January 13, 2009
Parmesan RIce Crisps
Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice
1/4 cup wild rice
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add boththe brown rice and the wild rice to the boiling water, cover and cook over low heat until the rice mixture is very soft, about 55 minutes. Drain the rice mixture and spread it on the platter, then let cool completely.
In a food processor, pulse the cooled rice mixture until it is coarsely chopped and sticky. Scrape the chopped rice mixture into a large bowl and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until well blended. Season the rice mixture with salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop 1/2 cup of the rice mixture onto one half of the prepared cookie sheet and pat it into a disk. Cover the rice disk with plastic wrap, then press or roll it out to a very thin 7-by-10" rectangle. Repeat on the other half of the cookie sheet.
Bake the rice crisps in the lower third of the oven for about 12 minutes, or until they are crisp and golden brown. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the parchment paper with the crisps to a wire rack and let the crisps cool completely. Repeat with the remaining rice.
(The rice crisps can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, layered between sheets of wax paper, for up to 2 days. Recrisp on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven if necessary.)
Posted by Kelli Little at 06:57 PM
Spinach Dip
Ingredients:
1 package Spicy/Southern Ranch Dip
1 package Ranch Dip
1 package of frozen, chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
One 16oz container sour cream
1 - 2 cups mayonnaise
1 loaf round sourdough bread
Directions:
Thoroughly mix together the mayo, sour cream, and two packets of ranch mix. Add the spinach and mix thoroughly. Cut out the middle of the bowl and dump the mixture in. Serve with extra sourdough bread pieces and or tortilla chips. Use mayo to taste.
Posted by Kelli Little at 05:44 PM
Artichoke & Spinach Dip
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, partially thawed
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 (16 ounce) packages sour cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
garlic salt to taste
Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the spinach and artichoke hearts. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Mix cream cheese and sour cream into the spinach mixture. Stir in Parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.
Posted by Kelli Little at 05:43 PM
Crab Cakes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup green pepper, finely diced
1 lb crab meat
2 lg eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup coarse ground bread crumbs
salt and pepper
Directions:
Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a large skillet and cook red and green peppers until they are tender, approximately 3-4 minutes. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and cool.
Mix crab meat, eggs, cooked peppers, and 2 tbl of bread crumbs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into 8 cakes. Place on a wax-paper lined plate and chill up to several hours.
Heat oven to 375F. Coat crab cakes in bread crumbs on all sides. Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a large, ovenproof skillet. Add crab cakes in a single layer. Cook over stovetop until nicely brown on the bottom, about two minutes. Carefully turn the cakes over and then place in oven. Bake until they are golden on all sides, approximately 10-12 minutes.
Add your choice of sauce overtop and serve.
Posted by Kelli Little at 05:41 PM
Crispy Coconut Shrimp
Ingredients:
24 medium shrimp
1/2 tsp garlic and herb seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cups of flour
1 lg egg, well beaten
1/4 cup shredded coconut
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F. Spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray. Sprinkle shrimp evenly with the seasoning blend and pepper. Place flour, egg, and coconut in three seperate bowls. Dip shrimp first in the egg, then flour, then in the egg, then in the coconut. Arrange the shrimp on the baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Mix crab meat, eggs, cooked peppers, and 2 tbl of bread crumbs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into 8 cakes. Place on a wax-paper lined plate and chill up to several hours.
Posted by Kelli Little at 05:40 PM
Dill Cucumber Dip
Ingredients:
1 large onion
2/3 cup low-fat plain yogurt
8 oz. fat-free cream cheese
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste
2 tsp. dill, fresh, or 1 tsp dried dill weed
2 large cucumbers, peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes
Instructions:
Chop onion in a food processer or blender. Add yogurt, cream cheese, salt, pepper and dill. Whir until well combined. Fold in cucumber; chill until ready to serve. Yields about 3 heaping tablespoons per serving, with 6 servings total.
