Hot Cheese Dip
This is a recipe that frankly, I try not to make very often. It is just the worst combination of bad-for-you foods that I think I have ever eaten. (No, I have never had a fried Twinkie.) Having made my disclaimers- I must say that I love this dip! If I were to make it very often, I can’t even imagine how much I would weigh, because I have no restraint at all. Enjoy!
1 can chili without beans
1 large can diced green chili peppers
½ tsp Tabasco sauce
1 lb Velveeta “cheese” cut into ½ inch squares
1 bunch green onions, chopped
Mash chili in 1 quart casserole. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. Serve with corn chips or vegetables.
Popcorn and Pretzel Snacks
10 cups fresh popcorn
5 cups pretzel sticks
2 tsp chili powder
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan and/or Romano cheese
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl or pot, mix the popcorn and pretzel sticks. Stir the chili powder and grated cheese into the melted butter and pour over the popcorn and pretzels. Toss well and spread on cookie sheets and bake about 15 minutes. Store in sealed containers at room temperature. Holds for 1 week. Makes about 15 cups.
Vegetable Dip
6 oz Bleu Cheese broken into pieces
16 oz sour cream
8 oz plain yogurt
4 oz mayonnaise
½ tsp black pepper
Misc. vegetables cut into appropriate sizes
Process first 5 ingredients in food processor until just blended.
Chill 1 hour.
For the best effect, arrange vegetables randomly on a large tray of
lettuce leaves around the bowl of dip.
Hot Crab Dip
8 oz package cream cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
¾ lb crabmeat
¼ cup minced onion
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp Tabasco
Beat cream cheese with mixture until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon into oven proof dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Grandpa’s Guacamole
2 avocados, peeled and mashed
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 clove finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped tomato
1 tbsp finely chopped jalapeno
4 drops Tabasco or to taste
1 tbsp or less mayonnaise
Stir all ingredients together and serve.
Mom’s Guacamole
2 avocados, peeled and mashed
¼ cup or so of your favorite fresh salsa
¼ cup mayonnaise
Stir above ingredients together and refrigerate
Chicken Liver Pate
This recipe has been one of our family favorites for years. Christian has really mastered it, which I am sure he regrets sometimes, because now everyone expects it at the family get-togethers. When making this, make sure to cook off all of the alcohol, or you will end up with something really distasteful.
1 lb chicken livers
1/3 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ cup bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper (can also crack some peppercorns with a hammer and add
them to the mix)
¼ tsp thyme
¼ cup liquor (rum, bourbon, etc.)
pinch allspice
Sauté livers, onions and garlic until liver is no longer pink. Add spices and liquor and simmer for a few minutes. Put all in a food processor and process until smooth. When mixing at the very end, mix in ¼ cup whipping cream.
Salmon Pate
1 lb cooked salmon
¼ cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp Dijon style mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp minced fresh dill
1 tbsp minced onion
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup plain yogurt
Process all ingredients in food processor until well blended and semi-smooth. Chill at least 2 hours.
Cheese Puffs
These puffs are amazing and will class up any party. They can be filled or served as is and can be frozen after cooled. Just let them defrost a few minutes and pop them in a 425 degree oven to crisp up. It’s a great way to have something nice on hand for entertaining.
1 cup water
6 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 cup grated Swiss cheese (or any semi-hard cheese)
Add butter and seasonings to the water in a medium sized saucepan,
and bring slowly to a boil. When the butter has melted, add the flour
all at once, and stir very briskly over heat until the mixture begins
to film the bottom of the pan.
Transfer the mixture to the food processor and while processing add
the eggs one at a time. Add the cheese and process until thoroughly
mixed.
Cut about ¼ inch off of the corner of a gallon sized Ziploc bag and
fill with the mixture. Squeeze into circular mounds about 5/8 inches
in diameter. Paint with a beaten egg and bake in a preheated 425
degree oven for about 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven and pierce
the side of each puff with a sharp knife. Return to the turned off
oven for 10 minutes, leaving the door ajar.
