Mangos are such a lovely fruit to pair with salad greens, and the nutty crunch of the coconut gives this simple salad just enough texture to be flavorful without having a dry texture. This dish is an easy addition to a summer BBQ or is lovely as a stand-alone lunch plate. To turn this salad into an entree add some chicken, cooked prawns, or scallops. You shouldn’t feel guilty that this meal will take you all of 15 minutes to pull together. A tavola!

Mango Coconut Salad & Citrus Vinaigrette

Salad Ingredients

2 ripe mangoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (either use champagne or red blush mangos)

4 cup mixed greens, washed and dried

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Citrus Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette Ingredients

1/2 cup freshly squeezed citrus (blood oranges, oranges, limes etc.)

1/2 shallot, minced

2 TBS Champagne vinegar

2 tsps extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Salad & Dressing Assembly Directions

Prepare the vinaigrette: Place citrus juice, shallots, vinegar, and salt in a small bowl. Let shallots macerate for 30 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil.

Heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Add in the coconut and stir until golden brown and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Let cool.

In a large salad bowl, toss together lettuces, mango and the citrus vinaigrette. Taste and adjust salt and pepper seasonings. Garnish with toasted coconut. Serve immediately.

Note: To turn this into an entree top chicken or fish.

Serves 2.

A food bloggers nirvana – invite a few of your all time favorite bloggers to share a Sunday night dinner with you. The challenge, we all live in different cities. The next best option was to host a virtual pot luck. The invites were sent and I couldn’t be more honored than to have had this group of ladies join me for a night of foodie fun as they sampled recipes from Taste This! The Delicious Sequel. While I hate the expression “It’s a win, win!” I do believe this is just that. Here’s why. Each of us made a dish to share for this virtual dinner party. Those that feasted on a new recipe enjoyed the spoils (WIN), those of you reading this post get sneak peak at a few more recipes from my new cookbook (and new wine pairing suggestions) along with the chance to win a copy of the cookbook (WIN). Add it up and you’ve got the recipe for a WIN WIN. Now let’s get down to business >ahem, I mean cooking!<.

MENU AND BLOGGER (Note: each blogger has book to give away, to find out how to win take a gander at the links below)

Cocktails- Cuban Mojito blogged by Illina Ewens

Appetizer- Gorgonzola Cheese Ball & Olive Tapanade blogged by Ana Picazo

Wine- Carmenère, Malbec, and Sauvignon Blanc Pairing Selections blogged by Stacy DeFino

Main Course- Peruvian Minestrone blogged by ME/see below

Dessert- King’s Cupcakes blogged by Stacy Libby

I’d like to introduce you to the faces behind the blogs.

Cocktails- by Illina Ewens at Dirt and Noise

Appetizer- by Ana Picazo at BonggaMom

Wine- by Stacy DeFino at Wineobee

Dessert- by Stacy Libby at LapTopTVMom

The recipe I made for my special group of friends is one that my dear friend from Peru, Rosa, made for me many years ago. While the shopping list for this recipe is a bit longer than many of the recipes in Taste This! The Delicious Sequel it is worth the little bit of extra time it takes to make this dish.

Peruvian Minestrone

Pesto Ingredients

4 cups basil leaves, stems removed

¼ cup olive oil

¾ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/3 cup ricotta or Queso Fresco

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Soup Ingredients

2 cups (13 oz) pasta (penne, rigatoni, fusilli or bow ties)

½ tsp garlic, crushed

2 lbs top sirloin, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 TBS olive oil

10 cups water

1 cube beef bouillon

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 cup carrot, diced

1 ½ cups green cabbage, chopped

½ cup leek, cleaned and chopped

½ cup peas

1 cup zucchini, diced

2 large cobs of corn, cut into 1 ½ inch sliced rounds with cob included

2 medium white potatoes, diced

Blend together all pesto ingredients until smooth.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and sprinkle with olive oil. Mix well so that it does not stick together while the rest of the dish is being prepared.

In a large pan, sauté garlic in oil, and brown sirloin. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large soup pot, over high heat, add water, beef bouillon, sirloin, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil, cooking meat until tender. Turn heat to medium and add all vegetables EXCEPT potatoes and corn.

