Happy Cinco de Mayo!

It's funny; I never heard of Cinco de Mayo until I became of legal drinking age.  Or maybe I'd just never paid attention?

This year, I actually remembered and planned my meal plan around having a Mexican meal today.  Of course, I forgot to get the stuff for margaritas, but I digress.  That's right I planned!!  Sort of.

See, I planned to make this taquito recipe from Annie's Eats.  And I then read it called for cooked chicken.  At 5pm, I didn't feel like taking the half hour to cook the chicken before preparing the rest of the meal.  So, instead, I chose to make these quesadillas, also from Annie's Eats.

I was so excited to try a different variation of quesadillas, a meal we often make when grocery shopping needs to be done, but that typically consists of little more than tortilla, cheese, and diced cooked chicken.  Of course, fate was against me, and the grill ran out of gas.  So, we improvised by cooking on the stove.

When it was my plan to do it all on the grill, I didn't see the point of dirtying a pan to cook the onion, so instead used mild Rotel in place of the onion and tomato (and because I didn't have any fresh tomatoes). This made life a little bit easier.  I also added the onion, since I ended up cooking on the stove.

This had delicious flavor; the chicken rub was so much more yummy than plain old cooked chicken.  I'm glad I cooked 3 enormous breasts (as a note, Annie calls for 4 chicken breasts, but we ended up using one, and it made leftovers after making three quesadillas), because now I have some delicious cooked chicken to make quesadillas for lunch, or even taquitos!  I do wish I'd been able to try grilling the whole quesadilla, but it wasn't meant to be tonight.  Because the chicken was so yummy, I did wish I had more stuff to dress up the quesadillas, particularly some avocado.

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas, courtesy of Annie's Eats
Grilled Chicken Quesadillas
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Ingredients:
1 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, minced
1 tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves
Half a yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
Corn tortillas (6-7 inches)
Cooking spray
Shredded cheese (pepper jack, cheddar, etc.)
Directions:
Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium high heat.  Combine the chili powder, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, salt, cumin and red pepper flakes in a pie plate; whisk to combine.  Add the chicken breast halves and turn to coat.  Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and juices run clear.  Remove from the heat and shred the chicken into small pieces.  Add the onion to the pan and cook until tender and golden, about 5 minutes.
Combine the shredded chicken, cooked onion, and diced tomatoes in a mixing bowl; toss to combine.  Lightly brush or spray one side of a tortilla with vegetable oil; flip over on a work surface so the oiled side is facing down.  Place about a quarter of the chicken mixture onto one side of the tortilla.  Top with shredded cheese.  Fold over the tortilla to sandwich the filling inside.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling mixture.
Cook the assembled quesadillas over medium-high heat in a lightly oiled grill pan or skillet until browned on the outside and warmed through with the cheese melted on the inside.  Slice into wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa as desired.
Source: adapted from Confections of a Foodie Bride

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom (but not) Gruyere Tartlets

 

My girl loves her some mushrooms, so when I saw this as one of the recipes made for Annie's virtual baby shower, I knew it would be the perfect appetizer for my girl's baby shower too.

First, you can see I needed to chop the mushroom a little bit smaller.  Next, you can see there's no cheese on top.  I had to pack up all my stuff to leave by 8:30am to get to the party and set up...  it turns out I didn't do a great job of packing up.  Among other things that got forgotten and/or left behind, I grabbed a container of shredded coconut when I meant to grab a container of shredded Gruyere.  Oy.  As one of the other ladies said, at least I realized my mistake BEFORE adding the "cheese" to the tartlet.  I used beef broth instead of wine/chicken broth, and I had but one sheet of puff pastry.  I used a 3" cookie cutter, and it probably made about 15, especially after using the leftover dough.

As I said, though, I was able to prep the meal ahead of time, so all I had to do was put it together when it was party time.  This is essential for any party host/ess, whether he/she is hosting at home or at the home of someone else. 

They were absolutely delicious.  I pretty much couldn't stop eating them.  Mine didn't come out nearly as gorgeous as Michelle's, but they were very pretty nonetheless (especially since they weren't sitting right next to Michelle's, then I'd have been in trouble) and more importantly, super duper tasty.

These came my way from Michelle at Brown Eyed Baker.

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom & Gruyere Tartlets

Yield: 16 3-inch tartlets
Prep Time: 1 hour | Bake Time: 20 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
16 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup white wine (can substitute chicken or vegetable broth)
2 sheets puff pastry (thawed according to directions on package)
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (can substitute any variety of Swiss cheese)
1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, beaten together (for the egg wash)
Handful of parsley, chopped
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes.
3. Add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until they are completely soft and all of the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and the thyme and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to pull up all of the browned bits, and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
6. Unfold the thawed sheets of puff pastry and cut out circles from the dough, placing them evenly spaced on the baking sheets. Using a very sharp knife, make four small scores around the perimeter of the dough, about ¼ to ½-inch from the edge.
7. Top the rounds of puff pastry with a small spoonful of the onion and mushroom mixture, trying to keep the filling within the score marks. Top with the shredded Gruyere cheese. Brush the edges of the dough rounds with the egg wash.
8. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 15 to 25 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
(Recipe adapted from Closet Cooking)

Bean Dip

I discovered, when someone brought a package of bean dip into the faculty room for one party or another, that I can eat an entire package of bean dip without blinking an eye.  I just love that stuff.  So, when I was charged with making dips for my incredible friend's baby shower, I decided bean dip would be a good choice, and that I would make it from scratch.

I've never made bean dip before, so I searched my Google Reader and discovered that Brown Eyed Baker (who wrote another recipe I made for the shower) had one that looked very easy, so away I went.

It was quite tasty!  I used what I had, though I had bought a can of refried beans, so mine looked a little different than Michelle's. I used shredded Monterey Jack cheese, chopped avocado, sour cream, medium salsa, chopped jalapeno, and black olives.  Yum!  So easy, I don't really know why I'd buy a package again.

Here's the original recipe from Brown Eyed Baker, but this is such an easy recipe to customize to your tastes and what's on hand.  Like and have ground beef?  Yum!  Want to add some onions?  Awesome!

Seven Layer Dip from Brown Eyed Baker
Yield: About 8 servings
Prep Time: 25 minutes
15-oz can refried beans
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt, to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (or a combo of the two)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely chopped
1 avocado, finely chopped (or 1 cup of your favorite guacamole)
1 tomato, seeds and juices removed, finely chopped
1 cup sour cream
1 small can black olives, sliced
1. Heat the refried beans in a medium saute pan or in a cast iron skillet. Stir in the ¼ cup water to get a creamy consistency. Stir in the olive oil, and then add the chili powder, cumin and salt, stirring until combined.
2. Once the beans are hot and bubbly, spread them over the bottom of a serving dish. Immediately sprinkle the cheese over the beans.
3. Layer on the chopped jalapeño, avocado, tomato, sour cream and black olives.
4. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.
(Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes)

Cream Cheese Penguins

These little dudes were shared on a message board of which I am a member as a fun activity to do with your kids.  My kid wasn't interested in helping, but I had fun making them anyway.

The "recipe" comes from allrecipes.

They didn't come out as pretty as I'd hoped, but they did bring on the silly.

They're a nice little appetizer, although not quite as tasty as something baked or fried or smothered in dip.

Ingredients

• 18 jumbo black olives, pitted  (I used Colossal!)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 18 small black olives
• 1 carrot

Directions

1. Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece and press into center of small olive to form the beak. If necessary cut a small slit into each olive before inserting the beak.
2. Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. Then, set a small olive onto the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick.

Cranberry Meatballs

I typically serve meatballs for gatherings.  My crockpot recipe is very good, very easy, and allows me to pay attention to other things.  But for New Year's this year, I wanted to try something different.  I turned to my google reader, and stumbled across this recipe.  Hubby happened to glance over while I was looking at her post, and commented that they looked delicious, so I made them.

These were super easy to make.  I used frozen turkey meatballs.  The sauce smelled really great as it was simmering on the stove, but toward the end, I got some on my finger, and so tasted it....  I was suddenly very afraid.

We've had this bottle of "Three Buck Chuck" around the house for a really long time, and that's what I used.  Maybe if I'd used a better tasting bottle of wine (I really don't get all the hype around TBC... it's been pretty nasty the two times I've had it), this would have turned out better.

So, the short of it is that this is a good recipe, but make sure you like the wine you're using!

Cranberry-Red Wine Meatballs
2 cups whole berry cranberry sauce
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup of your favorite red wine (I used our Cab)
2 tsp hot Chinese mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire
1 batch of meatballs, cooked
Add cranberry sauce, brown sugar, red wine, mustard, and Worcestershire to a sauce pan. Heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the meatballs to the pan, stirring to coat and heat thoroughly. Serve warm. Alternately, you can pour the sauce over the meatballs in a crockpot set to warm for serving.

Mini Crab Cakes

When I'm looking to make something that will be a home run and impress guests, I turn to Annie's Eats.  This was no exception.

These little cuties are delicious, and pretty easy to make too.  They're not super cheap (the crab cost about $14 for a pound), but are a great little appetizer.

I had two mini muffin pans; one silicone and one metal.  This made me realize that silicone is definitely the way to go, and I might even replace my metal pans with another silicone one.  The crab cakes in the metal stuck to the pan, even with my spraying with Pam, while the cakes in the silicone slid right out.  I also lost some of the bottom layer in the metal pans that was saved in the silicone.

I found whole wheat Panko bread crumbs in my local grocery store, and used them here.  It was great, and ever so slightly more healthful!  In addition, the crab filling turned out more than was needed to fill the two mini muffin pans, so it could probably have made a whole nother pan (is nother a word?  Because whole another doesn't sound right?)

So, the next time you're having a gathering, try these mini muffin crab cakes.  They're a real treat.  While they are delicious, they are way too rich and decadent to have as a crab cake meal.

Mini Crab Cakes
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Yield: about 24 mini crab cakes
Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg
¼ cup sour cream
½ tsp. lemon zest
3 tbsp. minced fresh chives, divided
¼ tsp. kosher salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
8 oz. fresh lump crabmeat, patted dry and coarsely chopped
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Additional fresh chives, for garnish

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, ¼ cup of the Parmesan, and the egg; beat with an electric mixer to blend.  Beat in the sour cream, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the chives, salt and cayenne pepper.  Gently fold in the crabmeat.  (This mixture can be made up to 1 day in advance.)

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Spray a 24-well mini muffin pan with cooking spray.  In a medium bowl, combine the panko, remaining ½ cup of the Parmesan, and 2 tablespoons of the minced chives.  Drizzle the melted butter over the mixture and toss with a fork until evenly blended and moistened.  Place 1 tablespoon of the panko mixture in each muffin well and press down to form a crust.  Spoon 1 generous tablespoon of the crab mixture over the crumb mixture in each well.  Sprinkle a rounded teaspoon of the panko mixture over the top of each.

Bake until golden and set, about 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.  Allow to cool in the pans 5 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of each cake and gently lift it out of the pan.  (These can be baked 2 hours in advance.  Rewarm at 350˚ F for 6-8 minutes just before serving.)  Garnish with additional fresh chives, if desired.

Source: barely adapted from Bon Appétit, April 2009

Brown Sugar Smokies

When trying to plan our appetizer meal for New Year's Eve, I turned to a message board I use for inspiration.  Several of the ladies there suggested Brown Sugar Smokies, so I turned to the internet for a recipe.  I found one on allrecipes, and it seemed super easy.

To healthify this a little bit, I used both turkey Little Smokies and turkey bacon, and they still tasted delicious.  (Though I've recently learned that pork bacon is actually more healthful than turkey bacon for a variety of reasons.)

This was a BIG hit, especially with the kids.  I think my Godson ate 5 of them (he's five and doesn't seem to eat a whole lot) and kept asking for more.  In the future, I will probably double the recipe.

I started this in the slow cooker, but not enough in advance for it to be ready on time.  I'll definitely do that again next time.

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon
• 1 (16 ounce) package little smokie sausages
• 1 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages on wooden skewers, several to a skewer. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar.
3. Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted.

