Arugula Parmesan Salad (our go to side dish)

Everyone, I mean everyone, I make this for asks for the recipe. Isn’t that just the best feeling when you know you made something that will soon appear on your friend’s table for dinner? Okay, it is the best feeling to me, anyway. This is so quick, delicious, and tastes like you spent forever making this special side dish. Best thing is, it whips up in about 45 seconds! Yee-haw! I looooove that.

Arugula Parmesan Salad (our go to side dish)

Printable Version

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

4 cups (packed) baby arugula

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes(if desired)

Mix first 4 ingredients vigorously with a whisk. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Cover; chill up to 3 days. Combine arugula and tomatoes in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat.

Recipe from Epicurious.com

Serves 4 as a side dish

Cream Cheese Wontons with Avocado Dipping Sauce

Usually, when it is just my husband and I for dinner, I make a main dish and one side. I invited a couple people over the other night, and I felt like I needed another component to our meal. I looked in my fridge, and decided this was the perfect, quick side. I am sooo happy that I made these! It totally jazzed up our meal, and these wontons made my dinner way more impressive. The Avocado Sauce is outstanding, I could barely keep myself from covering every side of my wonton with it!

Cream Cheese Wontons with Avocado Dipping Sauce

Printable Version

Avocado Dipping Sauce

1 avocado, peeled and seeded

1/2 cup low fat sour cream

1 Tbsp. (or to taste) lime juice

Zest from 1 limes

Salt, to taste

Place avocado, sour cream, lime juice and zest in the work bowl of a food processor and blend until very smooth. Adding salt, to taste.

Sweet Cream Cheese Fried Wontons

1 egg

1 (8 ounce) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

15-20 wonton wrappers

1 cup water

oil (for frying)

Heat oil in a small pot, about 1 inch deep.

Meanwhile, beat egg, then mix with cream cheese and 1/2 cup of sugar.

Spoon about 1 Tbs. of mixture into center of wonton wrapper.

Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water and fold into whatever shape you desire, making sure to seal the edges so the cream cheese mixture doesn't escape during frying.

Drop into hot oil and brown both sides, this is a really quick process so watch them closely.

Serve with Avocado dipping sauce, above.

Wonton recipe from food.com

Sauce recipe from avocadocentral.com

Serves 4-5 as a side dish

Mini Quiche

My sister makes these for her family all of the time. Every time she visits I beg her to whip them up, and I finally got the nerve to make them for myself. I love everything mini, and these are no exception. These mini quiches pack a punch, and are good at any time of the day! These are perfect to make for your Christmas get-togethers. They freeze and reheat in the oven or microwave amazing!

Mini Quiche
Printable Version

pie crust (refrigerated or THIS RECIPE)
6 eggs
⅓ cup cream
½ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¾ cup shredded cheddar jack cheese
¼ cup finely chopped peppers
2 tbs. chopped green onions

Roll pie crust very thin, to about ⅛”. Cut out circles a little larger than mini cupcake tins. Mix all of the ingredients together, pour into pie crusts and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Makes approx. 25 mini quiche
Recipe from Amanda

Momma's Bruchetta

Well, sadly the summer is coming to a close...as well as all of the fresh, delicious herbs and vegetables This is a great excuse to make and eat all the bruchetta as I can stomach...which is way too much:). I had never had this rendition before, and I’ll never go back. The garlic gives it an extra pop and makes it heavenly.

Momma’s Bruchetta
Printable Version

4 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 pint red grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 pint yellow grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
16 whole fresh basil leaves, plus more as needed, chiffonade
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 whole baguette or crusty loaf
1 stick butter
fresh mozzarella cheese

In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir, lightly frying for about a minute, removing before the garlic gets too brown. (If you don’t have fresh garlic, jarred minced is fine, just don’t saute.) Pour the garlic and oil into a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly.
Add the red and yellow tomatoes, balsamic and basil to the bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to combine, and then taste and add more basil if needed. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two if you have the time.
Cut the baguette into diagonal slices to allow for the most surface area possible. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and grill half the bread on both sides, making sure they're nice and buttery. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and the other half of the bread.
To serve, Place 1 thick slice mozzarella on top of the bread slices, give the tomato mixture a final stir, and then spoon generously over the slices of bread. Serve on a big platter as a first course or appetizer.

Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman and my Momma

Pizza Roll-ups

You just can’t go wrong with pizza, can you? It is so easy to customize pizza to everyone in your homes’ liking, so there are never any complaints! Now that is a meal I can count on. Feel free to change your toppings in your pizza, these are our regular Alfredo Deluxe toppings that seem to be a go-to. These were so fun to pick up, dip, and pop in our mouths. (Okay, it takes me two bites, but my hubby could do it in one!) To check out our other pizza night favorites, CLICK HERE.

