Blueberry Mint Margaritas

Hands down, a margarita is my favorite cocktail any time of year.  Now that summer is upon us and the grocery stores and farmer's markets are bursting with berries, I decided to pop a few in my margarita.  Last summer I featured a blueberry mint granita on my blog and decided to take that flavor combo and apply it to my yummy cocktail.  

Grilled Corn with Ancho Chili Butter and Fresh Lime

There is no surer sign of summer than corn on the cob.  Have you ever tried grilling it?  Grilling adds layers of flavors while boiling seems to drain flavor away.

Over the weekend, I felt compelled to show off my grilling skills (especially since it was sunny and about 72 degrees). So the corn went on the barbecue. The flames gently charred the corn kernels and caramelized this yummy sweet vegetable.

Spicy Pork Fried Rice

It amazes me that I only have one or two recipes on this blog for stir fries.  Honestly, I make this dish almost two times a week.  It is a fantastic way to use up leftover meat, vegetables, etc.  Throw in some rice, noodles or quinoa and you’ve got yourself a meal.  It’s always a hit with my family.  There is never the complaint – stir fry again!  There are so many ways to change it up and is a perfect venue for your personal creativity – your stir fry can be an expression of yourself (that sounds really corny!).

The following are staples of my stir fry:

toasted sesame oil

soy sauce

sriracha

chili garlic sauce (sister of sriracha with the rooster on front and green lid)

seasoned rice vinegar

sometimes - green onions, cilantro, toasted sesame seeds

As well, Kikkoman makes a Sweet Soy Sauce that makes a lovely caramelized glaze – especially if you are adding noodles.

5 Top Ethnic Food Blogs

These are five of my favorite and most original food blogs featuring regional and global cuisine.  It's completely subjective (not based on stats or Alexa scores), however I am sure you will enjoy reading and viewing each one.  All the original pictures featured are taken from the blog.

Sweet Life -  sweetlifebake.com

Sweet Life, written by Vianney Rodriguez, is a captivating and unbelievable collection of Mexican recipes.  Living in San Diego, I have become extremely fond of authentic Mexican food and Vianney helps guide me to traditional yet innovative fare.

Caprese Pasta Salad with Burrata Cheese

Have you ever had Burrata cheese?  I think this cheese is made by the Gods.  I’m not sure why I haven’t discovered this decadent creation until recently.

Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving it an unusually soft texture.  It’s like cutting into a molten chocolate cake.  The creamy center spills out slowly and luxuriously, tempting your taste buds with the promise of pure decadence.

Heath Bar Crunch Banana Bread

I realize that just a couple of weeks ago I posted a recipe for mini banana chocolate chip muffins.  Therefore, this recipe may seem redundant, but I promise it isn’t.  The fact is, if you have overripe bananas you have to make banana bread in some way, shape or form.  They are too mushy to eat, but just perfect for that baked confection that we thoroughly enjoy at breakfast or any time of day.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

OK - I know I just posted about enchiladas.  However, I wanted to share the recipe for the beautiful enchilada sauce pictured there and here.  You can easily substitute this sauce in for any canned version.  It's super easy to make and so much better than the grocery store version.  You will have extra, so just pop it in a jar and it should stay fresh for at least two weeks.

Easy Cheesy Enchiladas - Gluten Free

     Cheese enchiladas are one of my absolute favorite foods.  Growing up in Manhattan, my family's favorite Mexican restaurant, Cantina, was on the corner of 70th street and Columbus Ave.  Without fail most of us ordered the cheese enchiladas that came accompanied with a pile of yellow rice and absolutely perfect refried beans.  The entree was topped by shredded iceberg lettuce which lent a refreshing crunch to the rich combination.  The gooey cheddar cheese almost melted in your mouth while the spicy red sauce gave it a zesty kick.      On several occasions, I have tried to replicate this amazing experience.  It's never quite worked.  Usually the enchiladas come out kind of soggy, with cheese oozing everywhere.  They are messy, fall apart and are very disappointing.  However, I ran across a blog, Amy's Cooking Adventure, that had a secret technique to make simple, restaurant style, perfect enchiladas with three basic ingredients - cheese, tortillas, enchilada sauce. Here's the trick - don't bathe the stuffed tortillas in the sauce, simply dredge the tortilla.  Place it on a flat surface and add cheese down the middle.  Roll up, place seam side down and done.  You end up with crispy flavorful tortillas and a nice interior of melted cheese that stays in the tortilla!

Dark Chocolate Cherry Brownie Bites

All I can say is thank you San Diego!  The preliminary numbers suggest that "America's Finest City" is one of the top contenders for most revenue made this past Saturday at the Annual Food Bloggers Bake Sale.  As of Monday, we were only a couple hundred dollars behind Atlanta, the largest money maker last year.  Marie Tran-McCaslin of Meandering Eats, is our fearless leader and should be very proud of herself.

Money raised goes directly to Share Our Strength.  No child should grow up hungry in America, but one in five children struggles with hunger. Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign is ending childhood hunger in America by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day. 

Food Blogger Bake Sale for Share Our Strength

This Saturday Great News! kitchen store will be hosting the food bloggers national bake sale representing the San Diego chapter.

Virtually Homemade will be baking Dark Chocolate Cherry Brownie Bites.

If you are in the area come check it out!

Great News!

1788 Garnet Ave, San Diego, CA 92109