Honey Apple Bites

I recently attended a Pampered Chef party at Lauren's house, and this recipe was made.  They forgot the phyllo dough and instead used Ritz crackers.  I thought this choice was so delicious and so easy, that I did the same for our New Year's celebration.  In fact, I found whole wheat Ritz crackers, and thought that would be awesome too.  I was also really happy to find name brand Brie, which was a big cost savings--at the store I shopped last year for NYE, I could only find a HUGE, $20 round of Brie.  Ouch.

These moved well, but the crackers were a little too dry for me.  I think I overcooked them, which impacted this, though the apple topping was really good.  I will definitely be making these again, but will try the phyllo dough next time.


Ingredients:

• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 2 medium red baking apples such as Jonathan, cored, and finely diced
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 4-in round Brie, or Camembert cheese with rind, cubed to ½ inch pieces
• 2 pkg prepared mini phyllo shells (30 shells total)

Directions:

1. Preheat the over to 400°F.
2. Set you phyllo cups on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper.
3. Mix gently the apples, walnuts, zest and honey.
4. Place one cube of Brie in each phyllo cup.
5. Using a Small Scoop, cover the Brie with one scoop of the apple mixture.
6. Bake 6-8 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
7. Serve warm.  (They are still as delish cold).

Tip:  My friends mentioned that this recipe would be great for Rosh Hashanah, since apples and honey are being served in abundance during that holiday.  You will agree that these type of appetizers are great for any occasion.
All gadgets and cookware used, are offered by The Pampered Chef.

Recipe found online here

Pico de Gallo

I've never made pico de gallo, despite loving it a ton. I decided to make it for yesterday's Super Bowl party. I researched a bunch of different recipes, but sort of made my own way with it. Here's what I did:

4 Roma tomatoes, seeded, diced
red onion, diced--maybe 1/4 c
scallions, sliced--about 1 stalk
cilantro--about 1/4c chopped
lime juice from half a lime
chopped garlic--maybe the equivalent of 2 cloves

I meant to put in some diced jalapenos, but forgot. Oops.

I served these with both tortilla chips and pita chips. It was good on the tortilla, but EXCELLENT on the pita!!

I'll definitely be making this one again. So tasty and so healthy. I bet it would be really good on tilapia; I think I'll try it one of these nights I'm on my own for dinner!

Lauren's Mini Aloha Calzones

Ingredients

• olive oil I used Pam
  
• 1 batch pizza crust I used the Pillsbury kind
  
• 1 cup ricotta
• 1 cup mozzarella
• 1 cup diced ham
• 1 cup diced pineapple (if using canned, drain first!) I used canned crushed pineapple
  

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly coat a 9x9 baking dish with oil.

Roll out pizza dough and divide into 16 pieces. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Take a piece of dough and flatten. Place a spoonful of the pineapple mixture into the dough and wrap the corners around to seal. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Bake uncovered for 16-20 minutes.

Happily stolen from Lauren's blog. We had plans to get together with some friends for our monthly get together, and it coincided with Super Bowl Sunday. Although none of us were big football fans (except my husband, that is), we decided to go football esque with our theme. I was in charge of appetizers, and planned several in anticipation of snacking throughout the game. I wasn't really sure what to make, but had my eye on these little buggers, which Lauren made as part of a competition she was in. They looked easy and TASTY, so away I went. They were most definitely tasty, and got raves from everyone who ate them. They weren't, however, very pretty. First problem, I may or may not have sprayed the second pan with Pam. Next problem, I may or may not have drained the pineapple well enough. I also had WAY extra filling.
Since I baked these at my friend's house, I didn't take any pictures--plus, not so pretty anyway. I'm going to try to reheat these to see how they turn out for a second day.

I'm really curious to know whether Lauren made this one up or if she found it somewhere--either way, though, it was GREAT and I will definitely be making it again!! YUM!

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

By Ina Garten. Find the original here.

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 16 extra-large white mushrooms
• 5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium sherry
• 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
• 6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2/3 cup panko crumbs
• 5 ounces mascarpone cheese, preferably from Italy
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it's completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake until the stuffing for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

These were tasty, but the recipe made WAAAAY too many for the number of guests we had. I got ENORMOUS stuffing mushrooms, and made a whole lot of them (I can't remember how many were actually in the container, but it was close to 20). For 6/8 people who had been eating appetizers all night, that's way too much. This was a pretty tasty version of stuffed mushrooms, although I'm not sure what purpose the addition of marscapone served. It's not exactly inexpensive, and it didn't really seem to do much for the flavor here.

