Hot White Chocolate

Hot chocolate always sounds good in the winter -- especially near Christmas time, with a splash of peppermint Schnapps! -- or on summer campouts or around a bonfire. Right now, it's spring. Not that you'd know it looking outside...our eternal gray-rainy weather in the Pacific NW. With that, something warm to drink still sounds good, so here's a switch to add variety: Hot WHITE chocolate. Sweet and creamy, the vanilla flavor shines through.

Ingredients
2 C whole milk
1/2 C heavy cream
3/4 C white chocolate*
1 tsp vanilla paste*
dash salt

whipped cream for serving

* You can use white chocolate chips, but they have stabilizers added so they won't lose their shape melting into cookie doughs, but you want it to melt into the milk here, so white chocolate bar or slab chunks will blend better. Also, you can just use vanilla extract, but the thicker paste (which is syrupy and has the seeds for a bit of visual contrast) is more decadent and dresses up just a plain mug of white. Alternately, you could simmer a vanilla bean in the milk, then split it and scrape the seeds into with your hot cocoa.

Directions
Bring milk and heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan. While it's heating, chop the white chocolate into small chunks. Add chocolate chunks and stir until melted. Stir in vanilla paste and dash of salt. Top with whipped cream.

Pico de Gallo

We make this every semester in my Intro to Foods & Nutrition class (vegetables unit recipe and some good knife skills practice!). I don't know how I never got it on the blog yet...

Ingredients
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (or concasse)
1 medium onion, small diced
½ jalapeno, seeded, small diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp lime juice
s & p to taste

Directions
In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cilantro.
Stir until evenly distributed.

Add lime juice; stir to combine.

Add salt & pepper to taste.
(Start with 1/8 tsp each; taste. Add more as desired.)

Refrigerate 30 minutes. Garnish with additional sprig(s) of cilnatro. Serve with tortilla chips or over other dishes.