Add potatoes and cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add corn and cook an additional 5 minutes on medium-high. Before serving, add pasta to warm it, approximately 2-3 minutes. Finally, add pesto and season to taste.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Note: To save time, a ½ cup high-grade store bought pesto sauce can be substituted in place of basil, olive oil, salt and pepper.

While serving corn rounds in the soup is the tradition for Peruvians, some diners are uncomfortable reaching into the soup with their fingers to eat the corn. If diners are up for the challenge, encourage them to eat the corn last, allowing it to cool. Alternatively, substitute fresh corn kernels cut off of the cob, as opposed to frozen or canned corn, which tend to be too soft.

Serves 6-8

Thank you Ilina, Ana, Stacy D. and Stacy L. it was so much fun having dinner with you this past weekend.

With our house under construction, and a dietary cleanse underway, I am challenged to learn new ways to eat with limited resources. I am craving nothing less than the freshest foods and this meal hits the spot. It isn’t an overly fussy dish but it is a wonderful summer meal for lunch or dinner. Field greens could easily be added to build out a larger plate. And if you are not dieting, a large crusty loaf of french bread and a glass of crisp white wine would be the perfect accompaniments.

Lentil Salad can be made in advance and kept in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Salmon Avocado Salad

Dressing Ingredients

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp white wine or champagne viniagrette

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Salad Ingredients

1 TBS capers

1 (4 oz) package thinly sliced lox (Trader Joe’s Brand Preferred), medium chop

1 large tomato, finely chopped

1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup celery, finely chopped

1 green onion, finely chopped

3 avocados

Dressing Directions

In a small bowl. Whisk together first 6 ingredients. Set aside.

Salad Directions

In a large bowl, gently toss all salad ingredients together. Half avocados and coat with lemon juice. Fill each avocado with the salad filling and arrange on a serving platter. Serve immediately.

Petite Lentil Salad

Lentil Salad Ingredients

1 bag petite lentils, cooked al dente

1-2 carrots, finely chopped

1 stick celery, finely chopped

1 cup English cucumber, finely chopped

1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Meyer lemon, juiced (1/2 cup)

2 tsps white wine vinegar

2 tsps garlic salt

pepper to taste

Lentil Salad Directions

In a large bowl, mix together lentils, carrots, celery, cucumber and parsley.

In small bowl, combine lemon juice, vinegar, garlic salt and pepper to taste. Pour over lentil salad.

While I *wish* I could take credit for this lovely post, the only thing I can claim is that I was lucky enough to enjoy this jamified treat. Today our guest post is from my dear friend, Madge Miller. Over the years, Madge and I have shared many a chat about jams, adult beverages and dishes we love to eat. We have a kindred foodie spirit.

Thank you Madge for sharing your coveted recipe.

Have you ever looked at an upcoming project or task on your to do list and thought, “How could I put this off just a little longer?” My friends I have the answer for you, Jamming! The art of procrastination is all about creating productive tasks that give tangible results, yet at the very same time, allow you to put off something else. Sneaky isn’t it?

I would like to introduce you to my best weapon in the war against check marks on the to do list – Blueberry Jam.

A few safety cautions before we begin, because what good is procrastination without a little danger to add some spice? Check out the IntroToCanning for a complete list.

-Always use jars and lids approved for home canning use.

-If the jar doesn’t seal properly, refrigerate immediately and eat within a month.

Madge’s Blueberry Jam

Ingredients

5 ½ cups of blueberries

Pomona’s Universal Pectin

5 cups sugar (or amount according to directions included with Pectin)

1 large lemon for 4 TBS of lemon juice

3 eight-inch springs of an herb to infuse the jam (chocolate mint, pineapple mint, regular mint)

Useful Utensils

Jar lifter (or stainless steel/non-reactive tongs)

Magnetic wand (tongs)

6 Canning jars and lids

Large stock pot with lid or boiling water canner

Metal rack that will fit into the bottom of the stock pot or canner (can also use extra metal lids from canning jars you aren’t using)

Large stainless steel saucepan (no aluminum or reactive metals)

Stainless steel/non-reactive spoon

Chopstick (or long, narrow stainless steel utensil)

Kitchen hand towel

Clear plastic ruler

Directions

Prep the jars and lids for canning following the procedures for boiling water canning. Place lids in a small saucepan half full of water and place on low heat. Put the metal rack in the bottom of the stock pot or boiling water canner. If using screw bands, place them top up in the bottom. The purpose of the rack is to keep the jars from direct contact with the heated metal at the bottom of the pot, which could cause them to scorch or break. Place your clean jars into the canner and fill the container (and jars) half full of water. Turn on the stove to medium heat.

