Meatless Monday: Three Bean Salad with Chipotle Lime Dressing

The other day I really wanted to make a three bean salad. I was at the store and beans were on sale, so I grabbed a few cans and headed home. Then I decided to look up a recipe for three bean salad because I've never made one and wanted a little guidance. Well, I wasn't thrilled with the recipes out there, and I had no idea green beans were one of the three beans in three bean salad. I like green beans, but not in a cold salad. I'd bought pinto, black, and red beans. Whoops.

So of course I just made something up as I went along . . . and I'm totally gonna toot my own horn and say it was awesome.

Three Bean Salad with Chipotle Lime Dressing

Note: this recipe uses partial cans of beans because I didn't want a lot of leftovers not knowing if it would be good or not. Feel free to adjust the ratios and use full cans if you'd like, or just freeze the leftover beans for another recipe.

Ingredients
salad:
2/3 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 can red beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup corn (frozen is fine, just thaw it out first)
1/2 cup white onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp jalapeno, minced

dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chipotle hot sauce (I really like Cholula's)
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, combine all of the salad ingredients and mix well. Be sure to stir gently so you don't crush the beans.

2. In a small container with a tight-fitting lid, combine all of the dressing ingredients and shake vigorously.

3. Pour dressing over the salad, and stir. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later. This salad is good chilled or at room temp.

Makes 4-5 servings

Note: this salad was awesome as a side dish, but totally works as a vegetarian taco too. Just sprinkle some cheese, shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes into a small tortilla shell and scoop in some of the bean salad and voila: instant veggie tacos! Or crumble the taco shells into a good-sized bowl with more lettuce and make a veggie taco salad!
Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Quick and Dirty Salsa

When I'm in plan-ahead mode, this is my go-to salsa recipe. But sometimes I'm not in plan-ahead mode. Sometimes it's 5:00 on a Friday, and I want some chips and salsa to go with my beer. My laziness inspired this quick and dirty salsa recipe, which is quickly becoming my favorite.

Quick and Dirty Salsa

Ingredients
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh jalapeno, minced
1/4 cup white onion, diced
1/2 tsp fresh cilantro, chopped (if you have it)
3-4 drops of your favorite hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. If you're really impatient, go ahead and eat it now. If you can wait, it's best to let it all marinate for 30+ minutes to get a bit juicy.

Note: this salsa is great for tacos and other dishes where you want a chunkier, less liquid salsa.

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Meatless Monday: Spicy Black Bean French Bread Pizza

Having a sister who is a vegetarian has exposed me to a new type of cooking and the impact of being a carnivore.  Countless studies lately have shown the impact that eating meat has on the environment and humans around the world. By eating just one meat-free meal a week, we can make a huge impact (in a good way)! 

Becoming vegetarian (or vegan) is a personal choice, and not one that I am trying to push on anyone. I tried it once, and it wasn't for me (meat is just too tasty!). But I do propose that you step outside your comfort zone and get creative in preparing meatless meals on a regular basis. I've found that it's fun and inspiring to create meals that provide good protein and are filling without being centered on a meat. You may even surprise yourself (or your meat-loving man) with new foods. 

I've already created a section of vegetarian recipes, but I'm going to try to post more frequently as we try to eat at least one meatless meal a week. 

Here's this week's recipe: Spicy Black Bean French Bread Pizza.

Ingredients:
your favorite french bread loaf (we actually used ciabatta bread this time)
1 cup spicy black bean dip
1 cup salsa
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
hot sauce (optional)

Directions
1. Slice the loaf of bread in half long ways.  Spread half of the black bean dip on each half.

2. Top each half with salsa, pepper, avocado, and cheese.

3. Sprinkle with hot sauce (optional).

4. Place in oven at broil until cheese is bubbly and browned slightly.

5. Cut loaf halves into pieces and serve!

Serving Suggestion: Serve with tortilla chips and leftover salsa and black bean dip on the side. Or slice up the remaining half of the avocado to cool your mouth after the spicy pizza!

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Fajita Lasagna

Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?  My favorite part about Mexican dishes is that they are basically all the same ingredients, they just take a different form. So, I thought, why can't there be fajita lasagna? The answer is, there can be!

This was super freaking tasty and is at the top of Mr. FoodWhore's "please-make-that-again-soon" list. I might add some avocado or sour cream to the layers next time to make it a little "creamier."

Ingredients
2 small onions, diced
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey / beef
2 bell peppers, sliced and chopped
taco seasoning
2 cups salsa
4 tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese (I used the premixed Mexican variety)

Directions
1. In a large skillet, heat some olive oil and sautee the onion until soft.

