cute little "tacos"

i just love these. they are so easy to whip up and they are so tasty and cute. packaged wonton wrappers make the shell. all you do is brush the wrappers with vegetable oil, put in a mini muffin tin, bake at 400 for 5 minutes and voila! you have taco shells. you can stuff them with absolutley anything. these have avacado, mango, arugula, corn and black beans, all tossed in fresh squeezed lime juice. i always have these in my fridge, if i ever need a quick appetizer to put out, i always turn to these

stuffed peppers

whenever i am getting ready for a trip or a special occasion, i do that thing a lot of us women do, try to drop a few pounds. these peppers help me achieve that. they are full of vegetables, lean meat and wonderful spices (and just a scant of cheese on top). they are simply delicious. you should try them. i prefer poblano peppers, because i like the heat of them, but any bell pepper would work. i start by putting the peppers directly on my gas range grates, turning them every few minutes until they get black and charred all over. pop them in a bowl and cover with foil for ten minutes or so, then peel off the skin. you will be left with a soft, moist flesh. my mouth is watering just writing this, i think i am going to make one for lunch today.

this is what i put in them, varies, depending on what i have in the fridge

minced garlic
chopped onion
chopped mushrooms
chopped zucchini
chopped tomatoes
chopped poplano pepper - i use the section i cut out to make the opening
(corn kernels and black beans are fantastic in this, too)
cumin
garlic powder
onion powder
cayenne - just a pinch
oregano
salt and pepper
ground turkey breast


saute everything in a pan with a touch of olive oil until soft, put in a bowl and set aside

saute ground turkey breast until brown with more cumin and spices (i like a heavy cumin taste). put vegetables back in skillet with ground turkey, mix. taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. stuff peppers and top with a bit of monterey jack (optional). put in oven at 350 for 5-7 minutes until warmed through and cheese has melted.

i serve these to my clients with a side of arroz verde (green rice) - which is to die for. the recipe can be found here

Lemon Cubes

i purchased a huge bag of lemons and they where slowly going bad. i couldn't stand the thought of throwing them away and knew i would need them in the next few days . . .i use lemon juice in so many recipes, from salad dressings, to pasta, to chicken salad and almost anything seafood. so, i went out and bought a few ice trays and squeezed the juice into the trays. i now have a quick go to of fresh lemon juice in my freezer, that can be used when i don't have a lemon in the house. i think i am so clever! as you can see from the photo above, these little cubes of freshness will also perk up any cocktail. i think this photo is so pretty. one lemon cube with a sprig of mint, made for the tastiest vodka tonic i've had in a while.