lime and cilantro guacamole.

So those of you who know me...know that I love guacamole! Honestly, what is not to love about a lime and cilantro guacamole? Avocado mashed together with lime juice (another thing I love), cilantro (yet another thing that I love), onion and seasoned with salt and pepper. Ummm, I'm going to go make more right now! Just love it! I could eat it every day. I would eat it every day...but girls only with ripe avocados, of course!

Due to my obsession for this flavor packed, healthy snack, I make it QUITE often. You would never have guessed that, right? And when I make something often, I experiment. This lime and cilantro guacamole is an appetizing result of some experimenting that took place one day in my kitchen. Different than my original guacamole, this guac has a lot more lime juice, a lot more fresh, chopped cilantro and a little more onion. But overall there are lot less ingredients...a simpler guacamole, but not to worry it still is packed with flavor.

4 ripe avocados, firm to the touch

1/2 cup diced onion, white or red

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

4 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

1 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Read details on how to properly select avocados for guacamole, how to remove the pit and obtain the flesh at my original guacamole post. Mash avocado flesh with a fork. Add diced onions, fresh squeezed lime juice, fresh chopped cilantro. salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving.

xx.

val

corn salsa.

When I think of corn salsa, I generally think tomato based salsa with corn in it. Side note: I don't usually love Walmart brand food, but their tomato based corn and black bean salsa is wonderful. Anyway Chipotle does corn salsa a little differently - corn is the star of the salsa! I'm not sure Chipotle's corn salsa has tomatoes in it at all? I'll have to inspect closer the next time I go for a burrito bowl. Since I was attempting to make things similarly to Chipotle, I thought I would give no tomato salsa a chance. Here's my recipe for corn salsa... sweet corn with a nice kick ;)

1 can mexi corn, drained

1/2 jalapeno*, chopped

1/8 cup red onion, chopped

1/8 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Small dice the jalapeno and red onion. Add to one can of drained mexi corn. Stir in chopped fresh cilantro, fresh squeezed lime juice, salt and pepper. Serve right away or refrigerate until serving.

*Use less or more jalapeno to your liking.

xx.

val

pico de gallo.

Now for some salsas...Stephie's pico is a real tasty time.

3 large tomatoes, chopped

1/2 medium red onion, chopped

1/2 jalapeno pepper*, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

Small dice three tomatoes, half a red onion and half of a jalapeno. When dealing with the jalapeno, be careful not to touch your hands to your eyes after touching the pepper. Wear gloves or wash your hands well after use! Stir in fresh squeezed lime juice and fresh chopped cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve right away or refrigerate until use.

*Use less or more jalapeno to your liking.

xx.

val

corn dip.

I like creamy corn dip, but Kennedy likes more substance to his dips. So this is the substance packed recipe. Adjust to your liking recommended!

2 cans (11 oz) mexi corn, drained

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup mayo

1/4 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

garnish- 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Mix ingredients together. Top with paprika. Serve cold or at room temperature with chips or crackers.

Want it more creamy? Use less mexi corn.

Want it with more veggies? Use less mexi corn, but add 1/4 cup chopped red pepper. I have also added 1/4 cup chopped cucumber before. This produces a different flavor, but still tasty.

xx.

val

swiss bacon dip.

This is a great dip for a football game.  There are a lot of different recipes for swiss bacon dip, but this combination is my favorite!

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese

1/2 c. mayo

4 oz Swiss, shredded

2 oz Parmesan, shredded

2 stalks green onions, sliced, reserve a few for garnish

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Mix together until the cream cheese is completely incorporated with the other ingredients.  Bake in a shallow dish at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Garnish with reserved green onions.  Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, pita chips, warm french bread cubes, etc.

xx.

val

bacon cheese spread in bread bowl.

With the ongoing football party/over-indulgent snacks, we're sure you will love this one. It is always a crowd pleaser! Oops forgot to take a picture.. it was gone too fast!


Recipe:
1 loaf round bread (sourdough, rye, etc.)
1 loaf bread for cutting up
12 sliced crumbled bacon
8 oz. colby/jack cheese, shredded
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 to 1 cup minced onion
1 cup mayonnaise

-Cut center of round bread, leaving 1 inch think shell. Save top for cutting into pieces.
-Mix remaining ingredients in bowl. Spoon into shell
-Place on cookie sheet or baking stone
-Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
-Serve with bread and crackers


emily.

buffalo chicken dip.

