Don’t let taxes get you down. Olde Westport has a surprise this month!

We understand that this time of year can be especially challenging because of tax season, and this year even more so with the state of the economy. That’s why we wanted to offer an April “surprise.”  With any purchase from now through April 30, you will receive a spice surprise from Olde Westport Spice & Trading Co. (And not the kind of scary surprise you get from the IRS!)

Here’s a hint. The surprise will be spice sample packets of some things you didn’t order, and it will include coresponding exclusive Olde Westport recipes.

Treat your family to something new this month. Who knows? It might become your new favorite recipe. We sure hope so!

Kind regards,
Olde Bill
www.oldwestportspice.com

P.S. Thanks to those of you who participated in the March Olde Westport customer survey. We were able to get some incredible feedback from our best resource – YOU!  We hope this information will help us better serve our customers and improve our web site. The winner of the $50 Olde Westport Spice gift certificate is:  Leslie Davis from Imperial Beach, California. Congratulations Leslie!

Olde Westport online survey and chance to win $50 gift certificate

Help us spice things up!

Give us your feedback with this quick questionnaire and enter a chance to win a $50 gift certificate good for any Olde Westport Spice & Trading Co. products anytime during the next year! We promise this simple online survey will only take a few minutes.

Thanks, and we’re looking forward to reviewing the feedback from our favorite Olde Westport customers.

Kind regards,
Olde Bill

www.oldwestportspice.com

Italian Chicken Sausalito

For a romantic dinner for two, savor the rich taste of chicken, shrimp, ham all in a Italian dish made with natural Italian seasonings from Olde Westport Spice. We recommend Italian Chicken Sausalito for a special evening meal and the best part: it isn’t difficult to make! The melted cheese, spices and tomatoes along with the arrangement of the dish create a gourmet “looking” entree with no gourmet cooking skills necessary.

Buono appetito and caio! (that’s about all the Italian we know) Please write back here at this blog and tell us what you thought of the receipe or any of our recipes. We’d love to hear from you.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 14½ ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
• 1 tablespoon Olde Westport Spaghetti/Italian Blend
• 12 medium sized shrimp, peeled, cleaned
• 2 slices (1 ounce each) smoked ham (Hormel Cure 81 preferred)
• 2 tablespoons shredded Mozzarella cheese

Instructions: 

Grill chicken over hot coals or under broiler until tender and cooked through. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, add tomatoes and Olde Westport Spaghetti/Italian Blend. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring often. Add shrimp and continue cooking until shrimp just turns pink. To assemble dish, place a slice of ham on individual serving plate, arrange chicken over top. Spoon half of the tomato-shrimp sauce over each breast, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cheese. Place dish in oven 5 minutes or just until cheese melts. Serves two.

Italian Sausage & Black Bean Soup

Yes, we think the Italians know romance, so on this Valentine’s Day we’re offering a great “stay-in and cook” Italian sausage soup recipe to make for your sweetie tonight. Also, if you sign up to receive our monthly e-newsletters, you’ll find you can benefit from promotions usually featuring a seasonal product… and for the month of Feburary we thought it was appropriate to feature the romantic foods of Italy. More Italian recipes to come this month.

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups)
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 1 large rib celery, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 5 cups water
• 3 tablespoons Antonio’s Italian Spice Blend
• 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• salt to taste

Directions:

In a 6 quart soup pot, add Italian sausage and cook for two minutes, breaking up sausage into small pieces. Add onions, carrot, celery, bay leaves and garlic, cook until tender. Add 5 cups water, Antonio’s Italian Spice Blend, pepper and black beans, stir. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower heat, cover pot, simmer for 30 minutes, salt to taste.

Olde Bill’s Comments: Mash a few beans with the back of a spoon to thicken sauce if desired.

Slow and Good Crock Pot Green Chile Pork Roast

 There’s nothing that tastes as flavorful as slow cookn’ in a crock pot and this recipe has the just the right combination of spice. You can put this on before work and have a delicious meal prepared for you and your family when you get home. It’s that easy, but best of all tasty!

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2½ to 3 pounds boneless pork roast, well trimmed
• 1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (RoTel)
• 1 cup water
• 4 (4 ounce) cans diced green chiles
• 1 (2.75 ounce package) Olde Westport Chile Verde Mix (½ cup from 22 ounce package)
• 3 cups hot cooked rice
   

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown pork roast on all sides.

Add remaining ingredients, except rice, into a 4 quart crock pot, stir until smooth.

Place pork in sauce, spoon sauce over top of roast.

Set crock pot on low, cook 6 to 8 hours or just until pork is fall-apart tender.

Serve pork and sauce over hot cooked rice.

Serves 6

White Chicken Chile Verde

It’s chili season and with the Superbowl right around the corner, you can show off a slight variation on an old favorite without rocking the boat too much on this one. Fire up the stove, invite the friends and let Olde Westport Spice show you how to get the Chile Verde cooking tonight. It’s so easy!

