Mexican Monday

#FoodieExtravaganza: Enchiladas

~ lk529 ~ 5 Comments

foodieextravaganza-300April is here and with it another Foodie Extravaganza! This month Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla told us to make some enchiladas. 

It has been 13 months since I’ve participated with this group but I couldn’t turn down enchiladas! I mean, how could I!? My husband and I had a fun culinary routine of Mexican Mondays which held strong for at least 5 years. And to this day, when I do put Mexican cuisine on our weekly menu, I let it fall on a Monday. Mexican Monday allows way more versatility than Taco Tuesday.

My Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas are a family favorite, and my go-to dish for bringing to friends after having a baby or a deployment. I had to come up with something different for today’s post and somehow my mind wandered to one of our favorite Mexican places in Ohio, Abuelo’s. We didn’t realize it at the time, but Abuelo’s is evidently a chain restaurant, but we still liked it! My favorite dish were their Spinach Enchiladas, so that’s what I have for you today. My husband couldn’t stop raving about them and has declared them a strong competitor to the previously mentioned Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas.

Spinach Enchiladas

Ingredients:

  • 10 oz bag frozen spinach
  • 2 strips center cut bacon, diced
  • 1 1/2 C diced mushrooms
  • 1/2 small onion, diced
  • 1/4 bell pepper, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp diced chipotle peppers in adobo
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 4 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed
  • 3 oz cream cheese
  • 1 C frozen corn
  • 6 taco sized flour tortillas
  • 1 10 oz can green enchilada sauce
  • 3 handfuls shredded Mexican blend cheese

Steps:

  1. Microwave the spinach according to package instructions.
  2. In a large skillet cook the bacon until crispy. Add in the mushrooms, onion, pepper, garlic, and chipotle peppers and cook until tender. Season with S+P.
  3. Add the cheeses and cook until melted. Stir in the corn and cooked spinach.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a casserole dish.
  5. Divide the spinach mixture onto the tortillas, rolling them up and placing them seam-side down in the prepared casserole dish. Top with the enchilada sauce and the cheese. Bake 25-30 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted.

This recipe is modified from mollypaul at http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/abuelos-spinach-casserole-112480*

Spinach Enchiladas for #FoodieExtravaganza from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Be sure to check out these other creative enchilada recipes:

If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you’re a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

#BundtBakers: Untraditional Bundts

~ lk529 ~ 12 Comments

4ae7b-bundtbakerspost#BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundt cakes with a common ingredient or theme.

Except that this month, Colleen of Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice is breaking that mold and challenging us to think outside of the bundt pan. To bake something in our favorite cake pan that isn’t cake!

I didn’t know if I was going to sign up for this one given my summer blogging break but one of my best friends from college shared a Facebook video with me. Her timing couldn’t have been more perfect! The video was for a fajita bundt cake. Yes. Fajitas. In a bundt. It looked so fun, we just had to try it!

Picture your bundt cake. But instead of a rich cake center, imagine fajita seasoned chicken and veggies. Instead of a cake crust to cut through, imagine tortillas. And instead of frosting and sprinkles, imagine sour cream and cilantro.

The dinner was so fun and would definitely be a show stopper for company.

Chicken Fajita Bundt Cake (cut) for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Chicken Fajita Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

  • 3 chicken breasts, sliced
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 tbsp fajita seasoning
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 9 flour tortillas
  • 1 1/2 C shredded Mexican blend cheese
  • 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 C sour cream
  • 1 lime

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss together the chicken, bell peppers, onion, fajita seasoning, olive oil, and salt. Bake 30 minutes.
  3. Reduce oven temperature to 360 degrees F.
  4. Brush a bundt pan with olive oil. Tuck 5 tortillas into the pan, add the remaining 4 tortillas behind the first layer. Put half of the cheese into the tortilla-lined bundt pan. Top with the cooked chicken mixture, tomato, cilantro, and remaining cheese.
  5. Press tortillas over the cheese. Bake 25 minutes.
  6. Flip out the fajita cake.
  7. Mix sour cream with a little lime juice, to taste. “Frost” the “cake.” Garnish with chopped cilantro and lime zest.

