Cilantro and Lime Crab Salad in Avocado Halves Posted with Permission From: For the Love of Cooking 1/2 cup lump crab meat 1/2 tbsp light mayonnaise 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped 2 tsp red onion, diced finely 1-2 tsp jalapeño, diced finely 1 tsp lime zest Juice from 1/2 a lime Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste Dash of cumin 1 avocado, cut in half, pit removed Combine the lump crab meat, mayonnaise, cilantro, red onion, jalapeño, lime zest, lime juice, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and cumin together. Spoon the crab mixture into each avocado half and serve immediately.  Approximate Nutritional Values: http://www.food.com/recipe/crab-stuffed-avocado-151191 

Crab Quesadillas with Homemade Guacamole Posted with Permission From: For the Love of Cooking 1/2 cup lump crab meat 1 tsp jalapeno, diced finely 1 tsp red onion, diced finely 2 tsp cilantro Juice from 1/2 a lime Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste Dash of cumin 2 fresh corn tortillas Jack cheese, shredded Homemade guacamole (recipe below) (Note: If you are using par cooked tortillas, cook them in a hot skillet for 30 seconds on each side before preparing your quesadilla.) Combine the crab meat, jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, lime juice, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and cumin together in a bowl and gently mix. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place a corn tortilla in the skillet then sprinkle a bit of cheese; then add the crab mixture followed by a little more shredded cheese. Place the other tortilla on top and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from the skillet and let cool for a minute before slicing. Serve with fresh guacamole. 

Guacamole 4 ripe (soft but not mushy to the touch) avocados 1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced (you can use red instead if desired) 3 cherry tomatoes, diced 1 small handful of chopped cilantro 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 jalapeno, diced finely (if you want it spicy) Sea salt to taste 1-2 limes juiced to taste (forgot to add to the picture)

Slice the avocados lengthwise around the seed. Gently hit blade of knife on the half of the avocado with the seed and twist - seed should come out easily. Either scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon or dice into segments in a crosshatch pattern and then remove with a spoon. Mix the remaining ingredients together with out smashing the avocado too much. Make sure to add the lime, it not only pops the flavor of the guacamole but it also keeps it from going brown. Serve with fresh tortilla chips or as a topping for any of your favorite Mexican dishes.

Approximate Nutritional Values:  http://www.food.com/recipe/crab-quesadillas-27760

Mielie Pap with Chakalaka (Or white cornmeal with stewed tomatoes) Ever see that show on Food Network, the Best Thing I Ever Ate?  Well this is mine.  It's an African dish that a local restaurant specializes in and the chef was kind enough to share the recipe with me, and so I'm now going to share it with you.  TRUST ME, if you like tomatoes, this is the most delicious thing you will ever eat! For the Chakalaka (Stewed Tomatoes): 1 cup onions, diced 6 roma tomatoes, diced 1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped fine 1.5 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped 1 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 1/2 oz lime juice 1/4 oz red wine vinegar 1/4 tsp sambal (a chili-based sauce/condiment usually sold in the asian foods aisle) In a large saute pan, sweat the onions in the olive oil. Add the diced tomatoes, jalepenos, and cilantro, and stew for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, salt, pepper, sambal, lime juice, and red wine vinegar, then stew for 10 more minutes. Adjust seasonings as needed and serve over the mielie pap. For the Mielie Pap (White Corn Meal): 3 cups water  3 cups milk 1 cup white corn flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp butter  Boil the water in a pot and add the salt and butter. Slowly stir in the corn flour. Turn the heat to medium and wait for the pap to start bubbling.   Cover the pot and let simmer for 30-45 minutes.  Serve topped with the chakalaka. (Also, the chakalaka is excellent over baked chicken--just put the chicken in a greased glass pyrex dish, then top with the chakalaka and bake on 350-deg for 30 minutes.)  

Skillet Cilantro and Lime Fish Tacos     

*Serves 4

INGREDIENTS: 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 small white or yellow onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely minced 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, membranes removed and finely diced 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups) 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 2-3 limes) 1 pound tilapia, flounder or other mild white fish fillets, rinsed and patted dry Salt and pepper to taste 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 8 5-inch white corn tortillas 1-2 ripe avocados, sliced Lime wedges and cilantro for garnish

        DIRECTIONS: In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Saute, stirring often, until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add jalapenos, tomatoes and lime juice. Cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes. Add the fish and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, gently breaking up the fish into bite-sized clumps, until the fish is cooked through and the liquid in the skillet is somewhat reduced (it should be fairly wet but not really soupy). Be careful not to stir too vigorously or the fish will turn into mushy bits. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the cilantro.

      Heat the tortillas in a dry skillet for a few minutes on each side to warm or sandwich 3-4 tortillas in between damp paper towels and microwave for 30-45 seconds until pliable. Scoop the fish mixture into the corn tortillas and top with the avocado.

         Approximate Nutritional Values: http://www.food.com/recipe/baja-fish-tacos-160314

Spicy Watermelon Salsa  

Prep time:15 Min

                    INGREDIENTS  

- 4 c seeded and chopped watermelon  

    - 2-3 Tbsp fresh lime juice  

       - 1/4 c finely chopped red onion  

     - 1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro  

     - 1-2 jalapeno peppers seeded and finely chopped(for more heat leave some of the seeds and membranes in)  

     - 1/8 tsp salt (or to taste)  

                     DIRECTIONS  

1.   Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon(but don't discard juice-see note). Yield: approx. 4 cups Note: There will be a lot of juice left over-don't discard it. Just strain it to remove any large solids; pour over ice and enjoy!

         Approximate Nutritional Values: http://www.food.com/recipe/watermelon-salsa-157761    

Grilled Turmeric and Lemongrass Chicken Wings

Ingredients

Preparation

Combine coconut milk, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, jalapeños, ginger, lime juice, tamarind juice, fish sauce, kosher salt, turmeric, and 1 cup water in a blender. Purée mixture until a smooth marinade forms.

Place chicken wings in a large baking dish. Pour marinade over; turn wings to coat evenly. Cover chicken and chill overnight.

Remove chicken from marinade, shaking any excess marinade back into dish. Transfer chicken to a large platter. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Transfer marinade to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until marinade thickens, 10-15 minutes. Pour half of marinade into a small bowl; set aside for basting chicken while it grills. Keep remaining marinade in saucepan; cover and keep warm until ready to serve the chicken.

Build a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Oil grill grates to prevent sticking. Grill chicken wings, turning every 5 minutes and basting occasionally with marinade in small bowl, until fat is rendered and skin is nicely charred in spots, 30-35 minutes. (The key here is to turn the wings often so the skin doesn't burn.)

Continue cooking chicken without basting (so it will get crisp) until wings are cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.

Transfer chicken to a large platter and let it rest for 5 minutes. Squeeze lime wedges over wings. Transfer marinade in saucepan to a small bowl. Serve warm marinade alongside chicken as a dipping sauce.