Cinco de Yummo

We love Mexican food so much,
our family celebrates by
eating it almost weekly, all year long.
Since this weekend is Cinco de Mayo.

I thought we would celebrate a bit early
and start it off with Pico de Gallo.

Pico de Gallo, also known as Salsa Fresca,

is a staple food or condiment
in Mexican cuisine.
Ingredients most often already on hand
if you are preparing anything
in the realm of Mexican food.
Onions, tomatoes (we used Roma's),
a Jalapeno, Cilantro and a Lime or two.
Easy and delicious.

Have you ever attempted it before?!
I've never really cared for
Pico de Gallo in restaurants -
until I tasted Chuy's Salsa Fresca.
I realized this stuff CAN be delicious

without being horridly hot
as most restaurants recipes usually are.

Our version has about the same level of heat
as Chuy's does - which is much less spicy
than most restaurants out there,
and better flavor, so dig in!

We enjoyed this along with some
amazing Avocado Chicken Enchiladas.
Delicioso!



WHAT YOU NEED:
-- 6-8 Roma Tomatoes, diced - peel on
-- 1 Medium Onion, diced
-- 1 large Jalapeno, seeded and diced
(I repeat, we did not use the seeds --
if you like hot, add seeds or switch to Serrano's)
-- 1/2 of a bunch of Cilantro, chopped
-- Juice of 2 Limes
-- Salt/Pepper
-- Garlic Powder, optional

Yield: about 4-5 cups

WHAT TO DO:
In a medium size bowl
combine all of your diced and chopped ingredients.
Pour on lime juice and add salt/pepper to taste.
Stir well and refrigerate.
You can serve this immediately
but it definitely gets better with age.
Make it the night before your Cinco de Mayo
celebration or whenever you see fit.
Stir well before serving.
But, get ready for your guests
to be gathered around the Gallo!

What are YOUR plans for Cindo de Mayo?!?



ENJOY!

Time for a Meltdown

I love how our country
creates all kinds of days to celebrate.
All legit, right?! 
Orrr just a Hallmark conspiracy?!?
Anyway, it's still fun to celebrate -
or as we like to say, an excuse to eat!

So, if you didn't know already,
today is National Grilled Cheese Day.
Yes. Oh, yes it is.

The sandwich above is one we had
at The Meltdown on 30A,
a yummy little place in Florida.
It was made with three cheeses and bacon.
That my friends was an amazing
sandwich (as well as all their other flavors).
They offer SO many inspirational ideas -
take a look at their menu.

Go crazy - get to grillin'
and try things that push the limits.
See how many ideas you can come up with
without even using American cheese.
That is SO not my fav thing.

Blek.  But you do whatever it is
that you love.  Use any cheese
your little heart desires.
It's National Grilled Cheese Day
for cryin' out loud.
Visit The Meltdown on 30A
if you're ever in the Florida Panhandle
or try your hand at making your own!
Check out how we made our own
while we were there last year
for Spring Break by clicking HERE.

Now, go celebrate
National Grilled Cheese Day
and have a meltdown!

ENJOY!

Salami ....the New Bacon

Several months ago we stumbled upon a sweet find.
We had a few slices of Hard Salami in the fridge
leftover from making a Muffaletta.
so I decided to fry them up to get rid of them.
Lo and behold - they were like little slices
of bacon heaven, yet, almost better.  Almost.
The better part is that it is quick, EASY,

less mess and super flavor.
The down side part is that, well, it's just not bacon.
But watch out bacon, it could very easily take your place.
It has a great flavor - sort of crispy around the edges
and is great to nibble on by itself or
pile onto a breakfast sandwich, ANY time of day.

WHAT YOU NEED:

hard salami
baking sheet

WE ADDED:
an "everything" bagel
OR
english muffin, both toasted
feta cheese
shredded sharp cheddar
a fried egg - cooked to your liking

WHAT TO DO:
Preheat oven to 350.
Immediately lay the thin salami slices
on a baking sheet - as many as you'd like
Place baking sheet in the oven as it preheats
and by the time it has reached the right temperature,
the salami will most likely be ready.
There's no exact time really -
just know they cook very quickly
and it all depends on your oven.
My best guestimate is that they'd be done
in 3-5 minutes.  They need to barely
be turning darker around the edges -
FYI, they crisp up as they cool off.


A bit crispy around the edges,
a bit 'floppy' in the middle equals perfect!
Remove from the oven and lay the salami slices
onto a paper towel to drain a bit.
If you'd like to make a breakfast-y sandwich,
cook up a fried egg while you melt some cheese

onto your bagel or english muffin under the broiler.

Lay that fried egg onto the toasted bread
along with some feta cheese
and a few slices of cooked salami
and voila - a breakfast-y sandwich
that will become a morning necessity.
It could very well look just like this one
with runny egg yolk and all.

If you want to eat on the go,
cook your egg a bit more or use scrambled.

No problemo.
These sandwiches are the bomb
and have become such a yummy fav of ours.
Hope you will love them just as much!

ENJOY!!!

a GOOD day

Here we are on this Good Friday
and a good one it has been.

