Party Dips

This is a collection of some of my favorite dips.  The Wind-Down Dip is something I came across in college and I ate it all the time!  It is perfect with those scoopable Fritos, and even better a little warm.  I used to sit in front of a movie with a blanket and eat a whole bowl. 

The Tartar Sauce is a little different then most, but you can make this ahead and keep it in your fridge.  It's great for a summertime fish fry...very light. 

Last, but not least, this pesto is super easy and great on anything!  Store this in the fridge and mix it in your favorite pasta, or grill with some shrimp, or even chicken.  This is definitely a staple in my house. 


Wind-Down Dip

• 5 c fresh spinach, (you can substitute 10 oz frozen, but do not use canned...yuck!)
• 1-15 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained; liquid reserved
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

1.  Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan along with 2 Tbsp of the liquid from the can of beans.  Cook over medium heat for minutes, or until the spinach is wilted. 

2.  Cool.  Blend this up in a blender, or a food processer until smooth.  ENJOY!!


Tartar Sauce

• 1/2 c mayonaise
• 1 Tbsp celery leaves, chopped
• 1 Tbsp pickle relish
• 1 Tbsp capers
• 1 Tbsp green onions, chop the white ends only

1.  Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.  Chill before use.  ENJOY!!


Garden Pesto

• 2 c fresh basil leaves
• 4 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp pine nuts
• 1/3 c olive oil
• 2 Tbsp grated parmesan
• Kosher salt and pepper

1.  Chop the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor, or blender.

2.  With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil.

3. Blend in the cheese and add the salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Refirgerate, covered, for up to a week.  ENJOY!!

Tuna Tampico

This recipe has been in my family for a very long time.  It's great for almost any night of the week because you can make it early and just pop it in the oven.  The story I remember (which may be wrong) is that my brother thought this gem up because he didn't like the tuna casserole my mother was serving.  (Nothing is wrong with her tuna casserole, by the way.  I think he just didn't like it.)  At my house, I love to serve this when a night of tv watching is involved...usually a football game or a great kiddie movie.  Try it, you will love it!

• 1 large bag of tortilla chips
• 15 slices of cheddar cheese
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (you can also use cream of celery, or chicken)
• 4 small cans of tuna
• 1 jar Pace Picante (we use medium, but you can use whatever level of spice you want)
• 4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1.  Layer the bottom of a 9x13 in glass casserole dish with sliced cheese; about 7 slices.  Crush 1/3 of the tortilla chips and add to cover the cheese.  Keep going with each layer as follows; 2 cans of tuna, 1 can of soup, the half the Pace. 

2.  Start over with the rest of the sliced cheese and top the finished product with more tortilla chips.  Sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese.  *At this point you can cover the entire casserole dish and refrigerate it until the time you want to put it in the oven.  Add about 10 minutes to the cook time if you remove it straight out of the fridge.

3.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted and the chips turn golden brown; about 15-20 minutes.  Slice into small squares and serve next to a nice salad.  ENJOY!!

Fresh Seafood Pasta

This is not a recipe that I make very often because of the expensive ingredients, but it does make a lot of pasta so, if there are people coming over for dinner, or it's a special occasion, it's a good choice.  This is also a really easy way to look like you know how to cook fancy.  Feel free to mix up the seafood choices if you can't find some of these items in your supermarket.  This would even be good with some cooked salmon.

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 c shallot, minced
• 2 tsp garlic, chopped
• kosher salt/pepper
• 2 c tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 lbs fresh mussels, scrubbed (you can buy canned if you don't want the hassle)
• 1 lbs medium shrimp
• 2 c dry white wine
• 1 lbs lump crab meat, cleaned
• 1/2 c chopped green onion
• 1 lbs penne pasta, cooked
• 4 oz grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c chiffonade fresh basil
• white truffle oil

1 In a large saute pan eat the oil.  Add the shallots and garlic and saute about 2 minute on low heat.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the tomatoes and saute for 1 minute.  Add the mussels and shrimp and season again with salt and pepper.  Let this saute for 2 minutes.

2.  Add the wine and scrape all the bits ff the bottom of the pan.  Bring this to a simmer and cover; cook until shells open, about 4 to 6 minutes.  Add the crab meat and green onions and saute for 1 minute.  Add the pasta, toss and combine cooking until the pasta is heated through, about 7 minutes. 

3.  Toss the pasta with the cheese and basil.  Spoon onto a large serving plate and drizzle with just a little truffle oil.  ENJOY!!

Easy Chicken and Pasta Dinner

This is one of my all time favorite recipes.  I pretty much lived on this in college because it was so easy and quick.  I still make this as a quick lunch or even dinner for the kids with some roasted broccoli.  I have even substituted broccoli for the pasta if I didn't want to eat any carbs that day.  YUM!!

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 Tbsp lemon pepper
• 2 chicken breasts, boneless (you can also use a white fish, pork, or chicken tenders)
• 4 oz. spiral pasta, cooked (I like the multi-colored ones, but any short pasta here would work)

1.  Melt about half the butter in a medium skillet.  Season the chicken with the cumin and lemon pepper.  When the butter gets hot, add the chicken to the pan and cook through, flipping once.  This should take about 5 minutes per side. 

*Remember to make sure the finished temperature is above 165 degrees.

2.  Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest on a plate.  Melt the remaining butter in the same pan and add any remaining cumin and lemon pepper you might have.  Toss the pasta into the butter mixture and cook until hot and even a little brown on the edges.  (This gives your pasta a little texture.)  This should take 4-5 minutes. 

