La Cocina de Leslie: Super Bowl snacks

Showing posts with label Super Bowl snacks. Show all posts

We're halfway through January already and there is really only one thing I can think about: Football! The Super Bowl to be exact.

Every year, my older, college student nephews and one of their friends, whom we've adopted as another nephew, come over to watch the big game.

Now everybody knows that you can't have a Super Bowl party without delicious food and cheesy, spicy snacks. One of our favorites, year after year, is Nachos.

We could head downtown to buy a plate of bright, neon-orange imitation cheese sauce served on Nacho flavored Doritos for 10 pesos (less than a dollar) a plate, but there's nothing like a homemade cheese sauce made with real cheese.

Most cheese sauces are made with a roux (butter & flour) and milk base, but I prefer mine a little creamier, so I use Mexican crema. My favorite is this thick and rich crema from Tototlan, Jalisco. Isn't it gorgeous?

The secret to my cheese sauce is in the special little something I add to it to give it extra flavor....Jalapeño vinagre. It's the liquid canned jalapeños are packed in. It's not so spicy that it will burn your tongue off, but it does add that extra jalapeño flavor that gives you the illusion that you're eating jalapeños, even if you can't handle the heat of actually eating them.

I've shown you mine, now tell me what are your favorite football snacks?

Nachos

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 cups Mexican crema
2 tablespoons jalapeño vinagre (the liquid jalapeños are packed in)
6 to 8 oz. Manchego cheese (I used 200 grams), cut in bite-size cubes
6 slices American cheese, cut in bite-size pieces
Tortilla Chips
Canned jalapeño slices

Directions:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the Mexican crema and jalapeño vinagre and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is warm.

Stir in the cheeses.

Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses have completely melted. Season with salt and pepper. (If the sauce is still too thick, stir in more jalapeño vinagre, one tablespoon at a time.)

Ladle cheese sauce over tortilla chips and top with jalapeño slices. Enjoy!!!

*If you have any leftover Cheese Sauce, it's delicious served on top of steamed veggies like broccoli and/or cauliflower!

17 January 2012

Nachos

With the Super Bowl just days away, I am officially declaring that this week, on La Cocina de Leslie, is Snack Week! Every day this week, I will share quick and easy recipes for delicious snacks
you can enjoy for any occasion.

There's really nothing easier, or tastier, than Quesadillas de Chorizo. With as little as three ingredients, you can get your snack on! No measuring required.

Quesadillas de Chorizo

Ingredients:

Chorizo
Queso Fresco, Oaxaca or Mozzarella Cheese
Flour or Corn Tortillas

Directions:
In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo; until the chorizo is completely cooked. Remove from heat; set aside.

Heat the tortillas on a griddle or comal, over medium-low heat, just until soft and pliable. Do not remove the griddle or comal from the heat.

Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooked chorizo and cheese onto tortilla; fold tortillas in half.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter on the griddle or comal. Heat the quesadillas on the griddle or comal, until the tortillas are slightly crisp and the cheese inside has melted.

Serve with Refried Beans and/or sour cream, guacamole and your favorite salsa. Enjoy!!!

01 February 2011

Chorizo Quesadillas

I used to see large piles of these dried pasta like shapes, when I went shopping with my grandparents at the local Latino markets. I had no idea what they were or how they were prepared. And it wasn't until I married Hubby, that I found out.

They are indeed a dried pasta made from flour called Duritos. Duritos are a very popular snack here in Mexico. Kiddies of all ages love them. Duritos come in assorted shapes and sizes. The lighter colored duritos are actually made from potato flour, and once they are cooked, you can really sense the potato flavor.

Duritos are very easy to prepare. All you have to do is carefully drop them in hot oil. As soon as they hit the oil, they start to puff up. Once they're all puffed up, they're done.

In a matter of seconds you can have a delicious snack!

Duritos

Ingredients:

Duritos
Vegetable oil (for frying)
Lime wedges
Bottled Hot Sauce (I recommend Tapatio or Valentina brand)

Directions:
Heat 1 to 2 cups of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Carefully drop the duritos into the hot oil.

Remember, the duritos start cooking as soon as they hit the oil. Once they've puffed up, remove them immediately from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil.

Serve as is or top with bottled hot sauce and lime juice. Enjoy!

31 January 2011

How To Make Duritos

For those of you die-hard football fans, such as myself, I've compiled a list of my recipes that are perfect for any Super Bowl party! (Just click on the titles to see each recipe!)

Every Super Bowl party needs saucy and spicy Valentina Chicken Wings.