I’m in a Fiesta kind of mood…

I’m not sure why, but I’ve really been on a Mexican food kick lately. I’ve been hosting multiple dinner parties at my home over the last few weeks, and I wanted to share some of the highlights with you. I started with a fajita dinner for my lovely friend Queen and company. I had originally cooked for ten people, but only five showed up.

#FajitasByRowen

Needless to say, I didn’t let the no-shows kill my vibe. We enjoyed a beautiful night of fajitas, cocktails, and conversation. I did have plenty of leftovers though. So, I decided to chop up the steak, peppers, and onions, and throw in some eggs and softly scramble it all together. I wrapped the goodness into some flour tortillas, and made the best fajita breakfast burritos. I’m sorry I don’t have more pictures, but they were gone so quickly that this was the only picture I was able to snap:

#LeftoverMakeover

I couldn’t let the good times stop, so I decided to do an enchilada dinner for my friend Seth, who’s shipping off to basic training soon. Seth is a chill guy who’s always up for some good home cooking. Since he’s going away, I wanted to give him a really nice home cooked meal that he could enjoy.

Enchilada Assembly

I started by cooking off a cup of rice seasoned with 1/2 tablespoon of chili powder, and a couple shakes of black pepper. After the rice was complete, I added in 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and a shake of salt. The rice was combined with three pounds of cooked ground beef (80/20), simply seasoned with chili powder, black pepper, and garlic powder. I was cooking for seven people, so don’t flip out because I used a lot of beef. My friends Nixon and Dave came by, so I was glad I was prepared.

#ohpraisegod #smotheredgoodness

My enchilada sauce is as follows: Blend one large can of Ro-Tel with two tablespoons each of cayenne pepper and Frank’s Red Hot sauce. I smothered the enchiladas with the sauce, and topped with shredded cheddar and jack cheese. I baked them at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for ten minutes, just to melt the cheese. I kept the enchiladas coming until I was out of beef (I think I made about twenty).

Anyway, the party was a success, with some great friends coming over to enjoy the meal. I couldn’t have asked for better turnouts.

 

Be sure to like Food By Rowen on Facebook, and you can follow my kitchen shenanigans on Twitter and Instagram @roweneugene.

 

Until Next Time,

Rowen

 

 

Easter Holiday

Hi people. I hope you all enjoyed your Easter holiday as much as I did. I bet you’re expecting me to put up a recipe for some glazed ham and scalloped potatoes. Let me go ahead and shatter your expectations and inform you that this is NOT what happened on the day Christ rose. Instead, my dad (The Bull) and I had a grill off. The following ensued:

Chicken on My Grill

Dad and I started with chicken. We both utilized wet and dry marinades to ensure the most flavorful chicken one could ever bite into.

My Method: I used a blend of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and molasses for the wet marinade. For the dry seasoning, I used parsley flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder.

Dad’s Method: Gate’s BBQ Sauce and dry rub (BORING).

Chicken Detail.

My partner in crime, Aunt Tanya, also marinated some chicken breasts in Italian Dressing and roasted garlic. Can you tell we all like to cook in my family? I hope so. She also brought over this amazing firecracker corn that I must share with you.

#ohpraisegod

The sweet corn is doused with lots of melted butter (Praise Him) and a wonderful blend of Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. After being wrapped in foil, it was grilled for twenty minutes. It was hands down some of the best corn I’ve ever had. Tanya couldn’t just stop there, so she brought over some shrimp that we skewered and seasoned.

Shrimp Skewers

The shrimp was marinated with lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, garlic, and red pepper flakes, then grilled. Talk about some good stuff. Needless to say, my Easter holiday was truly amazing, and I hope that all of you enjoyed your time surrounded by family, friends, and food. To leave this post on a high note, enjoy this photo of my first Easter with my grandparents.

The Joneses and me.

Be sure to check out Food By Rowen on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter and Instagram @roweneugene.

Until Next Time, Much Love.

Rowen

Drinks and Dialogue: Coffee Cocktails

I recently hosted a dinner party with three courses (post coming soon), and followed up with an after dinner cocktail hour that I like to call “Drinks and Dialogue”, encouraging my guests to converse over a variety of issues with some great drinks. I know you all have been waiting for me to put up a drink recipe for a while, so today I have decided to answer your prayers. This drink is what I call my coffee cocktail, and is made like so:

#ohpraisegod

Start by adding one cup of Rumchata to a large pitcher. Follow the rumchata with 1/2 cup of Patron XO Cafe. Next, add 3 cups of your favorite milk (I had 2% on hand) and stir. Finish by stirring in two heaping tablespoons of chocolate syrup. This will serve 4-5 people, depending on who those people are (I don’t judge). Serve the cocktail over ice and enjoy!

 

Be sure to follow Food By Rowen on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter and Instagram @roweneugene.

 

Stay Hungry (Thirsty)!

Rowen

I have a question for you all…

Hey people, I hope you all are doing well. Anyway, I had a crazy idea. I want to get to know you all better, so I want to host a Q&A session for #FoodByRowen via Facebook. What do you all think? Please let me know!

 

Stay Hungry!

Rowen

 

Kitchen Shenanigans: Stir Fry

Hello, friends! I have great news. Yours truly has been named as Lead Food Contributor for the Spring issue of Detours Magazine! I’m so excited to be a part of the magazine. I will have links on where to get your copies soon! In other news, I’ve been in the process of developing my line of high end skillet meals which has yet to be named (any suggestions…?) Here is one of my favorite quick cooking recipes for everyone after a long day of work or class or whatever you may do (I don’t judge.) I personally love stir fry because of the variety of textures and flavors. The following is my favorite recipe.

Sizzling away

I started by dicing and  seasoning three large chicken breasts in garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, and parsley flakes. I cooked off the chicken with two tablespoons of olive oil for about seven minutes, until it began to turn golden brown. Use whatever oil you’ve got on hand, it’ll work. Trust me, I’ll never lead you astray.

Building stir fry

I threw in some fresh broccoli that I gave a rough chop. Save the stalk for making veggie stock (vegan friendly). I let the chicken and broccoli cook for about ten minutes, until the broccoli is tender. Next, throw in a cup of cooked white rice and stir. I personally love the quick cooking stuff, but if you want to bust out the rice cooker, then go ahead by all means. No one is stopping you.

Almost done!

I love simple ingredients in stir fry with very complex sauces. Here is how I built mine: Start with the sweet chili sauce I told you about. Then, add the following:

1-tablespoon of your favorite sweet and sour sauce

1/2-teaspoon of dried parsley flakes

1/2-teaspoon of minced garlic cloves

1/2-teaspoon of low sodium soy sauce

1-teaspoon of hot peanut butter (run it in the microwave for 15 seconds)

Mix the sauce in a separate bowl and then add it into the sizzling stir fry and stir.

#ohpraisegod

After 2-3 minutes, the stir fry is ready to serve. Throw it in your favorite bowl, grab a cold beverage, and enjoy your meal. I want you to realize that you can make a delicious, well balanced meal in little time during your busy week. Kick your feet up. You deserve it.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram @roweneugene to check out some foodie pics and see a glimpse into my crazy life. Also, like FF on Facebook. I post updates and travel gems there. I’ll also be gearing up to host my first ever “Ask Rowen” session, where I answer all your questions. Until then, stay hungry.

 

RS