Pizza Roll-ups
Printable Version

2 cans refrigerated thin pizza crust
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. oregano
1 cup cooked and shredded chicken
8 pieces bacon, cooked and chopped finely
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup alfredo pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Dust a large cutting board or piece of wax paper with flour and roll out each pizza crust into an oval shape. Spread a light layer of sauce< about ¼ cup, on each crust. (If you put too much it will ooze out of the rolls when cooking.)
Season each crust evenly with garlic salt and oregano. Top with chicken, bacon, and cheeses evenly between the two crusts. Starting with the short end, roll crust into a tight log, then slice into ½” sections.
Place on lightly greased pan (or a silpat baking mat works wonders!) and bake for 10-12 mins.
Serve with remaining ½ cup pasta sauce for dipping.

Serves 4.
Recipe adapted from Tidymom.net

Taco Bites

There is always a new, fun way to enjoy tacos! These mini taco bites are perfect for an appetizer at a party, or just a yummy dinner for the family. Feel free to add whatever toppings you want to jazz them up a little, these are just the ones that we enjoy.

Taco Bites
Printable Version

20 won ton wrappers
1 lb ground beef
taco seasoning packet
2 Tbs. cream cheese
sour cream
guacamole
cheese, shredded
tomatoes, diced
lettuce, chopped
hot sauce

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. In a regular size cupcake pan, place two won ton wrappers, on an angle to ensure all edges are covered, into the bottom of each mold. Cook ground beef in skillet until browned, and drain off fat. Add seasoning according to package directions. Mix in cream cheese to give the meat a creamy consistency. Remove from heat.

Spoon 2 Tbs. beef mixture into each won ton cup. Top with shredded cheese. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are browned and crispy, and cheese is melted. Top with desired toppings and enjoy.

Makes 10 taco bites.

Baked Cheese Sticks

Cheese is the third member of our family. We eat it daily, multiple times a day! We love going to restaurants and trying different types of fried cheese sticks, especially cheese curds. I decided to try a version of cheese sticks at home that was a little more waist-friendly. Baked instead of fried, these are are so yummy and we gobbled them up and added them to our list of repeat recipes!

Baked Cheese Sticks
Printable Version

10 cheese sticks
30 won ton wrappers
Olive oil
Salt

Stagger 3 won ton wrappers diagonally on top of one another. Place a piece of string cheese near the bottom corner of one wrapper. Moisten all edges with water. Fold bottom corner of wrapper over cheese. Alternate folding sides toward center over cheese. Finish by folding the far end of the wrapper over cheese, and fold sides over top.

 Brush tops with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Repeat with remaining wrappers and cheese.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then turn cheese sticks over and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with marinara sauce.

Makes 10 cheese sticks.

Thai Basil Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Tofu? Seriously? Seriously, good. I was scared to try this. Even scared to the point that I had this beautiful appetizer sitting in front of me, and my head almost got the best of me! I just had to dive in and take a big bite of my lettuce wrap. After the first bite, I couldn’t stop! It was awesome, awesome, awesome. To be honest, tofu takes the flavor of whatever flavor you decide. i decided to whip up this tofu in a sweet asian way, and boy it had some nice spice to it as well. If you have never had tofu, this is a great place to start. (Don’t be scared by the list, I had most of these ingredients in my pantry!) O, and feel free to substitute chicken in to this recipe for the tofu if you just can't bring yourself to try tofu quite yet!

Thai Basil Tofu Lettuce Wraps
Printable Version

2 red bell peppers, diced
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons grated ginger
4 packages extra-firm tofu
1 tablespoon Asian hot sauce, such as Sriracha
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 1/2 cups Thai basil, chopped
1/2 cup Thai basil, minced (regular basil may be used)
2 cups cashews, roughly chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
3 heads green leaf lettuce, cleaned and trimmed

Press tofu by removing it from the package and draining. Press tofu between two paper towels, changing paper towels as they saturate. Put on a wire rack above a plate in the refrigerator to continue drying out the tofu, for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.  Mix together the bell peppers and rice wine vinegar and marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Heat the vegetable and sesame oils and add the shallots, garlic and ginger and saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Add the tofu by crumbling into small pieces and saute for 15 minutes more.
In the meantime, whisk together the hot sauce, salt, fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and hoisin and add to the tofu. Cook until the sauce thickens, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the chopped Thai basil.
To serve, spoon the tofu mixture onto a piece of lettuce and top with the marinated peppers, cashews, scallions, and basil.

Serve 4 as an appetizer

The Next Food Network Star

Amanda's cheese ball

This is the perfect appetizer to take to a party or serve at your home. It was super easy to throw together, and super tasty to eat. It was devoured at the last party that I served it at, and I kinda want to make it right now and not share it with anyone...


Amanda's Cheese Ball
Printable Version


2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tbs. mayo
1 Tbs. worchestershire
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted or bacon bits (for rolling cheese ball)
parsley for topping


Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl. Wet your hands with an ice cube until freezing! This helps to insure that the cheese won't stick to your fingers. Mold into a ball and place in refrigerator for 4 hours. Prior to serving, roll in almonds or bacon bits, and sprinkle the top with parsley. Serve with crackers of your choice.


Serves 12.
Recipe from Amanda.

Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Meatballs

This was supposed to be an appetizer, but I whipped it into a meal by simply adding rice! These would be great served with just a toothpick in them as well. I made simple homemade meatballs, but frozen meatballs would be an even easier meal.

Raspberry Balsamic Glazed Meatballs

Printable Version

2 pounds fully cooked meatballs

1 cup raspberry preserves

3 Tbs. sugar

3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 Tbs. worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 Tbs. ginger

Coat crock-pot with nonstick cooking spray. Add meatballs (thawed if pre-frozen). In a small bowl, combine preserves, sugar, vinegar, worcestershire, and pepper flakes. Microwave on HIGH 45 seconds. Stir; microwave 3o seconds or until melted. (Mixture will be chunky). Pour mixture over meatballs and toss gently to coat well. Cover, cook on low for 2 1/2 hours. Stir in ginger, if desired. Cook uncovered 15 minutes to thicken slightly, stirring occasionally. Serve with rice for a main dish or toothpicks for an appetizer.

Serves 4 as a meal, 15 as an appetizer.

Recipe From: The Crock Pot Recipe Card Collection

Lemon Buttons

Thank you Becky! (And Paula Deen for that matter.) These lemon buttons are so, so tasty. The perfect bit of pop from the lemon zest and they just melt in your mouth if you eat them right out of the oven. They used to be called lemon 'muffins', but I changed the name because I feel that they are a mix between a muffin and a cupcake...and button seemed to fit due to their tiny size! Unfortunately, their tiny size also makes you feel like it is okay to eat 10 of them. When my mother-in-law tasted these, she said that they brought back memories of eating lemon cake as a child...o that made me so happy! I love nostalgic feelings from food, and love it even more when I can create those feelings in people around me!

From: Becky

Muffins

1 yellow cake mix
Small box (3 1/2 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
½ cup natural applesauce
¼ cup vegetable oil

Glaze
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Zest of one lemon
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spray MINI muffin tins with cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, applesauce and oil and blend well. Fill each muffin tin half full with batter.
Bake for 9 minutes.
For the glaze, sift the confectioners' sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, oil, and 3 tablespoons water.
Dip the cupcakes into the glaze while they're still warm, turning them to completely coat. Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips.
Let the glaze set thoroughly, about 1 hour. These are to die for FROZEN! I know, it sounds crazy, but give it a shot, we actually prefer them that way!

Yeilds: About 60 mini buttons.

Mummies!

These were fun to make, and fun to eat! Especially for kids! If you have never worked with Phyllo dough, it can be a challenged. Once you get used to it, however, it make DELICIOUS dishes! I really recommend that you try using it, you won't regret it when you are chowing down! TIP: It is very, very important that you let dough completely thaw before working with it. Also, ALWAYS, ALWAYS keep phyllo dough covered. This will keep it from getting dry, and it gets dry quick! I usually just work with one piece at a time and keep  a towel covering the other sheets.

From: Paula Deen

1 package phyllo dough

1 cube butter

10 slices ham

10 string cheeses

pimento or ketchup for eyes

Remove one sheets of phyllo dough from the stack, being sure to re-cover the others with a towel. Butter the sheet liberally, then top with another sheet and butter it as well. Wrap 1 string cheese in 1 piece of ham. Place the ham and cheese roll on one end of the pre-buttered phyllo dough. Roll two turns, then fold in the ends and continue to roll until closed.

Next, tear a sheet of phyllo dough into strips and wrap multiple strips around the roll. The messier the better, for these are the mummies wraps! If you are having trouble making the wraps stay, feel free to use butter to get them to sticks to the roll. Repeat 10 times.

Place on a  greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15-2o minutes. When the mummies are cooked, used pimento or ketchup to dot eyes. Serve and be afraid...very afraid!

The BEST Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

I have been eating these since I could eat solid food, and it doesn't get any better than this. You can munch on these at any time, and they are so good for you! I will never do them any other way!

For every 2 cups of seeds:

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. poultry seasoning

2 tsp. alpine touch (Or 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. pepper)

1 1/2 Tbs. EVOO(or 8 sprays of spray on EVOO)

Clean out your pumpkin and place seeds in a bowl of water. After letting them soak for about a half an hour, it should be very simple to separate the pulp from the seeds. Discard the pulp and rinse the seeds clean. 

Put seeds in a saucepan with 3 cups of water and simmer for 5 minutes. 

Drain and dry seeds on a paper towel then place them in a large bowl.

Toss clean, dry seeds in EVOO, then in the seasonings. Spread out evenly on a greased baking sheet. 

Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes. If you have more than 2 cups of seeds, you may need to adjust baking time.

Cilantro Lime Salsa

My roommate Brianne and I discovered this recipe in college...and I am still addicted to it! I make it whenever we have tacos. I am a big wussy when it comes to salsa, I hate, HATE the spicy stuff! So, this is a perfect, flavorful salsa that goes with anything!

1 can yellow corn

1/2 can black beans

Juice from 3 limes

1/2 large bunch of cilantro

Mix the above together and ENJOY with tortilla chips, on top of tacos or burritos! DELISIOUS!