Prickly Pear Fruit

I have always been curious about the odd brightly colored spiky globes that protrude from the cacti in our yard, today was the day I found out what they taste like!

We have several kinds of cactus in our yard. Couldn't tell you what kind they are but this is what they look like......

There are several varieties of cactus pear. The prickly pear cactus is a fruit AND a vegetable. The green pods are the napolito and the vegetable part, and the red to purple pears are the fruit, also known as tuna.

The pears have a melon-like aroma and a sweet but bland flavor. Popular in Mexico, Central and South America, the green pods are abundant year around but the pears are harvested in the later Summer months.

Cactus pear is fantastic raw, peeled and chilled by itself or made into a tasty salsa. You will find it used for its medicinal properties, but it can also be used to make juice, salads, jelly or even in a margarita!

Selecting and preparing the prickly pears should be done with care. If you are buying them, make sure they have been de-spined. If you are picking them yourself, wear thick gloves when handling and carefully scrape off the prickly spines. You will also need to trim the “eyes,” and remove any remaining prickers with a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife. Another effective method of removing the thorns and spines is with a blowtorch which may sound extreme, but it is a quick and effective way of getting getting it done!

The fruit is edible raw, with a flavor reminiscent of watermelon, but with a more granular texture. The fruit is full of tiny seeds which can be chewed and eaten, swallowed whole, or spit out. It has been used to make juice, jelly and candy.  You can peel and dice the pear much like a pineapple for cereal or toppings on ice cream and mixed in salads. Seeds can also be dried and ground into flour. 

To cook, steam over boiling water for just a few minutes (if cooked too long they will lose their crunchy texture). Then slice and eat. Steamed cactus is delicious added to scrambled eggs and omelets, or diced fresh and added to tortillas. They taste especially good with Mexican recipes that include tomatoes, hot peppers and fresh corn.  

Now that I know how sweet and delicious they are, I can't wait to experiment and try more recipes. Not only are they tasty but the prickly pears are full of antioxidants and they provide vitamin C, vitamin E, Magnesium and fiber. 

Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche

It's almost time for Taste of Little Italy in San Diego!! 

The annual event is happening this Wednesday June 20,2012 from 5PM to 9PM. The list of restaurants participating is impressive, including Bencotto, Petrini's, Mona Lisa's, and I can't wait to try the sample from Po Pazzo!

If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, you can still buy them on the day of, call 619-615-1092.

In honor of this fabulous event, I am posting one of the featured recipes created by San Diego's awesome Chef Deborah Scott, the head chef at one of our favorite restaurants Indigo Grill. We made it this weekend, the perfect blend of ingredients and so simple and perfect for Summer!

Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche

by Deborah Scott

2 lbs fresh scallops

2 lbs fresh shrimp

Combine:

2 large onion, chopped

2 jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and minced

10 tomatoes, chopped

10 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped

2 bunch cilantro, cleaned and chopped

1 cup lime juice

4 tbsp orange juice

Marinate seafood and vegetables in non-reactive container.  Cover mixture and chill.  Marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours (more than a two hour marinade and the seafood will toughen). 

Salt and Pepper to taste

Garnish with baked corn chips, fresh avocado, or orange slice

Hope to see you all at the festival!

Sweet Potato & Spicy Black Bean Tacos

I had a craving for sweet potatoes and black beans, but the husband was thinking tacos, (not unusual). So, like a healthy couple should, we compromised. The result was Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos, and they were awesome!

The natural sweet flavor of the potatoes and the added spices perfectly complimented the black beans. I strongly recommend that you DON'T skip the chipotle sour cream sauce with these tacos, it just works perfectly.

Inspired by one of our favorite recipes, Sweet Potato Hash, we made some slight alterations. Instead of par boiling the potatoes, we simply roasted everything for about 35 minutes.

I am intentionally not providing measurements or exact ingredients, I think this one is all about personal preference, but I will advise you to make extra, the leftover hash was delicious the next morning with eggs!

