Food – Page 3 – Purple Cowboy Wines: Tenacious Red, Trail Boss Cabernet

Tailgating Tips, Recipes & Wine Pairings

September 9, 2014January 14, 2015wsbrandsites

With the changing of the leaves comes the start of football season, and that means tailgating! Are you the Grill Master this year? The Chef in the kitchen, the over-excited Super Fan, the Pre-Game DJ? Whatever your tailgating party role, Purple Cowboy wants to help you prepare, at home and by the field. So whip out those coolers, grills and team jerseys – let’s get cookin’!

Let’s face it, the best part of tailgating is the food. The smell of chili cooking, those pre-game baked jalapeño popper appetizers, chips, dip, deviled eggs… and brats and burgers. Let’s amp up that tailgating game with these munchables and party hacks!

A Super Game-Day Guacamole Recipe!

Finger foods are a necessity for any game-day party and we found a tasty DIY guacamole recipe that your friends won’t be able to resist! Get the recipe from Emerging Foodie.

Bacon Ranch Grilled Jalapeños
Add an oh-so-cheesy and spicy pop to your tailgating party with this simple “Bacon Ranch Grilled Jalapeños” recipe by Inside BruCrew Life. These poppers take 20 minutes on the grill and will be a total hit on game day. Plus, you can never go wrong with bacon bits!

The Nacho Hot Dog
Prepare to be the envy of every tailgater. We found you the best, and tastiest grilling recipe around. With equal parts crunch, guacamole and juicy hot dog, your main entrée on game-day… is served. Via A Spicy Perspective.

Game-Day Cupcakes

Can’t forget dessert! Gobble up some little football-field cupcakes during your tailgating party! They’ll spruce up your football decor and fix your sweet tooth after all those brats and salty hors d’oeuvres, check out this simple recipe by Miss Make.

Game Day is Wine Time

We’ve also found a quick guide to help you choose the right wine for your party. From your burgers to your desserts, this cheat sheet will help you find the perfect pair. Cabernet pairs best with bold flavors, so you’ll want to pair your Purple Cowboy with foods including burgers, BBQ ribs, chili and steaks.

For your shopping list, the Wine Sisterhood made it even easier for your party preperation created this handy dandy Tailgating Checklist:

For more tailgating tips and tricks check out the Wine Sisterhood blog post: “Toast to Tailgating Season.” And if you’re looking for Pinsperation, check out the “It’s Tailgating Time” board on Pinterest!

Take photos while you’re out tailgating this season, upload them to Instagram and you could win Wine Sisterhood goodies! Here’s how it works: Share your favorite football and tailgating photos with the Wine Sisterhood on Instagram by tagging @winesisterhood and using the #tailgatingtime hashtag in the caption of your images. Get all the details here.

We’re so ready for fall, so let’s hut, hut, hut and PARTY!

Grilling Recipes for Labor Day Weekend

August 27, 2014August 27, 2014wsbrandsites

Add a little spice to your grill this coming Labor Day weekend, and try something new! We gathered some of the tastiest marinades, sauces and sides from our own grillin’ Wine Sisters and pulled together this grilling guide for your three-day Labor Day weekend.

Sue’s Grilled Steak Marinade

Shhh, don’t tell anyone, but the secret to this mouth-watering marinade by our very own Wine Sister Sue, is the soy sauce. Just mix her simple ingredients in a bowl, refrigerate to set the marinade, and you’re ready for the grill! It tastes divine on a flank steak.

Ingredients:

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, coarsely grated
4 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
1⁄2 lemon, juiced
2 cups red wine
2/3 cup soy sauce
1⁄2 cup olive oil
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs fresh parsley

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in bowl.
Put steak in a covered dish. Pour marinade over steak and refrigerate. Marinate for several hours.
After marinating steak, pour remaining marinade into small saucepan. Bring to boil. Cook until reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
Grill steaks and serve with the reduced sauce.

