PINEAPPLE MANGO SALSA

About 20 people gathered for a beachfront fajita dinner on Tuesday night...long term friends vacationing on South Padre Island has been one of my reasons for being away from the blog.  Maybe some day I'll learn to blog from my cell phone...but for now, I've been enjoying sea, sand, food, and friends.  The teen and I have been coming home each evening exhausted beyond belief.  I'll catch up with the blogging eventually!

This is a quick and easy post - so while I wait for the teen to wake up so we can head back to the beach again, I thought I'd try to get this post finished!

My assignment Tuesday night was to bring homemade salsa and grated cheese for the fajita dinner.  Cheese was easy....and you've possibly seen my homemade salsa recipe I posted a few months ago.  However, I wanted something to hit the "tropical notes" of my friends' vacation...so I decided to try to create a tasty Pineapple Mango Salsa...it turned out delicious!!!  I made a big batch of my original recipe homemade salsa and a smaller batch of this new trial recipe...I loved it so here's the recipe:

DEBBI'S PINEAPPLE MANGO SALSA

Ingredients:

1 15-ounce can of peeled stewed whole tomatoes -
drain juice 
1/4 large sweet yellow onion - peeled and rough chopped
1 medium ripe mango, peeled, flesh removed from the seed - you don't want the mango overly ripe as it gets too fibrous...so just gently "giving" when squeezed up near the stem.  The color should be more green than yellow for this recipe.
1/2 fresh golden pineapple - peeled, cored, and "eyes" removed (reserve 1/4 of the whole pineapple)
1 medium to large jalapeno seeded and deveined (reserve 1/2 - hold to the side)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp chili powder1 pinch sugar
Juice of 1 large or 2 small limes
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves (pick from stems)

The Extras:

2 plum tomatoes - diced - held to the side
2 thinly sliced green onions - held to the side
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves roughly chopped and held to the side
1/2 jalapeno - reserved from above - small diced - held to the side
1/4 pineapple - reserved from above - diced - held to the side

METHOD:

In bowl of food processor, add all of the ingredients except those listed in "The Extras".

Pulse just until everything chopped evenly.
Pour into mixing bowl.

Add "The Extras" and stir.

Allow to sit, covered, for at least one to two hours so the flavors can incorporate.

Serve with tortilla chips, as a salad dressing, as a fajita topping, over fish or chicken or with shrimp!  I can picture this being an elegant addition to a recipe or popped into a bowl with some chips on the side for a casual and deliciously different snack.

Freshly spicy, yet sweet.  Awesome combination of flavors.

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!




SHARED WITH:

DEBBI'S HOMEMADE SALSA

My FB friend, Rachel, currently in London, is jonesing for some good Tex-Mex food.  We had a FB conversation about making homemade tortilla chips so I dragged out my bag of Masa and was excited to see that it doesn't appear to be as challenging as I thought to make homemade tortillas (hah, famous last words).
So, this is going to be a two-part post.

Today, I'll make my homemade salsa...been making it for years...and have it ready for tomorrow.

Tomorrow, as soon as my new tortilla press arrives, I'll make homemade corn tortillas and fry some of them up for tortilla chips.  We'll see how that goes (I may grab a bag of tortillas at the store to be on the safe side :-)  I could not believe there were no tortilla presses to be found in the retail stores in my area.  I could have kept driving looking for one...but at $3.50/gallon, it didn't make sense.  Amazon had one for under $12.00 and the overnight delivery was the price of a gallon of gas.  I know I could have found one in Brownsville, but it would have cost me almost two gallons of gas to go there and back.  I could do the math!  I used to have a comal - but I ditched it, along with so many other things, when I downsized to move here.  I'll just use a large frying pan...I'm sure it will work just fine.

So, here's my time-tested homemade salsa recipe.  You can adjust for "heat" easily enough...just remember that you might want to use rubber gloves when handling your jalapenos and serranos...and don't touch your eyes or nose (or any sensitive skin) after touching the cut peppers...you must wash thoroughly...with soap!  It only takes once...and I promise, you will cry like a baby if you get that shit pepper oil in your eyes!  I use surgical gloves...and in a pinch, I have covered my hands with a Ziploc bag when handling peppers.  I did without for years...until the dreaded occasion of "touching my face"....OMG - awful - beyond awful.  So, just consider using gloves.

