peanut butter dip and pumpkin dip

There are a lot of recipes out there for fruit dip but, most of them have a ton of sugar, cool whip, fluff and other junk (aka the really good stuff).  They all sounded really good but, I wanted to keep the appetizer plate for Carter's party a little more on the healthy side. He loves peanut butter and apples so, I thought a yogurt based dip with honey and peanut butter would still seem sweet and fun with out loading the kids up with sugar before dinner.  The dinner they did not eat so, why did I even try?  I had 3 oz of greek yogurt left, cream cheese left and some pumpkin in the refrigerator so, I decided to play around and make a pumpkin dip as well.  Either dip would be great to have in the refrigerator for a fun fall snack with cut up fruit.

peanut butter yogurt dip

4 oz honey flavored greek yogurt
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons of peanut butter
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Cover and chill 30 minutes.
pumpkin yogurt dip

3 oz honey flavored greek yogurt 
3 oz 1/3 fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Cover and chill 30 minutes. 

Serve with apple slices, apple chips, and graham crackers.

soft pretzel bites

The first blog assigned to me for the secret recipe club was Katie's blog betcha can't eat just one .  Katie is a mom that lives in Canada and not only takes care of her children but, also runs a daycare.  How she finds time to make the amazing food on her blog is beyond me.  I can barely get a meal on the table with my two kids!  I was immediately sucked in once I discovered Katie's blog and loved how so many of her recipes were geared toward family fare and allowing the kids to get involved.  I have always wanted to make pretzels and once I saw Katie's plump soft pretzels I knew I had to give them a try.  After I had the dough made I set it up at the kitchen table for the kids to help.  I was thinking fun this will be just like play-dough but, we will produce amazing looking and tasting pretzels.  Boy was I wrong.  The dough was getting squeezed and pulled by the kids but, noting was resembling a pretzel.  I gave up and just let them play will a ball of dough and at that point I opted for bites rather then a pretzel shape.  I was in survival mode and needed to save as much dough as possible from the grips of my kids.  I did half of the bites with salt and half with cinnamon and sugar.  The kids hands down liked the cinnamon and sugar version better.  I however, loved the salted version dipped in spicy mustard.  The outside was golden and the inside was soft and chewy.  They were delicious and I know this is a recipe and a blog I will come back to over and over.

soft pretzel bites

adapted: betcha can't eat just one

• 1 1/2 cups warm water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast (or 1 pkg)
• 3 1/2 -4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp water
• Coarse salt and/or cinnamon and sugar for topping pretzels. 

Mix the warm water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.  Mix for 102 minutes to incorporate.

Add 3 1/2 cups of the flour, salt and melted butter.  Begin to knead the mixture, adding flour until the dough is soft and smooth.  Continue to knead with dough hook for 4-5 minutes.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and let rise, covered in a draft free area until doubled in bulk.  Usually about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line baking pans with parchment paper or silpat. 

Bring water and baking soda to a boil in a large pot on the stove.  Be sure to use the full amount of baking soda, it really helps achieve the chewy texture!

Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 8 portions.

Roll each portion of dough into a rope roughly 18″ long.  Cut into 1" pieces.

Once pretzels bites are formed, place 5-10 at a time in the pot of boiling water and baking soda for about 30 seconds.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pretzels to your prepared baking sheet.

Brush each pretzel with the water/egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with salt or cinnamon and sugar.

Bake pretzels for 15-20 minutes, rotating pans half way through the baking time.  Remove from the oven when the pretzels turn a deep golden brown.

