1. Roasted poblano filled with guac and chips

This appetizer is one of my favorites for the Thanksgiving holiday! My Tia (aunt) prepares this every year for Thanksgiving, and it is my favorite appetizer out of the 10 other appetizers that she “whips up” right before Thanksgiving (my Tia is a cookaholic when it comes to gatherings). They are absolutely irresistible! The best part is you can eat the whole thing, without a bowl. Yum! A solid 9/10!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Poblano peppers,
• 1 avocado 
• Chips (tortilla or corn)
• Salt, and/or spices (your choice)
• Lime.

           STEPS: Put your poblano peppers in a pan and roast them. Take one poblano pepper, remove stem and slice it in half, remove all insides, put aside for later. Take avocado and slice down the middle of the entire avocado. Take the avocado apart and remove the pit, after the pit has been removed, scoop avocado/s into a bowl, (both halves). Take a fork, and mash the avocado until sufficiently creamy, add lime (optional), add any salt or spices to the avocado. Scoop the avocado into the poblano pepper, until you have added a sufficient amount, salt again if necessary. Stick the corn chips into the guacamole, plate, and enjoy (repeat steps if you have multiple peppers)!

2. Black bean w corn salad/dip

The Black bean salad/dip is a great summertime appetizer that will amaze your friends and family! It will amaze them with its overall simplicity, and most of all, it’s great taste. The corn pops in your mouth, and the onions give it a strong kick, and with the lime, it gives it an great acid to the dish. Try out this awesome summer dish for all your friends and family! I give it an 8/10.

INGREDIENTS:

• Black beans (2 cans, 32 oz.)
• Corn (one can, 16 oz.)
• 2  diced salad tomatoes (large tomatoes)
• One red red bell pepper (diced)
• One red onion (diced),
• Small bunch of cilantro leaves and stems, chopped (¼ cup)
•  2 Jalapenos (Hal – eh -pen – yo), seeded and minced
• One teaspoon salt
• Juice of one squeezed lime or lemon
• Chips (corn or tortilla)

  

STEPS: First, drain and rinse the beans and the corn and place in a large bowl. Next, add the diced peppers, tomatoes, and cilantro to the bowl. Add jalapenos to the bowl as well. Mix gently until well blended. Add salt. To add lime, slice in half, and squeeze one or both halves into bowl. Stick chips in outside of the bowl, and enjoy!

 3. Carnitas (spicy pulled pork) street tacos with “Salsa verde”

These carnitas street tacos (smaller version of regular tacos) are sure to be a crowd pleaser! My mom makes these sometimes for our Christmas celebration because they are warm, colorful, and festive (for my family). They are juicy, tender, and just the right spice level. I especially like that they are handheld and the extra kick given by the salsa verde. This is my favorite appetizer! An easy 10/10.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 lbs pork shoulder
• Mexican rub (cumin, chile powder, cayenne, mexican oregano, garlic powder, and salt and pepper).
• 1/4 cup of Orange juice.
• One white onion (chopped)
• 5 tomatillos, peeled and washed
• One jalapeno (remove stem)
• One garlic clove
• ¼ cup of cilantro
• Salt
• Street tortillas (small tortillas)

  

Steps: Carnitas: Rub all spices on pork, cover in bowl, let sit in fridge covered for 8 hrs. After 8 hrs put marinated pork in slow cooker, add orange juice, one chopped onion, set on low setting for another 8 hrs. Once cooked, pork should be tender enough to shred for tacos.

Salsa verde: Place tomatillos, garlic and jalapeno in a saucepan, and cover with water in pan. Boil and cook for about 10 minutes, until tomatillos are a pale green. Take the tomatillos, garlic, and jalapeno out of water, and put in a blender. To the blender, add cilantro. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste.

Finishing touches: To plate tacos, take 2 street taco tortillas, and warm for 30 seconds on griddle. Put the tortillas on top of each other, and put a small amount of meat on them. Pour salsa on the tacos, and dig in (repeat the “Finishing touches” section if you are doing more than one).

4. Tostadas and refried bean spread w pico de gallo

This appetizer is by far the most simple of the 4. It combines crunch with a soft, creamy texture, and a kick given by the pico de gallo. My Abuelo (grandpa) loves this dish, and he literally lives off of this, along with some other things, and he is 87 years old (and he is as active as ever, climbs the roof, “fixes” his house). But besides that point, this dish can be eaten as an appetizer, or a small lunch. I give this one a 7/10.

INGREDIENTS:

• Tostadas, 12 pack (yes, the whole pack)
• One can of refried beans (16 oz.)
• 5  roma tomatoes, diced
• One red onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
• One jalapeno, diced and stemed
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• One lime

           STEPS: Put tostadas on a plate. Put the refried beans on a plate, and heat in microwave for 1:30.  Spread the refried beans gently on the tostadas. Take a medium bowl out. To make the pico de gallo: take the tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno and put them in a bowl. Mix gently, and add salt and lime juice. Garnish the tostadas with pico de gallo, and enjoy!

5. Queso Fundido /w chorizo and  roasted poblano peppers

This chorizo chihuahua appetizer is one of my least favorites, personally. I think that it has too much cheese mixed with the chorizo (spiced meat), so it is an uneven blend of sweet and spicy. However, it does smell really good, but it tastes awful, in my opinion. But, give it a try! Who knows, you may like it. The cilantro that is recommended on top gives it an OK hint of freshness, and does not overpower the dish. Overall, I give this dish a 5/10 (my opinion).

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ pound chorizo ground meat,
• One roasted poblano peppers, sliced and roasted
•  2 jalapeno peppers, to be diced
• ½ red onion (diced)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• salt
• 16 ounces of chihuahua cheese, shredded
• tortilla chips

Steps: First, shred the all of your cheese into a large or medium bowl. Put aside for later. Next, spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray, and turn the heat to a medium temperature. Add the chorizo, garlic, red onion to the skillet, and cook it for 5 minutes, turning them over often, they should start to brown once almost ready, and the onions should be translucent, and the garlic gone. Cover the skillet, and let cook, until you see that the chorizo is browned all the way through, about 10 minutes. Check the internal temperature, it should be 160 degrees fahrenheit. Break the chorizo up into crumbles, and if necessary, drain it (if you want you can add the onions to the appetizer, or not). Put your poblano peppers, into a 13 x 9 pan. Sprinkle cheese over poblano. Next, sprinkle chorizo over the cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven until melted and bubbling, about 10 to 12 mins. Now dig in!