Portobello, Broccoli, and Red-Pepper Melts

My sister in law came over a few weeks ago for lunch. She sent me a recipe she wanted to try, so between the two of us we collected the ingredients and made it together. I was very hesitant in it cause it sounds gross, and I do not like mushrooms usually. But, I am all into expanding my horizons and trying new things. Good thing cause these are awesome! The tasted like delicious little pizzas. The best part is they can be made to be super healthy, and they would make great appetizers for a party!

Portobello, Broccoli, and Red-Pepper Melts

1 small head broccoli, cut into small florets (stalk discarded)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 portobello mushrooms (stems removed), sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove, crushed through a press
4 thick slices country bread
4 ounces Gouda cheese, thinly sliced

 

Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. On a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss broccoli with oil; season with salt and pepper. Broil, tossing once or twice, until broccoli begins to char, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add mushrooms and bell peppers to sheet; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Broil, tossing once or twice, until vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes more; set aside.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Place bread on a work surface. Dividing evenly, spread with mayonnaise mixture, and top with vegetables, then cheese. Place on baking sheet, and broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Empanadas

Empanadas are little pockets of deliciousness. Okay, really they are a great Mexican food staple. You can fill them with anything from chicken to chocolate, and you can even make some amazing dips for them. The idea is that you make them from scratch, and make a bunch of them and freeze the ones you don't eat. Well, around these parts I like the find the easy way. The recipe I found was from Paula Deen on food network, and instead of making your own crust, you use refrigerated pie crusts so these little beauties are super simple.

This specific recipe calls for chicken, but we used chorizo because chorizo is delicious! This makes enough to feed a family of 6 for a meal, or a small crowd for an appetizer.

Empanadas

3 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1 (8-ounce) package shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (15-ounce) package refrigerated pie crusts
Water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly grease a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the chicken and next 7 ingredients. Unroll 1 piecrust onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 15-inch circle. Cut out rounds, using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Re-roll dough as needed. Repeat procedure with remaining piecrusts, making 12 to 15 circles total. Arrange 1 round on a clean, flat surface. Lightly brush the edges of crust with water. Place 1 heaping teaspoon of chicken mixture in the center of the round. Fold the dough over the filling, pressing the edges with a fork to seal. Repeat with the remaining rounds and chicken mixture. (Up to this point, the recipe can be made ahead and frozen for up to 1 month). Arrange empanadas on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Mary's Very Authentic Egg Rolls

I don't know Mary, but someone does! So, if you want to hear the cool story behind this recipe, head over to Mel's Kitchen Cafe and have a read!

I was very excited to try these out because 1: I love Asian food, and 2: I am intimidated by it so I love recipes that are authentic, but easy to follow and execute with ingredients you can actually find!

A couple things: It says to not use egg roll wrappers, but I did, and we still thought they were delicious. I also did not use the vermicelli. I could not find it, and I didn't miss it either!

Also, when I was putting together the rolls I wasn't sure if I was supposed to cook the meat before frying or not, so I didn't. However, I did measure the temp of the meat after it was done frying, to make sure it was hot enough to be considered "fully cooked". So, you are safe, you do not have to cook the meat beforehand, but you can if you want.

So, even with my changes, these were awesome! It made a lot of filling, so I just threw the filling in a freezer bag for later. If you want you can also make all the egg rolls, fry them, then freeze the ones you do not eat. From there you can reheat in the oven or microwave.

Mary's Very Authentic Egg Rolls
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe 

This recipe will make 50-100 egg rolls, you can half the recipe and even then freeze what you don't use. 

Filling:
2 packages vermicelli (or Muong Bean Thread noodles) noodles (6 ounces total)
2-3 pounds meat (I use a combination of ground pork and ground turkey)
1 head of cabbage, shredded finely (or use 1 10-ounce package of pre-cut cabbage)
4 whole eggs
3 egg whites (save the egg yolks for sealing the egg rolls)
1/2 pound carrots, shredded finely (or use the 10-ounce bag of shredded matchstick carrots)
2 onions, finely chopped

Sauce:
3 tablespoons salt
8-10 tablespoons oyster sauce
4-5 tablespoons black soy sauce ( I just use normal soy sauce)
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons fish sauce

