Mississippi Sin Dip

Wendy made this on Thanksgiving and got the recipe from pinterest. I have not been successful finding her exact recipe, but this one looks about right. It's from justapinch.com.

16 oz sour cream
2 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 c chopped ham
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 french bread loaf
8 oz cream cheese softened


In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, except French bread; stirring until well blended.

Cut a thin slice from top of bread loaf; set slice aside. Using a gentle sawing motion, cut vertically to, but not through, bottom of the loaf, 1/2 inch from the edge, to cut out center of bread. Lift out center of loaf. Fill hollowed bread loaf with the dip. Wrap loaf with foil.

Bake dip at 350° degrees for 50 minutes. Serve with reserved bread cubes, crackers,Fritos, or potato chips.

Spinach Calzones

Quick and easy. I used fat-free ricotta and part-skim mozzarella to make them a little lighter. The original recipe doesn’t call for egg in the cheese mixture, but I like it that way. From Woman’s World magazine.


1 lb pizza dough (I use Pillsbury in the can)
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp Italian seasoning
¼ tsp pepper
2 eggs, divided
1 cup marinara sauce, heated


Unroll dough and divide into 4 sections. Preheat oven to 4250. Coat large baking sheet with cooking spray. (or use Reynold’s Release) Combine next seven ingredients. Separate 1 egg. Add white (and a tiny bit of yolk if you wish) to cheese mixture. Put 2/3 cup cheese mixture on each pizza dough section and fold over. Using fork, seal edges. Place on baking sheet. Beat remaining egg and brush on top. Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden. Serve with marinara. Makes 4 servings.

Strawberry Ghosts

1 pound strawberries, washed and dried
4 oz white chocolate
1 oz dark chocolate
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (I used regular size)
2 tsp shortening

Melt white chocolate with 1 1/2 tsp shortening in the microwave in 30-second intervals until melted. Dip strawberries in and cover on all sides. Set on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. You might need to melt a little more white chocolate. Before the chocolate dries, stick 2 chocolate chips on each strawberry for eyes. Melt dark chocolate with 1/2 tsp shortening. Put in baggie and cut off a tiny bit of the corner. Pipe on mouths. Let set in refrigerator.

Vegetable Egg Rolls With Dipping Sauce

From my Babies and Toddlers cookbook.

1 Tbsp corn or sunflower seed oil, plus extra for oiling and brushing (I used olive)
2 oz dried vermicelli noodles
1 tsp sesame oil
1 small red pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
2 carrots, cut into thin strips
2 scallions, finely sliced lengthwise
2 oz baby corn, finely sliced
2 oz fine green beans, finely sliced
1 inch fresh gingerroot, peeled and grated (I used 1-2 tsp minced)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
3/4 cup bean sprouts (they were out and I had to get a can of mixed Asian veggies, so I threw in the water chestnuts from the can too.)
16 small egg roll skins, thawed if frozen
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Dipping sauce:
4 Tbsp sweet plum sauce (I used hoisin)
3 Tbsp mayonnaise (light)

Preheat oven to 350. Lighly oil a large cookie sheet (I used nonstick foil instead). Prepare noodles according to package directions. Drain, then refresh under cold running water. Cut into short lengths. I used the little fideos and didn't have to cut them.

Preheat a wok until hot. Add oild and swirl in wok. Stir-fry red pepper, carrots, scallions, baby corn, and beans for 3 minutes. Add ginger, soy sauce, and bean sprouts and stir-fry for 1 minute or until liquid evaporates. I might have stir-fried longer to make sure my veggies were soft enough.

Transfer veggies to a bowl and mix with noodles. Let cool.

Place an egg roll skin on the counter, keeping remaining skins covered to prevent drying. Place a heaping tablespoon of fillig on the corner nearest you then fold the corner over the filling toward the center. Fold in the 2 sides of hte skin to enclose the filling, and then continue to roll. Brush the far corner with egg white and fold over to seal. Repeat with remaining skins and filling to make 16. You may have filling left over. (We used regular-sized egg roll wrappers, and put more than 1 Tbsp in it, and got only 14.)

Arrange on baking sheet and brush each with oil. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly golden and crisp on the outside.

Meanwhile, mix mayo and hoisin sauce to make dipping sauce.

Serve hot with the dipping sauce.

Black Bean Salsa Chili

From Cooking Light. I took a picture of the chili on the stove, and took a picture of the topping separately so I could do it before guests arrived so they wouldn't think I was cuckoo for whipping out my camera at the table. I did add a little extra turkey. The corn you see in the chili was in the salsa that I chose.

• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 3 sweet hickory-smoked bacon slices, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 cups mild salsa
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Preparation

1. Combine 1 1/2 cups beans, 2/3 cup water, and sugar in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine bean puree and remaining beans in a bowl.

2. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add turkey; cook 3 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Remove turkey from pan.

3. Add onion, bell peppers, and bacon to pan; cook 5 minutes or until bacon and onion are lightly browned. Return turkey to pan. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, and crushed red pepper to pan; stir well to coat. Stir in bean mixture, salsa, tomato paste, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Combine sour cream, cilantro, and juice in a small bowl. Serve chili with sour cream mixture.

Chocolate Hazelnut Bark

From Cooking Light. I could not find hazelnuts and had to pick a few out of a can of mixed nuts (and got to skip a step because they were pre-roasted!). I supplemented with the cashews from the mixed nuts. It was perfect with the hazelnuts and cashews. I used 60% cocoa baking chocolate from Ghirardelli.

• 3/4 cup hazelnuts (about 4 ounces)
• 1/3 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Turn nuts out onto a towel. Roll up towel; rub off skins. Coarsely chop nuts. Combine nuts, cherries, and ginger in a medium bowl.

3. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until chocolate melts, stirring every 15 seconds. Add to nut mixture, stirring just until combined. Spread mixture evenly on a jelly-roll pan lined with foil; freeze 1 hour. Break into pieces; serve immediately.

Spinach Pastrami Wraps

From Taste of Home. I forgot to take a picture. It looks like a wrap.

4 flour tortillas (10 inches), room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup sliced Greek olives
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli pastrami
1-1/2 cups fresh baby spinach

Directions:
Spread tortillas with cream cheese; sprinkle with cheddar cheese, onion and olives. Top with pastrami and spinach. Roll up tightly; secure with toothpicks. Yield: 4 servings.

Salsa Mexicana De Maiz Y Frijoles Negros

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 can chopped green chilies
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
Baked Tostitos Scoops (or your favorite chips) if you plan to use as an appetizer

In a medium bowl, combine beans, corn, chilies, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, garlic salt, and cayenne. Cover and refrigerate 1-12 hours. Serve cold on fish, tacos, or tortilla chips.

Salmon Corn Cakes

1 lb Cooked Salmon

1/2 c Cooked Fresh Corn

1/4 c Shallots, diced medium

3 T Italian Parsley, finely chopped

1 Egg, beaten

3 T unsalted Butter, melted

1 T Fresh Ginger, grated

1 t Paprika

1 t Soy Sauce

1 t Sea Salt

1/2 c Fresh Bread Crumbs

oil for frying

lemon wedges

1. Combine everything except bread crumbs. Add 1/4 c of bread crumbs and reserve the rest. Gently mix together so that salmon breaks up a bit, but still has decent chunks.

2. Form mix into patties, pressing together firmly. If needed add a little more bread crumbs to help everything stay together.

3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Gently dredge patties in remaining bread crumbs, then place into skillet. Cook each side until it is golden brown, (about 3 minutes each side) (Turning these can be a delicate operation. It helps to use two spatulas at the same time to prevent the cakes from breaking apart.)

4. Drain on paper towels, squeeze some lemon over, and enjoy.

Ana Maria's Chalupas

Very addictive.

8 tostada shells (flat crispy tortillas)
4 cups shredded lettuce
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
2 radishes, sliced
2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
water
salt to taste
dried minced onion to taste
1 jar Mexican crema
1/4 to 1/2 cup green salsa
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

If you live in south Texas, you can find all these ingredients in your grocery store. If not, you can fry corn tortillas until they are crisp to get the tostada shells and you can use sour cream in place of the crema.

Ana Maria cooks her own beans and makes her own tomatillo salsa. I don't.

Take drained and rinsed beans and put into a saucepan on the stove over medium heat with about 1/2 cup water. Once they are warm, mash with a potato masher. Don't make them totally smoooth. The mixture should be pretty thin, so add more water if necessary.

Check the crema: if it is thick, take some out and put in a dish. Mix in a little milk. Microwave for 20 seconds or so and mix. You want to make it thin so you can drizzle it on top.

To assemble: Spread a spoonful of beans on a tostada. Pile lettuce on top. Arrange one tomato slice, one radish slice, and one onion slice in one layer on top of lettuce. Drizzle with green salsa, then with crema, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy.

Do not make these ahead. If they sit for a few minutes, they get all wet. Make only first serving at once, and then wait to make seconds.

Kid-friendly version: Just put beans, crema, and parmesan on tostada.

Makes 4 servings of 2 tostadas each.

Eight Layer Dip

1 can pinto beans with jalapenos (plus extra finely chopped jalapeno--optional)
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese
3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 package guacamole
1 small onion, chopped
1 8-oz container sour cream
1-2 tbsp chili powder
1 4-oz can green chilies
3-4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese (or cheddar jack), shredded
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 big bag Fritos Scoops

Drain and rinse beans. Put in food processor with cream cheese, and extra jalapeno if desired. Spread on bottom of dish. I used one that was a little smaller than a 9 by 13. Sprinkle on corn. Stir onion into guacamole. Spread over corn. Mix chili powder into sour cream. Spread on top of corn. Spread green chilies on top of sour cream. Sprinkle tomatoes on top of chilies. Sprinkle cheese on top of tomatoes. Sprinkle green onions on top of cheese. Serve with Scoops.
Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

Lisa's Caramel Puffcorn

We never can remember to take a picture of this.

It looks like caramel corn, but puffier and with no kernels.

I haven't found the Okee Dokee puffcorn yet in Texas, so I've been bringing it back from Missouri. By the way, Lisa is my parents' neighbor.
We've always made a full recipe, but I'm sure you could cut it in half. It makes a ton.

2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup dark Karo syrup
1 cup butter
1/2 tsp baking soda

2 packages of Okee Dokee puffed corn (Dierberg's carries it)
1 pound of nuts, peanuts, mixed or whatever you want

1. Put puffs in large roaster with nuts. I usually use 2 containers--a roaster and large mixing bowl. It helps to have a double oven too.

2. Melt brown sugar, butter and Karo syrup. Bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes.
Add the baking soda and stir well.

3. Pour the mixture over the puff corn and nuts and stir, stir, stir. It works well with a pancake turner to lift stuff up from the bottom.

4. Bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees, stirring every 10-15 minutes.

5. Turn out on wax paper and cool.

Potstickers

Recipe from the Asian Festival

Dumpling Dough:
My way: Purchase package of dumpling skins from nearest Asian grocery store. No Asian grocery store in my town, but I found one 15 minutes from where I work! :)

The real way:
2 cups flour
1 cup boiling water

Filling:
8 oz vegetables, finely chopped (carrots, Napa cabbage, regular cabbage, onions, etc.; whatever you want. I used carrots and regular cabbage)
3 tsp salt, divided
1 lb lean ground pork (or any other meat or tofu, or just use more veggies)
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions with tops
1 Tbsp white wine (optional)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil
Dash white pepper or black pepper
(Not in recipe, but I added 1 1/2 tsp bottled minced ginger)

Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

Other:
2-4 Tbsp vegetable oil for frying (I used more)

Prep: Cut cabbage into thin strips (if you're using cabbage) and mix with 2 tsp salt. Set aside for 5 minutes. Squeeze out excess moisture. (I forgot to do this, but I didn't use Napa cabbage, so I don't know if you need to.)

In large bowl, mix vegetables, pork, green onions, wine, cornstarch, remaining 1 tsp salt, sesame oil, white pepper, and ginger if you're using it.

In a bowl, mix flour and boiling water until soft dough forms. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface about 5 minutes or until smooth.

Divide dough in half. Shape each half into a roll 12 inches long and cut each roll into 1/2 inch slices.

Roll 1 slice into a 3-inch circle and place 1 Tbsp pork mixture into center of circle. (or grab first skin off of stack of storebought ones do the same.)

Lift up edges of circle and pinch 5 pleats up to create a pouch to encase the mixture. Pinch the top together. Repeat with the remaining slices of dough/storebought skins and filling.

Heat a wok or nonstick skillet until very hot. Add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, tilting the wok to coat the sides. Place 12 dumplings in a single layer in the wok and fry 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. (Check by cutting into one to make sure meat is done, if using meat.) Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

For dipping sauce, mix soy sauce with sesame oil. Serve with the dumplings.

Carrot Sandwiches

From the Gruene General Store Cookbook. I put the ingredients (except for bread) in the food processor, but you can make it chunky too and just mix them together by hand. I forgot to take a picture of this when I made it last, but they looked like tea sandwiches with a pate filling.


1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese (I use fat-free or reduced fat)
1 large carrot, grated
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp garlic salt or garlic powder + some salt
1 Tbsp lowfat mayonnaise
1 loaf health nut bread


Blend together cream cheese, grated carrot, chopped pecans, garlic salt, and mayonnaise. Spread on health nut bread for sandwich.

Toasted Ravioli

This is a little lighter than the St. Louis version. They are baked, and I used cheese ravioli. I happened to already them on hand, but they were also lower in fat than the ones filled with meat. (Meat is traditional.)

