#daily squeeze

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SERVES 6 TO 8  PREP 10 MINUTES  COOK 20 MINUTES

Chipotle Lime Mac n Cheese

This creamy mac n cheese gets its heat from chipotle peppers along with a cooling twist of tangy flavor from fresh lime zest. It’s an easy and delicious side dish that makes the perfect partner for any main course.

SERVINGS: 6 to 8

TIME TO TABLE: 10 minutes prep, 20 minutes cooking.

INGREDIENTS: 2 slices bacon, chopped ¼ cup finely chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3 cups 2% or whole milk 12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 2 chipotle peppers, chopped + 2 teaspoons adobo sauce 1 teaspoon fine ground sea salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 lb. large elbow macaroni, cooked to al dente Zest of 2 limes

PREPARATION

1. In a 4 to 5 quart pot, cook the bacon over medium heat for about 7 minutes or until it becomes crisp and the fat is visible on the bottom of the pan. Transfer the bacon to a small dish.

2. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute. Add the butter, cook until melted and bubbly. Whisk in the flour until a paste forms. Slowly whisk in the milk.

3. Raise the heat to bring the milk to a simmer as you whisk. Continue to cook and whisk until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheese until melted. Add the chopped peppers and the adobo sauce, salt and ground black pepper.

5. Stir in the macaroni and the reserved bacon. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the lime zest and stir until all ingredients are combined and the pasta is coated with the sauce. Serve warm.

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SERVES 8

Red, White and Lemon Sangria

This festive, tangy sangria will cool you off on a hot afternoon. Pass the pitcher around at your next barbecue and toast to family, friends and summer fun.

Yield: About 2 liters

Preparation: 1 hour 15 minutes

1 cup fresh lemon juice ½ cup fresh lime juice 1/3 cup sugar 2 lemons, sliced 1 white nectarine, pitted and chopped 1 red plum, pitted and chopped 1/3 cup blueberries 1 750 ml bottle white wine 1 liter club soda, cold 1/3 cup red raspberries for serving

Combine the lemon juice, lime juice and sugar in a pitcher. Stir until the sugar begins to dissolve. Add the lemons, nectarine, plum and blueberries. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

When ready to serve, pour in the wine and the club soda. Serve garnished with raspberries.

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PREP 15 MINUTES

Tropical Fruit Guacamole Lemon juice puts the final touch on your guacamole helping it maintain its beautiful green color while adding tangy flavor. This sweet and spicy version is the perfect topping for summer fish tacos! Yield: About 1 ½ cups Preparation: 15 minutes 2 avocados, chopped 2 small mangoes, diced ¼ cup diced red onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 serrano pepper, minced ¼ cup chopped cilantro Zest of 1 lemon Juice of 2 lemons ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt In a medium bowl, stir together the avocado and mango, smashing the avocado. Stir in the onion, garlic, pepper and cilantro. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and ¼ to ½ teaspoon of salt to taste. Serve immediately, or cover the surface of the guacamole with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to one day.

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Summer Garden Ceviche  

Ceviche is a South American dish that uses the acid in lemons and limes to change the protein structure of raw fish. This gives the fish a pleasant cooked texture while adding a delicious tangy flavor. Once the fish has marinated, you can combine it with summer vegetables to create a refreshing ceviche perfect with tortilla chips or as a starter at your next garden party.

Yield:  6 to 8 servings

Preparation Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

12 ounces tilapia, chopped into bite-size cubes ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice ⅓ cup fresh lime juice 1 medium cucumber, diced 1 small yellow bell pepper, cored and diced 1 jalapeno, cored, ribs and seeds removed, diced ¼ of a large onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped ¼ teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Spread the fish into a single layer in a 9 x 13 inch glass baking pan. Pour the lemon and lime juice over the fish and stir to coat all the pieces. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring the fish after 30 minutes. The fish is ready when it turns opaque.

2. Toss together the cucumber, bell pepper, jalapeno, onion and garlic in a large bowl. Drain the juice from the fish and transfer the fish to the bowl.

3. Add the cilantro and salt. Stir to combine all ingredients. Let the ceviche marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.

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Chipotle-Lime Three Bean Salad  

This simple bean salad will be a welcomed surprise at your next picnic. It’s tangy, spicy flavor makes it a delicious sidekick for burgers, brats and hotdogs.

Yield:  6 to 8 servings

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed 1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 shallot, finely chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped ½ cup cilantro, finely chopped 2 teaspoons chipotle in adobo sauce* 1 teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt Juice of 2 limes Zest of 1 lime

Preparation

1. Place the black beans, garbanzo beans and kidney beans in a large bowl. Add the shallot, bell pepper and cilantro. Stir to combine.

