Goat Cheese with Cherry Salsa

Goat Cheese with Cherry Salsa - from WholeFoodsMarket

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sweet cherries, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1T basil leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• pinch sea salt
• pinch ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
2. Spread on top of a wheel of goat cheese, serve with sliced baguette or crackers.

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas - via MSF

Cook and shred (boil 10 minutes) 2-3 chicken breasts. Season with 1 t. cumin and 1 t. chili powder. Combine 1/2 c butter and 1/2 cup flour in medium saucepan. Heat 2 min. Remove and stir in 1 c chicken broth, 1 c milk, 1 t salt, 1 t cumin and 1 t chili powder. Return to heat and stir til thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and str in 1 pint sour cream (2 c) Steam tortillas to soften. Add chicken to each tortilla and cheese with a little sauce. Roll and place seam-side down. Top with sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Aunt Cindy's Enchiladas Verde

Aunt Cindy's Enchiladas Verde - via MSF

2-3 c brown or white rice
2 cans black or kidney beans
1 lb ground beef flavored with taco seasoning
8 oz. sour cream
salsa (as much as you like)

Mix all of above together. Fill your tortillas. Top with cream of chicken soup mixed with green chiles (1 or 2 4oz cans) and LOTS of cheese.

Bake until heated through.

Chopped Egg Caesar with Hash Brown Croutons

Chopped Egg Caesar with Hash Brown Croutons - as seen in USA Weekend Magazine

Salad
• 4 frozen hash brown patties, still frozen, cut into 1-inch squares
• 2 generous Tbs. olive oil
• 8 cups chopped lettuce from 3 large romaine hearts
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• ¼ cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese (preferably Parmigiano Reggiano)
Caesar Dressing
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2½ Tbs. mayonnaise
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced to paste
• ¼ tsp. Worcestershire
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 5 Tbs. pure olive oil
• ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (preferably Parmigiano Reggiano)





Whisk lemon juice, mayonnaise, garlic, Worcestershire, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in oil to make a creamy dressing, stir in cheese and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Place frozen hash brown cubes in medium bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil; toss to coat. Add hash browns to hot skillet; toast, turning the cubes only once, until crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Turn off skillet and let hash browns stand until ready to toss.
Place lettuce and eggs in a large bowl; add dressing and toss to coat. Add hash browns; toss again. Add cheese; toss once more. Serve immediately, sprinkling each salad with a little more Parmesan cheese if you like.
YIELD: 4 servings

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan  - from allrecipes.com user Phoebe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 2 pounds tilapia fillets 

Directions

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Avocado Mango Salsa

Avocado Mango Salsa - from Allrecipes.com user SixPackToGo

Ingredients

• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 1 habanero pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Place the avocado in a serving bowl, and mix with the lime juice. Mix in the mango, onion, habanero pepper, cilantro and salt.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms - from Margaret
Ingredients:
1 package whole fresh mushrooms (about 24 – 30 mushrooms)
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a baking sheet. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel.
2. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.
   Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Saute until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn garlic. Set aside to cool.
3. When garlic and mushroom mixture is no longer hot, stir in cream cheese, parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Mixture should be thick. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.

Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil (al Limone)

Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil (al Limone)
Source: Cook Like A Champion, Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, January/February 2011, as seen on Macaroni and Cheesecake

Ingredients:Kosher salt
1 pound spaghetti
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
3 tbsp. finely minced onion
1/4 cup fat free half & half (or heavy cream)
2 teaspoons finely grated zest and 1/4 cup juice from 3 lemons
1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:
Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Once boiling, add 1 tbsp. salt to the water and then add in your pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente. Reserve 1 3/4 cups of pasta water, then drain pasta and set aside.

Now using your empty pot, heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Once hot, add onion & 1/2 tsp. salt, cooking until onions have softened. Add in 1 1/2 cups of pasta water & the half & half, whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add the pasta back into the pot and toss to coat the pasta evenly. Stir in the remaining 3 tbsp. of olive oil, lemon zest & juice, parmesan cheese & pepper.

