8 Layer Taco Dip

This little appetizer was made for a Cinco de Mayo party at work. This was my first try at this and I think it turned out fairly nicely :) The proportions are open for interpretation, if you like less tomatoes, use less, if you want to add chopped jalapenos, add them, this is YOUR dip after all :)

8 Layer Taco Dip

~14 oz can of refried beans (low-fat)
~10 oz low fat sour cream (seasoned with 1-2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning)
2 medium chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (taco blend or cheddar)
2 green onions (chopped)
1/2 cup cilantro (chopped)
1 cup salsa (your preference)
1 1/2 to 2 cups shredded lettuce

Optional add-ins: Ground or Shredded Beef, Shredded Pork, Chicken, Olives, chopped jalapenos (canned or fresh)

Layer the dip in a dish** in the following order: Refried Beans, Seasoned Sour Cream, Salsa, Shredded Lettuce, Shredded Cheese, Diced Tomatoes, Chopped Cilantro, Chopped Green Onions.

Serve with Tortilla Chips!

**Serving dish can vary, I used a 9" cake pan, you could also use an 8"x8" square baking dish.

Spaghetti and Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs makes it on to our weekly menu fairly often. Who knew the addition of a little string cheese would make such a tasty difference. Gorgonzola also makes for a delicious stuffing for meatballs, but here I figured Mozzarella was in order!

Spaghetti and Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs (from foodnetwork.com)

Ingredients
Meatballs:
1/4 cup milk
2 slice white bread, cut into cubes
1 pound 80 percent lean ground beef
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 egg
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 sticks mozzarella string cheese, cut into small cubes or 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
Nonstick cooking spray

Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium onion diced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (I used San Marzano Tomatoes)
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) box spaghetti

Directions
For Meatballs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the milk and bread. Let the bread absorb the milk. Add remaining meatball ingredients except the cheese. Using your hands, gently combine all the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed. Take about 3 tablespoons of the meat mixture and roll into a ball and press into a patty. Place a mozzarella cube or 1 tablespoon shredded cheese onto the patty and bring up the sides around the cheese and roll between hands to form a ball. Place onto a nonstick baking sheet or a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat process with remaining meat and cheese. Place the meatballs into the oven and cook for 12 minutes. Remove baking sheet from the oven and set aside.

For Sauce:

In a medium pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes. Gently stir in the meatballs and any pan drippings from baking sheet and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Spaghetti:

Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and place the pasta on a large serving platter. Place the meatballs over the spaghetti, pour the sauce on top and serve immediately.


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Cream Cheese Brownies

These little bars taste as lovely as they look. I did not have enough unsweetend chocolate on hand, so I successfully swapped 3 Tbsp of cocoa and 1 Tbsp oil, butter, or shortening for every ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate you are substituting. The cream cheese brownies were easy to assemble, I do hope you get a chance to try them!

Cream Cheese Brownies (from Joy of Baking)

Brownie Layer:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped (see note above)
1 1/4 cups granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Layer:
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg

Cream Cheese Brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 9 x 9 inch square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil across the bottom and up two opposite sides of the pan.

In a stainless steel (heatproof) bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (with a wooden spoon) after each addition. Stir in the flour and salt and beat, with a wooden spoon, until the batter is smooth and glossy and comes away from the sides of the pan (about one minute). Remove 1/2 cup of the brownie batter and set it aside. Place the remainder of the brownie batter evenly onto the bottom of the prepared pan.

Then, in the bowl of your food processor (or with a hand mixer), process the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, and egg and process just until creamy and smooth. Spread the cream cheese filling evenly over the brownie layer. Spoon small dollops of the reserved brownie batter evenly on top of the cream cheese filling. Then with a table knife or wooden skewer, swirl the two batters without mixing them.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until the brownies start to pull away from the sides of the pan and the edges of the brownies are just beginning to brown (for me I think I baked these close to 40 minutes, while upping the oven temperature to 350 degrees for the last few minutes.) Either way keep an eye on your oven and your bars and remove them when they match the description of finished product.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate the brownies until they are firm enough to cut into squares (at least two hours). Once chilled, remove the brownies from the pan by lifting with the ends of the foil and transfer to a cutting board. It is a good idea to have a damp cloth nearby to wipe your knife between cuts.

These brownies can be stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Pork Souvlaki

Souvlaki is a favorite Greek street food, it's also a favorite grill food. I've never had Souvlaki before. Whenever I frequent Greek restaurants, I tend to always drift towards my favorites. So I was so delighted that this turned out as lovely as it did, this will definitely be put into our dinner rotation!

One of the best parts was the grilled Naan. I don't think I've ever had it before. To me it was similar to a fresh pita bread. I picked up a package of two in my local grocery store, I didn't have to search for it at a special store. I had some roasted red pepper hummus from a local greek restaurant that went well with this dish.

Pork Souvlaki (From Food Network Magazine)

Ingredients
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-to-2-inch chunks (I used Pork Tenderloin Tips because they were a better price than the Tenderloins)

Combine the shallots, garlic, oregano, jalapeno, lemon juice and olive oil in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the pork, turn to coat, and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Soak 10-12 wooden skewers in water, at least 20 minutes.

Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium. Remove the pork from the marinade and thread 2-3 pieces onto each skewer. Grill until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side



Rub each side of the Naan and place on the grill or grill pan a few minutes on each side. This will warm and soften the bread.

Serve the Souvlaki with sliced cucumbers, tzatziki and/or hummus, and grilled pita or Naan. Opah!!

Grilled Chicken Legs

As summer gratefully draws closer and closer, I think most grill owners take advantage of the nice weather and fire it up! I want to do a how to on some basic's that are very easy, they are not rocket science, but if you do not grill often, it can be kind of daunting. I know, I've been there (sometimes I'm still kind of there I think :)

This how to can be applied to chicken legs as well as chicken breasts and thighs.

Fire up the grill, mine is a 4 burner. I usually turn on three of the four burners to medium high, the fourth one I leave off so later in the cooking process I can move the chicken to an area of indirect heat. Close the top of the grill, do not leave open.

Step One: Unwrap chicken

Step Two: Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with a seasoning or salt and pepper. I usually use Penzeys Poultry Seasoning or Penzeys BBQ 3000. Use whatever you'd like.

Step Three: Move outside to the grill and place the chicken, skin side down if grilling a breast or thigh, over direct heat. You really want to get some good color on the outside and some fancy grill marks on your chicken to make it look as tasty as it's going to taste! Close the top of the grill, do not leave open.

Step Four: Turn your chicken legs after a few minutes, and work on getting some good color on the other sides also. Close the top of the grill again.

Step Five: Once the outside looks golden and delicious, move the chicken to indirect heat (the side of the grill that does have the burners turned on.) Close the top of the grill again. Moving the chicken to indirect heat utilizes the heat of the grill, kind of like an oven. It keeps cooking without burning the outside of the meat.

Step Six: When in doubt, use a meat thermometer. The goal for chicken is 165 degrees. When you pierce the flesh, juices should run clear. But if the sunshine is bright outside, it may be hard to see, so try a thermometer.

Once you have achieved 165 degrees, pull your chicken off to your serving platter. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving.

*This same process can be done on a charcoal grill, when moving the chicken to indirect heat, use the perimeter of the charcoal grill not the center where the direct heat is the most intense.

*If you are using a sauce like barbecue or other sweet sauce, baste your chicken with it towards the end of the cooking time. The sugars will burn if added to early.

Boston Cream Pie

(*It looks like a reindeer cake doesn't it-heehee!)

Boston Cream Pie is a wonderful treat, it's definitely not an everyday dessert. I've had this one bookmarked for awhile so I was happy to try it finally. I, along with many people, wonder why is it called Boston Cream Pie? This explanation I found was originally presented on the Joy of Baking's website, it reads as follows:

There are two questions that immediately come to mind when you hear Boston Cream Pie. One is "Why is it called a pie?", and the other is "Why the name 'Boston'?". To answer the first question of why "pie" instead of "cake", it is probably because colonists baked their cakes in pie tins as they did not own cake pans. As far as calling it Boston Cream Pie, the story began when a New York newspaper in 1855 published a recipe for a 'Pudding Pie Cake'. This recipe was similar to the Boston Cream Pie recipe of today except that it had a powdered sugar topping. From there we go to Boston where a man named Harvey D. Parker opened a restaurant called the Parker House Restaurant. On the menu was a 'Parker House Chocolate Pie', the recipe to which was similar to the New York newspaper recipe except a chocolate glaze had replaced the powdered sugar topping. We are not sure how it was renamed to 'Boston Cream Pie', but Bo Friberg in his book 'The Professional Pastry Chef' thinks "the name stems from the original title (in the New York paper) combined with the reference to Boston."

Boston Cream Pie (from Joy of Baking)

Pastry Cream:

1/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 large egg yolks
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
Scant 3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sponge Cake:

5 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated white sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain cake flour (not self-rising)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Chocolate Glaze:

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon unsalted butter


Pastry Cream: In a medium-sized stainless steel bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks. (Do not let this mixture sit too long.) Sift the flour and cornstarch together and then add to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste. Set aside.

