Chicken Verde Tacos

Posted on April 30, 2013 | 4 Comments

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Don’t forget to enter our Spring Giveaway for a chance to win a Le Creuset Saucier!

Mexican food was one of the things I missed most while living in Switzerland. There was one Mexican Cantina in town, but is served Taco Bell style food and cost an arm and a leg.

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Despite moving back to San Diego and having the best Mexican food the US has to offer, I decided I needed to learn the cooking basics in case we ever move back to Switzerland.

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So I chummied up with my Mexican neighbors and asked a lot of questions, observed their every move in the kitchen and got myself invited to their family events to taste true authentic cuisine.

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And now we have delicious, fresh and spicy authentic Mexican cuisine in the comfort of our home. I hope that you will all try these Chicken Verde Tacos. They are easy, and packed with flavor! You can also make the Verde sauce and use it as you would any salsa. I even used the leftover salsa and added it to my homemade  Alfredo sauce for kicked up pasta dish (which everyone, including the kids, devoured)!

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Verde Salsa

  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1 pound tomatillos, cut in half
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 serrano chili pepper (with or without seeds, based on preference), diced
  • 1 poblano pepper, washed and seeds removed, chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup water

In a sauce pan heat oil. Add tomatillos, onion, garlic, serrano and poblano. Cook for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, water and salt. Bring to boil.

Using an immersion blender, or a regular blender, carefully blend the mixture. Add the chopped cilantro and lime juice.

Chicken Verde Tacos

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 cup verde salsa
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp cummin
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1 cup charred corn (make on the BBQ or buy a bag from Trader  Joe’s)
  • 8 corn or flour tortillas

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken breasts in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle spices over chicken. Pour Salsa Verde over chicken breasts.

Bake for 30 minutes.

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If you have an electric mixer, place chicken breasts in the bowl and mix on low for 30 seconds using the paddle attachment. Eh Voila! Perfectly shredded chicken. If you do not have an electric mixer, shred the chicken using 2 forks.

Heat your tortillas either on the grill or in the microwave. Stuff with the chicken, pour some extra salsa on top, sprinkle some charred corn, maybe squeeze a bit of lime and sit back and enjoy every delicious bite.

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Mango Papaya Margaritas

Posted on April 28, 2013 | 4 Comments

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Welcome toLa Playa del Panadero, which according to google translator means The Seaside Baker. For the upcoming week, we will be featuring some of our favorite and regular Mexican dishes in preparation for Cinco de Mayo!

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We love Margaritas in our home, and make them rather often. I love using fresh fruit to flavor them.

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While strolling through the Mexican market today I spotted some delicious looking papayas and yellow mangos.I knew that after a weekend of being away (and leaving the 3 yetlings home with hubby), this would be exactly what my husband would need to unwind.

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Honestly, I had never had a yellow mango before. I picked out the mango the same way I would pick a red mango, firm but slightly soft (does that make sense??). It was slightly more tart than a red mango which paired perfectly with the sweetness of the papaya and agave.

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Baby Ben loved the mango, and kept stealing it from my platter while I was photographing the drinks!

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These margaritas are perfect on the rocks or blended. Make them for Cinco de Mayo or any afternoon BBQ! However, be careful when you drink these. They taste just like a refreshing smoothie and you may or may not forget how many you have already had while you are pouring the next. Trust me on this one!

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Papaya Mango Margarita

  • 1/2 cup lime juice
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup Wholesome Sweetner’s Agave
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 mango
  • 1/2 papaya
  • 1/2 cup tequila (or whatever you prefer)
  • ice

In a blender, add agave, water, lemon and lime juice. Pulse a few times to combine. Add papaya, mango, tequila and ice, mix until smooth. You can also add some of the seeds to the margarita to add a bit of bite! Serve immediately. Serves 4.

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Posted in Cocktails, Mexican Food

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Dinner Dilemma

Posted on April 27, 2013 | Leave a comment

This weekend I am off to The Traveling Potluck! I will be reposting some of my older posts, as many of you probably have not seen them due to my incredibly unorganized categories. Btw, organizing that is on my list of things to do :) Have a great weekend!!

