My sister told me to start this blog

She remembers when I was a teenager and cooked for the family when Mom worked full time. I told her that you use a little of this, and a little of that, and voila! Magic! you get a meal!

So, Cooking is magic! I hope to inspire you to cook more - it's easy, it's cheaper than eating out, and done right, it's both tastier and healthier. Stay tuned.

My starter recipes:

Mango salsa

You need:
A mango, peeled and diced
Juice from one or two limes
A smidgen (about 1-2 tablespoons) olive oil (entirely optional)
salt to taste
chili powder to taste
1-2 tablespoons minced cilantro (optional)

Mix it all together, and let it marinade in the fridge for an hour or two. You could add some finely finely finely minced jalepeno if you want more "kick". Or some diced ripe tomato for more color. It's up to you! Cooking is magic!

and what is salsa, without something to put it on? It's grilling season, so here goes with grilled chicken! You will need:

About 1.5 pounds chicken - I use skinless boneless thighs (they are cheaper than the skinless boneless breasts) - cut each thigh in half
Juice of a couple of limes
1-2 tablespoons olive oil (sense a theme here?)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
salt to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)

Let it all marinade together in the fridge for a couple of hours - toss it to re-mix at the half-way point so both sides of the chicken get marinaded for at least an hour. Place on a hot grill and let grill for five minutes on a side. Check for doneness - either "sacrifice" one piece by cutting into it to see if it's done, or pierce with a fork and press - it's done when the juices run clear.

You can serve the chicken and salsa with a number of things - a tossed salad starter, roasted potatos (you have the grill going anyway, right?), a quinoa salad ... oh, do you want a quinoa salad recipe, too? Later on! I gotta go invent it. :-)