Tay Eats

Spinach Dip

This recipe is one that I get asked about the most and is pretty fool proof and versatile. Ingredients: -8-10 oz. chopped frozen spinach, thawed, drained -8 oz. cream cheese-2 garlic cloves, minced-3 tbsp mayonnaise -1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese + more if you want it extra cheesy-1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend-salt to taste-1 tomato, chopped-1/4 onion, finely chopped (optional) -1 tsp chili flakes + more if you like a kick (optional) Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Thaw and drain excess water from spinach. Chop tomatoes. Finely chop garlic and onion. 3. In a skillet or oven safe dish, combine spinach, cream cheese, garlic, mayonnaise, onion, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese plus 3/4 cup Mexican cheese, chili flakes, salt. Mix in tomatoes at the end so they don’t get mushed. 4. Top the pan off with the remaining cheese, sprinkle with extra chili flakes and…

Pot Roast

I fell for the Cyber Monday trap this year and bought myself a few things including a Dutch Oven! I have always wanted one and finally saw an affordable one that I liked and decided to treat myself. (Kitchen things are my weakness.) I used it the day after I received it and decided to make pot roast. It was a fairly easy to do. The only thing that’s hard is the patience it requires to cook through. Ingredients: -2lb beef chuck roast-2 tbsp oil-2 onions, halved-1 bulb garlic, peeled-1 bay leaf-3-4 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces-2 cups beef broth-2-3 sprigs fresh thyme-1-2 sprig fresh rosemary-freshly ground black pepper and flaky salt to taste-1 tsp tomato paste-1tsp chili flakes (optional)-fresh cilantro or parsley (for serving) Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 270 degrees F. 2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the halved onions to the…

Chili Lime Salmon Tacos

During this quarantine, I have been experimenting with food, much like many of you out there. One of my favorite things I’ve made thus far are these chili lime tacos! After reading many different recipes, here is what I came up with. Ingredients: Chili Lime Salmon Tacos -2 salmon filet-1/4 tsp red chili powder -1/4 tsp cumin powder-1/4 tsp coriander powder-1/2 tsp garlic powder-1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper-juice of a small lemon or lime-1 tbsp salted butter-corn tortillas Avocado Salsa -1 avocado, chopped-1 tomato, chopped-1/2 small onion, chopped-3-4 tbsp sweet corn-1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped-handful fresh cilantro, chopped-squeeze of lime juice-salt & pepper to taste Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit2. Drench salmon with lemon juice and melted better3. Sprinkle the chili mixture on the filet4. Line a baking sheet with foil and place salmon filets in oven for 10-12 minutes, until…

Jalapeno Bean Dip

I LOVE dips so today I am sharing a recipe that I kind of made up by looking at various other bean dips. I took it to a recent BBQ party that we had on one of those rare days the weather was above 40 degrees. We are desperate for warmth out here in the east coast! With summer around the corner (I HOPE!), this is a great recipe to add to your backyard parties! Ingredients -One 16 oz. can kidney beans-2 tbs olive oil-2-3 jalapenos, finely chopped (preferably, unseeded if you like the heat)-1/2 onion, finely chopped-3-4 garlic cloves, finely shopped-8 oz. packaged cream cheese, room temperature-3/4 cup sour cream-1 cup shredded cheese (Mexican mix)-1 package taco seasoning-4-5 green onions, chopped (for garnish)-handful fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish) Instructions 1. Use a skillet an saute the onion, garlic and jalapenos in olive oil until translucent. 2. Rinse and add…

The BEST Cheesecake EVER!

This is the only way I ever make cheesecake and no other kind tastes as good. If you make it, I think you will agree too. I made it for the first time several Thanksgivings ago and decided it was time to revive the recipe and try it again this past Thanksgiving. This is pretty much Giada’s recipe minus the crust part. This recipe requires a lot of patience and love because the key to making the perfect cheesecake is allowing it to cool gradually. If you follow it exact, it’s pretty fool proof! Ingredients For Crust:-4 tbs butter, melted-1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs-1 tbs sugar For Filling:-2 (8 oz.) cream cheese packages, room temperature-2 (8 oz.) mascarpone cheese packages, room temperature-4 eggs, room temperature -1 1/4 cups sugar-1 tsp vanilla-2 tsp lemon juice Instructions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and tightly wrap a 9-inch springform pan…