2. Add the ground meat and cook completely.

3. Mix in the taco seasoning and peppers. Mix well. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for a few minutes to soften the peppers slightly.

4. Grease a 9 x 9 pan.

5. Place one of the tortillas in the bottom of the pan. Layer in 1/4 of the meat and pepper mixture. Pour on 1/2 cup of the salsa and 1/2 cup of cheese.

6. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used. 

7. The "lasagna" can be baked immediately (30 minutes at 350*), refrigerated to bake the next day (extend cook time by 15 minutes if it's cold), or freeze to bake another time. If you freeze the lasagna, thaw for 24 hours in the frige before baking.

Serve with rice.

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Chicken Enchiladas

Mr. FoodWhore is always requesting Mexican food. I think it's because it gives him yet another excuse to use his beloved Cholula hot sauce.  He's addicted to it. Seriously. I can't keep enough of it in house. 

I'm also trying to make one meal a week that will yield a lot of servings (casseroles, etc), so we can eat a few meals and then freeze leftovers for later.  One of my food goals for 2011 is to eat out less and stick to a budget, so this really helps. 

Anyway, this week I opted for Chicken Enchiladas. And since I was feeling ambitious (and had all the ingredients in-house), I decided to make the sauce from scratch too.  The sauce was a bit hotter than I would like, although it was quite tasty.  Next time, I will cut back a bit on the chili powder.  In the end, this got two thumbs up from the FoodWhore household and will definitely be a recipe we make again and again. 

Ingredients:
sauce:
1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp chipotle powder
4 cups chicken broth
1 oz square semi-sweet chocolate

enchiladas:
2 bone-in chicken breasts
8-12 whole wheat tortillas
3 cups shredded white cheese (I used mozzarella, but use your favorite)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can diced tomatoes
1 green bell pepper, diced

Directions:
1. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Drizzle lightly with olive oil (optional) and bake on a cookie sheet for 45 minutes at 350* or until they reach an internal temperature of 175*.

2. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce.  Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onions and garlic until soft and transulcent.

3. Add in the spices and herbs. Mix well until onions are coated.

4. Stir in chicken broth and reduce to medium low heat.  Stir in the flour and continue to simmer until sauce reaches desired consistency. Mix in chocolate until melted. Remove sauce from heat and let sit.

*Note: I added about 2 more tbsp of flour here. The sauce thickened a bit, but it thickens much more when the enchiladas bake, so don't worry if it's thin.

5. When chicken is done cooking, allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then remove chicken from bone and pull or chop to bite-sized pieces.

6. Heat the tortillas (nuke in a microwave with a damp paper towel). And prepare to assemble the enchiladas.

7. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. 

8. In each tortilla, sprinkle a small handful of chicken, about 1/4 cup of the sauce and a 1/4 cup of white cheese. Roll tightly and place in the pan. Repeat until the chicken, tortillas and white cheese are gone.

9. Pour remaining sauce over the tortillas.

10. Sprinkle with diced tomatoes, peppers and shredded cheese.

11. Bake enchiladas in the oven at 350* for 30 minutes. If you refrigerate the enchiladas before baking, they will need to bake for about 45 minutes. 

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Taco Surprise Stew

A friend passed this recipe along to me. I tweaked it a bit.  At first, I did not like the flavor of the ranch dip seasoning at all. It just didn't taste right.  It was too overwhelming. So I added hot sauce to kick it up a notch and to mask the ranch flavor. Problem solved. Next time, I might not even use the ranch dip mix at all.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
1 can corn
1 can pinto beans
1 can black beans
3 cans no-salt added diced tomatoes
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 envelope ranch dip/dressing mix
1 minced onion
1 can chicken broth
hot sauce to taste
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Sautee the onions in a pot. Add the meat and cook.

2. Pour the tomatoes and corn into a large pot. Add remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and allow soup to sit for at least 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Calories: 185 per heaping cup
add 1/4 cup low-fat mexican cheese, 80 calories
serve with Stacy's bagel chips, 130

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Chicken Taco Bowl

This recipe was born of a lot of leftovers in my fridge.  We'd had tacos earlier in the week and the shells had gone stale. So I ate my tacos naked (without the shell . . . I was fully clothed).

Ingredients
1 cup rice, 170
1/2 cup shredded chicken, 65
1/4 cup 2% shredded cheese, 80
2 tbsp low-fat sour cream, 40
3 tbsp salsa, 14
hot sauce, 0
1/3 cup avacado, 132

500 calories
*To cut down on calories, increase amount of chicken and decrease the amount of rice.

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Mexican Flatbread Pizza

I've already made one kind of Mexican pizza, but we decided to give it another try last week.  This time we went more pizza and less Mexican.  But it was equally delicious.

