Vegan Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas with Avocado Cilantro Cream Sauce

Made a version of these the other night from the cookbook Oh She Glows (thanks to a dear friend for the tip). I did some tweaking 'cuz that is what I do and OMG...these are so delicious! My hubby thought they were made with meat! The cookbook recipe is a bit different but very close.

Changes I made:
Mixed beans instead of black beans (it was what I had in the pantry).
2 cups of sweet potatoes (I ended up with five LARGE enchiladas).
I made my own enchilada sauce to pour over before baking and used 1/4 cup in the filling.
1/2 package of frozen spinach instead of fresh.
Omit the nutritional yeast -- totally not needed!

Here is the link to her blog and recipe:
http://ohsheglows.com/2011/05/04/vegan-enchiladas-with-cilantro-avocado-cream-sauce-2/

(photo credit: Oh She Glows ohsheglows.com )

Chili Rellenos Casserole

Serves 4

4 Poblano Chili peppers

2 eggs

3/4 cup flour

Cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack. I used cheddar and friulano (yum)

Two ripe tomatoes sliced thinly 

1/2 cup Bread crumbs

2 tbsp Butter

BBQ or broil the peppers until the skin is charred and they are soft. 

Peel the peppers and remove the seeds. 

Set aside

Shred cheese...you will need about two cups shredded cheese. Set aside.

Beat eggs and milk together. 

Melt butter and mix with bread crumbs. 

Assembly:

Butter or oil your dish

Layer 1/2 of the poblanos

Top with 1/3 cheese mix

Layer remaining poblanos

Top with 1/3 cheese mix

Layer sliced tomatoes

Top with remaining cheese 

Pour egg/milk mix over the whole thing, covering evenly

Last layer is buttered bread crumbs, sprinkle evenly over top 

Bake at 350F until top is browned, about 30-40 minutes. Let it sit for a few minutes before cutting.

Blackberry Lime Muffins

(I turned around to get the camera and one went missing!)

1 lime, juice and zest of
1/4-1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup fresh blackberries, halved

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

1. Spray a muffin tin and set aside.
2. Zest a lime, and set aside. Melt the butter and let it cool.
3. Squeeze the juice of the lime into a measuring cup over a sieve to catch the seeds and stuff. Pour enough milk into the measuring cup to make up a half cup. Stir in vanilla and the lime zest. Set aside for now. Yes, it may get buttermilk-looking....that's okay!

1. In a large bowl, measure out the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Mix well.
2. To the lime/milk mixture, add the egg and the cooled butter and mix well. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix just to combine.

1. ONLY MIX UNTIL EVERYTHING IS WET. Do not overmix.

1. Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling them only halfway.

1. Sprinkle a few berries on each one and then continue to fill the muffin tins to the top. Why? Well, 'cuz if you mix the berries right into the batter, you will end up with SMURF MUFFINS. Trust me.

1. Bake in a 400 F oven for 25 minutes until the tops are springy.

1. Cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Brag moment (no recipe)...

What do you do when your first granddaughter is having her first birthday, her parents are both NASCAR fans , and her birthday falls on the same day as The Daytona 500?

THIS:

...and yes, it is completely edible. Well, it WAS.

Mama Mia, MANGO!

FRESH MANGO SALSA

Okay....so you are out grocery shopping and having a great time...

Wait, is that only ME?

Whatevs. There you see it...heaven in a box....a FREAKING BOX of mangoes. Like a whole box!

You stop yourself and say, how could I ever eat a box of mangoes? I stop you and say, SHUT UP. Hell yeah, you can eat a box of mangoes. The real question is how can you stop yourself from eating them in one day?

One of my favourite things to make when I get my hands on fresh mangoes is salsa! 

1 large mango or 2 smaller ones, peeled, pitted, and diced.

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro

1 fresh jalapeño, chopped, or 4-6 slices of pickled jalapeño. More or less to taste.

Salt and pepper

Fresh squeezed lime juice from one lime.

Mix it up and try, just try to not eat it all.

