One thing I always have on hand as hurricane season starts is shelf-stable salsa. I use it as a sauce for protein, and as a dip for raw vegetables and chips.

When the power first goes out, I even make a quick Mexican stew on the grill out of ground meat (from the freezer), canned beans, taco seasoning or cumin and other spices, and a jar of salsa.

Hurricane food always seems bland (peanut butter and jelly, toaster pastries, tuna …) and salsa adds pep to everything it touches.
Pace has two great new versions: Pineapple Mango Chipotle Salsa (at left) and Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salsa. Widely available, the price is $3.49.

Grab some for your hurricane supplies, and if you want that Mexican stew recipe, go to www.pbpulse.com/dining/tried-and-new under the headline “Share your hurricane must-haves!”

Southwestern chili dogs also top that wiener with chopped avocado, scallions and tortilla chips. Photo by Pam Brandon.

This Fourth of July, why not grill a dog that’s truly hot? Mustard your courage, relish something new and ketchup with old friends.

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This roasted eggplant salsa, with a notable Asian flavor, can be used as a dip or as a topping on grilled salmon or chicken. Larry Crowe/AP

There’s more to salsa than just tomatoes, chilies and onions.

While the tomato variety has given ketchup a run as top condiment, there’s no end to the combinations of vegetables, fruits and chilies that can make a great salsa.
Salsas can be cooked or uncooked, used as a topping, side dish or dip, and are a delicious, low-fat way to add lots of nutrients and fiber to your diet.

Combine rinsed, canned black, pinto and kidney beans with chopped red onion, chopped jalapeño, corn kernels, fresh lime juice and a dusting of chili powder to make a zesty three-bean salsa.
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Hurricane meals can be so boring. Many people live on room-temperature toaster pastries, salty chips, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, Vienna sausages and canned tuna once the power goes out.

What foods MUST you have on hand when hurricane season starts? Share your ideas in the comments section below for making delicious foods without electricity. Some of my must haves are listed in bold in the recipe below.

RECIPE: I have a favorite recipe for storm season: Mexican stew. It is really flexible: you can use ground pork, beef, chicken, turkey, tofu, or beans. If you don’t have an ingredient, leave it out, or improvise.

If possible, brown a chopped onion (fresh or frozen) and ground meat before the power goes out. Otherwise, brown them on the grill, in a cast-iron pan. (Tofu and or beans work as protein, too, here for vegans, and canned white meat chicken works for omnivores.). If you have fresh carrots, celery, garlic or bell peppers, add them, chopped.  Add an envelope of taco or chili seasoning, (or herbs and spices like cumin, oregano, chile, garlic powder, onion salt, and red pepper flakes to taste.) Then, add a can of Ro-Tel, (chopped tomatoes and peppers, found on the canned vegetable aisle), a can of black beans (or any plain beans), and a jar of salsa. Add water, broth, soup broth or V-8 juice until you have a stew consistency, and serve hot. Eat it with a little cheese on top (if you have some) and corn chips, if you have some.

In a pinch, use raw onion, or no onion. This works with leftover pork or beef, or shelf-stable tofu. In its most basic form, it is cans of beans, Ro-Tel, salsa, and V-8, all shelf stable, with any protein you have on hand.

This can be as simple or elaborate as you want. My favorite salsa for this  is Zapata green chile salsa, a must have for my hurricane box. Mostly, I eat badly (junk food) when storms loom. What about you? 

What foods MUST you have on hand when hurricane season starts? What do you prepare, or cook? Share what foods you buy below.

We’d love your recipes, too. Go here to submit a recipe,, and use Hurricane as the category, so we can all grab your best hurricane recipes before the power goes out. Thanks!

Ivy Larson is watching a visitor thumb through the recipes in the Whole Foods Diet Cookbook, the new collection of healthy recipes written by the Palm Beach Gardens fitness and nutrition expert and her bariatric surgeon husband, Andy.

She watches the reader pause on the names of such delicious-sounding dishes as Chili-Spiked Oven Baked Onion Rings and Slow Cooker Summer Citrus
Salmon, and stare at equally delicious-looking photos of the food, and waits for an observation.

“This looks like …,” the visitor begins.
“Real food!” Larson says, beaming. “I know! I want people to know that healthy food doesn’t have to look like (it’s made from) fringe elements. It looks like real food.”
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MENU

The restaurant boasts “gourmet Mexican food.” Lots of interesting sauces and cheeses in many dishes. If you can’t make up your mind, there’s the Botanas platter offering several appetizers and the Cantina Laredo platter that includes a cheese chile relleno, tamale, chicken enchilada and fajita beef taco al carbon.

ATMOSPHERE

Subdued lighting, cozy booths and tables. There’s also a large bar area.

OUR FAVORITE FOOD/PRICE

My husband loves soft tacos, and he chose a combination: one with chicken and one with ground beef ($10.29). I decided on chicken fajitas ($16.49) and was glad I did. Grilled chicken breast was heaped on a sizzling platter with onions and peppers. Tortillas, black beans and rice, and a plate with toppings (sour cream, guacamole and pico de gallo) came with it.

REASON TO GO

The freshest guacamole is made at the table. You choose the ingredients.

SERVICE

Our server was excellent. When he realized the kitchen had made a mistake, he quickly brought the correct item and apologized. And my husband hadn’t even pointed out the error!

NOISE LEVEL

We got there after lunch and before dinner, so it was very quiet.

KID FRIENDLY

There is a menu for the small ones, and high chairs are available.

Cantina Laredo

4635 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, (561) 622-1223

Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Note: Post staffers will anonymously visit a restaurant in your neighborhood each week in search of the best menu item. They’ll tell you about that item and why they liked it in this spot each week.

Fickle-hearted divas, this is your finger food. Delicious bits of this and that rolled in thin and pliable tortillas or flatbreads, then sliced just big enough for a bite or two.

And no two creations are ever the same with wraps in several different flavors and colors, from pesto and lemon to spinach and tomato.

Have fun with fillings — any kind of creamy cheese or even mayo works as the “glue” that holds the wrap together. Try whipped cream cheese, smoked salmon, chopped boiled egg, chopped red onions and capers. Or chicken, bacon and mango … sensational combos are endless.

Roast Chicken and Chutney Wraps

Serves 12
1 package of 6 large wraps or flour tortillas, flavored or plain
1 8-ounce container spreadable cheese with herbs
2 roasted chicken breasts, deboned, sliced and divided into 6 equal portions
6 tablespoons prepared corn and pepper chutney, or corn relish (available in most grocery store condiment sections)
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup fried, crumbled bacon
1 1/2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped

Prepare all ingredients and set aside.

Spread tortilla with about 2 tablespoons cheese, making sure the far edge is covered — this is the “glue” that holds the wrap together.

Starting on the side closet to you, place one portion of chicken in a horizontal row across t he tortilla. Next add a row of chutney (1 tablespoon). Next, a row of lettuce. Leave about 1 1/2 inches of tortilla uncovered on one side. Sprinkle with a tablespoon each of onion, cilantro and bacon.

Roll up tightly, being careful not to tear. Gently pat the edge so that the herb cheese seals the roll, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining tortillas and ingredients.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Slice on the diagonal into 5 sections and arrange on platter.