Cinco de Mayo

May 5th. Cinco de Mayo.

Bloggers all across North America are featuring spicy Tex-Mex foods and tequila drinks in honor of this Mexican holiday.

Since I already offered up Thyme Tequila Lemonade to Mother Nature as a peace offering, it's only reasonable that I also heat things up with some flavorful tostadas to serve along side.

Crisply fried corn tortillas are piled high with all the best fish taco makings. Cilantro-lime slaw is bright and fresh and topped with mild tilapia and a hearty, earthy corn salsa. Squeeze a lime over it all to spark just a hint of acidity and you won't want to wait for the celebrations of Cinco de Mayo for Tilapia Tostadas with Roasted Corn Salsa to be on your plate.

Tilapia Tostadas with Roasted Corn Salsa

(adapted from Cooking Light)

1/4 head of green cabbage, thinly sliced

2-4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

2 green onions, diced

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced finely

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

canola oil

8 corn tortillas

8 tilapia fillets

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup corn meal

1/4 teaspoon ancho chile powder

1/2 cup milk

1 cup corn kernels (freshly cut from cob, or defrosted frozen)

1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup onion, chipped

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

queso fresco

lime wedges

Whisk the mayonnaise and lime juice together in a medium bowl.
Toss the cabbage, cilantro, green onions, and jalapeno with the dressing.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.
Heat about 1/2-3/4 inch of canola oil in a large heavy skillet.
One at a time, fry the corn tortillas, turning as needed, until browned and crispy.
Drain on paper towels and set aside.
In a seperate skillet, heat a tablespoon of oil.
Add the corn, red pepper, onion, and jalapeno.
Season with salt and pepper and saute until onion is tender and translucent; set aside.
Combine flour, corn meal and chile powder in a shallow dish.
Dip the tilapia fillets in milk and then dredge in flour/corn meal mixture.
Fry the tilapia fillets in the oil used for the tortillas until flesh is tender and breading is golden.
Drain on paper towels.
To serve, arrange fried tortillas on plates, spoon on cilantro-lime slaw, layer the fried fish, top with the roasted corn salsa. Add crumbled queso fresco and serve with lime wedges. (Serves 4)

Thank You

I spend a great deal of time in late summer and early fall canning the produce from my garden. Preserving the harvest fills my pantry shelves for those long, cold days of winter.

One day as I simmered, and ladled, and processed jars of goodness, my husband joined me in the kitchen. I  was pulling finished jars of salsa from the hot water bath and listening to the satisfying "pop" of the sealed lids when he said, "Thank you." At first, I thought he was just especially grateful for my spicy dip that he loves with chips. And, he was. However, his thanks held another meaning.

He shared the story of helping an aunt can jams and jellies as a kid. When the aunt heard the snap of the processed jars, she responded with a "Thank you" each time. It was a fond memory for my husband, and good reminder for me. The garden and subsequent canning are a lot of work, but I am thankful for them. I am thankful for all they provide. Delicious sauces, salsas, juices, jams, jellies, and pickles fill my basement shelves. Shallots, onions, and garlic hang in bunches. Squash are in baskets. Dried peppers and herbs are jarred for seasoning future dishes. Still more herbs and a few vegetables are housed in the freezer. We will eat well this winter. "Thank you" seems more than appropriate.

I don't grow blueberries or limes, but that didn't stop me from stirring up some Blueberry and Lime Jam. Spread on toast, or warmed and poured over pancakes, it is certainly another sweet reason to be thankful.

Blueberry and Lime Jam

(adapted from Gourmented)

4 cups fresh blueberries

3 limes, juice and zest

1/4 cup water

4 cups sugar

1 envelope liquid pectin

Combine blueberries, juice and zest of limes, and water in a large, heavy pot. 
Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until berries soften and release juices.
Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.
Heat to a boil and cook for about 4-5 more minutes.
Add pectin, and boil for about 2-3 more minutes until thickened.
Remove from heat.
Ladle into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch head space and seal.
Process for 10 minutes in a water bath. (Yield: approx 6 1/2-pint jars)
(If you are unsure of the canning process, there are many informative sites online. I am not a canning authority.)

I am David Copperfield.

I am a magician. Truly. I have found one recipe that can only be described as magic.

Wave the magic wand. Take some shrimp; toss them with some spices; saute them; cook up some corn, beans, and salsa together, and abracadabra! It's magic.

OK. You don't get it. I am sorry. The magic is that this simple, spicy, satisfying dish can be anything you want it to be.

Need a snack or appetizer? Chop up the shrimp and serve it all as a dip with crispy corn chips.

