Thai Shrimp-Scallop Curry

We've had quite the eventful week. The kids are back in school after enjoying a two week long spring break. This is a big deal for two reasons, one, summer break is literally just around the corner two months from now, and secondly, this is my daughter's last quarter in High School. Ever. She is graduating in 9 short weeks and I'm not sure if I'm ready. I keep looking at pictures from when she was just a teeny one year old and keep thinking where did all the time go? We are also getting ready for prom, which is coming up this weekend and the following weekend (yes, she is going to two). We happened to find the perfect dress over break and this week it is just mayhem trying to pick everything up that still needs picking up, along with various other school functions. Dinners during weeks like this have to be quick and well planned out.

While looking for inspiration in my magazines last weekend trying to come up with my weekly dinner menu, my eye caught a recipe for a Thai Curry. I found this recipe in my newest bon appétit magazine in their "weeknight cooking section". So far my experience with Thai food has been pretty much limited to eating it at a restaurant, but the recipe sounded easy enough that I was willing to give it a try. Halibut and Shrimp was the magazine's choice of fish in this dish, but after contemplating these ingredients and checking my freezer, I decided to switch it up slightly and go with big, juicy scallops and shrimp instead; and I'm so glad I did. I also ended up adding some extra chili garlic sauce and more curry paste for additional heat and flavor, increased the fish sauce and used light coconut milk since this is what I had on hand.

My kids were all extremely leery when finding out what I was cooking, none of them trusted that this "strange" hodge podge of ingredients would come together. I guess it worked though, as proven by my empty pan. Every single one of them asked for seconds and the dish was incredibly tasty. The flavors are wonderful and the shrimp and scallops worked beautifully together. I used pretty large scallops and shrimp, so cooking it at 5 to 6 minutes was spot on, the scallops were perfect with just the slightest bit of opaque inside and tender as can be. However, if you plan on making this and you use smaller shrimp or bay scallops, you will have to reduce the final cooking time to avoid turning them into rubber.

This recipe was a great new discovery that has already been requested again and will be a great addition to my ever growing recipe collection. I really hope you consider giving this one a try!

Thai Shrimp-Scallop Curry

~makes 6 servings~

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

3 large limes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped shallots

1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 1/2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

4 teaspoons Thai red curry paste

2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

1 13 1/2 to 14-ounce can unsweetened light coconut milk

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 pound large scallops

1 pound deveined uncooked large shrimp

Kosher salt and pepper

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Preparation:

Finely grate enough peel from 2 limes to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons. Squeeze enough juice form 2 limes to measure 2 tablespoons. Cut third lime into wedges.

Heat vegetable oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped shallots, diced red bell pepper, and minced ginger; saute until shallots are tender and pepper soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry paste, chili garlic sauce, coconut milk, fish sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons lime peel, and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Simmer gently, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle scallops and shrimp with salt and pepper. Add scallops and shrimp to curry sauce. Return to very gentle simmer and cook just until scallops and shrimp are opaque in center, 5 to 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently stir in cilantro and basil; serve with lime wedges.

Adapted from: bon appétit

Piña Colada Cake for a Special Birthday

The special meal (Sauerbraten, Semmelknödel, and Blaukraut) that I featured recipes for last week were for my husband whose birthday happens to fall on Valentine's Day. It is tradition in our home, that the birthday boy or girl gets to pick the meal (homemade or eating out) and the cake. If you've been reading my blog for a while you know by now that my husband is not a fan of chocolate, with the exception of a few dishes like the German Chocolate Cupcakes he requested last year. For his birthday it is usually a given that he will pick a cake that has not one fleck of chocolate (white chocolate excluded) in it. Last year he picked Dorie Greenspan's Perfect Party Cake which is what started my blog and this year after looking through a couple of my recipe books he "settled" on Piña Colada Cake from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes. Always up for a good challenge, I decided this would be some great practice to continue working on my layered cake skills.

