Dill & Cottage Cheese

As my husband and I spend more time trying to revamp our eating habits, I am having to be more creative with what we eat. I went back to this dip recipe from a dear friend of mine to help us with that. This recipe is easy to whip up, and you probably already have the ingredients in your kitchen.{Dill & Cottage Cheese Vegetable Dip}
recipe adapted from my dear friend, Carol Loveless
1 C cottage cheese
1/4-1/3 C mayonnaise
1/2 T dried minced onion
1/2 T parsley
1/2 t dried dill
1/2 t seasoning salt

Mix all ingredients together. Place in the refrigerator for several hours prior to serving. Serve with vegetables.

Take Two: My mother often eats cottage cheese and tomatoes as a salad. I thought this dill dip would be a great way to add a little extra flavor to that dish!
{Tomato & Cottage Cheese Salad}
dill & cottage cheese dip
quartered cherry tomatoes
diced carrots

Top cottage cheese with tomatoes and carrots. Mix together and enjoy!

Grilled Flatbread with Ricotta, Tomatoes and Roasted Garlic Oil

We had grilled pizza last night with our friends. I had seen this recipe before, but have never gotten around to trying it. Our friends have, and they liked it so much they made it again with us. I loved it! It is fresh, crispy and delicious - all the things a summer meal should be. {Grilled Flatbread with Ricotta, Tomatoes and Roasted Garlic Oil}
original recipe here
1/2 cup olive oil
1 head of roasted garlic
1 ball of pizza dough
1 (8-ounce) container ricotta cheese, drained
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 plum tomatoes, very thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chiffonade fresh basil

Roasted Garlic Oil:
Cut the top off of the garlice, drizzle with olive oil, bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Place oil and garlic cloves in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain.

Flatbread:
Flatten pizza dough, gently press into a large rectangle, brush liberally with olive oil, and throw on grill. Grill on both sides until golden brown. Spread 1 side with ricotta, sprinkle with salt and pepper, scatter tomatoes over, drizzle with Roasted Garlic Oil, and garnish with basil and more freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

*To really kick the flavor up, top off with a sprinkle of truffle salt. Thanks, Sheila!

Ball Fresh Taste of Summer Party

At the beginning of June, I hosted a Ball Fresh Taste of Summer Party. I was selected to demo products and teach others how to preserve their summer harvest.

We had a "working lunch" with some close friends to celebrate the wonderful taste of summer. I prepared my version of Pepper Jelly before the party and we made a batch of Homemade Salsa together.{Confetti Pepper Jelly}

4 1/2 C finely chopped green bell pepper (I use 2 red, 1 orange, and 1 yellow pepper)
1/2 C finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1 1/4 C cider vinegar
1 pkg Ball-brand No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin
2 C sugar
1 C honey
12 - 4 oz. jelly jars (with new seals)

Prepare water bath canner and jars for canning.
Combine bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and vinegar in a large saucepan. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Add sugar and honey. Return to a boil. Boil hard for 3 full minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jelly into jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rim and center lid on jar. Screw band on. Process filled jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove from canner and allow to cool.

While the salsa was cooking and, then, processing we dined on Pepper Jelly & Cream Cheese appetizers, Chips & Salsa, Lemon Cucumber Water, and Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad. Each guest went home with a reuseable gift bag full of coupons for Ball products, a box of pectin to make their own jam or jelly, recipes, ideas for how to use their Pepper Jelly, a jar of Pepper Jelly, a jar of Salsa, and some with other prizes too.

To watch my Pepper Jelly Canning Demo, shown at the party go here.

Wontons

{Homemade Wontons with Dipping Sauce}
adapted from this recipe
1/4 head green cabbage
1 onions
1 large carrots
1/2 T ginger
3/4 t salt
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/2 lb ground beef
1/4 t black pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
1 egg
1 pkg won ton wrappers
flour and water (1 part flour to 2 parts water)

Chop the veggies up super small. Mix the veggies, seasonings, and hamburger together. Add the egg and mix well. Mix the flour and water together to make a paste. Lay won ton wrappers out. Dip your finger in the paste and then coat the inside edges of the wrappers with it. Place about 1 T of meat mixture into the center of each wrapper. Fold the edges of each wrapper together, and press so the paste has a chance to seal. Repeat with all wrappers.

In an electric skillet heat 1 T olive oil. Fry the won tons over medium heat (covered) for about 5-6 minutes. Remove the lid, turn the won tons over and cook for another 5-6 minutes (uncovered).

