Real Margaritas

If you don't like the artificial flavor of purchased margarita mixes, try this:

Ingredients:

2 oz Tequila (Sauza Hornitos is good, I don't like Cuervo that much)
1 oz Triple Sec or Grand Marnier
4 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
Lime wedges
coarse salt

Blend the tequila, triple sec, and lime juice.
Rub the rim of a margarita glass (the round bulbous wide mouthed kind) with a slice of lime, and dip in salt.
Add ice.
Pour the mixture into glasses and serve. Makes about two kickass margaritas!

Tim's Salmon

My brother Tim loves to cook salmon, and also works with a lot of Cambodians. One of them nudged him toward this recipe:

Ingredients:
1 filet fresh NW salmon (don't use Atlantic farmed!)
1 Lemon
Soy Sauce
1 T Sugar
Non-stick spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
De-zest the lemon, then juice it. Chop the zest finely.
Mix the lemon juice and chopped zest with an equal part of soy sauce, and the sugar.
Spray a shallow baking pan with non-stick spray, and place the filet in the pan.
Pour the sauce over the fish and bake for 10 minutes per inch of thickness.
Salmon is done when a fork inserted and twisted flakes the meat away. Do not overcook!

Keep Your Artichokes Green!

Tired of prepping your artichokes for a good boiling, only to watch them blacken before your very eyes?

Prepare a bowl with cold water by adding two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Immediately after you cut your artichoke, soak it in the water for a few minutes. This prevents the flesh from oxidizing.

Kelly's Hors D'oeuvres

Kelly, my partner in crime at work, came up with this delicious sounding recipe. I can't wait to try it out!

Ingredients:
1 Can whole waterchestnuts, drained
1 12-0z pack of bacon
Barbecue sauce (your choice)
You will want toothpicks also.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut bacon in half, wrap each water chestnut in a half-slice of bacon.
Put on cookie sheet and smear as much barbecue sauce on them as you like.
Bake for about 10-20 minutes or until bacon is done.
Poke a toothpick in each...
And enjoy!

G's Tuna Melts

This is a tasty meal for two...

Ingredients:

2 slices Sourdough bread
1 can tuna, drained
1/4 c mayonnaise
chopped onion, celery, and/or capers if you wish
Olive Oil
Cheddar Cheese, shredded
Johnny's Seasoned Salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread a little olive oil in a glass pan. Place the bread in, and spread the oil around with it. This will make the underside of the melt nice and crunchy.
Mix the tuna, mayo, and anything you'd like to have in the tuna salad, like chopped onion, celery, capers, pickles, etc.
Spread the tuna salad evenly over the slices of bread. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and garnish with Johnny's Seasoned Salt on top.
Place in the oven, and bake until the cheese is melted and the underside of the bread is golden.
Then turn the oven up to broil and let the cheese on top brown a bit before removing from oven. Let cool for a few minutes, then serve and enjoy!

Baby Pineapple

We harvested my tiny pineapple last night and ate it. A bit more astringent than the ones you get in the store, but very flavorful. Unfortunately, it wasn't very big, as you can see by the shitty cellphone picture, held by G for scale:

I'm trying to root the top and begin again, this time in a waaaay bigger pot (I think that's why its growth was stunted).

Soy Lecithin

If you like to make vinaigrettes for you salads (oil and vinegar combinations sometimes with herbs thrown in), and tire of constantly shaking the vinaigrette every two minutes because it has separated, try this:

Mix a couple of teaspoons of soy lecithin into the dressing as you’re making it. The lecithin is tasteless and acts as an emulsifier, keeping the oil and vinegar blended for longer. You will still need to shake it, but only about once every meal. You can get soy lecithin in the health section of the store, and you should store it in the fridge. Be careful though, adding too much creates a laxative effect! We don’t want that! Unless we do.