You've asked about it and now it is officially open; our new Cuisine Noir Test Kitchen. We are excited to bring you our favorite recipes that feature some of the products we share with you in CN Essentials as well as those that are just too yummy not to use.

Each month we will also feature a key recipe theme for readers to enjoy. This month, we created four delicious recipes that all contain one common ingredient...lime. The recipes below may surprise you and offer an unthinkable combination like our Chocolate Lime Brownies. We surprised ourselves at how good they were.

But just like any kitchen, you have to have a soundtrack to cook to and we decided to mix it up on a Sunday morning. Like readers in our Foodie Grooves section on our soon to be launched blog, The Culinary Scoop, we also enjoyed chopping, testing and eating with a little music in the background to bring this culinary experience full circle.

This month's soundtrack:

• Lalah Hathaway – Self Portrait

• Dave Hollister – Witness Protection

• Osunlade – Aquarian Moon

The CN Test Kitchen is hosted by Steel Magnolia's Commercial Kitchen in Sacramento, Ca.

Southwest Lime White Corn and Black Bean Salsa

With the summer heat still around in some parts of the country, we wanted to do something that was light, fresh and easy to make in minutes. This recipe combined all of my favorite ingredients from the corn, onion, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. We balanced the tartness of the lime with a little spice from the chipotle powder and the end result was a sure winner.

The recipe can also be adapted in a variety of different ways: no beans or a different type, add more of your favorite vegetables like peas or you can take away anything you don't like.

You can eat it alone as a side dish or inside a burrito (I recommend a carne asada burrito). What ever you do, just enjoy the fiesta of flavors that all come together from all of the natural juices of the ingredients. Check out the recipe in the Chef's Corner.

Poulet Chaux

Chef Richard Pannell adapted his recipe from years ago and added a lime twist to it. When you look at it, you may just think it looks like gravy, but once you taste it, you'll be eating to a different tune. The combination of the freshly squeezed lime, Westchestershire sauce and garlic was just unforgettable. The addition of the peas was very nice and then served over a bed of rice was a great way to enjoy not only the chicken but the sauce too.

This recipe is very tasty and a great way to mix things up a bit and doing something a little different with your chicken. You'll see in the recipe that we browned the chicken on the stove top prior to finishing the dish, but you can also bake the chicken and then complete the recipe. Check out the recipe in the Chef's Corner.

Balsamic Chaux Salmon

If you eat salmon a lot, then similar to chicken, you may be looking for a new way to enjoy an old favorite. This recipe creates the perfect marinade that not only adds a wonderful favor but a nice carmelization that just makes you want to dig in.

Great alone, on top of a salad, over a bed of mashed potatoes, rice or green beans, you will never cook your usual old boring salmon fillets the same again.

Be sure to de-bone fillets if you need to and the salmon over night to enhance the flavors once the fillets go into the skillet. Then just sit back and let the aroma go from the stove to the nose. Check out the recipe in the Chef's Corner.

Chocolate Lime Brownies

I was waiting for this recipe all week long. We wanted to, of course, be original and introduce something out of the ordinary. I came up with our Chocolate Lime Brownies topped with whipped cream. Can you say "heaven on earth."

These were so easy to make due to just a quick substitution of the lime juice for the water and then from there it was on. Remembering the golden that you can always add but not subtract, we added about ¼ a cup of   LEMON FRESH Lime Juice, pulled out our tasting spoons for a quick lick and nailed it.

Once done, the lime was not overwhelming but instead a nice compliment to the deep rich chocolate that just melted in our mouth with the first bite. We didn't add nuts but that may be something to play around with since I also love walnuts in my brownies.

If you think the two don't go together, I dare you to try it and you'll thank us when you do. Check out the recipe in the Chef's Corner.

Please share your thoughts on any of the recipes from our CN Test Kitchen. If you have a few that you would like to share, please email them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .