We took a trip to the local farm stand yesterday and the girls were in absolute heaven because I bought them fresh honey sticks. Gigi got grape. Lulu got strawberry. And after sucking most of the honey out of the straws, slobbering and smacking their way through, they wanted to trade.
Uh, no.
Because there are some things that just don’t seem right to share. (And I’m not talking about my chocolate stash—that’s just a hoarding situation, not a hygiene issue.)
Nope, you can’t share:
Melty ice cream sundaes. Ew.
Bowls of cereal with milk. Slurp.
Lollipops. The phrase “Okay, it’s your lick” should not be in anyone’s vocabulary.
And more relevant to today, and to Sunday’s Super Bowl festivities, you can’t share nachos.
Or at least you shouldn’t have to.
Black Bean and Roasted Corn Nacho Bites with Avocado Crema
Makes 32 bites
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 c. cooked brown rice
- 1 c. roasted frozen corn (i.e. Trader Joe’s), defrosted
- 1 c. black beans, rinsed and drained
Pico de Gallo:
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 c. minced onion
- 1/4 c. chopped cilantro
- 1/2 a jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
- juice of 1 lime
- salt to taste
Avocado Crema:
- 1 avocado
- 1/3 c. of your favorite salsa
- 2 T. nutritional yeast
- 1 T. lemon juice
- 1/2 t. minced garlic
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1/2 t. chili powder
- 1/2 t. cumin
Substitution notes: If desired, you can substitute:
*flour or rice tortillas for the corn
*quinoa, millet or any other cooked grain for the rice
*regular or canned corn for the roasted corn. You can roast your own by putting it in a lightly greased skillet over medium high heat and sautéing until the corn starts to brown. For some smoky flavor, add a few drops of liquid smoke.
*premade pico de gallo for the homemade
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
You can make your own tortilla cups by cutting the rounded edges off your tortillas and then cutting the squares into 1/4ths.
Save the rounded edges for toasting and topping soups or salads. Or eating with leftover Avocado Crema while your making nacho bites. It’s up to you.
Take the tortilla “squares” and stuff them in a mini-muffin tin. They won’t be perfect, but nothing is.
If you don’t have a mini-muffin tin, you can just make bigger nacho bites by cutting your tortillas larger and putting them in regular muffin tins. Or, if your friends have really big mouths, you can use the jumbo tins.
Bake the tortilla cups for 9-12 minutes. You’ll want them to be slightly browned and crisp to the touch.
Prepare the pico de gallo by combining chopped tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, if using, lime juice and salt in a medium bowl.
For the avocado crema, in a small food processor or blender, combine avocado, salsa, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, salt, chili powder and cumin and blend until smooth.
The order in which you layer the nacho bites is really important if you are making these ahead of time.
Put the rice in the bottom of the tortilla cup first. This will soak up any of the juices that drip down from the top layers and will prevent your cup from getting soggy.
Follow with your corn and beans. These are yet another barrier.
Next, add the pico de gallo.
Finally, top with the avocado crema. I put the crema in a plastic bag and pipe a bit on top of each bite, but feel free to dollop it on if your friends aren’t fancy.
If your friends aren’t fancy and have big mouths, they’re probably me. I’ll be there at kickoff.
The tortilla cups are totally sog-free, the corn is smoky and sweet, the beans add heartiness, pico gives ‘em a kick and you’re left with a creamy, zesty avocado finish.
Yum.
The end result is totally shareable.
But the beauty is, everyone gets their own.
Unless, of course, I hoard them.
There are some things that just don’t seem right to share.
I had to make a mad dash to the store last night for pineapple rings for our very last photo shoot for the new book: Pineapple Upside Down Muffins. Only I forgot pineapple on my massive grocery run. And then again on my second massive grocery run. And then again on my mini-grocery run.
I am brilliant sometimes.
As I walked the aisles of the store, blurry-eyed, cranky and on a mission for perfectly round rings to top my muffins, an older man approached me and asked me if I knew the difference between Buffalo Wings and chicken wings. (Buffalo wings are chicken wings.)
Then he followed me to the next aisle and asked what kind of hot sauce is on Buffalo Wings. (Frank’s.)
Then he followed me to the next aisle and asked me what kind of dressing is served with Buffalo Wings. (Blue cheese.)
Had I been more patient, had I been less tired, had I not been afraid that somebody else was going to make a pineapple upside-down “something” and rob the last can from the shelf, I might have suggested that the man nix the Buffalo Wings and make something else.
Or a lot of something elses.
So here you go, Buffalo Wings man, in case you want an alternative. Or 25.
Snacks and appetizers:
Soft Pretzels w/ Nacho Mmmm Sauce
Main Courses:
Philly Cheese Steaks on Pretzel Subs
Yukon Gold White Bean Basil Burgers
Tofu and Mushroom Lettuce Cups
Sweets and Treats:
Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Balls
Double Chocolate Single Chin Brownies
Peanut Butter Blondies with Chocolate Ganache
I can hardly wait for kickoff.
I told you I am brilliant sometimes.
