Taste of Tucson: Sonoran Style Recipes
Vegan Chile Colorado Tostadas with Crispy Tofu
How to make vegan Chile Colorado. This recipe was “veganized” from the beef version published in Taste of Tucson. […]
vegetarian
breakfast
Cheese and Dairy
Sonoran Style 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. […]
Celebrations
Brigadeiro: Brazilian Chocolate Truffles With Sprinkles!
How do you say “delicious” in Portuguese? Brigadeiro, that’s how! These easy-to-make balls are fun to roll in chocolate jimmies. Box them up for the perfect gift. […]
Celebrations
Fleur De Sel Caramels
Fleur de sel (“flower of salt”) is a hand-harvested sea salt with distinctive flavor. Look for variations that have a pink or gray tone. You’d think that something with such a fancy-sounding name might be complicated to make, but in fact these sweet and savory bite-size treats are as easy to concoct as they are to devour. Still, if you want to let your friends believe these caramels are a feat of culinary magic, your secret’s safe with me.
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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. […]
breakfast
Matzoh Molletes
This quick vegetarian breakfast is a cross between matzo molletes and huevos rancheros. I used beans from a can and my homemade chiltepin salsa. […]
Celebrations
breakfast
Skillet Stuffing Shakshuka
Be sure to make extra-extra stuffing for Thanksgiving so that you can make my Skillet Stuffing Shakshuka the next morning with the “leftovers” Serves 2-4 Ingredients: 2-4 cups leftover stuffing (one cup per person), warmed […]
Celebrations
Chocolate Dipped Frozen Banana Bites With Sprinkles
We all know that rainbow sprinkles make the world-go-round and this super-easy recipe is fun, festive and good for you too. You can melt the chocolate in the microwave which makes it the perfect treat for a hot summer’s day. […]
cooking crafts
Frozen Watermelon Wedges: The All Natural Ice Pops
Learn how to make frozen Watermelon Wedges: the all natural ice pops. […]
cooking crafts
Frozen Yogurt Bark With Berries and Granola
All of the bark and none of the bite […]
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 […]
Baked Goods
Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti with Sprinkles
This triple-chocolate double-baked treat is dipped in a dark chocolate coating with sprinkles on top. Arizona is one of only three states in the US where pistachios are grown and chocolate and sugar are two of the most revered ingredients in Sonoran cuisine. […]
breakfast
Recipe: Grain Bowl With Green Quinoa, Tepary Beans and Egg
Grain Bowl With Green Quinoa, Tepary Beans, Avocado and Egg Start your day with this Sonoran style power breakfast. It’s high in protein, complex carbs and healthy fats. Serves 1. Ingredients 1/2 cup dry quinoa […]
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
Creamy Wheat Berry Breakfast Hash Bowl
Prepare the grains according to package instructions unless otherwise noted. You can do this in advance and store the cooked grains in the refrigerator to save time later. Different varieties of the same grain have […]
Cheese and Dairy
Spinach Linguine with Walnut Pesto
Walnuts are less expensive and easier to find than the traditional pine nuts and I think they taste even better. Plus they’re loaded with healthy fats. This recipe originally was written for and published on Refinery29 as part […]
Appetizers
Sweet Pepper Poppers
How To Make Sweet Mini Pepper Poppers Lay peppers on preparation surface. Slice off the front of each one, leaving a deep well and the stems intact. Fill the remaining hole with jalapeño cream cheese […]
Appetizers
Vegan Cocktail Pups recipe With A SECRET INGREDIENT!