Stuffed Mushrooms
These mushrooms are a little time consuming to make, especially if you decide to double or triple the recipe for a party, but I have always received rave reviews for them. For something a little different, you can add a few tbsp of pesto instead of the Swiss cheese but I always still love the original recipe best.
12 large fresh mushrooms
3-4 cups white wine for poaching
1 stick melted butter
3 tbsp finely minced onion
3 tbsp minced shallots
3 tbsp fine white bread crumbs
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tbsp minced parsley
½ tsp tarragon
2-3 tbsp cream
Wash the mushrooms, remove the stems and place them in a large
skillet with the wine. Bring to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes or
until mushrooms are cooked.
Remove the caps from the wine, dip them in the melted butter and place
them in a flat baking dish. Process the stems in a food processor
until finely chopped and squeeze them in a towel to remove as much
moisture as possible.
Sauté onion in remaining butter for 5 minutes, then add shallots and
mushroom stems. Stir constantly until stems are slightly brown and
dry.
Off heat, mix in the bread crumbs, 3 tbsp of the Swiss, Parmesan,
parsley, tarragon and seasonings. Blend in cream a spoonful at a time
until the mixture is moist but still holds its shape.
Fill the mushroom caps with the stuffing, top with the remaining Swiss
cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Crostini
I know that most people are kind of turned off by the idea of anchovies, but in truth I’ll bet they haven’t even ever tried them. If you like salty things, then you will probably love these. It’s amazing how well these flavors compliment each other and they will make you look very sophisticated.
1 baguette
1 Chevre cheese (a soft goat cheese which comes in a sausage shape)
fresh or dried basil
1-2 tomatoes (depending on size)
1 can anchovies
Slice the baguette into 3/8 inch slices and toast them under the
broiler
for approx 5 minutes or until lightly browned. When they are done, put
a smear of the cheese, a sprinkle of dried basil or a fresh basil leaf
and a slice of tomato on top and put them back in the broiler for a
few minutes longer. Once they come out again, arrange decoratively 2-3
anchovies on top of the tomatoes and serve.
Vodka and Citrus Cured Salmon
This recipe is extremely simple and easy to execute, but every time you serve it, non food people will act like you parted the Red Sea or something!
1 (2lb) salmon fillet, with skin
½ cup kosher salt
3 tbsp sugar
¼ cup chopped fresh dill
¼ cup vodka
6 tbsp grated lemon zest
Remove any tiny pin bones from the salmon with a pair of needle nosed
pliers or tweezers. Rinse the salmon under cold running water and pat
dry.
Place salmon, skin side down, on several sheets of plastic wrap.
Combine all of the other ingredients and spread them over the flesh
side of the fish. Place the fish on the plastic wrap and wrap tightly
and place it in a flat baking dish. Put another flat dish on top of
the dish and weigh it down with some cans from the pantry or something
else heavy. Refrigerate for 24-48 hours.
Unwrap the fish and rinse off all of the cure under cold running
water. Pat dry and slice into paper thin slices. It makes for a nice
presentation if you can still maintain the filet shape.
Tuna Tartare
3/4 lb. Fresh tuna
2 TB lime juice
zest of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp wasabe
2 TB soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp minced jalapeno
1/4 cup scallions
1 diced avocado
1 tsp sesame seeds
Dice tuna 1/4 inch. Whisk lime juice, zest, olive oil, salt,
pepper, jalapeno, wasabe and soy sauce. Combine with tuna and
marinate until ready to serve. Mix with avocado. Sprinkle
sesame seeds on top.
Smoked salmon Spread
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, drained
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound (4 ounces) smoked salmon, minced
Cream the cheese in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until just smooth. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, dill, horseradish, salt, and pepper, and mix. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crudites or crackers.
Beef Tartar
8-ounces
beef tenderloin steak, trimmed of fat, and cut into a very small dice
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons finely chopped cornichon pickles
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 small wedge Asiago cheese (about 1 ounce), finely grated
5 slices sourdough bread, cut into bite-size circles
Olive oil, for brushing bread
Mache, for garnish
Sangria
Per bottle of wine (best with pinot grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
3/4 cup simple syrup
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1/2 cup Brandy
Mix all ingredients in a punch bowl with a large ball of ice.