Grilled Eggplant Stacks - #HotSummerEats

I received a sample of NOT Ketchup to help me create my recipe for #HotSummerEats. All experiences and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the product I received.

It's here, it's finally here! For a whole week I am going to be joining in with 18 amazing food bloggers to bring you #HotSummerEats just in time to get you armed with some great new recipes for Summer!

I am kicking off the week with these Grilled Eggplant Stacks. They are fresh, simple and amazingly delicious. Spread with NOT Ketchup blueberry white pepper as the eggplant grills, the sweetness goes well with fresh creamy mozzarella cheese and a juicy tomato! As an appetizer or light side, these will make your the hostess with the most-est at the grill this Summer!

Since I love all the fresh produce available in the late Spring and through Summer, I wanted to start out my recipes with a twist on the classic caprese salad. Most of the time simple stacks of tomato, mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinegar can be found on our dinner table in the Summer. This year I wanted to create something a little different and our sponsor NOT Ketchup, with their blueberry and white pepper dipping sauce,  was the inspiration.

Have you tried the NOT Ketchup flavors yet? These flavors go far beyond the simple condiment with fresh fruit and the tang of apple cider vinegar. Perfect for classic French fries, sweet potato fries, or these grilled eggplant slices.

What is NOT Ketchup, you ask? Not Ketchup is a tangy, all natural, certified paleo-friendly gourmet dipping sauce made from ripe seasonal fruit instead of tomatoes. They have 4 unique flavors; Cherry Chipotle, Smoky Date, Spiced Fig and Blueberry White Pepper. 

It is also perfect for basting on the grilling eggplant. I started out with just a little olive oil. I didn't want the fruit dipping sauce to burn. The eggplant soaks up the sweet and tangy flavors of this blueberry based dipping sauce.

These grilled eggplant rounds would also be amazing to serve on their own. The NOT Ketchup goes really well to brush on top, or serve as a dip alongside. My kids were really into dipping them into additional sauce. Mmmm....

But I think it is worth adding the tomato and cheese to create something so pretty... and delicious at the same time.

Grilled Eggplant Stacks

You Will Need:

• 2 large eggplant - Sliced into 3/4" rounds
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil, or more as needed
• NOT Ketchup - blueberry white pepper dipping sauce
• 2 large slicing tomatoes
• 6 slices of fresh Mozzarella
• sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• mint sprigs to garnish

Preheat the grill to medium-high. Brush the eggplant rounds on both sides with olive oil. Season with sea salt and place onto the grill. Grill 3-4 minutes per side until the eggplant begins to soften and you have good grill marks. After turning the first time, brush the top liberally with NOT Ketchup. Remove eggplant and set aside.

To assemble the stack, start with a round of eggplant, then add tomato, a slice of Mozzarella cheese and top with another eggplant round. Drizzle the top with a little more NOT Ketchup, then season with salt and pepper. Garnish the top with a mint sprig and enjoy!

You can learn more about NOT Ketchup and be inspired to use it in more creative ways by following their Instagram handle, Pinterest boards and checking their posts out on Google+.

Grilled Eggplant Stacks w/ @notketchup kicks off my #HotSummerEats #recipes today + #Giveaway http://t.co/RhYfj2jYnd pic.twitter.com/61ERF7JlE0

— Andrea Kruse (@notimeMom) June 1, 2015

Be sure to check out all the amazing sponsors, and learn more about the giveaway prizes in my #HotSummerEats Sponsors and Prizes Post.

An InLinkz Link-up

a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclaimer - Thank you to #HotSummerEats sponsors BenBella Vegan, Caribeque, Casabella, Gourmet Garden, Intensity Academy, Not Ketchup, Out of the Weeds. Pirate Jonny's, Quirk Books, Spicely Organics, T.Lish , and Voodoo Cheffor providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for#HotSummerEats without additional compensation.All opinions are my own.

Invite Guests to Create Their Own Boursin Bite

I received this Boursin gourmet spreadable cheese for free from Smiley360 in exchange for my honest review. You can join Smiley360 here! #BoursinCheese

The holidays aren't quite over here, but the glitz and glamour of Christmas has started to fade. Now entertaining will be a little more casual. From the New Year celebrations to upcoming game day festivities, I want to keep my prep to a minimum and my guests happy.

Prepared foods have taken a back burner to simple platters and open-ended topping bars which will allow my guests to create exactly the taste they are looking for. For this I grabbed Boursin Cheese, crackers and a few topping choices to encourage my guests to get creative.

Boursin mixes garlic and herbs with an authentic Gournay Cheese base. Smooth and spreadable, it is a great addition to a party spread or can even be used melted and stirred into pastas or to fill omelettes, crepes, etc.

