Fabulous Bruschetta

2-3 cups diced tomatoes
        (salt and pepper and let sit for 10 minutes)

Add:
1/2 diced orange pepper
1 diced green pepper
1/2 diced white onion

Use 2-3 Tablespoons of infused balsamic vinegar. (Cranberry pear is my favorite)

Let sit for 1 hour or more to let flavors meld.

Serve on toasted, crispy baguettes. Cut baguettes on an angle and brush with butter and broil until slightly crispy.

Roasted Acorn Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza

Roasted Acorn Squash and Gorgonzola Pizza

Total Time: 45 min

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 5 min

Yield:4 side dish servings

Level:Intermediate

Ingredients

1 (1- pound) acorn squash

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt, plus 1/4 teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon

1 package fresh tortillas

1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella

1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola

1 cup arugula

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice the squash in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds. Slice the squash into 1/2 to 3/4-inch wide half moons and place in a medium bowl. Toss the squash with the syrup, olive oil, red pepper flakes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the squash on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake the squash until tender and golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Keep the temperature on the oven at 375 degrees F. Place 1-2 tortillas on a piece of parchment paper to a 13-inch diameter. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese and the Gorgonzola on the tortilla. Bake in the oven until golden and cooked through, about 3 to 5  minutes.

Peel the skins off the squash. Top the cooked pizza with the cooked squash. Top with arugula and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Slice and serve.

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis- Original recipe done on a pizza dough.

Krista’s Creamy Caramel Apple Dip

(Far right in picture)

½ Cup butter

8 oz. Cream cheese

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and mix well. Better if made a few hours ahead to let flavor meld.

Serve with sliced green apples.

Sweet Potato Fries with Marshmallow Dip

(on left)

Sweet Potato Fries- Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Nonstick cooking spray

3 large sweet potatoes

1 T extra virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

6 T. (¾ stick) unsalted butter

¾ cup marshmallow cream

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup toasted pecans, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. On sheet, toss sweet potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Arranged in a single layer and bake until tender and golden brown about, 40 minutes, flipping once.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat butter over medium, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown and most of the foam has subsided, about eight minutes. Immediately pour into a small bowl and let cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk together marshmallow cream and sour cream, then stir in brown butter and salt to taste. Serve sweet potato fries warm with sauce and sprinkle with the pecans, if desired.

Cheese Fondue

4 oz white grape juice
1 tsp. minced garlic
squeeze 1/4 of lemon (squeeze in another dish to avoid seeds)
8 oz swiss cheese grated
4 oz colby jack cheese
5 turns of pepper
A sprinkle of nutmeg

Warm over medium heat stirring constantly until creamy, careful not to get it too hot or it will clump and curdle. Pour into fondue pot and keep warm. Stir every few minutes to avoid over heating.

Serve with veggies, cracker, breads, anything that sounds good with cheese!

Yummy Cheeseball

Mix together:
     8 oz cream cheese
     1/2 cup pineapple, drained
     2 tsp onion soup mix
     1/4 green pepper chopped finely
Make a ball with the above and roll in below:
     1/2-1cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans.

Serve with crackers.

Note: I double this and got 6-7 cheese balls out of this recipe.

Coconut Cashews

These are great for salads or just plain to munch on. Crunchy cashews are coated with a sweet layer of toasted coconut. This distinctive tropical treat is nearly irresistible.   

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

·         1 cup granulated sugar

·         1/4 cup hot water

·         1/8 tsp cream of tartar

·         1/8 tsp salt

·         1/2 tsp coconut extract/flavoring

·         1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

·         1.5 cups toasted unsalted cashews

Preparation:

1. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. Place the coconut in a pie tin or small baking pan, and toast it in the oven until golden brown. The secret to good toasted coconut is consistent browning, so be sure to stir it every 2 minutes until it is an even, light golden color. It will probably take 8-10 minutes, but monitor your coconut carefully.

3. Once the coconut is toasted, let it cool briefly, and then place it in a food processor or blender and pulse until it is finely chopped. Alternately, you can chop it by hand with a large heavy knife. You should have ½ cup of toasted coconut once it is finely chopped. If your coconut measures more than ½ cup, set aside the extra for another use.

4. In a small saucepan, combine the water, salt, sugar, and cream of tartar over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

5. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches 246 degrees on a candy thermometer.

6. Once the candy is at the proper temperature, remove immediately from the heat and stir in the coconut flavoring and toasted coconut. Add the nuts all at once, and stir with a wooden spoon until they are completely coated with the sugar-coconut syrup. Continue to stir until the it becomes difficult to stir and the syrup turns white.

7. Quickly turn out onto the prepared baking sheet. Separate the nuts and allow them to cool and harden at room temperature. Nuts can be stored in an airtight Ziploc bag at room temperature for several weeks.

Easy Fruit Dip

Fruit Dip
1 carton cool whip
1 small pkg instant vanilla pudding
1/2 can orange juice concentrate


Make pudding according to package directions. Mix pudding and remaining ingredients together. Chill in fridge before serving.

Cranberry Salsa

12 oz bag of raw cranberries
1/2 of 4 oz can of jalapenos
5 green onions
2 Tbsp. cilantro chopped
1/4 tsp. cumin
dash of garlic salt

Put in food processor and blend then add:
3/4 c. sugar

Let sit for several hours. Put an 8 oz block of cream cheese on a plate and pour cranberry mixture over the top. Serve with chips.

Avocado Salsa

1 15 oz can of Black-eyed peas; drained
1 11 oz can of Shoe-peg corn (white); drained
3 Tbsp. chopped green onions
3 Roma tomatoes chopped (you can use regular tomatoes if you de-seed prior to chopping)
3 medium avocados chopped
2 Tbsp. Cilantro chopped
1 pkg dry Italian Dressing make to pkg instructions
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (regular salt is ok, but kosher is better)

Serve with chips--delicious!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

By: Lauri Lund

1 box frozen spinach, thawed, drained
1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts (NOT marinated), drained, quartered
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
1/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
red pepper flakes
Roma tomatoes, diced
grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Mix everything but last 2 ingredients together in a bowl and microwave until warm and creamy. (I microwave 1-2 minutes at a time until I
think it seems warm enough). Put in a serving dish, sprinkle lots of
Parmesan cheese and some diced tomatoes on top. Tip: Can be prepped ahead of time, just don't heat it until you are ready to serve. Serve with Tortilla chips or crackers