Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Black Bean and Corn Salsa recipe is a great accompaniment to carnitas, tacos, or tortilla chips. You can also add this salsa to burgers, salads, Feel free to increase or decrease the spiciness to taste.

This Black Bean and Corn Salsa was made by Kathy and served at our Taste Tempters Cinco De Mayo dinner night that was hosted by Jenny in April.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can yellow corn, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can white corn, drained
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained
• and rinsed
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced
• tomatoes, drained
• 1 bunch finely chopped cilantro
• 5 green onions, finely sliced
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced

Directions:

1. Stir the yellow and white corn, black beans, tomatoes, cilantro, green onion, red onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Gently mix in the lime juice and avocado.

Mexican Cheese Dip

Mexican Cheese Dip

This Mexican Cheese Dip was made by our special guest, Kim, and served out our Taste Tempters Cino De Mayo dinner night that was hosted by Jenny in April.

Recipe coming soon .... 

Mini Taco Quiches

 

These individual Mini Taco Quiches make a 

great main dish, appetizer, or for a breakfast or brunch

These Mini Taco Quiches were made by Kelly and were served at our Taste Tempters Cinco De Mayo dinner night that was hosted by Jenny in April.

Mini Taco Quiches

Ingredients:

1. 4 Flour Tortillas
2. 1/2 pound lean ground beef (hamburger)
3. 1/2 cup chopped onions
4. 1 clove garlic, minced
5. 1/2 (3-ounce) can chopped chile peppers (optional)
6. 1/2 teaspoon chili powder*
7. 1/4 teaspoon salt
8. 1/4 teaspoon oregano
9. 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
10. 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or Monterey jack cheese
11. 4 eggs, beaten
12. 1 cup sour cream
13. Toppings (see below)

* I like to use ground red chipotle powder.

Topping Suggestions:

• Chopped tomato
• Shredded lettuce
• Sour Cream
• Sliced black olives
• Hot Sauce or Salsa

Directions For One Pan Taco Quiche:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a Quiche Dish. Line the quiche dish with the flour tortillas, tearing to fit and slightly over laying them. NOTE: Only use one (1) layer of tortillas in the quiche dish. For individual quiches see directions below.
2. In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, sauté the ground beef and onions until the beef is cooked; remove from heat and drain of any excess fat and discard. Add garlic, chile peppers, chili powder, salt, oregano, and cumin; stirring to combine the ingredients. Spoon the ground beef mixture into the tortilla-lined quiche pan.
3. Spoon the shredded cheese over the meat mixture.
4. In a small bowl, beat the eggs well. Blend in the sour cream. Pour egg mixture on top of the cheese in the quiche pan.
5. Baked approximately 45 to 50 minutes or until the internal temperature registers at least 160 degrees F. on your cooking thermometer and the filling is set. 

Directions for Individual Mini Taco Quiches:

1. Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, cut each flour tortilla into 3 rounds. Fit tortilla rounds into prepared muffin cups.
2. Fill each tortilla filled muffin cup with 1/4 cup meat mixture Spoon 2 tbps the shredded cheese over the meat mixture.
3. In a small bowl, beat the eggs well. Blend in the sour cream. Pour 1/4 cup egg mixture on top of the cheese in the quiche pan.
4. Baked approximately 30 to 45 minutes or until the internal temperature registers at least 160 degrees F. on your cooking thermometer and the filling is set.

 Mini Taco Quiches

Sausage Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Prepared by Jen

Ingredients:

• 16 extra-large white mushrooms (Baby Portabellas)
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium sherry (instead of coating mushrooms w/wine & oil I added 3 or 4 Tbls of the wine to sausage mixture.)
• 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
• 4 scallions, white and green parts, minced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2/3 cup panko crumbs
• 5 ounces mascarpone cheese, preferably from Italy
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop . Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala. Set aside. (I added a couple chopped mushrooms to the chopped stems and I don't toss them in wine and olive oil).

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it's completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Add 3 - 4 Tbls Dry Marsala wine. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley. Cool slightly.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake until the stuffing is browned and crusty about 50 minutes.

Note: Recipe is by Ina Garten

Grilled Naan Pizza

Prepared by Kathi-Anne

Ingredients:

• 1/4 of 6 oz pkg Food You Feel Good About Baby Spinach (about 2 cups), divided
• 1 tsp Wegmans Pure Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pkg (2 loaves) Food You Feel Good About Traditional Naan
• 4 Tbsp Summer Fresh Artichoke & Asiago Dip (Cheese Shop), divided
• 6 Tbsp Summer Fresh Bruschetta (Cheese Shop), drained, divided
• 4 balls bocconcini (Mediterranean Bar), sliced into fifths, divided

You'll Need: Grill foil; non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat grill on MEDIUM-HIGH.
2. Toss spinach with olive oil; season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Spread each naan with 2 Tbsp artichoke dip; top with 1/2 spinach; 1/2 of bruschetta and mozzarella slices. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spray foil with nonstick spray; place on grill. Reduce heat to MEDIUM. Place naan pizzas on foil; cover grill. Cook 7-9 min, occasionally checking for flare-ups, until toasted but not burnt.
5. Quarter pizzas; serve immediately.

Note: Recipe From Wegman's Food Markets Menu Magazine Winter 2011

Southwestern Egg Rolls

Prepared by Patty

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half
• 2 tablespoons minced green onion
• 2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 tablespoons diced jalapeno peppers
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 5 (6 inch) flour tortillas
• 1 quart oil for deep frying

Directions:

• Rub 1 tablespoon vegetable oil over chicken breast. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook chicken approximately 5 minutes per side, until meat is no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in green onion and red pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until tender.
• Dice chicken and mix into the pan with onion and red pepper. Mix in corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in Monterey Jack cheese so that it melts.
• Wrap tortillas with a clean, lightly moist cloth. Microwave on high approximately 1 minute, or until hot and pliable.
• Spoon even amounts of the mixture into each tortilla. Fold ends of tortillas, then roll tightly around mixture. Secure with toothpicks. Arrange in a medium dish, cover with plastic, and place in the freezer. Freeze at least 4 hours.
• In a large, deep skillet, heat oil for deep frying to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Deep fry frozen, stuffed tortillas 10 minutes each, or until dark golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving.

Warm Taco Dip

Prepared by Karen

Recipe Coming Soon...

Fresh Salsa

Prepared by Debbie

This is a great recipe to make during the summer when you can purchase the ingredients fresh from the farmer's market.

Ingredients:

• 12 plum tomatoes, diced
• 2 or 3 chipotles in adobo sauce
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 jalapeño peppers, diced
• 3 tbsp, onion, diced
• 3 tsp, fresh cilantro, chopped (use more if desired)
  
• juice of 1 lime

Directions:

• For a bolder/smoky flavor, grill 6 of the 12 tomatoes prior to chopping. I grill them until the skin of the tomato just starts to turn a little black.
• In a small food processor or chopper, process the 2-3 chipotles and some of adobo sauce, tomato paste and garlic cloves until smooth.
• In a mediums size bowl mix the chipotle mixture and the remaining ingredients.
• Refrigerate at least a couple of hours to allow to flavors to mix. Serve with tortilla chips.

Sauerkraut Balls

Prepared By Debbie

This is what I found about the origin of Sauerkraut Balls .... "These tasty little bites hail from Northeast Ohio where they have achieved cult status. It’s not a football or New Year’s Eve party in Akron, Ohio without these delicious one-bite appetizers with German Mennonite origins that are virtually unknown outside of Ohio."

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. bulk sausage
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 can (32 oz.) sauerkraut, drained well and chopped (I used Silver Frost brand that comes in a bag in the cooler or meat section of the grocery store)
• 4 tbsp. fine dry bread crumbs
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 4 tbsp. finely snipped parsley
• 2 tbsp. sweet-hot mustard or honey-mustard (I used sweet-hot)
• 1 dash garlic salt
• 1 dash pepper
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp. water or milk
• 2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• Cooking oil for deep-frying (I used vegetable oil)

Directions:

• In a large skillet cook sausage and onion until sausage is brown, breaking sausage into small pieces. Drain.
• Drain sauerkraut, pressing out as much liquid as possible. In a large mixing bowl, combine sauerkraut, sausage mixture, bread crumbs (4 tbsp.), cream cheese, parsley, mustard, garlic salt and pepper. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight.
• Put flour in a shallow container. In another shallow container beat eggs and water until combined. Put bread crumbs in a third shallow container. Using about 2 tbsp. for each, shape sauerkraut mixture into balls. Roll balls in flour, then egg mixture, then in bread crumbs. Fry a few at a time in deep, cooking oil (365°F) for approximately 2 minutes or until brown. Remove from fat with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Transfer to a baking sheet with sides; keep warm in a 275°F oven.

Note: I would think you could bake these to make them lighter in fat and calories.

