Top 10 Recipes of 2013

Wow, can you believe the end of 2013 is already here!  I know i can't believe it. As history depicts, everyone always does a recap of their favorites from that year and I'm following suit.  I have compiled my absolute favorite dishes of 2013, and I promise your mouth will be watering after reading this.

Ready? Here we go:

Favorite dish #10 

Bruschetta Burger Bites

The picture angle makes these petite eats look full-sized burgers but they were actually two-bite wonders!  They were so simple to make, which is my favorite kind of recipe!  Made from left-over bruschetta bread and topped with parmesan or cheddar cheese.

Favorite dish #9

Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms

I reinvinted a much loved JBistro dip by stuffing it into baby portabella mushrooms, topped with bacon & japanese bread crumbs, and baked to perfection.  These were simply amazing and a wow factor for any party!

Favorite dish #8

Roasted Tomatillio Salsa with Fresh Tortillia Chips

This is not your ordinary green dip you get at your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant.  My take on this Tex-Mex classic takes it to the next level.  Fire roasted veggies, chicken stock, and a dash of cumin makes this salsa incredible!  Paired with with freshly fried flour tortillia chips is the ideal compliment.  The crunchy exterior and pillowy inside makes it the perfect chip.

Favorite dish #7

Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes

I was experimenting with a new cheesecake recipe and used what I had in my pantry; chocolate graham craxkers, unflavored gelatin, and chocolate chips.  And so these mini delights were born!  Topped with chocolate ganache was the perfect finish.

Favorite dish #6

Chicken Roll-ups with Bacon Gravy

My family (and myself) were bored with plain "chicken & rice" dishes, so I had to create something new and exciting.  I saw a picture on Facebook of these cream cheese stuffed chicken breasts and thought I'd give it whirl but just adding my own touches.  Instead of cream cheese I stuffed them with a garlic & herb Swiss cheese spread and then wrapped tightly in bacon. Pair this with simple but always delicious buttered rice and salad then top with bacon gravy and you have a comfort meal you will never forget!

Favorite dish #5

Home-made Pizza

This year I had the opportunity to teach myself how to make pizza dough from scratch.  I was so happy when it turned out almost perfect.  I definitely need to perfect my recipe but it was still delicious. Topped with my spicy marinara, venison, and a multitude of cheeses made my Family happy!

Favorite dish #4

Orange scented Blueberry Upside-down Cake

Inspired by the pineapple upside down cake, this blueberry upside down cake was scrumptious.  Plain yellow cake gets a dose of flavor with orange zest & juice and then topped with fresh whipped cream.  Perfect for a light dessert enjoyed pool-side.

Favorite dish #3

Herb Crusted Chicken Pot Pie

In my family, chicken pot pies are the #1 requested dish, so it does get made quite a bit.  So I decided to jazz it up by adding fresh herbs (straight from my garden) to the pie crust, and it was a match made in Heaven.  Fresh thyme, sage, and oregano made this otherwise boring crust a little piece of heaven!  Needless to say, now all pot pies are made this way!

Favorite dish #2

Strawberries & Cream Napolean

I'm betting you could not guess what these are made with!?  I made these for my Ladies Night In party and they were an instant hit!  Fresh made vanilla whipped cream, orange juice macurated strawberries, and fried wonton sheets is a combination most people wouldn't think of.  The wonton wrappers were covered in pumpkin pie spice, and once assembled, topped with chocolate ganache.  This dessert was amazing & light.

...and my #1 Favorite dish of 2013 is

Pocket Pizza's

I had the honor of being the in-home chef for one of my best friends daughters birthday party and these little pizza's were devoured by the adults and the kids!  Wonton wrappers were stuffed into muffin tins and filled with marinara, italian seasoning, pepperoni, and topped with mozzarella cheese, then baked till golden brown.  These are PERFECT for any party, adult or kid-friendly!

Well JBistro fans, these are my picks for my favorite dishes of 2013.  Is there a specific recipe you enjoyed?  I'd love to hear from you!  My dream for 2014 is to see JBistro Style and this blog TAKE OFF to new heights never even imagined.  Remember to join me on my tour of culinary exploration and Follow My Food!

Happy New Year to everyone and see you next year!

A New Thanksgiving Tradition

We are officially in "Holiday Season" everyone!  Personally, I love the holidays.  This is the time when I can really let my creativity flow freely and not get crazy looks.  Speaking on creativity, that is the topic of discussion.

Typically we go to my Aunts house for Thanksgiving and she prepares the feast and everyone brings side dishes.  This year that is not the case so it will just be my family and my Mom for Thanksgiving.  This is why I have decided to do a pretty different dinner. 

Here is the planned menu (so far):

• Individual Cornish game hens prepared two ways; half brine and roasted, and the other half wrapped in bacon.  These will be topped with a bacon gravy.
• Pomegranate & honey glazed ham.
• The real deal green bean casserole made entirely from scratch.
• Individual au gratin potato casseroles.
• Ginger & orange spiced cranberries
• My Mother's fruit salad with my twist of toasted coconut on top.

Dessert will be a surprise but there will be at least one buttermilk pie included!

Remember my motto, "follow my food" and never be afraid to try something new in the kitchen!

Be sure and check out the JBistro Style Website!

My First Radio Appearance!

Guess what everyone!?  Today was my first live radio appearance on The Cleverley Show on CBS Sports Radio Houston AM 650.  It was exhilarating and intimidating all at the same time.  We talked about my audition for MasterChef, then talked about me, and about JBistro Style and our food.  It was truly a great experience and I will remember it forever!  If you had the opportunity to listen, thank you.  If you were unable, hopefully there will be future opportunities for me!

Thank you again for all the support and remember to visit me here for all the great deals, recipes, and more! 

 

 

Happy 3rd Birthday JBistro Style!

 

Celebrate with me...today JBistro Style turns 3!!!  It has been a great 3 years, and I'm looking forward to 30 more!!  Help me celebrate by taking advantage of our birthday deal, Buy 1 pound Get 1 pound Free of our almost famous "3 Bean Chili!"  This chili is available any way you want it: vegetarian, beef, chicken, or turkey!  

More exciting news.  I will be featured on CBS Sports Radio Houston AM 650 with Cleverley Stone!  Be sure and tune in or stream live!!  Just go here.

Thank you to everyone that is helping me realize my dreams and remember to Follow My Food at JBistro Style!!

Seasonal Eating in Texas!

Today we're talking seasonal eating.  Well, more specifically, seasonal fruit eating here in the great state of Texas.  I bet you are wondering why I decided on this subject.  Yesterday I made mini cheesecakes (pictured below) and topped one with caramel apples and the other with strawberries that were saturated in rum and orange juice.  They were both amazing tasting but a fellow foodie commented that while he attended culinary school, he was thoroughly trained to never mix seasons!  Of course, being that I have never been trained I had no clue about this "forbidden" rule, and I was very thankful he shared this information.  So now I'm sharing this information with you.

I did a little research and I'm going to give you a reasonable list of fruits and what months they are in season.  I found the information here on Ask.com and here.

• Apples, July through November
• Blackberrries, May through July
• Cantaloupes, May through December 
• Cherries, June and July
• Figs, June and July, second crop in fall
• Grapefruit, October through April
• Grapes, August through October
• Honeydew, May through January
• Oranges, October through June
• Peaches, June through Sept
• Pears, August through November 
• Plums & pluots, May (red and yellow) and July through September
• Pomegranates, October through December
• Strawberries, June through August
• Watermelon, May through November

This is just a preliminary list, so I encourage you to visit the two links mentioned above for a more detailed list.  Other things you want to keep in mind is when you purchase fresh fruit it is at its cheapest when its in season.  Of course we all know you can buy frozen fruit year around, and that is perfectly okay, but if you are expecting to wow a culinary expert you might want to keep this in mind.  Or you could become a culinary rebel (of sorts) and break all those rules...just because you can!  Just imagine the first person to bring sweet & salty together, or the creator of savory cupcakes...they broke the rules and became successful.

Here are a few more of my fruitful delights just for your viewing pleasure:

      

MasterChef Here I Come!

Good morning everyone!  So I have super exciting news that I just had to share with y'all.  Last night, around 8:30 pm, I got a phone call.  Unfortunately I was giving my son a bath so I couldn't answer the phone.  After he was done with his bath and dressed, I sat down and started listening to this amazing message:

"Hi, this message is for Jennifer.  This is Kelsey, a casting producer for MasterChef...."

I quite literally couldn't listen to the rest of the message from shear excitement.  The words casting producer for MasterChef made my entire body shake!  Of course I had to call her right back.  When she answered my heart started racing but I was fairly calm.  It was a pretty straight forward conversation.  She said they were setting up open appointments for those that preregistered to try and do crowd control and move people thru a little quicker.  She asked me what time I would like and I simply said the earliest the better.  I can get in and out the sooner the better.  

For me time will be my enemy.  The more time I sit and think about it, the more nervous I will get.  I laughed and told her "I have to get in and out so I don't overwhelm myself!"  She laughed and asked me what I was thinking about bringing.  That question struck pure panic in me!  

Oh my goodness, what AM I going to make?  This is probably the most important dish I will ever make.  This dish is my ticket to a journey that will change my life, my families life, forever!  Even if I didn't win, this would still be a life changing experience!  I can now say that I was called and asked to go before the MasterChef judges and cook for them.  That is just amazing!  

Now onto the hard part of deciding what I'm going to make and what I'm going to wear!  Wish me luck and keep me in your prayers!

MasterChef....get ready for me!!!!  And remember to stop by my website for all the latest and greatest updates and recipes!    

Special starts TODAY! Free Food!

Good afternoon everyone.  This is going to be short and sweet.  I wanted to get the word out that our monthly special begins TODAY!

Be sure and stop by here to view this current special that will be available for the full month of October.  Just a reminder this special is good for future orders but it must be placed BEFORE November 1st!