Gently clean the blueberries by placing them on a clean, damp paper towel and rolling them back and forth. Pick out any that look shriveled or past their prime. Do this in small batches. Blueberries are easily bruised so this is the safest cleaning method. Crush the blueberries using a potato masher or a fork. The result should measure approximately 4 ½ cups total. In the large non-reactive saucepan combine the berries and 4 TBS of lemon juice. (Note: The following directions are used if you are using Pomona’s Universal Pectin. If not, follow the directions in your package. For those that are limited on sugar, Pomona’s also offers directions for the use of sugar alternatives. If that is your preference follow the directions in the package for the preferred sweetener.) Add 2 tsps calcium water to the saucepan and stir. Measure 2 ¾ cups of sugar into a separate bowl. To this add 2 tsps of pectin powder and mix well. Do not reduce the amount of sugar called for by the directions in the box of pectin or the end result will be watery fruit, not jam.

Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add the pectin-sugar mixture and stir vigorously for 1-2 minutes while cooking to dissolve the pectin. Return to a boil and then remove from the heat.

To create a variation of basic Blueberry Jam you can infuse it with herbs, like you would a tea. My favorite is Blueberry Chocolate Mint Jam. Once all the steps above are completed and have taken it off the heat, add three to four eight inch long sprigs of Chocolate Mint (other possible substitutes are Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, or another type of Mint) and allow to steep. Stir and taste the mixture after 1 minute (make sure to blow on the spoon to avoid burn your mouth) to determine if you like the flavor. Keep in mind that the flavor will be milder once it cools, so consider making the flavor slightly stronger. Keep steeping until the desired flavor is achieved, then remove the herbs – tongs are very useful to find all those pesky sprigs.

Remove a jar from the boiling water canner, by this point the water in the canner should be pretty hot so use the jar lifter. DON’T put the jar directly on the counter as the change in temperature between the oven and the counter will cause the jars to break. It is best to place the jars either on a folded kitchen towel or a wooden surface.

Fill each jar to within a quarter inch (1/4) inch of the top. The easiest way to do this is with a funnel. Creating proper headspace in each jar is essential to achieving a proper seal and being able to safely store your jam. This is where the clear plastic ruler comes in handy. Clean the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel to make sure there’s no stray jam to interfere with the seal. Cap the jar with your lid from the saucepan that’s on low heat and tighten the screw band until it is fingertip tight. Place the jar back into the boiling water canner using your jar lifter. Once all your jars are filled, make sure they are completely covered with water (you may have to add a bit of additional water to the canner). Bring the water to a boil and then set your timer for 10 minutes. (Add 1 minute onto this time for each 1,000 ft above sea level.) When the timer goes off, remove the canner lid and wait 5 minutes. Why 5 minutes? If you don’t wait a few minutes the jostling of removing them from the canner could keep the jars from sealing. Another important tip is to remember to keep your jars upright as you remove them, titling to the side can also interfere with the seal. There’s nothing more satisfying than hearing “POP!” from across the room and knowing your jars are sealing, but you can’t sit around for a whole day for that sound.

In 24 hours go back and check all your jars. If you push down on the top and the lid gives, you didn’t get a solid seal. Immediately refrigerate or reprocess that jar. I usually take it one step further by taking off the screw band and holding the jar up by just its lid (with the other hand ready to catch, of course). If the lid doesn’t spring up and I can hold it up by just the edges of the metal lid, it’s got a nice seal.

Now when someone asks you, why didn’t you do the laundry/make dinner/mow the lawn/clean the house, you can say “I’m sorry, I was jamming.”

A few other variations of this jam that I’ve sampled from Madge’s Pantry (and LOVE) are her Blueberry Lime Jam and Blueberry Pineapple Mint Jam. She is a jamming genius!

