How to use a Bamboo Steamer

Smaller sized bamboo steamers

It is a known fact that steaming is a healthier way to cook many of your favorite meats and vegetables. There are several appliance-based steamers on the market to choose from, but what if you are looking for something more natural and simpler to use? Learning how to use a bamboo steamer is easier than …

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Homemade Sugar Free Coleslaw Recipe with No Mayo

Close up of sugar free coleslaw with no mayo

As you may have read in my article about making coleslaw with blue cheese, I used to hate coleslaw as a kid. It wasn’t really until college when I was introduced to San Diego’s fish taco scene that it hit me. It wasn’t that I didn’t like cabbage – it was that I didn’t like …

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Easy Chopped Steak Recipe with Mushrooms and Onions

A chopped steak over white rice topped with a fried egg placed on a black plate

Chopped steak, hamburg steak, Salisbury steak, or whatever else you may call this German-inspired dish has a well-earned a spot in the annals of American comfort food.  What is a Chopped Steak? The name chopped steak comes from its origins in using hand-chopped beef for the meat. Nowadays, it is far more common to use …

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Simple Lemon Ginger Smoked Tequila Cocktail Recipe

A glass of smoked tequila cocktail with lemon peel and ice

I have always thought the taste of honey and ginger would pair well with the flavors of gold reposado or Anejo style tequila. This smoked tequila cocktail recipe has been the perfect chance to try out my theory and try making honey-ginger simple syrup. To add some additional, aged characteristics to my drink I’ll also …

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Easy Blue Cheese Coleslaw Recipe

A blue cheese coleslaw in a blue ceramic bowl is placed on a white surface

When I was younger, I used to hate coleslaw. It was a dish that I’d put a tiny scoop of onto my plate just to please my parents or not offend friends or co-workers. It wasn’t until I got older and started cooking more when I really started to understand why I disliked it so …

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Simple Pressure Cooker Pork Carnitas Recipe

Pork carnitas enveloped in a taco shell

While probably only the 3rd or 4th most popular taco meat after carne, pollo, and picadillo (ground beef), carnitas is perhaps one of my all-time favorites. To me, carnitas is the first of the rarer and higher-brow taco meats, like the spit-roasted al pastor (adobaba), braised and slow-cooked birria, and breakfast favorite, chorizo sausage.  These …

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Classic Tomato Bruschetta Appetizers Recipe

Three toasted bruschetta with tomatoes and herbs served on a brown wooden plate

What do you get when you take french bread and fresh flavorful Italian ingredients? Bruschetta, while far from the traditional version, this quick and easy bruschetta recipe can be made with easy-to-obtain ingredients and will keep your family coming back for more.  What is a Bruschetta? Bruschetta (pronounced like broo-sketta) is a toasted or roasted …

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Crispy Baked Eggplant Chips Recipe

Baked crispy eggplant chips served on a blue ceramic mug placed on a white surface

When it comes to chips, I’m all about the tortilla chips and a side of fresh pico de gallo or a spicy homemade guacamole. I never really thought I’d get on board with the vegetable chip craze that was happening, but my mind was instantly changed once I tried this eggplant chips recipe. I had …

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Spicy Pico de Gallo Recipe

A spoonful of pico de gallo with guacamole

Here in San Diego, I have the luxury of having delicious Mexican food available at my fingertips. Whether you are chowing down on tacos at 2 in the morning or grabbing a burrito on your lunch break, Mexican food is an integral part of the San Diego experience.  Key to that experience is Pico De …

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Pinto Beans with Chili Lime Rice Recipe

Close photos of pinto beans and chili lime rice

Did you know pinto beans are the number one bean in the U.S. and Mexico? This was news to me, as they typically have a bad rap for being known to only be good for refried beans and chili. I’m a fan of pinto beans, so I was glad to hear this fun fact about …

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Easy Homemade Rustic Tomato Soup Recipe

Rustic tomato soup garnished with basil leaves served in a white bowl placed on a white surface

When it comes to my pantry, staple items you’ll find are flour, sugar, dried pasta, rice, beans, and tomatoes. What do these things all have in common? They are cheap and last for years. The challenge with these items is how to turn them into something more appetizing than their humble beginnings in a box, …

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Homemade Spicy Tomato Sauce Recipe for Pasta

Pasta topped with spicy tomato sauce and herbs served in a white bowl placed on a white surface

Have you ever bought a clamshell of cherry or grape tomatoes only to find you never use them all? This happens to me all the time, so rather than constantly throwing them into salads for the next 5 days, I prefer to turn them into a fresh, spicy pasta sauce.   What Makes a Good Spicy …

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