Politics and Popcorn

For me Politics is like popcorn!

*There are many different flavors and colors of popcorn, but when you strip all the flavors and look past the different colors it's all still bland little pieces of popped corn.

*It's fun when you hear it popping and it smells so good, but it doesn't take long for the action to stop happening and can get burned if not done properly.

*It tastes great with butter and salt, but the greasy butter gets a little too slippery after a while and the salt sticks to your fingers and you just want to wash it off quickly so you can change the channel on the remote.

*Popcorn is great and crunchy right away, but gets soggy pretty quickly.

*It tastes great, but the leftover hulls in your teeth are a PAIN to clean out.

That's my comparison and how I am currently feeling about the politics going on right now. Only 2 more weeks and we are DONE! Whatever that will look like.

GO VOTE!

Here's a great recipe I created for a contest that is a new twist on an old favorite. Just what we all need right about now, politically speaking.

Chicken, Zucchini and Arugula Quesadilla
With Creamy Piquante Pepper Dip
Created By: Kirsten Shabaz
4 Servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-25minutes

INGREDIENTS
½ cup sour cream
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
10 Peppadew® Piquante Peppers
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, sliced in strips
3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
3 tablespoons butter
1 large red onion, sliced in 1/8 inch rings
8 flour tortillas, taco size
1 12-ounce package Cacique® Queso Quesadilla cheese, shredded
1 large yellow zucchini squash, julienne
1-5ounce package pre-washed baby Arugula

COOKING DIRECTIONS
Place the sour cream, softened cream cheese and piquante peppers in the blender. Blend on high speed scraping down the sides as needed until the mixture is smooth. Put in a bowl and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Next, place the extra virgin olive oil in a 5-quart non-stick sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the sliced chicken breasts and garlic to the pan and cook for 6 minutes stirring a few times until chicken is no longer pink. Remove and set aside. Add the butter to the pan, when melted add the red onions. Sauté for 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are caramelized and a light brown. Remove from pan and set aside. Wipe out the bottom of the sauté pan with a paper towel to remove leftover butter and onion pieces. Place a tortilla shell on the bottom of the sauté pan. Sprinkle the tortilla with 2-3 tablespoons of the shredded quesadilla cheese, 1/3 cup of cooked chicken strips, 2-3 tablespoons of red onions, ¼ cup julienne zucchini squash and about 12 arugula leaves. Sprinkle with 2-3 more tablespoons of cheese and place a tortilla on the top of the ingredients. Gently press the top of the quesadilla or place another skillet on top of the quesadilla to press it together. Cook over medium heat flipping after 4 minutes. Cook another 4 minutes and remove from the skillet and place on a cutting board. You can also use a Panini press or George Foreman grill. Using a large knife, cut quesadilla into 6 wedges and serve with a ½ cup of the creamy pepper spread.