Recipes!

I had the Bunco ladies over Tuesday night. I thought I would just post all my recipes on here so they can have them.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 lb cream cheese
3/4 milk or half and half
1 Tbl minced onion
1 clove minced garlic, or some garlic salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped spinach (10 oz box/bag frozen or 1/2 lb fresh spinach, blanched)
1 13-15 oz can of artichoke hearts, rinsed and chopped
2/3 cup grated Monterey jack or mozzarella cheese

Mix it all together and cook in the Crockpot (low 2 hrs) or oven (350 degrees) until hot and cheeses are melted. Serve with sliced bread or crackers.

Why is it that only women like this dip? The ladies went nuts for it, and said they love to eat it, but don't make it because their husbands don't like it. Sweetheart and the boys won't eat it either. I doubled the recipe, but I wish I had just done the regular amount. I wonder if I can freeze the rest???

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Carrot Ginger Soup

This is one of those recipes that isn't a recipe with real measurements. Sorry.

Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil in a big pot. Chop up 1/2-1 whole onion and saute it in the oil for a few minutes. Chop up about 8-10 cups of carrots. Add about two tablespoons of chopped fresh ginger. Saute them with the onions for a few minutes. Add broth to cover the carrots. Cook on medium heat until the carrots are soft.
Remove the carrots and purree them in a food processor or blender. Return the carrots to the pan. Stir in some white or red wine, just a few tablespoons, for added flavor. Add more broth or water to make the soup the consistency you desire. Add salt and pepper and spices to taste.
This is nice served with some sour cream on the top and some fresh cilantro or parsley. Such a lovely orange color, so perfect for Autumn!
I made this on Monday afternoon and then just warmed it in the Crockpot on Tuesday to serve for dinner. I think it tastes even better the second day.

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Bread

Click HERE for the recipe. You can use white or wheat flour in this recipe.

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We had salad, but there is not really a recipe to that. I will eventually get to writing a post on making sprouts. But not today. :) The salad dressing was made with 3 parts red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, 1 part olive oil, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, pinch of sugar, a few shakes of garlic salt, fresh ground pepper and dried herbs like thyme, savory, and rosemary. Mix together and enjoy.

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Cream Cheese Chicken

Chop up enough chicken breasts for the people you are serving, about a half pound per person. Sprinkle with seasoning salts and dried herbs. (I just have a jar of dried herbs mixed with kosher salt I use on everything. The herbs are rosemary, thyme, chives, savory, cilantro, parsley, and oregano. It is mostly just stuff I grow in the garden and dry.)
Pile the chicken into the crockpot or baking dish. Top with cream cheese, the amount depends on how much chicken you are cooking. About an 8 oz box works for dinner for four. Cook in the crockpot until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occansionally to mix up the cream cheese after it is melted. If using the oven, bake at 350 for about 45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is toasty.
The cream cheese adds a wonderful flavor and the chicken is so moist. Sweetheart and the boys love this for a quick dinner. I usually steam a pot of brown rice to go with it. We were given a rice cooker as a wedding present and use it all the time. Just add a little extra water for brown rice as it seems to need a bit more moisture when cooking.

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Dessert & Munchies:

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Ginger Bear Cookies, Candied Almonds and Smoked Almonds (Click on these for the recipes.)

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Poppycock

8 cups of lightly salted popcorn (Be sure to pick out all unpopped kernels!)
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 cups nuts like pecans & almonds

Spread out the popcorn & nuts on a greased cookie sheet. Combine everything else and cook over medium heat until caramel brown. Immediately pour this over the popcorn & nuts stirring gently. Spread out & break up any big clumps. Let cool. Try not to eat it all.
(from With Heart & Soul from Among Friends)
I think tins of the Poppycock and the almonds would make a great gift. I am not sure how long the popcorn would stay fresh though. I usually make a half batch unless there is company and it is always eaten too soon to find out.

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Chocolate Cloud Cake

I'll eventually get this one posted, but I am out of computer time today!