XX Beans

I love beans!

"Beans! Beans! A musical fruit, the more you eat, the more you toot!" ~Bart Simpson

Not only are they great for the tummy, they are great for your heart. Make them often as they are easy, inexpensive and good for you.

Ingredients:
2 cans Bayo or Pinto beans, drained

2 cans whole black beans, drained

1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 jalapeño chile — stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
2 bay leaves
One 12-ounce bottle XXDos Equis beer

1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce or use two tablespoons salsa de chipotle
2 tablespoons sherry wine vinegar
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro (can omit or use parsley)

1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt to taste

Directions:

Pour beans into a heavy large pot or dutch oven. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, brown sugar and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered for 10 minutes. Stir in the beer and simmer for another 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and stir in the chipotle chiles, vinegar and cilantro; season with salt. Stir well, cook for five minutes more and serve.

These beans are fabulous served as a side dish with anything grilled. Try it with chicken, steak, pork chops or salmon.

Now...save that charcoal for dessert!

When the coals start burning down, throw a few fresh fruit kabobs on the grill for a refreshingly different summertime dessert.

Fresh Fruit Kabobs

Dip:

Honey Raspberry Down Low Dip

16 ounces of Lite Sour Cream
1/3 cup seedless red or black raspberry jam
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix well and refrigerate. Serve with fruti kabobs.

* Idea!
Serve the dip inside of the hollowed out pineapple and garnish with fresh mint sprigs

Fruit Kabobs

Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least minutes before adding the fruit so they do not burn on the grill or you can use metal skewers.

Basting mixture:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 capful rum extract

Melt in small sauce pan on the stove until sugar has broken down and combines with the butter.

Fruit Ingredients:

Pick three or more of the following and alternate fruits on the skewer.

Grill about 2 minutes on each side or until fruit is golden but still firm with grill marks. Bast the last minute or two with basting mixture.

Firm bananas (cut into 1 inch circles)

Fresh pineapple (diced into 1 inch chunks)

Nectarines (quartered and pitted)

Apricots (halved and pitted)

Peaches (quartered and pitted)

Kiwi (peeled and cut into 1/2 inch circles)

Pears (cut into chunks)

Granny Smith Apples (cored and cut into chunks)

Fresh Strawberries (hulled and cut in half or if small, use whole)

Enjoy! Buen provecho!

Let's Salsa!

One-two-three-four! Everybody hit the floor and let’s salsa!

You can put away your dancing shoes and get out your favorite chopping blade, we won’t be cutting rugs today but we will be cutting up some fresh ingredients to create some great Salsa Mexicana, Pico de Gallo or Salsa Cruda…whatever you choose to call it; you will definitely want to dip into it.

The first step is to make sure your ingredients are as fresh as possible and the tomatoes, while ripe, are still firm without any soft spots.

Most people make their salsa with roma/plum tomatoes but any good firm tomato will work as long as it is fleshy and you remove the seeds and juice.
When I am catering a party or having guests over, I like to jazz up my salsa with a variety of tomatoes. I like to use quartered cherry tomatoes or halved grape tomatoes, or mix in halved yellow pear tomatoes. (WalMart carries all of these including hydroponic and cherry tomatoes on the vine.)

The second step is to make sure your knife is sharp so you do not bruise the tomato when you dice or cut them. If you do not have a knife sharpener, just listen for the sound of a pan flute… that is the “knife sharpener guy” and he will sharpen your knives for a very small price. If all else fails, a thin serrated knife will cut through a tomato skin better than a dull knife, so bust out a steak knife if need be.

Third step, wash/soak all of your ingredients, dry and get ready to salsa!

Basic Salsa Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 or 2 fresh chiles (jalepeño or Serrano) peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste

PREPARATION:
Combine ingredients in a glass or other non-reactive bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Makes about 2 cups.

This recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc. You may want to make extra and divide to make a variety of salsas.

VARIATIONS:
Add any of these to the Basic Salsa Recipe from above:
½ cup seeded and diced cucumber
1 cup black beans and 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup fresh raspberries with 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
1/2 cup diced pineapple
½ cup diced green, red, yellow or orange bell pepper

Any of these salsas are great on totopos (tortilla chips) or you can top a baked potato, or served with fish, chicken or pork. Try them as a marinade (just pulse in a blender or food processor for a few seconds) and save some for the garnish.