It is quite difficult at dinner time to come up with new and delicious meals in my home. On one side you have my aspiring body builder husband who tries to consume at least 4000 (no that is not a typo) calories a day, and on the other side is me, who just mentions the word calorie and I immediately gain one pound. To top it off, I can also add two very picky young eaters to the mix. If it were hubby’s choice we would be eating a T-bone steak, potatoes, pasta, and rice every night (Yes all in one meal). If I left it up to the munchkins we would be eating vanilla bean cupcakes with oreo truffle filling everynight for dessert. Now do you see what I have to deal with? There is only so much steak one’s intestines can handle, and only few pants that still fit!!!!!!!

When it comes to red meat, flank steak is my favorite. A few hours before dinner, I quickly marinated the flank with a delicious and easy marinade that my grandmother taught me years ago. This marinade only has 7 simple ingredients, but does wonders to the meat. 

MJ’s Flank Steak Marinade                       

1 Medium sized Flank Steak
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
3 Cloves of Garlic
1 tsp Pepper
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

Score the surface of the flank steak, and put it into a glass baking dish (not necessary just looks pretty). Drizzle on one tablespoon of oil, then sprinkle salt, pepper, oregano, and garlic. Finally, drizzle with one tablespoon vinegar. Turn the flank steak and repeat. Marinate for at least one hour, but the longer the better.

If over cooked, flank steak because tough so it is best cooked to medium rare. I grilled the steak for about 5 minutes on each side and allowed it to rest for another 5 minutes before slicing against the grain.

The rest of the meal turned out fabulous, and everyone was happy! Tomorrow I will add the side dish.

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Posted in Random

Spring Giveaway!

Posted on April 26, 2013 | 95 Comments

This giveaway has now ended. Thank you to everyone that participated!

The birds are chirping, the temperatures are high, and it’s almost peony season! These are things that make me happy. When I am happy, so are you! At least that is what I tell my husband when I really want something.

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I thought it would be a great weekend to kick of the Le Creuset Giveaway! Isn’t it gorgeous? This 3 qt red saucier pan with lid is valued at $220. This is the perfect pan to make your spring risotto, polenta, chocolate sauce, custards, and on and on.

The nitty gritty:

Giveaway is open to US residents only. Winner will be picked using random.org on May 5th, 2013 and will have 72 hours to respond with their mailing address. If winner does not respond within that time, another winner will be picked. This is not a sponsored giveaway. I purchased this item on my own at Williams-Sonoma, because I luuv you!

To enter:

Subscribe to The Seaside Baker (in the upper right hand corner)

Like The Seaside Baker on Facebook

Follow The Seaside Baker on Instagram

Follow The Seaside Baker on Pinterest

Follow The Seaside Baker on Twitter

Leave a comment telling me that you did all that fun stuff! If you are already a follower, just let me know and I will include that in the entry too!

Good Luck!

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Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted on April 24, 2013 | 4 Comments

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Do you remember these Tagalong Bars that I made because I never did see a Girl Scout to pick up a package of cookies? Well, Girl Scout cookie season came and went and I still didn’t get my package of peanut butter sandwich cookies. So naturally, I made my own.

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Only these were better! Soft, chewy and extremely peanut buttery. What’s more, they only have 4 ingredients and take about 5 minutes to prepare! All of you gluten free people will LOVE this recipe because it is flourless!

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I came across this recipe via pinterest and it originates from PBS.org. I knew it would be perfect to sandwich some silky peanut butter frosting.

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I even saved a few cookies to make ice cream sandwiches with this delicious ice cream. Have you heard of Straus Creamery Organic Ice Cream. I picked it up at Whole Foods Market last week and it was ah-mazing! Brown Sugar Banana…need I say more?

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Sorry about the horrible picture. My camera card decided that it was full while photographing these sandwiches, which resulted in melted sandwiches. I knew if I  put them back in the freezer, the next time I would go to get them they would be gone (the beast, my husband was hovering over me while taking the pictures).

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Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

  • 2 cups Peanut Butter, any kind just not too much oil
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsps vanilla

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a bowl, mix sugar and peanut butter. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Scoop out 1 tbsp rounds and place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Using a fork, make criss cross patterns on the cookie.

Bake for 14 minutes. Cool completely.

Silky Peanut Butter Frosting

  • 1/2 cup of butter, softened
  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsps milk

Combine all of your ingredients and beat on medium to high speed for 4 minutes. If frosting is too dry, add more milk in increments of 1 tbsp until the desired consistency.

