no one else wanted to try this, but i liked it on apples.
Healthy Chocolate Hummus via super healthy kids
2 c cooked, unsalted chickpeas (or 1 can)
3-4 T unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T almond butter
1/4 c maple syrup
1 t vanilla
Add all ingredients into the cup of a large food processor, and puree until smooth.
Showing posts with label appetizers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label appetizers. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Brown Sugar Kielbasa
This is the easiest thing to make for a gathering of friends. I found the recipe on Organic Glory.
All you need is:
3 packages, roughly 1 lb each, of Kielbasa
1 lb of brown sugar
a crockpot.
That's it!
Step 1: Slice the meat into coins.
Step 2: Toss in the slow cooker.
Step 3: Toss the brown sugar in the crock pot too.
Step 4: Cook on low 5 hrs or high for 2.5 hrs.
The juices from the kielbasa mingle with the brown sugar and make this insane glaze for the meat. Just like the blogger on organic glory said, no one will believe you that the sauce is so simple.
I'll be making this for potlucks for a long time to come!
All you need is:
3 packages, roughly 1 lb each, of Kielbasa
1 lb of brown sugar
a crockpot.
That's it!
Step 1: Slice the meat into coins.
Step 2: Toss in the slow cooker.
Step 3: Toss the brown sugar in the crock pot too.
Step 4: Cook on low 5 hrs or high for 2.5 hrs.
The juices from the kielbasa mingle with the brown sugar and make this insane glaze for the meat. Just like the blogger on organic glory said, no one will believe you that the sauce is so simple.
I'll be making this for potlucks for a long time to come!
Monday, March 2, 2015
Bang Bang Shrimp or Chicken
BANG BANG SHRIMP or CHICKEN via Damn Delicious
1/2 c veg oil, or more, as needed
1 c buttermilk (I used powdered)
3/4 c flour
1/2 c cornstarch
1 large egg
1 T hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 c Panko
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t basil
1/2 t dried oregano
1 lbmedium shrimp, peeled and deveined, or 1 lb chicken cut into bite size pieces
sauce
1/4 c mayo
2 T sweet chili sauce
1 T honey
1 t rice vinegar
To make sauce, whisk mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, honey and rice vinegar in a small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in large skillet over med high heat. In large bowl, whisk buttermilk, flour, cornstarch, egg, hot sauce, salt and pepper, to taste; set aside. In another large bowl, combine Panko, onion and garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, to taste; set aside. Working one at a time, dip shrimp or chicken into buttermilk mixture, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat. Working in batches, add shrimp or chicken to skillet and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2-3 min. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
1/2 c veg oil, or more, as needed
1 c buttermilk (I used powdered)
3/4 c flour
1/2 c cornstarch
1 large egg
1 T hot sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 c Panko
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t basil
1/2 t dried oregano
1 lbmedium shrimp, peeled and deveined, or 1 lb chicken cut into bite size pieces
sauce
1/4 c mayo
2 T sweet chili sauce
1 T honey
1 t rice vinegar
To make sauce, whisk mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, honey and rice vinegar in a small bowl; set aside. Heat oil in large skillet over med high heat. In large bowl, whisk buttermilk, flour, cornstarch, egg, hot sauce, salt and pepper, to taste; set aside. In another large bowl, combine Panko, onion and garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, to taste; set aside. Working one at a time, dip shrimp or chicken into buttermilk mixture, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat. Working in batches, add shrimp or chicken to skillet and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 2-3 min. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
French Onion Meatballs
FRENCH ONION STUFFED MEATBALLS via cupcakes and kale chips
For onions:
1 T EVOO
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
½ Tfresh thyme or ½ t dried thyme
1 t salt
½ t pepper
¼ c beef broth
¼ c red wine like pinot noir
For meatballs:
1 ½ lbs ground beef
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 T minced fresh parsley
1 t pepper
1 t kosher salt
1 egg
8 oz mozzarella (1-2 oz into 16 1/2"cubes, to stuff meatballs, remainder shredded)
½ T olive oil
Fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional
For sauce:
1 ¾ c beef broth
¼ c red wine
2 T cornstarch
salt & pepper, to taste
For onions: Heat oil in a skillet over med, add onions, salt & pepper, cook 15-20 min, stirring frequently or til caramelized.Add thyme, sauté 1-2min, then add wine and broth. Reduce until very little liquid remains.Set aside.
For meatballs:Combine all ingredients except cheese in large bowl, and gently combine with hands.
Divide meat mix into 16 equal pieces. Take one piece of meat mix and flatten slightly into patty. Place about 1/2T onions and one cube of cheese in center of patty and wrap meatball around onions and cheese, sealing as best you can. Mine didn't want to stay sealed as they cooked Repeat with the remaining meat, onions, and cheese cubes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in skillet over med high . Add meatballs and brown on all sides.
