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Tequila-Lime Shrimp Quesadillas

Number one rule of grocery shopping... avoid looking at the magazines at check-out, otherwise you’ll end up buying every magazine with food on the cover. Although in this case, we benefitted from it.

This recipe comes from The Best Mexican Recipes by America’s Test Kitchen. We saw this book next to the register at Fresh Market and almost licked the cover... the recipe on the front looked that good. So it was only natural that we buy it. Almost every recipe in this short book looks heavenly and since they’ve been tested and approved by America’s Test Kitchen, they’re easy.

The Tequila-Lime Shrimp Quesadillas are the first recipe we tried and they are AMAZING!! Only a few variations from the actual recipe... we didn’t peel and devein our own shrimp (ain’t nobody got time for that), we chose to use small tortillas instead of folding larger ones in half and we couldn’t find chipotle in adobo so we substituted chipotle powder and used a little less than the recipe calls for. (For the record, we used frozen, peeled & deveined shrimp.) Word of advice, make this on the weekend cause it can be a bit of a process. Also, top with fresh pico de gallo. So good.

Yummy gooey cheese mixture. 

Shrimp ready to go in the quesadillas. 

Mrs. Fluffy prepping the quesadillas for the oven. 

Quesadillas in the oven after flipping once. 

Finished product. Again, SOOOO yummy!! Full recipe is below. 

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Lomo Saltado

Lomo Saltado is a classic Peruvian dish that if you’ve never had it, you’ll wonder where it has been all your life. It’s the perfect combination of sweet, salty and savory. Oh, and did I mention it’s topped with french fries? 

The recipe shared in this post is from Chef Diego Oka at La Mar at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Miami as part of a virtual culinary demonstration to promote Peruvian cuisine. It’s easy to follow and I’ve noted some changes that were made to the recipe during the demo.

First thing to mention, you don’t need leche de tigre or the additional 4 ounces of soy sauce listed in the recipe. Instead, you’ll want to combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup oyster sauce (this can be bought in the international food aisle of any grocery store) and 1/4 cup of white vinegar. Mrs. Fluffy also adds the chicken stock to this same mixture and then the recipe as directed. You can use a regular sauté pan for recipe but a wok makes it even better. 

For the french fries, we’ve used Ore-Ida Steak Fries or Ore-Ida French Fries... both are delicious and can be cooked in the oven while preparing the Lomo. The restaurant version is served with white rice with choclo but since choclo isn’t available every where (trust us, we know), you can serve yours with your favorite white rice. 

Buen provecho!

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Fluffies Meet Chrissy Teigen

Finally getting caught up on so many blog posts so get ready!! Mrs. Fluffy has a minor obsession with Chrissy Teigen, so when her cookbook launched. It was only a matter of time. 

Cravings is full of delicious looking recipes and at some point, we’ll try to sample all of them. To start, we tried two of the salad recipes - Chinese Chicken Salad with Crispy Wonton Skins and Cobb Salad with Honey Mustard Ranch Dressing. Since the recipes are in Chrissy’s book (and people should really buy it), we’re only providing our thoughts on how the recipes turned out. 

Chinese Chicken Salad w/ Crispy Wonton Skins

First off, this recipe will last two people a couple of days or is great for a large group of people. It’s also worth noting that cutting all of the cabbage the recipe calls for is a challenge so bring your muscles. We didn’t make the wonton skins from scratch like Chrissy does but all in all the salad was delicious! Go easier on the onions if you happen to get a truly fresh onion and keep the dressing on the side so you can keep serving yourself from the salad throughout the week. Definitely worth making again but will attempt smaller batches. 

Cobb Salad w/ Honey Mustard Ranch Dressing

For the record, Mrs. Fluffy loved this recipe even though the dressing ended up being super salty. Not sure how that happened. Our version left out the avocado (we didn’t find a ripe one) and the hard-boiled eggs. As with the Chinese Chicken Salad, this recipe could last a few days or serve a large group of people. We would definitely make this recipe again but eliminate the salt in the dressing all together and only add salt to taste. 

Kudos to Chrissy on her book and can’t wait to try the rest of the recipes! 

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Fluffies’ Guide to Dining in the Keys

We’re back! Apologies for the long delay in between blog posts. A lot has been happening in the world of Cooking with Fluffies... but here we are. Kicking off several blog posts is our guide to dining in the Keys. It’s not a definitive guide, as there are some truly delicious places to eat... but these are just a few of our favorites from our last visit. 

The Fish House - Key Largo 

Stopped in here for a late lunch on our way down. Like most restaurants in the Keys, this place is unassuming from the outside and full of kitschy decor on the inside. 

It’s classic Keys... and quite possibly the best fried fish sandwich ever. Simply delicious. We stopped again for dinner on our way back home and the food was just as good but lunch was our favorite. While we have pics of our food, fried fish just doesn’t photograph as good as it tastes. You’ll just have to trust us :) 

Vinos on Duval

Ok... no judging with this one. Vinos’ is a chain... there’s one in the Grove, which we’ve never been too, but the Key West edition is fabulous. It’s a quaint little wine bar on the quiet side of Duval with an extensive wine list and simple tapas to choose from. It’s the perfect place to sit back and enjoy a nice glass of wine before the rest of your evening. It’s also the place where Mr. Fluffy discovered his new favorite wine... and for that Mrs. Fluffy will be forever grateful. 