2. In a small dish, stir together the chipotle in adobo sauce, sugar, salt, lime juice and lime zest.

3. Pour the dressing over the beans and stir to coat. Place the bean salad in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before serving to let the flavors blend.

4. This is the sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo. If you want your salad extra spicy, place the dressing ingredients in a small food process and add a whole chipotle pepper with the sauce. Puree and pour over the bean dressing. In a pinch, substitute 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder for the sauce.

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PREP 10 MINUTES  COOKING 20 MINUTES

Pasta in White Wine Lime Sauce with Broiled Salmon and Summer Grape Tomatoes

This easy pasta dish is perfect for a summer evening. It is coated in a tangy lime sauce that is delicious with salmon and sweet grape tomatoes. In this recipe you quickly broil the salmon, but feel free to take it outside to the grill for even more summer flavor.

Yield: 4 servings Preparation time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ cup chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock ¼ cup dry white wine 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 pint grape tomatoes Salt and pepper to taste 1 pound whole wheat pasta, cooked 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives Zest of 1 lime

Salmon 12 ounces wild salmon ½ teaspoon olive oil Salt and pepper ½ lime

Preparation

1. For the pasta, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil to a large, deep skillet on medium high. Add the onion and garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in the stock, white wine and lime juice. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until reduced by half, about 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile preheat the broiler and place the tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste. Broil until the skins begin to brown and split, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

3. Next, place the salmon on a baking sheet, and lightly coat it with the ½ teaspoon of olive oil. Sprinkle it lightly with salt and pepper. Broil for 12 minutes, or until the fish flakes and browns slightly on the top. Squeeze the juice from the half of lime over the salmon.

4. Once the wine sauce has reduced, stir in the cooked pasta, the chives and the lime zest.

5. Divide the pasta into four servings. To serve, top each with an equal amount of tomatoes and one, 3-ounce piece of salmon.

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SERVES 4   PREP 20 MINUTES

Lemon Cream Pie Milkshakes

Give your oven a break in this summer heat and turn your lemon pie into a milkshake! Tangy lemon curd, creamy vanilla ice cream and crunchy cookies are combined to make a cooling, sweet treat.

Yield: 4 shakes

Preparation: 20 minutes

Lemon Whipped Cream ½ cup heavy whipping cream, cold 2 teaspoons powdered sugar ½ teaspoon lemon zest

Milkshakes ½ cup lemon curd** 3 cups vanilla bean ice cream 1 ½ cups milk 4 shortbread cookies or sugar cookies Lemon slices for garnish

Preparation

1. To make the whipped cream, add the heavy cream to a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high until soft peaks form and the cream holds to the whisk when lifted out of the bowl. Fold in the powdered sugar and lemon zest. Place in the refrigerator while making the shakes.

2. To make the milkshakes, combine the lemon curd, ice cream and milk in a blender. Puree until smooth, about 15 to 20 seconds. Pour an even amount of the shake into each of four glasses.

3. Crumble half of a cookie over each shake. Top each with an equal amount of the whipped cream. Crumble the remaining half of a cookie over each dollop of whipped cream. Top with a lemon slice and serve.

**You can make your own lemon curd using the recipe below. This recipe makes about 1 cup of curd.

Fresh Lemon Curd ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/3 cup sugar 2 egg yolks 1 whole egg Pinch of salt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cubed Zest of 1 lemon ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. To make the lemon curd, use a double boiler. Add the lemon juice, sugar, egg yolks and egg to the top pan. Heat the water as you stir together the ingredients until smooth. Bring the water close to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer, adjusting as needed during cooking.

2. Add the butter and salt to the lemon curd. Continue to stir constantly until the butter is melted and the mixture begins to thicken. It is done when it begins to hold its shape when stirred, after about 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Remove it from heat, stir in the lemon zest and vanilla. (If solids formed during cooking, pour the curd through a strainer set over another bowl and gently stir the curd to press it through the strainer.) Allow the curd to cool.

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PREP 30 MINUTES

Basil Lemonade

It’s National Lemonade Day! Celebrate with this light and refreshing twist on the classic. Yield: 1 liter Preparation time:  30 minutes Ingredients 1 ½ cups fresh lemon juice* 3 cups water ½ to ¾ cup sugar 10 basil leaves 1. In a blender, combine the lemon juice, water, sugar (to your desired sweetness) and basil leaves. Puree until the sugar is dissolved and the basil leaves are finely chopped. 2. Pour the lemonade into a pitcher and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. 3. Before serving, pour the lemonade through a mesh sieve to remove the larger pieces of basil. Serve over ice.* *Tip:  To prevent melting ice from watering down your lemonade, make juice cubes. Fill an ice cube tray with part of the lemonade or straight lemon juice. Freeze until the cubes are firm. Add a juice cube or two to each glass along with (or instead of) ice.