Cranberry Salsa

For our family Christmas get-together last Sunday I brought a the previous mentioned veggie tray but I also I wanted to share this amazing cranberry salsa that my friend, Molly, brought to a friends dinner a few weeks ago. Fortunately another friend, Marc, had got the recipe and posted it on his blog. So you can tell that this salsa was a hit!

When I brought it to the family event, I thought "Oh this is a lot. What will I do with all the leftovers?" I shouldn't have been concerned with that. It was all gone before the evening was over. So if you were there and want the recipe or you just want to try something new, here it is:

Cranberry Salsa with Cream Cheese

• 1 bag cranberries
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 green onion
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 of a bunch of cilantro
• 1 med. jalapeño - seeds and veins removed
• 1 lemon
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 blocks of cream cheese at room temperature

Remove soft and rotten cranberries from batch and wash. Chop cranberries, onion, cilantro and jalapeño to medium fine in food processor. Mix in sweetener, cumin salt and juice of the lemon. Cover and let macerate in fridge for 2 - 4 hours to let flavor build and the cranberries to soften. It will sweeten as it stands in the fridge.

Serve at room temperature poured over the top of the blocks of cream cheese with whole grain crackers.

Cheesy Artichoke Dip

A few weeks ago a friend from my ward had a bunch of us over for dinner. I didn't want to show up empty-handed so I asked what I could bring. She left the door open for whatever I wanted to bring. I got to thinking and remembered a great hot dip that my sister had brought to a few family gatherings. So I called her up for the recipe. Thanks, Tam! And now I'm going to post it here. Not only for you but also so that I will know where to find it when I need it next. ;)

Cheesy Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 1 12oz can of Quartered Artichoke Hearts (not marinated)
• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 2 cups Mozzarella & Parmesan Shredded Cheese (I used the Italian mix)
• 1 small can of Chopped Green Chilies

Directions
Preheat oven at 350 degree. Smash each artichoke heart. Mix the mayonnaise, cheese, and artichokes together. Spray an 8x8 inch pan with non-stick spray. put mixture in the pan. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Service with crackers. Yum!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's that time of the year where we share good times with good friends and family and a key part of that is the good food. Each year I get an assignment or volunteer to make something for our Thanksgiving dinner. This year I had been flipping through a Sunset magazine and saw what looked like a new twist on the traditional pumpkin pie. I've made plenty of pumpkin pies in the past so I wanted to do something a little different. I feel this way each year. Last year a made a cranberry cream pie just to try something different. But this years twist was just making a crumble that tops the pie.

Here's what I did:

For the pie crust, I just buy the pre-made frozen kind. I might be adventurous but that that adventurous yet.

For the pumpkin pie filling I just follow the recipe on the pumpkin can. Nothing tricky there.

But here's where the twist comes in. Before I put the pies in the oven, I sprinkled Walnut Streusel (with pecans instead of walnuts) over the top. Here's how you make the streusel:

Walnut (or Pecan) Streusel

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar


• 1/2 cup rolled oats


• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)


• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour


• 1/4 cup butter (now that I think about it I might have doubled the butter, oops!)


• 1/2 tsp cinnamon


• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Mix until crumbly. Should make about 2 cups. Sprinkle evenly the streusel on top of the pumpkin pie mixture and bake like regular.

Okay, mind you, I haven't tasted my new Pumpkin Streusel Pie yet. But I am pretty sure that it will be delicious!

Banana Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of bread
• 1 large banana
• 2 tablespoons Miracle Whip

Directions:

• Smooth Miracle Whip over one side of each piece of bread.
• Slice banana and place on Miracle Whip side of one of the pieces of bread.
• Place second piece of bread on top of the sliced banana (Miracle Whip side down.)

Yesterday I made myself one of these great sandwiches and I thought I should share my secret recipe once and for all. The tanginess of the Miracle Whip works great with the sweetness of the banana. Try it out and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

I'm not entirely sure where this sandwich idea came from. I have heard of other people eating banana and peanut butter but never banana and Miracle Whip. My first memory of this great concoction comes from one of our family vacations to visit family in Virginia. We (6 kids and my parents) would all pile in the old brown station wagon and head out for the several days it would take to drive to the east coast. I remember my sisters in the back seat taking sandwich orders. I just remember ordering a banana and Miracle Whip sandwich. They obliged and I've been eating them ever since.

Fruit Salsa

Time to share another recipe. This is a great sweet fruit salsa that beautifully complements salty tortilla chips. I've made this several time for various get-togethers and there is rarely any left to take home.

Ingredients:
2 Granny Smith Apples
2 Oranges
2 Kiwi
1 Box of Frozen Strawberries (I think they are 10 oz)
2 Tbsp Apple Jelly

Directions:
Chop all the fruits up into small chunks. But make sure you don't blend it or chop it too small. You want to make sure that it's still chunky. Mix all the fruit together and add the apple jelly. The jelly helps to make it set up a little. Refrigerate before serving. I find the salsa is better when it has a little time for the flavors to mix together a bit. Serve with tortilla chips. The Tostito Scoops work great. Enjoy!

Fresh Chunky Guacamole

I'm not a fan of avocado but I love a good fresh guacamole. I've recently had the opportunity to make it and thought I'd share my recipe:

Fresh Chunky Guacamole

4 medium avocados
2 large chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1 fresh lime (just the juice)
4 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Do all the chopping. Combine the ingredients. And enjoy!

Beef and Beer Chili

With colder weather approaching and having recently received my September issue of Cooking Light, I decided that their Beef and Beer chili looked like it would be great for the cooler weather. I tried it a few Saturdays ago and liked it so much that I made it again a week earlier. I've just finished off the leftovers I had frozen and since I'm still thinking it's a good receipe, I'm posting it here. Enjoy!

Beef and Beer Chili

Cornmeal helps thicken the chili to a satisfying consistency. Serve with a chilled lager. Time: 41 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups chopped red onion (about 1 medium)
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 small)
• 8 ounces extralean ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (19-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (such as Budweiser)
• 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder, cumin, sugar, and salt; cook 1 minute. Add oregano and next 4 ingredients (through beer) to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cornmeal; cook 5 minutes. Stir in juice.

Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Nutritional Information

CALORIES 261(20% from fat); FAT 5.7g (sat 2.1g,mono 2g,poly 0.2g); PROTEIN 18.3g; CHOLESTEROL 30mg; CALCIUM 74mg; SODIUM 799mg; FIBER 8.3g; IRON 3.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30.3g

Jackie Mills, M.S., R.D. , Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2007

Fruit Dip

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Softened Cream Cheese
• 8 oz Cool Whip
• 8 oz Marshmallow Creme
• Jello to taste (Optional)

Directions:

Combine cream cheese, cool whip, and marshmallow creme. Getting a good consistency is easiest when the cream cheese is soft. Add Jello to taste. Choose whatever flavor you like. I find that lime is one of my favorites. Refrigerate dip. It works best when you chill it over night. Serve with cut fruit. I like to use bananas, apples, strawberries, pears, and pineapple.