Layered cakes and in specific, more than two layer cakes are something that does not come easy to me. I'm getting better at it, and the cakes do taste very good after all is said and done, but the process gives me a little bit of anxiety. Today's featured cake is composed of three key components. A brown sugar cake, a pineapple filling and a coconut buttercream. First up the cake. This cake was everything and more I had hoped for. Fantastic flavor and texture, but it gave me a little bit of trouble in the oven and happened to dome in the middle (which might be due to my oven, I haven't figured that one out yet). I had to level all three layers with a knife (not an easy task for this lefty) before being able to use them. The second component was the pineapple filling. Who knew, that a combination of crushed pineapple, sugar, lime and vanilla bean would end up tasting so utterly decadent. I could eat this stuff by the spoonful, on vanilla ice cream, Greek yogurt, etc, I'm sure you get the picture. I will definitely be making this filling again all by itself since there are so many great applications for it. The last, and most certainly not least, component was the coconut frosting, which is another winner. An Italian meringue buttercream which to me tastes so much better and lighter (if that is even possible, considering all the butter) that gets its coconut flavor from a combination of coconut milk and coconut extract. Everything came together very easy, putting it together is where the going got a little tougher for me. The cake is assembled by placing one of the cake layers on a cake plate where it is then drizzled with rum (oh yeah, baby) and a layer of the pineapple jam. Another cake layer, more rum and pineapple filling and then the final cake layer and more rum. If you look closely at my cake slice you'll see I put my second and third layer together upside down which makes the cake appear like there is a whole different layer of filling. Nope, not the case, just Susi messing up slightly ;o) I tried removing the layer so I could fix it but between the rum-drenched cake and filling it started to fall apart and I just decided to leave it as is.

The final step, frosting the cake and applying toasted coconut to the sides. For decoration I simply chose fresh pineapple slices and a bit more coconut.

The verdict? The cake is incredible! The birthday boy loved every little thing about it. A perfect balance of flavors that will just melt in your mouth. It is truly reminiscent of the drink. With a couple of teeny tiny adjustments this recipe would be perfect. First up the amount of rum, which my kids were not nearly as enthusiastic about as the adults. You could leave it out completely or replace it with pineapple juice. I also ended up reducing the rum to about 1/3 cup (I reflected this change in the recipe) total between all the layers. The 2/3 cup the recipe called for would have been overkill and I happen to like rum flavored desserts. The other thing I would change the next time is to double the recipe for the pineapple jam. There could have easily been more of that without being too much and I ended up having to spread it a little too thin around the edges so that there would be enough. I made the cake one day before my husband's birthday and while I was busy for a few hours, baking, cooking and assembling, the process wasn't too bad or difficult. One thing I did recognize is that the cake actually got better with each additional day it sat in the refrigerator. The rum had time to soak into all the layers and the flavor wasn't nearly as strong on day 3 as when it was first cut. Another plus is that the cake stayed wonderfully moist. My husband ended up taking some of it to work where it got the thumbs up and a few requests for the recipe. Would I bake this cake again? Absolutely, without a doubt, this recipe is a keeper and if Piña Coladas make you think of tropical islands, sunshine, umbrella drinks and sandy beaches give this recipe a go, chances are you won't regret it and you'll feel like you are on vacation!

Piña Colada Cake

(adapted from "Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes")

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the pineapple filling:

1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice (no sugar added)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 one-inch piece of vanilla bean, split in half

For the brown sugar cake:

3 3/4 cups cake flour

1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups light brown sugar

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 3/4 cups buttermilk

5 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the coconut buttercream:

3 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1/4 water

2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract

For assembling the cake:

Brown Sugar Cake (baked and cooled)

Pineapple Filling, at room temperature

Coconut Buttercream

1/3 cup rum (light, amber, or dark, whichever you prefer)

Toasted coconut flakes

Thin slices of pineapple for decoration

Preparation:

For the pineapple filling: Combine the crushed pineapple, sugar, and lime juice in a large nonreactive skillet. With the tip of a small knife, scrape the vanilla seed into the pan; add the pod as well. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, 2 to 3 minutes.

Raise the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching, until the juices have almost completely evaporated and the pineapple has a jam-like consistency. Remove from the heat an discard the vanilla pod. Let the pineapple filling cool completely before using. (The filling can me made a day ahead and refrigerated. Let return to room temperature before using.)

For the brown sugar cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large mixer bowl; whisk gently to combine. Add the brown sugar, butter, and 1 1/2 cups of the buttermilk to the dry ingredients. With the mixer on low, blend to incorporate. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

Whisk the eggs with the remaining 1/4 cup buttermilk and the vanilla and add to the batter in 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and beating only long enough to incorporate between additions. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.

Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the layers cool in the pans for 10 minutes; then turn out onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and allow to cool completely before filling and frosting.

For the coconut buttercream: Put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment so they are all ready to go.

Combine the sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil and cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, 238 degrees F on a candy thermometer.

Beat the egg whites briefly at medium speed.Slowly add the hot syrup in a thin stream, being careful to avoid the beaters. Continue to whip until the meringue has cooled to body temperature.

With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the butter, several tablespoons at a time, and continue to beat until a smooth, fluffy frosting forms.

Add the coconut milk in several additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well after each addition. Add the coconut extract and mix until smooth.

For assembling the cake: Place one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Carefully brush with rum. Spread half of the pineapple filling over the layer, leaving a 1/3-inch margin around the edge. Add the second layer, brush with more rum, and cover with the remaining filling. Top with the third layer, flat side up, brush with the remaining rum. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the coconut buttercream. Decorate with toasted coconut and thin slices of pineapple. 

Adapted from: Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes

Guacamole Salad

Avocados go on sale quite frequently in my neck of the woods, and when they do I like to buy a whole bunch. Everyone in our house loves them, and it isn't unusual for my kids to split one for a snack after school. I know they are high in fat, but at the same time it's the "good for you" kind. In case you didn't know, Avocados are a fruit and not a vegetable and have the highest protein content of any fruit. They also contain more potassium than bananas, so all in all, despite the fact that they are high in calories, they are really good for you.

Guacamole is always a popular choice in our home and is prepared very frequently, but last week after an abundance of avocados in the refrigerator (it will slow down the ripening process) and having had guacamole a couple of times already, I was ready to find a different recipe using the green fruit. For a second I thought about making Avocado ice cream, but I couldn't quite get "there" mentally, it sounded just a little bit too strange for the time being. So on the internet I went looking. I didn't have to search very long until I found this recipe for Guacamole Salad from none other than the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.

The salad sounded like it would be quickly made and I loved that it had a great Southwestern twist to it. Red grape tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, black beans, red onions, green jalapenos and bright green avocados make this salad a colorful feast for your eyes. The salad is dressed with a simple lime and oil dressing which receives a little additional kick from cayenne pepper, and finally diced avocados are added right before serving (to prevent browning) to the mix.

This salad was delicious! Everyone had seconds and this dish will be made over and over again. I served this alongside Southwestern seasoned grilled steaks with some crusty bread. This salad is a beautiful addition to any dinner table and reminded me that I need to look for more of Ina Garten's recipes, which always seem to turn out well.

Guacamole Salad

(adapted from Ina Garten)

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup small diced red onion

2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Preparation:

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Tequila Refried Beans

I love refried beans. My favorite being the ones full of bacon fat or lard. While those beans are incredibly smooth and flavorful, they are certainly not very healthy. Occasionally we do break down and eat them this way or have them at a restaurant prepared the traditional way, but since we eat Mexican food quite often it is just not an option to have weekly. 

In the past, I admit that a lot of times I've taken the easy route and just purchased canned refried beans at the grocery store. They are pretty decent tasting and really no one complained about having them. When I fixed the shrimp tacos, my magazine Cuisine at Home had a recipe for tequila refried beans featured on the same page. Tequila and refried beans? Really? But hey, I was intrigued, the picture looked good and the recipe sounded pretty awesome as well, so I went ahead and gave them a try.

Well, I'm sorry to say it, but I won't be supporting the canned refried bean companies any longer. I have found the most perfect recipe. I even have to go as far as saying that it might be more flavorful then beans prepared with lard. Considering that it is quick and easy to fix (it relies on canned pinto beans), is high in fiber, and much lower in fat then traditional prepared beans I find this recipe a true keeper. Don't let the tequila scare you, all the alcohol cooks out and it just imparts additional flavor, but if you don't cook with alcohol you could certainly use water or additional chicken broth.

The recipe is cooked in about 15 minutes with very little effort. Topping it with some fresh queso fresco and sliced serrano chiles (which you could leave off) and you have a fantastic show stopper of a recipe. If you love Mexican food as much as we do, then serve this at your next fiesta, your guests will appreciate it!

Tequila Refried Beans

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup white onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

2 tablespoons tequila or water

2 (15 ounce each) cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt and black pepper to taste

Crumbled queso fresco

Sliced serrano chile (optional)

Directions:

Saute onion in oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, cumin, and coriander. Saute 1 minute. Deglaze pan with tequila (or water); reduce until evaporated.

Stir in beans and broth. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low. Crush beans with a potato masher and cook until soupy, 5 minutes. Keep adding chicken broth if the bean mixture gets too dry until desired consistency is achieved.

Stir in lime juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Serve with cheese and chile slices.

Adapted from: Cuisine at Home

Mexican Rice

A while ago I received a message from an old friend. He wondered if I had any luck producing a decent Mexican rice recipe so far. Unfortunately, I had to tell him that my efforts, just like his, had only cooked up disaster after disaster. I have tried so many different recipes, but nothing has come close so far. Always up for a challenge I told him that I would go ahead and keep testing and tasting until I found the perfect blend of flavor and spice.

Mexican rice doesn't sound all that hard but it has sure proven to be. Every recipe I was finding was either bland or something else just wasn't right. Many recipes have an abundance of garlic, which overpowered everything else (and I like garlic). Others tasted like a cheap boxed mix. Even some restaurants I have eaten at can't produce a decent tasting rice on their plate. So my work was definitely cut out for me.

After talking to my friend for a bit, we both agreed that yellow rice is best and not the tomato based Spanish type rice. Now, I'm not an expert on Hispanic food, and even despite living in the southwest the rice in restaurants will vary from red to yellow. So forgive me if this is not 100% authentic, but the main goal was flavor in this endeavor.

I started reading through a ton of recipes online and made notes left and right. I finally came across a few that called for Goya seasoning* and I thought I was finally on to something. Starting with a high quality rice and a flavorful broth, I was finally able to achieve a rice that was worthy of being served to family and friends. I'm not completely sure if I want to keep relying on a seasoning mix like Goya and so my search will continue to find a way to achieve the same flavor without it. For the time being though, this makes one tasty rice full of everything I was looking for.

So Steve, this one is for you; while it is not my final work, I still truly hope you enjoy it!

* Goya seasoning is available in the southwest at a lot of grocery stores in the Hispanic food aisle. If you can't find it at your local store, you can easily purchase it here. There are 36 envelopes in the box and you only need 1 envelope per recipe made.

Mexican Rice

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

3 cups chicken broth

1 envelope Sazon Goya seasoning with coriander and annatto

Pinch of saffron

Salt and black pepper to taste

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds.

Add the rice, the Sazon Goya envelope, and saffron, stir until the rice is coated with the oil and toasted. Add the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook until the rice is tender and all of the liquid is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Stir in the fresh lime juice, then gently fold in cilantro. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with additional lime wedges.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

A few weeks ago I received a preview magazine for Cuisine at home in my mailbox. After looking through it and loving a lot of the recipes, I decided to subscribe to it since I'm always trying to get inspired by new and different things. I received my first issue a few days ago and the poor magazine is now covered in little sticky notes for all the recipes I'm planning on making.

