Orgasmic - BBQ Chicken Dip

Do you have guests coming over in a few hours to watch the Super Bowl and need more grub?  Here's a totally orgasmic hot dip that will have your guests running their own touchdowns.

All you need to do is run to the store and grab a few items.  Whip them up together and you've got this amazing dip!  I literally cannot stop eating it nor could the rest of my crew.  It obviously won't last until game time.

I did opt to try and make it low-cal.  Why, I honestly don't know!  Although even using Fage 0% Greek Yogurt, Light Ranch Dressing and Cream cheese it's still incredible.  I even used the Fat Free Shredded Cheddar because that's what my family insists on all the time.  I DO NOT recommend using that.  Go for at least the 2% if not full fat.  I mean let's face it - with all the other junk you'll be eating today, just enjoy yourself and watch your intake tomorrow.

Orgasmic BBQ Chicken Dip

serves 10

2 cups shredded Rotisserie chicken

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup BBQ Sauce (I used Original KC Masterpiece)

1/4 cup Ranch Dressing

1/4 cup sour cream (I used Fage 0% Greek Yogurt)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 green onion, sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees

Combine all ingredients except 1/2 cup cheddar and onion in a bowl.

Sprinkle remaining cheese and sliced green onions on top.

Bake 25-30 minutes.

Serve with your favorite chips or however you prefer.  Honestly, I could put this on a bun and eat it as a sandwich - it's that good!

I hope your favorite team wins the game today!

Blood Orange Sangria

Have you ever tried a blood orange? Their skin is thick and orange with variegated deep red tones.  To cut into them, the flesh is a deep raspberry color with flavor a combination of an orange, raspberry and strawberry, without the usual acidity of a typical orange.  Blood oranges are delicious and guess what?  They're in season right now, through the month of March.

I've seen quite a few blog posts lately with blood oranges as the main ingredient, but when I came across Jessica's post for Blood Orange Sangria, I knew I had to try it.

For the most part I don't enjoy sangria, primarily because most are made with red wine.   The tannins in red wine gives me a headache and stuffy nose.  However, white wine doesn't have the same affect on me, and Jessica's sangria is made with white wine.

After reviewing her recipe I decided to make a few edits to suit my taste.  Jessica's called for brandy and club soda, I chose to use Framboise a raspberry flavored liqueur, with lemon lime soda and simple syrup.  What can I say - sangria is an alcoholic punch, so I prefer mine to be sweet.  Not too sweet, but just right!

Since this past weekend was relatively mild in the Midwest and my family was coming for Sunday night dinner, I thought I'd whip up the Blood Orange Sangria.  I made it on Saturday with plenty of time to infuse, and be ready to drink Sunday evening.  Everyone  thought it was delicious!

Below is my Blood Orange Sangria version with the link to Jessica's version - if you prefer your sangria not as sweet.

Blood Orange Sangria

Yield: serves 4-6
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

6 blood oranges
2 (750 ML) bottles of Pinot Grigio
1 cup lemon lime soda
1 cup simple syrup
1/2 cup Framboise (raspberry liqueur)
12 ounces of strawberries, sliced
1 pint of raspberries
1 apple, chopped
1/2 cup sugar, for glass rimming

Directions:

Zest one blood orange and combine with sugar in a small bowl. Rub sugar and zest together with your fingers or a fork until fragrant.

Juice four blood oranges, discarding any seeds or pith. Slice remaining blood oranges into 1/4 inch slices.

In a large pitcher, combine wine, Framboise, blood orange juice, apples, strawberries, raspberries and sliced blood oranges. Stir well to combine. Place in refrigerator overnight.

Just before serving add lemon lime soda and simple syrup.  Stir well to combine.

Place the orange sugar on a plate, then run a lemon, lime or orange slice around rim of each glass. Dip each glass in orange/sugar, coating well.

To Serve:

Fill glasses with sangria, being sure to include some fruit into each glass . Garnish with a Blood Orange Slice.


Simple Syrup:

Combine 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil then simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Set aside until simple syrup gets to room temperature.

