Appetizers

Mini Spinach Artichoke Pizzas

Posted on Sep 23, 2011 | 1 comment

Red meat and I have always been really good friends. In my teens a nice juicy t-bone was my mom’s go to meal for me when she fixed something I absolutely wouldn’t eat. As I’ve got older, I’ve realized that red meat is better eaten as an every once in a while treat, not a regular main dish. As the section of my plate reserved for meat has gotten smaller and smaller I’ve been looking for more meatless meals – good meatless meals. These pizzsa fall into that category. This recipe caught my attention while I was in the produce section of Publix. It was originally written as one large pizza but that would be way too much for me. I switched out the large pizza crust for Arnold’s Sandwich Thins so I could make little individual pizzas. It would work with naan, tortillas, or english muffins. The cheesy spinach mix keeps in the fridge for a few days so you can make one whenever you want. Not in the mood for pizza? This filling makes a pretty good dip. Pop it in the oven at 375 degrees until it starts to bubble around the edges. Add a couple tablespoons of pico de gallo or salsa and you have a spicy mexican spinach dip. Also you can subsitute a box of thawed and well drained frozen spinach if you like.

Homemade Buttermilk Bleu Cheese Dressing with Chives

Posted on Apr 13, 2011 | 4 comments

A couple of years ago, my husband and I spent a few days vacationing in Denver. A few blocks from our hotel was a restaurant that was a part vintage diner, part upscale casual that had amazing food. I think we ate there 3 times. I ran in there one day for a quick lunch and ordered a grilled cheese and a wedge salad. I was really looking forward to the grilled cheese and only ordered the salad because I hadn’t eaten any green veggies in several days and I felt guilty. When the wedge salad arrived, it was this huge wedge of iceberg lettuce drizzled with blue cheese dressing and sprinkled with bacon bits, red onions, and surrounded by slices of boiled egg. My intention was to eat a few bites and discretely push it to the side and await some buttery cheesy goodness. I took one bit of that salad and my taste buds perked up immediately. This wasn’t Hidden Valley Ranch mixed with some crumbled bleu cheese. This was the real deal. Tangy, fresh, and creamy without the sugar and saltiness you can sometimes get from bottled dressings. I was hooked. I pretty much inhaled that salad and it was one of the best meals I had during the trip.  That lunch made me a believer in making my own dressings.

It’s amazing how simple it is to make homemade salad dressing. The beauty of making your own is that you know exactly what’s in it.  I’m going to talk about ingredients and ratios for other dressings in an upcoming post.  With growing season right around the corner, everyone should have 2 or 3 homemade dressings in their recipe box.  It’s best to use a really good bleu cheese for this dressing. I used Kentucky Bleu from Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheese. If you want more of a buttermilk ranch taste, cut back the bleu cheese to 1 oz (1/4 cup). You can also use this as a crudite dip.

       Print This Recipe    

Hot Mexican Spinach Dip

Posted on Jan 5, 2011 | 0 comments

This dip is incredibly simple and gets raves every time I make it. It’s a big bowl of creamy cheesy goodness with a little heat to make it interesting. It’s easy to scale if you’re feeding a large crowd and it definitely needs to be served hot. This is a perfect nibble for game time.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh medium or hot salsa 

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

2 cups shredded Mexican Blend Cheese 

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup milk

1 (2.25 ounce) can chopped black olives, drained

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. In medium bowl, mix all ingredients until well blended.

3. Pour into 1 1/2 quart baking dish.

4. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges are bubbly.  

Notes

• If you like your dip thick like we do, reduce the amount of milk by half.
• The taste of this dip is directly related to the quality of salsa you use. I prefer fresh salsa for this but you can also use canned. You can also use Rotel Hot Diced Tomatoes with cilantro and lime.
• If you’re in a time crunch – you can pop this in the microwave for 5 minutes. Remove, stir, and put back in the microwave. continue in 5 minute increments until all of the cheese is melted.
• If you plan to keep this warm in crock pot or chafing dish, add extra milk to keep it from getting stiff.

This recipe was adapted from Allrecipes.com

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

Posted on Oct 21, 2010 | 0 comments

Hi. My name is Janet and I’m a snackaholic. I admit it. Chips, dip, and Sprite Zero has been a meal for me on many occasions. There something about fall and winter that make me feel especially snacky so a good creamy homemade dip is my version of comfort food. This is a super easy dip that is best made an hour or two ahead so the flavors can mingle. It’s great with chips, veggies, or on baked potatoes.  The powdered ranch mix is a little salty so use your best judgement on the amount. It will become more salty after it sits so start with half a packet and add more little by little until it meets your personal taste.

Ingredients

16 oz container light sour cream
1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablespoon bacon pieces
2 green onions – green parts diced
1/2 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix

1. Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Touch Down Taco Dip

Posted on Jun 7, 2010 | 0 comments

This is my version of a recipe I made frequently during my stint as a Pampered Chef consultant.  I always got raves on this recipe and it’s super simple to make. This recipe is very flexible. I’ve used fresh pico de gallo in lieu of the diced tomatoes and it adds alot of flavor. Also if you can’t find chipotle flavored beans, you can add a little chipotle seasoning to the sour cream mixture.

2 14 oz cans refried beans (I like chipotle flavor)
1 cup low fat sour cream
1 8oz block light cream cheese
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
5 green onions, green parts diced
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
sliced black olives (optional)
Fresh diced jalapenos (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
1. Spread beans along the bottom of a 9 inch square baking dish.
2. Put cream cheese in a microwaveable dish and microwave for 30 seconds.
3. Remove from microwave and mix with sour cream.
4. Add taco seasoning and blend well.
5. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of beans and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
6. Added tomatoes, green onions, olives, and jalapenos.
7. Bake until dip is bubbly around the edges (about 20 minutes).

Crispy Baked Buffalo Wings

Posted on Mar 1, 2010 | 0 comments

I love hot and spicy foods and buffalo wings are one of my favorites. This is a variation of a recipe on Allrecipes.com. I was a little skeptical about flouring baked wings but they were delicious and crispy without the grease and mess of fried wings.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
15 to 20 chicken drummettes (you can also use 5 or 6 chicken legs)
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup hot sauce (my favorite is Texas Pete). You can substitute the butter and hot sauce for 1 cup of Texas Pete Buffalo Wing Sauce

Directions
1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with cooking spray. Place the flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt into a resealable plastic bag, and shake to mix. Blot wings dry and coat the chicken wings 3 0r 4 at a time to the flour mixture. Place the wings in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce in a small bowl. Dip the wings into the sauce, and place back on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and crispy on the outside, 30 to 45 minutes. Turn the wings over halfway during cooking so they cook evenly.