Another great option is to spread a glass pie plate with an 8 ounce block of cream cheese, top with your favorite salsa, shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese and bake until bubbling and cheese is slightly browned. You can also add sour cream and black olives on top. Serve with chips.


Fiesta Corn Salsa

INGREDIENTS:
5 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/3 cup chopped purple onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped orange bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeño or Serrano pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Makes about 4 1/2 cups of salsa.

Serve in margarita “fish bowl” glasses or Martini glasses


Mango Madness

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup diced fresh mango
1/3 cup roasted red peppers, drained & diced (you can buy these all over in either a can or a jar)
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, minced
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients and chill in a glass bowl. Goes great with fish or chicken.
Makes 1 1/2 cups of mango salsa.


Tropical Down Under Salsa



3 kiwis, peeled and diced
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped fine
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced

Add the diced fruit and jalapeño to a mixing bowl. Add lime juice and toss with cilantro. Allow to chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes for flavors to blend.


Peachy Keen Salsa

2 ripe peaches, diced
1 small red pepper; chopped
1/2 red onion; chopped
1 small jalapeño pepper; minced
1/3 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint

Add the diced fruit, pepper, onion and jalapeño to a mixing bowl. Add pineapple juice and balsamic vinegar and toss with the mint. Allow to chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes for flavors to blend.



Buen provecho!

Broiled Kung-Fu-Tofu

Here's a super easy tofu recipe that even "meat and potato men" will dig into.

Tofu is easy to find here although it seems to be only one brand for the most part. Usually found in creamy/silken (good for dips and spreads) and the extra firm which you will want for this recipe.

Broiled Kung-FU-Tofu

1/3 lb extra firm tofu ) I use one package
1 large portabella mushrooom sliced into strips

2 cloves garlic chopped or pressed
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley

1 sliced scallion,(green onion) all of the white and half of the green stems

Spray a pyrex pie plate with oil.
Put 1/4 of the soy in it.
Cut the tofu into small bite size pieces and put in the pie plate.
Add the sliced mushrooms, garlic& ginger.
Sprinkle remaining 3 tbsp of soy on top.
Sprinkle with the parsley and scallions.
Broil 6" from heat source for approximately 10 minutes or until the soy is bubbling and the tofu is browned. If you wish, after broiling for five minutes, flip over the tofu to brown the other side.

This is great served with jasmin rice or brown rice and steamed broccoli.

Speaking of mushrooms, here is a super-duper easy and absolutely tasty recipe for a mushroom appetizer but also is a great side dish.

Super 'shrooms

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs Fresh mushrooms

1 stick of butter

1 pk Garlic or Italian "Good Seasons" mix

DIRECTIONS:

Saute cleaned mushrooms in butter for 5 minutes.

Sprinke with the package of "Good Seasons" dressing mix.

Simmer covered, do not boil, for 1 1/2 hrs.

For a party, serve in hollowed out colored bell peppers, or martini glasses garnished with a stalk of rosemary and a few red pepper sticks for color.

Kitchen Strike!

Well, it's been a long time since the last post and I know I promised more about what to do with left-over chicken but I am going to digress a bit.

First, I went on a kitchen strike and was totally uninspired to cook simply because I was dead on my feet for the last week and half because of work. Selling shoes is a tough job! Actually, the selling shoes part is a piece of cake, it's the shoe orders, inventory!ay yi yi and end of the month accounting for three stores is the killer. I feel like a one armed juggler trying to keep my balls in the air (hey! do not go there!) and still keep some sanity.

So, my sanity recently has been pizza delivery, sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, salad and whatever I can grab out of the fridge with one eye open and does not require a plate. When this happens, Carlos gets to regress into bachelorhood and off to the taco stand he goes. I think he has eaten over 1 million tacos through the years until I weened him off and introduced him to such delicacies of maple grilled salmon, asparagus and my newest creation, "Smashed flowers".
(The good ol' eyeball recipe is below)

I love having an at home guinea pig and he is learning that when I ask him "Do you like it?" I require a little more than a grunt or an "uh-huh". (Similar to the whole "Does my butt look fat in these pants?" question. Yes, guys, we do want an answer and we want an answer we like.)