*This recipe is adapted from Tom at http://twistedfood.co.uk/giant-chicken-fajita-donut/*

Chicken Fajita Bundt Cake for #BundtBakers from Sew You Think You Can Cook

You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about #BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have created this month:

Bacon, Zucchini, Raisins and Cheddar Bundt Cake from I Love Bundt Cakes

Cheesesteak Bundt from Cookaholic Wife

Cherry Bundt Breakfast Danish from Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Chive Potato Filled Cheeseburger Meatloaf Bundt from Food Lust People Love

Classic Vanilla Flan Bundt from All That’s Left Are The Crumbs

Pasta Chicken Bundt from Sneha’s Recipe

Soap Bundt Cake from La Mejor Manera

Spinach Pasta Surprise from A Day in the Life on the Farm

#SundaySupper: Easy Taco Recipes for Taco Tuesday

~ lk529 ~ 23 Comments

 

Warning! This recipe is insanely addicting. It will make you want to go out and buy all of the chorizo you can find. In fact, I did just that. However, at the time of purchase there were only two packages of chorizo left on the shelf. But still! I don’t think I can go to the store without getting a package. All because of these tacos. Truth be told, we made these twice in one week! They’re that good. We’ve told friends about them and have promised to make them next time they come over. I need to double the amount of chorizo from now on so that we’ll actually have leftovers!

The first time I made these tacos I did everything ahead of time. I made the salsa and crema around 4pm. Because Treat took a nap I jumped at the opportunity and cooked the chorizo, too. Not one to squander my slightly less hectic house, I decided to assemble a couple of tacos and have a photo shoot while the light was still good.

It’s hard not to yell at your toddler for standing on his chair while you’re standing on yours to get that aerial shot. You’ll see he has some of that salsa on his beloved Thomas plate. He was mostly interested in picking out all of the black beans, one of his favorite foods.

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We had to take a break from the photo shoot to bring Treat up from his nap. Both boys ended up eating their dinner before Daddy got home from work! At least they both adored the dish enough to still sit with us at the table nibbling while we scarfed down some tacos.

Firecracker also decided to help me with some food styling by dumping a heaping spoonful of salsa onto one of the tacos. (Good thing I was already done!)

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That helpful toddler ensured that his little brother had enough salsa to eat, too. It’s moments like these that melt my heart. They’re such good brothers to each other. The love that Treat has had for his older brother has been obviously visible in his adoring looks since month 1. Firecracker also took to our family’s new addition within a couple of weeks, trying to say his name long before the rest of his vocabulary emerged. I just hope this brotherly love lasts them a lifetime.

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Can you believe that until these tacos I’d actually never had queso fresco!? Even with my series of Mexican Monday, which has been severely lacking lately. I’ve typically been “too cheap” or simply unable to find it. Now, living in Southern California, I had no trouble finding a large variety of Mexican cheeses at the store. The queso fresco reminded me of a saltier version of string cheese, so if you can’t find it, I’d suggest shredded mozzarella.

I had bought some typical taco toppings, lettuce and tomato, and then completely forgot about them! Honestly, these tacos shine without them and the lime and cilantro crema keeps them feeling light and fresh.

Chorizo Tacos with Black Bean & Corn Salsa

Ingredients for tacos:

  • 1-2 lb ground chorizo, casings removed if using links
  • soft shell taco tortillas, we prefer flour but corn would work well, too
  • queso fresco

Ingredients for salsa:

  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can (15 oz) fire roasted corn, drained
  • 1/4 C diced red onion
  • zest 1 lime
  • juice 1 lime
  • 1-2 tbsp agave, to taste
  • fresh cilantro, torn, to taste

Ingredients for crema:

  • 1/4 C sour cream
  • 1/4 C fresh cilantro, chopped
  • zest 1 lime
  • juice 1 lime

Steps:

  1. Cook ground chorizo in a skillet over medium high heat. Drain and set aside.
  2. Make salsa: Combine all salsa ingredients in a large bowl. Season to taste with S+P. Keep in fridge until ready to serve.
  3. Make crema: Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt. Add water if needed to thin it out.
  4. Assemble tacos with chorizo, salsa, crema, and queso fresco. Option to add other favorite taco toppings: avocado, lettuce, tomato.

*This recipe is modified from Keri at http://fashionablefoods.com/2016/04/25/chorizo-tacos/

Chorizo Tacos with Corn & Black Bean Salsa Sew You Think You Can Cook (1)

Update October 1, 2017: October 4th is National Taco Day and to celebrate the Sunday Supper Movement has collected about two dozen fun and simple taco recipes to celebrate! Be sure to scroll past my recipe to see the mouth watering collection for yourself!

The taco recipe I’m sharing with you today is in fact an oldie but goodie. These Chorizo Tacos with Black Bean & Corn Salsa were first enjoyed about a year ago (8/21/16 to be exact) and shared here on Sew You Think You Can Cook. I kid you not when I say these have made a very regular appearance on our dinner table since then!

Because chorizo is already seasoned with incredible Mexican flavors, all you need to do is cook it up and drain the fat! The salsa is simply mixing a few ingredients and is a favorite of my kids. The crema is another 3 ingredients. Done!

Breakfast, Dessert, and Alternative Tacos

Lunch and Dinner Tacos

 

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Did you know that it is incredibly easy to make your own enchilada sauce? The process is quite simple and will be completed in under 15 minutes.

It’s actually cheaper, too! A 19 oz can of enchilada sauce will cost you around $2.50. A 15 oz can of tomato sauce will cost you between $1 and $2 depending on your brand preference. If you have a well stocked spice cabinet, you’re looking at less than $2 for approximately 2 C of enchilada sauce.

Another big benefit? No ingredients you can’t pronounce and you can adjust the spiciness to your perfect palate!

I haven’t purchased a single can of enchilada sauce since discovering this recipe! If I’m making enchiladas I can make the sauce quickly during the day and have it ready to go when it’s time to assemble the enchiladas. It can even be made a few days in advance, too. Or, if you’re proficient at canning, go ahead and make a big batch! Bonus points if you grow your own tomatoes to make your own tomato sauce. (You won’t find my black thumb winning those bonus points any time soon.)

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1/2 minced onion (any variety will do)
  • 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder, or to taste
  • 1/2 tbsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
  • 1/2 C water

Steps:

  1. Heat olive oil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Saute the onions until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the spices and stir to coat. Add in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 5 minutes, or until desired consistency is reached.

*This recipe is adapted from Kristine at http://kristineskitchenblog.com/homemade-enchilada-sauce/*

Homemade Enchilada Sauce Sew You Think You Can Cook

The enchiladas pictured above include mashed sweet potato, pulled pork, and shredded cheese.

Mexican Monday Latkes

~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

My husband has always had a mild obsession with trying to make potato pancakes at home. He did it once with a sweet potato a couple of years ago but it just wasn’t right. (Odds are there was still too much moisture in the potato.)

So when the December issue of Food Network magazine arrived with a page on “Mix-and-Match Latkes” it was immediately added to the menu. I looked at the “recipe” and decided on a Mexican Monday themed latke (because Mexican is always welcome in our house and I usually have all the ingredients I need).

We were beyond impressed with how our recipe turned out! Stuart squeezed the liquid out of the potatoes and onions and he must’ve done a perfect job, because there wasn’t any splattering when I added the latkes to the oil (aka no water!) and they held together wonderfully. These latkes were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

To make the latkes our main meal I topped them with chorizo, sour cream, and cheese. I realized when I pulled out the camera that I didn’t have any greanery – I’d be “chopped” for my plating for sure! And while eating dinner I realized that chorizo is a pork product and therefore these latkes were no longer Kosher. Oops. But any taco meat would work – ground or pulled beef, turkey, or chicken.

We will definitely be experimenting with other flavor combinations! A BBQ inspired one is up next.

