Classic Salsa

The other day I made a great salsa that is very simple. It contains five ingredients so it is very fresh and you can taste each individual ingredient perfectly. After making this salsa, I don't know that I will ever buy one at the grocery store. I love making things that are fresh and especially natural. No preservatives.

Here is what you'll need:

• 4 Tomatoes
• 1 Red Onion
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 1-2 Jalapeños
• 1 Handful Cilantro

Chop all ingredients and combine in a medium mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate 20-30 minutes before serving. This will allow the flavors to combine more but it is not necessary to do. Serve with some good yellow or blue corn tortilla chips!

Chicken Quesadillas

I found a recipe for quesadillas made with Pillsbury Grands biscuits on the Food Network website and they looked really good. I took the idea and made my own recipe. These are super easy to make and are a great appetizer for a group of people.

• 1 container (8 oz) sour cream
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (4 tablespoons)
• 1 cup chunky-style salsa
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ lb sliced roasted chicken (from deli), chopped
• ¾ cup shredded Mexican cheese blend or crumbled queso blanco cheese
• 1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury Grands Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Heat closed medium-size contact grill for 5 minutes (I used a Panini maker and that worked pretty well); spray grill plates with no-stick cooking spray.


In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, green onions, salsa, cilantro, chicken and cheese. (I used a rotisserie chicken and pulled about ¼ lb of meat off of it.)




Separate dough into 8 biscuits; press or roll each into 5-inch round. Place 1/4 cup chicken mixture on one side of each biscuit round. Fold biscuit over filling; press edges to seal.


Place biscuits, two at a time, on grill; close grill. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Make these for your next party and they will be a hit!

Pork & Shrimp Dumplings

February 14th this year was not only Valentine’s Day, but the Chinese New Year. So my mom and I decided to make a nice Chinese meal. My grandma passed on a cookbook to my mom which has amazing Chinese Recipes. (It will be mine someday since my sister only likes to makes ramen). It is Betty Crocker’s “Chinese Cookbook.” Recipes by Leeann Chin. I’m not sure if it can be purchased these days since it was copyrighted in 1981. It’s older than me. And to make it even better, Leeann Chin autographed the cookbook and left the message of “Happy Cooking” to my grandmother. This obviously means the stuff inside is legit.

I made the appetizers since I have the most patience and wanted to. I made Pork Dumplings and Shrimp Dumplings with Ginger-Soy sauce. Other than the assembly they were super easy and make a ton. For the Pork Dumplings I actually cut the recipe in half because when I read that it yields 40 dumplings I thought that was a little excessive for my family. I guess if you’re feeding a small army 40 would be good. Here it goes:

Pork Dumplings
8-10 Medium Dried Black Mushrooms
1 lb. Ground Pork
½ cup Finely Chopped Canned Bamboo Shoots
¼ cup Finely Chopped Green Onions (with tops)
1 Large Egg White
2 tbsp. Cornstarch
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
½ tsp. Sesame Oil
¼ tsp. White Pepper
40 Wonton Skins

¼ cup Light Soy Sauce
⅛ tsp. Sesame Oil

Soak mushrooms in warm water until soft, about 30 minutes; drain. Rinse in warm water; drain. Remove and discard stems; chop caps finely.


Mix mushrooms, pork, bamboo shoots, green onions, egg white, cornstarch, salt, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sesame oil and the white pepper. While the mushrooms were soaking I got everything else together in the bowl and then once they were ready, I added the mushrooms in last.

You should buy the Wonton Skins that are circular. If you buy the square ones you will be cutting them to make a circle.

Place 1 tablespoon pork mixture in center of circle.



Bring edge up around filling, leaving top open. Repeat with remaining circles. (The plate is courtesy of my brother in about 1995. Its a hockey game scene...if you couldn't figure it out.)


Place dumplings in single layer on rack in steamer; cover and steam over boiling water 20 minutes. (Add boiling water if necessary.) We do not have the proper Chinese steamer but made with other pots and pans. Repeat with remaining dumplings.


Mix ¼ cup soy sauce and ⅛ teaspoon sesame oil; serve with dumplings. Like I said before this recipe makes 40 dumplings. I cut it in half and made 14 bigger ones. They are very very good!