Tonight's menu was not as thought out as usual. After a long day at work, sometimes I like to go to the grocery store to decompress. I know, sounds strange but do you expect any less from me? So, grocery shopping is my therapy. The store is usually cold, the music is usually tolerable (Unless the Hawaiian Tropic girls are there and you would think you were in the middle of MTV Spring Break..."thump thump thump" goes the bass...and "wiggle wiggle wiggle" go the girls and the sweet smell of concocted coconut fills the air....hmmm..... why do I foresee more men offering to do the grocery shopping?.......)

Ok, back to my hour of therapy. Today's session was at the new Soriana by the Krystal. I have been really anti-Soriana because the old one kinda got a bit dumpy and all the good stuff they used to order has been missing in action for over a year. Now, I have to admit, this new Soriana has made up for all the bad feelings I have had about them. The new store is always clean and organized, the staff are very friendly and helpful and they stock beautiful flowers for dirt cheap. (Good pun, huh?) For instance, today they had five stems of perfectly gorgeous cala-lilies (alcatrazes) for 49.00 Pesos. I also scooped up a huge bunch of eucalyptus for under 40 Pesos which I will dry and keep as a nice smelling dust collector.

Their meat section and seafood area are fantastic. Plus the butchers are good guys and will cut you what you want and how you want it. Thick rib-eyes, nice porterhouse steaks and a T-bone with a real bone in the shape of a T. Imagine that! They will grind up chicken breast...which reminds me to write about how to make some simply rockin' chicken meatballs..... and best yet, Soriana always surprises me with an odd assortment of "gringOh MY!" imported goods you never see outside of Rizo's "GringOh MY goodness 10 bucks for Rice Krispies! Aisle" at normal...yes....normal prices.

"So...Doctor"... I think to myself, as I wander the aisles, "What shall I fix for dinner?"
And like the waves parting.... a bag of mahi-mahi fillets jumped up and said "pick me!"
They had bags of frozen mahi-mahi (also known as Dorado) on sale. 450+ grams of fish, four fillets to be exact for under $40.00 Pesos! Score. (Normal price was 69.00 Pesos a bag.)
Three bags go into my cart, one for dinner, two for the freezer.
In the produce section I spotted big beautiful white heads of cauliflower. Not a speck of "rust" and they were also a great buy. One in the cart.
I also loaded up on a few other things, like some dill pickles and a great new cheddar cheese and chipotle salsa.

After checking out and getting a bunch of points on my Soriana card. This month is Tupperware month and you can get some great pieces for FREE! with your points. Last month I got three ice cube trays with covers on them. They rock! No weird freezer dingleberries in the ice and they retain that nice ice flavor....of.....well.....nothing!

On the drive home I was inventing recipes and wondering if we would ever get to eat dinner before 9:30 PM in our lives. Being a betting woman, I give myself odds of slim to none.

I get home, drag myself and the bags up the stairs, put things away and drag out what else I need to make my boys tummy happy and also clean out my fridge using these bottom of the barrel bottles to make a marinade for the mahi-mahi.

Four mahi-mahi filetes, thawed.
One Ziploc bag with:
Fish
Honey
Hoisen sauce
Fresh garlic (one clove)
Splash of soy sauce
Juice of two limes
grated ginger (I had some in the freezer)
fresh grated pepper (multi-colored corns)
a couple of pinches of Kosher salt
Covered well and left to marinate for 20 minutes.

While the fish were swimming in their sweet brown pool of marinade....
I soaked and cleaned the big head of cauliflower, cut it into white "trees" and steamed them until tender. Once drained and back in the pot, I mashed the cauliflower with a hand masher (ricer) and then I added:

2 tablespoons of butter
a pinch of Kosher salt
a small container of sour cream
1 small bar of Philly cream cheese
1/2 packed of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
and about a cup of grated cheddar cheese

Mix well and you have "smashed flowers"...my low-carb but high fat version of mashed potatoes. Yes, I defeated the purpose of healthy eating but this is so yummo it is all worth it.