Angeles’ Grilled Spicy Lime Chicken Kabobs

Gather up your cilantro, basil, oregano, pepper and lime for this tasty recipe with a kick. Slather up your chicken kabobs and pair with one of Angeles’ special side dishes below.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3-4 strips of lime zest
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped basil + oregano
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

First combine the lime juice and salt in glass or ceramic bowl until salt is dissolved. Add the red pepper, black pepper, and minced garlic. Whisk briskly. Add lime zest, cilantro, basil, and oregano then stir gently until combined.
Place chicken chunks in glass casserole dish (tip: lightly salt/pepper chicken prior to adding to marinade), pour freshly made marinade over the top and refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
Skewer chunks of chicken, and grill.
Serve with Mexican Crema dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

1 cup Mexican Crema
1 jalapeño – seeded, stemmed, and diced
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp chili powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients & refrigerate until use.
Enjoy with your chicken kabobs.

Angeles’ Chile-lime Grilled Corn:

For an excellent side dish to go along with your meal, spice up your corn with this clever recipe. Just slather the mixture over your freshly grilled corn.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayo
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
6 ears corn

Directions:
1. Grill corn until browned on all sides.
2. Meanwhile, combine all other ingredients except cilantro. When corn is grilled, slather immediately with the sauce. Place on platter and sprinkle with cilantro.

Optional: also sprinkle with a crumbly Mexican cojita cheese or parmesan.

Mama’s Pasta Salad

To top off this labor day weekend meal, Angeles included her favorite pasta salad recipe. With a little spice and Mexican Crema, you can create the perfect pasta salad, sure to be a quick favorite at the BBQ.

Ingredients:

1 lb. pasta, cooked per instructions (preferably small shells)
1 cup prepared charro beans OR
1 can (15 oz.) chili-ready beans, partially drained
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes (any kind)
1 yellow or orange bell pepper; blackened, stemmed, seeded, diced
1/2 red onion, diced or minced
1/2 cup cilantro
1 cup Mexican Crema
1 cup Salsa (tip: Angeles recommends the spicy, chunky, homemade style)
1/3 cup mayo
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. cumin

Directions:

1. Cook pasta per instructions. Meanwhile, combine Mexican Crema and all following ingredients. Refrigerate. When pasta is cooked and drained, rinse with cool water and shake to remove as much water as possible.

2. Add diced veggies and toss. Fold in the sauce slowly, so it’s creamy but not over-wet. Chill, then serve.

3. Enjoy!

“The layered flavors give it a luscious, ‘Mama’s been in the kitchen cooking for three days’ flavor (especially if you use prepared charro beans in the pasta salad),” Angeles says.

Chelsea’s Favorite Honey Lime Sriracha Marinade

Bask your chicken or pork in this tasty marinade with enough lime to brighten up the flavor, and bathed in honey and Sriracha for an extra punch of flavor.

Ingredients: (Good for about 2 lbs. of meat)

Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup honey
5 tbs apple cider vinegar
2-3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 tbs. Sriracha (or more if you like it spicy)
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs. olive oil or vegetable oil

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender.

2. Put marinade and meat in a plastic bag or sealed container. Let chicken marinate for 1-2 hours and pork for 1-4 hours.

3. Grill, and enjoy!

Grilled Pineapple Chili Porkchop via Cookin’ Canuck

This pineapple chili glaze will spring the life back into your pork! With a few tips from the Cookin’ Canuck, you’ll have the perfect glaze to rub over your Labor Day porkchops. Get the recipe by Cookin’ Canuck.

Might we add, both Purple Cowboy wines pair excellently with steak and grilled meats. Is your mouth watering yet? Happy grilling!

Don’t forget these outdoor entertaining tips from the Wine Sisterhood Blog for your stress-free and fun Labor Day weekend preparation!

Summertime and the Grillin’ is Easy!

