Cheese and Dairy
Vegetarian Nachos Supreme Stuffed Bell Peppers
Nachos supreme stuffed bell peppers! Outtake from the Taste of Tucson cookbook. Recipe and food photography by Jackie Alpers. […]
Spicy
Cookbooks
Recipe for The Parish’s Strawberry Habanero Infused Tequila
This infused tequila makes a mean margarita or straight-up sipper. […]
Appetizers
Chiltepin Hot Salsa Recipe From the Taste of Tucson Cookbook
Chiltepin salsa is an all-purpose salsa that can be used for dipping, for seasoning, and as a taco sauce. A little goes a long way, so if you prefer a milder salsa, cut the amount of chiles down by a half or a third. This recipe is from the Taste of Tucson cookbook by Jackie Alpers. […]
Chicken
Chicken Molé Amarillo: Cookbook Preview
Chicken Molé Amarillo | Recipe by Jackie Alpers from the cookbook Taste of Tucson: Sonoran Style Recipes Inspired by the Rich Culture of Southern Arizona. […]
Chicken
Sonoran Style Grilled Chicken Drumsticks
There are Southwestern regional influences that vary from New Mexico to Arizona, Texas, and Southern California. Here in Tucson, our regional cuisine is defined by fresh veggies, grilled meats and all of the delicacies that a mid-sized, sunshine filled desert city/college town, 60 miles from Mexico, has to offer. It’s summertime eating all year round. This recipe was There are Southwestern regional influences that vary from New Mexico to Arizona, Texas, and Southern California. Here in Tucson, our regional cuisine is defined by fresh veggies, grilled meats and all of the delicacies that a mid-sized, sunshine filled desert city/college town, 60 miles from Mexico, has to offer. It’s summertime eating all year round. This recipe was originally developed for Today.com. […]
Celebrations
Appetizers
Buffalo Chicken Rumaki Bites
Whatever happened to Rumaki, that vaguely Polynesian appetizer that they used to serve at tiki themed parties in the 70s? Maybe making buffalo-style rumaki will help modernize them a bit and bring them back into […]
Chicken
The Italian Stallion Hot Dog
This no-recipe recipe is my tribute dog to Sweathog, Vinnie Barbarino. Slice an Italian roll across the top, not the side. Spoon a tablespoon of warmed marinara sauce inside the cut roll, then tuck in […]
Appetizers
Spicy Ranch French Onion Dip
Two Dips That Live As One, Together At Last […]
Appetizers
The Cheesiest Cheese Crisp with Chipotle Ranch Dipping Sauce
Serves 2 to 4 A cross between a Mexican pizza an an open-faced quesadilla, the cheese crisp is the perfect comfort food. Southern Arizona restaurants started selling the dish more than 50 years ago and […]
Comfort Food
Quinoa Burrito Bowl With Chipotle Lime Vinaigrette
This recipe originally was written for and published on Refinery29 as part of an article on easy and affordable grain bowls. Check out the rest of the recipes on their site. The Greek yogurt adds a little […]
Comfort Food
Recipe: Sweet Corn Paletas
Sweet Corn Paletas Mexican ice pops often incorporate more exotic ingredients than their northern counterparts and my Sweet Corn Paletas are no different. Makes 12-16 servings Ingredients 1 cup milk, I used almond milk but any kind […]
Condiments
Recipe for Sriracha Lime Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
This super easy salad dressing recipe is especially good on a Greek salad, cucumber salad or Asian Chicken salad and you can make it right in the bottle if you only have a little bit of Sriracha left. […]
Atkins Friendly
Thai Cauliflower “Fried Rice” with Coconut
Cauliflower that has been pre-chopped into tiny rice-sized bits is my favorite new food product. It’s almost indistinguishable from real rice in recipes, yet contains significantly less carbs, so it’s perfect for grain-free and Paleo diets. […]
breakfast
Breakfast Taco Cups
Tacos for breakfast? Of course! Pinto beans add a healthy dose of fiber and low-carb tortillas erase any remaining guilt factor. Make these as mild or spicy as you like with your favorite taco sauce […]
Appetizers
Snack of the Day: Cincinnachos! – Cincinnati-Style Chili Cheese Nachos
Ohio meets Arizona! Cincinnati style chili cheese nachos – Cincinnachos as they will henceforth be known. The best of everything for snacking season. Start with My Recipe for Cincinnati Style Turkey Chili, substituting ground grass-fed beef […]
Chicken
Thai Grilled Chicken Thighs
All of the ingredients for authentic Thai cuisine are available at most grocery stores. Sambal Oelek and Thai fish sauce can be found in most Asian food sections. This recipe was originally published on iVillage.com […]
breakfast
Spicy Southwestern Style Mashed Potatoes With Sausage Gravy and Biscuits
There was a time in history when an all white meal consisting mostly of flour and milk was the most depressing idea imaginable. In Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol”, Ebenezer Scrooge famously sat down to a […]
Appetizers
Sonoran Style Chipotle Chicken Salad
Like all regional cuisines, Sonoran style Mexican food is evolving. My spicy Sonoran style chicken salad could easily be served in tortas (sandwiches) alongside the pork or beef varieties, or in tacos, which are now available served on lettuce leaves at local restaurants as well as on traditional corn or flour tortillas. I used store-bought rotisserie chicken which has become a staple in Mexican home cooking. […]
Atkins Friendly
Chicken
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner: New Grilled Chicken Recipes for iVillage
Apparently, in the olden days, every casino in Las Vegas offered a $1.79 chicken dinner. If you won a $2.00 bet, you’d have enough money to buy one, so the dealer would shout, “Winner, winner […]
Baked Goods
Low-carb Bacon-Wrapped Mexican Hot Dogs on Cheesy Cloud Buns
