EZTravelpad

Thanksgiving Cheeseball

It's a Thanksgiving Cheesball

It's not recipe month but while searching for a recipe for an appetizer to take to a friend's early Thanksgiving celebration my wife found this one. I know, I should probably find the source - search the internet exhaustively for the first source, but time is short and I felt the need to share it now

So how does this relate to travel exactly?  well, it is something that you might find near the southern border of the US....

This was awesome - I made it according to her specifications, then she decorated it to ultimately look like this-

So how did I make it?

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, warmed to room temperature
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• Dash of cayenne
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 medium jalapeños- diced and divided
• 6 pieces cooked smoked bacon, crumbled and divided
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, roasted
• Townhouse crackers
• 6-10 whole pecans
• 2 slices red pepper

 

Combine the first 10 ingredients (less the divided halves of the bacon and jalapenos) in a large mixing bowl. Mix well, shape into a ball, then cool for about an hour in refrigerator

Combine the other half of the jalapenos, bacon and all of the chopped pecans in a shallow bowl or plate. Roll the cheese ball around on the mixture to coat thoroughly with the mixture

Decorate with the townhouse crackers, whole pecans and red pepper strips as pictured above

Enjoy!

October is EZTravelPad's Recipe Month - It's Margarita Time

Margaritas Made Simple - and Perfect

The recipe for the perfect Margarita is right here, and here's the beauty - the ingredients need not be fancy! You really don't need to step up to Jose Cuervo 1800 or Herradura or El Viejo Luis

Pssst- hey "other" hotels - this is a really great birthday gift for your guest!

Oh sure, I could give you the history of tequila - explain the process of making tequila - tell you which brands of tequila are the best and which brands to avoid - explain the difference between agave and mescal, but no. I am simply going to tell you this- buy whatever you want, follow this mixture and the results will be good.

You can use cheap tequila - you can use cheap triple sec, you can use cheap mixer - the secret is in proportions. The secret is in using VERY little mixer!

The Perfect Margarita

1. Fill blender almost full with cubed ice
2. Pour tequila into blender to the 20oz mark
3. Add Triple Sec to 28oz mark
4. Add Margarita Mixer (or fresh squeezed limes and lemons) to 40oz mark
5. Blend for only about 2-4 seconds, just enough to mix well and maintain "the rocks" but way less than blending it "frozen"

Pour into a Margarita glass with salted rim and enjoy on a hot day!

Basically this is giving you about a 5oz Tequila - 2oz Triple sec - 3oz mixer ratio

The IBA (IBA Official list of Cocktails) standard is 7:4:3, that is, 50% tequila, 29% Triple Sec, 21% fresh lime or lemon juice.

Yes, it's strong- but apparently (and I REALLY don't know how this happened) my mix is a little less strong than the standard. I can assure you though, that my mix is heavier on tequila than you may be used to at Margaritaville

No, you don't want to have very many

Yes, you should make sure the women's clothes are securely fastened because they could fall off after a few.....

But seriously, I have made this recipe many, many times for many, many people - and even those who are not fond of strong drinks love it - just don't plan on driving home....

Recipe Month Concludes with THE Secret to Banana Pancakes

Secret to Best Banana Pancakes Ever!

When I was young my Mom would sometimes make me banana pancakes. I was young, they were good - kind of...

Now I love my Mom, but she never really was a great cook- she worked, really hard long hours - and those were the days the convenience foods were first going mainstream - you know, instant pudding, instant potatoes, and Bisquick.

So her method for making banana pancakes was bisquick + milk + egg - mix well. Add batter to pan and throw some cut up bananas on top - viola, banana pancakes

So when I started cooking on my own I thought Bisquick was what you used to make pancakes - and biscuits, etc. Then came more knowledge about cooking, AND understanding the cost of Bisquick. Not to give you a lecture on saving money but do this- pick up a cookbook, look how easy it is to mix your own pancake batter, and calculate your own saving - trust me, you'll save a ton...but I digress. Back to Banana Pancakes-

I stumbled upon the secret quite accidentally - we had  bananas getting too ripe so we froze some. A while later, looking at the bananas in the freezer I thought- hey, banana pancakes might work, hopefully these are ok to use. Little did I know that the flavor would turn out to be amazing!

As it turns out, the unthawed frozen banana partially liquifies so the entire batter infuses with banana flavor (be sure to squeeze all of the juice out of the peel once the banana is "plopped" into the batter- plus, the un-liquified banana pieces more easily mash-up while stirring the batter.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cup All purpose Flour
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 3/4 t Double acting Baking Powder
• 1 egg
• 3 Tablespoons melted butter
• 1 1/2 cup Milk (less if you like thicker pancakes)

Try this- if you want a wonderful variation on a healthy breakfast you will not be disappointed!

You may be so delighted that you decide to book an all-inclusive Caribbean vacation with EZTravelpad "Your friends....in the travel business"

Recipe Month Presents Doro Wat - An Ethiopian Delight

EZTravelpad's Recipe Month Special Feature-

Doro Wat

(Ethiopian chicken in red pepper paste)

Doro Wat, also spelled Doro Wet or Doro Wot, may be the best known food from Ethiopia and is often referred to as that country's national dish. This recipe makes a very tasty version with deep, complex and rich flavors. Fiding the berbere could be a challenge, so you may decide to make your own. This can be done by purchasing some Fenugreek and cardamom pods on the internet- that is if you live in a non-urban area....

Ingredients-

• 3 Boneless Chicken Breasts (or about a pund of chicken cut up)
• 2 Chopped Onions
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Paprika
• 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
  
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Gingerroot
• 1/2 Cup Berbere Paste
  
• 2 Cloves Crushed Garlic
  
• Juice from 1 Lemon, or about 2 T Concentrated Lemon Juice
• 1/2 Cup Chicken Stock
• 1/4 Cup Red Wine
  

Marinate chicken in lemon juice and salt

Process the onions, garlic and ginger into a puree (use food processor or blender)

Heat oil in a Medium stock pot adding paprika for a minute, then berbere paste for a few more minnutes, then onion/garlic puree until it thickens - maybe 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and red wine- stir, then add chicken, cayenne - bring to a rapid boil then reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes or until chicken is tender - stir frequently.

Add a couple of hard-bolied eggs to mixture during final 10-15 minutes of cooking if you want a more authentic presentation - delicious!

EZTravelpad is happy to bring you interesting recipes from around the world - have a favorite? Let us know - send it to scott@eztravelpad, we would love to share it with others!

 

Recipe Month at EZTravelpad Brings You Broccoli Stuffed Canneloni

EZTravelpad continues with Recipe Month - this one is a little jewel from boot shaped country we like to call Italy. Recipes from The Old Country are tried and true - and they taste good too!!

For a recipe that takes a little bit of prep work and packs a ton of flavor (not to mention is healthy) - this is a great choice for a cold Sunday afternoonin the winter.

Feel free to use organic this and whole wheat that - we did, even using rice drink in lieu of milk. Enjoy!

Broccoli and Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Cannelloni

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 12 dried cannelloni tubes, 3” long
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• pinch of grated nutmeg
• 1/2 Cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 2 Tbsp. pine nuts
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

 For the tomato sauce:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 (14 oz) cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. dried thyme

 

Step 1:

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease 9"x13" casserole.

 

Step 2:

 Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the olive oil to the water to prevent the pasta from sticking & simmer the cannelloni, uncovered, for 6-7 minutes, or until it is not quite fully cooked.

 

Step 3:

 Meanwhile, steam the broccoli for 10 minutes, until just tender.  Drain both the pasta and broccoli, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and set aside.  Place broccoli in a food processer or blender and process until smooth.  Set aside.

 Step 4:

 Place the bread crumbs in a bowl, add the milk and oil and stir until softened.  Add the ricotta, broccoli puree, nutmeg and 2/3 of the Parmesan or Romano cheese.  Season with salt and pepper, and then set aside.

 

Step 5:

 To make the sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onions and garlic.  Cook for 5-6 minutes, until softened, and then stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste and thyme.  Season with salt and pepper.  Boil rapidly for 2-3 minutes, and then pour into the casserole dish.

 

Step 6:

 Spoon the cheese mixture into a pastry gun fitted with a ½ inch nozzle.  Carefully open the cannelloni tubes.  Standing each one upright on a board, pipe the filling into each tube.  Place the filled canellonis in rows on top of the tomato sauce.

 

Step 7:

 Brush the tops of the cannelloni with a little olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan or Romano cheese and pine nuts.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden.

 Trust EZTravelpad for great tasting recipes from around the world or around the corner - the same places we can help you get to in style and under budget- next time you are in the vacation planning mode think EZTravelpad

Cilantro Chicken - Should be a World-Wide Staple (YUM)

Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

(Excellent when served with saffron rice)

 I've gotta tell you- for a flavorful kitchen-made chicken recipe that is both healthy and awesome, you MUST try this recipe. Be careful not to cook the chicken TOO long - you want it to be tender....

Cilantro Chicken with Avocado Salsa served with Saffron Rice

 

So where in the world can you find this recipe in myriad variations? Well south of the border- of course!

Cilantro Chicken  

•                2 T minced fresh cilantro
•                2 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
•                1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
•                4 (6-oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
•               ¼ teaspoon salt
•               cooking spray

 

Salsa: 

•             1 cup chopped plum or roma tomatos (about 2)
•             2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
•             2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
•             ¼ teaspoon salt
•             1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•             1 avocado, peeled and finely chopped

 

To prepare chicken, combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss & let it marinade in refrigerator for 20 minutes.  Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade.  Sprinkle chicken evenly with ¼ teaspoon salt.  Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.  Coat pan with cooking spray. (I used a cast iron skillet w/canola oil-about 1 tablespoon). Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.

 

To prepare salsa, combine tomato & next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a medium bowl.  Add avocado; stir gently to combine.  Serve salsa over chicken.  Serves 4 people generously

This is destined to become a frequent meal in the EZTravelpad household- LOVE it!!

Best Pumkin Pie Ever

I Like Cream Cheese!

Looking for a new Pumpkin Pie Recipe this Thanksgiving?

 Give this one a try- it combines my need for cream cheese with the traditional expectation of pumpkin pie - WARNING! it will become a tradition

Ingredients-

• Pastry shell for 1 pie 
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2t vanilla extract
• -----------------------
• 12 oz pumpkin (canned is easier)
• 4 oz sweetned condensed milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1t cinnamon
• 1/4t ginger
• 1/4t nutmeg
• ------------------------
• 1 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 T sugar
• 1t vanilla

Blend cream cheese (softened) 1 egg 1/4 cup sugar, & 1/2 t vanilla until smooth & pour into bottom of pie shell (which has already been placed in pie pan)

Combine pumpkin, condensed milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, cinnamon, ginger & nutmeg - blend until smooth & pour mixtur gently over cream cheese mixture

Bake at 350 for approx 1 1/2 hour or until knife blade inserted & removed comes out clean

Meanwhile combine sour cream, 2T sugar & 1t vanilla - pour over pie after removed from oven & return to oven for 8 more minutes

Garnish with pecan halves if desired (optional)

EZTravelpad's Recipe Month Features Southwest Beef & Pepper Soup

Recipe Month at EZTravelpad continues with-

Southwestern Beef & Pepper Soup

 

shown served with a dollop of sour cream on top

 

The soup can be frozen for later use, and 1 cup of soup is only about 150 calories, so served with one cup of rice the total dish is about 350 calories.  Oh, and did I mention how easy it is to prepare?.

Ingredients- 

• 1 - 1 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2-3 stalks diced celery
• 3-4 large green bell peppers
• 3 cloves or 1 T minced garlic
• 5'6 dice fresh tomatoes, or 1 (14.5 oz) can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 16-24 oz beef broth
• 1 tbsp beef bouillon
• salt and pepper to taste                

1.    In a large stock pot brown beef, onion, peppers, celery & garlic

2.    Add tomatoes, beef broth, bouillon & simmer about 15 minutes longer

3.    Taste and season with cayenne pepper, salt and fresh ground pepper.

4.    Serve with fresh rice or Sour Cream or Grated Romano - YUM!!!

 

Tofu Stir Fry

Recipe Month at EZTravelpad Continues with-

Tofu Stir-Fry

Light and Flavorful - Easy and quick - Healthy too.... This is a simple vegetarian recipe that requires easy to find ingredients, yet gives you the Asian cuisine feeling that you know you want!

Ingredients (serves 4):

8 oz. firm smoked tofu (bean curd)

2 Tbsp. sherry or vermouth

3 Tbsp. dark soy sauce

3 leeks, thinly sliced

1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated

1-2 fresh red (hot) chiles, seeded and sliced in rings

1 or 2 small red bell peppers, seeded and sliced thinly

2/3 cup vegetable stock

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. cornstarch

8 oz. medium Chinese egg noodles

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

  

Step 1:

Cut the tofu into ¾ inch cubes.  Put the tofu in a bowl with the sherry or vermouth and the soy sauce.  Toss to coat each piece and then let marinate for about 30 to 45 minutes.

Meanwhile......

Step 2:

Place the leeks, ginger, chiles, pepper and stock in a pan.  Bring to a boil and cook quickly over high heat for 2-3 minutes, until all the ingredients are just soft.

  

Step 3:

Strain the tofu, reserving the marinade, and set the tofu aside.  Mix the honey and cornstarch into the marinade. PLace marinade in a non-stick saucepan for later use.

 

Step 4:

Put the egg noodles into a large pan of rapidly boiling water, and Immediately remove from the heat and let stand for about 6 minutes, until cooked (or follow the package instructions).

 

Step 5:

Heat a nonstick frying pan, lightly oil and quickly sauté the tofu until lightly golden brown on all sides.

 

Step 6:

Place the vegetable mixture and the tofu in the saucepan with the marinade and stir well until the liquid is thick and glossy.  Transfer a generous serving on top of the egg noodles and serve at once.

 

The heat is not overwhelming, but this is not a bland dish either- much depends on the spicyness of the chilies used.

You may think that tofu stir fry dishes are bland- if so, try this one and let meknow what you think. It might not be as complex and flavorful as Pad Thai, but it's WAY easier to prepare...

mexican beer

Cool, Refreshing, BEER!

It's October - and this is a refreshing drink that may not be on tap at your local Oktoberfest, but it should be!.

For tailgating, poolside, or for one of those handful of warm days that lie ahead, get out the spices, and enjoy!

Simple recipe-

1 corona
1 lime (squeezed)
1/4 cup Clamato juice
Dash Worchester
Dash tabasco
...Cayenne pepper to taste
Celery salt to taste
Cracked pepper to taste

Let me know what you think - good?