Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip

I tried a few new recipes from JustIngredients for Christmas this year.  This appetizer dip was a total hit with everyone.  A bit of a kick with lots of texture and a little sweet.  

12 oz. bag fresh cranberries
2 jalapeños, minced

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 Tbsp lime or lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 8oz. packages of cream cheese at room temperature

Place cranberries, jalapeños, green onions and cilantro in a food processor and process until fine.  Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in lime juice, salt, and sugar.

Chill in fridge for about 2 hours or more (I didn't do this step - we were ready to eat!).

Spread cream cheese evenly in a shallow serving dish.  Spread salsa mixture on top and serve with crackers.

Vegan Nacho Dip

A friend gave me The Oh She Glows Cookbook, and as I flipped through the pages for the first time, this was the recipe that jumped out.  The dip was great!  I made a few changes, and had some friends present as taste-testers, who all agreed the result was yummy.  Truth be told, it's hard to mess up anything that's served as a dip with tortilla chips, right?!

1 cup raw cashews, (soaked in water for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight, and drained)

1 cup peeled and chopped carrots

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 large clove garlic

11/4 teaspoons sea salt

3/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 can original Rotel, drained  

2-3 handfuls baby spinach, finely chopped

a few handfuls of crushed tortilla chips, plus whole tortilla chips for serving

1-2 green onions, thinly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Lightly grease a 2-quart cast iron pan or casserole dish.

2. Make the cheese sauce: Place the carrots in a small saucepan and add water to cover.  Bring the water to a boil and cook the carrots for 5 minutes, or until just fork-tender.  Drain, reserving carrot water to add later.  (Alternatively, you can steam the carrots.)

3. In a blender, combine the cashews, cooked carrots, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, salt, chili powder, onion powder, cayenne, and 2/3 cup water (use carrot water if you saved it!) and blend until silky smooth, adding an extra splash of water if needed. Pour the sauce into a large bowl.

4. Make the dip: Stir drained Rotel and spinach into the cheese sauce until fully combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish and smooth it out, and sprinkle the top evenly with the crushed corn chips.

5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, uncovered, watching closely toward the end of the cooking time to make sure the corn chip topping doesn't burn. Garnish with green onion. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

I had a photo to go with this, but who knows when I'll get around to actually downloading and getting it on here.  And I'd hate for you to have to wait any longer to try out this festive dip.  Yum!



4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
dash of cloves
caramel sauce to drizzle on top (optional)
graham crackers of gingersnap cookies for dipping


In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on low speed, blend together cream cheese and powdered sugar until combined, then increase mixer to medium and beat for 1 minute until smooth and fluffy.  Add in pumpkin, sour cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves and mix until well blended and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.  Drizzle with caramel sauce, if using, and serve with crackers or cookies.  Store in refrigerator in an airtight container (if there's any left!).

Toffee Fruit Dip

Mmmmmm . . . this dip was so yummy!  I may have used a spoon to take a few more bites after the fruit was gone.

1 8oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tbsp. vanilla

Toffee pieces (crushed up Heath candy bar works well)

Blend cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla together.  Stir in toffee pieces.  Voila!  Top with a sprinkling of more toffee bits and serve with fruit slices (apples and pears worked well!).  

Cheesy Jalapeno Pull Bread

This was just as amazing as I hoped it would be when I pinned the recipe!  Three of us ate the entire thing for lunch.  Granted, that's all we ate.  But we polished off every bite while playing Cribbage! 


1 rustic loaf of bread, unsliced, either Italian or French
12 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup (less or more to taste) pickled jalapeños, chopped
1/4 cup green onions, including greens, chopped
1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the bread almost all the way through (not all the way) in a cross hatch pattern, spacing an inch between the slices.

Place the shredded cheese in a large bowl. Toss with the green onions and jalapeños. Pour over with melted butter and use your clean hands to toss, to distribute the butter evenly through the cheese.

Place the bread on a large sheet of aluminum foil (large enough to wrap the bread) on a baking sheet. Stuff every crevasse with the cheese mixture. Wrap up with the aluminum foil. At this point you can make ahead and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Then uncover the foil from the bread and cook for 10 minutes more, until all of the cheese has melted.  It took ours longer to cook.  Maybe it depends on how large your bread loaf is??  I'd say leave it covered for 20 minutes, then uncover for another 10-15 minutes.  

