CREAMY JALAPENO SALSA

June 2, 2020 Julie Sanchez

It is hard to believe there are only 4 ingredients in this very creamy and very spicy salsa. If you have ever eaten at Taco Deli in Austin, you know they are famous for their amazing salsas, including a sauce called Salsa Dona which I could literally lick off my plate. This recipe is my take on a salsa that really makes everything you put it on taste better. I make it every week, and my husband does not eat any meal without pulling out this sauce. If you do not like spicy hot things, you should walk away now.

You only need 4 ingredients….jalapenos, garlic, olive oil, and salt. The recipe calls for 5 jalapenos, but the jalapenos pictured above were really big so I only used 4. This is corona virus time and I have my groceries delivered so you get what you get.

Snap off stems off the jalapenos, peel garlic and cover all with water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, once boiling reduce heat to medium high and cook for 25 minutes or until jalapenos are tender. Half way through the cooking process flip the jalapenos over; since they float you need to roll them over so they can cook through both sides.

Remove jalapenos and garlic from the pan and place them in a blender. Add salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Start on a low speed and work up to a high speed blending for at least one minute. Scrape down sides of blender and blend once again on the highest blender setting. Test thickness of sauce and add additional second tablespoon of olive oil if needed. You do not want the sauce to be too thin, you want to be able to dip a chip and it clings to the chip.

I like to put my jalapeno sauce in a squirt bottle that I purchased from HEB. The squirt bottle makes it easy to squirt sauce on your eggs, your enchiladas, or if you are like my husband, you can put it on everything!

We can not eat eggs without drizzling jalapeno salsa on top!

Once you try dipping your chips into this creamy spicy sauce you will be addicted like we are.

CREAMY JALAPENO SAUCE RECIPE

Serves: 6 people at one sitting, or 2 people all week
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS

5 jalapenos
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

PREPARATION

In a medium saucepan, place the jalapenos (stems snapped off) and peeled garlic cloves and cover with water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium high. After 15 minutes flip the jalapenos over, since they float they will only cook on one side. Cook for 25 minutes total or until jalapenos are tender and their color changes to a dull green.
Remove the jalapenos and garlic from the pan and place in a blender. Add the salt and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Blend on low speed and work up to a high speed. Blend for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the blender, and test for thickness of the salsa. If it is too thick add the 2nd tablespoon of olive oil and blend till smooth and creamy on highest blender setting.
Transfer to a squirt bottle for ease of use.
Note: Store in the refrigerator. It will keep for 10 days. We like it on eggs, on our fish, really any and everything.

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TWICE BAKED POTATOES

April 15, 2020 Julie Sanchez

These are my husband’s favorite…little self contained packages of creamy cheesy goodness…they are irresistible.

I prefer smaller golden or yukon gold potatoes, over typically used Idaho or baking potatoes, since they have more tender skins (which we like to eat) and the potato is less grainy. You can use milk instead of half & half if you prefer.

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry the potatoes, then rub the skins with oil and sprinkle all over with salt. Place on a sheet pan line with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up later. Bake for 45-60 minutes depending on the size of your potato. After 45 minutes give them a squish with your oven mitt to see if they are tender, or you can poke them with a knife to test for tenderness.

While the potatoes are baking, chop your green onions finely.

Put aside some of the greener slices to sprinkle on top of the potato.

Grate 5 ounces of Monterey jack cheese. Take one third of the cheese and save for the tops of the potatoes.

Once potatoes have baked, slice the bottom ( the underside) off each potato. If you bought large potatoes you may want to simply cut them in half and fill up each half… your choice.

Use a spoon to carefully scoop out the potato. Leave a little potato next to skin so it will continue to hold it’s shape. Do not wait till the potatoes are cold to do this, if you do the butter will not melt, the cheese will not melt and you will not be able to really tell if you have the right consistency when you are combining all the ingredients.

I like to use a ricer for this next step. You could also use a food mill on the coarse setting, or a old fashioned potato masher like my mom and grandma have. If you have none of these then simply use a fork to mash.