Serve with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

Beer Sausages

Prepared by Theresa

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. cooked Polish sausage
• 1 c. beer
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 c. vinegar
• 1/4 c. prepared mustard
• 1 tbsp. prepared horseradish

Directions:

Cut sausage into 1/2" lengths. Boil them in beer for 10 minutes. Mix brown sugar with cornstarch. Add to vinegar, mustard and horseradish. Add sausages and cook until bubbly.

HINT: Prepare in crock pot and serve with toothpicks at gatherings.

Kathy--Perfect theme as there's hearty fare to chase away the winter cold!

Prost! ("Cheers" in German)

Pomegranate Mango Gaucamole

Prepared By Cathy

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe avocados
• 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 serrano chili, finely chopped, including seeds
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 3/4 cup diced peeled mango
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions:

1.Cut the mango in half lengthwise. With a small sharp knife score the flesh both horizontally and vertically. Pushing on the skin of the mango, flip it inside out and cut off the flesh from the skin.

2. To remove the pomegranate seeds, cut the pomegranate in half and submerge in a large bowl of water then gently peel to remove all of the seeds.3. Halve, pit, and peel avocados. Coarsely mash in a bowl. Stir in onion, chiles, 1/4 cup lime juice, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, then fold in pomegranate seeds, mango, and cilantro. Season with salt and additional lime juice.

Hot Crab Cream Cheese Dip

Prepared By Debbie

Ingredients:

• 2 packages Crab Delight (Imitation Crab Meat)
• 1 8 0z package Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• garlic powder

Directions:

Chop or shred crab meat into small pieces. In a mixing bowl, mix together the crab meat, cream cheese and mayonnaise until well combined. Place dip into a baking dish. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 mins or until bubbly.

Serve with crackers.

Thai Chicken Satay Skewers

Recipe From Allcooks.com, Prepared By Jen

Chicken Ingredients:

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 servings)

Marinade:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 heaping teaspoon grated gingeroot
• 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Marinade Directions:

1. Reserve 3 tablespoons mixture for dipping sauce; cover and refrigerate
2. Add 2 tablespoons water to marinade and pour over Chicken.
3. Cover; marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours, stirring mixture occasionally. (very salty if marinated overnight)

Peanut Sauce:

Bring to boil over Medium-high heat stirring constantly:

• 3 tablespoons reserved soy sauce mixture
• 3/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk or Coco Goya Cream of Coconut (I prefer Sweetened Coconut Milk – stronger Coconut flavor & sweeter taste)
• 2 tablespoon creamy peanut butter

Simmer uncovered 2 – 4 minutes or until sauce thickens

Grill or Bake Chicken in oven

1. Soak 8 (10- to 12-inch) bamboo skewers 20 minutes in cold water to prevent them from burning; drain. Prepare grill for direct cooking.
2. Drain chicken; reserve marinade. Weave 3 to 4 chicken strips accordion-style onto each skewer.
3. Brush chicken. Discard remaining marinade.
4. Grill skewers on uncovered grill over medium-hot coals 6 to 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning halfway through grilling time or bake at 350 in oven.

Serve with warm peanut sauce for dipping.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Prepared By Kelly

Ingredients:

• 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 6-8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 baguette French bread or similar Italian bread
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1 Prepare the tomatoes first. Parboil the tomatoes for one minute in boiling water that has just been removed from the burner. Drain. Using a sharp small knife, remove the skins of the tomatoes. (If the tomatoes are too hot, you can protect your finger tips by rubbing them with an ice cube between tomatoes.) Once the tomatoes are peeled, cut them in halves or quarters and remove the seeds and juice from their centers. Also cut out and discard the stem area. Why use plum tomatoes instead of regular tomatoes? The skins are much thicker and there are fewer seeds and less juice.

2 Make sure there is a top rack in place in your oven. Turn on the oven to 450°F to preheat.

3 While the oven is heating, chop up the tomatoes finely. Put tomatoes, garlic, 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, vinegar in a bowl and mix. Add the chopped basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4 Slice the baguette on a diagonal about 1/2 inch thick slices. Coat one side of each slice with olive oil using a pastry brush. Place on a cooking sheet, olive oil side down. You will want to toast them in the top rack in your oven, so you may need to do these in batches depending on the size of your oven. Once the oven has reached 450°F, place a tray of bread slices in the oven on the top rack. Toast for 5-6 minutes, until the bread just begins to turn golden brown.

