Easy Authentic Guacamole
• 3 large ripe avocados (should give a little when squeezed)
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 plum tomatoes (~1 cup diced)
• 1 medium onion (~1 cup diced)
• 1 jalapeno

Baked Tortilla Chips
110 calories & 1.5 grams of fat per 16 pieces
Lightly spray corn tortillas on both sides with Olive Oil Pam.
Sprinkle with seasoning of choice.
(Today salt + Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle)
Bake at 425 for 8-10, watching carefully, until crispy and brown.
(Also good as fake sopapillas with cinnamon and sugar.)

Quesadillas de Camarones (Shrimp Quesadillas)
Flour tortillas
8-12 Large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 ounces Mexican red sauce
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
2 cups cheese, grated (Monterey Jack is best)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
Pour red sauce over shrimp. Set aside. Chop vegetables into large pieces. Heat skillet over high heat and add olive oil. Cook vegetables over high heat until they start to get brown/black. Remove from skillet and set aside. Return skillet to high heat, then dump in the shrimp with the sauce. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until shrimp is opaque. Add in a little water if the sauce gets dry. Remove from skillet and chop into bite-size pieces.
In a separate skillet, heat butter. Place a tortilla in the skillet, then layer on ingredients: cheese, vegetables, and shrimp. Top with a little more cheese and a second tortilla. Cook on both sides, adding butter before flipping to the other side so the tortilla isn’t overly dry. Remove from skillet and slice into wedges. Serve with rice, beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole—whatever you’d like!

MEXICAN LAYER DIP
Layer in oven proof casserole in the following order:
1 can black beans, drained
8 oz. cream cheese, cut in thin slices
1 small red onion, finely chopped
10.5 oz raspberry salsa
8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese, grated

Bake at 325 for 20-30 minutes

Roasted Artichoke and Spinach Dip

Ingredients:
2 (14 oz) cans of premium artichoke hearts
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and ground black pepper
16 oz. baby spinach leaves
1 medium onion, minced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/4 c. mayonnaise
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 c. assorted cheeses, grated (I used pecorino, parmesan, asiago, mozzarella, and fontina)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp minced thyme leaves
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line baking sheet with foil.
-Toss drained artichokes with 1 Tbsp oil, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp ground black pepper.
-Spread out over the baking sheet and roast, stirring occasionally. Until browned at the edges, about 25 minutes.
-Let the artichoke cool and chop coarse.
-Meanwhile heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat until just shimmering.
-Sauté spinach until wilted and drain thoroughly and transfer.
-Add the remaining 1 Tbsp oil to pan and add the onion.
-Cook for until softened, about 5 -7 mins.
-Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds..
-Transfer to bowl with spinach.
-Stir in mayo, cream cheese, cheeses, lemon juice, thyme, and cayenne until uniform.
-Add more cheese as needed! (oink! oink!)
-Gently fold in artichokes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
-Transfer mixture to large baking dish and sprinkle with parmesan.
(Here you can cover and refrigerate up to three days if needed)
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Bake dip uncovered until hot throughout and top is golden brown, about 20-25 mins.
-Let cool at least 5 mins before serving.

Blue Cheese Bacon Dip
7 bacon slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup half and half
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
2 T chopped fresh chives
3 T chopped walnuts, toasted
Grape clusters
Assorted Crackers or flatbread

Cook chopped bacon in a skillet over mediium- high heat 10 minutes or until crisp. Drain bacon and set aside. Add minced garlic to skillet and saute 1 minute.

Beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth.
Add 1/2 and 1/2, beating until combined. Stir in bacon, garlic, blue cheese and chives.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle evenly with chopped walnuts and serve with grapes and crackers.

Chipotle Shrimp Appetizer
Christmas Brunch at Paula's House 12/08


1 lb. Shrimp, steamed, peeled, deveined with tail removed & chopped in
Small pieces
½ cup lime juice
½ medium white or yellow onion, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
½ cup Chipotle Chili Ketchup
2 T. Olive Oil
1 cup Jicama, peeled and diced
1 small avocado, cubed and salted
Salt and pepper to taste
Tortilla chips

Toss teamed shrimp in ½ cup lime juice; drain excess. Rinse onion under cold running water once chopped, shake off excess water. Add shrimp, cilantro, and ketchup, Olive oil, jicama and avocado. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with tortilla chips and fresh lime wedge.

Can’t find the chipotle ketchup any more. So I buy chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. It comes in a 7oz can. I chop up little pepper and sauce and add to the ketchup.