Classic Hummus

McCormick Recipe

Okay, don't be disgusted by the picture because it is really good! This hummus recipe is great to use as a dip for pita bread or vegetables! Whenever I make this it is devoured before I know it!

Ingredients:

15 oz. can chickpeas

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

1/4 tsp. salt

Drain chickpeas, reserving 1/4 cup liquid. Place chickpeas in food processor with other ingredients. Process until smooth, adding reserved liquid until desired consistency.

Layered Bean Dip

To celebrate Cinco de Mayo, we had some yummy Mexican food. For an appetizer we had some good 'ole layered bean dip! This of course has many variations, but this recipe is simple, quick, and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 can refried beans

Taco, Enchilada or Fajita Seasoning

1/2 cup salsa

sour cream

green onions, chopped

tomatoes, chopped

Cheddar Cheese, grated

sliced olives

Tortilla Chips

Directions:

Mix refried beans and seasoning to taste. Begin layering with this mixture. Spread salsa over the top of beans. Next layer sour cream. Top with green onions, tomatoes, Cheddar Cheese and sliced olives. Serve with tortilla chips.

Jalapeño peppers and guacamole are some additional layers that are great on this dish.

Brie En Croute

Adapted from All Recipes

Again, another excuse for my picture--the pastry shell had been in my freezer for quite some time (since the last time I made a brie), and it definitely was a bit less flexible than I remembered.  So, it might be beneficial to plan on making two bries within a closer time period than I did or to find another use for your pastry shell!  Anyway, in person the brie still looked impressive and was commented on by most of my guests on New Years Eve.  This is definitely an appetizer that is easy to make, but very gourmet.  I had multiple requests for the recipe and I just kept on telling my friends that it was SO simple; anyone could do it.  Brie is delicious.  Definitely a reason to indulge.  The apricot preserves are fabulous with the cheese, but I remember reading in the original comments from the All Recipes that many people substituted different types of jam to their preference. 

Ingredients:

• ½ package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry sheets
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbs water
• ½ cup apricot preserves
• 1/3 cup dried cranberry, softened
• 1 round Brie cheese

Directions:

• Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature for 30-45 minutes.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Mix egg and water.
• Unfold pastry sheet on lightly floured surface.  Roll into 14” square.  Cut off corners to make a circle.  Spread preserves to within one inch of pastry edge.  Sprinkle craisins over preserves.  Top with cheese.  Brush edge of circle with egg mixture.
• Fold two opposite sides over cheese.  Trim remaining two sides to two inches from edge of cheese.  Fold these two sides onto the round.  Press edges to seal  Place seam side down on baking sheet.  Decorate top with pastry scraps, if desired.  Brush with egg mixture. 
• Bake 20 minutes or until golden.  Stand one hour before serving.  Serve with crackers.

Note:  To soften craisins, let stand in hot water for one minute.  Also, I will generally only use ½ round of Brie cheese b/c it is a lot of cheese!  Also, can use other flavors of jam/preserves if desired.  Try raspberry jam. 



Black Bean Salsa

Adapted from Ivory Family Favorites Cookbook

I have eaten this salsa before but hadn't made it myself. It's a very yummy and healthy snack!

1-15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

8 ounces frozen corn, thawed

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped green onions

2 tablespoons chopped red onions

1/4 cup chopped ripe tomatoes

1/4 cup lime juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

salt and pepper

garlic powder

onion salt

In large bowl combine beans, corn, cilantro, green onions, red onions tomatoes, lime juice, oil and cumin. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion salt to taste. Cover and chill at least 2 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

Ham and Onion Cheeseball

Adapted from a recipe given to me by my SIL Amanda

I usually only make this cheeseball around the holidays, so I have to really sit and think about what I put in it every year. I thought maybe it would help me out to post it on this blog where I can always find it! It's a quick and easy recipe and so much less expensive than going to the store and buying a cheeseball!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. package of cream cheese
• 4 green onions
• 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ham lunch meat, diced
• onion salt to taste
• garlic powder to taste
• Worcestershire Sauce to taste

Combine ingredients and form into ball. Serve with crackers.

Fresh Salsa for the Winter

Adapted from a recipe from a former work colleague

We eat a lot of salsa, especially fresh salsa.  But, alas, tomatoes are only in season for such a short while.  This recipe utilizes canned diced tomatoes, which makes the recipe much more affordable.  And it still tastes so fresh!  I use this same recipe during the summer when tomatoes are in season, but just switch out the canned tomatoes for diced fresh.  The recipe is extremely forgiving.  I make it so often that I generally don't measure exactly and go more by taste.  I find myself adding a bit more garlic salt than the recipe calls for, but I would recommend making the recipe as is the first time and then going from there.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 2 large cans (28 oz each) of diced tomatoes
• 1-2 diced small onions, to your taste
• 1 large can (7 oz) of diced green chilies
• 4-8 slices of bottled jalapeno pepper slices, to your taste
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 1-2 Tablespoon of bottled minced fresh garlic, to your taste
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

• In a blender or food processor, blend ½ of one of the cans of tomatoes and pour into a large bowl. 
• Add all other ingredients, chopping/dicing the cilantro, onions, jalapeno pepper slices to the appropriate size.  Mix well. 

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

Adapted from Home Cooking the Costco Way

This was so yummy! We had it eaten in one night! I would probably double the recipe next time so we can have some leftover :)

Fruit Salsa:

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of your favorite jam
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 apple, diced
• 6 oz. frozen dark sweet cherries, pitted, thawed and diced
• 6 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed
• 6 oz. frozen strawberries, thawed and diced
• 2 kiwis, peeled and diced

Chips:

• cinnamon sugar mixture
• approximately 6 uncooked tortillas
• cooking spray

For the salsa, combine the sugars and lemon juice in a large bowl, then add the jam and mix. Add remaining salsa ingredients and stir to blend. Add more sugar if desired. Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 35o. For the chips, place cinnamon sugar mixture in a large resealable bag. Coat both sides of a tortilla with cooking spray. Cut into wedges. Place wedges in bag and shake until coated. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Bake 15 minutes turning the wedges over halfway through baking. The chips should be slightly crispy; they will crisp more as they cool. Let cool for about 15 minutes.

Notes: Try adding other fruits next time: peaches, mango, pineapple, blueberries and/or blackberries would be tasty! Try using whole wheat tortillas for the cinnamon chips.