We had the sweetest service at our church today.

Amidst the busyness of preparing
for such a service (or any service for that matter),
I am constantly amazed at
how the Spirit moves and brings such
an incredible newness (is that a word?)
to a service even when you've watched it all
being put together for days and days.
SUCH a great reminder that our Savior
is indeed ALIVE and His Spirit
is actively working in us and around us.

There is such a special-ness (that is def not a word)
about this whole week.  Christians celebrate
because Jesus died for our sins but didn't stay dead.
Families all over the country gather together
to celebrate with food and activities for the kids.
Signs of Spring and it's warmth
are even trying to bust out -
it's truly a time for thankfulness.

For this week's Free Recipe Friday,
I am here to introduce you to something
that'll perk up your buffet table for sure.
Taboli or Tabouli or maybe even Tabbouleh.
A yummalicious Mediterranean
bulgur wheat salad dish.
A Mediterranean what? you say?!?
Well, just trust me on this one.
This middle eastern dish,
is so fresh and springy.

Tabouli, as we spell it, comes in a package
with all of it's little Mediterranean tasting things
and you just add a few easy ingredients and voila -
yummyness!  Don't be deceived, even though
it may look like rice, it is not.
This grain has the most buttery, nutty flavor.
Our family loves it.
I was introduced to it about 30 years ago
at Grandma Taylor's house.  It was a staple.
Tabouli makes a great side dish
or can easily hold it's own all by itself.

Although you can find this item on most
grocery store shelves, the bad news is
that the other brands taste a bit different than
the brand we know and love.
We order ours, just as James' grandmother did,
from Bishop Taboli Products in
Bristow, Oklahoma.
All others are just not the same.

Whether you decide to order it
or try a batch from a local supermarket,
you will be glad you did.
It would go grrrreat along side your
Easter ham or brisket.
Absolutely phenom!

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 pkg. Tabouli Salad Mix

Water
Vegetable Oil (or Olive Oil)
Lemon Juice
Salt/Pepper

Optional Ingredients:
Cucumber, seeded and diced
Tomatoes, diced
Green Onions, diced

I have not included the amounts
of these ingredients because
the recipe may vary from brand to brand and
the recipe will be included on the packaging.

WHAT TO DO:

Mix all ingredients together.  Stir.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours
before serving.  The longer the better!

When we have this on hand,
James will regularly eat it for breakfast.
DELISH.

I hope you will give it a try.
Look for it in any grocery store.
We recently found a brand at Wal-Mart
on the aisle with the Matzo balls
and other Middle-Eastern type items.

ENJOY!!!

Simple Pleasures

If you knew me when I was a teen
or hang around our house much now,
you should know I am a fan of salt AND lemons.

I have, however, learned to tame that craving
from the out of control days of youth
to now appreciating how necessary
salt is in cooking and to our bodies.

There may be a fine line between just the right amount
and over-salting, but please remember
if you don't put the correct amount of salt
into your cooking you will actually
use more at the table trying to get your food
to taste right. Our bodies need salt.
Some bodies more than others, obviously,
but unless your doctors have forbid you from it,

please do not be so afraid of salt.
(side note: you should also be drinking plenty of water)

Did you know that salt
makes buttercream icing better than all the rest!?
Did you know that cookies and brownies
are even better with salt in the recipe?!?
Did you know that placing a bit of sea salt
into your mouth is a natural antihistamine?!
Remember the old saying, 'you should take some salt?'
Just try google-ing Sea Salt/Benefits. Wow.
Have I convinced you yet?!?

This week's Free Recipe Friday
I bring you something quite possibly
even better than salt.
Lemon Salt!
If you love lemons and salt,
you very well may be using this
on just about anything you can find!

We happened to put it on french fries

sliced as thinly as possible without
using a mandoline -which

would have made them insanely better,
but a good knife will work if you're careful.
I actually used a filet knife.  :)

WHAT YOU NEED:
2 Lemons - zested
About 4 Tablespoons of Sea Salt
A mortar and pestle OR food processor

WHAT TO DO:
Mish and mash the lemon zest
and sea salt together until well combined.

Note: when you zest a lemon the yellow oily rind
is all that you want.  Getting into the white
layer will only add bitterness.
The best way to zest is to use a microplane
or the tiniest part of a cheese grater.

You can also use a vegetable peeler
and carefully 'peel' the lemon
without much pressure so that
you don't take the white off with the yellow.
Have I confused you yet?!?

Next, take your 'peels' and stack a few up
and dice them as small as you can.
This was my method on this particular day.
It left me with lemon peel
a bit larger than using a microplane,
but makes it easy to grab a piece
now and then to snack on!  Win, win!

Use up whatever you need right away
or let it sit in a dry spot for a few days
and then store it in a container to use
to your hearts content!
You will notice when using it immediately
the natural lemon oils make it
very fragrant - the most awesome smell in my book!
After it dries a bit, as you can see in the photo,
obviously, so will the peel.

Now add to whatever your mind can imagine -
steamed broccoli, asparagus, fish, chicken
or FRENCH FRIES! :)

ENJOY!!!