Place on a serving board or plate to serve.

Prosciutto Lemon Egg Bread

This was delicious!  We enjoyed it for dinner, but it would be perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even as an appetizer, cut into smaller slices.  And if you want to save some pennies, I think thinly sliced black forest ham would work in place of the prosciutto.

• 1 baguette (15 inches long)

• 5 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

• 3 tablespoons whole milk

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves (I used several shakes of the dried stuff)

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

• 4 slices thinly sliced prosciutto (I think thinly sliced black-forest ham or something similar could also work)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice 1/4-inch off the top of the bread, and hollow out bottom, discarding the crumb (soft interior) of the loaf. Cut top into 1-inch pieces, and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, zest, milk, parsley, and Parmesan. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir in 1/2 cup bread pieces.

Place hollowed-out bread on a parchment-lined baking sheet (I didn't use parchment paper). Press prosciutto slices along inside of bread to cover. Slowly pour egg mixture to the brim. Bake until eggs are puffed up and cooked through, 30 to 33 minutes.

Slice into 2-inch pieces. Serve immediately.

Hot Mushroom Dip

Who doesn't love a good dip?!  This was delicious.  I first served it with crackers and then again with fresh veggies.  Both worked well to get the tasty dip where I really wanted it - in my mouth!


2 Tbsp butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups chopped mushrooms
8 oz. cream cheese, softened and cut into pieces
1/2 tsp seasoned salt (I used Lowerys)
1/2 tsp dried dill
pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups pepperjack cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise


Preheat oven to 350.

In a large pan, melt butter on medium high heat.  Add onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook about 10 minutes, or until liquid is gone and mushrooms are beginning to brown.  Remove from heat.

Into the pan, add cream cheese, salt, dill and pepper.  Stir until cheese is melted and thoroughly mixed in.

Finally, add pepperjack cheese and mayo.  Mix well until cheese is melted.  Spread into an ungreased pie plate.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Serve with pita chips, tortilla chips, fresh veggies, or spoons!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

I hosted another soup swap this year.  You've got to try it!  Not only do you get new soups to freeze for later, your friends will think you're genius for planning the party (because they also get great soups to take home!) and you get to try out fun party foods that should only be made when they can be shared.  Like this one that Jessie posted.  Oh my.  This stuff is out of this world.  If I wasn't afraid of offending my guests, I would have taken a picture of how many ladies were huddled around the bowl, taking turns dipping and talking and laughing and saying how they should stop eating . . . but didn't.

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained

2 ounces canned jalapeno peppers, drained and diced

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chiles and jalapeno peppers. Pour mixture into a microwave safe serving dish, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Microwave on High until hot, about 3 minutes.

  

Bruschetta

Merry Christmas!  Here's a tasty and festive-looking appetizer for your Christmas weekend.  I searched through several recipes for how to make the topping and then just went with it.  Yummy!

• 1 (12 to 16-inch) baguette
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano, plus more for topping
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cut the baguette in medium slices, place on a sheet tray and bake in the oven until lightly brown. Sprinkle a bit of cheese on each slice.  Return to oven to melt cheese.

In a medium bowl, add the tomatoes, minced garlic, basil, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and let sit for at least 5 minutes at room temperature.

Remove baguette slices from oven and top with the tomato mixture. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top and enjoy!

Zucchini Feta Tart

I knew Jessie would have a good recipe to use up my Gruyere cheese.  But when I went to get the Gruyere, it had mold.  Ugh.  I pulled out the feta instead and just went with it, making a couple other changes.  I cooked the crust a little too long, but other than that I thought the adapted result was delicious!

4 zucchini (about 2 pounds), shredded

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup plain bread crumbs

1 tsp fresh rosemary

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375°. In a colander, toss zucchini with the salt and let drain, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the rosemary, 1/4 cup feta and the butter. Press the mixture evenly into a 10-inch springform pan (I used a pie plate) and bake until set and golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 400°.