Eat it with tortilla chips. 

Use it to top your favourite quesadilla, taco (great on fish tacos), etc.

Top your grilled fish with it -- instant gourmet!

Pssssttttt....gonna let you in on a little secret: substitute the mango with fresh tomatoes and you just made Pico De Gallo. Ummmm, yeah.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

(Makes 12 muffins)

Preheat oven to 350 deg F and grease or line (paper cupcake liners work great) your muffin tin.

Dry Mix 

In a small bowl combine the following:

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips 

Mix well. Set aside.

Moist Mix

In your mixer bowl:

Cream together

1/2 cup softened butter

3/4 cup sugar

Then add

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup ripe bananas mashed (2-3 bananas)

Tip: I freeze ripe bananas when they are past the eating stage. Just throw them, unpeeled, as they are, into the freezer. When I have 3-4 frozen bananas, I am ready to bake something. Pop in the microwave for 30-40 seconds and squeeze them out of their skins into the mixer bowl. Voila! Mashed bananas!

Add dry mix to the moist all at once and combine with a rubber spatula gently until JUST COMBINED but still lumpy. DO NOT OVER MIX.

Divide amongst the muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed with your finger.

Power Brunch!

Okay no recipe today but an inspiration that will take you minutes to make and hours to burn....this is filling, fulfilling, and GOOD FOR YOU! This week, I had 6 hours of Zumba® Fitness in 3 days....talk about calorie burn!

What is it?

One whole grain breakfast pita. I get these at Costco and put them in the freezer right away. When I want one, I take one out and pop it in the toaster. Spilt it down the middle by gently cutting around the edge and pulling the two halves apart. They are good, good for you, and toast up really well - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Most importantly, they don't fall apart!

2 eggs lightly fried. Buy yourself a REALLY good non-stick pan and USE it! You will save on using all that fat to keep the eggs from sticking. Oh and when the pan gets old, THROW IT OUT! Seriously.

2 slices of bacon. Confession: I cheat when it comes to bacon. I buy the pre-cooked stuff at Costco and pop it in the microwave when I want some. Honestly, it really is less greasy than cooking up fresh bacon and who wants that mess?? Super handy too!!

Piece of avocado, fresh, sliced.

Aged white cheddar. Take it easy, you only need a little bit. There is more flavour in AGED cheese so you can use less of it when preparing your favourite foods. Sneaky hey? Get rid of a few calories without sacrificing flavour.

Throw in some tomato slices if you want but I think it gets mushy...that's just me. It is your sandwich.

Oh and some hot sauce, duh!

Burp.

Take that McD's and Timmies....you ain't got nuthin' on this one.

I LOVE SALSA!

Salsa

Simple. Full of flavour. Homemade.

1 can (796 ml) diced tomatoes

1 large onion, diced

1 green pepper, seeded and diced

2-3 (or more) jalapenos, diced

(use fresh, pickled, or canned)

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

salt and pepper, to taste

Put all ingredients in a medium sized pot and stir.

Bring to a boil. Simmer at medium heat for 20 minutes.

DONE!

Take that Paul Newman!

Makes enough to share with your favourite friends. 

Tightly seal it in smaller containers in the fridge and it should last a few weeks.

Edamame Bean Salad with The LONGEST NAME EVER!

Edamame, Black Bean, Corn, & Tomato Salad 

with Avocado, Onion, and Lime-Cilantro Dressing

Serves 6-8 as a side dish, 4-6 as a main dish

1 cup edamame, shelled, boiled until just tender, then rinsed under cold water and drained 
(I used the steam in bag ones from Costco - giant box in the freezer section - one bag, 300g, steam them as per the box and shell them)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 - 2 cups corn kernels, canned or frozen, if frozen boiled until tender and rinsed under cold water and drained 

(I used two fresh ears and cut the kernels off, steamed lightly in the microwave, maybe 2 minutes)

1 cup diced tomatoes, FRESH 

(I used Roma tomatoes 'cuz that's what I had)

Diced jalapenos or roasted green chilis 

(optional, but you KNOW I chose the jalapenos, pickled this time, but you could definitely use fresh...be careful, wash your hands well after chopping)

Dressing:
Toss it all into the bowl...with the veggies...don't dirty more dishes than you need to!

