Maple Glazed

I've heard tell of those who find the football game secondary to the tailgate party. I'm one of those people. Don't get me wrong; I love a good football game, but the fun had with others on a crisp fall day sharing our favorite hearty fall foods just can't be beat.

Most football get-togethers consist of fans of one single team with everyone rooting for the same side, but what happens when you have rivals in your midst? Ply them with good food. That being said, this time of year just begs for everything maple. These two recipes are so good, and so simple. Both have 3 ingredients or less and both are done in 30 minutes! Easy and delicious, my favorite.

Kielbasa in Maple and Beer

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 pound kielbasa, cut into 1" chunks
1 cup beer (any type)
1/2 cup real maple syrup

Directions:

Combine everything in a heavy bottomed sauce pot and simmer until sauce thickens and kielbasa starts to brown (about 30 minutes).

You can use any type of shelled nuts you like, raw or roasted, salted or not. I like to use roasted and salted nuts as we really like the salty-sweet combination. Please do use real maple syrup if you can, the flavor profile is different than using imitation syrup.

Maple Glazed Nuts

Hands-On Time: 5 minutes

Ready In: 25 minutes

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 cup nuts, any type (almonds are pictured)

2 Tablespoons real maple syrup

Directions:

1. Heat the nuts in a non-stick pan over medium heat for about 1 minute - just so they start getting warm.

2. Add maple syrup and toss the nuts quickly slowly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until the syrup starts to them. This happens quickly, only about 20 seconds. 

3. Moving quickly, remove from heat and spread out evenly on parchment paper or a greased baking sheet to cool. Try to spread them out so they are not touching and let them cool for 20 minutes. 

4. Once cooled, break apart any that are stuck together and serve. 

*Note: Once glazed, they don't store well as an humidity in the air will cause them to start sticking together.

Herby Cheesy Goodness

I've been a gardener for quite some time now (check out my gardening posts!) and that includes growing my own herbs each year, as well.

Herbs are one of the easiest things to grow, outside, inside, in pots, in the ground. Many are really rather hearty and do well no matter what. You just need to give it a try. You can start with a tiny little pot that has soil and seeds already inside - just add water and sun and watch them grow. You can buy a small pot, add some soil and seeds, find a sunny windowsill and wait for beautiful little green things to pop up. Once you have herbs grown, you'll be so happy you did it. There's nothing like fresh herbs for flavoring dishes.

Check out Gardener's Supply for lots of ideas and tools for growing your own garden, even if it's only a windowsill garden of herbs. They have what you need!

Now, once you have those herbs, here are three delicious and easy recipes for you to use them in, each pairing with a delicious Cabot cheese!

The first is cheesy herb-y rolls perfect for an appetizer or to serve with a meal. These are so easy you won't believe it!

Pesto Cheese Rolls

Pesto Cheese Rolls
Makes 24

Ingredients:

2 sheets puff pastry - thawed
4 Tablespoons prepared pesto*
1/2 cup shredded Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar
2 Tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and very lightly grease two 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Unfold pastry and spread 2 Tablespoons pesto on each sheet.
3. Sprinkle each pastry sheet with 1/4 cup of cheese.
4. Roll up tightly from the long end and cut each log into 12 even pieces.
5. Arrange rolls in prepared pans and top with Parmesan cheese.
6, Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.

Pesto Cheese Rolls

*Homemade Pesto:

Pesto
Makes about 1 cup
Printable Recipe

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (you can also use a combination of your favorite herbs)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts, walnuts or almonds
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
salt as needed

Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor and blend until well chopped (do about 3/4 cup at a time). Add about 1/3 the nuts and garlic, blend again.
Add about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container.
Process basil pesto until it forms a thick smooth paste. Repeat until all ingredients are used, mix all batches together well. Basil pesto keeps in refrigerator one week, or freeze for a few months.

Zucchini-Cheese Squares

Zucchini-Cheese Squares
Makes 36 Appetizers

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons olive oil
5 medium green onions - sliced thinly
1 clove garlic-minced
2 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
6 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Kosher salt,
1/4 t pepper

1 Tablespoon each fresh basil and oregano - finely chopped
3 cups shredded Cabot Seriously Sharp cheddar or other flavor

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and zucchini;
cook until all liquid is evaporated and zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes.
2. In a bowl, mix eggs and remaining ingredients and add zucchini mixture.
3. Spread into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake in a 325° oven for 30 minutes or until set when touched in center.
4. Let cool for at least 15 minutes and cut into small squares.

Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers

Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers
Makes 24 mini peppers

Ingredients:

24 mini peppers
8 ounces Cabot cream cheese 
2 cups finely shredded Cabot Garlic and Herb Cheddar
1/2 cup Cabot sour cream
1 Tablespoon each finely chopped fresh basil and flat leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Set aside.
2. Set cream cheese in a bowl and allow to soften at room temperature.
3. Add cheese, herbs, salt and pepper and sour cream to cream cheese. Blend well.
4. Spoon or pipe cheese into pepper halves. Garnish with whole herbs if desired and serve immediately or chill, covered,  several hours until serving time.

Mini Cheese Balls

Mini Cheese Balls

If cheese balls are the hit of the party, mini cheese balls are an even bigger hit. Do you know why they're better? Coatings. Yep, when it comes to cheese balls, I like equal parts coating and cheese, but with a big cheese ball, you can't get that. Once that outer crunchiness and extra pop of flavor is gone, it's all cheese. These minis solve that problem and they're cute to boot!

Oh, yes you can. Bacon coated mini cheese balls.

These are perfect for a holiday cheese and cracker plate and my kids also like these for after school snacks. They each like different coatings, so I mix it up for them. Use your imagination and see how many coatings you can come up with.

Mini Cheese Balls

Mini Cheese Balls

Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 36 cheese balls

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese
2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon paprika (I like smoked paprika for this)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped nuts, small seeds, chopped herbs, crumbled cooked bacon, etc. optional

Directions:

1. Soften cream cheese at room temperature.
2. Blend with shredded cheese and seasonings until well combined.
3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, covered, until firm enough to roll.
4. Roll into 36 balls (about 1-inch in diameter) and roll each ball in chopped nuts, seeds, herbs or bacon if desired.

Chicken and Feta Tarts

Chicken and Feta Tarts

Chicken and feta are a favorite combination and these little tarts are the perfect appetizer or game-day bite for 12 or a light brunch for 6 served with a big green salad. Change the green herb to whatever suits your tastes and if Kalamata olives are not a favorite, California ripe are just as delicious.

Chicken and Feta Tarts
Hands-On Time: 10 minutes
Ready In: 25 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 package refrigerated pie crusts at room temperature
15 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg white
4 green onions - green and white parts sliced thinly
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled Feta cheese
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or mist with cooking spray.
2. Unroll pie crusts and cut with a 3-inch biscuit cutter into 12 rounds, gathering dough and re-rolling as necessary. Lay dough rounds on baking sheets, 6 per sheet.
3. Combine ricotta cheese with green onion, egg white, basil and salt. Stir until well blended.
4. Top each dough round with 2 tablespoons ricotta mixture, shredded chicken, a teaspoon or so of Feta cheese and Kalamata olives, keeping the toppings centered and leaving an edge of pie crust about 1/2 - inch wide.
5. Fold edges of pie crust upward leaving most of the filling exposed.
6. Bake for 13 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is slightly puffy.
7. Cool briefly before serving.

Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers

My kids are awesome. No, really, I'm not biased. Honestly, when it comes to eating I have very few picky eaters in the bunch of 7. Mostly, they eat whatever I put in front of them. In fact, the two youngest request fresh veggies!

Anytime I'm in the kitchen chopping veggies for a recipe, they head on out and ask for whatever it is I'm prepping. Their favorite is red peppers, but they also love celery, carrots, sno peas, broccoli, cauliflower and zucchini.

I don't believe in recipes that hide vegetables. First off, over-processing causes them to lose much of their nutrition, and second, kids will never learn to love veggies if they don't realize they're eating them. Once they're old enough to leave the nest, who will make cupcakes or pasta sauce for them with pureed vegetables added in? Likely, nobody.

So, around here we celebrate veggies for what they are. We choose them fresh, wash them gently and serve them well. This recipe is perfect for warm weather and the kids love peppers this way. Mini peppers are available in most supermarkets and are sweet and tender. If you can't find them, cut larger peppers into 1 1/2" strips and spread with the cheese mixture. Either way, a plate of these won't last long!


Check out other veggie-centric recipes and posts at The Country Crock Chronicle while you're at it!

Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers
Makes 24 mini peppers
Printable Recipe

24 mini peppers
8 ounces cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 green onions - sliced thinly, green and white parts
2 teaspoons Country Crock Spread
2 Tablespoons fresh basil - finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Set aside.
Set cream cheese in a bowl and allow to soften at room temperature.
Cook white parts of green onions in Country Crock Spread until golden brown.
Add feta cheese, onions, basil, salt and pepper to cream cheese. Blend well.
Spoon or pipe cheese into pepper halves. Garnish with green onion if desired and serve immediately or chill several hours until serving time.

