Category: appetizers

appetizers · Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Fried Green Tomatoes

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This one worked like a charm. Was easy and was very yummy (if Leaanne Morgan can say yummy on her videos, I can use it on the food blog)

4 large green tomatoes
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk *I had buttermilk in the fridge, so I used that instead of whole milk)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teas salt
1/4 teas black pepper
oil for frying

Slice the tomatoes 1/2″ thick. Discard the ends. Sprinkle each side with salt and place on paper towel to allow the salt to soak up some of the juice.

Whisk the eggs and milk together in a medium size bowl. Mix the cornmeal and flour together on a plate. Dip the tomatoes slices, one by one, into the egg/milk mixture and then dip in cornmeal/flour mixture. Allow to rest (the tomatoes, not you) while you dip each tomato slice in the egg and flour mixtures. When all slices are coated, heat the oil in a skillet and when oil is hot, place tomatoes slices in the oil. Turn over when that first side is lightly browned and then flip and allow the second side to brown. I sprinkled a little more salt and pepper over one of the sides while frying. Drain if needed on a paper towel before serving.

appetizers · Breads · Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Parmesan-Garlic Bread

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If you have been following me for any length of time or know me personally, you know by now that I never stray to far from whipping cream, butter or cream cheese. Well, whenever I see a new recipe that has one or more of these ingredients, they grab my attention. This weekend we were in a book store with some friends who are visiting from California. We mozied around the store (yes, with mask on and being sure that we did not get any closer than 6 ft, or almost 6 ft, I was never very good at math, so maybe it was only 4 or 5 ft, but no one sneezed on me and I was careful not to look anyone in the eye or smile underneath the mask. Who knows who I might have been smiling at even if they didn’t know it?) Anyway, there at the end of one aisle, were these Gooseberry cookbooks on sale for $3. I use to pay about $20 for them. So I grabbed a few for myself and some friends. (and yes, if you get one from me as a present, you now know your gift only cost $3, but it is the thought that counts).
Finishing rearranging the living room this morning, I sat down with my Diet Dr Pepper to get my heart beating back to normal and thought I would glance through the new cookbook. There on page 67 was this recipe that caught my eye. I had never seen a bread recipe that included whipping cream, and whipped at that. So of course I have to tell you about it. As soon as I get to the store to buy a loaf of french bread, this will be smelling up the kitchen, and adding another inch to my…well, you know where!

1/2 pt whipping cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
9 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 loaf French bread, sliced
paprika to tastes
*I will also add dried parsley flakes to the mixture because I love the little specks of green on French bread.

Whip whipping cream until thick; blend in mayo. Add garlic and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese; stir well. Slice French bread in half lengthwise; generously spread garlic mixture on each half. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese and paprika. Place loaf halves on an uncreased baking sheet. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for about 15-18 min until garlic topping is turning light golden. Cut into 1″ slices. Makes about 2 dz slices.

appetizers · Beef · Breads · Daily Thoughts · Super Bowl Recipes · Uncategorized

Italian Meatball Munchies

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

Last night we had spaghetti & meatballs for some friends. Since we had some sauce and meatballs left over, I decided to use them in a new way this evening. Using slices of baguette, we sliced a couple of the meatballs and made our own little munchies. As we were eating them, it dawned on me how great these would be for a party appetizer. Perfect little snack when you are wanting a light meal, but want something with lots of flavor. *recipe for spaghetti & meatballs are on blog

1 baguette, sliced thin

Left over spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce
mozzarella cheese
meatballs, sliced thin

Olive oil
butter
garlic powder

Use as many baguette slices as you need. Using equal amounts of butter and olive oil, melt together and add garlic powder to taste. Using a pastry brush, spread the garlic-olive oil-butter mixture onto one side of each bread slice. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and place in oven and broil until slices are lightly toasted.
Remove from oven and turn slices over. Spoon some of the sauce onto each slice and then place a slice of meatball on each piece. Sprinkle cheese over the top and place back in oven and broil until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

Serve immediately.

appetizers · Breads · Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Vegetables

Stuffed Like a Squash?

