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Chicken Chilaquiles Verdes

I grew up in San Antonio, Texas and lived for many years in San Diego and I never once came across the common Mexican breakfast of chilaquiles. How did that (not) happen? The first time I had ever even heard of the dish was when I was watching The Best Thing I Ever Ate on Cooking Channel. Marcella Vallodolid described chilaquiles she ate at Talavera Azul in Chula Vista, Ca (a town where where I once lived) and I was obsessed. Tortilla chips for breakfast? Tortilla chips bathed in a zingy tomatillo salsa with chicken and cheese? Tortilla chips FOR BREAKFAST?! So obsessed was I, that most of a vacation that The Boy and I recently took to San Diego centered around going to the same restaurant and eating the same chilaquiles as Marcella. True story.

Today, The Boy and I are 2,807 miles away from the Chicken Chilaquiles Verdes of our (my) dreams and I have no choice but to recreate them. The recipe is easier than you’d think and can be on the table in 60 minutes, start to finish. Let’s do this!  (Read more… )

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Mexican Caesar Salad

Mexican Caesar Salad 2

When my kids were little and we were living in San Diego, one of our favorite places to eat was El Torito.  I know, I know, we’re in San Diego, home to the best Mexican food in the world, why would we go to a chain restaurant?  This Mexican Caesar Salad (and their sweet corn cakes, but I’m still breaking the code on those)!  Even my then 3 year old daughter could finish off almost an entire bowl of this fantastic salad by herself!  Well, when we moved to New Jersey, El Torito was no longer an option, so I had to break it down for myself.  What results is, if memory serves, an incredible rendition of the best salad I ever ate!  (Read more…)

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Chorizo and Potato Tacos

San Diego holds a really special place in my heart.  So many great things came to me there.  Two of my three daughters were born in San Diego.  I met The Boy in San Diego.  I became a taco addict in San Diego.  Yeah, yeah, I grew up in Texas and they have amazing Tex-Mex food, but as the daughter of a Korean mom in the 70’s, there weren’t a lot of Taco Tuesdays in my Texas childhood.  These chorizo potato tacos are a combination of so many of the flavors I came to love during my twelve years in San Diego.  Let’s get started. I need a taco (Read more…)

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Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich (Chick-fil-A My Way )

This is just a food blog.  I love to cook food, eat food and share food.  I always have and I always will.  For instance,  I love a good crispy chicken sandwich.  In particular, I have always loved the crispy chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A.  It’s a little sweet, delightfully crunchy, and just plain delicious.  But there are things going on that make it difficult for some people to buy a Chick-fil-A sandwich.  Maybe it’s really far away.  Maybe your only day off is Sunday and they’re closed on Sundays.  Maybe you and Chick-fil-A have a huge difference of opinion on who does and who does not deserve to eat chicken sandwiches.  Among other things.  Hmm.  Again, this is just food blog.  I believe I want a good crispy chicken sandwich and I believe I’ll make it myself.  Because that’s what I believe in.  A darn good chicken sandwich, any day of the week, with anyone I darn well want to eat it with.  You wanna have one too? (Read more…)

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Pulled Chicken Tacos with Corn and Black Bean Salsa

Pulled chicken tacos with corn and black bean salsa on white pine table
It doesn’t matter what your life looks like, getting healthy, delicious meals on the table in the midst of everything else you have going on, can be challenging. With me working early mornings at The Pastry Shop and The Boy leaving for work at The Hospital around two o’clock in the afternoon, I try to get our meal on the table a little after one o’clock. Sometimes I’m a little sleep stupid when I come home from work, so prepping this slow cooker chicken the night before and having it ready to go when I leave the house, oh so early in the morning, means we can eat together as a family and carry on with our day (nap) (Read more…)