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Shelly, not sure where it originated from before that. It's better than the picture makes it look!

Recipe:
2 8-oz. boxes cream cheese (1/3 less fat is fine)
1 1/2 cups Frank's Hot Sauce (adjust for desired heat)
4 cups cooked chopped chicken
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix cream cheese and hot sauce with mixer until well blended. Stir in chicken and cheese. Spread into 13x9 pan, cook at 350 degrees until heated through.

Serve with tortilla chips and a side dish of blue cheese dressing or ranch is great to offset the hotness.

It's easy to halve for a smaller crowd: cook in a 8x8 pan.


emily.

lori's deviled eggs.

My mom makes a mean deviled egg.  I have to resist eating all of them...in one sitting.  But I make sure to get my fair share before my brother polishes them off :)

12 eggs, hard boiled

1/2 c. mayo

4 t. apple cider vinegar

1 t. mustard

1 T horseradish

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

paprika, for garnish

How to hard boil eggs: Place 12 eggs in a saucepan in a single layer.  Pour cold water over the eggs - just enough water to barely cover them.  Place on high heat until water is boiling.  Once water is boiling, remove from heat and cover.  Let eggs stand in hot water for 15 minutes.  Drain hot water from eggs.  Cool eggs by running cold water over them.  

Once eggs are cool, remove the shells from eggs.  Halve lengthwise.  Carefully remove the yolks.  Place yolks, mayo, vinegar, mustard, horseradish, salt and pepper in the food processor.  Blend well.  Spoon mixture back into hard boiled egg whites.  Sprinkle with paprika. 

If you need them to look fancy, spoon mixture into a plastic bag.  Snip a corner and squeeze the filling back into the eggs.  Sprinkle with paprika. 

xx.

val

olive tapenade.

  
1 c. pitted olives (suggested Kalamata), rinsed

1/2 t. anchovy paste or 2 anchovy fillets, rinsed

2 T capers

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 T fresh lemon juice

2- 3 T extra virgin olive oil

1 T Dijon, optional 

1/4 c. sun dried tomatoes, optional

Finely chop the olives, anchovy fillets (if using), capers and sun dried tomatoes (if using).  You can use a food processor to chop ingredients if you wish.  Pulse a few times until you reach your desired consistency.  I like a chunky tapenade made with small pieces, but some like their tapenade smooth, like a paste.  Mince 1 clove garlic, add to other ingredients.  Add anchovy paste (if using), lemon juice, olive oil and dijon (if using).  Stir to combine.  

Serve with whole wheat pita chips, crackers or veggies.  Whole wheat pita chips- Cut pita bread into 8 sections.  Brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried rosemary.  Bake 6 to 8 minutes at 400 degrees.  

xx.

val

white bean dip.

White bean dip makes a tasty, healthy appetizer.  It is similar to hummus.  You can serve it with veggies, pita chips, or crackers.  Kashi's whole grain crackers would be delish with it.  White bean dip also makes a yummy little sandwich on toasted whole wheat pitas.  

1 (15 oz) cannellini beans

1/4 c. olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 lemon, zested

1/2 t. rosemary, optional

1/2 t. dill, optional

1 T fresh mint, optional

salt and pepper to taste

All ingredients go into the food processor (or magic bullet).  Process until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

whole wheat pita chips- Cut pita bread into 8 sections.  Brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried rosemary.  Bake 6 to 8 minutes at 400 degrees.  

pita sandwich-   Brush pita with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper and dried rosemary.  Place under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.  

xx.

val

mini mexi pizzas.

whole wheat tortillas, small or large

1 recipe for homemade taco sauce

cheddar cheese, shredded

parmesan cheese, shredded

toppings - I used leftover diced fajita chicken, grilled red and yellow peppers, grilled onions, and lettuce.  But any combination of sausage, black beans, corn, green onions, green chiles, jalepenos, fresh cilantro, etc. would also be delicious! 