Sweet Potato & Spicy Black Bean Tacos (print this recipe)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes -diced (1 medium is enough for 2-3 servings)
Green bell pepper - chopped
Onion, yellow - chopped
Garlic - finely chopped
Jalapeno pepper - seeded, finely diced
Cumin
Cinnamon
Allspice
Salt & pepper
Parsley or cilantro

Spicy Black Beans
Black beans
Onion, white or yellow - diced
Cilantro
Lime juice
Cayenne pepper
Cumin
Corriander
Salt & pepper


Chipotle Sour Cream Sauce
Sour cream (about 4 oz)
Chipolte juice from the can (about 1/2 teaspoon)
Cilantro
Lime juice
Salt

Fresh corn tortillas

While you are roasting the potatoes, in a medium bowl, mix together the ingredients for the spicy black beans. In a separate small bowl, combine the chipotle sour cream sauce. Be careful with the chipotle juice, a little goes a long way! Warm your tortillas, and pile it all on to your liking.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Since ALL of our friends and family are avid readers and followers of "I Don't Cook, But My Boyfriend Does!", we are often sent recipes to try in hopes that they will make it to the blog.Well, here is a good example of that.

It's weird, of all the soups we have posted over the years, Chicken Tortilla Soup has somehow never graced our recipe index before now. I can not explain it, we love SOUP, we love CHICKEN and we love SPICY soups, and this my friends is all that, and more. It's AMAZING!!

Thank you Bill for sending us this delicious and VERY SIMPLE recipe, a definite keeper!

Chicken Tortilla Soup (serves at least 8)
print version


4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
8 cups chicken broth (= 2 of those cartons)
8 corn tortillas, sliced into pieces
1 med. onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
2- 14 1/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes w/ jalapenos
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 bay leaves


In a large stock pot: (we used a 6 qt. dutch oven)
- 6 Tbsp. oil over high heat
- add tortilla pieces, fry until crispy and set aside on paper towel to absorb oil
- add onion, cilantro, & garlic- saute
- add tomatoes and all juices from the cans- bring to a boil
- add broth, cumin, chili powder, & bay leaves- bring back to a boil
- reduce heat to simmer *see note below
- add chicken breasts (raw, even frozen is fine) & cayenne pepper
- simmer (approx. 15 min. if frozen breasts)
- remove bay leaves
- take out breasts, check for "done-ness", shred, and put back into pot.

Top with:
-avocado
-fresh cilantro
-sour cream
-shredded cheese
-tortilla chip pieces

You will have plenty for left-overs! Great to make in advance and let it sit on the stove, or easy to reheat.

It's a very flexible recipe, i.e., you can use more or less tortillas or chicken etc...  Adjust spiciness with more or less cayenne.

* Note: We roasted 2 jalapenos and 1 serrano pepper for about 15 minutes, removed most seeds, chopped and added just before adding the chicken, it added a nice roasted flavor!

If you like this recipe, you might also like this recipe for Shrimp Fra Diavolo that Bill also shared with us!

Favorite Soups and Stews to Warm You Up!

As you can see from my lack of posts lately, I have been in a blogging funk.

It's certainly not because we have not been cooking some great stuff, we have made some fabulous meals lately,  I just haven't felt like writing.

Since we write this blog as a team, my partner in crime is stepping up and giving me that extra "shove" that I need. By that, I mean Mark has come up with a 'blog menu' of dishes that he will prepare with the specific intention of posting. The list includes some exciting and exotic dishes featuring some unusual spices and ingredients, I am sure you will be intrigued too!


In the meantime, here are a few of our most popular soups and stews to help inspire and keep you warm during these cool and rainy days.

Butternut Squash & Red Pepper Soup

White Bean Chicken Chili

 Mushroom Barley Soup

Egyptian Split Pea Soup

Albondigas

Check back soon, new and exciting dishes are on the way! I'm getting inspired just thinking about it!

Grilled Stuffed Jalapenos

These guys don't need a big write up. You have probably had them at a party or a BBQ and thought that they are too complicated or too much trouble to make, right? Well, guess what? They are super EASY to make!

So, go ahead and make a batch of the stuffing and fill up your favorite peppers. You can stuff just about anything, not just jalapenos, try mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini......there is no end to the possibilities!

Grilled Stuffed Jalapenos (print version)

serves 6 as appetizer

Ingredients:

6 oz. whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup cooked and chopped bacon

1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

few dashes of hot sauce (we use Tapatio)

salt and black pepper

12 large jalapeno chili’s, halved lengthwise, stemmed and seeded

1 tbsp. sweet paprika

Instructions:

Heat grill to medium.

Mix together the cream cheese and the bacon in a medium bowl until blended. Fold in the cheddar, green onions, garlic and hot sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Fill each jalapeno half with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture; sprinkle the top with sweet paprika.

