Fruit Dip (The one from when I was a kid)

I was just thinking bout this fruit dip last week.  I remember my mom made it only once when I was a kid.  But that one time was enough to leave an indelible impression on me. I have very, very fond memories of this.  So when I just happened upon the recipe for it two days ago, I thought it had to be fate.  The universe clearly wanted me to bring this recipe back out.

Plus, our nephews are visiting this New Year's Eve weekend.  And I thought it might get them to eat fruit if they could dip it into this delicious and rich (treat).

This is all you will need.  Take one jar of marshmallow fluff and heat it up for about 20-30 seconds in the microwave to soften it a bit more.  Let a block of cream cheese warm to room temperature so it is also soft. Last, and very not least, let a can of orange juice concentrate to thaw and scoop 2 tbsp into your mixing bowl.

Whisk this all together until it is smooth and fluffy.  I used a hand mixer, but you can probably just do it with a whisk or spoon ... and a little elbow grease.

Serve this with grapes, strawberries, sliced apples, even pineapple or oranges.  I arranged ours out like a Christmas wreath because I'm still in that mood.  We were celebrating a late Christmas yesterday.

I love this dip.  Love it!  It is so creamy and decadent.  It totally takes me back to when I was a kid.  The cream cheese mellows out the sweetness and adds just a little tang.  And the orange juice adds some much needed acidity so it isn't cloyingly sweet.  Make this for your kids some time (or even your adult friends).

You'll thank me.

"The King" Smoothie

 

This tasty treat is a nod to the king of rock 'n' roll:  Elvis Presley.  He was known for eating fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches.  But since the King's weight sort of spiraled out of control toward the end of his life, we're going to go much healthier on this creamy delight.

I start with a frozen vanilla yogurt, that has been ever-so-slightly melted after 20 seconds in the microwave.  Then add about 1 cup of milk and a banana.  You could also freeze the banana.  But if you're going to, make sure you peel it and chop it first.  That will save you a lot of hassle.

Add a big scoop of creamy peanut butter.  This is where my nod to "The King" takes a drastic veer from a sandwich fried in butter.  Fill up your blender with fresh spinach.  And I'm talking a large amount of spinach. That's what gives it that vibrant green color.  You won't really taste it, because it has such a mild flavor.  You are just adding a lot of healthy vitamins and minerals.

Blend the whole thing until it's smooth & creamy.  You won't even know that this is mostly healthy.  It is rich and delicious.  And you'll understand why peanut butter butter & banana were such a favorite combination for Elvis.  This could be used as a meal substitute if you're on a diet, or a healthy way to snack if you're craving a milk shake or a smoothie.

I'm going to keep trying other combinations now that I've become a bit of a smoothie fanatic.

Winter Comfort Food

This is great for a winter lunch.  When it's cold outside, it's always nice to have a warm bowl of soup to heat you from the inside out.  And this is really easy & quick.  So you won't have to fuss in the kitchen.

One of the very first things I learned to make for myself when I was a kid was grilled cheese sandwiches.  Since then I can say without any reservation, that I have mastered the art.  While I started with the classic Kraft American cheese slices, as my tastes have evolved I have tried all sorts of variations on this classic.

You can use shredded cheeses too; so don't be limited by what is in slice form.  I will often combine 2-3 different kinds of cheese to get a new blend.  The key is to have it melty & rich.  Beyond that, they sky's the limit.  Some of my favorites are sharp cheddar, Colby-jack, Swiss  provolone  muenster, and even Parmesan or mozzarella.  In a pinch, I have even used string cheese.

I will also add seasonings at times.  A little crushed red pepper will add a kick to your sandwich.  I also like to use oregano or Italian seasoning.  Sometimes I'll use a hint of Lowrey's season salt -- but be careful because you don't want it to be too salty.  Green onions are also a nice touch.  But once you start adding too many vegetables or meats, you've got yourself a melt.  You have stepped beyond the grilled cheese arena.

Heat a non-stick skilled to just below medium heat.  If your stove has numbers, I like to go with a 4 out of 10.  If it's too low, it will take a long time and your bread can get soggy.  If you have it too hot, you can burn the bread and it will have a really bitter taste.  Your'e going for that buttery, crispy, golden brown effect.