June 25, 2014June 25, 2014wsbrandsites

Summer is here, and that means grilling! We set out to gather up the most mouth-watering grilling recipes we could find to kick start your weekend. And we may have mentioned it before, but Purple Cowboy Tenacious Red pairs fantastically with all red meats. Here are some of our favorite finds:

Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Hot Dogs

What else do we love to grill? Hot dogs! We came across this hearty hot dog on Simply Recipes and couldn’t wait to fire up the coals. If you love ALL of the toppings, with solid helpings of hot dog, mustard, ketchup, cheese, onions, sauerkraut and bacon INSIDE of the hot dog, this one’s for you.

Western Bacon Cheeseburger

What’s the best thing to grill? Burgers! This recipe for a Western Bacon Cheeseburger covers all of the bases, savory bacon, beef, cheese, and of course onion rings.

Grilled Steak Tacos With Avocado Salsa

For a lighter meal, we found the most delectable grilled tacos on the Food and Wine blog. Bring out the tomatillos, avocados and chorizo, this southwestern taco will fire up your taste buds!

Now light the grill and head outside for fun in the sun this weekend!

Mother’s Day Treats & Eats

April 30, 2014May 1, 2014wsbrandsites

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 11. We’re giving you ample time to plan out the perfect day and pay tribute to all the Moms in your life. Mom was the first one to patch up that scraped knee when you fell off your first tractor, or to dust away the dirt the first time you were bucked off a horse.

Its time to celebrate her! We’ve gathered some ideas that might help you express your love for these ladies with gracious amounts of all of her favorite things, wine, chocolate, food, and you!

Spoil her, let her sleep in a little longer and prepare her breakfast in bed. Nothin’ says love like heart-shaped toast and eggs! (Image via Pip and Ebby)

Just as perfect as this idea is for Valentine’s Day, it is also full of love for Mother’s Day. Eggs, toast, pancakes or bacon (yes, bacon) – get creative and whip up her favorite!

If you like to bake, this is your time to shine! Bake Mom a cake! Or a pie, or cupcakes, or how about a Flower Pot Cake? Because Moms seem to have a knack for making things grow. (Image and recipe via Will Cook for Friends)

Now, the real fun starts with dinner. If you do a roast, you can set it out early to let simmer. We recommend a beef, chicken, or a classic lamb roast which pairs beautifully with Purple Cowboy Tenacious Red’s hints of black cherries, plum, cola, rose petal and vanilla. Purple Cowboy Tenacious Red pairs particularly well with this buttery and tender Unbelievably Easy Roast Beef via Crepes of Wrath.

Unbelievably Easy Roast Beef

Cook time: 1 hour

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 2.5 lb boneless eye-round roast, tied
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (this is a good amount and makes a decently hot roast, so cut it back to 1 teaspoon if you’re sensitive to heat)
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced to a paste (see the photos above for an explanation)

Instructions

The day before you plan to cook the roast, sprinkle the salt evenly over the meat, rolling it on your board to pick up excess salt that has failed to stick. Wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight, or at least for a few hours the day of.
Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Remove the roast from the refrigerator and use paper towels to dry excess moisture from the meat. Rub the roast all over with the teaspoon of oil before evenly sprinkling on the oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, pepper and garlic.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it just begins to simmer and slightly smoke. Add the roast and sear until richly browned on all sides (including the sides and the ends), 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Transfer the roast to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and sprayed with Pam. Roast the meat for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the meat reaches 115 degrees F on a meat thermometer. Turn the oven off, leaving the roast in the oven for another 30-40 minutes, or until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees F for medium-rare or 140 degrees F for medium. Do not cook the roast past medium or the meat will be too dry!
Remove the roast from the oven to a carving board and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Slice the meat as thinly as possible and serve with potatoes, vegetables, and/or crusty bread.

– See more at: Crepesofwrath.com

Uncork your Purple Cowboy, slice thin and serve.

For dessert, do a little chocolate research. Find out what pairs well with her favorite wine. Try the Wine Sisterhood wine and chocolate pairing guide.

With Purple Cowboy wines, we recommend milk chocolate or dark chocolate and caramel. Nothing too extravagant, but we’ll bet it will be a day she won’t forget.