Whisk sauce ingredients and pour over meatballs. Place in oven and bake 15-20 min. If you are not using an oven-safe skillet, transfer to a casserole dish before pouring over the sauce. Sprinkle shredded cheese over meatballs and return to oven for 15-20 min, til cooked through, then place under the broiler 2-3 min, til cheese browned and bubbly. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
For onions:
1 T EVOO
2 onions, halved and thinly sliced
½ Tfresh thyme or ½ t dried thyme
1 t salt
½ t pepper
¼ c beef broth
¼ c red wine like pinot noir
For meatballs:
1 ½ lbs ground beef
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 T minced fresh parsley
1 t pepper
1 t kosher salt
1 egg
8 oz mozzarella (1-2 oz into 16 1/2"cubes, to stuff meatballs, remainder shredded)
½ T olive oil
Fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional
For sauce:
1 ¾ c beef broth
¼ c red wine
2 T cornstarch
salt & pepper, to taste
For onions: Heat oil in a skillet over med, add onions, salt & pepper, cook 15-20 min, stirring frequently or til caramelized.Add thyme, sauté 1-2min, then add wine and broth. Reduce until very little liquid remains.Set aside.
For meatballs:Combine all ingredients except cheese in large bowl, and gently combine with hands.
Divide meat mix into 16 equal pieces. Take one piece of meat mix and flatten slightly into patty. Place about 1/2T onions and one cube of cheese in center of patty and wrap meatball around onions and cheese, sealing as best you can. Mine didn't want to stay sealed as they cooked Repeat with the remaining meat, onions, and cheese cubes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in skillet over med high . Add meatballs and brown on all sides.
Whisk sauce ingredients and pour over meatballs. Place in oven and bake 15-20 min. If you are not using an oven-safe skillet, transfer to a casserole dish before pouring over the sauce. Sprinkle shredded cheese over meatballs and return to oven for 15-20 min, til cooked through, then place under the broiler 2-3 min, til cheese browned and bubbly. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Pizza Boats
Baked Potato Skins a la Pizza adapted from sea salt with food
Skins
4 Medium Size Russet Potatoes, scrubbed and stabbed with a fork to vent
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Filling
1 C Pizza Sauce (
2 C Shredded Mozzarella or Italian Blend Cheese
16 Slices of Pepperoni, quartered, plus more for garnish
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Place taters right on the oven rack. Bake 40-50 min til fork tender. Let sit until they are cool enough to handle. Cut spud in 1/2 and scoop out flesh making sure you leave about 1/4" flesh around the actual skin so you have something to put your fillings in. Brush with evoo and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 8-10 min on each side until the "boats" are crisp. Fill with 2 T sauce, as much cheese and pepperoni pieces as you like. Top with full size pepperoni to make it look more pizza like. Bake 15-16 min until cheese is melted. Serve warm.
Skins
4 Medium Size Russet Potatoes, scrubbed and stabbed with a fork to vent
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Filling
1 C Pizza Sauce (
2 C Shredded Mozzarella or Italian Blend Cheese
16 Slices of Pepperoni, quartered, plus more for garnish
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Place taters right on the oven rack. Bake 40-50 min til fork tender. Let sit until they are cool enough to handle. Cut spud in 1/2 and scoop out flesh making sure you leave about 1/4" flesh around the actual skin so you have something to put your fillings in. Brush with evoo and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 8-10 min on each side until the "boats" are crisp. Fill with 2 T sauce, as much cheese and pepperoni pieces as you like. Top with full size pepperoni to make it look more pizza like. Bake 15-16 min until cheese is melted. Serve warm.
Monday, February 2, 2015
Buffalo Fries
Buffalo Fries adapted from Tidy Mom
1½ bags seasoned fries
2 T EVOO
1 t garlic powder
1 t cayenne powder
ground pepper to taste
1 c prepared buffalo wing sauce
1½ c cheddar cheese, grated I used a triple cheddar blend
1/2 c blue cheese, crumbled
3 green onions, sliced
1½ bags seasoned fries
2 T EVOO
1 t garlic powder
1 t cayenne powder
ground pepper to taste
1 c prepared buffalo wing sauce
1½ c cheddar cheese, grated I used a triple cheddar blend
1/2 c blue cheese, crumbled
3 green onions, sliced
1/2 lb crumbled, cooked bacon
ranch dressing to taste
450F line large sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, add fries and toss with oil. Add garlic, cayenne and pepper and toss to coat. Place in single layer on sheet. Bake 20-25 min, turning after 10 min. Heat sauce over low heat to warm. When fries crispy, turn oven to broil, drizzle with sauce and cheeses. Melt under broiler 2-3 min. Cool and top with onions and bacon. Drizzle with Ranch dressing if desired
450F line large sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, add fries and toss with oil. Add garlic, cayenne and pepper and toss to coat. Place in single layer on sheet. Bake 20-25 min, turning after 10 min. Heat sauce over low heat to warm. When fries crispy, turn oven to broil, drizzle with sauce and cheeses. Melt under broiler 2-3 min. Cool and top with onions and bacon. Drizzle with Ranch dressing if desired
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
30 Days of Pumpkin-Day Twenty-eight: Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip
I decided to make this dip from A Spotted Pony because I had 4oz of cream cheese left over from a different recipe. 4oz of cream cheese made a half recipe.
I thought that the half recipe was quite a lot of dip. Perhaps this was because I didn't particularly care for the dip. Perhaps the dip just wasn't cheesecake-y enough for my tastes. Anyway, Mrblocko loved the dip with graham crackers and apples.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip via A Spotted Pony
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c powdered sugar
scant 3/4c pumpkin
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
Beat softened cream cheese with powdered sugar. Gradually add pumpkin, pie spice, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until smooth. Chill for at least 1 hr to blend flavors. Serve with graham crackers, apples, pears or gingersnaps.