I used mine simply and elegantly to create my own little "Boursin Bite". It had the perfect amount of creamy cheese, smoked prosciutto and salty olive.

When creating your own party tray, I suggest finding items that fit all the major desires - sweet, salty, creamy and crunchy.

Like Boursin on Facebook for more entertaining inspiration, and follow them on Twitter to follow how others are enjoying their Boursin Cheese.

What would you put on your own Boursin Bite?

Festive Avocado Cucumber Bites

 I received a selection of Crisp tools for this review.  A positive review was not required and all opinions and experiences are my own. 

During the holiday season one of the most handy things to have is a few good appetizer recipes. Whether you have guests coming over or get invited to a party, you will probably need at least one signature, finger-friendly treat.

I wanted to make something a little lighter this year.

These little Festive Avocado Cucumber Bites were perfect. Easy to make, fresh and healthy, they won't leave you feeling guilty about grabbing more than one.

And for more fabulous appetizer recipes, check out all six from our our talented blogger. Pin them, leave a little comment love and get some new fun ideas for your holiday appetizers this year.

Busy-at-Home : Cucumber Tomato Bites with Herb and Parmesan Cream Cheese

Flour on My Face: Phyllo Apple Cranberry Bites

Adventures in All Things Food: Festive Avocado Cucumber Bites

Daily Dish Recipes: Baked Brie Bites with Olives and Roasted Garlic

Will Cook for Smiles: Southwest Chili Dip

The Gunny Sack: Spinach Artichoke Bites

Okay, I am so excited to introduce you to this week's sponsor, Crisp. This was my first time using their tools, but I was no stranger to their quality. I have been using their children's tools, Curious Chef, with is another Tailor Made Products, Inc. brand of kitchen tools.

Actually, for years I have been joking that I might just buy myself a set of Curious Chef kitchenware. Now there is a line just for me, Crisp.

Same sturdy construction, clean lines and usefulness. Great kitchen tools and they come at affordable prices. Yes, these are tools for healthy eating. And this appetizer, Festive Avocado Cucumber Bites, was the perfect match for my new Crisp tools.

I selected several tools that I either had wanted for a while or needed to replace in my current kitchen drawer. From the versatile melon baller to the herb mincer I have been using these tools daily for fruit and vegetable prep and I plan to add more pieces from the Crisp collection in the future.

For this particular recipe I used both the avocado tool and the straight peeler from Crisp. Be sure to check out the brand's Crisp Cooking Pinterest account for more great dishes you can create with their line of kitchenware.

I have gone through several avocado slicers, but this is the first tool that I have seen that also includes a slicer and pit remover, making it extra versatile. If you enjoy eating avocados, you will want one of these.

It also did a great job slicing my ripe avocados. The wire was strong enough not to bend or give as I sliced.

And the peeler was perfect for taking off the outside of the cucumber. It didn't take off too much of the soft inner flesh of my English cucumber. Just the peel.

I appreciate that.

Once the avocados are sliced, then I added them to a bowl with lime juice, cumin, salt and onion power. All mashed up, I diced up and added a  red bell pepper for a little extra color.

After peeling the English cucumber I sliced it in thick, but bite-sized pieces. With a small melon baller, I scooped out the center to create a little cup for my avocado filling.

Spoon a little filling into each cucumber bite and you are good to go.

Full of healthy fats and fresh, light veggies, this appetizer will keep everyone happy and guilt-free.

Festive Avocado Cucumber Bites

You Will Need:

• 2 English Cucumbers
• 1 large ripe hass avocado
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. salt + more as needed to taste
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced

Slice off the pointed ends of the English cucumber. Peel and slice each into roughly 12 equal slices. Scoop out the center with a melon baller to create a cup. 

In a medium bowl combine the ripe avocado, lime juice, cumin and salt to taste. Mash until creamy. Stir in the bell pepper and scoop into cucumber cups. 

Serve immediately.

And, let's not forget the Giveaway! 

Would you like to try out Crisp tools for yourself?... Well, Crisp would like you to put them to the test in your own kitchen.  You could make these simple Festive Avocado Cucumber Bites for your family as well as any of the other recipes listed above... or come up with a new delicious dish yourself! Good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Simple Twist for Delicious Party Food - Chipotle Stuffed Mushrooms

This holiday party recipes shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions and experiences are mine alone. #SeasonedGreetings #CollectiveBias

Since moving back to town several years ago, my husband's aunt has thrown a pre-holiday party like no other. With half the town dropping by for a full day of mingling and delicious party food, I have one go-to dish that gets requested every year... my stuffed mushrooms. 

