Spiced Watermelon Bites

Headed to the blistering sun of Florida, and I can't wait. Keeping cool becomes the challenge as you come in from the beach, or just going to the store! And there's nothin' better than ice cold watermelon for coolin' you down! Eat it straight up, but if you want some extra kick...spice it up with Tajin and lime for extra flavor. 

You'll see!

Watermelon With Tajin & Lime

Equipment:

Cutting Board & Knife

Ingredients:

Fresh watermelon, either pre-cut or carved yourself

Tajin Chili Salt

Limes

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Prepare the watermelon in bite size pieces.

3. Place into a shallow plate.

4. Spritz with 1/2 to 1 whole lime.

5. Sprinkle with chili salt.

6. Sit back and cool off.

Grilled Corn with Jalapeño Lime Butter

I am a big believer in "don't fix what's not broke" philosophy. If something stands on its own, is great on its own, why change it?  Kind of like fresh corn on the cob--can it really be made better from the traditional butter, salt and pepper recipe? I would argue yes, but I also understand those who would argue 'no'!

So, when Jon stopped in the other weekend, we decided to grill our corn and try some variations on the butter, salt and pepper stand-by. We made a Mint-Feta topping. Tried a Roasted Red Pepper spread. But...the Jalapeño-Lime-Garlic Buttered Corn stole the show! Maybe, because we simply have this thing for all-things-jalapeno right now!

Perhaps you may never alter your corn habits, but if nothing else, knowing how to make an infused-compound butter is a skill worth learning, easy to prep on the drop of a hat, and is an exceptional addition for any pork chop, chicken, or steak.

(Adapted from Rachel Ray Food Network recipe)

Equipment:
Mixing bowl with upper arm strength and fork
     or
Blender / Magic-Bullet blender

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 small jalapeño, finely diced (if mixing by hand)
1 medium garlic, minced
1/2 - 1 lime, juiced
1/2 lime, zested
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt (if using 'salted' butter, you will need to reduce this amount)
Fresh parmesan or cojito cheese

Fresh corn, grilled in husk, grilled out of husk, boiled in water, cooked in microwave--whichever way you want!

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Prep all your ingredients for the bowl or the blender. Make sure the butter is room temperature.

3. Combine all of the ingredients except for the cheese and corn (duh!) into a mixing bowl or blender until smooth.

4. Have a plastic wrap sheet (Seran Wrap) ready for the mixture.

5. Roll into a log and place log into fridge or freezer.

6. Prepare your corn whichever way you like. I'm partial to the grill without the husk now.
7. Spread the corn with a thin layer of olive oil before hitting the grill. Cook until done.

8. When butter mixture has firmed up, slice 1/8" to 1/4" wheels to rub the corn with.
9. Sprinkle with cheese and anything else you like.

Sweet Potato Fries with Lime Mayo Dipping Sauce

Great games coming up this weekend: Alabama vs Texas A & M.  Notre Dame vs Purdue.  I could go on and on.  Probably your school is having a party even if they are playing in the SEC or Big10, but whatever, you do, I know you don't want to slaving over the stovetop preparing food.

Make it simple this weekend:  Try the Marinated Flank Steak or Bandilicious Chicken Marinade.  Make your own salad or stop by Homemade Pizza for one of their seasonal salads.  And throw these in the oven.  Then...step away.  Enjoy the game!

Found this recipe in one of Epicurious magazines--delicious.  Approx cost: $3-4.

Equipment:
Large Baking Sheet
Aluminum Foil
Mixing bowl
Grater with a fine tooth side

Ingredients:
2-3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into wedges
1-2 Tbls of vegetable oil (do not add excessive oil--potatoes won't crisp)
Salt & Pepper

Dipping Sauce:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp lime zest
1/8 tsp cayenne
1-2 tsp of lime juice

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Preheat oven to 450F degrees.
3. Cover baking sheet in foil and spray with PAM

4. Toss the sweet potato wedges with vegetable oil on the baking sheet and spread out on sheet

5. Salt & Pepper potato wedges.

6. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes.  Turn wedges once, and finish baking 15 minutes longer.

7. Combine mayo thru lime juice in a bowl.

8. Potato wedges should be golden and crisp.  Get your platter out and serve with dipping sauce.

9. Awesome.
10. Enjoy the compliments.

Fiery Black Bean Burritos

In light of my recent post on reducing food costs, I thought it might be useful to provide concrete steps in doing so.  Aside from learning a few cooking skills to avoid the costs of pre-packaged, processed foods, another sure-fire way to reduce your grocery bill is to eliminate meat one or two days a week--or go completely vegetarian to really cut costs!

Fiery Black Bean burritos are simple and rich in flavor and complexity without a whole lot of thinking or doing!  Additionally, it provides huge amounts of protein, low fat and sugar content, and has a lot of fiber.  You can certainly buy the beans raw and save even further, but using canned black beans is definitely a feasible alternative, and a huge time-saver.  Cost:  $1-1.89 / can.

Equipment:
3-quart sauce pan
Knife, for chopping
Measuring spoons
Stove top with functioning burners

Ingredients:
2 cans (15oz) black beans
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 jalapeños, diced and seeded unless you like a lot of heat
1 Tbls red wine vinegar
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 - 1 lime, juiced
1 tsp of honey
1-2 tsp of hot sauce, depending on how hot you want it

Fixin's:
Flour, corn or wheat tortillas
Cheddar cheese or Cojita cheese
Tomatoes
SourCream
Avocado
Salsa
Corn
Green Onions
Sauteed bell peppers and onions, ie like Chipotle's fajita mix

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Empty the beans into your saucepan and set heat to "LOW-MED".

3. Prep, chop, dice, and mince all of your other ingredients.

4. Add to the beans:
---garlic
---jalapeños
---salt
---pepper

5. Add red wine vinegar and lime juice, starting with 1/2 of lime.

6. Add your honey

7. Add the hot sauce.

8. Stir and combine all ingredients and let simmer on LOW, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

9. Prepare all the fixin's and set the table!

10. Begin your assembly line--you'll forget all about the meat!

11.  Wrap it up and take a bite...hmmmm! Satisfying!

Mocktails Intro

You don't need to be 21 to have a good drink nor do you need alcohol to have a good drink--you really just need a lot of ice and some killer recipe combinations.

Skip the empty calories, additional cost, and risk of getting kicked out of school for "underage drinking".

As a "close relative" can attest to...stiff penalties (and a sobriety class) ensue (even if only by happen stance) if you stumble into a friends room with any form of ethanol. 

Try one of these recipes first before doing something stupid--and make one for your friend so they don't do something stupid. 

Friends don't let friends be stupid.

Sunset Fire Lemonade

Equipment: 

Grip strength, to squeeze fruit and extract juice; or, 

Manual juicer, approx $5

Spoon, to stir

Drinking glass

Ingredients:

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup lime juice

2-3 thin slices of jalapeño 

1-2 fresh basil, chopped

1/3cup strawberry / orange juice

1/2 can regular or diet ginger ale

To add sweetness, choose your preference:

--Equal, Truvia, or Splenda

--Regular or raw sugar

--Simple syrup or agave syrup 

To skip the sweetness, use Seltzer water.

To skip the heat, omit the jalapeños. 

To skip trouble, skip the alcohol and do us all a favor...wait until you are celebrating your 21st in Vegas where 'what happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas'.