Black Bean Tropical Fruit And Queso Blanco Salsa Recipes

Steps:

• Roast the poblano chiles individually over the flame of your stovetop, using metal tongs to hold them, until the skins are totally charred. (If you don't have a gas stove, you can use an outdoor grill OR place them on a baking sheet directly under your oven's broiler.) Place the blackened chiles in a large resealable plastic bag and seal the bag to allow the chiles to sweat for a good 20 minutes.
• Use a knife to scrape off most of the blackened skins. Slice the chiles in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and membranes and chop into small dice.
• Add the butter to a very large pot and saute the onions, jalapenos and garlic over medium heat. Add the milk, cream, chili powder and some salt and pepper and heat. Add the processed cheese and stir to melt. Then add the Cheddar, Monterey Jack, tomatoes and diced poblanos. Slowly melt and keep warm.

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Spread a sheet of aluminum foil over broiler pan, place the tomatoes and jalapenos on it and broil. Turn occasionally. Remove the jalapenos after about 10 minutes, when the skins are browned and blistered, and place in a plastic bag. The tomatoes will take an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the skins are blackened and the tomatoes are softened. Remove to a plate to cool.
• When tomatoes and jalapenos are cool enough to handle, rub off the skins, remove the stems, and put the flesh and juices in a food processor or blender. Be careful peeling the jalapenos and wash hands thoroughly after handling. Blend or pulse jalapenos and tomatoes until coarsely chopped. Set aside.
• Pour olive oil into a large heated skillet or saucepan over low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Pour in tomatoes and jalapeno mixture and salt, stir and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in cheese and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently to incorporate the cheese as it melts. Pour into a bowl and serve immediately with tortilla chips or scoop up with heated fresh corn tortillas.

Steps:

• In a saucepan heat the cranberry-raspberry concentrate, orange juice, pink lemonade concentrate and the white vinegar. Finish the sauce by poaching the fruit in the sauce for 2 or 3 minutes until fruit is soft but not overcooked. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh basil.

Steps:

• Cut the cheese into 3-inch-long planks, then cut them into sticks. Ideally, each one would be 1/2-by-1/2-by-3 inches but the shape of your cheese will dictate the dimensions and number of sticks. If the cheese is hard and crumbles easily, you may want cut it into wider rectangular planks instead of sticks. If using white cheese for frying or mozzarella, heavily salt the cheese, then place on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and let the liquid release while you prepare the dough.
• Working with one empanada disc at a time (keep the rest stacked with their liners, or they'll start to dry out the when you separate them), cut it into six 1-inch-wide strips. Remove the liners in between the discs and reserve them; they will come in handy if storing the tequeños later.
• Fill a small bowl with water. Dab water onto one end of each of the 2 shortest strips, overlap and press them together to create a strip that's as long as one of the remaining four strips.
• Spread the strips out, then dab the ends of one with water and slightly flatten. Place a cheese stick on the strip at an angle and wrap to cover the top of the cheese, pinching if necessary. Once the top is secure, wrap the dough around the stick, overlapping as you go, until the whole stick is covered with no cheese peeking through. You may need to pull and slightly stretch the dough to completely cover the end of the cheese stick. Cut off any excess dough and reserve it to patch up other tequeños, if necessary. If you need to attach another half strip with some water to completely seal, do so. Give the stick a very gentle roll and a tap on either end to seal. Repeat with the remaining cheese and discs. Depending on which cheese you use, you may have discs leftover. Save these for another use.
• The wrapped tequeños can be stacked in an airtight container, each layer separated with the reserved liners, and frozen for up to 3 months or they can be fried immediately.
• If frying right away, heat 2 inches of oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot to 325 degrees F. Place a couple of tequeños in the oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry, flipping once or twice, until golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Bring the oil back up to the correct temperature in between batches.
• Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt. Let cool slightly before serving with the guasacaca, for dipping.
• Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or sugar, if necessary. The guasacaca can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 13 ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.