Posted by Kelli Little at 05:19 PM
January 11, 2009
Spicy Hummus
Ingredients:
2 8 oz. cans of garbonzo beans (chick peas)
1 1/2 cups tahini
1 whole pressed garlic
olive oil
1 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh parshley, chopped
1 hot pepper finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Directionss:
Drain and rinse beans. Puree in food processor; add tahineh, lemon juice, parsly and garlic. Add salt and hot pepper. Blend well. Add enough olive oil until smooth.
This recipe serves 6 to 8.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:13 AM
Jalapeno Poppers
Ingredients:
24 fresh jalapenos
11?2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1?2 cup cream cheese, softened
3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups fine breadcrumbs
Ranch or blue cheese dressing
Directions:
Cut the stem end off each pepper and scoop out seeds and as much of the ribs as possible. In a small bowl blend the cheeses together. Stuff each of the peppers with the cheese mixture (a pastry piper or small spoon is helpful). Beat eggs gently. Pour breadcrumbs into a shallow pan. One by one, coat each popper with egg, shake off excess and roll gently in the breadcrumbs. Set aside for 15 minutes to allow the breading to set up. Transfer the poppers to a greased baking pan and bake in a preheated 300 �F (150 �C) oven. Bake 20 minutes for spicy jalapeno poppers, 30 minutes for medium heat and 40 minutes for a mild flavor. Serve immediately with dressing for dipping.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:12 AM
Ali's Amazing Bruschetta
Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread, cut into 1 inch slices
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, olive oil, oregano, basil and parsley. Place bread on a baking sheet, and top with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until bottom of bread is browned. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:12 AM
Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
5 portobello mushrooms
1 turkey sausage link, without casing
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon crushed garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Remove stems from portobello mushrooms. Arrange the mushroom caps, bottoms up, on a medium baking sheet. Chop the stems and set aside.
Place turkey sausage link on a small baking sheet. Cook uncovered in the preheated oven 15 minutes, or until the interior is no longer pink. Remove from heat and chop.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix together chopped mushroom stems, chopped sausage, chopped garlic, crushed garlic, cayenne pepper, black pepper and seasoned bread crumbs. Slowly cook and stir 5 to 7 minutes, or until bread crumbs begin to brown. Remove from heat, allow to cool approximately 10 minutes and transfer to a medium bowl.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Mix cream cheese and Parmesan cheese into the mushroom stem mixture. Stuff the mushroom caps with the mixture.
Bake stuffed mushrooms in the preheated oven 20 minutes, or until stuffing is lightly browned.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:10 AM
Jalapeno Cheese (Cold Recipe)
Ingredients:
1 large block of sharp or medium cheddar cheese (approx.)
8 oz - 16 oz can of jalapenos (make certain it isn't jar, as they pickle those jalapenos)
1 med. jar of mayo (approx.) (I use just a tiny bit less)
Garlic powder
Directions:
Grate medium cheddar and place in a large bowl. Get (or dice) a can of jalapenos. Make certain that all of the juice is drained out before adding the jalapenos into the bowl. Sprinkle in a little (really a little) garlic powder; add mayo (not miracle whip) until it looks, feels, and tastes great. Serve with Ritz crackers, tortilla chips, or Wheat Thins.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:09 AM
Artichoke & Spinach Dip
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, partially thawed
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 (16 ounce) packages sour cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
garlic salt to taste
Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the spinach and artichoke hearts. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Mix cream cheese and sour cream into the spinach mixture. Stir in Parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:08 AM
Spinach Dip
Ingredients:
1 package Spicy/Southern Ranch Dip OR 1 package Ranch Dip
1 package of frozen, chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
4 cloves minced garlic (or more to taste)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 loaf round sourdough bread
Directions:
Thoroughly mix together the mayo, sour cream, garlic, and two packets of ranch mix. Thaw and drain the spinach. Add the spinach and mix thoroughly. Cut out the middle of the bowl and dump the mixture in. Serve with extra sourdough bread pieces and or tortilla chips.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:07 AM
Deviled Eggs
Ingredients:
1 dozen eggs
Mayo
Mustard
Beaver's Extra Hot Horse Radish
onion powder
salt and pepper
Paprika, if desired
Directions:
Fill large pot halfway with cold water and a touch of salt. Put eggs inside and bring to a boil. Boil for 12-13 minutes.
