Spinach Artichoke Dip

I love spinach artichoke dip.  I know it's one of those things that you either love or you hate.  Sadly the dish is loaded with fat and calories.  Cooking Light listed a recipe for a lower fat and calorie version of this dish and of course I had to give it a try.  I read through all the comments on this dish and then referred to my favorite recipe from Cook's Country and then combined a little from all three places to make this to die for dip.  Honestly I have to say the dip I served on Christmas day was the best spinach artichoke dip I have ever eaten.  You couldn't tell it was low fat or lower in calories.  I made this dish on Christmas Eve so the flavors combined overnight and I find this to be a crucial step as I made this same dish again for New Years and didn't let it sit in the fridge overnight and it was no were as good.  Also don't forget to enter the giveaway I am having here.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
adapted from Cooking Light Magazine September 2000

2  cups  (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2  cup  fat-free sour cream
1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
3  garlic cloves, crushed
1  (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1  (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1  (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2  (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1 teaspoon horseradish
about 5 drops of Tabasco sauce
 
Preparation



Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and next 8 ingredients (2 tablespoons Parmesan through Tabasco sauce) in a large bowl, and stir until well-blended. Spoon mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
Refrigerate over night or at least 6 hours.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with tortilla chips.

Easy Appetizer and a Giveaway

I'll be very honest here the sauce featured in this dish is either going to be one you like or you don't like.  Pickapeppa Sauce has a very unique flavor that can be a turn off for some.  However if you like Worcestershire sauce you should like this sauce.  The ingredient list is pretty decent for a processed food item: tomatoes, onions, sugar, cane vinegar, mangoes, raisins, garlic, salt, peppers, thyme, and cloves.  I have a southern friend who swears by this stuff and she's the one who told me about this appetizer.  She tells me she uses it in salad dressings, gravies, cheese dishes, and with seafood.  I've only tried it in gravy and in this appetizer.  I've found this in most grocery stores here in Utah so obviously others use this but it was a new find for me.  And now you can have a chance to try this for free.  Leave a comment telling me of any other nifty things you buy in the grocery store and I'll enter you to win a bottle of this sauce.  If your one who wants more entries mention it on your blog and/or facebook and come back here and leave me a comment telling me you did and you'll get an extra entry for every comment you made telling me where you shared it.  The contest runs until midnight January 20th.

Easy Appetizer
Christy Carlsen

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, low fat, non fat, or regular at room temperature
half a bottle of Pickapeppa Sauce

Pour the Pickapeppa sauce over the cream cheese and serve.  Provide pretzels, crackers, or chips to dip into the appetizer. 

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

I was first treated to this delightful treats at a friend's wedding reception back in the 1990's. It wasn't a typical Utah wedding reception and an another friend ate the whole tray before the guests showed up. I couldn't get over the delicious taste of these little appetizers. I finally, a few years ago, asked at the local restaurant who catered her reception all those years ago about the recipe. Well they wouldn't give it to me but did tell me there were only five ingredients in the dish. I played with it for years until I finally noticed a recipe in a Taste of Home Treasury of Christmas Recipes book. I was able to tweak that recipe into the taste I remember from years ago. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. The flavor is hard to describe but it's sort of a sweet salty picture with a crunch. You need the good thick bacon from the butcher area of the store to make these taste right. If you use the bacon from cello packs it won't work as well. Oh and low fat or fat free mayo will not work, nor will Miracle Whip.

Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts
adapted from Taste of Home Treasury of Christmas

1 1/2 pounds thick sliced bacon
3 cans (8 oz each) whole water chestnuts, drained and halved (or leave them whole and just use a big slice of bacon)
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3/4 cup Chili Sauce (near the ketchup in the grocery stores)
3/4 cup mayo

Cut bacon strips into thirds. Wrap each strip around a water chestnut and secure with a toothpick. Place in a pan, I use a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Bake, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes, it may take longer and it may take less time, watch for the bacon to get crispy all over. Turning at least once. Drain the grease once fully done.

Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the water chestnuts. Bake another 6-8 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Queso Dip

So I admit this recipe totally is not one of my usual. I used a highly processed food item to make this dish but as everyone at the block party claims it was so worth it. This was very easy to make and it was gone in ten minutes at the party. This was yet another of the dishes that I took that knocked the socks off of everyone and had people asking for the recipe. The flavors were blended together perfectly. The dip did get spicier the longer I cooked it (I started it about 2 1/2 hours before the party so the flavors would blend together). You'll want to give this dish a try at your next party.

