LaRue's Cheese Ball

Need a holiday cheese ball that is easy to make and simply delicious? One your guests will devour because hard as they try, they just can't stop eating it? Okay then, here it is. This is a recipe Lisa got from her friend at a recipe exchange.

Ingredients:

2 – 8 ounce pkg cream cheese at room temperature

1/3 cup dried onion

1/4 cup green pepper chopped

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon accent

1 teaspoon tobasco sauce

1 teaspoon worcestershire

2 tablespoons pimento cheese

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a bowl with a spoon or hand mixer

Spoon onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Cover completely with plastic wrap and mold into a big ball with hands.

Refrigerate overnight. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Homemade Salsa

Anybody still have any garden tomatoes rolling in? This recipe is for salsa for canning. I have done this two years in a row and we love it. This was modified from this recipe that Jenny posted on Apron Girls.

Ingredients:

20 large or 40 small tomatoes
5-6 bell peppers
5 onions 6 garlic cloves
4-5 jalapenos
2 T. cilantro
1 1/2 t. cumin
1 C. white vinegar
1/3 C. sugar
4 T. salt
12 oz. tomato paste 

Directions:

Wash your tomatoes. (I love romas personally.) Blanch them by plunging them into boiling water for about 30 seconds. Then dip them in cold water and drain. Cut out the cores and remove the skins. Use a blender or food processor to chop the ingredients. Chop the tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions individually and put in a large stock pot. Quarter the bell peppers and onions before putting in your blender/food processor. I chop everything pretty finely because that is what WE like. Puree the garlic, jalapenos, and cilantro together and add to the pot. Stir in everything else EXCEPT the tomato paste. The tomato paste will be added after boiling the salsa. (I didn't use the tomato paste this time because I liked the consistency of my salsa already). Bring salsa to a boil and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomato paste and mix in really well. Fill pint jars leaving about 1 inch head space. Cover with lid and ring. Process in a water bath or steam canner for 30 minutes.

Pico de Gallo

I got this simple & classic pico de gallo recipe from none other than Pioneer Woman. It is delicioso and I could eat it for breakfast. In fact, it would be awesome on an omelet.  Or on most anything. The first time I made it, I used the food processor. Oops. Don't do that. Chopping by hand is essential. And I chop super small cause I don't like big chunks of things. Of course we ate it with chips but we also used it as a dressing for the enchiladas I made that night.

Ingredients:

5 whole Plum (roma) Tomatoes  (I used roma!)
½ whole Large (or 1 Small) Onion (I used some yellow sweet onion but mostly red onion)
3 whole Jalapeno Peppers
Cilantro
Lime Juice
Salt To Taste
 
Directions:

Chop jalapenos, tomatoes and onion (I love using some red and some sweet onion)  into a very small dice. (Leave seeds in your jalapenos for a hotter pico). Adjust amount of jalapenos to your preferred temperature. Next, chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. Remove stems as best as you can. Place all of these ingredients together in a bowl. Stir.

Squeeze the juice of half of one lime into the bowl. Add salt to taste and stir again. Serve. I assume this will only stay good a few hours, but I really don't know for sure cause as soon as I make it, it is gone.

Vegetable Confetti

This is a very unique recipe I got from a neighbor (Kerri McBride) about 8 years ago.  It is savory and tastes so fresh with all of the vegetables. It may seem a bit strange, but we really like it and when it is around we have a hard time not eating too much.  My 10 and 12 year old daughters love it too. 

Ingredients
2 pkg refrigerated crescent rolls
2 - 8 ounce pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup mayonnaise

2-3 stalks celery, chopped small
1/2 green pepper, diced small
5-6 green onions, chopped
2 large carrots, shredded
1/2 bunch radishes, shredded

Directions
Press crescent dough into jelly roll pan (cookie sheet) and bake according to package directions. Let cool.  Mix together cream cheese and mayonnaise. Spread over cooled crust.  Prepare vegetables as listed above and sprinkle evenly over cream cheese and mayo mixture.  Cut into squares and chill for 2-4 hours.  Enjoy!

Veggie Dip

This is my FAVORITE vegetable dip ever. The recipe is from my Mother-In-Law and it is super easy and so tasty. I like it so much better than the regular dips you can make from the packages or that you buy ready made. Next time you need a veggie tray, try this! You will love it too.
Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon Bon Appetit seasoning
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
Directions
Mix all ingredients together and chill until ready to use.
I have used regular and light mayo and sour cream and both work great.

