… from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? At the Lawry’s California Center test kitchen Sandy and I used to spend lunch time trying to come up with new recipes that used Lawry’s products. This Taco Ring is still one of my favorites that we collaborated on. It is a dramatic, delicious appetizer or main dish that everyone loves. Lawry’s Taco seasoned ground beef and melty cheese wrapped in a buttery, flaky Pillsbury crust are perfect for game day, Taco Tuesday, or any night of the week! A Taco Crescent Ring brings together all the flavors of traditional tacos wrapped in a soft and flaky pastry instead of taco shells. Not only is this one of the best dinner ideas for picky kid eaters, it can also be an easy appetizer for food-loving adults. Try it once, and without a doubt, it will be a family favorite in no time! Prep time: 10 minutes Cook/bake time: 35 minutes Yield: 10 servings Ingredients 1 pound ground beef 1 package taco seasoning (I prefer Lawry’s brand) 4 ounces chopped green chilies (small can—do not drain) 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided) 2 cans (8 ounces) crescent roll dough (I prefer Pillsbury brand) Directions
ChefSecrets: Keep the crescent dough cold until ready to use. You can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for the ground beef. You can add diced onions to the meat mixture when cooking. Once the beef and onion are cooked down, add the taco seasoning and green chilies. My favorite taco toppings are shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, black olives, taco sauce, pico de gallo, salsa, salsa verde, queso dip, jalapeños, shredded cheddar cheese, refried beans and guacamole. Quip of the Day: You cannot make everybody happy all the time, after all, you are not a taco. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a with our readers? Send your favorite recipes, pictures or thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. Recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. #Baking #Appetizers #Entrees #CrescentRolls #TacoRing #Lawrys #Pillsbury #2023Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023
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…from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour BarHow you doin’? I have a bowl of cubed cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon in my refrigerator ready to eat most mornings. It’s a great way to start the day. I dig around and get as much of the watermelon as I can and hope it’s sweet and juicy. Watermelon is not only a great day-starter, it is abundant at summer cookouts and gatherings. There is a way to step it up for the centerpiece for a summer happy hour by infusing it with vodka. It takes the fruit (and your party) to a whole new level of fun. There is a reason it is sometime known as a drunken watermelon. All it takes is a pint of vodka, a whole small watermelon and a little time. The recipe calls for simply injecting vodka into a whole watermelon and letting it slowly seep into the fruit. When it's ready, just cut the melon into pieces and enjoy eating this delicious boozy summer treat. This is an adult only snack make sure to keep the kids away and let your guests know that the watermelon slices have vodka in them so no one's surprised by getting stopped by the police on the way home. Prep time: 30 minutes Infusing time: 12 hours Yield: 8 to 12 servings Ingredients 1 watermelon 1 pint (375ml) of vodka (you can use rum or tequila as well) Directions Using a marinade injector to infuse a whole watermelon with vodka is a simple and much more effective method than pouring the vodka into a hole in a watermelon, as we used to do in college.
Warning: Enjoy, but because the fruit has soaked up a pint alcohol, eating a slice of the spiked watermelon is equivalent to drinking a cocktail and therefore should be consumed in moderation. ChefSecret: Use a large, rimmed baking sheet under the melon to catch any excess vodka. You can also use a flavored vodka, such as citrus or berry, to add more flavor to your watermelon. Quip of the Day: Why did the watermelon have brown spots all over its skin? It had melanoma. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. #Cocktail #HappyHour #Watermelon #InfusedWatermelon #Vodka #Cheers #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 … from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? When I was a kid, I was a Boy Scout. Even then I loved to cook on an open fire. Nothing really special—hot dogs on a stick, chicken on a grill and S’mores. Summer campfire grills were a favorite. But what do you do when the weather turns cold, and you are no longer able to toast marshmallows over lapping flames? Well, I’m here to tell you there's more than one way to make S'mores. This classic campfire treat can be just as satisfying from a home oven and microwave allowing you to enjoy S’mores come rain or shine. You can treat yourself to a combination of two classic favorites—S'mores and Blondies— with this inventive and mouthwatering S'mores Graham Blondie Pie recipe. Yummmy… gooey marshmallow creme, velvety smooth milk chocolate and crunchy graham crackers in a buttery blondie crust. Perfect for any in-home gathering. Share nostalgic memories and tease tastebuds while transporting everyone to memories of cozy scout campfires all year round. Prep time: 17 minutes Bake time: 23 minutes Cool time: 2 hours 30 minutes Yields: 1 pie / 6 to 8 servings Ingredients 6 milk chocolate bars (1.5-ounces), divided (I prefer Hershey's milk chocolate) 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1 teaspoon baking powder 1-1/2 cups marshmallow cream (I prefer Kraft Marshmallow Fluff) 1/4 teaspoon butter 2 pints ice cream or 40 toasted miniature puffed marshmallow (optional) Directions