Place peppers on the grill (or use a grill basket, if preferred), filling-side up, and cook until slightly charred and tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Optional: To get a nice charred look on top, pop the poppers into a preheated oven set on broil for 2-3 minutes.

Optional: We made this simple sauce to top off our poppers. It would be great on fish tacos too!

Whisk together (or use a small food processor)1/4 cup of sour cream, about 1 clove chopped garlic, a spoonful of adobo sauce from chipotle chilis, and a handful of chopped cilantro..... delish for your dish!

Avocados - The Best From California

"Wow."

"Are you serious?"

"That is soooo creamy!"

"Now THAT is what an avocado is supposed to taste like!"

Those were the first words out of our mouths after tasting a plain avocado straight out of the sample box that California Avocados and Foodbuzz sent us last week.

My husband and I both grew up in San Diego and we are privileged to know what the BEST avocados on earth taste like. You can imagine what a treat it was to find a box full of our favorite fruit on our door step!

There really is a BIG difference between California Avocados and those from anywhere else.There must be something about our near perfect climate that produces the tastiest and creamiest avocados!

Not only was it Memorial Day weekend, but it was also our one year wedding anniversary! We had parties to go to and people to see, so we didn't have a lot of time to play with new recipes.

There are so many interesting recipes out there.... I am tempted to try the Authentic Suburban Gourmets Beer Battered Fried Avocado Wedges, doesn't that sound crazy good?

Like I mentioned, we went to some parties over the weekend. It was a pleasure to share our good fortune in the way of some fun and avocado based appetizers. Fellow party goers raved about how delicious the avocados were......

Mini Bacon Tomato Avocado and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

Guacamole and home made chips

 I just realized we have never posted a recipe for our guacamole recipe. Well, it really isn't much of a recipe. I have always sworn that the more basic, the better.

2 medium Avocados

1/8 cup red onion, finely chopped

1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 lime juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything in a medium bowl and mix well with a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with smoked paprika and fresh cilantro.

Chicken Tacos with Bobby Flay Green Onion Slaw

That last photo, with the chicken tacos, was our dinner last night. It turned out to be the perfect meal to finish off the last of the avocados. The chicken was grilled with an awesome and simple marinade Mark made, then he grilled it to perfection, like he always does....and that cole slaw from Bobby Flay was perfect with everything!

Thank you California Avocado and Foodbuzz for sponsoring all these generous and delicious giveaways!

Mark's Ceviche

One thing about growing up and residing in San Diego, we eat a lot of fish and seafood. Lucky for me, Mark makes a fantastic shrimp ceviche, one of my favorite appetizers!

There are a lot of ways to make ceviche, (sometimes spelled seviche). It seems every culture has a version of this dish. Some people like fruit, or an assortment of fish and shellfish, that's great, for them.

Mark's philosophy on making ceviche is that the less ingredients the better. Keep it simple. Most important, when it comes to shrimp and fish, don't scrimp, get the good stuff and get it fresh, uncooked, and not frozen.

  Proof..... he really does cook! 

(AND he proudly supports our SDSU Aztecs!!)

Mark’s Ceviche (makes 4 servings)

1/2 lb. of shrimp (21-25 count)
6 oz of white fish – we use talapia fillet (dice into ½ inch cube)
3-4 large limes
1 small lemon
1 medium diced fresh tomato
½ small red onion, finely chopped

1 green onion, chopped
½ cucumber diced

½ jalapeño pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic minced

½ bunch of fresh chopped cilantro
1 tbsp. of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ avocado cut in slices (optional)
Corn tortilla chips (optional)

Tapatio hot sauce (our favorite!)

In a large bowl, gently mix and submerge the shrimp and fish in the lime and lemon juice. Cover and put it in the fridge for at about 1 hour, or until shrimp and fish are opaque and slightly firm. This step is important because the juices will actually cook the shrimp and fish.

In another bowl mix the tomato, onions, cucumber, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Mix all ingredients; cover the bowl and chill ceviche in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve with corn tortilla chips, Tapatio hot sauce, lime and avocado slices.

Beverage suggestion; Tecate Mexican beer with lime, Salute!

Consider serving this appetizer as a precursor to these delicious Fish Tacos!

Pinto Beans That Rock!

Pinto Beans with Bacon, and stuff.

