Cranberry, Carmelized Onion, and Goat Cheese Dip

Ok, once again I know that I'm very behind on my blogging because I made this as an appetizer months ago for Thanksgiving. It was really yummy and kind of Thanksgiving-y due to the cranberry factor, but since you can use fresh or frozen cranberries this can easily be made any time of year.......like, say, March!

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
4 oz. package goat cheese, room temperature
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

In a mixer, combine the cream cheese and goat cheese. Beat until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese and mix until well incorporated. Spread into the bottom of a baking dish. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and saute until softened. Add sugar and mix well. Continue cooking to carmelize the onions. Lower the heat slightly and stir every few minutes. This should take about 10 minutes. Once the onions are carmelized, remove them from the skillet and set aside. Add the cranberries, water and sugar into the same skillet. Stir to dissolve sugar. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until cranberries pop open and are softened, about 5 minutes. Once mixture thickens, add the balsamic vinegar and return the onions to the skillet. Stir well, add the pecans, and then let cool. Just prior to serving the dip, spoon the cranberry mixture on top of the cheese mixture. Serve with crackers for dipping.

Feta Walnut Dip

I've served this now at several get togethers--it's the perfect food for entertaining because it's very easy, can be made in advance, and is super flavorful and delicious!

1 large clove garlic
1 cup walnut halves
1 1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Serve with pita wedges or pita chips.

Green Dip

I found this recipe in an article the Star-Telegram did during college football season on favorite tailgating recipes. It's definitely easy to make and yummy, so it gets the football snack seal of approval at our house too.

1/2 cup Mrs. Renfro's Hot Green Salsa
1/2 cup milk
4 oz. low-fat feta
Brick of cream cheese, softened
4 or 5 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. Pour into a bowl and garnish with more cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips and veggies for dipping.

Homemade Bagel Chips

Somehow I fell for the allure of the mini bagel (I think it was an attempt to enjoy a bagel while not going totally carb crazy), but those suckers seem to come in a bag of about 300, so I was trying to find something to do with all of those darn mini bagels. I needed an appetizer to take with me to a get together, so I decided a dip with homemade bagel chips was the perfect solution! Obviously these are really easy, but they were also quite yummy!

Heat oven to 425. Slice bagels (mini or regular) into very thin slices and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush both sides of the bagel with a little olive oil, then sprinkle with seasonings of choice (I used salt, pepper, garlic powder and a dash of an Italian seasoning mix). Bake in oven for about 10 minutes, or until both sides are browned and crispy.

Avocado Hummus

I love avocados and I love hummus, so when my friend Amanda told me she was bringing this for an appetizer, I knew already that I would love it. Yep, I was right! I ended up Googleing some of the ingredients that I knew were in it so that I could make it myself a few days later and found (I think!) the recipe on the Food Network website. Yum!

2 avocados, peeled and diced
1/2 jalapeno, chopped
7 oz. hummus (I went easy and used store bought, but homemade would work too!)
Salt
Lemon juice
Cilantro, chopped
Veggies, pita chips and/or tortilla chips for serving

Puree avocados and jalapeno in a food processor. Stir in hummus, a pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Lemon Cheesecake Ball

Once again I've managed to get super behind on recipe blogging--I know that because I last served this at a baby shower I hosted in OCTOBER! It's almost February, so I am seriously slacking! As far as the recipe goes, this was absolutely perfect for a baby shower since it's a little bit of a "girly" food. It's also really yummy and can easily be made in advance.

10 oz. cream cheese
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Zest of 1 large lemon
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 Graham crackers

Combine the cream cheese and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir together with a spoon or spatula until well combined and smooth. Mix in the lemon zest and juice until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a ball wrapped tightly in the plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours. Reshape if necessary once firm. Coarsely crush the graham crackers and transfer to a plate or bowl. Roll the cheese ball in the crumbs until evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with fruit (I especially like it with green apple slices and strawberries) and/or crackers.

Source: annies-eats.com

Football Food!

Now that football season is in full swing, our Sundays are pretty much always planned around the Cowboys games. Usually while Colin is watching the game, I spend most of the time in the kitchen (how 1950s do we sound?!) making something "football-y". A football appropriate dish is usually a. easy to eat b. delicious and c. unhealthy. These are two of my favorites that definitely meet all of the criteria!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayo
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained
4 oz. canned diced jalapeno peppers, drained
1 cup grated Parmesan
Panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375. Stir together cream cheese and mayo in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chiles and jalapenos. Pour mixture into an 8x8 dish and sprinkle with Parmesan and panko bread crumbs. Bake until cheese is bubbling and panko starts to brown, about 20 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

Source: allrecipes.com

Chocolate Football Crispies

6 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/2 cups light corn syrup
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups Cocoa Pebbles cereal
2 small tubes of white decorative frosting

Microwave chocolate, corn syrup and butter in a large microwaveable bowl on high for 2 1/2 minutes, stirring when 1 minute remains. Blend in vanilla. Add cereal, mix well. Let cool for 10 minutes, then use moist hands to shape into football shapes on parchment paper. Let cool completely and use frosting to add lacings. Let stand until frosting is firm.

Source: goodthingscatered.blogspot.com

Spinach Artichoke Bread

I LOVE spinach artichoke dip so much that I sometimes want to just order it for my meal instead of being more appropriate and just having it as an appetizer! Colin also would not be thrilled if I told him we were having a dip for dinner, so this gives me my spinach artichoke dip fix, while seeming more like an actual main course--perfect!

1 (14 oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
10 oz. fresh spinach
2 green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 package (4 oz.) light cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup grated mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 loaf Italian bread, sliced in half length-wise

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients through Parmesan together, reserving some of the cheese. Hollow 1/2 inch out of the center of both halves of the bread. Spread the mixture into the holes in the bread slices and top with the reserved cheese. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes, covered in foil. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Serve warm.

Chili-Spiced Almonds

These were actually kind of a lot of work, but they are pretty tasty, so it was probably worth it in the end. I made these over the holidays (when I had some more time on my hands during my vacation!) and thought they would be a good little munchie that I could put out when people came over. My sister-in-law loved them so much that she finally asked me to put them away before she ate every last one of them!

1 tablespoon water
1 large egg white
1 pound raw, unblanched almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (next time I will probably add a little more chili powder, but I am a little obsessed with spicy foods, so that may just be me!)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 300. Combine water and egg white in a large bowl; stir with a whisk until foamy. Add almonds; toss well to coat. Place almonds in a colander, and drain 5 minutes. Combine almonds, sugar and next 5 ingredients (through chili powder) in a large bowl; toss to coat. Spread almond mixture in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300 for 15 minutes. Stir almond mixture; reduce oven temperature to 275. Bake an additional 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven; cool 5 minutes. Break apart any clusters. Cool completely.
Yield: 4 cups
Can be stored for up to a week in an airtight container at room temperature

Source: Cooking Light

Green Gobble 'Ems

Ok, ignore the ridiculous name and make these immediately! They are so yummy! Colin said that he loved these but couldn't possibly request that I make "Green Gobble 'Ems", so in our house they've been renamed, simply "Spinach Toasts". Whatever you decide to call them, I promise they will be good. I made these as a Thanksgiving day appetizer and they were snapped up (too quickly for me to even get a picture)!

4 cups packed spinach leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 stick butter, softened
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
Salt and pepper
1 loaf Italian bread, split lengthwise

Preheat oven to 425. Using a food processor, puree the spinach, cheese, butter and garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the bread with the spinach mixture and cut into 2-inch cubes. Place on a baking sheet and bake until crisp, 8-10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Source: rachaelraymag.com

Caprese Salad Bites

I LOVE caprese salad! There's just something about the combination that is so delicious and I'm always a fan of fresh mozzarella. These are so easy and the perfect little bite-sized version of a caprese salad.

Grape tomatoes, halved
Basil leaves, torn into small pieces
Fresh mozzarella, cut into small cubes
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Toothpicks

Put a tomato half on a toothpick, followed by a piece of basil and piece of mozzarella. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Arrange on a serving dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste.

Italian Club Finger Sandwiches

When we finally had our first party for the "big reveal" of our new kitchen, I tried to keep the menu pretty simple and have several items that didn't have to be served hot and/or I could prep ahead of time. Just like my cooking skills, I was worried that my hostessing skills had gotten a little rusty! These tasty little sandwiches worked out perfectly.

6 thin slices white bread, such as Pepperidge Farm Thin White Sandwich Bread
1 cup soft, spreadable herb cheese, such as Alouette
8 slices prosciutto (I subbed in salami)
12 fresh arugula or basil leaves
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
Salt
2 radishes
Toothpicks

Trim the crusts from the bread (optional). Spread 4 slices with the soft herbed cheese. Top each cheese-covered slice with 2 slices of prosciutto, 3 arugula leaves, and top with a few tomato slices seasoned with a pinch of salt. Stack 2 of the completed layers one atop the other, making 2 stacks, each 2 layers high. Top each stack with a third bread slice to make 2 triple-decker sandwiches. Thinly slice and salt the radishes. Spear a couple radish slices onto each toothpick (I skipped this step and I didn't miss them!) as you place 4 toothpicks in each sandwich. Cut each sandwich into 4 equal parts. The yield will be 8 triple-decker, square mini "club" sandwiches.

Source: Rachael Ray: 2, 4, 6, 8 Great Meals for Couples or Crowds

Brie with Cranberries and Walnuts

We celebrated our first night with our new kitchen completed by drinking champagne and having a yummy appetizer. Since I was a little afraid my cooking skills had gotten rusty, I wanted something easy but still delicious and a little bit impressive--this fit the bill perfectly!

Brie
Walnuts
Dried Cranberries
Rosemary
Thyme

Preheat oven to 350. Cut the top rind off the brie and place in an oven safe dish. Sprinkle with walnuts, cranberries, rosemary and thyme (preferably fresh). Bake for about 15 minutes or until brie is starting to melt. Serve with whole wheat crackers.

Source: Cooking Light

Black Bean Dip

I love, love, love this dip! I don't even know exactly why I love it so much, because all of the ingredients are pretty basic, but seriously, it's so yummy!

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cans corn, drained
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 small purple onion, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
4-6 limes, juiced (I like mine very lime-y!)
olive oil, to taste
1-2 avocados, diced when ready to serve

Mix all ingredients together and serve with tortilla chips.

Source: my mom and Rosanne

Corn and Avocado Salad

We ate this with tortilla chips as more of a dip and it was really good! Very summer-y and easy.

1 cup frozen corn, defrosted but cold
1 avocado, diced
1/4 red onion, minced
1 tablespoon minced cilantro
1/4 fresh jalapeno, minced (I've been on quite the spicy kick lately, so I definitely used more than 1/4)
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper

Add all ingredients (except avocado) to a bowl. Mix well. Add avocados and gently fold in. Keep chilled until serving.

Black and White Bean Dip

This was super simple and very tasty! I actually warmed up some tortillas and used this as more of a burrito filling than dip--yum!

1 can black beans
1 can white beans
1 cup frozen corn kernels
7 oz. hot salsa
2 cups shredded colby jack cheese
1 cup chopped tomatoes
Garlic salt to taste
Cilantro to garnish

Preheat oven to 350. Rinse and drain both cans of beans. Squeeze the liquid out of tomatoes before chopping so the dip doesn't turn runny. Put all ingredients, except cilantro, in a bowl and mix together. Grease a shallow baking dish, spoon in bean mixture and sprinkle a little more cheese on top. Bake for 2o minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the dip is heated through. Remove from oven and top with cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

7 Layer Dip

We wanted some "football food" while we watched one of the playoff games, so this dip was just what we were in the mood for and wasn't even too unhealthy. Yum!

1 package light cream cheese, softened
2 cups chunky salsa
28 oz. can vegetarian refried beans
2 cups guacamole
1 bag shredded iceberg lettuce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup salsa or pico de gallo
Optional: chopped jalapenos (of course we included these), olives, or red onion

In a bowl, mix cream cheese and salsa. Spread into the bottom of a clear, deep dish. Spread beans over cream cheese layer. Spread guac over bean layer. Top with lettuce, cheese, sour cream, salsa/pico and any other optional toppings that you are using. Serve with tortilla chips.

Spinach Lasagna with Baked Zucchini Coins

Spinach Lasagna

2 eggs, beaten

1 container low-fat ricotta cheese

1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained

1 cup chopped mushrooms

3 cups reduced fat shredded mozzarella, divided

1/2 cup grated Parmesan, divided

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce, divided

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

Heat oven to 350. Mix eggs, ricotta, spinach, mushrooms, 2 cups mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Layer 1 cup spaghetti sauce, 3 lasagna noodles and 1/2 the ricotta mixture in a 9x13 pan. Repeat layers. Top with remaining noodles, sauces and cheeses. Bake 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Baked Zucchini Coins

1/2 cup corn meal (I used bread crumbs)

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried basil

Pepper

1 zucchini

1 egg

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 425. Mix flour, corn meal, salt, basil and pepper on a plate. Beat egg in a small bowl. Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch thick coins. Dip into egg and then into corn meal mixture. Coat a parchment lined cookie sheet with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Arrange zucchini coins on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Serve with ranch or marinara for dipping.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos

Fresh jalapenos (I used 10 of them)

1 package cream cheese

About 1 cup shredded cheddar

Bacon slices

Chop fresh jalapenos in half and scoop out the seeds and the membranes. Mix cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Fill jalapenos with cream cheese mixture and wrap with bacon. Secure with a toothpick. Place a wrack over a baking dish (to let the bacon drippings drip down) and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, or until bacon is fully cooked.

I also made a some of these without bacon for my vegetarian sister-in-law and both versions were snapped up in a hurry!

Pesto Poppers

1 package crescent roll dough

For the filling mix the following in a bowl:
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup pesto
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a mini-muffin tin. Roll the dough onto a flour or wax paper covered surface. Cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch by 1 1/2 inch squares. Place the dough into the muffin cups and press down lightly. Spoon in about 2 tablespoons of pesto mix and top with parmesan. If squares are large enough the corners can be pinched in. Bake according to crescent roll directions.

These were super tasty and they disappeared really quickly at our party.