With Superbowl around the corner, it’s time to consider thinking outside the box if you want to score many touchdowns with your guests. Ready, set, hike!
Mini Chicken Soft Taquitos
- 2 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts; diced medium
- 2 Red bell peppers (1 julienne and 1 diced small; I use the food processor on pulse setting)
- 2 Green bell peppers(1 julienne and 1 diced small; I use the food processor on pulse setting)
- 2 Large yellow onions(1 julienne and 1 diced small; I use the food processor on pulse setting)
- Fresh garlic
- 6 Tablespoons lime juice
- 2 Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce (finely chopped)
- 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 4 Fresh, ripe tomatoes medium diced
- 1 Bunch cilantro; chopped
- 1 Pack 6” soft flour tortillas
- Toothpicks
The Method
Chicken
- In a smoking hot pan, sear chicken
- Stir around pan until most sides of chicken are browned
- Add fresh garlic and the julienne veggies
- Stir around pan and then add chipotle peppers, cumin and chili powder
- Let simmer until veggies are soft. Add 2 tablespoons lime juice and turn off heat.
Salsa
- Add tomatoes, diced onion, diced bell peppers, fresh garlic, remaining lime juice and cilantro in a medium mixing bowl.
- Toss all ingredients by hand until mixed well
The Assembly
- Cut 6” tortillas in half. Twist tortilla until it forms a cone. Stab it with a toothpick on the side to keep it formed.
- Stuff tortilla cones with chicken mixture
- Top with fresh salsa
- Eat until you pop!
Party Time Black Bean Dip
- 2 Cans Black Beans
- 1/2 Cup peanut butter
- 2 Teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon fresh garlic
- 1 Teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 Tablespoons lime Juice
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 Bunch cilantro
The Method
- Combine all ingredients, EXCEPT peanut butter and cilantro, in food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Add peanut butter and blend again. Add cilantro, blend 1 more time.
- Enjoy with fresh cut veggies or favorite corn chips.
Vegetarian Pumpkin + Coconut Soup
Serves 8-10
- Small pumpkin
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Medium yellow onion
- 3 Carrots (peeled)
- 1 Cup Roasted Red Peppers
- 4 Cups veggie stock (or water)
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 Star anise
- 1 Tablespoon powdered ginger
- 1 Tablespoon triple sec
- 3 Cinnamon sticks
- 1 Quart heavy crème
- 1 8oz can crème de coconut milk
- Sour cream to garnish
Roast Pumpkin
- Cut top off of pumpkin and clean guts and seeds from inside using large spoon or dough scraper (pick through seeds, separate, clean with H2O and set aside for later)
- Cut pumpkin in 4 wedges and lay out on sheet pan.
- Drizzle with olive oil, cover with foil and roast for approximately 1 hour at 400 deg F.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
While Roasting Pumpkin, Prepare Other Ingredients
- Large chop onion and carrots then rough chop roasted red peppers
- In a thick bottomed stock pot, sauté onions, carrots RRB until onions are translucent and lightly caramelized.
- Add star anise and ginger
- With a sharp knife, remove pulp from pumpkin rind by a long, slow cut from front to back of pumpkin piece. Rough chop pumpkin pulp.
- Add veggie stock to stock pot and bring to boil
- Add pumpkin pulp, brown sugar, triple sec and cinnamon sticks to stock pot. Let simmer for 20 min.
- Remove star anise and cinnamon sticks from pot.
- In small batches, puree mix in a blender until smooth and pour into a pot through a strainer (use heavy crème if needed to loosen puree in blender)
- Add any remaining crème
- Add crème de coco milk
- Simmer for 15 min and serve with a dollop of sour crème and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
- Rinse seeds well under water. Shake dry.
- Place on sheet pan in a single layer and put in 350 deg F oven for approximately 20 minutes. Remove when golden and sprinkle with kosher salt.