I thought that the half recipe was quite a lot of dip. Perhaps this was because I didn't particularly care for the dip. Perhaps the dip just wasn't cheesecake-y enough for my tastes. Anyway, Mrblocko loved the dip with graham crackers and apples.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip via A Spotted Pony
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c powdered sugar
scant 3/4c pumpkin
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
1 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
Beat softened cream cheese with powdered sugar. Gradually add pumpkin, pie spice, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until smooth. Chill for at least 1 hr to blend flavors. Serve with graham crackers, apples, pears or gingersnaps.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
30 Days of Pumpkin-Day Eight: Pecan Pumpkin Butter
How is it that I'm not the biggest fan of Pumpkin butter OR Pecan butter, but this pecan pumpkin butter from the Messy Baker is somehow magically delicious.
Yeah, let's combine 2 somethings, both made of things that you like, that turn into something you don't like, but you combine them and it is suddenly amazing. That's some kind of new crazy math. I have no idea how it works. Who really cares?! Make this and shove it in your face. It's bloody scrumpdiddilyumptious.
Pecan Pumpkin Butter from The Messy Baker
1/2 c toasted, salted pecans
1/4 c pumpkin puree
2 T maple syrup
1/2t pumpkin pie spice (I used apple pie spice just to be difficult)
1/4 t vanilla extract
Blend the pecans in the food processor until they get smooth and creamy. Add everything else, making sure to scrape down the sides. Blend until combined and smooth. This spread is great on toast, honey wheat pretzels, apples, graham crackers and, well, that's all I've tried. Go crazy!
Yeah, let's combine 2 somethings, both made of things that you like, that turn into something you don't like, but you combine them and it is suddenly amazing. That's some kind of new crazy math. I have no idea how it works. Who really cares?! Make this and shove it in your face. It's bloody scrumpdiddilyumptious.
Pecan Pumpkin Butter from The Messy Baker
1/2 c toasted, salted pecans
1/4 c pumpkin puree
2 T maple syrup
1/2t pumpkin pie spice (I used apple pie spice just to be difficult)
1/4 t vanilla extract
Blend the pecans in the food processor until they get smooth and creamy. Add everything else, making sure to scrape down the sides. Blend until combined and smooth. This spread is great on toast, honey wheat pretzels, apples, graham crackers and, well, that's all I've tried. Go crazy!
Monday, May 5, 2014
Deviled Egg Spread
I love deviled eggs.
Sadly, I'm cursed with the "I can't peel an egg" gene.
They wind up looking like Freddy Kruger or Edward Scissorhands had a go at them.
It's really rather disturbing to look at. Sort of like this cartoon.
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C'mon. Admit it. It made you chuckle.
With this dip, you don't have to worry about how the eggs look when you peel them because you're just going to hack them up anyway.
Oh sure, you could call it egg salad, but Deviled Egg Spread tastes and sounds so much more fancy schmancy.
Deviled Egg Spread from The Cutting Edge
1 dozen large eggs
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Salt & pepper
Paprika for dusting
In large pan, cover eggs with cold water; make sure water is an inch above eggs. Add vinegar. Bring to rapid boil. Cover pan and remove from heat. Let stand 15 min. Drain water from eggs and cool under cold running water. Shake pan vigorously to crack shells. Let eggs cool in water.
Shell eggs and halve them lengthwise. Coarsely chop half egg whites and transfer to large bowl. Add remaining white and all yolks to food processor with mayo and mustard. Process til smooth. Scrape mix into bowl and blend with chopped egg whites. Season with salt and pepper and top with paprika. Can be made ahead and refrigerated overnight.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Baked Coconut Shrimp
Every year for New Year's Eve, it's tradition to have some sort of shrimp dish. This year I decided to try baked coconut shrimp from Tastebook.
The Orange rum dipping sauce was amazing, but the cooking times for the shrimp was way, way off.
First, we used a much smaller shrimp than the 16-20 count that the recipe called for. I think it was 24-36 count. You would think, as the shrimp were smaller and therefore, not as thick, you could bake them for a lot less time, right? Apparently not. The recipe says to bake them for 10 minutes. It was more like 15 min on each side. I also think that the cooking temp of 375F was incorrect as well. We wound up cranking the oven up to 400F after the first 10 min. Even after baking at 400F for an additional 20 min, the coconut was barely golden brown.
The leftovers were much better the next day. I reheated them in a skillet with no oil. This finally allowed the breading to crisp up, and the coconut to become a darker brown.
While this recipe wound up tasting ok eventually, I wouldn't make it again. Try it at your own risk.
Coconut Shrimp from tastebook (edited to add my suggested bake times)
1 pound 16-20 count shrimp, peeled and deveined, leave tail on
1/3 c cornstarch
1 t salt
1 T cumin
pinch of cayenne
1 c flaked sweetened coconut
1/2-3/4 C Panko bread crumbs
3 egg whites, beaten until foamy
Orange Rum Sauce
1/2 C orange marmalade
1 T whole grain Dijon mustard
1 T coconut rum (Malibu)
Preheat oven to 375 F (or 400F). Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or use a silicon baking mat. Rinse and dry shrimp with paper towels. Mix cornstarch, salt, and spices in a shallow bow; pour coconut flakes and Panko in a separate shallow bowl. Dredge one shrimp at a time in the cornstarch mixture, then dip it in the egg white, and roll in coconut, making sure to coat shrimp well. Place on prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining shrimp. Bake shrimp til they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center and the coconut is browned, about 8-10 minutes (10-15 min on each side). Serve with Orange Rum Sauce.
Orange Rum Sauce
Mix marmalade, 1 T mustard and rum. Mix well. (Tastes best after chills for a few hours in the fridge so the flavors can combine.)
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First, we used a much smaller shrimp than the 16-20 count that the recipe called for. I think it was 24-36 count. You would think, as the shrimp were smaller and therefore, not as thick, you could bake them for a lot less time, right? Apparently not. The recipe says to bake them for 10 minutes. It was more like 15 min on each side. I also think that the cooking temp of 375F was incorrect as well. We wound up cranking the oven up to 400F after the first 10 min. Even after baking at 400F for an additional 20 min, the coconut was barely golden brown.
The leftovers were much better the next day. I reheated them in a skillet with no oil. This finally allowed the breading to crisp up, and the coconut to become a darker brown.
While this recipe wound up tasting ok eventually, I wouldn't make it again. Try it at your own risk.
Coconut Shrimp from tastebook (edited to add my suggested bake times)
1 pound 16-20 count shrimp, peeled and deveined, leave tail on
1/3 c cornstarch
1 t salt
1 T cumin
pinch of cayenne
1 c flaked sweetened coconut
1/2-3/4 C Panko bread crumbs
3 egg whites, beaten until foamy
Orange Rum Sauce
1/2 C orange marmalade
1 T whole grain Dijon mustard
1 T coconut rum (Malibu)
Preheat oven to 375 F (or 400F). Lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or use a silicon baking mat. Rinse and dry shrimp with paper towels. Mix cornstarch, salt, and spices in a shallow bow; pour coconut flakes and Panko in a separate shallow bowl. Dredge one shrimp at a time in the cornstarch mixture, then dip it in the egg white, and roll in coconut, making sure to coat shrimp well. Place on prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining shrimp. Bake shrimp til they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center and the coconut is browned, about 8-10 minutes (10-15 min on each side). Serve with Orange Rum Sauce.
Orange Rum Sauce
Mix marmalade, 1 T mustard and rum. Mix well. (Tastes best after chills for a few hours in the fridge so the flavors can combine.)
Friday, October 11, 2013
Jalapeno Jelly
Who would have thunk it? I LOVE jalapeno jelly!
This was the perfect way for me to delve into the world of canning. There was a very small yield, so if I completely messed things up I wouldn't have wasted a bunch of time and energy.
The recipes I used were from Mommy's Kitchen and the Cafe Sucre Farine. Most jalapeno jelly is green, but I used half a red and half an orange pepper, so my jelly is orange-y. I prefer this because green jelly weirds me out. It reminds me of Slimer from Ghostbusters.
I haven't tried the jelly in these jars yet. I didn't sterilize enough jars so I put some jelly up in the fridge. The fridge jelly seemed a lot clearer and brighter, probably because it didn't go through that final boil to seal the jars.
The Jelly in these jars look a lot more brown than orange. That is more a trick of the poor lighting in my kitchen. Although, like I said, the fridge version of the jelly is a lot more vibrant than the stuff that went through the canning process. Hopefully, it will taste just as good.
Jalapeno Jelly from Mommy's Kitchen and Cafe Sugre Farine
6 oz jalapeno peppers, seeded (about 7 medium) (I took all the seeds out of mine, but leave some in if you want the jelly to be really spicy!)
1/2 each roasted red and orange peppers, seeded
1 c apple cider vinegar
3 c sugar
1 - 3 0z pouch Ball or Certo Fruit Liquid Pectin (Ball makes a really thick jelly, which I prefer)
3 - half pint canning jars with Lids & Bands
Wash jars in hot soapy water and then prepare a large pot with a round rack or dish cloth on the bottom of the pot. Place jars on top of rack/dish cloth. Simmer, not boil, jars and lids in hot water bath until ready to use. Set bands aside. Remove seeds and stems from all peppers. Use gloves when handling the jalapenos as the oil will burn for some time if you touch your eye or nose, even if you are super careful. Puree peppers in food processor with 1/2 c cider vinegar til smooth, do not strain. In lg pot combine puree w remaining 1/2 c cider vinegar and sugar. Bring to boil over high heat. Boil 10 min, stirring frequently, making sure it doesn't boil over. Add pectin, making sure to squeeze all of it out of the pouch. Boil hard for 1 min, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam. (I didn't have any)
Ladle into hot jar leaving 1/4" head space. Wipe rims with clean cloth. Remove lids from hot water and center on jars. Apply bands but do not over tighten . Add jars to hot water bath. Water level should be as such to cover jars completely. Boil 10 min, starting timer when water is at a rolling boil.
Remove jars to hot pad to cool. After 24 hrs, lid should not pop up when center is pressed.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Cake Batter Puppy Chow
I love regular puppy chow. I didn't think anything could really be better than the classic peanut butter, chocolate and powdered sugar combination.
Don't you love it when you are wrong about those sorts of things?
