Tag Archives: blizzard

verdant spheres [edamame falafels with jalapeño sauce]

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Selama Ashal’anore!

Everyone’s favorite vengeful Blood Elf mage, Kael’thas Sunstrider made his way into the Nexus a few months back. I’ve had a chance to play him several times in ranked, but honestly, I’m not super comfortable with his play style.

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I’m more of a Jaina kind of gal (awwwwkward). However, Kael’thas is still a super fun hero to play! I mean, c’mon, FREE living bombs?! YOU GET A LIVING BOMB. AND YOU GET A LIVING BOMB. EVERYONE GETS A LIVING BOMB!

And it’s all thanks to those magical Verdant Spheres. Those Verdant Spheres are his signature accessory. A powerful fashion statement only worn by most haute blood mages!

I’ve immortalized these iconic artifacts in food form: edamame falafels! These falafels are packed full of nutrients which will surely keep you fueled during your quest for vengeance.

UNIT COMPOSITION

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  1. salt
  2. pepper
  3. 1 cup of tahini sauce*
  4. 1 tablespoon of cumin
  5. 1 tablespoon of coriander
  6. 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  7. 5 – 7 cloves of garlic, diced
  8. 1/4 cup of cilantro, roughly chopped
  9. 1/2 cup of parsley, roughly chopped
  10. 1 1/2 cups of edamame, shelled
  11. 1 onion, roughly diced
  12. 2 jalapeños, diced

*To make homemade tahini sauce, combine: tahini paste, garlic, lemon juice, water and salt.

BUILD ORDER

Prep time for this recipe is roughly 15 minutes. Cook time is about 35 minutes. This makes about 3 servings (about 3 falafels each).

OPENING

  1. Put your onion, edamame, onion, cilantro, 1 jalapeño, and 1/4 cup of parsley in a food processor.blog_verdantspheres_mix
  2. Add in your salt, pepper, cumin, and coriander.
  3. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and pulse to combine.
  4. Continue until it forms a smooth paste.blog_verdantspheres_mix2
  5. Remove and set aside.

MID GAME

  1. Set your oven to 375° F.
  2. Line a pan or baking dish with parchment paper.
  3. Using a spoon, scoop out golf ball sized balls of the falafel dough. Roughly shape them into a sphere and drop them onto the parchment paper. Use a butter knife to smooth out the balls.blog_verdantspheres_balls
  4. Bake for 35 minutes or crispy. In order to keep them green, I decided not to flip them.

LATE GAME

  1. Place tahini sauce, jalapeño pepper, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and your remaining parsley in a food processor.
  2. Process until it’s a smooth paste.
  3. Dip a spoon in the sauce and place the back of the spoon against a plate. Drag the spoon up and lift carefully to create a smear affect (or the flame for the verdant spheres).
  4. Place one of the falafels on top of the sauce.
  5. OPTIONAL: Sprinkle parsley over the plate.
  6. Eat!

GG WP!

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Now you can embrace AND eat the power of Verdant Spheres! ???????? GLORY TO THE SIN’DOREI! ????????

the butcher’s inferno meatloaf [bacon-wrapped chorizo and beef meatloaf]

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When I found out the Butcher was stomping his way into the Nexus, I was over joyed. Thankfully, the wait is over and you can now enjoy everyone’s favorite meat-crazed demon in Heroes of the Storm!

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What a fitting mount! Let’s hope Billie doesn’t end up grilled after this game...

He’s one of the most memorable bosses from the Diablo series, and when I first started playing Diablo III, I thought the Act I fight against him was pretty awesome.

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You basically run the risk of being completely engulfed in flames if you can’t kill him before his enrage timer.

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Toasty!

You would think that since he’s always surrounded by fire, he’d be pretty good at barbecuing. Do you think they have BBQ competitions in Sanctuary and the Burning Hells? Hmmm…

Anyway, since I don’t have a BBQ grill, I decided to create a different type of meaty treat. It’s a spicy little meatloaf full of FRESH MEAT! VEGETABLES BAD. MEAT GOOD!

And because The Butcher lives in such a sizzling place, I decided to add a little heat with some fresh jalapeño peppers. Of course, that is only Torment I level spice… If you wanna bump it up to Torment VI, add in some habañero. But if you want to go to Torment X, I suggest you try getting your hands on some crushed Ghost Chili Peppers and some Trinidad Scorpion Chilies.

UNIT COMPOSITION

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  1. salt
  2. pepper
  3. 1 teaspoon of olive oil
  4. 1 tablespoon of cumin
  5. 2 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce
  6. 1/2 cup of ketchup
  7. 1 egg
  8. 5 cloves of garlic, diced
  9. 1 cup of bread crumbs
  10. 1 onion diced
  11. 1 bell pepper, diced
  12. 2 jalapeño peppers, diced
  13. 1 lb of chorizo, casing removed
  14. 1 lb of bacon
  15. 1 lb of ground lean beef (I used 90/10)

BUILD ORDER

Prep time for this recipe is about 45 minutes. Total cook time is 1 hour 10 minutes. This makes about 5 servings.

OPENING

  1. Set a pan on medium heat and add in your olive oil.
  2. Sweat your diced onions and garlic.
  3. Remove and set aside. You’ll want them to cool before adding them to your meat mixture.

MID GAME

  1. In a bowl, combine your chorizo and ground beef.
  2. Season lightly with your salt, pepper and cumin. Since the chorizo is already spiced, you don’t need to add that much more seasoning.
  3. Add in your worcestershire sauce and ketchup. Stir to combine.
  4. Add in your egg and bread crumbs. Stir to combine.
  5. Add in your diced bell pepper and jalapeño peppers and stir. You may have to use your hands at this point to make sure the mixture is thoroughly combined.blog_infernomeatloaf_mix

LATE GAME

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°.
  2. Line a baking sheet with foil. Remember, this dish has chorizo AND bacon, so there will be a A LOT of fat and oils! Make sure your dish is properly lined to reduce clean-up!
  3. Pour your meat mixture onto the baking sheet and form it into a loaf.
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  4. Now comes the fun part: create a bacon weave over your meatloaf! If you don’t want to create a bacon weave, you can wrap the bacon around the meatloaf in any way you’d like.
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  5. Place the meatloaf in the oven and cook for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature hits 160°.
  6. Let rest for 5 minutes.
  7. Eat!

GG WP!

Now you’re ready to serve this meaty meal to your fellow Nephalems in Sanctuary or your team of Heroes in the Nexus! Just make sure you don’t let Tyrael get to this… You know how he is about eating.

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“Being a mortal is very complicated”

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Aww yes….FRESH MEAT.

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See you in the Eternal Conflict!