BBQ, Tex Mex, Here I Come!

I'm headed to Austin in a couple of weeks and my friend has promised to show me the best BBQ and Tex Mex in town. I'm a Southern gurl, so I'd like to think that I've tasted some good BBQ in the XX years of living. Let's see if Texas proves me wrong.

But before I go, I wanted to get some recommendations from you all -- any special places I have to visit before I leave? Any great gastronomy that I would be remised not to try. . . Help me plan my trip!

xoxo,
Cooking with Soul

I can't afford fruits and veggies. . . .

I've never been one for fruits, but I sure do love my veggies. Even as prices climb, I can't say that I've cut back on them since the recession. However, an annual survey of moms, conducted by Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), found that although 60 percent of moms continue to believe that their families eat too few fruits and vegetables, they are including less of them in meals and snacks.


Reported fruit consumption has dropped 12 percent since a year ago and vegetable consumption is down 6 percent.

• 87 percent of moms still believe it’s important to include fruits and vegetables in their family’s diet. But, they say cost and different preferences amongst family is the reason they aren't buying them.

Has the recession hit your pocket so that you are now forgoing some foods? Share your thoughts. . .I want to hear!

Cooking a meat pie couldn't get any easier

I'd like to say that I've been on some exotic vacation, and so that's why I haven't had time to post. Or maybe that I've been working on new recipes. Yeah, that sounds like a good excuse. Let's go with that one. . .

Well, I found this great recipe that I couldn't keep to myself. It's an easy to make recipe for a tasty meat pie. I used the ingredients that Silvana Nardone of Everyday with Rachel Ray recommended, but I can't wait to play around with the ingredients for the filling sometime next week. Maybe I can put together a Latin-infused meat pie? Or a curry-chicken meat pie?

Until then, see the recipe below. . . .

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
2. Add chopped bell pepper and onion until softened.
3. Stir in ground beef, canned tomato sauce, minced garlic, a little Worchestershire sauce and salt and pepper.
4. Cut store bought pizza dough into quarters and stretch each piece into an 8-inch round.
5. Spoon the filling into the dough rounds on a baking sheet and top with cheese.
6. Fold over the dough to create a pocket, then pinch the seal to keep the meat inside the pocket. 7. Bake the pockets until golden (approximately 15-20 minutes)

Sazón Cooks: Mexican Party Dip

My beautiful cousin Caty turns 23 today and for her birthday bash I've made a quick and simple dip: Mexican layer dip. The dip combines the best of all things Mexican - cheese, beans, guacamole, sour cream and salsa! Below you'll find the ingredients and directions. Pair the dip with tortilla chips and you'll have an instant favorite at the party. I promise you, the dip will be gone in no time!

Happy Friday and Happy Birthday Caty!!

Ingredients:

• 1 - 16oz jar of sour cream
• 1 - 16oz can of refried beans
• 1 jar of salsa (medium spicy is the best!)
• 1 packet/jar of guacamole (if making from scratch, which I highly recommend, use 2 avocados, 1/2 of a chopped tomato, 1/2 of a chopped onion, salt, lime juice to taste and a teaspoon of cilantro flakes)
• 1 bag of shredded cheese (Mexican blend is the best)

Directions:

1. Start off with a deep pan (approximately 9 x 13)...the pan will really vary on what dish you'd like to use.
2. If you have fresh avocados, make your own guacamole (or at least my simple version of it)! In separate bowl, cut up the 2 avocados and mix with salt, lime juice, chopped up tomatoes, chopped up onion and cilantro. Make sure the mixture is mushy...and looks like guacamole!
3. The trick to the Mexican layer dip is....you guessed it...layers! Start with a layer of refried beans, then guacamole, then sour cream, then salsa.
4. Top off your last layer with cheese...and lots of it!

Enjoy!

What's Hot -- Food Trends

First blackberries, and then acai. Now they are both being upstaged by the hibiscus? Yup, you read right. Hibiscus may be the new food trend. With a sweet-sour taste, and packing antioxidants and anthocyanins that help fight damage caused by free radicals, this flower is all the rave. The petals are used to make beverages, which have been pretty popular in the Caribbean, Mexico, West Africa and Egypt. Now the hibiscus is making its debut in the United States.

Check out hibiscus-flavored products such as OOBA (you can find it at Whole Foods), Klass drink mix (check out Wal-Mart), Jarriots Jamaican Soda and Trader Joe's Dried Sweetened Hibiscus Flowers.

Picture courtesy of OOBA

Hostess with the Mostess: The Ultimate Bar

I just received the latest issue of Everyday with Rachel Ray -- one of my favorite magazines -- and inside was an article about how to plan for and stock the ultimate bar for parties. One important tip that I found handy for calculating how much liquor to buy -- plan on 1 1/2 drinks per hour per person. Also, don't go broke trying to serve every type of alcohol in the pantry -- it's super trendy to serve one or two signature drinks, plus wine and beer.

See below the "essentials" that every fabulous hostess should have in her bar. . . I hope it makes planning your next party easier!

THE ESSENTIAL MIXERS:

• Orange juice
• Cranberry juice
• Soda
• Tonic
• Optional: Pineapple juice, tomato juice, grenadine

THE ESSENTIAL LIQUORS:

• Vodka
• Gin
• Rum
• Whiskey
• Optional: Tequila, vermouth

Image Credit: Everyday with Rachel Ray website

Hot Dogs and Cereal???

What's the weirdest food combination you crave? Ice cream and spaghetti? Rice and eggs? Peanut butter and fried chicken? Today at lunch, a colleague of mine told me about a weird food dish that she loved as a child -- hot dogs and cereal. After almost dying of laughter, I couldn't help but wonder what other weird food combos (that people really eat) exist.

We wanna hear from you -- what's your favorite weird food combination?