Tag: appetizer

Mexican Street Corn Side Dish Or Chip Dip

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What You Need For The Corn:

4 cups of frozen corn

1-2 tablespoon of olive oil

1 bell pepper any color you like, probably not yellow though

1 bunch of fresh cilantro chopped finely with a few leaves left out for garnish

1 jalapeño or Serrano pepper finely chopped

1/2 red or white onion chopped

2/3 cup of Mexican cheese (look for cotija or queso fresco) crumbled up

What You Need For The Dressing

3 tablespoons of sour cream

2 tablespoons of miracle whip (I prefer miracle whip over Mayo. It just has a different flavor to me)

2-3 limes for squeezing

1/2 teaspoon of cumin

1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of chili powder

Steps:

1. Start by heating the olive oil on medium high in a skillet. Add the corn and cook until lightly charred. 7 to 10 minutes, once charred add to a large bowl.

2. Add the chopped bell pepper, jalapeño or Serrano pepper, cilantro, and onion to the large bowl with the charred corn.

3. In a small bowl add the ingredients for the dressing and mix well.

4. Add the dressing to the large bowl with the corn and mix well. Add 1/2 of the crumbled mexican cheese. Taste, and add additional lime or salt if needed.

5. Garnish with the remaining cheese and cilantro and serve. Or cover and place in the fridge for up to 8 hours.

Enjoy!

Pesto Sliders With Turkey And Salami Brushed With Melted Honey Butter

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Servings: 12 sliders

What You Need:

For the Sliders

1 pack of Kings Hawaiian sweet rolls (12 rolls)

1 jar (8oz) of Classico Basil Pesto

12 slices of Turkey deli meat (I used Hillshire Farm Ultra Thin)

12 slices of salami or 24 pieces of snack sized salami (2 snack size on each slider if you use those)

12 slices of mozzarella cheese or a few handfuls of shredded mozzarella cheese

For The Butter Spread

1/4 cup of unsalted butter melted

1/2 – 1 teaspoon of raw honey

A dash of garlic powder

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and lightly butter a 9×13 glass dish.

2. Place the bottoms of the rolls into the glass dish and layer with 1/2 of the jarred pesto, turkey meat, salami, and cheese. Spread the remaining pesto on the bottoms of the tops of the sweet rolls. Press down rolls to secure.

3. Brush the rolls evenly with the melted honey butter leaving just a little to spare for when the rolls are done.

4. Cover baking dish with foil and bake at 375 for 10 mins. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese is melted and tops are golden.

5. Brush rolls once more lightly with the butter and enjoy!

Tio’s Shrimp Cocktail

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Servings 10 to 12

What You Need:

4 lbs of shrimp peeled and deveined

2 cucumbers chopped

1 Serrano pepper finely chopped

3 large tomatoes chopped

2 celery sticks (1 chopped)

6-7 limes juiced

1 qt of calamato juice or half of a 2qt bottle

1/2 white onion finely chopped

1/4 of white onion un-chopped

1 teaspoon of pepper

3-4 teaspoons of salt

1 tablespoon of cilantro chopped

Steps:

1. First prep your veggies. Add your chopped pepper, onion, tomato, cucumber, cilantro, and celery in an extra sized large bowl. Cover and set aside in the fridge.

2. Prep your shrimp, removing the skin and devein (optional). Once the shrimp are done (can be like forever. Have someone help you!) place in a kitchen pot. Cover with water, add the 1 celery stick, 1/4 of an onion and bring to a boil, removing the foam. Boil for 1 minute. Reserve a cup of the shrimp water.

3. Remove the veggies from the fridge and add the shrimp once cooled. Then add the lime juice, Clamato, shrimp juice, salt, and mix well. Add additional salt, pepper, extra cilantro and lime juice if needed or until desired taste.

Enjoy!

Serve with tostadas or Tortillas chips. Add in hot sauce and freshly diced avocados!

Add 1 celery stick and 1/4 of an onion. Bring to a boil and boil only for 1 minute. Even when you see the shrimp begin to turn pink, wait till the water is boiling and boil for 1 minute. Then set aside to cool.
Allow the shrimp to cool before adding to the veggies.
Reserve some the shrimp water from boiling. You will add this to the shrimp cocktail. About 1 cup.
How small to chop the onion and pepper
How small to chop the tomato.
This is all the cilantro we used. Chopped up makes about 1 tablespoon.
This is the hot sauce we prefer with it but anything is good!
So yummy!

Refreshing Fruit Salad With Honey Lime and Mint

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What You Need:

6 cups of fresh mixed melon fruit such as cantaloupe, watermelon, and honeydew.

1 1/2 tablespoons of raw honey

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

2 teaspoons of lime juice

A pinch of salt

2 tablespoons of fresh chopped mint, and extra for garnish

Steps:

1. In a small bowl mix together the lemon, lime, honey and salt. Pour juice mixture over the chopped fruit.

2. Right before serving add the chopped mint and mix well.

*can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 12 hours*S

Enjoy!

