March Madness Munchies!

 

It's that time of year - March Madness! And with the madness must come munchies! First, I believe guacamole is mandatory for basketball viewing. I love fresh guacamole with tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and lime so I’m giving you my basic recipe. I call it “as you wish” guacamole because you simply add more or less of a handful of ingredients to make it the way you want. I’ve also given you two more crowd-pleasing recipes – super simple parmesan-crusted chicken fingers that you dunk in your favorite tomato sauce (they’re lighter than deep fried fingers ‘cause they’re baked) and stuffed cherry tomatoes that you jazz up any way you like (I love olives and capers). Enjoy the games and, more importantly, the munchies!!

As You Wish Guacamole: Scoop the flesh of 2-3 ripe Haas avocados into a bowl; add grated or finely diced white onion, minced jalapeno peppers, ripe tomato, fresh cilantro, and fresh lime juice; mix well, season to taste with salt; cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to serve; serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Parmesan Chicken Fingers with Tomato Sauce: Cut 1 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts into thin strips; roll in 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese until coated on all sides; transfer to a baking sheet that’s been coated with cooking spray; bake at 375ºF for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through; serve with warm pasta sauce or pizza sauce on the side. 

Olive and Caper Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes: Slice off the top of 16 cherry tomatoes; use a small spoon to scoop out the flesh and seeds; season the inside with salt and freshly ground black pepper; set aside.  Mix together 4 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped Greek olives, 1 tablespoon chopped capers, and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley; transfer mixture to a small freezer bag and press into one corner; slice off about 1/4-inch of the corner; pipe the cream cheese mixture into each tomato; sprinkle the top with chopped fresh chives.