Ingredients
Ready-made pizza dough
1 lb ground turkey (or beef)
taco seasoning
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
3 cups shredded cheese (I use a Mexican blend)

Directions
1. Preheat grill to 325.

2.  Roll out pizza dough and place on greased foil.  (I place the foil on a large cutting board, which makes it easy to transfer the pie on to the grill.)

3. Cook the ground meat and add the taco saeasoning.  Once it's done, spread evenly on the dough.

Note: You might want to add enchilada sauce if you like a "wetter" pizza.  There's no real sauce on this recipe, and we'd probably try that next time.



4. Top pizza with tomatoes, onion and cheese.


5. Cook on the grill for about 10-12 minutes.  Pizza is done when crust is light golden brown color and cheese is bubbly.


Bon Appetit!
The Foodwhore

101/Cantina

I may have a new favorite restaurant. Yesterday, we checked out a new place near campus called 101/Cantina. It's a modern mix of southwest/Mexican food. I had the chicken enchiladas which were amazing. Mr. Foodwhore went for the beef nachos and was equally impressed. The menu seemed a bit pricey at first glance, but when the bill came, we were surprised that it was closer to what we'd spend at Moe's or Tijuana Flats.

101/Cantina also offers a HUGE menu of tequila (including a $75 shot!) and a ridiculous amount of tempting margaritas. Can't wait to get started on those. : )

But one of the best features of the place is the actual location. There's seating on the front patio, perfect for people-watching. The inside features a large bar and seating along the far wall. But the back deck is where it's at. There's an impressive tiki-bar out there with 4 HD flat-panel tvs, surrounded by great mod-mex decor and a dozen or so more tables. As the weather gets cooler, I envision myself spending a lot of time on that back deck, especially for Monday's $4 margaritas or for the hourly free tequila shots on Sundays.

Tequila Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

Easy, light and healthy...this meal was full of fresh flavor.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
1 cup tequila
1/2 cup lime juice
chipotle powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 tomato diced
2 avocados, sliced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 cup fat free sour cream
4 whole wheat tortillas

Directions:
1. Over medium heat, combine tequila and lime juice. Bring to temp and add chicken.

2. Season chicken breasts with chipotle powder and salt and pepper.

3. Cook until bottom side is no longer pink (approx. 3 mins). Flip breasts, season and cook until done all the way through (approx 5-7 minutes).


4. While chicken is cooking, prep your veggies. Diced, slice and shred.

5. Remove chicken from the stove and slice into thin strips.

6. Heat the tortillas by placing them on a plate with a damp paper towel and nuking them in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

7. Top the tortillas with cheese, veggies, and chicken.


8. Use sour cream to hold the tortilla wrapped together.


*Note: serve with black beans and yellow rice to make a complete meal. This recipe will yield 4 soft tacos.

Bon Appetit!

The FoodWhore

Shrimp Paiea

There's lots of ways to make paiea, lots of different ingredients you can use, but this is the way my dad used to make it when I was a kid. It's simple and healthy and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 white onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1-1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined

green peas (frozen are ok)

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced

fresh cilantro

chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat and sautee onions until translucent.

2. Add in the bell peppers, tomatoes, and carrots and sautee until slightly tender (3-5 minutes).

3. Toss in the peas if they are frozen. If you are using canned peas, you can add them at the last minute (as the shrimp are finishing up). Frozen will need a few minutes to warm up.

4. Add the shrimp and cook until pink. Do not over cook the shrimp. They will only need a couple minutes to cook all the way through.

5. Season with salt, pepper and a bit of chili powder for a kick.

6. Serve over yellow rice and garnish with cilantro.

Yum!

Bon Appetit!

The Food Whore

Barbeque Chicken Quesadillas

About a week ago, Mr. Foodwhore told me he was going to make dinner. He went to the store, bought the ingredients and then never made the meal. So on Monday night, he finally came through. Being the wonderful (and meddling) wife that I am, I couldn't stay out of the kitchen. So I started to rummage through the fridge looking for the pitas we needed for the meal. They were nowhere to be found. Upon questioning Mr. FW, we realized that instead of buying pitas, he bought tortillas. Now what?

We couldn't make barbeque chicken pizzas on tortillas. They were too flimsy to support the pizza. So we decided to switch things up a bit and make barbeque chicken quesadillas.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
BBQ sauce
1/2 onion
shredded cheddar cheese
tortillas

1. Cook the chicken in a pan on the stove until done. Using two forks, pull the meat apart to shred it.

2. Dice the onion and sautee it in a large pan. Add the chicken and barbeque sauce. Add enough sauce to coat the chicken, but not so much that the chicken is swimming in sauce. You want it to be "pulled pork" consistency.