Scoop out the potatoes, and press them through the ricer.

Add all the butter, three quarters of the green onions, all the sour cream, two thirds of your cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Add 1/4 cup of the half and half and stir to combine. Test for creaminess and add more half & half till you achieve the creaminess you desire.

I like to start off filling each potato till full.

Then I plop the remaining potato mixture on top of each skin. You can also save some and put it in a little bowl for future use if you do not not want monster looking potatoes. I like big taters and I can not lie.

I use a fork to distribute the remaining potato mounded on top.

Sprinkle the potatoes with the remaining cheese and green onions. You can make these in advance, and place in the fridge for later. If eating right away, place the potatoes back in the oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes till heated through. If the potatoes have been in the fridge it will take about 25-30 minutes to heat through.

TWICE BAKED POTATOES RECIPE

Serves: 5 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: approx. 60-75 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds gold or Yukon Gold potatoes, not Idaho or baking potatoes (I used 5 medium potatoes)
1 tablespoon oil
3 green onion stems, chopped finely
5 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4-1/2 cup milk or half & half

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Wash and dry the potatoes. Pull out a cookie sheet and line with parchment paper or foil. Rub oil ( I used olive oil) on potatoes and sprinkle all over with salt.
Bake in oven for 45-60 minutes till tender. To determine doneness you can do a squish test on the potato with baking mitts, or you can insert a knife to see if it comes outs easily. Larger potatoes will take 1 hour, my medium potatoes took 45 minutes.
Slice the green onions into thin slices. Save some of the greenest slices to garnish the potato.
Grate your cheese, place one third of the cheese in separate bowl to save for the tops of the potatoes.
Once potatoes are baked you can either cut the bottoms off the potatoes or you can cut the potatoes in half. If they are large I would cut them in half. Use a spoon to carefully scoop out the potato, leaving a little potato next to the skin to keep its shape. Do not wait for the potatoes to cool completely, since it will be difficult for the butter and cheese to melt and the potato consistency will be difficult to judge.
You can run the potatoes through a ricer, or a food mill or coarse grind. Or you can simply use a fork and mash the potatoes.
Now add all the butter, all the sour cream, two thirds of your cheese, most of your green onions, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/4 cup of the half & half. Stir till combine and add more half & half till you achieve the consistency you desire.
Fill the potatoes back up with the mixture and sprinkle with cheese and remaining green onions.
Reheat at 350 for 15-20 minutes till heated through. These can be made ahead of time, if stored in the fridge heat 25-30 minutes.

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BROCCOLI PUREE

March 17, 2020 Julie Sanchez

Trust me on this…. I know it may seem odd, but pureed broccoli is so easy to make, it is impressive and different, and most importantly it is creamy and delicious…it kinda tastes like mashed potatoes. I experimented with the recipe by adding garlic and parmesan cheese, but it was really best with just 3 simple ingredients…broccoli, butter, & broth.

You can use vegetable broth or chicken broth. I love this Bare Bones Broth from Whole Foods…it is so tasty you can heat some in a cup and drink it…it is that good! You also need 1 pound to 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli. Adding a tablespoon of butter at the end makes the puree creamy and delicious!

Typically a bunch of broccoli that has long stems weighs about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds. If there are long stems, cut them off and discard…because they can be tough and stringy. Now chop the broccoli into 1” pieces. There is no need to remove the leaves, since this will be pureed later.

Place the chopped broccoli in a medium pan and cover with water.

Let the water come to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly for another 10 minutes.

Drain the broccoli and place in a blender.

Add 1/2 cup broth to the broccoli and blend till smooth. If you need more broth add 1/4 cup at a time…you do not want soup. For 1 pound of broccoli I used 3/4 cups of broth.

Once you have the consistency you like, add 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.

Blend mixture till smooth and creamy. Serve immediately, or serve later by reheating in microwave or stovetop.

I honestly like the puree best served under fish… especially salmon.

BROCCOLI PUREE RECIPE

Serves: 4-6 people
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 to 1 1/2 pounds of broccoli, large stems removed
3/4 to 1 cup of broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

Roughly chop the broccoli into 1” pieces. Place chopped broccoli in medium pan.
Add enough water to the pan to cover the broccoli and turn the heat on high.
Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, turn off heat and let cool slightly.
Drain broccoli and place in a blender.
Add 1/2 cup of broth and blend. You may need more broth but only add 1/4 cup at a time till you have the consistency you like. I used 3/4 cup broth for 1 pound of broccoli heads.
Now add 1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, and 1 tablespoon butter. Blend again till smooth and creamy.

Note: This puree is best served with fish.

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APPLES WITH PROSCIUTTO, BLUE CHEESE & ARUGULA

March 12, 2020 Julie Sanchez

Crunchy, tart, colorful, and fresh….these prosciutto wrapped apples are a perfect appetizer. The hidden blue cheese is a nice surprise when you take a bite. And they are great when you have to bring an appetizer to a host since they require no cooking.

You may need only 1 apple, depending on the size of your apple.

Squeeze a lemon into a medium size bowl. The lemon juice prevents the apple slice from turning brown.

Cut the apple on either side of the core.

Now cut the remaining skinny sides of the apple.

Now cut the skinny side in half. This will determine roughly the thickness of the remaining slices. It looks nicer to have them relatively the same thickness.

Now cut the ends off each side and discard. If you do not do this your slices will be too angled. Now cut the remaining middle section into slices.

Coat all the slices with the lemon juice.

Your ready to roll. If the prosciutto is difficult to separate into slices then freeze it for a few minutes and try again.

Lay down your prosciutto on a flat surface. If it tears then just lay down the pieces on the board like a puzzle. Lay the apple slices on the front end.

Place some blue cheese on each apple slice and kinda smoosh it into the apple slice.

Now place 4 or 5 slices of arugula on the apple, alternating directions. If the arugula has a long stem, break it off.

Wrap the apple like a burrito. You should finish with the end on the underside.

An appetizer that does not require a oven… that is a good thing!

APPLES WITH PROSCIUTTO,BLUE CHEESE & ARUGULA RECIPE

Serves: 4 people (makes 15 appetizers)
Prep Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

juice of 1 lemon
1-2 apples ( Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Pink Lady)
15 slices prosciutto
blue cheese, 6 ounces
arugula, 1 1/2 cups

PREPARATION

Juice a lemon and place juice in a medium bowl.
Slice an apple into 3/8” -1/2” slices, see photos above.
Put apple slices into lemon juice and toss thoroughly.
Lay out 5 slices of prosciutto on a flat surface. If the prosciutto is difficult to separate freeze for 5 minutes and try again.
Lay a apple slice on the front end of each prosciutto slice.
Lay a layer of blue cheese and smoosh into apple slice.
Lay 4-5 arugula sprigs on the apple, alternating directions. Snip off any long tails of the arugula.
Roll up like a burrito, place seam side down on serving platter.

Note: These can remain room temperature for a couple of hours. If you make them earlier in the day keep them covered in the fridge, and then pull them out to get to room temperature before serving.

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PIGS IN A BLANKET with HONEY MUSTARD

March 6, 2020 Julie Sanchez

Of all the appetizers I make, this one is my husband’s favorite. It is a step up from the pigs in the blanket we made 20 years ago with crescent rolls. You will not be able to eat just one. When we took these piggies to a Super Bowl party last month, my husband and I each ate several on the ride over to the party….very hard to resist!

You need puff pastry, I like the Dufour brand from Whole Foods. The puff pastry comes frozen, so you have to defrost it in the fridge the night before you make these. You also need piggies… I like to use chicken if I can find them, but pork or beef all work. You also need flour for rolling out the puff pastry . I buy my "Everything Bagel” seasoning from Williams Sonoma.

You need honey and dijon mustard for the dipping sauce.

Break an egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Throw some flour onto a flat surface and dust your rolling pin. You can also use a wine bottle if you do not have a rolling pin.

Lay the puff pastry, that was thawed overnight in the fridge, on the floured surface. Roll the dough a little widthwise to 11”-12” and more lengthwise depending on how many piggies you have.