guacamole

They say you can't pick your family (love my fam) but, you can pick your friends.  If I could pick friends that feel like family it would be this family.  Carter truly believes C is his cousin.  We now just call him our friend cousin.  Campbell and J are already getting married in La Paz. That is not weird at all to know that about kids under two.  If I called D he would do anything for me.  He may grumble but, he is a little grumbly. Without a doubt he would pull through no questions asked.  C well I always tell Brad she is the best wedding gift he gave me.  I kinda took over their friendship once we got married.  So this super awesome family is who we spend almost every Friday night with.  We eat, play, make a mess, drink wine and enjoy life.  If C and I could pick our neighbor it would be Ina.  Ina would invite us over to her barn for appetizers and cocktails.  She would teach us how to arrange flowers and make a table look rustic yet, perfect.  We would spy out the window as Ina kissed Jeffrey goodbye in the morning.  Related to the N's and Ina as our neighbor ... jackpot!  Since that can't happen in real life we have faux family Friday night dinners and we have decided to channel Ina by bringing one Ina dish every week.  We kicked it off with Ina's guacamole.  We love Mexican food.  We grew up on Mexican food and although we liked Ina's guacamole and thought it was really fresh and clean tasting  it lacked a like authenticity.  It was like the preppy version of guacamole.  It was made with the four crazy kids circling our ankles and it still came out great.  I mean seriously the phrase "how easy is that" may have been thrown around a bit. 

guacamole

source: barefoot contessa

 
    * 4 ripe Haas avocados
    * 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
    * 8 dashes hot pepper sauce
    * 1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
    * 1 large garlic clove, minced
    * 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    * 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    * 1 medium tomato, seeded, and small-diced

Cut the avocados in 1/2, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl. (I use my hands.) Immediately add the lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the tomatoes. Mix well and taste for salt and pepper.

creamy chicken taquitos

 

There are certain blogs that not only do I droll over the food and pictures but, it is food that is translatable to my life.  Annie Eats always hits the mark for me.  Her recipes are always awesome and I love her monthly themes.  Both of my cinco de mayo recipes came from her blog and they were both awesome.  Thanks Annie.  I made 2 batches (24) of these for book club and there was only 1 lone taquito left at the end of the night.  It was kinda sad.  I should have just eaten it.  Maybe I could not focus on the food because our book club spontaneously turned into a spray tan party in my friends kitchen.  What book club turns from talking about a book about abduction to eight girls getting spray tanned in a kitchen?  I had never had a spray tan.  The jury is still out.  I was seriously tan.  I looked like I went to Mexico for a week and took a cooking class outdoors learning how to make taquitos.  Not sure it is OK to be that fake tan.  It was silly and fun and I need lots of that in my day.  Maybe it was cinco de mayo.  Maybe it was the tequila.  Maybe it was just the fact that my girlfriends rock and when we are all together there is never a margarita left standing or a dull moment.

creamy chicken taquitos

source: annie eats

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ cup salsa

1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. onion powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp. chopped cilantro

2 green onions, chopped

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

10-12 6-inch flour or corn tortillas

Cooking spray 

Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, spices, cilantro, green onions, chicken and shredded cheese.  Mix thoroughly until well combined.

Briefly heat the tortillas in the microwave to make them soft enough to roll easily, about 20-30 seconds.  Place a tortilla on a work surface.  Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the filling mixture down the left third of the tortilla.  Roll the tortilla up tightly around the filling.  Place seam-side down on a baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, spacing the assembled taquitos evenly on the baking sheet.  Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.  

Bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.   Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

(To freeze before baking, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill the assembled taquitos 30-60 minutes.  Transfer to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag.  To bake from the freezer, simply add a few additional minutes to the original baking time, until the filling is warmed through.)

lemon cheesecake cheese ball

I came across this article on NPR when I was looking for recipes using fava beans.  I was really intrigued by the cheese ball concept.   Growing up cheese and crackers were big in our house.  Typically we had cheese I liked but, every once in awhile that really weird pinky orange very smelly cheese ball covered in nuts would come out.  The smell alone would have me running from the room.  That was my only experience with a cheese ball so, the idea of a sweet cheese ball with a cream cheese base seemed like the perfect combo to get me over my fear.  I have had this book marked for quite some time and never had an occasion to make it.  I was asked to bring fruit to out Mother's Day brunch and I realized the occasion had finally arrived.  I really thought the kids would look at it as a frosting dip and eat up fruit but, they would not even try it.  All the adults seemed to enjoy it.  It is sweet and creamy yet, tart and is perfect on both fruit and graham crackers.

lemon cheesecake cheese ball

adapted: npr

10 ounces reduced fat cream cheese; room temperature

zest of 1 large lemon

juice of large lemon (~2 tablespoons)

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

5 graham crackers; finely crushed

Mix cream cheese and sugar together in a medium sized bowl until there are few lumps. Add lemon zest and juice, and combine until smooth.

