Need a quick, healthy lunch or light dinner idea? Then try this recipe for Southwestern Tofu Wraps. The fresh cilantro and lime juice add fresh flavor and liven up the tofu (which is normally bland). To bump up the Southwestern flavors, I also added 1/4 teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder to the tofu mixture. For extra crunch, I substituted shredded cabbage and carrots (plain cole slaw mix) for the sliced lettuce leaves. Garnish with your favorite salsa. Enjoy!

Note: Be sure to drain the tofu really well or the tofu mixture will be watery.

Southwestern Tofu Wraps
-recipe from Bon Appétit Magazine

Makes 4 servings 

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 ounces firm tofu, drained, patted dry, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced
4 7- to 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas
2 cups thinly sliced lettuce leaves
1 cup spicy tomato salsa

Whisk 3 tablespoons lime juice and oil in medium bowl. Add tofu, onion, cilantro and garlic and toss to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let marinate 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap tortillas in foil. Place in oven until heated through, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toss lettuce with 1 tablespoon lime juice in small bowl.

Place 1 tortilla on each of 4 plates. Place layer of lettuce down center of each tortilla. Top with tofu mixture, dividing equally. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons salsa over each. Roll up tortillas. Serve, passing remaining salsa separately.

Tags: Bon Appetit Magazine, cilantro, light dinner, lime, lunch, salsa, Southwestern Tofu Wraps, tofu, tortilla, vegetarian

This recipe, inspired by south-of-the-border flavors,  is a delicious twist on classic chicken salad. It’s got kick from the pickled jalapeños, crunch from the chopped veggies, and flavor from the cilantro and fresh lime. Serve the jalapeño chicken salad in the easy-to-make tortilla bowls or use it as a filling for wraps. The tortilla bowl isn’t as crisp and crunchy as the fried kind you get in a restaurant. It’s edible, of course, but it’s main purpose in this recipe is for presentation. Enjoy!

Jalapeño Chicken Salad
-recipe from Cook’s Country Magazine

Chicken salad is a great use for chicken left over from the night before or the rotisserie chickens sold by many chain restaurants and supermarkets. Any meat can be used–dark meat tends to be moister. Pickled jalapeños can be found in the international aisle at the supermarket, near the taco fixings. They add a bright, spicy flavor and crunchy texture to the salad. Cilantro stems have just as much flavor as the leaves, so you don’t have to be too thorough when picking and chopping the herb for the salad.

Makes about 5 cups.

2/3 cup mayonnaise  
1 tablespoon lime juice  
3 cups shredded cooked chicken  
1/2 medium rib celery, chopped fine 
1/2 small red onion, chopped fine 
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves   
1/4 cup sliced pickled jalapeños, chopped fine 

Mix mayonnaise and lime juice in small bowl until combined. Toss chicken, celery, onion, bell pepper, cilantro, and jalapeños in large bowl. Add mayonnaise mixture and toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

Note: To make a tortilla bowl, spray both sides of large flour tortilla with nonstick cooking spray. Toast tortilla in nonstick skillet over medium heat until spotty brown on both sides but still soft, about 3 minutes. Using tongs, drape tortilla over small overturned bowl. Place second overturned bowl over tortilla and cool completely.

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Tags: celery, cilantro, Jalapeño Chicken Salad, jalapeno chiles, lime, lunch, red onion, red pepper, sandwich, wrap

Guacamole…so simple yet so incredibly delicious. The first time I had really great guacamole was at a resort in Tuscon, Arizona. The waiter made it at our table so, of course, we were impressed with the presentation: mashing the perfect avocado right before our very eyes in a molcajete, the traditional Mexican version of a mortar and pestle, then adding fresh tomato, chopped onion, a little garlic, cilantro, fresh lime and salt. It was amazing! 

A good batch of guacamole is hard to stop eating, especially when you serve it with fresh, locally-made tortilla chips. If you live in the Portland area, try Juanita’s brand tortilla chips. They’re made in Hood River and are the best grocery store tortilla chips I’ve ever had (available at many local markets). Some Mexican restaurants even sell freshly-made tortilla chips.

This recipe for guacamole is from Rick Bayless, the king of authentic Mexican cuisine. I prefer the luxurious version of this guac…it rocks!  As long as you start with good avocados, you pretty much can’t go wrong. For more on avocados, click here.

