Sneaking Breakfast

It seems like every time I enter the kitchen, the orders start flying in. One morning, I crept in the kitchen slowly, so I could make myself some breakfast. Before I could grab any pans, my friends were standing right behind me. They said, “What are you about to cook?” (Side Note: They only ask this question when they’re hungry or when they want a sample off my plate). Just when I thought I was fending for myself, I was asked to make breakfast for the house. This taste of heaven is turkey bacon, creamy country grits, and two over easy eggs. It’s a quick combo that can be eaten early or late. Personally, I enjoy it with a cinnamon raisin bagel and a cold glass of orange juice on the side. It’s a light breakfast that will hold you until your next meal, and its scrumdiddlyumptious. I LOVE it!!!

FYI: Further Details...

FOOD TIP: Turkey bacon is a healthier meat choice for breakfast.

Mother Knows Best

My mother use to make my sister and I eat everything that was prepared for dinner. We use to avoid anything that was weird or unusual to our taste buds. In my opinion, the worst thing that was put on my plate was sweet potatoes. For some reason, I just never liked them. Since I’ve gotten older they taste better, but they weren’t my cup of tea at first. This taste of heaven is sweet potato soufflé. Its mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and char marshmallows on top. I never thought I’d see the day when I would be making anything sweet potato. It was my first time making the soufflé, but everyone ate it like it was my specialty. I guess my mother was right after all. Mother knows best.

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FOOD TIP: Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber.

Honey Baked Ham

I gave Instagram a small preview of my Christmas dinner, but I didn’t showcase Thanksgiving. I cooked for the Southern Polytechnic State University Women’s Basketball team this year, and it was great success. This taste of heaven is a homemade honey baked ham. My father was a chef and he never taught me any of his recipes. The only dish I learned how to make was his honey baked ham. I kept this recipe dear to my heart because I planned on passing it down to my children. Every time I make this ham, everyone goes nuts. It has the perfect sweetness and flavor for the holidays. It’s simple to make, but you must have the love to make it finger lickin’ good.

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FOOD TIP: Once the ham is almost done, add the Maraschino cherries and pineapple slices to the top.

Convince Me

When the holidays arrive, I try to hide from the kitchen sometimes. It’s not that I don’t enjoy cooking, but I like to enjoy the festivities like everyone else. On New Year’s Eve my best friend convinced me to make sirloin steak, shrimp scampi, and steamed broccoli. The shrimp scampi came out better than I thought it would. I used fresh minced garlic, butter, Italian seasoning, parsley, and some other secret ingredients. The steak was dressed with crushed black pepper, Mrs. Dash Steak Blend, Oregano, and Goya Adobe All-Purpose Seasoning. My friend likes her steak cooked well done, but I prefer mine medium rare. Whenever I make steak, she NEVER wants to try it another way (Side Note: I’m going to convince her to try the medium rare one day). I think the only way to be adventurous in the kitchen is to try new things, but she’s just a tough cookie that I can’t crack.

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FOOD TIP: Use Worcestershire sauce when you make your next steak.

Whole Body

I’m introducing a new terminology called “Whole Body.” From time to time, I experience with my vocabulary, and I love sharing my ideas with A Taste of Heaven. “Whole Body” streams from the common phrase: “You put your foot in it.” Well, when I say, “I put my whole body in it,” then that means it was beyond delicious. This taste of heaven is homemade broccoli and chicken ziti. It’s got five different cheeses and a creamy alfredo sauce in the mix. I was on Instagram and my cousin posted a picture of some ziti, and I was jealous. I went to the grocery store and grabbed everything I needed to make the ziti. Once I got home, I immediately went to work. After I shared with my roommates, I only had a little left (Side Note: I saved some extra for myself).

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FOOD TIP: Broccoli is part of the cabbage family.

Black Swan

Halloween is tomorrow and all the children are ready to show off their customs. Unfortunately, I'm too old to go trick-or-treating, but I’m young enough to carve a pumpkin. After the feature of the week premiered, I was excited about showing off my artistic abilities. This taste of heaven is a pumpkin carved into a black swan. I sketched the swan on my own, but I had some help with the carving process. Once the messy part was over, I put two lit candles in the inside and placed the pumpkin outside. It felt good to be a kid again.

FYI: Pumpkin Carving Tips

FOOD TIP: Pumpkin seeds have a great source of zinc, so when your carving your next pumpkin save the seeds for a delicious snack.