Sweet Corn Salsa

I first tasted this amazing salsa many years ago when my neighbor Louise brought some over for our family.  She had made dinner for her son's football team and, lucky for us, the crazy boys had hardly touched it!  It immediately became a favorite and is a hit no matter where I take it.   Most of the time when I make this salsa, I just toss in stuff until I reach the desired taste & ratios.

3-4 green onions, chopped finely
4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed
1 16 oz bag of super sweet white corn, thawed (I do think that corn cut right off the cob would make it even better!)
4 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 avocados, diced
Wishbone Italian Salad Dressing (I used about 3/4 of the bottle)
1 1/2 tsp kosher or coarse salt

Prepare all ingredients.  Toss together all ingredients except tomatoes & avocado.  When everything is combined nicely and you have reached your desired moistness, add in tomatoes & avocado.  Gently toss one more time.  Serve immediately with chip of choice!

Spinach Asian Chicken Salad with Bowtie Pasta

Lisa made this salad a couple of years ago and brought it to an event at my house. I have wanted it ever since, so I finally got the recipe from her. You will not be sorry if you make this, it is perhaps my favorite salad ever.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz package bowtie pasta
1 large bag spinach
4 chicken breasts

almonds- 1 small package, maybe 8-12 ounces - the bags that hang on the shelf.
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup canola oil
3 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:

In a small saucepan put almonds, butter and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture begins to stick together. Set aside, let cool. When cool, the nuts can be broken apart.

Cook pasta, drain and set aside to cool.
Cook chicken, cut into bite sized pieces.
Rinse and dry spinach leaves.

Mix all dressing ingredients together, stir.

In a large bowl add spinach, pasta, chicken and almonds. When you are ready to serve, stir dressing again, pour it onto the salad and toss. Enjoy!

Cranberry Chicken Pizza

When it comes to getting raves from the family, this recipe is a bargain--very little work and lots of praise. This is great to make on those nights when you're too busy to fix an elaborate meal. As I've said before, I love to buy rotisserie chickens, debone them and freeze the meat to have on hand for easy meals like this one.

Ingredients:

2 pizza crusts (I like Boboli, but you can use any crust--even homemade)
1 can cranberry sauce (jellied)
2 cups cooked chicken
1 cup shredded mozzarella or pizza blend cheese

Directions:

Assemble the pizza by spreading the cranberry sauce evenly over the two pizzas. Evenly divide and distribute the chicken. Sprinkle with cheese and bake according to pizza crust instructions.

Baked Chicken Nuggets

These chicken nuggets are one of my family's favorite dinners. They don't last long around here. My daughter usually makes some fry sauce to go with them, but they are great with ketchup or just plain. Enjoy.

Ingredients:


Chicken Breast or Tenders (I usually do 3 - 4 pounds)
4 eggs (beaten)
Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Beat eggs in a bowl. In another bowl combine bread crumbs and cheese. (I used Panko style bread crumbs in this picture, they are what I had on hand, I usually just use regular. Either works fine.) Dip chicken into eggs, then place in bread crumbs and cheese mixture and coat the outside. Place on a sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes and then using a spatula flip the nuggets over and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes.

Garlic Parmesan Eggplant Slices

Ingredients:

1 medium (1 lb.) eggplant
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Directions:

Peel and slice eggplant into 1/4 inches thick slices. Place eggplant slices on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt. In 9 inch pie pan stir together flour, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and basil. (the bread crumbs I used had basil seasoning in it, so I didn't need to add basil). AND, I added a little extra Parmesan cheese to the mixture. Figured it couldn't hurt. :)
In 10 inch skillet over medium heat, bring to a sizzle: olive oil, pepper and garlic.
Meanwhile, dip eggplant slices into slightly beaten eggs; then coat with bread crumb mixture. Fry eggplant slices in olive oil until golden brown (2 to 3 minutes on each side). Remove to serving platter; keep warm. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices. Remove to serving platter.
These are delicious treasures as they are OR dipped in ranch dressing.

Makes: 4 servings.
Preparation time: 30 minutes... ish

Watch out! you could easily eat this in a single sitting, caramel popcorn

I know the title of this recipe to be true because even as I type I am nearing the bottom of the bowl. Did I mention that it is easy to make?

Ingredients:

1 bag microwave popcorn (I prefer the light kind since you add butter for the caramel goo anyway.)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
8-10 big marshmallows

Directions:

Pop the popcorn and remove all of the obnoxious unpopped kernals. Microwave the butter, sugar, and marshmallows until melted. Stir to make a caramel goo. Pour the goo over the popcorn and stir to coat the popcorn. Holy Moly it is good.

