Jalapeño Cheddar Grits: Southern Hospitality Done Spicy

I'm a Southern boy. I was born in Texas, but I grew up in the Carolinas. I also lived in south Louisiana and Atlanta (although I'm not sure Atlanta really counts as the South). It should come as no surprise that I love Southern food.

I grew up eating fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits, cornbread and peach cobbler. One thing I did not grow up eating, however, was grits. Sure, grits are common down South, but it's not like they show up at every meal.

Funny story: the first person my wife and I met when we moved to upstate New York told us how he thought Southerners ate grits for every meal of the day. Not so much. However, with that said, grits are still a delicious and easy side dish that can work with breakfast or with dinner. These jalapeño cheddar grits are one of my latest addictions!

I spent my childhood roaming the streets of downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Every day after school, my friends and I would take to the streets on our bikes to explore the Market, the Battery, and the hundreds of streets that make Charleston famous.

It wasn't until we moved away that I realized how awesome of an experience that was. My wife and I finally had the chance to return to Charleston this past summer, and it was like a step back in time for me. Nothing changes in Charleston - that's part of the beauty of the city. But that also means that I still recognized all of the old areas where I used to play.

As I've grown older, I've come to appreciate food more, and Charleston is quite a foodie town. I came across these jalapeño cheddar grits while we were visiting, and I knew I needed to make my own version.

In the South, yellow stone-ground grits are by far the most popular, and they can be easily found in every grocery store in the area. But I live in upstate New York now, and stone-ground grits are a bit harder to find up here (imagine that). I used quick grits for this recipe as they were the only form of grits I could find (I went to 4 stores looking for stone-ground grits before I finally gave up and settled for quick grits.)

If you have access to stone-ground grits, use those. Don't even think about twice about it! (If you do use stone-ground grits, just make sure to adjust the cooking time of this recipe to the directions on the package.)

I like to toss a bit of extra cheese on top of these jalapeño cheddar grits and throw them under the broiler for a couple of minutes before serving. Sprinkle some chopped green onions on top, and you've got a wonderfully delicious dish that is surprisingly easy to prepare!

Don't believe me? Check out Shaina's Cheesy Grits and Eggs too.

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Jalapeño Cheddar Grits Recipe

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Ingredients

• 8 thick slices bacon, diced
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and diced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups white corn grits, quick cooking
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese, white - divided
• 1/4 cup green onions, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Using a 9" cast iron skillet, add the diced bacon and diced Jalapeño. Cook over medium heat until bacon is crispy (~8-10 minutes).
2. Transfer the bacon and jalapeños to a paper towel and pat dry. Drain the bacon grease from the skillet and set aside.
3. In a medium sauce pan, bring the heavy cream, chicken broth, and water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, slowly whisk in the grits. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until grits have thickened and absorbed the liquid.
4. Stir in the bacon, jalapeños, salt and 1 1/2 cups of the grated cheese.
5. Transfer the grits into the cast iron skillet and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Place skillet under broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese on top has melted and grits are light brown in color. Garnish with green onions (optional).

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Healthy S'mores: Poppable Bites

Summer to me means a whole long list of wonderful things. But the top thing on that list, you ask? It's my yearly camping trip with my best friend! We go to the same camp site every year, spend the entire year planning out what we will eat, where we will hike, and what new adventures we'll have! One thing that won't change - the fact we'll be packing enough s'mores supplies to feed a small army.

The world can not be more complete in my mind when you are sitting next to a campfire, staring up at the stars with your best friend next to you, and sticky s'mores all over your face.

Since we aren't going for another month, I'll have to make do daydreaming and eating these no-fire-required healthy s'mores bites! No oven required either! These things whip up in a matter of minutes with a handy dandy food processor.

Don't go thinking these are 100% guilt free, but a nice spike of dates and apple butter holds everything together without a drizzle of corn syrup to be seen. Just don't let the kids see, or they might pull a "NOT TRYING THIS" face on you. But never fear, after they pop one of these in their mouths they will be begging for more!

Looking for a way to incorporate some peanut butter? What… isn't everyone thinking that at all times? Skip the apple butter and sub your favorite nut butter for an ever bigger bang for your flavor buck!