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Legally it is Fall. That means that I can crave cornbread dressing from this point on without the guilt. In summer, I feel so guilty telling people that I just have to have some dressing, when everyone is walking around with an ice cream cone in their hands or nibbling on crisp lettuce. But now….now, I can stand up and announce, “hi, my name is Trudy and I am a dressingaholic”. I think I could eat it every other day, in-between the hamburgers and pizza that I crave.
This morning after making sugar cookies while stuffing movie bags with Hersheys Chocolate bars and M&M’s to take to the movies with 8 of our closet friends this evening, dressing would not leave my mind. So luckily I had a zucchini still in the fridge. AND…a box of Stove Top Cornbread Dressing. I never use it during the holidays, (as nothing can take the place of homemade dressing)just when I am binge dressing eating during the summer or pre holiday. It satisfies my craving for dressing and makes an excellent side dish to go with the chicken fried steak we are having for lunch. Normally, this would be a meal for dinner, but since we will be gone watching “God Bless the Open Road tonight, our dinner will consist of popcorn, cookies and candy.
Yep, gotta have a good healthy meal before eating all the junk. So broccoli with butter and cheese, stuffed zucchini with the dressing with chicken fried steak and gravy. Then we don’t have to feel guilty for all the junk food we will consume tonight. Nothing says healthy eating like chicken fried steak and gravy!

1 large zucchini, washed, cut in half horizontally
1 box of Stove Top Cornbread Dressing (made according to directions on side of box, except that i added about a teas of sage to the boiling water before adding the dry dressing. I was going to tell you to place the leftover dressing that you don’t use in a ziplock bag and pace in freezer for stuffing mushrooms or a chicken breast or more squash, That was my plan until I stood at the stove and “snacked” on the leftover dressing. Not too much to freeze for a later use now.

Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Scrape the middle of the squash out, either with a scoop or spoon, reserving or discarding. Be careful not to cut the outside of the squash, allowing it to be a “boat” for the dressing.
Using a pastry brush, apply a very thin coat of olive oil to the inside of the raw squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
Using a large tablespoon, fill the zucchini with about a 1/2 cup of the prepared dressing to each half of the squash. Bake in preheated 400 oven until squash is tender. About 20 minutes. If dressing begins to dry out, cover with foil.

appetizers · Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

Holiday Quick Bites

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One of my favorite magazines is Southern Lady. The pictures of homes and decorating styles won my heart at first glance. The recipes are so Southern and just perfect for home dinners or entertaining. The recipe I am posting today is not only delicious, but a great little appetizer for the holidays in that the red and green will look so festive on your serving buffet or table. Taken from Souther Lady Jan 2017…..

Artichoke &B Sun Dried Tomato Phyllo Bites

2 (14 oz cans) artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
1/4 cup finely chopped oil-packed sundries tomatoes, drained
1/2 teas Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teas garlic powder
1/4 teas hot sauce
3 (1.9 oz) packages frozen mini-phyllo cups, thawed
Garnish:
Chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (If the pans or coated, I don’t use the parchment paper or even lightly greased you will not need the paper)
In medium bowl, stir together all the ingredients except the phyllo cups and garnishes.
Place phyllo shells on prepared pan. Spoon the filling mixture into shells.
Bake until filling is hot, about 12-15 minutes.
Garnish with finely chopped chives.
NOTE:
To freeze, place filled unbaked shells (which you did not thaw to fill)in an airtight container. When ready to serve, remove amount needed and place on prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350 until filling is hot, about 20 minutes.

This is a great and easy holiday appetizer because it can be made ahead and frozen until ready to heat to serve.

appetizers · Daily Thoughts · Holiday Fare · Vegetables

Stuffed Mushrooms

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These great little gems have now been placed in my “oh my gosh why haven’t I made these before? I only have maybe 20 years or so left to eat them” folder! Because we had some friends over last night for spaghetti & meatballs, I started thinking about the left over cornbread dressing from Thursday evening when I made stuffed zucchini. They were so good I had the leftovers today for lunch. They were easy, quick and will be a favorite for any fall/winter dinners that we have.

