Beef queso dip

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 1 teaspoon Emeril's Essence Creole Seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces velveet, cubed
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup canned chopped green chiles
• 1/4 cup salsa verde
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground beef, Emeril's Essence, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat and transfer to a plate.
2. Add velveet to the saucepan, stirring until melted. Stir in Monterey Jack cheese, diced tomatoes, green chiles and salsa verde until well combined. Stir in ground beef and cilantro until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.

Thai steamed fish with lime, garlic, and chilies

Ingredients

• 1.5 lbs skinless fish fillets
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• Juice of one large, juicy lime
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• 5-6 bird’s eye chilies, more or less depending on your heat tolerance
• a handful of fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. Place the fish fillets in a heatproof dish in a single layer.
2. Chop the garlic and chilies finely. It's important to chop them as opposed to pulverize them; otherwise the flavor and smell will be too overwhelming.
3. Sprinkle the garlic-chili mixture over the entire surface of the fish fillets.
4. Mix together the remaining ingredients, except cilantro, together. Taste it to see if adjustment is needed in terms of saltiness or sourness, then pour the mixture over the fish.
5. Cover the dish with a piece of foil and steam in a steamer until the fish is fully cooked.
6. Remove the dish from the steamer, sprinkle fresh cilantro leaves over the steamed fish, and serve immediately.

MANDARIN PASTA SPINACH SALAD WITH TERIYAKI DRESSING

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces bowtie pasta noodles
• 4 cups spinach leaves
• ½ cup craisins
• ⅓ cup cashews or Diamond of California Pine Nuts
• 1 4-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
• ¼ cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Dressing

• ⅓ cup teriyaki sauce
• ⅓ cup rice wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
2. While pasta is boiling, prepare the dressing. In a jar combine all dressing ingredients. Cover and shake to combine. Chill until ready to use.
3. In a large bowl toss together pasta, spinach, raisins, nuts, mandarin oranges, and cilantro. Just before serving pour dressing over salad, toss, and serve.

BAKED GARLIC CILANTRO FRIES

Ingredients

• 5-6 yukon gold potatoes, cut into thin fries
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 – 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 – 3/4 tsp sea salt
• pepper
• 1/4 c. loosely packed cilantro leaves, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and get a baking sheet with rack ready. Cut the potatoes into fries and place in a bowl of cold water to soak for a few minutes.
2. Drain the water and dry the fries with paper towel. Once dry, toss the fries with the olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
3. Lay on a baking sheet in a single layer, preferably one that has a cooking rack so the fries can have the air circulating all around them. Bake for 20-25 minutes depending on your oven and how crispy you like your fries. If using a baking sheet without a rack, halfway through the cooking time, flip the fries.
4. Once done, toss fries with cilantro in a bowl.

No Noodle Pad Thai

INGREDIENTS

• ¾ pound daikon radish, peeled
• 4 medium carrots, peeled
• ½ pound zucchini
• ½ pound bean sprouts
• 4 green onions, finely sliced
• 12 to 14 ounces organic extra-firm tofu, drained and very gently squeezed of excess moisture
• 1 small handful cilantro leaves, chopped, plus extra for serving
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, preferably black, plus extra for serving
• 4 small wedges of lime, for serving

Peanut sauce

• ½ cup peanut butter or almond butter
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons tamari or other soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• About 3 tablespoons water, to thin

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the vegetable noodles: Use a julienne peeler, mandoline, spiralizer or regular peeler to create noodles out of the radish, carrots and zucchini, if using. Transfer the noodles to a large serving bowl. Add the bean sprouts, onions, chopped cilantro and sesame seeds to the bowl.
2. Slice the tofu: Halve your slab of tofu lengthwise through the middle so you have two large, 1-inch thick slabs. Stack the slabs on top of each other and slice them into 4 columns lengthwise, then turn the tofu and slice across the columns to make ¼-inch wide squares of tofu. Gently transfer the tofu to the serving bowl.
3. Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary—the sauce should taste very bold at this point.
4. If you will not be serving all 4 portions immediately, portion off the amounts of vegetable/tofu mixture you need for now. Drizzle in enough dressing to coat the portioned amount. Use your hands to gently toss the mixture until every single strand is coating in dressing. Serve pad Thai with a wedge of lime and a sprinkle of extra chopped cilantro and sesame seeds. Store leftover vegetable/tofu mixture separately from the dressing and dress just before serving.