But keeping them nut free also makes them lunch box friendly long after summer is gone. I can't think of a single person that would say no to a s'mores in October, or even February. These healthy s'mores bites are exactly the sort of treat to make 'em smile at school lunchtime.

You should know by now I'm all about the healthy desserts. Don't miss my healthy brownies recipe and peanut butter banana ice cream too. 

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Healthy S'mores Recipe

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Ingredients

• 5 sheets graham crackers, divided (4 crackers per sheet)
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup pitted dates, (about 5 dates)
• 1 tablespoon apple butter
• 6 regulars marshmallows

Directions

1. Place 4 graham cracker sheets, chocolate chips, dates, apple butter and marshmallows into a food processor and let it run until everything forms into a dough (add a little more apple butter if things aren't sticking together enough).
2. Crush the remaining graham cracker into fine crumbs in a separate bowl.
3. Form dough into 1" balls and roll in remaining crushed graham cracker.
4. Place in freezer or enjoy at room temperature.

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Carne Asada Fries: Make It a Party!

You know, until recently I wasn't even aware that Carne Asada Fries were a thing? However, when I started doing some recipe research I realized that they really are! They seem to have generally the same recipe or ingredients although I'm not a huge fan of that...things that are static or fixed.

You see one of my main goals over at My Invisible Crown is to teach my readers (that usually refers to anyone who happens to stumble to my humble little space on the web) how to customize recipes to make them all their own.

I don't normally try to mess around with the basis of a recipe, like flour or baking soda for example. I'm not a food scientist, and if I tried to play one it would be disastrous! But I think that almost any recipe can be tweaked, prodded, added-to, taken-away-from or flat out changed so that you love your end result.

I know we've discussed this before but I just can't seem to say it enough. It's that important to me. Here's an example. I customized this Peach Blackberry Tart last year and it worked wonderfully. Now it's almost a new challenge for each recipe I find that inspires me. Like "what can I do to make this more ME".

I'm telling you all this to say that I suggest doing a Build Your Own Carne Asada Fries Bar for you, your family or guests. It's a thing right now to do a "bar" of sorts. Like a bloody Mary bar or baked potato bar, or in the South you see grits bars - the main food is given out and people mill around and top the base with their favorite items. I know...you know what a bar is, right? Well, what about doing that with Carne Asada Fries?

The basic recipe is French fries, Carne Asada steak (or skirt steak), with guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo. That's it. Don't you think maybe it would be fun to add gooey cheese or shredded cheese? (I would die without cheese in my life.) I mean at the least some sort of cheese. I would add shredded lettuce. Maybe black beans? Onions I would definitely NOT add, but you might. Jalapeño would be nice, too. Get the picture?

I took one of the easy ways with this and used frozen French fries. I chose curly fries, but use whatever you like. And if you really want to make them your own you could cut fresh potatoes and make your own fries. You could also make this recipe with left over skirt steak from you favorite Mexican joint. Just a suggestion.

So here's is a list of things I think you should put on your Build Your Own Carne Asada Fries Bar:

• Shredded Cheese
• Melted Cheesy Dip/Sauce
• Shredded Lettuce
• Sliced Jalapeño
• Cilantro
• Diced Tomatoes
• Diced Onion
• Black Beans

What would you add to the list?

We know what we'd add! Pico de gallo and some of Urvashee's cilantro chutney.

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Carne Asada Fries Recipe

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, or skirt steak
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper, hefty pinches of each
• 1 32 ounce bag frozen french fries

For Topping:

• 1/2 cup sour cream, or more to taste
• 1 cup guacamole, or more to taste
• 1/2-3/4 cup pico de gallo, or more to taste

Directions

1. Mix ingredients for the steak marinade together and pour over steak in a baking dish.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours. 
2. Remove steak from marinade and discard.
3. Grill steak for 7-9 minutes on each side over medium heat turning once for medium rare. 
4. Let steak rest for 10-15 minutes and then slice going against the grain into small strips.
5. Cook french fries according to package directions.
6. Arrange enough fries on a single serving dish for 1 serving.
7. Top with 1/4 steak strips followed by guacamole, sour cream and pico.

