Food

I visit the set of Home & Family and show them how to make my amazing vegan pumpkin bread!

You’re never too old for cookies and milk, especially when it’s milk and cookies remixed. We’ve teamed up with Curate Snacks and Cinema and Spice to bring you a new video series celebrating traditional holiday festivities ― from a home makeover to holiday movie night ― with a delightfully curated twist. In this episode, we put an elevated spin on Santa’s favorite milk and cookies. Hint: we swap milk for decadent hot cocoa!

Once the tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the stockings are hung (with care, of course), it’s time to settle in for a real holiday favorite: movie night. To celebrate in true fan style, we’ve uncovered some of the best ways to throw a themed “The Holiday” watch party ― complete with finger foods and twinkly ambiance. That’s why we’ve teamed up Curate Snacks and Cinema and Spice to bring you a new video series celebrating traditional holiday festivities ― from milk and cookies to a home makeover ― with a delightfully curated twist. In this episode, we show you how to create the magical tent that Graham (Jude Law’s character) designs with his two girls in “The Holiday.”

We all know the famous scene from Dirty Dancing where Jennifer Grey says in a moment of panic, “I carried a watermelon.” In honor of Jennifer, we recommend that you serve your watermelon salad in a cute scalloped-edged watermelon rind bowl, so you can feel calm, cool and collected when you serve this fabulous salad to your friends and family! You can now say with confidence,“heck yeah I carried a watermelon!”

Ingredients

3 baby watermelons, cubed with no rind

3 Persian cucumbers, chopped

15 basil leaves, torn

9 oz. feta cheese

1/3 cup green onions, finely sliced into rings

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

6 watermelon halves (left over from the Watermelon Agua Fresca)

Directions

The first step is to make your dressing. We recommend using a jar so that you can easily shake the dressing (and keep any leftovers!). Combine the garlic, vinegar, salt, and olive oil. Shake well and set aside. In an ideal world, you make the dressing a few hours ahead so it has time to develop more flavor, but if you’re in a watermelon hurry, you can move onto the next step immediately.

In a large bowl, combine the cubed watermelon, torn basil, sliced green onions, and cucumbers and toss with the dressing. Just before serving, cut the cheese (hehe) into small cubes and toss into the salad.

Don’t forget to serve your salad out of your leftover watermelon rinds!

Enjoy!

Serves 6

A great combination of sweet and salty, these tasty banana bites will be a hit with Arrested Development fans.

Ingredients

2 cups chocolate chips (semi sweet)

2 tablespoons of coconut oil

2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

2 large pinches of sea salt + extra for sprinkling

4 bananas, that aren’t over ripe

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1 pinch granulated sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Before you start line 2 large plates with aluminum foil and clear some room in your freezer, always good to do these things before your hands are covered in chocolate.

Place the 2 cups of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave the chocolate for 30 seconds. Then add the coconut oil and the peanut butter and microwave for 30 more seconds. Stir with a spoon and make sure that everything is melted and creamy. If you have a few stubborn chips, wait a few seconds and see if the residual heat melts them. If not, give the mixture another 5-10 seconds in the microwave. Once creamy and well combined, add the salt and stir once more.

Slice all of the bananas into 3/4 inch rounds and place in a large bowl, discard... or eat... all of the tips of the bananas, they don’t make for a nice presentation.

Place the chocolate mixture over the bananas and gently stir until the bananas are coated. Be careful not to smoosh the bananas! If your bowl isn’t big enough do this step in two rounds. Use half of the chocolate and half of the bananas first, and then do it again.

Once the bananas are coated in the chocolate, gently place them on your two foil-lined plates so they’re not touching. Sprinkle with more sea salt, granulated sugar, and the chopped almonds.

Let the bananas freeze for at least 3 hours prior to serving.

Enjoy!

Serves 4-6

There is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day than an ice cold watermelon beverage. Serve this drink with a tiny wedge of watermelon on each glass and your friends will flip! We didn’t tell you this... BUT this Watermelon Agua Fresca is also quite good with a splash of vodka.