The first one I chose caught my eye immediately as I flipped through the first few pages. I picked the Shrimp Tacos. The picture just screamed "summer time" and they looked incredibly delicious.

There are 3 components to this recipe. The marinated shrimp, a wonderful (and easy) slaw, and an incredibly tasty chipotle sauce. What makes this recipe even better is that the shrimp are grilled, to us that means the oven stays off, which is an added bonus for us here, especially since our temperatures have hit 110 degrees F over the past weekend.

The meal comes together quickly, the shrimp marinates while you prepare the sauce and the slaw. Grilling the shrimp takes no more then a few minutes from start to finish, I would almost go as far as calling this a "fast-food" meal, since dinner can be on the table in 30 minutes flat.

I have always enjoyed a good fish taco and still do, but this is my new favorite seafood taco. The taste is absolutely mouthwatering and amazing, but what makes this even more interesting is that each of the components of the taco aren't calling for a whole lot of ingredients, but once you put this together it's so good.  I didn't make a lot of changes, but went ahead and used double the ingredients in the sauce since it was so tasty.

I served these Tacos with Mexican Rice and Refried Beans. Stay tuned this week for recipes for both of these side dishes. They were just as good, plus you don't want to miss this weeks Ice Cream Flavor, it is out of this world!

So if you are trying to celebrate summer to it's fullest, and you love seafood, then make these tacos, they sure were a hit at our home.

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

~serves 4~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

For the shrimp tacos:

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 pound (about 24)large shrimp, peeled and deveined

8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

For the chipotle sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

3 teaspoons chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Salt to taste

For the red slaw:

4 cups shredded red cabbage

1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Salt to taste

Directions:

Whisk together 1/2 cup lime juice, 1 tablespoon oil, and chili powder for the shrimp. Add the cleaned shrimp to the marinade and chill until ready to skewer (about 10-15 minutes).

Preheat on side of the grill to medium-high and the other side to medium-low.

In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, chipotles, honey, and lime juice for the sauce. Season with salt and chill until ready to serve, or up to 2 days.

Combine cabbage, scallions, cilantro, 1 tablespoon oil, and vinegar for the slaw. Season with salt and chill until ready to serve, or up to 1 hour.

Warp tortillas in foil. Thread shrimp onto metal or soaked bamboo skewers.

Grill foil-wrapped tortillas, covered, over medium-low heat, 3-4 minutes. Flip and grill 3-4 minutes more. Grill shrimp skewers, covered, over medium-high heat, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove tortillas and skewers from the grill.

To serve, divide slaw and shrimp among 8 tortillas; drizzle with sauce.

Adapted from: Cuisine At Home

Mango Salsa

Inspired by a recent shopping trip where I found beautiful ripe mangoes, fresh vine tomatoes, and English cucumbers on sale along with some great looking fresh Tilapia fillets, I set out to create a summer dinner fit for any hot day.

I love fresh grilled fish combined with salsa of any kind, but this time I was going a different way. I wanted a sweet, savory, spicy combination and the flavor of the mild Tilapia was the perfect canvas to showcase what I came up with. 

I started by chopping and dicing all of my vegetables and mango, and then just kept adding what sounded and looked good. The result; an incredibly tasty Mango Salsa that could also be served alongside chicken, pork, other fish, or just plain with tortilla chips.

The whole family agreed that this dish needs to make many more repeat appearance throughout the summer months, with fruits and vegetables that are in season. If you like this kind of combination, I hope you will give this dish a try, it is low-fat, and good for you, but you would never guess that based on flavor alone!

Mango Salsa

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 ripe mango, diced

1 English cucumber, diced

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1/2 medium red onion, diced

1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, finely minced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1/2 lime

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

In a bowl add mango, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno and cilantro. 