Anyway, I tried a new one, and was satisfied with the results, but will probably keep looking for a stuffed mushrooms recipe.

Hot Artichoke Spinach dip

Although I've made Artichoke dip on several occasions, I've never made artichoke-spinach dip... despite LOVING it at restaurants. I decided to go with this recipe since it was highly rated on allrecipes, and it also seemed very different from my usual artichoke recipe, which uses cream cheese and mayo. This was a tasty version. I ate it with tortilla chips as well as on all kinds of vegetables. Very tasty and good and garlicky too!

Original recipe from allrecipes; see it here.

Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
• 1/3 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a blender or food processor, place artichoke hearts, Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese and garlic . Pulse until chopped, but not ground. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together spinach, heavy cream, sour cream and mozzarella cheese. Stir in artichoke mixture. Spoon into prepared baking dish.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Crostini Alla Romana

This was a huge hit at our New Years Eve Party. They flew off the plate, and my husband told me today that I could make them again ANY time. He must've really liked them! I suspected that they would be a little tricky, but they turned out to be very easy.
I bought wayyyy too much proscuitto and mozzarella. I bought 2 packages of prosciutto, since it calls for 12 slices, but with the bread I used, I ended up using half for each toast. Same with the mozzarella; the one pound ball was so large, I used 1/2 of each slice for each toast. Finally, make sure the mozzarella isn't sliced too thick; the slice I ate was a little on the thick side which was a little too much for me.

Original recipe by Giada DeLaurentiis. Find it here.

• 12 1/2-inch thick slices ciabatta bread
• 12 slices thinly sliced prosciutto (about 6 ounces)
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into thin slices
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 6 sage leaves
• Pinch salt
• Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the slices of ciabatta on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden around the edges, about 8 minutes. Remove the bread from the oven. Place the prosciutto slices and mozzarella on the crostini toast and return to the oven to melt the cheese, about 8 more minutes.

Meanwhile combine the butter and the sage leaves in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the butter is melted and starting to brown in spots and the sage leaves are crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Transfer the crostini to a serving plate. Drizzle the crostini with the sage butter and serve immediately.

Pear Gorgonzola Butter

Making this for tonight's New Year's Eve festivities. I threw it all together last night, and have it "marinating" in the fridge.

Original recipe came from Cooking Light; find it here.

I had some last night, and thought it was tasty, but perhaps the Gorgonzola (Gorgon makes me think of that movie Little Soldiers... you know, the Gorgons:)


Pardon the digression.

Anyway, the Gorgonzola might be too much in this dish, or maybe I just used too much. It's probably not my favorite cheese in the whole world, and the pear does a nice job of balancing. I might add some pear juice in if BAJ agrees.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped canned pear halves, drained
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese I accidentally got creamy Gorgonzola
  
• 1 tablespoon (1 ounce) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) loaf French bread baguette, cut into 12 slices and toasted

Preparation

Combine all ingredients except bread in a small bowl; mash with a fork until well blended. Serve with bread.

So, after asking BAJ and another friend, it was suggested that I NOT add more pears or pear juice. It really didn't move. I didn't really like it any better after letting it sit in the fridge. It was easy, and a really nice idea, but it just isn't something I'll make again.

Appetizer night

We are hosting another appetizer night tonight. We get together with friends of BAJ's from high school about once a month...sometimes we stay in, sometimes we go out. The past time we got together that we "hosted," we did an appetizer night, with much success (See here) so we decided to do the same again.

I've already made Minty Lime Freeze, from Kraft Foods. I obviously haven't had it prepared, but did sneak a taste of the whipped topping, and it was yummy.

Since I have a LOT of mint leftover, I'll also make mojitos, which I've never had before... what better time than now!

I'm also making Is It Really Better Than Sex? Cake by Paula Deen, which I have made previously with success.

