A Zesty Bite

Quinoa Cheese Pancakes

azestybite — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:00:15 +0000

After I write this post I will be packing for my weekend trip to DISNEY WORLD! I am beyond ecstatic because it has been 10 years since I was last there. The sad thing is that I will be traveling alone and leaving behind my sweet husband and precious little baby girl who is currently teething. There might be a tad bit of sucking up to my husband since he is staying behind this trip to take care of our baby. You may be asking why I am going to Disney World by myself but I am actually joining a TON of other food bloggers for the Food Blog Forum.

I remember looking at all the fabulous photos of this conference last year on twitter, facebook and instagram. Let’s just say that I was EXTREMELY jealous. I decided that this year was going to be the year that I made it to several conferences at that this was going to be one of them. Not going to lie, but I am a bit nervous since it’s my first one. I know some of the food blogger’s that are going but I’m actually going to be able to meet them in person and not just by chatting on twitter and facebook. This past weekend I ordered a camera lens from borrowed lenses for the next month, so get ready for some awesome photos.

Now on to this amazing quinoa dish. Quinoa is definitely growing on m

Click to get recipe!Quinoa Cheese Pancakes

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Baked Miga Cups for Breakfast After Dark

azestybite — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:15 +0000

I don’t know about you but I had the BEST MOTHER’s DAY ever! We had both of our families in town this past weekend to celebrate Livi’s baptism and for mother’s day. This was our first time to actually entertain a big group of people at our new house and I loved every second of it.

We started out Saturday with breakfast followed by a crawfish boil. All the little kids enjoyed seeing the crawfish squirm around in the cooler.

SHOOT! I enjoyed it just as much as the kids seeing live crawfish at our house. After lunch we were already preparing for supper. Not sure if it’s just our family, but don’t you feel that when you are with other people at gatherings all you do is eat!

Sunday morning we got up and prepared a large brunch before little O’s baptism. Now everyone in our family knows that I have a food blog; however I dislike trying out new recipes when visitors are around just in case something turns out

Click to get recipe!Baked Miga Cups for Breakfast After Dark

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Olivia 5 Months

azestybite — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:53 +0000

I can’t believe I am writing about our little girl being 5 months old. Well she turned 5 months old about a week ago and I am just that late in getting this post out there. It seems I have been a week or two behind in the these posts so technically they are right on time with the rest of you.

A lot has happened since our last post at 4 months. She started to roll over on to her belly and a week later she was rolling back the other direction. Now when we put her on her back she immediately rolls to her belly. In fact she despises being on her back.

Two weekends ago she traveled for the first time on an airplane. We flew from Texas to Milwaukee for a five day trip. Olivia did so well on all the flights except for the very last one. We were “those” parents with the screaming/crying baby for 10 minutes before the plane even took off. I can’t explain the emotions a mother goes through when your child is crying and people are looking at you to make them stop. Seriously, I couldn’t feed her or do anything to make her happy. My face was red from embarrassment and I wanted to cry right along with her. After that trip I told my husband that I wanted to start sitting by parents with kids just so that I could reassure them that someone cares about them and what they are having to go through.

One week after our trip little Livi started to act sick. Her temperature one night got up to 101 and I can’t tell you how fast we both reacted to the spike in fever. At five months she has already battled with her first ear infection. Let me tell you they are not FUN! Once she was feeling better we decided to try out cereal for the first time. I have decided to make all of her food and to keep her away from processed food for as long as I can. There is nothing wrong with other moms doing it but this is something I wanted to set out to try. Two days in to cereal I think she has eaten about 1 tsp total. Not sure if I am doing something wrong or if she just doesn’t want it.

Livi is starting to be quite the fashionista. She has her first pair of heart sunglasses. In the photo above you can see she is already trying on bracelets. Apparently she wants to bring back ankle bracelets. This next week I will be traveling alone to Disney World for a conference. Her Noni gave her this minnie mouse for Christmas but after this next week I’m sure she is going to be showered in Disney gifts.

This weekend we will have my side of the family along with Shaun’s in town for her baptism! We can’t wait to share those photos with you.

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{Guest Post} Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad with Cumin Lime Vinaigrette

azestybite — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:45:16 +0000

Today I have Vijay from NoshOnIt guest posting for me!

What They Do: “NoshOnIt (Nosh On It) is a free daily cooking newsletter that helps bring new ideas to your kitchen. We hunt for the best recipes from chefs and bloggers, online and offline, and deliver them right to your inbox along with an expert cooking tip.

Each recipe is paired with a NoshOnIt Edition (theme) and day of the week. Editions include one recipe and cooking tip from an amazing chef. You select the newsletter Editions that align with your cooking style to make sure you’re getting culinary inspirations to suit your tastes.”

Now you need to check out this amazing quinoa recipe that Vijay shared with you today!

Take it away Vijay…..

Hi everybody! My name is Vijay and I’m the “Chief Nosher” over at NoshOnIt, a daily email newsletter inspiring you to cook better each and every day. We feature hand-picked recipes and expert cooking tips from amazing bloggers like Meagan so you don’t have to think about what to make for dinner. I’m so happy to be guest posting here today on A Zesty Bite – thanks so much to Meagan for having me.

First things first, I know that Cinco de Mayo has passed…I’m just in denial. See, I grew up in Houston, Texas not far from where Meagan lives, and even though I currently live in Boston (where “spring” means you still have to wear a jacket), the flavors of Tex-Mex food just seem to run through my blood. I just can’t get enough. We don’t have the best Tex-Mex food up here so when I have a hankering, I have to make it myself!

