Dip Night-Guacamole!

Guacamole is seriously one of my favorite yummy treats!!!!! I love to try different recipes-there are quite a few out there. This one is my favorite!

Guacamole
Source: Sylva Lamont

4 ripe Hass avacados
3 TBS fresh lemon juice
8 dashes of Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup small diced red onion (I prefer to use white onion. I'm not a huge fan of the red onion flavor)
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 med tomato, seeded, chopped up

Dice avacados, immediately add lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, onion, and garlic. Toss well. Add tomatoes and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I like to make this a few hours before we are going to eat it to let the juices and flavors mix as it sits. So yummy!)

Cafe Rio Salad Dressing

I know this is not exactly what you get at Cafe Rio-but its pretty close. I wanted to make it so I just googled it and found TONS of recipes! Lots to choose from but they are all very similar anyway. Here is the one I used:

Cafe Rio Salad Dressing
Source: Kara's Kitchen Creations

1 cup mayo
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 bunch of cilantro with stems chopped off
1/2 to 1 small jalapeno (I took the seeds out. If you like it really spicy you can leave them in)
1 tsp lime juice
1-2 tomatillos (remove outer papery skin and cut up)
1 clove of garlic
Blend all ingredients together and enjoy!

Some Soup For You!

A yummy soup to warm away the winter blues!

Tortellini Soup
Source: thecooknextdoor.blogspot.com

1 pound mild Italian sausage

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup water

4 cups beef broth or 2 cans

1/2 cup apple juice

3 carrots, sliced

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon oregano

1 cup sliced zucchini

1 cup sliced yellow squash

4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

8 ounces cheese tortellini ( I add more)

fresh grated Parmesan cheese

In large soup pan, brown sausage. Drain fat and add chopped onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add water, broth, apple juice, carrots, tomatoes, basil, oregano, zucchini, squash and parsley. Simmer for 30 minutes or longer. Add tortellini 5 to 10 minutes before serving (time depends on if you are using fresh or frozen) and cook until tender, but not soggy. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over each serving.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

This was a hit!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 jar (9 to 10 oz) sweet and sour sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
3 lbs frozen meatballs
1 medium red bell pepper, cubed
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained

Place all ingredients in slow cooker, stir. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours. Serve over rice.

Tamale Pie

Talk about delicious!!!

Tamale Pie
Source: Smiths My Magazine

Tamale Filling
2 Tbs canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeds removed and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs cumin
1 15 oz can black beans
3 cups shredded chicken
1 14 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
4 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
2 Tbs fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

Topping (feel free to use a boxed cornbread mix to top the pie if you are running short on time)
1 cup cornmeal
1\2 cup flour
1 Tbs sugar
3\4 tsp baking powder
3\4 tsp baking soda
3\4 tsp salt
3\4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten
3 Tbs canola oil
Sour cream for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Warm the oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch cast iron or other oven-proof skillet. Add the onion, jalapeno, garlic, and cumin, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the beans, cooked chicken and tomatoes, and simmer for about 5 minutes.

To make the topping whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk buttermilk, egg, and canola oil until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk gently until just combined.

Stir the cheese and cilantro into the mixture in the skillet, and drop the cornbread batter across the top, smoothing with an offset spatula for an even crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, until slightly golden brown and toothpick inserted into the crust comes out clean. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

*I do not have a oven proof skillet so I attempted to make this in a pie dish. Bad idea. Totally overflowed. After I had the thought that i could probably have put it in a bigger rectangle baking dish. Just a thought if you dont have an oven proof skillet.