Form the lemon and cheese mixture into a round ball and wrap in wax-coated parchment paper. This cheese mixture is especially soft, so making a perfect ball shape may not be possible until the mixture is chilled completely. Refrigerate for at least three hours or overnight.

Reform cheese mixture into a ball.  Roll cheese ball in the graham cracker crumbs until the ball is well-coated with crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.  Serve with fresh fruit and graham crackers.

fava bean and goat cheese dip

Is a fava bean worth the double peel and shuck?  I wasn't sure when I decided to make a fava bean based appetizer for supper club this month.  Fava beans require a lot of work.  The labor intensive peel, shuck, parboil and pop out of pod is the kind of work that seems like a mindless Sunday afternoon activity that includes sitting on the porch watching you kids play in the sunshine while sipping sweet tea. Unfortunately I don't have a porch and we don't have sunshine so, I did this in my kitchen watching my kids peering out the glass doors leading into the backyard frowning at the gray sky and rain clouds.  The bright green color of the fava bean pushes you into spring even if the sky is gray.  The bean has a buttery and nutty taste and pairs nice with other spring flavors such as garlic and lemon.  Not only do they taste good but, they are packed with nutritious things like fiber, iron and protein.  This creamy dip tastes great spread on a crostini or on crunchy fresh vegetables.  I also spread some on sprouted bread with a poached egg for dinner the next day and it was delicious.  This was a great start to our Easter feast supper club meal.  It was another fun and tasty night with amazing friends and I can't think of a better way to jump into spring.

fava bean and goat cheese dip

• 2 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled (~2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice (~1 lemon)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Remove the outer shell from the fava beans.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add the shelled beans, simmer for 5 minutes. Remove beans from the hot water and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and to shock the beans into maintaining their bright green color. When the beans have sunk to the bottom of the bowl of ice water, take them out and remove the outer pod.

Place garlic, beans, lemon zest, lemon juice and water in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Stream in a tablespoon of olive oil while puréeing.

Transfer mixture from food processor into a bowl. Mix in the goat cheese until well combined. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

swiss fondue

Fondue is fun.  Fondue is yummy.  Fondue is great with a big group when it is cold outside.  All of these facts logically lead us to host our first annual February Family Fundue night.  We invited my family up from San Diego on a rainy February night for a fondue feast.  We roasted up a ton of vegetables, roasted some chicken and cut up crusty bread and tucked into one plus pound of melted gooey cheesy delight.  This fondue is very flavorful but, mild in the sense that kids can enjoy the cheese as well as adults.  After the pot of cheese was devoured we tackled a pound of wonderful chocolate fondue.  Fun family night.

swiss fondue
adapted: bhg

1 garlic clove halved
1 1/2 cup dry white wine (sauvignon blanc)
13 oz gruyere cheese, grated (~4 cups)
13 oz emmental cheese, grated (~4 cups)
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons kirsch
ground black or white pepper

Rub cut side of garlic on inside of fondue pot.  Pour in wine and bring to a boil on top of the stove.  Reduce the heat to a simmer. 

Put grated cheese in a bowl and toss with flour. Gradually add the cheese to the wine, stirring constantly, letting each addition melt into the wine.  When the mixture is creamy and smooth add kirsch and pepper to taste.  Transfer pot to tabletop and enjoy immediately.