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
• 1 (7 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers (or two 4 ounce cans)
• 1 (2.75 ounce package) Olde Westport Chile Verde Mix (½ cup from 22 ounce package)
• 3½ cups water
• 2 (13 ounce) cans chicken breast meat, drained
• 2 (16 ounce) cans white navy beans, drained
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Pepper Jack cheese (optional)

Heat oil in a three quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the onion until tender. Add chile peppers, Olde Westport Chile Verde Mix, stir until smooth. Stir in the water, chicken and beans. Bring to a gentle boil, lower heat, cover, simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat. Slowly add in the cheese (optional), stirring until melted. Serves six.

Special Deviled Eggs

It’s not the holidays without deviled eggs, but Olde Westport deviled eggs are extra special because they have a spicy flare that is sure to please.

• 6 large eggs
• ¼ cup salad dressing (not mayonnaise)
• 1 tablespoon Olde Westport Garden Harvest Special Blend
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• ¼ cup real bacon bits
• 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
• salt and pepper to taste

Place eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a full boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 20 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and cut lengthwise. Remove yolks from eggs. In a medium bowl, mash the yolks and mix together with salad dressing, Olde Westport Garden Harvest Special Blend, onion, sweet pickle relish, bacon bits and mustard. With a fork, fill the egg halves with the yolk mixture. If you prefer, sprinkle with paprika, chili pepper or cayenne pepper. Refrigerate until serving. Serves 6

Avocado Winter Style

These are three great dips using avocados that are ideal for winter. Try all of Old Bill’s avocado recipes: Smoky Avocado Dip with Cilantro, Cajun Guacamole and Old Family Recipe Guacamole. Even the coolest dips can warm up your holiday get-togethers.

Smoky Avocado Dip With Cilantro 

• 1 cup sour cream (low-fat or regular)
• 1 cup mayonnaise (light or regular)
• 2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, skin removed
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon Olde Westport Prairie Fire Chipotle Pepper Blend
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced

 In a medium bowl, blend all ingredients. Cover bowl and chill in the refrigerator for one hour.
Makes more than 2½ cups.

Cajun Guacamole

Remember, guacamole is best made as close to serving as possible. For short-term storage, seal in an airtight container with a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the guacamole to prevent browning.

•  2 avocados, about 1 pound
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ Cup finely diced red bell pepper
• ½ Cup small cherry tomatoes (cut in halves or quarters, if large)
• ¼ Cup thinly sliced green onion
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 to 2 teaspoons Olde Westport Sizzlin-Sunset Cajun Spice Blend, or to taste

 Coarsely mash (do NOT puree) avocados, stir in lemon juice. Fold in remaining ingredients.  Serves 6

 Old Family Recipe Guacamole

• 2 medium ripe avocados
• 1 medium tomato, peeled and diced (10 ounce can RoTel Tomatoes With Green Chiles, well drained, discard liquid)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ½ to 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste (optional)
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 teaspoons Old Westport Border Bandito’s Salsa Spice Blend
• 4 ounce can chopped green chiles

Cut each avocado in half. Remove seeds and scoop avocado out with a spoon into a bowl, discard skins. Add lime juice and coarsely mash avocado with a fork (1 cup). Fold in salt, onions, garlic, sour cream, Olde Westport Border Bandito’s Salsa Spice Blend  and green chiles. Chill in the refrigerator and serve with tortilla chips, fresh vegetables or over your favorite Mexican dish. Makes 1½ cups.

Party-Time Chipotle Chili Cheese Ball

You and your friends will have a ball with this festive snack this holiday. Not only is it one of Olde Bill’s daughter’s favorites when she’s entertaining her gal pals, but it is one of the most requested recipes during a Olde Westport culinary tasting. Wow your guests with a party-time favorite this holiday and don’t forget to pass along the recipe.

• two 8 ounce packages of low-fat (neufchatel) cream cheese
• 6 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise (not fat-free)
• 2 tablespoons Olde Westport Prairie Fire Chipotle Pepper Blend
• 4 ounces 50 percent reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
• 4 ounce can mild chopped green chiles, drained
• ¼ cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 green onion, finely chopped

Blend all ingredients in a medium bowl. Place cheese on sheet of wax paper and form into a ball. Cover cheese ball and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Serve with crackers, veggie dippers or use as spread on bagels or English muffins.

Olde Bill’s Chipotle Buffalo Wing Sauce

When you’re entertain the boys this holiday season, you might want to consider some good,finger-lickin buffalo wings. Oh yeah… and the girls love this recipe too! It’s easy, tasty and has a little heat. So warm things up this December for your family and friends!

• 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons Olde Westport Prairie Fire Chipotle Pepper Blend

Bring all ingredients to a gentle boil in a heavy two-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously. Lower heat, simmer 5 minutes or just until sugar dissolves. Drizzle over hot cooked wings in a bowl, toss to coat.