small pieces of raw fish marinated in lime or lemon juice.

that tuna ceviche really got me in the mood for... more ceviche!
i'm ceviche monster!
nom.. nom.. nom..

i rounded up a wealth (a small wealth) of shellfish. shrimp, scallops, and lobster tail meat.
i've made ceviche before, where i'll flash cook the shellfish.
dunk it in a pot of boiling water for a few seconds.
this time, i decided to keep it raw. i cut up my scallops, shrimp, & lobster. i tossed all my shellfish in a bowl, and added garlic, cilantro, red onions (that were marinated in red wine vinegar) and the juice of four limes. i thought of using avocado or tomatoes, but figured they would make a better garnish than ingredient. i made my ceviche on a tuesday and i let it "cook" until thursday night. on thursday, i thought that it was still a little under-"cooked". on friday, i didn't notice much of a difference in the change of the texture of the meat, but i felt a little safer eating it.
you know, after i fed it to some of my guinea pigs. ha!
i think my ceviche came out smashing! it was light, perfect for summer, and refreshing. my only complaint with allowing the meat to "cook" straight off in the lime juice, is that i feel the meat let out enough water that it made a not-so-attractive sauce in my ceviche. next time, i'll flash cook the meat and let it finish cooking in the lime juice & garlic.

no worries, i'm addicted to sea food.
there will be pictures of shellfish ceviche 2.0 up soon!
woot!

bean patty cakes.

this was run 2.0.

previously, i used two cans of black beans, cilantro, red onions (soaked in red wine vinegar), garlic, the juice of two limes, and a bit of egg beater to bind my patties. oh, and corn meal. i hand mushed the beans so that they were about 75% mush and 25% whole bean. i dropped "patties" into a hot sauce pan, and let them brown and cook through on each side. one complaint, they were dry on their own but, with the following pineapple salsa they were super tasty!

today!
i used one can of pinto beans and one can of black beans. i added some chopped red onions and green onions. cilantro paste, garlic, chopped green chiles, a couple tablespoons of chicken broth, little egg beaters, and some corn meal. the consistency this time was much more liquid-y than the first time. that's ok... i'll bake them! i split the mix into 8 piles ... or patties, if you will. baked them at 400* for about fifteen to twenty minutes on each side.

yum!

pineapple salsa!

teacher appreciation week?
sounds ficticious...
but i'll happily accept your gifts of fresh produce.
enter... pineapple!

i made pineapple salsa!

as for this delicious sweet & savory salsa... i could not be more thrilled! the salsa came out great! fresh and tasty, and to be cliche --- exploding with flavor! bam!
i used about a can and a half of diced low-sodium tomatoes, half of a fresh pineapple, garlic, red onion (soaked in red wine vinegar), cilantro, and lime juice. i forgot a serrano / jalapeno... next time gadget... i tossed all my ingredients in bowl, then added a third of the mix to the food processor, hit puree. added another third, puree. final third, quick puree. adding things in segments to the processor helps give the salsa and variety of textures to the salsa, giving it a puree/juicy layer, a chopped layer, and a more chunky layer.

my salsa went AWESOME with my black bean patties....
get excited!
it's coming....

holy crap it's may!

it's time for some light, fresh food!
tuna ceviche and tuna sushi roll... or something that resembles a sushi roll. a poor excuse for a sushi roll. none the less, delicious!
i wasn't quite sure how i felt about the tuna ceviche. don't get me wrong... i love ceviche but, the tuna hadn't quite "cooked" in the lime juice when i ate it.
sushi grade tuna, chopped tomato, mango, serrano pepper, avocado, cilantro, and lime juice.
it was perfect.
the mango, tomato, & avocado were fresh and complimented the fish super well. the serrano pepper gave the ceviche an unexpected and much needed kick.
i saved some until the following day, the acidity changes the texture of the fish over time, and i wanted to experience some of that on monday.
it was best on sunday.

i used the extra tuna to make some sushi rolls.
cucumber, avocado, mango, tuna, brown rice.
yum.
they looked a bit horrid, but they tasted delicious!

*powdered wasabi = surprisingly strong.
highly recommended.

magical mystery dinner!

i have to say, for this, i am very proud of myself.
i made an excellent stir-fry with broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and pineapple. that's pretty much my go-to delicious & easy meal. i seasoned it with some cayenne powder, garlic, and whatever else i haphazardly picked out of the spice cabinet. i cooked the onions first, so they'd caramelize. yum! then, i cooked down some frozen broccoli & cauliflower. once it was heated through, i added the onions, mixed, then threw in the pineapple. i use the rings and cut them down. i like how the pieces aren't the same size. yes! i'm neurotic!
once my stir-fry was screaming hot & ready, i added the best part.
this, is where i have to give myself a round of applause.
i made.... satay sauce!
one may think: no big accomplishment, monster!
alas, i made satay sauce with... pb2!
powdered peanut butter?
yes! it's fantastic! it has no preservatives and has 85% less fat AND calories than regular peanut butter. genius!
so, to make my outstanding pb2 satay sauce:
(holy crap! an actual recipe! with measurements!)
1/4 c pb2
1/8c low sodium soy sauce
1/8c low sodium chicken broth (to get to desired consistency)
1 tbs chopped garlic (i buy pre-chopped in the jar. yep, i'm a cheater)
1tbs cilantro (i buy the paste in the tube. busted again.)
mix it all together. yum!
i think i added a little more soy to give it a kick.
plus, i made a double batch.

not only was it delicious!
but i'm just so creative!

what's that i hear?
oh, it's your stomach growling!
roar!