Apple Dip

"An apple a day will keep the doctor away." 

I must have heard this several times a week as a kid.  I tell my own kids this more than they probably care to admit.

I think fruit is important and sometimes it's boring to just eat a plain apple or banana.  

I try to come up with creative ways of encouraging the kidlets and their friends to eat a bit healthier.  I say a bit, because the dip is, well, a bit sugary.

We make our popcorn in a plain brown bag with REAL butter and salt.  That's it; nothing more or nothing less.

I found a small bag of Halloween popcorn that the kids must have gotten last year hidden behind a box in my pantry yesterday. 

 SCORE, was my first thought. 

 YUCK, was what happened after I tried the first popped kernel.

I personally could not handle all of the "seasoning" on the popcorn.  

I will stick to buying my organic, Amish sold popcorn kernels.  I love the whiteness of the popcorn once it is popped.  I can gage the amount of butter and salt.  It works for us.

This little after school snack has been a treat in our family for a few years.  We shared it with the cousins and now they love it too.  

The apple is crunch, the dip is soft.  The apple is sweet and the popcorn is salty.  With this combination you will soon find yourself looking into the bottom of an empty bowl.  

Oh, maybe that is just me…LOL

It's pretty dang good.  I recommend it.  ENJOY!

Recipe:  Apple Dip

1 package of cream cheese, soft

1/2 cup of packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend all together until smooth.

You will need apples, popcorn and dip.  Take apple wedge, dunk into dip then roll in popcorn.  DONE.

Puff Pastry Buffalo Chicken Appetizer

I love to make my own puff pastry.  It is time consuming, but the flavor is amazing.  When you take that first bite and the layers just snap apart in your mouth as your teeth cuts through each flaky tier, you can't help but smile with pride.  

I always wait anxiously the 24 hours it takes to make the puff pastry wondering several things:

1.  Did I just waste $8.00 dollars worth of butter?

2.  Will it rise in the oven?

3.  How am I going to use this much puff pastry?

The recipe I use makes a lot and so, it should be noted, that having a few recipes on hand is a good 

idea.

I always use the left over dough to make bread twist or cinnamon sugar treats for the kids.

I brushed these pieces with butter and sprinkle Old Bay Seasoning on them before baking.  "Super good"..direct quote from one of the teachers at school.

I get a little bit excited about my puff pastry or I should say Emeril's because it's his original recipe that I use.  You can find my step by step pictorial HERE if you would like to make your own.

Fear not, because store bought works too!

I have readers that range in "new" to experienced", so I like to give lots of options.

I knew that a buffalo style appetizer was in the works when I made my first batch of puff pastry.  I felt that the buttery layers combined with a cheesy sauce and spice chicken would shine.

I will be honest...THEY DO!..LOL

The key to making this appetizer be a success and not a mess is having the circles of puff pastry large.  I used a 3.5 round cookie cutter.  The cheesy sauce should be kept to a small spoonful.  If you add too much they will spill over.  By adding the chicken after they bake, you insure that the layers all rise.  You won't have the doughy bottom.

You are now prepared to make an appetizer that is sure to impress your friends.  These can easily be made at home, covered and transported to your game day party.  If they need to be warmed up, just pop them into the oven ( heated to 325) and warm for 10 minutes. 

Recipe:  Puff Pastry Buffalo Chicken Appetizer

Makes 24, depending on size of circle cutter used 

1 box of puff pastry, thawed

2 cups of cooked, diced chicken breast

1/2 cup Franks Hot Sauce

1/2 (4 oz) package of cream cheese, soft

1/4 cup of mayonnaise

1/4 cup of diced celery + 1/4 cup for garnish

1/4 cup of gorgonzola cheese

1 cup of jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 425.

Dice and cook chicken, drain off any juice and add hot sauce. Keep pan warm on stove. You will add the chicken right before serving.

Flour your surface and roll out pastry thin. Less than 1/4 inch. Using a 3.5 inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles place them 1 inch apart on cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.

Combine in a medium size bowl cream cheese, mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of celery, gorgonzola cheese and jack cheese. Blend until well combined.

On each pastry circle add a small spoonful of cheese mixture. Spread with the back of the spoon until the center is covered. Leave the edges of each circle clean from filling. If you add too much it will spill over onto the pan when baked.

Bake for 20 minutes or until puff pastry is golden brown on the middle shelf.

Remove from oven and gently place a scoop of buffalo chicken in the middle. The middle will sink a bit. Garnish with diced celery.

205. No Bake Oatmeal Cookie Balls

Balls is such a funny word.

In our family for a while we just could not even mention the word without someone dying of embarrassment (usually our pre teen son) or a joke being cracked (usually by Dad).

I say balls to my 5 year old and she is running to the closet to get her soccer ball or basketball.

Words.

I love words.  I always have.  Challenge me to a good game of Scrabble or Boggle and I would stop almost anything to play.

Words can be funny, terms of endearment, hateful, loving, harsh, whispered, spelled out or shortened to an acronym.

Words connect a family, a recipe, a thought.  We must always choose them wisely.

