Creamy Clam and Smoky Sausage Dip

Even though I had no real loyalties to either the Ravens or the 49ers, I looked forward to the Super Bowl.  Not because I'm a diehard football fan.  Not because I enjoy watching bikini-clad women eat cheeseburgers topless (aka, the ridiculous commercials, granted I loved the heartfelt ones!).  But because I love good food, and Super Bowl Sunday means Super Bowl parties, means lots of yummy appetizers and snacks!

Our host friends asked guests to come with appetizers, so we were able to munch on southwestern eggrolls, chicken wings, brownies, veggie platters, pulled pork sliders, buffalo chicken, and chips.  When I was deciding what to bring, I found an untested dip recipe in my recipe box: Chef Guy Fieri's Creamy Clam and Smoky Sausage Dip.  Shaun and I decided that sounded plenty delicious enough to us, so it was one of the appetizers we brought!  (The focaccia was kind of a flop... and that's all I will say about that!  :)   We ended up loving the dip, and ate all the leftovers that didn't fit in the dish before we even left the house!

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Creamy Clam and Smoky Sausage Dip 
Makes 16-18 servings
(adapted from Guy Fieri's recipe for Wheat Thins)

• 3 strips of bacon
• 6-8 oz. of andouille sausage links, casings removed, and chopped into small bites
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 12 Wheat Thins Big Snacks, finely crushed (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1 cup small diced potatoes, cooked
• 2  6.5 oz. cans of minced clams, drained
• 2-3 tbsp lemon juice

1. Brown the bacon strips in a large skillet for 5 minutes, until crispy.  Once cooked, remove strips and set aside to cool on a plate lined with paper towels.  Using the same skillet with drippings, brown the sausage pieces and minced garlic for about 5 minutes.  Remove and set aside the sausage.
2. Crumble the cooled bacon slices into a small bowl.  Add crushed crackers, chives, and 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese to bacon, and set aside.  This is going to be the crispy topper at the end.
3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, adding flour to make a paste (roux), whisking constantly.  Add the cream and milk one at a time, whisking between additions to keep lumps from forming.  Continue whisking until the mixture thickens, add a little salt and pepper, and let simmer on low for another 5 minutes.  (But make sure to stir often!  You don't want it to burn!)
4. Mix in the sausage, potatoes, clams, lemon juice, and the rest of the parmesan to the cream sauce.  Continue to stir over low heat for another 5 minutes to let the ingredients warm up and the flavors meld.  If desired, add a little more salt and pepper.
5. Transfer dip to a serving dish and crumble the bacon mixture over the dip.  Serve with Wheat Thins (since you have half a box left over!) or any desired crackers you have on hand.  Enjoy, and cheer on, football fans!

Gorilla Bread

This morning I decided breakfast needed to be more interesting than our standard cereal options. Don't get me wrong, I love cereal, but lazy Saturday mornings just lend themselves to something a little extra, don't you think?

As I was flipping through a cookbook, searching for inspiration, I came across a recipe in a cookbook for Gorilla Bread. Before I could help it, my mind was flooded with childhood Christmas memories of my mom making my brother Ryan and I monkey bread as a super special treat. Pair it with some orange-pineapple-banana juice and suddenly I couldn't think of anything better to make for our Saturday breakfast!


I decided to take a little liberty on the original recipe, and it was very yummy indeed! Despite our nibbling and grazing throughout the morning, we still have a large platter of it in our fridge... any and all hungry friends are welcome to come help us polish it off!
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GORILLA BREAD
Makes 8-10 Servings

Ingredients:


1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
20-25 oz refrigerated Pillsbury biscuits
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar



1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with pecans and set aside. Cut the softened cream cheese into small cubes. The recipe called for 20 cubes, but I ended up making my cubes smaller - about 30.

2. Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. One by one, take each biscuit and flatten it in the palm of your hand. Then lightly coat both sides in the cinnamon sugar. Then place a small cream cheese cube in the center and wrap the biscuit around, pinching it together. Set the balls on a small plate for the time being.