Dip ideas: crusty bread, chicken, fingerling potatoes, green apples and roasted vegetables (broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, carrots, mushrooms and zucchini).

queso de cabra al horno

Spanish supper club.  Think sangria, empanadas, paella, potatoes, mushrooms, almond cake and more and more sangria.  My neighbor Erin hosted this month and as expected she made the night so special and her decor was over the top.  She has this amazing ability to truly transform a room into the theme of the evening.  She sent us some links to spanish tapas menus and I originally thought I wanted to do a dish with manchengo and serrano ham but, then when I saw this bubbling, gooey goat cheese mound surrounded by tomatoes I was hooked.  This appetizer is so easy to throw together and really is delicious.  I am a sucker for melted cheese and crusty bread.  Tapas are my type of meal because I love lots of bites of little dishes.  Everything was really good and some how the meal came together perfectly again.   The sangria got us a bit rowdy and of course the conversation got crazy and loud. We had some really exciting things to celebrate and it was so fun to be with this group of friends.  They all really embrace life.   I am fairly certain we may have traumatized Erin's kids and husband with our silly antics and banter.  I walked home well after 2:00 in the morning with Erin laughing and chasing me down the street ... fairly certain that is a sign of way too much fun had.

queso de cabra al horno (baked goat cheese)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic (~2-3 cloves)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 lbs crushed ripe tomatoes (canned)
1 tablespoon dried italian seasoning
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 oz goat cheese, room temperature
fresh parsley for garnish

crusty baguette (warmed and slice) 

In a medium sauce pan, over low heat, saute the garlic in olive oil. Add the sherry vinegar and the crushed tomatoes.
Bring the tomato mixture to a simmer and add the sugar and dried italian seasoning.
Simmer the tomato sauce about 5 minutes and season it with the salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Form the goat’s cheese into an even sized disk shape.  Put the disk of cheese in the center of souffle dish.
Spoon the sauce around the disk of cheese careful not to cover the cheese.
Bake at 425 degrees (~25-30) until the sauce is bubbling hot and the goat’s cheese in browned and softened.  Last 10 minutes warm bread in oven.
Serve with sliced crusty baguettes or your favorite dipping bread. 

* Can warm bread with olive oil and garlic. 

 

south of the border mason-dixon dip

We went to our annual super bowl party hosted by our good friends yesterday.  I arrived not knowing who was even playing.  I left not knowing who won.  What I do know is we had a blast and I feel ill today.  I blame this dip, Paula Deen and my lack of self control.  I am not to be left alone in a room with dip and chips.  This dip comes together in minutes and can hardly be deemed cooking rather opening cans and wrappers, dumping, mixing and heating.  Once you set it out it will be gone in minutes as well.  It is best right when it comes out of the oven and it is hot and bubbly with delicious gooey cheese.  I am a dip girl and I am not going to deny this but, I am so so thankful that super bowl Sunday only comes one time a year. 

south of the border mason-dixon dip
adapted: paula dean

2 15oz cans vegetarian chili
2 8oz packages reduced fat cream cheese
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
3 green onions, chopped


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat chili in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Turn down to low and add blocks of cream cheese.  Mix until cream cheese is melted. Pour heated chili in 1.5 quart casserole dish and sprinkle grated cheese over top. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, until mixture is hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and top with chopped green onion tops. Serve immediately with tortilla chips or fritos.

salsa two ways

We were invited over to our neighbors for dinner and asked to bring salsa.  Sounds easy.  Part of me just wanted to pick up a few premade types from the store but, it was our first invite and did not want to show up with store bought.  I make salsa but, there are so many types of salsas and everyone has a favorite.  There is smooth, chunky, smoky, red, green, mild, spicy, fruity and well the options just go on forever.  I like spicy fresh pico de gallo.  I made a standard pico de gallo and then a more traditional restaurant style.  I kept the heat toned down and actually really like the restaurant smooth style a lot more then I thought I would.  Salty chips and spicy fresh salsa is just heaven in my mouth.  It is a classic and although there are so many variations I feel as if the combo is always a hit.  These salsas have become a critical component in one of my new FAVORITE breakfast dishes which I will post later this week.

salsa two ways

Source: sweetflours

Pico de Gallo

5-6 roma tomatoes

1 small white onion

2 jalapeno peppers

~ 1/4 cup cilantro

lime juice

salt to taste

Seed and chop jalapenos and tomatoes.  Chop onion into a very small dice. Chop a handful of cilantro. Put all of these ingredients together in a bowl and stir.  Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and give a good final stir.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Tomato Salsa

3 slicing tomatoes; scored

1-2jalapeno; roughly chopped

1-2  garlic clove; roughly chopped

1-2 tsp of salt

1/2 white onion; chopped

1/4 cup cilantro; chopped

Drop the scored tomatoes into boiling water.  Boil tomatoes until soft to the touch.  Transfer tomatoes directly into a food processor with jalapeno, garlic and salt.  Pulse processor until finely chopped but, not pureed.  When the mixture cools and onion and cilantro and chill.

spinach artichoke dip

Indian summer has finally arrived and because we never had an actual summer we were eager to enjoy a family barbecue outdoors with friends.  I am trying to eat a bit healthier these days.  The end of summer, trip to Hawaii in November and general health are motivating me.  When I am asked to bring something for a party I tend to browse my favorite blogs.  I get total recipe envy and want to make everything because it looks better in my mind then anything I have in my clippings or numerous cookbooks but, I have told myself I need to work through some of my earmarked recipes.  I have numerous appetizer recipes but, not very many that fall into light or healthy.  I landed on this recipe which is packed with veggies and a lighter spin on the classic spinach artichoke dip.  It was good and definitely tasted better after sitting in the refrigerator for a few hours.  We enjoyed the dip and I probably enjoyed one to many sweet tea cocktails.

spinach artichoke dip

adapted: everyday food

• 1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts in water, rinsed, drained, and coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces reduced-fat bar cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 jar hearts of palm, coarsely chopped 

Directions

1. Place half the artichokes in a food processor; add cream cheese, mayonnaise, Parmesan, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne, and 3 tablespoons water. Process until smooth.
2. Add scallions, remaining artichokes, and spinach; pulse briefly. Fold in heats of palm with wooden spoon.  Transfer mixture to a serving bowl. 

*Flavors enhance if chilled in refrigerator for a few hours.

mama's pecan sausage balls

Still yearning to be a southern belle y'all.  Since the chance of me moving to the south is slim to none I have subscribed to Southern Living and continue to cook through my Southern cookbooks.  I continue to see reference to how sausage balls and cheese straws are a must have appetizer in the south.   They apparently fit every occasion so, I thought why not book club.  These were very good warm right out of the oven but, got slightly hard and dry as the night went on.  I think a dip would be a nice touch as well which I may try with the dozen balls in my freezer.

mama's pecan sausage balls

adapted: bon appetit y'all

1 cup pecan halves
10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening, preferably Crisco, at room temperature
12 ounces raw pork sausage (mild or spicy)

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper.

2. Place the pecans in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse until chopped, but not too finely. Remove to a bowl and set aside. Replace the blade with the grating disc and grate the cheese. Remove to a second bowl and set aside. Switch back to the metal blade.

3. To make the sausage mixture, in the same bowl of the food processor (no need to clean it), combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Pulse to combine. Add the shortening and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the grated cheese and the sausage and pulse until well combined.

4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the reserved pecans and, using your hands, press the dough together until well combined. (The dough will be very crumbly.)

5. To form the balls, using a small ice cream scoop and your hands, shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and place about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until browned, 15-18 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. Serve immediately. 

The balls can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To serve, let the balls come to room temperature. Or to serve warm, reheat in a 350F oven until heated through, 5 to 7 minutes.  Freeze unbaked balls, defrost and cook per guidelines above.

black-eyed bean dip

Southern belle ... I think I must have been one in another life.  I only have limited exposure to the south but, thus far nothing has disappointed me.  I long to go back for so many reason but, the food is definitely on the top of the list.  I always gravitate toward southern food for large group gatherings.  It just feels so homey and inviting.  The thought of sharing this dip with the hubby in a swing on a porch with the hot sun beating down and a glass of sweet tea in hand makes me smile.  Because we don't live in the south that isn't possible but, we did enjoy this in our backyard with some sweet tea vodka cocktails while waiting for some neighbors to arrive.   Black-eyed peas are suppose to bring good luck and I thought some good luck was fitting for this evening.  We have lived in our house for 7 years and have NEVER invited any neighbors over.  Maybe it is the kids that are pushing me out of my bubble, maybe it is the start of summer ... whatever it is I realized I like my neighbors and I think they like me.  Why have I waited so long to turn on this southern charm?  The dip was devoured and hopefully blessed us with some good luck developing these new friendships.