Better Than Sex

With a name like this, there’s no introduction needed. As unique as the rest of Key West, Better Than Sex is a dessert restaurant where each dish is equally as delicious and sinful as the previous and is carefully crafted by the skinniest Chef (which doesn’t seem fair) who know’s exactly what she’s doing. With kinky names like “Tongue Bath Truffle” and “The Morning After,” the desserts are rich and are not for those who insist on maintaining their diet. The drinks come simple or with “rim jobs”... so wickedly cheeky. Now get your mind out of the gutter and make a reservation, Better Than Sex tends to get busy, especially during season! 

Croissants de France

Our classic Key West breakfast spot. Traditional French croissants, baguettes and the most amazing brie cheese plate. They also have really great eggs benedict and the coffee is strong and delicious. Simple and no fuss, the outdoor dining space is perfect for a bite to eat before exploring the island. 

Santiago’s Bodega 

Originally discovered after a snorkeling excursion where we asked the captain where to go for lunch, Santiago’s is a tapas restaurant in Bahama Village. At first a bit hard to find... when you’re walking down Petronia street and you feel like you’ve passed it, keep walking one more block and there it is. On the first floor of a charming Keys house is where you’ll find a laid-back tapas and light bites restaurant... a departure from the seafood and key lime pie (not that there’s anything wrong with seafood and key lime pie!) We tend to frequent Santiago’s for lunch so there’s never really a wait but we’ve heard it gets busy during dinner. Our faves here include the sparkling sangria, wedge salad, beef tenderloin, carpaccio, and the chicken skewers. 

Are you hungry yet? Wait, there’s more! 

Camille’s Restaurant

A brunch must! The best crab cakes eggs benedict in Key West... actually, the best anywhere. They also have an amazingly decadent french toast with Godiva liquor white chocolate syrup. A perfect combination of food coma and sugar rush all in one. Camille’s is a family restaurant with a diner feel but yet with a touch of whimsy that reminds you you’re in the Keys.... pay attention to the decor, you might notice bondage Barbies in some of the windows. Seriously. 

Last but certainly not least... 

Virgilio’s La Trattoria

Specifically referring to the location on Duval (apparently there’s an oceanside location but we’ve never even heard of it until looking up the web site link) Virgilio’s has classic Italian fare and also a really fun Jazz bar in the back. Walking in you're transported out of Key West and in to what you can assume is a family run restaurant in Italy. The food here never disappoints and if you head out back after dinner, the jazz bar is a lot of fun too. 

If you’re not hungry by the time you’ve finished reading this post (that is if you made it to the end), then there must be something wrong because we’re starving. The restaurants mentioned here are just a few of the places frequented by the Fluffies in the Keys. There is a laundry list of other amazing places to go all with varying flavors, atmospheres and budgets so feel free to message us for more input. 

Hope you’ve enjoyed and excuse us while we make a break for the Keys!! 

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Pancake Cups

Recipe #2! This particular recipe is courtesy of Buzzfeed Tasty and was chosen primarily because Mr. Fluffy LOVES pancakes! :) Full recipe link included at the bottom of the post as always. 

We should start by saying that Mrs. Fluffy is not a morning person and attempting any recipe before at least one cup of coffee is probably a bad idea. With that in mind, a cup of coffee was consumed... although, probably not entirely processed. 

Which would explain why this recipe didn’t turn out exactly perfect. Add to the fact that the muffin cups were filled 3/4 full instead of 1/3 full. Oops! 

Other than that little mix up, the batter was quick and easy to mix up and it puffed up beautifully when baking. The overall final product would have been perfect if not for the overfill situation. 

But when all is said and done, Mr. Fluffy ate 4 out of the 6 resulting pancake cups. Will definitely try this recipe again and after a few cups of coffee. 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahwilliams/these-pancake-cups-are-the-perfect-treat-for-a-breakfast

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The Fluffies are starting a blog!

It all started with a post it.... which then lead to 6 years together, a marriage proposal, a wedding and almost 11 years later... here we are. The Fluffies. 

Where the Fluffy nickname came from is up for debate depending on which one of us you ask but it stuck. It stuck so well it became a hashtag. 

#fluffiesindisney #fluffiesinjapan #mrandmrsfluffy #lifewithfluffy and now... 

#cookingwithfluffies 

As two people who genuinely love food and more often than not can be found eating or posting pictures of food on Instagram, we thought we would invite you to share in our love of food with this blog. 

Each week (or as often as we can), we’ll share some of our favorite recipes and also try some new ones. You know those Buzzfeed Tasty recipes that have everyone going crazy? Ever think to yourself, “I should try that! But I can’t cook!” Then look no further... we’ll try some of the recipes and give you our take on how the recipe ACTUALLY works out. We’ll also take on Food Network and Cooking Channel... all while trying to keep our waistlines slim :) 

So... welcome to the culinary adventures of the Fluffies... where Ash does most of the cooking (and the writing) and Vic does most of the eating (and the dishes).