What I want to eat when it's freakin hot outside!

Today it's 99°, with a heat index of 110°!!!! Ick!  I'm so sick of the heat and the dreaded question of "What's for dinner?"  At times like this, I immediately think of the ultimate, quick, hot weather food from Rick Bayless's Mexico One Plate at a Time. Black bean-chicken tostadas with salsa and tangy romaine makes a perfect dinner that no one in my family will turn down. My version simplifies things by buying packaged tostada shells, a rotisserie chicken, using my favorite salsa, and a couple more tweaks. In fact, this is so fast that I pull this out when I'm in a pinch for time.

Black Bean-Chicken Tostadas with Salsa and Tangy Romaine

One package tostada shells

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium white onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1, 15oz can black beans or frijoles negros, drained

Kosher salt

2 cups shredded chicken (use a store bought rotisserie)

3/4 cup mexican crema or sour cream (I can find crema at my local mexican market. It's awesome and worth looking for!)

1 cup or so of your favorite salsa (I like a tomato/jalapeno type for this recipe)

1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco, cotija, or even shredded cheddar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups loosely packed, thinly sliced romaine

chopped tomatoes and cilantro for garnish

For the beans:

In a medium saucepan, heat the 2 tablespoons canola oil over medium heat.  When the oil is shimmery, add the onion and cook until golden, approximately 7 minutes.  Add the garlic until you can smell it (about a minute, no more).   Then add the beans.  Using a potato masher, mash the beans until they are soft and creamy.  Add a little water, if necessary.  Don't worry about lumps.  It should be lumpy but still smooth.

For the tangy romaine:

Toss the romaine with the vinegar and olive oil and about 1/4 teaspoon salt.

To serve family style (or you can plate to make it more special):

Put out the tostada shells, bowl of shredded chicken, bowl of beans, the tangy romaine, crema, salsa, chopped tomato, chopped cilantro, and cheese. 

To assemble:

Take a tostada shell and spread the bottom with the delicious black beans.  Top with some chicken, romaine, salsa, crema or sour cream, and cheese.  Garnish with the tomatoes and cilantro.  Enjoy and don't forget to tell your kids to lean over their plate!!!

Just in Time for 4th of July - Strawberry Shortcake!

I just got back from my Texas road-trip to my hometown of Corpus Christi, Texas, just in time for 4th of July! After seeing fields, and fields, and fields of strawberries growing along the gulf coast, I just had to make my absolute favorite, "Long-on-Strawberry Shortcake!" I'm not sure where I got this recipe, but I love it! Instead of a biscuit, it is a moist, light cake, made with cake flour, poppy seeds, crushed strawberries, and even some almond extract! Topped with sliced berries and whipped cream, it makes a nice presentation and tastes fantastic! In addition, it only takes 30 minutes, start to finish! It is a nice variation of a true American classic!

Long-on-Strawberry Shortcake

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

For the Cake

2 cups cake flour (like Swan's Down)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs, separated

1/4 cup crushed (with a fork), ripe strawberries

1 teaspoon almond extract

2, 9" round cake pans and parchment paper

For the Topping

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

2 pints fresh ripe strawberries, sliced

3 pretty, small, whole berries, for garnish

Directions:

For the Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9" round cake pans. Cut parchment circles to fit the pans, place in the pans, grease the parchment, and flour the entire inside of the pan. Tap out any excess flour.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppy seeds in a bowl.

With an electric mixer, cream together the sugar and butter. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine 3/4 cup water and the almond extract with the crushed strawberries. Add the fruit mixture in thirds, alternating with the dry ingredients. Continue beating until all the ingredients are well incorporated.

With the mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold them into the batter.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the layers for 5 minutes in the pans. Remove the layers from the pan and continue to cool on cooling racks.

For the Topping

While the cakes are baking, whip the cream and 1 tablespoon of the confectioners' sugar. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Combine the sliced strawberries with the remaining confectioners' sugar, a tablespoon or two at a time, until desired sweetness.

Assembling the Cake

Remove the parchment rounds from the layers. Transfer one layer to a serving plate. Top with half the sliced berries and spread 1/2 of the whipped cream over the berries. Top with the remaining cake layer, the rest of the sliced berries, the remainder of the whipped cream, and garnish with the 3 remaining whole berries. Pretty and Yum!

Feeling Ugly? Eat This!

We all know that we should incorporate more fruit in our diets. Not only is it good for your overall health, it's also good for your skin! Fruit contains high water content, which is good for hydration, and is loaded with vitamins and minerals needed to make you feel healthy and energized. And because fruit contains high levels of vitamin C, it will help boost collagen production, repair tissue damage, and protect your skin against free radicals! Now that's super food!

Honey has been used to enhance beauty since the dawn of time. Although the beauty benefits of honey are usually topical, incorporated into face masks, hair masks, and baths, etc., ingesting it will help you from the inside out. After all, you are what you eat! Right? The ancient Romans gave honey to their Olympic athletes to boost performance and endurance. Honey also has antioxidant and anti-bacterial properties, which helps boost your immune system and prevent disease. In addition, honey is good for hangovers, sore throats, and a teaspoon before bed helps you sleep! No wonder Aristotle called it the nectar of the gods!

Now that we understand that fruit and honey is good for the skin, so is mint! Mint is a popular herb used in shampoos, lip balms, and mouth rinses. But it is also found in many beauty products to sooth itching and infections, look for "menthe" on the labels. Mint has a high salicylic acid content, which is good for loosening dead skin cells, resulting in clearer skin. Mint can also help with digestion problems, such as bloating, and is also good for headaches, nausea, colds, and even the flu!

Want to feel better and look better, too? Try this "Fruit Salad with Honey, Lime and Mint!" This is the perfect refreshing summer salad! In fact, it's the only way I can get my fruit-phobic husband to eat his fruit! I recently served this along side chiles rellenos, instead of the typical beans and rice. It was delicious and kept the meal from being heavy or unctuous. Feel free to use any fruit you prefer or have on hand, e.g., berries, kiwi, honeydew, etc. Add this simple recipe to your repertoire and you will have no problem eating your way to healthier skin!

Fruit Salad with Honey, Lime, and Mint

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
5-6 cups fruit, cut into bite-size pieces (I use 1 whole cantaloupe and 1 pint strawberries)

3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves

Directions:
Place all the fruit in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until just before serving.

In a small bowl, mix the honey, lime juice, lime zest, and chopped mint together. Just before serving, pour the dressing over the fruit and gently toss to combine.

Recipe slightly adapted from Ellie Krieger.