black-eyed bean dip

Adapted: Bon Appetite July 1991

• 1 1/4 cups dried black-eyed peas
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar (about 6 ounces) - divided
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced
• Tortilla chips

Place peas in heavy medium saucepan. Add enough water to saucepan to cover peas by 2 inches. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain. Add water to cover peas by 2 inches. Generously salt water. Stir in 1 sliced garlic clove. Boil until peas are very tender, adding more water to pan if necessary, about 1 hour.

Using slotted spoon, transfer peas to processor. Process until smooth. Add remaining garlic clove, spices, cream cheese and 5oz of cheddar cheese. Pulse until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer dip to 8-inch-diameter pie plate or quiche dish. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Top dip with remaining 1 oz of cheddar. Bake until dip is heated through and cheese bubbles, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle dip with green onions and serve with tortilla chips.

pepperoni pizza puffs

I made these for book club.  They were easy to throw together, tasty and I can only imagine all of the variations you can make.  Although these were a perfect little snack and are quite tasty right out of the oven they paled in comparison to all of the amazing effort our hostess put into our book club meeting.  I can't wait to post a link to the photos.  She did all the decor in turquiose and red which was the colors on the cover of our book.  She even made an outfit in the color motif.  She is truly a gifted and inspirational person and I feel so blessed to call her my friend.  She makes an ordinary book club meeting a truly special event. I heart her and these tasty little nuggets.  If you want to bring yourself back to high school then pop these in the oven and curl up with Shiver.


Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

Adapted from Everyday
3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup whole milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded 
4 ounces pepperoni, cut into small cubes 
1/4 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 cup pizza sauce
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

Preheat oven to 375^o.  Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg.  Stir in the mozzarella and pepperoni and italian seasoning; let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups.  Bake until puffed and golden, ~22-25 minutes.

Microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through, then stir in 1 Tablespoon basil.  Sprinkle the puffs with the remaining 1 Tablespoon basil.  Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

Stir Fried Turkey in Lettuce Cups

Silver anniversary.  My book club just celebrated its silver anniversary!  We have read (well at least I have read) 25 books together.  We started in June 2007 and have gained some girls and lost some others but, there has been a strong core since the inception.  It truly has been a highlight of my social calendar.  I love the group, the food and wine and the laughter.  Hoping we enjoy many more books together.  I decided to do something a bit different this time and little more substantial then a small bite appetizer.  The dish is a bit messy but, the end result is good and filling.  I like a little more cruch in mine so, I added the water chestnuts, carrots and scallions.  I think this would work great with ground chicken as well.  Enjoy.

  
Stir Fried Turkey in Lettuce Cups
Adapted: Cooking Light

• 1 tablespoons  canola oil
• 3  cups  coarsely chopped shiitake mushroom caps (about 1/2 pound)
• 1 1/4  pounds  ground turkey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1  teaspoon  minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1  cup  thinly sliced green onions (about 4)
• 1  (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
• 12  Boston lettuce leaves
• 3  tablespoons  hoisin sauce
• 2  tablespoons  lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1  tablespoon  rice vinegar
• 2  teaspoons  Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt

Preparation

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Place mushrooms in a large bowl. Heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey, garlic, and ginger to pan; cook 6 minutes or until turkey is browned, stirring to crumble. Add turkey mixture, onions, and water chestnuts to mushrooms in bowl; stir well.
2. Combine hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha, and salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour mix into bowl and toss to coat.  Spoon 1/2 cup turkey mixture into each lettuce leaf. 

asparagus gruyere tart

We each bring an appetizer to book club. I always try to make something that looks good to me but, the boys would never touch.  I have been noticing asparagus at the market recently and it looked great so, that made the decision for me.  This was a snap to prepare and it was gone at the end of the night so, I am assuming it was also enjoyed.   

asparagus gruyere  tart 

source: everyday food

Flour, for work surface
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (defrosted)
5 1/2 ounces (2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.
Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.