Put the vermicelli noodles in a large bowl and pour hot water over noodles and let soak for 15-20 minutes (if using boiling water, soak for 10 minutes). Once soaked, drain very well and chop noodles up a bit into 2-3 inch pieces (not too short).
Mix all the filling ingredients (noodles, meat, cabbage, whole eggs, egg whites, carrots and onions) in a large bowl. Hand mixing works best. Then add the sauce ingredients.
Mix together.
Pull apart spring roll pastry wraps. Leave main stack of wraps covered with a damp towel while rolling egg rolls. Lay the wrap so it is a diagonal in front of you. Put a large spoonful of filling about an inch above the bottom diagonal. Fold up the bottom triangle and tuck under the filling then proceed to roll up the egg roll, folding in the sides and tucking them in. Moisten the top triangle with the remaining egg yolks and roll/press to seal.
Heat canola or vegetable oil (I always use canola oil) 1/3 full in pot. Heat the oil to about 375 degrees. Fry egg rolls until golden brown and cooked through. Constantly turn the egg rolls so they don’t overcook on one side. Drain on crumpled paper towels and serve with sweet chili sauce.

Holiday Dinners: Thanksgiving

So I am a few weeks late... what's new? If you want, this would also be a great Christmas or New Years meal, or you can plan ahead for next year.

This year we smoked our turkey. My husband bought a smoker for his birthday, and we have been enjoying it immensely. In fact, I plan to do a post all about it someday, when I get around to it. Anyway, it was amazing but I am not going to post the recipe because only a handful of people actually have a smoker, and I have many other recipes to share instead. And yes, that is bacon draped over the top. Bacon seemed to be the theme of our dinner this year. Oh, and just for the record, I have never made my turkey. My husband does it every year and he is awesome at it.

Appetizers

So I have this sick obsession with food. It was only our family for Thanksgiving, and I bought way too much. I probably went a little over board on the appetizers this year, but they were oh so good.

This year I did a cheese tray, with grapes, crackers and crusty bread. I looked up online to see which cheeses were the best, and most sites suggested to get three or four different types and to get a hard cheese, a soft cheese and a semi-soft cheese. We used sharp cheddar, tintern cheddar with chives, smoked Gouda and taleggio.

Along with that I made in antipasto platter with salami, prosciutto,  ham, turkey, baby swiss cheese, black olives, and mini pickles.

Also, crab dip and 7 layer dip which are definitely my go to appetizers. Also we threw in some veggies and dip!

A new one we tried this year is homemade hummus. It was super easy, and really good. I even through in some red pepper spread that we had to add some more flavor.

5-Minute Hummus

1 15-ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed
1 clove garlic
1/4 c olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste) optional- (I used sesame seed oil)
1 tsp ground cumin
kosher salt
1/4 tsp paprika

In a food processor, puree the chickpeas and garlic with the olive oil, lemon juice, tahini (if using), cumin, and ¾ teaspoon salt until smooth and creamy. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with the paprika before serving.

Main Course

As I mentioned, we had the smoked turkey, with a gravy made out of the drippings.  I also made my go to butterhorn rolls and added a yummy honey butter recipe to go with!

Honey Butter

2 sticks butter, soft
1/2 c honey
1/2 c marshmellow fluff

Whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temp.

And here are the side dishes. All were super delicious, even the stuffing. I hate stuffing, but this was actually pretty good! And in place of cranberry sauce, I made a package of cranberry jello!


Blue Cheesy Potatoes

5 potatoes, peeled and boiled
1 c crumbled blue cheese
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
4 strips bacon, crumbled
2 tbsp butter
milk

Boil Potatoes and garlic until soft (about 10 min). Mash Potatoes with blue cheese, Worcestershire sauce, crumbled bacon and butter. Add milk for desired consistency.