ChefSecret: I like the taste of the original S’mores so I always use Hershey’s Milk Chocolate and Kraft Marshmallow Fluff. Quip of the Day: So, it's the 4th of July night and all the dead presidents are gathered around a campfire having a party. They're drinking and eating and just generally having a grand ol' time when President Washington puts President Lincoln on the spot. W: "Hey there, Lincoln, do that speech you do!” L: " What speech?" W: "The speech! You know, the one!!!!" L: "Ohhh, that speech. Yeah, that speech. Nah, I can't remember the words anymore." W: "Whaddya mean you can't remember the words??? It's the speech; you've given it a million times!!! You've got that like burned in your brain, right?" L: "Well, yeah, normally, sure, I've got it memorized, but that was four s'mores and seven beers ago!!!" ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your favorite recipes, pictures or thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. Recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. #Dessert #Smores #Blondies #SmoresBlondiePie #Hershey #Kraft #SummerFun #2023Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 …from the Perspectives’ KitchenHow you doin’? I don’t know about you but when summer comes, I like to keep meals (indoors or outdoors) simple and safe as possible. Whether you’re hosting a feast or a family dinner, here is a bowl recipe for every type of spring or summer celebration—my favorite Chicken, Black Beans and Veggies Bowls–which just happen to be red, white, blue and delicious! I’ve included my most flavorful no-soak black beans recipe which is a great base for a perfect plant-based foundation to any epic bowl! If you want to cut the cooking time down by hours you can use canned black beans that have been drained and washed. Veggie-filled summer bowls make the perfect presentation for a DIY feast and might just very well be the easiest meal to serve at just about any celebration. Because so many of the ingredients like beans, salsas and toppings can be made in advance of the gathering, there is no need to light the stove. Summer is when fresh produce is at its peak of freshness! The sky is the limit with your toppings, and you should totally reach for it. Think fresh salsa, guacamole and fresh roasted corn. There are almost as many dietary preferences and restrictions these days at a party as there are guests! You can make the dietary equation easier on yourself with a DIY, a la carte bowl bar where guests can help themselves to all that is good and good for them. The recipe below can feed a crowd with minimal effort and can be made well in advance of your gathering. Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 3 hours Yield: 6 servings Ingredients For the black beans 1 pound dried black beans rinsed, picked through any small debris removed 1/4 of a red onion, rough chopped 2 bay leaves 3 sprigs cilantro 1 sprig oregano 3 cloves garlic smashed; peel removed 1- 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt For the roasted veggies 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 bell peppers, thinly sliced 1 white onion, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic minced 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt For the bowl 6 cups cooked rice of your choice 1/4 cup roasted corn 12 cherry tomatoes cut in half 1/4 cup slice bottled jalapeños 1/2 cup diced jicama 1/4 diced Oaxaca cheese 1 cup leftover rotisserie or roasted chicken Fresh-made salsa and guacamole 1/2 cup tortilla strips Directions To make the black beans
ChefSecret: Cooked beans can be stored tightly covered in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Quip of the Day: “What did the tortilla chip say to the avocado when the veggie bowl was empty? Answer: “We’ve hit guac bottom!” ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Send your favorite recipes, pictures or thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. Recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. #Bowls #Chicken #Veggies #BlackBeans #Rice #Guacamole #Entrees #Lunch #Dinner #OaxacaCheese #2023Recipes #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 …from the Perspectives’ Happy Hour BarHow you doin’? A couple of weeks ago I shared a recipe with a similar name—Cooking Lesson #623, The St. Tropez Summer Fruit Tart. If you’re not up to baking up a storm, here’s a summer cocktail that may work for you on any occasion. The St-Tropez Cocktail is a light and refreshing, clear colored drink made with Grey Goose Citron citrus vodka, St-Germain elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, almond extract and club soda. It’s all served over ice in a Collins or tall highball glass. It looks and tastes benign, but really packs a punch. Saint-Tropez (the place) is the most luxurious resort on the French Riviera. Despite the ubiquitous luxury and wealth, it's still just a small fishing village. Ingredients 1 ounce citrus vodka (Grey Goose Le Citron) 1 ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur 1/4 ounce lemon juice 1 drop of almond extract Top off with club soda Garnish with a lemon round slice and a whole small strawberry Serve in a Collins glass Directions
ChefSecret: The almond extract—just a drop—gives a very special richness. The St-Germain elderflower liqueur has a very unique flavor and makes the drink. We started using it in our chocolate centers at Choclatique. It was one of our most popular flavors. St‑Germain is a French liqueur made with fresh elderflowers, hand-picked once a year in the late spring. To accomplish its exquisitely natural flavor, every bottle of St‑Germain contains up to 1,000 of the very best elderflower blossoms, resulting in a finely crafted, perfectly balanced and refined liqueur. Quip of the Day: I tried to say no to vodka, but it was 40% stronger than I. ------------------------------------------- Do you have a question or comment? Do you want to share a with our readers? Send your favorite recipes, pictures or thoughts to ed@perspectives-la.com. Recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/covid-19-survival-guide. ------------------------------------------- To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, be positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to Feeding America and/or American Red Cross. #Cocktail #HappyHour #StTropezCocktail #StGermain #Elderflowers #ElderflowerLiqeuer #Vodka #Cheers #2023 #QuarantineKitchen #Covid19 #FeedingAmerica #RedCross #PerspectivesTheConsultingGroup ©PERSPECTIVES/The Consulting Group, LLC, 2023 |
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