Hot Shrimp Dip

I made this for a Mardi Gras Party (19 Feb 2023). This was so delicious!!
 
This is the recipe I followed: https://www.smalltownwoman.com/hot-shrimp-dip/

Hot Shrimp Dip

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
 
Ingredients
 
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese [some will be used for the topping]
1 1/4 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese [some will be used for the topping
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning [overall, I used less than 1/2 tablespoon]
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
3 - 4 dashes hot sauce
16 ounces shrimp cooked and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
3 green onions thinly sliced
 
Instructions
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
 
Using a hand held mixer beat cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, 3/4 cup Pepper Jack cheese, Old Bay Seasoning, Worcestershire Sauce and hot sauce until smooth.  Stir in shrimp, garlic and green onions.
 
Spoon into a baking dish and top with remaining cheddar and Pepper Jack.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the dish is bubbly and heated through.
 
Serve with crackers or toasted baguette slices.
 
This can be prepped a day in advance. Store in the refrigerator covered with saran wrap. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.

My Notes:

I didn’t read the ingredients correctly and bought raw shrimp instead of cooked. So I heated a large skillet on medium heat and added a teaspoon of olive oil and 1/2 T butter. I added 1/8th finely chopped red onion (my idea to add onions), the minced garlic and sautéed until translucent. I moved the onion/garlic to the sides of the pan and added the raw shrimp in the middle, and sprinkled with Old Bay Seasoning and some black pepper. I cooked the shrimp until just done. I let the shrimp cool a bit and then coarsely chopped them. I think cooking it this way adds more flavor to the shrimp. 

Sorry, I forgot to take a photo when I took it out of the oven.

Limoncello

 

This is very easy to make and is so delicious, especially when you serve it from the freezer. I don't make it very often, but when I do, I always ask myself, why do I buy store-bought? I should make my own more often! 

Note that the amount of sugar and water is a ball park. You may want it sweeter or stronger. Start with the measurements I have and set aside 1/2 cup of the simple syrup. Taste and add more if needed.

Ingredients:

1 empty (extra) 1.5 liter bottle

15-16 lemons

1.75 liter bottle of vodka (Many recipes call for grain alcohol. If you do, you may need to add more simple syrup, as I found the grain alcohol too strong) 

3 cups of sugar
3.5 cups of water

Directions:

Wash the lemons to remove any residue. Dry the lemons and remove the zest with a potato peeler. Make sure you remove any pith.
 
Divide the alcohol and zest into two bottles. Screw the caps on and store the bottles at room temperature in a cabinet. Let it sit for about 2 weeks or up to a month. Every couple of days, shake the bottles to mix the ingredients.

When ready, combine the sugar and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook until it thickens, about 5-8 minutes. Let the sugar syrup cool completely.  
 
Using a strainer (some will use a coffee filter), pour the vodka mixture into the cooled sugar syrup. 

Pour the completed mixture into bottles using a funnel.
 
Place one bottle back in the cabinet; the other into the freezer. It's ready to serve once it's completely chilled. 

 Enjoy!

Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup

In the area where I live, there’s a health coach that hosts a monthly cookbook dinner club. About 15-17 people attend. Everyone gets the chance to look through the cookbook and select a recipe to make. Last night (6 Feb 2023) it was recipes from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen. One person made this delicious soup.
 
Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup

Servings: 6-8.
 
Ingredients
 
Salt and pepper
1 pound (2¾ cups) dried chickpeas, picked over and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 fennel bulbs, stalks discarded, bulbs halved, cored, & chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 Parmesan cheese rind (or 2-inch chunk of cheese), plus grated Parmesan for serving
2 bay leaves
1 (3-inch) strip orange zest
1 head escarole (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large tomato, cored and chopped
 
Directions
 
Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Add chickpeas and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
 
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add fennel, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
 
Stir in 7 cups water, broth, drained chickpeas, Parmesan rind, bay leaves, and orange zest and bring to boil. Reduce to gentle simmer and cook until chickpeas are tender, 1¼ to 1¾ hours.
 
Stir in escarole and tomato and cook until escarole is wilted, 5 to 10 minutes.
 
Off heat, discard bay leaves and Parmesan rind (scraping off any cheese that has melted and adding it back to pot). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, drizzling individual portions with extra oil and sprinkling with grated Parmesan.
 
Nutrition information per serving: 455 calories; 120 calories from fat; 13 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 11 mg cholesterol; 435 mg sodium; 65 g carbohydrate; 16 g fiber; 15 g sugar; 23 g protein.
 

Boozy Frosé

 My friend Sav made these oh-so delicious frozen drinks (July 2020). She followed this recipe: Recipe from: https://iowagirleats.com/boozy-frose/

Serves 4
 
 
1 bottle rosé wine (the darker the color the better)
1/4 cup vodka
4-6 Tablespoons strawberry simple syrup
 

For the strawberry simple syrup:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup chopped strawberries
 
Pour the wine into a gallon ziplock bag set inside a dish then freeze overnight (wine doesn't freeze solid so don't be concerned if yours is a little slushy.)