Feel like a roll up your shirt sleeves and dig in casual meal? Toast some corn or flour tortillas; slice an avocado; squeeze a lime; and devour some really delicious tacos.

Want a salad? Forget all those limp lettuces. Hot, cold, or room temperature, this.is.good. Really. (And, could be served on a bed of romaine.)

Need to feed a bigger group? Whip up some rice and guacamole as sides, and nobody will be able to keep their knife and fork away.

Magic Spicy Shrimp and Corn Salad answers every need you ever had...except maybe for cake...or chocolate...BUT, it is light enough that you should still have room for dessert.

I told you. Magic.

Magic Spicy Shrimp and Corn Salad

(adapted from Cooking Light)

1 tablespoon chili powder (I used Ancho Chile Powder)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of a lime (divided)

2 ears sweet corn, kernels cut from cob

1 pint bottled salsa (I used my Basic Canned Salsa. This is where you will really adjust the spice of the dish to your taste. Use a mild salsa or heat it up, if you like.)

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a bowl.
Add shrimp and toss to coat.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add shrimp and saute until cooked through.
Add juice of half of the lime.
Remove the shrimp from the pan.
Add the corn; saute briefly.
Stir in salsa and beans and bring to a simmer.
Remove from heat and add the juice of the other half of the lime and the cilantro.
Depending on final dish desired, stir shrimp into corn and bean mixture or serve shrimp on top. (Serves 4.)

Captain 11

When I opened up my food photo file and saw this Fresh Corn and Radish Salad photo waiting to join the blog, all I could think about was Captain 11 demanding that every kid that claimed residency in Iowa sing the Iowa Corn Song. Of course, nobody really knew it, but he would coax the chorus out of the reluctant stars of his after-school television program.

We're from I-O-way, I-O-way. State of all the land
Joy on ev-'ry hand. We're from I-O-way, I-O-way.
That's where the tall corn grows

I am not from I-O-way, and I (unfortunately) was never a member of the studio audience for Captain 11. (Although, I wanted to visit that set really badly when I was a kid.) However, it *is* that time of year when the tall corn yields tons of sweet corn. I love a fresh ear of corn grilled to perfection, smeared with some salty butter, and gnawed straight from the cob, but sometimes, I want something with flavors a bit more complex On My Plate. 

Fresh from the field sweet corn is so tender and sweet, it doesn't even have to be cooked. Tossed with smokey cumin and bright, fresh lime, it makes a splendid summer salad. A little jalapeno and some thinly sliced radishes add a bit of heat and bite. Mmmm. This is *why* the tall corn grows.

Fresh Corn and Radish Salad

(adapted from Food and Wine magazine)

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon Agave syrup

1/4 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons olive oil (more or less...original recipe called for 1/4 cup, but I thought it was too much)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

4 cups fresh sweet corn, cut from the cobs

6 medium radishes, thinly sliced (I used my mandoline slicer.)

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped (but, I think that cilantro would be a good flavor pairing, too)

1/4 small red onion, finely diced

Whisk together lime juice, jalapeno, Agave, cumin and olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the corn, radishes, parsley, and red onion.

Toss with the dressing.
Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
(Best served at room temperature, and be warned that the radishes may bleed if the salad is dressed too far in advance of serving.) Serves 4.

Fridge Friday: Episode 9

I am cranky today. There is too much on my to-do list, and not enough hours in this day. The wind is a hot and blustery 20 mph pain in my backside with 30-40 mph gusts just to remind me that it can (and will) do whatever it wants. The dogs are barking at imaginary sounds, people are pestering me, and my bottle of Aleve is almost empty. It is one of those days, but here is my Fridge Friday fridge...

Is it just me and my grumpy mind, but does my fridge pretty much always look the same? Most likely, it does. Why wouldn't it? I tend to buy the same types of groceries over and over. On the top right, we have milk, OJ, and a few sodas; the top left holds assorted condiments and at this point, an impressive stack of blocks of cream cheese (I wanted cream cheese for the Candied Jalapenos, but forgot that I had already purchased some. *shrug*). The middle shelf always has the eggs, pickles, extra butter, and some veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, red & green cabbage this time), and today has a bowl of limes and a lemon. Bottom shelf is another mish-mash of fresh veggies (zucchini, green onions, spinach, celery, sweet corn, brussels sprouts), an icy cold beverage, and luscious blueberries and strawberries. There is also a Gladware container with a package of ground beef and some bacon perched on top of the beer. More odds and ends of produce in the bottom right drawer and some cheeses in the bottom left. I am a bit of a creature of habit, and pretty much always put things in the same places. I could probably be a hundred miles away and tell you were to find the jalapenos in my fridge (bottom right drawer, by the way).