Mexican Monday Latkes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb sweet potato, peeled and shredded
  • 1/2 lb russet potato, peeled and shredded
  • 1/4 of a large sweet onion, grated
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 C diced red bell pepper
  • 1/2 C frozen corn, thawed
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/3 C flour
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • optional toppings: taco meat, shredded cheese, sour cream, scallions, cilantro, salsa, etc

Steps:

  1. Place shredded potatoes, onion, salt, and pepper in a clean dish towel. Squeeze until potatoes are dry.
  2. Put potatoes a large bowl along with the bell pepper, corn, garlic, and cumin. Mix. Add the beaten egg and flour, mixing until combined.
  3. Form potato mixture into 1/4 C patties and place on a paper towel lined plate. Will make 9-12 latkes.
  4. Heat 1/4″ vegetable oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Fry latkes 4 minutes on each side. Remove to another paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with a little salt.
  5. Serve latkes warm with desired toppings.

Mexican Monday Latkes | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Chicken Chorizo Meatballs

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

It’s Mexican Monday everybody! I’m too afraid to go back through and find out when my last Mexican Monday post was, I’m sure it’s so far back it’d be embarrassing. And a little sad. Our Mexican Monday endeavor has finally kicked the bucket. Not intentionally, mind you, and I can come up with all sorts of scheduling related excuses. And there’s always that feeling of getting caught in a rut.

But not today! (Or well, the day we made and ate these.) Today there’s a brand new Mexicany (it’s a word, don’t worry about it) recipe to share. Meatballs with chorizo! Aka meatballs with flavor! I used ground chicken instead of ground beef because that’s what I had, but I definitely want to try these with ground beef, too, I imagine they’d be even better!

I’m not quite sure what pasta/sauce pairing would work with these so I would suggest using these for some game day grub or party appetizer. Queso makes a great dipper, or salsa, sour cream, even guacamole. They’d probably even work over top a taco salad, too.

Chicken Chorizo Meatballs

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 onion, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 3/4 C panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 C grated cheese (I used a combo of Monterrey and Colby Jack)
  • 1 tbsp dried cilantro
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 2 links Mexican chorizo, skins removed

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Lightly grease a rimmed baking sheet.
  2. In a small skillet over medium-high heat saute onion in olive oil until tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute, set aside.
  3. In a large bowl whisk together egg and milk. Add the panko, cooked onion and garlic, cheese, and spices. Mix in the meat; I found a fork worked well to incorporate the chorizo into the chicken. Season with S+P.
  4. Form into golf ball sized meatballs; I found wetting my hands helpful in preventing the mixture from sticking to me. Place on prepared baking sheet.
  5. Bake 12-15 minutes, until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached.

*This recipe is adapted from Renee at http://leitesculinaria.com/101202/recipes-chorizo-meatballs.html*

Chicken Chorizo Meatballs | Sew You Think You Can Cook

#WeekdaySupper: Make Ahead Meals

~ lk529 ~ 6 Comments

Today is a very special Mexican Monday because today I’m posting for a Make Ahead Meal themed #WeekdaySupper week. #WeekdaySupper is a great movement by the #SundaySupper crew. Easy weeknight meals that can be done in under 30 minutes, without crazy, hard-to-find ingredients. This initiative is one we can all get behind. It’s important to gather around the table during the week, too!

I took the “make ahead” criteria to the extreme. For the cooked chicken used in this recipe, the day before I put a whole chicken in my slow cooker with a little bit of chicken broth, salt, pepper, and placed a little butter on top. After 6 hours or so on low I very easily shredded the most tender chicken. (My husband was picking stray pieces of meat from among the bones and skin remaining in the slow cooker before helping me clean up!)

Most of that shredded chicken will join forces with melted cream cheese, green chiles, pepperjack cheese, and spices for an incredible taquito filling that would be just as good scooped up with tortilla chips for a game day snack.