Salsa Hecha en Casa de Debbi

(DEBBI'S HOMEMADE SALSA)

Ingredients:

1 28 ounce can of peeled stewed whole tomatoes -
        drain juice but reserve
        (put in the thick stuff, just not the runny stuff)
1 medium yellow onion - peeled, halved, and quartered
4 rough chopped green onions (white and green parts)
2 medium to small jalapenos seeded and deveined (reserve 1/2 and mince it - hold to the side)
1 serrano pepper seeded and deveined (I use a teaspoon to scrape out seeds and veins)
1 clove garlic - peeled
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp sliced pickled jalapenos with a splash of juice from the jar or can
Juice of 1 large or 2 small limes
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (pick from stems)

fresh cilantro - it looks somewhat similar to flat leaf parsley...
but it smells and tastes distinctively different!  I paid 29 cents
for a bunch today!

The Extras:

2 thinly sliced green onions (held to the side)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped and held to the side
1/2 jalapeno - reserved from above - finely minced

Method:

In large bowl of food processor, add onion quarters...pulse.  Add tomatoes (not the juice), 1 1/2 fresh jalapenos, serrano, garlic, marinated jalapenos, the lime juice, and the dry seasonings.  Pulse a few times, then add the 1/2 cup of cilantro leaves and pulse a few more times until it is the base consistency you enjoy. 

you want to see chunks in the salsa

Don't puree!   Careful with the pulse...don't over-process.  You want it the consistency of a relish.  At least I do...hate watery salsa.

After it is finished, add the "extras" that you held to the side....green onion, diced jalapeno, and chopped cilantro.  This gives the salsa more body and texture.

the extra veg gives the salsa some texture

OK - finally tasted it - and it is dy-no-mite (not in heat, but in flavor) - I can taste the tang of the fresh lime juice, the bite of the jalapeno, the burn of the serrano (and I admit - I only used half of the serrano - it was kind of big and so were the jalapenos!). 

cut the tops off the peppers, slice down the middle, scoop out
the seeds and veins with a teaspoon to prepare for processing - if you like it
muy caliente...just cut the stems off and throw the peppers in!

It is really good.  Homemade salsa...you will never eat jarred again... it's a whole world of difference.  That said, I do use jarred salsa when I don't have the time to chop and do it right...it took me about 40 minutes to make this.  Usually takes less time, but I was trying to remember to snap photos and check the list of ingredients...usually I just fly by the seat of my pants...but this time I measured!

prepping the ingredients - usually I do a dash of this and a pinch of that

Serve with chips, over eggs, whipped into cream cheese for a dip, as a condiment for tacos and fajitas... or I like to make some rice, add a can of chicken (or leftover chicken chunks from a rotisserie chicken) and add a big spoonful (or 10) of salsa and some grated cheese, nuke it, and eat it for lunch.  Yum.

Muy bueno!

Bon Appetit, Y'all!!!

Black Bean Dip

I'm rockin' and rollin' through my old dip recipes...it's like a walk down memory lane :-)  I remember the parties and good times that went along with some of these recipes.  I hope you try them - and that they add to your memory book of good foods and good times.

Photo Source:  Google Images

Today's offering is a Black Bean Dip.  I used to make this during "diet days"...it says it is only 11 calories for a tablespoon...but I can't swear to it.  I don't positively remember the source of this recipe (it's on a very old recipe card) and I don't EVER try to calculate the accuracy of calorie content in my recipes...usually it would scare the crap out of me because most of my recipes are NOT low cal at all!  For me - if it's party time - I'd rather not know.  I THINK this recipe was from a public television show that I used to watch way before the days of Food Network.  It was a female dietitian making recipes (70s and 80s) using a hot plate and a toaster oven.  All of her recipes were nutritious and diabetic-friendly.  Boy howdy, how cooking shows have changed!