Part of the agenda for the day includes Hubs smoking a pork butt at the farm for dinner with some family tonight. The cabbage will be made into coleslaw at some point, and I will fry up the bacon and ground beef to add to my big pot of Cowboy Beans to round out the side dishes for the meal. I don't have those things made yet (and if I don't get my butt moving and get this blog post done, we might just have to have pulled pork and no sides...like that would fly *eyeroll*). So, I am going to zero in on the bowl of limes. Last night, I zested and juiced a few of those tart jewels and whipped up a batch of White Chocolate Lime Cookies.

I am torn by these cookies. They are everything that I love in a cookie: sweet, but not too sweet; tart with real lime; soft and chewy; and EASY. I think that is what makes me feel so guilty. They are so completely, utterly, totally, easy because they start with a cake mix. (OK, serious bakers can click away now. Sorry.) Think what you want about my baking skills, but it has been a trying day and at this point, you might have to just shoot me before I would give up these White Chocolate Lime Cookies On My Plate.

White Chocolate Lime Cookies

1 box white cake mix

1/2 cup butter, softened at room temperature (melting it makes the cookies texture tough)

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon grated lime zest (don't skip this, it is worth it)

1 1/4 cups which chocolate chips

3 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons grated lime zest (again, do it; really)

5-6 tablespoons FRESH lime juice (don't open a bottle, squeeze a lime, please)

Preheat oven to 350°.
Cover cookie sheets with parchment.
With mixer, combine cake mix, softened butter, eggs and 1 tablespoon lime zest until blended and smooth.
Stir in remaining white chocolate chips with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto prepared cookie sheets.
Bake 10-13 minutes or until set at edges and just barely set at center.
Cool 1 minute on sheets; transfer to wire racks and cool completely.
Combine powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons lime zest and enough FRESH lime juice make icing just thin enough to drizzle off fork.
Drizzle icing over cooled cookies. (4 dozen cookies)

Did you think I was going to let this post slip by without another voyeur slide show of other people's fridges? Of course not. I love it when you are willing to share your fridges here on the blog. 

Also, be sure to check out Jeanne at Jeanne Eats World and her fabulous Fridge Friday posts. Scallops on her plate tonight. Doesn't that sound good?

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Truly. Tell me. How in the heck does one raise cilantro? I can't seem to get it right, but then my gardening skills are pretty limited by this lazy streak that I just can't seem to shake. If it involves more than plant it; water it; nourish it now and then with some Miracle Grow; weed a little, but not a lot because I mulch; and maybe...just maybe, if I am in the right mood...trim it now and then, it just doesn't happen. My garden needs to be hearty. My attention span is just too short for fussy plantings.

I am wondering if cilantro is one of those fussy plantings. I have tried starting from seed; I have tried purchasing starter plants; this year, I even allowed a large crop of volunteer plants (from seeds dropped last year) to take over a corner of the garden. Still, I only have foliage that is recognizable as sprigs of cilantro for a very short time. In the blink of an eye, the plants shoot up, the leaves become thinner, flowers appear, seeds develop, and I have no real cilantro to harvest.

I am befuddled. Does cilantro normally grow that quickly? Does it have to be constantly replanted in order to harvest perfect little shoots of leaves? Am I doomed to planning my fresh salsas, herb salads, and even the basting marinade for some great pork chops around the never-there-when-you-want-it availability of cilantro in the grocery store? I am clueless.

If you aren't as clueless as me, and know the secret to growing cilantro (or if you have access to a grocery that always stocks this herb), there should be no major planning involved in making some moist and perfectly seasoned pork chops with a cilantro-lime marinade for basting. All prep for the chops can be done while waiting for the grill to heat. The cut of the chop is up to you. I have used bone-in or boneless depending on what I had on hand, and this time, I divided some butterflied chops (that I had originally planned to stuff & bake on one of our rainy days). It is a simple recipe that pairs really well with baked sweet potatoes and a salad for a no stress meal any night of the week.


I maybe be clueless about growing cilantro, but I have no doubts about using it for Cilantro and Lime Pork Chops to land On My Plate.

Cilantro and Lime Pork Chops

4 boneless pork loin chops, 1-inch thick
1 1/4 teaspoons garlic pepper seasoning
3/4 teaspoon onion salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons lime zest
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Heat grill (I prefer charcoal.) to medium direct heat.
Sprinkle chops with garlic pepper seasoning and onion salt; rub to coat.Set aside.
Whisk remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
Place chops on grill.
Baste with oil and cilantro mixture.
Turn chops over and grill 3-5 minutes per side or until internal temperature is 160F.
Baste again and turn once. (Serves 4)