FOOTBALL SNACK - BEAN DIP WITH PITA CHIPS

Sorry fans..tried to get this on the blog yesterday...had crazy internet issues....blah blah blah....!!! But here it is.

Another great snack to serve at your next football tailgate. The dip can be made as much as two-three days ahead and kept in the refrigerator. So on game day all you have to do is toast the pita chips. You could also serve this dip with a low salt tortilla chip.

Ingredients:

15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3 cloves of garlic

2/3 cup olive oil

2 tbl fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup italian parsley

dried oregano

dried rosemary

dried thyme

salt

pepper

pita bread cut into 8 wedges per slice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a food processor, add beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil and parsley. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate.

Arrange the pita wedges on a baking sheet and brush with 1/3 cup olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and bake for about 10 minutes until toasted and golden brown.

Another great snack to watch Da Bears and The Patriots!!!

ENJOY!

SPICY FOOTBALL PARTY NUTS

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!!

The first Monday Night Game and a double header at that. I will spend some of my time in the next 16 weeks blogging perfect football snack food. Tonight I am a bit tired and trying to watch tennis before football so I am going to be quick!!!



1 can of good mixed SALTED nuts

1 tbl melted butter

2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne

2 tbl sugar



Preheat the oven to 300 degrees



In a medium bowl, mix nuts and melted butter making sure all the nuts are coated. In another bowl mix the remaining spices except the sugar. Sprinkle this mixture over the nuts. Spread the nuts on a single layer of a baking sheet. Bake uncovered about 10 minutes until the nuts are toasted. Return the nuts back to the bowl. While they are hot, sprinkle with sugar and toss to coat. Serve warm or you can cool them.



You can even store these in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2-3 weeks.



Have a great football night!

ENJOY!

ELANA'S BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

Today is a special day on Year of the Blog. We have a guest blogger! Since my mom is cooking away in the kitchen this morning I, Rachel am going to blog for her. One of my dearest friends, Elana and I are sitting in the York Beach Maine house trying to think of something to blog. For those of you who don't know... Elana and I met in Scotland when we studied abroad and just clicked right from day one. We had many amazing adventures and helped each other learn and grow so much throughout the whole experience. Elana is here this week with me in Maine and it is the first time we have seen each other since that trip almost 2 years ago...

So back to the food. Elana has a special party dip that is always a huge favorite. Buffalo Chicken Dip is today's recipe... and here's how you do it.

1 large can of canned chicken (next to the canned tuna)


1/2 Franks Red Hot sauce (pepper sauce)


1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese


1/2 cup of bleu cheese or ranch salad dressing


add all ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together, then pour mixture into a slow cooker on medium heat. Cook for about 30-45 min.

Serve hot with tortilla chips and fresh veggies!!
I hope everyone is having a great summer! Love, Rachel and Elana

As my Mom would say...ENJOY!

WHISKEY-CHEESE FONDUE

Can anyone say WHISKEY IT UP A NOTCH! This recipe made famous by a Brooklyn chef adds the great kick of whiskey. I love fondue and this is fabulous. Fondues make such great entertainment conversation and should definitely be enjoyed at home!

Ingredients:

1 lb extra sharp cheddar cheese- shredded
1/2 lb Monterey Jack cheese - shredded
2 tbl cornstarch
2 cloves garlic halved
1 cup dry white wine (YES!)
3 tbl whiskey
salt
pepper
Assorted crusty bread, apples and whatever floats your fondue cut in cubes

In a bowl combine cheese and cornstarch. Rub the garlic on the inside of a medium sauce pan and discard. Add the wine to the sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Add the cheese mixture in several batches whisking constantly over medium heat. Let each batch of cheese melt before adding the next. Pour in the whiskey and stir just until it begins to bubble about 2-3 minutes. Season to taste. Serve with the breads, fruits and vegetables of your choice.

You can always follow this with a chocolate fondue...!!!!!
ENJOY!

MARINATED OLIVES

We recently had dinner at a favorite Italian restaurant in town. They serve a small bowl of marinated olives upon your arrival....love that!!!!...nice change of pace from a loaf of bread and butter...although my husband may differ from me...he is a bread fanatic.

Marinated olives are a great appetizer to serve at your next party. They can be served warm, room temperature or out of the refrigerator. They are a big hit!