Spread margarine or butter on one side of a slice of bread and throw it into your pan.  Then start layering your cheese(s) and seasonings.  Butter one side of another slice and add it on top (spread side out, obviously).  I have even heard of people using mayonnaise on the outside of the bread.  I guess you just need some fat to get the bread crispy.

Use a very thin spatula and flip it over after a few minutes.  You can just lift up the edge to check if it's getting done.  Be careful if you're using shredded cheeses, because they may not have melted completely.  I have actually developed this technique where I hold the sandwich flat on my spatula, lift the pan upside down over top of it, and flip the whole thing together.  That ensures you won't have your filling spilling everywhere and making a mess.

Keep checking until it's golden brown.  Slice it diagonal. For some reason that is way more fun!

Heat up a bowl of tomato soup, top it with a little shredded cheddar cheese & some crushed tortilla chips (maybe even some green onions or sliced cherry tomatoes), and you've got yourself a perfect winter lunch.  I love dipping the sandwich into the tomato soup.  It is one of the simplest joys; but it really takes me back.

Vegetarian Lasagna

When I was younger, this was a favorite of mine.  My dad used to make lasagna 1/2 vegetarian because my mother doesn't like ground meat.  At first I didn't like that half of the pan; but then I later learned to appreciate it.  When my wife and I were dating, I offered to make this for her parents the first Christmas I stayed at their house.  Like my younger self, her dad was initially leary of this vegetarian lasagna.  But after he ate it, he understood why we like it so much.

I started by sauteing down a bunch of fresh spinach.  You will need more than you think -- probably a whole bag, because it reduces so much when you cook it. Then drain & dry the spinach as much as you can, and chop it finely.

Add this to a large mixing bowl with a package of button mushrooms, sliced into smaller pieces.  I also minced up some black olives this time.  You could leave these out; but I happened to have them on hand and though, "What the heck?"  Next, drain off the liquid out of a mid-sized package of cottage cheese.  Add this to your bowl along with a small amount of some minced garlic.  Stir it all together.

This will be one of the layers of your lasagna.  Start with a large casserole dish and pour about 1 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom.  Then layer uncooked sheets of lasagna pasta.  For those of you who have read  my previous blogs about pasta, I use whole wheat.  Nobody can tell the difference.

Layer half of your spinach, mushroom, cottage cheese mixture on top of the first layer of pasta.

Top this with shredded mozzarella cheese and more tomato sauce.

Add another layer of pasta, then spinach mixture, sauce & cheese, and top with one last layer of pasta.  On top of the last layer of pasta add only the tomato sauce and more cheese.  Then cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes to make the cheese golden.  Let the lasagna cool for about 10 minutes after you take it out of the oven.  Otherwise all the moisture could run out all over the place, and you might not have as nice of a presentation either.

Give this a shot some time.  I promise you won't even notice there is no meat.  The mushrooms are chewy and hearty, and the spinach and cottage cheese make sure this is a filling meal.  Plus, with all that cheese and pasta ... there's no way you'll leave unsatisfied. 

We had this for dinner, and then I froze the rest in individual tupperwares to give my Grandma.  That way she can heat them up whenever she wants a home-cooked meal.  Enjoy!

Parmesan Polenta

When we had our Christmas party recently, I handled the savory dishes.  These delicious little bites were supposed to look like Christmas cookies.  The only problem was that our cookie cutters were all too big.  So I used the mouth of a tall drinking glass to make the rounds.  Then my better half had the idea of just cutting the remaining pieces into little squares.

• 3 cups of water
• 2 Tbsp of butter, divided
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

Start by greasing a baking sheet or jelly-roll pan.  Then in a saucepan bring 3 cups of water to a rapid boil over high heat.  Then reduce the heat to low and slowly whisk in the cornmeal.  Add one Tbsp of butter, hot sauce, & cheese, and stir constantly while cooking for 5-10 minutes until it thickens.

Then spread it out evenly in the greased pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes for it to firm up.  Then you will cut your shapes.  Honestly, it was easier to just cut them into squares.  But if you're feeling really festive, get out the cookie cutters.

Next heat a non-stick skillet over medium to medium-high heat.  Add remaining butter and some olive oil.  Make sure it's not too hot; or you can scorch your oil and give it a burnt, foul taste.  Carefully add your polenta cut-outs and cook for 2 minutes on each side, flipping very carefully.  They should take on this beautiful golden color.

Serve them with a tomato sauce or spicy salsa.  They were a real hit.  Every last bit was eaten, and I had a few people come up to me afterward and tell me how much they enjoyed them.  Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas Mini Pizzas

This was another idea I got from a Christmas cookbook for our party last week.  I think they sort of look like little cookies, and it was fun to put them on a tray like this on the same table as all the sweets that my wife had baked.  It was a fun play of sweet & savory.  Tomorrow I'll write about the little fried polentas that I had on the table as well.

You start with a basic pizza dough recipe, but then add hot sauce.  I could give you some made-up measurement; but I honestly just starting splashing it in there.  I actually mixed it in with the water so it would be equally incorporated throughout the dough.  And let me tell you, that can take your breath away and make you cough.  I like things kind of spicy.  And I knew that I had some guests that share that sentiment.  So I was told these had a "little bite" to them.

Once your dough has rested & risen, divide it in half.  Then divide each half in half, and again, and again, etc. until you have small little balls.  That will help you to ensure they are equally sized.  Use flour on your counter surface as well as your hands, and flatten the little balls into small discs.  You could use a cookie cutter. But I was fine with them being a little free form.

Then top each little dough round with some shredded Parmesan cheese, green onions, black olives, and finely diced cherry tomatoes.  There actually isn't any tomato sauce on these.  But all the flavors are there!  I think these were really fun little snacks.  And it's always nice to have finger food when people are over enjoying drinks together.  There were two trays of these -- and they all got eaten.  That's usually a good sign, right? ;-)

Christmas Tortellini

 

This was an idea I got out of a Christmas themed cookbook.  I found multi-colored Parmesan tortellini's and thought they would be perfect.  Unfortunately the colors faded a little when the pasta boiled.  But hopefully you can see that I was trying to create a wreath of green, red, and (white) pasta.  Then I gave them a light dusting of oregano & parsley to add a little more to the flavor ... and the wreath motif. (Try saying that three times quickly.)

The dipping sauce is great.  And you don't have to take my word for it.  Two days after the party my wife had some for leftovers, and she specifically told me how delicious it was.  And it's incredibly simple.  Take a block of cream cheese and blend it in a mixing bowl.  Add a 7 oz jar of pesto, or make your own, and a tsp of lemon juice.  You then blend everything together with a hand mixture until it has a creamy texture.  Salt & pepper to taste as needed.  This dish can be served warm or cold.  The lemon juice adds a nice acidity to balance the richness of the cream cheese and the garlic flavor of the pesto.  I think this is a fantastic Christmas treat.

I also julienned red & green bell peppers to continue my Christmas theme.  Then I made a dipping sauce for that with light ranch dressing, goat cheese, sour cream, and minced green onion.  Again, blend everything together in a mixing bowl.  Most of the guests just thought it was ranch dressing.  But I know there was more to it.  And I think once I informed them, they did too. ;-)

Christmas Party Treats

For years my wife has been saying that whenever we got a house, she wanted to host a Christmas/holiday party.  She thought it would be fun to have a fire, something warm & festive to drink, and various goodies to pad our waist lines for the impending cold weather.  Since this is our first winter in our new home, I said "Let's do it!"

The Mrs is quite the little baker.  I have no idea how she makes these things, so I'll just have to tell you what they are ... and that they are delicious.  She made a chocolate fudge and topped it with crushed candy canes.  That was great because the peppermint gives you this crisp cool break from the chocolate.  In a way, it's sort of the reverse proportions of a York Peppermint Patty.  The peppermint also gives them a nice textural crunch.