It is often the simple recipes that we make that merit repeating again. This is one of those recipes that you can use as a guide and then take your own culinary liberties, utilizing the fresh items you have on hand.

Open Face Warm Roasted Chicken AvoJarls Sando

Ingredients

pesto, homemade or store bought

mayonnaise

walnut wheat bread

roasted chicken breast, sliced

Jarlsberg cheese, slice

avocado, sliced

Directions

Mix pesto with a scant amount of mayonnaise and set aside. Slice walnut bread to desired thickness.

Coat bread with pesto aioli, layer with avocado, chicken and Jarlsberg. Place in oven at 350 degrees and cook for 3-5 minutes until cheese begins to melt.

Last Saturday morning…

>Secondo< Mom, I have a great idea for a blog post, we can make a box of brownies. Do you like that idea?

>Me< Well, we could make brownies from scratch? The challenge will be how to bake them.

>Secondo< I think it would be fun for me to make the brownies from the box. Those are good too, and I have an idea that will make them different.

>Me< Okay, so, after you make these brownies, are you going to write the blog post to go with it?

>Secondo< Mom, it is the weekend and I am not so much into writing on the weekend. This is my free time. Can’t we just take pictures? I read that article where you told people about how important it is that kids cook. And just because we don’t have a real oven (we are remodeling our kitchen), doesn’t mean we can’t cook. C’ummon Mom. Let’s do this.

>Me< Alright, let’s do this. We can make your brownies in our toaster oven. And we will make this a nearly-wordless post.

>Secondo< That would be good. I think I have a lot of good ideas, don’t you?

>Me< Of course. What will you call this recipe?

>Secondo< Brownie Dream Surprise.

There is no time like now to get your A-game on for the big shenanigans as April Fools draws near. Every year I do my best to make sure it is somehow memorable. I know my family is probably lurking about, trying to determine what I might be up to this year. Well, no dice. I am blogging my success from last year.

Menu

Dehydrated Green Bean Chips (store bought)

Dessert Sushi (with store bought decoys)

Eyeball Surprise (AKA Stuffed Lychee Nuts alla Vano)

Dessert Sushi

Dessert Sushi Ingredients

1 package Soy Wraps

1 cup sushi rice, prepared according to package directions

6-8 pieces of your favorite sushi (to use as decoys)

chocolate sauce (optional)

Fillings (use what you like, these were my favorite combinations)

- pear and feta with honey

- jack fruit (found in Asian Market, canned), strawberries and banana

- kiwi, strawberries and Nutella

Dessert Sushi Directions/Tutorial

To get started on the sushi, it will be easiest if you have a sushi rolling mat. Cover the mat with a square sheet of plastic wrap. Place a soy sheet sheet on the rolling mat, which is now covered with plastic wrap, with the grooves in the soy wrap parallel to the direction you’re facing.

Spread rice onto the soy wrap sheet, leaving a gap on the back edge to seal the roll. Spoon a small amount of filling in a row on the edge of the sheet closest to you, perpendicular to the direction you are facing. Roll the sheet around that row of filling. To make a nice firm roll, press tightly backwards (towards yourself), and slightly down onto the roll. Try not to squish the roll while trying to making it tight. Take the rolling mat out a bit so that you don’t roll it into the sushi, and continue rolling tightly until reaching the end of the soy wrap, where the gap was left to seal the roll closed.

Allow the sushi roll sit a few minutes enabling the wrap to soften from the moisture in the rice. Once it’s ready, cut the roll into slices and you now have created the perfect dessert sushi. If using chocolate sauce, drizzle over sushi after plated. Arrange ‘real’ sushi decoy pieces in place strategically.

Eyeball Surprise (AKA Stuffed Lychee Nuts)

Stuffed Lychees Ingredients

1 (20 oz) can whole Lychee nuts in heavy syrup

1 (6 oz) container cream cheese, softened

1 (6 oz) bag whole macadamia nuts

Stuffed Lychees Directions

Drain lychees for 5 minutes. Gently stuff lychees with cream cheese, almost to the top of the opening. Insert macadamia nut into the cream cheese. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Memory lane. If you are looking for more foolishly fun food spoof ideas check out my post from last year.