The fish were hauled out of the Ziploc pool and put in a pan with a little olive oil to coat. Cooked on medium heat until the edges turned white, about five minutes, and flipped to cook the other side.

I was not sure how this combo of "clean out the condiments" marinade would work for fish but...wowza! it worked. The fillets had a nice Asian inspired flavor and a last minute squeeze of lime over the top before removing from the fire was perfect.
On the side we had a fresh salad and both of us went back for more. Good thing my experiment did not blow-up in my face, otherwise we would be having sandwiches again!

Buen provecho!

Food in a Flash

Most of my friends cannot cook. They say just the sheer thought of slaving away in the kitchen gives them pesadillas (nightmares) so off they go to the taco stand for an order of quesadillas.
In fact, most people I know that live here tend to eat out for the most part and if they do eat at home it is usually from a doggie bag or picking meat off of a roasted chicken.

One of my friends who will remain unnamed has lived primarily off of hot dogs for the last couple of years. How he has remained lean and mean is beyond me but he has survived. Has he enjoyed eating at home? Probably not so much, so this post is dedicated to the people who are uninspired in the kitchen with some easy quick “throw-together” meals.

Leftover Chicken

Every Tuesday or Wednesday some chicken place has a special with 2X1 chickens or a special price. I prefer a grilled chicken from Pollo Feliz as I do not always trust a roasted chicken from grocery stores as they can sit under a heat lamp for hours. I also do not trust rotisserie chickens from some places as they often throw in a new rack of chickens that drip on the cooked chickens and the potatoes below. I am too afraid of salmonella and will only buy a rotisserie chicken if it passes my “no raw chicken-drippin’ test” and I never buy the potatoes.

Have I grossed you out yet? Sorry for that, but now you have a few things to ponder when buying a cooked chicken.

Anyway, buy the chicken you feel most comfortable with and buy an extra for the next couple of meals.

Step One: Strip all of the meat from your extra chicken. Put all the meat into a Ziploc bag and have on hand to add to these easy “throw-togethers”.

Chicken Salad Sandwiches for one or two

Base Dressing:
2 TBS. Mayo (Best Foods) or Miracle Whip
2 TBS Sour Cream
Small splash of milk to thin
Dash of Salt and Pepper

Mix together and throw in a good sized hand full of shredded or diced chicken. Serve on bread or roll with lettuce and tomato.

Mix Ins:
Add a dash of either Honey Mustard or Chipotle salsa or both for a sweet and spicy version. A little goes a long way, so go slow and add more to your taste.

Here are a few variations, but have fun! Lots of other items from your fridge can be thrown in for added flavor and crunch.

Variation 1:
Take the base dressing, dice up some black olives, avocado, diced hard boiled egg, diced chicken, mix together and serve in a pita or bread or crackers of your choice.

Variation 2:
Take the base dressing, diced apple, a dash of sweet pickle relish and shredded chicken.
Mix and serve on desired bread.

Variation 3:
Mix 2 TBS of plain yogurt and 2 TBS of mayonnaise. Add 1 tsp of brown spicy mustard or Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, ¼ cup finely diced celery, ¼ raisins, one small thinly sliced green onion with top (scallion). ¼ cup diced apple without skin (Granny Smith) and a good sized handful of chicken. Serve on lettuce or on crackers or bread. Garnish with some thin slices roasted almonds or diced cashews.

Variation 4:
One small container of strawberry yogurt with 2TBS mayo and ¼ cup diced strawberries, pinch of salt and pepper and a big handful of diced chicken. Serve on a bed of spinach with a balsamic vinaigrette or raspberry vinaigrette dressing, sprinkle with sliced almonds.


Other Mix-Ins:
Diced Pineapple
Cubed or shredded cheese
A dash of curry powder
Halved green grapes
Tabasco or hot sauce
Diced jalepeños from the can
Pimentos
Green olives
Mango


Again, have fun, be creative and any of these can be served on bread, pitas, crackers on a salad or even as a wrap in a flour tortilla. (For best results, heat the tortilla a little so it is warm.)

Coming up next…..More things to do with leftover chicken!

Jalisco Jericalla

If you love flan and Crème Brûlée then this dessert will be right up your alley!