Valentine Sandwich Cookies

All week I've been trying to conjure up some ideas for valentine treats.  Last month I made Chocolate Raspberry Balsamic Truffles a decadent dessert for your Valentine or anytime.  I've made Raspberry Napoleans, Heart Shaped Pancakes, Fondue, Chocolate Raspberry Wonton Hearts, basically everything from breakfast to dessert.  You can view all my Valentine's Day dishes here.  Plus don't forget my Chocolate Cups - fill with anything your heart desires from mousse to ice cream to candy.

I decided to try some basic cookie recipes and jazz them up a bit.  After all, homemade gifts from the heart always mean so much.  In fact, these recipes even your children can make.

My family adores chocolate chip cookies, so why not shape them into hearts and sandwich them with your favorite buttercream frosting, and if you like, tint it pink or red for valentines day.  If you prefer, leave it white and roll in red sugar crystals to add even more pizzazz. I chose to color mine pink.  These were scrumptious!

I also love Whoopie Pies and a favorite are my Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.  They're so moist and delicious you don't need to sandwich them with anything.  I decided to make a Chocolate Whoopie Pie cookie, a recipe I found online at King Arthur Flour.  After searching for many recipes this one sounded perfect!  However, much to my disappointment it was dry, bland and barely sweet.  So if you like that type of cookie you'll like this recipe.  I feel like if I had added melted chocolate instead of cocoa powder and an additional egg it would have been great.  That said, now I'll need to go back and see if that works better.

The icing I chose to stuff my Chocolate Whoopie pie with was yummy.  I made a simple Cream Cheese Frosting that I've made many times before but added fresh strawberries to the batter that I macerated first with a teaspoon of sugar, pureed, then strained before adding to my cream cheese mixture.  That was delicious.  

Since I love Chocolate Covered Strawberries I figured this would be perfect.  It would have been, had the cookies not been so dry and bland.  I went over the recipe several times to see if I left something out but I did not, and I always slightly under cook my batter since I prefer very moist and soft cookies - so that wasn't the problem.  Although they were very pretty, the cookie needs some doctoring - maybe even the addition of some yogurt to the batter.  More testing is needed.

Below I've shared my Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting and Buttercream Frosting for you to sandwich in between your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe or any cookie.
 Bake your cookies as always and as soon as they come out of the oven shape with your valentine cookie cutter.  You could also bake them in a sheet pan and cut them once out of the oven.  However, I believe you'll yield more cookies if you drop them individually on a sheet tray.

Vanilla Buttercream Frostingmakes 3 cups of frosting

1 lb. confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter softened (soften on countertop rather than microwave for best results)
3/4 cups solid vegetable shortening (such as Crisco)
1 Tablespoon clear vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoons lemon or almond extract
1/8 cup milk (any milk is fine)
pinch of salt to cut the sweetness (dissolve your salt in the liquid before adding, if preferred)
red gel paste

Cream butter, shortening and extracts until creamy and smooth.  Add confectioners’ sugar and milk. Mix thoroughly on medium speed for approximately 8 min. until creamy and smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally during the mixing process. Add red gel paste and blend until it reaches the desired color.

 (One cup of frosting frosts about 12 cupcakes.)

Note: If you are serving this on a hot summer’s day, you may want to omit the amount of butter listed, and replace with all shortening.  Using all shortening will allow the icing to hold up all day without melting.

Below is my strawberry cream cheese frosting and here's the link for the King Arthur Chocolate Whoopie Pie cookies if you'd like to attempt them.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

will frost approximately 12 cookies

10 large strawberries, quartered
1 teaspoon sugar

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Combine strawberries with sugar and allow to macerate for 2 hours.  Puree in food processor, then strain, reserving liquid and discarding the seeds. Set aside.

Sift confectioner' sugar into a medium bowl; set aside.  In a bowl mix butter until smooth.  Add cream cheese and beat until well combined.  Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat until smooth.  Fold in strawberry puree, tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired color and flavor.  If icing gets runny add additional confectioners' sugar.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour before applying to cookies or cake.  (I added this frosting to an icing bag fitted with a Wilton 2D star tip).

My schedule has been crazy and I'd hoped to get this out early today with another post on Wednesday.  With any luck I'll get one last recipe in for Valentine's Day.  If not, I hope you check my past Valentine's Day recipes - you're sure to find something you will like.

Stir-Fry Beef Tenderloin

Do you ever get bored of the dishes you make night after night?  I know I do.  Even though I cook a lot, I still tend to repeat the dishes my family gravitates to until they get boring.  So tonight I decided on stir-fry, a dish I blogged about back in 2010, but thought I'd share it again.

When I make stir-fry I serve it on top of brown rice, raw spinach or some variety of lettuce. Tonight I felt like a plate of veggies so I served it on top of raw spinach. I'm sure this would taste delicious and be healthy over barley, quinoa or any other grain you like -  be creative!

The key when making stir-fry is to mise en place your ingredients, so they're ready when it's time to toss into your wok. Since stir-frying is a quick process, this alleviates any mistakes, and overcooking.

Be sure your flame is high, and use an oil with a high smoke point such as canola, peanut or grapeseed oil. If possible use a heavy flat bottom wok, allowing a larger surface area to come in contact with the heat,  rather than a round-bottom wok.

Stir-fry can be made with beef, chicken, fish or all vegetables, even tofu.  However, this evening I purchased beef tenderloin and used veggies I had on hand to add to the mix. If you're not a fan of the veggies I selected, use those that appeal to you and your family.

Leftovers can be warmed up the next day and wrapped into a tortilla, adding spinach, or your favorite grain, making for a delicious and hearty lunch.

Note: Before preparing this dish be sure to read the directions at least two times, familiarizing yourself with each step.   This dish is simple to prepare.  Mise en Place is key!

Stir-Fry Beef Tenderloin

Ingredients:

1 pound beef tenderloin
1 tablespoon heavy soy sauce
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon rice wine (Mirin)
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 pound mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
3 whole green onions
4 asparagus spears
baby carrots, large handful
3 tablespoons cooking oil (I use canola)

Seasonings:

3 cloves garlic, minced or 1 1/2 teaspoons jarred roasted garlic
1 tablespoons minced ginger, optional

Sauce:

1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons rice wine (Mirin)
1 tablespon thin soy sauce (I used low sodium soy)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mise en Place:

Cut beef into 1/4 inch rectangular slices about 1/2 inch wide and 1 inch long.
In a bowl combine the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice wine, and sesame oil. Blend well and set aside to marinate for at least 15 minutes but no longer than 8 hours, refrigerated. Set aside the remaining 1/4 cup of rice wine.

Trim stems off mushrooms and slice into 1/4 inch pieces. Cut green onion on a diagonal into 1-inch long pieces. Cut the same with the asparagus. Slice baby carrots in half lengthwise. Combine all veggies together on a plate and set aside.

Combine the seasonings if using both and set aside until ready to use. In a separate bowl combine the sauce ingredients and set aside.

Cooking Instructions:

Place the wok over the highest heat. When the wok becomes very hot, add 2 tablespoons of the cooking oil. Roll the oil around the wok and when the oil starts to smoke, add the beef. Stir and toss the beef until it loses its raw exterior color, about 2 minutes. Then slide beef onto a plate and set aside.

Immediately return the wok to the highest heat. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, and the Seasonings. Stir-fry the Seasonings for about 5 seconds, then add vegetables until they brighten in color. This should only take about 3 minutes.
Just after adding the veggies add the 1/4 cup of rice wine, this will help the veggies to soften more quickly giving them a richer flavor and stir.

Stir the Sauce, and then pour it into the wok. Return the beef to the wok. Stir and toss until all the ingredients are glazed with the sauce and thickened.

Transfer stir-fry immediately to a serving platter. Place on top of spinach, lettuce or grains.

Enjoy!!!

Meyer Lemon Curd Cheesecake!

I can't wait for spring to arrive, and nothing feels more like spring to me than Meyer Lemon Curd.  When I was younger the word curd sounded disgusting to me, so I never tried it.  Of course, once older, I found it to be quite tasty.  I could eat it with a spoon.

Have you ever tried lemon, lime or strawberry curd?  If you haven't please try my recipe.  Lemon curd, especially made with Meyer Lemons, is heavenly eaten straight off the spoon, on crackers, in trifles, layered in cakes, sandwiched in macarons or even as I made today - on top of cheesecake.

