Make Your Own Mojo: Garlic-Citrus Marinade

Until a friend of mine who lives in the South introduced me to mojo, I'd never heard of it. You may have seen it in your grocery store where it's bottled and marketed as a marinade. In Cuban cooking, mojo is a sauce made with olive oil, large amounts of garlic, and a citrus juice and in Puerto Rican cooking, cilantro is often added. Sour orange, lemon, or lime juice, or some combination thereof, can be used in mojo. Use equal amounts of fresh orange & fresh lime juice to make a substitute for sour orange juice. I use this homemade fresh lime juice version to marinate pork tenderloin. Mojo adds massive flavor and can also be used to marinate chicken, beef, or fish. 

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
16 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 1/3 cups freshly squeezed lime juice
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, minced

Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, until it's a light golden color. Be careful, it cooks fast. Add the lime juice and stir, slowly bringing it to a boil. Remove pan from heat and add the salt, pepper, and cilantro. 

Put your meat of choice in a 13" x 9" baking dish lined with parchment paper. Let the mojo cool, then pour it over the meat to be cooked. Put the covered baking dish in the fridge overnight. 

Goat Cheese & Prosciutto Stuffed Sweet Peppers

This recipe makes pretty, red appetizers that you can pick up and eat in one or two bites. These sweet cherry peppers are found in the grocery store. This appetizer has a great crunch with a nice blend of flavors and textures, and goat cheese and prosciutto make a great combo on just about anything.

Ingredients:
2 slices prosciutto
4 oz. goat cheese
1 rib celery, cut into 1/2" pieces
8 sweet cherry peppers, tops removed, seeded, rinsed, and dried

Spread each slice of prosciutto with a thin layer of goat cheese. This is easier to do if the goat cheese is a bit soft. Cut each slice of prosciutto into four pieces, then wrap a piece of celery inside each piece. Stuff a prosciutto slice into each sweet cherry pepper.  Appetizer, anyone?

Cheesy Stuffed Mushrooms

This dish makes a great appetizer and everyone loves it.

Ingredients:

24 medium mushrooms, about 1 pound
6 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or 2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 (3-ounce) package low-fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1 cup dry bread crumbs 

Remove stems from mushrooms. Chop enough stems to make 1 cup. 

Melt 2 tablespoons margarine in a medium saucepan. Brush mushroom cap tops with margarine and put them top side down in a shallow baking pan. Brush undersides of caps with margarine. Heat the remaining margarine in same saucepan. Add the chopped mushroom stems, onion, and garlic, and cook until tender. Stir in cream cheese. Add Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and bread crumbs. Mix thoroughly. 

Spoon about 1 tablespoon stuffing mixture into each mushroom cap. Bake at 425 until heated through.

Tip: To make ahead, prepare, but don't bake. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Then bake as directed.