Guest Author - Debra Conrad

Fiesta Night

Looking for a fun way to celebrate? Get your family and friends together and hold a “Fiesta Night.” Decorate your home in bright colors, hang up a pinata for the kids, and have fun! Here are a few recipes to inspire you:

Gazpacho
3 – 4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Optional – tomato juice

Combine first 8 ingredients in a blender and blend slightly, so that mixture forms a chunky soup. If it is not thin enough for you, you can add some tomato juice (such as V8). Cover and refrigerate for several hours, in order for flavors to blend. Serve chilled; if you like, top with a few green onions and even a dab of sour cream.

Fiesta Chicken Salad

3 cups cooked cubed chicken (can be cooked ahead of time, or purchase a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
(1) 15 oz. can corn, drained
(1) 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
(3) medium to large scallions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 head of iceberg lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup thick and chunky salsa
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Your favorite salad dressing, to taste (ranch goes well, as does an oil and vinegar dressing)

Combine first 8 ingredients except in large bowl; toss gently. In a separate bowl, combine the salsa, cilantro and salad dressing. Once combine, pour over salad and toss to coat. Serve chilled.


Margarita Pie

4 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
6 oz. can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
1 9" prepared graham cracker crust

In medium bowl, mix ice cream and limeade concentrate until blended. Spoon mixture into graham cracker crust; cover and freeze until firm (around 4 hours). To make serving easier, take out of freezer and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting into pieces.