Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 c�p shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 small bell pepper, finely chopped (or 5-6 sweet mini peppers)
• 1 10 oz. can Mexicorn, drained
• 1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
• 1 c�p diced cooked chicken breast - leftover, grilled or baked chicken or from a store-bo�ght rotisserie chicken
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon gro�nd c�min
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 c�p shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 package egg roll wrappers (24 wrappers)

For Serving

• Salsa, so�r cream or Greek yog�rt or g�acamole

Instructions

1. Frist preheat oven to 425.
2. Combine all ingredients, except the egg roll wrappers and olive oil, in a medi�m bowl and stir to combine.
3. Lay an egg roll wrapper flat on yo�r co�nter. Spoon abo�t 3-4 tablespoons of the filling into the middle bottom third of the wrapper, leaving some space aro�nd the edges. Fold the sides over and then roll �p the egg roll. Place seam side down on a baking sheet. (Watch the video at the top of this post to see this in action.)
4. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers �ntil all are filled. (Yo��ll have leftover of the mixt�re).
5. Br�sh the tops of each egg roll with olive oil.
6. Bake at 425 for 15 min�tes, �ntil the egg rolls are golden brown and edges are crispy.
7. Serve warm with salsa, so�r cream/Greek yog�rt or g�acamole.
8. Enjoy.

Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites

Ingredients

Soft Pretzels:

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 package active dry yeast 2 1/4 teaspoons
• 3 ounces unsalted butter melted
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil
• 3 quarts water
• 1/3 cup baking soda for boiling the pretzels
• 1 whole egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
• Coarse sea salt

For The Cheese Sauce:

• � Tablespoon unsalted butter
• � Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• � cup milk
• 8 ounces Cheddar cheese grated

Instructions

1. For the Pretzels: Combine the 1 1/2 cups water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.
3. Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
5. Bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil in a small roasting pan over high heat and carefully add the baking soda. It will boil over, so add slowly and be careful!
6. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 ounces each. Roll each piece into a long rope measuring 22 inches and shape. Cut the dough into one inch pieces to make the pretzel bites. Boil the pretzel bites in the water solution in batches. We did about 15 bites at a time. Boil for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon. Place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season liberally with the salt. Place into the oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown.
7. Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating. Serve with cheese sauce.

To Make The Cheese Sauce:

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the Cheddar cheese until smooth and all of the cheese is melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spicy Sriracha Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw

Ingredients

• 8-12 soft corn tortillas see notes
• 1 pound shrimp fresh or frozen/thawed
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 TBSP avocado oil (or favorite healthy oil)
• 1/4 cup homemade or store-bought ranch dressing*
• 1 TBSP Sriracha
• 1 cup finely shredded/chopped cabbage** (green, red, or both!)
• 1 jalape�o pepper
• 1-2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 1 TBSP honey
• 1 lime
• 1/8 tsp salt
• fresh chopped cilantro to taste

Instructions

1. Clean and peel shrimp, defrosting if needed. Lately we've been buying frozen, deveined, easy-peel shrimp. All I have to do is defrost, peel, and cook! You can also buy your shrimp already peeled if you'd like!
2. Set prepped shrimp in the fridge, covered while you make your slaw and sauce.
3. For the Sriracha Ranch, simply whisk together both ingredients. For a spicier sauce, add extra Sriracha to taste.
4. For the Cilantro Lime Slaw, remove the stem/seeds/ribs from the jalape�o, cut into strips and mince. Combine with cabbage, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Cut your lime in half and add juice of half the lime into your slaw. Toss together and add as much cilantro as your heart desires! Slice the remaining half into wedges for your tacos. Adjust honey to taste and set aside to marinate while you cook the shrimp.
5. Pat shrimp dry and season with paprika, cayenne, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix well to coat both sides.
6. Heat a large pan or skillet to medium-high heat with 1 TBSP of oil and saut� your shrimp. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes until shrimp curl and become opaque. The cook time will depend on the heat setting you choose and the size of your shrimp, but regardless they�ll be perfectly cooked in a matter of minutes.
7. Place your shrimp on a clean cutting board and chop into smaller pieces, much like you were coarsely chopping an onion. This extra step helps prevent the shrimp from dive-bombing out of your taco and onto your plate/lap/floor and makes them way easier to eat!
8. Line your corn tortillas with shrimp and top with a hearty drizzle of sauce. Double up on corn tortillas if desired to prevent breakage (see notes) - I like to gently warm my corn tortillas up in the microwave or on a skillet before stuffing them. So good!
9. Top with slaw, serve with lime wedges, and dig in!