Sunday, November 30, 2008

Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip (Olive Garden, CopyKat.com)

TASTE : Excellent
PREP : Easy
REPEAT : Again and again

VERY tasty and easy to prep hot dip to serve for guests or at parties.

Mix 8 oz pkg light cream cheese (softened), 1 can artichoke hearts (drained and chopped), 1 small package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained very well), 1/4 c mayonaisse, 1/4 c parmesan, 1/4 c. romano (or double parmesan), 1 clove garlic (finely minced), 1/2 tsp dry basil, 1/4 t garlic salt. Put into greased baking dish. Top with 1/4 c shredded mozzarella and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Pork Tenderloin with seasoned rub (Ellie Krieger, FoodNetwork.com)

TASTE: Good
PREP : Very easy
REPEAT : Yes

Very easy to prepare the rub and use on a pork tenderloin. She recommends sauteeing the garlic for a couple minutes then adding the pork to the pan. This will burn the garlic. I think it is best to saute the garlic, remove it, then place it back after searing the pork and putting the pan into the oven to roast for 20 minutes. I had to use garlic salt insted of powder and therefore didn't put salt in the mix but rather added a little extra, but it was still too salty. The way she suggests it is probably just right.

Key ingredients: ground coriander, ground cumin, dried thyme, garlic powder, dried oregano, EVOO and garlic, and of course the pork loin.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Blender Sunshine Muffins (Sue Gregg, Breakfasts, p 195)

TASTE: Very Good
PREP: Fairly easy
REPEAT:
Yes! Family Hit

NOTES: Pulled the "Breakfast" book out today. Happened to have some orange juice on hand. No oranges for orange peel though so I skipped that part. There is no milk in this recipe. I love these blender recipes where I can put whole wheat berries in the blender rather than milling them, it saves me from the extra work of cleaning up the mill parts. Daimeian said he liked these best of the muffins I've made so far (not really that many). Anyway, will probably make this many times more in the future.

INGREDIENTS: sucanat, cinnamon, orange juice, honey, 1 egg, whole wheat pastry grains, carrot, raisins

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Margaritas - (America's Test Kitchen, )

TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT : Of course!
PREP : depends on the juiciness of the fruit!


This recipe calls for basically a 1 : 1 ratio of lime/lemon juice freshly squeezed with tequila and triple sec. Some sugar (stevia liquid worked fine) and a pinch of salt. Good enough for us! Won't buy pre-mixed stuff full of high fructose corn syrup no more! Worth the money saved and the taste and freshness to just squeeze some limes and lemons.


Recipe does call for zest of lemons and limes as well, and allowing the juice to sit for 4-24 hours first. OK if you don't too in our opinion.

Guacamole - MMMMmmmmm...That's my special recipe.

I can't tall you what it is, and I never measure the ingredients, but mmmmmmm......it is GOOOOD!

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad - (Cooking Light, August 2006, p. 180)

Taste: Very Good
Repeat: Yes
Prep : Average


This is a really great salad that I've made several times and have taken as a dish to various functions. It's usually a hit. Even though there is chipotle in adobo in the dressing, it's not too spicy because of the sour cream. The salad is romain lettuce, red onion, black beans, corn, avocado and tomoto and the dressing is light sour cream, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, chipotle and salt. This one's a keeper!

Friday, February 29, 2008

Smoky Chipotle-Chicken Corn Chowder w Salsa Salad - (Express Lane Meals, Rachael Ray, p. 224)

TASTE: Good
PREP: Fairly quick
REPEAT: Yes (Daimeian made a point of saying definitely a repeat)

Easy enough to prepare, this dish was mostly a chicken in broth/stock with crushed chips and some seasoning. I thought it was a little bland (as I've found most RR recipes to be), but Daimeian and most of the kids really enjoyed it. Definitely better with the salsa salad.

Next time, keep the size of soup the same as the recipe calls for. It was plenty. She says it serves 4, but it serves more than that (which is typical in RR recipes). I could make it just a bit larger for our family, but probably would not double it. However, I would nearly double the salsa salad. It was gone before the soup.

Key Ingredients: chipotle chili in adobo, celery, tortilla chips, chicken and stock, frozen corn, Dijon mustard, avocados, cilantro, romaine, red onion, parsley