Freezer Friendly Taquitos

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 3/4 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 4 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (I used Gourmet Garden lightly dried cilantro)
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chiles
  • 3 C cooked, shredded chicken
  • 1 1/2 C shredded pepperjack cheese
  • approximately 20 small flour tortillas

Steps:

  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat melt cream cheese. Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients (except the tortillas).
  2. Place cream cheese mixture down the center of each tortilla, roll and place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  3. To bake: Spray lightly with cooking spray and cook 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. To freeze: Place baking sheet in the freezer. When frozen place in a labeled zip-top freezer bag. To bake, place on a parchment lined baking sheet and spray with cooking spray, cook 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees F until crispy and filling is melty.
  4. Serve with salsa, guacamole, or sour cream, if desired.

*This recipe is adapted from Karrie at http://happymoneysaver.com/freezer-chicken-taquitos-with-cream-cheese/*

Freezer Friendly Taquitos for #WeekdaySupper from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Check out these other great make ahead meals that will be posted this week

Sunday Supper MovementTuesday – One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
Wednesday – Island Teriyaki Chicken Packets by Palatable Pastime
Thursday – Taco Bar by eating in instead
Friday – Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Pork with Homemade Sauce by Caroline’s Cooking

Chipotle Lime Shrimp with Strawberry Salsa

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

They say you eat with your eyes first.

That must be true because viewing the stunning food photography by Jessica of How Sweet it is caused me to try this intriguing flavor combination: chipotle, strawberry, and black beans.

I admit, I added the black beans – the addition that really had my husband scratching his head. Instead of eating this Mexican Monday meal as tacos, we had tostadas. And tostadas call for refried beans to act as the “glue” that holds the meat and toppings in place. I didn’t think traditional refried beans would really be the way to go with shrimp so I opted for refried black beans. I’m very relieved to inform you that it worked!

I cut some serious heat from the original recipe and I still found it to pack on the spice. Because I freeze my chipotle in adobo in ice cube trays I never know until the cube thaws if I have just sauce, just pepper, or a combination of both. Jessica’s recipe calls for the sauce to be in the marinade – instead I had a pepper which I cut in half and tossed in the bag. This method is a great alternative if you don’t want too much heat but still want that smokey spice from the chipotle peppers. Additionally, I only used half of one (large) jalapeno instead of two whole jalapenos in the strawberry salsa – by all means, if you like it spicy add as much jalapeno as you like!

Chipotle Lime Shrimp

Ingredients:

  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, halved
  • 2 limes (zest and juice)
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp

Steps:

  1. Place all ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
  2. Cook shrimp 2 minutes on each side. I did this on a lightly greased grill pan. If you cook the shrimp in a skillet, add 1 tbsp of olive oil.
  3. Serve shrimp with strawberry salsa (recipe below) in a taco with lettuce and cheese or as a tostada with refried black beans and cheese.

Strawberry Salsa

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz fresh strawberries, diced
  • 1/2 red onion, finely diced
  • 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced
  • 1/4 C fresh cilantro (I used Gourmet Garden lightly dried cilantro)
  • juice of 1 lime

Steps:

  1. Combine all ingredients and season to taste with salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*These recipes are adapted from Jessica at http://www.howsweeteats.com/2014/04/chipotle-lime-shrimp-tacos-with-strawberry-salsa-you-can-totally-preorder-my-book/*

Chipotle Lime Shrimp with Strawberry Salsa | Sew You Think You Can Cook

#HotSummerEats: Mexican Corn Salad

~ lk529 ~ 22 Comments

HotSummerEatsToday is the first day of #HotSummerEats, a blogging event headed up by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. To kick off the week I went in a Mexican direction – it is Mexican Monday after all!

My favorite thing about summer produce is the fresh corn on the cob. I pretty much only make it one way but have always been intrigued by the Mexican Corn on the Cob you see from street vendors. But I imagine it to be super messy. Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of plays on this favorite snack by taking the corn off the cob and turning it into a side dish. I jumped on the bandwagon and I’m so glad I did! We loved this corn salad and used in on tostadas and in tacos.

caribeque logoTo add a little punch of flavor to the salad I used the spice blend Island Thyme from Caribeque. To say we like this blend would be a big understatement. Twice now I have sprinkled it on pork chops for a quick weeknight dinner, even serving it to guests who enjoyed it as much as we did. I’ve even used it compensate for taco seasoning when I’d used up the last of my supply and needed a couple tablespoons more. My little man liked the corn salad (he picked out the corn and wouldn’t touch the Feta) and he’s gobbled up the pork seasoned with Island Thyme, too!

