If there are no more colors,
we will try NO COLOR..
Showing posts with label Mexico. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mexico. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Weekend Cooking..Doce de Mayo
You might remember..ok, you don't...but for Christmas we had a Mexican dinner that included some Mexican Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas. Well, when I bought that pork shoulder at my local Sam's Club there were actually two in the package. So before it turned to a big hunk of ice in the freezer and I had to toss it, it was time to cook it! Last Sunday, being Cinco de Mayo, it was time for some more Carnitas. A lot of carnitas...then I had the leftovers for a few days, perfect for some toasty, cheesy quesadillas. Some pork, some salsa, some cheese, some cilantro...
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| fold you up and...into the frying pan with you! |
We had rice and black beans as well that evening, and of course some delicious guacamole. But when I bought the avocados, one was not quite ripe, so I put it aside.
Yesterday it was ripe.
Very ripe, so what to do with one lone avocado? A wee bit of guacamole...or how about this deconstructed guacamole from this weeks America's Test Kitchen newsletter. Yes, indeed, I made a half batch, with one avocado and one pepper..an it went very well with that pork quesadilla! Fresh and just a little spicy and a great way to celebrate the 12th of May!
Avocado Salad
from America's Test Kitchen
Why this recipe works: Tasters liked the consistently sweet taste of grape tomatoes compared with other varieties. Tasters also liked the flavor of minced garlic present in many guacamole salad recipes, but thought raw onions were just too harsh, so we used scallions instead. Steeping the garlic and scallions in lime juice for a few minutes before combining them with the avocados mellowed their flavor. We wanted plenty of peppers for crunch and bulk, but a large quantity of jalapeños made the salad too hot to eat. Milder poblanos, with just a hint of heat, were a better choice. If you can't find poblano peppers, substitute an equal number of Anaheim chiles, or a large green bell pepper mixed with up to 2 tablespoons of minced jalapeño chile.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- Salt and pepper
- 4 scallions, sliced thin
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 poblano chiles, seeded and sliced into 2-inch matchsticks
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted, skinned, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1. SALT TOMATOES Toss tomatoes and ½ teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Transfer to paper towel-lined baking sheet and let drain 15 minutes.
2. MAKE DRESSING Combine scallions, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in large bowl. Let sit 5 minutes, then slowly whisk in oil.
3. TOSS SALAD Add chiles, avocados, cilantro, and drained tomatoes to bowl with dressing and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking."Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Weekend Cooking...Tequila Shrimp
When in Cancun, we had a number of lovely meals. And while I am sure that a beautiful view of the sunset across the bay or the sound of the waves crashing against the beach makes any dish taste even better, I still thought I would try to recreate at least one, Tequila Shrimp.
Problem was, I was not really paying that much attention as they cooked it table side.
In fact, I had not ordered it and have no idea what it tasted like.
It just sounds good, looked good.
I love shrimp.
I remember a lot sauteing, a lot of flame, a lot of "oohhhh" and "awwww"s, but beyond that...no real idea.
So I took to the internet!I bit from here, a bit from there..
And came up with this!
Tequila Shrimp
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4-5 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon chipotle chiles in adobo sauce OR 1 tsp. finely minced jalapeno pepper
2 cups diced tomato
1/4 cup tequila
2-3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice (or 1/2 teaspoon sugar)
1/4 cup heavy cream, crème fraiche or Mexican crema
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; cook 3-4 minutes, turning once. Remove shrimp to bowl and continue to make sauce in the same pan.
Add additional tablespoon of oil, garlic and minced jalapeno or chipotle and sauté 1 minute. Add diced tomato, saute one more minute. Add tequila and lime juice, tilt pan and use a match to flambé the tequila, cooking until flames burn off.
Add shrimp back into pan, then add 2 tablespoons cilantro, toss. Add juice and cream and cook, stirring, until thickened and well combined.
Serve over rice.
I wanted a sauce, not just some flavored shrimp as many recipes would result in. Flavored shrimp with just garlic and lime and tequila would be very nice, no doubt, but I wanted something to put on that rice.
I love rice.
So I saw some recipes with tomato and finished with some cream. Some used sour cream, and you could, but I went with a touch of plain heavy cream.
And then I saw another recipe that marinated the shrimp in some spices..yes, that sounds good..add that in. Garlic, of course, a touch of heat, and a touch of sweet to balance it out.
Lime...and TEQUILA!
And flames!
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| Served with a little sliced avocado and mango salsa, over hot rice. |
I must say, it was excellent.
Very quick, once you have the ingredients prepped, and quite easy.
And it smells so, so good.
I love lime.
This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking."Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Wordless Wednesday...One More Day in Paradise
Are you tired of Cancun yet?
Well, I'm not, so get used to it..lol
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| Another great looking day... |
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| So let's grab some breakfast... |
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| ..and head to the pool. |
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| Have dinner in the Club Grill |
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| and watch the sun go down...again. |
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Wordless Wednesday...Cancun
Another warm and sunny day for those of you in the snow and cold...