12 large white mushrooms, cleaned and stems taken out and chopped very fine (the stems, not the mushrooms)
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained very well. I just continued to squeeze the thawed spinach until I couldn’t get anymore moisture to squeeze out.
1 box of sage or herb Stovetop ( I can’t remember what the box said now) cornbread dressing, made according to directions.
1 stick unsalted butter
1 tables Worcestershire
2 tables red wine vinegar
1/2 teas onion powder
Black Pepper to your liking
Parmesan cheese for topping the mushrooms.

Prepare a baking dish by spraying with Pam, big enough for the mushrooms to fit.
Melt about 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter in a medium frying pan. Add the finely chopped mushroom stems and sauce until they are cooked. About 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the onion powder,and pepper to your liking.
Add as much of the drained spinach as you like. (I used about 2/3 cup.) Stir until well mixed. Add about 1 cup of the corn bread dressing to this mixture. Stir until well combined.
Place about a tablespoon of this mixture into each hollow mushroom cap and then place mushroom in baking dish.
Melt the rest of the butter in a microwave safe container. When butter is melted, add the Worcestershire sauce and the red wine vinegar. Pour over the tops and around the mushrooms. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the tops of the mushrooms and bake in preheated 350 over for about 10-15 minutes or until stuffing is bubbly and mushrooms are tender. d
*Depending on the size of the mushrooms, you might not use all of the stuffing mixture. I had some left over and just spooned it around the mushrooms in the dish so I could eat it all….it’s that good.

appetizers · Breads · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Cooking With Ginger

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We have a young chef who comes into our community once a month who is absolutely wonderful. Not only does she bring us amazing recipes, but she is funny and just livens up the people who show up. You come away laughing and in such great moods, it is just a great class to attend. Last week she made 4 really good recipes of which I have already made one. It will be one of our staples from now on. Open Faced Caprese Sandwiches. She also gave us the recipe for Butterscotch Peanut bars, Watermelon-Feta-Basil Salad and a summer mixed drink which I will post tomorrow. But today I am posting the Caprese Sandwiches and Butterscotch Bars.
I bet when you read the title you thought this post would be all about recipes which included ginger. Fooled YA!

Caprese Sandwiches
1 Roma Tomato, sliced into four slices
2 tables chopped fresh basil (or more depending on how many slices of bread you are using)
Fresh Mozzarella log, sliced thinly
4 slices of Italian Bread or baguette
Balsamic Reduction *Found it at some Walmarts and also Trader Joes
Butter and Olive Oil

Preheat oven broiler or toaster oven
Gently spread olive oil or softened butter on one side of the bread. Place in oven to lightly toast.
On opposite side of buttered or oiled bread, with a pastry brush, place olive oil on the dry side of the bread that has not been toasted. Place tomato slices on top of bread. (If you are making more than 4 slices of bread, use another tomato)
Top with slices of mozzarella. Again, use enough slices to make however many slices you need.
Place bread onto baking sheet and place under broiler for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted and starting to bubble.
Top with chopped basil and sprinkle with the balsamic reduction. You may want to sprinkle each slice with sea salt.

Butterscotch Peanut Bars
This quick and easy bar to make taste similar to a Pay Day candy bar.

