Esquites (Mexican Street Corn)

 I love Mexican street corn. Did you know it's called esquites off the cob and elotes on the cob? I've had it from a few different restaurants around town in both forms, but needed to recreate it at home. I perfected my recipe when my sister-in-law requested it for her family birthday dinner. This fed a crowd (and extra for her to take home!) but you can easily halve it for a smaller portion.

2 tbsp butter

6 cans corn, drained*

1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 scallions, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise

zest and juice of one lime

1 cup cotija cheese, plus more for topping

2 tsp each, smoked paprika and chili powder

salt, to taste

Tajin, to taste

fresh cilantro, chopped

Melt butter in large skillet; add corn, jalapeno, and garlic. Sauté for 8-10 minutes; add scallions and sauté for another 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix together the mayo, lime zest and juice, cotija cheese, and seasonings. Put corn mixture into large bowl and combine with mayo. Stir in cilantro, if desired. Top with more cotija and Tajin and enjoy!

*When corn is not in season, I use canned corn. If fresh corn is available, I would use 8 ears of corn. You could also grill the ears of corn before cutting off the corn, rather than sautéing after.

Buffalo Chicken Wings

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe here yet! This is our favorite wing recipe - the wings come out with crunchy outsides and juicy insides. The kids always get really excited when these are cooking! If you're not a fan of spicy buffalo sauce, make the wings and toss in whatever you like. My kids eat both them in both buffalo and barbecue sauces.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 lbs chicken wings
oil for deep frying
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Frank's hot sauce
dash ground black pepper
dash garlic powder

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Place chicken wings in a large glass dish or bowl and sprinkle flour mixture over them. Toss until chicken is completely coated. Cover and refrigerate for 60-90 minutes.

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees. Fry coated wings for 10-15 minutes, or until parts of the wings start to turn brown. Remove and place wings in a large covered bowl. Fry in batches to not overcrowd the oil.

While wings are frying, combine the butter, hot sauce, black pepper, and garlic powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together and heat until butter is melted and mixture is well blended.

Pour hot sauce over the wings and toss in bowl (with lid on). Enjoy!

Italian Chopped Salad

I'm always on the lookout for quick, easy, and delicious lunch ideas for myself - since it's only my youngest at home with me now weekdays. I found this recipe and it was SO good! It makes a big salad, so I kept the dressing separate so I could eat it over several days. I ate about 1/4 of the salad for lunch - my 16-month also really enjoyed it!

Dressing:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Salad:
3 cups chopped romaine hearts
15-oz can chickpeas, drained
12-oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1 cup cubed salami
1 cup cubed Provolone
3/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup mini pepperoni
1/2 cup sliced green onions

To make the dressing, combine all ingredients into a jar and shake until completely combined. (You could also use your blender, streaming the olive oil in last.)

In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients. Add the dressing and toss to coat.


(Original recipe here)

Pizza Dip

I love making a bunch of appetizers for New Years and am always looking for new things to make. I wanted something like pizza without it being pizza - so I made this pizza dip! It was delicious and it's customizable to your family's tastes. I served it with toasted baguette slices.

4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup mozzarella, divided
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup pizza sauce
favorite pizza toppings -- pepperoni, onions, green pepper, olives, etc.

Mix the cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and 1/4 cup parmesan and spread across the bottom of a pie plate. Spread the pizza sauce on top. Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup parmesan, and pizza topppings. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 20 minutes.

Greek Dip

I found a recipe for a feta dip and added a few ingredients to make it a Greek-style dip. It called for Greek seasoning, and since I don't like to buy seasonings I won't use for multiple things (or use in a timely fashion) I figured a different way to season -- and it was perfect. Serve this with a baguette or crackers.

3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 green onions, sliced
8 oz feta cheese, crumbled (get the block that you have to crumble - much better and more moist than the kind already crumbled!)
~1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved (I just added until it looked like enough!)
1 medium cucumber, or 2 mini cucumbers, diced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
salt & pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Mix everything together and enjoy!

Antipasto Pasta Salad

The absolute BEST pasta salad in the world (at least of the ones I've tried)!

Vinaigrette:
1 1/2 T. capers, drained
2 t. anchovy paste
2 t. minced garlic
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1 t. dried oregano
6 T. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Puree all ingredients in a food processor except for oil.  Slowly drizzle in oil and blend until emulsified.

Salad:
12 oz. tri-color rotini pasta, cooked and drained
2 c. seeded and half-moon sliced cucumbers
1 c. halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1 c. diced smoked mozzarella or gouda
1 c. diced hard salami
1 c. thinly sliced red onion
3/4 c. pitted and chopped kalamata olives
1/2 c. sliced roasted red peppers
1/2 c. marinated artichoke hearts, quartered

Combine all salad ingredients.  Toss with vinaigrette to coat.  Refrigerate salad overnight for best flavor.  (Note: I usually serve it immediately and then have leftovers for lunch the rest of the week.  The flavor does get better as it sits overnight.)