Vegan Cocktail Pups The secret ingredient is baby carrots! This is so simple that there isn’t even a recipe. Just toss a bag or two of baby carrots a crockpot with your favorite barbecue sauce […]
Chocolate
Dark Chocolate Chia Pudding With Frozen Berries
Frozen berries top this easy dessert with a 5-minute prep time… because it’s hot out there. Chia seeds are truly a super-food packed with antioxidants, fiber and loads of healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, so they are a […]
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 […]
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 […]
Baked Goods
Savarin Chantilly – French Bundt Cake with Apricot Glaze
My niece got married in a field in Oskaloosa, Kansas last weekend. Afterwards we had lunch under a tent. My mother-in-law made all of the desserts including this Savarin, a rich airy cake soaked in a […]
Appetizers
Sprinkles Fairy Bread Sandwiches
Make any day a celebration! Just barely sweet, these sparkly sandwiches make a fun breakfast surprise, after-school snack, or party food. Inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem “Fairy Bread” in A Child’s Garden of Verses, fairy […]
Appetizers
Sparkling Cranberry and Brie Crostini
An unpublished photo from my book, Sprinkles!: Recipes and Ideas for Rainbowlicious Desserts was nominated for the 2014 Photography Master’s Cup in the Food Photography category. Here’s the recipe to go along with the photo, reprinted from […]
Atkins Friendly
Monster Eggs
Looks can be deceiving; my favorite monsters are scary looking, but innately good. Just like these monsterized eggs, which have been turned green and frightening looking, but are completely delicious. They are also monstrously easy to make. April […]
Cheese and Dairy
Roasted Whole Baby Cauliflower with Herbs & Parmesan
“I’m really into cauliflower right now”, my friend Helen announced as she pulled Bon Appetit’s version of this dish out of her oven. Now I am too. I’m also obsessed with the idea of roasting […]
Appetizers
Snack of the Day: New York Style Hot Dog Bites
The folks at Whole Foods Markets asked me to come up with a holiday recipe using ingredients from their stores. I’d planned to do an organic grass-fed roast beef with root vegetables from their amazing […]
Easy
Postmodern Art Popsicles
What is the nature of art? Can it exist in popsicle form? Is it still art after the popsicle has been eaten? How does the process of melting affect the piece? These are some of […]
Baked Goods
Crustless Quiche With Five Kinds of Peppers
Sometimes in the morning when I want a little treat, I drive down the street to my favorite coffee shop where they make the most amazing quiche. I’ve been doing it so much lately that […]
Dinner
BLT Lettuce Wraps: THE BEST Late Summer Meal
I had no idea when I made this yesterday that today, AUG. 31st, was NATIONAL BACON DAY. All I had been thinking was how the BLT is the perfect end-of-summer meal. Tomatoes are at their best, […]
breakfast
Breakfast Popsicles + A Goodreads “Sprinkles!” Cookbook Giveaway
Looking to kick start a hot summer day? These chocolate & coffee frozen pudding pops are just the ticket! Take an average cup of joe and turn it into a stick of WHOA! Sugar-free instant […]
Chocolate
Frozen (or not) No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse with Summertime Sprinkles
It’s a healthy, frozen, chocolate treat that’s high protein, and low in calories, fat and sugar. What more could you want? Oh yeah, it has sprinkles! Lots of them in pretty summer colors that are […]
Appetizers
Artichoke Week!
(Self proclaimed) Artichoke Week continues! Grilling makes artichokes taste even better. My newest article for Broadway and Thresher explains how to do it properly.
