Restaurant Style Guacamole Recipe

Mexican food is one of my favorite things to eat. I could probably eat it every single day but I think Jay would not be thrilled with this idea. Give me some chips and guacamole and I'm the happiest person in the world. I've been working to perfect making guacamole at home so I don't have to go out for it all the time (my wallet is thanking me for this!) and I've finally got it down. I made it twice this past weekend for different parties and knew I had to stop being selfish and share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy! 

What you'll need: 

4 ripe avocados

1 large tomato 

1 jalapeno (find the biggest one you can if you like it a little spicy) 

1 small red onion

1 bunch cilantro 

1 lime

Salt to taste 

What to do:

 1. Finely chop the tomatoes (removing the seeds), jalapeno (leave some seeds if you want it hotter), onion and cilantro and put it all in a large bowl. 

2. Slice the avocados in small chunks and add them to the mixture. I've learned that if you slice the avocados in half and then make diagonal cuts both ways while it's still in the skin and then scoop out the contents it will give you the perfect size (and it's not as messy).

3. Stir up all of the ingredients until you reach your desired consistency. Some people like their guac a little chunky and others like it silky smooth. It's totally up to you. I like to have it mostly smooth with some chunks in there. 

4. Slice your lime in half and squeeze both sides into your mixture. It may seem like a ton of lime juice but trust me -- the avocado neutralizes a lot of the flavors and you will hardly be able to taste it.

5. Sprinkle with salt, mix, add another dash or two depending on your preference and mix again.

6. Grab a big bag of chips and enjoy! :) 

Let us know if you try this recipe! Are there other appetizer recipes you'd like to share? Leave them for us in the comments!

Queso Blanco Recipe

 

So I know we like to promote health on this blog but sometimes an amazing recipe comes along that is too good not to share. I've been making this queso blanco for most parties and events lately and it's always a big hit. Who doesn't like cheese? And don't get me started on tortilla chips, I could eat my body weight in them easily. I just whipped up a batch last night for my company holiday party potluck and I'm planning on bringing another batch to a party this weekend. It's very easy to make and very hard to mess up -- my kind of recipe!

 

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What you'll need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 large diced jalapeno with the seeds and stem removed
16 ounces white American cheese, shredded or cubed
4 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
3/4 cup cream or half-and-half
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel
1-2 roma tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
1 small bunch cilantro, roughly chopped

 

What to do:

Heat the oil in a saute pan. Cook the onion and pepper until softened and reduce heat to medium-low. Add the cheeses and 1/2 cup of the cream. Stir until mostly melted. Add the can of diced tomatoes and green chilies, the diced tomatoes, cilantro, and additional cream a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.

 

Tips: I had to buy the white American cheese at the deli counter and then cut it up into cubes. I couldn't find it anywhere else! Also, leave some of the jalapeno seeds in and add a little more white onion if you want a kick. I bring it over in a crock pot and let guests enjoy it all evening.

Do you have any recipe favorites you bring to parties? We'd love to hear them! Let us know if you make this and how it turns out.

 

 

Labor Day Party Food Ideas

Happy Labor Day! Today marks the winding down of outdoor parties, beach days and driving with the windows down. I adore summer and am always sad to see it go, but this unofficial end of summer does bring plenty of opportunities to get outside and really enjoy the gorgeous weather before winter rolls in.

If you’re planning to attend a Labor Day barbeque, check out these great ideas for appetizers and dessert. I’m not going to pretend to know anything about grilling, but dessert and appetizers I do know! Here are some of my favorites that are pretty quick to whip up:

Homemade Chips and Fruit Salsa

This takes a bit of prep time, but it’s delicious, totally worth and really easy to do.

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Start by picking four or five different fruits. My favorite combination for this recipe is pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, mango and kiwi. Dice the fruits into small pieces and combine them in a bowl. Before adding the really juicy fruits, like pineapple, you may want to press a paper towel on them before mixing otherwise the juice from that one fruit can dominate. Squeeze either some lemon or orange over the top, add a bit of sugar and fold everything together. Cover and refrigerate.

In a small mixing bowl, combine ½ cup white sugar and a tablespoon of cinnamon. You’ll have to eyeball this a bit – if you are a fan of cinnamon, you can add more. Set this aside. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Open a package of 7-inch flour tortillas. Lay one on a cutting board. In a small mixing bowl, melt a few tablespoons of butter so that it is a completely liquid consistency. As soon as you’ve heated the butter, dip a basting brush into the butter and brush it over one side of the tortilla. Immediately take a few pinches of the sugar/cinnamon and sprinkle it over the butter. Make sure you spread it evenly over the tortilla. Using a pizza cutter, cut the tortilla so that you’ve made eight triangular pieces. Immediately transfer these to a baking sheet. Repeat this process until you’ve made enough triangles to fill one baking sheet. When you’ve done that, bake the tortillas for about seven minutes. You’ll need to watch – you are looking for the chips to be light golden brown. Try to do this process quickly and make all the chips you need – the chips are much better when they are a few minutes out of the oven.

Bruschetta

Bruschetta couldn’t be simpler to put together and it’s something that usually impresses. 

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Dice several Roma tomatoes and make sure to remove the seeds. Mince some garlic and basil and mix it in with the tomatoes. Add a little salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar to taste. Refrigerate the mixture for at least one hour. When you are ready to serve, slice some store-bought French bread diagonally so each piece is approximately ¾ inch thick. Lay the slices on a baking sheet and scoop some of the tomato mixture on top of each slice. You could go one step further and add some Parmesan cheese or shredded mozzarella on top. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until the bread crisps and/or the cheese on top melts. Another option is just to crisp up the bread in the oven and scoop the tomato mixture on afterward.

Cupcakes 

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There are plenty of recipes out there for cupcakes and lots of store-bought mix options, so I’ll just share one quick tip on making the cupcakes for your party a little healthier. If you go with a store-bought mix, instead of adding the oil, eggs, water and any other wet ingredients the mix calls for, just add one can of pumpkin. I know how strange this sounds, but trust me. Once you mix that in, bake as directed. The cupcakes won’t come out as smooth on top, but they’ll be a little better for you! 

Have a happy and fun-filled Labor Day!