One half avocado, chopped 

(okay....important tip from yours truly: if you are making this to eat later, don't add the avocado until just before you eat)
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro -- FRESH IS BEST!

2 TBSP minced red onion
1 tsp ground cumin
3 TBSP fresh lime juice (about 1.5 limes give or take....FRESH...clearly you should know better than to ask by now)
2 TBSP olive oil (buy yourself some good olive oil already...sheesh)
Salt and pepper to taste....TASTE IT before you add more! And get that shaker off the table, you don't need to season again.

Serve at room temperature (best) or chill for later (also delicious).

If you really want, you can have some tortilla chips on the side.

I am back!

I have decided to bring this baby back to life. Alternatively, I could just keep posting my food adventures all over Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter...oh wait, I will probably do that too. Meh, whatever...you are here, therefore you must care...or at the very least want to steal a recipe or two... ;) I may venture off into different topics on occasion but in the end we all come back to what we love...FOOD (and wine). Sigh, I had to get that out. In the end, I hope to inspire you to see that cooking can be easy, affordable, and fun! Stay tuned...who knows what you may find hidden in these pages and my ramblings... Cheers! Disclaimer: I have no idea how consistent I will be with this blog so don't start giving me a hard time.

Super Yummy Sweet & Sour Spareribs

Super-duper deliciousness that your family will love. Not sure how calorie-wise they are for you but it's got to be better than take out any day!

Originates from a recipe I received years ago and have tweaked it along the way...I still manage to change it up every time I make it. Star Anise is a nice addition and so is fresh chopped ginger (added to the sauce part). Chinese Five Spice is also another good one. Play around and make it your own!

4 cups sweet & sour cut pork side ribs, sliced individually between the bones
Salt, pepper
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup soy sauce

Mix together and saute ribs in a deep pan until well browned on all sides.

Once the ribs are nicely browned...

In a separate bowl, mix the following together (who am I kidding, just dump it all in the pan and save yourself some dishes to wash):

1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cups of water

Pour the sauce mixture into pans with ribs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover with lid for an hour.

Taste sauce. Too sweet, add a bit more vinegar. Too sour, add a bit more sugar.

Simmer for another half hour or so, until ribs are super tender, falling of the bones, and the sauce has reduced.

Serve over rice.

I usually double the recipe — trust me, you will eat a second helping. Or maybe that's just me….

Fish Taco Platter

This is not my recipe but has become one our family favourites and one of the very FEW times we fry anything in this house!

Fish Taco Platter
Bon Appétit | January 2006
by Bruce Aidells and Nancy Oakes

yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

Pickled Red Onion and Jalapeños
1 red onion (about 12 ounces), halved lengthwise, cut thinly crosswise
5 whole small jalapeños
2 cups seasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt


Baja cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon (packed) finely grated lime peel
Pinch of salt


Tomatillo Salsa Verde
12 ounces tomatillos,* husked, stemmed, divided
4 green onions, white and green parts separated
1 jalapeño chile
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 1/4 cups (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lime juice


Fish
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
3 teaspoons coarse kosher salt, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 pounds skinless halibut, sea bass, or striped bass fillets, cut into 1/2x1/2-inch strips


16 corn tortillas
2 cups self-rising flour
Vegetable oil (for frying)


Fresh salsa
Guacamole

Preparation:
For pickled red onion and jalapeños:
Place onion and jalapeños in heatproof medium bowl. Mix vinegar, lime juice, and salt in small saucepan. Bring just to boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Pour over onion and jalapeños. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For baja cream:
Whisk all ingredients in small bowl. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For tomatillo salsa verde:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil roasting pan. Char half of tomatillos, white parts of green onions, and jalapeño directly over gas flame or in broiler. Transfer charred vegetables to prepared roasting pan. Add remaining tomatillos and garlic cloves to pan. Roast until all vegetables are soft, about 12 minutes. Cool.

