Foodbuzz 24×24: Hot Summer Daze Party
The day has finally come! I have been waiting to throw my Foodbuzz 24×24 party all month and it finally happened. The 24×24 is a special event where Foodbuzz picks 24 featured publishers to throw 24 over-the-top dinner parties in the same 24 hour period. My themed party was called Hot Summer Daze.
Tequila- Lime Shrimp Kebabs
Since most of my new roommates are vegetarians, I had to provide another option along with the beef for my Foodbuzz 24×24 party. For them I chose to do tequila-lime marinated shrimp for kebabs. Shrimp only need to marinate for about 20 minutes, if you marinate them too long the acid in the marinade will begin to cook the shrimp.
Tequila & Jalapeno Citrus Salad Dressing
Once everybody had refilled their drinks at my Foodbuzz 24×24 party, I brought out the salad. One of my friends exclaimed, “There is alcohol in the SALAD!?” The answer to that is yes of course! I made a tequila citrus dressing with orange and lime juice. It is important not to put too much tequila in the dressing, since it isn’t cooked, but it mellows out the strong citrus flavors in this tangy dressing.
Tequila-Lime Salsa & Homemade Tortilla Chips
For one of my appetizers at my Foodbuzz 24×24 party I made homemade tequila-lime salsa and tortilla chips. This salsa has a beautiful array of colors and a nice spicy kick at the end. I baked homemade tortilla chips seasoned with garlic, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper; such a simple thing to make and so much healthier than fried chips from the store. I also like these homemade flour tortilla chips because they are softer and kind of crumble away in your mouth with the salsa. Usually salsa is hardly touched at parties, but this one got devoured by my guests along with every last chip. I think they might have liked it?
Orange Mint Hibiscus Mojitos
To kick off our Foodbuzz 24×24 party we made mojitos and margaritas, We began by making an agave hibiscus simple syrup by boiling down hibiscus leaves with agave nectar. Once we had our syrup, it was time to make mojitos. We are lucky enough to have our own orange mint plant in our garden this year, but if you cannot find orange mint regular mint works as well. These mojitos are very unique, the hibiscus flowers give them a great pink color and a hint of floral flavor; very refreshing on a hot summer day.
Throwback Thursday: Caribbean Shrimp w/ Peppers & Lime
It’s Thursday again, wow these weeks have been flying by. My recipe for this Throwback Thursday really brings me back. This was one of the first “unique” recipes I learned and one of the ones that really got me excited about cooking. I am excited to share it with you, since it kind of hit a soft spot in me (I know cheesy, but it is what it is).
This recipe is so simple, but so good. I make it a lot without the coconut milk, but it is extremely good with coconut milk as well if you have the extra money to buy it! I recommend using a lot of lime, it just makes it even better. I hope that this recipe can get you excited to cook like it did for me! Also, thanks to my mom for these photos. =)
Chipotle-Lime Shrimp Taco Salad w/ Cilantro Vinaigrette
You know those nights when you have an entire meal planned out in advanced, but when dinner time roles around you just don’t feel like eating that oh-so-exciting dish? Well, last night was one of those nights. As delicious as sun-dried tomato and feta stuffed chicken sounded, I just wasn’t in the mood for those flavors. I wanted spice and citrus. I decided to save that for another night. Instead, this is what I came up with.
The cilantro vinaigrette pulls this dish together. It adds a nice tangy flavor that is a great compliment to the spicy shrimp. Roasting the tomatoes gives them move flavor and juice, making this recipe even more delicious! I was planning on eating this with guacamole and salsa, but tasted it and realized it didn’t need any additions and was perfect as is.
Mahi Mahi Tostada w/ Roasted Red Pepper Aioli
I love reading food blogs; I find myself constantly reading through recipes during my free time. I think that is great to find recipes from other people, rather than a recipe website, because it gives life to the recipe and usually puts a story with each dish. I especially love trying recipes from my Mom’s food blog, Cooking With Michele. It is fun to chat about our posts and new recipes; our cooking has brought us much closer throughout the past year and I love it. With that said, here is my tweaked version of my Mom’s Mahi Mahi Tostada recipe.