In using the name balls for this recipe,  it just fit.  Orbs sounded to scientific.  Circles too boring.  Round cookies was not specific enough.  So you have balls.

No Bake Oatmeal Cookie Balls that are easy to prepare and a change from the ordinary no bake cookie.

Enjoy!

Recipe:  No Bake Oatmeal Cookie Balls

1 cup of almond meal (buy at Trader Joes)
1 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter, softened
¼ cup of peanut butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar, for tossing each ball in


Combine all ingredients, except powdered sugar, in a large bowl and mix until a dough is formed.

Using a cookie scoop, firmly pack the scoop and place each scoop on a cookie sheet.

Chill for 10 minutes.

In a large bowl add powdered sugar. Remove cookies from fridge and toss each cookie in powdered sugar until well coated. Shake off excess.

Place on a plate and chill for 10 minutes.

Keep leftovers in refrigerator

204. Parmesan Ranch Salad Dressing

Raise your hand if you grew up on Hidden Valley Ranch.  

Yeah, me too.

We ate this stuff on everything and with anything.  Most notably pizza and mashed potatoes.

Salads? 

 Right.  

NEVER! Not as kids at least.

When I got a bit older we slowly used it to dip a carrot or two, this was on a rare occasion, every once in a while and usually when our Mom wasn't around.  If she thought my sisters and I were eating a vegetable of our own accord, who knows what type of hysteria that could send her into.

I must have ruined myself.  I have tried this dressing at different times of my adult life and, honestly, I can't stand it.  I am convinced they sold out and changed the recipe.  It taste of artificial sugars and blandness.  

When we eat out, I usually get ranch on the side and then something else.  On the rarest of outings, do I find a salad dressing, let alone, a ranch that I love.

I do eat a lot of salads, especially being wheat free. Most restaurants have some type of lettuce entree that I can usually eat if nothing else will work.  So dressing is important to me.

I have honestly thought about taking my own dressing with me when we go out to eat.  

Doesn't that defeat the reason for going out?  LOL

I make Parmesan Ranch Dressing two ways: thick and thin.  Thick for us to use as a dip.  The obvious, thin for salads.  I personally like it thick on my salads too but my family does not.

My favorite way to eat this salad dressing is to buy those little heads of lettuce, they usually come 4 to a package at Whole Foods.  They are the perfect size for a single portion of salad.  I wash the green and purple leaves with ice cold water to keep the crisp green leaves at their best.  I give the small head a shake or two and then I ever so gently twist the end off.  It feels almost violent at how easily it falls off into the palm of my hand.  The lettuce tearing at the resistance of being twisted against its will.  

I unroll two sheets of paper towels and lay the leaves out to dry.  I fold the two sheets together to sop up the pools of water that nestle in the crevices of the leaves ridges.  Once dry, I transfer the leaves to a plate.  I cut up celery, carrots and bell pepper into long sticks.  Grab a small bowl of salad dressing and find a quite place to sit at our table.  Usually looking into our back yard at the trees swaying back and forth in the wind.  

Taking a lettuce leaf and holding in the palm of my hand, I lay a stick of carrot, a stick of celery and one of bell pepper.  Roll it up and dip it into the Parmesan Ranch Salad Dressing.  What emerges is a thick white blend of sour cream and mayonnaise, sprinkled with garlic and green onion.  The obvious presence of parmesan is visible.  This is where the flavor resides.  

I double dip, again and again.  

My belly is happy, my taste buds are satiated.  

Such a simple item to have in your arsenal of condiments.  I have blended this into mashed potatoes, steamed cauliflower and creamy soups.  

Tell me what your favorite salad dressing is below in the comments.  I am always on the look out for new flavors.

Recipe:  Parmesan Ranch Dressing

1/4 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 cup of finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of finely chopped green onion
splash of Worcestershire Sauce
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt
dash of pepper

Combine all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.

NOTE:  If you wish to make this thinner, add a small amount of milk or buttermilk.  Shake or stir really well.

I have not tried substituting yogurt for the sourcream or mayonnaise, but this is an option if you are trying to reduce fat.


  

Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies

When you find a cookie this AMAZING, you realize it just has to be shared. 

Neighbors, friends, kids and spouses will sing your praises for days or even weeks once they bite into the perfect balance of soft and crunch of this cookie.

Of course the combination of Nutella and Peanut Butter are already a proven dynamic duo.  Our family enjoys this combination in smoothies, syrups, brownies and cakes.  Why not a cookie too?

A bigger note of importance for me, no wheat!  

I made a batch of these and within minutes they were gone, like a speeding bullet they vanished into thin air. 

Let me know in the comments below how your family enjoyed these cookies.  

Recipe:  Nutella Peanut Butter Cookies

recipe adapted from simplyscratch.com

1 egg

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of milk

1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup of Nutella

3/4 cup of Old Fashion Oats, not cooked

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon of salt

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium size mixing bowl or a table mixer, mix until smooth: egg, brown sugar, milk, peanut butter and Nutella.

Add the salt, baking soda and oats. Stir well.

Use a cookie scoop and drop cookies every two inches onto to parchment paper.

Bake for 8 minutes.

