Recipe for Carne Asada Fries * Food & Drink

Carne Asada Fries are a twist on nachos. Rather than chips as the base of the meal fries are the base. There are many recipes for Carne Asada Fries or nacho fries as we sometimes call them. We made ours with fresh homemade french fries, avocado slices and homemade pico de gallo. Carne Asada Fries is my new Mexican food craving. These fries include cheese and potatoes for the ultimate comfort food. They are also perfect for your Cinco de Mayo parties.

Note: This is a naturally gluten free recipe which makes if friendly for most all your food sensitive guests.

Carne Asada Fries 

• 1 pound beef steaks
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/4 cup of sweet cream butter
• 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper powder
• 4 large potatoes- I like to use white or yukon gold 
• 2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
• 2 avocados
• pint of fresh pico de gallo salsa
• pickled jalapenos
• sour cream to top

The Meat

Cut meat into bite size slices. Melt butter in a frying pan. Add minced garlic. Season meat with salt and chili pepper. Saute meat until cooked. Set aside to rest.

The Fries

Wash and cut potatoes into long strips. Rinse raw potatoes strips. This rises off the extra starch and makes a more crisp fry. In a deep fryer heat oil to 375 degrees. Cook until gold brown. Salt to taste. Top with cheese when hot. Set aside to allow cheese to melt.

Assembling

Slice avocados. Top the cheese covered fries to with meat, avocado slices, pico de gallo salsa, jalapenos and a dollop of sour cream. 

Carne Asada Fries go great with a margarita. Enjoy!

Hot Bean and Cheese Dip Recipe * Food & Drink

Going to a party or just staying home having a movie marathon, a perfect snack on hand is a must. Our Hot and Cheesy Bean Dip is perfect for snacking or can even pass as a meal. It is super easy, only takes minutes to prepare so it's great for a mom on the run.
My teen boys love it as an after school snack.


Hot Bean and Cheese Dip

• 1- 16 ounce can of refried beans
• 1- 16 ounce can of black beans
• 1- 16 ounce can of diced tomatoes
• 1- 6 ounce can of diced green chilies
• 1- 6 ounce can of black olives
• 1 ripe avocado cut into chunks
• 1 cup sour cream
• Sliced picked jalapenos
• 1 pound shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

In a 9x9 inch baking dish mix together re-fried beans, black beans, tomatoes, green chilies and 1/2 pound cheese. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 pound of cheese on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Top with olives, jalapenos, sour cream and avocado chunks. Sevres with corn chips. Enjoy!

Food & Drink * Seven Layer Stuff Cheeseburger

It's Spring and it's time to dust off the grills and cook up some delicious hamburgers. Avocados from Mexico put the Sweet Life cooks to the challenge to create an amazing recipe using the finest Haas avocados. Haas avocados have dark bumpy skin and the creamy green fruit inside. We went to work thinking about what we would love and what would you our readers would love. We came up with our Avocado Stuffed Seven Layer Burger.

Our Avocado Stuffed Burger is so tasty and so easy to make. You will be the talk of the grill for years to come when you serve it up to your dinner guests.

Avocado Stuffed 7 Layer Burger
Ingredients:
serves 4

• 
  
• 1 lbs Angus Ground Beef
• 1/2 cup Sweet Cream Butter
• 1 Small Grated White Onion
• 1 Haas Avocado from Mexico
• Pepper Jack Cheese
• Sour Cream
• Butter Lettuce
• Slicing Tomato
• Salsa
• Sliced Jalapenos (optional)

In a medium mixing bowl mix together with hands 1 lbs of Angus ground beef, 1 tsp salt (to taste), 1/2 cup of the best sweet cream butter and 1 small grated white onion. Divide the meat into 4 equal parts and form into balls. Each ball will make one quarter pound hamburger.
Take one quarter pound ball and divide into two balls. Shape each ball into a thin hamburger patty. Place thinly sliced pepper jack cheese and thinner sliced pieces of avocados in the center of on the the patties. Place the second patty on top and pinch together the edges to seal in the cheese and avocado. Repeat with the remaining 1/4 pound balls of meat.
Grill stuffed hamburgers on medium heat until medium well done.
Layer sour cream, salsa, jalapenos, tomato and lettuce on a nice fresh kaiser roll Enjoy!


Sweet & Simple Tips:

• Butter is a must in this burger. It adds a caramelized richness to the layers of flavor.
• This burger can also be cooked in a frying pan on the stove top.
• For an excellent Fresh Homemade Hamburger Bun we have a great recipe in the Mid-Summer 2011 issue of Simply the Sweet Life Magazine 
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recipe & photo by April A. founder & editor-in-chief

Food & Drink * Tarragon Lemon Salad with Fresh Crab and Avocado Recipe

I always love a good salad. Kristy Bernardo of The Wicked Noodle has combined all my favorite things about a salad into a feast for the eyes as well as the palate in here Tarragon Lemon Salad with fresh crab and avocado. I think I could eat this for lunch everyday and never tire of it. YUM! xo
april-living the sweet life

Tarragon Lemon Salad with Fresh Crab and Avocado Recipe
by Kristy Bernardo of The Wicked Noodle

• 1-8 oz container fresh jumbo lump crab
• 20 cherry tomatoes, sliced into thirds
• 4 cups finely chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 small bunch baby frisee lettuce
• 1 avocado, cut into 12 slices
• 3/4 cup Saucy Mama Tarragon Lemon Mustard

1/4 cup plain yogurtMix together mustard and yogurt in a small bowl to make the dressing. In two more separate bowls, mix just enough dressing to lightly coat romaine lettuce and crab.
Divide lettuce into four bowls. Top with crab, avocado, tomato slices and frisee lettuce. Serve with remaining dressing.
To stack salad as in photo, follow directions through step one and stack using these directions.

by Kristy Bernardo of The Wicked Noodle