Steak and Roasted Corn Salsa Stew(p)

I found a bag of roasted corn in the grocery store that inspired this stew/soup. Salsas always make me think of summertime, sitting on the deck reading a book and snacking on salsa and chips.  Well, the deck is being used to stain wood right now, and my husband’s hands got really cold while he worked, so a warm meal was in order.  I had some chuck roast that I diced and sautéed with onions and peppers, before cooking the rest of the way in a beef broth and adding the rest of the ingredients.  This is a quick soup to make, and was on the table in about an hour. If you double the ingredients, you can freeze a batch for another meal.  I dolloped sour cream on top to mix in, which my son thought was great – and oh by the way dear daughter, we do not have any avocados in the fridge like you promised – those are limes!  I would have chopped up some avocados to place on top with the sour cream if I had some – I was assured that I did. Even without the avocados this was a fantastic stew(p). Summer and Winter all rolled up into one delicious tasting pot of good for you food.

Ingredients

• 1 tbs Olive Oil
• 1 onion – diced
• 2 cloves garlic – diced
• 1 1/2 lbs chuck roast – diced
• 1 pint beef broth
• 2 cups roasted corn (frozen)
• hot peppers – seeded and diced
• 1 jar salsa (use your favorite brand – I used homemade)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can of black bean drained and rinsed
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 1 lime
• salt
• pepper
• sour cream

Directions:

Heat up oil, sauté onions, garlic and beef in bottom of deep pot – add in a little salt and pepper to the beef.  When the onions are soft, pour in beef broth.  Simmer until the beef is about ready, then add the other ingredients one by one.  Let the temp come up and add the next ingredient. Squeeze Lime into soup. Salt and Pepper to taste.  Add more than one pepper if you like it really spicy.  We like the slightly spicy taste, but we’re weak stomached wimps when it comes to really spicy. Dollop sour cream on top of your soup when serving.  If you have some avocado, dice it up and add it too.  We ate them with chips instead of crackers – and that’s my suggestion for you too, because it turned out so great.

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Pace Superbowl Salsa Recipes and Giveaway Pack for Superbowl Sunday

Pace did a giveaway last year for the Superbowl, and is doing it again.  We love Pace, don’t we.  Actually, we do love Pace, my husband is a salsafied salsa fiend. He eats a quart of salsa a week because he loves the fresh tomato taste.  Salsa is one of the healthiest dips/sauces around because it has lots of fresh vegetables and not a lot of fat and sugar.  You can top eggs, sandwiches, chips, burgers, beef, chicken, spaghetti.  It’s such a versatile topping, though you can just go at it with a spoon.

In preparation for Super Bowl XLIV (taking place this Sunday, Feb. 7 in Miami), here are four of Pace Kitchens’ favorite recipes for Super Bowl Sunday, to help make your party more festive and more memorable. Note:  Giveaway at the bottom of the page.

Warm Spinach Dip with a Kick

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Makes: 32 servings (2 tablespoons each)

• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
• 4 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 1cup)
• Tortilla chips or fresh vegetables

1. Spray a 2-quart saucepan with the cooking spray and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion and cook until it’s tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Stir the spinach and flour in the skillet. Gradually stir the milk in the skillet. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the picante sauce and cheese and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve with the tortilla chips for dipping.
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Put Zing in Your Turkey Day Leftovers with Salsa

Pace Picante sent me some great leftover ideas to go with your Thanksgiving dinner.  Salsa is one of the best ways to liven up your leftovers.  If you want to give them a little zing, try some of these recipes.

PACE® NATIONAL LEFTOVERS DAY RECIPES

Pace® Cheesy Turkey Bean Skillet

Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cubed, cooked turkey
• 1 cup Pace® Mexican Four Cheese Salsa con Queso
• 1 can (about 15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup coarsely crumbled blue corn tortilla chips

1. Heat the turkey, queso and beans in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over
medium heat to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low. Cook
for 5 minutes or until the turkey mixture is hot and bubbling.
2. Top the turkey mixture with the tortilla chips just before serving.

Tip: You can omit the crumbled tortilla chips and serve the turkey mixture as a quesadilla filling or a warm dip.

Southwestern Turkey Chili

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Makes: 6 servings (about 1 1/2 cups per serving)

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 / 2 cup chopped celery
• 1 / 2 cup chopped red pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) great Northern beans
• 1 jar (16 ounces) Pace® Chunky Salsa
• 2 cups chopped cooked turkey
• Shredded pepper Jack cheese
• Cubed avocado

1. Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery
and pepper and cook until they’re tender. Stir in the flour and cumin and
cook for 2 minutes. Stir the stock in the saucepot. Cook and stir until the
mixture boils.
2. Stir the beans, salsa and turkey in the saucepot. Heat to a boil. Reduce the
heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes.
3. Garnish with the cheese and avocado.

 

Monterey Turkey Tortilla Casserole

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 40 minutes
Makes: 4 servings (about 1 cup each)

• 1 cup coarsely crumbled tortilla chips
• 2 cups cubed cooked turkey
• 1 can (about 15 ounces) cream-style corn
• 3 / 4 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
• 1 / 2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
• 2 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup)
• Chopped green or red pepper
• Tortilla chips

1. Layer the crumbled chips, turkey, corn and picante sauce in a 1-quart
casserole. Top with the olives and cheese.
2. Bake at 350°F. for 40 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Top
with the pepper. Serve with the chips.

 

Picante Turkey Rolls

Prep: 10 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

• 4 flour tortillas (10-inch), warmed
• 1 / 4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1 / 2 pound thinly sliced deli turkey breast or cooked turkey
• 1 / 2 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
• 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped (about 1 cup)

1. Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese on each tortilla to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Top each with about 4 turkey slices, 2 tablespoons picante sauce and 1/4 cup avocado.
2. Roll up the tortillas tightly, leaving the ends open. Cut each roll in half. Serve with additional picante sauce for dipping.
To make appetizer rounds: Cut each rolled tortilla into 1/2-inch slices and arrange on a serving platter. Serve with additional picante sauce for dipping.

 

Pace® Mucho Queso Pizza

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

• 1 cup Pace® Mexican Four Cheese Salsa con Queso
• 1 prepared pizza crust (10-inch)
• 1 / 2 cup shredded cooked turkey
• 1 / 2 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

1. Heat the oven to 400°F.
2. Spread the salsa con queso onto the pizza crust to within 1/2-inch of the edge. Top with the turkey, tomatoes, cheese and basil.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until the salsa con queso is hot and bubbling.

Salsa Verde Turkey Wraps

Prep: 15 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

• 1 cup Pace® Salsa Verde
• 2 cups diced cooked turkey
• 1 large red pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 large avocado, diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 / 2 cup sour cream
• 4 flour tortillas (10-inch), warmed
• 2 cups shredded lettuce

1. Stir 1/2 cup salsa, turkey, pepper and avocado in a large bowl. Stir the remaining salsa and sour cream in a small bowl.
2. Spread 1 / 4 cup sour cream mixture onto each tortilla to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Top each with 1 cup turkey mixture and 1/2 cup lettuce. Fold the sides of the tortillas over the filling and then fold up the ends to enclose the filling. Cut each wrap in half before serving.

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Mustard-Mayonnaise Slather for Grilling

  This recipe is from 300 Big & Bold Barbecue & Grilling Recipes book by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig.  This is one of my favorite ways to prepare my salmon before grilling it.  My husband and kids love it and my mom enjoyed it too when we had it the other day.  This is from the sauce and rubs section of the book.  There are more complicated and much different recipes, this just happens to be one of the best and easiest and tastiest.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard

Directions:

In a bowl whisk together mayonnaise and mustard.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

 

My variation is to add dill and parsley to the sauce and sprinkle some herbs on top. I also have extra as a dipping sauce for the plate.

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Pesto Fresh Herb Sauces and Spreads

Christmas was a fun time for us.  Most of our relatives are 3 to 12 hours away, so we only see them a few times a year.  My side of the family sees us once or twice a year but we communicate a lot by computer or phone.  Visiting and seeing how the kids have grown and what they are accomplishing is always special. 

My sister in law Pam gave me a Pesto book by Lou Seibert Pappas with illustrations by Steven Salerno (along with some really great paring knives) which I thought I would share with you.  This book is small in size, but has plenty of recipes and tells you what to pair it with.  Pam made a pasta with pesto for my daughter’s graduation with herbs from her garden that turned out delicious and we discussed using pesto again.

I found a dill recipe that would go great with Salmon. It isn’t the right time for Dill in my frozen garden, though you may be able to find it in the market.  I cook salmon on a grill pan – I’m sure Deb’s husband would be out in the winter grilling it, but I like my cast iron grill pan. 

Dill Pesto

1 1/2 cups packed fresh dill leaves

1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leaf(Italian) parsley

2 tbs walnuts, pistachios or pine nuts

2 large garlic cloves smashed

3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbs freshly grated parmesan cheese

 

In a blender or food prcessor4, place the dill, parsley, nuts and garlic.  Whirl until finely minced add the oil and cheese and process until blended.  Transfer to a small bowl, cover and chill.   Makes about 3/4 cup. 

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New Castle Brown Ale Recipes

Spicy Newcastle Brown Ale BBQ Marinade

Makes enough to marinate 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of beef; Newcastle recommends sirloin tip or London broil. Yields about 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 12-ounce bottle Newcastle Brown Ale
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar or honey
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

To Make:

Thoroughly blend all ingredients except beef. Pour marinade into a container big enough to hold beef in one layer or a zip-seal plastic bag large enough to hold beef. Add beef, cover or seal and marinate at least 2 hours in refrigerator before grilling.

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Diana’s Great Tasting Homemade Salsa – by the gallon

When I talk about my great tasting salsa my sister always encourages me to post the recipe.  I tell her, it’s not a regular recipe.  She says I should post it.  My family loves salsa especially my husband and College Girl.  We can a huge amount, but it doesn’t last the winter, no matter how much we make.  I like to sneak jars into Christmas gifts, but my husband isn’t thrilled with that he wants it all for himself.  Last year, we made 36 pints and it lasted until April.  It would have lasted longer if I didn’t give any away, but my sister in law makes us soap and gives us jars of honey.  I think it’s a good trade. 

Here’s my recipe:

• 2 drywall buckets of tomatoes (homedepot buckets work as well)
• 6 large whole onions (my family loves sweet best)
• 6 or 7 cloves of garlic
• 1 large serving bowl of peppers ( green peppers, or sweet peppers – any mild peppers)
• Hot peppers to taste
• Parsley – huge bunch or two (can use cilantro)
• 2 cups of apple cider vinegar
• 2 cans tomato paste
• lemon juice

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Mrs. Renfro’s Salsa: A Flavor Explosion

 

At first bite of Mrs. Renfro’s Mango Habanero Salsa, one gets a tongue pleasing sesation of fruitiness, but give it a couple of seconds and the heat hits. The perfect blend of fruit and spice. It’s not too sweet and the heat isn’t so much that it takes away from the flavor of the salsa. To say I can sit down and eat a jar of this in one sitting is an understatement. I know some people ( *cough* Diana *cough*) aren’t fans of fruity salsa. When it’s done right however, it becomes a flavor explosion. Mrs. Renfro’s does it right.

It gets better though. Mrs. Renfro’s is one of those food companys using its power for good, not evil. They’re rocking the pink lids to raise awareness for breast cancer. A portion of pink lid sales are donated to the breast cancer cause. We so approve.

Right now I have a jar of Mrs. Renfro’s Raspberry Chipotle salsa hidden in the back of my refrigerator. I hope my husband doesn’t see it. I don’t want to share.

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360 Vodka – The Green Vodka in the Green Bottle

My husband is a vodka aficionado.  When we were dating, he kept a bottle of Vodka in the freezer at all times.  As we got older and the kids were teens we cut down on keeping vodka in the freezer.  However, people who know my husband likes vodka have given him a bottle of vodka for cleaning up their hard drive.  He doesn’t mind the trade at all.  We have a bottle of 360 vodka, which doesn’t just make him happy, it makes me happy too. 

360 Vodka uses 100 % locally grown grains form northeastern Kansas and northwestern Missouri.  Every bit of it is utilized and nothing goes to waste. 

The beautiful green bottle is 85% recycled glass.

The packaging is chlorine free recycled paper and recycled materials with soy based ink. 

That’s not all

They use carbon offsets.

They have a close the loop campaign where they donate 1.00 to an environmental organization for every returned bottle closure. 

My husband thinks it’s a quality vodka – which would be the only reason to even look at it in the first place.

• The vodka 360 website has hints and suggestions for helping to do our share to do a little more to be green.

Here’s a Vodka Marinara recipe that’s quick and easy.  I use some of my homemade canned sauce with it as a short cut.

Ingredients:

• 2tbs Olive Oil
• 1 med onion diced
• 1 garlic clove (2 if you like garlic) minced1 jar marinara sauce
• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1/2 cup of half & half or heavy cream
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves – chopped (less if you are using dried)
• salt
• pepper

Saute onions and garlic in oil until soft.  Add vodka sauce simmer for a few minutes until vodka is almost evaporated.  Dump in marinara sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes(longer if your sauce is a little runny like mine is this year).  Stir in cream, add basil and salt and pepper to taste.

This is my own paw paw drink made with 360 vodka.

• 1 large paw paw (or many small ones) peeled and seeds removed.
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup lemon lime soda
• vodka

I put the paw paw and the pineapple juice into the bullet and blended it, added the soda and stirred then added the vodka to the right strength.  This is delicious.

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Vineyard Cuisine – Meals & Memories from Messina Hof by Merrill & Paul Bonarrigo

 

Merrill was from Texas, the grand daughter of German immigrants.  Paul was from New Jersey the grandson of Italian immigrants. They met in Texas, married and started a vineyard that they called Messina Hof.  This book tells of their meeting, their families, their traditions. 

It contains recipes passed down from their immigrant backgrounds, most of which pair up well with or use Messina Hof wines to create.  The story continues with their vineyard/winery building and their raising of their son.  Throughout the book are delicious sounding recipes.  There are guidelines on pairing wines with foods.  The Bonarrigos talk about building a community with their vineyard including people in picking the grapes, building a villa, hosting weddings. 

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