Salsa

This recipe first posted on July 28, 2011.

Since we are getting ready to launch our new blog, I thought it would be fun to share the very first recipe I ever posted.  Haha.  The photo quality isn't all that, and I did have a date stamp on the photo.  Didn't know about PicMonkey back then or I would have cropped that out and done a little more editing!  But still, this is one of my favorite recipes.  Hope you enjoy it again!

(Sorry about the date stamp! I'm a newbie.)

When I left El Paso, TX  9 years ago, one thing I brought back to North Carolina was a good salsa recipe.  I learned how to make it in a Relief Society Homemaking  mini-class (the Relief Society is the women's auxiliary of our church).  I loved our Hispanic members and learned so much from them, including how to make homemade tortillas.  This recipe started there, but I have tweaked it along the way.

Ingredients:
6-8 roma tomatoes
1-2 fresh jalapenos
1 clove garlic, minced
Fresh cilantro (I use a handful)
Lime juice, to taste
Salt, to taste

1.  Roast the tomatoes and jalapenos in the oven until skins are nice and crispy.  I put mine in a toaster oven.  Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle them.

2.  Peel the tomatoes and "gut" and de-stem the jalapenos.  If you leave the seeds in the peppers you will have a spicier salsa--muy picosa!

3.  Place tomatoes and jalapenos in a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients and process to desired consistency.  I prefer slightly chunky. You can add water to thin it.

4.  Serve with tortilla chips.

A few tips--a squeeze or two of lime juice is all you need.  Salt to taste, but take into consideration the saltiness of your chips.  I buy a dozen or so jalapenos at a time and roast them and then keep them in the freezer so I can have them on hand when I need a salsa fix or when my sister Amy comes to visit.

"Cool" Tip--I used to waste so much fresh cilantro until I saw a neat thing on an Emeril Legasse show.  Loosely chop the cilantro bunch and distribute into the sections of an ice cube tray.  Lightly fill with water and freeze.  Once frozen, pop cilantro cubes out of tray and store in a Ziplock bag in the freezer.  Easy to pop into soups, pasta sauce, chili, etc. I thaw several cubes out when I am thawing the jalapenos and then they are both ready for the salsa.

Salud!

Chicken Satay and Thai Peanut Sauce

For this post, you get two recipes in one! The chicken satay recipe came from here. And the most amazing Thai Peanut Sauce recipe came from here.

Thai Chicken Satay:

2 normal to large sized chicken breasts

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

12 wooden skewers

Directions:

1. Soak the skewers in water while prepping your chicken and sauce. This will help keep the skewers from burning when you place them on the grill. 

2. Cut the chicken into thin slices. 

3. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, add the chicken and massage. The chicken does not need to marinate in the sauce for very long, in fact only a few minutes. Place the chicken on skewers and drop them on the grill at medium heat. Flip the skewer just before you start to see grill marks on the chicken. This makes for the perfect “doneness” without drying it out. 

This marinade also goes great with shrimp! 

For the Thai Peanut Sauce:

One 13.5-ounce can of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk

2 ounces (approximately ¼ cup) of Thai red or Massaman curry paste

¾ cup unsweetened (natural) creamy peanut butter (Do not use regular peanut butter or anything with added emulsifiers. I get mine fresh ground in the bulk section at Winco.)

½ tablespoon salt

¾ cup sugar

2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar (Do not use white wine, red wine, balsamic, or anything else — not even rice vinegar)

½ cup water

Instructions:

Put everything into a medium heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a very gentle boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.

Let the mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes over low heat; be careful not to let the mixture scorch at the bottom of the pot.

Take the pot off the heat, let the sauce cool down to room temperature (or slightly warmer), and serve the sauce with satay or fried tofu.

Notes

This peanut sauce keeps in a glass container in the refrigerator for weeks. Refrigerated sauce will thicken up considerably. All you have to do is thin it out with a little bit of water to desired consistency, reheat, and serve. The sauce also freezes beautifully.

 

North Carolina BBQ Sauce

This sauce was a huge hit at our daughter's graduation pig pickin'.  We cooked the pig in the sauce but you'll want to add more to your plate when you eat your pork because it is that good!

Ingredients:

4 c. cider vinegar
1 c. brown sugar
1 1/3 c. ketchup
1/4 c. butter
2 T. hot pepper sauce
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
2 t. mustard powder
1 t. salt
1 t. fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1.  Place all ingredients in a saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.  Remove from the stove and pour into a heat-proof bowl.  Cover and refrigerate the sauce for 2 days.

2.  Strain the sauce through a mesh sieve to remove the red pepper flakes.  Store the sauce in the refrigerator.  Bring to room temperature before serving.

***I did not remove the red pepper flakes and I thought it was delicious that way.

Source:  www.fullybooked.com

Creamy Avocado Pasta Sauce

This is a great sauce and it's full of healthy fat and flavor.  I served it with some cubed, cooked chicken and rice vermicelli noodles (since I'm avoiding wheat).  But you could serve it with any noodle you wish and have it as a main dish or as a pasta side dish.

Ingredients:
1 ripe medium or large avocado (pitted and scooped out of the skin)
1/2 lemon
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

(Begin cooking your pasta before you start the sauce.  By the time it's al dente, your sauce will be all ready to go!)

In a food processor blend the garlic, the juice from the half lemon, and the olive oil.   Add the avocado, basil, and salt.  Process until smooth.  If too thick, add water a couple of Tbsp. at a time through the feed chute until it reaches the consistency you want.

Garnish your pasta and sauce with zest from the lemon half and with extra chopped basil if desired.  You may also want to add some salt and pepper.

Mine was pretty thick even after about a third cup of water added, but once it was mixed in with the pasta it was perfect!

Source:  greatist.com

Charleston Cheese Dip

This is the most amazing dip! The original recipe comes from Trisha Yearwood, and she knew what she was doing when she put this recipe together! How can you go wrong with cream cheese, cheddar cheese and BACON? YUM!

Charleston Cheese Dip

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 - 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 green onions, finely chopped
Dash of cayenne pepper
8 Ritz Crackers or any buttery cracker, crushed
8 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

My Variation: I used sharp cheddar cheese and Colby cheese, and then threw in a little shredded Pepper Jack cheese. I did not have any Cayenne pepper, so I used a little Chipotle Seasoning and some black pepper. I also used my freeze dried Green Onions and Chopped Onions from Thrive. I thought about adding some bacon bits to the cheese mixture and then decided not to, but I think that would make it even better! I will definitely do it next time! The thought of that warm bacon mixed in with the cheese...ahhhh...pure heaven! 

Directions: 
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the mayonnaise, cheeses, onions, and spices. Spread this mixture in a small baking dish. (I doubled the recipe and used a 9" x 13: pan, so you might want to try a 8" x 8" dish or a pie pan or something small like that.)

3. Crush your crackers and sprinkle on top of cheese mixture. 

4. Bake for 15 minutes. Then top with the bacon and serve warm with crackers, pita chips, tortilla chips, or whatever sounds good to you. 

Dairy-Free Chocolate Sauce

My last recipe was for Coconut Sorbet which I have enjoyed pairing with this non-dairy chocolate sauce.  Yes, you can buy plain old chocolate syrup with no dairy, but I really love to make things myself if I can.  And, I had all the ingredients anyway!

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt

1.  Bring all to boil in a saucepan over high heat.
2.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Store in fridge.

Source:  Speed Bump Kitchen

Caliente Chili Dip

 

 

 

 

 

I made salsa one day and it was a bit spicy.  So, thinking that I could speak a little Spanish to my Hispanic friend, I told her that the salsa was muy caliente. 

 

"Is it hot or spicy?" she asked. 

 

"Spi-cy." I said, slowly. 

 

 "Then it is muy picosa," she said. 

 

 Ahhh....there is a difference.  So that is why the name of my recipe is Caliente Chili Dip--because it is a heated dip; no picosa.  Decades ago I attended a women's conference and this item was one of the many finger foods served to us that day.  Everyone loves it and it was requested for our recent Super Bowl Bash--well, if you call me, my husband, my daughter, and my two grandsons who are 4 and almost 2 a BASH.  Yeah.  But it was still fun.

 

Ingredients:

1 15-oz. can Chili with Beans

1 15-oz. can Chili, No Beans

8 oz. cream cheese

1 small can diced green chilies

1.  Put all the ingredients in a non-stick skillet or pan.  Cook over medium to medium-high heat until the cream cheese is completely melted.  Stir to mix well.

2.  Serve with Fritos Scoops, to get more dip in your chip.

TIPS:  For a healthier version, use Turkey Chili and neufchatel cheese (low fat cream cheese).  When serving, I like to use a chafing dish, so that the dip stays hot (caliente).

Creamy White Queso Dip

I admit that this is not the most appealing picture, but let me tell you, this is the BEST home made queso dip I have ever had! I have tried a few and I love this one. I also love that it is made with real cheese, not cheese product. 

Creamy White Queso Dip

1 lb. White American Cheese (I get it in the deli section of my grocery store. You may need to get it sliced at the deli)

1-4 oz. can green chilies

1/2 (or so) can Rotel

1 C. plus a bit of heavy cream 

In a medium sauce pan, combine all ingredients (break up or chop the cheese into small chunks.) Cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally until cheese is melted and creamy. Add more cream to get the consistency you want. 

Serve with chips, or, as we like it, with home made pretzel bites! 

Recipe source: my sis in law, Sami.

 

Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

A Pinterest find, of course.  And a healthier version of any creamy white sauce you can imagine!  Add a little Parmesan cheese and you will swear you are eating Alfredo sauce.  Check out my source  and you will see that she has created a whole ebook of recipes for this little gem.  Stay tuned here for a yummy tortellini recipe that I used this sauce in last week.  The picture is the teaser!

Ingredients:

8 large cloves garlic, minced
2 T. butter
5-6 cups cauliflower florets (one good-sized head)
6-7 cups vegetable broth or water (I used chicken broth because that is what I had on hand)
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 cup milk

1.  Saute the minced garlic with the butter in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.  Cook for several minutes or until the garlic is soft and fragrant, but not browned (tip from Source is that browned or burnt would taste bitter).  Remove from heat and set aside.

2.  Bring the water or broth to a boil in a large pot.  Add the cauliflower and cook, covered, for 7-10 minutes or until fork tender.  DO NOT DRAIN.

3.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer cauliflower pieces to a blender.  Add 1 cup broth or cooking liquid, sauted garlic, salt, pepper, and milk.  Blend or puree for several minutes until the sauce is very smooth, adding more broth or milk to desired thickness.

4.  Serve hot.  If the sauce starts to look dry, add a few drops of water, milk or olive oil.

5.  I added some Parmesan cheese and cooked until incorporated.  Yummy.


Source: Pinch of Yum.