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| stained glass dome at a local mall |
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| a lighthouse at another local mall! |
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| ..and maybe finish the day with dinner at a casita on the beach. |
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Weekend Cooking...the Brazilian Caipirinha
While I was down in Cancun I drank a number of that oh-so-easy-to drink cocktail, the margarita. Which is why, if you noticed, I did not post a Weekend Cooking last Saturday.
A slight case of over indulgence Friday evening at the Club Lounge left me feeling a bit ill .
I was sucked in by the fact that those margaritas, and all the other booze, was free.
There are photos, but trust me, you don't want to see them.
But as tasty as a margarita is, and it is, especially when sitting by a pool or the gentle ocean waves by a turquoise sea, I also discovered another very tasty drink. This one is also from south of the border, in this case, much further south, in Brazil....The Caipirinha.
It is made with cachaca, which is sometimes referred to as Brazilian rum, although some object to calling it rum. Regardless, it makes one simple, and very nice beverage, the perfect balance of tart, from the lime, sweet from the sugar and with a deceptive punch from the cachaca, all icy cold.
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| In it's natural elements... |
From our friends at Wikipedia.... The "Caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail, made with cachaça (sugar cane rum), sugar and lime. Cachaça is Brazil's most common distilled alcoholic beverage. Both rum and cachaça are made from sugarcane-derived products. Specifically with cachaça, the alcohol results from the fermentation of sugarcane juice that is afterwards distilled."
First, we will look at the basic drink and then two fruity variations.
And if you look online, you will see a lot of different takes on this drink, with every sort of fruit out there and some with other things, such as coffee.
We will stick to something more basic. Feel free to go from there.
In my opinion, no use playing with perfection.
Caipirinha
- 2.5 oz cachaça
- 2 tsp sugar or simple syrup
- 1/2 lime (cut into chunks)
In a rocks glass place the cut up lime and the sugar (or simple syrup).
Muddle vigorously to extract the oils from the lime peel.
Pack the glass full of coarsely cracked ice and add the cachaça.
Stir and garnish with a piece of sugar cane or a lime wedge.
Soho Pineapple Caipirinha
- 2 1/2 oz cachaça
- juice of 2/3 fresh lime
- 1/3 oz simple syrup
- chopped limes
- pineapple chunks
- 3 tsp brown sugar
- 1 oz pineapple juice
- Garnish: pineapple wedge
Muddle pineapple and limes with brown sugar.
Add cachaça, lime juice, simple syrup and pineapple juice.
Shake with ice and pour into rocks glass.
Garnish with pineapple wedge if desired.
Batida de Carneval
- 1 oz Orange Juice
- 2 1/4 oz Mango Juice
- 1 oz Cachaca
Pour over crushed ice in a large highball glass.
Stir, and serve.
Now, such drinks should not be consumed on an empty stomach.
I will tell you, that can be dangerous! :-)
So I will present a traditional Brazilian snack you can eat as you drink these, Pão de Queijo. It is a sort of cheesy, chewy, slightly salty puff, best eaten warm from the oven. This snack is made with tapioca flour, milk, eggs, olive oil, and cheese and can be made and baked off in just a few minutes, especially with this recipe, from Simple Recipes.
You can make a large batch of the batter ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for up to a week and just bake a small batch as you need them.
Easy Brazilian Cheese Bread
The recipe as presented is fairly basic.
Feel free to dress it up a bit with herbs or spices of your choice.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2/3 cup milk
- Scant 1 1/2 cups (170 grams) tapioca flour
- 1/2 cup (packed, about 66 grams) grated Mexican farmer's cheese, queso fresco
- 1 teaspoon of salt (or more to taste)
Mini muffin tins are about half the size of a regular muffin pan.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a mini-muffin tin.
Put all of the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth.
You may need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender
so that everything gets blended well.
At this point you can store the batter in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until all puffy and just lightly browned.
Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes.
Eat while warm or save to reheat later.
Note that Brazilian cheese bread is very chewy, a lot like Japanese mochi.
Yield: Enough batter for 16 mini muffin sized cheese breads.
I was a little concerned about getting the tapioca flour but it was not a problem.
My local supermarket had it, made by the folks at Bob's Red Mill and available in my baking aisle.
Bake too many and you will eat them all!
I will warn you that those cheesy puffs, especially fresh from the oven are addictive.
As are those Caipirinhas.
This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking.
"Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Wordless Wednesday...Morning, Noon and Night
In Cancun..
at sunrise, high noon, sunset on the bay and finally, with the moon high over the ocean.
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| Sunrise over the Caribbean Sea. |
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| Lunch at JC Capitan. |
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| About to make some tequila shrimp for us as the sun sets over the bay at La Destileria Restaurant.. |
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