Jalsico Jericalla

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 qt milk

2 Whole cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon Mexican vanilla

1 1/2 cups sugar

8 egg yolks



Instructions

NOTE: This dessert originated in Jalisco. It is sold in the local Guadalajara market, San Juan de Dios, from early morning through out the day. It is also sold in Tonala in the main square.



Bring milk, cinnamon sticks to a boil.

Reduce heat, and simmerfor 10 minutes, add vanilla.
Remove from heat, and cool. Stir in sugar, and cookover low heat, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat, and cool, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat egg yolks. Add to cool milk.



Pre-heat oven to 350 F

Divide mixture among 8 heat-resistant dessert dishes or ramekins.


Bake in a water bath (Baño Maria) for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of custard comes out clean.Brown under broiler for 3 to 5 minutes or until tops are golden or use a Crème Brûlée torch.



Refrigerate for 2 hours. Un-mold onto dessert plates.

If you wish you can garnish the plates with a raspberry sauce and a few fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint.

Heading Down the Aisle

No, I am not getting married! I talking about heading down the aisles in the grocery stores.

For some people this can be a daunting experience, for others an adventure, for me it’s a pleasure. I love to shop because I love to cook. Finding new things available just expands my creativity and put new dishes on my table.

Years ago when I first moved here I had to first figure out what some items were that were labeled in Spanish. Spices were a little tough but they were also very very limited. Now, almost every spice imaginable is available. I no longer have to buy a ton of spices when I go to the States with exception of a few extracts and some odd off the wall things that are still impossible to find.

Some of my recent finds and favorites have recently appeared on some stores shelves and not just in the “Gringo Aisle” (GA) at Rizo’s and at crazy prices.

The “Ya Just Gotta Love It List”.............

Fit Fruit and Vegetable Wash:
WalMart has it in the produce section in the big jug, the powder formula and the spray bottle. They also carry the Great Value spray bottle of wash that is great. Fabulous for broccoli, strawberries and more delicate fruits and veggies that do not soak well.

Cirio tomato paste in the tube:
Oh man! This is good stuff! Tomato paste is hard to find, usually only found at Rizo’s in the GA section in the can. Now you can find it with the tomato sauces at WalMart. It comes in a tube so you can squeeze out any amount you need and then just keep it in the fridge. Only 20 Pesos and it is one of the best tomato pastes I have ever tried. It sells out quickly but they restock it.

Vigo bread crumbs with Itailian cheese
Look for the yellow can at Mega (with the bread or sometimes on the kiosk with the bottles of soda/beer) or at WalMart and sometimes at Rizo’s.
I use this for fish, chicken, thickening soups, on top of casseroles and broccoli and other veggie side dishes.
An easy handy dandy recipe: Buy some pollo milenesa. (thinly cut chicken breasts.) Coat with a little mayonnaise, cover with the Vigo bread crumbs, spray a oven proof dish with cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees until the juices run clear.
Perfect for topping salads, put in a pita, combine with a pasta dish or serve up the chicken tenders with a snappy dipping sauce.

I like to make a salad of fresh spinach, sliced strawberries, a dash of Raspberry vinegarette (Walmart’s house label) strips of the chicken on top and some fresh Parmesan.*
(* Tip: If you do not have a grater or a rasp, a great way to slice Parmesan or other hard cheese is to bust out your veggie peeler and “peel” off some curls. Plus, it looks fabulous.)

Havarti cheese y mas:
Mega has really upgraded the cheese section. Everything from Provolone, Swiss, Edam, Havarti, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Marble Jack, Monterrey Jack, Pepper jack, Brie, a variety of Feta, Blue cheese and more.
I love Havarti and they even carry a light version.
Crackers for your cheese:
Soriana now has Multi-grain Club crackers, Town House and my favorite local crackers, Pan Cremosa. You can also find Table Water crackers and Breton crackers in a variety of flavors.

Chocolate Chips:
Hershey’s Chocolate chips in Semi-Sweet and Milk Chocolate are available at Soriana and at Gigante (top shelf by the chocolate drink mix.)
Soriana also has a bunch of new cookie and cake decorations and gel food coloring.

