A bowl of guacamole garnished with lime wedges and surrounded by tortilla chips. Two whole jalapeños are in the background.

Spicy and homey recipes for summer

By Paula Dream (AKA Kale Haygood)

Is everyone enjoying another triple digit summer day? 

I’m bringing to you some recipes that I’ve made many times from a very old family reunion cookbook. Anything must be good if it contains tequila. 

And, I love a good, warm, fresh dinner roll. Many people shy away from trying to make them because of the difficulty. This recipe is so easy and will take you only about 30 minutes to make! 

You guys stay cool and enjoy these recipes.

MARGARITA GUACAMOLE

1 tablespoon agave nectar lime and flake salt
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon flake salt
3 very ripe avocados
2 tablespoons tequila
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 shallot, finely diced
Zest of one lime
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

Rim small glass bowl with agave and two tablespoons salt. In medium bowl, use fork to mash together avocados, tequila, jalapeno, shallot, lime zest, and cilantro. Garnish with slice of lime and flake salt.

MARGARITA GRILLED CHICKEN

1 orange
1 lime
2 tablespoons tequila
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 package taco seasoning
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat gas grill or charcoal grill. Grate 1/2 teaspoon zest from the orange peel and 1/2 teaspoon zest from the lime peel. Cut orange and lime in half and set aside. In a one-gallon resealable storage bag, mix lime and orange peel, tequila, honey, oil, and taco seasoning mix. Add chicken. Seal bag. Shake until chicken is evenly coated.  Refrigerate at least 10 minutes, but no longer than 2 hours. Place chicken on grill over medium heat. Cook 12 to 15 minutes, turning only once, until done. Place orange and lime halves on grill cut side down. Cook three to six minutes until charred. Cut into wedges. Top chicken with cilantro and wedges. Serve over rice.

HONEY BUTTER DINNER ROLLS

1/3 cup butter
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons instant yeast
1/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3-1/2 to 4-1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Lightly grease a 1/4 sheet pan or a 9″x13″ rimmed cookie sheet. In a small saucepan melt butter, stir in milk and heat mixture to 100 to 110 degrees.

Mean while, add yeast and honey to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle, or a large bowl, mixing by hand. When milk mixture is at temperature, add yeast and honey; stir to combine. (Note: There are 2-1/4 teaspoons of yeast in a packet. If using packets, you will need three packs to get six teaspoons, which equals two tablespoons.) Add salt and egg to mixture and combine. Stir in 2 cups of flour. Add remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough clings to paddle and clings to side of bowl. Dough will be pretty sticky. With floured hands, shape dough into 12 rolls and place on prepared baking sheet. Cover and let dough rest for 10 minutes in a warm spot. (To create a warm spot, preheat oven to 350 degrees for 60 seconds. Turn off oven and place rolls inside to rise.) Bake 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned. When rolls are done baking, brush with two tablespoons of butter.

Paula Dream, AKA Kale Haygood, owns Beyond Service, a Montrose-based home-cooking catering company. For more information, call 713-805-4106 or email barrykale@yahoo.com.

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