There is something to be said for the often bland and/or under appreciated Mexican side dish. When it comes to rice and beans, yeah, you can go with the standard Rosario’s canned re-fried beans, maybe mix in some cheese and peppers. Yippee.

Or, you can make these amazing pinto beans that your guest will not only remember, but rave about during the meal, and even better, quietly ask you for the coveted recipe.

Oh yeah, this is NOT one of our vegetarian recipes. I suppose it would be easy to make it vegetarian, but I wouldn't recommend it. Most of the flavor comes from the half pound of bacon that goes in it.

Ingredients:

1 pound dry pinto beans

1 medium roasted onion, sliced

1/2 pound bacon

3 Serrano chili peppers, seeded

4 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp. dried cumin

2 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper 

¼ cup cilantro chopped

Grated cheese to garnish

Instructions:      

In a large mixing bowl, soak the pinto beans in room temperature water overnight.

When ready to prepare, drain the beans and set aside.

In a cast Dutch oven or heavy pot, stir the onions, bacon, garlic and peppers over medium high heat until onions are transparent and the bacon is crispy. Stir in the cumin powder and thyme.

Add the beans, 4 cups water and a pinch of salt. Increase heat to high, bring liquid to a boil. Decrease heat to medium or medium-low and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the beans are tender, adding more water as needed.

Add salt and pepper to taste. I like to throw in a handful of chopped cilantro towards the last few minutes before serving.

Garnish with Queso Fresco, Cheddar or Parmesan cheese, cilantro, or fresh onions.

Albondigas Soup

Comfort food for any culture!

One of most favorite soups in the world is Albondigas Soup. In case you don’t know what that is, it is a traditional Mexican soup with a broth base, seasonal vegetables and spicy meatballs. In any culture, it is the perfect comfort food after a long, cold day.

I wish I had a wise Mexican grandmother to teach me how to make the traditional authentic Albondigas, (or sopa de albondigas) but I don’t. So, with the help of 6 cookbooks and the internet, I think I came up with a sufficient version. Of course I will undoubtedly tweak this recipe, add a little of this or maybe some of that, until it is perfect. In the meantime, here is how I made my first Albondigas soup.

For the Meatballs:

1 ½ pounds ground beef

½ cup finely diced onion

¼  cup finely diced celery

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 eggs

½ cup uncooked rice

2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

salt, ground black pepper

For the Soup:

8 cups chicken stock (I use low sodium)

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 potatoes cut into bite sized pieces

½ cup thinly sliced carrots

½ cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped fresh Roma tomatoes

5-6 whole cloves of garlic

1 tsp red chili flakes

1 bunch cilantro

1 lime
Fresh corn tortillas

How to prepare

---

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine beef, onion, ¼ cup celery, garlic, cumin, eggs, rice, parsley, oregano, and bread crumbs, and salt and pepper. Mix well. Form into 30 small meatballs. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Set aside.

Place the cut potatoes in a pot of boiling water and cook until just tender, but not too soft. Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot. Add carrots, remaining ½ cup celery, and garlic.

Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chili flakes, and the potatoes.

Add the chicken stock and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add meatballs and continue to simmer on low heat until ready to serve.

Serve hot and garnish with cilantro and lime and corn tortillas.

Fish Tacos - San Diego Style

My husband and I are both native to San Diego. I am the daughter of a builder. He is the son of a fisherman. These facts combined, we know how to build an awesome fish taco!

San Diego Fish Tacos – Serves 6

Ingredients for Marinade - (10 ounces tilapia fillets)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1/8 cup chopped cilantro

1 tbsp adobo pepper sauce

2 tbsp lime juice (I like to add some zest as well)

2 tbsp honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Salt and ground black pepper

For the marinade, whisk together in a medium bowl the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, adobo sauce, honey, garlic, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, salt and black pepper until blended. Place the tilapia in a shallow dish, and pour the marinade over the fish. Cover and refrigerate 4 to 8 hours.

Dressing Ingredients:

4 oz light sour cream

3 tbsp mayonnaise

3 tbsp adobo sauce

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tbsp honey

1/8 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

To make the dressing, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise and adobo sauce in a bowl. Stir in the lime juice, honey, cumin, chili powder, cilantro and garlic. Add salt, and pepper in desired amounts. Cover, and refrigerate until needed.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil grate. Set grate 4 inches from the heat. Remove fish from marinade, discard excess marinade. Grill fish pieces until easily flaked with a fork, turning once, about 8-9 minutes.