3. Fill the bundt pan with half of the dough balls. Then sprinkle half of the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture on top. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and stir in the brown sugar. Pour half of it into the bundt pan. Layer the remaining dough balls, the remaining cinnamon sugar, and the remaining butter glaze. I made a point to try and line the outsides of the balls with the glaze to prevent the biscuits from getting too crunchy or hard.

4. Bake for 30 minutes. After removing, allow the pan to cool for about 5 minutes before using a plate to invert the bread. Serve it warm and savor every indulgent bite! :)

My handsome husband appeasing me with one final picture before we dug in! What a good guy...

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecakes

I love chocolate and peanut butter, but the combination is simply irresistable, so this is the second chocolate peanut butter dessert I'm posting. :) I've brought them to a couple different parties and they're always a hit.


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CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKES
Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 cup finely crushed Oreo cookies
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp sugar
12 Kisses
2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/3 cup chocolate chips/bar/etc.
1 tsp shortening


1. Heat oven to 325F and line muffin pan with 12 foil liners. Combine oreo crumbs, butter, and 1 tbsp sugar in small bowl. Divide among the 12 lined cups and press into bottoms. Place one Kiss point-side up in each cup.

2. Beat cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla until just blended. Beat in peanut butter. Spoon into each cup, making sure the Kiss doesn't get knocked over. The cups should be just about full. Bake for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Remove and cool in the pan for 30 minutes.

3. In small saucepan, heat chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly. Once melted and smooth, remove cheesecakes from liners and drizzle melted chocolate over the top. Chill for 1 hour before savoring the yummy goodness!

Stuffed Bell Peppers and Fruit Pizza

I have recently made friends with one of our commissary's produce grocers, Dave. He gives me some great deals on discounted produce, mostly tomatoes and bell peppers. All of the peppers or tomatoes that get picked over for small bruises or wrinkly skins are left to go bad on the shelves, but I occasionally volunteer to take some of them off of his hands.

Because these veggies are not likely to make much profit anyways, Dave can give me a really good deal on them. And by really good deal, I mean he gives me a bag of 8-9 bell peppers of varied color for 99 cents!!

Then comes the real problem -- What do you do with 8-9 bell peppers that have a VERY short shelf life in your fridge? The answer comes in one delicious recipe: Stuffed Bell Peppers. The version I like best is adapted from the blog Simply Recipes. They were delicious and we ate them all! Then we had Shaun's favorite for dessert: Fruit Pizza. It's been a staple in his family for years, and it will inevitably be one in ours now too!

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STUFFED BELL PEPPERS
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 large bell peppers
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large vidalia onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup chopped tomatoes (if using canned, drain liquid)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce

1. Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil, adding a little salt. Wash peppers and cut off the tops about an inch down from the stem. Remove the seeds and submerge in the boiling water. Allow the peppers to boil for 3-4 minutes or until slightly tender. Then drain and set upright in a glass baking dish to cool.

2. Preheat your oven to 350F. In a large skillet, heat 4 tbsp olive oil before adding the onion. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender and translucent. Make sure to stir so they don't burn. Add the garlic and cook for one more minute. After taking the skillet off the burner, add the onions and garlic to a large bowl with the beef, rice, tomatoes, and oregano, and season generously with salt and pepper. Then roll up your sleeves and mix the ingredients well with your hands.*

3. Divide the remaining tbsp of olive oil and drizzle the insides of the peppers before filling the pepper cups with the meat mixture. Along with 1/4 cup of water, mix the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco. Spoon evenly atop each pepper. Add 1/4 cup of water to the bottom of the baking dish and place in the oven to bake for 40-50 minutes.

*Shaun and I agreed that next time we make these, we might try mixing the ketchup mixture in with the meat mixture to keep the filling more moist. If you'd rather stick with the recipe, we used extra ketchup as a condiment with our meal, and it still tasted delicious!


FRUIT PIZZA
Serves 6-8 (Less if Shaun is around!)