For the strawberry simple syrup: 

Combine water and sugar in a mason jar then microwave until boiling, 1-1/2 minutes. Stir until sugar dissolves then add strawberries and chill in the refrigerator overnight. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into another jar or measuring cup then discard strawberries.
 
Add wine, vodka, and strawberry simple syrup (start with 4 Tablespoons then add more if you like) to a blender then blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
 

Potato, fennel, and leek gratin

My friend Candy made this for Christmas Eve, 2022. It’s a creamy, cheesy, delicious gratin! From Fine Cooking, Feb/Mar 2015.

 
Serves 10-12
 
3 T unsalted butter, softened
2-1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick (about 7 cups)
2-1/2 cups heavy cream
2 gloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 t fennel seeds, lightly crushed
3 large leeks, white and pale-green parts only, trimmed, halved, and sliced crosswise, 1/2 inch thick
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 lbs fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
8 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
 
Directions
 
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
 
Grease the bottom and sides of a 10x15 inch (4 quart) baking dish with 1 T. of the butter.
 
Put the potatoes, cream, garlic, 1-1/2 t salt, and ½ t pepper in an 8-quart pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a fork, about 8 minutes.
 
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 T of butter in a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel seeds and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the leeks and fennel, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
 
Gently mix the leeks and fennel with the potatoes. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, evening out the vegetables. Top with cheese, and back until the cheese is deep golden brown, the cream has thickened, and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 35 to 40 minutes. (If the top is becoming too brown before the vegetables are done, cover the grain loosely with foil).
 
Let cool for 10-20 minutes before serving.
 
Candy’s original notes:  Needed a little more salt.

Salmon Ball

My friend Candy made this for a holiday party (December 2022). This is the recipe she followed: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/24633/salmon-ball/

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (16 ounce) can salmon, drained and flaked
1 bunch chopped parsley
 
Directions
 
In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix cream cheese, onion, horseradish, salt and lemon juice. Mix in the salmon, distributing it evenly throughout. Form mixture into a ball and roll in the parsley. Wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Garlic Parmesan-Stuffed Mushrooms

I made this tasty appetizer for a holiday party, December 2022.

Adapted from https://tasty.co/recipe/garlic-parmesan-stuffed-mushrooms

Ingredients
 
15 mushrooms
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper, freshly ground
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish
Some chopped fresh spinach
1.5 T minced onion
1-2 slices cheddar cheese, grated

Directions
 
Preheat oven to 350°.
 
Cut the stems off of each of the mushrooms and finely chop them.
Bake the mushrooms stem side down for about 15 -20 minutes on a baking pan to release some of the water from the mushrooms.
 
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over high heat. Cook the chopped stems with the garlic, salt, and pepper for about six to eight minutes, constantly stirring. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Remove from heat.
 
In a medium bowl, combine cooked stems, cream cheese, breadcrumbs, half of the parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper, spinach, minced onion and cheddar cheese; mixing until evenly combined. The mixture should be extremely thick.
 
Spoon a generous amount of the cream cheese mixture on top of each mushroom.
 
Place the parmesan cheese in a plate and pressed the stuffed mushrooms into the cheese for the topping.
 
Bake for 20 minutes.
 
Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley, and then serve!
    
My Notes:
 
The last four ingredients are my additions.

For the mushrooms, I bought the 24 oz. size container from Costco. This recipe makes a large batch of stuffing, so having the large mushrooms was perfect (19 total). I removed the entire stem of each mushroom. 
 
I used closer to 6 oz of cream cheese. Adjust as needed. This recipe makes a big batch of stuffing, so buy more mushrooms!
 

  

Carrot Cake

I first made this for a rotation dinner group back on 26 March 2020. It was the first time I made carrot cake and it was one of the best carrot cakes I've had.

I can't believe I never made it again until today, 31 December 2022. I will definitely keep this at the top of my list to make from now on. This time I took photos as I prepared it. 

Serves 12

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

2 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded carrots (I used a potato peeler and then chopped the carrots. This is about 5 medium carrots)
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 8-oz.can crushed pineapple, drained

For the frosting:

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & lightly flour a 9"x13" pan.

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Stir in carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple.

Pour into the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Add the frosting to the top after the cake has cooled.

To make the frosting:

Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth; add the sugar and beat until creamy.


My changes from the original recipe: 

I added 1/2 cup of dried cranberries to the mixture. I reduced the amount of cinnamon to 1 teaspoon, as my husband is not a fan of cinnamon.

For the frosting, I added about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla. Once I put the frosting on the cake, I added more lemon zest on top.

 Shredded and chopped 

Mixing the ingredients together

 

 Added dried cranberries

 Poured into the pan

 Out of the oven after 44 minutes

Combining the frosting ingredients:

Frosting the cake:

Freezing Leftovers: 

Yes, you can freeze carrot cake. When I have leftovers (still in the pan), I'll cut them into individual servings and place the pan into the freezer long enough for the frosting to firm up. Then I wrap each serving in saran wrap and then tin foil; place in  zip lock bags. 