And lastly, we took the hard part out of finding Mom a gift. We pre-packaged some of the favorite Wine Shop goodies into one Mom-themed gift package! Happy Mother’s Day!

St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef Recipe

March 12, 2014March 14, 2014purplecowboy

Here at Purple Cowboy, we’re big fans of following tradition, especially when those traditions involve food. So, you bet we have a plan for this St. Patrick’s Day! On our menu this holiday: Corned Beef.

We’re following the recipe below from Chow.com to make some unforgettable Corned beef. Join us in cooking up a feast this holiday! But act fast, this recipe calls for curing your own meat for at least three days.

Make a visit to your favorite butcher and start the brine for this delicious recipe this week. When it’s cooked and ready to dig into, open up a bottle of Purple Cowboy Tenacious Red and savor this well-earned treat.

Corned Beef and Cabbage with Horseradish Cream Sauce
From Chow.com

Ingredients:

For the brine:

6 cups water
3/4 cup kosher salt
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup pickling spice
1 (5-pound) beef brisket

For the corned beef, cabbage, and sauce:

1 medium yellow onion, quartered
3 large carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into thirds
6 medium garlic cloves, smashed
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 medium head green cabbage, cut through the core into 6 wedges

Instructions:

For the brine:

Combine the water, salt, sugar, and pickling spice in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Poke several holes on all sides of the brisket with a knife or metal skewer and place in a 2-1/2-gallon resealable plastic bag. Pour the brine over the meat (making sure the meat is completely submerged), press out excess air, seal the bag, and place in a 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Refrigerate for 3 days or up to 1 week.

For the corned beef, cabbage, and sauce:

Remove the beef from brine and brush off any spices that have stuck to the meat. Place in a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, and enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce to a simmer. Skim any foam that floats to the top, cover, and simmer until meat is fork tender, about 2 to 3 hours.

Meanwhile, combine the sour cream, horseradish, mustard, and lemon juice in a medium nonreactive bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Once the beef is fork tender, add the cabbage to the pot, cover, and cook until cabbage is easily pierced with a knife, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the beef to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Trim fat as desired and thinly slice against the grain. Serve with vegetables and horseradish sauce.

Cowboy Countdown to Cinco de Mayo

May 3, 2013January 14, 2015wsbrandsites

Five cowboy-approved taco recipes to celebrate with

Ole! This Sunday is Cinco de Mayo! We’ve been counting down on our Facebook page with five cowboy-approved taco recipes that will be sure to please this Cinco de Mayo or any other taco night of the year.

Here are our top five picks:

1. Chicken Tacos & Salsa Fresca, from Smitten Kitchen (pictured right)

2. Tacos Al Pastor & Pineapple Salsa Recipe, from Food Republic

3. Spicy Lamb Tacos, from Wine Spectator

4. Steak Picadillo Soft Tacos, from Bon Appetit

5. Bacon, Cheese and Jalapeño Tacos, from Food & Wine Magazine

Purple Cowboy On the Road: Austin, TX

April 19, 2013January 14, 2015wsbrandsites

Gearing up for the Austin Food & Wine Festival

Next week, Purple Cowboy Wines and Cowgirl Sisterhood wines will be poured at the Austin Food & Wine Festival, April 26-28. Renowned chefs, including Marcus Samuelson, Tim Love and Graham Elliot will be at the Festival sharing their expertise in cooking demos and seminars spanning three days.

For food lovers, Austin is “heaven.” We’ve been looking forward to eating and drinking in Austin for months! From brisket to tacos, Mexican martinis to queso – we plan on exploring as many of Austin’s establishments as our waistlines will allow. Check out the list of places we plan on stopping by in this Wine Sisterhood blog post.

In honor of our trip to Texas at the end of the month for Austin Food & Wine, we thought we would share one of our favorite Austin treats – Queso!