I made this low-carb bread replacement (often called “Oopsie Bread”) out of eggs and cream cheese from a recipe I’ve seen all over the internet. It turned out great. It smells like cheesy-bread while it’s […]
Chicken
Buffalo Chicken: Tenders & Tacos Recipes
I have an on-going, and pretty much constant craving for buffalo wings. I’d alway thought that buffalo wing sauce was one of those fast food enigmas (like the McRib) that could never be replicated by average people. It’s […]
breakfast
Mexican Shakshuka: Eggs Simmered in Tomato Crema
Breakfast I think it’s interesting how similar variations of dishes develop in different parts of the world. I’d never heard of Shakshuka until recently, but it’s very popular in the Middle East and Israel and […]
casserole
Quick & Easy Recipe for Low Carb Chicken Parmesan in Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce
October 1st I want to eat warm hearty meals in Autumn colors. Casseroles baked in stoneware dishes with rich sauces. Meat, cream, smoked cheeses, tomato sauce, and, I want the recipe to be fast, and […]
Atkins Friendly
Scrambled Eggs With Gorgonzola & Salsa
This recipe is the result of an early morning haze wherein I emptied random things from the refrigerator into a pan in a blurry attempt to make breakfast. It came out better than I expected, […]
Appetizers
Coctel De Camaron: Mexican Style Shrimp Cocktail
The shrimp cocktail I grew up with in Ohio was reserved for special occasions. It was served in a chilled martini glass filled with crushed ice topped with a dollop of horseradish and lemon juice […]
Dinner
Sicilian Shrimp with Hot Peppers and Lots of Garlic
There was a line in front of the fish case at the market today and everyone in front of me was buying the rock shrimp. As soon as I got up to the counter I […]
Comfort Food
Cincinnati Style Turkey Chili
Cincinnati chili does not exist in Arizona, except for in a suspicious canned variety, so I went on quest and figured out how to cook it myself. I made 4-way (spaghetti, beans, onions, cheese) Cincinnati […]
Atkins Friendly
Salsa Chicken Lettuce Tacos
I was very surprised to find that one of my favorite Mexican restaurants now offers their famous tacos nestled in a large lettuce leaf instead of a tortilla. I was even more amazed at how […]
ethnic cuisine
Recipe for Spicy Citrus Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas
When life gives me lemons (and well, shrimp) I make ceviche. Sometimes life, (or a really cool sponsor), gives me something really awesome. This time it was O Clementine Olive Oil… and “O” my gosh […]
Dinner
Red Curry Shrimp With Pineapple from Quick & Easy Thai
I’m a pretty good cook, but there is something about Thai food that’s always seemed complicated and exotic to me. That’s why I LOVE this book : Quick & Easy Thai by Nancie McDermott, (Chronicle Books, […]
Easy
Arizona Lentil Caviar
I have a long-standing distrust of any food that contains lentils. Lentil soup has always been my go-to answer when asked about my most hated food. I first experienced the suspicious discs floating aimlessly among […]
Comfort Food
Sonoran Style Potato Salad with Chili-Lime Vinaigrette and Red Onion
Here in Southern Arizona, our famous Sonoran style Mexican food is often garnished with pickled red onions and Mexican limes. I’ve incorporated those flavors into this spicy potato salad tossed with a chili-lime vinaigrette. Sonoran […]
Appetizers
Grilled Chipotle-Lime Mexican Style Corn
Every year on the 4th of July I make a different version Mexican grilled corn, which along with the Sonoran style hot dog is a popular street food around here. This year I modified a […]
Chicken
“Cake is Not my Downfall” — Jackie Kashian’s Recipe for Paprika Marinated Chicken
I’m a fan of comedian Jackie Kashian. I knew we were kindred spirits when I heard this “Cake and Chicken” bit on her “It’s Never Going to Be Bread” CD: “I was at my first […]
Appetizers
Sonoran Style Chunky Guacamole Recipe
Some people avoid avocados because they are higher in calories than other fruit, but they are filled with the good fat, the kind that’s been shown to actually help you lose weight and lower cholesterol […]
breakfast
Rolled & Baked Breakfast Tacos
Rolled & Baked Breakfast Tacos Wake, roll and bake for breakfast. Mexi-breakfast is always the best. Save to BigOven Yum May 15, 2011 by Jackie Alpers Category breakfast Cheese and Dairy Comfort Food contains whole grains […]
Fast!
Thai Green Papaya-less Salad Recipe
Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad) is my very favorite Thai dish. It’s crunchy, salty and spicy and I swear that it will cure whatever ails you – known or unknown. Here in Tucson it’s really […]
Cheese and Dairy
Black & White Nachos
This recipe makes a white nacho cheese sauce instead of the traditional yellow. Black beans add contrast, fiber and a bit more protein. There are more colors here than just black and white. but you […]
contains whole grains
The Chayote Challenge
Spicy Spanish Rice with Chayote and Black Beans I got a note posted to my wall on Facebook from Kristen who works with my husband saying, “I’m sending this home with Jason tonight. Create something […]
Easy
Chipotle Deviled Eggs With or Without Caviar
Thanks to the lovely people working behind the scenes at the Food Network (whose tweets reveal that they are apparently having some kind of office-wide deviled egg challenge), I’ve been having an unyielding urge for […]
Chicken
Tom Kha Gai: Thai Chicken and Vegetable Soup with Coconut Milk Recipe
I believe in the healing power of both chicken soup and Thai food. Combining the two will cure whatever ails you and the spicier you can make it the better. If you are healthy, this […]
Atkins Friendly
The Week of Gazpacho
My husband woke up, looked at me in from his side of the bed and declared this the “Week of Gazpacho”. And so, it is. I got a handy little device called Vegetable Chop and […]