Spicy Jalapeño Lime Burrata with homemade chips

Homemade tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole will always be a staple around here,

 but our favorite burrata cheese recently took a trip south of the border 

for a new Mexican appetizer!

Creamy, soft burrata is perfecto with lime juice and zest then

soaks up just touch of spice from thinly sliced jalapeños...

and the cheese gets even more decadent 

as you scoop it up with warm salted chips...

I have a feeling that Taco Tuesday will never be the same!

Spicy Jalapeño Lime Burrata

1 large ball of burrata
5-6 very thin slices of fresh jalapeño
juice of half a lime
drizzle of olive oil
lime zest for topping
dash of salt

Place burrata in a shallow bowl or dish.  Squeeze lime on top of cheese, drizzle with olive oil then top with jalapeño slices, lime zest and salt.  Serve with freshly fried tortilla chips. (I just fry corn tortillas that I cut into triangles in very hot vegetable oil until golden, drain on paper towel and lightly salt).

Jalapeño Lime Tofu Tostadas

I live in a house divided.

Although we all enjoy a variety of foods from different countries, 

I prefer Mexican and my son prefers Japanese.

One of his favorite dishes is a spicy marinated tofu we get at at a local restaurant.

I decided to take is love for it and combine it with light, fresh tostadas...

It has just enough of the crunch and lime that I love 

and the spice and silkiness of tofu that he loves...

The marinade is the key to the flavor of this dish.

I always have tofu in the frig, it is great to toss into many dishes for a quick boost of protein.

Not only does the marinade flavor the tofu but since it is plant based, 

you can use it to drizzle of the the top of the tostadas as a dressing!

Viva Tofu!

To make the tostadas: 

Drain and press Extra Firm Tofu Cut into cubes and marinate for at least an hour (the longer the better) in 1 cup olive oil, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, 1 sliced jalapeño and 1 tablespoon ground cumin. 

Sauté tofu in a hot nonstick pan with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Serve on crisp tortillas with shredded cabbage, sliced green onions and cheese… drizzling marinating liquid and jalapeños over the top. 

Cinco De Mayo Centerpieces

I love Cinco de Mayo.
It's such a festive, colorful and simple celebration
and I think the centerpieces should be too.
Just a little something fun to dress up the fiesta.

What better way to say olé than-
Succulents and Cervezas...
(simply cut the top off of an empty beer can, poke a few holes in the bottom for drainage,
 fill with soil and top with succulent)

Bright Blooms and Beer Bottles...

(full directions here)

or Flower Stuffed Shells?

(more info here)

They all make your table say Muy Bien!

Crispy Potato Tacos- A Thanksgiving Leftover Fiesta

Two things I love are mashed potatoes and tacos.

One of my favorite ways to use all of those eftovers after Thanksgiving,

 is to whip up a platter of 

Crispy Potato Tacos.

They are such a crunchy, creamy, crowd-pleaser...

Gather corn tortillas, mashed potatoes and taco toppings of your choice...

here I used a little pico de gallo but they are great with 

chopped jalapeños, shredded cheese and even avocado.

Spread warm mashed potatoes on one side of the tortilla and place on heated skillet for about 

30 seconds to soften tortilla and make it easier to fold.

Secure folded tortilla with a toothpick, 

then heat vegetable oil in a skillet (about 1/2 in deep).

When oil is very hot, carefully slide taco in pan 

and fry about a minute on each side, until tortilla is browned and crisp...

(make sure you remove the toothpick!)

Top your taco and enjoy!

The Easiest Piñta Cake

Back to School means back to the grind.

Homework, sports practices, meal planning...

In an effort to make the dinner routine a little more fun, 

we rely on Taco Tuesday to make our week night a fiesta.

I'm surprising everyone tonight with a treat, 

a Piñata Cake...

Store bought coconut cake is magically transformed into 

a darling dessert...

You just need a Piñata Cookie Cutter...

and colorful sprinkles...

Gently push sprinkles into the cake to better hold them in place, 

then lift cutter straight up.

This piñata is all about the prize being on the outside,
instead of inside.
Just the way I like it...

Viva Taco Tuesday!

Tacos a la Playa

Nothing tastes better to me than a summer seaside taco!

There is something about the sun and sand,

 combined with the fresh and slightly spicy crunch of a taco.

Our closest beach doesn't have any restaurants close by so when we want 

tacos ala playa we bring our own.

My favorite way to do it is combine most of the ingredients before hand...

(I love to shred the veggies, chicken and cheese too, 

it's easy and  reminds me of high school when the surfers would talk about shredding the waves!)

then stuff our crunch shells once we are ready to eat.

Enjoy the view...

Tacos ala Playa
makes 8 tacos
1/2 small cabbage shredded
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
2 carrots peeled and shredded
5 radishes sliced or shredded
1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
Toss all above ingredients with:
Juice of 2-3 limes
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp. cumin
good pinch of kosher salt

Fill hard taco shells and top with shredded cheese (I like pepper jack), salsa, sliced jalapeños, guacamole and sour cream to your liking.

Summer Cherry Salsa

Is there anything cheerier than a cherry?
Perfect for pies, simple snacks, gorgeous garnish for drinks
and sensational in salsa...

We are so lucky to have friends with property chock full of cherry orchards.

We definitely know Summer is here when we get a package from Sunset Ranch...

Cherries are such a fun, flavorful alternative to tomatoes, 

the tart yet sweet taste is totally addictive...

Quick, easy and pretty, 

I think it's the best way to get the Summer Fiesta Season started...

Summer Cherry Salsa

Mix together:

2 cups fresh pitted cherries chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped shallot

1-2 fresh jalepeños finely chopped with seeds removed

juice of one lime

1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro 

1 tsp kosher salt

Serve with chips and enjoy

Cinco de Mayo Desserts - Maraca-rons

What a reason to celebrate,
Taco Tuesday and Cinco de Mayo in one week!
We are shaking things up for 

and making Maraca-rons...

Store bought macarons instantly transformed

All you need are macarons, wooden stir sticks and colorful icing

(I used macarons from Trader Joe's, stir sticks from Starbucks and Wilton Icing Writers)

cut stir stick down to size and insert gently into macaron filling...

then decorate to your heart's content...

Olé!