Cheese Cake Factory's Avocado Eggrolls

Spencer bought me the book Top Secret Restaurant Recipes and when I saw this recipe I had to try it. I had never even eaten them at the restaurant, but had heard Tawnie rave about them, so I tried it. They were really good and I don't even like egg rolls, or avocado so much. I think it is the sauce with the egg rolls that make it so spectacular. This is a meal that you may have to go buy ingredients for. You probably don't just have all of them in your fridge but it was fun to make and try something new. I will be making them again in the future.

Eggrolls
1 large avocado
2 Tbsp chopped sun-dried tomatoes (bottled in oil)
1 Tbsp minced red onion
1/2 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
Pinch of salt
3 eggroll wrappers
1 egg, beaten
Vegetable oil for frying

Dipping Sauce
3/4 cup chopped cashews
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic, quartered
2 green onion, chopped
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp cumin
4 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp tamarind pulp (I just used jam - sounds weird but it tasted fine. It is only 1/2 tsp anyway)
1/2 cup honey
Pinch ground saffron (I didn't have any saffron so I didn't include it.)
1/4 cup olive oil

1. After you peel the avocado and remove the pit, dice it into bite-sized pieces.
2. In a small bowl, gently combine the avocado with the tomatoes, red onion, 1/2 tsp cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Be careful not to smash the avocado.
3. Prepare the eggrolls by spooning 1/3 of the filling into an eggroll wrapper. With the wrapper positioned so that one corner is pointed toward you, place the filling about 1 inch from the bottom corner and 1 inch from each side. Roll the bottom corner up over the filling, then roll the filling up to about the middle of the wrapper. Brush the remaining corners and edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg. Fold the left and right corners over the filling and "glue" the corners to the wrapper. Finish by rolling the wrapper and filling up over the top corner. Press on the wrapper to ensure it is sealed. Repeal these steps with the remaining two eggrolls and keep them covered in the refrigerator while you make the dipping sauce.
4. Prepare the sauce by combing the cashews, cilantro, garlic, green onions, sugar, black pepper, and cumin in a food processor or blender. Blend with short bursts until the mixture is well blended, and the cashews and garlic have been chopped into pieces about half the size of a grain of rice.
5. Combine the vinegars, honey, tamarind, and saffron in a small bowl. Heat the mixture for about 1 minute in a microwave, then stir until the tamarind pulp dissolves completely.
6. Pour the tamarind mixture into the blender or food processor with the cashew mixture and mix with short bursts until well combined (about 20 seconds).
7. Pour the blended sauce into a small bowl. Add the oil and stir by hand. Cover and refrigerate the sauce for at least 30 minutes before serving.
8. Heat oil in a deep fryer or a deep pan over medium heat.
9. When the oil is hot, dry the eggrolls for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
10. Serve with dipping sauce and enjoy!

Fried Zucchini

Need something new to make with your zucchini? You can't go wrong with this dish. Tried and true for years by my mom and I'm carrying on the tradition.

Ingredients:
Zucchini (also so good with eggplant or my favorite: yellow squash)
Flour
Eggs
Corn Flake Crumbs
Kosher salt
Oil

Directions:

Cut the zucchini into slices, dip in the flour, then the eggs, then the corn flake crumbs. Fry in oil until brown and crispy on both sides. Drain on plate covered with paper towels and sprinkle with kosher salt.

*What are you all doing with YOUR zucchini?

North African Meatballs & Couscous with Dates

So I tried The Food Network's Melissa D'Arabian's recipe from last week's show. It was a hit with all but two in my family and even those two liked it, just didn't want as much sauce as the rest of us. It had very different flavors than I usually cook with, which was great. Good to shake things up once in awhile. My only complaint was that there weren't any leftovers. I wanted more later.

North African Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lemon, zested
1/2 cup pitted and chopped briny olives (I purchased just the right amount off the olive bar at our Smith's)
1/2 cup white wine (I subsituted diluted apple juice)
1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
1 (14-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Pinch ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and olives and cook for 1 more minute. Add the white wine, deglaze the pan, and let it reduce for a 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, canned tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon, and simmer to blend flavors, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Meatballs:

Ingredients:

1 egg

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch ground cinnamon

3/4 pound ground beef

1/3 cup finely ground rolled oats or fine bread crumbs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

In a medium bowl, add the egg and tomato paste and stir until smooth. Add the cilantro, ginger, cumin, and cinnamon and mix until well blended. Stir in the ground beef and oats, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and combine gently after each addition. Do not overmix. Rolling with your hands, make about 32 meatballs, about 1-inch in diameter.
In a large saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat, and brown the meatballs in batches until golden on all sides. Add more oil, as needed. Transfer the meatballs to the pan with the sauce and let simmer for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve over Couscous with Dried Dates.