Grilled Pineapple Guacamole

Here is another must-try recipe.  The grilled pineapple takes guacamole, which is fantastic on its own, to a whole new level. 

Grilled Pineapple Guacamole
by Annie's Eats

2-3 slices of cored and peeled fresh pineapple
2 medium avocados
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, ribbed, and finely minced

Heat grill to medium high.  Place the pineapple slices on preheated grill and cook, turning once, until lightly charred on both sides.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.  Dice into medium chunks.

Split the avocados and scoop the flesh into a medium bowl.  Mash with a fork until mostly smooth.  Stir in the onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and jalapeno and continue mashing until it has a fluffy light texture.  Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.  Stir in the pineapple.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Sweet and Sour Veggie Dip

Here's a delicious little dip that we tried over New Years. It's so good that I made it for Super Bowl. It's a little salty and a little sweet - so good! We really like it with sugar snap peas, but it's also yummy with carrots and celery.

Sweet and Sour Veggie Dip

by Janice Moore

1 package cream cheese (I used the 1/3 lower fat kind
1/4 cup (guesstimate) sweet and sour sauce
1 tsp (guesstimate) soy sauce

Mix together and chill. Serve with cut up vegetables.

Chimichangas with Dipping Sauce

Here's another recipe from Nate's football party. I'm not usually a fan of frozen appetizers that just need to be reheated. But, the addition of the 'homemade' sauce made this recipe seem much more 'from the kitchen' instead of 'from the freezer aisle'.

Chimichangas with Dipping Sauce

1 (14 oz) bag of mini-chimichangas (I couldn't find these at my local Wal-Mart, so I substituted with taquitos)

1 (16 oz) container sour cream

2 tablespoons chipotleTabasco sauce

1 tablespoons chopped cilantro (I omitted since I didn't know how picky the eaters would be)

2 tsp cumin

Bake taquitos at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, mix the dip ingredients and chill. Serve immediately.

Grilled Taco Chicken Pizza

A few weeks ago Nate hosted a fantasy football party in our garage. In hindsight it was a pretty easy party to get ready for. I served a variety of appetizers to the guys, and I made sure that they were all easy-to-make recipes. Here's one that was definitely a keeper! I think with the addition of more veggies it could easily be tweaked into a mid-week meal.

Grilled Taco Chicken Pizza

1 store bought pizza crust

2/3 cup salsa

2 (10 oz) package of cooked chicken breast (I only used one)

1/2 package taco seasoning

3/4 cup Cheddar cheese

3/4 cup Monterrey jack cheese

1/4 cup chopped tomato

3 tablespoons sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray. Unroll pizza dough on baking sheet. Bake for five minutes. Spread salsa on crust.

In a bowl combine the chicken and taco seasoning. Sprinkle over salsa. Top with cheese. Bake for ten minutes. Sprinkle with tomatoes and green onions.

Happy Birthday Nate!

A few weeks ago we celebrated Nate's birthday. Although I forgot to actually take photos of his birthday party, I thought I would include a recipe for one of his favorite appetizers. It doesn't look 'good', but tastes delicious!
Instead I thought I would include a new photo of Caroline. She got an paint set from Aunt Beck and made a few masterpieces.

Spicy Sausage Dip
by Andrea Prehn

8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can chopped green chilies
1 medium yellow onion
1 package spicy breakfast sausage

Chop onion and brown together with sausage. Drain well. Mix all ingredients in crock pot and cook until heated through. Serve with bread, crackers, or chips.