Try substituting balsamic vinegar for the lemon in this recipe if you prefer. I am sure I don't have to say this but..make sure the olives are PITTED!!!! You do not want your guests fishing around their mouths for the olive pitts and then trying to find a good spot to discard them.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 small red onion diced
1/4 cup carrot cut into large coin shapes
5 cloves of garlic chopped
1/4 cup green pepper diced
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1 cup Spanish or green olive of choice
1/2 cup black olives
3-4 pepperoncini
1 tbl lemon zest
2 tbl fresh lemon juice
1 tbl fresh rosemary
1 tbl fresh basil
1/2 tsp cracked red pepper flakes
5-6 turns of a pepper mill

Heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrot, garlic, green pepper, lemon zest, rosemary, red pepper flakes and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add olives, basil, lemon juice and pepperoncini. Cook another 10 minutes.

You can serve immediately or at room temperature. You can even refrigerate and let the flavors continue to meld together before serving.

Your friends will love this one!
ENJOY!

LAURA'S NACHOS

I remember hearing about this recipe the day I met my husband. He would start talking about this salad/nachos and his eyes would roll around and he would start salivating just thinking about eating this food. Funny thing is Dave really doesn't like much Mexican food. It took almost 13 years for me to meet Laura Pittman and taste her recipe at a big Simpson graduation party. The party was wild....but that's for another blog!!!! The salad was worth the wait and it is FABULOUS!

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs ground sirloin
1 head iceburg lettuce chopped
3 tomatoes diced
1 medium onion diced
1 green pepper diced
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 pkg taco mix
1 (16 oz) Russian salad dressing
1 bag regular Doritos

Brown the sirloin until well done and drain. Mix the beef with all the diced vegetables in a 13 X 9 pan. Make the packaged taco mix according to the package directions and mix with the beef and vegetable mixture. Pour the bottle of Russian dressing into the mixture and combine.

When you are ready to serve (the beef should still be warm) add Doritos so they stay crunchy and cheese. So good!

If you would like to share a recipe please email it to me at julie10415@yahoo.com so we can all eat such great food.
ENJOY!

NEW CRAB AND ARTICHOKE DIP

I think the hardest thing about entertaining for me is determining menus for the various types of parties I have in my home. My husband and kids may love a particular dish, but how am I to know that same dish will be a hit with my guests?

Well this dish traveled around a lot this past weekend and I heard from almost EVERY guest at the parties how scrumptious it was. I brought one batch to a luncheon wedding shower for 18 women and I brought another batch to an evening "Wildly Fun Bash" at my sister's house for about 30 people of all ages. At the end of the night, I brought home two casserole dishes that had been scraped clean.

Again it is easy and can be prepared ahead of time. It is served with a nice italian bread or ciabatta bread warmed in the oven, but not completely toasted.

Ingredients

12 oz of artichokes drained and rinsed
6-8 oz jumbo lump crabmeat (I use canned)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tbl horseradish
3 tbl fresh lemon juice
2 tbl minced garlic
5-8 turns of a peppermill
3 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1-1/2 cups shredded white american cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
bread

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Combine first nine ingredients. Make sure you buy regular cream cheese (not whipped). Just leave it on the counter for about an hour or so for it to soften. You can certainly add more crab if you like. Pour into a 13 x 9 pan. Sprinkle top with cheeses and then Old Bay seasoning. Bake 30 minutes. I make this while I am having a nice glass of chardonnay....so it must be simple. Serve with bread, crostini or even heated tortilla triangles.

Everyone at the recent parties I attended begged me to post this!
Enjoy!







I know...I know...I already posted a crab dip about a month ago. That blog was a recipe using a MUST HAVE pantry item from Stonewall Kitchens.

DAVE'S MOM'S FAMOUS POTATO SALAD

Many of my followers have had the pleasure of tasting this legendary dish. Passed on through generations this potato salad is so wonderfully different from all the standard recipes. I have a full night and day tomorrow of cooking to get ready for a wedding shower and a bash at my sister's house so I need to be quick here. This photo is Dave pouring the dressing into the potatoes ...he could be a thumb model....so cute!!!!!

Ingredients

5 lbs russet potatoes peeled and chopped into chunks
Dry Good Seasons salad dressing, mixed per packet directions
1 sweet onion, preferably Vidalia diced
3 large stalks celery diced
1 tbl celery salt
1 tbl pepper
mayonnaise to taste and bind


Cook potatoes in large pot with plenty of salted water. When the potatoes are fork tender, drain the water and return them to the pot. Add good seasons dressing, celery salt and pepper and mix. Leave covered on the counter for at least 3 hours (if you have a hot date and won't be with your potatoes for 3 hours , at least one hour is good). You want to let the hot potatoes soak up all the dressing and spices. Refrigerate overnight.