Cover and allow pasta to stand for two minutes so the sauce can thicken, tossing half way through. Add remaining pasta water and stir in the parsley. Serve topped with a drizzle of olive oil & parmesan cheese.

Mixed Berry Mini Galettes

Mixed Berry Mini Galettes  - from twopeasandtheirpod.com
 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup coarse cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 cups mixed berries ( I used fresh blueberries, blackberries, and strawberry slices)
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

1. To make the dough, combine flour, sugar, cornmeal, and salt in a processor; pulse 2-3 times. Add butter and pulse 4-5 times, or until mixture resembles coarse meal. With the processor running, slowing pour the buttermilk through the chute, processing until the dough forms a ball. Remove the dough ball and pat it into a firm ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before rolling out.
2. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a sheet of parchment paper. Cut the dough into four equal parts. Starting at the center of the dough, roll out each piece of dough into a circle, about 6 inches.  Place the dough with parchment paper on a baking sheet. Arrange mixed berries in the center of each galette, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold the border over the berries, overlapping where necessary and pressing gently to adhere the folds.
4.  Lightly brush the edge of the dough with the egg and sprinkle crust and berries with turbinado sugar.
5. Bake the galettes for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Note-you can make the galette dough in advance. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if you wish.

Makes 4 mini galettes

English Royalty Chocolate Chip Scones

English Royalty Chocolate Chip Scones - from allrecipes.com user marbalet

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons orange juice (I ended up using closer to 6-8 tablespoons - oops!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. With a pastry blender or a large fork, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the chocolate chips. Mix in the orange juice to form a dough.
3. Turn out the dough on a floured surface. Pat or roll into a 9 inch circle about 1/2 inch thick. With a 2 1/2 inch fluted biscuit cutter, cut out 12 scones, pushing the dough scraps together for the last few, if necessary. Transfer the scones to the baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Move to wire racks to cool.

Classic White Layer Cake

Classic White Layer Cake (from Cooks Illustrated) - as seen on The Way the Cookie Crumbles
Serves 12

CI note: If you have forgotten to bring the milk and egg white mixture to room temperature, set the bottom of the glass measure containing it in a sink of hot water and stir until the mixture feels cool rather than cold, around 65 degrees. Cake layers can be wrapped and stored for one day.

Nonstick cooking spray
2¼ cups cake flour (9 ounces), plus more for dusting the pans
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
6 large egg whites (¾ cup), at room temperature
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¾ cups granulated sugar (12¼ ounces)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1½ sticks), softened but still cool

1. For the Cake: Set oven rack in middle position. (If oven is too small to cook both layers on a single rack, set racks in upper-middle and lower-middle positions.) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray; line the bottoms with parchment or waxed paper rounds. Spray the paper rounds, dust the pans with flour, and invert pans and rap sharply to remove excess flour.
2. Pour milk, egg whites, and extracts into 2-cup glass measure, and mix with fork until blended.
3. Mix cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of electric mixer at slow speed. Add butter; continue beating at slow speed until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no powdery streaks remaining.
4. Add all but ½ cup of milk mixture to crumbs and beat at medium speed (or high speed if using handheld mixer) for 1½ minutes. Add remaining ½ cup of milk mixture and beat 30 seconds more. Stop mixer and scrape sides of bowl. Return mixer to medium (or high) speed and beat 20 seconds longer.
5. Divide batter evenly between two prepared cake pans; using rubber spatula, spread batter to pan walls and smooth tops. Arrange pans at least 3 inches from the oven walls and 3 inches apart. (If oven is small, place pans on separate racks in staggered fashion to allow for air circulation.) Bake until thin skewer or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes.
6. Let cakes rest in pans for 3 minutes. Loosen from sides of pans with a knife, if necessary, and invert onto wire racks. Reinvert onto additional wire racks. Let cool completely, about 1½ hours.