Spicy Corn-Bread Stuffing

For the Corn Bread
3 cups cornmeal
2 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp red pepper flakes
2½ tsp kosher salt
2 cups milk
½ cup canola oil
1 can (14¾ oz.) cream-style corn
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 yellow onion, finely diced
½ cup diced green bell pepper

For the Herb Butter
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp minced fresh sage
2 tbsp minced fresh thyme
2 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the Stuffing
5 tbsp Herb Butter
2 yellow onions, finely diced
(about 2 cups)
3 stalks celery, finely diced
(about ¾ cup)
10 cups corn bread, cubed
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup whole milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the Corn Bread

1 Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease a 13˝ x 9˝ x 2˝ baking dish, and warm in oven while you make batter. 2 In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, red pepper flakes and salt. Stir in milk, oil and cream-style corn. Then add cheese, onion and green pepper. 3 Carefully remove warmed baking dish from oven, and pour batter into it. Return to oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool completely, then cube.

For the Herb Butter

and celery and sauté until translucent,In a small mixing bowl, combine butter with herbs, salt and pepper. Reserve 5 tbsp for stuffing mixture and use remainder for turkey. For the Stuffing 1 Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely. 2 In a large bowl, combine onion-and-celery mixture with corn bread, eggs, milk, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Mix well to combine, careful not to crush cubed corn bread. Refrigerate until ready to stuff turkey. 3 Grease an 8˝ x 8˝ baking dish. After filling turkey, place remaining stuffing in baking dish. Bake alongside turkey for last 35 to 40 minutes.

Green Beans With Bacon Vinaigrette

kosher salt and black pepper
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
6 slices bacon
2 shallots, sliced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the green beans and cook until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool; transfer to a serving bowl.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes; transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Let cool, then break into pieces.
3. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the skillet and return to medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the vinegar, mustard, oil, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add to the green beans, along with the bacon, and toss to combine.

Baked Sweet and Savory Mashed Potatoes

3 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon salt, divided
1 (29-ounce) can sweet potatoes in syrup, drained and mashed
1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
6 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup light sour cream
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Garnish: crumbled bacon

Bring potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and water to cover to a boil in a Dutch oven; cook 30 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Return potatoes to Dutch oven. Add sweet potatoes and cream cheese; mash until smooth with a potato masher. Stir in bacon, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20 minutes. Garnish, if desired.


 

Baked Spring Rolls

This recipe is from the "Lighten Up" section of the Food Network Magazine. Every month the magazine takes a usually fatty meal and makes it healthier! Fortunately for us, it is tasty too!

Baked Spring Rolls

1 2-ounce piece deli ham, finely diced
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing
1 tablespoon chopped peeled ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1 1/2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic paste
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
14 square spring roll wrappers
1 large egg white

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Make the spring rolls: Cook the ham in 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic and scallions; cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute.
Toss the cabbage and carrot with the hot ham mixture in a large bowl. Add the crab, cilantro, chili-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, the soy sauce and vinegar; toss.
Wrap the spring rolls (see right). Pierce each roll with a skewer in a few places to prevent bursting.
Place a rack in a baking dish and brush with vegetable oil. Mix the remaining 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil; lightly brush on rolls. Place the rolls on the rack; bake until golden on top, about 15 minutes. Turn the rolls; bake until golden and crisp, 8 to 10 more minutes.

Almost-Famous Chicken Lettuce Wraps

The Food Network Magazine has this awesome section in every issue where they share a "secret" recipe. So far it has always been a dish from a restaurant I love. In the June 2010 issue, it was a knock-off recipe for PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps! The best part is that the recipe come pretty close to the real thing, and it is simple to make!

I apologize for the pictures. It was late and I was hungry.

Almost-Famous Chicken Lettuce Wraps

For the Chicken:

    * 1 large egg white
    * 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    * 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
    * 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced
    *

For the Stir-Fry Sauce:

    * 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
    * 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
    * 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
    * 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
    * 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
    * 2 teaspoons cornstarch
    *

For the Noodles:

    * 2 bundles cellophane noodles
    * Peanut oil, for frying
    *

For the Stir-Fry:

    * 4 tablespoons peanut oil
    * 3 cloves garlic, minced
    * 1 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
    * 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
    * 4 scallions; 2 minced, 2 cut into 1-inch pieces
    * Kosher salt
    * 1/4 teaspoon sugar
    * 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms,stemmed and diced
    * 3/4 cup diced water chestnuts
    * Small lettuce leaves, for serving
    * Soy sauce, chili paste and/or hot mustard, for serving

Prepare the chicken: Whisk the egg white, cornstarch and rice wine in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Make the stir-fry sauce: Whisk 1/3 cup water, the oyster, hoisin and soy sauces, the rice wine and sesame oil in a bowl, then whisk in the cornstarch until dissolved.

