In my mind, nothing goes better with a Mexican meal (like chicken fajitas!) than Cilantro Lime Rice. If you’ve ever been to Chipotle, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Mike and I both love Chipotle burritos, and honestly, I think their rice is my favorite part of the burrito!  When I saw a recipe for cilantro lime rice on Buns In My Oven (check out this blog if you haven’t yet, Karly always cracks me up!), I knew it was only a matter of time before I would be making it.

I made it for the first time to serve with the chicken fajitas a few weeks ago, and have already made it a few times since then. Needless to say, this rice was a success. It holds its own as a stand alone side dish, it’s perfect served inside a taco or burrito, and it even tastes good with chips and salsa. Confession: that may have been my dinner tonight – chips, salsa, and cilantro lime rice. yum.

*Note: I’m giving you Karly’s instructions, but I just cooked the rice in my rice cooker with the water and half of the olive oil and added the other ingredients when it was done.

Cilantro Lime Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup extra long grain white rice
2 cups water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or more, to taste)
salt, to taste

Directions:

Combine the rice, water, and 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and continue boiling over medium heat until the water just skims the top of the rice. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep covered for 5 more minutes. Transfer the rice to a large bowl and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, the juice of the lime, and the cilantro. Mix well and salt to taste.

from Buns In My Oven

Summer is officially over and it’s starting to feel like fall up here in Michigan. I noticed a few leaves changing, the air is cooler, and of course school has started. If you’re not ready to say good-by to summer just yet, give these cookies a try! Each cookie is made up of two lime sugar cookies sandwiching a sweet and creamy lime frosting. Their bright citrus taste really makes you think of summer.

I wasn’t too convinced that I would like lime cookies, but I had a few extra limes in the refrigerator and thought I’d give them a try.  I’m so glad I did, because I loved them! The lime flavoring gives them such a different taste, and the combination of chewy cookies and creamy frosting is perfect. Mike liked them as well, and they were a big hit with my friends when I took them to a get together. They have such a fun and unique taste. If you’re looking for something sweet to brighten up your fall day and make you think of summer, these cookies are just the thing!

Lime Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookie dough:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 Tbsp lime zest
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1-2 drops green food coloring, optional

Dredging sugar
1 cup sugar
2 tsp lime zest

Filling
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 Tbsp lime zest
1 to 2 tsp lime juice, as needed

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or lightly grease). In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, lime zest and lime juice. Mix in the flour, baking powder, salt and food coloring. For the dredging sugar, in a separate bowl combine the sugar and lime zest. Scoop the dough, 1 tsp per cookie, and roll in flavored sugar. Place on the prepared baking sheets and press flat with the bottom of a glass dipped in the sugar mixture. Bake for 7-8 minutes, just until the edges turn light brown and the tops are puffy. Let cool on the cookie sheet.

For the icing: cream the cream cheese and shortening together until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time. Beat in the lime zest and add lime juice as needed until the filling is the correct consistency. It's best to keep the filling rather stiff so that it doesn't squish out of the sides of the cookie. Spread the filling on top of one cookie and top with another cookie.

adapted from the King Arthur Flour Baking Sheet

This is a great summer salad.  It’s fresh and unique, and the combination of summer vegetables is delicious. We had a family cookout last weekend and I was assigned a salad. Someone else was already bringing a veggie tray, so I knew I wanted something other than a traditional lettuce salad. I’m usually terrible with salad ideas, so I turned to twitter for suggestions. Maria came through once again with her recipe for sweet corn salad. This colorful salad was the perfect addition to our cookout and everyone seemed to really like it. It would be a great side dish to pretty much any summer meal, and it’s a great contribution to a potluck. Enjoy it while the summer produce is fresh and delicous!

Sweet Corn Salad

Ingredients:

3 ears sweet corn, husks removed
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 small jalapeno, diced, seeds removed
Juice of 1 lime
4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add the sweet corn to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from water and let cool. Remove the corn kernels with a knife and discard the ears.

In a large bowl, add the tomatoes, red pepper, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno. Stir in the sweet corn. Add the juice of half of the lime, salt and pepper and stir again. Taste and adjust lime juice/seasonings as necessary Gently stir in the fresh mozzarella. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod