Chile Con Queso with Charred Chiles
 Use one variety or a combination of chili peppers to make this cheese dip. If you prefer use two 4 oz cans drained roasted green chilies but resist the urge to change up the beer-to-milk ratio, or the dip won’t come together. Serve a bowl with tortilla chips or warm corn tortillas.
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1 T butter or canola oil
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½ cup chopped onion
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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2/3 cup chopped roasted chiles
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½ cup Mexican-style lager
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2 T all-purpose flour
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1 cup low fat milk
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1 ½ cups shredded cheese
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2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
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¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
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Salt to taste
Melt the butter (or heat oil) in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chilies and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the beer. Increase heat to high, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
Reduce the heat to medium and whisk in the milk. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until sauce is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and gradually add the cheese, stirring constantly, until completely melted. Stir in the tomatoes, cilantro and salt to taste, and serve.
How to: Roast and Peel Chilies
On a gas stove: Turn a burner on high (you can use more than one burner if you’d like) and turn on your exhaust fan. Char a few chilies at a time, resting htem directly on the burners and turning occasionally until blackened and blistered on all sides.
In the oven: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and set the chilies on the foil. Roast the chilies until blackened and blistered, turning occasionally, about 30 minutes total.
To peel: Transfer the roasted chilies to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let stand for 10 minutes. Peel the chilies and remove the stems and seeds (consider using gloves, and don’t touch your face).
Adult Margarita Cake
 Now you can have your cake and drink it too! Team member Mitzi Monson took the classic Jell-O “Poke Cake” and created an adult version. The combination of the lime Jell-O with the Grand Marnier and Tequila complement each other to really bring out a true margarita flavor. Because the cake is refrigerated, it is moist and refreshing. It truly reminds you of your favorite margarita.
CAKE
- 1 (18 ounce) box White cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 1 1/4 cup Margarita Mix (for less sugar use the Baja Bob’s Margarita Mix)
TOPPING
- 1 (3 ounce) box Lime Jell-O gelatin dessert
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 3/4 cup Liquor (1 1/2 ounces Grand Mariner the rest Tequila)
- Cool Whip Topping thawed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. I a large mixing bowl, blend all cake
ingredients together until smooth. Pour cake batter into a greased
(Cooking Spray) 13X9X2 baking pan.
Bake at 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes and the cake is done.
Let cake cool completely, about two hours.
To make the topping: Dissolve the Jell-O powder completely in boiling
water, then add in the Grand Mariner and Tequila; mix well.
Poke holes over cake with a straw. Drizzle Jell-O mixture over entire
top of cake. Refrigerate cake for 2 or more hours until ready to
serve.
Just before serving, top cake with Cool Whip topping and top with
lime zest and lime garnish. |
