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! ;)