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batata nu shaak recipe, how to make bateta nu shaak recipe

batata nu shaak recipe with step by step photos - no frills easy recipe of dry spiced potatoes made gujarati style.

there are quite a number of ways this dry curry is made. a gravy version is also made, called as rasawala batata nu shaak. i make this dry batata nu shaak, as a side accompanying dish with chapatis. in gujarati language, batata or bateta means potatoes and shaak means curry. hence the translation is potato curry.

the potatoes can be boiled first and then added to the tempered spices or they can be added raw and then sauteed. i always go for the second method, as doing this gives a nice crisp texture to the potatoes, like potato roast.

sugar is often added, but i skip the sugar to suit our taste buds. a variation is to add roasted sesame seeds from top and then mix it well with the rest of the curry. this is a no onion no garlic and vegan version of batata nu shaak.

this simple dish of batata nu shaak also goes well as a tiffin box breakfast or lunch with rotis. you can also stuff them in bread and make toast sandwiches.

lets start step by step batata nu shaak recipe:

1. heat oil and crackle the mustard seeds first in a shallow frying pan.

2. add cumin seeds and saute till they crackle.

3. add ginger and green chilli paste and curry leaves. saute till raw aroma of ginger goes away. saute on a low flame so that the ginger and green chilli paste does not burn.

4. add potatoes and stir. then add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. the potatoes have to be chopped into small cubes. the smaller the size, the faster they cook.

5. stir well and add salt.

6. cover and cook the potatoes on a low flame till they are tender and crisp. stir the potatoes whilst they are cooking, so that they don't get burnt. since no water is added while cooking the potatoes, you have to stir them quite a number of times. after stirring, cover with lid and then again continue to cook.

7. the cooking process takes about 20 to 25 mins on a low flame. the potatoes have a crisp texture as they get roasted & browned while cooking.

8. lastly garnish with coriander leaves and serve batata nu shaak hot with rotis or parathas or even with bread. you can also drizzle some lemon juice on top while serving.

if you are looking for more gujarati recipes then do check khatti meethi dal, surati dal, methi thepla, rava dhokla and gujarati kadhi recipe.

gujarati batata nu shaak recipe below:

gujarati batata nu shaak recipe

batata nu shaak recipe - spiced dry potato curry from the gujarati cuisine.

Author: dassana

Recipe type: side

Cuisine: gujarati, indian

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients (american measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• 4 medium potatoes - 350 gms, about 2.25 cups of cubed potatoes
• 1 tsp ginger+green chili paste, ½ inch ginger and 2 green chilies, crushed to a paste in a mortar-pestle
• 1 tsp mustard seeds/rai
• 1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• 5 to 6 small to medium sized curry leaves/kadi patta
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• ¼ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
• ½ tsp coriander powder/dhania powder
• ½ tsp cumin powder/jeera
• or 1 tsp coriander-cumin powder
• a pinch of asafoetida/hing
• ½ tsp lime juice or as required, optional
• 1.5 tbsp oil
• ½ to 1 tsp sugar or as required optional
• salt as required

Instructions

1. rinse & peel the potatoes. the potatoes have to be chopped into small cubes. the smaller the size, the faster they cook.
2. heat oil and crackle the mustard seeds first in a shallow frying pan.
3. add cumin seeds and saute till they crackle.
4. add ginger and green chilli paste and curry leaves.
5. saute till raw aroma of ginger goes away. saute on a low flame so that the ginger and green chilli paste does not burn.
6. add potatoes and stir. then add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder.
7. stir well and add salt.
8. cover and cook the potatoes on a low flame till they are tender and crisp. stir the potatoes whilst they are cooking, so that they don't get burnt. since no water is added while cooking the potatoes, you have to stir them quite a number of times. after stirring, cover with lid and then again continue to cook.
9. the cooking process takes about 20 to 25 mins on a low flame.
10. the potatoes have a crisp texture as they get roasted & browned while cooking.
11. lastly garnish with coriander leaves and serve batata nu shaak hot with rotis or parathas or even with bread. you can also drizzle some lemon juice on top while serving.

