Emily’s Bean Salsa

This is the yummy Bean Salsa that Emily brings to Bunco!!!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one!!

 1 15 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
2 cups frozen shoe peg corn
1 can chick peas rinsed and drained
1 can black eyed peas (rinsed well) and drained
½ small red onion diced
1 red bell pepper (or ½ red and ½ yellow for color)
1 jalapeno pepper diced with seeds and veins removed
¼ c chopped cilantro
1t cumin
2T red wine vinegar
2T olive oil
½ t salt
¼ t black pepper
Juice of 1 lime

Combine all ingredients.  You may substitute any bean combination you like including kidney beans, pinto beans or use all black beans.

Holiday Sangria

Ingredients
1 750ml bottle Gallo hearty Burgundy (or other similar light, fruity red wine)
1 can Red Hawaiian Punch
1 cut up lemon
1 cut up orange
1 small bag cinnamon red hots
1 one-liter bottle club soda

Pour the red wine into a large pitcher or bowl. Add in the Hawaiian Punch. Next add in the lemon, orange, cinnamon red hots and club soda.

Mix all together and refrigerate overnight.

When serving, pour over ice and add fresh fruit

What to Drink???

Wine and Food pairings is an individual choice. Every person’s taste is different. You should decide what wine tastes good with what you are eating – don’t worry about what anyone else says should work. However, I know this is hard when you are new to drinking wine. So I have made a few recommendations. 

Personally I can drink a good Merlot with anything, but that is because I LOVE Merlot!!!  Where Chris, my Husband, cannot stand anything red.  He drinks white SWEET wine, such as a Riesling.

 You will figure out quite quickly that your own tongue has its own idea of what goes well with what. Trust yourself, and eat and drink what you enjoy! 

Red wine usually takes some getting used to, but once you do it has been said it is great for your heart!!!  Don’t know if that’s true or not, but I know I will have a very healthy heart of it is!!!!

Normally you would drink light-to-dark. Champagne tends to go very well with appetizers.  White wine is usually a match for salads and lighter dishes, while red wine works perfectly with steaks and heavier meat sauces. A port is often the perfect end to a meal, sipped with a piece of chocolate cake.  (However, to me nothing is better than a really good Riesling!)

Sasha’s Yummy Buffalo Dip

Ingredients

• 2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Ranch dressing
• 1 bottle buffalo sauce (Probably about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in shredded cheese, cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. Serve with Tortilla chips.  Also good with celery and carrot sticks

Vodka Pasta

I know VODKA pasta!!  IT ROCKS!!!
THIS IS THE SAUCE I USE INSTEAD OF ALFREDO ANY DAY!!! MORE FLAVOR!!!!

Sauce Ingredients: (sounds like a lot but you prob have most in your spice rack already)
3 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic (I use the mince garlic you get in a jar, normally in the salad section of store)
3 Tablespoons Marsala Wine
2 Cups Heavy Cream
1 Cup Grated Parm cheese
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Vodka
1/4 Cup Water
1/2 teaspoon chicken bullion
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons Rosemary (dried or fresh)
1 teaspoon Thyme (dried or fresh)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Additional Ingredients
1 LB Penne Pasta
4 Boneless SkinLess Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup (about 2 oz) prosciutto Ham ( I go to the Deli and have them cut 1 nice thick slice.  Then I dice it up here)

Putting it all together!! (Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees

To cook the Chicken…I rub both sides down with Olive Oil add a bit of salt and pepper then I grill it on my indoor grill.  Once cooked I cut it into strips (Bite size) then set it aside. 

Then start your water boiling for Pasta.  Cook per box instructions.
While pasta is cooking start on sauce

In a Large Pan melt down the butter over med low heat.  Add garlic and cook together about 5 minutes. 
Add remaining ingredients (Less Pasta, Chicken and ham)
Wisk until smooth and Parm cheese melts down.  About 10 min.  Remove from heat.

In a large Casserole Dish mix in Pasta, Chicken and prosciutto.  Add sauce and Toss together.  Top with a little shredded parm and sprinkle some paprika.  Bake at 500 degrees about 10 minutes until the top is brown and bubbly!!! 

YUMMY YUMMY!!!!!!!

Chris’s Birthday Dinner

So last night I hosted Chris’s Birthday dinner.  He asked for Amanda’s Shrimp Scampi.  So I made Shrimp Scampi, linguine with a yummy Grenata Sauce.  I also baked him a coconut cake (Which is HIS Fave and my LEAST Fave) but I will say it was really good!!!!

Amanda’s Shrimp Scampi ~ This is a recipe I have had for YEARS and I have never changed it!  It ROCKS.  I only make it every so often…..when you see the recipe you will know why!!!

Ingredients:
4 Sticks of Butter
Garlic Salt
Minced Garlic
1 1/2 Cups White Wine (I use anything I have left in the refrigerator)
Chives (Optional)
deveined and peeled shrimp (without heads)
You want about 6oz of shrimp per person (For 6 people I had 4 pounds and we had some left over)

Prepare:
Add Shrimp to a large casserole dish
In a sauce pan melt butter down, add about a tablespoon of minced garlic, and add garlic salt to taste.  (For me once I get what I think is too much I add more.)  Then add your white wine.  Stir for a minute.  Add to shrimp.  Broil until shrimp are pink.  DOES NOT TAKE LONG!!!  Stir shrimp around and make sure ALL shrimp is cooked through.

 For the rest of this meal see Pasta Rustika.  The Grenata saice from that recipe is what I used on the linguine.  I also served it with a great Salad