"Cinco de Mayo" Linky Party

An InLinkz Link-up

Restaurant Style Salsa and Chips

Sit down at a Mexican restaurant and the first things they bring you are chips and salsa.  I have to tell myself to quit eating them to leave room for the main meal.   If you want to make your own at home this recipe has several shortcuts from my original homemade salsa that can be preserved and shows you how to make your own chips.

Restaurant Style Salsa and Chips                                                     Printable Recipe

28 oz can petite or regular diced tomatoes

1/3 cup minced onions

1/3 cup minced green peppers

1-2 teaspoons green chiles (add more if you like it hotter)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 dash of red cayenne pepper

up to 1/4 cup lime juice - start off with a tablespoon and add to taste

small handful of cilantro, chopped (optional)

canola oil

yellow or white corn tortillas

For salsa:

Add the ingredients tomatoes through the cilantro to blender or food processor and pulse. Blend it until it is as smooth as you want.  If you like it really chunky, use the petite diced sized tomatoes and all of the ingredients can be mixed in a bowl instead.

For chips:

Cut tortillas into 4 or 6 pieces.

Heat oil to 350 degrees in small pan (or until you dip an edge of a tortilla into the oil and it bubbles.) You can use a large fryer if you are making lots of chips.

Cook tortillas for a minute or so, then flip.  Cook until almost starts to brown.  You need the moisture cooked out of the chips so they aren't chewy but you don't want them burnt.  Drain on paper towels. 

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #92

Welcome to the

Linky Party!!

This week we are starting something new and exciting... Foodie Friends Friday will now have a Guest Host each week! 

(If you are interested in being a Guest Host for future parties, please contact me or any of our regular weekly hosts.)

This week Sandi from A New York Foodie joins us! 

She is a native New "Yawk-er" has been blogging for a few years now. She believes in eating foods with lots of colors as they are the healthiest. While she tries to cook as healthy as possible, she in no way substitutes flavor.

Please visit her pages...

BLOG: http://anewyorkfoodie.com/

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/ANewYorkFoodie

Mexican Chicken Alfredo

Most times when I go to the Mexican restaurant or even here at home when I make my own chicken fajitas I have leftovers  Although delicious, sometimes another meal of the same dish just doesn't appeal.  I took my garlic cream sauce (minus the garlic and spinach) and mixed it with pasta and my leftover chicken fajitas to make this re-vamped dish.  So creamy but with a little kick!

Mexican Chicken Alfredo

Olive oil
1 T flour** 
1/2 cup white wine (less if yours is strong flavored)
2 cups half and half (I use whole goat milk)
1 to 1-1/2 cups shredded Parmesan (not the stuff in the shaker)

6 ounces pasta, cooked and drained (I used Tinkyada gluten free)
Leftover chicken fajita meat and veggies, chopped
1 to 2 cups shredded Mexi blend cheese, Chihuahua cheese, and/or mozzarella

Chicken Fajitas

When I go out to the Mexican restaurant I always order chicken fajitas.  I think it must be the sizzle of the cast iron serving vessel that gets my taste buds drooling.  It's an easy dish to make and you can eat the chicken fajitas wrapped in tortillas like they serve at the restaurants, on a pizza, in a quesadilla, or Mexican Chicken Alfredo (coming soon to the blog!)

The restaurant serves it with lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, refried pinto beans, and rice.   They also keep their veggies on the crunchy side.  We prefer our veggie soft and caramelized but cook them how you like them.  

There isn't really a recipe here but guidelines to which spices and flavors to use.  If you make it a lot like I do you'll learn what you like.  I like cumin so I use fresh ground and it's my star here.

Chicken Fajitas

boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders
sliced green peppers, red, orange or yellow peppers 
sliced onions
olive oil
cumin (fresh ground if you can)
granulated garlic
granulated onion
cayenne pepper (dash or two)
salt and pepper
lime juice

refried beans
salsa
guacamole

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #91

Welcome to the

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #90

Welcome to the