Jalapeno Popper Dip

OMG! If you like jalapeno poppers, you must give this a try. It is super good!
We ate it with Fritos scoops.

Mix together 8oz softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup of mayo, 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup of parmesan and a can of sliced jalapenos.

Place in a baking dish.

Mix together 1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of parmesan and sprinkle on top.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

I made this awhile back and it was quite good. I made it to put on top of taco salads we had for dinner one night, but it was also good with just tortilla chips which is what we did with the leftovers.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of corn, rinsed and drained
green onions, chopped
tomato, chopped
avocado, chopped
1 jar of pimentos
fresh cilantro
salt
lime juice
garlic powder

Mix all well and let chill before serving.

Oh Snap Shrimp!

I recently concocted this and it turned out super yummy. Fresh ingredients are a must for this one. No dried basil, garlic powder or fake lemon juice will do..use the real stuff!

Toss peeled and deveined shrimp into a bowl with a drizzle of sesame oil, the juice of one lemon, 1 tbsp of garlic, 2 leaves of chopped fresh basil, 1 tsp of hot chili paste, 1 tbsp of coconut flour and a dash or two of salt and pepper. Mix well.

The longer it sits, the more the flavors will meld together.

Saute it all in coconut oil until done.

Bacon Ranch Poppers

Cut tops off of fresh jalapenos and cut in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and membranes.
In a bowl mix together softened cream cheese, some shredded sharp cheddar and dry ranch mix. Stuff peppers. Wrap with bacon and broil until bacon is crisp.

Crab Rangoon Cups

I made this appetizer a bit back when I was craving Crab Rangoon, but wanting to be relatively healthy and not eat the fried version. Not exactly the same, but good nonetheless.

Cut egg roll wrappers into four squares. Spray mini muffin pan and place a wrapper in each hole. Brush with some sesame oil. Other will do, but I think sesame oil is always a better flavor for anything oriental.

Mix together flaked crab meat, chopped green onions, chopped water chestnuts, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Stuff wrappers and bake at 350 until lightly browned and mixture is bubbly.

Red, White & Green!

Taken from Wikipedia:
Insalata Caprese (salad in the style of Capri) is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania, made of sliced fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil.[1] In Italy, unlike most salads, it is usually served as an antipasto (first course), not a contorno (side dish).

Fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden and fresh mozz made this one of the freshest tasting dishes I've had all summer!

Caprese Salad

Layer slices of tomato, mozzarella and basil leaves. Drizzle with EVOO. I also added just a splash of red wine vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.
Chill for at least an hour or longer.

A little inspiration from Julia...

So I recently watched Julie & Julia which was quite entertaining to me because I love Julia Child. I also love that someone got famous off of a blog. You go girl!
Anyway, this movie had me recently browsing through my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking and realizing that I need to dust it off and make something out of it. So I went with the whole artichokes.


These were pure indulgence!



Julia Child's Lemon Butter Artichokes

- serves 2 -
Ingredients

2 globe artichokes
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled
Juice of two lemons to make 1/4 cup
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of white pepper (optional)
Procedure

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

2. Trim the artichokes for boiling: lay each on its side and cut off about an inch or so off the top, break off the small leaves near the base, and cut off all but an inch or so of the stem (you can also snap it off where it naturally breaks, like an asparagus). Snip off the ends of the leaves all around the artichoke with scissors to rid it of any sharp points. Rinse it well under cold water.

3. Boil the artichokes, uncovered, for about half an hour. They are done cooking when the leaves pull out easily and the bottoms are tender when pierced with a knife.

4. In the meantime, prepare the lemon butter. Gently reduce the lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan until about one tablespoon. Over low heat, whisk in the chilled butter pieces, one at a time, until creamy. Remove from heat, and, when ready to serve, whisk in 2-3 tablespoons dribbled hot water to warm.

5. Serve the artichokes with the butter for dipping, and a large bowl for unused stems. The edible parts of each leaf are nearest their base. Bottom teeth are especially good for scraping off the flesh.

