Creamy Avocado and Tomatillo Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 medium tomatillos
• 1 jalapeño
• 1 small onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 large avocados
• 1 lime, juiced
• handful of chopped cilantro
• salt to taste

The recipe is right here from Closet Cooking (one of my most FAVORITE cooking sites)!!!

 

Your ingredients to cook on the grill. Take off the wrapping from the tomatillo, and peel onion.

Cooked and ready to go in to the food processor…

Grill on a medium to high heat…but don’t leave unattended 

Peel the skin off the jalapeño, and chop the onion and tomatillo

Everything cut and ready to whirl

Add seasoning and cilantro and pulse it..

Now add some Mexican Cream

Like so

VOILA

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Strawberry Avocado Salsa

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 16oz pkg of fresh strawberries cut into small pieces
• 1 lg Avocado cut into small pieces
• 1 jalapeño seeded and minced
• 1/2 red onion, finely diced
• 1 lime, juice and the zest
• Handful of chopped cilantro
• Salt & Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. go gather EVERYTHING and chop, mince and measure!!
2. Take the jalapeño, red onion and lime with zest, put all into a bowl and mix…then put aside for a few minutes
3. Now add the rest of the ingredients into the bowl, and mix “gently”…you do NO want to make the avocado mushy !!
4. put it in the fridge to chill thentke out and serve with Taco,s, on top of chicken, or fish, or pork or as a Salsa with chips.  The possibilities are endless!!! ENJOY and thank you Elaine for Eating for the inspiration!! 
   

   

Spicy & Sweet Sriracha Chicken with Bacon & Brown Sugar

INGREDIENTS:  (this fed 6 of us very well)

• 2 boneless chicken breast cut into 1′ bite size pieces
• 1 lb bacon with each slice cut into 3 pieces
• 2 TBS Sriracha Chili Sauce (if you don’t have it, GET IT…one of my favorite condiments!!)
• 2 TBS lime juice
• 1/2 cup of canola oil.
• 1/2 or more of brown sugar on a plate or bowl to roll your chix/bacon wrap

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 degrees

Spray Pam or whatever you prefer on a large baking pan

Whisk the Sriracha, lime juice & canola oil in bowl and then put n gallon size zip bag.

Chicken breast cut into 1″ pieces and marinated in 2TBS Sriracha, 2 TBS lime juice & 1/2 c canola oil. Whisk those 3 ingredients, then pour into a gallon zip lock bag and add the chicken pieces and put in fridge for 30″ to an hour.

Take the bacon and cut each slice into 3. Then take a piece of the chicken, roll it up and then use the toothpick to keep it together. Now, take the Sriracha sauce and brush some on that and then roll in the brown sugar. The sauce helps the brown sugar stick AND gives it a little more kick Place on a greased baking pan and put into a preheated 350 degree oven and cook for 25-30 mins. Put it in the middle of the oven. If you want to add some “crisp” you can turn on the broiler, but keep the oven door, ajar..and DON’T go to far..you would hate to burn these delicious masterpieces!

Then find a really pretty serving dish and watch them vanish in a Nano-Second!!!

Scallops with Honey, Red Chili over warm Arugula

Seared scallops with a Honey/chili sauce over warm Arugula serves 4

I served these last night and they were a HIT!!!! Don’t be afraid of scallops just remember to add them to a HOT pan and make sure you have patted them dry so the take on a “sear”.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8-12 medium or large scallops cleaned and patted dry
• 3 TBS olive oil (1 for arugula and 2 for scallops)
• 1-2 tsp finely chopped red chili (depends on your tolerance for heat!!)
• 3 TBS honey
• 2 cups Arugula
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• salt

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat 1 TSB olive oil in sauce pan and then add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.  Add Arugula & salt and stir until just starting to wilt.  About 45 seconds.  Take off and put aside
• In a different pan, heat the other 2 TBS of olive oil and add the finely chopped red chili. Saute for about 40 seconds on a med-high heat, and then add in the scallops.  Cook the scallops for about 40-45 seconds (yes that is the magic number in this cooking process…hahaha) and then turn over and do the same until they are golden brown.
• Now add the honey and stir and bring to a simmer.  Add some salt
• Arrange the arugula on plates, then top with either 2 or 3 scallops and then drizzle the Chili/Honey sauce on top and serve!!!

YUMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!

Thank you Sweet Paul Blog for the idea!!!

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots

feeds 4-5 people

Voila…Ready to Serve

INGREDIENTS:

• 25 Tater Tots thawed at room temp 30 mins before using
• 1/2 lb of bacon with each strip cut into 3 pieces
• 1/3 c brown sugar
• 1TBS Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Chipotle Powder (optional..I like things spicy)

DIRECTIONS:

Gather all your ingredients

 

1 LB bacon cut into three pieces

 

Tater Tots thawed at room temperature

 

Wrap bacon around tater

 

Roll the bacon wrapped tater in the brown sugar mixture

 

Put Taters on parchment or foil lined cookie sheet and cook for 15 mins (or until bacon is crispy) in preheated 375 oven

 

Take out, let cool, stick a toothpick and serve

 

**** I also made these the day before and froze them, then took out and put them on lined parchment and cooked for 25-30 mins at 350 until the bacon was crispy!!***

Jicama Salad so Simple

A root vegetable that looks like a potato but has the sweetness of an apple. Used primarily in Mexican Dishes

Jicama is a root vegetable that looks like a potato and taste like an apple!!! It is used, primarily, in Mexican recipes, salads or as a side dish.  I used it as a simple side dish…with “simple” being the active word!!

Clean, cut off the ends, cut in half and peel.

Once cut, then slice 1/4 inch and then julienne

Add 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced

Add 1/2 cup,of chopped cilantro along with Mexican seasonings ( cumin, chili powder) salt & pepper and juice from1 lime and then refrigerate for 30 minutes or more

Take out of fridge, stir and plate!! VOILA!!!

Bacon Wrapped Scallops in Maple Marinade

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1/4 c Hoisin Sauce 24 large sea scallops,

12 slices smoked bacon, halved 12 toothpicks

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Stir together maple syrup, soy sauce, Hoisin Sauce and Dijon mustard in a bowl until smooth. Add the scallops, and toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate at least one hour.
2.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with a sheet of aluminum foil.
3.	Arrange bacon pieces on baking sheet so they do not overlap. Bake in preheated oven until some of the grease has rendered out of the bacon; the bacon should still be very soft and pliable, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon from the baking sheet and pat with paper towels to remove excess grease. Drain or wipe grease from the baking sheet.
4.	Wrap each scallop piece with a piece of bacon, and secure with a toothpick. Place onto baking sheet. Add marinade sauce to each scallop then put in oven.
5.	Bake in preheated oven until the scallops are opaque and the bacon is crisp, 10 to 15 minutes, turning once.

Nacho’s Grande Ole’

Nacho’s made easy!

INGREDIENTS:

• Tortilla Chips 1/2 bag)
• 1 cup Grated Monterey Jack Cheese, Cheddar Cheese…or any other cheese you want to use, GRATED
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, seeded & diced
• 1/2 can Black beans drained (I used leftover)
• 1/2 med red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large Avocado, diced
• 1 thinly sliced Jalapeno (optional to your taste buds!)
• Chopped lettuce
• 1/2- 4oz can of chopped green chilies (again, optional for you gringo’s)
• Coarsley chopped Cilantro
• Sour Cream
• Tomatilla Sauce or Salsa…whatever you prefer
• Mexican Cheese (looks like feta)

DIRECTIONS

1. Spread chips on large plate that can fit in microowave
2. Put grated cheese all around, and under chips..
3. Put black beans, intermittently on top of cheese
4. Zap in Microwave for about 30 seconds until cheese is semi melted
5. Top with Avocado’s, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeno, chilies, onions….you name it, put it on top!
6. Then some sour cream
7. Little Mexican Cheese, crumbled
8. Then, My favorite…Tomatilla sauce or whatever sauce you like then Cilantro!!

Afterall, this is ALL about YOU!!!!!

Ceviche a la Lupita

Ceviche a la Lupita

Feeds 8 easily

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 mahi-mahi filet, thinly sliced then diced or similar mild fish
• ½ lb med shrimp, deveined
• 1 med pot with water, bring to boil
• 10 key limes
• 2 Roma tomatoes seeded & diced
• ½ med onion, diced small
• 1 bottle ketchup
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 avocado, diced
• ¼ tsp oregano
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Take diced mahi-mahi and put in bowl. Squeeze 7 of the 10 limes into the bowl and marinade, turning frequently for at least 10 mins.
2. Take the shrimp and put into billing water for 2-3 mins then remove and dice, put into bowl with Mahi and stir and let sit for 5 mins.
3. Take the diced tomato & diced onion and toss in bowl. Then add the chopped cilantro.
4. Now, take the Mahi & Shrimp mixture and by the handful, take it out and “squeeze” the marinade out of it and then put into tomato mixture
5. Once that is done, add the bottle of ketchup & then rinse out bottle with 1 cup of OJ and put into mixture, with oregano, S & P and then squeeze the last three limes and the diced avocado Stir it up and taste it.
6. For those who want a little more “kick”, add some picante or hot sauce and then cover with saran wrap and put in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours and then VOILA!!!

Serve on a bed of lettuce, or in a cup with crackers…whatever you like!! Best part….it’s even better the 2^nd day!  ENJOY!!!

Marinade Mahi Mahi or whatever white fish you want

Take diced shrimp and put into boiling water for 2-3 mins, drain and add to Mahi Mixture

Mixed tomatoes & onion

Add Cilantro

Squeeze excess marinade from fish mixture and add to tomato mixture

Add 1 bottle of ketchup to mixture

Add 1 cup of OJ to Ketchup bottle then pour into mixture

Add your last 3 limes

Add Avocado and then season with Oregano, S & P

Put it in fridge and in 2-3 hours top it with sprigs of Cilantro and then ENJOY!!

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!!!