Three layer Greek Dip

I made a three layered version of Skinny Taste's 7 Layer Greek Dip.
Prepackaged of red pepper hummus, black olives(not canned) and feta. Served it with mini sweet peppers. Just a little snack for me and the hubby. So good.

Greek 7 Layer Dip
Skinnytaste.com  Ingredients:

8 ounces hummus, store bought or homemade
1 cup 0% fat Greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tsp chopped fresh dill
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp red onion, minced
1 cup English cucumber (about ½ large), ½-inch dice
1 cup Roma tomato, seeded, ½-inch dice
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, sliced

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine yogurt, garlic, dill, lemon juice, salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside.

In an 8”x8” or 7″ x 11″glass dish, layer the hummus, yogurt mixture, red onion, cucumber, tomatoes, feta and olives. Serve with whole grain pita chips or baked corn chips.

Quick Sushi

I love Sushi, but after having food poisoning a couple of years ago I haven't eaten any. 

I decided to try my hand at making some "sushi" again. I haven't made any on my own in several years. My husband was very appreciative of it. Skinny Taste has a great recipe for a sushi stack.

Spicy California Shrimp Stack

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups cooked short-grain brown rice (from 1/2 cup uncooked)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 8 ounces cooked shrimp, peeled and tails removed
• 1 cup diced cucumber (about 1 small)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 cup mashed avocado (about 1 medium)
• 4 teaspoons Furikake (such as Eden Shake or use sesame seeds)
• 4 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce (or gluten-free)
• 4 teaspoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and oil.  When rice is done, add rice vinegar and stir.  Evenly spread rice on a sheet pan to cool.

Cut shrimp into 1-inch cubes. In a small bowl, combine cucumber and chives. In another small bowl, combine mayonnaise and sriracha sauce.

Using a 1 cup dry measuring cup, layer ¼ cup cucumber, then 2 tablespoon of avocado, then ¼ of the shrimp, and 1/3 cup rice.  Carefully turn the cup upside down to turn the stack out onto a plate, lightly tapping the bottom of the cup if necessary.  Sprinkle with Furikake and drizzle with 1 teaspoon soy sauce and sriracha mayonnaise.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2015/10/spicy-california-shrimp-stack.html

Roasted portabello, artichoke marinated in olive oil infused with pesto and garlic with burrata

I can't find the link to this recipe but it was fantastic.

I marinated the portabello in garlic, olive oil and pesto for a bit before I added jarred artichokes(drain the water), roasted them in the oven for twenty five minutes at 375 and then added burrata cheese. This makes a fabulous appetizer.

ROASTED RED PEPPERS WITH PESTO AND GOAT CHEESE

These tasty min pepper with pesto and goat cheese treats will be the hit of the next party you throw or attend. Super quick to make and packed with flavor. ROASTED RED PEPPERS WITH PESTO AND GOAT CHEESE

INGREDIENTS:

8 baby red bell peppers
2 heaping tablespoons prepared pesto
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 ounces goat cheese
fresh oregano (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Slice mini bell peppers in half and remove stem and seeds. Place in a large bowl (or large ziplock bag) and toss with pesto, olive oil and balsamic vinegar until peppers are completely covered.
Line up peppers on a baking sheet and place into oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
Take peppers out and carefully add crumbled goat cheese to insides of pepper halves.
Place back into oven and bake for another 3-5 minutes or until goat cheese is melted.

Optional: sprinkle chopped fresh oregano over peppers before serving.

Red Loberster Biscuit

Can I say I would just go to Red Lobster to eat the biscuits. Never mind the seafood. They are moist and flavorful. So I was happy when my sister in law got a box of Red Lobster biscuit mix. They were about as good as the biscuits at their restaurants.

Pickle dip

If you are a fan of pickles then this is the dip for you. Creamy and tangy. I found it on flickr. Would go great in deviled eggs as well as with vegetables.



Pickle dip

Ingredients

8oz cream cheese
1 cup of sour cream
1 1/2 cups chopped dill pickles
1/4c chopped onions 1 tsp dried dill, and salt

 Directions
Add all the ingredients in the food processor, whirl it up and serve with veggies of your choice.

Scape Pesto

I was shockingly able to find Scape's and was wondering what to do with them when it hit me pesto. The garlicky taste of the Scape's is a perfect fit. I put them in a food processor with some extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese and only a couple of cloves and I hit puree. It was a wonderful flavor. I add pesto in everything. Stews, soups, marinara sauce, tomato and mozzarella salad.

Review: Trader Joe's Vegetable Pakora's

Indian food is one of my favorites. I love the variety in flavors and colors and levels of spice. But the pakoras were a bit flavorless I thought. Perhaps I am used to the more firey dishes? However dipped in different Indian tapas they are fine. 

Review: Trader Joe's Mini Arancini

I made a salad for dinner of roasted red beets and goat cheese in a bed of mixed greens and although we did not need any more cheese in the salad I thought Trader Joe's mini Aranci was a nice alternative to toasted bread cubes. Arancini is an Italian appetiser of stuffed rice balls which are coated with breadcrumbs and fried. These happened to be stuffed with cheese. They were divine. DIVINE!

Trader Joe's Mac & Cheese Balls-Review

For your next get together whether it is appetisers for a dinner party, a shower or birthday, or heck if you have the munchies watching telelvision then get thee to Trader Joe's and purchase their macaroni and cheese balls. Pop them in the oven to bake for ten minutes or so. Follow the instructions and you have a very flavorful treat.

Appetisers

Sometimes a girl just wants some appetisers for a meal. Yum.

Chuy’s Creamy Jalapeno Dip

Peruvian food is a favorite in my household. Flavorful roasted chicken, yuca and Chaulufan rice. And their green sauce oh my word it is phenomenal. I dip the chicken in it. The yuca in it. Sometimes I put some on grilled steak. It's flavor country. And here is an easy recipe I can make at home so I don't have to pay $5 a tub. Heh.

Chuy's Creamy Jalapeno Dip

Adapted from: http://whoneedsacape.com/2012/11/take-out-fake-out-chuys-creamy-jalapeno/

Ingredients

• 1 cup real mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1-4 oz. can chopped jalapeños (cut this in half if you don't like spicy)
• 1-4 oz. can chopped green chiles
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 1-1 oz. packet of dry ranch dressing mix
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

Instructions

1. Throw all ingredients into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Enjoy as a chip dip, salad dressing, or sauce!
2. Refrigerate any leftovers- the flavors meld and get better overnight. Yummm!

Forgot to mention that a nice dip we had for the Superbowl was a Mexican corn dip. So easy to put together and delicious. We enjoyed it with corn chips. We even added a bit of bacon on top. You know for good measure. Heh. 

Mexican Corn Dip 

adapted from Beneath My Hearth

2 cans Mexican corn, drained

8 oz. mayonnaise

8 oz. sour cream

1 sm. jar of diced pimento

2 c. medium grated cheddar cheese

1 t. garlic powder (or garlic salt)

1 t. Accent {in the spice aisle}

1 c. jalapeño pepper or a milder pepper  {measure 1 cup and then dice into small pieces}

Mix and enjoy!

Review: Trader Joe's Feta and Caramelized Onion Tarts

I know I review a lot of Trader Joe's products but they are health and relatively affordable.  And the Feta and Caramelized onion tart did not disappoint. It was so delicious and an easy appetiser to enjoy on your own or to serve to guests.

Artichoke dip

Though I normally like my artichoke dip with spinach this one is has a lot of flavor to it. Adding extra garlic helps.  The recipe is very easy to put together and can be done minutes before your guests arrive and served with veggies and crackers.

adapted from A Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• Paprika, optional
• Assorted crackers

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the artichokes, mayonnaise, Parmesan, garlic
• and pepper sauce. Transfer to a greased 1-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle
• with paprika if desired.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until top is
• lightly browned. Serve warm with crackers. Yield: 2 cups.

Grilled Corn and Jalapeno dip

I love appetizers. More than main dishes. And dips are a weakness. Actually any savory food is a weakness. But dip in particular. I guess because it involves crackers and bread. Carbs. Yum. Paired with cheese. This dip did not disappoint. It was excellent.