Stem and seed jalapeño. Place all roasted vegetables, green onion tops, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon lime juice in blender. Puree until smooth, stopping to push vegetables down into blades several times. Transfer to medium bowl. Season with salt and more lime juice, if desired.

For fish:
Mix buttermilk, cilantro, pepper sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, and lime juice in large bowl. Add fish; toss. Cover; chill at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Wrap tortillas in foil; place in oven to warm. Whisk flour and remaining 2 teaspoons salt in medium bowl. Add enough oil to large skillet to reach depth of 1 inch. Heat oil until thermometer registers 350°F. Working in batches, remove fish from marinade and dredge in flour. Carefully add fish to skillet, cover partially, and fry until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain, then transfer to oven to keep warm.

Set up buffet with all taco fixings, along with fresh salsa and guacamole.

*Green and tomato-like with a papery husk, tomatillos are available in the produce section of some supermarkets and Latin markets.

Original: http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/Fish-Taco-Platter-233703#ixzz1loqQtwZM

Garlic Herb-Crusted Spring Creek Beef Roast with Creamy Mustard-Wasabi Sauce

I adapted this from a recipe received from Kirstin at Spring Creek Ranch. It was her mom's tried and true Herb-Crusted Spring Creek Beef with Creamy Mustard Sauce recipe. I always feel extra special when the recipe comes from "mom's kitchen". Thanks Kirstin for sharing!!

I made some changes, as I usually do. It is a great recipe using a less expensive cut of meat and since the beef was grown locally, raised the RIGHT way, it was just that much better!!

Approx. 2lb Spring Creek Inside Round Roast

Herb Paste
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh sage, finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seed, crushed or cracked with a spoon
1 tsp coarse salt, best to use a sea salt or very coarse salt
½ tsp fresh ground pepper
Combine all ingredients into a paste.

Mustard-Wasabi Sauce
½ cup sour cream (or thick, strained plain yogurt)
2 tbsp grainy brown mustard
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 - 1 tsp wasabi powder (add to taste, depending on how wimpy you may be)
Whisk together in a small bowl. Chill until eating time!

Cook roast from thawed (room temperature is preferred). Rub roast with herb paste. Let the roast sit in herb paste for 1-2 hours. Place roast in small baking dish that is similar in size to the roast, so that juices can be captured. Bake uncovered at 400⁰F for approx. 25 min to brown outside, then turn oven down to 275⁰F. Do not use convection oven settings for this -- sometimes you just gotta go old school. Add a little water or beef broth to keep juices from burning to the bottom of the pan. Bake until the roast reaches an internal temp of 130⁰F. Remove roast from oven, cover with foil & let rest for 5 min. Carve against the grain, drizzle with pan juices and serve with mustard-wasabi sauce. It will be pink in the centre -- don't overcook it. Try to slice it as thin as possible...yum!

Kirstin's tips: The mustard sauce also works great to spread on roast beef sandwiches (so true) or as a dipping sauce for our Spring Creek Top Sirloin Medallions (I will try this soon).

Yeah, I am not usually a roast beef fan but this was delish!

Froze up the extra slices for future sandwiches. I always do this when I cook too much that way we don't get tired of leftovers and later on it is a nice quick treat on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Wicked Awesome Brownies

No really...that IS what we call them.

A little bit crunchy, a little bit chewy, and a whole heck of a lot of chocolate. Wicked. Awesome.

Disclaimer: there is nothing low-fat about these babies. Sometimes you must not mess with perfection.

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (that's about as healthy as it is gonna get)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare an 8" square pan using spray oil or melted butter and dusted with flour.

Combine chocolate and oil in saucepan and stir over LOW (take your time) heat, stirring occasionally until melted. Stir in vanilla and sugar. Let cool for five minutes.

Transfer chocolate mixture into mixing bowl and beat eggs in, one at a time.