Fry the noodles: Pull the noodles apart into sections. Heat 3/4 inch peanut oil in a medium saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer registers 380 degrees F. Working in batches, press the noodles into the oil with a spatula until they puff, 5 to 10 seconds. Drain on paper towels.

Make the stir-fry: Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil to the skillet; when almost smoking, stir in the garlic, ginger, jalapeno and minced scallions, then add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the sugar and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, water chestnuts and scallion pieces and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the stir-fry sauce and chicken and cook 1 minute.

Make a bed of noodles on a platter and top with the chicken mixture. Serve the noodles and stir-fry with lettuce leaves and soy sauce for dipping.

Taco Wantons

This is a great summer recipe. It requires few ingredients, and minimal cooking! This recipe is originally an appetizer recipe, but at our house we eat appetizers for meals sometimes, that's just how we roll.
This time around I made the wantons with ground beef, but you can also use chicken.

This is a great one for the kids to help with! 

Taco Wantons

12 wanton wrappers
1/2 package taco seasoning
10 oz of ground beef or 10 oz of chicken ( I used 8 chicken breast tenders)
ranch dressing
cheese
salsa
sour cream

Spray non-stick cooking spray in a 12 count cupcake pan. Place one wanton wrapper in each cup.

Beef method: Cook ground beef with taco seasoning. Remove from heat and mix in the ranch dressing to taste (you want it to be moist, but not runny).

Chicken method: Boil chicken in a sauce pan until cooked. Place chicken in a mixing bowl and shred. Add taco seasoning and ranch dressing to the chicken. Add dressing until mixture is creamy, but not runny.

For both: Place a spoonful of meat mixture into each wanton. Top with cheese and stick in a 350 degree oven until cheese is thoroughly melted (put the wantons on the lowest rack, so the bottoms have a chance get firm. If you don't cook it long enough, the bottom of the wantons can get soggy). Top with salsa and sour cream.

Chesapeake Butter

This is the last recipe from our Valentine's Day Dinner. This recipe is from the January/February issue of Food Network Magazine (yes I am in love). In this specific issue, there was a whole section on different types of potato skins. It was so hard to choose which one, but since we were already consuming mass amounts of butter for our Valentine's Day dinner, I decided to continue the tradition and try out the Chesapeake Butter Potato Skins. I loved this recipe because the skins were the perfect amount of crunchiness, not tough and chewy like some potato skins can be. I am very excited to try out the 36 other recipes someday!

Chesapeake Butter Potato Skins

4 large russet baking potatoes
melted butter
Old Bay Seasoning
grated Parmesan
chopped chives

Pierce the potatoes with a fork.  Bake directly on the oven rack at 350 for 1 hour (or until tender). Let cool, then quarter lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4 inch shell. Brush both sides with melted butter and season with salt and pepper. Bake skin side up at 450 until crisp, about 15 minutes. Then brush skins with butter again, and turn skin side down. Sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning, grated Parmesan and chopped chives and then stick in the oven for a few more minutes (until cheese looks melty).

Count Down to the Super Bowl: The Best Cheeseball

I have never made a cheese ball before, and it was so easy! It is so much cheaper to make your own, and much cheaper too.

I really have a hard time when people call some "the best". I actually brought this to a party the night before the super bowl, and there was another cheese ball there, a rival cheese ball. And guess what, the rival cheese ball was better! So I guess the name of that one is, "better then the best cheese ball"? Anyway, this cheese ball is pretty good, and my husband loves it.

The Best Cheeseball from My Kitchen Cafe

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 cup pecans, finely chopped for rolling

Place finely chopped pecans in a shallow dish and set aside. In a large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), mix the cream cheese until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese and mix until just combined. Lightly sprinkle all the seasonings and sauces over the cheese mixture and mix until thoroughly combined.

