Cabaza de Ajo

This is a wonderful appetizer comprised of roasted garlic, jack cheese and salsa Verde.

Directions:
Roasted Garlic
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.
3. Place the garlic heads in a baking pan; muffin pans work well for this purpose. Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed.

Directions:

Roasted Baguette 

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Cut baguette into small slices.  Baste with butter and sprinkle with Green Chili powder.

3. Cook just short time until lightly browned.

Ingredients for Cabaza de Ajo:

• 3-4 cups of Jack cheese grated
• Roasted Garlic
• Salsa Verde

Directions:
Place grated cheese on microwaveable plate.  Add roasted garlic randomly.  Randomly place Salsa Verde to desired taste.  Microwave until melted.


To Serve:
Use a spoon or knife and place Cabaza de Ajo on the baguettes and enjoy.

Fire Roasted Salsa

Fire Roasted Salsa

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Jalapeno peppers
• 8-9 tomatoes
• 6-8 cloves of garlic
• 3-4 shallots 
• Cilantro
• Sea salt to taste

Grilled the tomatoes, jalapenos, shallots and garlic until lightly charred.  

Remove stems and some seeds (depending on how hot you want the salsa) from the jalapenos.  Please all ingredients into food processor and pulse till desired texture. Add salt to taste preference.

I sterilize jars, lids and caps that seal.  I fill with the salsa and close them up not too tightly and place in boiling water about 1/2 way up until the liquid inside is boiling.  I remove from the water, tighten the lids with hot pad holders and place them upside down to help seal.  This keeps the salsa good for a long time.  I try to keep jars around for year round.   


If you want it for right away make sure to store in fridge.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Chili paste and fish sauce give these shrimp a Thai-inspired flavor. Both are available in the ethnic-food aisles at many supermarkets, in Asian grocery stores, and online.

Ingredients

For The Shrimp

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest, plus 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (from 7 to 8 limes)
• 2 tablespoons Asian chili paste (such as sambal oelek; ethnicfoodsco.com)
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (such as nam pla; amazon.com)

• Coarse salt
• Safflower oil, for brushing (I used Olive oil)
• 36 large shrimp (about 3 pounds), peeled and deveined (tails left intact; optional)

Directions:

Soak 12 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent charring.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Bring sugar and lime juice to a simmer in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. 

Remove from heat; stir in lime zest, chili paste, and fish sauce. Season with salt.

Make the shrimp: Heat grill to high. Brush grates with oil. Thread  shrimp onto each skewer; season with salt. 

Divide sauce in half; reserve half for serving. Grill shrimp for 1 minute; brush with sauce. Flip, and grill for 1 minute more; brush with sauce again. Flip, and grill, brushing occasionally with sauce, until opaque, 1 to 3 minutes more. 

Serve with reserved sauce.

Blood Orange Magarita

The recipe came from Sandiagos restaurant which is located at the base of the Sandia Mountains where the Tram is located. They are on Facebook too.

Ingredients:

• 2 pts gold tequila
• 1 pt triple sec
• 1 pt orange juice
• 1 pt sweet and sour
• 1 pt sweetened lime juice
• 1 pt blood orange puree

Directions:


Mix well, serve over ice with slice of a blood orange.

You can find blood orange puree here: http://www.perfectpuree.com/

The Perfect Puree of Napa Valley 30 ounce jar $25.00

http://www.perfectpuree.com/index.php/Products/blood-orange-concentrate.html

Arroz Pollo Consome (Rice and Chicken soup)

This is a fantastic dish I learned to make while I was on assignment in Mexico City.  This is truly a must try even it it sounds odd.  Everyone I've ever made this for begs for the recipe.


Here are a few photos I found online... I'll take pictures of ours next time I make it.