Purple Cowboy’s CRAZY Queso Dip

Ingredients:

– 4 oz. Mexican chorizo, casing discarded

– ¾ C. finely chopped white onion

– 1 C. seeded and finely chopped ripe tomato

– 2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

– 1 t. dried oregano

– ½ C. dry white wine

– 9 oz. Monterey Jack and/or cheddar cheeses

– 2 T. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

– Tortilla Chips for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Combine the chorizo and onion in a non-stick sauté pan or skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the chorizo into small pieces, until nicely browned, about 7 minutes.

3. Stir in the tomato, chiles and oregano and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes longer.

4. Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch shallow casserole or baking dish and stir in the grated cheese.

5. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cheese just melts, about 3 minutes.

6. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve immediately with tortilla chips.

7. Dig in!

Cast Iron Skillet Brownies

November 8, 2012January 14, 2015wsbrandsites

Easy fixings for a chocolatey fall treat

The seasons are changing and that chill in the air has us ready to fire up our ovens to warm things up with some delicious, piping-hot home-cooked meals. Of course, when supper’s over, we’re more than ready for something sweet to top it all off.

Look no further than these Cast Iron Skillet Brownies from Simply Food Love. Ooey, gooey, chocolatey goodness baked and served in a trusty cast iron skillet – life just doesn’t get any better than this, folks.

Give the recipe below a try. Our pairing recommendation: smooth vanilla ice cream. Mmm, mmm…

INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs. In another bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt.

In a medium cast iron skillet, bring butter and cream to a simmer over medium heat. Add chocolate; reduce to medium-low. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate has melted, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and let cool 5 minutes.

Add chocolate mixture to sugar mixture, whisking until blended (reserve skillet). Fold in flour mixture. Pour batter into skillet.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. (for a gooeyer brownie bake for about 35 minutes)

Serve from skillet, warm or at room temperature.

Remember: You have until November 15 to enter Hats Off to Tough Enough to Wear Pink. Share why you support Tough Enough, and you could be entered to win a Purple Cowboy Gist Silversmith Championship Belt Buckle, gift certificates to Wrangler and Justin Boots, a Wine Sisterhood Swag Bag and a TETWP gift basket! Enter Today: http://bit.ly/HatsOff2TETWP

[Image via Simply Food Love]

Award-winning chili recipes for your next cookoff

August 17, 2012January 14, 2015wsbrandsites

Chili and sides that are worth their weight in beans

chili A good pot of chili can be like a work of art. It takes time, a little bit of skill and a whole lotta love to make it turn out just right. Ever since the 6th Annual Bocce Chili Cookoff a few weeks ago, we couldn’t resist the urge to pull out a few of our favorite recipes and whip up some of our own.

Thinking about organizing your own backyard chili cookoff? Watch the latest video from the Bocce Chili Cookoff for ideas on table arrangements, voting and recipes.

The Wine Sisterhood recently featured this Texas-style (bean-free) chili recipe that we thought our Purple Cowboy fans would also enjoy:

Steak Chili Recipe

Ingredients:

3 lbs. strip steak
6 each, dried red chilies: Guajillo, Negro, Mulato, Pasilla, Cascabel, New Mexico, Ancho
3 corn tortillas
2 white onions, sliced ½ inch thick
5 cloves garlic
2 medium cans whole tomatoes
3 whole sticks canela (cinnamon)
2 T whole cumin
2 T dried Mexican oregano
2 oz bittersweet chocolate
Cayenne and salt to taste

Directions:

To prepare the strip steak: Slice into ¼ inch slices. Season with salt and pepper. Preheat camal (flat cast iron skillet) or cast iron skillet until it is extremely hot. Sear steak slices about 45 seconds on each side. Let cool completely and chop into rough dice (not too fine). Set aside.

Wipe down camal or skillet and preheat until extremely hot. Remove stems and seeds from chilies. Toast on hot camal until charred and fragrant. Place into stainless steel bowl; barely cover with boiling water. Let soak while preparing other ingredients.

To prepare tortillas, white onions, garlic: preheat camal or skillet until extremely hot. Toast tortillas on camal until they are lightly charred and crisp. Set aside. Toast onions on pan until charred and soft. Toast garlic cloves lightly to bring out the aromatics but do not char; this will make the garlic bitter. Tear tortillas into rough pieces. Chop onions and garlic into rough dice.

