Jalapeno Popper Dip

This recipe caught my eye because it is super-easy to put together; and it gives you the taste of those fabulous little jalepeno poppers! The original recipe calls for microwaving the dip, which I was very against, because you don't get that "baked" feeling after three minutes in the microwave! So I suggest baking it in the oven until the cheese is melted.

And speaking of the cheese, as you can see by my picture below I actually used the "green can" Parmesan cheese for this (gasp!). I thought it would taste better than the finely grated block of Parm I have in my fridge, but there was just too much of it. So when you make this, I suggest freshly grating your cheese or just use shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack. Enjoy!

Jalapeno Popper Spread
slightly adapted from allrecipes.com
Makes enough to feed a crowd

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup low fat mayonnaise
1 4-ounce can diced green chilies, drained
1/2 of 7.5-ounce can jalapeno peppers, drained and chopped
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or 1 cup shredded cheddar/Monterey Jack
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In large bowl, use a handheld mixer to blend cream cheese and mayo until smooth. Stir in green chiles and jalapeno peppers.

Spread into a 9-inch pie plate. Top with Parmesan or shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately with tortilla chips.

White Truffle Risotto

Any variation of risotto pretty much follows a basic recipe and then you can add any ingredients that you want to it; provided that you cook them correctly first. Chuck told me that he was going to grill some filets and asparagus for our Valentine's Day dinner, and we both thought that risotto would be a nice side dish.

White truffles are a variety of highly esteemed underground fungi that are found in Italy (Wikipedia). They are extremely expensive and should be used only with the utmost care and restraint. So for those of us who want the flavor of the white (or black) truffles without the price; we can buy truffle oil. To some people's surprise, most truffle oil does not contain any actual truffles, but is an olive oil that has been synthetically flavored.

So I had a bottle of white truffle oil in my pantry and decided to turn my basic risotto into white truffle risotto. I have never tasted white truffles before, and even with the "synthetic" flavoring, it was still delicious. It added a delicate, buttery taste to the risotto that we really liked. Find it at gourmet stores or search for it on the internet!

White Truffle Risotto

from Colleen's Kitchen

Makes 2 servings

1 14.5-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup Arborio rice

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon white truffle oil

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Combine broth and 1 cup water in medium saucepan; keep warm over low heat.

Heat olive oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until almost transclucent and becoming tender, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Add rice and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring, until almost absorbed, about 1 minute.

Add 1 cup warm broth mixture to rice mixture. Cook, stirring frequently until absorbed. Continue to add broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring frequently and allowing broth to absorb completely before adding more. Continue cooking until rice is al dente, about 25-30 minutes total. (You may not need to use all the broth and the cooking time will vary - there is a moment where you see the rice "bloom" and become creamy. Taste it often!)

Remove risotto from heat. Add butter, white truffle oil, and cheese. Stir until completely combined and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Still learning how to lighten the pictures:

After the first cup of broth is added. Stir frequently until this is almost absorbed.

Happy V-Day to me!!

Well, ladies and gentlemen, he finally caved:

Chuck bought me a Nikon D60 for Valentine's Day! I don't really know much about it yet, but I will force myself to read the instruction manual so that I know exactly what this camera can do. I took some pictures at dinner last night so stay tuned for that blog post!

Next step: light box!

In other gift news, I was surprised to find out that I won a prize in the blog giveway over on Priscilla's Baking Adventures. Priscilla is an amazing 17-year-old girl who blogs about drool-worthy food and she just had a giveaway for her one-year blogaversary!

I ended up winning this beautiful personalized bracelet from Jewelry by Jennifer Casady. Thanks again Priscilla and keep up the good work!

White Chocolate Layer Cake with Raspberry Filling

I have to give ALL the credit for this wonderful dessert to my fabulous sister, Meghan. She found the recipe, baked the cake, and had the patience to layer it and decorate it; something that I certainly couldn't have done. Throughout the entire birthday dinner shopping and prep, Meg was a major help and I couldn't have done it without her! It was a fun, yet tiring day in the kitchen - here she is during her mid-prep red wine break:

This cake was really good - my mom loves buttercream I think more than she loves us sometimes; so this was the perfect choice for her. Between the white chocolate in both the cake and the icing, to the raspberries in the filling; it's a winner all around! Just make sure to leave yourself enough time to bake the cakes, allow them to cool, and then ice them. Enjoy!

White Chocolate Layer Cake with Raspberry Filling

from Great American Brand Name Baking

Makes 10-12 servings

Cake:

12 ounces white chocolate, broken up into pieces (we used white chocolate chips)
¼ cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
¾ cup sour cream

Raspberry Filling:

1 ½ cups heavy or whipping cream
¾ cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
3 tablespoons sugar

White Buttercream:

6 ounces white chocolate, broken up into pieces (this needs to be good quality)
¼ cup heavy or whipping cream
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup confectioners' sugar

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease two 9-inch round baking pans; line bottoms with waxed paper (optional).

Pour milk over chocolate and microwave until smooth at 30 second intervals.

In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

In large mixer bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in melted chocolate mixture and vanilla extract. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream.

Pour into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (watch to make sure you do not overbake). Cool 15 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.

Raspberry Filling:

In small mixer bowl, combine heavy cream, raspberries and sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

White Buttercream:

Pour heavy cream over chocolate and microwave until smooth at 30 second intervals. Transfer to large mixer bowl; cool to room temperature.

Gradually beat in cold butter and confectioners' sugar; continue beating until light and fluffy.

Assembly:

Split cake layers horizontally in half. Place 1 layer on cake plate; spread with 1/3 of Raspberry Filling. Repeat with remaining layers and Filling. Frost cake with White Buttercream. Garnish with raspberries and mint, if desired. Store in refrigerator.

Spreading the first layer with filling:

Ready to be iced!

Yum!

Garlic Knots (and Pizza Dough)

So I'm thinking I would probably win the award for "Ugliest Garlic Knots", if there was one. While I was folding the dough into the knots, I couldn't do the first knot tight enough and was left with a loose shape that doesn't really look like anything. But after I baked them, they came out a little better. Just look at them before the second rise though:

Laughable, right? I must say though, I have never made pizza dough before (always spent the money on store-bought) but after making this pizza dough, I will never go back! It was so easy to make and easy to work with that it would be silly not to try it again! You can certainly cut down on the fat content in these little guys by using less butter; but I don't recommend it. Enjoy the delicious butter and garlic combo and just go for an extra-long run tomorrow ;)

Garlic Knots

from Good Things Catered

Makes 8 knots

1 recipe basic pizza dough (recipe below)

1/2 cup butter

5 garlic cloves, minced or crushed

salt

After you let the pizza dough recipe complete it's rise, roll out on a floured surface into large rectangle, 1/2 inch thick.

Using pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut into measured out eight 1-inch wide strips. Take each strip and tie into a basic knot. Take end that is underneath and fold it over and into the middle. Take end that is over top and fold it under.

Place knot onto parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with all knots. Sprinkle generously with salt, cover with wax paper and kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In small saucepan over medium low heat, combine butter and garlic. Stir until butter mixture is completely melted. Using pastry brush, generously brush the tops of the dough with the butter mixture.

Place in oven to bake until turning golden brown, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven, brush with remaining butter mixture and serve.

Basic Pizza Dough

from Good Things Catered

Makes 1 crust

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

3/4 c. plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water (105-115 degrees F)

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

Combine yeast and water in small bowl and let stand until slightly foamy (about 10 minutes).

Combine flour and salt in large bowl and form into a mound. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture.

Using a fork and stirring in a circular motion, gradually pull the flour into the yeast mixture. Continue stirring until a dough forms.

Lightly flour a work surface with some additional flour and transfer the dough to it. Using the heel of your hand, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball.

Brush a large bowl with the olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with the remaining flour. Punch down the dough and, using your hand, begin to press it out gently into the desired shape.

Spinach Salad with Bacon, Mushrooms, and Warm Shallot Vinaigrette

I really don't like to give recipes for salads because, really, all they consist of are a bunch of ingredients that you like thrown in a bowl together. But this dressing is REALLY good. It has the creamy texture from the mustard and the tang from the vinegar. I am not sure where I originally got it from, but I know that I have tweaked it according to our tastes. When I want to cheat with the bacon, I just buy a box of that already-cooked bacon; but of course the real stuff is better! Amounts of ingredients are flexible - add as much or as little of something as you like!

Spinach Salad with Bacon, Mushrooms, and Warm Shallot Vinaigrette

from Colleen's Kitchen

Makes about 8 servings

1 bag baby spinach, washed and dried

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

about 10 ounces bacon, cooked and chopped

1 medium shallot, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

2/3 cups good quality extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

Combine spinach, bacon, and mushrooms in large salad bowl.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cooked until slightly tender, 3-5 minutes.

Combine mustard, vinegar, and shallots in small bowl. Slowly whisk in 2/3 cup olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat dressing in microwave 20-30 seconds. Either toss dressing with spinach mixture or serve dressing alongside.

Eggplant, Tomato, and Zucchini Stacks

This dish is very impressive to serve to company because each person gets their own little individual stack of vegetables. Each vegetable really pops out at you, so you have to like all three in order to enjoy this! But the layers of vegetables in addition to the herbs and cheeses make a very nice accompaniment to any meal.

I changed a few things from the original recipe, namely the amount of onions. The original recipe calls for 4 onions, with only 8 servings, so that means each person is eating half of an onion! I knew that wouldn't fly with my family, so I brought it all the way down to one and it still had a nice onion flavor. Additionally, I felt that the "stack" as a whole was a little dry, so I am adding some more cheese to this version of the recipe (can't hurt, right?!).

Onions and herbs

Eggplant, Tomato, and Zucchini Stacks

adapted from Williams-Sonoma

Makes 8 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 yellow onion, diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
10 fresh basil leaves, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 16 slices
4 medium tomatoes, sliced into 16 slices
4 small zucchini, sliced into 48 slices

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat an oven to 425°F.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, oregano and parsley and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat.

Drizzle one tablespoon olive oil over the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish. Place 8 eggplant slices in a single layer in the pan and season with salt. Top each with 1/2 tsp. onions and 1 tomato slice and season with salt. Top each with 3 slices of zucchini, then 1 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese.

Repeat layers: eggplant, salt, onions, tomatoes, salt, zucchini, mozzarella cheese.

Drizzle each vegetable stack with olive oil. Bake until the vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.

Sprinkle each stack with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and bake for 7 to 10 minutes more. Let the vegetables rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Eggplant ready to be stacked:

First layer complete (without mozzarella):

And ready to eat!