Bar
1/2 cup butterscotch flavored baking chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup salted Spanish peanuts or salted peanuts
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Glaze
1/4 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 teas shortening

Melt butterscotch chips, peanut butter and butter oven low heat in small saucepan, stirring constantly 3-5 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.
Stir in peanuts and marshmallows. Pour into a buttered 8″ square pan. Cover and place in fridge 30 min or until set.
Melt chocolate chips with shortening in a small saucepan or microwave until chips are melted. In 15 second intervals. Sir after each interval. Drizzle over the cooled bars and refrigerate until chocolate is set.
Cut into bars and keep covered in fridge.

appetizers · Beef · Daily Thoughts · Dips · Super Bowl Recipes · Uncategorized

Totcho (tater tots meet nachos)

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A dear sweet friend sent me a page out of a magazine which gives all the cakes which were popular during the last century. It was so interesting to see how peoples taste change through the years. As I was looking over the cake info, I happened to turn the page over and wa la…here was these delicious looking Totcho’s. For those of you who love tater tots, this one will certainly be one you will want to serve for all those game watching days.

Bake frozen tots as directed on the bag (depending on how many you want to serve will depend on how many tots you use.)
Meanwhile, saute a pound of ground hamburger meat with your favorite taco seasoning. Drain meat, then top the tots with the taco flavored meat. Sprinkle shredded Cheddar cheese and bake for about 5 minutes. Top with drizzled sour cream, chopped black olives and chives.
Add some heat with a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce or Sriracha. Instant Appetizer which will certainly score a touchdown with your guests.

appetizers · Daily Thoughts · Dips · Uncategorized

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

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This morning it was such fun to go to a friends house with 3 other friends to make jelly. It reminded me of stories from women who use to meet with ladies to sew or make jelly or batches of cookies. We had a blast. Some chopped while others measured sugar or vinegar to pour into the pan. One friend sat and cut out the material to make the lids look festive. All in all, it was such a lovely day. There is nothing quite like cooking with other women to bond you into a more fun and deeper friendship. Pass the jelly and grab a cracker…this makes a great hostess gift for the holidays. Pour it over a 8 oz bar of cream cheese and you have a wonderful appetizer that people love. Thank you Shirley for the great morning which is such a nice new memory!

3 green bell pepper, minced
4 fresh jalapeño peppers, deseeded and cut into small pieces
6 cups white sugar
1/2 teas cayenne pepper
1 (6 fluid oz) container liquid pectin
3 drops of green food coloring

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine peppers, vinegar, sugar and cayenne pepper. Cook over medium high heat. Stir frequently until mixture begins to boil.
Stir in pectin, boil 5 minutes longer stirring constantly and then mix in green food coloring. Skim off any foam and remove from heat.
Ladle into sterilized jars. Seal and process in a boiling-water canner for 5 minutes. (we did not do this, but simply wiped the cleaned jars (and lids) and place lids on the jars when mixture was still warm. We tightened the outer lid and placed jars in fridge, where they will stay.) If you plan on storing these on the shelf instead of fridge, you will need to process in the boiling-water canner.
We doubled this recipe which gave us 18 (6 oz) jars.

appetizers · Daily Thoughts · Vegetables

Caesar Mushroom Caps

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Isn’t it great to receive those cooking magazines that all us to have wonderful evenings when we get to just sit and look through them for new ideas?
Because Fall is (hopefully for those of us who live in the Sun Belt, known as Arizona) right around the corner, it seems like those kind of evenings just come around a little more often than they did in the summer. Maybe it is because our hearts turn to cooking and baking, because after all, isn’t that what Fall is for? As I got out some old magazines last night, while watching Diners, Diners and Dives, this page called to me. Loving mushrooms and loving what great appetizers they always make, it got my attention.

12 large whole mushrooms
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 teas onion flakes
1 tables olive oil
1/4 teas ground cayenne pepper
3 tables Brianna’s Asiago Caesar salad dressing

Preheat oven to 350.
Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Careful break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough ends.

Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Salute until any moisture has disappeared and stems are tender. Set aside to cool.

Combine cream cheese, Caesar dressing, onion flakes, cayenne pepper, cooled mushroom stems and chopped pecans together mixing well. Mixture should be very thick.
Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange mushroom caps in prepared baking dish. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over each mushroom.
Bake for 20 minutes in preheated oven or until the mushrooms are piping hot and the parmesan cheese is a golden brown.