Ingredients:
1 pkg refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 80z pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Variety of chopped fruits -- you get to choose!

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spread the cookie dough over the bottom of a jelly roll pan (11"x13"). Be fair warned, it will end up being a really, really, thin layer. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden. Set on wire rack to cool for about 15-20 minutes.

2. Using an electric hand mixer, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice. Beat until smooth and then spread evenly over the cookie crust.

3. Top with your favorite fruits! It's always a good idea (economically and yummibly) to go with fruits in season, but there are no rules. We used strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, and banana in the pictures, but we've also been known to add apples, peaches, mango, starfruit, blackberries, mandarin oranges, and pineapple. Bon appetit!!

Cheesy Zucchini and Red Onion Flatbread

In case you were wondering why I was so dressed up as I wished my parents 'bon voyage' in the last post, it was because I had my ladies small group that night. After dropping my parents off at the airport, we drove to the small group and Shaun waited patiently reading in the car while I spent two hours socializing. (I mentioned the small group briefly in the post here about my bad day.)

The small group is interest-focused, so it is all young women who enjoy cooking. Each of the five weeks is themed, and the first week happened to be "Cocktail Night," so each woman was to bring an hors d'œuvre to share and dress up in a little black dress and heels. The themes have all been really cute and fun.

What hors d'œuvre did I bring, you ask? Well, I found this recipe for cheesy zucchini and red onion flatbread from the magazine Bon Appetit, and altered it a little. While my parents were here, I actually made it with a salad for a light dinner one night. You can substitute different cheeses or even use summer squash or sweet onions if you prefer. Let me know if you give it a try!

Cheesy Zucchini and Red Onion Flatbread

• 1 10-oz pkg Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough
• 1 red onion, sliced thinly crosswise
• 2 zucchini, sliced thinly crosswise
• ¾ cup garlic and herb goat cheese spread
• ¾ cup blend of shredded asiago, parmesan, and romano cheeses
• 2 Tbsp dried parsley
• Olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Roll out the pizza dough and cover one half of the dough (lengthwise) with half of the goat cheese spread. Make sure to leave about a half-inch border along the edges, so it doesn’t ooze out. Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese and 1 tbsp of parsley evenly on top of the spread.
2. Using the parchment paper as an aid, fold the plain half of dough on top of the filled half. Make sure not to pinch the edges together. Then spread the remaining goat cheese on top, followed by the rest of the shredded cheese and parsley.
3. Line the red onion slices along the center of the bread lengthwise, and line the zucchini slices up along both sides of the onion line. Brush the vegetables with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake in the oven for about 24 minutes, until the bread is golden brown.

Apricot-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

While my parents were in town visiting us, I made them several of Shaun and I's favorite meals. One of which is this recipe I found online for apricot-glazed pork tenderloin. It is really fairly easy and super delicious. As you can see in the picture, I made up some mozzarella smashed potatoes and sesame balsamic asparagus to serve with it.

Apricot-Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Serves 4-6

• 2 lb. pork tenderloin
• 1/4 cup very softened butter
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 18 oz jar of apricot preserves
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup moscato white wine

1. Preheat the oven to 350F while you spread the softened butter all over the tenderloin. Then evenly sprinkle the pork with thyme, salt, and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
2. As the pork cooks, mix together the apricot preserves, honey, and wine. Then remove the pork and baste with this mixture.
3. Return the pork to the oven and keep it cooking for 20-25 more minutes, basting it occasionally. (I tend to baste about every 5 minutes or so.) Once the pork is no longer pink in the center and a thermometer reads 160F or warmer, you know the pork is ready to slice and serve!

Chicken en Papillote

It's no secret that my interest is piqued when something is French, and this recipe was no different. The name of the dish alone grabbed me, but the inclusion of mango in the dish.... well, it's safe to say that I was hook, line, and sinker at that point. I knew I wanted to try this recipe, and last night I did. It was such a good one that I felt I had to post about it right away!

