Quesadillas are a Perfect Food. Crisp and fluffy at the same time, full of stretchy cheese, and whatever ingredients you’ve got in your fridge at the time. There was a great time period in my life where I routinely kept flour tortillas and shredded cheese in my kitchen so that I could make quesadillas at any moment – but since I also have very little self restraint, I try not to keep them within arm’s reach at all times. Towards the end of summer, fresh corn is widely available and delicious on the grill. This week’s recipe combines sweet charred corn and leftover shredded rotisserie chicken. I love repurposing food from previous meals into something new and quesadillas are the perfect vehicle for that. The Mission Tortillas Street Taco Flour Tortillas are incredible - pillowy and delicious when the edges get hot and toasty. They’re also the perfect size for individual quesadillas. Serve these with the simplest Mango Salsa ever!
Mango Salsa
Whewww this mango salsa is refreshing. It is robust, vibrant flavor that enhances savory dishes. Eat it with everything - tacos, quesadillas, grilled meat, chips, or by the spoonful. Sweet, juicy mango chunks become best friends with jalapeno, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, and lime juice for a quick, fail-proof salsa that you can make to brighten up any meal.
Crispy Prosciutto Breakfast Sammies
Breakfast might seriously be my favorite meal of the day. I love eggs, cereal, oatmeal, crepes, omelettes, blintzes..pancakes...waffles.........and I'm salivating. Breakfast has an endless options and one of the great ones is the almighty breakfast sandwich! Sometimes there is nothing better than hearty, toasted bread holding together savory breakfast goodness. This is a super simple breakfast sandwich - use it as a springboard for ideas to make your own, using what you already have! For me, it's all about texture, so I start with a base of creamy avocado, mixed with lime, cilantro, red onion, salt and pepper, and red onion. Add pan-crisped slices of salty prosciutto, and top it off with a nice, runny egg for the perfect breakfast combination. If you've never had crispy prosciutto, go, now! Baking or gently pan-frying tender, delicate pieces of prosciutto transforms the already delicious treat into intensely flavorful, crisp pieces of heaven. You can add pieces to a salad, toss them in pasta, or eat them like chips like I do ;) Let's get cookin!
Honey Lime Summer Corn Salsa
This is a bright and zesty recipe to enjoy some of summer's best produce!! It can be enjoyed with chips as a dip, or eaten as a summer salad. Golden brown kernels of corn come together with tomatoes, creamy avocado, red onion for bite, black beans, and tons of fresh cilantro in minutes, and are tossed with the most amazing Honey Lime Vinaigrette. This combo is seriously delicious - the combination of lime juice, earthy, warm cumin, honey, and extra virgin olive oil is the absolute perfect way to bind these ingredients together. The best part is that the flavor of the dip gets better as it sits - so it's great to have out during an event, or to make ahead for lunch! Let's get cookin!
Stuffed Baby Bok Choy Cups
Living in Hong Kong is a constant foodie fest. There are so many amazing things to eat and try and sometimes it gets overwhelming. I've been trying my best to cook at home more often (even though eating out is so much more convenient in HK!) But it has really made a change in my energy levels and overall well-being. It's often hard to avoid carbs here, but today I have a really fun recipe that is the perfect addition to your low-carb list! These babies are like eating flavorful dumplings...without the guilt!
Grilled Cheese Tacos
There's nothing like a classic grilled cheese. And I think we can all agree that we've been waiting on a taco emoji since forever. So what happens when you combine the two? Pure heaven. This week's recipe for Grilled Cheese Tacos is an incredibly easy way to appease your biggest junk food craving in minutes. Toss together some fresh pico de gallo and slice up some creamy avocado to top it all off. These tacos are perfectly warm and gooey, salty and savory; and the pico adds a nice fresh punch. Let's get cookin :)
Elote Salad
BBQ season is here! Warm weather, ice cold drinks, and tons of yummy dishes and sides. I love BBQs because they’re often potlucks, and you get to try out all kinds of new dishes and get inspired by others’ cooking! One of my favorite indulgences is Mexican Grilled Corn, or Elote. Elote is corn on the cob, often served with salt, chili powder, butter, cheese, lime juice, cilantro, cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream. They’re so delicious and comforting.
I was thinking about ways to make Elote for large groups of people, and realized it would be so easy to simply cut the kernels off the cob and cook the corn in the same way. The result is a vibrant, flavorful side dish that is fantastic for parties or regular ole weeknight dinners. One other perk that I love is that I always tend to get corn stuck in my teeth when I eat it off the cob - and this way, it’s a little easier to eat shovel into your mouth hahah :)
Baked Cilantro Lime Chicken
These suckers went fast in my house. A zesty marinade of lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper is a quick way to inject a ton of flavor into any cut of chicken. It’s baked in the oven, which helps cut down on extra oil, and comes out tender and juicy, ready to be finished off with fresh lime zest and chopped cilantro. Because this recipe is really for a simple marinade, it can be used to dress up chicken in almost any dish… chop it up for over a salad, serve it over pasta, rice, quinoa, or throw some pieces into some tacos for a fun weeknight meal.
This marinade is made of ingredients that are super affordable, and often, all you need to head to the store for is for fresh limes and cilantro. Limes are often on sale at produce markets for fairly cheap prices - this week Safeway had them on sale at 3 for $0.99! You can use this marinade on any cut of chicken - breasts, thighs, or drumsticks. I prefer thighs, even though breasts are healthier and have more protein. If you’re just starting to play with different chicken recipes, I’d suggest cooking up some chicken thighs! You can hardly mess them up :) So let’s get cookin, this one’s a fun one.
Cilantro-Lime Jalapeño Chicken Salad
Chicken Salad is a classic that can be flipped in many ways - it’s so versatile! My twist on the traditional chicken salad is surprisingly refreshing - with a zesty bite from fresh lime juice and cilantro, and a kick from a dash of cumin.
I usually take a shortcut and shred up some Costco rotisserie chicken. It’s quick, easy, and half the work is already done for you! However, this time around, I decided to start from scratch and cook the chicken myself, starting the layering of flavors from the beginning. This recipe will show you how to poach chicken, dress it up, and serve it for your friends and family. I even included two different serving methods. Halve and season a fresh, ripe avocado and spoon mounds of the creamy chicken salad on top, or split open a few King’s Hawaiian Rolls for easy individual servings. Of course, you can serve these on any variety of great breads - I suggest a nice French or Italian bread :)
Sounds hard, but is actually pretty simple and quick. You’ll love these great flavors! Let’s cook :)