Assemble tacos with warmed 6” corn tortillas, a layer of red cabbage, desired amount of fish, cilantro, avocado slices, crumbled queso fresco cheese, a spoonful of dressing, and a splash of your favorite hot sauce or salsa. Squeeze a wedge of lime all over it, devour, and repeat.

That is how we do it in San Diego. How do you do it?

Chicken Tortilla Pie

I couldn’t help myself, I am so ashamed.  It’s almost 10 PM and I just finished off the chicken tortilla pie that we made 2 nights ago. It was almost just as good cold.

We made this a few weeks ago, with different ingredients, good, but nothing great. This time we considered our notes from before, added chicken, no rice, and added the roasted Poblano Chili. Now we have something to blog about.

Chicken Tortilla Pie - Makes 4 servings
Click here to print

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked, chopped, chicken

1 roasted Poblano chili, chopped

1 or 2 Serrano chilies, depending on your spice tolerance

1 15 oz can black beans

1 6 oz can yellow corn

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

8 oz cream cheese and/or goat cheese

2 tbsp chopped garlic

10-20 sliced black olives

1 cup spicy salsa of your choice 

3 or 4 8” flour tortillas

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

Salt and ground black pepper

Suggested garnishes: tomatoes, avocados, cilantro, sour cream or queso fresco

Directions:

Roast the Poblano pepper at 400 degrees for at least 20 minutes, or until tender. Leave the oven on.

In a large skillet, sauté onion in olive oil over medium-low heat until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for about 3-4 minutes.

Lower heat and stir in cooked chicken, black beans, corn, poblano chilies, olives, spices and salt and pepper.

Slowly stir in cheese and add the salsa and mix well. Reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer for at least 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches the desired heat and consistency.

Lightly grease a 9 or 10-inch deep-sided round casserole dish or pie pan. (oven should already be at 400 degrees.)

Place one of the tortillas on the bottom of the pan or dish, then spread 1/3 of the mixture evenly over it, then lay another tortilla on top and repeat with a layer of mixture.

You can add more cheese in between layers, or other garnishes, there are no rules, put what you like on it! We used 3 tortillas.

Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for about 20 minutes or until top cheese is melted, and tortilla is just getting crispy on the outside. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing into 4 quarters. Serve with desired toppings and garnishes.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

When it comes to finding inspiration for dinner, I just open up Foodbuzz. It doesn't take long to find countless tempting recipes with amazing pictures all begging to be made and tasted. The hard part is deciding which ONE to make today!

When I ran across this recipe for Stuffed Poblano Peppers from A Couple Cooks, I knew it was meant to be. I love their blog, it's well written, easy to read, and great pictures! I have made several recipes inspired by them, we seem to like a lot of the same ingredients.

This recipe is easy to adjust to your preference. The way they made it is a wonderful vegetarian dish, but I had some ground pork that I didn't know what to do with, so I threw it in, a good idea! I also took note of Sonja's comment and decided to use goat cheese instead of the Mexican blend, another good idea!

Stuffed Poblano Peppers Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 poblano peppers
1 cup uncooked brown rice (or any cooked grain)
1 cup of cooked ground pork (optional)
1 cup salsa
1 15 oz. can of black beans
1 cup frozen or canned corn kernels
8 oz cheese (shredded blend, goat cheese, or ??)
3 green onions (optional)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
Chopped cilantro for serving (optional)
Cayenne to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper


Combine 1 cup uncooked rice with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then simmer according to package instructions. (Or, prepare the rice or grain ahead of time.)
While the rice cooks, prepare the peppers: slice them in half and remove the seeds and ribs. Make sure to wear gloves!  
Place the peppers in a baking dish skin side up. Broil about 5-6 minutes, then flip the peppers and broil 5-7 minutes more.
Chop the 3 green onions (if using), and drain and rinse the black beans.
In a large microwave safe bowl, combine: beans, onions, salsa, corn, a bit of the cheese, cumin, chili powder, a couple dashes of cayenne, if you like it spicy!
Season with salt and pepper to taste. When the rice is finished, combine with the filling.

Note: Remember that quantities and ingredients are all to taste, so feel free to adjust as needed!