Finally, I'm making Crab Rangoon, which I LOOVE when we go to PF Chang's.

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

M has been craving Mozzarella Sticks for a few days now. Since the budget is tight, we decided to go ahead and make them. Since our waistbands are also tight, we went with a recipe that bakes rather than fries. I found this recipe on Kitchen Scrapbook (link!)

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

2 packages (5 oz each) string cheese
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large egg whites
2 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (I used Italian bread crumbs)
1 tsp. dried oregano (omitted)
1/2 tsp. salt (omitted)
2 Tbsp. melted butter (I used spray olive oil)

Marinara sauce

Remove cheese from packages; cut each cheese stick in half crosswise.

Combine flour and cornstarch in a shallow dish. Beat egg whites and water in another shallow dish until well mixed. Combine bread crumbs, oregano, and salt in a third shallow dish. Coat cheese with flour mixture. Dip into egg white mixture, being sure to coat thoroughly, including ends. Coat with bread crumb mixture.

Dip into egg whites and bread crumbs a second time, being sure ends are coated. Place on ungreased baking sheet.

Freeze at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400. Drizzle cheesesticks with melted butter. Bake until crumbs just begin to brown, 5-7 minutes.

Perhaps using the spray stuff meant we missed on something. These weren't bad, per se, but they weren't the yummy goodness we know and love as mozzarella sticks. The coating was a little bit on the dry side too... maybe because it was, um, dry.
It was a nice recipe, and something on which I hope to improve. The idea of making these up and then keeping them in the freezer for whenever is not only cheaper than buying them from the store, but also easier because I'm not so great at remembering what's in the freezer.

Pictures coming soon, although Kitchen Scrapbooks are WAY prettier than mine!

Finger Foods Night

We had some friends over for dinner, and everyone made finger foods/appetizers.

I made:
Smitten Kitchen's Mini Key Lime Cheesecakes
Cooking Light's Marinated Shrimp
Cooking Light's Stuffed Mushrooms
Bruschetta
Artichoke Dip

I didn't take a single picture because I was cooking as the guests arrived and didn't want to seem weird.

Cheesecakes
This was my first time making cheesecakes in mini form, and I really enjoyed it. I overbaked them a little bit, but they were still delicious. I bought a mango, and had full intent to use it as the topping, but time constraints made me just go with the (oh so delicious) cream topping. On the whole, these were fantastic. I forget where I did it, but I substituted Splenda for some of the sugar (I think in the cheesecake itself I substituted one cup), and I used Neufchatel instead of cream cheese. I dont think these changes impacted the flavor at all, and next time I will try a 100% Splenda mix.

Marinated Shrimp
Ironically, we ended up with two shrimp dishes that were very similar. They were both really good, but the only real differences were that mine were served warm while the others were chilled, and I used much more jalapeno (he said he used one ring while I used about 10). These were really good, although they had a good amount of kick in them. Definitely a nice amount of spice, but I probably won't use so much jalapeno next time.

Stuffed Mushrooms
I was a little disappointed in these. They were easy and very good, but I wouldn't call them outstanding or amazing. These went into the oven as we decided to eat, so perhaps their late arrival to the table explains why they didn't really move, but they weren't a favorite at the table.

Bruschetta
I made my typical version of Ali's Amazing Bruschetta from allrecipes. It was good, although I overbaked a little... too much activity happening at once! They were enjoyable as always!

Artichoke Dip
This recipe came from a friend and was in the book of recipes I received at my bridal shower. I don't know if it's a family secret or something like that, so I won't post it, but it's similar to the one posted here. I had some red onion, so I added that in, and I served with tortilla chips. This, ladies and gentlemen, was outstanding. I've made this dip for this same group before, and they all commented that it was outstanding the first time, but for some reason so much better this time. Strange, right? Anyway, it was really stinking good, and I think I even used Neufchatel in this too. YUM!

So in short, this was a great idea. It allowed everyone to bring something, and although the hors d'ouvres didn't all "go together," we had an excellent meal and a TON of fun!

Salsa Stoup and Double Decker Baked Quesadillas

Recipe courtesy: Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats...

