Best Ever Chip Dip

This chip dip is my mom's recipe and it is BY FAR one of the easiest things to make.  You literally dump everything into a bowl and that's it.  For an easy last-minute appetizer, tailgate, or potluck dish, I love making this because despite being made from mostly canned foods, it tastes so fresh and vibrant.   

Best Ever Chip Dip  

Ingredients:

• 1 can whole kernel corn 
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can pinto beans
• 1 can Rotel (the Mexican variety is best, but that's not always easy to find) 
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (I actually used a variety called culantro that lasts longer/stays fresher than normal cilantro) 
• drizzle of olive oil
• drizzle of red wine vinegar 

Directions:

1. Combine everything - that's it!  Enjoy

bartaco – Tampa, FL

 

Hyde Park Village was one of my favorite places to spend time when growing up in South Tampa.  Sadly, for awhile it turned into a bit of a ghost town, but in the past several years it’s started to revive!  Several new businesses have opened their doors in Hyde Park, and half a dozen more are scheduled to open in this next year – including Buddy Brew Coffee, Goody Goody Burgers, On Swann, and Sur La Table. 

One of the latest new arrivals was bartaco – a California beachy-vibed Mexican restaurant that took the Cactus Club’s old abandoned space on Snow Ave.  We finally checked it out this week and it definitely lived up to all the great reviews I’d heard so far!

We expected that going on a date night on a Tuesday wouldn’t be a problem, but this place was actually packed – not sure if it’s just the newness, but it seems that it’s the popular place to be.  We snagged some seats at the bar, which was fine for just the two of us.  Their atmosphere feels laid back yet upscale at the same time – I guess I’d describe it as sophisticated surfer.  The employees all wear blue and white checkered button-up shirts.  Our bartender, Raul, was super friendly and informative.  He seemed pretty excited that we were checking out the restaurant for the first time, so he went over the whole concept for us. 

Clearly their main focus is tacos.  They’re pretty cheap – just $2.50 or $3.50 each – and not just your standard beef or chicken flavors.  We ordered one each of baja fish, pork belly, spicy chorizo, curry shrimp, and sesame ribeye tacos.  We also ordered a side of their grilled corn with lime, cayenne, and cotija cheese.  You fill out the menu by ticking off how many of each menu item you’d like (sort of like at a sushi restaurant). 

While we waited for our food, we sipped on a mojito and margarita.  I think they offset the inexpensive food prices with pricey drinks, but they can definitely justify doing that because they were amazing. The margarita was one of the best I’ve ever had – they squeeze the lime juice right there in front of you, so you know it’s fresh, and it wasn’t sickly sweet like the pre-made mix that a lot of Mexican restaurants serve.  They have an entire menu just for different types of tequila (if you really wanted to go all out, you could try their tequila flights – we weren’t quite that adventurous). 

I’d recommend pretty much everything we ordered.  The corn was traditional Mexican street-style – which I’d never had before, but now I don’t want corn on the cob any other way.  I think our favorite tacos were the pork belly and chorizo. 

We finished off with something sweet – churros with chocolate dipping sauce.  When I was a kid, there used to be a churro truck that parked outside our elementary school, so they are a nostalgic food for me. 

It’s kind of a loud atmosphere, so if you’re looking for a quiet date night, this isn’t your place.  But if you want a fun night out with really tasty modern takes on Mexican food, go check them out! 

bartaco has several locations around the country.  The Tampa one is located at 1601 W Snow Ave, Tampa, FL 33606 and is open 11:30am – 11pm Sunday through Wednesday and 11:30am – 1am Thursday through Saturday.

Sweet Corn Guacamole

I just started a new job 2 weeks ago.  A few days ago, one of my new coworkers actually had her last day there, so we had a going away party for her with Mexican food.  I made this new guacamole recipe and it was great!  I’ll definitely use this recipe again.  I actually didn’t have enough time to grill the avocados like they recommended – I’m sure it would be even more delicious though. 

Sweet Corn Guacamole (adapted from Damn Delicious)

Ingredients:

·        Juice of 1 lime

·        Pinch of garlic powder

·        Pinch of paprika

·        3 avocados, halved, seeded & peeled

·        1 ear of corn

·        ¼ cup minced red onion

·        ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

·        2 T chopped fresh cilantro

·        Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Shuck the corn and boil in water for about 10 minutes.  Cut the corn from the cob. 

2. Add all ingredients to a bowl (reserve a bit of the lime juice to top the guac so it doesn’t brown).  Mash with a potato masher.  Top with the remaining lime juice. 

3. It’s that easy!  If you have time to follow the original recipe, you can grill the avocado until lightly browned for about 3-4 minutes. 

4. If you need it to keep overnight, you can press saran-wrap over the top (touching the guac to keep air from getting to it). 

Miguel’s Mexican & Seafood Grill – Tampa, FL

 

Miguel’s has been in Tampa since I was a kid, but somehow I had never tried it out before.  It’s right on the corner of Kennedy Blvd & MacDill Ave, so I pass by it all the time.  So last week when we were craving Mexican, we headed there for dinner.

It was packed – so clearly everyone else knows how great their food is.  It was pretty chilly out, but we decided to sit outside so we didn’t have to wait 45 minutes for an inside table.  They have large heaters, so the cold weather wasn’t a problem.  I actually preferred the patio – it was pretty noisy inside, but outside, we sat under the sparkling string lights and had a more intimate dining atmosphere. 

They brought out complimentary chips & salsa.  They tasted fresh & crispy, and the salsa was just the right amount of spicy.  

We each ordered margaritas – they have dozens of premium tequilas you can upgrade to, but I personally thought their normal house margarita was great! 

I loved the beef quesadilla – which came with guacamole, sour cream, refried beans & rice.  The guac had big chunks of avocado and the beef was so tender that it tasted like steak.  The portion was enormous – I had enough for a whole meal the next day. 

Lance had the ground beef chimichanga topped with ranchera sauce, melted cheddar, and onions.  It was completely slathered in the cheese. 

I’m just disappointed I didn’t try out Miguel’s earlier.   

Miguel’s is located at 3035 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33609.  They are open Sunday – Thursday 11am – 10pm and Friday – Saturday 11am – 12am.