For Our Friends South of the Border

FELIZ CINCO DE MAYO!!! May was a bit of a slow month for drinking holidays in America, and the Irish were already taken, so we invented Cinco De Mayo! (True story, they don’t celebrate in México)

For those who know me well, they know that I will NEVER say no to Mexican food. Doesn’t matter if it’s dinner and I just ate it for lunch, I will have it again and enjoy ever last bite. While living in Portland I really had to hone in my latino  repertoire, because as surprising as it may be, the city is SERIOUSLY lacking in truly delicious Mexican food. My sister Kacey and I made it a personal quest to find our go to authentic home away from home and to no avail. It doesn’t exist. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of yummy restaurants, but I really do believe that when you are from California, the Mexican Food here gets into your blood stream and changes your genetic make up so you are predisposed to be able to spot a fake from a mile away. There is something insatiable and incomparable about this wonderful cuisine. Now I am not claiming to be an expert, but I will say that these are pretty fantastic building blocks and I promise they will leave your casa smelling like your favorite cantina or carniceria.

I’m giving you the full gambit to make your Cinco De Mayo celebration complete! Listed below is my recipe for Horchata, Chips, Salsa Verde Shredded Chicken, Enchilada Sauce, Mexican Rice, and my Guacamole! From here you can make all kinds of In all honesty, you can make refried beans from scratch, but it’s a 24 hour process and it’s much easier to find your favorite brand at the store and garnish it as you please.  ¿Estamos listos? ¡Vamos!

Horchata (Yield 6ish Cups)

• 1 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
• 5 cups water, hot
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
• 1-2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract (or 1 Vanilla Bean Pod, seed scraped, pod reserved)
• 2/3 cup Sugar
• Optional: Lime Zest and 1-2 teaspoons Lime Juice (if you’re feeling sassy)
• Optional: Your favorite light Rum

1. Begin by boiling your water. While your water is going add the uncooked rice to your blender and pulverize, on the lower speed, until broken up into smaller pieces.
2. Add the rice to a bowl and pour the hot water over it. Add the cinnamon stick, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract, and lime zest. Cover and let sit at room temperature for no less than 3 hours. (The longer it sits the better it is! Overnight is ideal).
3. Using a fine mesh sieve, strain the rice milk and discard the rice solids and lime zest if used). You can toss the cinnamon stick, or save it to make another drink or potpourri! Slowly whisk in the sugar until you have achieved desired sweetness (don’t add it in all at once, you may live to regret it!)
4. Chill the Horchata in the fridge until cold. Serve over ice. (Now would be the time to add more lime juice or Rum if you want your rice milk to put on the grown up pants!)

Crispy Oven Tortilla Chips

• White Corn Tortillas
• Lime or Lemon Juice
• Cumin
• Optional: Salt

1. Preheat your oven to 325F.
2. Stack the desired amount of tortillas on top of one another and cut into 8 equal sized wedges. Toss the tortillas in freshly squeezed lime/lemon juice and the cumin until evenly coated. Spread out the tortilla wedges so they are not touching and have room to breath. If they are too close or on top of one another they will not crisp or brown evenly.
3. Bake in the oven for 10-11 minutes then toss again and continue to bake for another 1-3 minutes. (After the initial 10 minutes you are going to want to pay attention to them. Once tortillas have had the moisture pulled out of them, they cook very quickly.
4. Once they are firm and crisp to the touch and evenly browned they are good to go!
5. These guys are best the day of. They don’t have a long shelf life…which shouldn’t be a problem. They go fast!

Salsa Verde Shredded Chicken

• Fresh Skinless Chicken Breasts (bone in for more flavor)
• Your favorite Salsa Verde
• Cumin, ground
• Lime/Lemon juice
• Pepper

1. This will be the easiest thing you ever make. If you have a crock pot, God bless you. Submerge the chicken in the salsa verde and turn it on to the low setting. Let the chicken slow cook for 6-8 hours. Shred when you are ready to serve and eat!
2. If you do not have a crock pot (like myself…), in a glass casserole dish, completely cover the chicken with the salsa verde. Tightly cover with plastic wrap, then cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 325F for 3 hours. (Check on at each hour).
3. These go amazing with sour cream!

Kiki’s Mexican Arroz

• 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil (or better yet Manteca)
• 1/2 cup long grain white rice, uncooked
• 1 heaping teaspoon Cumin, ground
• 1/2 small Red Onion, diced
• 2 large cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 Red Jalepeño, sliced in halve, seeds removed and julianned (cut into long thin strips) (Green is fine, I prefer the red for color sake and they are sweeter)
• 3/4 cup Low Sodium Veggie or Chicken Broth
•  1/4 cup Tomato Sauce
• 1 Roma Tomato, deseeded and chopped
• Tapatio, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Cilantro, as garnish

1. In a sauce pan with a tight fitting lid, warm the oil over medium heat.
2. While the oil is warming. In a bowl combine the stock, tomato sauce, diced tomato, 2-4 dashes of tapatio and a pinch of salt. Whisk together until combined. Set aside.
3. Once the oil is to temp, add the rice and toast until the kernels are golden brown (The less you agitate the rice at this stage the more even the toast will be). Add the Cumin and toast for about another minute, or until fragrant.
4. Using a wooden spoon, add the onion and garlic and sauté in the hot rice for about 2-4 minutes, or until translucent and very aromatic. Add the jalepeño and sauté until it just begins to soften.
5. Add the broth mixture all at once and give a very quick stir and cover immediately! The rice and liquid will sizzle and boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook the rice for 18-21 minutes. It is VITALLY IMPORTANT that you do not lift the lid or touch the rice before this. Let it sit and work its magic!
6. Once the rice has cooked fluff with a fork and toss in chopped cilantro and a fresh squeeze of lime juice and toss. Transfer to a serving dish and consume immediately!
7. Optional: If you desire a more southwestern style rice. Add diced bell pepper and corn kernels when you add the jalepeño during the sauté process.

Enchilada Sauce (Yield about 3-4 cups)

• 3-4 oz Dried Red Chilis (Guajillo or Anaheim)
• 2 large cloves Garlic, diced
• 1 small Red Onion, Diced
• 15 oz Can skinned, chopped, Tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican Oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin, ground
• 1 teaspoon Lime Juice
• 1-2 cups Low Sodium Veggie Broth
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Honey (Keep this on hand to balance out the sauce should it be too acidic or spicy. Adds a nice dimension as well!)

1. Remove the stems and ALL the seeds from the chili pods (unless you like it really spicy, get rid of ‘em)
2. Toast the chilis in a cast iron skillet for 1 minute. It is very important that you do NOT burn the chilis. If this happens. Quit while you are ahead.
3. Place the toasted chilis in a large bowl and cover with boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain the chilis, reserving some of the liquid. We will be using this in a bit!
4. Sauté the onions and garlic over medium heat, stirring frequently for about 1-2 minutes or until they are sizzling and fragrant. Add the oregano and cumin and sauté for an additional minute.
5. Add the softened chilis, the can of tomatoes, and veggie broth. Reduce heat and simmer for 2-4 minutes.
6. Transfer the mixture to your food processor and chop until completely smooth. (This is where you will use the chili water if the paste is too thick! Use your eyes and senses, make your sauce look like the kind of enchilada sauce you enjoy most!) You may need to do this step in batches to avoid a massive mess. Take your time.
7. Return your sauce to the same pan and simmer for an additional 10-12 minutes stirring often. Taste, season with salt and honey if needed.

Kiki’s Guacamole

Again, I’m going to have to apologize…there are not exact measurements for this recipe. There are far too many variables. My best advice, start small and work your way up. Also, add more of what you like, and less of others! Have fun with this!

• Large California Avocado (do not choose an overly soft fruit. The skin should be healthy, dark, and the avocado should give to your pressure but spring back on you).
• Roma tomato, deseeded and diced
• Red Bell Pepper, diced
• Red Onion, diced
• Lime Juice (this is the money maker right here folks)
• Cumin
• Granulated Garlic
• Salt & Pepper
• Tapatio or Dried Red Chili Flakes

1. Add all the veggies in a mixing bowl at once. Using a spoon, mix and mash lightly. I don’t care what any one says…Guacamole should NEVER be mushy. How dare anyone disrespect an avocado in that manner!
2. Once the vegetables are incorporated add the lemon juice and spices. Fold delicately. And get your chips we made (nod, nod, wink, wink they taste amazing with this dip) and taste test and season until you get it just right.
3. Salt and Lime juice will be the biggest players in this game. Followed by the black pepper, cumin, granulated garlic, and red chili flakes in that order.

• My sister Kacey LOVES this dip. My favorite part on our “Taco Tuesdays” was having everything made and doing the guac last so we could taste it together. I loved watching her mind work and try and figure out exactly what was needed to make it perfect.

WHEW! There it is! It was a mouth full to be sure, but it should get you started off on the right foot for your fiesta tonight! Remember to have fun and go slow. That’s the secret to good Mexican cooking, take your time. Imagine all of all the old, tiny abuelas! Haha, well that’s my motivation any way! Salud amigos!!!

Take a step back please.

Alright, so I missed my “Inspiration Friday” post yesterday. Believe it or not I have a good reason. I spent all day yesterday crafting and baking cupcakes for one of my dearest friends, Emily. It’s her cousins bridal shower today and Emily and her family graciously choose me to make cupcakes for the event. I honestly feel so humbled and honored whenever anyone asks me to do something like this for them. I had the immense pleasure to be able to do Emily’s wedding cupcakes last year as well!