Ingredients

3 small watermelons, sliced in half, with watermelon scooped out

(if you want to make our watermelon salad, keep the watermelon rinds)

6-8 inches of fresh ginger, peeled

Zest of 4 limes

Juice of 8 limes

8 tablespoons of simple syrup

1 1/2 cup tonic water

Directions

If you don’t have simple syrup at home, combine 1 cup of sugar on the cooktop with 1 cup of water and heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, remove the mixture from the heat and allow to cool before using.

When hollowing out your watermelon, we recommend using an ice cream scoop. This helps the inside of the watermelon stay nice and rounded (which you will need if you make our watermelon salad). If the watermelon is not standing up on its own, cut a small round off of the base of the watermelon so that each half is stable.

Combine the watermelon, ginger, lime zest, lime juice, and simple syrup in a blender and blend until smooth.

Strain the juice through a mesh strainer to remove most of the pulp. You may want to do this step twice.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Top off each glass with a splash of tonic water and garnish with a tiny watermelon slice.

Helloooooooo Summer!

Serves 6

Everyone wants to sink their teeth into a big juicy burger after watching Samuel L. Jackson take a bite out of that iconic Big Kahuna Burger in Pulp Fiction.  We recreated this “tasty burger” with a sweet pineapple chutney and creamy Havarti cheese.  So let’s just cut to the chase and get grilling, shall we?

 

Ingredients

4 Maui (or sweet yellow) onions, diced

3 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into 1/3 inch rounds

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper

2 pounds of ground beef (the higher % of fat, the tastier)

1/2 jalapeño, diced

1 bag of arugula

6 slices of Havarti cheese

6 brioche buns

1/2 tablespoon of butter

Directions

To make the pineapple chutney, start by heating half of the olive oil in a pan and add the diced onions. Cook on a low heat until they are so soft and caramelized that they begin falling apart, and then add a pinch of salt. This process will take about an hour.

While the onions are caramelizing, heat a griddle pan. In a bowl combine the pineapple with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the remaining ¼ cup of the oil. Grill both sides of the pineapple on a griddle pan until nicely browned but not burnt. Remove the pineapple from the pan and chop it into very small pieces. Add the pineapple to the onions and continue to cook on low until you’re ready to serveNow get started on your burgers! In a bowl combine the ground meat, 1 teaspoon of the salt, the ground pepper, and the jalapeño. Combine well, and then divide the meat into 6 even patties. Using the griddle pan that was used for the pineapple, grill the burgers over a medium heat. Here’s one of our favorite grilling tricks: turn a large metal bowl upside down over the griddle to keep the burgers moist and to prevent the oil from splattering all over the place. Grill the burgers for 6 minutes on each side. If you like cheese, melt a slice of havarti on your burgers after they’ve been flipped.

To prepare your hamburger buns, melt butter in a separate pan and brown the buns over a medium heat. To assemble your burger, spread the chutney on both sides of the bun and garnish each burger with arugula.

These ARE some tasty burgers.

Serves 6

Crisp on the outside, buttery and soft on the inside, these smashed potatoes will change the way you think about breakfast.  But don’t let these gourmet potatoes deceive you, they’re surprisingly easy to make.

Ingredients

12 small yukon gold potatoes

½ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Large pinch of salt

Olive oil

Ziplock bag

Directions

In a large pan boil the potatoes until they are soft, about 20 minutes.  Once soft, drain the water and allow the potatoes to cool (if you have the time, this is a great step to do the day before).

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat with a quarter inch of olive oil.  While the oil is heating, fold the Ziplock bag around your potatoes (one at a time) and use a mallet to gently flatten them. Fry the flattened potatoes in the oil until golden brown, about two minutes per side.

To finish, sprinkle the fried potatoes with salt, chili and herbs.  This is delicious served with a fried egg or as a side dish to enhance any dinner.

Enjoy!

Serves 6

Tasty, kid-friendly recipes are hard to come by, but this one is sure to impress your dinner guests as well as your little ones.  The adorable Mike Wazowski apple is easy to make, and the yogurt dip can also double as a delicious breakfast treat!

Ingredients

1 pink lady, jazzy, or fuji apple, diced

¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup vanilla yogurt

1 Granny Smith apple

1 slice of provolone cheese

Peanut butter

1 green or blue fruit roll up

Black food safe marker

Almond slivers

5 pink lady, jazzy, or fuji apples, cut into slices

Small round fondant or cookie cutters

Directions

To make the yogurt dip, combine the diced apple, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and butter in a small pot. Cook on low with a lid on until soft.  Remove the cooked apples from the heat and set the, aside to cool.  Once cool, add the cooked apple to the vanilla yogurt and stir well.  Store the apple dip in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

To make the Mike Wazowski apple, cut a 1 inch round out of the cheese. Use a small amount of peanut butter to secure the eye onto your Granny Smith apple.  Next, make the colored part of the eye by cutting a small circle from a Fruit Roll Up and attaching it to the center of the piece of cheese.  Use a food safe marker to give Mike a pupil and a mouth.  If your apple isn’t standing well, use a knife to cut a small round out of the bottom or back side of the apple to help it stand up.  Once the apple is standing up right, use a small knife to cut slits exactly where you want his ears to go.  Position an almond sliver for each ear.

TADA you’ve made a Mike Wazowski apple.

Serve your apple slices on a plate with your Mike apple and dipping sauce.

Serves 6-8

Coulson Lives! Watch us make a delicious mayonnaise-free coleslaw to serve in The Avenger’s Shawarma wrap. This coleslaw is crispy, has a bit of heat, a touch of sweetness and best of all… the one and only Agent Coulson, Clark Gregg!  This recipe is also delicious as a summer side for a BBQ or as a tasty topping on your favorite sandwich or burger.

Ingredients

½ head of green cabbage, thinly sliced

½ head of purple cabbage, thinly sliced

1 clove of garlic

Juice of ½ of a lemon

5 mint leaves, julienned

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup white wine vinegar

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup parsley, chopped

½-1/4 teaspoon hot sauce of choice

Directions

Combine the green and purple cabbage in a large bowl. To prepare the dressing, combine all of the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and toss.

Serves 6

Chicken Shawarma is difficult to make at home because the traditional method is time consuming and requires specific appliances that most people don’t own.  So we developed this easy version to try at home! We combine the traditional seasonings with an easy preparation technique, giving you all of the flavors that you crave and leaving you with enough time to relax and enjoy The Avengers with your friends and family.

Ingredients

Chicken:

6 cloves of garlic, peeled

¼ teaspoon ginger, peeled

¼ cup of fresh lemon juice

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon pomegranate molasses

¼ yellow onion

2 lb chicken breast tenders

Olive oil for cooking

Wrap:

3 cups Agent Coulson Coleslaw

6 rounds of naan or pita bread

10 oz hummus (optionally blended with parsley!)

Sriracha

1 italian eggplant, thinly sliced

Tin foil

Olive oil

Directions

For the Chicken:

Combine the garlic, ginger, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, spices, pomegranate molasses, and ¼ of a yellow onion in a blender and blend. Pour the marinade into a plastic bag with the chicken tenders and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Once the chicken has marinated, heat a large pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the chicken in the pan on a medium high heat for 5 minutes on each side.

For the Wrap:

Fry the thinly sliced eggplant in an inch of olive oil on high heat until golden brown, about a minute and a half per side.

Once the eggplant is cooked, blot it with a paper towel and set aside. Heat your bread over a burner or on the oven until warm. Place a generous dollop of hummus on the bread followed by a few eggplant slices, a nice portion of slaw and a chicken tender. Drizzle hot sauce over the chicken and wrap.

Serve hot.

Serves 6

This will become one of your go-to recipes for many reasons!  It's easy to make for large groups and it freezes really well.  The meatballs are moist, flavorful, and dairy free.

Ingredients

1/2 cup shallot, minced

10 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of chili flakes

1 teaspoon of ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 pounds of ground beef (preferably 80/20)

1 cup breadcrumbs of choice

2 eggs

Olive oil

2 jars or 4.5 cups of tomato sauce (preferably tomato basil)

Fresh basil

Directions

In a large bowl combine the shallot, garlic, salt, chili flakes, black pepper, parsley, ground beef, breadcrumbs and eggs. Mix with a spoon (or your hands) until well-combined. Heat a large pan over medium heat with a just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. While the oil is heating, form your meatballs. Try to make the meatballs about an inch and a half in diameter, or just larger than a golf ball. Brown the meatballs in the hot oil on all sides and then cover with both jars of sauce. Place a lid on the pan and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook for fifteen minutes on one side, and then flip the meatballs and cook for another fifteen minutes. Serve with spaghetti and garnish with fresh torn basil.

Serves 6

We believe that a delicious and fresh salad is a fantastic addition to any meal.  This recipe is packed full of nutritious vegetables, but it also incorporates traditional Italian cheeses and a rich and bold dressing guaranteed to please even the pickiest of salad eaters.

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

1 avocado, diced

5 pepperoncini, diced (optional)

1/4 cup basil, julienned

2/3 cup provolone cheese, cubed (optional)

2/3 cup of fresh mozzarella, cubed (optional)

1 head of romaine, chopped

2/3 cup Kalamata olives, diced

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large cucumber, peeled and diced

2/3 cup of cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 can of chickpeas, drained

Dressing Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4th teaspoon salt

1/8th teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

Directions

The first step is to make your dressing. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake until emulsified. Refrigerate until serving.

To prepare the salad, combine all of the chopped ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Pour on your dressing and toss the salad to combine. If you want to keep some of the salad as leftovers, make sure to set some aside before you add the dressing!

And that's it! Enjoy your salad with our Corleone Family Meatballs and a glass of your favorite red wine.

Serves 6

The Hurricane is a classic cocktail of New Orleans.  It is sweet, cool, fruity and deliciously addictive. Make a lasting impression on your friends with our tasty version! We’ve cut out a some of the sugar dyed it bright red, making it perfect to sip on while watching season 6 of True Blood.

Ingredients

4.5 ounces light rum (Flor de Cana extra dry white rum)

3 oz dark rum (we like Myer's)

6 oz passion fruit juice (Ceres passion fruit juice)

3 oz fresh squeezed lime juice

1.5 oz orange juice

¾ oz honey

3 oz grenadine (we like Sonoma Syrup Company pomegranate grenadine)

Pinch of salt

3 cups of ice

Red food dye (optional)

Orange slice for garnish

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Make sure not to over blend or your ice will melt! Add 10-20 drops of red food coloring if you want your drink to be True Blood red. Serve in hurricane glasses and garnish with paper umbrellas and orange slices.

Serves 2

The meringue frosting on this cupcake is as fluffy as a cloud, and it tastes like the most amazing marshmallow that you’ve ever dreamed of.  Once you get past the delicious frosting, you’ll soon reach the Butterbeer center: a thick and rich butterscotch that will have you over the moon.  Top this cupcake with a chocolate drizzle and some sprinkles and you’ll be looking like a professional pastry chef in no time.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

Cupcake papers

1 box cupcake mix of choice (and all ingredients needed for the batter)

Butterbeer Center:

1 ½ cup powdered sugar

1 stick of salted butter

⅓ cup brown sugar

¼ cup milk of choice

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

Hand mixer

Metal bowl

Large pot for double boiler

1 ½ cups white sugar

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

3 egg whites, no traces of yolk

¼ cup water

Chocolate Drizzle:

2 cups bittersweet chocolate

4 tablespoons canola oil

Whatever candy you want!

Directions

To make these Magical Butterbeer Cupcakes, start by making your favorite vanilla cupcakes. If you would like, this is a great step to do a day before. The next step is to make the butterscotch filling!

