Roasted Jalapeno Pimento Cheese

Roasted Jalapeno Pimento Cheese

8 large jalapenos 
two big handfuls of spinach (3 oz)
8 oz light cream cheese
2 oz honey
1 oz hot sauce (or more, to taste)
16 oz reduced fat white cheddar, shredded
8 oz reduced fat provolone, shredded 
3/4 c light mayo 
1 t salt
1 t pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Sprinkle jalapenos with some salt and pepper, then roast for 20+ minutes until skins begin to brown and blister. Place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap until cool enough to handle. Once cooled, remove skin (as much as possible) and seeds. Put peppers in food processor and pulse until diced. Add spinach, cream cheese, hot sauce, Rand honey, and puree until combined. Place in large bowl with cheese, mayo, S&P. Stir to combine.

Serve with pita chips or celery. Also great on a burger!

Adapted from Polly's Front Porch Recipe on www.foodnetwork.com.

19. Lebanese Tabbouleh and Kafta

Lebanese Tabouleh
adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/tabbouleh-iii/Detail.aspx

1 box Tabouleh (or equivalent bulgar wheat), discard spice packet
3 small tomatoes, chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
3 green onions, chopped
1 c parsley, chopped
1/3 c mint leaves, chopped
2 t salt
1/2 c lemon juice
1 c EVOO

Prepare Tabouleh as indicated on box (leaving out the spice packet). Add in remaining ingredients and refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Chicken Kafta

1 lb ground chicken
1/2 c fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 onion, grated
1/4 t cayenne
1/4 t allspice
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
skewers

Soak skewers for at least 30 minutes, then preheat and oil grill pan. Mix remaining ingredients and form "meatballs" around skewers. Grill for about 30 minutes, turning gently with spatula to keep from sticking.

.. yum!

18. Argentinian Roasted Chicken with Chimichurri

 

Roasted Chicken with Chimichurri Sauce

1 4-lb whole chicken

3 T minced garlic

1 sweet onion, cut in eighths

4t salt

2t white sugar

cloves

cinnamon

nutmeg

allspice

Preheat oven to 500. Stuff chicken with garlic and onion. Mix together remaining ingredients, then rub over chicken. Place in dutch oven, breast side down (may also use roasting pan, but we don't have one!) and surround with any leftover onions. Roast for 15 minutes, then baste with liquids and reduce heat to 450. Roast 15 more minutes, then baste. You may need to drizzle EVOO over top of chicken if liquid is sparse. Cover with foil and roast for 30 more minutes at 425, or until internal temperature reaches 180. Remove from oven and leave covered for 20 minutes.

tweaked from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Simple-Whole-Roasted-Chicken/Detail.aspx

Chimichurri Sauce from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chimichurri-Sauce/Detail.aspx.


Enjoy!!


 

Antipasta Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

This is my new favorite salad -- I've made several variations using different "Italian" ingredients. Apologies for the leftover picture.. we gobbled it up so quickly that I forgot to take pictures!

 

The original recipe was tweaked from Giada:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/italian-antipasto-salad-recipe/index.html

Antipasta Salad
1 head romaine
1 head iceberg
1 can light kidney beans, drained
1 can dark kidney beans, drained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 lb hard salami, coarsely cubed
(cheaper version = 1 bag turkey pepperoni, sliced)
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 cans artichokes, drained and chopped
12+ oz hard mozarella cheese, cubed
(olives, pimentos, banana peppers, jalapenos... etc.)

Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/2 c red wine vinegar
3 T lemon juice
1 t honey
2 t salt
1 c EVOO
S&P

Pulse vinaigrette ingredients in small food processor until smooth. Toss with salad ingredients and enjoy!

Another dressing option is Dijon Ceasar. I always play with the proportions based on my mood, but ingredients include white distilled vinegar, anchovy paste, EVOO, spicy dijon mustard, Worcestershire, parmesean cheese, lemon juice, and S&P.

17. Japan: Fried Tofu and Bok Choy with Noodles

Another delicious F&W inspired treat!

Ingredients:
1/2 bag whole wheat egg noodles
1 package firm tofu, drained
2c panko bread crumbs
vegetable oil, for flash frying
1 egg yolk
1 head bok choy, chopped
1 box sliced mushrooms (any type)
1.5 T grated fresh ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
2 T hoisin sauce
1 T soy sauce
1 t fish sauce
1 t sesame oil
2 T rice vinegar
cayenne, to taste

1. Boil egg noodles until al dente, drain, set aside.
2. Cut tofu into 1" cubes, toss in a bowl with egg yolk.
3. Heat thin layer of oil in a skillet. Put panko in a large ziplock bag. Crush with hands until crumbs become a fine powder. Toss tofu in crumbs until covered. Remove tofu from bag, shake off excess crumbs, and fry on all sides until golden (in batches). Remove to paper towel to drain.
4. Remove excess oil from skillet, then add mushrooms, ginger, and garlic. Stirfry until soft, then add bok choy, sauces, and spices. Stirfry until bok choy softens and shrinks, then add egg noodles and tofu. Keep over low heat to let flavors meld, stirring gently every few minutes.

Enjoy!