Appetizers
Consider the Artichoke
There was a basket of cute purple and green baby artichokes in the produce section of the market. My intent was to buy the larger globe artichokes for my recipe but these charmed me. I […]
Appetizers
Parmesan Pepperoni Crustless Pizza
If you bake a layer of Parmesan cheese in the oven it will crackle and pop after a while, turning into a crispy, brown cheese cracker that’s much tastier than any pizza crust I’ve encountered. I […]
casserole
Three Ways to Make Johnny Marzetti
I’ve hit a carb overload. The holidays are over, thank god. I’m really ready to get back to eating healthy, but I also want food that carries some weight to it, so I came up […]
Baked Goods
Chocolate & Coffee Figgy Pudding Recipe
I want some figgy pudding! How could I not after hearing that song year after year. So, I came up with this recipe for Chocolate & Coffee Figgy Pudding for my latest article in Broadway+Thresher […]
Celebrations
Pretty in Pink: Candied Lady Apples
These easy candied apples are a healthy, sweet treat that are fun for kids to make. I used Lady Apples, which are stunning, tiny, sweet apples that resemble crab apples. Also called Christmas Apples, they […]
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 […]
Atkins Friendly
Mini Pumpkin Goat Cheese Cheesecakes
Saying that I don’t eat a lot of sweets is perhaps not the best way to start a post about dessert. Cake in general is not really my thing. I prefer fruit, though I do […]
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
Snack of the Day: Tomatoes with Smoked Mozzarella & Sea Salt
Snack idea of the day! Tomatoes with Smoked Mozzarella & Sea Salt It’s no Caprese salad, it’s just sliced tomatoes with smoked mozzarella and smoked sea salt. A simple, high protein snack idea that you […]
Cheese and Dairy
Red Wine Sausages With Creamy, Cheesy Noodles
It’s the middle of the end of summer and it’s insanely hot. Today it was 112 in the shade (my thermometers under an overhang); and yet, I still felt the urge to cook up this […]
Appetizers
Tiny Sweet Peppers Stuffed with Cheese
Miniature sweet peppers weren’t really sold anywhere a couple of years ago. Suddenly they’re everywhere. They have a little bit more of a bit to them than their name suggests, but they are far from […]
Celebrations
The Muddler
I’m a bit muddled thanks to the help of my friends, and it smells a little bit like tequila in here. Lately, people have been sending me wonderful presents and coincidentally two of them were […]
Chocolate
A Super Simple Peanut Butter & Chocolate, Salty, Crunchy Snack
This is a great snack when you want something sweet with not a lot of calories. It’s high fiber with balanced protein and very yummy.
4 Triscuits or Woven Wheat Crackers […]
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. […]
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 […]
Appetizers
Sonoran Style Chunky Guacamole Recipe
Chunky Guacamole for the win! I swear the recipe from my cookbook Taste of Tucson is the best ever… it’s spicy, salty and creamy yet crisp and bright with lots of citrus and just a […]
breakfast
Rolled & Baked Breakfast Tacos
Rolled & Baked Breakfast Tacos Wake, roll and bake for breakfast. Mexi-breakfast is always the best. May 15, 2011 by Jackie Alpers Ingredients 2 eggs 1 T. Greek yogurt 2 frozen sausage or veggie sausage patties […]
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
Fast, Yet Fancy Looking; Hummus Snack With Baked Pita Chips
My husband arrived home from work and announced a friend of ours was on the way over. I started to make plans to buy beer and make nachos when I was also informed that he […]
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 […]
Baked Goods
Homemade Thin Crust Pizza
More often than not, Sunday night is Pizza Night at my house. It took me forever to figure out how to make a thin crust pizza at home. I practiced stretching the dough for months. […]
contains whole grains
Easy Pita Sandwich for Lunch
I’ll get on a kick where I’ll have this for lunch almost every day. It’s great when you’re super hungry because it only takes about 5 minutes to make. The hummus and nonfat feta add […]
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 […]
Celebrations
Who Needs Green Beer When There Are Margaritas?
In Arizona we tend to forgo the green beer in favor of a lovely pale green margarita on St. Patrick’s Day. You can make them easily at home without the high-sugar mix. If you use […]
Comfort Food
Onion-Barley Matzoh Ball Soup Recipe
I’m craving soup. Here’s a hearty vegetarian version of traditional matzoh ball soup. I modified it from an onion/mushroom soup recipe that my mother used to make when I was a kid. For the matzoh […]
contains whole grains
Baked Falafel Sandwich Recipe
Ever since I went to yoga (once – last week), I’ve been having a hankering for a falafel sandwich. On the way home from the class I stopped at a middle eastern sandwich shop and […]
breakfast
Healthy Vanilla-Cinnamon French Toast Recipe
Serves 2 Ingredients: 4 pieces light whole grain bread 1 cup egg substitute 1/4 cup non-fat milk 1 T. pure vanilla extract 1 tsp. cinnamon 2 T. 100% pure maple syrup light butter Instructions: Spray […]