Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa

This is one of the best salsa recipes that I have ever made.  It tastes just like the fresh salsa from a mexican restaurant.  It's super simple to make and with ingredients that you usually have in your pantry.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
14 oz. can whole tomatoes with juice
10.5 oz. can of Rotel
1/4 chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 jalapeno
1/4 c. cilantro
Juice from 1/2 of a lime
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Add all ingredients to a food processor.  Pulse until you get the desired consistency (approx. 10 pulses).  Refridgerate for at least 1 hour before eating to let the flavors blend. 

** If you prefer milder salsa, remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeno before adding to the food processor.

Source: Pioneer Woman

Shrimp Ceviche Cocktail

With Cinco de Mayo just a few days away, this recipe is a great addition to any Mexican theme night you have.  A mix between traditional shrimp ceviche and shrimp cocktail, the salad is refreshing and delicious!

• 1 quart salted water
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 generous pound small shrimp (about 41 to 50 count to a pound)
• 1/2 medium white onion, diced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• About 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup peeled, diced cucumber 
• Salt
• Several lime slices, for garnish

Bring 1 quart salted water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of the lime juice. Add shrimp, cover and return to a boil. Immediately remove from heat, drain the liquid, leaving the shrimp in the empty pot.

Replace lid and set aside, letting shrimp steam in closed pot for 10 minutes.  After steaming, transfer shrimpt to a bowl and cool completely. Peel and devein shrimp (if needed).

Toss shrimp with remaining 1/2 cup lime juice, cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

In a small strainer, rinse chopped onion under cold water, then shake off excess liquid. This mellows the raw onion flavor. 

Add chopped cilantro, ketchup, hot sauce, olive oil, cucumber, and onion to a bowl. Mix gently, taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon.  Stir in shrimp.

Cover and refrigerate up to a few hours, or serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Rick Bayless

Asparagus Roll Ups

This is a great appetizer that looks fancy and tastes delicious!  It is very easy to make up a batch and freeze so you can have a quick appetizer to pull out for a party or unexpected guests.

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed (thinner stalks work best)
2 loaves of white bread (you can use the cheapest white bread you can find)
1-2 packages of Boursin cheese, softened **
1 stick butter

To trim your asparagus stalks, simply take the end of the asparagus between your thumb and forefinger and bend until it breaks. The asparagus automatically breaks just where the woody part ends and the fresh, juicy asparagus begins. So you don't need to worry about breaking off too much or too little.

The asparagus breaks this way because the end has much less moisture and therefore less flexibility. It snaps instead of bends, leaving you with deliciously green and juicy asparagus.

Trim the crusts off the bread.   Take a rolling pin and roll out each slice of bread until flat and thin.  It only takes 1-2 rolls to get the bread to flatten out.

Spread each flatten slice with softened cheese and place the half stalk of asparagus at one end. 

Roll the bread up and place aside.  Continue with all slices of bread/asparagus.

*If you want to freeze them, this would be the point to do it at.  You can flash freeze them on a cookie sheet/plate, then transfer to a ziploc bag.  Cooking time will have to be adjusted when using the frozen rolls. 

Place the roll ups on a foil lined cookie sheet and brush each roll up with melted butter.  You can spray with Cooking Spray to lighten this up. 

Bake for approximately 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until roll ups are slightly browned. 

Let cool slightly before eating, they will be VERY hot!

** Boursin cheese is a cheese spread similar to cream cheese, just slightly drier.  You can use cream cheese in this recipe and add anything you like to it.  Chopped olives or sun dried tomatoes would work well.  I use garlic/herb flavored cheese when I make these.