Pour the confectioners sugar into a medium bowl and set aside. Melt the butter over a medium heat. Add in the brown sugar and stir until well combined. Once the sugar has dissolved into the butter, remove it from the stove and pour it into the bowl with the confectioners sugar. Then add the milk and vanilla extract. Stir until nice and smooth. Poke a hole into each cupcake, about ¾ of an inch deep. Transfer the butterscotch into a ziplock bag, and cut off the tip. If you have a piping tip, position this in the ziplock bag before adding the butterscotch. Pipe the butterscotch into the cupcakes until each hole is filled.

It is now time to meringue. This stage takes patience, but the result is worth it. Fill the double boiler pot with an inch of water. Place the metal bowl into the double boiler JUST to insure that the water is not hitting the bottom of your bowl. Remove the bowl from the pot. Heat the water to a simmer while you prepare the meringue ingredients.

Start by putting the water, sugar and cream of tartar into the metal bowl. Next add the egg whites into your bowl. It is very important that there is no yolk in the egg whites, so we recommend separating each egg before adding each white to the bowl. Use a hand mixer and beat the egg mixture over the double boiler for 15 minutes. This is your work out for the day, how else are you not supposed to feel guilty about eating 10 cupcakes? Your meringue is ready when it has formed stiff peaks. If you have a candy thermometer it should register 160 degrees fahrenheit.

Get out your second ziplock bag (make this a large one) and insert your piping tip into the bag, if you want to use one. Fill the bag with the frosting and use circular motions to build the "hat" of the cupcake.

Chill the cupcakes in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up and then decorate to your heart's content. We used the leftover melted chocolate from our Wizard Wands, and edible gold stars.

Enjoy room temperature or cold.

Makes 12 cupcakes, you decide how many that serves

Don’t let your party guests leave empty handed.  Fill their pockets with our crystal blue rock candy.  Not only is this candy a funny Breaking Bad party favor, but it’s also a sweet treat to snack on.

Supply List

½ cup Water

¾ cup lite corn Syrup

2 cups whIte granulated sugar

1 teaspoon flavOring

1 toothpick blue gel food Coloring (sky blue)

Candy therMometed

Baking Sheet lined with foil

Cooking Spray

Small Jewelry Bags

Instructions

NOTE: For this recipe, we recommend you use an old pot that you don't mind tossing afterwards, or make sure to boil water in the pot immediately after pouring out your sugar so you don't ruin the pot.

Before you start, line a baking sheet with foil and spray generously with cooking spray to coat the entire surface.

On medium high heat stir the water, corn syrup and granulated sugar until boiling. Once the liquid boils, insert a candy thermometer into the mixture and continue to let it cook (without stirring!) until it reaches exactly 285 degrees Farenheit (or 140 degrees celcius). Make sure to watch the thermometer carefully at this stage: if you let the mixture rise to a temperature higher than 285, the color of the sugar will start to darken and the end result will be a murky green color and not a bright, brilliant blue!

Once the candy reaches 285 degrees, immediately remove the pot from the flame. Once the bubbles subside, add the food coloring and flavoring and stir well. Pour the hot candy evenly onto the baking sheet. Let the candy cool and harden completely before cracking it with a metal ladle or hammer. Serve to your guests in tiny jewelry bags!

These juicy and flavorful tacos are seasoned with traditional spices including one of our favorites, chipotle.  Enjoy them with a dollop of our authentic guacamole: one bite and you’ll never eat store bought guacamole again!  Gus might not have needed a side business if his restaurant Los Pollos Hermanos had served food this good.

