere (all over the house!) and I definitely need a straw lid. I only use mine for ice cold water and it’s perfect.

Eagle Creek Packing Cubes. These have been a packing GAME CHANGER for us this month. When it comes to air travel with kids, trying to pack everything into two suitcases for us is difficult. These have made it so much easier. And organized!

This might be a weird one, but this Elderberry Syrup saved me from sickness twice in the last two months. I got a sinus infection in early March, started taking this and it went away so much quicker than it normally does. And just on Friday, I came home sick as a dog, started taking this and was great by Sunday. I swear it works for me!

[none of this is sponsored, just like to talk about things that I discover and love over the month. i purchased everything myself. tell me your faves! there may be a few affiliate links above. xoxoxo.]

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Smoky Chicken Enchilada Skillet.

Any day with a chicken enchilada skillet is a fabulous day.

Cheese, sauce, tortillas. I need nothing else! Except maybe a vat of guac. With chips. And margaritas.

If you’re planning a Cinco de Mayo feast this week for your friends and family, I have a super easy non-taco option for you today. I mean, who doesn’t love a good deconstructed enchilada? With BEANS! And smoky chicken. Also, sliced avocado! And HOMEMADE SAUCE.

I’ll stop shouting but it really is that good.

That good!

And it serves a crowd without having a million separate pieces. WINNING.

This recipe is kind of a mesh of this chicken enchilada lasagna I posted backed in 2010 (OMG whaaaaat) and this chicken tamale pie that we fell in love with last year.

This enchilada skillet includes pinto beans and corn, homemade sauce (the best!), scallions, avocado, jalapeños and small flour tortillas. I love to use flour tortillas here because they hold up well in the oven – and especially when reheating!

I mostly use corn tortillas for my chicken enchiladas, but this skillet babe works great with flour ones. You can use corn in a pinch though.

And it’s so much easier than the tamale pie because in lieu of the cornbread layer, we’re just doing the tortillas. It doesn’t serve up pretty, but it tastes freaking amazzzing.

It’s also one of those cheater recipes. You can totally use rotisserie chicken. Or just leftover chicken that you have from another recipe you’ve made. You can, of course, also use store-bought enchilada sauce but this homemade stuff is truly the best. It’s incredible and packed with flavor and not difficult to make. It has actually changed the enchilada game for me!

The pinto beans are my faaaavorite component. I adore all beans (they are one of my go-to foods every week) but pintos are by far my fave. And I just accidentally wrote “PINOT” beans, so apparently I wish that they were made of wine.

Or that I was drinking wine.

Same thing!

So now that you have dinner tonight (!!!!) (also, it’s really easy so yes, dinner tonight!), what else are you making this week?! Kentucky Derby? AND Cindo de Mayo food? The options are endless!

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Smoky Chicken Enchilada Skillet

Yield: serves 4

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

enchilada sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
15 ounces tomato sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

chicken skillet

1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
8 (4-inch) flour tortillas
1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup corn
8 ounces queso Chihuahua or white cheddar cheese, freshly grated
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
1 handful of fresh cilantro, for topping
1 avocado, thinly sliced for topping



Directions:

enchilada sauce

Heat a large (10 or 12 inch) oven-safe (I like cast iron!) skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Whisk in the flour and cook until it is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk together, bringing the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 more minutes before using. Transfer almost all of the enchilada sauce out of the skillet except for a thin layer on the bottom.

enchilada sauce

Toss the chicken with the cumin and paprika. Toss it with the pinto beans and corn.

Take each flour tortilla and lightly coat it with the sauce. You don’t have to dunk it, but you can take the back of a spoon and spread it over both sides of the tortilla. Take 4 or 5 tortillas and line the skillet with them, placing them so they come up the sides of the skillet. Add half of the chicken and bean mixture. Top with a big handful of cheese. Spoon on some of the enchilada sauce.

Arrange the remaining tortillas on top of the mixture. Add the rest of the chicken and beans. Add more (or all!) of the enchilada sauce, making sure it covers all of the tortilla pieces. Sprinkle on all the grated cheese.

Bake the skillet for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove the skillet from the oven and top with the jalapeno pepper slices, cilantro, scallions and avocado. Serve immediately!

 

 

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I appreciate you so much!

It’s so cheesy and melty too!

The post Smoky Chicken Enchilada Skillet. appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

The Pretty Dish Book Club – May!

Welcome to The Pretty Dish Book Club for May!

And a little recap of April!

The Pretty Dish Book Club has turned into such a fantastic fun experience – it’s become more than I ever imagined.

These photos here are just a fraction of the thousands of pics shared on Facebook and Instagram from The Pretty Dish. It has been incredible and has blown my mind.

We’ve been having an absolute blast in the Facebook group. We have the best chats and some exclusive content (and giveaways!) so be sure to join if you haven’t yet!

To join, all you have to do is get your copy of the book and request access to the group.

I promised some giveaways for the month of April if you shared your content on instagram too! This month, I’m giving away three of the Cerastone Ceramic Skillets that I love so much (the white skillet that you guys ask about!!).

Below are the random winners from instagram (and email!) entries:

Ceilidh Smith

Mallory Milluzzi

Haley Ahrens

Congrats guys! Please email me at howsweeteats [at] gmail [dot] com with your mailing address!

