Mutabal Kousa - Zucchini Dip

 2 large or 3 smaller zucchini 

Olive oil

3 tbsp. Plain yogurt 

2 tbsp. Tahini

Juice of 1 lemon 

1tbsp. Chopped mint

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pinch of salt

Slice zucchini in half lengthwise and drizzle with olive oil. Char zucchini over a grill or under the broiler until very soft. Put zucchini, yoghurt, tahini, lemon juice, mint, garlic, and salt into a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth. Let sit for 15 minutes before adjusting seasonings to taste. Serve with vegetables or pitas.

Note: If I hadn’t made this myself, I wouldn’t have been able to tell that it was mostly zucchini.

Rosemary Thyme Spiced Nuts

 

INGREDIENTS
3 c. large whole nuts - I like to use 1 c. cashews, 1 c. pecans, and 1 c. almonds (I usually buy nuts at Trader Joe's)
2 T. olive oil
2 T. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 300° F. Place nuts in a medium heatproof bowl.

Pour oil into a small heavy saucepan and place over medium-low heat until warm. Do not let it get too hot – the oil will burn. Add rosemary and thyme and stir until aromatic, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and stir in cumin and cayenne pepper. Pour the flavored oil over the nuts and stir to coat evenly. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, and black pepper. Stir again. Transfer to a jelly roll pan or a baking pan with sides. Bake for about 15 minutes total, stirring after the first 10 minutes. Let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

JEN'S NOTES:

• Very tasty and simple! A nice break from all the sweet snacks this time of year.
• I made a double batch and divided them into little mason jars as St. Nicholas day gifts for co-workers.
• I used half oven-roasted, salted almonds and half unsalted, chopped pecans, which was a good mix for flavor and texture.
• I didn't have fresh herbs, so I used dried rosemary and thyme, and changed the proportions accordingly.
• I added a little garlic powder because, you know, garlic.

Source

Pickle dip

 It would be easy to make a half batch, but why would you?

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

9 ounces Buddig corned beef*, chopped (store brand is fine)

16 ounces baby dill pickles

Chop the pickles and meat, mix it all together and let the flavors blend in the fridge for at least a few hours before you gobble it all up.

Serve with crackers.

* Most recipes call for dried beef, and that is good, but I always have trouble finding it and the corned beef is also good and probably cheaper anyway.

Zucchini & Herbed Ricotta Flatbread Pizza

Flatbread

• 1 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (180ml) warm water, (between 100-110°F, 38-43°C)
• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (spoon & leveled), plus more for hands and surface
• 1 Tablespoon (15ml) olive oil, plus 1 teaspoon for brushing the dough
• 1 teaspoon salt

Toppings

• 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 Tablespoons milk, to thin
• 1–2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic (or a few cloves, chopped)
• 2 cups sliced zucchini (about 1 medium/large)
• 6–8 ounces goat cheese (depending how much you like!)
• optional: crushed red pepper flakes and fresh basil to top

Instructions

Make the crust: 

• Place the yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or paddle attachment. Or, if you do not own a stand mixer, a regular large mixing bowl. 
• Pour warm water on top. Whisk gently to combine, then loosely cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to sit for 5 minutes. The mixture should be frothy after 5 minutes. 
• With the stand mixer running on low speed, add the flour, olive, oil, and salt. Beat on low speed for 1 minute as it all combines and becomes smooth. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add 1-2 more Tablespoons of flour. 
• Place the dough in a greased bowl (I use nonstick spray to grease) and cover with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to sit and rest for 45 minutes at room temperature. Once it has rested and slightly risen, you can place it in the fridge for up to 2 days. More instructions in the make ahead tip below.

As the dough is resting and rising, prepare the toppings. 

• Toss the halved cherry tomatoes with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spread onto a parchment paper or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and bake in a 400°F (204°C) oven for about 20 minutes until blistered and roasted. Set aside. Turn the oven up to 475°F (246°C). 
• Whisk the ricotta, basil, milk, lemon juice*, and garlic together in a medium bowl. You can use a mixer for this if needed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Shape the dough: 

• Punch the dough down to release any air. Divide the dough into two. On a lightly floured surface with floured hands and working with one dough piece at a time, begin shaping and stretching the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. You can use a floured rolling pin for this too. Don’t worry about the shape of the dough, just make sure it’s pretty thin. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Carefully transfer both pieces of dough to a parchment paper or silicone-mat lined baking sheet, or use a pizza stone. Poke your fingers all around the surface of the flatbreads or prick a few holes with a fork. 

Spread half of the ricotta mixture onto each, then top with zucchini, tomatoes, and finish them by crumbling the goat cheese on top of each.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust and toppings are browned to your liking. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with crushed red pepper, fresh basil, and/or freshly ground pepper. Slice and serve warm.

