salsa | Mommie Cooks!

Tropical Shrimp Ceviche

July 29, 2011 By Julie 19 Comments

Summer is all about simple, light dishes and this tropical shrimp ceviche fits the bill. With a handful of ingredients that are merely sliced, stirred and served, it doesn’t come much easier. The flavor, on the other hand, is anything but. The tropical sweetness of the kiwi and mango meeting the meaty succulence of the shrimp, makes for a satisfying snack that will keep you repeatedly coming back for just one last dip in the dish.

I, myself, pretty much consumed half the bowl last night while glued to a riveting episode of So You Think You Can Dance. If you didn’t have the opportunity to watch it, Lady GaGa was guest judging and man, talk about the opposite of simple. From the blue hair, to the red cartoon looking sailor hat, to the two plus foot high shiny red funk boots, she had it going on. I’m not sure what “it” is, but she certainly takes the crown.

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French Quarter Nachos

March 19, 2010 By Julie 6 Comments

In the spirit of March madness, I felt the impending need to concoct a big, fattening, ooey gooey, forget the diet, mound of nachos. Because, as we all know, despite our year in and year out efforts to get the perfect college tourney bracket, we will once again forgo the $10 ante in favor of a losing team that shouldn’t have lost in the first place (dang you Georgetown!) and be left with nothing to show for it but a lighter wallet and a bracket lined with crossed out loser teams. But I digress.

In thinking about what type of nachos I wanted to make, I dug deep into the depths of my freezer and discovered a pack of Trader Joe’s chicken andouille sausage. And from there the idea for French Quarter Nachos was born. These nachos were delightfully delicious and did a great job of dulling the pain of yet another inevitable losing year. Here’s what you’ll need for your nachos:

Ingredients Needed:

1 Pound Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 Tbsp of Olive Oil
1/3 Cup of Salsa
1/2 of a Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove of Garlic
2 tsp of Cilantro
1 tsp of Cumin
1 tsp of Chili Powder
1 tsp of Corriander
1 Bag of Tortilla Chips
1 Can of Black Beans
1 Chopped Tomato
1 Chopped Green Onion
2 Cups of Chopped Green Spinach
2 Cups of Cheddar Cheese

A few notes before we begin. First off, I put lettuce in the shot above, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t end up using it for these nachos. I’m always trying to sneak a little bit of healthy in, so if I have the choice to use spinach over lettuce, I’ll do it. That being said, I know lots of people who prefer lettuce to spinach, so feel free to make your own choice on this one! Second, another mommie brain moment, but I put salt in the picture instead of olive oil. I know, I know, not at ALL the same thing. Finally, see if you can find Waldo in the picture above. He insisted on hiding in the background.

Alright, let’s get started. Heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Throw your chopped sausage in and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add in the onion and continue to cook about 4 minutes more. Finally, add in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and salsa. Stir to combine and let cook for one minute more. While your mixture is cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and throw your bag of chips in a large oven safe dish. Once your meat mixture is finished, dump it on top of the chips making sure it is evenly distributed. Next add your black beans, spinach (or lettuce if you prefer), and finally the cheese. Place your dish into the oven and cook it until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbling; about 8-10 minutes. Pull it out, sprinkle your chopped tomatoes and green onions on top and serve it up. You’re done! Here’s the finished product:

I like to serve mine with guacamole and sour cream and I’ll put my quickie guacamole recipe up tomorrow for those that are interested. Happy Eating and may your bracket bring you good fortune!

French Quarter Nachos

Total Time: 30 min

Ingredients:

1 Pound Andouille Sausage, Chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Salsa
1/2 Medium Onion, Chopped
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, Chopped
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Coriander
1 Bag Tortilla Chips
1 Can Black Beans
1 Tomato/span>, Chopped
1 Green Onion, Chopped
2 Cups Green Spinach, Chopped
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, Cheese

Directions:

Heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Throw your chopped sausage in and let it cook for about 3-4 minutes.

Add in the onion and continue to cook about 4 minutes more.

Finally, add in the cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic, cilantro, and salsa. Stir to combine and let cook for one minute more.

While your mixture is cooking, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and throw your bag of chips in a large oven safe dish.

Once your meat mixture is finished, dump it on top of the chips making sure it is evenly distributed.

Next add your black beans, spinach (or lettuce if you prefer), and finally the cheese.

Place your dish into the oven and cook it until it is heated through and the cheese is bubbling; about 8-10 minutes.

Pull it out, sprinkle your chopped tomatoes and green onions on top and serve it up.

Teriyaki Mahi Mahi with Mang-O-So Delicious Salsa

March 1, 2010 By Julie 6 Comments

This was delicious and easy to make. And best of all, the kids loved it. Even Andrew (my one year old) downed a kid sized portion like it was candy. So let’s get on with it. Here’s what you’ll need to make this dish:

First off, the marinade for the fish (yes I forgot to add the sugar to this picture. It’s a fault of having two small children running around my feet and one wheeling around in his walker while I attempt to make dinner and subsequently take pictures of it):

Ingredients Needed:

3 mahi mahi filets
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cooking sherry
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 tsp ginger
1 clove of garlic, minced

Combine the soy sauce, sherry, sugar, ginger, and garlic. Pour the mixture over the fish and let it marinate in the fridge for 2 hours or more.

Now for the mango salsa. I need to add, that the hot pepper and the hot sauce is an optional addition. I didn’t use them this time around mainly because of my three kids who aren’t big fans of spicy foods. If you do decide to use them, they can be added to the top of the fish before cooking; as much or as little as you’d like in spiciness. Ok, here we go with the salsa.

Ingredients Needed:

2 Mangos, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced (I used Trader Joes Melange a Trois 3 pepper mix)<
4 Green Onions, chopped
1 Tbsp Cilantro
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 fresh lime’s worth of juice squeezed
salt and pepper to taste
Again, if you want spice, feel free to add a chopped jalapeno. I held off on spice because of the kids.
1/2 fresh lemon for squeezing on fish

Combine the Mango, bell pepper, onions, cilantro and jalapeno. Stir in the garlic powder, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Place salsa in fridge for 1 hour to give flavors a chance to meld. Heat a large skillet with 2 Tbsp of butter on medium high heat. Add Mahi Mahi to the skillet and squirt with lemon over the top of the fillets. Cook through, flipping once; about 7-9 minutes. Serve hot with Mango salsa on top. Yummy!

So here’s the final meal. I served it up with blue cheesy rice and buttered broccoli as side. Happy Eating!