Add both flours and baking powder and mix well. It will be thick.

Spread carefully and evenly into prepared pan.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Top will be dry and cracked. Test with a knife and you should get a slight amount of gooey deliciousness on the tip when you pull it out.

Remove from oven. Run a knife around the edge and let cool on rack. This is very important as these brownies will crumble if not cooled COMPLETELY! Not that I would know as I am never in a hurry to eat these...no, no, I am not...really...

Oh shut up.

Enjoy.

Wicked. Awesome. See, I told you.

Just tempting you with some stuff I made lately...

http://www.joyofbaking.com/LemonMeringueTart.html

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sour-Cream-Streusel-Coffee-Cake-5807

Homemade Fat Free Yogurt Cheese!!

If you are like me, cheese is a problem.  Yup, I love cheese...any kind of cheese.

After perusing the internet (yes I was googling cheese, so what) and happening across this little recipe: http://www.danone.ca/en/recipes/cheese.aspx  I though I would give it a go.

So...I dug out a coffee filter (the cone ones work really well) and followed the recipe. I used my favourite fat-free organic yogurt brand (ummm, errr, sorry Danone) and got started. I placed the filter and yogurt in a wide mouth glass so I could drape the top of the filter around the top of the glass to hold it suspended in place. Covered it and put it in the refrigerator last night.

This morning, I lifted the filter and (now) cheese out of the glass and dumped the cheese out into a small bowl.  The liquid at the bottom of the glass and the filter gets discarded obviously unless you know of some fantastic way to re-use them.  Oh heck, compost the filter...you'll feel better.

To this beautiful yogurt cheese I added 1 tsp each of Epicure's 3 Onion Dip Mix and Epicure's Herb and Garlic Dip Mix and stirred it up. Of course you can easily use any herb or spice mix...have fun! I love Epicure's blends (http://epicureselections.com/) because they are so easy and convenient.  Headed off to the gym and upon my return I tasted my delicious fat free herbed yogurt cheese. Voila:

Nice hey?  Yeah, lucky I took a picture.  All I can say is it is a good thing it is fat free....nom, nom, urp...

The flavour possibilities are endless.  I think it is safe to say I will be experimenting! Enjoy!!

Note: I have continued to make this...out favourite uses Greek Yogurt (yum) and the herb/spice blends depend on how we are feeling that day. I have since replaced the cone filter with cheesecloth, which I wash a re-use.

Pretty Quinoa Salad

Found a big bag of Organic Quinoa (organic and pre-rinsed for convenience) on my latest Costco adventure...cooks faster than rice and better for you.  Love it!!

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah):

Considered a "super-food" by many, Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain (an average of 16.2%, compared with 7.5% for rice, 9.9% for millet and 14% for wheat). It’s also a good source of dietary fiber and is high in magnesium, potassium and iron and a good source of phosphorous, calcium, vitamin E and several B vitamins. Quinoa is also gluten-free and easy to digest. It contains an almost perfect balance of all eight essential amino acids needed for tissue development in humans.

Quinoa is not a true cereal grain but technically a fruit of the Chenopodium family. Quinoa’s relatives include spinach, beets and Swiss chard. It is used as a grain and substituted for grains because of its cooking characteristics.

 Pretty Quinoa Salad

(adapted from Michael Smith, Chef at Home)

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• pinch salt
• 1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced
  
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 cucumber, washed and diced
• 3 green onions, sliced thinly
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• The zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Rinse the quinoa well in cold running water. This will easily rinse away the natural bitter coating on the seeds. Drain and toss into a small pot. Add the water and season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover with a tight fitting lid, turn the heat to low and simmer until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool until lukewarm.
   
2. Meanwhile get all the colorful veggies ready. Toss them into a bowl and when the quinoa is done, add it as well. Add the lemon and olive oil, toss well, season with salt and pepper and serve.

Have fun with it, mix and match different veggies, add in some cooked chicken or turkey...change up the dressing...keep it light and colourful.  Good tasting and good for you!