Mexican Corn Salad

Ingredients:

Steps:

  1. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the thawed corn and allow corn to char about 5 minutes – don’t stir too often but don’t let the corn burn.
  2. In a bowl whisk together the mayo, cilantro paste, garlic paste, lime juice, and Island Thyme seasoning.
  3. Add the corn, onion, and jalapeno. Mix until combined. Gently fold in the Feta.

*This recipe is modified from Danielle at http://www.mostlyfoodandcrafts.com/2015/05/mexican-street-corn-salad.html* (Wow, I just realized Danielle is one of the #HotSummerEats bloggers! Too funny.)

Mexican Corn Salad for #HotSummerEats from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway and be sure to check out the other bloggers who posted more summertime recipes today:

Thank you to #HotSummerEats sponsors BenBella Vegan, Caribeque, Casabella, Gourmet Garden, Intensity Academy, Not Ketchup, Out of the Weeds, Pirate Jonny’s, Quirk Books, Spicely Organics, T.Lish , and Voodoo Chef for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for#HotSummerEats without additional compensation. All opinions are my own.

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SRC: Black Bean and Beer Queso

~ lk529 ~ 38 Comments

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Today is another Secret Recipe Club Reveal Day! In the secret recipe club, each participating blogger is assigned a blog from another participating blogger and secretly searches their site for something to recreate. The accompanying blog post then goes live on reveal day! So while I was immersed in my assigned blog, someone else was picking through mine! I’m so excited to be part of this group, to see what on my blog peaks other’s interests and to stumble upon new blogs and new recipes.

This month I was assigned A Calculated Whisk written by Becky. Becky cooks and bakes gluten-free and mostly paleo foods. Those dietary restrictions don’t have any impact on her recipe index and I found myself pinning 7 dessert or breakfast recipes! (Maple Apple Spice Cake, Srawberry Creamsicle Sherbet, and Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Cupcakes to name a few)After #BrunchWeek I really couldn’t justify making another sweet in my kitchen – I’ll be on a sugar time-out for a while. I turned instead to Sweet Potato and Roasted Garlic Hummus (Actually, if my husband knew that was an option I’d probably be in trouble right now for not picking it. Don’t worry, it’ll happen!) or Creamy Beer and Black Bean Queso.

I decided on the queso along with the idea of turning it from an appetizer into a meal. I had two chorizo links in the freezer and thought of using the queso for tostadas. Instead I decided on nachos. Tortilla chips, chorizo, black beans, and mushrooms were covered with creamy beer and black bean queso and baked for about 5 minutes then topped with fresh lettuce, tomato, and scallions.

I actually found the texture of the queso to be more of a fondue. I don’t know if that’s because I let too much of the beer evaporate or if it’s supposed to be that way. Either way it was delicious and I would happily serve it with bread, veggies, and apples in a fondue pot! (It could be the use of alcohol that made me think fondue.) I had halved the recipe as it was just the two of us, but honestly – we could have easily eaten another tray of nachos – not because we needed to but because it was that good! I will be making this queso again!

Black Bean and Beer Queso

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 shallot, finely diced
  • 1 jalapeno, diced (I removed half of the seeds)
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3/4 C Mexican beer
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 6 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded

Steps:

  1. In a high-sided skillet over medium-high heat saute shallot and jalapeno in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Add the black beans, beer, and cumin. Cook 5 minutes until slightly reduced.
  2. Stir in the cream cheese until melted, I find it’s best to do this a couple spoonfuls at a time. When cream cheese is fully incorporated melt in the shredded cheddar, again in batches. Stir until melted and creamy.
  3. Serve as a dip or as nachos (pictured).

*This recipe is adapted from Becky at http://www.acalculatedwhisk.com/2013/05/creamy-beer-black-bean-queso.html*

Black Bean and Beer Queso | Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in the Secret Recipe Club this month click here: