Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm not a huge fan of anything pumpkin, but I do like pumpkin cookies...IF they have chocolate chips in them...lots and lots of chocolate chips.  Well, I came across this recipe on MADE. I stalk her blog for crafting stuff, but this past Fall, she decided to do a bunch of posts with Pumpkin recipes. I've been looking for a good pumpkin choco chip cookie recipe for a long time and this one was perfect! It is a little different- seeing as how you don't use eggs (so it's also safe to eat the cookie dough...not sure I'd reccommend it, but you still could...if you wanted to) but very good!

So here it is:

Cookies (makes about 3 dozen cookies)
½ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350. You can either grease your cookie sheets, or be lazy like me, and use parchment paper. :)
 
2. In medium bowl, cream the shortening and sugar. Stir in the pumpkin and vanilla.

3. In separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture.  

4.  Add your chocolate chips. 

5.  Drop dough on your cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes. 

NOTE- These cookie will maintain their shape in the oven, so however they look when you drop them on your cookie sheet is how they will look when they come out. This doesn't technically matter since you coat them with the most scrumptious cream cheese frosting...but just so you are aware. :)

Cream Cheese Frosting (makes enough for two batches of cookies)
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
½ cup butter
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
dash of salt 


Mix together and frost your cookies!  Enjoy!
Sorry I forgot to take pics of them frosted- they didn't last long enough. :)

"Goulash" Soup

So I was in the mood for some Hungarian goulash the other night, but we were having a family "soup" night and so I needed to make a soup version of Goulash... I was just really craving that flavor. I adapted this from an existing goulash recipe and ended up loving it. Plus, it was super easy to throw together and even my kids ate it. It's a perfect fall stew.

1 lb. beef stew chunks (or ground beef)
8 oz. small pasta, such as macaroni, or shells
1 small onion
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
16 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 can diced or stewed tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 cans beef broth (or equivalent water with beef bouillon)
3/4 cup cream or half and half
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste (I used about 3/4 tsp.)

1. In a large pot, cook noodles to al dente. Set aside.

2. While the noodles are cooking, in another large stockpot, on high heat, brown the beef and drain any excess fat.

3. Add the onions, garlic, celery, and mushrooms and saute until celery is tender crisp, about 5-6 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, paprika, chili powder and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 30-60  minutes. (Or however long you'd like...)

5. Remove from heat and add noodles, cream and sour cream. Adjust spices as necessary.

White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies

Here's another one from my Taste of Home "Fall Baking" magazine that was utterly delicious. They were simple to make and I love the combination of oranges, cranberries, and white chocolate. What's not to love? I was a bit underwhelmed after my first taste, but after some refrigeration, these babies were irresistible. I underbaked them just a bit and they firmed up beautifully and deliciously in the fridge. Plus, they make for a gorgeous presentation. I adjusted the recipe just a bit to cut back on the sweetness and they are definitely worth making making again!  They tasted like frosted cookie dough!  And if the frosting is still too sweet for you, this is a great "blondie" recipe base.  Keep in mind... they are blondies, which I always find a bit sweet.  This is a very sweet dessert.  But delicious!

Recipe Source: slightly adapted from Taste of Home's "Fall Baking" magazine
Serves: 2 1/2 dozen (one 9x13 pan)

3/4 cup butter
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries (although, I may substitute fresh next time)
6 oz. white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped into chunks

Frosting:
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. grated orange peel
1/4 tsp. orange extract
3 oz. white chocolate, melted
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl; stir in brown sugar and mix well. Allow to cool.

2. Transfer to a larger bowl if necessary and beat in the eggs and vanilla.

3. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a separate small bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture. Fold in cranberries and chopped white chocolate. Batter will be very thick.

4. Spread mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool completely.

5.  For the frosting, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and orange extract and peel in a large bowl.  Gradually add the melted chocolate and beat until blended.  Smooth over the brownies.  (I actually only used about 3/4 of my frosting mixture... it was just too much otherwise.)  Sprinkle with remaining dried cranberries.

6.  Melt semi-sweet chocolate in a small ziploc baggie, in 30 second intervals in the microwave.  Massage bag to smooth out any lumps.  Snip a tiny corner off the bag and drizzle chocolate over bars.  Store in the refrigerator.

Carmel Apple Muffins

Fall is upon us and it's time for delicious Fall baking! My sister gave me a most fantastic cooking magazine a couple of weeks ago, Taste of Home's "Fall Baking" and I probably bookmarked over half the recipes because they all look so fantastic. I'm going to have to do a lot of baking in the next couple of months to hit them all.