Here's the recipe:

BLACK BEAN DIP

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp chopped green chili (I like Hatch Green Chilies in the can - usually available at our local H.E.B. grocery)
1 small onion, chopped  (about 1/2 cup)
1 large clove garlic - smashed
15 ounce can black beans, drained (I like Progresso brand - commonly available locally)
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt (more if it is too thick)
1 tsp ground cumin (cominos)
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

In food processor, pulse green chilis, onion, garlic, and beans until almost smooth.  Stir in the yogurt, cumin, and salt.  Serve hot or cold with baked pita triangles (which may be found on this blog post link) or homemade tortilla chips.  I've tried this simple toasted tortilla chip recipe from Cooks.com.

HOMEMADE TORTILLA CHIPS

1 pkg. flour/corn tortillas (10-12 in a package)
Nonstick cooking spray
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. chili powder

Spray each tortilla with cooking spray. Sprinkle lightly with spices. Stack tortillas and cut in half, in quarters, in eighths. Single layer on cookie sheet. Bake or broil 5 minutes at 350 degrees. A tasty, lower fat, low salt alternative.

I've made these without the spices - and just sprinkled with salt.  That's the way I like them ;-)

You can easily mess around with such a basic recipe... for more kick - add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the dip when you add the cumin.  You could also stir in some chunky salsa from a jar for another level of flavor with almost no calorie addition (if that is important to you).  If you aren't sure what you want to add, grab a teaspoon and put a dab in a ramekin, stir in a tiny bit of the additional flavoring and give it a taste to make sure you like the adjustment...before adding a lot!

The dip is, however, a healthy alternative to the heavy-with-cream-cheese dips often found on a holiday table.  You could also use whole wheat pitas and/or whole grain tortillas for making the chips - another nod to more healthy choices.  It's also inexpensive to make.  Those two things alone make it a worthwhile addition to your dip choices!

Bon Appetit Y'all!!!

Another Hot Artichoke Dip!

Here we are...Christmas is over...time to start thinking of New Year's Eve celebrations.  Need a New Year's Eve dip?  Here's a GREAT option!

We'd already dug in when I thought..."yikes - didn't take a photo!"  So we set up a few staged photos.

One of the gastronomical hits of my son's Christmas Eve party was my friend, Trina's, recipe for a hot artichoke dip.  She brought it to a party earlier in the month and I asked her to send me the recipe.  It is quite delicious - and not too difficult to make.  She said it is from the Pampered Chef's 2009 Fall/Winter Cookbook.  I looked online and didn't find it currently posted.  Trina sent her recipe...and I tweaked it a bit (some on purpose, some by accident).  The dip is served in a bread bowl, and we both used the Pampered Chef bread tubes to bake our own shaped loaves...which we sliced into little toasts and crisped in the oven.  I had to buy the bread tubes on eBay because I didn't find them in the online Pampered Chef catalog either!  Never fails - I find something cool - and it is out of production.  Thanks goodness for eBay!

So, here's what I did.

First, after receiving my bread tubes, I sprayed the inside with cooking spray, and used refrigerated Pillsbury Country Italian Bread dough.  In retrospect, I would have cut off about 3 inches of the raw dough as both bread tubes had bread expanding to the point of the top coming off the baking tube while in the oven.  I used the scalloped bread tube and the star bread tube.  I followed the instructions enclosed in the Pampered Chef Bread Tube packaging for making "toasts".  Once the bread had cooled completely, I cut the loaf into 1/4" thick slices.  I did this 3 days in advance and just stored the bread tubes in a Ziploc bag after they were thoroughly cooled.  You are making crispy toasts, so it doesn't need to be "freshly baked same day".  The night of preparation, I laid them out on a cookie sheet, sprayed them with a Canola Oil mister and toasted at 400 degrees until I could see the edges browning, then I flipped them until they were lightly brown and toasty.  I removed them and set them aside.

I had purchased a good sized round of artisan Sourdough bread from Central Market in Austin.  They are particularly delicious...but, since you aren't eating the bread (in my situation) it would be absolutely acceptable to go with a cheaper bread bowl!  I sliced the top off the bowl and scooped out all the soft insides... my son saved the insides in a freezer bag for future bread crumbs.  I set the bread bowl and the lid to the side.