Bake tortillas for 4 minutes at 350 degrees.  Preheat the broiler and adjust oven rack, if needed.  Brush on a thin layer of taco sauce.  Top with cheddar and parmesan cheese.  Add your toppings.  Place under the broiler for 1- 2 minutes, just until cheese is melted.

xx

val

diana's mexi dip "animal style".

Diana & Vince recently came for a visit and I begged her to make her yummy mexi dip for me.  I added my southwest chicken and homemade taco sauce to the mix.  The results are worthy of the label "Animal Style".  (FYI, at In & Out Burger you can order anything Animal Style - which means your burger, fries or both comes with sauteed onions and extra of their amazing sauce.  Adding more goodness to goodness).

Spicy Cheese: (Make a few hours ahead so the cheeses can soak up the spices.)

8 oz cream cheese

8 oz sour cream

4 oz cottage cheese

1 taco seasoning package mix OR 1 T cumin, 2 t. chili powder, 1 t. oregano, 1/2 t. paprika, and 1/2 t. pepper

Mix ingredients together thoroughly.  Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

You will also need: 

1 recipe for Southwest Chicken (1/2 recipe will do)

1 recipe for Homemade Taco Sauce (or a jar of store bought taco sauce)

Suggested Toppings:

Cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, olives, green onions, fresh cilantro

Assemble- In a 13 by 9 pan, layer spicy cheeses, southwest chicken, taco sauce, and then toppings.  Serve with chips.

xx.

Val

easy bean dip.

The Sars and I got this from someone in high school and adapted it, and it has been a long time favorite.

The Classic Recipe: choose your own amounts, use a glass or metal pan, any shape.
-layer of cream cheese (I always use 1/3 less fat, tastes the same and makes me feel better about myself.)
-layer of refried beans
-layer of salsa
-layer of cheese-- cheddar or monteray jack

--bake until melty.

The variation in this picture:
-Substitute seasoned black beans for the refried beans.


emily.

pimento cheese spread.

For all you cheese lovers, this is a good one! Goes great on crackers, bread and celery. I got this recipe from my mom, but I don't know where it originally came from!

Recipe:
10 oz. Cracker Barrel Cheese- 2% extra sharp cheddar
4 oz. jar chopped pimentos, drained
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. vinegar
1/2 cup mayo or light mayo

--Process cheese in a food processor, mix the ingredients all together.

extra tip: makes a great grilled cheese sandwich with the leftovers!


emily.

uppercase living party.

I recently threw a party to help out my friend Sarah with her new business. Miss Anita and I were in charge of the food, so we decided to use skewers to make dinner seem more like fun appetizers. We skewered strips of marinated chicken after soaking the skewers for 20 minutes. Then grilled the chicken on the grill just like normal. I was in charge of the fruit and veggies. Here are some fun ways to serve normal party food.

Veggie Platter with Bell Pepper Dip Bowl-

For this veggie platter I used carrots, celery, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumbers, and broccoli. I alternated my orange and red colored veggies with the green veggies on this platter. Squash and yellow or orange bell pepper would also be beautiful, colorful additions.

Bell Pepper Dip bowl- Any color bell pepper will work for this dip bowl. Cut the pepper in half widthwise or lengthwise. If you are serving two dips with your veggie tray, try to make the cut as even as possible to allow use of both pieces of pepper as dip bowls. Carefully remove the seeds. Rinse your pepper inside and out with water. Fill your dip bowl with dip of your choice.

I also kept the top of my bell pepper as a holder for toothpicks to help pick up the tomatoes.

Festive Fruit Skewers-

For these fruit skewers, I decided to use strawberries, grapes, pineapple, and cantaloupe. Rinse strawberries and grapes. Cut the top off the strawberries and cut any large strawberries in half. Cut the pineapple and cantaloupe into bite size pieces. Skewer your fruit. I used a small, circle watermelon for this party of 10 girls. For a party of more people a larger, oval watermelon would probably be the best choice. Cut the watermelon in half- lengthwise or widthwise depending on the shape you are wanting for your arrangement. Place flesh side down on platter of your choice. Cut the other half of your watermelon into bite sized pieces and use in your fruit skewers. Place the skewers into the watermelon. Start in the middle and work your way down and out.

xx.

val

guacamole.