Now, imagine a house with almost every surface covered by crock-pots, platters and trays. From dips to meatballs and cookies galore, it is hard to stand out with so many options to choose from. 

One year I made the mistake of taking spinach balls to the party, I wanted to try out different holiday party recipes, but they weren't greeted with the same enthusiasm. No, I am known for my stuffed mushrooms and rarely does my tray even make it to a table. I usually hand it over to the host at the door, and by the time the tray makes it's way to the kitchen, it is usually empty. But after 5 years of stuffed mushrooms, I was ready to tweak the recipe and add just a little more flavor to those scrumptious little bites of sausage and cheese goodness.

So I headed to my local Walmart.

I ended up deciding to try out a few different flavors of Tabasco. I ended up getting Tabasco Original Red, Jalapeño, and Chipotle flavored sauces.

My husband is by far my biggest critic. Especially when it comes to revamping recipes. When I mentioned I was going to add Tabasco to my mushrooms to change up the flavor, he was skeptical. When I decided to go with the smokey and savory note of Chipotle flavored Tabasco sauce, he was worried about how that would alter the rich cream cheese and Parmesan flavors.

Oh ye of little faith! 

Truth be told, I love original Tabasco sauce and often add it to dishes that he doesn't even know about. It is a great way to bump up the flavor without adding a whole bunch of other ingredients or salt. It has become one of my favorite recipe secret weapons.

So I assembled my ingredients, adding in panko bread crumbs for texture.

This recipe starts by browning up 8 ounces of pork sausage.

While that browns up and makes me house smell amazing, I start prepping the mushrooms. I usually give them a quick rub to knock off any excess dirt and then gently remove the mushroom stems. I like to save these for cream of mushroom soup, but will put some back in with the onions, diced, to cook down for the filling.

Then I sweat down the yellow onion, minced garlic and those mushroom caps.

In a large bowl I mix together softened cream cheese, 1 egg yolk, Parmesan cheese and the slightly cooled sausage,  and onion mixture.

Then comes the fun part. I don't need to season this dish much because the Tabasco brings all the flavor I need to the party. I put about 7 dashes in the filling mixture. You can smell the smokey Chipotle sauce.

Then take those beautiful mushroom caps in hand...

...and cram as much of that glorious filling inside that you possibly can. 

Top with a little more finely shredded Parmesan cheese and place on a lined baking dish to bake for about 30 - 40 minutes depending on the size of your mushrooms.

They should be softened, warmed through and golden brown on top.

The real test was the first bite... and boy, oh boy! I am not sure how these stuffed mushrooms were ever complete without Tabasco sauce. My husband was shocked that they weren't "spicy". 

Yes, now this recipe might just be a whole lot better than the original. This year I better make two trays to take to the party! Maybe that way I will get to eat one, myself.

Chipotle Stuffed Mushrooms

You Will Need:

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 8 oz. natural pork sausage
• 24 oz. of button mushrooms
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced finely
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs
• 1 egg yolk
• 3/4 c. Parmesan cheese finely grated
• 8 dashes of Chipotle flavored Tabasco sauce (or more depending on taste)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a large skillet. Brown the sausage and set aside to drain.

Clean the mushrooms with a dry towel. Remove stems and set aside.

In the same skillet, saute the garlic, onions and 1/4 cup chopped mushroom stems till soft. Cool slightly before adding to a large bowl with the sausage and remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.

Fill each mushroom cap with filling and top with a little more Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the mushrooms are softened and the filling has turned golden brown. 

Plate and serve immediately. Enjoy! 

Do you have any holiday parties coming up? Could Tabasco help add a twist to your seasonal favorites?

Roasted Beet Stacks - October Secret Recipe Club #Recipe

It has been a long and crazy week. I am almost embarrassed to admit that cooking has not been at the top of my priority list. No, too many projects, appointments, events and deadlines to meet. Add to that all the recent computer/internet issues and I am wiped out.

Please no complicated recipes to follow or new techniques to master. I am spent.

So when it came to my Secret Recipe Club Post this month, I needed something fast, but delicious. I had the pleasure to be assigned to Why I Am Not Skinny for October. As her tagline states, she is a South African living abroad in Brussels and she enjoys sampling as well as writing about the food she eats. Her blog has recipes and a lot of restaurant and event food posts as well.

And if I ever find myself in her corner of the world, I am definitely looking her up for a great restaurant recommendation!  You will be drooling over the places and food she posts.

She does have a recipe section with some delicious offerings to look through. These Beetroot and Cream Cheese Towers stood out to me because it was simple and would utilize the seasonal produce we have right now on the farm. Yep, beets.