Ingredients

• Whole chicken, skin removed and cleaned as best as you can
• Knorr Caldo Con Sabor de Pollo (Chicken Flavor Bouillon)
• Water
• Jalapeno
• Cilantro
• White onion
• Limes
• Avocados
• Cooked white rice

Directions

1. Add chicken to large soup pot and cover completely with water.  Once it boils I put it on low and let is cook over night.
2. Remove pan once chicken is full cooked and allow it to cool
3. Strain the broth into another large pan and this will allow the chicken meat and bones to be separated
4. Place broth in the fridge to allow the fat that accumulated to firm up for easy removal.
5. Process the chicken, removing all bones and skin or other parts you don't want in the soup.
6. Get the broth from the fridge and remove as much fat accumulation as you can from the soup
7. Please the chicken into the broth; taste and add the bouillon until you have the desired taste you seek.
8. Keep the soup cooking on low.
9. Make white rice
10. Cut up jalapenos, white onion, cilantro and limes and place all in small serving bowls.
11. Dice avocado right before you serve it.
12. Spoon rice (however much you desire) into bowls.
13. Pour soup with chicken over the rice.
14. Now comes the great part... spoon in onions, jalapenos, cilantro and avocados.  Squeeze lime juice into the soup, then stir and eat.

Bruschetta 'n Cheese-Stuffed Thick Pork Chops or Chicken Breasts

Bruschetta 'n Cheese-Stuffed Thick Pork Chops or Chicken Breasts (for chicken see additional information under Kraft Kitchen Tips).

This dish can be pepared ahead of time and frozen.  I make them in advance so my family can pull them out, defrost and make a great meal.

Here is the pork chop after I stuffed it.

Here are pictures of the chicken version cooked

Here is is sliced up served with a baked accorn squash.

Ingredients

• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1-1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Pork or Chicken
• 6 boneless thick pork chops
• 1/3 cup KRAFT Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing

Directions

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

MIX tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese and basil in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.

PLACE 6 thick pork chops on a cutting board.  Slice chops in the center length wise making a nice deep pocket. Place the stuffing mixture into the pocket in the pork chops. in 13x9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with dressing.

BAKE 1 hour 15 min. covered, then remove and cook additional 15 minutes.or until pok is done (cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F). Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted.

Kraft Kitchens Tips Variations

Chicken Breasts:  use 8 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2 lb.) PLACE 2 chicken breasts in large freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Pound with meat mallet or side of heavy can until chicken is 1/4 inch thick. Remove from bag; place, top-sides down, on cutting board. Repeat with remaining chicken. Spread chicken with stuffing mixture. Starting at 1 narrow end, tightly roll up each breast. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with dressing.  BAKE 40 min. or until chicken is done (165°F). Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted.

For a south-of-the-border-style Chicken or Pork dish, use diced tomatoes with bell or jalapeno peppers, KRAFT Mexican Style Shredded Cheese instead of the mozzarella cheese and chopped cilantro instead of the basil.

Ceviche

Ceviche is a citrus-marinated seafood, its birthplace is unknown. Some believe the dish to have originated in Polynesia while others claim that it developed by the Spanish (who introduced it into Latin America along with limes). Still others claim it originated along the coasts of Peru and coasts of Southern Ecuador before the arrival of the Spanish. Many other countries in Latin America have adopted it, with variations. Both fish and shellfish can be used in the preparation of ceviche.

We make ours with Red Snapper, Scallops and Shrimp in our version.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb halibut fillet or sea bass fillet or red snapper fillet (or use a mixture of fish, shrimp and scallops)
• 5-6 limes (Enough Juice to cover fish)
• 1 diced fresh tomato
• 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• green chili seasoning, to taste
• Tajin seasoning, to taste
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (or more to suit your taste)
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium cucumber finely chopped
• avocado (optional)

Directions:

1. Dice the fish and scallops (approximately 1/2-inch dice if using shrimp use cleaned cooked shrimp).
2. Marinate fish and scallops in the lime juice in the fridge overnight (this step cooks the fish), the shrimp is added later.
3. Stir often.
4. Pour off most of the lime juice (just leave it moist).
5. Add remaining ingredients except avocado. Do this preferably a few hours before serving and refrigerate.
6. Toss well and arrange in individual serving bowls.
7. If you wish garnish with sliced avocado.

Note: If you prefer to have this dish ready sooner... you can lightly bake the fish and scallops, then chop them up and add them with the shrimp and add the lime juice.  Stir it well.  Then add all remaining ingredients, season to taste and top with sliced avocado.