Now count your piggies and divide by 3. I had 27 piggies in my bag, so I laid down 1/3 of them which is 9, down the length of my pastry. The amount of piggies you have divided by 3, and lined up determines the length of your pastry.

Take the piggies you lined up off the pastry and spread 4 tablespoons Dijon Mustard on the pastry.

Cut a little off each side for a clean edge. Place a piggie down for width and cut from front to back. You want the pastry to be the same width as the piggie, since the pastry will shrink during cooking. I had 27 piggies, so I lined up nine (1/3 of them) and cut 9 strips.

Now cut the down from east to west across the pastry two times, to create three rows. Now you know why I took 1/3 of the piggie count. Now I have 27 small strips. Every brand of piggies has different amounts thus you need to measure and calculate.

Now take a piggie and roll up.

Use a fork to press the seal ( almost like scoring) to prevent it opening up during cooking. Place the rolled up piggies to the side, since you need to put parchment paper or foil down for the next step.

Place a piece of parchment paper over your flour mess, for easier clean up later. Brush each piggie on the top and sides with the egg.

Sprinkle Everything Bagel seasoning on top of each piggie.

Pull out a cookie sheet and place another piece of foil or parchment paper on the sheet for easy clean up. Rub the bottoms of the pigs in the blanket into the egg mixture that is left on the first parchment to again seal the dough, as you transfer the piggies onto the clean cookie sheet. At this point you can store in the fridge and bake later or you can bake now.

Bake for 25-30 minutes till golden brown and pastry is cooked through. Check on the piggies after 20 to 25 minutes; if they are getting too brown on the top place a piece of foil on the top and continue baking till pastry is cooked through.

Now make the dipping sauce. Combine 1/2 cup dijon mustard with 2 tablespoons honey in a small bowl, stir till combined.

Transfer mixture to a smaller bowl, for a cleaner presentation.

These can be served hot, warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

PIGS IN A BLANKET WITH HONEY MUSTARD RECIPE

Serves: 5-6 people (my batch made 27 piggies)
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 egg
puff pastry ( thawed the night before in the fridge) 14 ounces
mini piggies, chicken, beef or pork, approx. 12 ounces
4 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup Grey Poupon Mustard
flour (for rolling out pastry)
everything bagel seasoning
2 tablespoons honey

preparation

Defrost your pastry the night before in the fridge.
Break the egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Throw some flour and spread it out on the counter. Unfold the pastry and lay it on the flour. Flour your rolling pin as well.
Count your piggies and divide by 3. I had 27 piggies, so 27 divided by 3 is 9. Roll the pastry longways till you can lay down 1/3 of your piggies side by side (look at photo above). Now roll the pastry widthwise to 11” -12” .
Remove the piggies you laid down to determine length and spread 4 tablespoons of the dijon mustard over the pastry.
Cut a little off each side on the pastry so the sides are straight.
Use one piggie to determine the width of your cuts. The pastry will shrink while baking, so the cut the pastry the same width as the piggie. You will cut the pastry into rows from north to south, based on the number or piggies you have. I cut mine into 9 rows.
Now cut east to west 2 times so you have 3 rows.
Roll a piggie into each strip. Use a fork to score the seam, so it will not open during baking.
Place the piggies to one side and place a piece of parchment or foil on top of the flour mess. Brush each piggie with the egg and sprinkle with the bagel seasoning.
Pull out a cookie sheet and place another clean piece of parchment on the sheet. As you place the pigs on the sheet, rub their bottoms in the egg mixture that is left on the original parchment paper to further seal the pastry.
At this point, you can place in the fridge and bake later or bake now for 25-30 minutes. Check on them after 20 minutes, to make sure the tops are not getting too brown. You may have to place a piece of foil loosely on the piggies for the last few minutes to insure the pastry is cooked without the piggies getting too dark on top.
Now make your dipping sauce. Combine 1/2 cup of dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons honey in a small bowl. Stir till combined. Transfer to smaller bowl for a nice presentation.

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