September Catch-Up

Hello there, readers! I know I've been a ghost for the better part of a month and for that I sincerely apologize. It has been a whirlwind since Nate came home. We've been reconnecting with each other, re-arranging and updating our apartment and for awhile we were also preparing for Hurricane Florence. Thankfully Raleigh was largely spared, but pretty much everything East of Raleigh is either under water or completely devastated. It is absolutely shocking how quickly something as seemingly benign as wind and rain can leave entire towns and cities in ruin.


While we were hunkering down and preparing for possible loss of electricity, I cooked many vegetable-centric recipes to avoid waste. One such recipe was this delicious Mediterranean Zoodle concoction.


Mediterranean Zoodles

3 medium zucchinis, spiralized
2 C spinach
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, fine diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 C sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
2 Tbsp capers, drained
2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
10 Kalamata olives, halved
1/4 C parmesan cheese, shredded
1/4 C crumbled feta cheese


This recipe really couldn't be easier, which makes it absolutely ideal for a busy weeknight meal!


In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt olive oil and butter and cook onion, bell pepper and garlic until softened. Wilt the spinach and cook zucchini for 3 minutes. The goal is to obtain a perfect al dente texture. Drain excess liquid. Season with salt and pepper, use salt sparingly because there will be a latent saltiness added by the olives, capers and cheeses.


Add in the sun-dried tomatoes, capers, parsley and olives. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and toss in parmesan and feta cheeses.


This meal was delicious, filling and tasted even better the next day! I was able to get 3 servings out of this recipe and they were not small portions by any means.


Would definitely make this recipe again in a heartbeat. I could see it going very well as a cold side for a grilled chicken or salmon.


Do you have a sweet tooth? Nate and I certainly do. We love ice cream, good quality dark chocolate bars, cakes, cookies, brownies. It is all fantastic. I adapted the following recipe from my dear friend Ashley, you may remember her from my Trip to Florida blog post. She described this dark chocolate pudding and I immediately began salivating at the thought of velvety dark chocolate. I had to make it for myself and inspiration led me to this amazingly rich and decadent mousse.


Dark Chocolate Mousse

1 can coconut milk, solids only
1/2 C liquid from coconut milk
1 bag 50-70% cocoa chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 C whipped topping


Melt chocolate chips in a saucepan over medium heat and stir in coconut milk solid. Stir the mixture constantly to keep the chocolate from burning. If the chocolate becomes too thick add in a little bit of the coconut milk liquid to thin.


After the chocolate is mostly melted, stir in the vanilla and remove from heat. Allow the chocolate to cool for 5 minutes.


Fold chocolate into whipped topping and stir to fully combine.


Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours to set.


The fruits of your labor will be rewarded with a rich and luscious chocolate mousse! The chocolate is rich, the texture is fluffy and the richness goes remarkably well with a full-bodied red wine.


Stay tuned for an upcoming restaurant review and the promise to do better about posting in a timely manner!


Have a fantastic week, readers!

Low-Carb Enchilada Casserole

While Nate was in New Mexico he adopted a low-carb, high protein diet and he lost a great deal of weight as a result. He looks fantastic! He's trim and fit and I am only slightly worried he may catch the eye of some other interested parties (just kidding, sort of).


Anyway, he worked so hard to get the weight off and is determined to keep it off, so I am attempting to make low-carb dinners for us and I will say, it's hard. I just like carbs. I love bread, beer, pasta, all the other things containing carbs. Plus it's more difficult to be low/no carb as a vegetarian. EVERYTHING HAS CARBS. Anyway, last night's dinner I think was a good kick-off that made me almost forget there were no chips or tortillas.


Low-Carb Enchilada Casserole


16 oz Hatch green chile salsa/green chile sauce
3 medium-sized zucchinis, ends cut and sliced into thin ribbons
1/3 red onion, fine dice
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 bell peppers, seeded and diced
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1 beefsteak tomato, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper, to tase
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
2 avocados, pitted and sliced


Preheat oven to 375.


Pour 1/2 C of green chile salsa/sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 casserole dish and spread evenly. Make a layer of zucchini ribbons on the bottom.


Top the zucchini with 1/3 of the onion, garlic, bell peppers, jalapenos, tomato, beans, salt and pepper, and cheese. Top with more sauce and repeat the layers using all remaining ingredients. I ended up with 4 complete layers.


Top the final layer with remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes, rotating the dish halfway through.


Serve up the casserole with sliced avocado and voila!


This meal was hearty and flavorful! I got 6 servings out of this beautiful casserole and didn't feel the least bit hungry despite it being very few carbs. The avocado was a great addition to soak up any additional sauce on the plate, too. I am eagerly awaiting my next serving for lunch tomorrow!


