Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner which makes me crave Mexican food and Coronas for a few weeks! I am a big fan of chips and salsa, especially around this time of the year when you can sit down anytime of the day and turn on a baseball game or basketball playoff game. So here is one of my favorite salsa recipes--Corn and Black Bean Salsa. This salsa uses ingredients you can obtain year round--corn, beans, red bell pepper, onion, jalapeno and cilantro.

Ingredients:
1 14 oz can corn, drained
1 14 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 medium red bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium red onion, medium dice
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeds removed, small dice
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Add corn and beans to a medium bowl. Add pepper, onion, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro to corn and beans then fold together. Now add lime juice and olive oil along with salt and pepper.Notes: This beautiful dish can be used as a dip on anything or can be enjoyed as a refreshing cold relish on the side. Any color pepper can be substituted.
Number of servings: 10-12 as dip

BEST SERVED WITH TOSTITOS WITH A HINT OF LIME CHIPS!!

Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breast

Here is a delicious recipe. This recipe is fun as well. But chef beware, it is cheesey!!

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 2 tablesoons melted butter

1. After washing hands thoroughly, gently separate the chicken skin from the meat of the breast halves along the rib edges.
2. For stuffing, in a small bowl combine the cheeses, basil, oregano, and lemon-pepper seasoning. Spoon a rounded tablespoon of cheese mixture under the skin or each breast half. Place chicken, bone sides down, in a 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Brush chicken with melted butter. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 45 to 55 minutes or until no longer pink.

Kalbi!!

This famous Korean dish is on the top 5 of my list of favorite foods. It is a bit complicated to make but the end result is mouth-watering ribs. The ingredients in the following recipes can be found at the Korean market in Garden Grove on Garden Grove Blvd in between Brookhurst and gilbert.

Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Korean pear or Asian pear, grated with juices
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 small white onion, grated or sliced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 (20-ounce) bottle lemon-lime soda, optional (recommended: Sprite or 7-Up)

4 pounds short ribs
Cooked white rice, for serving
Prepared kimchee, for serving (available at Korean grocers)Whisk together all the marinade ingredients in a large baking dish. Add the ribs and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight; it is best if marinated overnight.

Heat grill to high. Remove short ribs from marinade and grill short ribs until slightly charred and tender and cooked to desired degree of doneness. Serve short ribs with white rice and kimchee.

Thai Pineapple Chicken Curry

Thai Pineapple Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
• 1 quart water
• 1/4 cup red curry paste
• 2 (13.5 ounce) cans coconut milk
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into thin strips
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups sliced bamboo shoots, drained
• 1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 green bell pepper, julienned
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup pineapple chunks, drained

Makes 6 servings

1. Boil rice, reducing heat to lower temperature and simmer for 25 minutes.

2. In a bowl, whip curry paste and 1 can coconut milk together.

3. Transfer to a wok and mix in remaining coconut milk, chicken, fish sauce, sugar, and bamboo shoots.

4. Boil and cook for 15 minutes until chicken juices run clear.

5. Mix the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, and onion to the work.

6. Continue cooking for 10 minutes until chicken runs clear and bell peppers are tender.

7. Remove from heat, and stir with pineapples.

8. Serve over cooked rice.

Description:

This is a Thai curry dish that anyone would love. Its flavor is just perfectly sweet and spicy. If you’re in a mood for some authentic Asian cuisine, this won’t disappoint! This dish can be found in Thai restaurants but this recipe is just as good as any other. The pineapple is a must to really enjoy this recipe. It adds the sweetness flavor and makes the curry like no other.