This cake batter puppy chow knocks regular puppy chow out of the ball park. Not only does it have white chocolate and cake mix powder, but it has birthday cake golden oreos. Have you even heard of birthday cake golden oreos? I swear they are made with crack.
Get your hands on some and make this sweet treat ASAP!
Golden Birthday Cake Oreo Puppy Chow from Life, Love and Sugar
10 oz white chocolate, white candy melts or almond bark
5 cups rice chex cereal
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup funfetti cake mix
10 finely crushed golden birthday cake oreos (I put the cookies in a zip bag and smashed them with a frying pan)
10 or more chopped golden birthday cake oreos
Put rice chex cereal and finely crushed oreos into med bowl. Stir. Slowly melt white chocolate in microwave, stopping every 30 sec to make sure it doesn’t burn. (I always add a tablespoon of shortening to make sure the chocolate pours well.) Gently, add melted chocoalte to chex cereal and lightly stir to coat evenly. Add powdered sugar and cake mix to chocolate covered chex. Lightly stir to coat evenly with powdered sugar. Allow to dry/set. Fold in coarsely chopped oreos.
Don't you love it when you are wrong about those sorts of things?
This cake batter puppy chow knocks regular puppy chow out of the ball park. Not only does it have white chocolate and cake mix powder, but it has birthday cake golden oreos. Have you even heard of birthday cake golden oreos? I swear they are made with crack.
Golden Birthday Cake Oreo Puppy Chow from Life, Love and Sugar
10 oz white chocolate, white candy melts or almond bark
5 cups rice chex cereal
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup funfetti cake mix
10 finely crushed golden birthday cake oreos (I put the cookies in a zip bag and smashed them with a frying pan)
10 or more chopped golden birthday cake oreos
Put rice chex cereal and finely crushed oreos into med bowl. Stir. Slowly melt white chocolate in microwave, stopping every 30 sec to make sure it doesn’t burn. (I always add a tablespoon of shortening to make sure the chocolate pours well.) Gently, add melted chocoalte to chex cereal and lightly stir to coat evenly. Add powdered sugar and cake mix to chocolate covered chex. Lightly stir to coat evenly with powdered sugar. Allow to dry/set. Fold in coarsely chopped oreos.
Monday, July 8, 2013
'City Slicker' Corn Dip
I've renamed this corn dip. Originally it was titled Cowboy Corn dip, but as I omitted ALL the jalapenos, it didn't seem fitting. Whenever I see something called "Cowboy" whatever, I assume it's got some kick to it. This dip sans jalapenos has no kick, but is still mega addictive!
I made it for a gathering over Memorial Weekend - Nerf War's at my friend Julie's house. They've had Nerf wars for several years and this was the first time we'd been able to go. It was a good thing too as this was the last Nerf War they were going to host as they are moving to Memphis!
Anyhow, back to the dip. It makes A LOT. This bowl contains about half of a full recipe. There were 50+ people at the party and most of them BIG eaters. Granted the table was filled with food of all sorts, but still only half of this dip was eaten. And everyone LOVED the dip. Several people even asked me for the recipe on the spot. Luckily it was easy enough to make that I had it memorized and could share with folks.
We ran out of chips so we've taken to making sandwiches of a sort with the leftovers. Think fancy grilled cheese with corn. Gooey and messy, but super tasty!
Unless you are have a gigantic party, half the recipe or you will find yourself with a plethora of corn dip!
Cowboy Corn Dip adapted from The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife
3 cans sweet corn with diced peppers/Fiesta corn, drained,11 oz each (Mine were 15.25 oz, but I just used the whole thing since I left out the jalapenos)
1 can chopped green chilies, drained (7 oz)
1 can chopped jalapeno peppers, drained (6 oz) (I omitted)
1/2 c green onions, chopped (I used one bunch of green onions, diced)
1 c mayonnaise (Don't use miracle whip, PLEASE!)
1 c sour cream
1 t pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4-1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 package shredded sharp cheddar cheese (16 oz) (this comes to 4 cups of cheese)
2 bags of Frito Scoops or other salty corn chips
In a LARGE bowl, mix all ingredients except for the chips. Cover and chill two hours to overnight. (overnight is best so the flavors can meld) Serve with your favorite chips.
I made it for a gathering over Memorial Weekend - Nerf War's at my friend Julie's house. They've had Nerf wars for several years and this was the first time we'd been able to go. It was a good thing too as this was the last Nerf War they were going to host as they are moving to Memphis!
Anyhow, back to the dip. It makes A LOT. This bowl contains about half of a full recipe. There were 50+ people at the party and most of them BIG eaters. Granted the table was filled with food of all sorts, but still only half of this dip was eaten. And everyone LOVED the dip. Several people even asked me for the recipe on the spot. Luckily it was easy enough to make that I had it memorized and could share with folks.
We ran out of chips so we've taken to making sandwiches of a sort with the leftovers. Think fancy grilled cheese with corn. Gooey and messy, but super tasty!
Unless you are have a gigantic party, half the recipe or you will find yourself with a plethora of corn dip!
Cowboy Corn Dip adapted from The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife
3 cans sweet corn with diced peppers/Fiesta corn, drained,11 oz each (Mine were 15.25 oz, but I just used the whole thing since I left out the jalapenos)
1 can chopped green chilies, drained (7 oz)
1 can chopped jalapeno peppers, drained (6 oz) (I omitted)
1/2 c green onions, chopped (I used one bunch of green onions, diced)
1 c mayonnaise (Don't use miracle whip, PLEASE!)