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lasooni dal tadka recipe, how to make lasooni dal | lasuni dal recipe

lasooni dal tadka recipe with step by step photos – an easy version of dal tadka with flavors of garlic in it. the lasuni dal is made from tuvar dal/pigeon pea lentils. if you prefer & are fond of garlic in your food, then you will like this dal recipe.

i often add lahsun/garlic and onions in the dals which i prepare, unless i make a no onion no garlic version. there is a quite an amount of garlic added in this recipe, both while cooking the lentils and when tempering.

usually when i make garlic dal, i don't add any tangy ingredient like tomatoes or lemon juice. if you prefer a slight tang, then you can add some lemon juice, once the dal is made. if adding tomatoes, then just add them when pressure cooking the lentils.

there is also a quick and easy one pot version of garlic dal recipe already posted, in which no tempering is done.

serve the lasooni dal with rotis, jeera rice or steamed basmati rice. you can also serve an accompanying vegetable dish, salad, pickle and papad with it.

lets start step by step lasooni dal tadka recipe:

1. add rinsed tuvar/arhar dal, onions, garlic, green chilies, turmeric and asafoetida in the pressure cooker.

2. add water.

3. pressure cook the lentils for 10 to 12 whistles till you get a smooth mashable consistency.

4. mash the dal with a spoon or wired whisk. if the dal become thick, you can add some hot water and make it medium consistency. you can also have a thick consistency of this dal, if you prefer. season with salt. stir and keep aside.

5. heat ghee or oil in a small pan. splutter the cumin first.

6. then add garlic.

7. saute the garlic for some seconds. lightly browned garlic is also fine.

8. switch off the flame and add red chili powder, asafoetida/hing and dry fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi. stir.

9. pour the entire tempering/tadka in the lasuni dal. stir.

10. garnish with coriander leaves and serve lasuni dal tadka hot with steamed basmati rice or a fragrant rice like ambe mohur. you can also serve this garlic dal tadka with rotis and bread too.

if you are looking for more dal recipes then do check arhar dal fry, katachi amti, amti dal, moong dal fry and restaurant style dal tadka recipe.

lasooni dal tadka recipe below:

lasooni dal tadka recipe | garlic dal

lasooni dal tadka - mildly spiced, tempered garlic flavored pigeon pea lentils/arhar dal.

Author: dassana

Recipe type: main

Cuisine: indian

Serves: 4

Ingredients (american measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

for cooking the dal:

• 1 cup pigeon pea lentils/tuhar dal/arhar dal
• 2.75 to 3 cups water for pressure cooking the lentils
• 1.5 tbsp garlic/lahsun
• ¼ cup finely chopped onions/pyaz
• 1 to 2 green chillies/hari mirch
• ½ tsp cumin powder/jeera powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder/haldi
• ½ tsp lemon juice or as required (optional)
• salt as required
• ½ to 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for garnish

tempering the lasooni dal

• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic/lahsun
• ½ tsp cumin/jeera
• 1.5 to 2 tbsp ghee
• ½ kashmiri red chilli powder
• pinch of asafoedita/hing
• ½ tsp dry fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi

Instructions

cooking the dal:

1. add rinsed tuvar/arhar dal, onions, garlic, green chilies, turmeric and asafoetida/hing in the pressure cooker.
2. add water. pressure cook the lentils for 10 to 12 whistles till you get a smooth mashable consistency.
3. mash the dal with a spoon or wired whisk. if the dal become thick, you can add some hot water and make it medium consistency. you can also have a thick consistency of this dal, if you prefer. season with salt. stir and keep aside.

tempering the dal/tadka:

1. heat ghee or oil in a small pan. splutter the cumin first.
2. then add garlic. saute the garlic for some seconds. a light brown garlic is also fine.
3. switch off the flame and add red chili powder, asafoetida/hing and dry fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi. stir.
4. pour the entire tempering/tadka in the lashuni dal. stir.
5. garnish with coriander leaves and serve lasooni dal tadka hot, with steamed basmati rice or a fragrant rice like ambe mohur. you can also serve the lasooni dal tadka with rotis and bread too.
6. you can also add some lemon juice to the dal toward the end, to give a slight tang.

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Select CategoryAndhra RecipesAwadhi CuisineBaked SnacksBengali RecipesBeveragesBread RecipesChutneysCooking Tips & MethodsCulinary TermsDal RecipesDessertsEgg RecipesEggless CakesFasting RecipesFestival RecipesgeneralGoan RecipesGujarati RecipesHyderabadi CuisineIndian Breads & ParathasIndian Breakfast RecipesIndian CurriesIndian Street FoodIndian Vegetable RecipesIndo-Chinese RecipesInternational CuisinesKarnataka RecipesKashmiri RecipesKerala RecipesKids RecipesKonkani RecipesLow Fat RecipesMaharashtrian RecipesMalvani RecipesMicrowave RecipesMughlai RecipesNo Onion No GarlicNorth Indian RecipesPaneer RecipesParsi RecipesPickles-Sauces-DipsPunjabi RecipesRajasthani RecipesRegional Indian CuisineRice RecipesSindhi RecipesSouth Indian RecipesSpiritual CornerStarters & SnacksSummer RecipesTamil NaduTiffin RecipesVegan RecipesVegan Sweets & Desserts

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Chambord Marshmallows: Boozy Good Fun

If you look very closely, you'll see a faint, dusty rose tinge to these marshmallows. That, my friends, is the boozy portion of this homemade marshmallows recipe. I've been meaning to try my hand at boozy marshmallows for a while now. I was aiming for a somewhat delicate flavor; maybe something a bit floral or perhaps fruity.  After a quick liquor cabinet inventory, Chambord was the winner.

Chambord is a beautiful reddish-purple raspberry liqueur, so at the thought of using it, visions of deep pink marshmallows danced in my head. Imagine my surprise when the color was beaten into submission. I watched as the whisk gradually worked in the molten sugar and erased all but a faint trace of color I'd imagined.

But boy, oh boy, the smell that escaped from the bowl were heady and all together intoxicating! It made any disappointment niggling at the back of my mind due to the loss of color vanish.

If you've never made homemade marshmallows before, I recommend that you remedy that soon. They may seem daunting, but if you have two all-important tools - a candy/deep-frying thermometer and a stand mixer with whisk attachment - they couldn't be simpler.  I bet that once you've made them for the first time (or maybe I should say tasted the glory that is a homemade marshmallow for the first time), you'll never look back.

It also bears mention that homemade marshmallows make THE best s'mores on the face of this earth. Since they are coated with a good layer of powdered sugar, they quickly form a gorgeous caramelized crust on the outside when held over a flame, while the inside melts into a marvelous goo.

Messy? You bet. Worth it? Indeed.

Also try giving them as handmade holiday gifts. They are the perfect complement to a glass of rich hot chocolate (boozy or tame). Try adding a different liqueur or going with all water. Scrape in some vanilla beans. Add some flowery orange blossom water or rosewater. Cut them large or small, or even use well-dipped cutters to make fun shapes. You may find that you have yourself a new addiction. 

Ready to make some s'mores with these gorgeous chambord marshmallows? Don't miss Heather's post for homemade graham crackers from this morning. 

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Chambord Marshmallows Recipe

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Ingredients

• 3 unflavored gelatin envelopes, 1/4 ounce
• 4 ounces chambord
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• pinch of sea salt
• vegetable oil
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Lightly oil an 8-inch pan and set aside.
2. Put the Chambord in the bowl of your stand, then sprinkle the gelatin over it. Allow it to sit and soften. Make sure your whisk attachment is connected.
3. In the meantime, combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Clip a candy thermometer to the pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, avoid stirring once it starts to bubble. Allow to boil until the thermometer registers 238°F. Remove from heat.
4. Turn your mixer on low speed, then very carefully pour the hot syrup into the gelatine mixture in a slow and steady stream down the side of the bowl. Once it has all been added, increase to high and continue to beat until the mixture is very thick and forms ribbons, 10-12 minutes.
5. Working VERY quickly, use an oiled rubber spatula to scrape the whole thing into your prepared pan and smooth the top of the mixture.
6. Let stand at room temperature until the top is no longer sticky, 2-3 hours.
7. Run an oiled knife around the edges of the pan. Scoop some powdered sugar into a strainer and dust a large cutting board with it. Flip the marshmallow slab out of the pan and onto the prepared cutting board. Dust the top with a good coat of powdered sugar, then cut the marshmallow slab into squares (or however you like). Dust your knife with powdered sugar, as needed. Once again, dust the marshmallows with powdered sugar, turning to coat all of the sides.
8. Store the marshmallows in single layers between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 1 week.

Notes

• Don't worry if the marshmallows stick to the knife a bit when you're cutting them – they are very forgiving and sort of bounce back into place.
• I actually think that they are at their best texture after being stored for a few days.
• If you do not want to use booze, substitute it with an equal amount of water.

Source: Adapted from epicurious

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