Fried Pickles

I'm addicted to fried pickles, especially during pregnancy, but it becomes an expensive eating habit when you have to go out for dinner to get them! This recipe gets my seal of approval, creating crispy dills with lots of flavor.

Ingredients:
8 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dip dry mix
1 jar Clausen sandwich pickles
1/2 c. buttermilk ranch dressing
1 egg
1 c. flour
1/4 c. corn starch
1 1/2 c. panko bread crumbs

1. Combine half the dry dip mix with the sour cream and chill until ready to serve. Mix the remaining packet with the panko bread crumbs in a shallow dish (I use a pie plate).

2. Heat 1 in. oil in a large saute pan over med-high heat to 360 degrees.

3. Save 3/4 c. of the pickle juice, then drain and pat dry the pickles. Cut them in half if they are the long slices.

4. Whisk pickle juice, dressing, egg, flour, and cornstarch together until smooth.

5. Dip pickles into batter (letting excess drip off), then coat in panko mixture and drop into hot oil. Fry pickles in batches until golden, 2-3 min, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate.

6. Serve with ranch dip.

Delicious White Bean & Sage Dip

This quick, easy dip has become a family favorite. My husband & sons love it just as much as I do! It was also well-received by the 3 & 4 year olds in E's class when I included it for snack time along with carrot sticks & pretzels.

1 (15oz) can of white kidney/cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 heaping T chopped fresh sage (~7-8 leaves)
1 small clove garlic
1 1/2 T olive oil
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t salt

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until mixture is smooth (about 30-45 seconds). Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Crescents

This is such an easy little snack or dessert, maybe even breakfast treat! My whole family loved them. :)

1 tube crescent rolls
peanut butter
semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini ones)

Preheat the oven to 375. Place the unrolled crescent rolls onto an ungreased cookie sheet (I used parchment paper underneath). Spread a layer of peanut butter on each triangle; top with chocolate chips. Roll from the bottom of the triangle to the point. Place in the oven and bake 10-11 minutes or until golden brown. Serve while warm.

Mini-Bacon Meatballs

These mini-meatballs are incredible-- they even convinced my husband to love meatballs for the first time in his life! They are so packed with flavor, incredibly moist, and would be great as a stand-alone appetizer. I added them to Albondigas Soup which was great as well! I highly recommend doubling (or even quadrupling) the recipe, baking in batches and freezing the meatballs for a later meal. It's also a great recipe to get the kids involved. My three-year old had a blast rolling the meatballs with me!

Ingredients:

2 strips bacon, diced
1/4 c. diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb. ground sirloin
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
2 T. minced fresh parsley, or 2 t. dried
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Coat a broiler pan with nonstick spray.

Cook bacon in a skillet over med-high heat until starting to crisp, about 4 minutes; remove and set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Pour off all but 1 T. drippings from skillet.

Saute onion in same skillet in the 1 T. drippings over medium heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic to skillet; cook 1 minute.

Combine sirloin, cooked bacon, onion mixture, bread crumbs, parsley, paprika, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in beaten egg.

Form mixture into 1-in. meatballs and place on prepared broiler pan. Bake meatballs until fully cooked, about 10 minutes.

Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

This recipe has been passed from one member of our mom's group to another to another. It's so delicious! These are all the ingredients, just combine and roll together!

Rice wrappers
Napa cabbage
carrots
red pepper
bamboo shoots
water chestnuts
cilantro
green onion
bean sprouts

Dipping Sauce:
2 Tbls fresh garlic
1/2 Cup soy sauce
1/2 Cup peanut butter
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbls rice vinegar
1 Tbls hot chili oil
1/2 Cup of cilantro

Bacon Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients

* 1 (8-ounce) package light cream cheese, at room temperature
* 1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and minced
* 3 large scallions, roots sliced off, green and white parts minced finely
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 20 jalapenos
* 20 strips thin-sliced bacon, chopped in half

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment.

In a large bowl, stir and break down the cream cheese until smooth. Add the apples and scallions, plus as much salt and freshly ground black pepper as you like.

Don a pair of plastic gloves so you don't burn your fingers or your eyes like I did. Slice each jalapeno in half lengthwise, and then either slice out the membranes or use a measuring spoon to scoop them out. Discard the seeds.

Either using a teaspoon or a small icing spatula, fill each jalapeno half with the cream cheese mixture; fill until just over the rim of the jalapeno. Wrap each pepper with a bacon half and secure with a toothpick. Line up the pop 'ems on the prepared baking sheet and pop into the oven until bacon has browned on the bottom, about 30 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes (which will be as long as you can resist them). Enjoy with a cold beer! Aaah!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

My husband and I *love* a local restaurant's buffalo chicken dip, so we attempted making it a few times. We think we've gotten pretty close -- but if not, this dip is still delicious! The recipe makes a fair amount, so it's great for a party. I like to serve it with blue corn chips and celery sticks.

