Spicy Southwestern Ranch Salad
Serves 6 to 8

Mix dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, chill one hour to allow flavors to mingle.   Combine salad ingredients.  Toss dressing with salad in a large bowl, or drizzle  each serving plate of salad with dressing, as desired.

FYI: Turn salad into an entrée  with the addition of cooked chicken and rinsed and drained black beans

Deep Fried Avacado Slices
Serves 6

Combine panko crumbs and chili powder in a shallow bowl. Dip avocado slices in buttermilk, sprinkle with salt, coat with panko crumb mixture on all sides. Place on a sheet pan and refrigerate 10 minutes. Heat oil in fryer to 375°. Deep fry avocados until golden. Drain, sprinkle with sea salt and serve while hot. Great on top of salad or along side the entree! A dash or two of Chipotle Tabasco on them is great!

Chipotle Honey-Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Serves 6-8

Place all ingredients for the marinade in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse initially to evenly chop, then process until smooth. Transfer half of the mixture to a non-reactive container or a zip top bag, reserve the remaining half for sauce. Place pork tenderloins in this container, toss to coat, and let marinate 4 hours or overnight.  Remove from marinade, pat dry, and grill until cooked through, basting occasionally with marinade.  Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.  Heat the marinade reserved for sauce in a small saucepan, and drizzle over sliced pork when serving. Garnish with additional cilantro if desired.

Jalapeno Corn Cakes
Makes about 24

Mix the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, cumin, cilantro, cheese, eggs, milk and butter.  Stir to make a smooth batter.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Lightly oil a non-stick skillet.  Heat over medium heat.  Drop batter in heaping tablespoons onto skillet.  Grill until golden.  Serve warm or at room temperature. These can also be cooked as waffles!

Grilled Zucchini
Serves 6

Slice each zucchini lengthwise in half. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, olive oil, and half of the herbs, reserving the remainder for garnish. Brush cut side of each zucchini half with some of the oil/herb mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a grill or stove-top grill pan to medium high. Grill zucchini, turning once, until browned. Serve immediately, drizzle with remaining oil mixture, and garnish with fresh herbs and lime zest           

Mexican Brownies
Makes 24

Preheat oven to 325 °. Grease a 9 X 13-inch baking pan.  In a large mixing bowl stir together the melted butter, cocoa powder, and sugar until well blended.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each. Add in flour, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and Kahlua and stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans if using. Spoon into prepared pan, and smooth the top of the batter.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the brownies are pulling away from the sides of the pan (they will not test “done” with a toothpick, as these are very moist brownies). Allow to cool in pan completely. Cut into 24 brownies and dust with powdered sugar before serving.  Store in an airtight container.