Tag: lime juice

Christmas Punch

I love games; board games, card games, trivia, you name it. So, I always try to have a game for my family to play on Christmas Eve, and this year is no exception. But I am still determining what that game will be! We’ve played them all, and I am drawing a blank! Suggestions appreciated!

We have checked one thing off our list. We have decided what our meal will be. That’s a huge one around here. We all consider ourselves authorities on the matter and have very strong opinions. We have agreed upon appetizers. I’m so excited because I pushed for this one! One of my favorite things to do is make a meal of appetizers. No matter if I am dining out, camping, or at home.

This year I plan to make this fabulous Christmas Punch. I’m not a huge punch fan, but I have combined a few different recipes to come up with one that my entire family loves, including me! We had it with our charcuterie board on Thanksgiving and loved it.

It’s not a set-in-stone recipe but a guide. Tasting it occasionally while making it is my number one tip. For a beautifully festive look, garnish each serving glass with an orange slice, fresh cranberries, and a sprig of fresh rosemary.

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Christmas Punch

Course Beverages
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 (64-ounce) Ocean Spray Cran-Pomegranate juice
  • 1 (12-ounce) Lemonade frozen concentrated
  • 1 cup Ocean Spray Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
  • 1 cup good quality orange juice
  • Juice of 4-6 limes to taste
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract or more to taste
  • Sprite
  • Fresh cranberries washed and dried for serving
  • Orange slices for serving
  • Ice

Instructions

  • In a gallon jug, mix the Cran-Pomegranate juice, lemonade concentrate, Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice, orange juice, lime juice and almond extract. Taste and adjust flavors as you like.
  • My serving method is, to add an orange slice to the side of a glass. Add ice to the glass and top with a few cranberries. Add fruit juice mixture to fill the glass about 3/4 full. Finish filling the glass with Sprite. Top with a rosemary sprig and serve.

Notes

*Almond extract can overpower a recipe quickly, add it a little at a time until you get the flavor you prefer.  
*If you would rather serve from a punch bowl,  pour the fruit juice mixture into a punch bowl, add Sprite, to taste, and fresh fruit.  Serve over ice.  If left for too long the Sprite could go flat.  
*Ginger Ale can be used in place of Sprite.
*If you prefer, you can always sweeten it slightly by adding sugar to the fruit juice mixture.   

Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing AND Spicy Salsa Ranch Dressing

Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing and Spicy Salsa Ranch Dressing

Have you ever found a recipe that, from the moment you taste it, you just know it will be your new best friend? Oh my word, that is precisely how I feel about today’s recipes. The combination of these two dressings takes this salad over the top! However, each dressing alone has so much potential. Independently, they could be great dips for chicken fingers, on tacos, or so much more.

Using a popular chicken sandwich restaurant as inspiration, we made our salad with lettuce, black beans, tomatoes, shredded cheese, red onion, sliced black olives, grilled chicken, and grilled steak and topped with fried tortilla strips. I used the Cilantro Lime marinade I recently posted to marinate the chicken and steak for two hours each.

Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing and Spicy Salsa Ranch Dressing
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Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing

Course Salad
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 ripe Haas avocados pulp scooped out
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon water to thin a bit

Instructions

  • You may use a food processor or blender. Start by placing the avocado pulp, mayonnaise, vinegar, buttermilk, lime juice, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, dill, sugar, salt and pepper in container of the blending device you will be using.
  • Blend until smooth, scrapping down the sides occasionally with a spatula.
  • With lid on and blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
  • Then is the dressing needs to be thinned a bit, using the same process, drizzle in water 1 tablespoon at a time until you have reached the desired consistency.
  • Taste and adjust salt and pepper or any other seasonings, if desired.

Notes

Store in a jar in the refrigerator for an hour or two before serving.
Will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator.  
Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing and Spicy Salsa Ranch Dressing
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Spicy Salsa Ranch Dressing

Course Salad
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 (1-ounce) packet Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch Salad Dressing Mix
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup jarred salsa

Instructions

  • Combine dressing mix, mayonnaise, buttermilk, and salsa in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Keep refrigerated.

Barbacoa

Barbacoa

Savannah meal preps and shows me up with her kitchen skills all of the time. Why she doesn’t start Not Just Sunday Dinner Too is beyond me! She works long hours, especially during tax season, and because she does not eat dairy or eggs, she does best to eat at home. 

Well, I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks. I meal prepped last week! I made three different meals using a large chuck roast, 1 lb. ground pork, and a few additional ingredients. I now have Egg Roll Bowls, Barbacoa Stuffed Poblano Peppers, and Barbacoa Bowls in the freezer, ready for those nights when I just don’t feel like cooking. 

The word “barbacoa” refers to both the preparing of the meat and the meat itself. It can be lamb, goat, beef, or pork. It was traditionally steam-cooked underground, but the slow cooker is an easy method for tender and juicy results. The flavor of the meat is incredible! I found this recipe on lemonblossom.com.  Kathy has incredible recipes that will keep you scrolling for days!  

Barbacoa makes a great taco. As I mentioned, I made stuffed poblano peppers and barbacoa bowls.  To assemble the barbacoa bowls, place cooked rice or riced cauliflower in your bowl.  Spoon desired amount of shredded beef, with juice, into the bowl.  Top with your favorite toppings and squeeze fresh lime juice over the top.