Rinse eggs in cold water until they are cooled. This helps them to peel easier. Roll off the shells. Cut eggs in half and scoop the cooked yolks into a bowl. Set white shells aside.
Mash yolks, a squirt of mustard, and the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. This is done totally to taste - pretty simple. Fill the white halves with the mixture and serve. Some people like to sprinkle paprika on top.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:07 AM
Mom's Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
10 large white mushrooms
Butter or margerine
Minced garlic or garlic powder
1 large King Crab leg
1 can crab meat
1/2 big container of cream cheese
Chives
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Directions:
Wash your mushrooms. Take the stem and some of the inside out of the mushrooms, using a spoon. Fry bottoms down in a little butter and garlic powder or chopped garlic just until light brown. Cool.
Mix together the filling, which consists of crab (I use the meat from one king crab leg, shredded, and canned meat together), cream cheese, chives, 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese, pepper, a little white wine. Add enough bread crumbs (the kind that come in the round can) to make the mixture stick together. Fill mushrooms and top with the rest of the grated cheddar cheese.
Bake at 350F for about 25-30 minutes.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:06 AM
Garlic Bread Alouette
Ingredients:
French bread
Alouette Garlic and Herbs Cheese
Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Slice a loaf of French bread in half lengthwise. Spread with Alouette Garlic & Herbs and sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Broil until cheese melts. Slice and serve.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:06 AM
Kelli's Bruschetta
Ingredients:
6 oz ricotta cheese
6 oz mozzarella, grated
3 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
3 oz white sharp cheddar, grated
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, minced
2 tbl Chives, minced
1 tbl Parsley, minced
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbl extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tbl salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 loaf of french bread
20 basil leaves, approximately
3-4 roma tomatoes
Directions:
Toss mozzarella, sharp cheddar, and parmesan cheese evenly in a big bowl. Saute minced garlic in olive oil, add garlic (not oil) to bowl, along with chives, basil, salt and pepper, and mix evenly. Add ricotta cheese and mix thoroughly throughout, making a sort of sticky mixture. Make certain the dry cheeses are all mixed in.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
Cut french loaf lengthwise in half and then in individual serving slices, making approximately 10-14, depending on the size of your chosen portion and the size of the loaf. Place the slices bottom side down on one or two cookie sheets.
(If you want the bread not to have a very soft center, then butter the top right now, put it in the oven on 'broil' for about five minutes, and then take it out. That'll bake the top part of the bread enough to keep some of the juices from making the center slightly soft. I prefer my center slightly soft, though.)
Cover each piece with one or two basil leaves. It's ok if there's a little room left over, but you want to make certain these layers of taste are thin, spread even, and not overwhelming.
Thinly slice your roma tomatoes. Place the tomatoes on the bread just like you did the basil - covering most of the surface, which will likely require approximately two thin slices.
Sprinkle the cheese mixture over top. It's a little difficult to sprinkle because it's thick and gooey, so don't worry about covering all 'gaps', since the cheese will spread out when it bakes.
Place the bread in the oven and cook for approximately 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn the oven to 'broil' (or 500 degrees farenheit) and brown the top of the cheese (approximately 2-3 minutes.)
Whalah! You have gourmet bruschetta.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:05 AM
Spicy Tortilla Rolls
Ingredients:
1 pkg tortillas
1 can diced green chiles
1 can diced jalapenos
1 can chopped black olives
2 pkgs cream cheese
Directions:
Combine chiles, jalapenos, olives and cream cheese. It's easier to mix when the cream cheese is softened up a bit. Once that's mixed, spread a thin layer on the tortilla. Roll tortillas, cover and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow the cream cheese to harden before slicing. If you don't, the cream cheese will ooze out the sides.
Note that you can add anything you want. What doesn't go good with cream cheese? For example, you can cube very small pieces of ham, pepperoni, or salami to put in the rolls.
Posted by Kelli Little at 11:04 AM