Meyer Lemons although still sour, are less acidic than a regular lemon.  Since they are part of the Mandarin Orange family they're a bit sweeter with a smoother skin, similar in color to the Mandarin Orange. Meyer Lemons can be used in place of any recipe calling for regular lemons.

The cheesecake recipe below is one I've been making since my college days - quite some time ago!  Back in those days, I would often make it for a restaurant that was in the town of Lawrence, Kansas where I went to college - University of Kansas.  However, for the life of me I can't recall the name of the restaurant, but was thrilled to make my cheesecake for them.  

My cheesecake has no crust!  I know, you're thinking - "what, NO CRUST!"  My husband only likes cheesecake for the crust, but honestly, this cheesecake is so delicious it doesn't need any - it's New York style.  Back then I'd top it with blueberries which was my favorite.  

I have to admit since we eat heart-healthy as often as possible, I haven't made this recipe in some 20 years.  Let's face it, six 8 ounce packages of cream cheese with heavy cream isn't exactly heart-healthy, but it's delicious and a wonderful dessert for Easter, Passover or a special occasion.

I hope you'll try it.  I'd suggest preparing both Meyer Lemon curd and cheesecake the day before, refrigerate, then combine both together the next day, and serve.  

For a variation on this same recipe: Pour 1/2 the cheesecake mixture into your springform pan, then half lemon curd - swirl with a knife.  Then add remaining cheesecake mixture, and lemon curd, swirling once again.  This method will give the cheesecake a beautiful marbled effect and lemon flavor throughout the cake.

For my Meyer Lemon Curd Cheesecake recipe, read below.........

Meyer Lemon Curd Cheesecake
serves 8-10 people

Cheesecake

Ingredients:

6 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
6 eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

• Using a mixer, cream the cream cheese.  With mixer still running:
• add sugar
• add eggs, two at a time
• vanilla, then whipping cream.

Pour cream cheese mixture into a 9 inch springform pan coated with non-stick spray.Lay a square sheet of parchment, sprayed with non-stick spray, over the base.  Leave enough overhang so the parchment is hanging out of the bottom.  (This will make for easy removal once cooked).

Bake in a preheated 450F degree oven for 45 minutes.  After the 45 minutes, turn oven off leaving cheesecake in oven for an additional 1 hour.  During that hour DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR! 

Refrigerate overnight.

Meyer Lemon Curd

makes 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest (zest of 3 lemons)

2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

3 large whole eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (juice of 3 lemons)

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients together in a large metal or heat resistant glass bowl
• Place bowl over pot of simmering water.  Cook, whisking frequently until curd is very thick - approximately 20-25 minutes.  (pudding consistency)
• Strain, discarding zest, then cover and chill curd completely.

Assemble:

Remove cheesecake from springform pan.  Carefully remove parchment from bottom of cheesecake and place on serving platter.  

Top with chilled Meyer Lemon Curd and serve.

Note:  Although this cheesecake needs no crust, if you can't imagine yours without, then by all means add a crust.

For another great recipe using Meyer Lemons, try my Meyer Lemon Tart with a Layer of Chocolate. 

Enjoy!!!

Grilled Sea Bass over Vegetable Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

I've been craving vegetables, in anticipation of spring.  So when I went over to Whole Foods Market the other day I couldn't resist.  In my opinion, there isn't a more beautiful selection of produce anywhere.  Their displays of brightly colored fresh produce is spectacular.  

Walking through the produce isles I gathered up a few things I thought might be tasty for a salad to set fresh fish on.   Corn on the cob, avocados, tomatoes, red onion, orange pepper, mango, cilantro and although I wanted cucumbers, my daughter is allergic to them.  I wanted raw veggies, otherwise, I would have selected a slew of different items to roast, but this was perfect.  Of course, the corn would go on the grill along with the fish I selected.

I had hoped for some Halibut but they were out, so I opted for the Sea Bass, a mild buttery fish that has always been a favorite of mine.

I headed home to whip up a healthy dish for my husband, daughter and myself.

This dish was so simple to prepare and since our kitchen cabinets are in the process of being repainted, space was limited, but it wasn't an issue. 

After washing and slicing my salad ingredients, I whipped up a Cilantro Vinaigrette, and popped the corn and fish onto the grill.  We enjoyed springtime on a plate, and it was delicious!

