Lime Ice Cream Pie

This is a perfect summer dessert- cold and refreshing with just the right amount of sweetness.  It's also incredibly easy to make- no ice cream maker or special kitchen utensils required, other than a food processor for the crust.  The tart and creamy filling pairs wonderfully with the homemade graham-cracker crust which is buttery and sweet.  It's also nice that this keeps in the freezer for several days (or even a couple weeks) so you don't have to eat it all in one sitting.  Or you could make two and save one for later.  Either way, this is sure to be a success for you and your guests!  Thank you to Serious Eats for the recipe, which was unaltered.  Note that there is a good amount of wait time in this recipe so get an early start on it if you plan to consume it in the same day. 

This also gave me a chance to use my DIY cake stand!

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 10 plain graham crackers
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 5 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled

Filling:

• 1/2 cup lime juice (3-4 limes)
• 1 tablespoon lime zest, plus more for garnish, from about 1-2 limes
•  3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Start by making the pie crust.  In a food processor, combine the graham crackers, salt, and sugar.  Pulse until it is the consistency of fine bread crumbs.  Add the butter, and pulse until a course meal forms, scraping down the sides as necessary.   Transfer to a pie plate or tart pan and press evenly down into the bottom and sides of the dish.  As a note, the filling will not completely fill a pie plate to the top, so you don't need the crust to come all the way up to the top of the sides.  

Refrigerate for 15 minutes, and then preheat the oven to 375°F.  Bake the crust for  15 minutes, until it starts to turn a darker golden brown.  Remove from oven, let it cool, and the place in the freezer until you are ready to pour in the ice cream filling.  

To make the lime ice cream, combine the condensed milk and heavy cream in a medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine and then add the lime juice and lime zest.  Stir slowly.  The mixture will almost immediately thicken.  

Add the salt, stir, and then pour into the frozen crust.  Smooth out the top, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours before serving.  

When you are ready to serve, let the pie sit out for about 5 minutes to soften before slicing.  Garnish with additional lime zest.  Enjoy!

Elote (Mexican Corn on the Cob)

The first time I saw elote, it was being sold on the street on a wooden skewer so customers could take it on the go.  It smelled delicious, looked amazing, and kids were gobbling it up like popsicles on a hot day.  I went home to research what this treat might be and discovered that it is elote - Mexican corn on the cob, which is actually incredibly easy to make.  I've found that microwaving the corn is the easiest and quickest way to cook it on the cob- and with a quick dressing of lime-mayo, queso fresco, and spicy smoked paprika you have a complete snack!
Ingredients:
- 4 ears corn on the cob
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (preferably home-made)
- 1 lime, zested and halved
- 3/4 cup queso fresco or cotija cheese (you could also use feta but it is harder to crumble... this is what we used in the photos, and I think queso fresco is much better)
- spicy smoked paprika and cayenne pepper, to sprinkle on top according to your taste

Directions:

Place the corn cobs in husk on a plate, and microwave for 6 minutes. (or 1 1/2 minutes per cob if you do more or less)   Remove and let it cool until you can peel the husks without burning your hands.  If your corn is already shucked, wrap each piece in a damp paper towel to microwave. Peel away all of the husk and corn hair once you can handle the corn. While the corn is cooking, prepare your lime-mayonnaise.  Mix the mayo with the zest of one lime, and the juice from half of it.  Thickly spread this mixture over the corn.

On a separate plate, crumble the cheese.  Roll each piece of corn in the cheese until it is lightly coated.  Sprinkle with spicy smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.  Squeeze some fresh lime juice on top before serving.   A great dish to enjoy fresh summer corn!

Mango Salsa

This is a sweet and spicy salsa that is great for the summer when fresh mangoes are in season.  There are no tomatoes in it but it still captures much of the same flavor from the jalapeno, red onion, garlic, lime juice and cilantro.  We also added diced cucumber to give it some crunch and balance out the cayenne pepper.  It started out a little sweet, but by the next day all of the flavors had melded together and it was balanced and delicious.  This salsa is great with chips, but it would also be delicious on a piece of salmon or pork. 

Ingredients:

1 ripe mango, diced (not too ripe though or it will turn into mush)

1/4 cup minced red onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno, minced (seed it first if you are worried about the spiciness)

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

2 limes, juiced

1 tablespoon chipotle in adobo sauce (or use 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper)

1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions:

Chop all ingredients as listed above.  

The mango was the hardest, as ours was a little too ripe.  The easiest way to do it is to peel the skin off and score the flesh of the mango with your knife into small squares.  Then slice the fruit off and it will already be cut into small pieces.  Mix everything together and chill until ready to serve.  

 Taste it to see if you need to add more heat according to your taste. As I said, it is definitely better the day after making.  Enjoy!

Thai Coconut Lime Chicken Soup

With some leftover cooked chicken breast on a rainy November day, I knew I would be making chicken soup.  After having some really tasty lemongrass soup from a Thai restaurant a couple weeks ago, I was craving the same flavor combination.  Tangy, salty, spicy, and creamy from the addition of coconut milk, this soup will warm you up with a burst of flavor on a cold day.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, minced

A two inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced (about a tablespoon)

1 lemongrass stick (found in the fresh packaged herb section)

Sriracha (hot chili sauce)

1 large or two small carrots, thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

2 T Thai fish sauce

32 oz chicken stock (my favorite store-bought brand featured below)

Juice of three limes

2 cups shredded chicken or turkey

1 cup coconut milk

handful of cilantro, washed and chopped

Directions:

Heat 2 T vegetable oil in a pot over medium-low heat, and add the garlic and ginger.  Sautee for 2 minutes, careful not to let the garlic brown.  Meanwhile, mince about 1/3 of the lemongrass stick.  Add this, along with the remaining whole stick, with about 2 T Sriracha (no need to measure) to the pot. Continue to sautee for about 3 more minutes.

Then, add the celery and carrot, increase heat to medium.  Season with salt and pepper.  After a few minutes when the vegetables begin to soften, add the fish sauce and stir to combine.

Next, add the chicken broth, chicken, and lime juice. I would recommend only adding part of the lime juice at a time, tasting to see if you want more. 

You can also add more Sriracha at any time if you want the soup to be spicier.  Finally, add the coconut milk, cover the pot, and bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes.  Taste again to see if you need more lime juice, coconut milk, or hot sauce.  Toss in cilantro before serving.

Makes about 4 large servings, or 6-8 side servings.