Summer Salsa..YUM!

I’ve again been inspired by Pinterest and am making several recipes for dinner tonight.  I already made the Summer Salsa and can I get a double Yum!  I love this stuff.  I’m also making Cheesy Taquitos.  I hope my boys like them.  We’ll see.
Also, I made this yummy Pasta Salad as a side to brats on Saturday and Italian Beef on Buns on Sunday.  LOVE this pasta salad.  If you don’t like the grapes, it will taste good without them.  But I love that sweet crunch every now and then.
Now that you are in the mood for some Summer Food…here are the recipes! Enjoy!!!  (Click on each heading to go directly to the recipe site).
Summer Salsa

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 lime, zest & juice
pinch of salt
drizzle of olive oil
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4 orange bell pepper, chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded & diced
1 c. black beans
1 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
1.  In a large bowl, combine the chopped onions, garlic, lime zest & juice, and salt.  Stir to mix well and let sit while the rest of the ingredients are chopped.  This will soften the bite of the onion and garlic.
2.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Baked Creamy Taquitos

Yield: 12 taquitos
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese
small flour or corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray
Preheat your oven to 425˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.
(If you decided to prep this in advance, refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready to continue.)
Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20 – 30 seconds).
Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.
Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone.
Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other.
Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.
Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.
**To freeze:  Before baking, flash freeze the taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet then place in a labeled freezer bag and store up to 3 months.  To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425˚F and bake for 20 minutes.  (Flash Freeze means freezing the taquitos in a single layer for 15-20 minutes (until hardened) so that when you add them to the freezer bag, they will not all stick together).

Yummy Pasta Salad

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
• 1 pound fresh broccoli
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup diced red onion
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
• 8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.  (**I didn’t bake my pecans and they tasted just fine).
2. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
3. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces using tip of a paring knife. Peel away tough outer layer of stems, and finely chop stems.
4. Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.

(**Photos taken from the individual websites)