*Disclosure: My posts for Country Crock are sponsored, compensated and/or reimbursed by Country Crock and Unilever. As such, all content and opinions are required to be honest and belonging wholly to myself.

Gourmet Cheeseburger Amuse Bouche

An amuse bouche is typically a one-bite wonder prepared by a chef to showcase his or her talents. Not listed on the menu, it's a little extra something that is not listed on the menu served before the meal to help whet the appetite. These did just that; my kids asked for far more than I had made.

These use Etorki sheeps' milk cheese, one of the delicious pressed French cheeses offered by Ile de France. The flavor is very reminiscent of a sharp white New York cheddar, but a bit milder and very creamy, not dry as sharp cheddar's tend to be. I thought the flavor was deeper than most French cheeses, which tend to be milder overall, and we really like this one.

Gourmet Cheeseburger Amuse Bouche
Makes 24
Printable Recipe

6 slices bread
1 pound ground beef (80/20 is best for burgers)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 garlic clove - minced
24 roasted red pepper strips
1/4 pound Etorki sheep's milk cheese
fresh basil chiffonade

Toast bread, remove crusts and cut each slice into 4 squares.
Combine ground beef, Worcestershire, pepper, garlic and salt and mix well. Shape beef into 24 small patties and broil or pan fry until done - this takes only a few minutes to do. Drain on paper toweling.
Place a patty on each toast square and top with red pepper and cheese. Microwave or broil for a few seconds, just until cheese melts. Top with basil chiffonade and serve.

Tostones

Tostones with chorizo, cilantro and lime juice

I live in an area that has a heavy Hispanic influence, and as such I've had the opportunity to try many foods that I may never have had a chance to shop for much less eat.

Plantains are one of those plentiful-around-here foods, but I'd never cooked with them. After the final episodes of season four on Top Chef, I finally decided to give them a whirl. On the next-to-last episode of Top Chef, the chefs were given the task of coming up with frituras (or fried snacks) using plantains. I watched with interest and a bit of excitement, storing away the many uses they conjured up for the green banana look-alike.

One thing that two of the chefs did was to make tostones. They are, simply put, fried green plantain. I was intrigued, so I did a little reading about tostones and then went shopping to make my own version of an appetizer tostone.

What I found when I was reading were several recipes calling for dipping the plantains in salted water between fryings (they are fried twice), but I also found many Puerto Rican cooks debunking that notion. I decided to go with the cooks' idea and keep from the risk of having oil popping everywhere once the water-dipped plantain hit the hot pan. The result was fantabulous.





Tostones with Chorizo, Cilantro and Lime
Makes 24 appetizers
Printable Recipe

2 large green plantains
12 oz. chorizo
1 bunch fresh cilantro
several tablespoons fresh lime juice
salt to taste
oil for frying

Slit plantain skins and peel. Cut each plantain into 1 inch chunks - diagonally if you like - about 12 for each plantain. Heat oil over medium-high heat and fry each slice of plantain until lightly browned. Remove from oil and drain well.

Place each plantain between waxed paper or parchment and press down with a saucer until slices are 1/4 inch thick. You can also use a tostonera, a special press made just for tostones Put each slice back into the oil and fry on both sides until golden brown. Remove to paper toweling to drain well. Salt immediately.

When all tostones are fried, slice chorizo into 24 thin rounds and fry in the same oil until just lightly brown. Drain well.

Top each tostone with a cilantro leaf, a slice of chorizo and drizzle with lime juice.

Royal Foodie Joust Entry: Gingered Pork Wontons

This month's Royal Foodie Joust ingredients had me excited at first; and then I had too much time to think. I got to the store today and told my oldest daughter what the three ingredients were and asked her opinion on them. She drew a blank as well as I because of the butter.

You see, the three ingredients are ginger, apricots and butter. I've been baking quite a bit lately and didn't feel like a pastry was in the cards for me, so I was going a savory route. The butter ... the butter kept throwing me. Salad; no - what would I do with the butter? A steak with gingered butter; nah, not inventive enough.

So, my frustrated eldest sighed and said, "OK, pretend it's a 'Quick-Fire'." If you don't watch Top Chef, you won't know what that is. It's the short segment at the beginning of each episode where the chefs are given a quick assignment and a short time-span in which to finish. I laughed and told her that after an hour and a half of milling around Whole Foods I would be disqualified.

I feared my cries of, "I am SO in this month!" would be all for naught and I would have to sit this one out.

Then, as we walked past the wonton wrappers, instant inspiration struck and I raced off for the rest of my foodstuffs. Here, then, is the culmination of all that angsty brain work. By the way, each and every one of my kids thought these were just the best. I think they're pretty good, too.



Gingered Pork Wontons with Apricot Plum Sauce
Printable Recipe

16 ounces ground pork
1 inch peeled ginger
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons brewed soy sauce
2 tablespoons sliced green onion
48 wonton wrappers
oil for frying

Mince together ginger and garlic until it almost forms a paste.
Mix this with pork, soy and green onion.
Drop a teaspoonful of pork mixture on each wonton and close diagonally, sealing with a small amount of water. Fry each in hot oil until golden brown. Serve with Apricot Plum Sauce.

Apricot Plum Sauce

4 tablespoons butter
1 inch peeled ginger, cut into 4 thick slices
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
3 black plums, pitted and diced - skin on
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro - minced

Melt butter over very low heat.
Add ginger and simmer until fragrant - about 5 minutes.
Toss in apricots and plums, stir and continue simmering until apricots are soft and fruits begin to caramelize.
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, puree with honey, orange juice and cilantro until smooth.
Run through a fine sieve and reheat just until warm.

The Good, The Bad and The Quick

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, food is at a minimum here lately. Not all of it has been bad but the good is so sparse I felt like I had nothing to share. I remembered a recipe that I tried out this year for Thanksgiving and knew this was one to pass on.

The Good:
First, if you don't get the Kraft Food and Family magazine, sign up for it! There are some great ideas and recipes in there that you don't want to miss and this recipe came from there.

I love Crab Rangoon but didn't have the time to make and deep fry individual pastries so this seemed like a good alternative. They were awesome. I didn't have time to get to 2 stores for T-Day shopping so I picked up 12 oz. of imitation crab at the store I was at and chopped it fine for this. I also added a bit more green onion than called for and opted for regular mayo since I wasn't buying the light stuff for a single recipe.

We got a total of 36 with a doubled recipe.

Baked Crab Rangoon
Printable Recipe

Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 40 min
Makes: 12 servings, one wonton each

1 can (6 oz.) white crabmeat, drained, flaked
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup KRAFT Mayo Light Mayonnaise
12 won ton wrappers

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Mix crabmeat, Neufchatel cheese, onions and mayo.
SPRAY 12 medium muffin cups with cooking spray. Gently place 1 won ton wrapper in each cup, allowing edges of wrappers to extend above sides of cups. Fill evenly with crabmeat mixture.
BAKE 18 to 20 min. or until edges are golden brown and filling is heated through. Serve warm. Garnish with chopped green onions, if desired.


The Bad:

Apple Pie from canned filling and frozen crust.

Nobody here likes apples cut so thick that you need to cut them again to eat or thick pie crust. 'Nuff said.


The Quick:

Chicken Nugget and Pasta Parmesan
Printable Recipe

1 lb spaghetti or other pasta, cooked to desired doneness
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce-24 oz or so
1/2 bag of Aldi's frozen chicken nuggets or a pound of your favorite pre-done frozen nuggets
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a lasagna or other rectangular baking pan with cooking spray.

Toss cooked pasta and 1/3 jar of sauce together and spread evenly into pan.
Top with chicken nuggets (I got 5 to a row, 6 rows) and top with remaining sauce (I thinned mine a bit with water since I'm too Scot to leave any behind in the jar) and sprinkle with parmesan.
Bake for about 20-30 minutes until nuggets are heated through.

This was a complete fluke on one of my first nights home with baby and the kids loved it. I've made it once since then too and even if it isn't gourmet or exactly healthy, it was a real lifesaver!

Summer Cooking 101 Part I

Muffuletta

Nope, not Summer Cooking for Dummies, but close.

Now that things are heating up, many people are trying to figure out how to make meals without too much heat or fuss.

First thing's first - figure out what methods of cooking you have available and whether or not you are comfortable with them. One thing you definitely don't want to do is turn on the oven! Even if you have A/C the heat from the oven takes longer to dissipate in the summer since the humidity is generally higher. Also, anything that involves boiling water is something you want to do before sunrise or after sunset. If there is anything that I definitely need the oven or stovetop for (ie; certain cakes, pastas, rice) I try to get it done as early in the day as possible when it's generally cooler and more likely that the kitchen will cool off by mealtime.

I would try to stick with these appliances: refrigerator/freezer, crockpot, microwave, sandwich maker, waffle iron, blender, food processor, tabletop or stovetop grill, outdoor grill and electric frying pan. (I don't even own all of these myself, so you can make do with less.)

OK, now that you have your basic appliances chosen, what do you cook with them?
Here's where I come in! I have too many crockpot recipes and many for the microwave. I will post microwave recipes for sure, but they will be fewer since individual microwaves vary in heating times making it harder to pin down the method for many recipes. They are great to have and you can make a perfect cake with them as I discovered when we were without cooking gas for about a month once. (My microwave made a 9x9 cake in 10 minutes at 50% power, for instance. I did need to play around the first couple times but once I had it down we had cake fairly often.)

My favorite recipes are the ones that don't involve any cooking and those are most likely the ones I will share first.

My personal favorites for hotter days:

No-Cook or almost-no-cook:

• Fruit and Cheese with crackers or bread
• Tortilla Roll-Ups and wraps
• Cut up veggies and dip (cucumber, carrot, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, grape tomatoes, zucchini, etc.)
• Muffuletta
• Subs
• Cucumber Salad
• Pasta Salads
• Sandwich spreads
• Smoothies and milkshakes
• Dips
• Popsicles

Microwave:

• Quesadillas
• Rice dishes
• Chicken patty sandwiches
• Quick pizzas
• Veggie melts

Grill:

• Bulgogi (aka-Korean BBQ beef)
• Hot dogs
• Hamburgers
• Lime Ranch Chicken
• BBQ Chicken
• Grill roasted potatoes
• Grill roasted corn
• Chicken and veggie packets

Crockpot:

• Crockpot Chicken Stew
• Chicken with Noodles
• Sausage and Rice dinner
• Chicken and Rice
• Triple Chocolate Mess Dessert
• Chili

Here is a sample to get you going. Keep "tuning in" during the Summer for lots more!

Ham and Cheese Ranch Roll-Ups
Printable Recipes

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese-softened
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese-room temperature
1 cup mayonnaise
1 envelope Ranch Dip Mix
3/4 pound shaved deli ham-chopped if necessary
3/4 cup green onion, thinly sliced
12 (9 inch) flour tortillas

In medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, cheddar, mayonnaise, and
dip mix until well combined. Stir in ham and onion, Spread each
tortilla thinly with ham mixture, leaving a scant 1/2 inch edge on
one side. Roll up toward side with 1/2 inch edge and wrap tightly in
plastic wrap; chill thoroughly, 3 to 4 hours or up to 2 days. Slice
rolls into 1/2 inch slices for appetizers or serve whole for full servings; discard ends if desired and arrange spirals on serving dish. Cover tightly and chill until ready to
serve, up to 24 hours.
Serves approximately 16 - 20 as an appetizer or 12 as a main dish.


5 Layer Mediterranean Dip
Printable Recipe

2 c hummus (recipe below)
1/2 c chopped tomato
1/4 c chopped cucumber
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Feta cheese-crumbled
2 T sliced pitted ripe olives

Spread hummus on bottom of 9-inch pie plate.
Layer with remaining ingredients. Serve with pita chips or wedges.


Hummus
Makes 2 cups
Printable Recipe

2 cups cooked and drained garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/2 cup tahini - sesame paste
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
juice of 1 lemon

Toss everything into a blender and pulse until smooth. For this one I added in a cup of diced red pepper. You can add in other veggies, etc. just make sure to balance out the liquid so the hummus isn't too thin.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Makes 36 bars
Printable Recipe

2 c powdered sugar
2 c graham cracker crumbs
1 c smooth peanut butter
1/2 c +2 T butter or margarine-melted
12 oz Milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips-melted

Mix the powdered sugar, cracker crumbs, peanut butter and butter in a
medium size bowl until blended.
Scrape into an ungreased 13x9 baking pan and press into an even layer.
spread the melted chocolate over the top. Refrigerate at least 2
hours until the chocolate is firm. Let stand at room temperature, 15
to 20 minutes before cutting with a sharp knife into bars.




White Sangria Punch (Non-alcoholic)
12- 3/4 cup servings
Printable Recipe

4 c white grape juice
1 c pink grapefruit juice
1T lime juice
1 club soda bottle- 750 ml- chilled
Pink grapefruit slices

In large pitcher, combine grape, grapefruit and lime
juices; refrigerate. Just before serving, add soda water
and grapefruit slices.