Dinner conversation: To impress the victims you’ve just punked at dinner, I’ve compiled a quick list of other famous pranks that top the charts.

* 1957: Hoax BBC Panorama reveals spaghetti harvest in Switzerland

* 1976: Patrick Moore tells Radio 2 listeners that at 0947 a planetary event would lessen Earth’s gravity and if people jumped in the air at that moment, they would float

* 1986: Le Parisien newspaper announces that the Eiffel Tower is to be moved to Euro Disney

* 1998: Burger King launches left-handed Whopper

In case I forgot to mention it, I am in the middle of a kitchen remodel, which makes everyday cooking a bit of a challenge. One thing I’ve discovered is that nibbles go a long way on the spectrum of comfort food. With the world around me in upheaval, I am on a quest for comfort. Comfort food >check< fills that need. Admittedly, along the way to this post, there were quite a few food failures as I learn to maneuver with a crock pot, hot dish, microwave, toaster oven and BBQ. I wish I had documented these food disasters because in retrospect they were hilarious. In the heat of the moment = Not.So.Funny. So it is with great pleasure that I reveal to you (insert drum roll please) these lovely new chip-esque treats. These crunch snacks became an instant favorite at our home, and can be adapted to accommodate either a sweet or a savory palate.

Pesto Parmesan Chip Remodel

Ingredients

12-16 wonton wrappers (3-inch squares)

1 TBS olive oil

1 TBS Parmesan cheese

Paprika, dash

2-3 TBS pesto

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the wonton wrappers on a rimmed baking sheet, arranging so that they do not touch. Brush tops with oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, dash of paprika and dot with pesto.

Bake until lightly browned, approximately 7-9 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Note: These can be made one day in advance in dry climates. Once cooled, store in airtight container.

There is no reason why we shouldn’t have dessert after brunch. I believe in dessert at ANY TIME of day. What could be better than ending the first meal of the day with some nice treats. These little goodies are a mouthful of excellence >dare I say more addictive than miniature quiches? I dare!<

Miniature Pecan Tartlets

Pecan Tartlet Dough Ingredients

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

4 TBS unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup flour

dash of salt

Pecan Tartlet Filling Ingredients

1 egg

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 TBS pure maple syrup

2 tsps vanilla extract

1 TBS unsalted butter, softened

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare the dough, place pecans in a food processor and process until finely ground. In a medium bowl, add mascarpone and butter and mix with a spatula (or if using a mixer, use the paddle setting). Ensure that the mixture is well combined if mixing by hand, if using an electric mixer, set on medium-high speed until well blended. Add flour, ground pecans and salt; mixing until dough just comes together.

Roll dough into 16 one-inch balls, and press into bottom and up sides of mini-muffin tins.

To make filling, in a small bowl, whisk the egg, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, butter and salt. Stir in toasted pecans. Spoon about 1 1/2 tsp filling into each muffin cup.

Bake until crust begins to turn golden, approximately 15 minutes. Let cool completely in tins on wire rack. Store in single layers in air tight container. Makes 16-18. Can make three days ahead of time.

I am only 38 days into 2012 and already it feels like I am caught in the middle of a tornado. What to do when life feels chaotic — cook, bake and look for comfort in food (or is it comfort food?). This week, a little spaghetti carbonara snuck onto the menu. Although I try my best to avoid indulging in carb excess, some treats are worth the splurge.

Ingredients

8 oz (8 slices) thick-cut bacon, cut 1-inch thick crosswise

salt and freshly ground pepper

3 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated plus more for serving

1/4 cup half-and-half

1 pound spaghetti

1 1/2 cups peas, either fresh or frozen

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup parsley, chopped (optional)

Directions

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp (approximately 8-12 minutes). Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain off excess fat.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan cheese and half-and-half. Set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions, adding in peas to cook along with the spaghetti for 3-5 minutes. Drain spaghetti and peas, leaving some water clinging to the spaghetti and return to pot. In a pan, add butter, stirring until it is melted. Add bacon and cheese mixture and toss gently until mixed. Working quickly, add hot spaghetti and peas to egg mixture. Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs). Serve immediately in a warmed bowl so that spaghetti does not cool too quickly. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese and parsley.