Unmovable

I don’t know if you remember the veggie shish kabobs I made, but I complimented them with a Cajun crab boil. Plated is snow crab legs, red potatoes, garlic butter shrimp, kielbasa, corn on the cob, and a veggie kabob (containing: red onion, mushrooms, green pepper, zucchini, & yellow squash). My friends laid out newspaper and clean trash bags, so we could feast on this Cajun crab boil. I paired my seafood feast with an ice cold Bud Light Lime and melted garlic butter. After I ate I was unmovable, I just sat there next to shells because I was so FULL. I pigged out.

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FOOD TIP: Newspaper and trash bags make any seafood feast an easy clean up.

Sloppy Joe

You didn't have a real childhood, unless you had a Sloppy Joe for dinner. I remember watching the Sloppy Joe scene in “It Takes s Two” with the Olsen Twins. Although the sandwich was messy, it didn't matter because it was a sloppy meal that was delicious. This taste of heaven is Sloppy Joe, on a grilled bun, with red potato French fries. Alright, I was showing out again with this one. A good friend of mine requested this sandwich for lunch, and I couldn't turn her down because it’s a childhood classic. I really don’t have to elaborate on Sloppy Joe because if you haven’t had one, then you missing out. Get it together.

FYI: Manwich

FOOD TIP: Toast the bun, so the Sloppy Joe won't get too messy.

Shish Kabobs

I have to admit I was showing out when I made this dish. Whenever I cook for someone for the first time, I always pull a few tricks out the bag. On this particular night, I was making a seafood feast and I wanted to incorporate shish kabobs as my side item. I had three skewers of veggies kabobs with mushrooms, zucchini, yellow squash, and red onion. I didn’t want to just grill them because that’s BORING, so I splashed them with sweet eel sauce and butter. While the veggie kabobs were caramelizing, I catered to the Cajun crab boil I had brewing on the stove. Shhhh…once the veggie bobs were done, I stole a mushroom off the end. ;D

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FOOD TIP: Shish kabobs pair well over a bed of rice.

Spanish Stew

When you’re in my shoes, you have to be open to almost anything. I travel through the food I eat and the restaurants I visit. One night after class, I felt like experimenting in the kitchen, so I brainstormed some recipe ideas. I had three sirloin steaks, which I wanted to incorporate with yellow Goya rice, and a vine of fresh tomatoes. I combined my ideas and decided to make a Spanish stew with a tomato base. First, I slow cooked the sirloin steaks in spices, herbs, and garlic. Meanwhile, in the oven, I was roasting tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and basil. Once the tomatoes were done, I peeled the skin off and cut them into small pieces. Then I combined a vegetable mixture with carrots, potatoes, corn, green beans, okra, onion, green peas, and lima beans. After the veggies were done cooking, I plated the Spanish Stew over the bed of the yellow Goya rice and dived in.

FYI: Further Details...

FOOD TIP: Lima beans are also known as butter beans.

I'm the Solution

Rosemary, basil, peppercorn, Mrs. Dash Table Blend, and fresh lemon are a few of the ingredients I used to make this dish. Everyone was hungry and looking for something to eat, and since I’m a nice person, I knew that I was the solution to their problem. When it comes to my friends, it’s hard to turn them down when they want me to cook something. I love watching their faces and hearing the silence when everyone is eating. On this particular night, I didn’t want to make anything that was time consuming, so I baked tilapia, steamed mixed vegetables, and whipped up some Zatarain’s Rice. Once I finished cooking, everyone was satisfied until someone mentioned dessert. Just when I thought it was over, I had to think about our sweet tooth.

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FOOD TIP: Peppercorn is one of the most widely used spices.

Neck Bone Dinner

I have to admit, I was a little sketchy about posting this dish. However, I wanted to take a walk on the wild side and show off my country side. This taste of heaven is neck bones with gravy over white rice. The key to making good neck bones is slow cooking them until the meat is falling off the bones. I woke up early in the morning to start cooking the neck bones in some herbs and spices. Then once the meat was tender, I was able to make the gravy from the juices in the pot. Neck bones pair well with white rice, collard greens, corn bread, or even cabbage. I kept it simple with the white rice, but you can get creative with your sides. I would consider neck bones a country classic that is soulful and delicious.

FYI: Further Details...

FOOD TIP: Cook neck bones over low heat, so the meat tenderizes.

Late Night Snack

One night, I was so hungry I didn’t know what to cook. I looked in the fridge, and all I saw was a bag of romaine lettuce. Since it was late, I figured a bacon salad wouldn’t be so bad. Plated is a romaine salad with bacon, mushrooms, tomato, cheese, boiled egg, apple, crushed black pepper, and Texas garlic croutons.  I loaded this salad with everything. By the time I was finished preparing it, the salad look like a huge mountain. This did not discourage me one bit; I ate every last drop. Go hard or go home.