With lightly greased hands, portion the cheese mixture into four pieces and roll each section into a round ball. Coat in pecans. The easiest way to do this is to hold the cheeseball in one hand and scoop up the pecans and press them onto the cheeseball with the other, turning the cheeseball as you go and letting the excess pecans fall back into the dish. Cover each cheeseball in saran wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Count Down to the Super Bowl: Caramel Toffee Fruit Dip

Yes, another dip, but this one is sweet! this is my new favorite fruit dip and it is the perfect thing to make fruit unhealthy!

Caramel Toffee Fruit Dip

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
3/4 c brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
toffee bits, preferably chocolate covered (optional)

Mix all ingredients together, until smooth. Top with the toffee bits, and serve with your favorite fruits.  

Countdown to the Super Bowl: Cheesy Pizza Fondue

I do have to apologize for my lack of creativity on these appetizers. I had this grand plan of doing all these fun fancy appetizers, but life happened, and appetizers didn't. I will be posting several more before the big game, but hopefully next year I will be able to get a little more creative and fun!

This is a new recipe I tried out today when some friends came for lunch and we loved it. Yes it is another dip, and yes it is very easy to make.

Cheesy Pizza Fondue

1 cup spaghetti sauce
6 oz Velveeta cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Place spaghetti sauce in a medium microwave safe bowl; cover with paper towel (unless you want to clean your microwave after). Microwave for 1 min. Stir in Velveeta and Parmesan cheese. microwave 2 1/2/ min or until Velveeta is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute. You can serve this with vegetables or bread sticks. 

I made stuffed bread sticks to dip. I used my pizza dough recipe, rolled it out into a large rectangle, used a pizza cutter to slice 3- 4 inch wide strips. I placed some pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni on the middle of each strip, folded to sides together, and baked for about 10 min at 425.

Countdown to the Superbowl: Super Easy Chip Dip

This is perhaps the easiest chip dip ever. Even those people who are inept in the kitchen can figure this one out. Although this recipe is brainless, it happens to be very tasty. This is one appetizer we always had growing up. Therefore it has a bit of sentimental value, so I may be a little biased.

Super Easy Chip Dip

1 8 oz container sour cream
1 package of dry onion soup mix

Mix together. And your done.

I like to dip with plain potato chips, but I bet other flavors would be good too!

Count Down to the Super Bowl: Crab Dip

Yes, I already posted this recipe back in the beginning months of the blog, but I have a sick little baby that has needed a lot of attention today. No time to make anything or really think about a "new appetizer". However, this recipe is good enough that I should post it twice so no one misses it. This is my favorite appetizer, and it is so easy to make. You can also freeze this, make now, serve later.

Crab Dip

1 can crab
1 package cream cheese, softened (8 ounces)
1/2 cup mayonaise
1tsp lemon juice
1 celery stalk, diced (or 1 tsp celery salt)
2 green oinoins,diced
lemon peper to taste

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well blended (I use a hand mixer). It will taste better if you let it refrigerate over night (and even wait to add the lemon pepper, so you can really tell what it taste like). Tastes best with Ritz crackers!

Count Down to the Super Bowl: Artichoke Dip

This is not your momma's artichoke dip! A good friend of mine brought me this dip recipe because she knows how much I love jalapenos! This dip is a lot like the artichoke jalapeno dip you buy at Costco, which I love. This dip is really good, though for me, I will add an extra can of jalapenos next time.Oh, and it makes a lot, which is good AND bad.

Artichoke Dip

1 c parmesan cheese (powdered kind is best)
1 c mayo
1 c sour cream
15 oz. artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 oz. diced green chilies, drained
4 oz. chopped jalapenos, drained

Mix all ingredients together. Microwave for about 4 minutes. Stir Microwave 1-2 more minutes until melted. I also think it would be great if you then threw it under the broiler until browned on top!

Recipe of the Day: Crab Dip

This is one of my favorite holiday snack foods. I grew up on this, so it brings back memories. It is also incredible delicious and easy to make, which is even better!

Crab Dip

1 can crab
1 package cream cheese, softened (8 ounces)
1/2 cup mayonaise
1tsp lemon juice
1 celery stalk, diced (or 1 tsp celery salt)
2 green oinoins,diced
lemon peper to taste

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix until well blended (I use a hand mixer). It will taste better if you let it refrigerate over night (and even wait to add the lemon pepper, so you can really tell what it taste like). Tastes best with Ritz crackers!