If you are into organic, WalMart does have an organic section which is, believe it or not, in the Candy aisle! While I am not into processed organic goods, I do like their cartons of vegetable, beef and chicken stock.

Bags of flavored tortilla strips and french fried onions:
These are fun additions to salads and soups plus the french fried onion put some zip into green beans, casseroles and tuna salad. If you like Chilaquilles, these are fantastic! Yum-o!
WalMart has these on the top shelf in their salad dressing aisle.
Also look for the flavored croûtons. Lots of great flavors and if you want to make some stuffing/mix a bag or two with day old bread to add some extra flavor.

Chocolate Lovers Unite!
Most of the stores, especially Mega and WalMart are now carrying a ton of new chocolates. You can now buy Lindt chocolates, in bars, big bars, truffles and at normal prices. Same with Cadbury. Try the Fruit and Nut or the dark chocolate with burnt almonds which is actually good for you!

Happy eating!

A huevo! Ensalada de papa

It's that time of year where we have an abundance of hard boiled eggs and little imagination what to do with them once they have been decorated. Instead of a few days of egg salad sandwiches, give those eggs a kick and zip them into a zesty potato salad.

FEaster Ensalada

2 lbs baby red potatoes (cambray)
6 large hard boiled eggs- chopped (reserve one for slices/decoration.)
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped red pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions (scallions) reserve a pinch for decor.
1 cup frozen corn-thawed or one can whole kernel corn
2/3 cup mayonnaise (Best Foods is Best!)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice from one lime
1 tiny can of chiplotle peppers- remove one pepper and dice fine.
Remove 1 teaspoon of the chipotle sauce.
Dash of kosher salt and a healthy splash of fresh ground pepper.
Paprika to top it off


1. Cook potatoes in boiling water 8-11 minutes or until fork-tender; drain; rinse with cold water; drain well. Pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix mayonnaise, lime juice, chopped chipotle pepper and sauce, cumin and salt. Add potatoes, eggs, celery, pepper, onion, and corn. Gently mix all together to coat, place in decorative bowl. Use sliced egg circles and scallions to garnish and sprinkle with paprika. Serve warm or chill and serve later.

Provecho! Happy Feaster!

Mexican Key Lime Pie

If you have ever been to Florida chances are you have had at least one slice of Key Lime Pie.

What you may not know is the that little limes found all over Vallarta (and for dirt cheap) are of the same variety of Key Limes from Florida. Do not mistake the Key Limes for the Persian (Seedless limes) as they are not nearly as juicy or flavorful. You have to use the little ones for this recipe for it to have that limey-refreshing tang.

This recipe is super easy and will make you look like a super star in the kitchen. So easy that even someone who burns water can whip up this pie in no time.

Besides the key limes, get yourself a lime juicer, usually under 20 pesos and a must have great gadget. Most grocery stores carry them and Rizo's has them on the second floor in the kitchenware area.



Next tip: To get more juice out of your limes simply wash them well with soap and water and then pop them in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds on high. You will need about 20-25 limes for the pie.

Pie Shell
Simply purchase a pre-made graham cracker pie crust in the metal pan.
Most stores in Vallarta carry them.

i n g r e d i e n t s ( for the pie)
4 large or extra large egg yolks*
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup fresh key lime juice (approximately 12 Key limes)
2 teaspoons grated lime peel, green portion only
Whipping cream for garnish (optional)

d i r e c t i o n s (pie)
Use an electric mixer and beat the egg yolks until they are thick and turn to a light yellow, don't over mix. Turn the mixer off and add the sweetened condensed milk. Turn speed to low and mix in half of the lime juice. Once the juice is incorporated add the other half of the juice and the zest, continue to mix until blended (just a few seconds). Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake at 350F for 12 minutes to set the yolks and kill any salmonella in the eggs.

I also like to grate the zest from one lime on top of the pie filling just before placing it in the oven.

s e r v i n g
If you are using the whipping cream garnish, prepare the cream. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Servings: 8


Be sure to keep the egg whites, if you like meringue you can whip the eggs into a meringue and make it a Key Lime Meringue pie. Or, simply keep the whites and whip up an egg white omelet later.

Enjoy!

