Tag: salsa
Mushroom and Spinach Quesadilla
This is a great way to transform your left overs and create a wonderful, quick lunch. I made this for myself with the leftover mushroom mixture from the enchilada dinner.
Smoked salmon is always in my fridge. I try to eat it as much as possible especially since the other two people in my family don’t care for the fish at all.
I wanted to make a substantial yet healthy lunch for myself. I took out the mushroom filling and the salmon. I decided to add some spicy low fat cheese- just a few, very thin slices to add some creaminess to the dish. I also always have whole-wheat tortillas in the fridge- and that was it- a quesadilla was born. I added the mushroom filling, salmon, cheese and baby spinach- also, always in my fridge. It was a well-balanced, quick and delicious lunch. Best of all, I ate it with some delicious homemade salsa.
Try the quesadilla next time you run out of ideas for a healthy lunch…
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Mushroom Enchiladas with New Mexico Red Chile
This is a fabulous meal to make for company or if you just want to impress your family. It is a vegetarian meal but you can substitute any kind of meat in here including chicken, pork, shrimp or even fish.
I made this fabulous meal for a friend who was coming over with her family. They are vegetarian so I had to be careful and use vegetable broth where ever I normally use chicken broth, etc.
I made a delicious stuffing for the enchiladas with cremini mushrooms, onions and garlic. I added paprika and unsweetened cocoa. I wanted to emulate the mole sauce flavor which is a very labor intensive dish to make requiring lots of ingredients. I decided to introduce just the cocoa part to the stuffing to bring out the earthiness in the mushrooms.
I used whole-wheat tortillas- and guess what- no one noticed. Once the tortillas are doused with the super flavorful sauce, you can’t tell the difference. A perfect, sneaky way to make the dish healthy without anyone knowing.
I also cooked up some green rice and some quick vegetarian refried beans- recipes to follow tomorrow and the day after.
Definitely try making the mushroom enchiladas with new mexico red chilies- you will be impressed with yourself.
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Fresh Corn and Avocado Relish
I served this delicious relish with the chicken enchiladas. I love making guacamole but there is so much of it you can eat. Since I like to change things around, I came up with this. It is very simple yet extremely flavorful. It’s amazing, when the right ingredients are used, they can create a wonderful dish.
In this case, only 5 ingredients were used. Lime, cilantro and salt make this dish savory with just the right amount of tartness. The ripe avocados are soft and creamy; the fresh corn is sweet and crunchy. The two together are an unbelievable combination. Now, obviously fresh corn is not available year round so I think frozen would be just fine. Actually roasted corn will be fabulous in here, the one Trader Joes has. Either way, the relish is delicious with any kind of meal- even for breakfast, with a side of scrambled eggs. Enjoy it with just plain old tortilla chips- yum!
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Roasted Tomatoes, Chipotle and Mango Salsa
Here we go with using mangoes again! I can’t help myself- I have so many of them in the house that I feel the need to use them constantly. The good thing is that they are so versatile. I can use them for sweet and savory dishes.
We were having people over and I wanted to serve chips and salsa before the meal. I normally buy the really spicy one from Trader Joes, but my husband doesn’t enjoy it since he does not eat very spicy food. For me the spicier the better.
I remember when I was younger and first came to the States, we used to go to a Mexican restaurant, Chi Chi’s. They would give a big bowl of salsa with chips- it was spicy and delicious. We were also able to find big, huge bottles of Chi Chi’s salsa in Costco. I remember buying tons of it during college- that used to be my late night snack. Since then, salsa has come a long way- there are so many different kinds out there. I remember when I realized how easy it was to make your own- who knew??
In the summer, salsa and chips is my ‘go to’ appetizer. Since most of the entertaining is done outdoors- it’s perfect to serve with a cold beer while the grilling is going on. In the colder months my usual appetizer is a great looking tray of cheese and olives with some grapes, etc- I think when one is entertaining, simplicity is the key .
In this case, I decided to roast the tomatoes and add some chipotle in adobo sauce. I added just the sauce and not any of the peppers- I was being kind to my husband! Just the sauce gives the dish enough smokiness and heat. I added the mangoes to balance the salsa off- I love the idea of having something sweet, savory, tangy and spicy in the same bite. It was delicious with chips. I am planning to make it again as a sauce for fish or shrimp- I think the flavors would go really well.
We enjoyed the salsa and chips with beer and a white wine while the kids played in the backyard- how great are the summer months!!
Sauteed Chicken with Pear Salsa
Pears are not one of my favorite fruits. I like eating them in tarts and cakes but somehow they never end being part of my weekly grocery shopping. A friend had a bag full of Pears and gave me a few to take home. I didn’t know what to do with them- I guess I could have eaten them raw but that didn’t appeal to me. I felt they were asking to be cooked and served as a savory dish. I started looking on the web for ideas. I also thought it would be nice to find a chicken dish- people are always looking for a different chicken dish to make. I finally found a chicken dish that was cooked in a skillet and included a pear salsa! I decided to add a pear sauce with the chicken that I made in the same skillet as the chicken. The salsa was quite easy to make especially since it didn’t include any special ingredients. It was delicious with the chicken and the pear sauce went really well with the whole dish. I daughter ate the chicken without the salsa- I made a pasta dish for her with corn and peas with a little cheese- she said it tasted like macaroni and cheese with veggies in it! Overall it was a successful dinner!
Salsa
- 2 large Anjou or Bosc pears, peeled, cored, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 red bell pepper, diced and seeded
- ¼ cup red onion, chopped fine
- 2 medium serrano or jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ cup cilantro, chopped
Mix all ingredients except cilantro in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Stir in cilantro.
Chicken
- 1 pound chicken cutlets
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- Salt
- Pepper
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour in wide shallow bowl with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Place on baking sheet.
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2/3 cup chicken broth
- 2/3 cup pear nector
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil. Add the chicken breast pieces and cook until brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to plate; tent chicken with foil to keep warm. Add broth to frying pan and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Stir in pear nectar, mustard. Boil until thick enough to coat spoon, about 4 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Serve with salsa.
Tomatillo Guacamole-Make it for the big game!
Looking at guacamole makes me happy. It’s the bright green color and the full delicious flavor of the well spiced condiment that does it for me! I don’t care for the store bought ones in the plastic containers, they taste quite bland to me. It is so easy to make at home and you can customize to your taste buds. I like to make it with tomatillos- they look like green tomatoes with husks on. Tomatillos have a nice tart flavor which compliments the avocados really well. You can substitute red tomatoes for the tomatillos if you prefer. A few other ways to change the flavor is to add ground cumin or ancho chili powder or even chipotle in adobo sauce. They all individually give the guacamole a real smoky flavor.
Since it is the big game weekend and everyone is looking to eat yummy snacks, I suggest you make this guacamole and enjoy it with tortilla chips and a delicious Mexican beer!
- 4 ripe Has Avacados- cut into small chunks
- 3 medium tomatillos- taken out of the husk and chopped
- 1 small red onion- finely minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper- finely minced
- 2 garlic cloves- finely minced
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- 2 limes juiced
- ½ cup cilantro- chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
Mix all the ingredients well. Store the guacamole in an airtight container to avoid oxidation. Serve as a side dish or with tortilla chips.
Mango Salsa
- 1 mango, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno
- 1/3 cup diced green onion
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
- Salt and pepper
Combine the mango, cucumber, jalapeno, red onion, lime juice and cilantro leaves and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.