Next up:

Summer Cooking 101 Part II, Big Ideas for Little Tummies

It's Super Bowl Time

I figured I'd add my 2 cents to the WWW Super Bowl Recipe collection

Super Bowl XL is being played this year in Detroit Michigan's Ford Field between the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While I have always been a fan of the Steelers and a football fan in general, I haven't seen a Super Bowl in ages. We don't have tv here (beyond PBS, that is) so we won't be watching this year either unless we impose our large-ish family upon someone else's couch.

At any rate, if I were hosting a Super Bowl party I would most likely go easy. Appetizers would be the main focus with possibly something more substantial at half-time. One of our favorites for this type of party is chili served in bags of corn chips. A single-serving bag of corn chips, turned on it's side and opened to form a pouch is the perfect spot to rest a ladle full of chili, with or without beans. Top it with shredded cheese, sour cream and some chopped green onion and you have a delicious totable snack.

Standard fare is so ... standard, but if that's what people will eat, I say go for it. There is nothing wrong with the old standby chips and dip, buffalo wings, potato skins and pizza.

Most parties will have a beer choice and while I don't drink I will hook you up with a local microbrewery just down the street, Bethlehem Brew Works. I can attest to the fact that the food is awesome, and plentiful; we always take a leftover box home.

I picked a few recipes here that are different than the usual spread for Super Bowl Sunday and a couple are lower carb in variety for those of you who are eating that way.

This first one is for the Seattle fans.

Smoked Salmon Cheesecake
Serves 36
Printable Recipe

2-8 oz pkgs cream cheese-softened
1/4 c whipping cream
2 eggs
1/4 t salt
1 1/2 c shredded Gouda cheese
1/4 c green onions-sliced
1-4.5 oz pkg. smoked salmon-flaked
2 green onions-sliced
2 T red caviar or finely chopped red pepper
1 c crushed round buttery crackers-about 24
3 T margarine or butter-melted

Mix crackers and margarine until well blended. Press evenly in bottom
of springform pan-9x3. Bake 375 for 8 min. until golden brown.
Reduce oven temp to 325.
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add cream, eggs and salt-beat until
smooth. Stir in cheese, 1/4 c green onion and salmon until well
blended. Spoon over crust. Bake 45-50 min, or until center is set.
Run knife around edge of cake to loosen. Cool to room temp. Cover and
refrigerate at least 2 hrs but no longer than 48 hrs. Top with green
onions and caviar or red pepper. Serve with crackers.



For the Pittsburgh fans the Primanti Bros. famous sandwich The one with cole slaw and french fries right inside it (this is NOT one of the low carb recipes) and you can see a photo at their website. You can come up with your own of course with cappicola, a good French baguette or other heavy bread, cole slaw and french fries.


For the carb conscious:

Spinach Squares
Printable Recipe
Makes 30 Appetizers

2 pkgs (10 oz each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 T butter or margarine
1 medium onion-finely chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms-thinly sliced
4 eggs
1 c half and half
1/4 c dry bread crumbs-fine
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 t salt
1/8 t each pepper, basil and oregano leaves

Drain spinach well, and squeeze out excess moisture. Set aside.
Melt butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat and add onions and mushrooms.
Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft and mushrooms are slightly browned and
any liquid has evaporated.

Beat eggs in a bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients, except 1/4 c of
parmesan. Turn everything into a well-greased 9 inch baking pan and sprinkle
with the remaining cheese.

Bake in a 325° oven for 35 minutes or until set when lightly touched in center.
Let cool slightly; then cut into small squares. Serve warm or at room
temperature. If made ahead and refrigerated, reheat in a 325° oven for 15 minutes.


Artichoke Squares
Makes 36 Appetizers
Printable Recipe

2 jars (6 oz. each) marinated artichoke hearts
1 small onion-finely chopped
1 clove garlic-minced or pressed
4 eggs
1/4 c fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 t salt
1/8 t each pepper, oregano and liquid hot pepper seasoning
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 T minced parsley

Drain marinade from 1 jar of artichokes into a frying pan. Drain the other jar and
reserve marinade for another use or discard. Chop all artichokes and set aside.
Heat marinade over medium heat; add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft.

Beat eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients and turn all into a greased 7x11 inch
baking pan. Bake in a 325° oven for 30 minutes or until set in the center. Let
cool slightly; cut into small squares.

