Hot Artichoke Dip

One of my favorite dips, this recipe packs a lot of flavor into relatively few calories.  And, it can be your secret that all that yummy goodness has just 5 grams of fat.  Serve with baked chips or pretzels and go guilt-free!

What's In It:

10 oz. bag baby spinach

1 c. fresh basil, packed

3/4 c. cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

6 oz. room temperature low-fat cream cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth

14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained well and finely chopped

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese (don't settle for that powdered stuff in a shaker, grate it yourself)

3/4 c. low-fat shredded mozzarella

1/2 tsp. Salt

Cayenne Pepper

Black Pepper (fresh ground is best)

Worcestershire sauce

How To Make It:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and spray a 1-qt. casserole dish with cooking spray.

While bringing a pot of salted water to a boil, fill a medium bowl with ice water.

Stir spinach and basil into boiling water.  Cook 30 seconds or until bright green in color.

Transfer greens into ice water for several minutes before removing to drain on paper towels.  Squeeze dry, then chop.

In food processor, puree beans,  cream cheese, garlic and broth until smooth, scraping sides often.

Transfer to medium bowl and add chopped spinach, basil, and artichokes, fold well.  

Add parmesan & 1/2 c. mozzarella, mix well.

Add pinch of cayenne, 2 or 3 dashes or Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper to taste, stir well.

Spread dip in prepared dish.

Top with remaining mozzarella.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Serve warm with your favorite baked chip or pretzels.

Adapted from Food Network magazine

Better Than "Snicker's" Bar

Last year, I attended a party at the home of a friend who is known for her culinary prowess.  The food is always the star at her house.  My usual modus operandi is to circle the tables once, picking out those morsels I feel I must taste.  Otherwise, the plate becomes overfull way too fast and I'm sure to miss out on something way too delicious.  On this particular evening, I made it a little over half-way round the first table before I spied these delightful confections.  It was love at first s(b)ite.  And, let me tell you...I know how to pick 'em!

Thank you, to my friend Angie, for sharing the recipe!

What's In It:

2 c. milk chocolate chips

1/2 c. butterscotch chips

3/4 c. peanut butter (use smooth)

1 1/2 c.  cocktail or spanish peanuts

1 c. granulated sugar

1/4 c. butter (not margarine, never, never margarine)

1/4 c. milk (the kind cow's make)

1 jar marshmallow cream 

1 bag caramels, unwrapped (this will keep the kidlets busy for a bit)

2 tbs. water

How To Make It:

Line a 9x13 baking pan with aluminum foil and coat inside with butter.

In double boiler, melt 1 c. milk chocolate chips, 1/4 c. butterscotch chips, and 1/4 peanut butter.  Spread mixture in the bottom of prepared pan and chill until firm.

Meanwhile, bring to a boil 1 c. sugar, 1/4 butter, and 1/4 c. milk in a medium saucepan.  Boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat and add the jar of marshmallow cream and 1/4 c. peanut butter.  Mix well.

Spread mixture on top of first layer and sprinkle with peanuts.

Chill until firm.

Melt caramels with 2 tbs. water.

Pour over nuts.

In double boiler, melt 1 c. milk chocolate chips, 1/4 c. butterscotch chips, and 1/4 c. peanut butter and pour over caramel layer.

Chill until firm.

Turn out on cutting board, peel off aluminum foil and slice into pieces using a very sharp knife.  (You may find it easier to slice these if you grease your knife first.)

Party Shrimp Mold

The 60's and 70's saw cooks, everywhere, attempting to congeal everything.   My octogenarian friend, Joy, seems intent on seeing none of us forget what she fondly recalls as her "cooking heyday".  She often meets me in the break room at work, spoon in hand, eager share a somewhat wobbly "little taste" of her tomato soup or beet salad.  

This recipe reminds me of something my mother might have served on penny-poker night while we kids played hide-and-seek in our very dank, very dark, very scary basement.  And, if she did, I guarantee there wouldn't be any left for us to forage at the end of the night, while our parents walked their guests out to the car. This is one of those dishes that tastes far better than it looks!

What's In It:

1 1/2 lb. med. wild-caught (never farm-raised...watch a documentary)shrimp, boiled (Don't forget to add the crab boil!),cooled and roughly chopped

1 c. chopped green onion tops

1 c. diced green bell pepper

1 c. finely chopped celery

12 oz. cream cheese, brought to room temperature

2 pkg. Gelatin (reserve 1/4 c. shrimp water in which to dissolve gelatin)

1 c. tomato soup, warmed

1 c. mayonnaise

How To Make It:

Spray mold with cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients except for shrimp and gelatin.

Dissolve gelatin in 1/4 shrimp water and add to mixture.

Refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes.

Add shrimp, mix well, and pour into prepared mold.

Refrigerate overnight.

Serve with your favorite cracker.

Bacon and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

In the interest of honesty, I've got to tell you, mushrooms are not among my favorite forms of fungi.  Sometimes I pick them out.  

But the way I see it, anything filled with bacon, spinach, and feta cheese has to be good, right?  Even a mushroom!

Make these a day ahead and when guests arrive all you have to do is pop them into the oven.  Then it's just 10 minutes till "Wow Time"!

What's In It:

2 3/4 lb. small to medium button mushrooms, stemmed

1/2 lb. bacon, cooked, drained, and coarsely crumbled (Reserve drippings)

4 oz. room temperature cream cheese

3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese

10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I use papertowels...lots of them)

1 c. chopped onion (Red is pretty and it tastes good, too)

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

How To Make It:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Over medium heat, add 2 tsp. of reserved bacon drippings(or olive oil) to medium skillet.

Saute' onion until translucent.  Set aside to cool.

When cooled mix with bacon, spinach, red pepper flakes and cheeses.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Line 2 jellyroll pans with aluminum foil.

Toss mushrooms in 1/4 c. reserved bacon drippings (May use olive oil if you prefer), followed by salt & pepper.

Place mushrooms, cap down, on prepared pans.

Bake for 25 minutes and turn, baking for 20 minutes more.

Fill cooked mushrooms with 1 heaping tsp. filling. (May be done a day ahead.  Refrigerate until time to cook)

Bake mushrooms 10 to 15 minutes or until filling is hot.

Serve warm.

Chockful-o-Chicken Chili

I love chili...all kinds of chili.  Chili is one of my favorite cool-weather dishes.  My son?  Not so much...until I made this chili.  His is usually the first spoon in!  And, it's so easy to make!  Just throw the ingredients into the crock pot and six hours later dish up a thick, hearty chili with just the right amount of heat.  Cheese works well as a topping as does sour cream and just a squirt of lime.  

Chili is one of our favorite things to eat while watching a big game, or throw it together before work.  Welcome home indeed!

What's In It:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 med. onion, chopped

1 16 oz. can kidney beans (I prefer dark red)

1 16 oz. can black beans or pinto beans 

3 10 oz. cans Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles (May substitute another brand.  There are lots out there.  I  have also used a tomato/jalapeno blend.)

2 8 oz cans tomato sauce

1 10 oz. pkg. frozen corn (I like shoepeg)

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 tbs. cumin

1 1/2 tbs. chili powder (Use more or less depending on taste.  We like ours spicy!)

How To Make It:

Add all ingredients, except for the chicken, to the crockpot.  Stir.

Top with chicken, cover and set crockpot to cook for 6 hours. 

About an hour before chili is done remove chicken, shred, and return to crockpot.  Mix well.

Serve with a choice of suggested toppings: sour cream, lime juice, shredded cheese, chopped jalapeno, chopped cilantro.

Kickin' Pork Tacos

Maybe it's because my mother ate lots of barbeque when she was carrying me....
Maybe it's because my father brought home pounds of the stuff from his favorite barbeque joint, Melear's Barbeque in Fayetteville...
Maybe it's because I'm southern...
Whatever the reason, I love good barbeque!  Truth be told, I love the stew best.  Whether it's Brunswick or Mull, I love it!
That said, it's hard to beat smoked pork.  This recipe combines two of my favorite cuisines, southern barbeque and mexican tacos, and the two combined are a hand-held hit!
This recipe takes some time to make...First we'll make a kickin' barbeque sauce.  Then we'll smoke our pork.  And, while that pork is smoking we'll construct a spicy slaw.
Finally we'll fold our barbequed pork and spicy slaw inside a tortilla.  Our guests will take bites between plays and soon find they are struggling to pay attention to the game...and the commercials.
All they will think is "MORE! MORE! MORE!".

What's In It:


FOR THE SAUCE:
1 tsp. butter or vegetable oil
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 large clove or 2 small cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tbs. red pepper flakes
The juice of one lemon (reserve rinds)
4 c. ketchup (I'm not usually a stickler for name brands.  Ketchup is an exception.  Use a name brand.  There is a difference.)
1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce (If you are like me, there is no such thing as too much Worcestershire.  Just this once, resist the urge to splash just one more time...)
1/2 tbs. pickled jalapenos, chopped
1/2 tbs. fresh ground black pepper
1/2 c. butter (and only butter)
Salt to taste

FOR THE PORK ROAST:
1 tbs. onion powder
1 tbs. garlic powder
1 tbs. fresh ground black pepper
3 tbs. ground sea salt
4 to 6 lb. Boston Butt roast
Hickory chips

FOR THE SLAW:


9 c. coarsely chopped green cabbage
1/2 c. grated carrots
1 c. mayonnaise  (You may use mayonnaise made with olive oil, if you prefer.  Kraft makes a good one.)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tbs. pickled jalapenos, diced
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons (discard peel)
1/2 tbs. freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste

FOR ASSEMBLY:


24-36 (6 inch) tortillas (Use what you like.  Flour is recommended but you could easily substitute Whole Wheat.  Corn tortillas are not recommended)


How To Make It:


LET'S MAKE THE SAUCE!
Add butter to saucepan over medium heat.
When melted, add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes.  Saute until onions are translucent.
Add lemon juice and rinds.
Reduce heat to low and add ketchup, worcestershire sauce, chopped jalapeno, and black pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes.
Add butter and cook, stirring frequently, until incorporated.
Remove lemon rind.  Simmer 5 minutes.
Salt to taste.

LET'S SMOKE SOME PORK!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper in bowl.  Add salt to taste.
Rub pork roast with spice mixture.  Place in baking pan.  Cover with foil and bake for 3 to 4 hours, until cooked through.
Remove and cool thoroughly.
When cooled, chop or pull, as desired.
Smoke prepared pork over hickory chips for 10 minutes.

LET'S MAKE THE SLAW!
Combine first seven ingredients in medium bowl.  Salt to taste.

LET'S MAKE SOME TACOS!
Reheat pork, if necessary, and warm tortillas.
Fill warmed tortillas with 1-2 tbs. pork covered with 1-2 tbs. sauce, followed by 1-2 tbs. slaw.

Touchdown!