Artichoke Bread Bowl Dip:

8 oz cream cheese, softened (original recipe called for 4 oz. - but I used 8 oz.)
1/2 cup milk
1 can artichoke hearts in water, drained
1 - 1.4 oz envelope or one 1.8 oz box (2 envelopes) dried vegetable soup mix (I used Knorr's brand)
1 large garlic clove, pressed
1 lemon
8 oz sour cream
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese - not the powdery canned kind - you want the thicker grated pieces

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Whisk cream cheese until smooth in microwaveable bowl.
Add milk, whisk until smooth.
Chop artichokes, soup mix, and garlic and mix well. Microwave on high 5-7 minutes or until hot (do not boil).

Juice lemon to measure 2 tbsp juice. Stir lemon juice and sour cream into mixture and pour into bread bowl.

OK, truth time... I got confused in a hectic small kitchen - forgot to soften the cheese - so I zapped it in the microwave to soften, then added the milk and whisked - I didn't microwave any further - I just added everything else, whisking thoroughly...and it turned out beautifully...so there's the "recipe" and my "tweak" - do it however you want - both ways tasted good!

Place bread bowl and lid on a baking tray.  Spritz lid and outside of bowl with Canola Oil mister. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the dip that is inside the bread bowl. Lean lid against bread bowl (I just laid it upside down on the tray). Bake 13 - 15 minutes or until dip is golden brown. Remove from oven and serve.  Surround with toasts.

The original recipe called for using two bread bowls and cutting up one of the bowls and the innards of the other for bread cubes - which you toast at the same time as the dip (sprayed with oil) to make "dipping cubes".  Since I used the shaped toasts, I didn't need to do that.  If you wanted shaped toasts and don't want to try to hunt down a Pampered Chef's bread tube on eBay, you could alternatively purchase sliced sourdough bread, use a star shaped cookie cutter or scalloped biscuit cutter to cut out these shapes (or any shape of your choice), and go through the spraying and toasting process described above.
It was really good.  Worth the effort to make the little toasts too...but would likely have been quite tasty with some crackers or Melba Toast rounds (and a whole lot less effort)!  I really like going the extra mile for a holiday recipe.  It makes me feel good to get the oohs and aahs from the guests.  Makes it all feel worthwhile!  You should try this recipe...I bet you love it!

BON APPETIT Y'ALL!!!

Bacon Cheese Bread Bowl

Lots of people like to serve an hors d'oeuvre while folks are waiting for the final preparation of the Thanksgiving dinner.  Lots of us eat in the middle of the afternoon, long after breakfast, and the masses might need a little snack while they wait.  There's always the healthy crudite tray...but, if you are looking for something to wow the crowds, you might consider this recipe.

My friend of over 30 years, Pamlets, gave me this recipe after I sampled it at one of her fun Ornament Exchange parties.  It was "eyes rolled back in the head" good.  I wish I'd gotten the recipe for ALL of her hors d'oeuvres...because they were all delicious!  She's definitely a hostess with the mostest.  Hopefully, she won't mind my sharing this delectable warm appetizer recipe.  It's a GREAT addition to anyone's appetizer table!  I know my family loved it...my notes show I served it for Christmas Eve appetizers in 2003 - geez, I'm anal about keeping lists of what I serve...  Whatever!!!  As Popeye said, I yam what I yam :-)

BACON CHEESE BREAD BOWL

INGREDIENTS:

1 loaf Round Hawaiian Bread (cut off top and scoop out bread - save top)
1 package Bacon, fried crisp and crumbled (I used a 12-14 ounce package - I use a regular or thin  slice,not thick, as it is easier to crisp and crumble)
8 ounces Colby Jack cheese (grated)
1 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 small onion chopped (I would say, finely chopped)
1 clove garlic chopped (or 2 tablespoons if using prepared) - that's what the recipe say...but one clove of garlic is a lot less than 2 Tbsp - so maybe she meant 2 teaspoons...I made it with a fresh garlic clove - a large one - finely minced.

METHOD:

Mix all ingredients together and add to bread bowl.  Place top on bread bowl and cover (wrap) with aluminum foil.  Put on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  If still not quite hot enough after baking time finishes - can put in microwave for a minute or two.