Spread frosting on cookies and sandwich together. If using ice cream, defrost the ice cream for about 7-10 minutes. Scoop out ice cream and place on cookies, sandwich together. Refreeze for 1 hour before serving.

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Posted in Cookies, ice cream, Reviews

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Earth Day Ice Cream Flower Pots

Posted on April 21, 2013 | 1 Comment

Earth Day Flower pots

Happy Earth Day, YAY! When I was 9 years old, my mother made these for my birthday party. I have loved them ever since, but hadn’t made these for my own kids until today. They were chomping at the bits while I made and photographed these. I was not very happy with the way the pictures were coming out so I decided to go crazy when editing them. I think it is cool!

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These are so much fun and so easy to make. You can stick real or fake flowers, or gummy bugs for the boys. I picked up these adorable cake pops from Whole Foods Market Del Mar. I will happily pay what they are asking if it means someone else is making the cake pops. For the record, I despise making them!

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All in all these took me about 10 minutes to put together. You can even make these a couple of days ahead of time if you have the freezer space, something I never have!

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Ice Cream Flower Pots

  • 6 small (but not the tiny one) clay pots
  • 1 gallon of ice cream, softened
  • 1/2 batch of brownies or cake or store bought pound cake
  • 10 oreo cookies, crushed
  • gummy worms, flowers, or cake pops

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Wash your pots thoroughly before using. Using a small jar, cup or cookie cutter, cut out pieces of brownie and push to the bottom of the pots. Scoop out ice cream and fill to the top of the pots. Cover ice cream with Oreo crumbs. If you are using gummy worms, place them in now.

Freeze pots for at least 1 hour. Remove from freezer and stick in flower or cake pop. Serve immediately.

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Posted in Cupcakes, ice cream

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Coconut Lover Cupcakes

Posted on April 20, 2013 | 10 Comments

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Next weekend I will be attending The Big Traveling Potluck. Although the meals will be catered (I think), they asked everyone to sign up to bring cupcakes, appetizer or cookies for a specific day.

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Let me tell you about this event. There were only 75 tickets available, and at least half of these tickets were sold to big name bloggers. We’re talking Bakerella (THE cake pop queen), THE PIONEER WOMAN (YES, you read that right. Although she is actually a speaker), Joy the Baker,  Two Peas and Their Pod, Picky-Palate, Kevin and Amanda, Bakers Royale, Heather Christo and so many more. All of these people are my blogging idols. Blogs I sip my coffee to every morning.

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So I bet you can only imagine how much pressure I have thinking about these people actually eating my cupcakes! MY CUPCAKES! I just got goose bumps.

They need to be perfect. So I was thinking about doing cupcakes in a jar and putting a label on the top with my blog name. Does that sound too egotistical? You kind of have to put a sticker on the lids to add to the cute factor of the jar, and blogging conferences are about networking right? What would you think, and please be honest.

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If I do in fact decided to go with the cupcakes in a jar, I am going to do a few flavors, strawberry cupcakes, vanilla bean and salted caramel, something chocolate, and these coconut cupcakes. All of these seem to be my most popular and most requested flavors.

These coconut cupcakes are a personal favorite as well as my mother’s favorite. She called me last week telling me that she had purchased a coconut cupcake from a cupcake store and that it was horrible. Then she somehow coaxed me into coming to her house to bake these cupcakes. We Italians take our cravings seriously. These cupcakes are perfect for coconut lovers. The cake is buttery a sweet with a delicate coconut flavor while the frosting is bursting with coconut.

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I also wanted to tell you guys about The Food Blogger Bake Sale coming up. It will be taking place on May 4th, 2013 at Great News in Pacific Beach. If you’re local, come visit me and a bunch of other San Diego food bloggers. If you are not local, look for a Blogger Bake Sale in your city!

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Coconut Cupcakes

  • 2 sticks butter (softened)
  • 1 1/2 sugar
  • 2 tsp coconut extract
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with a splash of white vinegar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure all your ingredients are room temperature.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and soda and mix.

In your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend butter, sugar and coconut extract at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add a cup of flour followed by 1/3 of the buttermilk. Repeat this 3 times, until you have incorporated all the flour and buttermilk.

 Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Fill each liner 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 17-20 or until a knife comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon coconut extract
Cream cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Turn mixer to low and beat in powdered sugar, add coconut extract. Beat on high for 5 minutes.
Frost each cupcake and dip into a bowl of shredded coconut.
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