Pico de Gallo

It's game day. The Packers are playing the Steelers at 6 EST. I'm super excited...not so much for the football game, but because it is a great excuse to make some Pico de Gallo and Guacamole. Do you ever really need an excuse to make some Pico? In a perfect world, not really.

Ingredients:
5 whole Plum (roma) tomatoes
1/2 large onion
2 whole jalapeños
Cilantro
1/2 Lime
Salt and Pepper

Chop jalapeños, tomatoes and onions into a very small dice. (Leave seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico, I take mine out). Adjust amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature. Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Just remove and discard the long leafless stems before chopping. No need to remove the leaves from the stems completely. Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl and give it a good stir.

Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again. Put the whole thing in the fridge. It needs an hour or so for all the flavors to mix together.

Guacamole (from scratch)

Ingredients

3 whole Avocados
Pico de Gallo, see recipe
1/2 Lime
Salt to taste

Start with ripe avocados. Halve them lengthwise and remove the pits. Next, with a spoon scrape the “meat” out into a bowl. Mash the avocados, making sure to leave it relatively chunky. Salt to taste, just a few shakes should do. Next, add a generous helping of Pico de Gallo. Fold together. Lastly squeeze the juice of half of a lime over the top. Give it one more stir. Cover with plastic. Press the plastic down into the bowl to prevent the Guacamole from browning. Guacamole tastes best if it's had a little time for the flavors to mix so I put it in the fridge for an hour or so before digging it.

Smoked Salmon Spread

We ate Thanksgiving dinner my good friend Laura's house. My oldest told me, on good authority, that Pumpkin Pie was the only Thanksgiving food she likes. Luckily, she was wrong. On the way home my child, who hates fish and onions, asked if I would make this dip for her.

1 package salmon (I use the Star-Kist salmon in the pink pouch)
1 block of cream cheese
2 green onions, chopped (use more or less depending on personal taste)
Garlic salt, to taste
1 Tbsp liquid smoke

Mix all the ingredients together. Chill for at least one hour in the fridge. Serve with crackers of your choice.

Hot Artichoke Dip

1 (14oz) can artichoke hearts, drained
1/3 c. grated Romano Cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 t. minced garlic
1 (10oz) package Spinach (thawed and drained)
1/3 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. sour cream
1 c. shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350F, Grease 9X13 in baking dish
Chop and mix artichoke hearts, Romano, Parmesan and Garlic
Mix Spinach, heavy cream, sour cream, and mozzarella. Stir in artichoke mix. Spoon into dish.
Bake for 20-25 mins--until cheese is melted and bubbly

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I found this recipe just in time for the Super Bowl last year...and let me tell you that it is the yummiest dip I think I've ever tasted. It's super easy to make and your friends will be impressed!

1 8oz block of cream cheese
½ cup bleu cheese dressing
1 cup (or more) of finely chopped cooked chicken
¼ - ½ cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (what’s your heat tolerance?)
(I used the Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce and it was just as awesome)
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
salt & pepper to taste
Cheddar Cheese

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (for topping)

Heat the block of cream cheese and bleu cheese dressing in microwave for about one minute or, until the mixture is easy to stir. Add in the chicken, hot sauce, Monterey Jack cheese and salt/pepper. Blend together ingredients.

Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. I like to use a larger dish (or spilt into two smaller dishes) and have a thinner spread of the dip. Top with the grated cheddar cheese and place in oven. Bake at 350°F (180°C) until the cheddar topping is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve immediately. The original recipe tells you to use Frito Scoop! Corn Chips, but we prefer the Tostitos chips. Also, if you want to pretend that celery sticks will make this more healthy, then, by all means, knock yourself out.