SALLY'S NOTES

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The tomatoes can be baked about 2 days in advance; just keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. Likewise, the ricotta mixture can be mixed and prepared 2 days in advance. Cover and keep in the refrigerator. The dough can be prepared through step 3, then after it has risen, cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Continue with step 5. To freeze the dough, prepare it through step 3. After it has risen, punch it down to release any air. Divide it in 2, if desired, then wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. Then let the dough sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before stretching out/shaping and topping. If the thawed dough keeps shrinking back as you try to shape it, lightly cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rest on the counter or your work surface for 15 minutes. (The gluten just needs a chance to settle.)

MY NOTES

• I didn't mix any milk with the ricotta and about half the lemon juice called for.  (I didn't want the ricotta to be too liquid-y)
• Obviously I didn't use honey goat cheese.  But I did use some feta so I guess that still counts.

Tzatziki

½ English cucumber, halved

lengthwise

1 cup FAGE Total 5%, 2%, or 0%

1 garlic clove, minced or grated

1 tbsp minced fresh mint

1 tbsp minced fresh dill

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

½ tsp fine sea salt

Black pepper to taste 

STEPS
1.  Remove cucumber seeds with a small spoon and grate cucumber on the large holes of a box grater.
2.  In a medium bowl combine grated cucumber, FAGE Total, garlic, mint, dill, lemon zest and juice, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
3.  To Serve: Serve tzatziki with pita. Store any leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Crock Pot Mushrooms

1 pound mushrooms
1/2 cup butter
1 envelope of ranch salad dressing mix

I stuff as many mushrooms as will fit into this little crockpot.
Melt the butter, add the dressing mix and pour over the mushrooms.

Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

MORE NOTES:

• As soon as the mushrooms start to get warm they'll reduce quite a bit.  Check after the first hour and stir in more mushrooms as space will allow.
• I like to buy my mushrooms at Costco.  The price is reasonable and the quality is better. (larger, more uniform sizes)
• I typically serve these as appetizers, but they would be pretty great with steak as well.

Mouth Watering Stuffed Mushrooms

• 12 whole fresh mushrooms 
  
• 1tablespoon vegetable oil 
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Fry until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn garlic. Set aside to cool.

When garlic and mushroom mixture is no longer hot, stir in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Mixture should be very thick. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.

NOTES:

• We've had these the past two years for Wigilia.  Tradition?
• Costco's mushrooms are especially nice.
• Source

Corn Salsa

(Found in my search for a Trader Joe's copycat recipe)

4 ears of sweet corn (kernels removed and reserved, husks discarded)
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 cup distilled white vinegar
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup water
1 and ½ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp. cumin seeds
1 red onion, minced
1 and ½ tsp. ground red pepper (add an extra tsp. ground red pepper if you like your salsa more spicy)

1. Toss the sweet corn kernels and chopped red pepper together in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, combine the vinegar, sugar, water, mustard seeds, and cumin seeds. Pace the pan over medium-high heat until it begins to boil. Reduce the liquid to a simmer. Add the chopped onion and ground red pepper. Simmer until the onion becomes translucent, about 10 minutes. To the simmering liquid, add the sweet corn and chopped red pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the corn salsa to a non-reactive container, pressing down lightly to pack the corn. Gently pour the remaining cooking liquid from the saucepan over the packed salsa just until it is covered. Refrigerate for a day before serving (to allow the flavors to develop).
4. Serve with chips for dipping.

Whiskey-Ginger Cocktail Meatballs

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp sesame oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp peeled and finely diced ginger

2 shallots, finely diced

1 lb (500 g) grass-fed ground beef

½ lb (250 g) ground pork

2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

1 cup (250 mL) rice cakes or crackers, processed to crumbs

1 egg

1 tbsp orange zest (for meatballs)

¼ cup (60 mL) bourbon or other aged whiskey

½ cup (125 mL) fresh-squeezed orange juice

¼ cup (60 mL) salted butter

¼ cup (60 mL) honey

½ tsp cornstarch

1 tsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice

For Garnish

2 scallions, chopped

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp orange zest

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).

In a large skillet on high heat, heat the olive and sesame oils. Add garlic, ginger and shallots and sauté for 3 minutes until softened. Transfer to a medium bowl and set skillet aside.

Using your hands, incorporate the ground beef, pork, salt, soy sauce, black and red pepper, cracker crumbs, egg and orange zest into the garlic, shallot and onion mixture until all ingredients are well-combined.

On a parchment-lined baking sheet, measure 2 tbsp of meatball mixture into mounds spaced 1 in (2.5 cm) apart. Using your hands, roll each mound into a ball.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, return the skillet to high heat. Add the whiskey and orange juice and, on medium-high heat, reduce the liquid by half. Bring to a boil, add the butter and honey and reduce the heat to low. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tsp of water and add to the pan. Bring to a boil and stir until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the lemon juice and meatballs to the skillet and toss until well-coated. Garnish with chopped scallions, sesame seeds and orange zest and serve with cocktail toothpicks.

Makes about 24 generous size meatballs

TIP: We highly recommend you sample the whiskey before you make this recipe. And then get right to work, using your shot glass, the ideal size vessel, to measure the meat.

SOURCE:   Chowgirls Killer Party Food: Righteous Bites & Cocktails For Every Occasion

NOTES:

• This is an excellent method for making meatballs.  I've always pan-cooked them in the past, but baking is definitely better!
• Their shotglass tip is better in theory than practice.  It didn't want to come out easily and a was much easier with a scoop and kitchen scale.
• These are definitely bigger than a bite, so if you do want to serve them with a cocktail toothpick, I'd make them half this size or maybe a little bigger.
• The texture is great.

Braunschweiger Dip

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. braunschweiger, mashed
1 tbsp. onion
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt & pepper
Mix all together very well. Chill for several hours.

NOTES:
I used about a tsp. of onion powder instead of real onion and it was fine.  This would be a great dip to bring to Klejeski or Webster Christmas.

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

Easiest appetizer ever!

1 pound bacon (each slice cut into fourths)
14 ounce pkg of beef cocktail wieners (or more)
3/4 c brown sugar

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees
• Wrap wieners with quarter slices of bacon.
• Secure with toothpicks
• Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment (foil/silicone baking mat)
• Sprinkle brown sugar over each
• Bake for 40 minutes util the bacon is cooked and sugar is bubbly.
• Serve immediately or place wieners in a slow cooker and keep on the low setting.

NOTES:

Delicious and very easy.

The original recipe said to cut the bacon in thirds, but it was very easy to stretch a quarter slice around.

Grandma Rose's Veggie Dip

1 c sour cream
1 c salad dressing (Miracle Whip)
2 tsp. seasoned salt
2 tbls. parsley
2 tsp. chopped onion
2 tsp. dill weed

Mix.  Enjoy.

I forgot how delicious this is! Tangy and dilly!

Warm and Creamy Bacon Dip

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups Daisy Brand Sour Cream
3 ounces real bacon bits
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup chopped green onion

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Place the mixture in a 1-quart baking dish. Cover. Heat the dip for 25-30 minutes or until hot. Serve with assorted fresh vegetables, crackers and/or chips.

NOTES:

• Easy and delicious
• I kept it warm in a fondue pot instead of baking it.  I first had it at Langfeld's and she had it in a mini crock pot.
• I used Aldi sour cream so it was a little thinner than it would be with Daisy, but the flavor was the same.

Homemade Cheez-its

Makes about 1 quart

3 T boiling water
1 T annatto seeds (optional), coarsely ground
6 ounces (1½ cups) finely grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 T (2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (3¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
2 T cornstarch

If using annatto, combine water and annatto seeds. Let steep for 5 minutes. Strain and discard seeds. Put annatto seed water in ice bath until cool.

Using stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine cheese, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper until combined and starting to stick to sides of mixing bowl, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cornstarch and mix until combined, about 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons of annatto seed water or plain cool water and mix until dough ball forms, about 10 seconds. Add remaining 1 tablespoon water if needed. Transfer dough to floured counter and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap dough onto well floured counter and roll to 1/16 inch thickness. Cut into 1-inch squares. Using the blunt end of a skewer, poke a hole in the center of each square. Transfer to baking sheets. Sprinkle with remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Bake until light golden around edges, about 18 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Let cool completely on baking sheets. (Crackers can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days).

Notes: These baked up crispy and very tasty, if a tad greasy. My crackers were plenty orange without the annatto. Make sure you roll these quite thin (the dough should be translucent) as they rise about 4x in the oven. I did one pan where I spread the crakers out a bit, and one where they were left next to each other on the baking mat. The former baked up crisper.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles, drained
4 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 package egg roll wrappers (about 24 total)

In a large bowl, combine everything but the egg roll wrappers. Mix well to blend. Lay an egg roll wrapper out on a work surface so that one of the corners is pointing toward you and place ¼ cup of the filling in the center. Fold the tip closest to you up over the filling, roll a bit, then take the points pointing outward and fold them in toward the center. Continue rolling into an egg roll shape until a small part of the remaining point is still free. Dip a finger in water or beaten egg and lightly brush on the edges of the free corner. Finish rolling and press to seal closed. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Lightly oil a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the sealed egg rolls on the baking sheet seam side down and spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly brown, turning halfway through baking. Serve warm with salsa.