En Papillote means "in parchment" in French. But don't let the name fool you; this recipe uses aluminum foil rather than parchment. This recipe is based off a recipe I found from Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the executive chef and co-owner of several New York City restaurants.

Chicken en Papillote

Makes 4 servings

• 8 sheets of aluminum foil, each about 18 inches long
• 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups watercress leaves*
  
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
  
• 1 cup diced mango (about 2 mangoes)
• 2 cups of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

1. Preheat your oven to 500F (yeah, you read that correctly). Place two of the foil sheets on top of each other, making 4 double layers. Rub a teaspoon of olive oil on each of the 4 top sheets, about in the shape of where the chicken breast will lie. Place one cup of watercress leaves* on the oil, and then a chicken breast on the bed of greens. Sprinkle the chicken with pepper.

2. Cover the chicken with the sliced mushrooms and diced mango. Then, in a small saucepan, heat the soy sauce, ketchup, and vinegar until it comes to a boil. Stir in the ginger and garlic and allow to sit over the heat for a minute or two.
It helps to fold the foil up into little boats before pouring the mixture evenly over each chicken. Then crimp the edges of the foil up so that each packet is firmly closed.

3. Place a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan into the oven for a minute or two to heat it up, then place the packets on it. Keep in the oven for about 15 minutes, then remove and pierce the foil to allow the steam to escape. You can do this at the table even for a dramatic effect. :) Just be careful: each packet will have a decent amount of juices at the bottom, so it could leak.


* Although the recipe called for watercress, which we used, I think spinach leaves might work just as well. If you try the substitute, let me know how it ends up!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Torte

For Shaun and I's first Thanksgiving, I wanted to pull out all the stops and really do it big. Maybe it was because I felt I had something to prove, but most likely it was because I realized I could make only the foods I really love! (Probably the reason we had three different potato dishes too...)

This was my favorite to make because it looked so yummy and because it wasn't actually all that hard to make. I've since made it for our church small group, and it was a hit. I mean, who doesn't like a super rich, chocolate-y, peanut butter-y brownie cake?

After uploading our Thanksgiving pictures on facebook yesterday (I know, I realize it's June.), I had comments on this picture within the hour, so I figured it would be the perfect inaugural recipe for my blog! Let me know how it goes! :)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Torte
Ingredients:

• Baker's Joy, or other nonstick baking spray
• 1 package (18-21 oz) brownie mix
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 9 oz Reese's peanut butter cups (mini or regular, doesn't matter)
• 10 oz peanut butter morsels (or 1 2/3 cups)2 cups mini marshmallows

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray 2 torte pans* with Baker's Joy and cut 8-inch circles of parchment paper to line the bottom of the pans. Combine brownie mix, eggs, 1/2 cup of the oil, water, and peanut butter; mix well. Divide batter between pans, making sure to spread to the edges. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the centers are firm to the touch.

2. Meanwhile, dice the Reese's and set aside. Combine peanut butter morsels and remaining 1 tbsp of oil and microwave until melted and smooth (about 1 minute), making sure to stir every 30 seconds so it doesn't burn. Place about 1/4 cup of this mixture in a Ziploc and set aside. Fold the marshmallows into the remaining peanut butter mixture.

3. Remove pans from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Set one brownie well-side up on a platter and fill with the marshmallow filling. Place the other brownie well-side up for the second layer. Scatter the chopped Reese's over top. Cut a corner from the Ziploc of peanut butter mixture and squeeze to drizzle over the torte. Serve warm (if it's a leftover, you can microwave a slice for about 20 seconds) and preferably with a glass of milk! (Trust me, it's so rich, you'll want the milk!)

*I only have one torte pan, so I just repeated this step twice and baked one brownie layer at a time. If you don't have a torte pan, I suggest going to look at a TJ Maxx. I picked mine up there for $7. Gotta love TJ Maxx!

PS- I found the idea for the wine glass charms online and loved making them. I bought a huge bag of clothespins and some fun colors of paint, and with a gold leaf punch, I had both wine glass charms and placecards. Plus, I have like 94 more clothespins for the next dinner party, haha!