New Mexico Appetizers | Visit Albuquerque

Ingredients

8 ounces pasteurized processed cheese (cut into chunks)
½ cup evaporated milk
⅔ cup green chile sauce

Directions

Microwave cheese chunks and milk for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to achieve a creamy consistency. Strain excess liquid from green chile sauce. Add green chile sauce and microwave until desired temperature (approximately 40 seconds).

Yields about 2 cups and is excellent as both a party dip and a delicious topping for eggs, hamburgers and chicken. Makes 4 servings

Recipe courtesy of El Pinto Restaurant & Cantina, www.elpinto.com/recipes

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados
½ teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice or to taste
1 medium-size tomato, chopped
¼ cup finely chopped Spanish onion
1 medium-size jalapeño chile, minced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Halve and pit the avocados, and scoop pulp into a bowl. Coarsely shop with two knives. Add salt and garlic; add lime juice to taste. Fold in tomato, onion, chile and cilantro. Let stand a few minutes before serving to allow flavors to blend. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1 large tomato, finely chopped
½ cup finely chopped onion or 2 green onions, including tops, chopped
Either 4 green chiles, parched, peeled and chopped; 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles; or 2 to 4 fresh jalapeño chiles, finely minced
1 garlic clove, finely minced
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Marinate at least 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.

Makes 1 ½ to 2 cups

Variation: Add ¾ cup cooked black beans to make black bean salsa.

Recipe courtesy of Jane Butel’s Southwestern Kitchen, www.janebutelcooking.com

Heirloom Tomato Pico de Gallo

Pico de gallo, Spanish for “rooster’s beak,” is a relish made of finely chopped ingredients such as jicama, onions, chiles/peppers, tomatoes and various seasonings. This condiment was so named because it was once purportedly eaten with the thumb and finger, an action that resembles a rooster’s pecking beak. The recipe below was provided by Gwyneth Doland, Albuquerque’s cuisine expert. She likes to make this salsa in the summer, when she can find red, yellow, orange and green tomatoes at one of Albuquerque’s many farmers markets. Try it with chips or sprinkled over fajitas, fish tacos or grilled chicken breasts.

Ingredients

2 cups diced tomatoes of mixed colors
2 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded and minced
½ cup diced red onion
¼ cup cilantro leaves
Juice of 1 lime
Salt

Directions

In a bowl, toss the tomatoes with the jalapeños, onion, cilantro and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and serve immediately.

Makes 2 ½ to 3 cups

Recipe courtesy of ABQ cuisine expert Gwyneth Doland

Ingredients

1 Anjou or Bartlett pear, peeled, cored and diced
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup dried cranberries or craisins
½ teaspoon crushed red pequin quebrado, or more to taste

Directions

In a nonreactive bowl, combine the pear, pineapple, cranberries and chile. Allow to stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 2 ½ cups or 4 generous servings

Recipe courtesy of Jane Butel’s Southwestern Kitchen, www.janebutelcooking.com

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