Queen Elizabeth's Drop Scones

Queen Elizabeth's Drop Scones - as seen on Matchbook Magazine and Simply Recipes

4 teacups flour
4 tablespoons caster sugar
2 teacups milk
2 whole eggs
2 teaspoons bicarbonate soda
3 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons melted butter

Beat eggs, sugar, and about half the milk together, add flour, and mix well together adding remainder of milk as required, also bicarbonate and cream of tartar, fold in the melted butter.

Julie's Note: these are more like pancakes than scones.

Three Packet Roast

Three Packet Roast - as seen on thenest.com


(Beef) Top round roast
1 pckg of dry ranch dressing mix
1 pckg of dry italian dressing mix
1 pckg of dry brown gravy mix
1-2 cups of water or beef broth (this depends on how much you feel comfortable putting in with your roast to keep it moist)

Pour the broth/water over the roast in the crock pot
Mix all the dry mixes together and sprinkle over the roast and the liquid.
Cook on Low for 6-8 hours (depending on the size of your roast) or High for 2-3 hrs
about 4-5 hours in I add small red potatoes, carrots, onions, celery...whatever I have on hand!

I serve with bread, green beans, or squash casserole....

French Chocolate Brownies

Recipe: French Chocolate Brownies

Published: April 11, 2007

Adapted from “Baking: From My Home to Yours,” by Dorie Greenspan (Houghton Mifflin, 

as seen on New York Times

Time: 1 1/4 hours

12 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces, plus 1 teaspoon melted butter for brushing pan
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, in pieces
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup lightly toasted walnuts or hazelnuts (optional).

1. Place a rack just below center of oven and preheat to 300 degrees. Line an 8-inch-square pan with foil and brush with melted butter.

2. In a bowl, whisk flour and salt together. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt remaining butter and chocolate together. Stir often and remove from heat when a few lumps remain. Stir until smooth.

3. In a mixer, beat eggs and sugar together until thick and pale yellow. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla and mix at low speed until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix 30 seconds, then finish mixing by hand, adding nuts if using. Pour into prepared pan and bake 50 to 60 minutes, until top is dry. Let cool in pan, then lift out and cut into bars or wrap in foil. 

Yield: 12 to 16 brownies.

Hot Corn Dip

Hot Corn Dip
Recipe by Emeril Lagasse, as seen on Our Best Bites
 

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 1/2 cups corn kernels (from 4 ears fresh white or yellow corn, or frozen fresh corn)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell peppers - I used roasted red bell peppers from a jar.
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise - 1/2 C was plenty for mine
• 4 ounces monterey jack or cheddar, shredded- I used monterey jack
• 4 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• Tortilla chips, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the kernels turn deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Note that if you're using frozen corn it probably won't get golden brown.  Just cook for about 5 minutes as the recipe states.  Transfer to a bowl. 

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Add the onions and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, until the onions are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the green onions, jalapeno, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Transfer to the bowl with the corn. 

Add 1/2 C mayo, cayenne pepper, half of the monterey jack and half of the cheddar and mix well. If you need more mayo to hold the mixture together then add it, but I found that 1/2 C was plenty, and I even added a little extra cheese.  

Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish, or something equivilant and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot with tortilla chips or Fritos.

Queso Blanco Dip

Queso Blanco Dip - from Annie's Eats

Yield: about 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil

¼ cup onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

12 oz. white American cheese, shredded*

4 oz. Monterey jack cheese, shredded

¼-2/3 cup milk

1 tomato, seeded and finely diced

2 tbsp. cilantro, minced

*White American cheese can be found at the deli counter in most grocery stores.

Directions:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and jalapeño to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium-low.  Add both of the shredded cheeses and ¼ cup of the milk.  Whisk or stir until completely melted.  Mix in the tomato and cilantro, and add additional milk gradually as necessary to achieve desired consistency.  Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately.

