Fire Crackers

I threw together these Fire Crackers with a bit of an inspiration, but also with a lot of "I think I'll do this instead...".

It's a great party or get together food, which is perfect because they are also very simple to throw together.  These little crackers can pack some heat, yet they are pretty darn addictive.  I would know.

First off, preheat your oven to 250 degrees.  I started off with one stick of butter plus about 2 or 3 tablespoons.  On a large baking pan, evenly spread out slices of  butter and slip the pan into the oven to melt.  Watch this closely, butter begins to burn very quickly!  Once the butter is melted, add to your baking pan about 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, 2 to 3 tablespoons red pepper flakes, 1/2 packet of Ranch dressing mix, 1 teaspoon of parsley, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder.  This was the point where I just added as I felt it was needed and kinda guesstimated on measurements.  This is definitely a "what you like" type of process.  Mix the butter and spices well.  Add 2.5 cups Cheez-its, 2.5 cups Mini Club crackers, and 2.5 cups Soup and Oyster crackers (or Mini Saltines).  Toss the crackers well, coating evenly with the butter mixture.  Bake for 30 minutes, pulling the pan  out once at 15 minutes to toss the crackers well once again.  Allow the crackers to cool and then store in an airtight glass jar.

Southwest Salad with Avocado Cilantro Dressing

This week for hometeam, our food theme was salad, soup, and sandwiches.  Well, I knew it was my opportunity to try the southwest salad that has been on my mind lately.  I had a couple starting points for my salad, but I ended up changing the ingredients in the dressing just slightly.  My original inspiration is from The Garden Grazer.  I left the dressing off of the salad, intially, so that my lettuce and veggies wouldn't get soggy while it all sat in my cooler during church.  The plan was to toss the salad at hometeam right before we ate.  Unfortunately, hometeam was cancelled at the last minute.  :(  I left the ingredients separate because this was a huge salad to toss for just us, and again I didn't want everything soggy.  We're just adding a bit of dressing as we make individual bowls for  now.  I must say... This is a delicious salad and loaded with good stuff.  Even the dressing, since the base is Greek yogurt and avocado!

Salad Ingredients:
1 head Romaine lettuce
1 orange bell pepper
1 pint grape tomatoes
5 green onions
15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed
12 ounces Mexi-corn, drained
Santa Fe Style tortilla strips

Avocado Cilantro Dressing Ingredients:
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 avocado
juice from 1/2 lime
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
olive oil
sea salt to taste

Directions:
In a small food processor or blender, add all dressing ingredients, except olive oil, and blend well.  The original recipe called for 1/4 cup olive oil, but because I had changed the dynamics a bit with the added avocado, I wasn't sure how much oil would be needed.  I just began drizzling it in and blending.  I'd stop and check the consistency and add more olive oil as needed.

Coarsely chop the veggies and layer in a large bowl.  Toss in black beans and Mexi-corn.  Just before serving, toss in the tortilla strips and dressing.  You'll want to start with a large enough bowl that you can toss the salad well, making sure the lettuce and veggies are nicely coated.

Baked Stuffed Avocados

I've seen a few variations of these avocados floating around, but when I set out to make them yesterday afternoon, I totally winged it.  I thought they turned out really well and were a perfect compliment to Taco Soup (recipe coming soon!).  There was little to no measuring as I tossed this together, but I'll give some ballpark measurements below.

First, I sliced two avocados and removed the pits.  I made little boats out of a large muffin tin and aluminum foil for the avocados to sit in.  I was afraid of the avocados tipping/rollling over as they were coming in and out of the oven -- it worked pretty well.  I chopped up a couple handfuls of grape tomatoes and tossed them in a bowl with a few drizzles of olive oil, lemon juice, sea salt, and dried basil.  Once those were nicely coated, I dropped in a couple handfuls of Panko bread crumbs, as well as about a handful and half of Parmesan cheese.  I mixed these well, to be sure the bread crumbs and cheese were coated also.  I baked these for 5 minutes at 450 degrees and then turned the broiler on for about 2 more minutes.  Watch these closely, as I'm pretty sure they could go from golden to toasted in seconds.

Sunday Supper -- Mini Monte Cristos and Farmhouse Salad

This past Christmas, I tried a new recipe for Mini Monte Cristos and well... they were a hit.  I adapted my recipe from the PET Evaporated Milk website, so I'll detail my adaption below.  Traditionally, Monte Cristos are made with Swiss cheese, but I substitute with Provolone.  They are also commonly sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with raspberry jam.  While they are insanely good this way, my family would prefer them with a Honey Mustard Dip (I've given this recipe before with my Pretzel Bites, but I'll reprint it below).  Tonight, I made up a batch of these little guys and paired them with what I have named a Farmhouse Salad with homemade Ranch Dressing.  Sit tight.  This is going to be a long post with a lot of goodness.  :)


Mini Monte Cristos

Ingredients:
8 slices soft white bread
8 very thin slices, fully cooked ham
8 very thin slices, fully cooked turkey
8 very thin slices, Provolone cheese
2 large eggs
1 (12 ounce) can PET Evaporated Milk
1 cup Hungry Jack Complete Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix (Just Add Water)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
oil for deep frying

Directions:
Trim the crusts off each slice of bread (this is totally optional -- I've done it both with and without crust and either way works just as well) and then flatten the slices with a rolling pin.  Layer each slice of bread with one slice of ham, one slice of turkey, and one slice of cheese.  Roll each "half sandwich" into a tight log and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.  Chill the sandwich logs for at least 30 minutes to an hour.

Heat 1.5 inches oil in a deep skillet.  Whisk egg, evaporated milk, Hungry Jack mix, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl until smooth.  Unwrap each sandwich log and insert 4 toothpicks in even increments.  Slice the logs into 4 equal pieces with a sharp knife.

Working with a few pieces at a time, soak each piece in the batter for about 15 seconds.  Fry in hot oil for 1 to 1.5 minutes or until golden brown; turn frequently.  Drain on papertowls.

Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree oven.  Suggestions:  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with Raspberry Jam.  Or serve with Honey Mustard (recipe below).

Honey Mustard

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:
Whisk together ingredients until smooth.  Store covered in the refrigerator.


Farmhouse Salad

I call this a Farmhouse Salad because it's a bit of everything fresh that you have laying around, plus some other goodness added in for good measure.  Tonight's addition of Farmhouse Salad included:

Romaine lettuce
spinach
kale
avocado
hard bolied eggs
red bell peppers
red onion
grape tomatoes
cucumber
chick peas
sunflower seeds
croutons
topped with homemade Ranch Dressing (recipe below)


Ranch Dressing
yields one quart

Ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk
1 ounce ranch seasoning mix
2 cups mayonaisse
8 ounces sour cream

Directions:
Whisk together until smooth.  Store covered in refrigerator.

Homemade Salsa

I love this salsa recipe.  It's so simple to throw together and the flavor is very full and... well, you can't stop eating this salsa!  It makes up quite a bit, which is a very good thing.  I've recently started using Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, but I've also used just regular Diced Tomatoes.  I've considered using some of the tomatoes that have other flavors already thrown in, but since I use fresh green onions, cilantro, lime, and garlic, I usually end up getting plain tomatoes.  I'd love to try fresh tomatoes, but just haven't yet.  The bonus to that is it's usually easy to have the ingredients on hand.  Which is nice when you live 20 minutes from town!

Ingredients:
2 cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
1 can Rotel
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 to 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2-3 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Serrano pepper, seeded and diced
sea salt, to taste
juice of one lime

Directions:
In a blender, blend tomatoes, Rotel, tomato paste, garlic cloves, Serrano pepper, sea salt, and lime juice.

Transfer to a large bowl and mix in (by hand) cilantro and green onions.

Store in clean mason jars or a glass refrigerator dish.

Pretzel Bites with Honey Mustard Sauce

Why, yes, this is another Pinterest find.  I can't help it.  But this doesn't even begin to cover the multitude of recipes and ideas I've been pinning.  It's a sickness, I tell you.

Anyway, these pretzel bites are just as good as they are in the mall stores!  They don't keep well, though, so you may as well eat them all at once.  Just throwing that out there.  You're welcome.

As for the Honey Mustard Sauce -- It's incredibly simple to throw together and is (rather surprisingly) really good!  Much better than the jarred stuff on the market, I think.

The pretzel bites come from the blog Two Peas and Their Pod.  They share an amazing sounding/looking and easy cheese dip here as well.  I'll definitely be trying that some day, but on this particular day I used a Honey Mustard recipe I found online somewhere.  This would also be great with chicken strips or as a dressing on a salad.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon prepared mustard
2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice


Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and lemon juice.  Store covered in the refrigerator.

Bacon Crackers

I stumbled on these little gems back when I was a faithful (read: daily... every.single.day) reader of Pioneer Woman's blog.  I don't get over to her blog nearly as often as I like these days, but I still love to check on new recipes from her.  :)

These little guys joined us for New Year's Eve 2010 and made a reappearance for Christmas 2011.  They were a HUGE hit!  But, really, what's not to like about them -- bacon? Club crackers? Parmesan cheese?  YUM.

No one says it better than PDub, so head on over to her blog and catch the recipe there!  :)

Nachos, revisited.

In a strange twist of fate... I made up my nachos last night on the exact same night that I created them one year ago.  Anyone else hear the Twilight Zone theme song playing the background?  ;)

I snapped a quick photo before devouring after eating a couple pieces and had plans on adding them here, then lost interest because the photos aren't the best.  But when I realized the crazy coincidence, I had to go ahead and push forth with a  new post!  I need to get back to this anyway, right? ;)  Baby steps, baby steps...

Last night, I added some fresh guacamole instead of avocado chunks and left off the sour cream (only because I didn't have any).  I sprinkled Pampered Chef Chipotle Seasoning over the chicken before adding the salsa and cheese.  Everything else is the same as before.

Chicken Enchilada Dip

Here's a really great dip that's super easy to throw together -- and the best part is it warms up in a Crock-Pot.  It would be perfect for football bowl games, Christmas and New Year's parties, and family get-togethers this season!

Ingredients:
1 family size Cream of Chicken soup
1 bundle green onions, chipped
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) tub sour cream
1 pound chicken fajita meat, cooked

Directions:
Combine the first 4 ingredients until well blend.  Add in the fajita meat.  Heat through in Crock Pot and serve with tortilla chips.

Antipasto Platter

There are links upon links that turn up when you search for "antipasto platter" on the internet -- each one different. So, I looked them over and decided to wing it on my own. and then add my own version to the links upon links already out there. ;)

Ingredients:
8 ounces perle mozzarella
8 ounces sliced provolone
6 ounces sliced roast beef
6 ounces sliced hard salami
7 ounce jar pimento stuffed green olives
6 ounce can large black olives
8 ounce jar roasted red bell peppers
8 ounces cherry tomatoes
12 ounce jar pepperoncinis
green leaf lettuce leaves

Vinaigrette Ingredients: 
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon each of the following dried herbs:
    oregano
    marjoram
    basil
    thyme

Directions:
Stack the provolone and cut into quarters; do the same with the hard salami. For the roast beef, lay lengthwise and slice into thirds. In a bowl begin separating the pieces of provolone, salami, and roast beef so that later the vinaigrette will cover each piece well. In a colander, dump the green and black olives, roasted red bell peppers, and pepperoncinis and allow to drain. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half. In a large container, combine the vegetables, cheeses, and meats. In a separate bowl, mix all the vinaigrette ingredients well and pour over the vegetable/cheese/meat, mixing as you pour to coat well. Refrigerate for several hours. To serve, choose a large platter and place a layer of green leaf lettuce to cover the bottom. With a slotted spoon, scoop the antipasto mixture evenly on top of the lettuce. You can also spoon some of the vinaigrette on top of the mixture. After the main antipasto ingredients are eaten, don't just toss the lettuce! It's now been marinating in the vinaigrette during the party and full of flavor for a great salad!

Nachos

So, I was aimlessly wandering through HEB Sunday afternoon trying to buy enough food for lunches and easy dinners this week, but feeling very uninspired.  Somewhere in the bread aisle, I had a thought.  I grew up making very simple nachos in the microwave for snacks.  A few chips, a couple spoonfuls of salsa, some shredded cheese, zap them for a few seconds and we're good to go.  Well, I decided, how about that comfort food stepped up a couple notches?  Still a very simple dinner to throw together after work, but very filling.  I can see adding refried beans or a variety of other additions, but the idea was to keep it simple and filling, so I tried not to get too carried away.  Tip: I used a rotisserie chicken to make it even quicker to throw together... plus I have extra chicken for salads and such.  Or more nachos.  ;)

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Ingredients:
tortilla chips
salsa
shredded chicken
southwest seasoning*
4 cheese Mexican blend
chopped avocado (1 small or 1/2 of a large)
sour cream

Directions:
Layer tortilla chips on a foil lined baking pan.  Spoon salsa, distributing evenly on chips.  Add shredded chicken, again being generous and even.  Sprinkle with southwest seasoning.  Layer handfuls of cheese until covered to your liking.  Bake in a 350 oven for about 5 minutes, until warmed through and cheese is melted.  Layer chopped avocado pieces and spoon sour cream evenly over nachos.  Serve immediately.

*The blend I used was a southwest rub made by Adam's Reserve and contained: cumin, sweet pepper flakes, onion, chipotle, garlic, New Mexico chile peppers, black pepper, coriander, cilantro, and lime.

Guacamole

I used to be very simplistic with my guacamole.  Mash up the avocadoes, add some sea salt and call it done.  Sometimes I'd add tomatoes.  But, then I discovered this recipe.  And while I still revert to the "basic" guacamole when I'm in a hurry, I like to make this one when I have time and have the ingredients on hand.

Ingredients:
7 ripe medium avocados, peeled and halved
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 pint grape tomatoes, chopped
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
juice from 1 large fresh lime
1/2 tablespoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Directions:
Sprinkle seasoned salt and crushed garlic over avacado halves.
Coarsely mash the avocados, leaving some chunks.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
 
Servings: 6

Sausage Cheese Muffins

We had these at the TBC Women's Retreat this year (a few of our guys from church come up and cook all weekend for us. They love it; we have some excellent men cooks; and we save money vs catering! win/win/win!!). These are so good and they freeze really well, making an easy and quick breakfast to grab from the freezer and pop in the toaster oven as needed. Also makes a great appetizer for parties -- just cut into wedges and serve!

Ingredients:
1 pound sausage
1/4 teaspoon red pepper (optional)
1 stick butter
3 jars Old English cheese spread
12 English muffins, split

Directions:
Cook sausage, crumble, and drain well. Set aside to cool. Combine butter, cheese, and pepper. Mix until fluffy (I've used both a mixer and done this by hand; both work just as well). Spread on English muffin halves. Bake at 425* until bubbly and slightly brown; about 8 minutes.

Yields 24 muffins

Corn Dip

Quite possibly my most requested recipe and dish. I kinda feel cheated that this is the one I get remembered by. I mean, a dip? Come on! sigh. ;) But, it is quite good.

It has great flavor (despite the intial thought -- corn dip??) and is so easy to make. It is best to let it sit in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours to allow the flavors to combine. Note: The cayenne definitely adds some kick and gets stronger as it sits in the fridge for a few hours, so use sparingly if you wish.

Ingredients:
2 (11 ounce) cans mexicorn
16 ounces sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 to 1 bunch cilantro
3 to 4 green onions
2 cups four-cheese Mexican blend cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lime
2 (12 ounce) bags tortilla chips

Directions:
Mix together the corn, sour cream, and mayonnaise.
Slice lime in half and squeeze the juice from one half over corn mixture; mix well.
Chop cilantro and green onions. Add to the corn mixture.
Blend in cumin and cayenne pepper.
Mix in shredded cheese.
Refrigerate overnight. Serve with tortilla chips.

Servings: 10 - 12