Mandy Jones' Buffalo Chicken Dip3 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded,12 oz Frank's Red Hot Mix, and lay on bottom of pan, 2 packages cream cheese,16 oz ranch dressing,green onions, Melt and stir until smooth, pour over chicken *Shredded cheese on top ( Jack or chedder or tex mex package of shredded cheese)Bake @ 375 for 30 mins, stand 10 mins.
Lindsay's Salsa- I first tried homemade salsa out on Galiano Island and this recipe has been a favorite in my family, everyone putting their own twist on it. Here is my twist.
Ingredients: 8 tomatoes, quarter red onion, quarter white onion, 1 jalepeno pepper, half green pepper, 1 yellow pepper, quarter cucumber, 1-2 cilantro bunch, 2-3 cloves garlic, one fresh lime squeezed, salt & pepper, 2 tblsp olive oil, 1 tblsp hot sauce
Throw all vegetables in food processor or chop finely, add seasonings.
Crab DipIngredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup cooked crab meat
2 Tbsp minced shallots (or green onions or red onions)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill or 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh dill
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar or 1 1/2 teaspoons of dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Method
Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, shallots, dill, lemon zest, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Fold in the crab meat. Salt and pepper to taste. Chill for 2 hours or overnight. Serve with crackers or carrots and celery.
Hummus
Ingredients
4 garlic cloves, minced and then mashed
2 15-oz cans of garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
2/3 cup of tahini (roasted, not raw)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Pine nuts (toasted) and parsley (chopped) for garnish
Method
1 In a food processor, combine the mashed garlic, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, 1/2 cup water, and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add salt, starting at a half a teaspoon, to taste.
2 Spoon into serving dish and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and chopped parsley.
Serve with crackers, raw dip vegetables such as carrots or celery, or with pita bread. You can cut the pita bread into thin triangles, brush with olive oil and toast for 10 minutes in a 400°F oven to make pita chips with which to serve the hummus.
Makes about 3 cups.
Amy-Jill Parenteau's Thai Peanut Sauce1 can coconut milk (I usually buy the light)3 tbsp sugar,2 tbsp curry paste,1 cup ground peanuts,1/4 cup fish sauce,Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Simmer over medium heat for about 15min.(I usually add chicken and vegetables to this and serve over rice)
Lindsay's Guacamole- I adapted this recipe from Phay who ate a lot of Guacamole in Mexico. He says it's all in the lime.
INGREDIENTS 3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed, 1 lime, juiced, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4cup diced red onion, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced 2 cloves garlic, 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional) 1/4 cup diced green pepper, 1/2 jalepeno pepper
DIRECTIONS In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, peppers and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.
Eggplant Dip (Baba Ghanouj)
Ingredients
2 globe eggplants (about 2 lbs),3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil,2 Tbsp roasted tahini (sesame paste)1 garlic clove, finely chopped, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, Juice of one lemon - about 2 1/2 tablespoons, 3/4 teaspoon salt. Cayenne pepper, 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
Method
1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet, cut side down, and roast until very tender, about 35 minutes. Place the eggplant in a colander to drain and cool for 15 minutes, then scoop the flesh out of the skin.
2 Combine the eggplant, remaining olive oil (about 2 Tbsp), tahini, garlic, cumin, 2 Tbsp of the lemon juice, the salt, and a pinch of cayenne in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the eggplant is somewhat smooth but retains some of its texture.
3 Allow the baba ghanouj to sit for an hour at room temperature, then season to taste with additional lemon juice, salt, and cayenne. Toss in cilantro and serve.
Serves four. Served traditionally with pita bread, and can also be served with crackers, toast, sliced baguette or celery.
Tzatziki Sauce16 oz. Greek style yogurt*,1 cucumber, washed and peeled,3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed,1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil,1 Tbsp lemon juice,1 1/2 to 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill,1/2 tsp salt*,Greek style yogurt is much thicker and richer than normal yogurt. If you can’t get a hold of it you can make your own. Place some plain yogurt in a cheesecloth, tie up the edges and hang it over a bowl or place the cheesecloth in a strainer over a bowl in the fridge for a few hours. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a small spoon. Then coarsely grate the cucumber. Gather the grated cucumber in a cheesecloth or paper towel and squeeze out the excess water, otherwise the tzatziki will be too runny.Mix the grated cucumber with everything else.
Lindsay's Bruschetta This was a favorite in university.
