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Tara Castillo

@taratalkzeats

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Cooking & baking from the ❤️
Seasonal treats, recipes & cultural favorites
Helping you decide what to cook next!
Daily life & chaos: @tarainherera

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Grinch Christmas Cookies
Baking cookies so yummy even the Grinch showed up.
If he steals these… I honestly get it. 😏💚
#grinch #christmas #cookies #baking #recipe
If you need more Christmas cookie recipes check out my Christmas crack, peanut butter blossom, and butter cookie recipes on my page. by @taratalkzeats

There’s a New Year’s Eve tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight. Each grape represents a month and a wish for the year ahead.
🍇✨
You only get 12 wishes, so make them good!

I incorporated using sour frozen grapes as a way to keep the champagne cold and used candy sticks to hold our 12 grapes for wishes. I think they look cute in champagne flutes!

#Nye #newyearseve #tradition #12grapes #wishes by @taratalkzeats

Bad Bunny at halftime calls for food that matches the energy! 🏈🐰
These Bad Bunny tostón sliders are inspired by bold Puerto Rican flavors and made for game day. Slow cooked flank steak seasoned with Sazon, adobo, cumin, Sofrito, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Then shredded, stacked, and sandwich between crispy tostones for the ultimate Super Bowl appetizer.
Perfect for Super Bowl parties, game day food, or anytime you want a crowd pleasing Latin inspired appetizer that disappears by halftime. Crispy, juicy, and absolutely game-winning.
🐰Full recipe below
🏈Save this for game day
⭐️ Halftime snack Con sabor 🔥
#superbowl #badbunny #gameday #recipes #appetizer

Ingredients:
1-2 lbs flank steak
Sofrito
Adobo
Sazon
Cumin
Beef broth
Bay leaf
Onion
Green plantains
Garlic salt
Water
Oil
Ketchup & Mayo (optional for sauce)

Instructions:
Meat:
In a slow cooker/crockpot add your flank steak, sprinkle generously the adobo seasoning, Sazon seasoning, and cumin. Pour some Sofrito on top, add one cup of tomato sauce, add one cup of beef broth, add a Bayleaf, add a whole chopped onion. Cover and cook on low for eight hours.
When your meat is finished cooking. Remove it from the crockpot and shred.

Tostones-
Peel your plantain, cut into pieces. Fry in oil on both sides until golden. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
Smash your plantains in a plantain smasher or with the bottom of a plate or a glass - anything heavy so that it’s flattened out.
(Optional)- Dip in garlic water (water with 2 tsp garlic salt).
Refry in oil until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Assemble your sliders by placing some of the meat on top of a toston then place another toston on top of the meat (like making a sandwich).

(Optional) Mayoketchup- you can also make a dipping sauce by combining 1/2 c of mayo with 1/4 c of ketchup and some garlic powder. Popular dipping sauce for tostones. by @taratalkzeats

These Cheesecake Churro Bars were SO good, my son couldn’t even wait for me to finish filming! 😂🤎

Buttery cinnamon-sugar layers with a rich, creamy cheesecake center… seriously irresistible!

Save this one for your holiday dessert table! 🎄✨

✨ CHEESECAKE CHURRO BARS ✨

Cinnamon Sugar

* ½ cup sugar
* 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Cheesecake Filling

* 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
* ½ cup sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crust

* 2 (8 oz) cans refrigerated crescent dough sheets

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix cinnamon and sugar together.
3. Beat softened cream cheese, sugar, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar evenly across the bottom.
5. Lay one crescent dough sheet over the cinnamon sugar, trimming to fit.
6. Spread cheesecake filling evenly over the dough, then cover with the second dough sheet.
7. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar on top.
8. Bake approximately 30 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool completely before slicing.

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container.

#recipe #easydessert #holidaybaking #churrocheesecake #cheesecakebars by @taratalkzeats

🎃 Halloween Mummy Dogs! 👻

Looking for a fun, easy Halloween food idea for the kids? These adorable mummy hot dogs are made with basically3 ingredients and are perfect for Halloween parties, spooky movie nights, or a festive dinner!

🌭 What you’ll need:

* Hot dogs
* Refrigerated crescent roll dough
* Candy eyes

How to make them:

1. Preheat your oven according to the crescent roll package.
2. Cut the dough into thin strips.
3. Wrap the strips around each hot dog, leaving room for the eyes.
4. Bake according to the dough package directions until golden brown and cooked through.
5. Let cool slightly, then add the candy eyes!

👻 Save this easy Halloween recipe for later!

#HalloweenFood #MummyDogs #HalloweenRecipes #HalloweenPartyFood #EasyHalloweenTreats by @taratalkzeats

Have you ever made your own basil salt or sun-dried tomatoes? 🌿🍅

I’m so excited to share that TWO of my contributions are featured in The Collective Harvest: 101 Notes From the Garden!

This beautiful FREE digital collection from Urban Harvest Collective brings together gardening inspiration, creative ideas, and ways to enjoy and preserve the harvest.