Next day, add the onion and celery. Add mayonnaise by the tablespoon to taste and make sure the salad binds together. Always taste the salad to make sure you have seasoned it enough. You may want more pepper, celery salt or regular salt.
I hope we make Eileen proud....miss her madly!
Enjoy!

GOOEY CREAMY CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Well fans, let me set the record straight. I don't eat dessert....sorry...I know it is insane, but I am just not a big fan. I like a good cheesecake with fresh berries, but I do not like the taste of chocolate. Now you are scratching your head looking at this picture and asking why I would blog chocolate...

Well, my husband LOVES chocolate and we have made these for a number of parties and some guests MUST eat one even before dinner. We take a bit of an easy route by using boxed cake mix, but if you have a scratch recipe for cake/cupcakes by all means go with that. I think the secret is to buy a boxed cake mix that you know is moist and creamy. We make the cupcakes by package directions and let them cool.

In the meantime we make the whipped cream.

Ingredients:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tbl sugar

1 tsp vanilla

In a mixer whip the heavy cream until it begins to form peaks. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until firm. When the cupcakes have cooled, put the whipped cream in a pastry bag with a long pointed tip. Simply make an incision in the top of the cupcake and squeeze the bag and you will see them plump up with a great cream filling.

At this point, the world is your oyster. Most people like them topped with some of the whipped cream, but my daughter likes a cake style frosting and even at age 23 likes sprinkles and other cute "children's" toppings.

These are so easy and great for someone like me who could never be a pastry chef. I will try to add more desserts but I may need a reminder!

ENJOY!

YUMMY BANANA BREAD

I don't know about you but I seem to buy
too many bananas and I don't eat them fast
enough and then they start to get a few brown spots and then I don't really want to eat them.

So the only thing left to do is make banana
bread!!!!! I make this probably once a month
and send it off with my husband to his office
and he claims it is devoured within minutes.
Many of his co-workers have asked for this recipe.

Super simple and delicious. If you like nuts
in your banana bread..simply add to the
mixture after if is fully combined.

Ingredients

2 cups bananas mashed with a fork
3 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Combine the first four ingredients in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl combine last four ingredients. You know the rule in baking is always to have a bowl for wet ingredients and one for dry. Using a mixer, combine dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Mix until combined, but bananas can still be a bit chunky.

Pour into greased 9 x 5 loaf pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. If you prefer muffins, grease a muffin tin and fill with mixture and cook at 350 for about 25 minutes. Always check for doneness by using a toothpick or fork. Place the toothpick or fork in the deepest part of the loaf and if it comes out clean then it is done. Cool on a rack. My favorite way to enjoy this bread is to slather a slice with cream cheese....yummy.
ENJOY!

MOZZARELLA STICKS

This snack will always remind me of my daughter Rachel and her friends hanging around the kitchen island going crazy for these. Needless to say I have made millions of them. You have to freeze them for anywhere from 4 to 24 hours before you can cook them so you need to plan ahead. Just serve with your favorite marinara sauce for a crunchy cheesey treat!

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup italian breadcrumbs
1 cup parmesan cheese grated
5 eggs
2 (16 oz) whole milk mozzarella cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups canola oil
Marinara sauce

Cut the mozzarella cheese into sticks about 1/2 wide. In a shallow bowl combine both kinds of breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl beat eggs. Working in batches, dip the mozzarella sticks in the egg mixture. Drain excess egg off and then put sticks in the breadcrumb mixture. After you coat them all over, lay them on your counter over wax paper or on a baking sheet. After you coat the sticks once, repeat by putting them back in the egg mixture and an additional coating of the breadcrumbs. Place the twice coated sticks in a covered container and put in the freezer.

When you are ready to cook, heat the oil in a saute pan. Make sure the oil is really hot. Fry the sticks for about a minute a side until they are golden brown. Drain them on paper towel. I like to sprinkle them with a dusting of parmesan cheese and serve while warm with your favorite marinara sauce.

Since my family loves these, I make big batches of them and freeze them in freezer paper in groups of about 10. Make sure you keep them separated from each other in the freezer paper so they don't freeze together. So when someone has a craving I can just pull them out of the freezer and they are ready within minutes. A big crowd pleaser.
ENJOY!

