Fresh Roasted Salsa

I haven't posted in a very long time, and I have no excuse... except I'm lazy.

Do any of you have a plethora of tomatoes in your garden and you are sick to death of bottling/canning/freezing - which is code for blanching/peeling/cutting/chopping/crying/boiling/burning yourself/waiting to enjoy the 'fruits of your labor'??  Me too!!

We used to bottle some pretty good salsa - but I came across this little gem on a blog, I can't for the life of me remember the site (this was before Pinterest) - once we ate this, the old stuff was disappointing.  It's a pretty flexible recipe.  Here's what you need:

Tomatoes - Approximately a sink full. Washed and cut in halves.
Onions - Washed, peeled and quartered.  I use two onions per tray of tomatoes.
Jalapenos - Washed, stems removed and cut in halves.  I use two per tray of tomatoes.
Garlic - Peeled whole cloves.  I like a lot, I think there are four or five per tray of tomatoes.
Salt - I use coarse salt, I don't know why, but I like to see that I've got plenty sprinkled on the veggies.
Cilantro - Washed and drained.  I like a huge handful of the ends with the leaves.  (But, save for after roasting.)

Lay out your tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and garlic on cookie sheets - sprinkle generously with salt.  Roast at 425 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.  The tomatoes loose their juices and everything gets a little 'charred'.  I use a slotted spoon to scoop everything into the food processor with the cilantro - this batch of salsa was about 3 food processors-full.  If you like thinner salsa - you can add the tomato juice from the cookie sheets.  I like thick and hearty salsa so I don't.  Add salt to taste.  If you like lime juice, you can add that too.  But, it really doesn't need it.

I hope you like this salsa as much as we do.  It's super easy and barely any prep work.  See.  I'm lazy.

Texas Caviar II

I know there is another Texas Caviar post on the blog, but this one is a lot different and we here in Poyfair land LOVE it. You make it, let it sit a couple hours, and the enjoy! It is super yummy and makes a ton so it's perfect to bring to potlucks and summer gatherings along with some tortilla chips. Or you can just keep it all to yourself like we like to do sometimes. And for those of you who do not like cilantro, go ahead and add it. I don't care for it myself, but in this dish you can't really taste but it really makes the dish amazing.

Texas Caviar II

1 can white shoepeg corn

1 can black eye peas
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
**rinse first then throw in bowl

3 avocados - diced
3 tomatoes - diced
1 red onion - diced (amount can be up to you. I only use 1/2 to 3/4)
1 green pepper - diced
1 bunch of cilantro – rinse and chop

Mix everything then squeeze 1 lime and 1 tsp. of vinegar and let sit for a couple of hours. Serve with tortilla chips. We like the small bite sized ones the best but that's just our preference.

**I also add salt to mine. I just toss some in and stir then taste it and add more if I need. I think it needs it but it's up to you.

Toffee Apple Dip

I had this at a party last week and fell in love with this. I made it tonight for a BBQ and doubled the recipe so I had some at home to eat too. It's a great way to get rid of your apples since you will want to eat a ton with this dip, which isn't so healthy but yummy anyway.

Toffee Apple Dip

1- 8oz brick cream cheese, softened (you can use the light version)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup Heath bits (found near chocolate chips)
Apple slices (Granny Smith are the best)

With an electric mixer, mix everything together and chill for a little while so the mixture gets thick and cold. Serve with apple slices. Yum!

Easy Fruit Dip

Can I start off by saying... I love kraftfoods.com! It really has the best site, with tons of recipes and lots of reviews for the recipes. I always read the reviews first to get an idea what was wrong with the recipe, what was right, or what people changed about it. This is the easiest thing I've ever made and everyone at the BBQ I was at loved it.

Easy Fruit Dip

8oz brick cream cheese, softened
6oz (regular size) strawberry yogurt (I used regular Yoplait)

Mix together and chill at least one hour. Delicious with strawberries, bananas, pineapple and grapes. The great thing about this recipe it that you can change out the yogurt you use to make different flavor dips. Blackberry and raspberry come to mind!

Roasted Eggplant Spread

I had this dip at a baby shower last night and I could not get enough. It is an Ina Garten recipe and it is sooo good, and a great way to get some veggies in your kids (and husbands). It was served with whole grain Wheat Thins. I'm not kidding, it's delicious. It looks a little iffy at first, but just dive in! The hostess also made some turtle brownies that I will post later.

1 medium eggplant
2 red bell peppers, seeded
1 red onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking. Cool slightly.
Place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste, and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper.