Ingredients

Chicken:

4 cups tomatoeS, chopped

1 teaspoon sAlt

½ cup Shallot, diced

8 cloves Garlic, diced

1 ½ Teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon oreGano

1 teaspoon Coriander

½ cup cilaNtro, chopped

1 lime, juiCed

1 teaspoon dried chipOtle

1 pre-cooked rotisserie chicKen, shredded and de-boned

Olive Oil

Large saute pan with lid

Guacamole:

3 avoCados, pitted, skinned, and chopped

1 tablespoon shallot, diced

Juice of ½ of a Lime

1 clove of garlIc, minced

2 teaspoons cilantrO, finely chopped

½ jalapeno, miNced

¼ teaspoon Salt

½ large tomatO, or 5 cherry tomatoes, chopped

Tacos:

12 corn torTillas

1 head of cabBage, chopped

10 radisHes, chopped

Pepper jack cheese, grated (optional)

 

Directions

For Chicken:

Heat your pan over a medium flame. Once the pan is warm add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan, and then add in the shallots. Once the shallots begin to sweat add the garlic with a pinch of salt. Next, add the tomatoes and stir. Once these become nice and fragrant, add in all of the seasonings, including the lime. Place the lid over the sauce and allow it to simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes. Once the tomatoes break down and begin to form a sauce, it is time to add the chicken. Add the chicken and stir to coat, then place the lid back on the cooktop and cook on low for an additional 15 minutes.

For Guacamole:

Combine all ingredients into a bowl and mix. Use a spoon to break up any large chunks of the avocados. The avocado should still be textured, so don't mix it too much.

Tacos:

Place each tortilla over an open flame on your cooktop over a medium heat. Heat both sides of each tortilla until warm. Place a dollop of guacamole onto the tortilla and spread evenly, and then place a generous helping of the chicken on the guacamole. Top the taco off with some cabbage and radishes to add great texture and more healthy vegetables.

Enjoy hot.

Serves 6

It only takes three ingredients to make the perfect margarita: lime juice, simple syrup, and tequila.  Add in a blue sugar and salt rim and a few drops of food coloring, and you’ll have a crystal blue margarita that Breaking Bad fans around the country will be dying to make.

Ingredients

Ice cubes

4.5 ounces Silver tequila

3 ounces Lime juice

3 ounces Simple syrup

Blue Food dye

Extra tequila to rim the glasses

Blue sanding sugar

Kosher salt

Directions

Fill a cocktail shaker ½ full with ice cubes. Measure in the tequila, fresh-squeezed lime juice, and simple syrup and shake well. Add a few drops of blue food coloring and shake lightly to combine.

To rim the margarita glasses, start by pouring a thin layer of tequila on a plate. On a second plate, sprinkle equal amounts of blue sugar and kosher salt and mix to combine. Dip the rim of each glass first in the tequila and then in the sugar & salt mixture.

Strain your beverage into each glass, sit back, and enjoy your Crystal Blue Margarita while watching your favorite episode of Breaking Bad.

Serves 2

Caesar Salad Skewers

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients:

2 heads of romaine lettuce, cut into ½ inch strips

12 cherry tomatoes, halved

Dressing Ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon anchovy paste (or 2 fillets)

2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons shredded parmesan cheese

6 tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ cup olive oil

Parmesan cheese (to top)

Cocktail skewers

Crouton Ingredients:

6 slices of favorite bread

½ tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon of pepper

Cooking spray

Directions

If you are going to make the croutons yourself, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. While the oven is preheating, lay the slices of bread on a cookie sheet and coat lightly with cooking spray on both sides. In a small dish, combine all of the seasonings for the croutons. Sprinkle the seasonings evenly on both sides of the bread. Bake until golden brown and crisp. Put the toast aside to cool.

The dressing is very simple. In a blender, combine all of the salad dressing ingredients with the exception of the olive oil. Blend until smooth. Pour this mixture into a jar with a lid, or anything else you can shake, with the olive oil. Shake vigorously until the dressing thickens.

To assemble, spear 5 or 6 leaves of romaine onto the end of each cocktail skewer. If you baked your own croutons, this is the time to cut them into ¾ inch cubes. Follow each lettuce chunk with a crouton and then half of a cherry tomato. Drizzle dressing over all of the skewers, and top with some crumbled crouton and parmesan cheese.

Makes 24 skewers (with extra dressing).