To be eligible for next month’s giveaway,  be sure to post photos under the instagram hashtag #prettydishbookclub to be entered to win and I’ll randomly choose winners!

May Book Club recipes:

For the month of May, I increased the number of recipes for you after taking a poll in the Facebook group. So many of you made the recipes for April in the first week, it was crazy. So I added a few more, just in case you have the time to get through them.

Blackened BBQ Salmon with Mango Salsa

Asparagus with Shallots, Bacon & Parmesan

BBQ Bourbon Burgers

Hand Cut Fresh Spinach Pasta

Strawberry Almond Mascarpone Tart

Blueberry Hibiscus Mint Juleps

Now remember – these are just a guide! Over in The Pretty Dish Facebook Group, everyone shares ALL the recipes they make from the book, and I love it! So make what you’d like. When deciding on these monthly recipes, I wanted to keep things seasonal, because that’s how I cook in my own kitchen. So we have salmon for a nice weeknight dinner. Asparagus as a seasonal side. Burgers for Memorial Day! The strawberry tart for Mother’s Day or even the Kentucky Derby (the run for the roses!) – along with the mint juleps for the Derby too. And the spinach pasta as a little spring challenge, something out of the box. I can’t wait to see your creations!

As a quick reminder, here’s how you can join The Pretty Dish Book Club:

get your book!
join the Facebook group!
share your creations in the Facebook group and on instagram all month long with the hashtags #prettydishbookclub (using #howsweeteats and #theprettydish help too!)

Thank you guys for all of your amazing support with the book! xo

The post The Pretty Dish Book Club – May! appeared first on How Sweet Eats.

Currently Crushing On.

How crazy is it that we are at the end of April?! Insane! I hope you guys are doing well and have an amazing Spring weekend. With sunshine!

Yesterday I got home from some book tour adventures for The Pretty Dish and can’t wait to have a little down time before we leave again! Check out the book tour page for more details – we have Salt Lake City, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Nashville next!

Also! If you’re looking for an adorable Mother’s Day gift, check out this bundle from MacKenzie-Childs that includes The Pretty Dish! SO cute, right?

xoxoxo

Favorites things this week:

how amazing is this berry rhubarb lemonade?!

wine braised artichokes. sign me up.

craving a strawberry salad with goat cheese and chicken!

pink closet french doors – i wish i was crafty enough to do this!

yes to this cheddar mushroom asparagus quiche.

cafe con tres leches cake. OMG.

one gorgeous avocado grapefruit salad.

vegetarian bao buns! delish.

hello smoky blood orange margaritas!

these seared salmon burgers sound so so good.

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Lobster Guacamole.

The one thing that must happen at your house this weekend: lobster guacamole.

Please please please! Do it for me.

I’ve made a lot of trashed up guacamole in my day, but never have I ever made LOBSTER GUACAMOLE.

Ooooh my gosh. We’re doing this. And it’s unreal.

Also: never have I ever enjoyed the never have I ever game. It was ruined for me in high school when another girl did a super mean thing during the game and after that, I was just over it. Forever!

Unless it comes to guac.

This is definitely a high-maintenance guac recipe (probably both more and less than this bacon goat cheese pineapple guac) but it’s one that is really worth it. And it’s something that works best when served as the main appetizer, whether it’s for yourself or for a party.

Or I mean, it could also be your dinner. I have noooo idea what it would be like to eat guac for dinner.

Absolutely none.

But just look at this bowl!

Does anything make you happier? A large bowl of mashed avocado is everything to me.

This was actually inspired by some crab guacamole that I had a few weeks ago. It was more like a ceviche-topped guacamole and while I do like lump crab, I figured that it would be ten million times more delicious with lobster.

I was right!

You know why? Because it’s just so buttery.

Here’s the thing though. I wouldn’t stir the lobster into the actual guac. I mean, you can do that by accident with a chip while dipping. But don’t stir it all together to serve. Make a delicious guac and pile it high with the lobster and maybe a full lobster tail because it’s just so pretty. Lots of jalapeño pepper too! Maybe some chopped cherry tomatoes.

And a huuuuge margarita on a side.

Print Recipe





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Lobster Guacamole

Yield: serves 4

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 (3 to 4 ounce) lobster tails
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ripe avocados
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for topping
3 tablespoons diced sweet onion
1 lime, juiced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
sliced jalapeno pepper
sliced cherry tomatoes
tortilla chips for serving



Directions:

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Pat the lobster tails completely dry with paper towels. Add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, add the lobster tails and cook until they are just opaque, flipping once, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the lobster  – and chop one of them up into pieces.

Place the avocados, cilantro, onion, lime juice, salt and pepper to a bowl and mash it! Mash and stir until everything is combined. Make it as smooth or as chunky as you’d like! Taste and season with additional salt, pepper or lime juice if needed.

Top the guacamole with the chopped lobster. Add on a few cherry tomatoes, some pepper slices and fresh cilantro if desired. Top with another full lobster tail for a pretty presentation!

All images and text ©How Sweet Eats.







Did you make this recipe?

Be sure to follow howsweeteats on instagram and tag #howsweeteats. You can also post a photo of your recipe to the howsweeteats facebook page.

I appreciate you so much!

This is the plate of dreams.

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