spicy – Page 2 – Cremona's Kitchen

Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas

May 29, 2012 No Comments

The weather here has been going from scorching hot to rather chilly. Quintessential Minnesota. Today was more on the chilly side so I decided to make a warmer dish. Chances are it will be too hot for anything warm for the next couple of months. I LOVE Mexican food. No surprise to anyone who knows me. I’ve worked at two different Mexican restaurants and my go-to drinks are mojitos and margaritas. I am always on the hunt for healthy, Mexican recipes. This recipe is filling, full of protein, and a healthy alternative to greasy restaurant enchiladas. We were out of black beans today so I substituted chili beans, but I originally made these enchiladas with black beans. Both are good!

lifestyle

The Mother of All Bloody Marys–A Del’s Bloody

April 28, 2012 No Comments

This is the Helen of Troy of Bloody Marys.

The holy grail of bloodies. The Bloody Mary that I compare all other bloodies to. This Bloody Mary is from the La Crosse bar Del’s. I have searched in vain for a comparable bloody in the Twin Cities. And there is no substitute. Made with classic tomato juice, a heavy pour of vodka, and spiked with couple shakes from a pepper shaker mixture of 23 spices, it’s smooth and gritty at the same time. And Del’s does not skimp on the toppings. Dressed with a large dill pickle, an olive, a pickled brussel sprout, and huge chunk of pepper jack cheese along with any beer on tap (go for the Pearl Street Downtown Brown-another La Crosse classic), this Bloody Mary really is a meal in a glass.

Del’s easily wins as my favorite bar in La Crosse, and whenever I am in town, the visit isn’t complete without a trip for a Del’s bloody. Still, I miss my Tuesday afternoons spent sipping bloodies and pbrs with Leslie. Gah. Growing up is tough!

And if it is not obvious enough already–Del’s wins 5 out of 5 stars. Maybe 6.

main dishes, recipes, seafood

Bang Bang Shrimp

April 14, 2012 No Comments

Since I am in the middle of p90x, our kitchen hasn’t fried anything in a long time. And for Matt, that was a huge change. Before he moved to the cities, his nights were spent making homemade chicken wings and fries at least 5 nights a week with his roommates. He was the fry king. And while the food was tasty, it definitely wasn’t healthy. After 6 months of marriage and my healthier choices of meals, Matt has lost 10 pounds (and he never works out! Only a guy…). But, after finding this recipe, I knew I had to make this for him–if not only for old time sake.

chicken, main dishes, recipes, slow cooker

Cilantro Lime Chicken Burritos

March 20, 2012 2 Comments

My favorite go-to meal. This fun Mexican dish is so easy to make because you just toss everything into the slow cooker before you leave for work, and you come home to a wonderful meal waiting to be devoured! Matt loves this meal and asks me to make it at least once a week.

chicken, main dishes, recipes

Asian Glazed Chicken

March 18, 2012 1 Comment

A college tradition at La Crosse was Wednesday night wings. Every Wednesday, you and all your friends would walk down to 3rd street to get 10 cent wings and dollar PBRs. It was a fun tradition that Matt really misses now that he’s a “grown up” who lives a city where Wednesday wings means 75 cents a wing. Not much of a deal. So I decided we could make our own Wednesday night wings. Only this time, they would be healthier. Now that I am in the middle of p90x, I really can’t be eating deep fried wings. I found this great recipe from SkinnyTaste that is amazing. It’s a mixture between our Wednesday wings and Chinese food. And the best part is it is healthier than both! It is a bit saltier so you will want to keep your portion small. (unless you are Matt who devoured that entire plate!)