Add some zing to Mexican Night or Taco Tuesday with this easy-to-make Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Rice Recipe.

"Mexican Night" (tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc.) appears weekly on our meal rotation, and Mexican (Spanish) rice is our family's favorite accompaniment. I recently tried something new and served Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Rice, featuring Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning, white Jasmine rice, and Cilantro. This flavorful side dish was a huge hit with our family!

If you are looking for a zippy dish that is quick and easy and pairs nicely with your favorite Mexican dish, then surprise your family with Chardonnay Lime and Cilantro Rice. Your family will thank you!

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Ingredients

1 cup white jasmine rice (We used Thai Hom Mali Jasmine Rice- found at BJ's Warehouse)
2 cups chicken stock or water
2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) butter
2 teaspoons (tsp) Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) fresh lime juice
3 Tablespoons (Tbsp) cilantro, finely chopped

Preparation

Add water or stock, rice, and butter to a medium sauce pan. Turn the heat on medium-high, cover and cook until water comes to a boil (about 5 minutes).

Turn down heat, stir rice, and add Cherchies® Chardonnay Lime & Cilantro Seasoning and lime juice to the pan. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the rice from the heat, add the chopped cilantro and allow the mixture to simmer, covered for another 10 minutes.

Fluff the rice with a fork before serving. Serve with our Double Decker Tacos, Fish Tacos, or your favorite Mexican dishes.

*Note: Adjust the water content according to preference, increasing for more softness or decreasing for a firmer texture.

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Irish Vegetable Soup Recipe

January 4, 2018entrees, leftovers, lunch, side dishesSheri Spallone8 Comments

Happy 2018! Now that the holidays are behind us, I am sure many, like me, have a plethora of leftovers, including vegetables from the vegetable tray. Am I right? Instead of tossing the veggies, dice them up to create this unique, flavorful Irish Vegetable Soup.

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Vegetable soup is very satisfying and full of fresh vegetables and herbs, but not necessarily noteworthy, in my opinion. But travel across the ocean to The Emerald Isle (Ireland), and you will find not only breathtaking countryside with warm and friendly native folk but also delicious vegetable soup presented entirely differently than in the states. Instead of chunky vegetables swimming in a sea of full-bodied broth, the Irish version is a smooth, pureed blend of root vegetables, garlic, herbs, cream, and butter.

There is nothing like travel to cause a bit of culture shock, particularly in the cuisine, but I am rarely shocked by soup! My hubby and I traveled to Ireland last summer to celebrate our 25th Anniversary, and this humble dish graced almost every pub and fancy restaurant throughout the country. I have to admit; I was a bit skeptical at first about pureed vegetable soup, but my husband and I sheepishly smirked at each other and indulged.

Wow! If I had not been in the presence of others, I might have licked the entire bowl clean! It was so tasty and filling that I had to recreate this pool of deliciousness at home!

When I re-created this soup, I thought for sure the texture alone would send my teenagers running, but it didn't! The aroma drew them out of their rooms. "Mom, what smells so good?" "Vegetable soup," I replied. "Would you like to try it? It is Ireland's version." They liked it so much that this soup now makes a weekly appearance in our home.

So, for my version, I used potatoes (sweet or regular), garlic, Cherchies® Garlic Seasoning, celery, parsnips, carrots, onions, and sometimes leftover vegetables, such as broccoli or spinach. And, because you puree the entire batch, even the most discerning vegetable haters might enjoy this dish. It is a great way to get your family to eat more veggies. You need to give this version of vegetable soup a try. It is easy, delicious, and satisfying, and you may never return to the chunkier version again!

Please comment below if you have tried this tasty soup.

Thank you for visiting. Please come back again.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons (Tbsp.) butter
1 small onion, diced
2 ribs of celery, washed and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced
3 potatoes with skins on, diced (feel free to substitute sweet potatoes)
1 tomato, chopped
1/2 cup spinach (optional)
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Garlic or Cherchies® Garlic'n Herbs Seasoning Blends, divided
1/2 teaspoon (tsp) ground pepper
2 cups vegetable broth (ok to substitute chicken broth)
1/4 cup half & half (substitute fat-free greek yogurt for a lighter version)
Blender

Preparation

Add butter, celery, onions, garlic, parsnips, and carrots to a large soup pot or dutch oven. Season with 1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Garlic or Garlic'n Herbs Seasoning blend and pepper. Sauté the vegetables, until onions are translucent.

Add the vegetable or chicken broth to the pot. Add potatoes, tomato, and rest of the Garlic Seasoning to the soup pot. Throw in some Kale or Spinach of leftover broccoli if you have it on hand (optional). Simmer until potatoes are soft and then add the half and half.

Once vegetables are finished cooking, turn off the stove and allow the soup to cool for five minutes. Now onto the blender. Carefully add the soup ingredients to a blender, making sure to only fill the blender half-full. You may have do a couple of batches. To ensure the hot soup does not explode everywhere, remove the center portion of the blender to allow steam to escape and put a clean towel over top. If you have a blender that is equipped to handle soup, then this step is not necessary. Hold the lid covered with the towel down and puree. Or, wait until the soup has cooled about 20 minutes or so and then puree.

