Pico de Gallo

As I promised I have the Pico de Gallo! I know I said I would post this a few days ago, but things have been crazy! I feel like my weekends are sometimes busier than the rest of my week. I threw this dinner party Saturday, it was basically my final for my International Foods class. We had to cost out, decorate and throw an international dinner for 6 people. I chose Thailand and it was so much fun! I will have recipes and pictures for you next week and I will go more into everything I did then! Anyway I spent most of Friday and Saturday prepping for that. I did most of the cooking myself! Like I said...crazy!

                                       

So Pico de Gallo....easy peasy (spelling? I don't think I've ever written that out before haha). Here is the most simple recipe you will ever encounter!

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

5 jalapenos-chopped

                    seeded or not. your choice. Seeded will make it less spicy, but where's the fun in that?

3 tomatoes-chopped

1/2 white onion-diced

1/4 bunch cilantro-chopped

1-2 cloves garlic-minced

garlic salt to taste

1 lime juiced

1-3 cubes of ice

                  depending on how big your cubes of ice are. The ice is the key to enhancing the flavors. It helps bring everything out and just taste amazing!

Alright..here's the hard part....

Directions:

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir. Let sit for 10-20 minutes in the refrigerator. 

 AND...done. Told you it was hard! (yes, there is heavy sarcasm there). Seriously easy and seriously amazing. Try this tonight!

HAPPY EATING!!

Yummy Summer Salsa

So yesterday in my International Foods class we headed off to Mexico! I'm telling you we had some awesome food. I made the Salsas! It was so much fun and I have now acquired two new amazing salsa recipes! These salsas are super practical and you can make them super fast (depending on how fast you chop haha for me that means it takes a little longer).

 By the way neither of these salsas are very hot (for all you with tender palates out there)! I love love super hot salsa so to put this in perspective, my husband swears they are not that hot, and I promise he is kind of wimpy when it comes to spicy foods! However, if you are like me and can take the heat ;-) these salsas are super customizable and you can make them as hot as you want them!!

My beautiful creations!

So today I am going to give you the Avocado Chile Salsa recipe and tomorrow I will post the Pico de Gallo recipe!

Avocado Chile Salsa

Ingredients:

1 whole red onion--quartered and finely sliced
2 whole red chilies--seeded and sliced or diced
1 whole lime--zested and juiced
2 whole large avocados--halved and pitted
2 large tomatoes--seeded and diced
1 large handful of cilantro leaves
TT salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Put the onion, chile, and half of the lime juice into a bowl and set aside to marinate for a few minutes.

2. Using a spoon, scoop out small balls of avocado into a serving bowl. Add the lime zest and remaining juice and turn gently to coat. This will help stop the avocado from browning.

3. Add the diced tomatoes to the onion mixture, toss gently, then add the avocado mixture. Tear the cilantro over the top and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

See! Easy! Told you lol 

Try this with you next meal. Top a taco or enchilada, or serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips. No matter how you eat it, it is awesome!! Let me know how you tried it and how it was! I want to know, and don't forget to come back tomorrow for the delicious Pico de Gallo recipe!

You do not want to miss it!

 HAPPY EATING!!

French Boullabaisse

As many of you know I am in my last semester of college right now, i am set to graduate on July 23rd and I am so, incredibly excited!! One of my classes I am taking right now for my culinary minor is International Foods. I have been waiting to take this class since I started the program a year and a half ago.  Well now i'm finally in it and I love it!! So every week we work on one contry. We read about and we prepare food from that country and then all sit down together and enjoy it! It's awesome!! Last week we did France and it was to die for! Let me share with you one of my favorite recipes from the day. Just so you can understand how amazing this soup was I liked it more than the crepes and the creme puffs! So yeah...

First let me show you all of our food and the the beautiful place setting just to brag for a second!

So amazing!!! Ok now Here is the recipe. This is a simplified-more realistic version of the soup we made called Boullabisse.

Boullabaisse

Serves 15 people

Ingedrients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced
• 1 large pinch saffron, soaked in 2 tablespoons orange juice for 10 minutes (optional)
• 1 strip orange zest
• 1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, in juice
• 6 cups seafood stock (sold at most fish markets) or clam juice
• Some or all of the following seafood (ask your fish seller for enough to serve 4 to 6 people): halibut, cod, tilapiacrabmeat; clams or mussels
• 1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped

1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, and fennel and saut until just brown, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Add the saffron (if using), orange zest, tomatoes, and stock or clam juice.

       You can leave out the saffron to save money. It is very expinsive especially for a college student. It is a great addtion, but if you don't want to break the bank, leave it out.

3. Bring to a boil and cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is reduced by half, about 20 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to medium and add the fish (but not shellfish). Cook for about 2 minutes.

5. Add any clams, mussels, and shrimp. Simmer until the shells just begin to open, about 4 minutes more.

           You can pick and choose the type of seafood you use. The more seafood you add, the better! I really loved the different varities of seafood. Also the broth is amazing, so if you like the flovor, but you don't like the texture of seafood, you really could just strain it out!

6. Add any crabmeat.

7. Cook until all shells have opened, the shrimp is pink and curled, and the fish flakes easily, about 2 minutes.

8. Serve from the pot, sprinkled with the parsley and topped with crusty bread and a dollop of rouille.


That's it!! Pretty easy right?! The longer you let it cook at step 3, the better! Let it simmer as long as you can! Let me know how you like it! I took this recipe and made some for the hubby and he loved it! This is a good one if you really want to have something fancy!