WINE AND CHEESE PARTY

Wine and cheese...my two favorite things.... At my sister Mary Ann's house yesterday she said several followers of my blog wanted a secret to a good wine and cheese event. So very easy and frankly so delicious. The hardest part is determining the progression of samplings and the snacks to serve.

So let's start with the snacks that will help the palate move through the sampling. For the white wine samplings a melody of sliced melons, mild dried fruits,water crackers and almonds. When you move to the reds your snack selection should include rustic hearty bread, salami, preferably a sopprasata which is a bit more spicy than a genoa salami and at the end a nice dark chocolate. As one of my favorite people reminded me, cheese should ALWAYS be served at room temperature to capture its fullest flavor. So make sure you take the cheese out of the refrigerator at least 3 hours ahead of time.

Pairings are below and should be served in this order...mild to strong...white to red...meek to robust...

Start:

WHITE:

Champagne (Moet or like) with a nice Gouda or Edam

Sauvignon Blanc with goat cheese

Chardonnay and brie

RED:

Pinot Noir and Gruyere

Cabernet or Port with Maytag bleu cheese and dark chocolate.

Again, the focus is not only the cheese and wine but the snacks in between that cleanse the palate between wine and cheese flavors. For this event an interesting table design is also a crowd pleaser. One of my favorites is getting a big tablecloth and putting empty boxes or upside down bowls on the table covering them with the tablecloth and placing snacks/cheese on top of them to give your table a dimension like a top notch restaurant buffet.

To serve the wines you need at least three different glasses per person. One champagne flute, one white and one red. If you have won the lottery and can serve a different glass per wine, please be related to me and add me to your will in a big way. The snacks should be displayed by the types of wine they are paired with. As always buy the wine and cheese at markets that have people who can help you chose the best types within your budget.

ENJOY!

EGG ROLLS

What seems like a million years ago my sister Peggy wrote her egg roll recipe down for me..I still have that same piece of paper today although pretty yellowed and stained from overuse. I have added a few things and taken some away. Make this one our own by using vegetables or proteins that you prefer...it's always great.

Ingredients:

2 tbl canola oil plus 2 cups

2 cloves of garlic minced

6 oz 16-20 count raw and deviened shrimp chopped (you could use cooked frozen too)

1 lb ground pork

2 cups finely chopped baby bok choy

2 carrots grated on a cheese grater or in a food processor

1 can sliced water chestnuts drained

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tsp salt

dash of sugar

1 tbl creamy peanut butter

1 pkg egg roll wrappers

1 egg

Jar of sweet and sour sauce

Heat 2 TBL oil in a pan or wok over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add pork cook til brown add shrimp, bok choy, carrot water chestnuts cook til tender. Add soy sauce salt and sugar. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add more soy sauce if needed.

Drain mixture thoroughly in a strainer making sure all excess liquid is out. Transfer to a bowl and mix in peanut butter.

Beat egg in a small bowl. Position egg roll wrapper on a diagonal or diamond shape on a plate. Put 1TBL egg roll mixture at end closest to you. Fold bottom corner facing you up over mixture. Fold in left and right sides of the wrapper to ensure no mixture can escape. Then continue rolling until you reach the other end. Dab a bit of egg wash on the end and fold up to seal the egg roll. Repeat until you run out of wrappers or mixture. This recipe should make about 20 egg rolls.

Put 2 cups of oil in a pan or wok. Heat of high heat until about 375 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, put a bit of bread in the oil...when it starts to sizzle it is hot enough. Put a few egg rolls in the oil and turn until all sides are browned. Remove and drain of paper towels. Serve with sweet and sour sauce....frankly homemade sauce tastes exactly like store bought so WHY BOTHER!!

I make these for Super Bowl Sunday every year and never is a single one leftover.

Enjoy!!

The First Pitch ...Recipe numero uno

I make this appetizer for almost every get together. It is so easy and so flavorful everyone always wants the recipe.

BRUSCHETTA

One 12 ounce jar of marinated artichokes (reserve the juice)

One cup pitted kalamata olives (reserve some of the juice from the jar)
1/2 cup roasted red peppers chopped (reserve some of the juice from the jar)
One pint to a pint and a half of cherry tomatoes
1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Flour tortillas cut into triangles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Blend the artichokes, olives red peppers and tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup each of reserved juices.

Taste and add more juice, olives, peppers or tomatoes as desired. Blend until nearly smooth. Add parmesan cheese and blend to desired taste.

Place tortillas on a baking sheet. Cook at 375 degrees or until slightly toasted on the corners.



Serve both at or near room temperature. Couldn't be easier. Enjoy!!!