Hot Tip #5

When roasting vegetables, add a little Homeward Bound Hot Sauce into the olive oil mixture! Add more or less based on how much ZING you want!

We put a little Drunk Uncle in our carrots...

People We Love... Not Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

We have lots of foodie friends, some I've never met in person!

My friend Jill is a Copy Editor, Mom, and guest-writer for The Orange County Register.  A mutual friend introduced us through our blogs several years ago (like maybe FIVE years?!) and while we've never met, we have grown to have a mutual appreciation of each other's lives and interests (cooking, crafting, and cats!).

Jill frequently comes up with brilliant recipes that are often easy to transpose into a vegetarian version (if they aren't vegetarian already) and are always delicious!

Here's her latest - a pureed soup that looks like tomato soup, but isn't! It looks and sounds absolutely amazing and we will be trying it, soon!

Go check her out!

Not Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

Photo by Jill L. Reed

Cucumber Salad - Tzatziki Style

I love middle eastern food.

During the spring and summer we eat it more often and I often make a cucumber salad that borders on being a Tzatziki. It is best when made ahead and allowed to sit in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight. I like it chunky and very garlicky, Scott likes it a little more smooth and dip-like, with less garlic. I will sometimes whiz half of it in the blender or food processor and add it back in.

Reese's Cucumber Salad - Tzatziki Style

• 2 cucumbers, rinsed, peeled and cut into 1/4" chunks
• 1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt (Greek style is best)
• 1 cup sour cream
• kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbs lemon juice

Combine all in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for a few hours. Great by itself as a salad with bigger chunks of cucumber, great as a condiment on pita sandwiches when made as a dip.

Roasted Broccoli with Flax Seed

I had some broccoli crowns in the fridge and didn't want to waste them (I get bored with steamed broccoli, didn't want to do "with cheese") so I was going to make Alton Brown's Roasted Broccoli recipe. Then I discovered I'm out of bread crumbs/panko.

So I made it up as I went along.


Reese's Roasted Broccoli with Flax Seed and Garlic

• 2 large broccoli crowns, cut into manageable "trees" (between 1"-3")
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 tbs ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine everything but the broccoli in a mixing bowl, combine well. Add broccoli and smear olive oil mixture over broccoli while tossing (I used a big spatula) to coat.

Roast for 8-10 minutes.

Hot Tip #4

(courtesy Brian Edwards)

For a killer shot, mix 1 part Dr Pepper with 1 part SnapDragon. Throw it back and love it. Add additional liquids (leaded or otherwise) as you wish.

Hot Tip #3

I cannot eat a piece of pizza anymore without putting hot sauce on it!

The best are SnapDragon and Drunk Uncle!

Pour a quarter size of sauce onto your plate and dip a few bites... TASTY!!

Hot Tip #2

If a recipe calls for Crushed Red Pepper, or Red Pepper Flakes, substitute SparkPlug in your recipe! A whole new depth of flavor!