Shrimp Dumplings
½ lb. Fresh or Frozen Raw Shrimp (Peeled & De-veined)
¼ cup Sliced Canned Bamboo Shoots
1 tbsp. Finely Chopped Green Onions (with tops)
2 tsp. Vegetable Oil
½ tsp. Corn Starch
½ tsp. Salt
⅛ tsp. Sesame Oil
Dash of White Pepper
24 Wonton Skins (round ones)

Ginger-Soy Sauce
¼ cup Dark Soy Sauce
¼ cup White Vinegar
2 tsp. Finely Chopped Gingerroot
2 tsp. Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Finely Chopped Garlic

If the shrimp are frozen, do not thaw; place under running cold water. Cut shrimp into ½-inch pieces. Cut bamboo shoots into ¼-inch pieces.


Mix shrimp, bamboo shoots, green onions, vegetable oil, cornstarch, salt, sesame oil and white pepper. Cover and refrigerate 10 minutes.


Place 1 teaspoon of the shrimp mixture in center of the circle.


Pinch 4-5 pleats on edge of one half of circle. Fold circle in half pressing pleated edge to unpleated edge. Repeat with remaining slices of dough.


Place dumplings ¼ inch apart on heatproof plate. Place plate on rack in steamer; cover and steam over boiling water 10 minutes. (Add boiling water if necessary.) Mix the soy sauce, white vinegar, gingerroot, sesame oil and garlic, serve with dumplings.


These are also very good but I think the crowd favorite was the pork dumplings. Be adventurous and try one of them!

Fantastic French Onion Dip

My friend Sarah and I have always wanted to make French Onion dip. We would enjoy it in the cafeteria for lunch and it was always delicious but for some reason when I bought it from the store it was not good. It could’ve been that I simply chose the wrong brand but it was gross. I was inspired to make it so I found a recipe courtesy of Food Network’s Triple D man Guy Fieri. I must say that this dip is very good! It is very easy to make, unless you live in a college house with knives so dull you have to saw the onions…but I managed.

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 Vidalia onions, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
• 2 large shallots, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick rings
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Chives, finely chopped, for garnish
• Potato chips, for serving

In a large sauté pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and caramelized. It is a good idea to chop the shallots while the onions are sautéing. Add the shallots and sauté for 8 to 10 more minutes, until the onions and shallots are dark brown. Like before, now is a good time to mince the garlic, while the shallots are being sautéed. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

While the onion mixture is cooling, mix in a bowl, the sour cream, mayonnaise, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Chop the onion mixture into 1/4-inch pieces. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Fold the onion mixture into the bowl with the sour cream and mayo. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Garnish with chives and serve with potato chips.

This makes about 3 1/2 cups which is plenty since it’s made with mayo and sour cream. I think the wavy or ruffled potato chips work best, but that’s up to you. If you really like caramelized onions or French onion dip in general, you will love this dip! Enjoy!

Game Day Guacamole

With the Super Bowl coming up, I thought it would be appropriate to share a potential game day snack. Who doesn’t love chips and guac? This recipe is not the typical guacamole but it is definitely delicious. My cousin’s secret, and now my secret, is to add roasted corn. Trust me it’s good and easy to make!

This recipe makes enough for my five member family however we are all adults, so adjust according to your situation…it’ll get eaten.

5 Ripe Avocados
1½ Cups Corn
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt
1 Cup Chopped Red Onion
2-3 Garlic Cloves
1-2 Jalapeños Finely Chopped
1 Chopped Tomato
3 Tbsp Chopped Cilantro
1 Lime


First peel and pit the avocados, and mash them in a medium sized bowl. For the corn: in the summer I would suggest using fresh corn cut off the cob, however since this is winter in Minnesota, frozen corn will suffice. Toss the corn in the olive oil and place on a cooking sheet. Sprinkle salt over the corn and place in the oven on the broil setting for about 5-8 minutes, until some kernels are golden. Add the red onion, jalapeño(s) and garlic cloves to the avocados and mix in thoroughly. I would suggest using one jalapeño at first and if you think it needs more kick, add the other one. I usually use about one and a half. Mix in the roasted corn and the chopped tomato. Next add the cilantro and the juice of half a lime and mix again.

Now try the guacamole. It could be the case that you think it is lacking something- cilantro, lime, garlic. Add more of what you think is missing, I’m not offended, that is why guacamole is so easy and fun to make!

I would recommend eating/serving it with a salty tortilla chip. The combination of the salt on the chip and the fresh home made guacamole is amazing. Enjoy!