*2 (10-oz) cans chunk chicken, or about 1.5 lbs chicken breasts/tenders poached & cut into small chunks
*3/4 cup Frank's red hot sauce
*1 tbsp butter
*2 (8-oz) packages neufchatel cheese, softened
*1 cup ranch (or 1/2 cup ranch and 1/2 cup blue cheese dressing)
*1.5 cups cheddar cheese

Heat chicken, butter, and hot sauce in a saucepan over medium heat until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well-blended and warm. Mix in half the cheddar cheese and transfer mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top; cover and cook on low until hot and bubbly.

Chewy Oatmeal Snack Bars

I found this recipe in a Betty Crocker magazine and had to try it. It didn't disappoint! My kids LOVE it - an so do I. :) I can eat one for breakfast and it keeps me full, unlike normal granola bars. I did alter it a bit, based on what I could find at the grocery store, so here's my recipe:

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup wheat bran
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup dried cranberries

Grease bottom and sides of 9x13 pan. Melt butter in 2-qt saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and maple syrup; heat to boiling. Boil 1 minute, stirring frequently; remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Stir remaining ingredients into peanut butter mixture, mixing well. Press evenly into pan. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store in refrigerator.

Sausage Crescent Rolls

If you've been to any mom's nights with Jenni, you've probably enjoyed this amazing appetizer! She's sharing the recipe with all of us, so here it is:

Yields: 20 Servings

Ingredients

1 pound fresh ground spicy pork sausage
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg white lightly beaten
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium skillet, lightly brown sausage and drain. While sausage is still hot, add cream cheese and stir until cheese is melted and mixture is creamy. Cool completely.
3. Separate crescent rolls and arrange into two rectangles. Form log of sausage mixture lengthwise down center of each rectangle. Fold over the long sides of pastry to cover sausage log. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, seam down. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
4. Bake 20 minutes until crust is golden. When completely cooled, slice into one and one-half inch slices.

Sesame-Cheese Dip

Place in quart storage bag (or small storage container):
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp celery seed
3/8 tsp black pepper
3/8 tsp garlic powder


Directions:
Combine 1 cup sour cream with 2 tbsp mix. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. (I like to serve with mini tortilla chips.)

Store in cool, dry place or in refrigerator.

Avocado Dip

You can add other things to this dip depending on your preferences (garlic powder, onion powder, etc.). We used an electric whisk on the cream to save time.

2 avocados
2 T lemon juice
1 T oil
1 t. mustard
1 t. confectioner's sugar
Salt & pepper to taste
5/8 cups whipping cream

Cut avocados in half, remove stones, scoop out the flesh and add to bowl. Mash well. Mix together lemon juice, oil, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper, then stir into avocado mixture.

Whisk cream until it forms soft peaks, and then add to avocado mixture. Place in freezer container and freeze. To serve: thaw at room temperature for 6 hours. Place in bowl and serve with chips, veggies, etc.

Kansas City Hot Wings

4 lbs chicken wings
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 tbsp Tobasco sauce
1 cup barbecue sauce

Rinse chicken wings in cold water. Mix together vinegar, Tabasco sauce, and barbecue sauce. Place chicken and mixture together in a freezer bag; seal and freeze.

To cook: Thaw chicken. Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking pan with foil. Drain chicken wings, reserving remaining sauce. Arrange wings on foil-lined pan and bake 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Increase temperature of oven to broil. Baste wings with reserved sauce and return to oven. Broil for 30 minutes, turning and basting wings every 5 minutes, until crispy.

Bacon Roll-ups

1 can crescent roll dough
1/2 c. sour cream
1 t. onion salt
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked & crumbled

Stir onion salt into sour cream. Using a cookie sheet as a work surface, open & unroll dough. Cut each crescent into 3 smaller triangles. Spread each triangle with sour cream mixture. Top each triangle with a generous amount of bacon. Beginning at large end, roll each triangle to form a mini-crescent. Place 6 rolled crescents on a piece of plastic wrap & seal. Freeze sealed packages in a large freezer bag.

To Serve: These can go directly from freezer to oven. Preheat oven to 350. Place crescents on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Parmesan Rosemary Pinwheels

These make a delicious appetizer! This recipe came from Meagan Eller (who got it from Pampered Chef).

1 can (8 oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 c cream cheese
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
4 tsp snipped fresh or 1 tsp rosemary herb mix (I actually add plain dried rosemary until it looks good)

Preheat over to 375.
Separate dough into 4 rectangles; press seems to seal (I use the recipe creations dough and just cut it in half.)
Mix cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and rosemary in a bowl.

Spread each rectangle with about 2 Tbl cheese mix (just divide it somewhat evenly) to within 1/4" of edges. Starting at the short side, roll each rectangle; pinch edges together. (It you use the recipe creations cut in half, roll the long side.)

Cut roll crosswise into 6 slices (12 with the recipe creations). Place slices cut side down on baking stone. Bake 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on rack.

They are best when served warm, but are still good chilled.