It took me 2 years to make a guacamole worth serving to company. Every time I attempted to make it, something went terribly wrong. Brick hard avocados that wouldn't mash. Over ripe avocados that tasted less that wonderful. Soup consistency guacamole. One time it turned out more pink in color than green. How is that even possible?? Yes. It is embarrassing to admit that I made a pink guacamole unintentionally, but it is a true story. Most of my problems arose because I did not know how to choose a good avocado. The rest of my problems had to do with the wrong amounts for the ingredients. FINALLY, I learned how to pick good avocados and found a good balance of ingredient... and now the result speaks for itself! (Ahem...Delicious!)

4 ripe avocados

1 large tomato, diced

1/3 cup white or red onion, diced

1/2 jalapeno, small dice (or 5-6 dashes tabasco)*

1 -2 tablespoons fresh lime (or lemon) juice

1 teaspoon salt** (less or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, minced, (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder***), optional

1 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, optional

Avocado selection is a very important factor when trying to achieve a great guacamole. You have to get your hands on them to see what is ripe and what is not. Pick up the avocado and lightly press your thumb on the surface. Are you making guacamole in a few days? Then you want avocados that are firm to your touch. Are you making guacamole today? Then you want avocados that have a little give when you touch them. When your avocados are too hard, you end up with a less than creamy consistency to your guacamole. If you accidentally buy avocados that aren't quite ripe yet, let them sit a few days until they have a little give when you touch them. The other extreme is much worse! When your avocados are mushy, you end up with over ripe avocados. If you can press in on the avocado easily, it is probably over ripe. An over ripe avocado will ruin the taste of your guacamole. It only takes one over ripe avocado to spoil the whole bowl.

With a large knife, cut the avocados around the seed- either lengthwise or width wise. Twist the two pieces apart. Remove the pit by lightly tapping a large knife on to the pit. Twist the knife until the pit comes free. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon into a bowl. Mash with a fork. Add diced tomato and onion to the avocados. Add small diced jalapeno (or 5 to 6 dashes of tabasco sauce)*. Sprinkle your guacamole with fresh lime juice (or lemon juice). (I use a citrus squeezer for this job). Add salt** and pepper. If you like garlic, feel free to add one clove minced garlic (or one teaspoon garlic powder)***. Fresh, chopped cilantro is never an option for my guacamole, but it certainly can be optional for yours. Stir to combine all ingredients. Be careful not to over stir. Serve right away or refrigerate until serving. I have found that refrigerating one hour really fuses the flavors together nicely.

* Using tabasco instead of small dicing a jalapeno can be a great time saver. Although I prefer using the real deal, sometimes it isn't worth the extra time to small dice, extra cost or extra worry. Remember if you are using jalapeno to wash your hands thoroughly after use.

**The amount of salt is also important. If you are going to eat your guacamole with yellow tortilla chips, add less salt. (I use one teaspoon salt for tortilla chips). If you are going to eat your guacamole with blue corn chips, add a little more salt. It is trail and error and also up to your taste buds!

***Once again, I prefer to use the real deal and mince my own garlic clove. But in a time pinch, garlic powder will give your guacamole a great garlic flavor without all the work.

xx.

val

nachos with southwest chicken and nacho cheese.

tortilla chips

1 recipe for nacho cheese

1/2 recipe for southwest chicken

optional toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, black beans, corn, jalapenos, black olives, gaucamole, sour cream, green onion, etc.

Nacho cheese:

2 oz cream cheese

2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 c. milk

4 oz green chiles

In a saucepan over med heat, combine nacho cheese ingredients. Cook until ingredients are warm and well blended.

Cover the chips with nacho cheese. Make southwest chicken according to directions. Dice or shred chicken to your liking and add to the nachos. Top with your favorite nacho toppings.

xx.

val

hummus.

I'm not quite sure where I got this recipe from, I have adapted it to my liking:

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup water

1 14 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup tahini

1 tsp. sea salt

2 tbsp. olive oil

-Process in a food processor until smooth.

You can also vary the recipe by adding roasted red peppers or substituting black beans for the chickpeas to make black bean hummus!


emily.