Summer Recipes – Crowd Pleasers

by with One Comment entertainmentholidayshostingrecipessaturday sipspecial occassionsspiritswine not wednesday

Every city in the world may not be as hot as Los Angeles is right now but man oh man, have we been on a heat wave! Since you’re bound to go through a Summer season of your own I wanted to share with you my favorite summer recipes that are definite crowd pleasers.

So for your next girls day, catch up brunch, bbq, or BYOB- I’ve got you! These will take you no time at all and you probably already have the ingredients to get cookin’. Here’s a Summer ‘salad’ and two of the yummiest and easiest cocktails.

Disclaimer: if you know me than you already know this ‘salad’ is not an actual traditional leafy green ‘salad’. It’s one of my go-to summer salads though and one of my best girlfriends introduced me to it!

Lentil Salad- this is a cold saladĀ 

  1. one package of cooked lentils from Trader Joe’s
  2. one whole bruschetta tub- drained of juices
  3. chopped red onion and cucumbers
  4. chopped kale would be yummy here too with some sprinkles of vinaigrette but we were out
  5. salt & pepper
  • mix all together, top with some fresh basil, enjoy with home made tortilla chips (like we did) or by itself, or even over a real traditional leafy salad šŸ˜‰


Summer Spritzer – so refreshing!Ā 

  1. your favorite roseĀ“ wine
  2. sparkling water (I used watermelon because yummm)
  3. whatever fresh fruit you like
  • fill your glass 2/3 of the way with the wine and top with bubbly water and fruit


Homemade espresso martini frappeĀ  – slushy and perfect for hot days when all you wanna do is crunch on ice

  1. cold brew, iced coffee concentrate, or espresso shot
  2. whatever milk you like, I used almond coconut for creaminess
  3. 4-5 ice cubes
  4. drizzle of maple syrup
  5. Kahlua – I used a whole shot just because
  • combine coffee, milk, ice, and maple syrup into a blender. Top with Kahlua and stir, garnish with espresso beans. ENJOY!

P.S. did you know today is National Tequila Day?! One of my favorite adult beverages has a whole day! For my fellow wine moms/people out there, this is for you. I’m concocting an entire recipe list for tequila don’t you worry!Ā 

 

 

 

 

 

Bison Burgers

Game day bison burgers and buffalo chicken dip!

by with No Comment foodsports

It’s super bowl Sunday!!! Cheers to your home team, your parties and all the celebrations! Make these dishes for your party and they’re sure to be crowd pleasers! Here are two of the most loved dishes of the day…of any game day really; the burger and the dip! [this is a tee shirt slogan in the making]

So I took the traditional burger recipe and teamed it up with a recipe I got off of self.com- threw in some secret ingredients of my own, and created a “stacked bison burger atop a toasted brioche bun, and layered with spicy aioli and smoked bacon”!!! Now THAT’S the right way to burger!

Game Day

I added in some fresh cilantro, avocado slices, and pepper jack cheese!

But wait, there’s more! I didn’t stop at the bison burger, oh no… I took it further and stepped up my dip making game! I tried (for the 3rd time) to make my friend Michelle’s famous buffalo chicken dip! It’s delicious, it’s delicious, it’s…. delicious!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I don’t know if you can tell from the photo, but that red layer you see on top is Frank’s Red Hot! It MAKES the dip! I totally evened out the healthy to unhealthy ratio by using organic tortilla chips also!

For the bison burger you’ll need:

  • 1 pound of ground bison meat (I used grass fed bison from Wholefoods)
  • half of a medium white onion- finely chopped
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 4 brioche buns (or opt for your favorite low carb bread)
  • spicy aioli (recipe to follow)
  • avocado
  • pepper jack cheese
  • uncured, nitrate free, smoked bacon

The method:
In one skillet cook your bacon slices. In another skillet heat up the coconut oil and saute the onions. Toss the onions in with the bison meat, along with the ginger, soy sauce, ground pepper, garlic powder, and roll into patties. Cook to your liking on an un-greased skillet and set aside.

Melt some grass fed butter on a pan and place the brioche buns face down on the pan until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove and top with spicy aioli, the bison burger, bacon, cilantro, avocado and cheese! Enjoy!

For the aioli:

  • 1/3 cup mayo (I used the Ojai Cook brand made with cage free eggs, free of hydrogenated oils, and organic)
  • 1-2 teaspoonsĀ sriracha sauce or your favorite hot sauce (depending on how hot you want it)
  • garlic powder to taste
  • Mix it all together in a small bowl and serve it up on your toasted brioche buns!

Michelle’s famous buffalo chicken dip!
What you’ll need:

  • 1 1/2 cup cubed chicken
  • 9-12 oz Franks Red Hot (psst, this is a hot sauce NOT a sausage brand….errr I made this mistake on try 1)
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped celery
  • 2 (8oz) cream cheese – cubed
  • 1 cup bleu cheese dressing
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

The method:
Cook the chicken and add in the red hot sauce, remove from heat and toss in the celery, cream cheese, bleu cheese, and pour into a 9×13 in. pan. Top with the cheddar cheese and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chip!

buffalo chicken dip cheddar

I hope you enjoy your game day and tag me in any food posts so I can see what you’re making for your party! Cheers to winning! We.are.all.winners.here.

xoxo- Jess