INGREDIENTS 1 sourdough or baguette French bread, cut into 1-inch slices, 5 diced roma tomatoes, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil, Salt and ground black pepper to taste, 1/2 cup red onion, 1tblsp olive oil
DIRECTIONS Brush bread slices with olive oil and broil on each side until toasted. In a small bowl combine the remaining ingredients. Spoon tomato mixture onto the toasted bread and place under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve warm.
Taco DipThis will forever remind me of coming home from a highschool party at 2 am and crushing taco dip with Raigan.
4 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 pkg taco seasoning,
Mix above ingredients and spread on flat dish. Sprinkle diced tomatoes, green onions and green peppers, top with grated cheddar cheese.
Lindsay's Stuffed MushroomRemove core from mushrooms
1 pkg crab meat, 1/4 cup basil & parsley (fresh), 2 cloves garlic, 1tblsp oregano , 3 tblsp cream cheese, 1 tsp butter, salt & pepper
Beat above ingredients and fill up mushroom caps, top with a slice of mozza cheese. Bake @ 350 for 8 minutes, broil for 2 minutes.
Potato Skins
Ingredients
6 small to medium sized russet baking potatoes (total 3 pounds)
Olive oil
Canola oil or grapeseed oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
6 strips of bacon
4 ounces grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 green onions, thinly sliced, including the greens of the onions
Method
1 Scrub the potatoes clean then bake the potatoes using your favorite method, either oven or microwave. If using an oven, rub with olive oil and bake in a 400°F oven for about an hour until the potatoes are cooked through and give a little when pressed. If using a microwave, rub all over with olive oil and cook on the high setting for about 5 minutes per potato. I have found that baking the potatoes in a conventional oven yields potatoes that are easier to work with (cut and scoop out), the potato seems to adhere to the skins a little better, but there is hardly a discernible difference in the final product.
2 While the potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon strips in a frying pan on medium low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Let cool. Crumble.
3 Remove the potatoes from the oven and let cool enough to handle. Cut in half horizontally. Use a spoon to carefully scoop out the insides, reserving the scooped potatoes for another use, leaving about 1/4 of an inch of potato on the skin.
Increase the heat of the oven to 450°F. Brush or rub grapeseed oil or canola oil (or another high smoke point oil) all over the potato skins, outside and in. Sprinkle with salt. Place on a baking rack in a roasting pan (don't use a cookie sheet, it will warp, use a roasting pan or broiler pan that can take the heat). Cook for 10 minutes on one side, then flip the skins over and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle.
4 Arrange the potato skins skin-side down on the roasting pan or rack. Sprinkle the insides with freshly ground black pepper, cheddar cheese, and crumbled bacon. Return to the oven. Broil for an additional 2 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven. Use tongs to place skins on a serving plate. Add a dollop of sour cream to each skin, sprinkle with green onions.
Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
Pita Wedges with Green Olive Tapenade
3 whole-wheat (whole-meal) pita breads, 6 inches in diameter, each cut into 8 wedges,1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil,1 shallot, finely chopped,2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, peeled and seeded, then finely chopped,1 clove garlic, minced,1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano,1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)1/2 cup dry white wine,3/4 cup pitted green olives, rinsed, drained and roughly chopped,Grated zest of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Arrange the pita bread wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp and lightly golden, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, oregano and the red pepper flakes, if using, and saute until the tomatoes are tender, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and slowly bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until the liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. The mixture will be thick. Remove from the heat, spoon the mixture into a small bowl and let cool completely.
When the tomato mixture has cooled to room temperature, add the olives and lemon zest. Stir to combine. The tapenade may be made ahead, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before using.
Spoon 2 teaspoons of the tapenade onto each pita wedge, sprinkle evenly with the parsley and divide among individual plates — 4 wedges per plate. Serve immediately.
Chicken QuesadillaFlour Tortillas,Chicken, cut up into large chunks (You can use grilled chicken, leftover roast chicken or bbq chicken, doesn't really matter) saute with fajita pkg seasoning,Coarsley grated cheese (Cheddar, Monterey, Pepper Jack, or a combo)Thinly sliced white onions,Fresh tomatoes or fresh tomato salsa, drained (if using this then omit the onions)1/2 green pepper,Fresh ground black pepper, Few dashes of Tabasco if you like it hot,Lime juice, just a little bit
guacamole (optional)Saute chicken and vegetables in fajita pkg seasoning. Mix in salsa and guacamole
Brush tortilla with olive oil and place oiled side down on baking sheet. Add approximately 4 tblsp of filling on half the tortilla, flip other side up, bake for 10 minutes, broil for 3 minutes.