So the goodies I created were new twists on classic flavors. The theme to the bridal shower is “vintage kitchen” and the future bride’s favorite flower are Sunflowers. I was given full creative license on the flavors, and the only request was that there be variety. Emily’s mom, Vic, LOVES Black Forest Cake so that was an easy choice and to match the yellow of the flower of choice, I went with a Lemon Cake with cream cheese buttercream. Seems simple enough right?

Negative Ghost Rider! Ha! I may put out straight forward, and simply delicious desserts; but my process is usually far from “simple.” For the Black Forest I decided to  change it up a bit and use a lighter cocoa powder (My usual weapon of choice is Valrhona Cocoa Powder. My goodness this is one of the greatest things on Planet Earth) and spice the cake slightly with cinnamon and nutmeg. For the cherries, I roasted them in raw turbinado sugar and sea salt for 15 minutes, then I added about 1/4-1/3 of a cup of a young, spicy  cabernet sauvignon and continued to roast for an additional 5-7 minutes to burn off the alcohol and infuse the flavors. The only thing I have to say on the subject is that they are lucky to be getting Black Forest cupcakes and not plain chocolate cupcakes. I miraculously limited myself to two cherries and I am still enjoying the effervescent notes of dark berries, cocoa, and spice hanging in the air of my studio. Le sigh.

But on to the Lemon Cupcakes! In case you are wondering, yes, the lemons came from the heavenly tree in my mother’s backyard! I zested a large lemon and used the juice from two of the lemons in the cake. While the cupcakes were baking I made a simple lemon syrup by boiling lemon slices in a sauce pan with sugar and water (if you ever want to make a simple syrup the ratio is 1:1. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20-25 minutes and vuala!) Right after the cupcakes came out of the oven I poked holes in them with a toothpick then brushed them with the lemon syrup and alternately rested the lemon slices on the cupcakes so they would soak up as much lemon flavor as possible.

The buttercream was actually the most simple part of this whole process and fortunately I picked two flavors of cake that called for the same type of frosting. Some times I am delighted with how my subconscious helps me out from time to time! My buttercreams are definitely something that I need to nail out a precise recipe for. I treat my baking so much like a chef treats his dishes. I obviously follow very strict ratios and rules, but you would be surprised with how much I work with and adapt my recipes. That’s why it’s hard for me to give recipes sometimes! Knowing Garrett Jones, my dear friend and co-owner of Back to Eden Bakery in Portland, has gotten all of his recipes down pat and I am motivated to pull myself together in that manner. He and John fuse creativity and organization in a way that is completely inspiring. They make me want to grow up and be responsible. So, the moment that I stop being so loosey goosey with my frostings is the day that I will share them with you!

I kept the cupcakes simple, yet elegant. I found these lovely little sunflower and white gerber daisy flowers that I placed on the buttercream and I airsprayed the Lemon cupcakes a light yellow. Nothing too fancy but when they’re all next to each other they look rather delicate and uniform. The shower is today and I just hope that they like the little spins that I put on these classic recipes! I always get so nervous when people eat my food. I may present myself as the most confident woman on earth, but I am a wreck when I send my product out. I put a lot of myself into my baking and cooking. It’s my life, how I express myself, and most importantly how I love people.

So that’s the excuse for missing “Inspiration Friday!” This week it’s a Saturday post which will be coming up moments after this is posted! Have a wonderful weekend!

Lemon Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Black Forest Cupcakes

Nature’s Bounty

I am a fanatic about fresh produce. We can blame it on being a vegetarian and vegan for 10 years, or that my mother fed us from her garden growing up, either way I don’t really care. Whatever the source may be I just know that there is nothing on this planet like the scent of freshly picked Rosemary or Basil, the mouth watering juice from a vine ripened tomato, or the crisp sweetness of an Autumn apple. There is a level of joy obtained in no other way than enjoying the purity of the best foods nature has to offer us. It may sound like I’m going a bit too far on this point, but I seriously eat Green String Beans like a 5 year old nabs Skittles out of a candy bowl. Yum!

Also, being the Frugal Franny that I am, finding these treasures at a reasonable price is proving to be a tougher challenge as the days progress. This is especially true if you are wanting to buy in-season, local, and organic. (I will readily admit that practicality takes the front seat over presumption. I cannot justify spending $6 a pound for organic peaches. Sorry, but I’m taking the more affordable route on this one). I have the incredible blessing of having the freedom to visit and go to multiple grocery stores to get the lay of the land and see who has the highest quality Portobello Mushrooms, or the best price on Pink Lady Apples, or the best of both worlds and has high quality with low prices. I am especially thankful for this because seeing how busy moms’, like my older sister, lives can get, one stop shopping is a must and I cannot nor will I ever pass judgement on her going to a superstore. We have what we are given, and it is our responsibility to make the most of it.

So what are we left with if our budgets cannot make room for pricey organic fruits and veggies? Call in the reserves! This my friends is THE END to the guilt of asking for favors! As someone who could never ask help for anything (and still struggles with it daily!), this is huge! Think of all the amazing people that fill your life. You get to enjoy one little fraction of their lives and vice versa. Imagine all the wonderful and beautiful things that they can reach and see and experience that you may not have access to! Case and point (2 actually): My mother has the most INCREDIBLE Lemon Tree in her back yard. The tree produces year round, and let me tell you, these lemons are the most luxurious and sensationally sweet Lemons on Planet Earth. I have never seen their equal. Haha, ask anyone who knows me well and they can tell you how obsessed I am with this tree. So rather than going to the store and shelling out tons of money on lemons, I asked my mom and step-father if I could help myself to the tree when I come to visit and not only did I get permission they insisted upon it! Another example of this, I love Rosemary, but spending almost $3 for a couple of small stalks is hard to swallow sometimes, over one conversation with a coworker I come to find that not only does she dislike Rosemary, but she has a huge plant that produces very pungent Rosemary that always goes to waste and now I have a limitless, free supply of the herb any time I want it!

I believe that we are all so afraid of being an inconvenience, or viewed as a bum that we never ask those we are surrounded by for favors. Personally speaking, I do backflips for the opportunity to bless my friends and family, and I should accept that those who love me would do the same! Take a chance, you never know what amazing things can happen when your make your self vulnerable, you may even develop a deeper relationship with someone.

Enough about all of that though! I have the most delightful recipe to share with you! I have made these multiple times and I have yet to find an unhappy belly! Enjoy!

Lemon Sugar Cookies with Fresh Lemon Glaze (Adapted from Craft of Baking)

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• Zest of 1 very large Lemon or 2 medium Lemons
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice (1/2 large lemon or 1 medium lemon)
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 large Egg, room temperature
• 2 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour, plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon Salt (Kosher or Sea Salt preferred)
• Optional: 1 tablespoon Poppy Seeds

1. In your mixing bowl combine the soft butter, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Using an electric mixer beat until combined, while mixing pour sugar in a steady stream and beat on a medium speed until the butter is light in color and fluffy.
2. Scrape down the sides of your bowl. Turn your mixer on to medium-low speed and add one egg and beat until the butter mixture returns to a light color and is fluffy. If needed, scrape down the sides of the bowl again. Begin beating again on medium-low speed and add your second egg and your vanilla extract, beating until the mixture is a pale yellow and light and fluffy (If your butter mixture looks broken and chunky, it means that your eggs were too cold and it is causing the butter to solidify again. To fix you can slightly warm the bowl in another bowl of warm water until the butter begins to aerate once more.) Once the mixture is fluffy stop mixing, over creaming the butter mixture will actually beat out all the desired air that will make your cookie soft and fluffy.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and salt whisking to combine. This doubles as sifting the flour making it more airy and light.
4. In three additions while mixing on a low speed, add the flour to the butter mixture, mixing only until just combined. Over working the dough will result in a tough and hard cookie.
5. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into a disk and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for no less than 1 hour.
6. Preheat your oven to 350F. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and roll your dough out to 1/4″ thick. Cut into whatever adorable shape your desire and place on a lightly greased or parchment lined sheet pan. Bake with the racks on the top and lower third of the oven for 10 minutes then rotate the pans and bake for 10 minutes more. Once the edges start to become a lovely golden brown, pull ‘em out of the oven and immediately transfer to a cooling rack. (If you have more than one batch, allow your pans to cool completely before starting again, the butter in the dough will begin to melt causing the cookie to flatten and lose its shape in the baking process).
7. To make the glaze, in a wide mouth bowl combine two cups sifted powdered sugar, juice from the other half of the large lemon/medium lemon, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, optional: 1 tablespooon milk, and adding water incrementally whisk the mixture until it is runny. This is not to be normal royal icing for decorating but a thin, sheer glaze to lightly coat the top of each cookie. Once the cookies have cooled and the glaze is made dip the cookies facedown in the glaze and hold the cookie upright so the excess drains back into the bowl. Place cookies on parchment (or foil) until the glaze hardens.
8. The cookies will keep air tight for 1 week, but good luck letting them last that long!

Vegan Variation!

• To replace the egg, I use Ener-G Egg replacer or 2 tablespoons of Cornstarch mixed with a scant 1/4 cup of water.
• To replace the butter, I prefer Earth Balance. It has a wonderful flavor, but it is salty, so you may want to back off the salt a bit.
• Watch the water content, if the dough feels too wet, add a bit of flour to counteract the replacements.