I started with these muffins because, one, I had everything on hand for them, and two, they looked simple. Muffins tend to be no fuss and low maintenance... I wanted to start with something that had a high probability of working.

These were delicious! Simple, moist, no fuss and the little bites of gooey caramel made these muffins extra special. They'd be perfect as a side for dinner, after dinner treat, brunch treat, or midnight snack... not that I tried all of those options...

Recipe Source: Taste of Home's "Fall Baking" Magazine
Servings: approximately 14 muffins

Muffins:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped, peeled tart apple (I used one large Granny Smith apple... it was more than 1/2 cup, but I wanted more apple chunks)
12 caramels, chopped into large pieces (I simply cut mine into quarters)

Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup quick cooking oats
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon

1.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. 

2.  In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, butter, and vanilla.  Stir into the dry ingredients, just until moistened.  Do not over mix!  Remember, you'll still be stirring it a bit to incorporate the apples and caramels.

3.  Fold in the apples and caramels.

4.  Fill paper lined or greased muffin cups three-fourths full.

5.  Combine the topping ingredients;  sprinkle over batter in muffin tins.  (This stuff tends to caramelize during the baking process, making it super yummy... but also super messy to clean up.  Try not to let too much spill all over your muffin tin.)

6.  Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

7.  Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan.  Serve warm, so your caramel inside is still nice and gooey!

Rouladen

We grew up mostly vegetarian and didn't get a whole lot of meat, so we really looked forward to Thanksgiving, Father's Day and my Dad's birthday. Thanksgiving for obvious reasons, but my Dad's Birthday and Father's Day becuase we got to eat Rouladen! My mom is German, and this is one of our favorite german recipes from her. Not sure if it's traditional german or not, but it was traditional in our family. They are so delish (even though they aren't the most beautiful thing you've seen) and I'm glad I finally got to make them with her and write everything down to share.Trust me- these are good!

Be forewarned, this is kind of a messy recipe- you will get your hands dirty (or in my mom's case, if you don't want to smell like pickles and onions, wear gloves - they don't even have to be blue!)

Here's what you'll need:
3-5 lb. Beef Roast, cut in about 1/4 in. thick slices
* a note about the meat: You can get pretty much any kind of beef roast, if the size is right.  My grcoery store (WinCO) carries this meat pre-sliced, but if your grocery store doesn't, you can take the roast to the butcher and ask him to slice it for you. Just see the pictures below to see how large you need these slices to be for the rolls to work. Just know that he bigger the roast, the more Rouladen you will get. We used a 5 lb and got 12 Rouladen out of it.*
salt and pepper
spicy mustard
6 dill pickle slices (the long oval ones, cut in half)
6 slices bacon
1 large onion
1/2 c. flour, divided

What to do:
Take your meat slices and lay them all out on your counter top or a large cutting board (if you use your counter, just make sure it's really clean). Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper. Spread a generous heaping of mustard on them.

Slice up your onions very fine, and lay 4-5 slices on your meat. Cut your pickles in half and place 3 on each meat slice. Cut your bacon into fourths and lay 2 on top of the pickles and onions.

Once you have those spread out on your meat, you are ready to roll them up into nice little bundles. Use 2 toothpicks to secure them closed.

In the meantime, heat up a medium sized frying pan with some oil.

Once your bundles are rolled up, you are going to roll them in flour until they are nicely coated. Then place them in your hot frying pan and brown the outsides.

Once they are all browned, you can either place them in a crock pot, or you can place them in a large pot on your stove. Either one will work, I just feel more comfortable leaving the house with something cooking in a crock pot rather than something cooking on the stove.

Take your pan drippings and pour it in with your bundles. Then cover with water.

Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 5-6 hours, or cook on low for 6-7 hours.

To make the sauce:

Remove the rouladen from your pot and place in a bowl and keep warm.

Take about 1/4 c. flour and mix with water until you get a thick paste. Once you have the paste, add to the remaining liquid in your pot and use a stick blender to mix it up and remove any lumps you may have. 

To warn you- this is a very uniqe, but awesome flavor. I can only compare it to a mustard sauce. When I made these last, the flavor was perfect- I didn't need to add anything. But if your flavor happens to be a bit bland, you can add some pickle juice or mustard once the sauce is complete to get the flavor right.

