It’s Taco Tuesday!

We need you to share your taco (or burrito or nacho) inspired recipes!  What would you cook on Taco Tuesday?  The linky is after the recipe!

This week at our house we had –

 

What you need:

• 1 can pinto beans, drained
• 2 Tablespoons of canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
• ¼ cup chopped onions
• Large clove of garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Tortillas
• Condiments (cheese, lettuce or cabbage, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, salsa, sliced radishes, etc.)

How to Do it:

Place the first six ingredients in a sauce pan and heat on medium-high until very hot, stirring constantly.  Turn to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all the flavors are blended.

Serve in tortillas with condiments.

Makes 4 servings.

© Copyright 2017 The Lazy Gastronome

 

Are you ready for the party?

Here are the most visited post from last week – Courtney’s Cookbook – And worthy of being featured!  Taco Bowls ^[1]!

And now lets get this week started!

The rules are simple –

• This is a blog HOP – please hop on over to some of the other blogs and say hi!
• This is a food blog – so keep your posts food related, preferably with recipes,
•  Keep with the theme, but think broad – Taco Inspired!

Please spread the word –  We need more Tacos!!

Help our party grow by sharing!!  Please Tweet and Facebook an invitation to your friends.

We’ll be here every Tuesday through Saturday!

So here we go –

King Cake is only available during Mardi Gras – a brioche style cake filled with cinnamon and sugar and decorated with the Mardi Gras colors.  What makes the cake special is the plastic baby that is baked inside.  The lucky person that finds it in their piece gets to provide the cake (or the whole party) the next time!

But what is Mardi Gras?  It’s a celebration that started back in Medieval times honoring the Roman Lupercus, the god of Shepherds.  The festival was called Lupercalia.  It had a circus like atmosphere and was filled with gaiety and merriment.  It is believed that the French explorer, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville, brought the party to America.  When he was exploring the Mississippi river in 1699, he camped on the west bank and called the spot Point du Mari Gras in honor of the French version of the festival Lupercalia.  It was just miles from the modern day location of New Orleans.

Louisiana is the only state that Mardi Gras is a legal holiday!  And it is full of the merriment of old.  The French translation is literally Fat Tuesday – a reasonable name for the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, which is a forty day period of sacrifice and fasting.

And tomorrow is Mardi Gras!  (February 28, 2017) – So here is a simple recipe for King Cake.  Let’s get this party started!

 

What you need:

Cake:

• 1 loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed
• ¼ cup melted butter (cooled)
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons of sugar

Filling:

• ¼ cup softened butter
• ½ cup softened cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup pecan pieces

Frosting:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• Yellow, purple and green sprinkles or sugar

How to Do it:

Flatten the dough out on a board and mix in the egg, butter and sugar.

Knead it through and place in a greased bowl.  Allow to rise until doubled in bulk.

Punch down the dough, knead lightly on a floured board, then spread out into a flat, long rectangle.

Mix the softened butter and cream cheese well with the vanilla and cinnamon.  Spread the mixture over the top of the flattened bread dough.  Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the cream cheese mixture, then top with the pecans.

Roll the dough tightly, jelly roll style, lengthwise.  Place on a baking sheet and put the two ends of the cake together making a circle.

Put a glass in the middle to hold the hole open.  Pinch the ends together to seal.  Let sit and rise to almost double in bulk.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes and the bread is golden brown.

Allow to cool.  Mix the powdered sugar with the milk and vanilla.  Drizzle the frosting over the cooled cake, then top with the colored sprinkles.

Makes about 8-10 servings

 

 

© Copyright 2017 The Lazy Gastronome

 

 

Looking for something new for dinner?  Need some ideas to get  you going?  Where here is the place to find the answer to that age old question….

^[9]

 A collection of fabulous recipes!

Share your latest and greatest recipes here – All meal or food related, family-friendly posts are invited!  Feel free to post linkys that are food related (please no travel or crafts) as well!  (Sadly, travel posts or non food posts will be deleted).

If you have a craft idea, please share it on my other blog, Pleasures of the NW – DIY Party! ^[10]

A HUGE thanks to everyone that shared last week!  There were so many amazing recipes.

And now for the top four most visited posts last week –

Please stop by and visit them – let them know how awesome they are!

The number one most visited post of the week was from Growing Up Gabel – Check out these Easy Sloppy Joe Meatball Subs! ^[11]

This Braided Bread Rings Recipe ^[12] from Treat & Trick drew a lot of attention!

Just Being Jennifer shared this beautiful treat – Candied Rice Crispy Squares ^[13]– just yum!!

And just look at these amazing Browned Butter Pecan Rolls ^[14] from the Bearded Hiker!

And now, let’s get started on another deliciously fun party!

But  Please don’t party and run!!  Visit and leave a comment for at least two other posts for each you share.  It really doesn’t take that much time (I visit them all – I even check to see if you have any interesting ads).  

And don’t forget to leave a comment – us Bloggers LOVE comments!

 Then Quick!  Tell all your friends (on facebook and twitter and anywhere else!) about the great recipes people are posting – and stop by and visit them.

There are only three rules –

1. Please Only food related posts!  Recipes, food review, even linky parties that focus on food  -If it is about food, please share it!  (Sadly, non food posts will be removed).   Please do not share posts that focus on sales of any kind.
2. Make sure you post something NEW – Not something you  posted recently
3. Visit some of the other party goers!!  That’s what makes it a party!

Grab our button for your side bar!

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Note:  By linking up you are giving the Lazy Gastronome permission to use your posts as future features on the blog.  And thank you!

Please be sure to be adding a link to your post, not to your main blog page!  We want to see your fabulous recipes!  Let’s build an amazing collection!

And now on to the PARTY!

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Carrots – You think there’s no difference? But there is!

I prefer to use real baby carrots, or even just a small variety.  Real baby carrots come straight from the ground at a young stage and are full of nutrients.  Carrots are one of the richest sources of vitamin A.  They also have a fair amount of biotin (good for hair and nails), vitamin K and fiber.  Even cooked, these little guys retain their value.

But those little bagged orange pellets are NOT baby carrots.  They are the carrots no one wants – misshapen, old, or imperfect.  They are cut into perfect little shapes, soaked in chlorine to kill bacteria and packaged for convenience.  Note, they are not bad for you, but like any produce that is pre-cut and pre-packaged, you are trading some nutritional value for convenience.

My way of thinking – it’s not that much more work to wash a fresh carrot and put it in my lunch.

Here is a recipe for tarragon roasted carrots –

What you need:

• 8 carrots, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 ½ teaspoons honey
• 1/8  teaspoon dried thyme
• ¾ teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

How to Do it:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Place the carrots in an oven-proof dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and honey.  Sprinkle the herbs evenly over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

 

© Copyright 2017 The Lazy Gastronome

what do you think?

It’s National Chili Day!

Did you know the first recipe for chili (spicy meat and beans) goes all the way back to 1512?  But some folks believe it was created in San Antonio, Texas in 1828. Whenever it was created, I’m sure glad it was!

And chilies are good for you!  Hot chilies burn those calories by triggering the body’s thermodynamic burn – and one chili pod has more vitamin C than SEVEN oranges!  It is full of vitamins A & E, as well as folic acid and potassium.  It can relieve sinus congestion, give aid to digestion and helps with migraines and muscle and joint pain.  And it gets the blood flowing!

So now that you know how great it is, here are a few recipes to try.  And I invite you to share your own at the bottom of this post!

Do you have a great chili recipe?  Please share it here!!