Cilantro, Avocado And Tomato Salad

       Every New Year there's always talk about New Year’s resolutions. And this year mine was to be more creative with my photos and recipes on the blog and on Instagram. I hope I'll be posting more recipes this year with creative photos that will inspire, every one of you to bake and cook more often. And as always I hope you take a little time for yourself and relax in this New Year. Sometimes all you need in life is to simplify everything. Because everyday life, can get to complicated and stress you out.

      I've been wanting to share this salad recipe on the blog for a long time, but have never gone around to taking the photos. This is truly my favorite salad, which I eat several times a week and never get tired of. It goes best with steak and a side of potatoes or rice. And sometimes I add new ingredients to it, to change up the flavor. Like adding arugula or a spicy jalapeño sauce, which goes well with the cilantro. Any way you make it, the cilantro will always be the star of the salad...and that's how I love my cilantro. 

Enjoy this recipe and happy 2015 

- Daniel 

Ingredients: 

• 1 bushel of Green leaf lettuce 

• Half bunch of Cilantro 

• 1 Avocado 

• 2 Tomatoes 

• 3 tbsp. Olive oil 

• 1 ½ tsp Sea salt 

Optional:

• Arugula 

• Spicy Jalapeño sauce (in a bottle) 

• Or use red leaf lettuce instead of green 

Directions: 

1   Chop up the lettuce and cilantro and toss them together in a large bowl. Along with the olive oil and salt. (Mix together well.)

2   Then cut up the tomatoes and avocado, add it to the bowl, tossing them a little. 

3   Serve and Enjoy!

Chocolate Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies

     The first day of winter just happened and we are a few days from Christmas. Winter is always a great time of year, mostly because it's the time to reflect on the year that passed and what you accomplished. This year was an amazing year for me because I started this blog and grown a lot as a person. Going into 2014 I didn't know what lay ahead, I guess going into a new year with no exceptions is what makes a great year. Setting goals and boundaries for yourself will only hold you back. If you focus too much on your goals i'll only hide your creativity and new ideas. So in the coming year I hope you take some time for yourself and do what you love and are passionate about. 
    This recipe for Chocolate Salted Caramel Pretzel Cookies came out of my love for Chocolate and Caramel candy. Whats not to love about this combination everything go's together perfectly. Over the last month this recipe has become my official Christmas cookie recipe, I hope it becomes yours to.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A  HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
-Daniel

Ingredients : 

Caramel 

• 1 cup granulated sugar 

• 10 tbs unsalted butter, cold, cut in cubes  

• 1/2 cup whipping cream minus 2 tbs 

Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter 

• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar 

• 2 eggs 

• 2 tsp vanilla 

• 2 1/3 cups All Purpose flour 

• 2/3 cup unsweetened coco powder 

• 1 tsp baking soda 

Topping 

• For each cookie : 1/8 tsp or less salt and a pretzel on top  

Directions:

1. Caramel: Heat the cream until it just begins to steam and then set aside. Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, and heat without stirring until sugar dissolves and gets a caramel color. 

2. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the hot cream. It will bubble a little bit. Cook for about 1 minute stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until smooth.

3.  Remove from heat, and add butter. Stir well until smooth. Pour into a bowl and let it cool.

4.  In a mixer bowl beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Then add in the eggs and vanilla and mix together. 

5. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and coco powder. Then add it in 1/3 portions to the wet Ingredients. 

6. Then roll 1 1/4 inch dim. dough balls with a 1 tbs amount of Caramel in the center. Place them 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie pan and top with a pretzel and 1/8 tsp or less salt. Then flatten them halfway for more spread while baking. 

7.  Bake for 8-10 mins @ 350 F, let them cool for 8 minutes before storing or eating. 

Truly Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

       Every year when fall comes around, I have mixed feelings about it. The color of the leaves and crisp cool air is amazing. But that means that the hot weather and sun is gone...because I live in Portland OR where it's cold and rains all the time. Summer and the end of spring is the only time of year I get to enjoy the sun and go outside with out freezing. But on the other hand I would not be able to enjoy all the delicious food. Like the always amazing thanksgiving meal and pumpkin spice everything. Plus if it wasn't for the colder weather and changing of the seasons. I would not realize the wonderful family, friends and time I have while living life.

    I have to confess that I'm really not a fan of  the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte. I don't enjoy it because of its bad representation of pumpkin and fall flavor. To me it just Tastes like cinnamon coffee not pumpkin spice. So I came up with a recipe that has a more complete pumpkin spice flavor. My Recipe for Truly pumpkin spice bundt cake has three components to it. First the bundt cake is moist and full of  pumpkin flavor.  Then the pumpkin seed streusel gives it a tasteful lift. And then topped with a pumpkin spice glaze which tastes amazing.

Happy Thanksgiving!!! 

Ingredients  

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake : 

• 1 cup vegetable oil 

• 2 cups granulated sugar 

• 3 eggs 

• 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour 

• 2 tsp baking soda 

• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/8 tsp nutmeg 

• 1/2 tsp ginger 

• 1/2 tsp all spice 

• 1 tsp cloves 

• 1/2 tsp salt 

• 1 15 oz can pumpkin 

• 1 tsp vanilla 

Pumpkin Seed Streusel Filling 

• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 

• 6 tbs butter 

• 1 tbs cinnamon 

• cup brown sugar or half 3/4  

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour 

Pumpkin spice glaze 

• 1 cup powdered sugar 

• 4 tbs butter 

• 4 tsp milk 

• 1 tsp vanilla 

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp ground cloves 

• 1/2 tsp all spice 

• 1/8 tsp nutmeg 

Ingredients: 

1  Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake : 

In a mixer bowl with the paddle attchement mix in the sugar and oil. Mix it together about 1 minute or until creamy. Then add in the egg and vanilla for about 30 sec. Then add in the can of pumpkin and mix for another minute. 

2  In another bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, salt. 

3  Add the dry ingredent bowl in Portions of 1/4 until mixed together. 

4 Pumpkin Seed Streusel Filling :

Melt the butter until softened for the strudel and mix it with the sugar, pumpkin seeds and cinnamon. 

5  Oil up the bundt cake pan with cooking  spray and spoon in the batter about 1 inch into the pan, then layer in all the strudel into the center and cover it with more batter. Depending on the kind of pan you use their may be too much batter. Bake for about 55 - 65 mins at 350 or until toothpick comes out clean.

6  Pumpkin Spice Glaze:

 In a medium sized bowl mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, butter, cinnamon, cloves, all spice and nutmeg. Until mixed together well. 

7  After the bundt cake it baked and cooled for 15 minutes. flip over the pan and pour over with the glaze, Slice and Enjoy!