Serve over a warm bed of noodles- and don't forget to pull the toothpicks out before you eat it!

Thanks to my mother- the lovely blue hand model, and pardon my pictures...the lighting in my mom's kitchen was pretty bad, and I couldn't really take it outside. :)

Sloppy Joe Pasta

This is one of those recipes where I thought it was good, but my hubby loved it- so it's definitely a success!!

And the nice thing is that it's easy to put together and kinda fun since you get to use little shell noodles. :) It seems all my pasta dishes use penne or egg noddles, so I thought it was fun! I found this one in the Taste of Home magazine as well.

Here's what you'll need:
1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope sloppy joe mix
1 c. water
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 package small shell pasta, cooked and drained
1 c. cottage cheese
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

What to do:
In a large saucepan, cook beef until no longer pink. Drain.

Stir in the sloppy joe mix, water, tomato paste and sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 5-8 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in pasta.

Spoon half into a greased baking dish. Top with cottage cheese and then remaining noodle mixture. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.

Bake, uncovered at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Chilled Peach Yogurt Soup

I look forward to making this soup all year long. Anxiously, I wait for August, when peaches are finally ripe and in abundance and I can get a box of them while visiting family in Utah. Sure, they have peaches in Vegas... but they're teeerrible. In 9 year of living in Vegas, I have NEVER had a decent peach. It's really quite sad when you consider they're my favorite fruit.

This little soup is a snap to whip up... takes less than 10 minutes and makes a great appetizer, dessert, breakfast, or in my case today, a light lunch. I simply LOVE this stuff.

Recipe Source: Better Homes and Gardens "70 Favorite Soups and Stews"
Serves: Four 1/2 cup servings

2 cups peeled and sliced peaches (approximately 2 large peaches; you can use frozen, but defrost them first and drain the excess liquid)
3/4 cup peach or apricot nectar (I like to use the Kern's nectar, or I'll simply use leftover peach juice from a jar of canned peaches)
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
8 oz. vanilla yogurt

1. Combine the peaches, nectar, lemon juice and cinnamon in a food processor or blender.

2. In a large bowl, stir about 1/4 cup of the peach mixture into the yogurt. (Reserve just a bit of the yogurt for later, as a garnish.) Combine well and then add the remaining peach mixture, stirring well to combine.

3. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours and garnish with an additional Tbsp. of yogurt.

Beef Penne Pasta

Bug actually made this recipe awhile back and it was really good. She got it from the Taste of Home magazine. I stole the magazine from her and decided I would make it too. Joe really likes it too, which makes it that much better! :)  And the best part about it- it's no fuss and pretty quick!

So here you go!
What you'll need:
1 3/4 c. uncooked penne pasta
1 lb. ground beef
1 teaspon minced garlic
1 can tomato puree (15 oz)
1 can beef broth (14 oz)
1 1/2 t. Italian Seasoning
1 t. Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 c. chopped fresh spinach
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

What to do:
Cook your pasta according to box directions.

Meanwhile in a separate pot/pan, cook beef until no longer pink. Add garlic, cook a little longer and drain the grease.

Stir in the tomatoe puree, broth, Italian seasoning, Wooster sauce and S&P.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until sauce is slightly thickened.

Add spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, until your spinach is wilted.

Stir in your drained pasta and sprinkle with cheese.

Serve and enjoy!

Raspberry Lime Cheesecake Squares

As if there isn't enough citrus and cream cheese on this site, here's one more delicious variation. This was nice because you get the taste of cheesecake without all the hassle. I altered the original recipe just a bit and made mine with fresh raspberries instead of strawberry jam... mainly because that's what I had on hand and also because I don't like jam on my cheesecake.  I much prefer the taste of fresh fruit.  I loved the combination of the tart raspberry topping with the creamy lime cheesecake. But feel free to substitute strawberries for the raspberries!

Source: slightly adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Feeds: 9

Crust:
1/4 cup butter
1 whole sleeve graham crackers (9 crackers), finely crushed
1/4 cup sugar

Cheesecake:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest

Topping:
1 pint raspberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, defrost and drain off the excess liquid)
1/4 cup sugar
splash of lime juice

1. Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Melt your butter in an 8x8 square baking pan.

2. Mix sugar and graham cracker crumbs together, until combined and add to melted butter. Mix well and press into the bottom of your baking pan. (I usually use the bottom of a large glass to press it down firmly... works great!)

3. Bake the crust for 5-8 minutes, or until the crust starts to brown. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool.

4. In a small sauce pan, heat the raspberries and sugar. As they cook, mash the raspberries with your spoon until well mushed. (That sounds like a technical term, right?) Bring to a boil, and continue to boil until the liquid has thickened and cooked down a bit.  I usually let mine cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Once they've thickened and cooked down a bit, remove from heat and add your splash of lime juice.  Then allow it to cool.

Now, if you're a crazy perfectionist like me and time doesn't really matter (heh!  who am I kidding...), you can go ahead and strain your raspberry sauce now through a fine mesh sieve.  As much as I LOVE raspberries, I don't love millions of tiny raspberry seeds and so I always strain them out.  But... it is annoying and time consuming.  But so worth it.  I recommend it... it'll give you a nicer presentation and a seed free bite!  (If you're too lazy to strain your raspberries, I suggest going the strawberry route... then you don't really have to worry about as many seeds, right?)

5.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and zest. Beat until well combined. Pour over cooled crust.

6. Spoon cooled raspberry topping over the cream cheese mixture and use a butter knife to create a marbled effect. Chill for at least 6 hours.

Nutella Panna Cotta

Oh my sweet goodness, I daresay we've managed to make Panna Cotta even better.  When it's comes to recipes, I have absolutely no imagination, whatsoever.  I am definitely a recipe follower.  Which is why it never occurred to me that you can change up your panna cotta, simply by adding different flavors.  When I saw this recipe on bell'alimento, my mouth literally dropped... and I started drooling.  Nutella and panna cotta?  Yum!  This recipe is made in the identical manner as this panna cotta... only you add a couple Tbsp. of some delicious Nutella, and suddenly you have a chocolate version that reminds me of chocolate milk.  It was so good with some fresh strawberries on top.  Now, I can't wait to try the lemon version!  Oh, and this may very well be a new favorite site... she has an entire category devoted to Nutella!  Now, that's my kind of cooking site...

Recipe Source: adapted from bell'alimento

Serves: 6-8

1/3 c. skim milk

2 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream (or you can pretend to cut calories and use half and half... but why?)

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 packet (.25 oz.) unflavored gelatin

3 Tbsp. Nutella, melted for a few seconds in the microwave

1.  Pour the milk into a small bow, and sprinkle the gelatin powder on top.  Set aside.

2.  In a saucepan, stir together the heavy cream and sugar and set over medium heat.  Cook until it nears a full boil, watching carefully (and stirring frequently) as the cream will quickly rise to the top of the pan. 

3.  Once the mixture is beginning to boil, add the melted Nutella and and bring the mixture back to a boil. 

4. Pour the gelatin mixture into the cream, stirring until completely dissolved.  Cook for one minute, stirring constantly.

5.  Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pour into six or 7 individual ramekin dishes.  (About 1/2 c. in each dish)

6.  Cool the ramekins uncovered until they're room temperature.  Once they've cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until firm.

7.  Serve with fresh berries, slightly sweetened with sugar.

Pork Carnitas

Here is the third and final part of our perfect Pork Carnitas! It is super easy, low--maintenance, and has a great smoky (not sweet!) flavor.  I found the recipe on Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen and my sister and I tweaked it just a bit to enhance the flavor.  Sadly, our tweaking resulted in a bit more work and one more dish to clean, but it definitely strengthens the flavor.  But even without our little addition, this is still a great pork for tacos, burritos, taco salad, and of course, my beloved carnitas.

Recipe Source: Tasty Kitchen
Serves: 6

3.5 lbs. Pork Shoulder Roast or Pork Butt

1 quart chicken stock

3 Tbsp. tomato paste

4 cloves garlic

1 whole onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 Tbsp. Cumin

1 Tbsp. Oregano

1 Tbsp. Pepper

2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chipotle chili powder

Additional taco garnishments:
shredded lettuce
shredded Monterey Jack cheese or crumbled Queso Fresco
small corn or flour tortillas
Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Corn Salsa

1. In a small bowl, combine the stock, tomato paste, garlic, onion, bay leaf, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and chipotle powder.  Stir everything to combine.

2.  Place your pork in a large pot or crockpot.  Pour your seasoned mixture over the pork.  If cooking on the stovetop, bring the pork to a boil, turn down to low and simmer, covered for 3-5 hours, or until the meat easily shreds.