Not wanting to stray from her already amazing dessert, I did have to switch up the toasted nuts. I went with toasted and salted hazelnuts (filberts) since they are locally available and pine nuts are something I don't often purchase for the cost.

I surprised my husband with these for lunch. I say surprised because he knew how busy I was and wasn't expecting a treat like this. I couldn't help myself though, they were so easy to make and really were a great start to lunch together.

It all starts with some simple roasting. I like to gently scrub any loose dirt off my beets (remember, they came straight out of the ground) then toss them in olive oil and a pinch of salt before covering in foil and roasting for about an hour.

You will know they are done when they are fork tender and the outer peel just rubs right off with a paper towel.

Then slice and top with cream cheese, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with roasted chopped nuts. I chose hazelnuts, but the original recipe called for pine nuts. Your choice.

Roasted Beet Stacks
original recipe from Why I am Not Skinny

You Will Need:

• 4 medium beets
• cream cheese, softened
• diced chives *optional
• olive oil
• toasted and salted, hazelnuts, roughly chopped

Start by roasting your beets. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Give them a quick scrub, if needed, then pat dry, coat in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and put inside a foil pouch. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour. The beets should be fork tender when done. Let cool enough so you can take off the outer peel. I like to rub mine with a paper towel.

Slice beets into 2 to 3 sliced and set aside.

In a small bowl mix together the softened cream cheese and chives, if desired. Place the cream cheese into kitchen wrap and shape to be the same width as the beets. Layer the beets with slices of cream cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle with hazelnuts.

Enjoy!

An InLinkz Link-up

Create you own Vietnamese Egg Rolls

Am I the only one who gets a hankering for take-out at the least opportune moments?

Like when the kids are not fit to go out to even pick up take-out? Or when you have already eaten out recently? Or the yoga pants and hair tie are just a little too comfy?

Okay, there are some days when I just don't want to leave the house. I'm an adult so I don't have to. Luckily I can make some yummy food so I won't even miss the tiny packets of dipping sauce  and chinese food containers.

I love making my own gyoza, so why not a Vietnamese Spring Roll?

Filled with bean sprouts, cabbage, rice noodles and pork, these are fast and easy to make. You can either grab a package of egg roll wrappers at the grocery store, or make your own with this won ton wrapper recipe. Just cut them larger than you would for gyoza (pot stickers).

I like mine to be mostly vegetable, with just a little meat for added flavor, but you can change around the ratios to create your own perfect Egg Roll.

These Egg Rolls are fried... but I have made a baked Egg Roll in the past that only contained vegetables. Both are good, but slightly different. I think the ones that contain meat are a little heartier.

And as for the term Egg Roll? Well, like many Americans I use it loosely. Usually Egg Rolls contain meat and Spring Rolls do not... and the wrapper is another difference. I usually call a it a Spring Roll when it is wrapped in a rice paper wrapper. No matter what you want to call these, I think they were delicious and had to share.

Wrapping is easy. Think like a envelope.

I start by laying my wrapper down like a diamond with a thin strip of filling down the middle. Then I fold up the bottom corner, tuck in the two sides and roll. Just try to keep them evenly thin and long so they will cook easily. A short, fat roll will take longer to cook in the middle.

Seal with egg yolk and fry till golden brown. Dip in a sweet chili sauce, eat and repeat till all your Egg Rolls are gone.

Vietnamese Egg Rolls
You will need:

• 4 oz. thin rice noodles, broken
• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1/2 c. shredded carrot
• 1/2 c. yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 c. cabbage, shredded thing
• 1/2 c. bean sprouts
• 1/4 c. green onions, green part sliced thin
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1 pkg. pre-made egg roll wrappers
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3 qts. canola oil for frying
• sweet chili sauce for dipping

Start by soaking the rice noodles according to the package directions. Drain well and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the ground pork, vegetables, salt, pepper and fish sauce. Mix well. 

Start heating the oil to 325 degrees. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Start assembling the egg rolls by taking one wrapper in front of you, with one corner pointed towards you. Add a heaping tablespoon of filling and brush the edges of the wrapper with beaten egg. Fold up the corner closest to you, then fold in the sides like an envelope and tightly roll to close. Repeat the process until all the rolls are filled and ready to fry.

Add a few egg rolls to the pan at a time. Cook on each side for about 4-5 minutes or until the egg roll is golden brown. Transfer to a baking sheet to stay warm and continue cooking the rest of the way. 

Serve warm with sweet chili sauce for dipping. 

Enjoy!

Have you ever made your own Egg Rolls? What is stopping you?