Spinach Artichoke Dip

We had a few friends over for the Pat's game this past Sunday and I made my "go to" spinach artichoke dip. Here is the recipe:

                                                   Ingredients:

• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream 
• 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8-ounce) block fat-free cream cheese, softened 
• 1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
• 1 (13.5-ounce) package baked tortilla chips (about 16 cups)
• 
  
• Preparation:
• Preheat oven to 350°. Combine 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, sour cream, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, and next 6 ingredients (through spinach) in a large bowl; stir until well blended. Spoon mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve with tortilla chips.

Home Cooked Meal

I am lucky enough to 1. having my grandmother still living and 2. that she lives 30 seconds up the street from me! For 92 she does pretty well for herself and she cooks us one meal a week which is fantastic!! I figured I would share her famous "Grammy's Chicken" recipe. It has been a family favorite for years and really hits the spot after a long day at work. 

Ingredients:

4 tbsp Olive Oil

1/3 Cup Honey

1/4 Cup Mustard

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Curry

Boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix the first 5 ingredients together well and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 for about 1/2 hour. 

Goes great with mashed potatoes!! 

~Kim

Weekend Recipes

I made a few different recipes this weekend that I thought I would share with you. First off our Jalapeno plant has been growing like crazy this year and it is hard to think of things to do with all of them. I stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest of course and thought I would make it for the husband. 

Cream Cheese Filled Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos

Ingredients:

20 whole, fresh jalapeños
2 8-oz blocks of cream cheese, softened at room temperature
1 to 2 pounds of bacon

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and set aside.

2. Cut the jalapeños in half, lengthwise. Remove the seeds and membranes. Stuff each jalapeño half with cream cheese. Wrap each jalapeño half with bacon. Secure with a toothpick.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. If after 20 minutes the bacon doesn’t look brown enough, turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes to finish. Just keep a close eye so they don’t burn! Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Tequila-Glazed Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

            1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

            1 teaspoon chili powder

            3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

            1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

            6 bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 pounds), skinned (I always use chicken breasts)

            3/4 cup pineapple juice

            1/3 cup tequila

            1/4 cup honey

            2 teaspoons cornstarch

            2 teaspoons water

            2 teaspoons grated lime rind

            3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

            1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat 

1. 2. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; rub evenly over chicken.
2. 3. Bring the pineapple juice, tequila, and honey to a boil in a small saucepan; cook until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 10 minutes). Combine cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water in a small bowl, and stir well. Add cornstarch mixture to juice mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in lime rind, 3 tablespoons lime juice, and red pepper.
3. 4. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Cover and grill for 5 minutes on each side, basting occasionally with juice mixture. 
4. 
   
5. Hope everyone had a great weekend!!
6. 
   
7. ~Kim

What's For Dinner?

We went to a family cook out this summer and there was the best pulled pork I have ever tasted and I knew I had to have the recipe. Well I finally got around to making it and wanted to share the it because it came out a-maz-ing. 

Ingredients

Dry rub:

• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar (I used light, because that's what I had)
• 2 tablespoons paprika 
• 1/2 tablespoon cayenne
• 4 pound shoulder pork roast (I used pork "butt" because that is what the man behind the meat counter sold me)

• 2 cup apple juice
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar 
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
• 1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke (I didn't have this and didn't want to buy it)
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix the dry rub ingredients in small bowl. Sprinkle dry rub all over the pork roast, pressing into the pork. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (I let mine sit overnight)

Combine liquid ingredients and the garlic powder in a medium bowl and pour into a large dutch oven. Place pork in the oven and tightly cover with aluminum foil then lid. Roast for 4 hours or until fork tender and shreds easily. Brush the roast with cooking liquid every hour.

Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle. Shred the pork with a fork or tongs into bite size pieces.

.....after I shredded it I poured BBQ sauce all over it then served it. 

~Kim

What's For Dinner?

Tonight for dinner I tried a new recipe which included 2 of my favorite things, sweet potatoes and cheese. I made sweet potato stuffed shells with home made alfredo sauce. This was delicious people. It was almost like a sweet potato ravioli. Here is the recipe and I highly recommend trying this!

Directions:

.......Cook shells according to package directions and rinse with cold water

......Bake sweet potatoes until soft and allow to cool

........In a bowl add aprox, 2 cups of ricotta, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese,  1 fresh smashed garlic clove,  1/4 cup frozen chopped spinach ( squeezed and drained)  1 egg,  salt, pepper,  your cooled down sweet potatoes, around 2 cups,  and grated lemon peel. The lemon peel was key to this dish and added a nice bright flavor.

........Stuff the shells with the mixture and place in a buttered baking dish

.......Place your shells in a 400F oven until heated through around 20-25 minutes. When finished spoon your warm sage sauce all over and sprinkle with grated parmesan.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
• 1-⅓ cup 1% Low-fat Milk
• 1-¼ cup (5 Oz.) Grated Fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, Divided (Don't Skimp Here - Use The REAL Thing!)
• 2 Tablespoons 1/3-less Fat Cream Cheese (Neufchâtel Cheese)
• ½ teaspoons Salt (less If You're Using Salted Butter, Remember The Parm Cheese Is Salty Too)
• ⅛ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• ⅛ teaspoons Grated Nutmeg
• Cracked Black Pepper

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until bubbling. Stir in flour, and cook 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. (Slowly add milk, so it doesn’t clump.) Cook until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add cream cheese, salt, garlic powder, nutmeg and pepper. Turn off heat and add 1 cup Parmigiano cheese, stirring with a whisk until cheese melts. Toss sauce with hot pasta. Garnish with remaining Parmigiano, black pepper and the optional parsley. 

I follwed the directions completely but I think next time I will add a little sauce into the pan while the shells are cooking because the ended up getting a bit dry. The flavor was superb though.

Enjoy! ~Kim

Thirsty Thursday

To me there is nothing better than enjoying a refreshing fabulous cocktail on a hot summer's day, especially if you are spending the day with your girlfriends!! I have a few upcoming parties where I will be bringing the booze so I have been scouring the net for some fun recipes. Here are a few that I am thinking of trying.

Rum Punch

• 1 1/2 cups light rum
• 3 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3 cups fresh pineapple juice
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons cranberry juice
• 2 tablespoons grenadine
• Ice cubes
• 1 lime, thinly sliced, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a large pitcher, combine the rum, juices, and grenadine. Stir until well blended. Fill glasses with ice; divide mixture between glasses. Garnish with lime and serve immediately

                                                                                **

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Red Splash

1½ oz. Camarena Tequila Silver
1½ oz. pinot noir
½ oz. lime juice
½ oz. agave nectar
2 oz. grapefruit soda
Garnish: lime wedge

Directions

1.  Combine all ingredients except soda in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a glass. Top with soda. Garnish with a lime wedge.

**

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Planter's Punch

3 ounce(s) Myers's Original Dark Rum

3 ounce(s) Captain Morgan Silver Spiced Rum

1 1/2 ounce(s) Grand Marnier

6 ounce(s) orange juice

6 ounce(s) pineapple juice

1 1/2 ounce(s) lime juice

1 1/2 ounce(s) simple syrup

4 dash(es) bitters

2 ounce(s) grenadine

1  orange wheel

Directions:

1.  Add in a pitcher Myers's Original Dark Rum, Captain Morgan Silver Spiced Rum, Grand Marnier, orange juice, pineapple juice, lime juice, simple syrup, bitters, and grenadine.
Pour into shaker and add ice.
Shake and strain into an ice-filled highball glass.
Garnish with orange wheel.

**Sip and Repeat**

~Kim