Limes: not just for margarita's anymore

I love limes, they are an incredibly diverse fruit that can really span menu's from starters to desserts. Aside from that they are a great decor item (apparently?).

Yesterday I had the chance to cook a dinner for my cousin and her hubby and I thought that limes would be a great central theme, in tandem with a mexican/latino idea. So heres the menu:

Apps:
Tequila Lime Shrimp with Garlic & Honey

Uncooked 16-20 shrimp, marinated in 2 tsps garlic, 2 tsps honey, 1 tbsp lime zest, 1 tbsb lemon zest, 2 tbsb olive oil, 2 oz tequila, 1 lime juiced, 1 lemon juiced, 1 tbsb chopped coriander. Let marinade for 20 minutes and grill over med high heat for 2 minutes or until cooked.

Spicy Rib-Eyes,

*Measurements per steak*. In a mortar and pestle grind 1 tsb lime zest, 1/4 tsp dried chile's (ideally thai bird chiles). 1/4 tsp fleur de sel, 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp white balsamic. Rub each steak with this and let sit for up to 5 hours. Grill to your preferred done-ness and finish with a rough grind salt.

Jack'ed potatoes.

(1 potato per person) Using yukon gold potatoes (or another higher starch potato) slice into typical scalloped potato slices and par boil until just tender. Cook off 4-5 strips of smoked bacon, and using 1/4 of bacon fat sautee 1/2 of an onion until caramalized. In a casserole dish layer the potatoes, (seasoned with cajun seasoning, salt, pepper and dried coriander) bacon, onions, diced jalepeno's and shredded jack cheese alternately. Bake in a 350 degree oven until cheese crisps up on top.

Tri-Colored Salad.

So there may be more then three colors but what the hey..

Sautee 1/2 a red onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeno. Add 1 can of (CANNED!!!) corn...i know--canned right? With olive oil pan fry for 3-5 minutes and then de-glaze with white wine. Remove from heat and let cool. Slice up 10-12 cherry tomatoes, 1/4 cup coriander, 2 avacadoes. Mix all together while cool. Dress with olive oil (1/4 cup) white wine vinegar ( 3 tbsp) salt, pepper & 1/6 tsp chipotle powder.

"Key Lime Pie"

So I don't regularly have access to key limes so I did some changes, and it was great!

Whisk 3 egg yolks until light and fluffy (3 -5 mins). Add 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, 2 tsps of lime zest, 1/2 cup lime juice and beat until smooth. In a PRE MADE! Graham Cracker pie crust pour in the mixture and bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Allow to cool and top with vanilla whipped cream.

I am pretty sure I used about 15 limes in making all this stuff because they were so dry so some key points in using limes:

1) Feel em before you buy em, - checking for juice content is key! but if you know you are going to zest a lime, dig you fingernail into one to see how far you get before you hit the white pith.

2) If you cant make key limes..ADD ORANGE JUICE! Seriously, when north americans in the know make thai food they add orange juice (fresh) to cut the acid of Persian limes (mexican and persian limes are your typical variety here)

3) Once you zest, DICE!. Stringly bits of lime


If all else fails, open a corona add lime and enjoy.

In Search of Chicken

As many of you know, my primary meat focus is Pork, with beef running a very close second. However both of these can run a fairly high price, and are not regularly available in take out format. So chicken oftern becomes a fixture...but I dont quite have the metabolism to process KFC on a regular basis.

My friend the chef always talks about grabbing take out on the way home. Actually, as far as I know he does not cook at home but rather lives exclusively by eating out (specifically I figure he is financially supporting the Rushton. But other then that he talks about the local portuguese chicken joint that he stops in at on a regular basis.

Growing up where I did it is shocking that there was never a regular "Portuguese Chicken Joint" aka churrasqueira that was busy. Most of the ones in town were fly by night operations that never lasted for more then a few years (except this one dodgy one that I never actually saw anyone leave with food from.) My significant other suggested the reason for this is that likely everyone was just doing it in their own style at home, which would explain the regular good smell of charcoal grilling that would drift around the neighborhood on a weekend evening.

So I felt the need to find my own "chicken place" and I will tell you it was not easy, the first two we looked to go to were both closed down...and then the other one we drove by didnt have a turning lane. But eventually we found one in Aurora that had a good reputation--it is no solidly our go to take out place. For a price comparable to two 1/4 chicken dinners at Swiss Chalet we got a whole bbq chicken (portioned) with a great piri piri sauce, sauteed veg, browned parisien potatoes and a killer caesar salad with what was clearly a home made dressing FULL of anchovies and garlic. All and all a great meal for what we paid.

I am planning on grilling my portuguese associates in the next day or two to find the home made "moms" recipe for piri piri sauce and will report back asap.