Tasty

If I had to eat one “genre” of food for the rest of my life, it would probably be Mexican.  If I had to list my top 5 favorite foods – 3 of them are staples in Mexican cuisine (ie. avocados, cilantro, limes)… so that may have something to do with it.  So in honor of Cinco de Mayo I wanted to share one of my favorite happy hour staples.

 Homemade Guacamole

*Smash 2 ripe avocados with a fork, then add in a handful of chopped cherry tomatoes, 1/2 jalapeno, 1/3 white onion,a handful of finely chopped cilantro and lime juice of one lime.  Season with salt.

Homemade Tortilla Chips

* Slice the tortillas into eighths and heat 2 cups of canola oil in a pan over medium heat (feel free to use a larger pot if you don’t want the oil to splash on your stove top).  Use tongs to scoop handfuls of tortilla slices into the hot oil.  Cook until golden brown and crispy (about 20 seconds on each side).  Remove tortilla strips from oil and place onto paper towel lined racks.  Sprinkle with salt.

Homemade Infused Tequila Shooters

I bought these awesome Shot Glass Ice Cube molds this week and filled them with homemade infused Pineapple Jalapeno tequila shots.  Can’t wait to have these in full force this summer… Bottoms up!

Yesterday we enjoyed a lazy Sunday at home and what better way to celebrate then through a fun menu!?  Unfortunately lazy Sundays usually result in me wanting to be – LAZY, so luckily this menu took about 20 minutes to whip up.  Muy bien!

We enjoyed Rachel Ray’s Beef Tostadas with Beans and Pickled Veggies (you really CAN count on her for 30 minute meals 🙂 with icy cold Coronas (salted rim and squeeze of lime!).  Tune in later today to see what we snacked on during the Sharks game!

I’ve been putting fun spins on my breakfast smoothie as the warm weather is approaching, and when I’m in the mood for a light, refreshing drink this is my go-to.

Green Ginger Peach Smoothie

Adapted from: Everyday Food

• 2 handfuls of baby spinach 
• 2 cups frozen peaches
• 1 tsp of frozen ginger (use less if you are not a huge ginger fan)
• 2 tsp of honey
• 1 1/2 water
• Optional: 1-2 scoops of vanilla protein powder

Just throw the following into a blender and blend until smooth.  Drink up!

Cheese plates are great!  While I love them as a starter to any meal/party/event, I’ve started to love them as my main course.  Cheese, fruit, chocolate, bread – what isn’t there to like?!

My first step is to go to Whole Foods or TJs and pick up some great cheese.  Whole Foods has a little wicker basket in their cheese department that has “leftover” portions available for purchase.  This is ideal for a dinner with your honey, where you don’t need 25 servings of Triple Cream Brie (because we both know it’s going to get consumed).  Also, Trader Joe’s has really affordable artisan cheeses, and they constantly are coming out with amazing new products to try – Truffle cheese, Apricot cheese, Chocolate cheese… COME ON.

Once you’ve picked 5 or so cheese’s (I would pick a basic (with a fun twist) – such as a white cheddar, a soft/creamy – Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam (I’m addicted), a bold cheese such as a blue – Cambozola or St. Agur, a hard cheese – a great Parmesan (make sure its the real stuff – Parmigiano-Reggiano should be written all over the pin pricked rind), something fun and new – I’d gravitate towards a semifirm goat cheese (i.e. Barinaga Ranch Baserri). 

Be warned cheese plates can get pricey… know you can always ask Whole Foods to cut portions of any of their cheeses for you.  The Mt. Tam gets especially pricey so we always go with a half portion.

Pairing your cheeses with fun accompaniments is the best part! I always try to put out he following: fruit (apples/strawberries/pears), nuts (walnuts/Marcona almonds), honey, dark chocolate, quince, and jams or tapenades (red pepper/black olive). Don’t forget baguette – sourdough, french, etc. You can serve it sliced, or have small loafs available for diners to tear off their own portions.

And you can’t forget the wine… a wine flight would be fun… but you can’t go wrong with a light Pinot.  We are obsessed with Testarossa’s line-up as of late.

Cheers!