In a small bowl whisk together lime juice, olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.

Add to the vegetable mixture. Toss to coat evenly. Taste for additional seasonings and serve.

A Susi's Kochen und Backen Original Recipe

Southwest Corn Guacamole

Aside from grilling a lot in the warmer month we also like to eat a lot of Mexican food. Restaurants unfortunately are really hit and miss here, so we make most of our Mexican fare at home. By using fresh ingredients and being able to control what goes into each dish, most of the meals are beloved by the whole family.

Guacamole is one of those dishes. I usually make a traditional one that is mainly avocado and tomato along with seasonings and another version that is blended (and fantastic) which was given to me by a Hispanic friend.

When I was flipping through my May 2010 Issue of Food Network Magazine I got excited to see they had a few different guacamole recipes that I had never tasted before and that sounded really good. I had a hard time deciding, but ultimately went with the Southwest Corn version.

The recipe called for broiling some of the vegetables before putting the dish together, but in true fashion my husband decided it would be even better if we grilled them. Boy, was he ever right. Unfortunately the pictures don't do this wonderful guacamole justice. I made the recipe as written, but doubled up on the corn which made the dish even more delicious.

We loved this recipe. The slightly charred vegetables added a wonderful flavor throughout. This recipe makes a big batch, but for us this wasn't a problem since we just ate it with tortilla chips for dinner. Remember, guacamole does not keep well overnight in the refrigerator, so if you are just serving this as a side dish or for a smaller crowd then scale back accordingly.

 

Southwest Corn Guacamole

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

2 ears of corn, grilled and kernels cut off

2 plum tomatoes

1 bunch green onions

3 avocados, diced

2 jalapenos, minced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

Chili powder

Ground coriander

Kosher Salt

Directions:

Oil the corn; sprinkle with chili powder, ground coriander and kosher salt. Grill the corn, the plum tomatoes, and scallions, 5-7 minutes or until slightly charred (you might have to remove the tomatoes before the corn).

Chop the scallions and tomatoes; mash with 3 diced avocados, jalapenos, cilantro, and the lime juice. Add the corn kernels and season with chili powder, coriander and salt. Serve immediately with your favorite tortilla chips.

Adapted from: Food Network Magazine

Asian Slaw

I like cabbage - I always have, even as a little girl. Maybe it had to do with the fact that I grew up in Germany and I was always exposed to Sauerkraut from a young age. Or, maybe it was because my mom always had red and white cabbage in her garden and with that, there was never a lack of cabbage dishes especially in the winter months. Whatever the reason though I still love it to this day and I'm glad the rest of my family shares my love.

One of my favorite side dishes for a BBQ meal is Coleslaw. Unfortunately creamy coleslaw isn't always the perfect accompaniment. A couple of weeks ago it was one of those occasions. We had decided on a Korean BBQ for dinner. Deliciously marinated chicken, short ribs and flank steak along with rice which was the obvious choice but I wasn't sure what else to serve. I had made an Asian Cucumber Salad before that was well received but a quick look in the fridge and I saw that I was out of red onions and cucumbers. After further investigation of my vegetable drawer I decided on making an Asian Slaw.

A lot of recipes online for Asian Slaw called for Nappa Cabbage and while there is absolutely nothing wrong with Nappa Cabbage (in fact we really like it) it wasn't what I was going for. After looking at several recipes I took a little bit of this and little bit of that out of all of them and came up with my own version containing a bag of coleslaw mix along with bell peppers, serrano chillies, green onions, cilantro and a fantastic dressing which turned this into a show stopper worthy of any Asian meal.

We really enjoyed this slaw, so if this inspired you as well then give it a try at your next BBQ or Potluck.

Asian Slaw

~serves 6~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 lime, juiced

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 bag coleslaw mix with carrots

1 red bell pepper, julienne fine

2 serrano chiles, minced fine

3 green onions, cut on the bias, all of white part and half of the green

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:

In a small bowl, or food processor combine ginger, vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, honey, oil, and peanut butter.  In a large bowl combine all the other ingredients and the toss with dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.