Cool cookies for 2 minutes on cookie sheet and transfer to cookie rack.

Eggplant Parmesan Casserole

I have argued back and forth with myself if I should share this recipe or not.

The flavors of zucchini, eggplant and cheese paired with a homemade marinara sauce and cooked slowly over a few hours have created a casserole that left my tummy very satisfied.

With a satisfied belly and flavors that proved to be wonderfully matched, why would I not want to share this dish?

Quite simply, the dish was difficult to photograph.  I could have spent more time arranging each piece of eggplant, every drop of sauce or place the spinach just right.

There is a bit of chatter among bloggers and photographers about how much is too much when it comes to photographing food.

I admit that I spend more time than some because I want the presentation and the props to create a mood, setting or feel along with the food that is presented.  This is not from a desire to have the perfect dish but more from a sense of working in the business, experience and years of looking at food in magazines, papers and on blogs.

When I first started years ago I did not know all of the tricks of the trade.  My lighting was off, the silverware was placed wrong or my focus was off, too much bokeh usually.  Bokeh is the blur you create in the background of most images.

It took me lots of trying, playing, researching and developing of my own skills before I started taking the pictures I wanted.  Even today I get all jelly-legged and excited when I come across a blog or picture that causes me to stop and stare in awe.  When this happens I reevaluate my own photography skills and try to determine what I need to improve upon.

I believe that we are in a constant state of improving when it comes to mastering our own craft.  My craft happens to be photography and cooking.  Someone else's may be sewing, computer programming or design.

Getting back to this recipe, I felt that the images would not conjure up the desire in my readers to give this dish a try solely on the basis of the image.

When I see the pictures this is how I feel, this is what it invokes in me.  My mind is a dreamer, a drifter and a romantic.   I see a hearty meal prepared by loving hands.  I want to imagine a family that has been hard at work in the fields of the farm, working the soil and creating a deep hunger with in themselves as the hours pass by.  I go back to a time with castles, moors and moats.  I see the tartan plaid worn by the village people, the pottery plate and the silver utensils.  All  ready to hold the feast that is rich in flavor, texture and color. It stirs a warmness in my belly.  I see the sauce being soaked up by a loaf of warm bread.  I see a meal that is fit for a hungry man.

A picture is worth a thousand words.  It tells far more than we may want to believe.  It is the first contact that you have with a recipe.  It stirs your taste buds, reminds you of a memory.

This is why I was worried that you may or may not find this dish appetizing.  If you have made it this far I am grateful that you took the time to dig a bit deeper.  The Eggplant Parmesan Casserole is a keeper in my home.  It may not look like much but I can't wait to prepare it again.

When a recipe does that to a person, then you know it's a winner.

Recipe:  Eggplant Parmesan Casserole

• 1 large eggplant, peeled
• oil for pan
• 2 cups of flour
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 egg
• 2 cups of fresh spinach, washed
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch
• 5 slices of provolone cheese
• 1 package of fresh mozzarella, the log
• 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 4 cups of marinara or meat sauce, homemade or store bought

NOTE:  To make this dish gluten free, I used an equal combination of almond meal and brown rice flour to dip my eggplant in.  You can also use white rice flour.

Preheat oven 350.  This dish was created to use in dutch oven or deep oven proof stone bowl.  Below is a picture of the dish that I used.

To prepare the eggplant: Peal the eggplant with a potato peeler.  This makes the eggplant less bitter. Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch slices.  Heat oil in a large saute pan.  Place the flour, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Add the milk and one egg to another bowl.  Dip each slice into the milk and then the flour.  Fry on each side until golden brown.  Set aside.

When you have the eggplant fried, zucchini sliced, spinach washed then you are ready to start layering your dish.  I mixed and matched my layers with veggies, using the three cheeses through the dish.

This is an example of how I layered mine.

sauce

spinach

parmesan cheese

eggplant

mozzarellaCheese

sauce

zucchini

provolone Cheese

eggplant

mozzarella Cheese

sauce

zucchini

spinach

sauce

mozzarella cheese

Cover the casserole with a lid or foil.

Bake the casserole for 1 hour and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Pictures below will help you see some of the layers.

Chocolate Brownies #GlutenFree

Chocolate, coffee and almond meal make this brownie rich in flavor and moist in texture.  This brownie is a gluten free treat that will fool your friends.  I have topped it with  caramel and a few toasted nuts.

Recipe: Chocolate Brownies
Serving size: 12-16 brownies depending on size of each one

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 25-30 minutes


1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of light olive oil
4 large eggs
1 cup of almond meal (store bought or made at home)
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 cup of cocoa powder
2 teaspoons of finely ground coffee
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup of nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium size bowl, combine sugar and oil. Using a hand mixer, blend ingredients well. Adds egg and mix on high speed for 2 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine vanilla and coffee powder. Stir and set aside.

Add almond meal, salt and cocoa to sugar/oil mix. Using a spoon or spatula mix together until smooth.

Add coffee/vanilla. Stir well.

Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.

Line a 12 X 8 ,or pan of your choice, with parchment paper.

Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes or until brownies puff up in the center.

Cool on wire rack. Once cooled, brownies will settle.