White Enchilada Sauce With Green Chiles

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It’s all in the sauce. This enchilada sauce is so delish. There’s a bonus to this recipe as well. It can also make a great cheese dip for tortilla chips.

Typically I’ll use left over chicken or rotisserie chicken and mix in corn to use as the enchilada filling. If I don’t have chicken I’ll use white beans mixed with corn or spinach as the filling.

Once the sauce is complete, take about a cup of the sauce and mix it with your chicken filling or bean filling until all combined.

Roll your enchiladas in corn tortillas and pour the entire sauce over the enchiladas. Top with jack cheese and fresh chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!

Pan suggestion: a glass 9×13

Servings for: 10-12 enchiladas

What You Need:

4 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1/4 chopped sweet onion

1 tablespoon of jarred minced garlic

8 oz block of monterey jack cheese shredded

1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

8 oz of cream cheese

3/4 cup whole milk

1 cup of heavy cream

(2) 4oz cans of green chilies

1 teaspoon of paprika

Salt and pepper for taste

2 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro

Steps:

1. Begin with a medium sauce pan on a low heat (between a 2 and 4) and melt the butter. Add in your onion and garlic and sauté until onions are soft.

2. Add your heavy cream, milk, and cream cheese. Mix until cream cheese is completely melted.

3. Next add the parmesan cheese and add 3/4 cup of the jack shredded cheese. Once melted in, add both cans of green chiles.

4. Season with a couple of dashes of salt and pepper. Add the paprika and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro. Mix continuously on low for 5 to 7 mins.

5. Reserve a cup of the sauce and mix with your enchilada filling.

6. Once your enchiladas are rolled up and placed in your 9×13 pan, pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas. Top the enchiladas with the remaining Monterey Jack cheese and chopped cilantro.

7. Bake your enchiladas at 350 for 25 mins.

Hope you enjoy the sauce!

Spinach Artichoke Dip With Green Chiles

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What You Need:

10oz of fresh spinach

2 14oz cans of artichoke hearts (rinsed and drained)

1 1/2 cup of whole milk

8oz of cream cheese softened

1/2-3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese

2 cups of shredded pepper Jack cheese or Jack cheese

Salt and pepper for taste

1/4 cup of minced garlic (jarred is fine)

8 tablespoons of unsalted butter

2 4oz cans of green chilies

Steps:

1. In a large skillet melt 4 tablespoons of butter with the garlic. Add spinach, season with salt and pepper and sauté until spinach is wilted. Transfer to a strainer.

2. In the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add the artichoke harts. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté for about 7 mins. Transfer artichokes to strainer as well.

3. Keeping the same skillet, add the remaining butter (2 tablespoons), the milk, and cream cheese . Once cream cheese is melted add the pepper Jack cheese (leaving a little left out to top it off with) and Parmesan cheese. Cheese mixture will become a little curd like. Add the green chilies and turn on low heat, while watching carefully and mixing.

4. Chop up the spinach and artichokes, then add to the cheese mixture. Turn off heat and mix well until all combined.

5. Pour into a 2 1/2 quart baking dish, top with additional pepper jack cheese and bake at 375 for 15 to 20 mins until cheese is bubbly and a little golden on top.

Enjoy with tortilla or pita chips!

Easy Homemade Salsa and Chips

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Salsa made at home along with homemade tortilla chips just taste better! It’s all so easy and doesn’t take a lot of time at all!

HOMEMADE SALSA

What You Need:

3 decent sized Roma tomatoes

2-3 Serrano peppers (1 for a mild flavor. And make sure it’s Serrano. Jalapeño will give a different flavor.)

5-8 garlic cloves (not jarred minced garlic)

1/4 of a large white onion

Salt for seasoning

A generous handful of fresh cilantro

Steps:

1. In a small medium pot bring the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and peppers to a boil. Simmer until very soft. The skins will begin to peel.

2. Once the veggies are soft place them in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add about 1/4 cup of the water the veggies were boiling in.

3. Sprinkle with salt and add handful of fresh cilantro. Mix with a blender. Taste and add more salt or cilantro if needed. A squeeze of lime can be added, that’s optional.

HOMEMADE TORTILLA CHIPS

What you need:

Vegetable oil

Sea salt

Corn tortillas

Steps:

1. Stack 7 Corn tortilla on top of each other. Cut the stacked tortillas vertically and then horizontally. Giving you 28 corn tortilla triangles.

2. Heat your skillet to a medium heat with 1/2 inch of vegetable oil.

3. Once oil is heated (it will begin to sizzle and bubble a little) begin adding the tortillas into the oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides. (Use to tongs to flip)

4. Place finished tortilla chips on a plate with paper towels to soak the excess oil. Sprinkle with sea salt right away. Allow to cool.

Enjoy!