Chocolate-Dipped Clementines

Ingredients:

Six clementines, peeled and segmented (I also pulled off as much pith as I could.)

One 4 oz. chocolate bar (I used Ghiradelli 60% Cocoa.)

Coarse sea salt

Directions:

Lay clementine slices on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Melt chocolate in either the microwave or a double boiler (I used the microwave, so just continue to stir after 30-second increments.)  Dip half the clementine in the chocolate then sprinkle with sea salt. Continue with remaining slices.

Refrigerate for 10 minutes before serving.

*Adapted from www.howsweeteats.com

Carne Asada Tacos

THISSSS product is amazing.  You need to buy one.  Then, after you buy it, you will have an even more fun time making this recipe.  And then, after you make the salsa for this recipe, you will make it by itself all the time with the new kitchen appliance I encouraged you to buy.  Mmmmhmm you will.

Ingredients:
For Meat:
1/2 c. white vinegar
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons EVOO
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 pounds flank or skirt steak, trimmed and cut into 3 equal portions
For Salsa:
1 pound tomatoes, chopped
2-4 fresh jalapeño peppers or serrano chiles, seeded and finely diced
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1 lime
1 ripe but slightly firm avocado, diced
Others:
16  5-6 inch corn or whole-wheat flour tortillas, warmed (I prefer corn.)
1/3 c. crumbled Cotija cheese, or other shredded cheese


Directions:

1. Whisk vinegar, chili powder, oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and garlic powder in a 9x13 baking dish.  Add steak and turn to coat.  Cover and marinade in the fridge for at least an hour and up to 24 hours.
2. Make salsa about 20 minutes (and up to 2 hours) before cooking the meat. Gently combine tomatoes, jalapeños (or chiles) to taste, onion, cilantro, avocado, lime juice, and salt in a medium bowl.  If you decide to use your new kitchen appliance, in the processor, combine chopped  jalapeños (or chiles), onion (cut in quarters), cilantro, lime juice, and salt.  After those ingredients have been chopped, add tomatoes (cut in quarters), and process again until tomatoes are chopped.  DO NOT add diced avocados until after you're done processing.
3. Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
4. Place the steak on rimmed baking sheet (discard the marinade).  Broil 3-4 minutes per side for medium.  Transfer to a clean cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.  Thinly slice against the grain.  Serve the steak wrapped in warm tortillas and topped with salsa and cheese.  

*Eating Well Magazine, January/February 2012

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Ingredients:

Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Glaze

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cookies:

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Beat to combine. Stir in the dry ingredients.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2-teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for about 2 hours. 

*Giada DeLaurentiis, Food Network

Bacon-Cheese Quiche

Ingredients:
1 store-bought pie crust, frozen
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups medium-sized yellow onion, diced
salt and pepper
6 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (4 oz.)
(I added red pepper, diced)


Directions:

1. Cook bacon and drain on paper towels.  Let cool and crumble.  Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375.  In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook until light golden, 8-10 minutes. (I also added the diced red peppers at this time.)  
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and cream.  Add onion, (red peppers), bacon, and cheese and season with 1/2 tsp. of salt and 1/4 tsp. of pepper. 
4. Whisk to combine, and pour into pie crust.  Bake until center of quiche is just set, 40-45 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  (To store, refrigerate cooled quiche, tightly covered, up to 3 days.)

*Everyday Food Magazine, December 2011

Mini Cinnamon Rolls with Maple or Vanilla Icing

Ingredients:

1-8 oz. tube crescent roll dough

2 tablespoons butter

cinnamon

brown sugar

For the maple/vanilla icing:

1 teaspoon maple syrup or vanilla

1 tablespoon skim milk

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven according to crescent roll dough package directions. Layout half the dough (4 triangles) and pinch all the seams together. Flip over and pinch the seams on the back side together too.

2. Using a rolling pin, smooth the seams and roll the dough into a square about 1/4″ thick. Brush with half the butter, and sprinkle with as much cinnamon and brown sugar as you want. Roll into a log and cut into 8 pieces.

3. Place mini cinnamon rolls into a non-stick sprayed mini muffin tin. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the other half of the crescent roll dough. Bake according to package directions.

4. Meanwhile whisk together maple syrup/vanilla and milk in a bowl. Add in powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls.

*www.iowagirleats.com

Holiday Bacon Appetizers

Ingredients:

• 1 package Club Crackers
• 1 pound Thin Sliced Bacon (or more depending on the number of crackers)
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Optional Alternative: brown sugar instead of Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Lay crackers (as many as you want) face up on a cookie sheet.

Scoop about 1 teaspoon of grated Parmesan cheese onto each cracker. Cut your package of bacon in half (or cut pieces individually) and carefully, so the cheese doesn’t fall off, wrap each cheese-covered cracker in one half piece of bacon, completely covering the cracker. It should fit snugly around the cracker.

Place the bacon wrapped crackers onto a baking sheet that has a rack on it.

Place in a 250-degree oven for about 2 hours.

*www.pioneerwomancooks.com

Hot Pizza Dip Bites

Totally Cute, So Easy, Super Good!

Ingredients:
8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove fresh minced garlic
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup pizza sauce or good marinara sauce
3 ounces finely chopped pepperoni
24 square wonton wrappers

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, oregano, basil and garlic. Lightly grease a mini-muffin tin pan with cooking spray and press one wonton wrapper gently into the muffin tin, carefully but firmly pressing it into the sides of the cups. Bake the wonton wrappers for 4-6 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the pan from the oven and keep the wonton wrappers in the mini cups.

Dollop a teaspoon or two of the cream cheese mixture into the bottom of each wonton cup. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with a teaspoon or so of the pizza sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and chopped pepperoni. Bake for 10 more minutes until the filling is bubbly and wonton edges are golden brown. Serve warm!

To make this recipe into a dip and not bites:

Spread the cream cheese mixture into the bottom of a 9” shallow oven-proof dish. Sprinkle ½ cup of the mozzarella, then ½ cup of the parmesan cheese over the cream cheese mixture. Spread the pizza sauce over the cheeses. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Top with pepperoni and other veggies or pizza toppings of your choice. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with tortilla chips, baquette slices or crackers.

*www.melskitchencafe.com

Ina Garten's Chicken with Goat Cheese and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless chicken breasts, skin-on (Most grocery stores do not carry this.  I asked my butcher to debone 3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts for me.)
• 4 to 5 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese 
• 3 sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
• Basil leaves, whole
• EVOO
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers, leaving 1 side attached. 

Cut the goat cheese into 1/4-inch-thick slices (you should have about 6 slices) and place 2 slices under the skin of each chicken breast.  Continuing under the skin of each breast, top the goat cheese  with 1/3 of the julienned sun-dried tomatoes, followed by one basil leaf over the sun-dried tomatoes.

Pull the skin over as much of the meat as possible so the chicken won't dry out. With your fingers, rub each piece with olive oil, and sprinkle them very generously with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until the skin is lightly browned and crispy, and the chicken is just cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

*www.foodnetwork.com

Gorgonzola Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

• 1-2 (10-ounce) boxes chopped frozen spinach (1 is plenty, 2 is fine!)
• 1 box frozen artichoke hearts
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg, or to taste
• 1 cup Gorgonzola crumbles
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• Thick sesame bread sticks, for dipping
• Celery hearts, trimmed for dipping
• Pita crisps with Parmesan and herbs (recommended: Stacy's)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Defrost spinach 10 minutes on defrost setting in microwave then drain well by wringing out in dish towel. Defrost artichokes as well, 6 minutes on defrost in microwave then wring out and finely chop.

Heat a sauce pot with butter over medium to medium-high heat. Add garlic to melted butter and stir 1 to 2 minutes, then sprinkle in flour and combine 1 minute more. Whisk in stock and milk and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Thicken 2 minutes then remove from heat and melt in Gorgonzola. Stir in spinach and artichokes and half the shredded cheese, then transfer to a small casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Brown and bubble in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with bread sticks, celery hearts, and/or pita crisps for dipping.

*www.foodnetwork.com

Quadruple Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 TBSP dutch-process cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 and 1/2 cups dried cherries

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
2. Melt the chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Stir until smooth and completely melted.
3. Remove the bowl from the heat.  Whisk in the sugars and then the eggs.
4. Whisk in the dry ingredients until combined.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips and cherries.
6. Press plastic wrap right onto the dough, and refrigerate 30 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Preheat the oven to 350.  Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
8. Use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop out mounds of dough (or use a spoon).  Bake until the edges are set, but the centers still look soft, about 12 minutes.
9. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to a wire rack until cooled completely.

*www.bakeat350.blogspot.com

Creamy Turkey (or Chicken) and Wild Rice Soup

If you are looking for something to do with your leftover turkey, this is delicious!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked wild rice
• ½ cups unsalted butter
• 1 whole medium onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 whole carrots, sliced into 1/4" thick coins
• 8 ounces, weight button mushrooms (sliced)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoons black pepper
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• ¼ cups finely chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)
• 4 cups cooked and coarsely shredded turkey or chicken 
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

First off, you’ll want to get your wild rice cooking, so it’s ready to add to the finished soup. Prepare according to the package instructions. (It takes a while; the instructions on my bag says to cook it for 55 minutes.)

The remainder of the recipe can be made in one stock pot. Start by melting the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic. Stir well and saute until the onion is transparent and softened. Blend in flour, cooking until it bubbles a bit. Gradually add the broth, stirring constantly.

Turn up the heat a bit and bring the soup to a low boil. Boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat slightly and add the cooked wild rice, half-and-half, soy sauce, salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, and turkey or chicken. Simmer for 20 minutes or until thoroughly warmed. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and taste test to see if it needs more salt and pepper.

Serve with crackers or warm bread.

*www.tastykitchen.com