{Dipping Sauce}
1/2 C jalapeno pepper jelly
1/4 C rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce

Heat the jelly in the microwave until it liquifies. And, the rice vinegar and soy sauce. Whisk to combine.

Valentine's Day Plan

This year, with Valentine's Day being on Sunday, we will be spending a not-so-quiet evening at home with the boys. But, I still want to make Saturday night special for my husband and I, so here is what I am cooking up:

Starters: Pear and Raspberry Brie Wheel with Rosemary Raisin Pecan Crisps
Main Course: Pasta al Balsamico (from my Pasta class I attended)
Sides: Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinagrette and Lemon Butter Green Beans with Pinenuts
Dessert: Red Velvet Whoopie Pies or Frozen Hot Chocolate (which would have to be followed by a showing of Serendipity)

Celebrating the Holiday Season

We had a few fabulous meals together with family surrounding the Christmas holiday. To me food is love, and I really wanted this year to be special. Our Christmas Eve Dinner included Pumpkin Orecchiette with Goat Cheese and Toasted Pepitas

I love this dish. I love pumpkin and the combination of crunchiness from the pepitas and creaminess from the goat cheese are fabulous.

Herb Garlic Bread from The Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
Christmas Salad

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Basil Curry Mayonnaise

And, due to a small change in plans, I ended up hosting Christmas dinner also - which was fabulous. We snacked on brie with fig jam and crackers. Then, we had our traditional ham, "lightened" potato casserole, homemade rolls, carrots, asparagus, and salad. And, finally, dessert was Peppermint Layer Cake.

Layers of white and red velvet cake with peppermint cream cheese frosting and sprinkled with crushed canes.

Pomegranite Salsa

My sisters were talking about this salsa, when we were together to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday. They said they would save me some but, alas, they did not. So I broke down and made it wor myself. I love it! A light "salsa" in the middle of winter.

{Pomegranite Salsa}

1 avocado, diced

seeds of 1 pomegranite

red onion, finely diced

lemon juice

salt, to taste

a little bit of pepper

Mix all together to combine flavors. Eat it fast, or someone else will!

What is that?

A friend asked what this was, when she saw it on last week's menu, so I thought that I would share it here also. The whole idea came from a local pizza place, The Rock. They have unique combinations for their pizza and every pizza is named after a rock song. They do a Garlic Mozz Bread, and a Brown Sugar Mozz Bread. Here is what i do:

{Brown Sugar Mozzarella Bread}
my version
1 pizza crust (small)
1 garlic clove
2 Tbsp oil (I use olive oil)
brown sugar
shredded mozzarella

Slice garlic clove. Heat oil in a saucepan, add garlic. Watch so that garlic does not burn. Roll out pizza crust. Remove garlic from oil, and spread oil on pizza crust. Top with a layer of brown sugar, then, a layer of mozzarella. Bake on a pizza stone heated to 500 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Slice pizza in half, then perpendicular strips. Serve with peppercorn ranch for dipping.

I know this sounds weird, but we had a waiter that we totally trusted who reccommended that we try it. We did, we loved it! Oh, and don't skimp on the brown sugar and mozzarella. I tried that once - not a good idea. Another reason we love the restaurant, it is loud, the music is turned up and that means our kids aren't distracting to anyone.

Roasted Red Salsa

I have been searching for information about home-canning salsa. There is a concern that the other ingredients in salsa - onions, peppers, cilantro and spices - decrease the acidity of the tomatoes enough that it isn't "safe" to canned in a waterbath canner anymore.

Well, my search lead me to this recipe which sounded too good not to try it. And, well, it did not disappoint!

{Salsa Roja, or Roasted Red Salsa}
original recipe here
8 full size Roma tomatoes
1 1/2 yellow onions
2 Serrano peppers, remove top and seeds
4-5 cloves of garlic
1/2-1 Tbsp salt
1 bunches cilantro
Halve the tomatoes and onions and lay cut-side up on a cookie sheet along with the peppers and garlic .
Roast at 375 till the onions look nice and translucent, tomatoes look soft, and peppers are getting a nice char on them.

Let it all cool down, then, process in a food processor or blender. Dive in, it will go fast!

Spaghetti with Tomato-Caper Sauce

My mom made ths for us last week when we stayed at her house to escape the heat. She is going through a kitchen remodel right now and is working out of a make shift kitchen, so really anyone could do this. And, that made me think that it would be a fabulous "less-cooking" meal.
{Spaghetti with Tomato-Caper Sauce} serves 4
6 medium-sized tomatoes
3 green onions
2 cloved of garlic
6 large basil leaves
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp capers, drained
1/4 C shaved parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
8 oz spaghetti

Core, but do not seed, and diced the tomatoes. Put them into a bowl. Mince thin the green onions. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut basil leaves into slivers. Add these and all remaining ingredients (except noodles) to the tomatoes. Stir to combine. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.

Break the spaghetti into shorter lengths and cook. Drain well, add to the tomatoes and toss gently. Let sit for a few minutes, toss again and serve.

*Tip: The tomato topping would also be excellent mixed with mini-fresh mozarrella balls and serve atop crostini like a bruschetta.

Shiree's Summer Salsa

Once upon a time, I did not like tomatoes. I know, crazy! This is the recipe that changed my mind. I was a freshman in college and had a women's group supervisor who was a cateror. She would bring food to all of our meetings. And, I fell in love, not just with this recipe but with tomatoes. {Shiree Thurston's Summer Salsa}
1 pkt dry Italian dressing mix
2-3 tomatoes
1-2 avocados
1 can black-eyed peas
1 can corn
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Make the Italian dressing according to packet instructions. Seed and chop the tomatoes. Chop the avocado. Drain the peas and corn, and rinse. Mix together tomatoes, avocado, peas, corn and cilantro. Toss gently to combine. Pour Italian dressing over the top, and toss to coat. The amount of dressing really depends on how "wet" you would like your salsa. Be careful not to mix too much or the avocado will start to get smashed.

Our New Year's Tradition: Fondue

Cocktail Weiners
This recipes is originally from the Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook circa 1970s and is for meatballs. We like the Lil' Smokies better, beause is it a lot easier.
1 lb Lil' Smokies (or other brand cocktail sausages)
12 oz bottle chili sauce
10 oz grape jelly

Heat chili sauce and jelly in a sauepan, stirring constantly, until jelly is melted. Add sausauges and stir until thoroughly coated. Simmer for 20 minutes, sausauges will plump in the mixture.

Cheddar Cheese Fondue
1/3 C flour
2 tsp dry mustard
2 C half & half
2 C (1/2 lb) shredded Sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp worchestershire sauce
2 drops Tabasco sauce

In a fondue pot, Combine flour and mustard. Set heat control to "SIMMER" and add half & half gradually. Stir until thickened. Add cheese, 1/4 C at a time, and stir until melted. Add worchestershire and Tabasco sauces; stir. Heat 5 minutes to develop flavors.
For serving, spear rye or french bread cubes with a fondue fork or dip crackers. Makes 6-8 servings. You can also dip: broccoli, cauliflower, cooked new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, cubes of meat, apple slices or pineapple.

Milk Chocolate Fondue
2 11-1/2 oz packages milk chocolate chips
1 C heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp mint extract or 1-2 Tbsp creme de menthe (optional)

In a fondue pot, combine chocolate chips and cream. Set heat to "WARM" and stir until chocolate mealts. Add mint flavoring, if desired. Stir until blended.
Serve with: Nilla wafers, graham crackers, pound cake cubes, pretzels, marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, apples, or mandarin oranges.

Grilled Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches

I found this recipe in Southern Living magazine a few years ago. It is a nice variation on a grilled cheese sandwich. This recipe makes 4 cups of pimiento cheese but only uses 1 1/3 cups in the recipe. Cover leftover pimiento cheese, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The pimiento cheese can also be served as a spread or dip.

{Pimiento Cheese}
1 (4 oz) jar diced pimiento, drained
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon finely grated onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (8 oz) block 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1 (8 oz) block light white Cheddar cheese, finely shredded

Stir together first 6 ingredients in a large bowl until blended, and stir in cheeses.

{Sandwiches - makes 4}
pimiento cheese
8 light white or wheat bread slices
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
2 tablespoons light butter, melted
vegetable cooking spray

Heat an electric griddle to 350º or a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spread 1/3 cup cheese mixture on each of 4 bread slices. Top evenly with tomato slices and remaining 4 bread slices. Brush one side of sandwiches evenly with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
Spray hot griddle or skillet with cooking spray. Place sandwiches, buttered sides down, on griddle or in skillet. Brush tops evenly with remaining melted butter. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden. Serve immediately.