7-Up Pound Cake

My husband does not like chocolate desserts. In fact there are very few he will even try, so I always look for recipes that appeal to him as well. Looking through one of my old Cook's Country magazines I came across a recipe that I just knew he would love, 7UP Pound cake.

Except for the 7UP most of the ingredients mirror traditional pound cakes. The addition of 7UP provides citric acid (it tenderizes) and carbonation (which lifts) to the cake which in turn makes the crumb of the cake tight but light; where a normal pound cake can actually be quite dense. Another difference in this cake is the play on the 7UP flavors with additional lemon juice, lime juice, and the zest of both which are added to the batter.

In most pound cakes the eggs are creamed with butter and sugar, but with the addition of the extra acid from the fresh fruit it would curdle the batter and turn the finished product into a gummy mess. So Cook's Country figured out a method to use melted butter which will coat and protect the gluten. Another difference in this recipe is that it is almost made exclusively in the food processor rather than a stand mixer which ensures the emulsification. 

All of this along with a fantastic glaze (powdered sugar, lemon, and lime juice) turned this into a big, buttery cake, that had a forceful lemon-lime flavor worthy of the 7UP name. Best of all, my family and especially my husband enjoyed this pound cake very much.

7-UP Pound Cake

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup 7-UP, at room temperature*

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated lime zest

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

3 1/4 cups cake flour

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

*Instead of 7-UP other lemon lime sodas like the following may be used: Sprite, Mountain Dew or Sierra Mist. Just make sure it isn't Diet as that will turn the cake pale and tough.

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup non-stick tube pan. Process sugar, eggs, 7UP, lemon zest and juice, lime zest and juice, and salt in food processor until smooth. With machine running, slowly pour in butter and process until incorporated. Transfer to large bowl. Add flour in tree additions, whisking until combined.

Spread batter in prepared pan. Gently tap pan on counter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 75 to 90 minutes. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours.

Whisk confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and lime juice in bowl until smooth. Pour glaze over cooled cake. Let glaze set 10 minutes. Serve. (Cake can be stored wrapped or in a cake container for 3 days at room temperature).

No More "Supermarket" Salsa (Verde Edition)

After successfully creating No More "Supermarket" Salsa a few weeks ago my Mexican food loving husband decided that he wasn't going to purchase Salsa Verde anymore either at the grocery store. So I left the task up to him to find a recipe and make it work for our tastes. 

We had this Salsa with the "Oven fried" chicken Chimichangas and it tasted wonderful together. This salsa is very versatile and will work with a variety of dishes,  even on top of Huevos Rancheros for a tasty breakfast.

This salsa takes only slightly longer then it's red counterpart. There is a little cooking involved but start to finish this didn't take longer then 30 minutes. The key is the tomatillos, which along with spices and cilantro make this salsa so much better then anything you could buy. As an additional bonus it doesn't have any dreaded additives that are just not necessary for taste. This will keep for a good week in the refrigerator  or you could even go ahead, put it in jars and go through the canning process since the added vinegar will work as your preservative. Just a word of advice: this makes quite a bit of Salsa Verde, so feel free to half the recipe with the same great results.

No More "Supermarket" Salsa (Verde Edition)

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

10-12 Tomatillos, husked

1 medium white onion, rough chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Jalapeno Peppers, rough chopped

1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3 teaspoons Kosher Salt, divided

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

2 limes, juiced

Directions:

Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, oregano, cumin and 2 teaspoons salt into a pot. Add chicken broth, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until the tomatillos are soft, 10-15 minutes.

Strain the vegetables from the liquid (reserving liquid) and place in food processor or blender.  Carefully puree the tomatillo mixture adding reserved liquid until smooth and desired consistency is reached.

Stir in lime juice and remaining teaspoon of Kosher salt to taste.