Using your hands, squeeze out as much liquid as possible from the zucchini. In a bowl, toss the zucchini and remaining 3/4 cup feta. Season with pepper. Top the crust evenly with the zucchini mixture and bake until lightly golden, about 45 minutes. Run a knife around edge of the tart before removing the side of the pan

Roasted Broccoli Hummus

I'm really excited to share this recipe with you!  I've tried so hard to find a good hummus recipe that didn't require Tahini paste.  But when I saw this recipe and then found jars of Tahini buy one get one free, I decided to just give in.  So glad I did!  I love this hummus dip.  Do expect to taste the broccoli, but if you like roasted broccoli (like my daughter and I do), then you will most likely enjoy this nutritious and filling snack.  My favorite was to spread it across a toasted baguette.  Mmmm . . .  

Makes approximately 2 cups

1 15 oz can white beans (I used garbanzo)
1/2 pound roasted broccoli (recipe follows)
2 garlic cloves, roasted (these are roasted with the broccoli - sweet on the outside with a pleasant garlic heat internally)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbsp Tahini
salt

Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender.  Add a little bit of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to help blend and to achieve desired consistency.  Taste and add salt.  Taste again.  And again.

Can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.  Serve with a drizzle of a fine olive oil.

Roasted Broccoli

1 pound broccoli florets
1/4 tsp chili flakes
4 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Pre-heat oven to 400F.

Scatter broccoli across a sheet tray.   Do not overcrowd the tray as this will cause steaming rather than roasting.  Add chili flakes, garlic, olive oil, and salt.  Stir to coat.

Roast 20 minutes or until cooked through with parts of the florets having a nice bit of char.  Let cool slightly.

Spicy Cheese Crisps

Yummy, yummy in my tummy!  I first had these at my aunt's bridal shower.  My sweet Nana copied down the recipe from the host's cookbook because we liked them so much!  I made this batch for my friend's baby shower (hence the little green frog about to dive into the fruit plate).  My husband didn't care for them as much, but I think the buttery crunch with a little kick makes the perfect savory bite.


1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
3 cups crisp rice cereal


In a mixing bowl, cream the butter until fluffy. Slowly mix in the flour, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir in cheese and cereal.

Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls the flatten slightly with the palms of your hands.  Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350F for 15-17 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm or cold.

Stuffed Mushrooms

 

I'd never made stuffed mushrooms before, and I've only had them one other time, so without much to compare to I thought these were fantastic!  My husband and I both agreed that I should have doubled the recipe since there were six of us enjoying them.

18-24 button or cremini mushrooms, scrubbed clean, stems separated from the caps

1 Tbsp butter

2 small shallots, minced, about 2 Tbsp

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

Salt

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence or dried thyme

2 Tbsp breadcrumbs

2 Tbsp sherry or chicken stock

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Finely chop the mushroom stems. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the chopped mushroom stems and the shallots for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and walnuts and sprinkle with salt. Stir well and sauté 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat and add the parsley, herbes de Provence and breadcrumbs. Pour the sherry into a food processor, then the rest of the stuffing. Pulse several times to get a fine mixture, almost a paste.

Toss the mushroom caps with olive oil. Fill each mushroom with the stuffing. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over each mushroom and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese browns a little. Allow to cool for 5 minutes or so before serving.

Fruit and Nut Crisps

I took this picture from the same site where I found the recipe - love it!  These were fun to make, and delicious when spread with cream cheese!  I enjoyed them plain as well, but for serving purposes I think it'd be best to pair with spreadable cheese, butter, or a light jam. 


1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey

Seeds:
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup flax seed, ground

Add-ins:
1/2 cup apricots
1/2 cup dried figs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
or
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup figs
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Zest of one orange


Preheat oven to 350°F.

Step 1: Bake the Loaves

In a large bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda and salt. Add the buttermilk, brown sugar and honey and stir a few strokes.

Add the seeds, (pumpkin, sesame, and flax) apricots, dried figs, hazelnuts, and rosemary and stir just until blended.

Pour the batter into 1 8”x4” loaf pan and 2 mini-loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick spray.  I used five mini loaf pans so the crisps would all be the same size.

Bake for about 22 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch. Remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack.

Wrap tightly and freeze slightly before slicing. OR freeze for up to two months, then partially thaw, slice and bake for fresh crackers.

Step 2: Slice & Bake the Crisps

The cooler the bread, the easier it is to slice thin.  I put mine directly from the freezer onto the cutting board.  Slice the loaves as thinly as you can and place the slices in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Preheat the oven to 300°F and bake them for about 15 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes, until crisp and deep golden.


Cool and store in an airtight container.
Makes about 8 dozen crackers.

Kickin' Cream Cheese Dip

This is quite possibly the easiest thing you could serve that will be sure to have everyone coming back from more, and more . . . and more. I've already used it as an appetizer twice this week!

Place a large chunk of cream cheese in a serving dish. Place several heaping spoonfuls of any spiced fruit jelly on top (something like this). Serve with a Triscuit-esque cracker.

Cowboy Caviar

After devouring this at a friend's party the weekend before, my husband insisted that I make it for his graduation party. Get creative with other ingredients you could add-in or substitute - this is one of those that's hard to mess up! It's a colorful addition to any table and slightly addicting. You should probably go make a bowl for yourself before serving it to others, just to be sure that it's good, right?!


Mix the following ingredients and let the avacados marinate for at least thirty minutes:
Juice of one lime
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Tabasco
2 Tbsp veggie oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp salt
3 firm avacados, chopped

Combine the rest of the ingredients below and then add the avacados, gently mixing it all together:
1 can white beans
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
3 cups frozen corn
1 cup sliced green onions
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos

Ever since I saw this recipe, I've been dreaming of making the little poppers. My husband's graduation party seemed like the perfect opportunity and, let me say, these little wonders were THE thing to eat at the party. Either everyone there was being super nice, or they all absolutely loved these things. Next time I think I'll leave a bit of the stems or seeds in the jalapenos. I wanted them to have a little more kick.


20 whole Fresh Jalapenos, 2-3 Inches In Size
2 cubes Cream Cheese, softened
1 pound Thin(regular) Bacon, Sliced Into Thirds

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep… Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT). Smear softened cream cheese into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/3 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle. (At this point, you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc bag for later use).

Bake on a pan with a rack in a 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You don’t want the bacon to shrink so much it starts to the squeeze the jalapeno. If, after 20 minutes, the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, just turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish it off. These are best when the jalapeno still has a bit of bite to it.

Serve immediately, or they’re also great at room temperature.

Spicy Sausage Dip

After seeing this recipe posted twice (here and here), I decided I had to try it out. I made the mistake of serving it to a group of guys and not doubling the recipe. I'm pretty sure I saw someone scrapping the remnants with their finger! You really can't go wrong with this one.

1 8 oz. block cream cheese

1 can rotel, drained

1 lb. spicy breakfast sausage

Brown the sausage in a skillet and drain on a paper towel. Add cream cheese, rotel and sausage to small crockpot. Cook on low for 90min. Devour.

Pizza Bites

I was excited to include this in our menu of Super Bowl snacks. They were good, but not great. I used refrigerated dough (probably not the best choice) and half of the pepperoni package had lost its seal so I was short on the meat (boo!). Next time I will make my own dough and make sure to get enough pepperonis to put two in each bite.

½ batch (enough for 1 pizza)
4 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed (about 20-24 pieces)
Sliced pepperoni
For topping:
Olive oil
Italian seasoning
Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400˚ F. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate or cake pan. Divide the pizza dough into 20-24 roughly equal sized pieces. Take one of the dough pieces, top with a cube of cheese and a slice or two of pepperoni. Pull the edges of the dough around the fillings and pinch closed. Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
Lightly brush the tops of the dough balls with olive oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Serve warm, with dipping sauce as desired.

Spiced Nuts

I gave bags of these as gifts this Christmas. I wasn't so sure about making nuts in a crock pot, but they turned out great - and talk about easy!

1 cup raw, unsalted pecans
1 cup raw, unsalted almonds
1 cup raw, unsalted pistachios (no shells, just the meat)
1/2 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds
1 1/2 T maple syrup
1 tsp curry
1 tsp rosemary (I used Thyme)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt
cooking spray

This makes enough nuts to feed 12 people as a snack; about 3-4 gift containers. Spray the inside of your crockpot with cooking spray. Put in your nuts/seeds, then add all of the spices and the maple syrup. Toss well to coat. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes, and then 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. The nuts will burn if you don't stir (a few of mine burnt anyway!). Spread the nuts out on a layer of foil or wax paper to completely cool, and store in an air-tight container.