Pizza Dip

Pizza Dip - as seen on Sugarcrafter

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup pasta sauce
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup diced pepperoni slices
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Crusty Italian bread or tortilla chips, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a greased baking dish (I used a 7″ soufflé dish), layer the cream cheese, pizza sauce, onion and garlic, pepperoni, and cheese, in that order.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Serve with crusty Italian bread or tortilla chips.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip
Adapted from Frank’s Red Hot Sauce - as seen on Couture & Crayons

• 1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded with a fork
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup blue cheese salad dressing (omit and use 1/2 cup ranch dressing total, if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup ranch salad dressing
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (substitute shredded mozzarella if you prefer)
• 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot sauce (any hot sauce will do)

Mix together all ingredients until well combined. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serve with crackers, chips, or sliced bread.

Streusel Filled Coffee Cake

Streusel Filled Coffee Cake - from Marian Frizzell

375 degrees

25-30 min

1 1/2 c. flour

3.4 c. sugar

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 t. salt

1/4 c. shortening

3/4 c. milk

1 egg

Topping:

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. chopped nuts (pecans)

2 Tbsp. melted butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

Mix ingredients. Beat til smooth. Spread 1/2 the batter in a 9x9 greased pan. Sprinkle 1/2 the topping, then cover with the rest of the batter and sprinkle remaining topping. Bake.

Ricotta Gnocchi

Ricotta Gnocchi - by Lillian Chou, as seen on Epicurious.com

 originally published in

Gourmet  | April 2008

by Lillian Chou

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Active Time: 40 min
Total Time: 40 min

2 cups whole-milk ricotta (1 pound)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (3 ounces), divided
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 (2-inch) rosemary sprig

Stir together ricotta, eggs, 1 cup cheese, nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add flour, stirring to form a soft, wet dough.
Shape dough on a well-floured surface with lightly floured hands into 2 (1-inch-thick) ropes. Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces with a lightly floured knife. Put in 1 layer on a lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet.
Cook gnocchi in 2 batches in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (3 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water), adding a few at a time to pot and stirring occasionally, until cooked through (cut one in half to check), 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain in colander.
Meanwhile, cook butter with rosemary in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Toss gnocchi with brown butter in skillet and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Season with salt.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Ricotta-Gnocchi-242001#ixzz1C4SdZC7G

Julie's notes: I skipped the butter with rosemary step, instead I just tossed the gnocchi with plain butter (olive oil would work too) until it was brown on both sides (think the color of grilled cheese).

I served with Newman's Own Organic Marinara Sauce and hubby couldn't say enough good things about it. Apparently it makes good leftovers, but he snatched them away before I could eat them!

Triple Threat Rocky Road Cookies

Triple Threat Rocky Road Cookies - as seen on Through the Looking Glass
makes about 4 dozen
1 cup walnuts
1 cup pecans
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 ounces unsweeted chocolate
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup miniature marshmallows, quartered


Preheat oven to 350F. Coarsely chop walnuts and pecans. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, place nuts in a single layer and bake 7 to 9 minutes until toasted and aromatic. Set aside and cool completely.

In a small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate on low heat. Set aside and cool completely.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add cooled chocolate mixture and stir until glossy. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix until just incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and marshmallows.

Let dough chill for 20 minutes in the refrigerator so that it is easier to scoop.

Use a 1 ¾ inch diameter scoop to drop spoonfuls of dough on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 1 ½ inches apart. Wet your fingertips lightly with water and gently flatten the cookie dough(no need to press hard, just press out the hump) Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops begin to crack and look glossy.

Cool the cookies for 10 minutes before removing them from the baking sheets.

Notes: I used less nuts and chopped them more finely than called for as I’m not a huge fan of lots of nuts in my cookies. The marshmallows melted completely, so I might just halve them the next time to prevent this.