Barbacoa
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Barbacoa

Course Main Course
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 to 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeds removed plus 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped
  • 4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 pound chuck roast
  • salt and pepper
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 2 bay leaves

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a food processor or a blender, add vinegar, lime juice, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt, and cloves. Pulse until smooth, set aside.
  • Trim extra fat from the chuck roast and discard fat. Cut into big chunks, about 2" to 2 1/2". Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  • Heat oil over medium high heat in a heavy bottom skillet or Dutch oven. Sear meat in batches on all sides until browned.
  • Add the meat to a slow cooker. Pour the braising liquid and broth over the meat. Add the bay leaves.
  • Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 - 10 hours.
  • Using two forks, shred the beef in the crock pot. Stir to combine with the juice.

 

Blackened Fish Salad with Ginger-Lime Dressing

 

We have never been campers, but we bought a camper. Sometime last year I got a wild hair to buy a used camper to revamp. We started by taking out the sofas, the mattresses, and the dinette. We cleaned it and then it has sat, just like that, for a year.

Soon after we bought it, Wes and Ashley said they wanted to have their wedding here on the farm, and all of our focus went into getting things ready for a wedding.

Now we have the time to work on the camper, and the motivation is not there. Greg wants to put it in the yard with a for sale sign. Part of me still thinks it would be fun to remodel it. However, when all of this started, I imagined one of those HGTV remodel couples working on their travel trailer with this impressive reveal with a couple of beautifully decorated cupcakes on the counter and the camper decorated to the nines. Does that sound slightly familiar to anyone? Without Greg’s handyman skills, it’s just me with no “Chip” and no reveal. The appeal simply isn’t there for me.

Despite not being ready we are going to throw a mattress in the camper and take it for a weekend in October. How fun will that be? At least we can use that weekend to decide if we would enjoy camping.

Here is a spectacular recipe! The blackened fish with the mixed greens and the so yummy ginger-lime salad dressing is the perfect combination! Use any flaky white fish that you prefer and make the dressing several hours before serving and let stand in a covered jar on the counter.

I have been full keto for a few weeks now and will include the macros for this salad. However, if you are not counting your carbs, simple us sugar in place of the sweetener and use canola oil in place of avocado oil.

 

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Blackened Fish Salad with Ginger-Lime Dressing

Course Salad
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 4 4-oz. flaky white fish fillets
  • 6 Tbsp. olive oil divided
  • 2 Tbsp. creole seasoning
  • 2 5-oz. bags mixed spring mix washed and dried
  • 1/2 c. Ginger-Lime Salad Dressing recipe follows
  • 8 rings sliced red onion
  • 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 mini sweet peppers sliced

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
  • Toss fish with 2 tablespoons olive oil and creole seasoning. Set aside.
  • In a large cast iron skillet, heat remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat until it sizzles. Gently place the fish fillets in the skillet. Cook on one side for 3-4 minutes. Carefully turn fish fillets and continue cooking until the fish is cooked through. If you can easily insert a toothpick into the fish, it is done. Remove to an ovenproof platter. Place in oven to keep warm while cooking remaining fillets.
  • While fish is cooking combine salad greens with dressing. Toss thoroughly. Divide greens among four dinner plates.
  • On top of salads, sprinkle red onions, cherry tomato halves and pepper slices.
  • Top each salad with a fish fillet and serve immediately.

Notes

Macros:  (Using 4-oz. Wild Caught Alaskan Halibut and 1/8 of the Ginger-Lime Dressing)
Net Carbs:  5 g.
Fat: 35 g.
Protein:  7 g.
Calories:  355

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Ginger-Lime Salad Dressing

Course Salad
Servings 8
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. finely minced fresh gingerroot
  • 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 c. avocado oil
  • 1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 c. freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 1/2 pkt. Pyure Organic Stevia
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions

  • Place all ingredients in a glass jar and shake well until dressing is combined.
  • If you are using the dressing in a few hours, allow to stand, covered, on the counter until time to serve. Store in the refrigerator.

Notes

Macros:  (This is for the dressing only)
Net Carbs:  2 g.
Fat:  14 g.
Protein:  0 g.
Calories:  128

 

Mexican Pot Roast (Keto, Low-Carb, GF)

 

MEXICAN-POT-ROAST

It’s no secret that I love a beef chuck roast. They never disappoint because they are always tender, tasty and versatile.

This delicious Mexican Pot Roast is fabulous! This roast is a new recipe for me but one that I know I will be making again and again. I changed up the original recipe slightly to make it low carb and keto friendly.

Serve the roast and the beans cooked in the liquid and riced cauliflower for a great meal. I added sliced avocado, chopped tomatoes, sour cream and homemade Faux Jalapeno Cornbread.

MEXICAN-POT-ROAST
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Mexican Pot Roast

Course Main Course
Servings 8
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 4 lb. beef chuck roast
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 3/4 c. packed fresh cilantro
  • 3 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 (12-oz.) amber beer
  • 2 (15-oz.) cans black soy beans rinsed and drained

Instructions

  • Pat beef roast dry with paper towels and place on a baking sheet.
  • In a food processor pulse the garlic cloves, cilantro and lime juice until chopped fine.
  • Add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, tomato paste, cumin, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, chili powder, and oregano.  Pulse until smooth.
  • Spread half of the cilantro mixture on top of the roast.  Transfer roast to slow cooker with the seasoned side down.  Spread remaining cilantro mixture over the uncovered side of roast.  
  • Carefully pour the beer into the slow cooker, around the sides of the roast.  
  • Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours, or on HIGH for 5-6 hours.
  • About an hour before the roast has finished, gently lift one side of the roast and add the rinsed and drained black beans to the bottom on the cooker.  
  • Serve the roast and beans with the delicious juices.  

Notes

Nutritional Info:
Net Carbs: 5 g.; Fat: 63 g.; Protein: 62 g.; Calories: 883