Herb Butter

I made this with leftover parsley I had, and it is a lot of fun to have at the dinner table. You can use any herbs you want, but keep in mind that if you use stronger herbs you might want to use less of it. We usually get a baguette or other crusty bread, sliced, placed on a baking sheet, and baked at 425 degrees until slightly toasted (you can drizzle olive oil on the bread before toasting but it isn't necessary). We usually spread the butter on the bread and top with a good cheese, such as Havarti. It's a great late night snack!

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup chopped herbs, such as parsley, rosemary, basil, or a mixture of your favorites
1-2 tsp minced garlic (depends on your love of garlic)

Mix all the ingredients together with egg beaters in a small bowl. Spoon the butter mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a log-shape. Wrap in the plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator. This would be great on sandwiches, crackers, or melted over veggies, mashed potatoes, or meat. It's so versitile and you can make it ahead for whatever!

Chip Dip

This recipe comes from my sis-in-law, Kristen. It is so yummy and always disappears quickly.

1 pkg cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
3/4 cup salsa
1 Tbsp taco seasoning

Combine and serve with chips. You can alter the measurements to suit your liking. Yum-O!

Spinach Dip

Hello, yes I am still alive! I have had no computer for a few weeks so I am a little behind on all the fabulous recipes shared!!!

I thought I would share this one because it is a summer favorite of mine. The recipe is supposed to taste identical to the restaurant "Houston's ". I have never been to Houston's but the recipe is restaurant worthy!

One 12 -ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 cup chopped canned artichoke hearts (not marinated)
1 tablespoon chopped white onion
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese (do not sub any other cheese, it's not as good)
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Mix together the spinach, chopped artichoke hearts, and onion in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then cut a small slit in the center of the wrap so that steam can escape. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Keep spinach covered while you prepare the cream sauce.

Combine cream, sour cream, Jack cheese, grated Parmigano- Reggiano cheese, and garlic salt in a medium sauce pan over med/low heat. Heat this up slowly for about 10 minutes or until the sauce reaches a simmer and thickens. Do not let the mixture boil.

Add the spinach mixture to the sauce and continue to heat on med/low. Cook for about 10 more minutes or until the mixture reaches a thick dip like consistency. Pour into a bowl and serve with tortilla chips, crackers or bread for dipping! also like to sprinkle cheese on top and bake until the cheeses are melted! YUM!

The NEW Seven Layer Dip

Okay, so I love regular 7 layer dip - I could eat the whole plate myself, but this 7 layer dip is a little different and Bryan loves it. I saw Rachael Ray make it on TV, and then my sister-in-law Lindsay made it one time and we loved it! It may seem like a lot of ingredients, but some of them you may already have (like the beans) and most are cheap (like the green onions, cilantro, and the salsa). It is so worth it!

1 15-oz can refried beans
2 T hot sauce (it just flavors the refried beans, you can skip it if you want)
Olive Oil
4 green onions, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 16 to 18 oz jar of green chili or tomatillo salsa (this salsa is really good and not spicy)
2 T chopped fresh cilantro (you can estimate the amount)
1 15-oz can black beans
2 tsp ground cumin
1 16 to 18 oz jar chipotle salsa (I don't use chipotle salsa because I don't like it - use whatever tomato based salsa is your favorite)
2 cups sour cream (I add more because everything is better with sour cream!)
Zest and juice of one lime
2 cups guacamole (I love the Trader Joes's brand)
1 Tomato for garnishment

Heat the refried beans over medium heat with hot sauce. Transfer to a small deep casserole dish. Add olive oil to another pan over high heat until it smokes. Add green onions and sear 2 to 3 minutes. Add green salsa to green onions and heat through. Stir in cilantro and layer the mix on top of the beans. In same pan, with heat lowered to medium, add black beans and season with cumin (you can use taco seasoning if you don't have cumin, but it will taste a little different). Layer on top of green salsa mix. Top black beans with tomato salsa. Mix the sour cream with the lime zest and juice. Spread over tomato salsa. Spoon guacamole on top of sour cream. Garnish with tomatos and serve with tortilla chips!

Avacado Ranch

This isn't much of a recipe. It's more of just a good idea but I love avacado's and ranch so this is just a good way to have it all!

1/4 c. ranch dressing
1 small avacado

Scoop avacado into a bowl and mash. Stir in ranch and mix until smooth.
Serve on hamburgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, with chips as a dip, tacos, or anything else you would normally put avacado on.
*I put this on my taco burger last night and it was delish!