Family Reunion: Take 2

You would not believe the incredible week that we have had in SUNNY San Diego. And, to top it all off we had incredible food.

First of all, my sweet Aunt KaraLyn fed us OFTEN in her beautiful back yard. She made us breakfast the first morning we were there. We had Baked Praline French Toast with Praline Syrup, a Hashbrown and Sausage Tart, and watermelon. After our Cook Reunion, she fed us again twice. The first night we had a Mexican BBQ. We had a Shrimp Dip appetizer and Grilled Fajitas with all the fixings (grilled steak and chicken, frefried beans, fresh salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, chopped cilantro) and homemade lemonade. Our final meal with her was panini sandwiches. And my cousins made a Wild Rice Salad and Rhubbarb Upside-Down Cake.

The food from our family reunion was wonderful, too! I am working on pulling those recipes along with other family favorites together on another cooking blog!

Baked Praline French Toast
3 eggs
2/3 C milk
3 T sugar
¼ tsp vanilla
8 slices French or Italian bread (1" slices)
4 T butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the first 4 ingredients. Soak bread in mixture for 2 minutes. Melt butter in 9x13" dish. Put in bread, 1 layer thick. Bake 15 minutes turn and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Praline Syrup
¾ C brown sugar
¼ C light corn syrup
3 T water
Pinch salt
1 T butter
¼ tsp vanilla
¼ C pecans

Combine first four ingredients, bring to a boil, simmer 2-3 minutes, and remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla, and pecans.

Hashbrown and Sausage Tarts
hasbrown patties (prepared)
sauteed peppers & onions
brown & serve sausage (diced)
grated mexican cheese mix

Brown hashbrown patties to crisp the outside. Top with peppers and onions, sausage, and cheese. Broil to melt the cheese.

Yucatan Barbeque Shrimp Dip
The amounts of the ingredients are very flexible.
2 lbs Monterey Jack Cheese
1 lb. frozen or fresh small shrimp (tails off)
1 cup fresh salsa
1 tsp cinnamon
Tortilla chips

Slice the cheese in 1/4 inch thick slices. Overlap on the bottom of a heavy frying pan. Layer with shrimp, salsa, and sprinkle the cinnamon on the top. Heat on the barbeque until the cheese is totally melted. Serve with chips.

Chicken and Lemon Potstickers: Recipe Review

Tonight, we made the "Chicken and Lemon Potstickers" from the Cooking Light website. Here's how I altered the recipe for my family and some tips.

Chicken & Lemon Pot Stickers
original recipe here
Pot stickers:
2 Tbsp apple juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 ounce mushrooms
3/4 cup finely chopped cabbage
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 finely chopped carrot
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Dash of hot sauce
1/2 pound ground chicken or turkey
30 wonton wrappers
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
1 cup water, divided

To prepare pot stickers, apple juice and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat; add mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are tender, and liquid disappears. Finely chop mushrooms. Combine mushrooms, cabbage, and the next 9 ingredients (cabbage through turkey), stirring well. (You may want to use your hands, you know, like a meatloaf.)

Working with 1 wonton wrapper at a time, spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons turkey mixture into center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of dough with water; bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring the remaining 2 corners to center, pinching points to seal. Pinch 4 edges together to seal. Place pot stickers on a large cooling rack, while you prepare the others.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add half of pot stickers; cook 2 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown. Carefully add 1/2 cup water to pan; cover and cook 4 minutes. Uncover and cook 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 tablespoons oil, pot stickers, and 1/2 cup water.

I substituted regular mushrooms and cabbage for the shitake mushrooms and bok choy, and a lesser amount of apple juice for the dry sherry. I did not use the fresh ginger and lemon rind, but added finely chopped carrots instead, and swapped out the dark sesame oil for regular vegetable oil. I used a 1/2 Tbsp measure for each pot sticker, this made me 30 potstickers instead of the 24 that the recipe says it will. The first round of pot stickers was a little "black" on the bottom. So, the next round, I skipped the oil; opting for cooking spray instead. If you do this, make sure that you let the bottoms get really crispy before adding the water. I, also, opted for a different dipping sauce, the recipe is below.

Sweet Asian Dipping Sauce
1/2 C red jalapeno jelly
1/4 C rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce

Heat jalapeno jelly in the microwave for 30-40 seconds. Whisk in rice vinegar and soy sauce.