Grilled Corn Dip

adapted from 
A Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 6 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• Tortilla chips

Directions

• Grill corn, covered, over medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until
• tender, turning occasionally.
• Cut corn from cobs. In a large skillet, saute the onion and jalapeno
• in butter for 2-3 minutes or until almost tender. Add corn and
• garlic; saute 1-2 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.
• Remove from the heat.
• In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream and chili powder.
• Stir in cheese and corn mixture. Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking
• dish.
• Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and

Merry Christmas

Shrimp and Avocado Summer Salad Roll

I adore a good summer roll. It is healthy, light and quick to assemble. The below recipe has my favorite ingredients for a summer roll shrimp and avocado. I opted for a sriracha and peanutbutter dipping sauce instead of what was suggested. 

Shrimp and Avocado Summer Salad Rolls adapted from 

The Kitchn 

For the rolls:
12-15 medium shrimp (about 1/2 pound), peeled, deveined and tails removed
2 teaspoons grapeseed or other flavorless oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 rice paper wrappers (or more, if needed)
1 avocado, halved, pit removed and cut into 12 slices
8 sprigs cilantro
4 cups shredded romaine (about 1 head)

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons yellow miso paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 - 1 teaspoon sambal oelek, or more to taste (optional)

To cook the shrimp, preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the shrimp with the oil and sprinkle with salt. Lay the shrimp on a baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 5 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through. Remove from baking sheet and let cool.

Meanwhile, make the dressing by mixing the tahini and miso in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice and water until a smooth dressing forms. Add sambal oelek for some spiciness, if desired.

To assemble rolls, fill a large pie plate or other shallow dish large enough to fit the rice paper wrappers with warm water. Arrange the shrimp, avocado, cilantro and lettuce in bowls or plates around a damp cutting board, with the rice paper wrappers and soaking water nearby. 

Submerge a wrapper in the water and let sit until it is no longer stiff, but not so soft that it immediately folds onto itself, about 20 to 30 seconds. Place the softened wrapper on the cutting board. Arrange 3 shrimp in a row in the middle of the wrapper, followed by 3 pieces of avocado, 2 sprigs of cilantro and about 1 cup of lettuce. Fold in the two sides of the wrapper, then roll the wrapper around the filling, trying to compress the lettuce as much as possible, similar to wrapping a burrito. (Remove some lettuce if you are finding it difficult to roll.) The rice paper will stick to itself, sealing the roll closed. Transfer roll to a plate and repeat with remaining ingredients.

Cut rolls in half and serve immediately with the dressing on the side for dipping.

Recipe Notes

• For a prettier roll, alternate the shrimp and avocado while layering it.
• If it's too hot to turn on the oven, grill or poach the shrimp instead.
• The dressing is just as tasty with other types of miso paste, such as red or white. Feel free to use what you have on hand.

This is another recipe that could be also an appetizer. It is so light, flavorful and easy to assemble. I paired it with a salad. 

Tartines w/ Avocado Mash and Grilled Shrimp

Adapted from Stacy Snacks Online

Makes 4 tartines

4 slices of good bread
2 ripe avocados
handful of chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
kosher salt
1 tbsp of minced red onion
a shake of cayenne pepper (or two)
1 tsp of cumin
olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
8 uncooked shrimp, shells and tails removed
fresh chives for garnish

Mash the avocado with the cilantro, cayenne, lime juice, red onion and kosher salt. Set aside.

In a grill pan, heat olive oil and shake cumin over the shrimp. Add the garlic and shrimp to the pan and cook 2 minutes on each side. Slice each shrimp in half.

Toast the bread and drizzle with the olive oil that you used to grill the shrimp with from the grill pan (yes, that's what I said).

Schmear the toasts w/ the avocado mash and top with 4 shrimp halves each. 

Garnish w/ fresh snipped chives and enjoy warm.

I guess it was the pretty colors that grabbed me when I decided I would try to make this recipe at a get together over the summer. I didn't want so many mayo based things sitting out. But the flavor combinations are great. You can make all the ingredients from scratch. Or buy store brought. I like my pesto home made. And one day I will try to make a baguette.  I wish I had an Avocado tree.  Anyway this appetizer is good for any suare. 

Avocado with Pesto Crostini  
Adapted from Love You Madly

Baguette (sliced)
Avocado (sliced)
Pesto (store bought is fine!)
Olive Oil
Sea salt

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Place sliced baguette (inside of bread face down) in pan and allow it to brown. Remove from heat and smear a thin layer of pesto on bread. Add slices of avocado. Sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy!