May 24, 2012
Shaved Asparagus Salad
April 19, 2012
Roasted Vegetable Tart
Some days you just want some good-ole roasted tasty veggies! Why not take them to the next level and put all of those delicious flavors on top of some puff pastry and call it a meal!?
Like this:
January 10, 2012
SALSA – canned tomato version
When people ask you what your favorite food is, what answer do you give them? For me I have to always say that it is a tie between Chips & Salsa and Dark Chocolate (I know, its a strange “combination” – but as long as I eat them separately, who is to judge)!
The more I have started to make my own salsa, the less I care for the stuff that you get out of a jar from the store. I love making garden fresh salsa and salsa verde and chunky pico de gallo – but this salsa right here made from canned tomatoes and some fresh ingredients is seriously some of the best salsa that I have tasted AND its easy to make year-round AND its cheap AND in case you didn’t hear me the first time it’s delicious!!!
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[Canned Tomato] Salsa
adapted from The Pioneer Woman - makes about 2 quarts
- 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice (or diced)
- 2 cans (10 Ounce) Ro*tel Tomatoes (Mexican flavored Tomatoes – pick your flavor)
- 1/4 cup Chopped Onion (1 small onion works)
- 1 – 3 cloves Garlic, Minced (depends on your preference)
- 1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
- 1/4 teaspoon Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 1/2 cup Cilantro (more to taste!)
- 1/2 whole Lime juice (about 1 Tablespoon)
Note: this is a very large batch. Even in my food processor it leaks out a little bit, so I usually make this as a two step process & then mix it together in a large bowl.
Combine onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, & lime juice in a blender or food processor. Mix until a medium/fine chunk. Add the whole/chunk tomatoes and Ro*tel tomatoes as well as the cilantro. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like—I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or melted cheese nachos or for a healthy alternative (and one of my favorite super-healthy snacks) with some celery.
And I leave you with this, Today’s Question of the Day… how do you like your salsa?
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September 17, 2011
Bacon Habanero Infused Vodka
As a teacher, I often think about my personal vs. public life. This blog makes me think about those private/personal lines and my privacy as well (especially right now as I am teaching Internet Safety/Responsibility/etc). I am an adult, but I am also an educator and the shaper of young minds. My students know that I blog and I am sure that some of them have found it. 
I’m an adult who is legally allowed to consume alcoholic beverages (not that I ever really do though, seriously, its pretty rare for me- I can count on my hands the number of times I have had a drink in the past year). Even though I am an adult – I always want to be a responsible role model for my students.
So here is the post, written by a teacher in her late 20′s who is a lover of food and exploring new ways to use her ingredients and who also encourages her students to make the right choices in their life…
I made Bloody Mary Tomato Juice for my Grandmother with lots of our garden fresh tomatoes and wanted some spicy vodka to go with it, especially since I was making the drinks for my grandmother who loves them spicy (a constant challenge to make them spicy enough for grandma)! We have an over-abundance of habaneros in our garden (all thanks to one plant) and I am trying to come up with ways to use them without burning my face (or hands) off! When I stumbled across Kitchen Konfidence, I knew that I had to make this for my grandmother (and share with my spice-loving neighbor).
At first I was not sure if I should add the bacon (by all means feel free to make this vegetarian by leaving out the bacon), but it did add a bit of ‘smokiness’ to the vodka. Play around with it & be careful with the heat (no touching your eyes) and how long you let this infuse!!
enjoy responsibly and always think before you act
Bacon-Habanero Infused Vodka
- 2 – 3 slices (cooked) bacon
- 2 habaneros, sliced in half
- 1 jalapano
- 2 cups (approx..) vodka
Cook, drain, & cool Bacon. Slice your peppers in half. Add all solids to a mason jar (or any clean recycled glass jar you have around the house). Pour your quality vodka over top. Allow to infuse for up to 7 days – the longer you let it set, the stronger it will be.
Feel free to use this after 2 days or so (at 2-3 days I took mine out and it was more than plenty strong for me – if you like it spicier, leave it) but after about a week, take out your solids & use your infused vodka with caution & enjoy responsibly!
I wonder what else this ingredient can be be used for… I can see some sort of “Devil Drink” to be a perfect use for this Habanero Vodka for Halloween – suggestions? 
And I Leave You with this, Today’s Question of the Day… What flavors of an infused liquid have you created or do you think you would enjoy the flavor of?
September 12, 2011
Bloody Mary – Tomato Juice
When Life gives you Lemons – You make Lemonade… SO when Life give you Tomatoes, you make Tomato Juice! We have been enjoying our garden fresh tomatoes for more than a month. I am getting to a point that I am sick and tired of chopping to make bruschetta and tomato salad and salsa though. It is time to give my blender a work-out to help ‘deal with’ my tomatoes! We loved Habanero Tomato Soup last week and since my Bloody Mary loving Grandma was home from her trip & coming to visit I had no other option but tomato juice!
The flavor of this juice was wholesome & pretty good (mom was not a fan of it). I’m not sure what I would & should change but I know that I want to experiment some more [next year probably]… any suggestions!?
“Raw” Bloody Mary Mix
roughly based on Our Share of the Harvest
(make about 1 quart)
- 2 pounds tomatoes, washed, cored and halved
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 1- 2 celery stalks
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 1-2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
Throw all ingredients in the blender – blend until smooth. Taste, adjust as needed. Refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight +) to let all of the flavors meld.
Serve with some Habanero Infused Vodka and a stalk of celery. Enjoy responsibly!
And I leave you with this, Today’s Question of the Day… Tomatoes are a Fruit, Lemons are a Fruit… what is your favorite “Fruit Juice”?