Meanwhile in a small saucepan, bring the milk just to a boil over medium heat. (Watch carefully and remove from heat just as the milk starts to foam up.) Pour the milk slowly into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.

Place the egg mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, continue to whisk constantly for another 30 - 60 seconds until it becomes thick.

Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Let the cream cool in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Sponge Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Butter and line the bottoms of two - 8 inch round cake pans with parchment paper. While the eggs are still cold separate three of the eggs, placing the yolks in one large mixing bowl and the whites in another bowl. To the yolks, add the two remaining eggs. Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).

Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Place the milk and butter in a small saucepan, over low heat, and warm until the butter melts. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.

In your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, (or with a hand mixer) beat the whole eggs and yolks and 6 tablespoons of the sugar on high speed for about five minutes, or until they are thick, fluffy and light colored (when you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon). Beat in the vanilla extract.

In another clean mixing bowl, with the whisk attachment, (or with a hand mixer) beat the egg whites and cream of tartar, at low speed, until foamy. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until soft, moist peaks form. Gently fold a little of the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then add the rest of the whites folding just until incorporated. Sift half of the flour mixture over the top of the batter and gently fold through with a rubber spatula or whisk. Sift the remaining flour over the batter and fold in. Do not over mix.

Make a well in the center of the batter and pour the melted butter/milk mixture into the bowl. Gently but thoroughly fold the butter mixture into the batter. Do not over mix.

Divide the batter between the two prepared pans, smoothing the tops, and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until light brown and springy to the touch. (A toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Immediately run a spatula or sharp knife around the inside of the pans and then invert the cakes onto a wire rack. Remove parchment paper and re-invert. Cool completely. When the cakes have cooled and you are ready to assemble the Boston Cream Pie, make the Chocolate Glaze.

Place the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the cream and butter just to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for a 3-5 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Set aside for a few minutes until it has thickened to pouring consistency.

To Assemble: Place one cake layer on your serving plate, bottom side facing up. Spoon the pastry cream onto the cake (if your pastry cream has thickened too much while chilling, using a hand mixer, beat the pastry cream with a little bit of milk and it should lighten up,) spreading to make an even layer. Place the second cake layer (bottom side up) onto the filling. Pour the glaze onto the center of the cake and carefully spread the glaze, with an offset spatula, to the edges of the cake, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides.

Let the cake sit until the glaze sets, about one hour. Serve. This cake is best eaten the same day it is made. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Serves 8-10

Spring Fettucine Alfredo

I love pasta-flat out admission, I love it. However I do try and limit to once a week but I had some beautiful asparagus from the farmers market, as well as some peas and carrots. I turned to an indulgent comfort food to celebrate these lovely veggies-Fettuccine Alfredo! However this is being deemed a "Spring Alfredo" with the addition of my farmers market finds and some diced ham added to the mix. Homemade Alfredo sauce is too easy to make, and I know there are a lot of variations out there, and that's good. I love the one I use. When I am in the grocery store passing through the spaghetti aisle, I cringe when I see jarred Alfredo sauce. It's so easy-try it for yourself!

Spring Fettuccine Alfredo (source: me!)

2 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup of heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmesan (can also use asiago, but DO NOT use the powdery stuff in a green plastic container)
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (prefer fresh)

prepared fettuccine (we usually use about half of a box of dried-prepare according to package directions)

1 cup sliced asparagus (remember to break the woody bottoms off!)
1/2 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup fresh peas
3/4 cup diced ham
sliced green onions for garnishing

While your pasta water is heating, assemble the sauce ingredients so they are ready to use as soon as you need them. The sauce comes together rather quickly, so you don't want to be hunting for things last minute.

Prepare the fettuccine according to packaged directions. I added the asparagus, carrots and peas to the pasta water two minutes prior to the end of the cooking time. This was done primarily to cook the asparagus and carrots a little before adding them to the finished pasta(you could also add the sliced ham to the pot just to heat it up if it's been in the refrigerator if you wish.) If you prefer to cook them separate, feel free to do so. At the end of the cooking time, drain the pasta and veggies and set aside for the moment.

To prepare the sauce:

In a skillet or saute pan, preheat over medium heat and add the butter to melt. Once that has melted add the cream to the the pan and heat until bubbles start to appear and the cream has become hot. Add the cheese to the pan and swirl the pan to combine. Add the nutmeg to the sauce. At this point the sauce should start to thicken. Add the pasta along with the veggies to the pan and toss to combine.

Garnish with fresh Parmesan, sliced green onions, and chopped Italian flat leaf parsley if you choose.