Queso Dip
by Norah

32 oz. package of Velveeta, cut into one inch cubes
2 can Rotel tomatoes (you choice of which one I used mild)
1/2 cup dried minced onions
1 roll of Mexican pork Chorizo

Mix dried onions with about 3 tablespoons of water. Let set in bowl. (You may need less or more water. Start with 1 tablespoon and keep adding water until the onions stop soaking up the water.)

In dutch oven, over medium high heat, cook the chorizo (cook just like ground beef) until no longer pink about 7-8 minutes.

Add the velveeta, 3-4 cubes at a time, to the chorizo. Once the velveeta has melted add one can of Rotel, juices and all. Stir until combined. Add the onions and the other can of Rotel. Stir until combined. Turn heat to low and stir every few minutes. Let simmer for about 30 minutes, longer to let flavors combine. You can also move the dip to a crockpot and set at low for about 2 hours. Serve with chips.

One Minute Tomato and Avocado Salsa

This was a favorite with everyone. I was worried the jalapenos would make the salsa too spicy for me and the boys but it didn't. The flavors blended well. I loved the fact it made life easier for us since I didn't have to make guacamole too. I've never been a fan of the jarred salsa at the store and now with this quick to make salsa I will never have to buy another jar of salsa again.

One Minute Tomato and Avocado Salsa
Cooks Country June/July 2010

1/2 small red onion, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup drained jarred pickled jalapenos
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 avocado, pitted, skinned, and chopped

Pulse onion, cilantro, jalapenos, lime juice, garlic, and salt in food processor until coarsely choppped.

Add tomatoes and pulse until combined, about 3 one second pulses. Place salsa in fine mesh strainer (I skipped this step) and drain briefly. Transfer to bowl. Add avocado and stir. Serve.

Cheese Straws

I first posted these way back when I first started my blog. I loved them then and I still love them. I thought they deserved to be bumped up and I new picture given to them since I first posted them. I can't even begin to explain how much these cheese straws are loved in our house. We serve them with everything and sometimes we just make them to snack on. They are perfect gifts although they are fragile.



1 sheet frozen puff pastry(1/2 box), thawed on counter for 10 minutes
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Adjust two oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Place puff pastry on sheet of parchment and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place another sheet of parchment over cheese and, using rolling pin, press cheese into dough by gently rolling pin back and forth. Without removing parchment, carefully flip dough over, cheese side down. Remove top layer of parchment and sprinkle pastry with remaining cheese, salt, and pepper. Cover pastry with parchment and continue to roll out, if necessary, to form 10 1/2-inch square.

2. Remove top sheet of parchment and, using sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into fourteen 3/4-inch-wide strips. Holding each end, gently twist strips of dough in opposite direction and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing strips about 1 inch apart.

3. Bake immediately, until fully puffed and golden brown, about 10 minutes, reversing positions of baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking time. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.

Salsa Verde

Surprising this turned out to be very tasty. I've never tried green "salsa" before because to be honest green isn't very appetizing when your use to a red salsa. We ended up really liking this dish and have made it twice since. I found this recipe in The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook. Here are the exchanges on this dish: free, 20 calories, 5 calories from fat, 1 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 75 mg sodium, 4 g total carbohydrate, 1 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugars, 1 g protein. A serving size is 1/4 cup.

Salsa Verde
The All Natural Diabetes Cookbook

1/2 lb tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed (6 to 8 tomatillos)
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1 slice medium white onion
1 large garlic clove
1/8 tsp sea salt or to taste
1 tbsp lime juice (optional)

Place the whole tomatillos in a large saucepan and fill with water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes or until softened.

Drain and chop the tomatillos. Puree half of them, along with the cilantro, onion, and garlic, in a blender until smooth.

Return the puree to the saucepan and add the remaining chopped tomatillos. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and lime juice (if using). Serve at room temperature.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos

These were so good. I am still thinking about these appetizers. Not only were they good but they were simple and easy to make. Another huge bonus only three ingredients needed to make this dish. I used jalapenos from the store but I think this would be really good with some jalapenos from a local farmer's market. As another testimony as to how good these are my father ate several and asked the next day if I had anymore.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos
from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

about 10 jalapenos, cut in half with seeds and membranes removed
8oz package of cream cheese
one package of bacon, you won't need it all, with slices cut into thirds

Fill jalapenos with cream cheese then wrap with bacon. Stick a toothpick through on the side to keep the bacon attached. Place on a wire rack under a baking sheet. Cook at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Ham and Cheese Roll Ups

This was a huge hit in our house. These roll ups were quick and easy to put together and they were adaptable to every taste in the house. My boys love the fact they get to dip their sandwich into something. I made about 5 different versions of this dish since everyone had different tastes. I used spinach on some and arugula on a few. I left the red peppers out of some and like the one pictured just had meat and cheese in one.
I found the recipe in the March/April 2009 issue of Simple and Delicious magazine.

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 flour tortillas (10 inch)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 lb thinly sliced deli ham
1/4 lb thinly sliced provolone cheese
1/4 lb thinly sliced hard salami
1/2 cup roasted sweet red peppers, drained and julienned
1 cup (4 oz) shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
marinara sauce, optional

Brush 1 Tbsp oil on one side of tortillas. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Layer tortillas with ham, provolone cheese, salami, red peppers and mozzarella cheese. Fold in sides of tortillas; roll up.
Place seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush with remaining oil; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425 degrees for 9-12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with marinara sauce if desired.

Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

Simple and easy dish to make. However I think these are better as an appetizer than a main dish, which is how I served them. The kids actually ate them which is a bonus. I must warn that if you eat one that has not firmed up it tastes very soggy with a weird after taste. Somehow I managed to get about 2 of the soggy ones and it really turned me off of the sandwiches. But everyone else in the house loved them. It's an interesting taste combination that works. I found the recipe in the World Wide Ward Cookbook.

2 dozen King Sweet Hawaiian Rolls
1 to 1 1/2 lb thin-sliced ham
12 slices Swiss cheese
1 cup butter or margarine
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbsp poppy seeds (I did not use)

Cut rolls in half. Place desired amount of ham on each roll. Cut slice of Swiss cheese in half, then fold cheese in half and place on top of ham. Fold sandwich back together. Melt butter. Stir Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder into butter. Allow to cool a bit. Pour all the mixture over the top of the sandwiches; it is okay for them to be soaking in the butter! Sprinkle poppy seeds over the top. Place foil lightly over the top and refrigerate overnight or 6-8 hours. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Deviled Eggs

We have hard boiled eggs from Easter and this year I am determined not to throw them out. So since Don is the only person in the house who will eat eggs I asked what he wanted me to make with the eggs. He asked for deviled eggs and egg salad so today I am featuring the deviled eggs. The recipe comes from Cook's Country April/May 2009 issue. He really liked the eggs and has requested a few more be made.

6 large eggs, hardboiled
2 tablespoons mayo
1 tablespoon sour cream
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Peel eggs and halve lengthwise. Transfer yolks to fine mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Using spatula, press yolks through the sieve into bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients until smooth.

Arrange whites on serving platter. Divide yolk mixture among whites. Egg white halves and filling mixture can be refrigerated separately for 2 days. I sprinkled the tops with paprika.

Ginger Ale Meatballs

I was a little worried that these meatballs would not taste good to me but I was rather surprised. This is a very easy to make, quick to put together, and uses only a few ingredients. I usually make my own meatballs because I do not like the taste of frozen meatballs at all. However my father bought some frozen meatballs and I've been trying hard to find recipes to use them up. Overall the flavor for the sauce was really good considering the few ingredients that were in the recipe. I did eat the meatballs although I did have a hard time getting past the texture of the frozen meatballs. I found the recipe at Real Mom's Kitchen .

39 ( 1 1/2 pounds) frozen, fully cooked meatballs (I only use 1 pound, that was enough for my family of 5)
2 cups ginger ale
2 cups ketchup
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Place frozen meatballs in a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker prepared with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine ginger ale, ketchup, and garlic. Pour mixture over meatballs. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high heat for 3 hours (I did the 3 hours on high). Serve with toothpicks as an appetizer, on hoagie buns, or over hot cooked noodles.

"Applebee's" Quesadillas

We really like this recipe. The flavor is good and the taste is very similar to the actual Applebee's appetizer. I make these for lunch or dinner for a quick and easy dish. Most people have the ingredients on hand in their house most of the time. Last night I used a salsa I preserved in the fall along with my guacamole recipe.
I found the recipe in the book Top Secret Restaurant Recipes. I cut the quesadilla into 4 slices instead of the six.

2 10 inch (burrito size) flour tortillas
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 medium tomato, chopped
2 teaspoons diced onion
1 teaspoon diced canned jalapeno (nacho slices)
1 slice bacon, cooked
/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
dash of salt

On the side
sour cream
guacamole
salsa

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.
Spread half of the butter on one side of each tortilla. Put one tortilla, butter side down, in the hot pan.
Spread cheeses evenly onto the center of the tortilla in the pan. You don't have to spread the cheese all the way to the edge. Leave a margin of an inch or so all the way around.
Sprinkle the tomato, onion, and jalapeno over the cheese.
Crumble the slice of cooked bacon and sprinkle it over the other ingredients.
Sprinkle the cilantro and a dash of salt over the other ingredients.
Top off the quesadilla with the remaining tortilla, being sure the buttered side is facing up.
When the bottom tortilla has browned, 45-90 seconds, flip the quesadilla over and grill the other side for the same length of time.
Remove the quesadilla from the pan, and, using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the quesadilla three times through the middle like a pizza, creating 6 equal slice. Serve hot with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa on the side.

Jalapeno Poppers

I love these at resturants and hate the frozen ones. As such I seldom eat these, although I guess that's a good thing considering how fattening they are. The other day though I received quite a few jalapenos in my csa box plus not knowing I was getting them in the csa bought about 20 from the farmer's market. So I decided to take the challenge and make my own. I searched all over on the web and found several interesting recipes including a no breading but bacon wrapped popper. I settled on the recipe I found here:
http://tinamommyx3.blogspot.com/2008/08/texas-jalapeno-poppers.html

Overall they were very good. I ran out of breadcrumbs so I used about 1/4 cup cornmeal. My only problem with the poppers I made is they were very very spicy. I must have had the hottest jalapeno's in the batch. I even took all the seeds and ribbing out.

These poppers were much better than any frozen ones. I think I still prefer the resturant ones over homemade I'll make these at home anytime I get the craving.

12 - oz. cream cheese, softened
1 - 8 oz. package shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 -2 T. bacon bits
12 - oz. jalapeno peppers, seeded and halved
1 - cup milk
1 - cup all-purpose flour
1 - cup dry bread crumbs
2 - quarts oil for frying

In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Spoon this mixture into the jalapeno pepper halves. Put the milk and flour into two separate small bowls. Dip the stuffed jalapenos first into the milk then into the flour, making sure they are well coated with each. Allow the coated jalapenos to dry for about 10 minutes. Dip the jalapenos in milk again and roll them through the breadcrumbs. Allow them to dry, then repeat to ensure the entire surface of the jalapeno is coated. In a medium skillet or home fryer, heat the oil to 375° F.. Deep fry the coated jalapenos 2 to 3 minutes each, until golden brown. Remove and let drain on a paper towel

Cheese Straws

These cheese straws are so tasty. They are easy to make and the kids love them. I don't twist them because I let the kids help me make them. These are nice as a snack or nice with a meal. They taste great when served with a tomato soup. I add some garlic powder and use garlic salt but then I love the taste of cheese and garlic.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry(1/2 box), thawed on counter for 10 minutes
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Adjust two oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Place puff pastry on sheet of parchment and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place another sheet of parchment over cheese and, using rolling pin, press cheese into dough by gently rolling pin back and forth. Without removing parchment, carefully flip dough over, cheese side down. Remove top layer of parchment and sprinkle pastry with remaining cheese, salt, and pepper. Cover pastry with parchment and continue to roll out, if necessary, to form 10 1/2-inch square.

2. Remove top sheet of parchment and, using sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into fourteen 3/4-inch-wide strips. Holding each end, gently twist strips of dough in opposite direction and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing strips about 1 inch apart.

3. Bake immediately, until fully puffed and golden brown, about 10 minutes, reversing positions of baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through baking time. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before serving.

Smoked Gouda and Caramelized Onion Quesadillas

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon golden brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
smoked Gouda cheese, sliced thin
green apple, sliced thin
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, brown sugar and vinegar; sauté until onion is golden brown, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.
Heat a heavy skillet and put in a bit of butter or spray a tortilla with Pam. Layer cheese, onions and apple slices and top with another tortilla. Brush top tortilla with melted butter or spray with Pam.
Cook quesadillas just until brown spots appear, flip and cook until golden. Cut into wedges and serve