Alternatively, you can toast the bread without coating it in olive oil first. Toast on a griddle for 1 minute on each side. Take a sharp knife and score each slice 3 times. Rub some garlic in the slices and drizzle half a teaspoon of olive oil on each slice. This is the more traditional method of making bruschetta.

5 Align the bread on a serving platter, olive oil side up. Either place the tomato topping in a bowl separately with a spoon for people to serve themselves over the bread, or place some topping on each slice of bread and serve. If you top each slice with the tomatoes, do it right before serving or the bread may get soggy.

Makes 24 small slices. Serves 6-10 as an appetizer. Or 3-4 for lunch (delicious served with cottage cheese on the side.)

Dipping Oil for Bread

Dipping Oil for Bread
like Carrabba's®
The perfect blend of herbs, spices, garlic, and red pepper
mixed with olive oil and serve with crusty bread cubes.

Prepared by Kelly

Yield: 1/2 cup
Prep. Time: 0:05

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper (I would 1/2 this amount)
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary (I wish I used fresh - a little strong dried)
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. granulated garlic (I used powder, didn't have granulated)
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I doubled the olive oil)
  

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, except oil, on a shallow bowl or plate. Pour olive oil over.

Notes: Serve with fresh-baked bread for dipping.

Jalepano Popper Dip

My attempt to make Jalapeno poppers was failing quickly so I turned them into a Jalapeno Popper Dip.

Prepared by Debbie

These are rough estimates for the dip since I didn't follow a recipe.

Ingredients:

• 6 Jalapeño peppers, diced very small (You may want to use more or less depending on how spicy the peppers are. The peppers I used were pretty mild)
• 2 - 8 oz pkgs of 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese
• 2 cups Mexican style cheeses (I used Great Value brand already shredded cheese)
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together except for the Cheddar Cheese. Spread cheese & Jalapeño mixture an ungreased baking dish, top with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until it just starts to bubble around the edges. Serve with tortilla chips.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Prepared by Debbie

Ingredients:

• 12 plum tomatoes, diced
• 3 jalapeño peppers, diced
• 3 tbsp, onion, diced
• 3 tsp, fresh cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Mix all together and in a medium size bowl. Refrigerate at least a couple of hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

Fresh Veggies & Dip

Prepared By Karen

Knorr Easy Vegetable Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 package Knorr® Vegetable recipe mix
• 1/2 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
• 1 container (16 oz.) sour cream

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients. Cover and chill 2 hours to blend flavors.
Stir before serving. Serve with your favorite dippers (carrots, broccoli, celery, snow peas, etc.).

Strawberry-goat cheese Bruschetta

Prepared By Karen

Strawberry-goat cheese Bruschetta

(Recipe from: Better Homes & Garden)

Ingredients:

• 1 8-oz. baguette
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 4-oz. log goat cheese (chevre)
• 1-1/2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup arugula
• Olive oil
• Sea salt or coarse salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Snipped fresh herbs

Directions:

Heat broiler. Halve baguette crosswise, then lengthwise. Place cut sides up on large baking sheet. Brush with the 1 tablespoon oil. Broil, 3 to 4 inches from heat, for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Slice and divide cheese among toasts. Top with sliced berries. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese and berries soften. Remove from broiler; top with arugula. Drizzle additional oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and herbs.

Makes 4 servings.

Baked Cucumber & Cheese Squares

Prepared By Cathy

Baked Cucumber & Cheese Squares
aka Cucumber & Cheese Things (CCT) :)

Ingredients:

• One loaf appetizer square bread (Artisan Section) – rye or pumpernickel (I used pumpernickel)
• 1- 2 Large seedless cucumber (it is okay to use w/ seeds) – sliced approx. ¼ inch thick
• 3 cups of White Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Shredded in bag)
• 1 cup Mayonnaise (approx. – may need more/less) – I used light Mayo
• Minced Onion to taste (I used dry)
• Paprika (Optional)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients except bread and cucumber slices in a bowl (like the consistency of tuna salad)
2. Line baking sheet with slices of bread
3. Place one cucumber slice on each piece of bread
4. Spoon a generous amount of cheese mixture on each piece covering cucumber slice
5. Sprinkle lightly w/ paprika (optional)
6. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese has melted and golden brown (apx. 5-8 minutes)

NOTE: The first time I spooned too much on each and had enough mixture for half of the loaf, so this should be enough for almost the entire loaf. You may only need half of the second cucumber depending on how thick you slice them. Be sure not to slice the cucumbers to thin. Enjoy!