To prepare cinnamon, cumin and oregano: toast on preheat camal; watch to make sure they don’t burn. Combine with broken cinnamon sticks in spice or clean coffee grinder and grind to powder.

Preheat dutch oven—cast iron is preferred. Into blender, place chilies and soaking liquid, tortillas, onions, garlic, spices and tomatoes. Blend until smooth. Pour into super-hot dutch oven and let simmer for awhile to thicken and marry the flavors. Add steak and return to simmer briefly (steak is already cooked and you don’t want to overcook it). Check for salt and correct if needed. Add cayenne if you desire more heat.

Right before serving, add chocolate. Serve with Cotija cheese (hard Mexican cheese similar to Parmesan)—chop in food processor using steel blade for a finer texture.

And this Tough Enough To Wear Pink Cowboy Beans recipe is a winning side dish for any end-of-summer cookout:

Cowboy Beans Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups dried pinto beans
1 Tbsp bacon fat (optional)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil (if not using the bacon fat, use 2 Tbsp vegetable oil)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
5 minced garlic cloves
1 smoked ham hock or ham shank
2 cups water
2 cups black coffee
1 1/2 cups tomato-based barbecue sauce
1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeños (optional)
Grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese for garnish (optional)
1/4 cup chopped red onion for garnish (optional)
Salt to taste

Directions:

Put the beans into a large pot and add enough water to cover by an inch. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes while you prepare the onions, then drain.

Heat the bacon fat and the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed lidded pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring often, until translucent and just beginning to brown. Add the garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes.

Add the drained beans into the pot with the onions. Add the ham hock, the water, a little salt, and the coffee. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook this way for 40-50 minutes or longer. (Some beans may take longer to cook, especially if they are older.) The beans should be edible, but still just a little firm (not mushy soft).

Add the barbecue sauce and stir to combine. Cover and simmer on low heat until the meat from the ham hock begins to separate from the bone, up to 2 hours. Check on everything from time to time. If the beans begin to break down, pull the ham hock and strip the meat from the bone. The acid from the barbecue sauce should help the beans hold their shape. Add salt to taste. Add pickled jalapeños or some Tabasco to taste for some heat.

Serve with a little grated cheese and chopped red onion on top.

Not your average cheesecake recipe

July 17, 2012January 14, 2015wsbrandsites

An appetizer that’ll be a winner at your next barbecue

Bet you’ve never seen a cheesecake quite like this.

Sure, sweet cheesecakes are always nice, but this one takes the cake in a whole new way. This southwestern-inspired appetizer starts with a layer of nachos and is topped with a mixture of cream cheese, shredded cheese and fire-roasted chilis, then baked. Once it comes out of the oven, add a heaping of pico-de-gallo and you’ve got yourself a new, crowd-pleasing appetizer.

Bring it to your next barbeque or tailgate, serve with corn chips and enjoy with your favorite bottle of Purple Cowboy.

Ingredients

1 C. tortilla chips, crushed
3 T. butter, melted
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese (softened)
2 eggs
1 4-oz can fire roasted diced green chiles
1 fresh jalapeno, cored, seeded and diced
4 ounces Colby cheese, shredded
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/4 C. sour cream

For topping:

chopped tomatoes
chopped green onions
sliced black olives
chopped avocado

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In medium bowl, combine crushed tortilla chips and butter. Press into bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan. Bake 15 minutes, remove from oven, leaving oven on.

In large bowl, blend cream cheese and eggs. Add green chiles, jalapeno, Colby and Monterey Jack. Pour over crust and bake 30 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove from oven and cool in pan 5 minutes. Run knife around inside edge and remove sides from pan. Spread sour cream over top and decorate with tomatoes, green onions, olives and avocado. Serve with tortilla chips.

Photo and recipe courtesy of Cooking… On the Ranch.