Enjoy!

Salmon Ceviche

Ceviche is basically a way of cooking foods in citrus juices. Yes, don't worry, it is perfectly safe and absolutely delicious!

Hubby and son recently had a very productive salmon fishing trip on the west coast so I made up a batch of this to test out the oh so very yummy fresh salmon they brought home.

Ingredients:

Approximately 8 ounce piece of raw salmon, skinless and boneless
3 limes
1 tomato, diced
I small red onion, diced
1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, fine diced (optional for you but not around here)
1/2 chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste



Instructions
Slice the limes in half and squeeze the juice into a bowl (glass or stainless is always my preference when dealing with raw foods). I use a stainless steel reamer. Pick out any seeds that are in the juice.

Add the olive oil, chopped tomato, onion, minced pepper, and cilantro/parsley (or both) and mix it up.

Slice the salmon on the diagonal into 1/4" thin slices. Make them bite size so cut them into smaller pieces if necessary.

Add them to the bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Stir gently to coat all of the salmon. Let it sit (cook) in the refrigerator for at least four hours.

Serve it with a slotted spoon along side of a crusty baguette.

Yummy, pretty, easy, and super impressive!!

Chili Lime Salmon with Watermelon/Blueberry Salsa

I love to top a flavourful and spicy piece of grilled salmon with the perfect fruit salsa. It is a delicious and fresh contrast in flavours. Serve it on a need of your favourite basmati rice and voila, a feast for the eyes and the taste buds! Enjoy (we did last night, yum)

Chili Lime Salmon with Watermelon/Blueberry Salsa
Made it up last night, honest.

One salmon fillet per person.
Rub olive oil on each piece, all sides
Generously sprinkle with VE Chili Lime Sansel on all sides of fish pieces.

Let sit for a half hour in the fridge while you mix up the salsa.

Fire up the grill to medium/high heat.

Watermelon/Blueberry Salsa:

2 cups diced seedless watermelon
1/2 cup fresh whole blueberries
1 chopped green onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley (Italian parsley)
1 tablespoon VE Fruit Salsa Mix
Salt & Pepper to taste

Toss together in a small bowl and refrigerate to allow flavours to intermingle and have a good time :)

Reduce grill heat to medium and grill salmon for about 4-5 minutes per side. Don't over cook salmon, just cook until the inside changes colour but it still glossy.

Serve over steamed basmati rice and a generous scoop of your prepared salsa on top.

Pour yourself a lovely chilled glass of white zinfandel (its all about colour on my table) and dig in!


For substitutions to the Epicure blends suggested in this recipe, contact me!

Layered Mexican Fiesta in Your Mouth!

Yes sir-ree...it is a FIESTA in your mouth...so much so that I didn't take a picture quick enough on Sunday. They ate it all too quick!


1 cup fat free sour cream
1 cup low fat soft cream cheese
1 Tblsp Epicure's Poco Picante Salsa Mix or substitute a low-sodium Taco Seasoning Mix, adding more or less to taste.

Mix the three together and spread on the bottom of a plate. You want to make a layer about 1/2" thick. At this point you can set it in the refrigerator until just before serving. About half an hour before serving you create the following layers.

On top of the cream cheese mixture, sprinkle one cup of shredded lettuce (iceberg works best, nice and crunchy).

Next layer, sprinkle a half cup of shredded cheese -- cheddar or monterey jack or both!

Next layer, one seeded and chopped tomato.

Sprinkle with sliced green onions, sliced olives, and chopped pickled jalapenos if you dare. Be creative...add your favourite toppings. How about some chopped cooked shrimp? Maybe some colourful bell peppers?

In the end, when all the creative juices have run dry and you are pretty much drooling, garnish with some fresh chopped cilantro or parsley.

OLE! A FIESTA for your mouth. For real!

Serve it with tortilla chips (multigrain baked ones if you want to feel less guilty but whatever) and an ice cold cerveza (beer) on the side.

I guarantee it won't last long.