The Bag Lady

Zip it baby!
Man, I have to admit, I love Ziploc bags. Without them, I would be a mess.
Ziplocs are one of my must have items while living in Vallarta.
They keep snacks snacky. With the humidity here in the summer, potato chips become potato limps without them.
Plus you end up fighting the battle of the super-mini ants. If you even so much as open a bag of anything edible, these little buggers come out of nowhere to pilfer your goods.

With Zipoloc bags, your cheese stays fresher, your bread even better and besides in the kitchen they have other uses as well.
But, in the kitchen I have found, Ziploc bags are a godsend. I marinate meat in them, I store veggies and fruits in them. When I hit one of the markets on their fruit and veggie day and I buy a bunch of stuff, I take it all home, wash it well and then cut it all up, put it in Ziplocs and then when I am cooking or making a lunch, I just take out what I need. Viola! Easy!

I find most people skip on the fruit and veggies as it can be a pain to have to clean a head of broccoli when you have a sink full of dishes but when you have a few bags full of pre-washed ready to go veggies, throwing together a stir-fry is a flash in the pan. A handful of this, a handful of that and in no time, a healthy and flavorful meal is at your table. This method also works great for throwing together a salad, a wrap or an omelet. Quick and easy, now I like that!

I also use the Ziploc freezer bags for when I go on my meat buying binge. Sam's Club sells their meat in monster sized packs, so when I get it home, I simply portion it out, wrap it in wax wrap, toss it in a freezer bag and then write what it is, portion amount and date. Makes life simple.

Outside of the kitchen, Ziplocs are my travel make-up bag. They also hold wet bathing suits. When I travel, I put my shoes in them to keep dirt from getting my clothes or suitcase dirty. I have also been known to use them as my wallet/coin purse. Ok, a little trailer trashy of me but they work great, you see where everything is and hunting for a peso is a thing of the past.

Ziplocs also make a great shoe stretcher! If you have new shoes that are too tight, fill a sandwich sized Ziploc with some water (make sure there is no air so the bag is pliable) and tuck the bag into the shoe and place it in the freezer for about 24 hours. Water expands when it becomes ice and will usually stretch the shoe to a more comfortable fit.

I also tend to reuse some of the Ziplocs. My rule of thumb is if it held meat or cheese, I throw it away after one use. If it held veggies or fruits, snacks, cookies or bread, I will wash them well with hot sudsy water and let them dry and use again.

Now if only the stores would start carrying the cheapo paper plates!

Cookin' in the kitchen

Living and eating in Vallarta means you have to adapt if you want to stay sane.

Rule #1:
Not every grocery store will carry everything you need.
Rule #2:
The store that carried an item you love will probably not have it the next time you go there.
Rule #3:
If you see something you never see or rarely see in the store, buy it! as it will probably never be in stock again.
Rule #4:
When you can no longer find yellow lemons at the market, make limeade!

I love to cook.
I always have but I really enjoy cooking even more since I moved to Puerto Vallarta and I have a boyfriend to cook for.
My mom always told me the way to a man's heart is through his stomach and if he likes what he has eaten he will be like a cat and always stick around the place where he is well fed.
I guess Mom was right.
I cooked a dinner for Carlos when we first started dating and over three years later we are still going strong. Granted, he is a few kilos heavier but he now goes to the gym to work off my dinners and desserts.
I have to admit, I am a meanie. Carlos goes to the gym and I whip up his favorite dessert to greet him when he returns. The next day he is off to the gym and I am planning the next temptation. He complains but he doesn't really mean it as in the end, he wants his cake and to eat it too.

I am not a gourmet cook by any means. I am a real cook with a knack for creativity and being able to make something delish out of whatever I can get my hands on. I tend to cook without recipes and I pretty much eyeball everything unless I am baking which by chemical reaction tends to require precise measurements. Even then, I tend to adapt the recipe to my tastes or my diet. Since I am diabetic, I often try to cut the sugars and carbs in desserts and breads to make them better and I have had some great successes. On the other hand, when I am making desserts for others, I tend to go all out and a simple chocolate cake ends up a triple chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and homemade hot fudge sauce. Hey, if I have to be diabetic maybe I can convert some others to join me! ;)