Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Creamy Dipping Sauce

Since I had leftover chipotle chiles from our chipotle chicken tacos, I decided to try this recipe.  I love chicken skewers and my kids think it's the greatest thing on earth to eat anything off of a stick.  These were tasty, especially dipped in the sauce.  However, I think homemade ranch dressing would have been just as good... in fact, I may like that even better and it will try it that way next time.  This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Creamy Dipping Sauce 

Chicken Skewers:

• 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (4-5 medium chicken breasts)
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced (scrape out the seeds before mincing to reduce spiciness)
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 12 bamboo or metal skewers   

Creamy Dipping Sauce:

• 3/4 cup lowfat sour cream
• 1/4 cup lowfat mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup lime juice, from 2-3 limes
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, minced
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Slice the chicken breasts into long, thin strips, about 1/2-inch thick. You should have right around 20 strips. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cilantro, chipotle chile, adobo sauce, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper. In a Ziploc bag, toss the chicken with the brown sugar mixture coating all the pieces evenly. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
2. For the dipping sauce, in a bowl, stir all the ingredients together. Cover the mixture and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes until the flavors combine. Alternately, you can make the dipping sauce in advance and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Be sure to season the dipping sauce with additional lime juice, salt and pepper to taste before serving.
3. 30 minutes before grilling, cover the bamboo skewers with water and soak. Skip this step if using metal skewers.
4. Preheat an oven broiler or gas/charcoal grill. Weave two strips of chicken onto each skewer. Broil or grill the chicken for 5-8 minutes until cooked through, using nonstick cooking spray on a foil-lined pan if you are broiling. Serve immediately (if you broil, you may need to cook in batches) with the dipping sauce.

Amazing Shrapnel Dip

I hosted a bridal shower this weekend and served this dip (recipe found here.)  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture until the dip was almost gone...this was all I could scrape out of the bowl.  I will definitely be making this one again...in fact, I think I'll make it again tomorrow.

Amazing Shrapnel Dip

• 1 can white beans, such as navy or Great Northern
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can corn - good quality is key (I used white shoepeg corn.)
• 1-2 avocados, diced
• 1/4-1/2 cup red pepper, diced
• 1-2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 2-3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• 1/3 cup Italian dressing, plus more if needed (I used a packet of Kraft Zesty Italian, made according to packet directions.)
• Squeeze of fresh lime (about 1/2 tablespoon or so from half of a large lime)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• White, blue or yellow corn/tortilla chips for serving

1. Drain the beans and corn together in a colander. Give them a quick rinse and let them drain really well so no extra liquid makes its way into the dip. Add them to a large bowl.
2. Toss in the avocados, red pepper, tomatoes, red onion and cilantro. Mix. Pour the dressing over the top of the salad and using a large spoon or spatula, fold the ingredients and dressing together until everything is evenly coated.
3. Squeeze the lime juice over the top. Gently mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately with chips. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. If making in advance, wait to chop and stir in the avocados until right before serving.

Guacamole

I can't believe I used to not like this stuff!  Now I can't get enough.  This recipe is really tasty and the addition of lime juice keeps the guacamole from turning brown right away.

Guacamole

2-3 medium avocados
1 T. fresh squeezed lime juice (I used the juice from half of one lime.)
1-2 cloves fresh minced garlic
2 T. finely minced onion (You could omit.)
2 heaping spoonfuls of sour cream
Salt to taste

Optional: 3-4 T. finely diced tomatoes

Scoop out avocados from skins and mash in a bowl with a fork.  Add remaining ingredients and combine well.  If possible, make at least 30 minutes ahead of time so flavors can blend well.

Cooked Salsa

I forgot to take a picture of the finished product!  Oh well.  I have been waiting for the past month to have enough tomatoes and peppers ripe at the same time to be able to make this recipe.  I had high hopes of canning this but realized after I had already started, that I needed pint size jars and I only had quart size.  So I ended up putting some in the fridge for immediate consumption and freezing the rest in small freezer jam jars.  I am going to ask Santa for a second freezer for my garage!  I got this recipe from my friend Cami several years ago.  On all of the vegetable measurements, I just approximated.  I'm guessing this recipe would yield about 10-12 pint size jars.

Cooked Salsa

12 cups tomatoes, peeled and chopped*
5 cups green bell peppers, chopped and seeded
5 cups yellow onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups jalapeno peppers, chopped and seeded
5-8 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup white vinegar (I used maybe half a cup.)
3 T. salt
1 T. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup dried onions
2 cans tomato paste (I only used one.)
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (I used 2-3 T. dried.)

Combine everything but the dried onions, tomato paste and cilantro (unless you use dried) and simmer for 2 hours uncovered on the stove top.  Add the dried onions and tomato paste and simmer ten more minutes.  Then add the fresh cilantro and simmer five minutes more.

*To peel tomatoes, blanch them.  That is, put them in a pot of very hot (nearly boiling) water and let them sit for 60 seconds.  Then transfer them to a sink of freezing cold water.  The skins should pull off easily.  

Black and White Bean Dip

I really like the multi-grain chips from Costco and they go great with a good dip.  I just happened to have all the ingredients for this on hand so I whipped it up yesterday for an after church snack.  It was great!

Black and White Bean Dip

1 can of black beans-drained

1 can of white beans-drained

1 can of shoepeg corn-drained

1 7oz can of Herdez salsa verde

2 cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese

4-6 chopped roma tomatoes

garlic salt to taste

Avocado-optional

Preheat oven to 400. Put everything (except for the avocado) in a bowl and mix together. Spray a shallow baking dish with nonstick spray before spooning in the bean mixture. Sprinkle a little cheese on top and pop into the oven. Bake for 10-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and it is all warm and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with diced avocado and serve with tortilla chips.  

Avocado Bean Dip

I'm so excited to have a new "dip" recipe. They are so great for gatherings. I made this for a baby shower and brought the leftovers home. Ben tried it and immediately said, "Can you make more of this??" That's always a good sign. And this is really easy to make.

Avocado Bean Dip

1 - 15 oz. can white beans (or black), drained
1 avocado, mashed
1/2 cup salsa (I just used regular mild salsa.)
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions (I only used about two stalks.)
2 Tbsp canned diced green chilis
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt

Mash the avocado and then stir in rest of the ingredients. Serve with chips! (I love the multi-grain chips from Costco.)