She also made a peanut butter fudge that was then rolled into a long tube, then frozen, and topped with crushed peanuts.  Then they were sliced into little rolls, kind of like sushi.  Combining sweet & salty is possibly one of my favorite things in a dessert.  And these were a bit like a salted nut roll, but with peanut butter.  And again you have the nice textural contrast with the smooth fudge and the crunchy peanuts.

Next she made macaroons -- the coconut variety, not to be confused with the French Macaron.  Then she dipped the bottoms of these in semi-sweet chocolate and milk chocolate.  These are so good, that I have eaten probably 5 or 6 of them ... and I don't like coconut!  That's how good they are. They're sticky, sugary, and delicious. The semi-sweet chocolate tempers the sweetness a little.  

Last, and probably least, she made some store-bought gingerbread cookies because she felt obligated to.  They were fine. But it's not something I will spend any more time on.

For beverages we had spiced apple cider warming on the stove, red wine, gin & tonic, and what is quite possibly the very best holiday beverage ever: Eggnog and Bourbon.  You could have either by themselves too.  I left that option available.  But one of our guests is from Lebanon and had never had eggnog before.  He must have liked it, because he made himself a second drink (using bourbon both times).

Stay tuned this week as I give you new posts on the savory treats that I made for the party.  Spoiler alert:  they were a hit!

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

I once mentioned how one of the best things I've ever made was a steak sandwich made from leftovers.  And I wasn't kidding.  It was amazing.  So that memory lead me to make this little gem.  My wife and I have really grown quite fond of the Pillsbury ready-bake French bread.  I have made my own bread several times; but this is just so much easier.  So we recently had a dinner where we baked one.  I usually save the last 40% or so of the loaf to use for a sandwich later.  The bread really elevates the level of a normal sandwich.

And speaking of the sandwich: the last "Next Food Network Star" season had a contestant that made everything into a sandwich. He said every great meal can be made into a sandwich.  And now he has his own show.

This one was created with buffalo chicken breast tenders.  I like to use the toaster oven to give the bread a light little crunch, and it also melts cheeses nicely if you're using them.  I didn't in this instance.  This time I just spread some mayo on the bread and filled one side with the buffalo chicken and some bacon crumbles that I made from breakfast leftovers.  The mayo on the other side of the bread will get nice and crispy.  It's like spreading butter on the outside of a grilled cheese sandwich, only this time the fat is on the inside.  My chef friend told me he likes to keep the greasy part of a sandwich contained on the inside so your hands stay clean.  It's not a bad point.  Once this was done toasting, I added fresh spinach leaves and closed it up.

It came in a close second to my ribeye steak sandwich with melted Swiss cheese.  But it was still delicious ... and probably as good, if not better, than any sandwich you could get at a BWW.

Glazed Ham Dinner

I decided to do some cooking for tonight's dinner.  That may sound like an obvious statement since this is a food blog -- but my wife told me she would be home late from dinner, and then we could go straight to the grocery store.  That meant we didn't have much food in the house.  So we were going to "fend for ourselves".  But I had something else in mind.

A quick search of some meal ideas online gave me inspiration for what I could make with what we still had in the refrigerator.  First up I grabbed a small sliced ham.  I decided to make a nice sauce to glaze the meat with.  I mixed Dijon mustard, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, and a little cloves to make a sweet & tangy sauce.  I covered the meat in the sauce inside a pouch I made from aluminum foil.  Since the ham was already cooked, I didn't want to dry it out.  But I did want to impart the flavor from my sauce.  I also served the sauce over top of the meat just to make sure the flavors were all there.

Next up I sliced a fresh apple and tossed it in balsamic vinegar.  I placed the slices in a single layer in a casserole dish and baked them for over an hour, flipping half-way through.  The roasted apples really heighten their flavor while they cook off.  And the balsamic vinegar gave them a little acidity so they weren't overly sweet, and could read a bit like desert.

I also shredded a sweet potato and folded that in with chopped spinach, dried onions, and a little bit of shredded Parmesan cheese.  Season with a little salt & pepper.  I cooked this in a non-stick skillet in a little butter to get the outside nice and golden-crispy.  I think this was the highlight of the meal.  I now The Mrs. liked them.