3.  If cooking in a crockpot, simply cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until the meat easily shreds.

4.  Once the meat is tender and shreds easily, transfer to a cutting board and trim the fat.  Then shred or pull into small pieces.  Save the liquid. from your pot for later.

5.  Preheat your oven to 450°F.  Transfer the shredded meat to a large baking dish.

6.  In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. slightly cooled pork liquid.  Stir well, making sure there are no lumps.  Set aside.

7.  In a small saucepan, bring about 2 cups of reserved pork liquid to a boil.  Once it's boiling, stir in the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.  Boil for 1-2 minutes, or until thickened.

8.  Pour this slightly thickened mixture over your shredded pork and stir to combine.  Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes.  (I usually cover the pork for the first 15 minutes and then bake it uncovered for the remainder of the time to get it slightly crispy.)

As an alternative to the thickened mixture, you can just pour a couple cups of reserved pork liquid over the pork before you bake it.  I liked how the thicker mixture really coated the meat and I liked the texture and added flavor it gave the meat. However, you can save yourself some time and another dirty dish by just pouring the straight liquid over your meat.

9.  If serving in tacos, top the pork with the corn salsa, chipotle dressing, shredded Monterey Jack cheese or queso fresco, and shredded lettuce. 

These carnitas are probably in our top 3 favorite recipes of all time so we hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Chipotle Ranch Dressing

The second part of the perfect pork carnita... the chipotle Ranch dressing!

If you thought the corn salsa was easy... wait till you see this. It doesn't get any easier than this and the resulting dressing is fantastic. I love it over my taco salads, tacos, burritos, and of course, pork carnitas. I usually have a container with this stuff sitting in the back of my fridge for last minute quesadillas and burritos.

1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
mayonnaise and milk as called for on the dressing packet (I definitely prefer a bit more milk to the mayonnaise when I make this... I think it gets too thick going half and half, so I usually use a little less mayo and a bit more milk to get the right texture)
1/2 t. - 1 tsp. chipotle powder
1 lime

1.  Prepare dressing according to package directions.

2.  Add chipotle powder and some fresh lime juice, according to taste.  Go easy at first, as the chipotle and lime will intensify as it sits.  I usually start with the 1/2 tsp. of chipotle powder and just a couple squeezes of fresh lime juice.  Then I taste it a little later and adjust as necessary.

Corn Salsa

So, before Cafe Rio showed up in Las Vegas, I had to get my fresh Mexican salad fix elsewhere.  (Believe me, it was painful.  I had to wait years or drive to Utah to get my fix...)  Luckily, my husband stumbled on a fresh Mexican grill, called Zaba's here in town and they were a very good substitute.  What I liked about Zaba's was that they had the same idea behind their salads and food, i.e., fresh meat, homemade tortillas, and delicious dressings, but different sauces and accompaniments, giving their food an entirely different flavor.  One of my very very favorite things to order there is their pork carnitas tacos. They are the perfect blend of smoky pork (NOT sweet!... I do NOT like sweet pork), cilantro, delicious corn salsa, and an awesome chipotle ranch dressing.  I love the tacos so much, that I could easily eat them once a week.  So, I decided I needed to re-create them at home.  I went searching for bits and pieces of the meal and ended up with an almost perfect substitute for my Zaba's tacos.

The next three posts will have all you need to make your very own Zaba's inspired Pork Carnitas.
And here's part 1 of our perfect pork carnitas meal... the corn salsa.

So, in my quest to recreate my beloved Zaba's carnitas, I had to find a corn salsa. They use this delightful medium corn salsa, that had something weird in that I couldn't quite label.  Obviously, I don't eat a lot of jicama because that's what it is... and I didn't recognize it.  I loved it, though.  It tastes sort of like a cross between an apple and snap pea.  I looked high and low for a corn salsa recipe that was similar to the Zaba's variation and I couldn't really find one, so Dacia and I created one ourselves.  Granted, there isn't much to it... just throw some veggies together and call it done.  But, as simple as it is, it's mighty tasty.  It was spectacular with tortilla chips and of course delicious over the carnitas tacos.  It's super simple to whip up and a nice change from your typical tomato salsa.  I highly recommend this stuff.

2 Cups frozen corn, defrosted, and drained of excess liquid
1 cup diced red onion
1 cup diced jicama
juice from 1 lime
1/2 -1 cup cilantro (you can probably bet which way I lean...)
salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder to taste

1.  Throw your corn, onion, and jicama all together in a bowl.

2.  Add lime juice and seasonings to taste.  And that's it.