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of pan, plus some for brushing tortillas
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped I used a jar of sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped with greens
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 can crushed tomatoes (I used diced)
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley (I used dried cilantro)
6 flour tortillas, 6 to 8 inches (I used whole wheat tortillas)
1 cup shredded Cheddar, available in pouches on dairy aisle
3 scallions, chopped (I omitted)
4 ounce brick Pepper Jack or chipotle cheese, shredded, about 1 cup
Sour cream, to pass at table

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan and the jalapenos, bell pepper, onions, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper then saute veggies 5 minutes, add tomatoes, crushed tomatoes and stock and bring soup to a bubble. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in cilantro.

Paint 1 side of 2 tortillas with oil and place them next to each other, oiled side down, on a large cookie sheet. Mix cheddar with scallions and divide the cheese between the tortillas evenly. Top with another tortilla and top each of those with equal amounts of Pepper Jack cheese. Set the last tortillas on top and brush tops with extra-virgin olive oil. Cook 10 minutes in the oven to melt cheese and crisp up tortillas. Cool quesadillas 5 minutes to set then cut each quesadilla into 6 pieces.

Serve bowls of stoup with 3 wedges quesadilla along side each bowlful and sour cream for topping either.

This was a pretty good meal. The "stoup" was a little thinner than I expected, and I added way too much in terms of the jalapenos, but it was tasty. I did package some leftover for lunch tomorrow. The quesadillas were a little bland, in that it was only two types of cheese, but between the two of us, we ate all of it (despite the recipe's making four servings). Maybe we'll add some chicken or something to the quesadillas in the future.

Glazed Smoked Ham

From foodtv.com

1 large onion, quartered, root end intact
1 (5 to 7-pound) smoked ham (shank end)
3/4 cup apricot jelly
1/4 cup water
8 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons molasses
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch ground cloves
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepperPreheat oven to 350 degrees F. Score the ham with a cross hatch pattern through the thick layer of skin and fat. Arrange the onions in the center of a foil lined sheet pan large roasting pan and set the ham on top of them. Bake for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, stir together the apricot jelly, water, thyme leaves, mustard, 3 tablespoons of the vinegar, the molasses, worcestershire, allspice, and cloves in a saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until the jelly has dissolved and sauce is smooth, about 4 minutes. After the ham has been baked for 1 hour, brush with the apricot mixture every 15 minutes for another 45 minutes or until nicely glazed. Transfer the ham to a serving platter, tent with foil and set aside while making the sauce.

Discard the onions, remove foil and pour the sauce into a skillet. Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. In a small bowl, mix the butter and flour together until you form a paste. Whisk into the pan juices and let sauce simmer until thickened like gravy. Finish with the remaining tablespoon of vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Thinly slice the ham and serve with the sauce.

I made this yesterday for our family's Christmas Eve dinner. It was really tasty and very juicy. I did not, however, make the sauce described in the last steps... I had too much burn going on in the drippings to even try. I put the ham on the rack area of my roasting pan--perhaps that was the problem.

Our feast was a success. We served the following:

Appetizers:
Knorr's Spinach Dip in Bread Bowl
Cheese and crackers
Bruschetta (I love to make this. Here's the link: Ali's Amazing Bruschetta)
Shrimp Dip (My SIL's husband made this...quite tasty)

Main Course:
Ham, described above
Sweet potatoes (made by my mom)
Scalloped potatoes (made by my mom)
Tossed salad (made by my grandmother)
Cranberry relish (made by SIL's husband)
Italian bread with roasted garlic and olive oil
Green bean casserole (It was my first time making this. It was good, but too many cream choices. Next year, I'll have to go with something lighter).

Dessert:
Raspberry Cheesecake Bars (tasty. Made by My Husband)
Mud (Made by my SIL)
Ambrosia (Made by my Grandmother)
Rum Cake (Brought by my Grandmother)

We had way too much food. My grandmother has this problem of bringing way more than she says she will and it ends up being things that the host doesn't want or have room for. I think one person ate rum cake, and even that was only a tiny slice.

I think next year, I will try to make a pie or keep some of the cookies I make in the house to serve on Christmas Eve.

I don't know how next year will go, since I will be working full time again. Hopefully it will be as successful as this one!