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Chicken Tacos (Iron chef Jose Garces inspired) Chicken Tacos (Iron chef Jose Garces inspired) Ingredients for chicken tacos This is one more recipe that is inspired from iron chef, Jose Garces who has a huge presence in Philadelphia .   This recipe combines a delicious mix of several fresh and healthy ingredients.   The use of chayote adds an extra crunch and chillies gives an extra kick while the avocado and cucumber give the desired cooling.   I customized this by adding habanero curry powder to the chicken which adds to the boldness of the heat!!   Ingredients: Cube Chicken - 1 pound, 1 bell pepper, 1 onion, 1 teaspoon habanero curry powder, 1 teaspoon corn starch, salt to taste, Corn Tortillas (6 inch)-12 ea Chayote and Cucumber Salad- see recipe Chile Sauce � see recipe Avocado Espuma � see recipe Chayote & Cucumber Salad Recipe Chayote-1 ea, julienne Cucumber-1 ea, julienne Lime Juice-2 ea, fresh squeezed Cilantro-1/4 bunch, chopped Extra Virgin Olive Oil-2 Tbs Preparation:

I live in south Louisiana, and it's hot.  The only time it's not hot is when it rains; then after the rain it's a steam bath.  On the upside of this dreary weather, my skin is not dry and the produce at the market is amazing.  I live for the farmers market! I get the pleasure of shopping for my business and hand picking all my fruits and vegetables. At home in the evening, after cooking in the shop all day, I hardly want to turn the oven on.  This type of salad is great to make ahead of time.  I roast the beets and keep them in the refrigerator.  The salad comes together fairly quickly and is a great vegetarian main dish or can serve as a side.  I've been trying to eat pasta only on the weekends, eating mostly seafood and vegetables during the week.  I'm working on a new blog which will chronicle the way I eat at home a bit more accurately.  Gourmet Girl will remain and I will post all the yummy things I make at work in my business, Gourmet Girls.  I'll update t

I made this salad at work this week and just had to share with you.  I've seen many versions of it, but what remains consistent is the watermelon and cheese combination.  My father says it reminds him of my great uncle, who used to eat feta with watermelon as a snack.  Clearly it's a good combination which has stood the test of time. Pairing fruit with cheese is a favorite of mine too. I made a red wine French vinaigrette for the salad. It's a little tangy with a good helping of Dijon mustard to emulsify the dressing.  I have mint growing in my garden and thought it would complement the feta- refreshing and crisp.  I've been using watermelon often lately and made these little disks by cutting out a block of melon.  Shave the rind off with a sharp knife, then use a fluted or straight-sided cookie cutter to cut through the melon.  Slice the rounds into disks, about 1/4" thick.  Using the cookie cutter for the melon is also a great idea for making a fruit tray for a c

Summer Peach and Blackberry Tartines with Gorgonzola Dolce, Ricotta and Prosciutto. Summer is my favorite time of the year in the kitchen.  With so many fruit and vegetables at their prime, cooking is really enjoyable- the possibilities are endless.  The whole concept of cooking seasonally appeals to me both at home and at work. I have been trying to purchase all the produce I use for my catering business, Gourmet Girls, at the local farmer's market.  Purchasing from a wholesale purveyor just really did not work for me.  I was entirely too picky about the way my produce looked and found the only way to truly get every single tomato, apple or head of lettuce to look the way I wanted it to was to hand pick it myself.   I enjoy starting my day by going to the market, seeing what is available and planning my menus from there.  One of the services I provide at Gourmet Girls is dinners for take-out.   I'm lucky enough to have a group of clients who pretty much let me make whatever I