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.

Pineapple Jalapeño Chicken

Life is good when you know what you are doing in the kitchen! Sometimes you just start making stuff up with whatever you have in your pantry and reserves,  because there is simply no time for the grocery store or going out.  That's exactly what happened the Monday after getting back from St Petersburg, Florida...we had chicken breasts, one jalapeño, some pineapple juice, lime juice, my fresh herbs, and of course, the usual spices: garlic and Tajin.  This just sort of made sense...and man, was it delish...totally hit the spot!

Before kids headed off to college, it was not uncommon that we'd get back from a late night flight and everyone would be starving after bad airplane food and long hours. Thinking on your feet and throwing something together for two teenage boys became a nightly challenge, but in that process of being creative you find great combinations of flavor--this recipe is one of those 'throw-together-recipes'--perfect for the grad student, college kid with an unpredictable schedule!

Try this the next time you have little time to prepare.
Add white, brown rice, roasted potatoes, a salad, carrots, a roll, make a sandwich--and don't look back!

Pineapple Jalapeño Chicken

Equipment:
Non-stick skillet with or without grill grates
(or use an actual grill if it's not 11:00 pm like the other night)
Pie Plate or Pyrex Dish for marinating
(if you have extra few hours, throw everything in this for a few hours)

Ingredients:
5 chicken breasts, skinless (5-6 oz prepackaged are ideal for this recipe)

olive oil
1-2 tsp of Tajin
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup pineapple juice (or try orange juice, but the pineapple rocks)
Fresh herbs--oregano, basil, thyme
Salt & Pepper
1 jalapeño, seeds and all for the heat

Instructions:
1. Wash your hands.
2. Wash the surface of anything your chicken comes into contact with.
3. Prep your marinating dish with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

4. Add Tajin, jalapeño slices, lime juice, and pineapple juice.

5. Add chicken.

6. Drizzle olive oil, garlic, jalapeño, salt & pepper, Tajin over chicken AGAIN.

7. Add your fresh (or dried) herbs

8. If time is not an issue, let these marinate for 1-2 hours if possible.
9. Pat chicken breasts dry.
10. Heat your skillet with 1-2 Tbls olive oil on MED-HIGH.

11. Sear the chicken breasts 4-5 minutes each until golden brown.

12. Add your sides, sit back and enjoy having one more option for your chicken!

Chili-Lime Pepper Salad

August is over but the summer spirit continues, at least for me, and until the leaves start changing and the farmer's market closes shop with all its' fresh produce.  This is one of Jon's most requested recipes since the inception of this blog to give him my recipes and those I have made at home throughout the years.

I concocted this recipe back in 2008 when I discovered  Tajin Chili Seasoning--never thought my teenager would go for this...but here we are!  See what you think. 

Equipment:

Large mixing bowl

Sharp knife

Whisk

Ingredients:

2-3 mix of large peppers, green, red, orange, yellow

1/2 large cucumber, quartered

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced diagonally

2-3 green onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced and chopped

1/2-1 tsp of Kosher salt

Fresh Ground Pepper, or regular black pepper

1 Tbls red wine vinegar

1/2 lime, juiced

2-3 Tbls of extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp Tajin Chili Seasoning, sprinkled

1/2" Block of feta, cubed

Instructions: 

1. Wash your hands.

2. Chop and mince your garlic.

3. Add pinch kosher salt

4. Add few grinds of black pepper.

5. Add red wine vinegar, lime juice.

6. Slowly whisk in olive oil. 

7. Adjust salt, pepper, and lime juice to taste. Set aside.
8. Prep your veggies:

--peppers, seeded and chopped

--cucumber, quartered 

--carrot, diagonally sliced

--green onions, sliced

--add everything to mixing bowl with the dressing

8. Sprinkle Tajin Seasoning and combine with veggies. Adjust salt, lime juice, Tajin once more to taste.

9. Add feta and gently fold into veggies.

10. Add this salad to any soup and crusty bread and you've got yourself a fantastic meal.

Guacamole Your Way!

Guacamole is one of things that comes in a gazillion different variations and preferences. Not one tastes the same from one restaurant to the next.

Heat. Spice. Chunky. Smooth. Cilantro. Jalapeño. Onion. Roasted Corn. Lemon. Lime. You name it, people add it, people try it. And so should you. Experiment to your liking!

I'm sure there is some authentic base recipe, but the one I make at home is what I mimicked after eating at Cantina Laredo, Chicago, IL where the guac is prepped fresh at your table.

Ingredients:
3-4 avocado, ripened,
1/2 jalapeño, diced small
1/2 small red onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
(Or garlic powder 1/8 tsp)
Juice of one lime +\-
Kosher Salt
Tajin Classic Chile salt
Drizzle of olive oil
+\- cilantro































Instructions:
1. Prep the ingredients.
2. Combine in bowl or mortar and mash to the consistency you prefer.

3. Add more or less of any ingredient until your tastebuds are happy.

Grab a bag of tortilla chips or add to a sandwich, burrito or taco salad (see last weeks recipe). Nothin' to it!

Tip:
Avoid brown discoloration of the avocado by rubbing with lime juice / lemon.
When storing the guacamole (should you have any left), sprinkle with lime juice, and tightly cover with saran wrap / plastic wrap directly on the guacamole.