Last, but not least, I tried my luck at creamed spinach.  I still had some fresh spinach from the smoothies that I have been making, and I knew I was about to buy another bag at the grocery store.

You will start by making a roux of butter and flour.  Melt the butter over medium heat, then whisk in the flour and stir until it is smooth.  Bring that to a boil and cook off the flour for about a minute.

Remove it from the heat and whisk in some milk.  You want to remove this from the heat so the milk doesn't curdle on you.  It will also help if you have brought the milk up to room temperature.  Next add some salt and nutmeg.  Return this to the heat, bring to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes.  Remove from heat, and whisk in one egg.  This time you remove it from the heat so you don't scramble your egg.

During this time you should cook your fresh spinach in another pan, covered, for three minutes.  Then remove the lid and finish wilting the spinach for another 2 minutes.  Drain the spinach and chop it before adding it to your sauce.

In this meal I tried to have some salty, some sweet, some tangy, and creamy.  I think I covered the vegetables requirement of all meals with my wife as well.  Be sure not to add too much salt to either of your sides.  It could be an overly salty meal if you're not careful. 

Sweet Potato Country Fries

My wife & I really like sweet potatoes.  I'm sure I have mentioned it before, but they have much more nutritious value than ordinary potatoes.  Today she asked me if I would make her breakfast.  This was a surprise because normally she doesn't want a large meal in the morning.  I love cooking breakfast, though.  It is probably my favorite time to cook actually.

So she asked me if I would make her some country potatoes / hash browns with sweet potatoes.  This is a great way to practice your knife skills.  After you scrub the potato, cut it into even slices.  It's important that they are the same thickness so all the pieces cook evenly.  Then line up your cross-sections, slice them again into strips, and then dice.

You can use a little olive oil here, but I decided to go with butter so they would get nice and golden in the skillet. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat and start sauteing them.  Make sure to add salt & pepper so they take on a savory flavor profile.  With butter & sweet potatoes you could easily end up with something very sweet.  I also added a small amount of minced dried onion to round out the country potato flavor.  Keep flipping them until the potatoes are cooked through and the outsides get brown and crispy.  I blotted them with a paper towel afterward so they wouldn't be overly oily.

I served this along with fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon strips, and an English muffin.  It was a great start to my Sunday morning, and I must say I was glad The Mrs suggested it.

Souped-up Soup

Ahhh, it's good to be home with a real-life computer and keyboard.  Traveling was great, and we ate at some really fantastic restaurants.  During the trip I didn't do as much cooking as I had envisioned.  But that's OK.  Sometimes it's nice to take a break.

On my first night back home, I eased myself back into cooking.  This is a very easy way to take a pre-fab dinner and add your own special touch to it.  When I was in college, my roommate left school to take up a different curriculum:  culinary school.  He graduated and is now a trained chef.  I still lean on him for his expertise when I want to solicit some free advice.  But even back then he had a passion for food.  He used to "soup-up" pre-made food all the time.  It actually had nothing to do with soup at all.  It was just what he called taking an out-of-the-package food and enhancing it with other ingredients and seasonings.

That's what I did here with this soup.  I started by sauteing chopped celery with dried onions and minced garlic in a little olive oil.  Then I added chopped mushrooms and salt & pepper.  I let all those ingredients get to know each other in a sauce pan for a while.  

Then I deglazed the pan with 8 cups of hot water.  That will allow you to scrape off all those delicious bits of flavor that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. For the love of God, don't let those go to waste! Bring that to a rapid boil. 

Then I added a dried soup & wild rice mixture to the pot.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for another 10-12 minutes.  This is a very easy way to take make soup without starting the whole thing from scratch.  But with the addition of fresh vegetables and your own seasonings, you have "souped-up" something that would otherwise come straight out of the package.  We also baked a loaf of French bread to serve with the souped-up soup.

This dinner was little more than heating up a frozen pizza, but at least it was prepared fresh, and had the feel of a home-cooked meal.  I try to remind people of this all the time, not every meal has to be hours of labor building something from scratch.  At least you enjoyed a meal together at home ... and it wasn't drive through.