To defrost, remove the foil and saran wrap when you take them out of the freezer. Then allow to defrost several hours on the counter or overnight. This way the frosting doesn't stick to the saran wrap. 

Festive Olive and Cheese Appetizer

I made this appetizer last night for Christmas Eve. It's very easy and fast to make.

 

Recipe from https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/273496/festive-olive-and-cheese-appetizer/

Servings: 6
 

Ingredients

24 sprigs fresh rosemary
12 ounces marinated mozzarella balls, drained
½ cup pitted Castelvetrano olives, rinsed and dried
¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives, rinsed and drained
¼ cup sugar plum tomatoes

Directions

 
Arrange rosemary sprigs in a 10-inch-diameter circle to resemble a wreath. Start by placing one sprig at a 45-degree angle with the leafy tip facing outwards. Continue adding sprigs in the same direction until you have formed a full circle.
 

Arrange clusters of mozzarella balls, olives, and tomatoes over rosemary sprigs.

Notes: 

The quantities for my dish was a little different. You can place any amount of cheese, olives, and tomatoes, depending on the size of the dish. 

I purchased the mozzarella balls from Costco. They were not marinated, so I placed the cheese, olives, and tomatoes in a bowl and tossed them with olive oil, a little bit of crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, and Italian seasoning. Then I placed everything on top of the rosemary wreath.

You can also mix the cheese, olives, and tomatoes with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar. 

Chocolate Espresso Cookies

5 December 2022

Chocolate Espresso Cookies

 

This is a recipe from a Bon Appétit magazine from about 30 years ago. I wish I had kept the magazine. 

This makes about 48 cookies. Today I made this for a cookie exchange party with my friends. 

Ingredients

 

1 C Flour

1/2 C. Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda

3 T. each butter and margarine, room temperature

1/2 C. plus 2 t. sugar
1/2 C. packed golden brown sugar
1-1/2 T. instant espresso powder
1 t. vanilla extract

1 large egg white
 

Directions

Sift the first four dry ingredients into a small bowl.

In large, deep bowl, beat butter and margarine with a hand mixer. Add the dry ingredients, half at a time, and beat until just incorporated. Note: I drape the bowl with a towel when mixing to avoid the cocoa powder to blow all over the kitchen counter.

Add both sugars, espresso powder, and vanilla and beat until blended. Mix in the egg white. 

   

  

Using hands, knead briefly in the bowl until smooth. Form the dough into one log, about 14” long by 2” thick.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for an hour in the refrigerator.

 

Position the oven racks in top and bottom 1/3rd of the oven; heat to 350 degrees. Slice the logs 1/4” thick and place on baking sheets. Bake until cracked and almost frim, reversing the baking sheets from top to bottom after 7 minutes; 14 minutes total baking time.
 

Cool on racks.

 

These can be made two weeks ahead.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

 

Yellow Caviar Dip

 I made this dip recently for a holiday party.  My original recipe (https://monicacooks.blogspot.com/2009/04/red-caviar-dip.html) calls for red caviar. I couldn't find any in the area grocery stores so I went with yellow caviar.  

Ingredients:

1 8-oz package of cream cheese, room temperature

5 T. Sour cream

2 T. Chives, fresh, chopped (set some aside for garnish)

2 oz. Yellow caviar, drained  (set about 1/2 t. aside for garnish)

French baguette, sliced

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese and sour cream. Fold in the chives.

GENTLY fold in the caviar until combined. 

Transfer to a serving bowl.  

Top with remaining caviar and a few chives for garnish.

Chill in the refrigerator (covered w/saran wrap) before serving.

Mediterranean Strata

 Mediterranean Strata

4 October 2022
 
Our cookbook club organizer selected “The Breakfast Bible 100+ Favorite Recipes To Start The Day from Williams Sonoma.”
 
I selected the Mediterranean Strata. It was very easy to put together.
 
Serves 4-6 (10-12 servings for a pot luck dinner).
 
1 T unsalted butter
1/2 lb crusty Italian bread, day-old, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used a French baguette)
1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained well and chopped
1/3 C Kalamata olives, pitted and halved (I didn’t read this correctly and thought it said 1/2 cups.
1/4 C oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced (I chopped them)
1/4 lb mozzarella cheese, shredded (I small-diced the cheese)
1.5 T grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
6 large eggs
2 C. whole milk (I used 1.75 cups half and half; and 1/4 cup water)
Salt and freshly pepper
 
Butter the bottom and sides of a 9”x13” baking dish that is 2” deep. Place the bread cubes in a single layer in the prepared dish. Top with the artichoke hearts, olives sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil, spreading the ingredients out evenly.
 
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the strata. Cover with aluminum foil and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.  (I did the 1-hour method).
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
 
Bake the strata, covered for 20 minutes.  Uncover and continue to bake until the eggs are set and the strata is golden brown, about 20 minutes longer.
 
Let cool slightly, the cut into squares and serve.

Overall, a very easy dish to make and quite tasty. 

Photos as I prepared the dish: