Pineapple Salsa

We Williams love Baja Burritos pineapple salsa so much that we would eat it with a spoon.  Occasionally I'll make this at home- not quite the same, but a close second.


Pineapple Salsa

large can pineapple rings, drained
1- 28 oz can whole or diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 videllia onion
1 large or 2 medium jalapenos, seeded with ribs removed
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 bundle of cilantro roughly chopped

Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until "salsa consistency" 
Best if you make ahead!

Stuffed Mushrooms

Lauren Moore used to make these for potlucks and they were incredible!

STUFFED MUSHROOMS
Ingredients:
3T melted butter
24 fresh mushrooms
2 T butter
4T green onion, minced
1 t lemon juice
1 C diced cooked crab meat
1/2 C soft bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/2 t dried dill weed
3/4 C shreeded monterey jack cheese, divided
1/4 C dry white wine

Preheat oven to 400F. Cover the bottom of a 9x13" dish with the 3T of melted butter. Wash mushrooms, removing stems, and set caps aside.  Finely chop the stems.  Melt 2T butter over medium heat in a medium sauce pan.  Stir in the chopped stems, and green onion, cooking until soft- about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Then stir in the lemon juice, bread crumbs, dill weed, crab meat, egg, and 1/4C of cheese, throughly blending the mixture.  Put the mushroom caps in the buttered 9x13" pan and stir them until they are coated with butter.  Then arrange the caps with the cavity side facing up.  Stuff generously with crab meat mixture.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/4C cheese on top of the mushrooms.  Pour wine in the dish around the mushrooms.  Bake uncovered for 20min until cheese is melted and lightly browned.  

White bean cilantro-lime hummus

Recipe from: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/03/cilantro-lime-white-bean-hummus/

1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 clove of garlic, minced (more or less, depending on your tastes)

1/4 cup cilantro

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/3 cup olive oil (+ more to reach desired consistency)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine beans, cilantro, lime zest, juice and garlic in the food processor and blend until mixed. With the processor on, stream in olive oil until desired consistency is reached.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with pita chips and raw veggies.

Won Ton Crackers

I ended up with some won ton wrappers after a Whole Foods class last week, and made these.  We served them one night with brie, and another night with an eggplant dip.

won ton wrappers
olive oil or spray
sea salt, fresh ground pepper

Cut won ton wrappers diagonally and place on a sprayed cookie sheet.  Spray or brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake at 400 for 7 minutes.

Peach Salsa

Yesterday we passed a produce stand where I bought 23 fresh peaches for $4! This was the first recipe we made:

4 medium peaches, peeled, pitted

2 large tomatoes, cut in wedges and seeded

1/2 sweet onion, cut in wedges

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chiles

4 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine ingredients in food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached. Serve with tortilla chips or over fish, pork, chicken, etc.

Lemon cheesecake ball

I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it last night. It was very tasty! I cut the recipe in half and it was more than enough for 5 people.

10 oz cream cheese

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

zest of 1 lemon

4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 graham crackers

Mix cream cheese, sugar, zest, and juice with an electric mixer until blended. Transfer to plastic wrap, form into a ball, and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. After 3 hours, remold back into a ball and refrigerate until nearly ready to use. Before serving, crush graham crackers on a plate and roll the ball in the crumbs. Serve with crackers, cookies, fruit, etc.

Apple Cheddar Quesadillas

These were great. Perfect for a snack, appetizer, light supper... yum.

1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

6 large whole wheat tortillas

1 or 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced

Sprinkle cheese over 1/2 of each tortilla. Arrange apple slices on top of cheese then sprinkle more cheese. Fold tortilla in half. Cook in nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes each side. Repeat with other tortillas. Serve warm.

Marinated Chickpeas

This recipe is part of a tapas plate, but would also be great as an appetizer with slices of bread, crackers, etc.

15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers

2 scallions, sliced

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons olive oil

2/3 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Serve at room temperature.

Sweet Potato Soup

We liked the flavor of this soup, but I think I'll add more sweet potato next time to make it a little thicker.

Serves 6

3/4 cup plain yogurt, divided (could also use sour cream)
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (more for a thicker soup)
3 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped parsley or cilantro
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Heat oil in a soup pot. Add onions and cumin and sauté 3-4 minutes. Add potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup 20-25 minutes. Puree soup with 1/2 cup yogurt and parsley/cilantro. Serve with a dollop of remaining yogurt and sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.

Feta and Spinach Tart

I made this last night... I improvised quite a bit- we were snowed in, so I used what we had! The original recipe is for individual tartlets, but I made one large tart instead.

1 pie crust (refrigerated or homemade)

10oz package frozen chopped spinach

2 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper

2/3 cup heavy cream

3 egg yolks

4 1/2 oz feta cheese

1/3 cup pine nuts (I used slivered almonds... I think walnuts would also be good)

Grease a loose bottom tart pan. Roll out pie crust and place in pan, trimming edges. Place in fridge to chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. Prick with fork and bake tart shell for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Thaw the spinach, draining water. Melt butter in skilletm add spinach, and cook gently to evaporate remaining liquid. Season well with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and stir in cream and egg yolks. Crumble feta and place in bottom of tart pan. Spread spinach mixture on top. Bake about 10 minutes. Add nuts and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Puff pastry brie

This could not be any easier, but the result is DELICIOUS!

1 sheet puff pastry

1 8 oz round brie

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

Take puff pastry out of freezer and thaw on counter for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400. Place brie round in middle of pastry and wrap up, trimming excess pastry. Place wrapped brie seam side down on a cookie sheet. Whisk together water and egg and brush on pastry. Decorate with pastry trimmings and brush again with egg wash. Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden. Let sit 20 minutes before serving (otherwise it will be too gooey)

Chunky potato soup

This soup is really good. I made it twice in one week. That means it is reeeeeally good. And it is actually healthy, too. Winner.

4-6 red potatoes

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1 1/4 cups fat free/ low sodium chicken broth

3 Tbsp flour

2 cups low-fat milk, divided

1/4 cup sour cream

salt, pepper

and for toppings:

bacon, cooked and crumbled

cheddar cheese, grated

scallions, sliced

Cook the potatoes until soft (in the microwave for 13 minutes, or in boiling water for about 20 minutes). Discard peel (you might want to do this before hand so you don't have to peel a hot potato). Meanwhile, cook onion in olive oil in a Dutch oven or pot. Add chicken broth. In a bowl, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup milk. Add to pot, along with 1 1/2 cups milk. Let cook several minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add sour cream. Add potatoes to pot and mash coarsely.

Sweet roasted pumpkin seeds

Doug carved a pumpkin on Saturday and we made this with the seeds:

seeds from 1 medium pumpkin

4 cups water mixed with 1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar.

Rinse seeds in water, separating stringy fiber. Boil seeds for 20 minutes in salted water. Drain seeds and place on paper towel, patting dry. Mix dried seeds with olive oil and spices. Spread out in single layer on rimmed baking sheet. Roast at 250 for 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool- seeds will become more crisp as they cool.

Serve as appetizer, dessert, or topping for salad or chili.

Easy Hummus

We've been on a bit of a hummus kick lately. Here's an easy recipe from Real Simple:

1 can chickpeas, rinsed well

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup oil, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons tahini paste (ground sesame seeds)- optional

1 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

I don't have a food processor, so I use the blender... a food processor would work MUCH better, though! Puree chickpeas and blend with other ingredients (except paprika). Add a tablespoon of water, if needed, if mixture is too thick. Transfer to serving bowl and top with paprika and additional oil. Serve with pita chips and raw veggies.

Tex-Mex Twice Baked Potatoes

This has been a fall/winter favorite of ours. Recipe from Whole Foods. It also works well as an appetizer if you use small potatoes.

serves 2

2 Russet potatoes, scrubbed, pricked with fork all over

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 cup canned refried pinto beans

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

fresh salsa

2 green onions, diced

Place potatoes in oven at 400 for 1 hour (or microwave for 5 minutes, turn, and microwave another 5 minutes). Cut in half and set aside until cool enough to handle. Mix sour cream, cumin, salt, and beans. Scoop out potato, leaving enough so the potato doesn't fall apart. Blend potato with the bean mixture- use a potato masher or fork. Replace mixture into potatoes. Top with grated cheese. Broil for 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Savory Mini Corn Muffins

These variations from Martha Stewart are genius! Of course her recipe is from scratch, but we started with a box of Jiffy and it turned out just fine!

Savory Mini Corn Muffins

So, start with a box of Jiffy and follow the directions to make the batter. Then, add your choice of the following to the batter to make delicious mini muffin appetizers.

1) Orange Rosemary Black Pepper

-1/4 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

-1/4 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

-1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2) Jalapeno Cheddar

-3/4 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeno chile (make sure to use gloves)

-1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated white cheddar cheese

3) Caramelized Onion-Bacon

-2 tablespoons caramelized onion

-1 1/2 strips cooked bacon, crumbled

Gently stir in add-ins, then spoon into lightly greased mini muffin tin and bake according to package directions.

Pizza rolls

This is such a great idea! So versatile!

Pizza Rolls

1 refrigerated rectangular pizza crust

fillings (toppings and cheese)

olive oil or melted butter

salt, pepper

grated parmesan

marinara sauce (for dipping)

Stretch the dough into a 8x12" rectangle. Divide into 24 squares (4x6)

In each square, put a little cheese and a little topping. For mine, I made half red pepper and goat cheese and the other half ham, pineapple, and mozzarella... I just kind of put in enough to fit. Then fold the corners of each square and press to seal so you have a little dough ball. Put into a baking dish (a 9" round worked well) seam-side down. Brush the top of all of the stuffed dough balls with melted butter or olive oil and then sprinkle salt, pepper, and grated parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Serve with warmed marinara and maybe some more grated parm. YUM!

Pizza Bianca

I found little pizza dough rounds at the grocery, so tonight we had little pizza biancas. I mostly followed this recipe. They were really good! They would also make good appetizers.

Pizza Bianca

1 pizza dough (or individual doughs!)

1 1/2 cups fresh goat cheese

1-3 tablespoons milk, if needed for spreading

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 small mushrooms, sliced (I used Paris)

1 medium tomato, diced

3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, crumbled (or grated)

Place dough on a cookie sheet. Mix the goat cheese and minced garlic. If the cheese is too thick to spread, add milk. Spread cheese onto crust, going nearly to the edge. Top with vegetables, then mozzarella. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until cheese has melted and crust is beginning to brown.

Fresh Mushroom Appetizer

This recipe is from my Aunt Kaye. We made it tonight and it was really good! Perfect for extra fresh mushrooms!

Fresh Mushroom Appetizer

-fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used white)

-olive oil

-fresh lemon juice

-salt and pepper

-fresh Italian parsley

Slice mushrooms. Mix equal parts good virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt pepper, minced parsley, toss! Serve on a plate with a fresh baguette!

Guacamole

We love to make homemade guacamole! We prefer the mild version, so we don't add any hot peppers.

Guacamole

2-3 ripe avocados

1 garlic clove

juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped tomato

salt and pepper

Remove pit from avocados and scoop out centers. Mash in a bowl. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Stir in diced tomato and onion. Serve with tortilla chips.

***Avocados will turn brown quickly... the best way to preserve guacamole is to lay saran wrap directly on the guacamole and then cover the entire dish again and place in fridge. The lime juice should also help.