Mommy's Sweet & Spicy Baked Beans

If you're not normally a fan of Baked Beans then this recipe will change your mind and if you're normally a fan of Baked Beans then this dish will instantly become a newfound favorite.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

- 1 28 oz can of Bush's "Original" Baked Beans
- 1 regular package of Bacon
- 1 large Tomato, diced
- 1 White Onion, diced
- 1 cup of Ketchup
- 1 tsp of Sriracha
- 1/2 tsp of Paprika
- 1/2 tsp of Ground Cayenne Pepper
- Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Fry up the bacon until crispy. Discard bacon fat (without cleaning or wiping down the skillet) and set aside the cooked and crispy bacon

3. Using the same skillet in which the bacon was cooked (so there's still remnants of the bacon fat), throw in the onions and cook on medium-high heat until soft and translucent. Throw in the tomatoes and cook until the the tomatoes are also soft, about 5 more minutes

4. Add the large can of Bush's "Original" Baked Beans and mix well. Let the mixture boil and then set it to simmer on medium-low heat

5. Stir in the Ketchup, Sriracha, Paprika, and Ground Cayenne Pepper. Let it simmer

6. While the beans are simmering in the skillet, coarsely chop up the bacon then add it to the mixture (set aside about 2 slices for the topping)

7. Transfer the beans from the skillet to an 8x8 inch pan and place in the oven for 30 minutes

8. Remove from oven, sprinkle the remaining pieces of bacon on top, serve, and enjoy!

Grilled Corn & Asparagus Salad

Ingredients:
(Serves 8-10)

- 8 Ears of Corn, grilled
- 1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large Tomato, diced
- 1 bunch of Asparagus, grilled
- 1/2 lime, squeezed
- 1/4 cup of Creme Fraiche
- 1/2 cup of Goat Cheese Crumbles
- 1/3 cup of fresh Cilantro, coarsely chopped
- Olive Oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. De-husk corn and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper prior to cooking it directly on the grill at around 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until corn is cooked all around

2. Wash and discard bottom half of the asparagus. Drizzle some olive oil, salt, and pepper on the asparagus and then throw them on the grill until they, too, are cooked with a nice crunch, about 10 minutes as well

3. While the corn and asparagus are cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients - slicing the red onion, tomato, cilantro, and measuring out the creme fraiche and goat cheese

4. When the corn is done and slightly cooled, carefully remove the corn from the cob with a knife into a large serving bowl then place the rest of the ingredients into the same bowl, folding in the creme fraiche, goat cheese, and lime juice






5. Mix well, serve, and enjoy immediately or chilled!



Now that's Summer in a bowl! Yum!

Chokh Dee!

Stevie

Pan-Seared Tilapia with a Spicy Cajun Rub

If you're into making your own rubs and you like it hella spicy then you should give this a go. It's an easy rub made of ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry and ideal for fish and chicken.

This time I put the rub on tilapia filets which I then pan-fried with a couple cloves of minced garlic and olive oil. Tilapia cooks relatively quickly, approximately 2-3 minutes on each side - or until the edges are nicely browned and its meat white and flaky. You can serve this particular tilapia dish over rice with steamed veg or use the filets for homemade fish tacos, which is what I did (I'll do a separate post for the fish tacos).

This recipe is for 1.5lbs - 2lbs of fish/meat. If you have more fish/meat then you'll need to adjust the ingredients accordingly and if you're not sure, just double it so you'll have a decent amount with leftover rub that you can save in a jar for later use. Oh and it's got a pretty good kick so if you can't handle spicy food then this rub is not for you!

Spicy Cajun Rub:
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cuman
- 1/2 tsp of McCormick's Perfect Pinch "Caribbean Jerk"
- 1/4 tsp Oregano

Thanks and enjoy!

Stevie