Bleu Cheese Dressing

I don't remember the first time I had Bleu Cheese Salad dressing, but I fell in love that day!  It is my favorite salad dressing---if made correctly.  There are some restaurants that make it wonderfully and some that just stir it into sour cream or something...not so great.  It is very high in fat and I don't eat it too often these days.  My family does not enjoy the flavor of blue cheese and get turned off by the fact that it contains a type of mold.  I however don't let that deter me.  If you are like me and need to have Bleu Cheese dressing in your life, try this recipe that I got from an episode of Elie Krieger's on Food network.

2 T. mayonnaise
1/4 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. fat free yogurt
1 T. vinegar
1/2 t. sugar
1/3 c. crumbled blue cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Drain yogurt 20 minutes.  Whisk with rest of ingredients and crumble in blue cheese.  Serve over your favorite salad greens.

Turkey & Pesto Panini with Provolone and Roasted Red Pepper

Here is a great gourmet style sandwich which is impressive when served, but simple to make.  Change it up by using different pesto flavors and changing up the cheeses.  I don't have a panini press, I use my George Forman grill and that works just great.

Turkey Panini with Pesto and Roasted Red Pepper

1 Arnold Sandwich Thin or Foccaccia bread
2 oz. shaved deli turkey
1 slice Provolone cheese
1 T. of your favorite pesto
1/2 of a whole roasted red pepper from a jar (drain between paper towels)
baby spinach leaves

Spread bottom of sandwich thin with pesto, layer on cheese, red pepper, spinach leaves turkey and top of sandwich thin.  Grill on preheated grill about 3-6 minutes until nicely toasted with grill marks and cheese is melted.  This is a great combination that we like real well, but you can change up the sandwich by using roast beef or ham and changing the pesto and the type of cheese.  Try Swiss or Havarti cheese.  I like spinach pesto but you could use basil or cilantro pesto.

Peach Pork Picante

This is a recipe I got from a friend in our play group years back.  We made a cookbook for a fundraiser and she submitted this recipe to that book.  It is simple and quite delicious.  This is a quick and easy dish to make when you are short on time.  Serve over rice with a vegetable and you are good to go!  It also uses the "other white meat".

Peach Pork Picante


1 pound boneless port, cut in 3/4 inch cubes
2 t. veg. oil
1/3 c. peach preserves or jam
1 T. taco seasoning
8 oz. picante sauce or salsa

Coat pork cubes with taco seasoning.  Preheat a large skillet over med-hi heat.  Add the oil and brown the pork cubes for a couple of minutes, til browned.  Add picante or salsa and preserves, stir to combine.  Cover and simmer on med-lo heat 15-20 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Mini Cheesecakes

We went to a potluck on Saturday night.  It was to raise funds for some teacher friends who are adopting a little orphaned girl from China with downs syndrome.  There was a silent auction, cash bar and potluck.  We had a great time bidding on the multitude of items people donated.  There were many homemade items auctioned such as whole wheat bread, white bread, coconut pecan pie, canned goods like pickles, asparagus, salsa etc.  The potluck also had many great items to sample.  How is it that when you go to a potluck it seems that everyone takes something different?  It is like everyone was assigned what specifically they are to bring.  Yet that is not the case.  We are all left to bring whatever we want, yet there are never too many duplicates.  There is always a great variety of items and many new dishes to try.  I hadn't made these little cheesecakes in a while so I took these.  They always disappear quickly.

Mini Cheesecakes


10 vanilla wafers
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line 10 muffin cups with foil cupcake liners.  Put 1 vanilla wafer in each cup.  Beat softened cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla.  Beat until smooth. Fill cups 1/2 full.  This should make about 10.  Bake @350 for 15 -20 minutes.  Cool.  Top with either cherry, blueberry, or strawberry pie filling or with caramel ice cream topping and mini chocolate chips or whatever you like with your cheesecake. Chill till serving time.  These are also good made with chopped Snickers bars baked into the batter.   You can also add 1 t. lemon zest and 2 t. lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture before baking.

Easy Strawberry Sorbet

With strawberry season coming or for some already here, now is the time to stock up on strawberry recipes and ideas.  I love strawberries and can never have enough.  We usually go strawberry picking of course, and come home with loads to make jams, pies, shortcakes etc. and add many to the freezer for winter months to enjoy in a smoothie or to make this wonderfully simple sorbet.  It feels like ice cream to the tongue, creamy and delicious.  It is low in calories and fat free.  It lends itself well for entertaining as it is quite elegant when served in pedestal sundae glasses after a heavier meal where you want a light or cool dessert.

Strawberry Sorbet

2 c. frozen strawberries
2 T. sugar or splenda
2 T. apple juice or grape or whatever you have

Let strawberries sit on counter about 10 minutes to thaw just a bit but not too much.  Put in food processor and with chopping blade, pulse about 10 times.  Add in sugar or splenda (use more or less according to taste) and apple juice. Pulse and blend until smooth.  Serve immediately.

Lemony Lemon Cookies

Lemon is a flavor that I associate with spring.  I think the flavor is "springy" as well as the color.  My mother-in-law brings lemons back from Arizona in the spring for us and I always look forward to them. She will be coming home soon bringing back with her those wonderful fruits. This is a recipe that my dear friend Laurel shared with me and one that I always get asked for the recipe.

Lemony Lemon Cookies


1 package lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 c. oil
1 1/2 T. lemon juice
1 c. flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Combine cake mix, eggs, oil and lemon juice in a large bowl.  Beat at low speed with mixer until well blended.  Add coconut.  Shape into 1 inch balls.  Place on parchment lined cookie sheet 1 inch apart.  Bake 5-7 minutes.  The key is not to over bake.  When edges are just starting to brown, remove from oven.  When cooled, frost with lemon glaze if desired.  Many times I make them without the glaze and we like them that way too.

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 T. lemon juice
Enough watered if needed to make a spreadable glaze.  Do not make it too thin as you want this to stay on cookie.

Personal Pan Chicken Pesto Pizzas

I love kitchen gadgets and am always seduced into buying them. Most of the time over the years I have gotten them guilt free by buying them at garage sales. I love garage sales! I can usually justify the purchase of kitchen collectibles reasoning that "it is really cheap entertainment" first of all "shopping" and then putting these finds to good use. Some of the time I use the item once or twice and never get in the habit of using it. Such as the Microwave Waffle Maker. Only 75cents and if I only use it once oh well. Well, I only used it once. And then there is the donut maker...used once and the spaetzel maker...never used. But this little appliance is different. I do use it occasionally. It is good for one person cooking, so if you cook for one this may be a valuable tool in your kitchen. It is the Express, Ready, Set, Go. I am sure you have seen the infomercials. They are seductive...just like the Easy Bake Oven commercials when I was a kid. This I did buy new as I couldn't find any used ones out yet that came with all the accessories which of course I had to have. Here is a recipe that I make in it. You could bake these in the oven and make more than one at a time and they would be just as good. But, I use my little appliance making only one for myself for lunch when I am home alone just to get past the guilt!

Personal Pan Chicken Pesto Pizza


1 gyro bread or pita
2 T. Spinach Pesto
2 T. leftover cooked broccoli
2 T. chopped roasted red pepper
2-3 T. chopped cooked leftover chicken
1 slice provolone or shredded mozzarella

Preheat your Ready Set Go for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, spread pesto on bread; top with broccoli, pepper, chicken and top with cheese.  Spray inside of appliance and set pizza in.  Cover and cook 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.  If making these in the oven, bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes.

Sweet Salsa Dump Chicken

This is a go to recipe for a quick meal. You can make it ahead and freeze it or bake it right away. I have even made this in the crockpot I got this recipe from Tish on the Recipezaar website. Serve over rice with a veggie on the side. A quick and easy, tasty meal. I only use 1/2 pkg. taco seasoning mix and if I don't have apricot jam I have used peach jam or orange marmalade and it was just as good. Enjoy!

Sweet Salsa Dump Chicken

1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning mix (I use only 1/2 pkg.)
8 ounces apricot jam
12 ounces salsa
1 1/2 lbs chicken pieces (4-6 pieces)
Directions
1For immediate cooking: Pre-heat oven to 350°F Place all ingredients into a large baking dish, turn chicken to coat.
2Bake until chicken juices run clear (45-60 minutes for chicken pieces, or 20-30 minutes for chicken breasts).
3For freezing: Place all ingredients into a 1 Gallon freezer bag.
4Lay flat in freezer.
5To thaw and cook: Take the bag out of the freezer the night before, make sure the baggie is completely closed.
6Place the Bag on a refrigerator shelf to thaw.
7Preheat the oven to 350°F Empty the contents of the bag into a large baking dish and bake until the juices run clear (45-60 minutes for chicken pieces, or 20-30 minutes for chicken breasts).

Popovers

My husband and I went to a restaurant several years ago.  It was a restaurant we had never tried before.  We had an entertainment book with buy one meal get the second free.  It was a nice, sort of elegant restaurant and we were excited to try it.  The waiter came with a bread basket and we uncovered the warm contents.  They looked to be little football shaped burnt looking little loaves of bread served with a whipped butter on the side.  Yuk!  Why did we waste our money coming to this restaurant!  We were hungry, so we decided to pick at the bread a bit to tide us over until the meal came.  Hopefully that would be good!  Spread a little of the softened butter on the burnt bread to make it swallowable.  Bite, mmmm...is this ever good.  Not at all like they looked.   Those "burnt looking" little loaves were popovers and they were served with honey butter!  They were delicious and were we ever glad we had tried them!  We ended up eating all 4 of them and enjoyed every bite!  They weren't burnt at all.  I don't remember what the entree we had that night was, but I do remember those little popovers.  I have wanted to make them ever since.  I have seen recipes and have intended on making them, but somehow never did.  Maybe I was afraid.  I don't know why.  Maybe I thought they would be too hard or complicated or that they wouldn't turn out.  I even bought a popover pan at a garage sale that sat here for a few years.  So today, I blew the dust off  of the popover pan and actually made them.  They turned out great!  I even made honey butter to spread on them.  I don't know why I waited so long.  They were very simple and delicious.

Popovers with Honey Butter

1 1/2 t. shortening

2 beaten eggs

1 cup milk

1 T. cooking oil

1 c. all purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

Grease popover pan or six 6-ounce custard cups with 1/4 t. of the shortening for each cup.  Place custard cups or popover pan on 15x 10 inch baking pan or baking sheet and place in oven; preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Meanwhile, in a 4-cup liquid measure or mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, and oil.  Add flour and salt.  Beat with electric mixer until smooth.  Remove pan from oven.  Fill hot custard cups or popover pan half full.  Return to oven.  Bake 450 degrees for 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes more or until very firm.  (If popovers brown too quickly, turn oven off and finish baking in the cooling oven till very firm.)  A few minutes before removing from oven, prick each popover with a fork to let steam escape.  Serve hot.  Makes 6

Honey Butter

1/4 cup softened butter

1 T. honey or to taste

Beat butter and honey together to combine.  Serve with popovers.

***You could also blend butter with say orange marmalade in place of honey to serve with popovers.

Baked Tilapia

This is another recipe that my daughter Kiley shared with me.  It is simple yet delicious and makes the house smell wonderful.  The beauty of this is that if you have not planned ahead or are in a rush you can just use the frozen fillets. I paired this with Crockpot Creamy Ranch New Potatoes.  You can use different varieties of fish with good results, just keep in mind the thickness of the fillets in regards to baking times.  Tilapia is a thinner fillet and baking times are according to that thickness.

Baked Tilapia

16 oz. tilapia fillets
4 T. butter**
2 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 t. dillweed
1/8 t. paprika

Spray 13 x 9 inch pan with cooking spray.  In microwave safe dish melt butter and add the seasoning ingredients.  Lay fish in pan and top with butter mixture.  Bake 350 degrees 12-15 minutes.   If frozen bake 25 minutes.

To cut calories and fat I used only 2 T. butter. 

No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

If you love chocolate, cream cheese and Oreos you will absolutely love this cheesecake recipe.  No baking required.  It is quite easy to throw together and you will love it.  It does take some chilling time so plan accordingly.

No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake


1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
2 c. frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
1 8 inch Oreo crust

In small microwave-safe bowl place chocolate chips.  Microwave at HIGH (100)% 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred.  Set aside to cool.  In large mixer bowl beat cream cheese, sugar and butter until smooth.  On low speed blend in melted chocolate.  Fold in whipped topping until blended; spoon cheese mixture into crust.  Cover; chill until firm.  Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings if desired.

Chocolate Mousse

I realize that Valentine's Day was on Sunday and I should have posted this recipe last week in preparation for the holiday, but I often wait til the last minute and don't plan ahead. Who says you can only eat chocolate on Valentine's Day anyway?  I didn't think of it actually until the day itself...  Valentine's Day.  I was thinking what could I make today that uses the traditional Valentine ingredient ... chocolate?  Something that is special yet simple.  Something that I don't make everyday but would love to eat everyday.  This is the recipe that came to mind.  I have served this on occasion to company and was embarrassed when they asked for the recipe and  saw how much effort I did not put into this dessert I had made for them.  I had impressed them with the delicious dessert, and ruined it by letting them know how easy it was.
I got the original recipe from the "Back of the Box  Gourmet" cookbook.

Chocolate Mousse


1 10 oz. pkg. Nestle Toll House Mint-Chocolate Morsels
(I used 1 10oz. pkg. Ande's Creme de Menthe pieces
2 eggs
1 c. scalded milk (I used 2%)
Whipped cream (optional)

In blender container, combine chocolate pieces, eggs and scalded milk.  Cover; blend on high speed 2-3 minutes.  Pour into individual parfait glasses.    Chill the mousses for an hour or two or until set.  Garnish with whipped cream.

*Note-I have used semi-sweet chocolate chips also in this and added 2T. Amaretto or Kaluha to the blender as well.  You could also use white chocolate chips or raspberry flavored etc.

Cowboy Caviar

Super Bowl Sunday is a "big holiday" and we are all looking for easy to serve finger foods that don't require our attention at gametime.  We may need a dish to pass when invited over to watch the game with family or friends or may be having them all over to watch with us.  When I need to bring a dish to pass I often get requests to bring this.  This is a make ahead snack that is delicious, made with healthy ingredients and sure to please.  Serve with Tostitos Scoops which hold it all well.

Cowboy Caviar


2 15 oz. cans black-eyed peas***drained and rinsed
2 cans white shoepeg corn, drained (Green Giant)
15oz. can small diced tomatoes, drained
8 oz. Italian dressing
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin with green part included
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
dash or two of tobasco

Mix all ingredients and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.  If tomato pieces are bigger, cut in half as you want them about the same size as the corn and beans.  In the summer you may use fresh roma tomatoes, 2 or 3.
***I use the Goya brand black-eyed peas as they are cooked without smoked meat.

Easy Mix Chocolate Cake

I am always looking for quick fix recipes to add to my collection so that when I am short on time, we can still eat enjoyable meals without having to rely on fast food.  This is a recipe that I use when wanting to make something quick for dessert.  You mix it right in the pan so it saves on dishes too.  You can frost it with your favorite frosting recipe or just dust with powdered sugar.  I usually don't have time for making frosting when resorting to this recipe so we just use whipped cream from a can.  This will satisfy your desire for chocolate cake when you just don't have much time.

Made in the Pan Chocolate Cake

1 1/4 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
3/4 t. baking soda

1 c. water
1/3 c. canola oil
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cider vinegar

In 8x8 inch pan, stir together dry ingredients.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In med. bowl, mix wet ingredients.  Pour wet into dry ingredients: stir well.  Bake at 325 for 30 minutes.

Tips:  No need to grease pan.  To save on dishes,  I usually measure 1 c. water into 2 c. measuring cup.  Then pour oil in to the   1 1/3 cup line and add vinegar and vanilla.  I also use whole wheat flour to make just a tad bit healthier.


Photo credit:  oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2009/03/one-bowl-vegan-chocolate-cake.html