Recipe: Salsa

For those of you that were at my coupon class tonight...click here to find my salsa recipe!! I was able to find it quickly so I thought I'd post quick since several of you asked about it.

The only difference in the salsa that I made tonight was that I used fresh tomatoes rather than canned. I'm not sure how many tomatoes I used (sorry!)...probably about 4-5 large tomatoes or so.

ENJOY!! :)

Recipe: Taco Dip

You will need:
1 c. sour cream (light works great!)
2- 8 oz. bars of cream cheese (the 1/3 less fat stuff works too!), softened
1 can of bean dip (...OR 1 can of fat free refried beans)
8 oz. bag of cheddar or mexican blend shredded cheese
8 oz. taco sauce
shredded lettuce
chopped tomato
tortilla chips

Mix sour cream, cream cheese and bean dip/refried beans together with mixer. Spread into the bottom of a 9x13 dish. Then layer with cheese, taco sauce, lettuce and tomato. Serve with tortilla chips. ENJOY!!

Note: I wait to add the lettuce until just before I am ready to serve so that it is crisp. You can also add black olives and onions into the layers, if you choose!

Recipe: Guacamole

I had not made guacamole in a long, long time. I used to make it so often that we got sick of it so I had to take a break from it. I decided to give it another whirl last week with avocados being on sale at Aldi last week for $.49. I also changed up the recipe I had used before and we really liked it.

You will need:
3 avocados, remove the seeds and scrape out the inside
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 c. lime juice
1 t. salt
1 t. fresh, minced garlic
about 1/4 c. red onion, chopped
cilantro--don't really know how much I used...maybe like 6 sprigs (is that a real word??), chopped

I put the avocado and lime juice in my blender to get the avocado nice & creamy. I also mixed in the other ingredients (EXCEPT for the tomatoes), to get everything finely chopped and mixed well. Scrape into a bowl and stir in chopped tomato. Chill. Serve with tortilla chips (pita chips are yummy too!).

*If you do not have a blender, you can just mash the avocado with a fork, it just won't be as creamy.

I am no expert (I could be doing it all wrong??), but these are the things I've learned about avocados:
When buying avocados for guacamole, you want to make sure that they are ripe and not really hard. I usually make sure that when I squeeze them that I am able to press in a little bit. You want to be able to scoop out the insides easily...and if it's not soft, then it will not make very good guacamole.

To scoop out the insides of the guacamole, I usually cut the avocado in half from top to bottom, flip out the seed and then take a spoon around the edges of the skin (peel?) to scoop out the inside. If you do not have a ripe avocado, this will not be an easy process.

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is a yummy appetizer that works well for parties and other gatherings.

You will need:
8 oz. cream cheese or neufchatel cheese, softened
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (or use a large can of chicken, drained)
8 oz. shredded cheese (I've used cheddar or a colby jack mix)
3/4 c. Red Hot Wings Sauce, Buffalo flavored (lessen this if you're not into spicy food)
1/3-1/2 c. ranch dressing
Tortilla Chips, for serving
Celery, for serving

I start out by melting the cream cheese. You can do this on a stove top or in the microwave. Then I slowly start adding in the other items (except chips & celery) until it is all well blended and melted together.

Serve hot with with chips & celery.

ENJOY!! :)

Recipe: Veggie Pizza

I like to make this for something different...sometimes as an alternative to veggies & dip.

You will need:
2 tubes of refrigerated crescent rolls (I used reduced fat)
8 oz. cream cheese (I used the 1/3 less fat)
1 c. mayo (I used light)
1 pkg. ranch dressing mix
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
assorted vegetables, chopped

Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Press crescent rolls into bottom and up sides of pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool.

Combine cream cheese, mayo and ranch mix. Spread over crust.

Top with veggies and cheese. Refrigerate & serve.

Veggie suggestions: red onion, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, mushrooms, carrots, celery, green pepper, red bell pepper

Black Bean Salsa Recipe

I've heard this type of salsa called different things...one of them being Cowboy Caviar. It is so easy to make and YUMMY!



You will need:
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 package of frozen corn
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c. red onion, chopped
1/4 c. lime juice
1 envelope Good Seasons Garlic & Herb Seasoning Mix
5 T. chopped cilantro
2 t. cumin

Mix all of the ingredients together; refrigerate. Serve with tortilla chips, if you choose, my favorite way. I've also ate it without the chips, as sort of a side dish type thing.

ENJOY!