As summer starts to peek its head around the corner, I’m beginning to think about putting away the enchiladas for something a little “smarter.”

But wait, you say! Tex-Mex food doesn’t have to be heavy, or loaded with cheese, or unhealthy? No! And this Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad proves it. Instead of the typical white quinoa, use red quinoa, which is just as easily available but holds it shape better in cold salads like this one. Plus, it’s the perfect backdrop for the rainbow of other colorful ingredients to stand out – red and orange bell peppers, cilantro, and black beans. Oh, and I threw an avocado in there for good measure…because you just can’t have enough avocado. Never.

For the dressing, just whisk together lime juice, cumin (for a little smokiness), and a couple of shakes of Cholula hot sauce for a vinaigrette that’s tart, earthy, and just a little bit spicy…or as we say around this blo

Click to get recipe!{Guest Post} Tex-Mex Quinoa Salad with Cumin Lime Vinaigrette

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Tip Tuesday: How To Cut and Peel an Avocado

azestybite — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:00:38 +0000

Do you ever go to a restaurant and order a salad or entree that contains a perfectly sliced avocado? I do all the time and I always wondered how they get the avocado to look so perfect. I have an avocado slicer but it still mingles the individual slices together and it doesn’t solve the overall issue.

Today I am going to show you how to get a perfect avocado just like the restaurants. It’s time to impress your friends and family.

Start with a ripe avocado.

Slice the avocado in half and remove the seed by putting the blade of the knife in the center and then twist. Seed will come out with the blade.

Remove a small piece off the bottom of the avocado
Click to get recipe!Tip Tuesday: How To Cut and Peel an Avocado
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{Guest Post} Bacon Refried Bean & Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos

azestybite — Sat, 04 May 2013 13:00:01 +0000

It is finally the weekend! We had originally planned on going to visit my parents this weekend but our little one woke up sick yesterday morning. Nothing like a teething, coughing, runny nose 5 month old. Luckily for us she is pretty happy most of the time.

Today I have a guest post from Katie at Katie’s Cucina. I started following her food blog a couple month’s back and instantly fell in love with her recipes. Katie and her husband also have a DIY blog called Sew Woodsy.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo she is sharing this fabulous recipe with you today!

Take it away Katie….

Hi I’m Katie from Katie’s Cucina. I am a Marketing professional during the day and home cook at night! I have no classical culinary training. Everything I’ve learned has been from my mom, watching cooking shows, and good old trial and error. Katie’s Cucina is a place where I share my love for food – developing and cooking mouthwatering recipes weekly, baking indulgent desserts, and sharing foodie travels from coast to coast.

Since we are gearing up for Cinco de Mayo I’d love to share a few of my favorite Mexican recipes I like to make on a regular basis are: Grilled hopped Chicken Tacos, Cherry Tomato, Corn and Black Bean Salad, and Spicy Baked Corn Chips. These three recipes plus the recipe I’m about to share today will make a complete Mexican Fiesta dinner, a success!

Because I’m not busy enough (I kid), I also host a weekly Google Hangout with my friend Christine from Cook The Story. Each week we talk about a different topic. So if you’re a food blogger (or culinary professional) and want to join our weekly chat feel free to reach out to me.

If you read Katie’s Cucina you would know that earlier this week I posted the most epic Bacon Refried Beans one has ever indulged in. Creamy pinto beans smashed and infused with bacon fat and then to top it off crumbled bacon, gobs of chees

Click to get recipe!{Guest Post} Bacon Refried Bean & Cream Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos

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Chicken and Cheese Mexican Crepes

azestybite — Fri, 03 May 2013 11:47:34 +0000

For the past of couple of days I have been admiring all the lovely Mexican food dishes that have been circulating the web for Cinco de Mayo. It’s no surprise that Mexican food is by far my most favorite type of food. You just can’t compete with tortilla chips, queso, tortillas, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas and of course a good margarita.

Can you tell that I want some Mexican food? Like pronto…..

I decided to take an nontraditional route to Mexican food with this crepe dish. Now I could have used tortillas but they would have made this dish to easy and straightforward. Besides crepes have been on my bucket list for foods that I want to try and make. Do you have a bucket list of foods that you want to make or at least taste? I wish I could include my list here on this blog but I feel like it would go on and on. I’m willing to try new foods and I think the strangest thing that I ever ate willingly would be calf fries. If you don’t know what those are then I suggest you Google it.

Back to making this delicious crepe. Now I have to say that I actually did a test run with this recipe just to see if I could actually make the batter turn out and to see how the filling tasted. I put the filling into a food processor

Click to get recipe!Chicken and Cheese Mexican Crepes

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Dulce de Leche Sugar Cookies

azestybite — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:30:24 +0000

I have not made a cookie in forever. OK, actually its been about a month or two, but for me that is a long time.

Too long….

Today I am bringing the cookies back with this delicious dulce de leche sugar cookie! It was almost too easy to make and the flavor on this cookie is spot on with the chocolate and dulce de leche. I cut them into triangle pieces so I wouldn’t fill so bad about devouring a whole square by myself. Which in fact I did numerous times. I had to make sure that they tasted good since I was going to be sending them off for this month’s Leftover’s Club. I doubt any of you could send something off this good without at least trying it out first. At least that’s what I am going to keep telling myself.

I received some amazing salted caramel shortbread bars from�

Click to get recipe!Dulce de Leche Sugar Cookies

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