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FOOD TIP: Pineapples, grapes, and strawberries are great fruits to add to your next salad.

Locked & Loaded

It’s the summertime and everybody is grilling their favorite foods. Plated are two mushroom turkey burgers. They are loaded with lettuce, tomato, mushrooms, sliced cheese, sautéed onions, mayonnaise, ketchup, and pickles. These turkey burgers are tender, juicy, and seasoned perfectly. I love having turkey burgers with fresh cut French fries or creamy fried corn. It’s a quick meal to make, and a great dish to share with company.

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FOOD TIP: Mushrooms don't need sunlight to grow.

Secret Snaps

I had no idea that this picture was being taken. I was making some lunch and while I was plating, my friend snapped a few photos. This taste of heaven is chicken nachos. It’s a combo of shredded cheese, chicken, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and French dressing over crispy tortilla chips. Nachos are great for a late lunch or for a light dinner. They are easy to make and there are so many different topping you can use; avocado, black beans, and jalapenos are few of the extras. I enjoy nachos because I feel healthy while I am eating them, and I love loading them with toppings.

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FOOD TIP: Heating the tortilla chips in the oven adds an extra crunch to the equation.

Healthy Living

It’s important to live a healthy life with a balanced diet. I wanted to make something light for dinner, so I thought fish would be a great choice. This taste of heaven is pan seared tilapia over white rice with a mixed green salad and fresh tomatoes. The tilapia is topped with a tomato relish, and it’s positioned next a salad with garlic croutons, shredded cheese, and crushed black pepper. Overall, the meal was very nutritious and well balanced.

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FOOD TIP: Tomatoes are rich in biotin.

BOMB.COM

If I make dinner for company, I like to have dessert afterwards. Brownies, cookies, apple turnovers, ice cream, or cinnamon rolls are usually my choices. This taste of heaven is Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls. It's a small can of five that I made for myself after I cooked Steak N’ Eggs. These cinnamon rolls are absolutely delicious. I like them fresh out the oven with lots of icing. I can eat a whole can of them by myself. Cinnamon rolls are perfect for dessert or even breakfast. The cinnamon and sugary icing are a perfect combo. I have never made them from scratch, but I plan to in the future because they are BOMB.COM.

FYI: Pillsbury

FOOD TIP: Cinnamon can help with hair growth, diabetes, and weight loss.

Steak N' Eggs

I’m a northern girl, but my roots are from the South. I pulled out two steaks for dinner because I wanted Steak N’ Eggs. I seasoned the steak and seared it in a flat pan with butter. I like my steak to be tender and juicy with a warm pick inside, so I cooked the sirloin until it was medium rare. Then I cracked two eggs open, and I let them sizzle until they had a slight run. I sprinkled some cheese on the eggs and added some seasoning to the mix. Steak N’ Eggs is a hardy meal, but I wanted to add a veggie to the equation. I chose broccoli because it’s healthy and it added a splash of color to the scene. After I steamed the broccoli, I plated everything and I fed my tummy. :D

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FOOD TIP: Egg yolks contain vitamin D.

Spicy Mac N' Cheese

Macaroni and cheese has always been a favorite of mine. My family makes it from scratch every holiday. We make it the same way every time because it’s a family tradition. However, one of my friends made macaroni and cheese with a crouton crust. I was thrown off by the croutons, but I tried her recipe anyway. She told me to put hot sauce on top for an extra kick, so I drizzled some on my mac n’ cheese. The traditional recipe I grew up eating was transformed into something great. I went back for thirds, not seconds. It had a cheesy hot flavor with a light crunch on the side that I would compliment with bacon or sour cream. Sometimes you have to experiment with your food and try new things. I plan on making my friend’s spicy mac n' cheese recipe at the next family gathering. I hope they love it! :D

FYI: Further Details...

FOOD TIP: Bread that's aged makes great croutons.

Mimic: “Sharing Is Caring”

I love mimicking restaurant dishes at home. It’s a fun way to experiment in the kitchen, and a great way to add variety to your meals. This taste of heaven is nachos with shredded cheese, lettuce, lean ground beef, tomatoes, and a big dollop of sour cream. I was in a Mexican mood, so I wanted nachos like the “Sharing Is Caring” post. Although I used lean ground beef instead of chicken, these nachos came out delicious. It’s perfect for a movie night, lunch with friends, or a fiesta. I enjoy making nachos at home because you can get creative with your toppings and the guests love it too!

FYI: Further Details...

FOOD TIP: Tomatoes contain a great source of biotin.