Pour the pureed soup into your favorite soup bowl, serve with bread, and enjoy this tasty version of Ireland's vegetable soup! If you are feeling fancy, carefully add a little half and half and make a fun design. Enjoy!

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Homemade Potatoes O'Brien Recipe

October 4, 2017breakfast, side dishesSheri SpalloneComment

Cook Time: About 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

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Are you a leftover lover or hater? Personally, I love them; they are kind of my thing! Leftovers are the perfect medium for recreating new culinary masterpieces (something I am well-known for in our household), and although it takes a bit of planning, the best part is you save money because you waste less. Who doesn't love saving money?

Potatoes O'Brien is a deliciously easy recipe to use extra peppers and our Cherchies Garlic Seasoning. Traditionally this dish is made with potatoes, onions, and green and red peppers, but use what is available. It's okay, I give you permission, cooking is about improvising, and since I had a plethora of green, yellow, and orange peppers leftover from a neighborhood potluck, I used them instead.

Make a large batch of these potatoes and divide them! Use one part for dinner as a side dish, and freeze the rest to later add to eggs for a casserole or quick breakfast burritos. Either way you "dice" it, you will have a quick and easy tasty side dish in under 30 minutes that your family or guests will devour!

Thank you for stopping by:)

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon (Tbsp.) olive oil, divided
1 large onion, diced
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies Garlic Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon (tsp) ground pepper
6 gold potatoes (or your favorite potatoes), chopped into 1-inch chunks (feel free to leave the skins on)
1 large clove of garlic, minced
Cherchies® Pretty Peppers, drained (optional)

Preparation
Chop up onions, peppers, and set them aside. Wash and chop the potatoes (no need to remove the skins). Add the potatoes to a medium bowl of cold water until ready to use, otherwise, potatoes may turn grey, which may not go over well with semi-picky eaters;) Trust me.

In a large skillet, cook the onions and peppers in 1 Tablespoon olive oil and Cherchies Garlic Seasoning until the onions are translucent. Remove them from the skillet and set aside.

In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil, potatoes, pepper and and garlic and cook on low until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan. After potatoes have cooked, add back in the pepper and onion mixture to the skillet. (*Optional- for a twist to this dish, add the Pretty Peppers). Cook for 5 minutes. Serve this savory dish with our Savory Champagne Meatloaf Recipe and our Best Darn Garlic Bread Recipe for a complete meal. Enjoy!

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Cajun Mac and Cheese Recipe

August 28, 2017entrees, side dishesSheri SpalloneComment

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 6 Servings

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It is hard to imagine life without creamy, gooey, intoxicating macaroni and cheese. It's that golden, quintessential comfort food that makes us all swoon, but add Cajun seasoning and Andouille sausage to the mix, and your tastebuds will be elevated to a whole new level. Hello!

Why mess with this perfectly dreamy comfort food, you ask? Variety is the spice of life, friends. It seems wrong to mess with perfection, we get it, but trust us, change is good every once in a while, especially if you want to spice up your meal rotation.

Our macaroni and cheese version features Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning, Cherchies® Champagne Mustard (adds a unique tang), and savory Andouille sausage, a delicious combination guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds and wow your family.

So, the next time your family hankers for Mac and Cheese, surprise them and tantalize their tastebuds with your culinary Cajun creation! This tasty dish may be their new go-to mac and cheese recipe. (It could happen;)

Thanks for stopping by:) Comment below if you have tried this flavorful recipe. Come back again for more family-tested recipes, entertaining ideas, and cooking tips using all our favorite Cherchies® gourmet products.

Ingredients

3 cups Dried Macaroni
1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 jar Cherchies® Pretty Peppers, drained
1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
1/4 cup (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter, melted
1 1/2 cups half and half (or milk), warmed in the microwave
2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, more If Desired
1 teaspoon (tsp) Cherchies® Champagne Mustard
1 pound Cheese, Grated (Use a combination of Cheddar and Monterery Jack or your favorite combintaion)
2 Tablespoons (Tbsp) Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning
Cherchies® Cajun Cornbread Recipe (optional)

Preparations

Prepare macaroni according to package directions, and drain. While the macaroni is cooking, in a medium skillet, cook the sliced sausage and chopped onion in olive oil on medium heat, turning occasionally, until sausage is cooked through and onions are translucent. Add the drained Pretty Peppers. Turn the heat off and set the mixture aside.

In a small pan, combine the flour and melted butter. This will be your roux to thicken the sauce. Cook for a few minutes on low, then slowly add the warmed milk to the roux. Add the champagne mustard and dry mustard to the mixture, stir, and then for the best part...the CHEESE! Add the glorious cheese to the flour mixture and stir until smooth. I tend to use whatever cheese we have on hand, but cheddar and Monterey Jack work nicely in this dish.

Pour the cheese sauce into the skillet with the sausage and mix to combine. Add the drained macaroni noodles and Cajun Seasoning and cook on low until warmed through.