Guacamole Three Ways: Simple, Herby or Luxurious
Guacamole Tres Estilos
-recipe from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

“I gave up looking for “the one best guacamole” years ago. Because “the best” is only the best for a particular moment, a particular set of ingredients, a particular group of people and the role it plays in their eating or snacking. Which is why I’ve written this recipe in stages. I want you to have an easy-to-follow guide for making the perfect guacamole for a multitude of uses, a variety of occasions. So it starts with the simplest perfect mash of avocado, garlic and salt (I know many cooks in Mexico who think that adding anything to avocados but those two ingredients is a start on the road to ruin). This simple guacamole is a delicious condiment to spread on sandwiches or grilled meat tacos that are served with salsa. Adding cilantro and lime to the basic, garlicky guacamole gives it the pizzazz to stand alone—as a topping for crispy tacos or tostadas, even as a dip. Green chile, white onion and red tomato—do I need to point out that those are the colors of Mexico’s flag?—create a chest-thumping, look-at-me guacamole that’s perfect with a bowl of chips at a party where the music’s turned up and there are lots of laughs.” -Rick Bayless

Makes 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups

2 medium ripe avocados
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped or crushed through a garlic press
Salt
To make it herby, add:
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
About 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
To make it luxurious, also add:
Fresh hot green chile to taste (I like 1 serrano or ½ to 1 jalapeño), finely chopped
¼ small white onion, finely chopped
½ medium tomato, chopped into ¼-inch dice

Cut the avocados in half, running your knife around the pit from stem to blossom end and back up again. Twist the halves in opposite directions to free the pits and pull the halves apart. Dislodge the pits, then scoop out the avocado flesh into a medium bowl.

Mash the avocado with a large fork or potato masher. Stir in the garlic and about ½ teaspoon salt, plus any other sets of ingredients you’ve chosen. If your list includes the white onion, rinse it first under cold water, then shake well to rid it of excess moisture, before adding to the avocado. (This reduces the risk of having onion flavor overwhelm the guacamole.) Taste and season with additional salt if appropriate. If not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface of the guacamole and refrigerate—preferably not more than a few hours.

A Riff on “Stage Two” Guacamole: Replace the lime juice with (or, for extra-tangy guacamole, add along with the lime juice) about ½ cup homemade or bottled tomatillo salsa—perfect as a topping or a dip, especially when you need to make the guacamole ahead (the additional acid in the tomatillos helps keep the guacamole greener for longer).

Avocado Sauce: For a tangy sauce to drizzle over raw (or blanched) vegetables or on tacos, tostadas and the like, follow the above variation, increasing the tomatillo salsa to 1 cup; puree everything in a blender. If the sauce is too thick to drizzle, thin with additional tomatillo salsa. A little heavy cream, sour cream or crème fraiche can be added for wonderful richness.

Tags: avocado, cilantro, guacamole, Juanita's tortilla chips, lime, Mexican Everyday Cookbook, molcajete, onion, Rick Bayless, tomato

If you’re looking for an adventurous new dish to try than give this recipe a whirl! There’s definitely a lot of flavor and texture going on in these fajitas: spiciness from the chorizo, sweetness from the yam and crunch from the lime-marinated red onions.

The recipe calls for using fresh chorizo sausage, not the smoked Spanish chorizo. I don’t know if all fresh chorizo is spicy but mine had a nice kick to it. I suppose you could use taco-seasoned ground beef or ground turkey if you didn’t want to use chorizo. 

I substituted queso fresco (a mildly flavored Mexican cheese) for the feta cheese because that’s what I had on hand. Also, feel free to substitute red and/or green bell peppers for the poblano chiles…your fajitas will still be great!

Chorizo, Poblano and Yam Fajitas with Lime-Marinated Red Onions
-recipe from The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

Here, chorizo replaces the usual steak or chicken. Makes 4 servings.

2 cups paper-thin slices red onions
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 cups 1/2-inch-thick sticks peeled yam (red-skinned sweet potato)
12 to 14 ounces fresh chorizo sausages (about 3), casings removed
2 fresh poblano chiles,* halved, seeded, cut into thin strips
8 7- to 8-inch-diameter flour tortillas
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Toss onions and generous sprinkle of salt in medium bowl. Mix in lime juice. Set aside to marinate, tossing occasionally.

Meanwhile, place yam in microwave-safe bowl. Add splash of water. Cover; cook on high until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

Sauté chorizo in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking into small pieces with fork, about 5 minutes. Transfer chorizo to bowl. Spoon off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add chiles to skillet. Cover and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain yam; transfer to skillet. Add chorizo and toss 1 minute to rewarm filling.

Cook 1 tortilla at a time directly over gas flame or in skillet until heated, 10 to 15 seconds per side.

Arrange tortillas on work surface. Spoon filling in strip down center of each. Top with cheese, onions, and sprinkle of lime marinade. Fold in sides of tortillas.

* Often called pasillas; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Latin markets.

Tags: chorizo, fajita, Feta cheese, flour tortillas, lime, Mexican, poblano chile, red onions, sweet potato, yam

If you like the flavors of wasabi and ginger (which I do!), you’re going to love this recipe! You get a little zip from the wasabi without it knocking your head off, plus a little zing from the ginger and lime. This is a great summer recipe, and tastes like something you’d order in a restaurant!

The salmon cooks quickly on the grill so don’t wander off or you might end up with blackened, over-cooked salmon (not tasty!). For the mayonnaise mixture, add the wasabi paste last, tasting as you add it until you get the flavor/zip factor that you like. Enjoy!

Grilled Salmon with Wasabi-Ginger Mayonnaise
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

You can find wasabi paste and powder at Asian groceries, or try the Asian section of your supermarket. Serves four.

1-1/2 limes
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1-1/2 Tbs. wasabi paste; more to taste
2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 6-oz. skinless salmon fillets
Vegetable oil for the grill

Prepare a medium-hot grill fire (be sure the grill grate has been scrubbed clean with a wire brush).

Cut the half lime into four wedges and set aside. Finely grate the zest from the whole lime. Cut the zested lime in half and squeeze the juice from one half into a small bowl (save the other half for another use). In a medium bowl, combine 1 tsp. of the lime juice with the lime zest, mayonnaise, wasabi paste, ginger, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Stir to combine. Taste and add more wasabi paste if you’d like a zippier flavor.

Run your finger along each salmon fillet to feel for tiny bones; use tweezers or needlenose pliers to pull out any that you find. Season the fillets lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon about 2 Tbs. of the mayonnaise mixture onto the salmon fillets and refrigerate the rest. With your hands, spread the mayonnaise in a thin layer over all sides of the fillets.

When the grill is ready, oil the grill grate using tongs and a paper towel dipped in oil. Grill the salmon until crisp and slightly charred on one side, about 4 minutes. Turn and continue to grill until the salmon is just cooked through, another 3 to 6 minutes. Serve the salmon topped with a dollop of the mayonnaise and a lime wedge on the side. Pass the remaining mayonnaise at the table.

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Tags: ginger, Grilling/BBQ, lime, mayonnaise, Quick Cooking, salmon, wasabi paste

This Mexi-inspired recipe will please most tastes (sans vegetarians). The lightly seasoned pork has good flavor without being dominated by the rub, which is a combo of paprika, brown sugar, chile powder and allspice. After I put the rub on the pork, I put it back in the fridge for a few hours while I took the kids swimming. When we got back from the pool, I proceeded with the recipe and made the tomato sauce and grilled the pork. The sauce, which is basically a salsa, is a delicious compliment to the perfectly cooked, super-tender pork tenderloins.

The jalepeno pepper that I used for the fire-roasted sauce was on the tame side so I also added a little chopped chipotle chile to the simmering sauce. This added the kick that I was looking for and provided a bit more smoky flavor, too. Leftover sauce is great as a dip with chips!

Menu idea: Dry Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce, Two-Bean & Corn Salad, Green Salad with Southwestern Vinaigrette, and Blueberry-Lemon Cornmeal Cake.

Dry-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce
-recipe from Weber’s Real Grilling™ by Jamie Purviance

Makes 4 servings.

Sauce
8 ripe, plum tomatoes, stems removed
1 jalapeño chile pepper, stem and seeds removed
1/2 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup roughly chopped red onion
1/4 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper

Rub
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure chile powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each, trimmed of excess fat and silver skin
Extra-virgin olive oil

Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F).

Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the tomatoes and jalapeño over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until blackened and blistered in spots, turning as needed. The tomatoes will take 4 to 6 minutes and the jalapeño will take 2 to 3 minutes. Put the tomatoes and jalapeño in a food processor along with the remaining sauce ingredients, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, mix the rub ingredients.

Trim any excess fat and sliver skin from the tenderloins. Lightly brush the tenderloins on all sides with oil and season evenly with the rub, pressing the spices into the meat.  Allow the tenderloins to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before grilling. Reduce the temperature of the grill to medium heat (350° to 450°F).

Grill the tenderloins over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until the pork is barely pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with the sauce.

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Tags: allspice, basil, brown sugar, chile powder, cilantro, dry rub, fire-roasted tomato sauce, garlic, Grilling/BBQ, jalapeno, lime, onion, paprika, pork tenderloin, tomatoes

Thai food makes me happy! I love all the exotic spices and flavors associated with it. A good curry is a harmony of many different flavors working together to become one. Fortunately for the home cook, many grocery stores now sell Thai curry paste in their Asian food section, which makes it much easier to make a good curry at home. I tried this recipe recently when, Oh joy, I had everything on hand to make the dish. Husband & I loved it!

I wanted more spice and curry flavor so I added a few more tablespoons of red curry paste. I also added mushrooms, celery and broccoli to the simmering curry, although I waited until the end of cooking to add the broccoli and snap peas so they would be bright green and crisp tender. Serve with steamed rice and enjoy!

For other recipe ideas & blogs, check out: Foodie Friday, Finer Things Friday, Friday Favorites, New Friend Friday, It’s A Hodgepodge Friday, Company Girl Coffee.

Thai Red Curry with Chicken & Vegetables
-recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine

This recipe is easily adaptable to serve meat-lovers and vegetarians alike: see the variation below to serve one vegetarian. Serve with jasmine rice. Serves four.
 
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
3 Tbs. red Thai curry paste
2 cups snap peas, trimmed and cut in half on the diagonal
2 large shallots, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced into 2-inch-long strips
One 13.5- to 14-oz. can coconut milk
6 wild lime leaves (magrut or kaffir lime;optional)
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 5), cut into 1- to 1-1/2-inch pieces
1 cup loosely packed Thai basil (or regular basil, torn into small pieces)
2 Tbs. fish sauce, more to taste
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. fresh lime juice
Kosher salt
 
Heat the oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 20 seconds. Take the pan off of the heat and stir in the snap peas, shallots, pepper, coconut milk, lime leaves (if using), sugar, and 1 cup water. Stir to combine.

Add the chicken, bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the basil, fish sauce, and lime juice. Let rest off the heat for 5 minutes. Season to taste with fish sauce or salt.

Variations:
To serve 1 vegetarian and 3 meat-lovers: After stirring in the vegetables, coconut milk, lime leaves, and water, transfer about 1 cup of the curry mixture to a 2-quart saucepan. To this smaller pan, add 4 oz. extra firm tofu, cut into 3/4-inch cubes, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in 2 tsp. soy sauce, 1/4 cup of the basil, and 1 tsp. of the lime juice.

With the remaining curry mixture in the 3-quart saucepan, finish the master recipe above to serve the 3 meat lovers, reducing the amount of chicken to 12 oz.

Tags: chicken thighs, fish sauce, lime, red curry paste, red pepper, shallot, Thai

Here’s a quick curry-flavored soup that is delicious and easy to make. You can even change up the flavors each time you make it by using different curries. I used curry powder this time (doubling the amount called for); next time I’ll try red, green or yellow Thai curry paste.

Although the soup would be great as is, I decided to add some stir-fry veggies (Napa cabbage, broccoli, snow peas, bok choy, celery and carrots) to the simmering soup for extra flavor and some crunch. I served the soup over fragrant steamed jasmine rice. Yumm…a tasty dinner in no time!

Chicken Curry Soup with Coconut and Lime
-recipe from epicurious.com

Here, lime juice replaces the traditional lemongrass, which can be hard to find. The result is a quick, authentic-tasting Thai-style soup. If coconut milk is unavailable, substitute 1 3/4 cups half and half mixed with 3/4 teaspoon imitation coconut extract. Serves 4.

1 14 1/2-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
1 13 1/2- to 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 tablespoon curry powder
1 jalapeño chili, seeded, minced
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup freshly cooked white rice
Lime wedges

Bring chicken broth, coconut milk, curry powder and chili to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken and simmer until chicken is just cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Mix in lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer soup to bowl. Sprinkle green onion and cilantro over. Spoon rice into each bowl. Ladle soup over. Serve, passing lime wedges separately.

Tags: Asian, Chicken, cilantro, coconut, curry, lime, soup