Chicken and Mango Chutney

To me, mango is a precious and delicate fruit that only on occassion, I treat myself to it.  This big chunk of flavorful, sweet, and juicy goodness makes me happy every time I take a mouth-filling bite.  To quote my three-year-old nephew today at dinner, after he slurped down some oily and salty juices from a vegetable dish, "the fairies in my stomach are very happy now!"  He doesn't make a lot of sense sometimes (lord knows what goes on in a three-year-old's head...), but it was beyond hilarious, and true!  The fairies in my stomach really loves mango!

Chicken and Mango Chutney
from Simply Recipes 

Not much was altered from the original recipe, so please click on the link above for ingredients and steps.  The only items I didn't have were candied ginger and mustard seeds, so I just didn't add any.  It still came out tasty.

Sweet and tangy... delicious!

Guacamole!

It's summer out!  How lucky am I, my previous prayers were answered... I bet you are thinking, "Summer in March??"  That's right! Gotta love the Bay Area!

If you are in the mood to hold a get together due to this amazing weather, guacamole is always a great go to entertainment food to make.  It's easy, it's tasty, and it's cheap.  Although avocado season is typically in spring, many markets, especially big supermarkets, will have avocados available all year round.  Go buy your favorite type of tortilla chips and sit out in the sun with this great snack!

Guacamole

Ingredients
- 2 large ripe avocado
- 1/4 cup of red onion, finely minced
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and finely minced
- juice of a lime
- juice of half an orange
- 1 tomato, juices disgarded and diced
- salt and pepper to taste

Steps
1. Carefully cut open the avocado by going around the seed and pry it open.  The seed will stay in one of the halves of the avocado.  The seed is slippery, so using your fingers will not help much.  Use a knife and gently hit the seed so that the seed clings to the knife, and then wiggle and remove seed.  You may need to try it a couple of more times to get the seed out.  This is the tricky part of the process.

2. Using a spoon, scoop out the avocado and into a mixing bowl.  Add red onions, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, and orange juice.  Mix well using a fork.  Salt and pepper to taste.

3. Prior to serving, add diced tomatoes.

Makes 2-3 cups.

A few tips...
...to find the best ripe avocado, ensure it is semi-soft to touch and the skin is darker than usual.  Green-skinned avocados are not ripe!  If the avocado is too soft, then that means it's much too ripe.
...save the avocado seeds to place in the guac.  This will allow the guac to stay in a pretty bright green color, instead of oxidizing and turning brown quickly.
...I do not recommend saving guac for the next day or so, because it will turn brown eventually as it continues to oxidize.  Eat it all (it will be hard not to)!!
...if you want some heat, save some jalapeño seeds and add to the mix.  Careful when working with jalapeño seeds.  The oil from the seeds can stay on your skin if not washed with soap.  If you rub any part of your body with oil-stained fingers, you may feel heat in places you don't want to feel!

 

Just Pictures: No Fish Consumed at Fish

A couple of months ago, we went to explore what the Bay Area has to offer.  We left early in the morning for the Ferry Building in SF, and took the ferry to Sausalito.  This day of out and about had it's ups and downs... it was fun exploring a new city, getting off our lazy bums to go out and actually work our legs, and of course, lunch!  However, after our amazing lunch, we walked out of the restaurant and into the cold, wind, and rain.  We left Sausalito many hours ahead of schedule, as we were not prepared for the rain that day.  A bit unfortunate, but hey, can't have them all...

 Portuguese Red Clam Chowder

Crab Roll (no joke... all crab, no fillers)

Grilled Calamari Mixed Greens Salad

Fish // Sausalito, CA

Shrimp Kebabs (and wishing Summer was here already...)

I'm digging this recipe out of the archives.  Obviously, we made this during one of the nice and hot summer evenings last year, using our outdoor grill whenever we got the chance.  A super simple recipe and light meal, I remember eating and smiling at the same time this day.  It is also pretty darn healthy, since the ingredients only consists of shrimp and tons of veggies.  Next time there is a delightful warm day, give these kebabs a try!

Shrimp Kebabs

Ingredients
Kebab:
- 1 lb of medium-sized shrimp, washed, peeled (leaving only tail on), and deveined
- 1 red peppers, cubed
- 1 medium zucchini, cubed
- 1 box of cremini mushrooms
- 1/2 yellow onion, cubed
- pinch of salt and pepper
- 2 tsp olive oil

Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted
- 4 garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper

Tools
- soaked skewers (soaked for at least 1 hour)
- grill
- grilling basket (optional)

Steps
1. In a large bowl, toss all of the kebab items with a pinch of salt and pepper and olive oil.

2. Start assembling the kebabs using the pre-soaked skewers.  Line items in any desired order.  For example, first start with a shrimp --> red pepper --> cremini mushroom --> shrimp --> yellow onion --> zucchini --> shrimp.  Note: to secure the shrimp on the skewer, poke through the tail end and then the body of the shrimp.

3. Prepare the sauce by combining melted butter, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.

4. Pre-heat the grill (if you have a gas grill, turn the temperature to medium high).  If you have this tool, place the kebabs in a grilling basket for ease of grilling.  Once the grill is hot, place kebabs on the grill.  It should take about 10-15 minutes to cook.  Place a close eye on these while cooking... just in case!  When the kebabs are close to done, brush the kebabs with the prepared butter sauce.

Serves 2.

Two shrimp kebabs with a side of salsa-topped baked potato and a slice of lime.