Zucchini-Cheese Squares
Makes 36 Appetizers
Printable Recipe

1/4 c oil
1 small onion-finely chopped
1 clove garlic-minced
2 1/2 c shredded zucchini
6 eggs, beaten
1/3 c fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 t each salt, dry basil and oregano
1/4 t pepper
3 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c sesame seeds-optional

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and zucchini;
cook until zucchini is tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.

In a bowl, mix eggs and remaining ingredients except Parmesan and sesame seeds.
Spread into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan and sesame
seeds, if desired. Bake in a 325° oven for 30 minutes or until set when touched in
center.

Let cool for at least 15 minutes; cut into small squares.

Instead of the usual chips and salsa, give this a whirl.

Italian Eggplant Relish
Makes 1 1/2 quarts
Printable Recipe

1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 lbs)
2 large red bell peppers
1/2 c olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/4 c tomato paste
1 c water
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 T each sugar and drained capers
2 T coarsely chopped fresh basil or 1 t dry basil
1 c sliced ripe olives
1/4 c pine nuts

Cut unpeeled eggplant into 1/2 inch cubes. Core, seed and dice peppers, set aside.
Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add eggplant; cover and cook,

stirring occasionally, until slightly soft; about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue
cooking, stirring often, until eggplant begins to brown; about 10 more minutes.
Mix in peppers, onion, celery and garlic; cook until onion is soft; about 6-8
minutes. Add all but pine nuts and cook until sauce is thick; about 10 minutes. If
made ahead you can refrigerate at this point for up to a week.

Place nuts in a small frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until
lightly browned. Sprinkle over relish.

Serve with  pita chips.

Parmesan Pita Chips
Printable Recipe

6 rounds pita bread-I like whole wheat
3/4 c melted butter or oil-I prefer olive
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Cut pitas in half and then split each half to make 4 pieces from each pita. Brush
each piece with oil and sprinkle with about 1 T of cheese. Cut each into 4 wedges
and place in a single layer on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12 to 15
minutes until crisp and golden.

Makes 8 dozen wedges

Back in the Saddle Again

Yeeha!

Well, I guess on the internet that should be, "Yahoo!".
After several harrowing days with computer problems,
a brand new computer and then phone problems, (Verizon has MUCH to answer for)
I'm finally back. Bet you missed me!

I had originally wanted to post about holidays following THE Holidays, like Epiphany, but that has since passed and I'm thinking on other things.

Since I don't have tons to say, and since it goes along with the title of this post,
here are a few "Cowboy" recipes. Git along little dawgies and et up.

***************

Cowboy Caviar
Printable Recipe

2 (14 oz each) cans black eyed peas, drained
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans drained
1 (11 oz) can sweet corn, drained
1 (14 oz) can Rotel (chopped tomatoes with green chilies), undrained
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies or 1 or 2 jalapenos depending on how hot you like it
1 (4 oz) can sliced black olives, drained
1 small jar pimentos, drained
1 onion, chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 bottle oil and vinegar Italian salad dressing

Drain all cans of beans, etc and empty into large bowl. Mix in
undrained can of Rotel. Add onion and avocado. Pour bottled Italian
dressing over all and mix to combine. Chill at least an hour for
flavors to blend. Serve with tortilla or corn chips.

***************

Ranch Style Chicken Fried Steak And Gravy
Printable Recipe

Steak

4 lb Round Steak 1/2-inch Thick
1 c Milk
1 c Unbleached Flour
Salt & Pepper


Gravy

4 T Fat
4 T Unbleached Flour
1 qt Milk

Tenderize round steak. Dip in milk and then flour, salt and pepper to
taste. Fry in deep fat at approximately 375 degrees F until golden
brown. After steak is done, pour off fat leaving about 4 T in pan.
Add 4T flour. Stir until smooth. Add 1 qt milk. Stir and cook until until
thickened for steak gravy.

***************
Cowboy Beans
Printable Recipe

1/2 lb Lean bacon
1 lb Ground beef or chuck, lean
1 lg Onion-diced
1/4 c Green pepper-diced optional
1 can Pork 'n beans (16 oz.)
1 can Red kidney beans (16 oz.)
1 can Butter beans (16 oz.)
1 can Baby lima beans (8 oz.)
1 can Great northern beans(16 oz)
1/4 c Brown sugar
1/2 tsp Dry mustard
1/4 c Molasses or maple syrup
1 bottle BBQ sauce
1/2 tsp Pepper

Cut bacon into 1/4" bits; brown in a large skillet. Remove bacon from
rendered fat and set aside. In the bacon drippings, saute the onion &
pepper until tender. Add the ground meat and brown lightly.Put the
meats into the bottom of a crockpot. Add the Pork 'n Beans with the
liquid on them. Drain most of the juice off of the remaining cans of
beans and add them with the remaining ingredients to the crockpot.
Mix all well. Cook on HIGH setting for 1 hour to get well heated
through, then lower heat setting to LOW and allow to cook for 5 - 6
hours. Stir from time to time. Check on seasonings and correct if
desired. A little more brown sugar or syrup might be desired.

***************

Cowboys' Favorite Cinnamon Rolls
Printable Recipe

1 box white cake mix
5 c. flour
2 pkgs. quick-rising yeast
2 1/2 c. warm water
Butter or margarine
Brown sugar
Cinnamon

Combine cake mix and flour; stir yeast into warm water. When yeast has
softened add to flour mixture and stir will. Cover and let double. Roll
1/2 inch thick and then butter and sprinkle with brown sugar and
cinnamon. Roll up and cut into 3/4 to 1" slices. Place in greased pan
and let rise until doubled. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 15-20
minutes. Frost with confectioners sugar or brown sugar frosting.

Merry Christmas

Everyone has holiday traditions; or they should. Our family celebrates Christmas with several traditions.

1) A real tree that we usually cut down at a tree farm that we decorate while sipping hot chocolate and munching on Christmas cookies.

2) Secret Santa~we pick names on Thanksgiving after dinner and give gifts to our recipients until Christmas Eve.

3) Our annual Christmas Eve party~just us ~we light every candle we have, light luminarias on the front walk, turn on Christmas songs, put out a table full of appetizer-type food and reveal our Secret Santas with a final gift. We also try to watch a Christmas Movie that night.

4) We put out Magic Reindeer Food before the kids go to bed on Christmas Eve.

5) I stay up after the kids are in bed and wrap presents by "Christmas light" and make "Santa's Footprints" on the floor with baby powder.

6) In the morning I wake the kids (YES, I am up before they are!) by ringing bells and telling them they just missed the Big Guy.

7) New this year will be a bowl full of oranges (clementines) and a small bowl full of pennies in remembrance of my grandfather Theodore Sharp~when he would wake on Christmas morning there was an orange and a penny in his stocking and they always had homemade vanilla ice cream on Christmas Day. I want my children to always understand how fortunate they are that we are able to have so much. We are actually very poor by today's standards but I still believe we are richer than most in what we do have, and I am very grateful for it. I want them to learn that as well.

On to menus! Our Christmas Eve party varies slightly in some aspects each year but there are mainstays that we cannot be without and they are:

Cajun BBQ Shrimp
Chicken Cheese Spread
A plateful of various fish; smoked oysters, kippers, etc.Nanaimos

We also usually have cheeses and crackers, a bowl of candy and Chex mix! My kids worship that stuff.

For Christmas dinner this year I wanted to go as simple as possible without losing any of the festive feel of the day. We will be having:

Roast pork loin and new potatoes with rosemary and garlic (there's mom's rosemary!)
Gravy
Green bean casserole (kids' request)
Baby asparagus
White corn
Relish tray
Homemade rolls
Salad

Dessert:

Croquembouche (I will have to take a picture)
Cherry pie
Cookies etc.

Here are a few of the recipes, I won't repeat ones I have already posted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cajun BBQ Shrimp
Printable Recipe

3 slices bacon-diced fine
2 sticks- 1 c. margarine (NOT butter)
2T. Dijon mustard
1 1/2t. chili powder
1/4 t. dried basil
1/4 t. dried thyme
black pepper to taste
1T. crab boil
1/2t. Tabasco
1 1/2 lbs large shrimp-shell on

Cook bacon in a large oven proof pot until brown. Add margarine and melt. Add remaining ingredients and place in oven-uncovered. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes.

These are great even with the shell still on and eaten with the shrimp.

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Chicken Cheese Spread
Printable Recipe

2-8oz. pkgs. cream cheese (softened)
2 cans Underwood Chicken Spread
1/4 c. green pepper-small dice
1/4c. peanuts-chopped fine

Mix all and chill-allow to soften slightly before serving with crackers.

Variations on green peppers and peanuts:
red pepper and walnuts
grated carrot and raisins
dried apricot and pecans

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Magic Reindeer Food
Printable Recipe

Santa can't help but stop if the reindeer take him to your treat!
Mix together:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup instant oatmeal
2 tbsp of glitter (substitute edible sprinkles if you live in an area with wildlife)