Cinco de Mayo inspired dishes

Today, I am going to share some recipes that were given to me years ago. Take care and enjoy these on Cinco de Mayo. I’ll be seeing you around…Agnes.

7 Layer Dip (From a coworker in Utah.)

•1 can refried beans (16 ounce size) layered to cover bottom of a 9×13 dish.

•2 ripe avocados, peeled and mashed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Mix with enough mayonnaise to make it spreadable and layer it over the beans.

•1 small (1 ounce) package of taco seasoning mix blended with 1 cup sour cream and ¼ cup mayonnaise. Spread over avocado mixture.

•Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese (1 ½ to 2 cups)

•Chop one large ripe tomato in small pieces and sprinkle over cheese.

•Chop one green onion and sprinkle over tomato

•Sprinkle with sliced black olives that have been well drained. (Use desired amount)

Chill for 15 to 20 minutes and serve with corn chips.

Pico De Gallo (basic recipe) (from Maria)

1 large ripe tomato, diced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 medium Vidalia onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

3 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 green onion, finely chopped

Salt and black pepper to taste

Combine tomato, onion, jalapeno pepper (to taste,) cilantro and green onion. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir until evenly distributed. It is recommended that everything is hand chopped and that you let it sit, undisturbed for about 30 minutes before serving. Serve with anything.

Cinco de Chili Chocolate Cupcakes with Chili Cream Cheese Frosting

A friend emailed me to take a look at the following recipe. Some of you HOT eaters might want to try it. I have not…agnes.

It’s no secret that chili loves chocolate and they don’t care who knows it. Bring all that heat to the party if you really want to spice things up. “Dark chocolate cupcakes with a bite! Topped with chili cream cheese frosting. Add more chili and cayenne powder to taste. (IF YOU CAN TAKE IT!)” (Allrecipes.com)

1 (18.25 ounce) box devil’s food chocolate cake mix

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ancho chile pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 1/4 cups water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 teaspoon ground ancho chile pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 cups confectioners’ sugar, or more as needed

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract or to taste

24 small dried red chiles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Empty the boxed cake mix into a mixing bowl and whisk in 1 1/2 teaspoon of ground ancho chile and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat in the water, vegetable oil and eggs; beat for 2 minutes. Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake cups, filling them 2/3 full. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Remove and cool completely before frosting. In a bowl, sift 1 teaspoon of ground ancho chile, 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and the cinnamon with the confectioners’ sugar. Beat in the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until the frosting is smooth; mix in the vanilla extract. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes in attractive swirls and poke a small dried chile, stem-side up, into the frosting as a garnish.

Recipe for Laughter:

A pirate walks into a bar and the bartender says, “Hey, I haven’t seen you in a while. What happened? You look terrible.”

“What do you mean?” said the pirate. “I feel fine.”

“What about the wooden leg? You didn’t have that before.”

“Well,” said the pirate, “we were in a battle, and I got hit with a cannon ball, but I’m fine now.”

The bartender replied, “Well, OK, but what about that hook? What happened to your hand?”

The pirate explained, “We were in another battle. I boarded a ship and got into a sword fight. My hand was cut off. I got fitted with a hook. But I’m fine, really.”

“What about that eye patch?”

“Oh,” said the pirate. “One day we were at sea, and a flock of birds flew over. I looked up and one of them pooped in my eye.”

“You’re kidding,” said the bartender. “You couldn’t lose an eye just from bird poop.”

“It was my first day with the hook.”

We can’t be serious all of the time now, can we? — Pete (an email buddy…Agnes)

HHJ News