I hope you'll try this recipe.  If you're not a fan of fish, and I know many of you aren't, then add grilled chicken or even tofu if you're vegan.  This dish won't disappoint you.

Grilled Sea Bass over Vegetable Salad with Cilantro Vinaigrette

serves 4

4 (6-8 oz.) pieces of Sea Bass

Grill Sea Bass for approximately 20 minutes or until flesh separates easily when knife is inserted.

******************

4 Ears Corn, husk removed, brushed with olive oil, grilled, remove kernels & add to salad

2 Avocado's, diced (drizzle with lime juice to prevent browning)

16 oz. grape tomatoes (yellow and red if available), sliced in half

1 small red onion, finely diced

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed (this removes the excess salt)

1 ripe Mango, diced

1 orange bell pepper, fine dice

Add ingredients to a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cilantro Vinaigrette

1/3 cup unseasoned Rice Vinegar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 - 2 canned chipotle chile's in adobo

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

1 cup, tightly packed cilantro, with leaves & stems left on

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Add all ingredients to blender and process until the vinaigrette is smooth.  Check for seasoning.

Note: You can substitute lime olive oil, smokey chipotle or jalapeno olive oil in place of the extra-virgin olive oil for a little more pizazz.

Vinaigrette will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.  

To Serve:

Place a large spoonful of the vegetable salad on each plate, center fish on top and drizzle Cilantro Vinaigrette over the top.

Enjoy!!

Roasted Beet Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Last week my husband and I decided to take a few days off and fly to Arizona to escape the Midwest weather, and get some much needed rest and relaxation. We enjoyed our time, sleeping in, exercising, having some spa treatments and eating out.

My husband isn't much into trying new foods but he was a trooper this time, and let me make all the selections.  All the restaurants we dined at were superb, but St. Francis was at the top of our list.  

When we first drove up, my husband said, "I hate this restaurant already."  Why?  It took too long to get there due to traffic, and he didn't like the parking arrangements.  OK!  I thought the place looked great.  Casual, yet trendy, with a relaxed atmosphere.  The menu had a wide selection, each with a twist.  

My husband was starved, so he ordered the Pork Chile Verde for an appetizer thinking I'd have some, but I had my eye on the Beet Salad instead.  Plus, he ordered the Roasted Chicken.  Of course, his eyes were bigger than his stomach, but he loved both dishes.  In fact, he couldn't stop raving about the roasted garlic sauce on the chicken.  He even complained to me when they brought it since it had capers on it (he dislikes capers), but after trying it, said the sauce made them taste good.  Hurrah!!!  I had the Beet Salad and Roasted Salmon Superfood.  Everything was incredible, even the wine was perfect.  We were so stuffed we had no room for dessert.  

After coming back to St. Louis all I could think of was that beet salad.  St. Francis used tiny, whole golden beets that were purchased from a local market in Phoenix.  I went to Whole Foods hoping to find some, but only found the larger golden beets, so opted for those. 

If you've never roasted beets before, don't be intimidated by them.   They're so simple to prepare, delicious and highly nutritious! You can read about them in a post I wrote back in March of 2012 here.  However, you do need to be careful with red beets, they tend to stain your fingers and everything they touch, but not golden beets.  Plus they're so sweet and flavorful - I could eat them plain.

For this recipe I made one batch of beets just enough for my family. There are so many wonderful ways to serve them, plus they're colorful & beautiful - they'd make a lovely presentation for your dinner guests.  Here are a couple ways I've served beets that you might like to duplicate.

In my opinion, if you're making a beet salad, be sure to serve it with arugula - it makes all the difference in the world.  The peppery flavor of the arugula goes perfect with beets.  Here's my recipe, I hope you like it.....

Roasted Beet Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Roasted Beets (1 beet per person), sliced

Arugula

Avocado, diced

slivered almonds

shaved red onions

Clementines, segmented

Plate salad individually for each person with a small amount of arugula, sliced beets, followed by remaining ingredients.  Top lightly with citrus vinaigrette. 

Citrus Vinaigrette

4 Tbsp. Blood Orange Olive Oil

2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed Clementine juice

1/2 tsp. agave nectar (see Health Benefits)

1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard

salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and drizzle lightly over Beet Salad.

Enjoy!!!