Strawberry Lemonade Mousse

This is a great summertime dessert, and it's surprisingly easy to make!

Strawberry Lemonade Mousse (4 servings)

• 2/3 cup lemon juice (no pulp or seeds - anywhere from 3-6 lemons)
• 1 packet unflavored gelatin
• zest from 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• pinch salt
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• ~4 strawberries, finely diced
• 4 strawberries for garnish

1. Juice the lemons into a cereal-size bowl.  Sprinkle the gelatin packet and let sit ~2 minutes.
2. Pour the gelatin mixture, zest, sugar and salt into a small pot and heat over medium heat until sugar is all dissolved.
3. Meanwhile, int he sink, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice for an ice bath.  Pour the warm gelatin mixture back into the cereal bowl and float the bowl in the ice water, stirring until it's around room temperature.  
4. Use an electric mixer to beat the cream until soft peaks form.  Will take several minutes.  (If you do it by hand, it will take a really really long time, but it's doable.)
5. With a wooden spoon or spatula, gently stir the cooled lemon mixture and chopped strawberries into the cream.  Separate into four small glasses.  Refrigerate for several hours.  (If you want to rush it, freeze it for ~10 minutes and move into the fridge.)
6. Garnish with strawberries and serve!

Mexican Spiced Soup

Real Mexican pozole is one of my favorite soups.  This soup is my attempt to recreate some of those unique flavors in a recipe that is way easier and faster to make.  Also, this is a great way to use up leftover chicken.

Mexican Spiced Soup

• Leftover, cooked chicken (Up to a full breast), diced or shredded
• olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 Anaheim chile (seen below), chopped
• 1 box [low sodium] chicken broth
• 2 ears corn, cut from the cob (careful - this can be dangerous)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1-2 tsp chili powder
• black pepper
• 1 lime
• 2 tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped
• toppings of your choice - tortilla strips, sliced radishes, cheese, sour cream, etc.

1.  Heat a tbsp or so of olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent.
2. Throw in the garlic and cook for a minute.  Add in the pepper and cook for another minute.
3. Pour in the chicken broth, bay leaves, oregano, chili powder, and black pepper and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to a simmer.  Throw in the corn and let simmer until cooked through.  This should only take a couple minutes.
4. Add in the chicken and juice from 1 lime and continue to simmer until the chicken is warmed up. 
5. Remove from heat, pull out the bay leaves (never serve bay leaves!  choking hazard!) and stir in the cilantro.  Serve with your choice of toppings!

  Anaheim chiles are about the size of a bell pepper, but generally longer.  They are fairly mild, but add a little spice to this soup.  I also throw them into fajitas with regular bell peppers to mix things up a bit.