Exploring US Cities: More From Detroit, Michigan

I’ve been to the Detroit area before; however, ever since my parents moved here, I have been going back more often and have discovered many new places! On one of the recent trips, I had a chance to go into the actual city and explore other places around the area. The Places I Visited Heidelberg Project Before the trip, I had researched a few places to check out and kept coming across this community art project, Heidelberg Project. It was started by Tyree Guyton, who upon returning to the street where he grew up, found it in a state of disaster. With the help and encouragement of his grandfather, he cleaned it up and ultimately turned it into a huge art installation. In 1988 they turned this effort into the Heidlberg Project whose mission is to “inspire people to appreciate and use artistic expression to enrich their lives and to improve…

Pakistani Daal Recipe (Lentils)

This recipe is the ultimate Pakistani comfort food for me. It’s also super easy and delicious! I made it last night and put some parts of it on my instagram stories. I was asked for the recipe so I thought I’d share it here! This is one of the first things I learned to cook from my mom. 🙂 Ingredeints: -3 cups of water -1 cup split red lentil -5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped -1/4 tsp turmeric -1 tsp salt (or more to your taste) -1/2 tsp paprika -1/4 tsp dried coriander powder -1/2 tsp curry powder (optional) -handful freshly chopped cilantro for garnish For Tadka (oil infused seasoning): -3 tbs oil -1/2 medium size onion thinly sliced -3 green onions chopped (optional) -1 garlic clove -1/4 tsp red crushed pepper (image taken from my Instagram stories) Instructions: 1. Rinse and soak the lentils for about 15 minutes. 2. Fill…

Chocolate Bar Hot Chocolate

The only good thing about winter is being able to drink hot chocolate. As a lover of this delicious warm drink, I am pretty particular about how it’s made. It needs to be creamy, not overly chocolate-y (be made with Belgian chocolate), topped off with fresh whipped cream and served in a beautiful copper mug. #diva Someone recently brought us a can of Bouchard Belgian Chocolate Coins and that is what I used to make this with. Otherwise, I probably would have used Cadbury (only from the UK though). This post is making me sound like a snob. I swear I’m not…lol. But the truth is, I’m just not a fan of American chocolate. ;P Yields 2 cups Ingredients For hot chocolate -1 3/4 cups whole organic milk -1.5 oz of chocolate (about 1 bar of chocolate) Ingredients for Whip Cream -1/4 cup whipping cream -1 tbs powder sugar (or to your taste) Instructions:…

5 Easy Super Bowl Party Recipes! (That you can even make last minute.)

Are you ready for the Super Bowl?… Or should I say are you ready for the Super Bowl Party?! I sure am! I’m not even a fan of football but I do like a good party with delicious finger foods. I make lots of those in general and have rounded up some good ones you can make, even last minute! 1. Cheesy Pull Apart Bread – This wins every time I make it! 2. The Ultimate Nachos – Easy and delicious! 3. Philly Cheesesteak Puff Pastry – I actually made this last year on super bowl as a trial and it turned out to be a hit! 4. French Fries – Who doesn’t like fried potatoes? 5. Easy Cheesy Veggie Quesadillas – for the vegetarians in your life. 😉 

Brining and Roasting Turkey

I know Thanksgiving has long passed and I’m super late with this but I wanted to share it anyway. I’ve made turkey three times before and each time I got compliments on how juicy it was. I’ve only ever done it by brining it. Each time I’ve added different things to the brine but I think this time it was the best one and now I have it right here for you! For this one, I was inspired by Food Network’s Anne Burrel’s recipe. Ingredients: -1 15-18 lb turkey -3/4 salt kosher salt -1/3 cup sugar -2 onions, diced -2 carrots, diced -4 celery ribs, diced -1 garlic bulb, cut in half -2 tsp rosemarry -2 tbs coriander seeds -2 tbs fennel seeds -6 bay leaves -1 tsp crushed red pepper -1 tsp red chili powder -1 orange cut in half, with peel For the spicy herb butter: -2 sticks butter…

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