Serve with crackers or, my preference, toasted baguette rounds.  This is scrumptious!!!

Bon Appetit Y'all!!!

Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip

A couple of holidays ago, I wanted an exciting new dip to serve at a party.  I wanted to use my new chafing dishes I got at Bed, Bath, and Beyond as well...so I needed something hot.  A hot dip.  The search began.

I found a recipe that sounded really good - one I knew I could tweak to my tastes - from the Food Network web site and it was sourced from Gourmet Magazine.  It turned out to be just delicious!  I thought of it today while I was walking on the beach snapping pictures of the waves (which, of course, I put in a slide show and put on youtube - because that's just what I do).  Why, you might wonder?  A tiny little sand crab scampered across my toes as I was standing in the sand taking pictures of the waves!  Naturally (???) my mind moved to crab dip.  Really - that's what happened. 

So, now that I've finished playing with photos - I thought it would be high time that I share this delicious recipe with my peeps.  I looked for the original recipe on Food Network so I could give you a link if you didn't want my take on the original - but it said "no match found".  My printout is from 2007, so I guess it's off the site now.

Well, here's how I did it - and it was darn good if I do say so myself (my guests ate up every bit of it so I guess they thought so too).

HOT CRAB, ARTICHOKE, AND JALAPENO DIP
WITH PITA TRIANGLES

Ingredients:
2 (14 oz.) cans or bottled artichoke hearts, drained and chopped finely
2 cups bottled mayonnaise
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (green and white parts)
1/2 cup drained and chopped bottled pimento, or roasted red pepper (I used bottled roasted red peppers)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 bottled  (NOT one BOTTLE - just one out of the bottle) pickled jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (may want to wear rubber gloves)
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 pound crab meat, drained and picked.  If you use frozen, make sure it is thawed and drained
1/3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Pita Triangles for dipping (you can use store bought - or recipe for home-baked follows - it's what I did)

Now, before I get started, I'll tell you that the original recipe called for a large chopped green bell pepper, sauteed in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil...and instead of one jalapeno pepper - it called for three.  That's just too much pepper for me.

Method:
In a large bowl combine the artichokes, mayonnaise, scallion, pimento or roasted red peppers, Parmesan, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, jalapeno peppers, and celery salt (and the cooled bell pepper if you are going with the original - but I didn't use it).  Thoroughly blend the mixture (by hand) until it is combined well, and gently fold in the crab meat.  Transfer the mixture to a buttered ovenproof 2 quart chafing dish or baking dish and sprinkle it with the almonds.  The dip may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.  I did this - and I was careful to let the mixture sit on the counter a bit before popping a cold glass chafing dish into a hot oven.  If you use a fridge-to-oven approved dish - well, then you don't have to worry about that!
Bake the dip in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and the mixture is bubbly.  Serve with pita triangles.


PITA TRIANGLES
8 Large pita rounds, with pockets.  I used whole wheat
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Salt

Cut each pita round into 8 wedges and separate each wedge into 2 triangles.  (OK - that's what the recipe said - but I quickly found it was faster to run a sharp knife along the seam of the pita round and then cut the triangles - it was less labor intensive...and I had a party to get ready for...no time to separate each little triangle!)  Arrange the triangles, rough side up, in 1 tight layer in a sheet pan with edges (a jellyroll type pan).  Brush them lightly with the butter and season lightly with salt.  Bake the triangles in the upper third of a preheated 375 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are crisp and lightly golden.  Let them cool in the pans.  The triangles may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered in an airtight container at room temperature.

I told myself if I ever did this again, I would buy the pita triangles...but I didn't.  The next time I made this, I made the pita triangles again.  They just tasted so good.  So many people asked "where did you buy these?" and I liked saying "I made them" with a big old grin :-)

So, as the holidays approach - you might want to give this a try.  It is a great alternative to the standard hot dip of chile con queso you will most often find at holiday gatherings here in Texas!

Bon Appetit Y'all (and hope you get the hankerin' to visit South Padre Island if you take 5 minutes to watch the youtube...it's verrry relaxing!)