Let's Go, Raiders!

Friday night was the first pre-season football game with the Oakland Raiders playing the San Francisco 49ers. Needless to say, having just moved to Oakland and having a brother-in-law living in San Fran, we had to have some sort of get-together and vie for our teams. In order to get in the spirit, we had to have fantastic food. And that we did! Our food festivities included: Black Bean and Corn Salsa, the Best Queso Ever, and Buffalo Potatoes. By the way, the Raiders crushed the 49ers.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup corn
1/2 red pepper, diced small
1/4 cup red onion, diced small
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
2 Tbs. cilantro, chopped
habanero pepper, minced and added to taste
salt

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. For optimum taste, let the flavors meld for a few hours before serving. If you don't have time to let the flavors meld, simply enjoy with chips immediately.

The Best Queso Ever!

All I am going to say is that I couldn't stop eating this queso. I literally felt sick when I got home because of the incredible amount of the queso that I ate. Truly it is some of the best queso I've ever had, and I've had my fair share of queso. We used a fondue pot to melt the cheese mixture and keep it from becoming cold and stringy. Beware, you won't be able to stop eating it!

1/2 red pepper (use the other half from the salsa)
1 or 2 thick slices of onion
1 anahiem or poblano pepper
2 jalapenos
1 serrano pepper

1/2 bottle of a dark Mexican beer, we used Trader Jose's Mexican Dark
1 bag (12. oz) of Mexican blended cheese (cheddar, monteray jack, asadero, and queso blanco)

1. Grill the peppers and onion until they get nice and blackened. If you don't have a grill, broil the peppers for the same result. Let the veggies cool.
2. Peel the skin off of the red and anahiem peppers. Chop all peppers and onion into fairly small pieces.
3. Melt the cheese with beer. Mix in the peppers and onion. Dip in your chip and enjoy!

Buffalo Potatoes

My favorite food before becoming a vegetarian was buffalo wings. My parents and I came up with this recipe as an easy alternative. Even non-vegetarians love this much healthier version of those spicy wings we all love.

baking potatoes, 1/2 to 1 per person
Franks Red Hot sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Cut the potatoes into wedges, approximately 8 wedges per potato. Lay on the wedges on a baking sheet. Smother the wedges in Franks Red Hot sauce. Place into oven for 15 minutes. Flip the wedges over and cover in sauce once again. Bake until tender, approximately another 15 minutes.
3. Serve with blue cheese dressing, carrots, and celery sticks.