1 cup hot cooked brown rice (I substituted quinoa and it was great!)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, divided
2 TBS pine nuts, toasted
2 TBS cream cheese (1/3-less-fat cream cheese is called for but I used regular because that is what I had)
2 tsp. lime juice
1/4 tsp kosher salt (I used sea salt)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
2 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (about 1/2 cup) (I found this at Wegmans-very tasty stuff)
Instructions
1. Preheat grill
2. Lightly coat poblanos and corn with cooking spray. Place poblanos and corn on grill rack. Grill poblanos 12 minutes or until charred, turning occasionally. Grill corn 10 minutes or until lightly charred, turning occasionally. (mine was already cooked so I just charred it a bit) Wrap poblanos in foi; let stand 15 minutes. Peel and discard skins. Cut a length-wise slit in each chile; discard seeds and membranes. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
4. Cut kernels from ears of corn. Combine kernels, 1 cup tomato, rice, 2 TBS cilantro, pine nuts, and next 5 ingredients (through Monterey Jack); toss well to combine. open each poblano; divide rice mixture evenly among chiles (chiles will be very full). Place on a baking sheet bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes or until hot.
Turn broiler to high. Sprinkle chiles with queso fresco. Broil 3 mins. or until cheese is lightly browned.
Place chiles on a platter. Sprinkel with remaining 1 cup tomato and remaining 2 TBS cilantro. Serve with hot sauce, if desired. (I served it with some fresh pico de gallo salsa which was jut the right accompaniment)
Start with the freshest, plumpest oysters you can find.
Then lightly and gently coat them with corn flour.
Be sure not to squeeze them too tight. Then heat some canola oil in a large skillet. Make sure the oil is pretty hot (you can test it by putting just one in first to make sure it sizzles)
Fry until a golden brown and turn. Then once they are browned on both sides you can scoop them out onto a paper towel to drain.
Serve with a spicy cocktail sauce and/or a good tarter sauce.
You can also make some homemade guacamole to go with this meal. 2 ripe avocados (not so ripe that they are mushy. Just ripe enough to feel a little soft) cup chopped onion Chili powder, cumin, fresh ground black pepper, salt, cayenne pepper (only use about a tsp. of each) Lime juice (about 2 limes) Fresh cilantro Cut open avocados and scoop the inside out with a spoon or you can peal them if they aren’t too ripe and put the insides in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mash with a fork until desired consistency. We like it a bit lumpy.
Here’s a recipe for red salsa (known as Pico de Gallo) that is simple, fresh and very tasty. 6 plum tomatoes 1 small onion Fresh cilantro Lime juice Jalapeno peppers (either fresh or out of a jar) Optional Chop the tomatoes and the onion very fine. Add chopped cilantro, lime juice and jalapeno (if using).
Please leave your comments below and share too! Thanks
I call it Linda’s appetizer because she loves it so much that every time we get together she insists that I make this!
Ingredients:
• 1 good sized tomato (try to find the best for the season)
• Fresh Mozarella (either one large round ball or the smaller ones packed in water will do)
• Fresh Basil
• 1 ripe avacado (not too ripe but just starting to soften)
• Fresh garlic
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• White Balsamic Vinegar (white is a little less acidic than the regular and it doesn’t turn the rest of the ingredients dark)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Crusty baguette slices
One Sharp Knife
This appetizer looks the best in a decorative glass dish.
Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into rounds Slice the avocado through to the pit around from end to end then hold it with each side in one hand and twist it open. It should be firm enough to then peel the skin off with your fingers.
Then slice it in rounds. Layer the tomato, pieces of fresh basil, mozzarella slice then avocado slice. Make a circle around the dish.
Chop one small clove of garlic and sprinkle over top. Drizzle the olive oil over all and then pour the white balsamic over (enough to make a bit of a puddle in the bottom of the dish)
Crack black pepper over all
Serve with sliced crusty baguette (for dipping in the dressing “puddle”)
This appetizer is so simple and guaranteed to impress your guests. I get asked for this recipe all the time. I have no idea where it originally came from…a friend of a friend of a friend, etc.
1 Box Grissini breadsticks
1 lb thin sliced bacon
1/3 c. dark brown sugar
1 – 2 Tbsp chili powder, depending on how spicy you like it
1. Wrap bacon around breadsticks, from end to end. If the bacon is too wide, sometimes I slice it in half lengthwise…you can save a little money that way too!
2. On a plate or shallow dish, combine the brown sugar and chili powder. Roll the bacon wrapped breadsticks in brown sugar mixture.
3. Place breadsticks on a wire rack over a foil lined sheet pan. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, or until bacon is crispy. They will be quite soft until they cool. Then will be caramelized, crispy, and delicious!