Tonight we are keeping with the low-carb and having some Cauliflower Wings and watching the first night of football together! Have a wonderful evening readers and stay tuned for some fun recipes and event recaps!

Jackfruit Adovada

You're almost caught up! After this post there's only 1 left to write! Woohoo! This one is again about this season's ingredient du jour - JACKFRUIT!


Obviously since you know me by now, you know I'm New Mexican. I hope you've also taken the initiative to study everything about my home state and are fully aware of the State Question: Red or Green? Green chile is in everything from sweet to savory to beer and wine. Red chile is used a little more exclusively and one of the ways it's used is carne adovada. Carne adovada is pulled pork that's slow simmered in red chile sauce. It is succulent and soaks up all the great chile flavor - obviously I don't eat pork so I thought of the next best thing; you guessed it, jackfruit.


Jackfruit Adovada

That close-up though

2 C Red Chile Sauce
3 cans jackfruit in water, drained, cored and seeds removed, shredded
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving
Yellow rice, for serving
Tortillas, for serving


This recipe really couldn't be easier - after you've made your red chile sauce in a large Dutch oven or pot, add in your jackfruit, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.


Serve your jackfruit in a tortilla with rice and cheese (my traditional way of eating adovada) and enjoy!


The chile is smoky with a little kick and the texture is meaty and delicious. A perfect comfort food to make whenever a dis-placed Burquena like myself is feeling a little homesick.


Enjoy and stay tuned for the last post!

BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches

Back so soon? I know you just finished reading my Green Chile Pizza blog and you just couldn't wait to see more of my fantastic recipes! Well I can't deny you what you came all this way for! Let's get to it!


It seems like jackfruit is the new "it" ingredient this year. Before it was avocados, then bacon, then chia seeds, and now jackfruit is popping up on menus and grocery store shelves across the country. I have had this ingredient exactly once prior to making this recipe and I must say, I was less than impressed. The texture and flavor left an awful lot to be desired and to say "great substitute for pulled pork" is quite the stretch. So understandably I was a little apprehensive to work with this ingredient again, but I was pleasantly surprised by the results of my labor!


BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches

They look like aliens.

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 yellow onions, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans jackfruit in water, drained, cores and hard seeds removed, and pulled
1 bottle BBQ Sauce (I used Memphis-style but feel free to use your favorite!)
1/4 C brown sugar
1 Tbsp chile powder
1 Tsp paprika
2 Tsp kosher salt
1 Tsp pepper
1 Tsp cayenne
Hamburger buns or crusty rolls, for serving


In a large Dutch oven over medium, saute onions in olive oil until softened. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant. Add in the jackfruit, BBQ sauce and seasonings. Stir to combine. Lower the heat to medium-low and cover. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.


Place about 1 C of mixture on each bun and eat up!


This jackfruit was meaty, delicious and just may even fool your coworkers into thinking it's the Real Deal (at least it fooled some of mine!)

Looks convincing, huh?

Green Chile Pizza

Good morning readers! I apologize for the extended hiatus! I've been a busy worker-bee at my company, cooking up a storm and celebrating my husband's return from New Mexico! I'll give you a quick refresher: it's ridiculously hot and humid in Raleigh, Nate is finally home, food is good. Alright, you're all caught up so we'll move along to the recipe. I was inspired to make this pizza after my trips to Golden Crown Panaderia in Albuquerque. The Panaderia makes red and green chile bread loaves and green chile pizza dough! Chile runs through my veins and soul, I had to make this at home.


Green Chile Pizza

Look at all that chile and crusty cheese!

1 Pound Finally Perfect Pizza Dough
2 Tbsp green chile powder, mix to the dough before refrigerating overnight
1/2 C Green Monster Pesto
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 C fresh spinach
1/2 C roasted chopped green chile
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 C shredded parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp olive oil, for brushing
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning


Preheat oven to 425.


After your pizza dough has risen in the fridge overnight, roll out onto a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Pierce with a fork to prevent bubbles.


Spread on Green Monster Pesto in a single even layer leaving about 1-inch around all the crusts.


Evenly layer vegetables, chile and cheese. Brush the exposed crusts with olive oil and season with Italian seasoning.


Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet half-way through for even cooking.


Serve your pizza up the New Mexican way with some tasty Green Chile Ranch Dressing from Dion's pizza, or regular ranch dressing if you're not located in the Southwest.

Pizza and Dion's Green Chile Ranch - there's no other way to eat a pizza

This pizza was delicious! Chewy, spicy, vegetable-y and most importantly, nostalgic.


I have a stockpile of recipes I've been meaning to blog about so sit tight for more!