3.  Serve along side the chicken and add a green vegetable for a full meal.  ENJOY!!

Tuna Steaks with White Bean Salad

I need to post a few without pictures to get back in the swing of things.  I have, over the years, written down some of my favorite recipes in a journal.  I normally use recipes for my cooking, but I tend to make notes and change things according to my family's likes and dislikes.  Over the next week I am going to just throw some of these recipes up so you guys can see.  Sorry about not having any pictures right now.  I tend to forget to take them about half way through cooking.

• 3 Tbs. lemon juice
• 3Tbs. Olive oil
• 3 Tbs. minced scallions
• 1 Tbs. chopped sage (if using dried here double it)
• 2-15 1/2 oz. cans cannellini beans, drained
• 4-5 oz. tuna steaks

1. Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil in a medium-size bowl; add scallions, sage, 1/4 tsp kosher salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Combine 3 Tbs of this mixture with beans.  Reserve remaining mixture for later.

2.  Season tuna steaks with salt and pepper.  Heat 2 Tbs olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet.  Sear the tuna steaks on each side about 2 min each for medium rare, or leave on longer for desired degree of doneness.

3.  Place bean salad on serving plate, top with tuna steaks, and drizzle with reserved lemon mixture.  ENJOY!!

*Also great served over white rice*

BLT Cobb Salad

I'm back!!  I went on a little hiatus over the holiday mainly because with the kids all being home I didn't have a lot of time to write.  Plus, with the busy schedules comes eating out a lot and not so much cooking.  I have decided to start off easy this first post with a salad.  I know some of you may not think of salad as a main dish, but if it's served at our house, it usually is.  This is my husband's favorite salad and I can get the kids to eat most of it, so it's a real winner. 

A few things first...  Normally, and in this case, a salad is about cutting things up and throwing them on top of lettuce.  This salad does, however, have one ingredient that, for some people, is a little difficult.  So, I want to show you how I tackle it:

The one ingredient I am referring to is the avocado.  There are a lot of tools out there now for this little green fruit, but I like to stick with the basics...a knife and a spoon.  First, you take the avocado and turn it upright where the smaller end is pointing up.  Then take your knife and slice the avocado in half turning it all the way around the seed. 

Now, take the knife out and hold the avocado like you would a football with the cut part in between your thumbs and twist in opposite directions.  This should release one side of your avocado from the seed so you will now have two pieces. 

Next, it's time to take out the seed.  This can be very dangerous, so please be careful.  I like to hold the avocado half in a folded up towel, so if my knife should slip it hits that first and not me. 

Now, hold the avocado, seed up, in the hand you are not using the knife with.  Take the knife and press down with gentle force to cut slightly into the seed.  Then, give it a little twist and it should slide right out.  The more ripe your avocado, the simpler this should be, so if you are nervous, don't buy a hard avocado.  Also, if you don't want to try this use one of those tools I told you about. 

Lastly, still holding that avocado, take your knife and make a criss-cross pattern into the fruit.  Then, take that spoon I was talking about and scoop out the meat of the avocado.  Finished! 

Let's get on to the recipe:

• 2 1/2-3 c lettuce (this can be heads of lettuce cut up, or the bagged stuff)
• 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 c crumbed blue cheese
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cucumber, chopped
• 1/2 package bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
• 1/2 c shredded chicken
• 1/2 c frozen corn kernels, defrosted
• 1 avocado, chopped

1.  Lay out the lettuce on a serving plate, or in a big salad bowl.  Pour the balsamic over the lettuce and mix it all together. 



2.  With each ingredient, lay them carefully side by side on top of the lettuce. 

3.  Serve just like this with any salad dressing of your choice.  In my house, we like to use Ranch.  ENJOY!!

Stuffed Peppers

In my house we do stuffed peppers a lot.  They require a little bit of prep work, but they are hearty comfort food that still can be healthy.  I like to serve these gems with a light salad, or maybe some crusty bread in front of a good movie (cartoon, of course).  The kids even enjoy these because cooking the pepper a little brings down the sharp flavor.  So, let's get cooking:


Ingredients:

• 4 bell peppers (any color can be used)
• 1 lb. ground beef (turkey or pork can also be used)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes (not drained)
• 4 oz frozen corn
• 1 c cooked white rice
• 2 c mozzarella cheese, separated
• kosher salt and pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  First, let's take on the bell peppers.  What you want to do is cut the top off (just enough to take off the stem and create an open cavity).  Then, reach into the pepper and pull out all the seeds and as much of the veins as you can.  If you need to use a small knife to get more out just be careful not to cut yourself.  Now, in a small Pyrex dish arrange the peppers so they stand up straight.  You may have to shave a little off the bottom if one is uneven.  When I go to buy the peppers at the store I look for something that is pretty stable on it's own. 

2.  To make the filling, brown the meat in a hot skillet.  Add the chopped onion and saute about 3 minutes until soft.  Add the canned tomatoes and corn and simmer all together about 15 minutes.  The mixture will thicken a little, but don't let it get too dry.

You want to use "no salt"
so you are in control of how much salt is
in the finished product.

3.  Add the rice to the mixture and one cup of the cheese.  Season the filling with kosher salt and pepper to taste.  Then, with a large spoon, fill each bell pepper with as much of the mixture as you can stuff in there.  Top each pepper with a mound of the leftover cheese.  You should use about 1/4 cup for each pepper.  Add a small amount, about 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the Pyrex dish.  Bake, uncovered, in the oven for 30 min, or until nice and browned on top.  ENJOY!!

Side Note:  This meal can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the meat and adding more vegetables like maybe some spinach, or even eggplant.