1 c sour cream
1 t pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4-1/2 t cayenne pepper
1 package shredded sharp cheddar cheese (16 oz) (this comes to 4 cups of cheese)
2 bags of Frito Scoops or other salty corn chips
In a LARGE bowl, mix all ingredients except for the chips. Cover and chill two hours to overnight. (overnight is best so the flavors can meld) Serve with your favorite chips.
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Wild Rice Flat Bread Fail
I made this Wild Rice Flatbread from Pinch of Yum because I had all this leftover wild rice. The pictures on the website also looked so appetizing. Unfortunately, my flatbread did not turn out at all like the pictures.
Pinch of Yum's flat bread was a lovely golden brown. Mine was dark blackish brown. And before you ask if I burnt it, let me say, "NO! I did NOT!" It was that color after I pureed it.
The darn thing also did not want to cook. After 15 minutes I tried to flip it using the towel technique mentioned in the recipe and the whole thing fell apart completely. It had not set at all. I was able to mash it back together in the pan and form a patty again.
Long story short, it took an hour in the oven before the rice flat bread had set up. This was not the quick lunch I was hoping for!
The crispy edges were OK, but the center was still quite mushy. I'm sure I could have continued to cook it for another 30-45 minutes, but I didn't feel like spending that much time on something that just turned out OK.
So what went wrong? I'm thinking because of the texture of the rice the original recipe resulted in a lighter bread, they used a wild rice blend. Mine was 100% wild rice. I think the starch from the regular rice may have help bind everything together. Also, I think that I just don't care for wild rice plain. Another reason for using a wild rice blend, it gives a bit of texture and flavor variety.
I wanted this recipe to work so badly, but I guess it just wasn't in the cards. Please let me know if you try it and how it works out for you!
Wild Rice Flatbread from Pinch of Yum
2 c cooked wild rice (or “instant” wild rice, wild rice blend, etc I suggest the wild rice blend)
1/2 c water
2 egg whites
1 clove of garlic
1 tbs. flaxseed meal
a sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1/2 tbs. olive oil
salt
pepper
Preheat to 425F. Grease a heavy skillet with oil. Spread it out so bottom and sides are well covered.
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until batter-like (about 30 seconds). Pour into pan. Bake for 15 min and remove from oven. Using a spatula, flip flatbread over and bake for another 15 min. Check doneness and bake for 5 min if needed. You’ll know when it’s done because it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. (Mine never did this) Remove from oven, cool, cut, and serve with hummus or other dips.
Pinch of Yum's flat bread was a lovely golden brown. Mine was dark blackish brown. And before you ask if I burnt it, let me say, "NO! I did NOT!" It was that color after I pureed it.
Long story short, it took an hour in the oven before the rice flat bread had set up. This was not the quick lunch I was hoping for!
The crispy edges were OK, but the center was still quite mushy. I'm sure I could have continued to cook it for another 30-45 minutes, but I didn't feel like spending that much time on something that just turned out OK.
So what went wrong? I'm thinking because of the texture of the rice the original recipe resulted in a lighter bread, they used a wild rice blend. Mine was 100% wild rice. I think the starch from the regular rice may have help bind everything together. Also, I think that I just don't care for wild rice plain. Another reason for using a wild rice blend, it gives a bit of texture and flavor variety.
I wanted this recipe to work so badly, but I guess it just wasn't in the cards. Please let me know if you try it and how it works out for you!
Wild Rice Flatbread from Pinch of Yum
2 c cooked wild rice (or “instant” wild rice, wild rice blend, etc I suggest the wild rice blend)
1/2 c water
2 egg whites
1 clove of garlic
1 tbs. flaxseed meal
a sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1/2 tbs. olive oil
salt
pepper
Preheat to 425F. Grease a heavy skillet with oil. Spread it out so bottom and sides are well covered.
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until batter-like (about 30 seconds). Pour into pan. Bake for 15 min and remove from oven. Using a spatula, flip flatbread over and bake for another 15 min. Check doneness and bake for 5 min if needed. You’ll know when it’s done because it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. (Mine never did this) Remove from oven, cool, cut, and serve with hummus or other dips.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Garden Monkey bread
In the past I have not had the best luck making monkey bread. The center dough always winds up under cooked. I know some people like undercooked biscuit dough from a can. In fact, my best friend has been known to eat it raw. Then again, she doesn't like cilantro so clearly she is broken. Canned biscuit dough should be cooked into a nice fluffy bread. Any other way is just wrong. Just ask me!
It had been quite some time since I had attempted the whole monkey bread thing, so I figured it was time to give it another whirl. I saw this savory version for monkey bread over at Goodness Gracious and thought it sounded fun.
Instead of bacon I used 2 cups of leftover chopped ham. I also increased the amount of onions from 1/4 c to 3 small onions. Then I caramelized them. I left out the green pepper, and just used a red pepper that I had roasted and peeled the skin off of.
This recipe is so versatile that you could really add whatever you wanted. Basically, if you like it in an omelet, you'd like it in this monkey bread version.
The recipe says to cook the bread for 30-35 minutes. NOT!!! Maybe you only cook it for that long if you are a weirdo that likes the raw dough. After 30 minutes the center of the bread was still raw. I wound up cooking the monkey bread for a full hour.
As you can see, after an hour in the oven, the bread is not burnt in the slightest. Neither is the cheese on top.
And when I unmolded the bread from the bundt pan, the sides are not even dark brown.
Yeah. That unmolding process didn't work out so well for me.
Even though I sprayed the pan twice with PAM the bread still stuck to the pan. I even went around all the edges with a plastic butter knife in attempts to loosen it from the pan. Maybe I should have used PAM with flour instead.
Even though the bread stuck to the pan, it tasted marvelous. The bread was all buttery and the ham on the edges got a little bit crispy and caramelized like bacon. Good stuff people!
I was worried about the leftovers, but I heated them up in a 350F oven for 15 min to take the chill off and they were almost as good as they were right out of the oven the first time.
Garden Monkey Bread adapted from Goodness Gracious
4 Pack of Biscuits (7.5 oz)- Cut into thirds
1/4 Cup Melted Butted
1 roasted red pepper, seeded, peeled and chopped
2 c chopped ham
3 small onions, diced and sauteed
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 F til golden brown, anywhere from 30-60 min.
It had been quite some time since I had attempted the whole monkey bread thing, so I figured it was time to give it another whirl. I saw this savory version for monkey bread over at Goodness Gracious and thought it sounded fun.
Instead of bacon I used 2 cups of leftover chopped ham. I also increased the amount of onions from 1/4 c to 3 small onions. Then I caramelized them. I left out the green pepper, and just used a red pepper that I had roasted and peeled the skin off of.
This recipe is so versatile that you could really add whatever you wanted. Basically, if you like it in an omelet, you'd like it in this monkey bread version.
The recipe says to cook the bread for 30-35 minutes. NOT!!! Maybe you only cook it for that long if you are a weirdo that likes the raw dough. After 30 minutes the center of the bread was still raw. I wound up cooking the monkey bread for a full hour.
As you can see, after an hour in the oven, the bread is not burnt in the slightest. Neither is the cheese on top.
And when I unmolded the bread from the bundt pan, the sides are not even dark brown.
Even though I sprayed the pan twice with PAM the bread still stuck to the pan. I even went around all the edges with a plastic butter knife in attempts to loosen it from the pan. Maybe I should have used PAM with flour instead.
Even though the bread stuck to the pan, it tasted marvelous. The bread was all buttery and the ham on the edges got a little bit crispy and caramelized like bacon. Good stuff people!
I was worried about the leftovers, but I heated them up in a 350F oven for 15 min to take the chill off and they were almost as good as they were right out of the oven the first time.
Garden Monkey Bread adapted from Goodness Gracious
4 Pack of Biscuits (7.5 oz)- Cut into thirds
1/4 Cup Melted Butted
1 roasted red pepper, seeded, peeled and chopped
2 c chopped ham
3 small onions, diced and sauteed
1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake at 350 F til golden brown, anywhere from 30-60 min.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Tex Mex Crackers
Back in December I made these Ranch flavored oyster crackers. They were super addictive and I put them on everything from soup to salads. I could not stop eating them.
So when I saw this recipe for Tex Mex Crackers in the kid's recipe book American Grub, by Lynn Kuntz, I knew I had to make some right away.
I fiddled with the recipe just a wee bit. The original directions do not call for baking the coated crackers. This made the crackers really greasy, and the seasoning stuck to your fingers, not the crackers when you tried to nibble on a handful. Not good.
Over all, these were a tasty treat. They weren't as addictive as the ranch crackers, but that was a good thing. It helped facilitate portion control. And that is a good thing, particularly since oyster crackers have a fairly high fat content when it comes to crackers.
Here's what we did when we made our version of the Tex Mex Crackers:
1 12 oz pkg oyster crackers
1 1/2 T Taco seasoning
1/4 t chili powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/8 t oregano
1/8 t cumin
1/3 c oil (I think 1/4 c would be sufficient)
Mix. Bake 250F for 15 min. Stir every 5 min. Cool and eat.
So when I saw this recipe for Tex Mex Crackers in the kid's recipe book American Grub, by Lynn Kuntz, I knew I had to make some right away.
Over all, these were a tasty treat. They weren't as addictive as the ranch crackers, but that was a good thing. It helped facilitate portion control. And that is a good thing, particularly since oyster crackers have a fairly high fat content when it comes to crackers.
Here's what we did when we made our version of the Tex Mex Crackers:
1 12 oz pkg oyster crackers
1 1/2 T Taco seasoning
1/4 t chili powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/8 t oregano
1/8 t cumin
1/3 c oil (I think 1/4 c would be sufficient)
Mix. Bake 250F for 15 min. Stir every 5 min. Cool and eat.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Honey nut peanut butter
Hey! I just made my own peanut butter.
Isn't that neato?
All you do is dump some peanuts into a food processor and
whiz it around for about 4 minutes until it's smooth and creamy.
Oh ho...but this is no ordinary peanut butter. It's made from honey roasted peanuts.
I'm a weirdo and actually preferred the Meijer's brand creamy peanut butter,
but Mrblocko and Blockette thought it was
super awesome.
I even got a "best mom ever" from Blockette. She thought it was that good.