Heat the filling a few minutes in the microwave (or on the stove) until warm, depending on the heat of the rice.
Place the pepper halves skin side down in a baking dish, and spoon the filing into each half. Top with shredded cheese and broil until the cheese is melted, for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
If desired, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with sour cream.

Alternative oven method: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Follow steps above to prepare the peppers and filling. Then bake until the peppers are tender and browned, around 25 to 30 minutes.

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Pepper Sauce

Chicken Enchiladas with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

This is one of the first dishes that Mark made for me when we were first dating. I think he was trying to impress me, obviously, it worked.

These are a little different than your typical enchiladas, you don't dip the tortillas in the sauce, and you don't use normal enchilada sauce. I suppose you could substitute things and make it more traditional, but this is the way Mark makes it for me, and I love it!

We usually begin the meal with homemade guacamole, Roasted Tomato Salsa and fresh tortilla chips (preferably fresh from El Indio here in San Diego).

Chicken Filling Ingredients:
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup chopped mushrooms
4 oz. queso fresco cheese
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 cup Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large skillet, saute onions, serrano pepper and mushrooms in olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until onions are soft.
Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and combine with chicken, cheese, cilantro and about 3/4 of the red pepper sauce.
To assemble, heat corn tortillas just enough to soften. Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll into thirds and place seam side down in a lightly oiled 9 by 13 inch baking dish.

When all the tortillas are assembled, pour the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with extra cheese. Bake in oven at 375 for about 20 minutes until heated through and the cheese is melted.
Serve with pinto or black beans and Spanish Rice, garnish with fresh sliced avocado and cilantro. 

Orange Slices with a Kick

These are not your average soccer Mom orange slices!

I've always loved a sweet juicy orange but for some reason they always conjure up memories of those adolescent soccer games..............sliced oranges were the half time snack of choice, accompanied with gallons of Gatorade and ice cold water, aahhhh refreshing!

And those were good memories, but nowadays I prefer a little spice in life that doesn't require excessive sweating, so I like to experiment with flavors and spices. I especially enjoy trying new spices from foreign cuisines.

Growing up in San Diego, I am privileged to enjoy a lot of authentic Mexican cooking from good friends as well as some fantastic restaurants nearby. I love Mexican food, the spices, the flavors, the peppers..........I seriously could eat it breakfast, lunch and dinner for the rest of my life!

One of my favorite treats inspired by Mexican culture is to simply sprinkle a little chili powder and a little salt on sliced oranges. By mistake I tried cayenne powder, but it didn't taste as good and was just too hot. I also have a mixed Cajun spice seasoning that is pretty good, that is what is on the oranges in the above photo.

Try it and enjoy!

Easy Soft Tacos

Grilled Carne Asada and Shrimp Tacos

OK, I'm not working these days, and I'm loving it! Naturally, since I have some extra time, I feel compelled to help out more in the meal preparation and planning department. 

I bought some pre-marinaded carne asada at Henry's, and the jumbo shrimp just couldn't be passed up!

Simply throw the carne asada on the grill for about 3 minutes each side. Let set for 5 minutes before slicing into bite size pieces.

We like to wrap the shrimp in aluminum foil, sprinkle with chopped garlic and olive oil, wrap foil to seal, then grill for about 6-7 minutes or until pink.

To prepare the tacos, heat your corn tortillas, we do ours on the stove top.
Garnish with guacamole
Chopped tomatoes
Queso Fresco (Mexican cheese)
Cilantro
Salsa

Chorizo Scrambled Eggs

Chorizo Scrambled Eggs

I don't think this dish needs a big write up, it's a favorite weekend breakfast around our house. If you don't have Mexican chorizo, you can always throw in left over sausage beef, bacon, peppers, tomatoes, salsa, basically whatever is left over in the fridge.

What you need:

• 1/4 lb of Mexican chorizo sausage
  
• 5 or 6 large eggs
• 1/3 cup chopped onions
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• Fresh corn tortillas
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Fresh salsa 
• Garnish with cilantro and queso fresco

* Tip: Whenever possible splurge on fresh warm corn tortillas from your local Latino market.

If using Mexican chorizo, remove from casings and cook (without oil) in skillet, stirring and breaking up meat, until bubbling and completely separated, 4 to 5 minutes.

Whisk eggs together in a bowl and stir into chorizo. Cook for 2-3 minutes then add the onions and cilantro. Stir until eggs are scrambled and just set, about 2 more minutes. Garnish and serve immediately with warm corn torillas.