3. On a tortilla, sprinkle cheddar cheese. Top with the chicken mix and another tortilla. Spread some additional barbeque sauce on the top layer and sprinkle with more cheddar. Toast in the oven until the cheese is melted.

We used 8" tortillas. This made 2 full quesadillas for us, plus some leftover chicken. It was delicious and this will definitely be a meal that we do again.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

As springtime turns the weather warmer, we tend to pack away those hearty soup recipes for cooler weather and opt for light salads and fresh produce. It was cold here this week (probably for the last time this season) and I decided to get one last hurrah in for my Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Ingredients
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tbsp chili powder
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
10.5 oz can condensed chicken broth
1 1/4 cups water
2 cups whole corn kernels, cooked
2 cups white hominy (found with canned corn)
2 fresh jalapenos, diced
2 cans black beans, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
crushed tortilla chips
sliced avocado
shredded Monterey Jack cheese
chopped green onions
sour cream

1. Sautee onions and garlic in a large stock pot.

2. Stir in chili powder, tomatoes, broth and water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add corn, hominy, beans, cilantro, jalapenos, and chicken. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Top with chips, cheese, avacado, onion and sour cream to serve.

Serves 8

Bon Appetit!

The Food Whore

Yo Quero Mexican Pizza

In the mood for a tasty Mexican treat that won't upset your stomach like Taco Bell? Mr. Food Whore and I were at a loss for dinner last night. He suggested Mexican, and we went from there. We were kind of winging it, but we came up with a tasty, healthy version of Mexican Pizza.

Ingredients
4 whole wheat tortillas (medium size)
1 can refried beans
1/2 lb ground turkey
taco seasoning
tomato chopped
shredded Mexican cheese
1/3 cup chopped onion
enchilada sauce

1. Preheat oven to broil.

2. Cook ground turkey in a sauteed pan with taco seasoning.

3. On a cookie sheet, lay out two tortillas. Spread each with a couple tablespoons of refried beans.
4. Spread out half the ground turkey on each tortilla.

5. Sprinkle each with enchilada sauce, tomatoes, and onions.

6. Top with cheese.

The inside layer of the pizza

7. On the other two tortilla, spread more refried beans and place on top of the cheese (bean side down).

8. On top of tortilla, sprinkle more cheese and enchilada sauce.

9. Place cookie sheet in oven and broil until the cheese is melted.

going into the oven

10. Cut into wedges and serve with black beans and yellow rice.

Makes 2-4 servings. I ate half of a pizza, but Mr. Food Whore was hungry and ate a whole one.

Hot out of the oven and ready to eat

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Taco Chicken

We tried a new recipe last night: Taco Chicken. I have to admit, I had my reservations about this meal, but it was delicious. This definitely qualifies as a simple meal and I'll be adding it to my repetoire.


Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 potatoes, sliced very thin
1 pack taco seasoning
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
sour cream
1 cup salsa (try home-made salsa...click here for my recipe)

1. Pre-heat oven to 400.

2. Lay out 4 pieces of foil (approx 12" x 12")

3. On the foil, lay out a 1/4 of the potatoes in a pile. Top with chicken.

4. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/4th of the taco seasoning, salsa, and cheese.

5. Wrap the foil up and fold in to seal. Repeat three more times.

6. Place foil pouches on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

7. Remove chicken and potatoes from foil and top with sour cream before serving.

I served corn on the cob as a side item with this meal. For those of you counting calories, the taco chicken is 364 calories.

The Food Whore's Commandment #1

Thou shalt not follow a chili recipe.

I know this may sound a little odd, considering I am going to give you a chili recipe later in this post, but hear me out first. Chili, as with many other things in life, must be tweaked to make it your own. Just like a personalized playlist on your iPod or a pair of pants that needs tailoring, chili must be adapted to suit you best. Why else would there be hundreds (if not thousands) of chili contests across the country each year? Everyone has their personal preference, and you've got to find yours.

So here is my chili recipe, which I am passing along to you on one condition: you may not follow this recipe verbatim. Taste it along the way, add new spices, different sauces...make it your own.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

46 oz tomato sauce

1 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup diced chili

1/2 cup diced green pepper
2 tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 tsps ground cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 can red beans

1 can kidney beans

hot sauce to taste

salt and pepper to taste

1. place ground turkey in a skillet and cook over medium high heat until browned all the way through. Break up the meat as much as possible. Drain the fat when it's cooked.

2. Add all ingredients to a large stock pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serves 6.

The Food Whore's Chili Tips

• My favorite hot sauce du jour is Smack My Ass and Call Me Sally, available at Tijuana Flats. I love the habenero version. It's so tasty and not too spicy. I've taken to putting it in so many things I cook. If there's not a TF in your area, you can order it online here.


• Chili is best when served the day after you cook it. I prefer to cook it and then put it on warm in a crock pot over night.


• Top your chili with cheese, onions, jalapenos, sour cream, or fritos. Yes, fritos. Try it. It's delicious. Serve with a loaf of sour dough bread or crackers.


• If you don't like really spicy foods, start with smaller amounts of the spices and work your way up. Remember, as the chili cooks down, the seasoning will be absorbed into the chili and will likely taste stronger.


• Made your chili too spicy? Eat a piece of bread, drink milk or put a tsp of sugar on your tongue to soothe your burning tastebuds.

Bon Appetit!

The Food Whore

My Salsa Makes All the Pretty Girls Dance

I have to admit, I bought salsa for many years, but after discovering this recipe for home-made salsa I will never buy again. I found the recipe for Salsa Borracha (drunk salsa) on allrecipes.com. I've tweaked it a bit to make it my own. It's super-easy and super-delicious, and it's a synch to adapt it to your own personal taste.

Salsa Borracha (Drunk Salsa)

Ingredients

4 fresh tomatoes
1 can diced jalapenos
1 (12 fluid ounce) bottle Mexican beer (or light beer)
1/2 cup water, or as needed
1 clove garlic
1 slice onion
salt to taste
favorite hot sauce (optional)

1. Place the tomatoes and jalapenos in a medium saucepan with the beer. Add enough water to cover the tomatoes and bring to a boil.

2. Let boil for a few minutes, then turn the heat down to simmer for 10-15 minutes.

3. Remove from heat. Let the tomato mixture cool for a few minutes.

4. In a food processor or blender, combine tomato mixture, onions, and garlic. Blend until pureed.

5. Add salt and hot sauce until seasoned to taste. Mix well.

6. Pour the salsa through a strainer to remove excess liquid. The salsa will still be warm at this point. I suggest chilling it in the fridge for at least 90 minutes before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Bon Appetit!
The Food Whore

Football + Food + Party = I'm in Heaven

Super Bowl Sunday is a little more than a week away and I feel like I've died and gone to heaven. Three of my favorite things (football, food, and parties) all in one night is almost too much for my feable mind. I haven't hosted an official Super Bowl party since the Bucs won . . . yea, it's been a few years. But this year, I'm back in the saddle. Here's what I'm planning on serving:

Cream Cheese Football Dip

7 Layer Bean Dip
Chili Bar with all the Fixins

Super Bowl Cake

The cream cheese football dip is something I try to make every year for the Super Bowl. My mom and I used to make it together when I was younger and the tradition has stuck. It's super yummy and pretty easy to make. Here's a link to the recipe. I love to serve it with Triscuits because they are sturdy enough to scoop the cream cheese.

The 7 layer bean dip is another famous recipe that was handed down from a family friend. My friends call it the "Crack Dip" because they are addicted to it. It's so easy to make, even Mike has prepared it before. I guarantee if you make this dip, your friends will ask for the recipe. Here's what you'll need:

13 x 9 pan

2 cans refried beans
8 oz sour cream

16 0z guacamole

green onions-chopped

can of black olives-sliced

2 tomatoes-diced and "drained"

taco seasoning

small can diced jalapenos

2-3 cups shredded Mexican cheese

1. Spread beans on the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with a 1/4 of the taco seasoning

2. mix sour cream and guac and spread on the beans; sprinkle 1/4 more seasoning

3. layer tomatoes, onions, olives, and jalapenos; sprinkle with 1/4 seasoning

4. top with cheese and sprinkle with the last of the seasoning

5. cook at 350 until cheese is all melted and bubbly; let it cool for a bit before serving so the cheese isn't scalding hot. Serve with tortilla chips.

For the main course I'm planning a chili bar. I'm going to fix a huge pot of my chili and then have a buffet of fixins which will include: cheese, jalapenos, onions, fritos, bread, hot sauce, sour cream, and crackers. I'll post the recipe for my chili closer to the big day.

And finally, the cake. A friend showed me this picture of a cake she'd made and I am now inspired. In fact, this cake is the entire reason I am having a Super Bowl party. To hell with funny commercials or the Patriot's history-making season, I'm in it for the cake. All the decorations are edible. I can't wait to get wait to get to work on this sugary creation so I can post my own pictures of it.Stay tuned for my chili recipe and pictures of the Big Game Buffet!

Bon Appetit!

The Food Whore