Buffalo Jalapeno Poppers

Buffalo Jalapeno Poppers

Makes 40 (you can freeze them too!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 20 Jalapeno peppers
• 8 oz lite cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 TBS Blue or Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 2 c Mexican 4 cheese shredded blend OR your own favorite cheese, shredded
• 1 cup finely diced  cooked chicken
• ½ cup Ranch dressing from the bottle
• 4 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped
• ¼ cup or more, depending on your “heat” tolerance!  I used Frank’s Buffalo Sauce

**** Now go and find some gloves and if possible, a grapefruit spoon with the ridges on the side, you will need both….especially the gloves!!!!!!*****

DIRECTIONS:  Pre HEAT Oven to 325 Degrees

1. Split the peppers in half, even the stems if possible.  Remove ribs & seeds using both gloves AND the grapefruit  spoon to take out the ribs & seeds and discard.
2. 2.      Mix the softened cream cheese AND the blue cheese crumbles until blended.  Once blended, ADD the rest of the ingredients and blend well.  Be sure to taste to make sure it’s not too hot, or if it is not hot enough!!!

Now, “lightly” grease a 10 x 15 baking pan.

With a spoon, fill pepper halves and place on pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes

TO FREEZE:

• Place on a cookie sheet & cover with foil then put in freezer until hard.  Once frozen,  package in single layers in a plastic freezer container.

TO EAT:

• Place on a cookie sheet & bake @ 325 for 20-25 mins or until hot all the way through, golden brown & crisp!! Then enjoy again!!!

Pico De Gallo

Basic Ingredients for Pico De Gallo

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 med onion diced fine
• 4 roma tomatoes. seeded then julienne
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1/4 c chopped cilantro
• 1 lime, juiced
• salt, cumin, to taste
• refrigerate for 1 hour, then serve with tortilla chips or whatever you like!!!

How to seed tomatoes

Cut tomatoes in half, then scoop out seeds with spoon and discard.  Julienne tomatoes then dice

All ingredients diced & chopped

Add all ingredients to bowl and add seasonings & lime juice and refrigerate for 1 hour

Your Finished Product!!!

***** you can add all sorts of things to this basic Mexican Salsa.  Jicama, Apples, Mango, Black beans, Corn…you name it!

Steak Crostini with Chive-Cream Sauce

Steak Crostini with Chive-Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Loaf French Baguette, cut into ½ in slices
• ½ C sour cream
• 2 TBS fresh chives, chopped
• 1 TBS minced garlic from jar
• 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 2 flat iron steaks seasoned with Monterey Steak seasoning (4-5 oz each)

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 425.
• Arrange sliced bread on large sheet pan and brush with olive oil then bake 8-10 mins until golden brown. DON’T OVERCOOK and bottom side of bread will be brown too!! Remove & set aside.
• Cook seasoned filets on grill outside or fry in pan with 1 TBS of oil for 6-8 minutes, turning once, then put on plate and let cool.
• THINLY slice filets. Spoon chive-cream sauce on top of baguettes and then top with sliced beef.  You can add roasted cherry tomatoes and additional chives, if desired!

Holy Guacamole!!!!

Guacamole

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Hello There!

Don’t know if people will even read this but I am starting with my “favorite” staple….guacamole!! You’ve got to love “guac”…and this is the thime of year when avacado’s are plentiful and tomatoes are the BEST!!!  Be sure to buy “ripe” avacado’s…they are soft when you squeeze them!

Here’s what you will need:

• 5 ripe avacado’s
• 3 roma tomatoes, with seeds removed and diced
• 1/2 C of red onion chopped
• 1 TBLS minced garlic
• 1 chipolte pepper in adobo chopped
• 1/4C of chopped cilantro
• 1-2 tsp kosher salt
• 1-2 tsp cumin
• 1-2 tsp red pepper flakes or chili pepper
• Lime juice for whole lime squeezed into bowl
• some salsa in a jar…to add flavor

Then get a potato masher and start mashing!!!!  As you are doing this, taste it and see whether or not you want to add more seasoning…it’s all personal preference…but DO taste it!!!!  Start off slow with the chipolte pepper because you can always add to it…not the other way around!!!   Then, once you are happy with it, get the corn chips out, crack a nice cold beer and ENJOY!!!!!