Jalapeno Lime Margarita.

We've revamped the classic margarita into this zesty sweet and spicy version.

makes 1 pitcher Ingredients: 1/3 cup Jalapeno Lime White Balsamic 1 1/4 cup lime juice  1 1/4 cup blend fruit juice (tropical flavor)  3 cups tequila  1/2 cup triple sec 

Himalayan Pink Premium Salt

garnish:  jalapeños  lime wedges  Directions:  Fill a pitcher with ice and stir in balsamic, lime juice, fruit juice, tequila, and triple sec until combined. Rim margarita glasses with lime juice and coat in pink salt. Garnish glasses with jalapeños and lime wedges. 

Slow Cooked Chicken Mole with Chipotle EVOO and Chocolate Dark Balsamic

serves 4 Ingredients:  mole sauce:  1 tablespoon Chipotle extra virgin olive oil  1 dried ancho chili, stem removed  3 dried guajillo chili, stem removed  1/4 cup raisins  1/2 cup almonds  3 each roma tomatoes, seeded  1/2 yellow onion, peeled and chopped  6 garlic cloves, peeled  1/8 teaspoon ground allspice  1/8 teaspoon ground cloves  1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon  1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth  2 oz. 70% dark chocolate, grated 1 tablespoon Chipotle extra virgin olive oil  4 bone-in chicken thighs  2 teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon ground cumin  1/2 cup Chocolate Infused Dark Balsamic  2 cups cooked long-grain rice  1 teaspoon sesame seeds garnish:  chopped cilantro  diced red onions Directions:  Make Mole Sauce 1 day ahead to save on time.

Preheat slow cooker to sauté and drizzle with oil. Add dried chilies, raisins, almonds, tomatoes, onions, garlic, allspice, cloves, and cinnamon and cook until fragrant (about 3 minutes). Deglaze with broth and stir in chocolate. Reduce setting to slow cook, cover, and cook for 3 hours.  Remove mole sauce from the slow cooker and scrape into a food processor. Blend until smooth and set aside.  Wipe out the slow cooker, preheat. Season chicken with chipotle salt and cumin. Add Chipotle EVOO to a non-stick skillet and crisp on both sides until golden brown, remove from the skillet and transfer to a slow cooker. Deglaze with chocolate balsamic, whisk in pureed mole sauce, bring to simmer and return the mixture to slow cooker. Cover and cook for 3 hours until chicken is tender and cooked through.  Serve chicken with rice and topped with sesame seeds, cilantro, and onions. 

Seafood Curry with Ella's Olive Toasted Sesame Garlic and Ginger Oil

This is one of my family's favourite, easy, quick and all in one pot. If you have an Asian market nearby, it makes it even easier. You can also substitute chicken thighs instead of seafood.

Ingredients:

Seafood ( 1 lb of each: mussels, scrubbed and beards removed, scallops, x-large shrimp, cleaned/deveined), 1 medium size filet of firm white fish ( cod, halibut, rockfish) cut into large pieces.

1 large onion cut into large chunks

2-3 large carrots, cut into 1" rounds

1 green pepper - cut into large chunks

6 garlic cloves - crushed and minced

2 TBSP of fresh ginger, minced

2-3 stalks of lemongrass, outer tough leaves and green ends removed

4 TBSP of Sesame Garlic and Ginger Oil

2 cans of unsweetened coconut milk

1- 2 TBSP of red curry paste, can substitute yellow curry, or any other curry paste available

1/3 cup of sweat mirin wine

Juice from 1 lime

1 bottle of clam juice ( or if you are doing chicken, 1 cup of chicken broth)

Salt and Pepper

1 - 2 TBS of chopped cilantro

Rice - 2 cups of steamed short-grain rice.

Directions:

1. Season scallops and fish pieces w/ salt and pepper.

2. Preheat 2 TBSP of Sesame oil in a non-stick skillet and sear scallops and fish, a few pieces at a time for 2- 3 minutes on all sides. Remove, and deglaze the pan with some mirin wine. Reserve it and add it to the ovenproof pot in step

3. In an ovenproof pot, preheat remaining sesame oil, saute onion, garlic, carrots ginger, lemongrass stalks until softened ( 10 min) on med heat.

4. Add curry paste and mix with onion mixture for 5 min

5. Add wine, clam juice, lime juice, and deglaze liquid from step 2. Bring to a slow simmer.

6. Add mussels and shrimp, cover and cook until shrimp is pink and mussels begin to open.

7. Add 2 cans of coconut milk, stir, and bring to a slow simmer.

8. Add cooked scallops and fish, stir gently and heat through. Be careful not to break up the fish.

9. Add salt to taste.

10 Serve over cooked rice with chopped cilantro as a garnish.