Lucky 7 Layer Dip

Try adding a layer of meat or cheese for variation.

Cook Time: 10 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 6 servings


Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can refried beans
2 tablespoons hot sauce
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
4 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (16 to 18 ounce) jar green chili or tomatillo salsa
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, a palm full, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans
2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2/3 palm full
1 (16 to 18 ounce) jar chipotle salsa
2 cups sour cream
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 ripe avocados
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lemon, juiced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
Salt
2 plum tomatoes, diced
Pimiento stuffed jumbo Spanish olives, chopped
Tortilla chips, buy 2 sacks in 2 different colors/varieties


Directions

Heat refried beans in small nonstick pan over medium heat and season with hot sauce. Transfer the beans to a small, deep casserole dish. Scrape pan clean with rubber spatula and return to heat.


Add a little extra-virgin olive oil to the pan and raise heat to high. When the oil smokes, add the scallions and sear them, 2 to 3 minutes. Add green salsa to scallions and heat through. Add cilantro, remove salsa from heat, and layer on top of the beans.


Return the same pan to the stove, lower heat to medium and add black beans, heat through and season with cumin, layer on top of the green salsa.


Top the black beans with a layer of chipotle salsa. Mix sour cream the lime zest and juice and spread on top of the chipotle salsa.


Combine the meat of 2 ripe avocados with garlic, lemon juice, jalapeno and salt to form a chunky guacamole. Top the salsa with guacamole. Garnish the dip with the final layer of diced tomatoes and sliced olives.

From: foodnetwork.com

Curry Turkey Burgers

Cook Time: 12 min

Level: Intermediate

Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients

1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast, the average weight of 1 package

2 scallions, thinly sliced

A handful cilantro, chopped very fine, about 2 tablespoons, optional

1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated or minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped

Coarse salt

2 tablespoons mild curry paste or a handful of curry powder (Preferred brand: Patak's Mild Curry Paste)

Drizzle extra-virgin olive oil

5 crusty rolls, split

Toppings:

Bib or leaf lettuce

Sliced vine-ripe tomatoes

Mango chutney (preferred brands: Major Grey's or Patak's Mango Chutney)

Serving Suggestions: Thai Slaw Salad, recipe follows and root vegetable chips (preferred brands: Terra Chips)

Directions

Combine first 8 ingredients and form into 5 patties.

Brush or drizzle patties with extra-virgin olive oil. Grill patties 6 minutes on each side on indoor electric grill or pan fry for same amount of time in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

Pile patties on split crusty rolls with lettuce, tomato, and chutney spread liberally on roll tops as a condiment. Serve curry turkey burgers with Thai Slaw and root vegetable chips.

Thai Slaw Salad:

1 (16 ounces) prepared shredded cabbage (coleslaw mix) from produce department

1/4 European seedless cucumber, sliced into thin sticks

1 small red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

3 scallions, thinly sliced on bias

20 leaves fresh basil, shredded

Dressing:

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup white distilled or rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar or 2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Garnish:

Toasted sesame seeds

Combine vegetables in a bowl. Combine dressing ingredients in a small plastic container and shake vigorously for 1 minute. Drizzle sauce over vegetables and toss to coat evenly. Let stand 10 minutes and re-toss before serving and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Yield: 5 to 6 servings

From: foodnetwork.com

Sliced Chili Rubbed Flank Steak on Spicy Rice with Shrimp and Guacamole Stacks

Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

2 to 2 1/4 pounds flank steak
1 1/2 tablespoons grill seasoning, a palm full and a half
1 tablespoons dark Mexican chili powder, a palm full
1 lime, zested
Cooking spray or oil to coat grill or grill pan
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup white rice
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons hot sauce, eyeball it
1 pound small to medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves or flat-leaf parsley
Salt
2 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, sliced
2 Hass avocados, halved, scooped from skin and sliced
1/2 lemon
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled queso Asadero


Directions

Preheat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to high. Rub the meat with a mixture of grill seasoning, chili powder and the lime zest. Let meat stand 10 minutes. Grease grill surface then add meat and cook 7 to 8 minutes on the first side, 5 to 6 minutes on the flip side for medium doneness.


For the rice, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter, and when melted add rice and toast for a couple of minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic and cook for a few minutes to begin to soften the veggies. Add stock and raise heat to bring up to a bubble. Stir in the tomato paste and hot sauce. Reduce heat to simmer, cover the pot and cook 18 minutes, until rice is tender. Add shrimp to the pot in the last 5 minutes of cooking. The shrimp will steam on top of the rice. Cook the shrimp until pink and firm. Combine the seafood and cilantro into the rice and season with salt, to taste.


Season sliced tomatoes with salt and dress the avocado with lemon juice. Make 4 stacks alternating the tomatoes with avocado and onions.


Slice the steaks and serve on a bed of shrimp rice, the guacamole stacks alongside. Garnish the guacamole stacks with cheese crumbles.

From: foodnetwork.com

Southwest Turkey Burgers

Cook Time: 15 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

8 slices turkey bacon or turkey bacon with black pepper or applewood smoked bacon
1 1/3 pounds ground turkey breast, the average weight of 1 package
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large shallot or 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional - parsley may be substituted
1/2 small bell pepper, green, red or yellow, seeded and finely chopped
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 teaspoons, 2/3 palm full, ground cumin
1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne hot sauce, several drops (recommended: Tabasco)
2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
Vegetable oil or olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 pound deli sliced pepper jack cheese
4 crusty kaiser rolls, split
1 cup sweet red pepper relish, found on condiment aisle - pepper jelly may be substituted
Red leaf lettuce



Directions

Chop your garlic and veggies.


Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until crisp. Wipe excess grease from pan and return skillet to heat.


While bacon cooks, combine turkey meat, garlic, shallot or onion, thyme, cilantro or parsley, bell pepper, serrano or jalapeno pepper, cumin, hot pepper sauce, grill seasoning or salt and pepper. Divide mixture into 4 equal mounds then form meat into patties. Drizzle patties with vegetable oil to coat. Cook in skillet over medium high heat for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Place sliced cheese over the patties in the last 2 minutes of cooking, use 1 or 2 slices for each patty, as you like.


Pile cooked cheeseburgers into buns. Spread sweet relish or jelly on bun tops and set red leaf lettuce into place, using the relish or jelly as glue. Top cheeseburgers with 2 slices of cooked, crisp bacon or turkey bacon and lettluce. Then serve with tortilla chips, tossed salad and/or spicy o-nuts.

From: foodnetwork.com

Thai Chicken Pizza

Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

1 pizza dough, any brand
1/2 cup duck sauce or plum sauce
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 package (2 cups) shredded provolone or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 rounded tablespoonful peanut butter
2 teaspoons hot sauce
2 teaspoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning) eyeball it
4 chicken breast cutlets, 1/2 pound
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar
1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled and cut into matchsticks
4 scallions, chopped
1 cup bean spouts, a couple of handfuls
Palm full cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, 2 ounces


Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.


Form pizza crust on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Top with duck or plum sauce - spread it around like you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle the pizza with some crushed red pepper flakes then top with cheese and peppers. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 17 minutes.


Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine vegetable oil, soy sauce and peanut butter with hot sauce and grill seasoning. Use the microwave to loosen up peanut butter if it is too cold to blend into sauce, 10 seconds ought to do it. Add chicken and coat evenly with mixture. Let stand 10 minutes then grill chicken cutlets 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until firm. Slice chicken into very thin strips.


While chicken cooks, mix honey and vinegar and add the cucumber. Turn to coat evenly.


Top the hot, cooked pizza with chicken, scallions, sprouts and cilantro. Drain cucumbers and scatter over the pizza. Garnish pizza with peanuts, cut into 8 wedges and serve.

From: foodnetwork.com