I’m sharing my homemade Basil Salt and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and there are so many other wonderful contributions to discover!

Whether you love cooking with fresh herbs, preserving garden vegetables, or finding new ways to use your harvest, there’s something here for you.

🌿 Want your FREE copy? I’ve added the download link to my bio!

And tell me in the comments — have you ever made basil salt?
I’ll be sharing the whole process tomorrow.
#BasilSalt #GardenToTable #HomemadeRecipes #FoodPreservation #SunDriedTomatoes by @taratalkzeats

🎃 Homemade Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Sometimes you’ve just gotta use what you’ve got! 🤎
I needed something to bring to a last-minute gathering, so I whipped up this homemade pumpkin roll. I wasn’t planning on filming a recipe, but sharing anyway.

I ran out of vanilla extract! 😂 Not stressing!!! I substituted a little almond extract in the cream cheese filling, I actually like it better!

If you’ve never made a pumpkin roll, don’t let it intimidate you. It’s easier than it looks!

🍂 HOMEMADE PUMPKIN ROLL RECIPE

Pumpkin Cake:
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• ⅔ cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Filling:
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp butter, softened
• ¼ tsp almond extract (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

👩‍🍳 INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
2. Beat eggs and brown sugar until well combined. Mix in pumpkin purée and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Gradually mix into the pumpkin mixture.
4. Spread batter evenly into your prepared pan. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the cake springs back lightly when touched.
5. While still warm, carefully turn the cake onto a clean kitchen towel generously dusted with powdered sugar. Remove parchment paper and gently roll the cake up with the towel, starting at the short end. Let cool completely.
6. Beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, and almond extract until smooth and creamy.
7. Carefully unroll the cooled cake, spread with cream cheese filling, and roll it back up without the towel.
8. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing. Dust with powdered sugar if desired!

#pumpkinroll #recipe #fallbaking #dessert by @taratalkzeats

Sun dried tomatoes DIY! So easy and so delicious. I’ve been busy gardening and doing projects (over on my other page) but had to share this with all my foodies! Original inspiration @gennarocontaldo
You’ve gotta do this! You don’t need any fancy equipment! Just tomatoes, salt, oregano, and 3 days of sun!
#sundriedtomatoes #diy by @taratalkzeats

Quick easy cheesy refried bean recipe.
Perfect as a side, a dip, in burritos, on tostadas, and more.

Recipe:
1️⃣ - 1 can of black or pinto beans
Add to a blender
You can season how you want.
2️⃣ - I add onion powder, garlic powder, and some cumin (measure with your ❤️)
3️⃣ - add some oil in a pan, sauté finely chopped onion and jalapeno (if you like it spicy)
4️⃣ - add blended beans (they will thicken as they cook), cook over medium low heat stirring occasionally
5️⃣ - add as much cheese as your heart desires
6️⃣ - remove from heat, beans will continue to thicken as they cool. by @taratalkzeats

Discovered this Peruvian hot sauce and I’m a fan!
It was so hard picking a favorite!
This would be amazing on burgers, fries, eggs, tacos, honestly anything!
Which do you want to try? by @taratalkzeats

Has a fun birthday weekend and got to eat all my faves…. Indian food and Dubai chocolate kunafa!
#birthday #blowingcandles by @taratalkzeats

Recipe 3 in my healthy eating series. Easy & Delicious!
Craving pizza but not the carbs? Don’t worry… I’ve got you. 🍕 Recipe below ⬇️

This high-protein, low-carb barbecue chicken pizza is my go-to when I want comfort food!

The best part?
✔️ The entire pizza is 450 calories
✔️ High protein
✔️ Low carb
✔️ Ready in under 20 minutes

Save this for your next pizza craving and follow along for more healthy recipes so we can indulge later.

High-Protein Low-Carb BBQ Chicken Pizza

Servings: 1 pizza (about 6 slices)

Ingredients:

1 Joseph’s Lavash Low Carb Flatbread

1 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp sugar-free barbecue sauce

3 oz cooked cubed chicken breast

2 tbsp red onion, sliced

2 tbsp green bell pepper

2 tbsp pineapple chunks

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Place lavash flatbread on baking sheet.

Brush top lightly with olive oil.

Bake for 5 minutes until crisp and edges darken.

Remove from oven and spread sugar-free BBQ sauce evenly.

Add chicken, red onion, bell pepper, pineapple, and mozzarella.

Bake 8–10 minutes until cheese is melted.

Slice and enjoy!

🍕MACROS
Calories: ~420–450
Protein: ~38–42g
Fiber: ~8–10g
Net Carbs: ~20–25g
Fat: ~14–16g

✨ Want more of an Italian vibe? Swap the BBQ sauce for marinara, skip the pineapple, and add turkey pepperoni or fresh basil. Same crust, totally different flavor.

#lowcarb #highprotein #pizza #recipe by @taratalkzeats