Fondue Night!

What is more fun than fondue for dinner? Seriously? And it is so cheap and easy to do at home with so many different options. This time around we did a little surf and turf and asparagus.



I marinated my steak all day and then cut into cubes. And then thawed, peeled and deveined some shrimp. Broke the ends off the asparagus. Made my dips. And let the fun begin.

I made a dill dip for the shrimp consisting of sour cream, fresh dill, capers with a bit of juice and lemon juice.

Dill Dip


For the steak I made a french onion dip. Sour cream, dry french onion soup mix, a little worch. sauce and merlot.

French Merlot Dip


Heat the oil in the fondue pot. Sizzle up your goodies, dip and enjoy!

Bloody Mary with Oyster Shooters

I probably gross most people out eating oysters, but I can't help it. I love them, they are good for you, low fat and a natural aphrodisiac to boot. :)

Anyway, my favorite way to eat them lately is to wrap in bacon, squirt with some fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Serve up with the spiciest of bloody marys and blue cheese stuffed olives.

Festive Fall

I always get festive with the fall cooking the week of Halloween. Here were my adventures this year.



Dinner in a Pumpkin
2 lb. lean hamburger
1 (8-12") diameter fresh pumpkin

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 med. onion, chopped
12 sm. mushrooms, sliced
1 med. bell pepper
1 1/4 c. uncooked rice
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
5 tbsp. butter
1 #303 can stewed tomatoes
2 c. beef broth
1/4 c. grated Cheddar or Longhorn cheese
Parsley sprigs
8 to 12 cherry tomatoes
Wash the pumpkin and cut the top stem out to create a lid. Scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers. Melt the butter but only 2 tablespoons and take a plastic sandwich bag to dip into the melted butter to oil the inside of the pumpkin. Turn the pumpkin on its side and remove to sprinkle inside with 1/2 teaspoon salt.Saute onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, and garlic in the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add the 2 pounds lean hamburger, brown, and drain. Then add the rice and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add the remaining salt and pepper, the stewed tomatoes, and the beef broth and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes then fill the pumpkin with this mixture. Replace the pumpkin lid and place the pumpkin in a shallow greased baking pan. Bake approximately 1 to 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. Pumpkin is ready when tender and should remain firm enough to hold the filling without danger of collapsing. If necessary, more beef broth can be added as needed. When baked, remove from the oven, lift lid and sprinkle inside with the 1/4 cup cheese. Return pumpkin to oven, lift lid and sprinkle inside with the 1/4 cup cheese. Return pumpkin to oven without lid until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, replace lid and garnish around the bottom of the pumpkin with fresh parsley and cherry tomatoes. Serve from the pumpkin, scraping some of the pulp into each serving. Serve with green salad and French bread. Serves 12.


Maryland Pumpkin Seeds
4 cups pumpkin seeds, raw, rinsed and dried on papertowels
1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning
a good drizzle of olive oil

Drizzle the oil over the seeds. Sprinkle with the Old Bay and toss well to coat. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.


And lastly here are the "kitty kat" cookies me & my 3 year old son put together...

Bridal Shower Treats

I also recently hosted a bridal shower. I went with a finger food theme and the bride requested a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. I think everything turned out rather nicely if I do say so myself.

Here are a few peeks of some of the fare.

Bacon & Tomato Tarts


Fig, Goat Cheese & Prosciutto Crostini




Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Roulades


Devil's Food Cake with Homemade Peanut Butter Icing
(this icing was quite greasy, but wow was it ever sinfully delicious!)

Salt & Pepper Calamari & Shrimp

I love the salt and pepper calamari at a local chinese buffet, so this was my attempt at making it myself. I was quite pleased with the results. The addition of shrimp was good too!


Salt & Pepper Calamari & Shrimp
Toss cleaned shrimp and squid in a little cornstarch, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Be generous with the pepper. Saute all until crispy in sesame oil and a drizzle of chile oil. Drain on paper towels.

Candied Grapes

I recently had these at a friend's house for lunch and they were just that little extra spark I needed to add to my boring ol' midday fruit snack.

Candied Grapes
-Red or Green Seedless Grapes
-Sugar Free Jello Mix

Rinse grapes and then while still wet roll them around in the sugar free jello mix of your choice. Chill in the fridge and serve.

**I used red grapes and orange flavored jello because I had it on hand. The cherry flavored ones I had at my friends were even better!!**

Here Chick Chick...

Ah the chickpea and I have become friends. I've always loved them so because of hummus, but have recently been indulging in these chickpea snacks as well. They are both so yummy and healthy to boot.



Chickpea Salad

1 can of chickpeas rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons of onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
2 T red wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine all and chill for two hours before serving.




Roasted Chickpeas

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Put on a baking sheet in an even layer. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with your desired seasonings:
-garlic powder, salt and pepper, a pinch of cayenne
-Lemon Pepper
-and Mrs. Dash seasonings are great
-Greek seasoning
-basically whatever tickles your toes

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Give pan a good shake. Bake another 15 minutes.
Eat warm and enjoy!

Crabby Artichoke Fondue...

At my dear friend Maleesa's request I'm reposting this with the recipe included.
I just kinda took two or three recipes I found and picked my favorite ingredients of each and vamped it to make my own.



Crabby Artichoke Fondue


- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
-1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
- 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 8oz shredded fontina cheese
-4oz cream cheese
-1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno peppers
- 1/2 pound crab meat
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Warm oil in fondue pot. Add bell pepper, artichoke hearts, green onions and saute 2-3 minutes. Add cheeses and milk and melt on low until nice and smooth. Lightly fold in crab meat and other ingredients. Serve with cubes of warm crusty french bread.

A few Christmas goodies...

Here are a few things that we had for Christmas this year.

Ranch Chex party mix...although I took the original party mix and the ranch party mix and picked my favorite ingredients out of each recipe and vamped it to create my own party mix. lol




Lots of Christmas cookies. My favorites are the toffee bars that are the ones on the end and they are super easy to boot! I love to cook, but am not really into baking all that much(I hate to have to measure ingredients!), so these cookies are right up my alley.


Toffee Bars
1 sleeve of graham crackers, crushed fine
1/2c of butter
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 pkg of mini chocolate chips
1/2 pkg of Heath toffee chips

Melt butter and pour in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top and press down. Pour milk on top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with chocolate and toffee chips, press down. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.


Polish Roses
**my mom always made these and my DH loves them**


Polish Roses
8oz cream cheese, softened
2T prepared horseradish
5oz jar of sliced dried beef
green onions

Mix together cream cheese and horseradish. Spread onto each piece of beef. Place onion in center and roll up.

And last but most certainly not least I cooked my first prime rib this year for Christmas dinner. It was a hit!

Happy Mothers Day!

Mothers Day for me is bittersweet since I lost my mom a little over a year ago, but I do my best to make it good for me and my boy. This year the inlaws cooked a big Mothers Day dinner for everyone. Grilled steaks, baked potatoes, salads, ice cream cake. I mean the works. I was told I didn't have to bring anything but I just can't go empty handed to things like that, so I made my famous spinach dip.

Diva Dip as follows:

Amy's Spinach Dip
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup of sour cream
2 Tbsp mayo
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
1 envelope of dry ranch dressing mix
1 can of water chestnuts, chopped
a couple turns of fresh ground black pepper

Mix all together well and chill.

Avocado Shrimp Cocktail

My new cilantro product find not only has me dreaming of fish tacos, but guacamole and all other things avocado. This takes me back to the Avocado Shrimp Cocktail that I made this past New Years Eve. I want one. I want one now.

Avocado Shrimp Cocktail

10 large cooked, peeled, deveined shrimp, cut in chunks
1 large avocado, peeled and chunked
lime juice, fresh ground pepper and fresh cilantro to taste
2-3 Tablespoons of cocktail sauce