Tomatillo Guacamole

4 tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 jalapeno
2 chopped avocados
1 tsp salt

Boil tomatillos for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, puree cilantro, onion, jalapeno, and a splash of tomatillo cooking water in a blender. Could probably substitue a little lime juice for the cooking water. Drain tomatillos and add to blender with avocados and salt. Blend and serve with tortilla chips or as a garnish for just about any Mexican entree. Couldn't be easier!

Fast Fruit Dip

*Tastes like caramel dip, but much faster to make!

1 pkg Neufatchel cheese (the low fat cream cheese)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Blend all ingredients until smooth and creamy. For best results, chill for at least an hour for flavors to be more caramel like.

Cranberry Salsa

1 cup cranberries
2 Tbl orange juice
1/3 cup sugar
2 med red peppers diced
3 Tbl toasted pecans, chopped
2 tsp lime zest
1 Tbl orange zest
1 jalopeno diced
salt and pepper

Blend together

Roasted Tomato and Garlic Sauce

Do you have too many tomatoes in your garden or leftover tomatoes from Boutiful Baskets that you're not sure what to do with??? This simple and flavorful sauce has literally a hundred uses. I used it over parmesan crusted chicken, but you could also use it as a dip for chicken fingers, use it in place of pizza sauce on homemade pizza, toss it with pasta, etc.

1 lb tomatoes

1 onion

3 cloves garlic, unpeeled

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp thyme

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Slice tomatoes in half, and slice onion in large wedges. Place tomatoes, onion, and unpeeled garlic in bowl. Drizzle with half of the oil. Sprinkle with seasonings and toss to make sure everything is coated. Place tomatoes face down on cookie sheet with onion and garlic and cook for 2 hours. Turn the tomatoes over after the first hour. Remove from oven. Put everything in food processor (squeeze garlic from peel first), and pulse or puree to desired consistency with remaining oil. Can add 1-2 T of water to thin sauce out if necessary.

Note: Any type of tomato should work for this recipe. I have used romas and red vine tomatoes. This is also a great way to use tomatoes that are getting a little soft. I lined my cookie sheet with foil and lightly sprayed with oil for easy cleanup.

Mom's Hot Fudge Syrup

1 cup sugar
3 TBSP cocoa powder

Cook over low heat for 3 minutes stirring constantly.

Add:

3/4 cup milk
2 TBSP butter
1 tsp vanilla

Boil for 2 minutes. To make thicker, boil longer

Copy-Cat Winger's AMAZING Sauce

3 TBSP Frank's Hot Sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP water

Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Stir over heat until combined. This is typically served over chicken strips as Winger's Amazing Sticky Fingers. It's also good to mix with ranch dressing for dipping sauce.

Kelli's Guacamole

This is how I learned to make guacamole in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Add to bowl:

1/4 white onion, chopped very fine
1 roma tomato, take out middle with seeds, and chop flesh very fine
1 serrano pepper, unless you like your guacamole really hot, take out seeds and chop flesh very fine.
1 TBSP chopped cilantro
3 avocados
Juice of one lime

Mash together and serve.

This particular picture is a triple batch.