NOTES: 

• These were easy to make and neat to eat.  
• The baked egg roll wrappers were a little tough and would be worse if we'd forgotten to spray them, but are much healthier than deep fried.
• Em and I both thought they need more seasoning.  She thought a few dashes of hot sauce, I think another can of chilies and more salt.
• Egg roll wrappers come in 15 packs at Cub and since we used a scant 1/4 cup filling in each, it made 30.
• More cheese would also be good, imo.
• Source

Pita Pizzas

4 6-inch pita breads

1/2 cup hummus

1 cup crumbled feta (4 ounces)

1 small onion, sliced

2 cups fresh sliced spinach

1 tomato, seeded and chopped.

1/4 c sliced olives

• Heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Spread hummus on breads and sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake 8-10 minutes or until cheese in melted.
• Top each pizza with vegetables.

Hummus

4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed

2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed

2/3 cup of tahini (roasted, not raw)

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Pine nuts (toasted) and parsley (chopped) for garnish

• In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste.
• Spoon into serving dish and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.
• Serve with crackers, raw dip vegetables such as carrots or celery, or with pita bread. You can cut the pita bread into thin triangles, brush with olive oil and toast for 10 minutes in a 400°F oven to make pita chips with which to serve the hummus.
• Makes about 3 cups.

NOTES: I didn't have tahini or pine nuts, but I did toast about 1/3 cup of sesame seeds and puree them in. It definitely changes the flavor, so less (or none) would also work well.

Vegetarian Spring Rolls

1 c. cabbage, thinly sliced

1 carrot, grated

1/2 can of bean sprouts

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 c. mushrooms, cut into thin pieces

(snow peas and shrimp would also be good)

2 T. sesame oil

2 T. soy sauce

2 tsp. lime juice

garlic, ginger, and cayenne to taste

1/3 pkg. Rice or cellophane noodles

1 pkg. spring roll wrappers*

Set the rice noodles to soak in a bowl of hot water for 15 minutes, or until soft. Meanwhile, stir fry all other ingredients (except for wrappers) until done. Drain the noodles thoroughly, then assemble as follows:

Set a wrapper to soak in a shallow dish of hot water (make sure it's submerged). When it is soft, remove and let drip dry for a few seconds, then set on a plate and immediately put the next wrapper to soak.

Break off a small handful of noodles and place towards the bottom of the wrapper.

Add about 2T. of vegetables, well drained (I just squeezed them out in my hand).

Fold up the bottom and press to seal, then the sides, then roll up.

Place on waxed paper, making sure they don't touch. At this point, you can eat them as is, or deep fry them in hot oil for about a minute per side. I actually found it easier to keep one submerged with my spatula and cook for around a minute total.

Makes 20 rolls. (I fried 10, and froze the other 10 between layers of waxed paper.)

Serve with dipping sauces such as Hoisin or sweet and sour.

*I used Vietnamese (rice) spring roll wrappers. This recipe would also work with Thai (wheat) wrappers, but obviously you wouldn't soak them; just wet the edge to seal.

Toffee Fondue

1 (14 ounce) pkg Kraft caramels

1/4 c milk

1/4 c strong black coffee*

1/2 c milk chocolate chips, opt.

apple wedges

banana chunks

mini pretzels, or pretzel snaps

angel food cake, cut in 1 inch cubes

Place caramels, milk, coffee, and chocolate chips in top of double boiler. Cook over boiling water, stirring until melted and blended. Place in fondue pot on low.

NOTES:

• *As this was all melting I could see that it was going to turn out to be too thin so I scooped off a bunch of liquid. Good call as it was definitely on the thin side when completed. It might be better to skip the liquid coffee and just add a little instant coffee instead.
• The caramel/coffee/chocolate flavors were good together, but a good option to unwrapping all those tedious caramels might be to just buy a 14 ounce jar of caramel ice cream topping, add about 1/2 tsp. of instant coffee granules, and the chocolate. Heat a bit and add a little milk or cream to make it the desired consistency.
• I doubled this recipe for my HS mom party on 1-22-11.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Fondue

8 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate

1/3 cup cream

Cook over medium heat until melted and smooth. (I used a double boiler.)

Stir in 1/3 cup hazelnut syrup and a pinch of salt.

Transfer to a fondue pot and place over a low flame.

Serve with angel food cake cubes, strawberries, mini pretzels, dried apricot, bananas, strawberry marshmallows

Makes about 1.25 cups.

NOTES:

• I doubled this for my HS mom party (1-22-11) and apparently Holly has made it before for a youth group social night (1-30-06). Good both times!
• Used Ghirardelli Candy Making & Dipping Bar for the chocolate
• Survived nicely in the fondue pot for my 4 hour party and looks like the leftover bit would reheat well also.
• It's fairly thin so the angel food cake cubes survived the dipping process well.