February 2007—Luci & Stephanie

This was a great idea...wonderful food AND Bunco! All of the food was delicious and I personally couldn't get enough of the Mango Margaritas. And while playing Bunco we saw the competitive side of many of us (some more than others!) I can't remember who won the game but I remember the food and it was great. Here's the menu:

Mango Margarita

Smoky Red Pepper Cheese Dip
Corn and Goat Cheese Queso

Pico de Gallo

Black Beans

Corn and Tomato Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Guacamole with Fresh Corn and Chipotle

Smokin’ Chipotle Slaw
Sweet Chipotle Dressing

Chipotle Sour Cream
Fuego Spice Mix
Beer-Battered Fish Tacos

Giant Chocolate-Toffee Cookies
Microwave Caramels


Mango Margarita

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
6 ounces pureed mango (about 1 mango)
3 cups crushed ice 
Lime slices

Blend the lime juice, lemon juice and sugar in a blender until the sugar dissolves. Add the ice and mango. Garnish with lime slices. Serves 2


Smoky Red Pepper Cheese Dip

In a food processor add:

1/2C Onion
1 jalepeno seeeded
1/2 of a red pepper (or whole depending on size)
1/4 Tsp fresh Oregano chopped
1 tsp Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce

Pulse until minced. Add to ingredients in processor:

1C. Mayo
8 oz Cream Cheese
1 C grated Monterey Jack Cheese
Salt if desired

Blend thoroughly. Add more Adobo Sauce to desired flavor. ,Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly and cooked through (25 minutes + depending on the size of your crock)


Corn and Goat Cheese Queso

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup minced onions
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 cups fresh corn, about 6 ears
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and chopped
8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup brunoise tomato
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Homemade or store bought tortilla chips, for serving

In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the corn and sauté 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic, jalapenos, cheese and cream. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle tomatoes and cilantro over top and serve with tortilla chips.

Note: After everything is combined, I use my hand blender to blend some of the dip- thickening it and only leaving some whole corn kernels in the mix. Can be made ahead and warmed at 350 degrees. I also used frozen white corn from Trader Joes.


Pico de Gallo

2 cups tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup white onions, diced
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1 1/2 Tbsp stemmed, seeded and minced jalapeno
2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Serve chilled.


Black Beans

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

16- to 19-ounce can black beans
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup tomato juice or water
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Rinse black beans and drain. Chop garlic. In a nonstick skillet cook garlic and cumin in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant. Add black beans, juice or water, and salt and cook, stirring, until beans are heated through. Stir in cilantro. Serves 2

* I used 1/3 C. fresh salsa instead of tomato juice. Other substitutions that are good are 1/3 C of Rotel tomatoes with green chiles, or V8 juice. Cook until the beans have absorbed juice in the pan. Don't add salt until this stage. They often don't need any salt at all if you've added salty items like Salsa or V8—or if the beans weren't well rinsed before they were added.


Corn and Tomato Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Improv: Substitute chopped red or yellow bell peppers for the tomatoes in the salad; try basil instead of cilantro in the dressing.

Combine in large bowl:
3 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 small ears of corn)
5 medium tomatoes, halved, seeded, chopped
2/3 cup finely chopped red onion

In blender, puree until smooth:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar
1 garlic clove
Salt and pepper


Guacamole with Fresh Corn and Chipotle

2 large ripe avocados (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved, pitted, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 ear of fresh corn
1 plum tomato, seeded, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1 canned chipotle chili, finely chopped*
1/4 cup sour cream

Mash avocados with lime juice in medium bowl. Using sharp knife, remove corn kernels from cob and add to avocado mixture. Stir in tomato and green onions. Combine chipotle and sour cream in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir cream mixture into avocado mixture. Season with salt.

Do ahead: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Place plastic wrap directly onto surface of guacamole and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.

*Chipotle chiles are dried, smoked jalapenos canned in adobo sauce. They are available at some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and at Latin markets.


Smokin’ Chipotle Slaw

3 cups finely shredded white cabbage
3 cups finely shredded red cabbage
3/4cup Sweet Chipotle Dressing

Combine cabbage in a large bowl. Toss gently with the dressing to combine.


Sweet Chipotle Dressing

1 Tbsp diced yellow onion
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup diced fresh tomatoes
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2/3 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp Chipotle Puree
1/2 cup olive oil

Place all the ingredients, except the oil, in a blender or food processor, and blend until very smooth. Slowly add the oil, in a thin stream, while the blender or processor is running and blend until all of the oil is incorporated and the vinaigrette is completely emulsified. The vinaigrette will keep for 3 to 5 days in an air-tight container.


Chipotle Sour Cream

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp thinly sliced green onion
2 Tbsp Chipotle puree (canned chipotles en adobo, pureed in a blender)
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir with a whisk until smooth.


Fuego Spice Mix

1/4 cup paprika
2 tsp cayenne
2 Tbsp salt
2 tsp ground white pepper
2 Tbsp black pepper
2 Tbsp granulated garlic
2 Tbsp chile powder
2 Tbsp oregano

Combine all ingredients, mixing well.


Beer-Battered Fish Tacos

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Fuego Spice Mix
1 Tbsp salt
12 ounces Mexican beer
2 cups rice flour
Canola oil
3/4 pound sea bass, halibut, swordfish, or yellowfin tuna, cut into 4-inch-long strips
8 small flour tortillas
Chipotle sour cream
Smokin' Chipotle 'Slaw
Pico de Gallo
cilantro

To Batter Fish: Combine the flour, spice mix, and salt in a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the beer and rice flour. Dredge the fish fillets in the flour mixture and then dip in the beer mixture.

Line a platter with paper towels. Fill a heavy-bottomed skillet with 3 inches of oil. Heat over high heat until oil registers 350 on a candy thermometer. Drop 1 to 2 fillets at a time into the hot oil and deep-fry for about 2 minutes, turning once. Remove with a wire-mesh strainer, and transfer to the paper-lined platter to drain. Repeat until the other fillets are fried.

To Serve: Fill tortilla with fish pieces, sour cream, slaw and pico. Garnish with cilantro. Serves 4


Giant Chocolate-Toffee Cookies

Terrific with ice-cold milk.

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups (packed) brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 1.4-ounce chocolate-covered English toffee bars (such as Heath), coarsely chopped
1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto sheets, spacing 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Makes about 18.

Sweet Cream Ice Cream

2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk

Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in sugar a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend.

Makes 1 Quart


Microwave Caramels

2C. Brown Sugar
1 C. Butter
1 C. Karo Syrup
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 t. Vanilla

Melt first 3 ingredients in the microwave for 3 minutes. Add Milk. Stir with wooden spoon.

Microwave until desired soft/hard ball, stirring every 3 minutes with a clean wooden spoon. It usually takes between 15 and 18 minutes depending on the strength of your microwave. Add vanilla. Pour into buttered pan. Cool and cut.

* You have to use a Wooden Spoon and it has to be clean before each stir.