So there you have it...peanut butter from scratch...you're only four minutes from being the
best mom EVER!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Spicy Grilled Mushrooms
These grilled spiced mushrooms from Home Skillet totally blew my mind.
Ka-boom with the flavor explosion!
Ka-boom with the flavor explosion!
I'm already a huge fan of mushrooms.
And grilled?
Sign me up for that.
There is just something simply amazing about this spice mix. It's smokey, sweet, savory, and spicy, with just a hint of salty. All that, combined with the meaty savory flavor from the mushrooms, and you have every flavor base covered. (At some point we are going to have to try this rub on grilled chicken. Mrblocko and I agree it would be awesome as well.)
And get this...Mrblocko asked Blockette if she wanted to taste a mushroom. Our daughter who won't eat a mushroom, even if you paid her, said "YES!" That will give you an indication of how enticing they had to have smelled for her to want to give a mushroom a taste test.
Get this, Blockette said she actually liked them.
My child.
Liked a mushroom.
Woah.
The original recipe was even spicier. The spice blend calls for 2 tsp each of ancho and New Mexico Chile powder. I used 4 tsp of Chili powder instead. Once we run out of this batch, I will reduce the cayenne pepper from 2 tsp to just 1 tsp. I think this will make the spice blend with in Blockette's heat level. Mrblocko will probably be a bit sad, because he thought the spice blend was perfect the way it is. He can always add a pinch of cayenne to his portion of mushrooms and bring the heat up to inferno if he wants.
Amazing spicy grilled mushrooms from Home Skillet
Spice blend
1 T kosher salt
1 T black pepper
2 ½ t garlic powder
1 ½ t onion powder
1 ½ t oregano
1 ½ t basil
¼ t cinnamon
3 T brown sugar
1 T smoked paprika
1 T paprika
4 t chili powder
1-2 t cayenne
Combine all spices and store in an airtight container.
Grilled mushrooms
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
4 tablespoons canola oil
1 ½ tablespoons mega spice mix
Place mushrooms in medium bowl. Drizzle oil and toss with mushrooms. Sprinkle on spice mix, coating mushrooms evenly. Set aside and prepare grill.
If using charcoal, light charcoal according to package directions or using your favorite method. Once 80-90 percent of charcoal ashed-over, spread into single layer, put cooking grates on, cover, and let grates heat up for 5 min. Adjust height of charcoal and air vents, if applicable to get a nice hot temp(350-400F).
If using gas grill, set temperature to high (350-400F) and cover for 5 min to heat grates.
Using a paper towel, coat cooking grates with thin layer of oil. Try to not let it drip down onto the coals to prevent flare ups. Place halved mushrooms on grill, cut side down. Cover, and come back in about 2-3 min to check on them. Once they’ve started to soften up just a bit, and bottoms have a nice char, remove from grill and serve hot.
Friday, June 8, 2012
BBQ roasted chickpeas
The honey roasted chickpeas were such a hit, I thought I'd try another flavor variation.
The baked chickpeas were good, just not as good as the honey cinnamon version. Perhaps this was because the honey poured over the baked garbanzo beans, while this recipe calls for applying the wet BBQ sauce before cooking. It seemed like these beans took a lot longer to get crunchy as a result. I will have to keep my eye out for a roasted chickpea recipe that has you applying the BBQ sauce after the beans are all dried out.
Baked BBQ Chickpeas from Pickles and Honey
3 C. Chickpeas, cooked (about 2, 15 oz. cans) (use the dried beans if you can, I've found they cook up better)
1 Large Clove Garlic, crushed
1/4 C. – 1/3 C. BBQ Sauce, depending on personal preference
2 T Olive Oil
Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain and rinse chickpeas and place them in a large bowl. Add the crushed garlic, BBQ sauce, and olive oil to the chickpeas and stir until the chickpeas are evenly coated. Transfer chickpeas to your prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring once after 20 minutes. (Mine were not finished baking after 40 minutes, so I would take the crunchy ones out after an additional 10 minutes of cooking, until all of them were baked to my liking.)
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Ranch Oysters
Ok...so they aren't really oysters. Oysters are gross. These are ranch flavored Oyster CRACKERS. (The only kind of oysters one should really eat...if you know what's good for you!)
I found this super simple recipe for ranch oyster snack crackers from examiner.com. They take 20 minutes tops to make, and that's only if you're a slow poke like me. I think they'd make a great last minute snack to take to a party! You can even go crazy and use them on your soup, or in lieu of croutons in your salad.
Ranch Oyster Crackers from The Examiner
1 (1 oz) package ranch dressing mix
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 t dried dill weed (or to your taste)
1/2 t garlic powder (or to your taste)
1 box or bag oyster crackers
Preheat oven to 250°. In a large mixing bowl, combine first 5 ingredients and mix well. Stir in oyster crackers mix to coat. Pour crackers onto a large cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Cool and add to a covered container.
Ranch Oyster Crackers from The Examiner
1 (1 oz) package ranch dressing mix
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 t dried dill weed (or to your taste)
1/2 t garlic powder (or to your taste)
1 box or bag oyster crackers
Preheat oven to 250°. In a large mixing bowl, combine first 5 ingredients and mix well. Stir in oyster crackers mix to coat. Pour crackers onto a large cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Cool and add to a covered container.
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