• 24May

    salsa1I was “digging” at Digg.com for some great ideas to share and came across this article about salsa… Nothing better than freshly made salsa with your favorite tortilla chips and this article tells you how to do it.

    From eHOW.com
    The best homemade salsa is made with fresh vegetables right out of your garden. This is a recipe I have made for years during the summer when I have fresh tomatoes. It’s quick and easy to make and delicious.

    read more | digg story

  • 11May

    cornsalsa_luke_wisleyWell, Mother’s Day has come and gone… sigh… mine was a really nice one. My wonderful hubby and son went all out and provided all the meals – beautifully cooked and presented, allowed me to stay in bed and catch up on my reading, and then took me to my favorite place to buy plants. I spent the rest of the day in the garden. Pure heaven! I hope all you Mom’s out there had a nice day as well.

    Mother’s Day also signifies that warm weather is here or about to be here… so it got me to thinking about what are some great appetizer recipes for warm weather? Parties will be outside for the next few months, what kinds of easy  appetizers work well when the weather turns hot? And with Memorial Day heading our way, I decided it’s time to start making my favorite salsas again.

    There are so many different kinds of Salsa and you’ll find a few of those recipes here on this blog. But, this recipe for Fresh Corn Salsa is a wonderful combination of color, sweetness and texture. Everybody seems to love it – I never have any left over! Serve this beautiful Fresh Corn Salsa with some warm homemade tortilla chips and WOW! You’ll have a hit on your hands.

    What you’ll need:

    • 2 cups diced ripe tomatoes
    • 2 cups fresh corn kernels
    • 12 oz-can black beans, rinsed well, drained
    • 4 green onions, sliced thin
    • 1 or 2 green jalapeño, seeded, diced fine
    • 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
    • 1/2 lemon, juiced
    • 1 fresh lime, juiced
    • 3 tbsp olive oil
    • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

    What to do:
    Toss all ingredients in a large glass or stainless steel bowl to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Toss well before you serve it.

    This easy appetizer recipe can be made up to 8 hours ahead of time.

    I got this recipe from About.com and have loved it ever since. You will too.

    *photo by Flickr user Luke Wisley

  • 06May

    Take a look at Chef Jason’s video on how to make homemade salsa. Easy, easy, easy!

    Want to make some great tasting chips to go along with this salsa? Simple go to our Baked Tortilla Chips page.

    Here’s another tip from Chef Jason:

    If you use the fresh tomatoes, just dice them into cubes along with the rest of the ingredients in our recipe. You will want to finely mince the garlic and jalapenos, and small dice the onion and rough chop the cilantro. When using fresh chopped tomatoes, you will want to stir by hand and not use the blender.

    Need more inspiration for easy appetizers? Try our Chip Dip Recipes page.

  • 14Apr

    Oh boy, if you are like me and LOVE guacamole, then this delicious chipotle quacamole recipe will send you to the moon. Chipotle chiles give a smoky goodness to everything it’s added to. Which means it’ll give the same ol’ guac -  a lift and a twist. Try it, you’ll like it.

    chipotlechilesWhat you’ll need:

    • 2 ripe avocados (peeled and pitted)
    • 1 small white onion (minced)
    • 1 medium tomato (minced)
    • 1 TBSP lime or lemon juice
    • 2 chipotle chiles (in adobo sauce and minced)
    • Salt to taste

    Combine all the above ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Cover and serve chilled. It’s best to serve within 3 hours of making this dip. Try these delicious corn tortilla chips to serve with the dip. Heat scale for chipotle guacamole is MEDIUM.

    Delightfully serves: 4 as an appetizer and 2 as a meal!

    For more wonderful dip recipes, check out this chip dip recipes page.

  • 01Apr

    Springtime SangriaWell, where I live, the sun is shining, it’s nice and warm out and we have my son’s baseball game to attend tonight. So, I thought I’d treat the parents to a glass or two of Sangria while we watch the boys play their hearts out.

    I love this Sangria recipe. Tasting this combination of tart red wine and sweet fruit is a memory-in-the-making. It’s an easy recipe to put together and a wonderfully fresh drink to sip on a warm spring night.

    It’s the kind of drink recipe where you can never go wrong with it – it gets better as you spice it up with your own additions! Just add your favorite fresh or frozen fruits, chill it, and serve.

    Takes about 5 minutes to prepare. How easy is that?

    Read the rest of this entry »