20 frozen cheese ravioli
¾ cup Italian-flavored bread crumbs
3 Tbsp grated (not shredded) parmesan cheese
2 eggs or 1 egg and 2 egg whites, beaten
Cooking spray
½ jar marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water (just cool enough so you can handle them). Set aside. Mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a shallow dish. Beat eggs in another shallow dish.

Take each ravioli, one by one, and dip in egg mixture, then coat in bread crumb mixture. Set on a cookie sheet. (I covered mine with Reynolds Release; I don’t know if that was necessary; they slid all over the place.) Spray with cooking spray.

Bake for about 7 minutes. Check to see if they are starting to brown. If so, take them out and flip over and then bake for another 7 minutes or so. If not, wait a few minutes, then check again and flip when ready. Oven times may vary.

Serve with warmed marinara sauce for dipping. We added ground turkey to ours because there was no meat in the ravioli, but if you do that, you can’t really dip; you’ll need to spoon the meat sauce over the ravioli.

Serves about 3 as a main dish. (Serving size: 6-7 ravioli)

Marinated Cheese

Thanks to one of my recipe exchange pals for this one. :) [If you have found this and are wondering why it looks different from yours, I am typing it from memory. I don't feel like going downstairs to get the card.]

I didn’t notice until I got home that the crackers I bought were tiny bite-sized ones. So, I sliced up my cheese into tiny blocks and then sliced the tiny blocks and put them in a shallow plastic container for marinating. It worked very well.

1 block white cheddar or mozzarella cheese
3 tsp olive oil
1 small jar roasted red peppers (I bought a larger jar and used 2 whole roasted peppers from it)
½ tsp dried basil or several fresh basil leaves
3 tsp balsamic vinegar
3 tsp sugar
3 cloves garlic

Slice block of cheese and arrange slices back in a block form in a shallow dish with lid. Puree remaining ingredients in food processor. Pour over cheese. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour. Serve with crackers or baguette slices.

Seacoast Dip

Shown with Wheatables.

3 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp onion powder
¼ tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
½ lb shredded imitation crab or lobster meat, or 1 cup cooked salmon, shrimp, or other seafood

Mix cream cheese and mayonnaise with electric mixer until smooth. Blend in lemon juice and spices. Stir in seafood. Cover and chill for at least one hour. Serve with crackers or vegetables.

Cheese Pizza “Fun”due

6 oz 2% milk Velveeta (Martina calls this Velveena), cubed
1 cup spaghetti sauce
3 Tbsp parmesan cheese

Dippers:
Bread cubes
Baby carrots
Grape tomatoes
Celery sticks
Raw broccoli
Anything else you like

Combine all of the above and melt together in the microwave. Serve with dippers.

Look, Grandma! I'm using the dish you gave me for Christmas. :)

Dead Man's Dip

1 unsliced loaf whole-wheat or brioche bread (about 1 lb)
1 regular breadstick (I was unable to find hard breadsticks, so my little coffin is missing this decoration.)
3 cans (14 oz each) artichoke hearts, drained
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 block (4 oz) fat-free or 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp hot red pepper sauce
Decoration: paprika and a clean plastic toy skeleton
Dippers: baby carrots; red and yellow bell pepper strips; celery sticks; cucumber slices
You'll need: two 6-in. bamboo skewers and some toothpicks
PREPARATION:
1. To make the bread coffin: Using a serrated knife, horizontally slice through top third of bread loaf, keeping top of bread attached along the long side opposite you; this will be the coffin lid. Carefully raise lid three-quarters open. Insert a skewer through bread top at each back corner of the lid, carefully threading each skewer through the bottom part of the loaf. This will keep lid open. Using kitchen shears, snip top of skewers flush with bread lid.
2. Following the contours of the loaf, and starting 1/2 in. in from loaf edges, score a rectangle in cut surface of bread bottom with a small knife. Carefully discard bread from inside the rectangle, leaving a 1/2-in. bread wall on all sides and a hollow into which to put the dip. Hollow out bread from coffin lid. Insert 3 or 4 toothpicks into breadstick along one length. Attach breadstick handle to front of coffin.
3. Pulse artichoke hearts, Parmesan, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic and pepper sauce in food processor until finely chopped. (If serving hot, place dip in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on high 3 minutes or until hot.) Carefully spoon dip into prepared bread coffin. Decorate with toy skeleton, if desired. Sprinkle top of dip with paprika. Serve with assorted dippers.
Plan Ahead: You can make the dip up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate, then heat in the microwave and serve hot or at room temperature. Make bread coffin up to 1 day ahead; store airtight at room temperature.

Dill Dip

2/3 cup mayonnaise
2/3 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp grated onion
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt
3 drops Tabasco or Louisiana hot sauce

Mix all ingredients. Chill a few hours or overnight.