Growing up in Southern California, my version of comfort food is anything Mexican.  Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, you name it.  Basically anything topped with salsa and avocado hits the spot.  If I find myself lost and looking for inspiration in the kitchen, I generally end up reaching for some beans, spices and cheese.  Of course, there is so much more to Mexican food than heavy, beef and cheese laden meals packed with a million calories.

These blackened salmon tacos are light enough for summer, simple enough to whip up after a busy day and delicious enough to impress even the most critical dinner guests.  Chunks of tender, spiced salmon folded into warm tortillas, topped with lime crema and a salsa made from avocados and mangos.  It sounds too fancy to be able to whip up in a half an hour, right?  Wrong!  This gourmet quality dinner can be on your table in no time at all.

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One of the best things about making a homemade treat for someone else, aside from their surprise/appreciation/love/affection, is the opportunity to try out a recipe you might not otherwise make.  I’m a bona fide chocoholic and the idea of a dessert that doesn’t involve copious amounts of chocolate rarely shows up on my radar.  So when I was faced with making a birthday dessert for my uncle whose favorite treat is key lime pie and cheesecake, I was pushed out of my comfort zone.  No chocolate?  Whatever would I do!

Knowing practically nothing about key lime pie (like I said, unless it’s made from or covered in chocolate I’m generally not interested), I set about doing some research.  Apparently, authentic key lime pie isn’t actually baked.  The acid in the lime juice “cooks” the eggs while it rests in the fridge for hours on end (think ceviche).  Not knowing if my uncle was a key lime purist, I wanted to do a key lime cheesecake that incorporated the most authentic flavors possible.  I found a recipe from Zoe Bakes that uses sweetened condensed milk, which is the hallmark of traditional key lime pie.

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