Archive for June, 2023

Fresh Summer Pico de Gallo

June 14, 2023 at 4:18 pm · Filed under Appetizers ·Tagged

When I think of Pico de Gallo, my mind immediately goes to summer time when the tomatoes are ripe and the jalapenos are plentiful. We have been fortunate this year as the heat just really kicked in this last week. All I can think of are foods that I don’t have to cook and can be refreshing when eaten.

Several of my friends are avant gardeners like John Bova and Carmen Wainwright. They have magical powers when it comes to growing vegetables and I love it when I am the recipient of some of their bounty. This week they both gave me the most wonderful tomatoes, ripe, red, and perfect! Knowing that I had these amazing fruits to work with, I stopped at the fruit and vegetable stand and picked up some gigantic jalapenos and cilantro.

I think that first time that I ever had a good pico was at this little hole in the wall restaurant in Gretna, Louisiana. I remember how our taste buds were quite excited when enjoying the sauces and food! Jorge, the owner knew us well, as we were regulars. We frequented his little place until we moved in the early 80’s. His salsa fresca or Pico de gallo was delicious. Mark and I talk about the fun visits to Jorge’s little establishment. We remember one night when most of the regular staff was gone and no one knew how to make a margarita so I jumped behind the bar to put together a few drinks. So sad that many of these little family owned places have gone out of business.

Let’s get back to the real reason for this post! Here is the recipe for this fabulous chunky fresh salsa. Make it ahead so it can chill and the flavors can meld into one another. Enjoy with chips, on tacos, on grilled fish or chicken or in a taco salad. You will enjoy it.

Ingredients:

8 large ripe tomatoes diced

1 medium to large red onion chopped

2 medium jalapenos or 1 very large jalapeno (depending on your heat tolerance)

5 cloves of garlic chopped

3/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of 3 plus fresh limes

3/4 to 1 tablespoons sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin seed

How to:

Combine all ingredients in a large non reactive bowl. Mix completely, cover and chill for at least 2 hours.

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Frozen Pineapple Whip

June 3, 2023 at 9:11 pm · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged ,

The first time that I had Dole Whip at Disneyworld, I could not stop wanting that luscious, fresh taste. We were all hooked. This little dessert is not exactly like Dole Whip but it is creamy, non dairy, and is a bit less sweet. The addition of coconut milk adds a creamy texture and gives it a hint of pina colada. You will need an ice cream maker, either one with the frozen insert or one with a compressor. Mine is a compressor model and there is no mess with an insert, although I do have a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker with a freezer bowl that produces great results. I suggest you make this ahead of time and give it a chance to “cure” or firm up a bit in the freezer for about an hour or more.

Ingredients:

2 20 ounce Pineapple Paradise Containers of pineapple drained and chilled

8 ounces of Coconut Milk chilled

4 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute

1/16 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice.

How to:

In a blender, add all of the above ingredients. Blend on medium until all of the pineapple is completely blended into the liquid.

Place mixture in an ice cream freezer and freeze as directed. Once frozen, place the mixture into a container and allow to cure for at least an hour. Enjoy.

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