Well, as I am sure you can tell from the dates on this blog, I have not been posting. Please forgive me, gentle reader. I was feeling really strange last month and thought it was just stress, so I took some time to relax and cut out anything extra, such as this blog. It didn't help, so I ended up going to the doctor and found out I have hyperthyroidism - basically, my body's metabolism is going WAY too fast. Thankfully the doctor put me on some medicine and I am starting to feel better now. One upside to the condition (kidding here, of course) is that I can eat whatever I want and still lose weight!
My dear friend Liz sent me a request for a recipe I used to bring to potlucks occassionally - Seven Layer Dip... or as my Mom used to call it "Bean Plate." Which sounds awful, but is a pretty accurate and concise description of the dish.
Seven Layer Dip (Bean Plate)
1 can refried beans
1 small container sour cream
1 can salsa
shredded lettuce
2 cups (or more) shredded cheese
1 chopped tomato
2 or 3 green onions, chopped
One bag of tortilla chips
Layer all of the ingredients, starting with the refried beans and ending with the onions in a oblong cake pan or any other pan or plate you might like. Serve with tortilla chips.
Variation: leave off the lettuce and add guacamole... or add taco meat, or whatever you like on tacos - make it 10 layer dip if you like!
Showing posts with label appetizers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label appetizers. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Serendipity and Pizza Snacks
Serendipity is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as "the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for."
Sometimes things that shouldn't combine well combine so well it is surprising. And the result ends up being a much greater than the sum of its parts.
Most of my really great friendships are like this. My friend Liz and I became friends in high school because we were both involved in the speech team... and both of us had good personal hygiene, which was more than could be said about most of our teammates. We figured it was in both of our best interests to become friends so we could share a room on trips and not suffer through body odor. She thought I was kind of weird, I thought she was kind of preppy. Turns out we had a lot more in common than we thought. A great number of the great adventures in my life have involved Liz. We were roommates and party girls in Las Vegas for a few years, we were in each other's weddings. Somehow we even ended up living in Missouri at the same time (her husband, a Marine, was stationed here, and my husband's family lives here, too!) I also had the great privilege of being present when her son Caleb was born. After twenty (twenty??) years and several states, we are still the best of friends. And all we were looking for was someone who wore deodorant!!
Well, onto the topic of food... (you knew I would get around to it, didn't you?) My Grandpa used to make these wonderful little appetizers called Pizza Snacks. I loved them until I learned the recipe. The recipe involves ingredients I would never combine with each other - rye bread, Mexican Velveeta, and hot sausage... It was just weird.
But they sure taste good. Even though they don't have much in common with Pizza. I never have figured out why they are called Pizza Snacks. I guess I should just stop thinking about it and just enjoy it for what it is... Serendipity.
Pizza Snacks
1 lb hot pork sausage
1 lb ground beef
1 lb mild Mexican Velveeta cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 loaf of party rye, sliced.
Cook meat together, drain well. Add cheese and seasoning, mixing well until cheese is melted. Spread mixture on party rye. Bake at 400 degrees until centers bubble, about 10 minutes.
To freeze: do not bake. Freeze snacks on a tray, once frozen pack in Ziploc bags. 15 minutes before serving, place frozen snacks on a lightly greased cookie sheet and heat in a 400 degree oven until centers bubble. Serve hot.
Sometimes things that shouldn't combine well combine so well it is surprising. And the result ends up being a much greater than the sum of its parts.
Most of my really great friendships are like this. My friend Liz and I became friends in high school because we were both involved in the speech team... and both of us had good personal hygiene, which was more than could be said about most of our teammates. We figured it was in both of our best interests to become friends so we could share a room on trips and not suffer through body odor. She thought I was kind of weird, I thought she was kind of preppy. Turns out we had a lot more in common than we thought. A great number of the great adventures in my life have involved Liz. We were roommates and party girls in Las Vegas for a few years, we were in each other's weddings. Somehow we even ended up living in Missouri at the same time (her husband, a Marine, was stationed here, and my husband's family lives here, too!) I also had the great privilege of being present when her son Caleb was born. After twenty (twenty??) years and several states, we are still the best of friends. And all we were looking for was someone who wore deodorant!!
Well, onto the topic of food... (you knew I would get around to it, didn't you?) My Grandpa used to make these wonderful little appetizers called Pizza Snacks. I loved them until I learned the recipe. The recipe involves ingredients I would never combine with each other - rye bread, Mexican Velveeta, and hot sausage... It was just weird.
But they sure taste good. Even though they don't have much in common with Pizza. I never have figured out why they are called Pizza Snacks. I guess I should just stop thinking about it and just enjoy it for what it is... Serendipity.
Pizza Snacks
1 lb hot pork sausage
1 lb ground beef
1 lb mild Mexican Velveeta cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 loaf of party rye, sliced.
Cook meat together, drain well. Add cheese and seasoning, mixing well until cheese is melted. Spread mixture on party rye. Bake at 400 degrees until centers bubble, about 10 minutes.
To freeze: do not bake. Freeze snacks on a tray, once frozen pack in Ziploc bags. 15 minutes before serving, place frozen snacks on a lightly greased cookie sheet and heat in a 400 degree oven until centers bubble. Serve hot.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Chicken Wings 500 Ways
I love is chicken wings... My friend Melanie got me hooked on them many years ago. They are the perfect food for parties, those little bite sized peices of meat become the vehicle for whatever flavor you want to go for - Asian, Mediterranean, Buffalo, barbeque, jerk, Hawiian... whatever you like it goes on chicken wings.
Most people fry their wings, but I prefer to marinate them, then bake at around 400 degrees for ten minutes, flip them and go for another ten minutes. Then I throw them into a sauce of choice and back into the oven to broil (not bake) for another five minutes. The high heat makes the skins nice and crispy, and the sauces make them taste wonderful.
Here are some of my favorite marinades - unfortunately, I don't measure these out, so feel free to play around with the proportions. Marinate them overnight for the best flavor.
Buffalo Wings: marinate in buttermilk, garlic salt, and a couple dashes of hot sauce. Once you bake them, spin them in melted butter and Louisiana hot sauce. I dip them again after they come out from under the broiler.
Asian wings: marinate in 1/2 a can of good ginger ale and a couple tablespoons of soy sauce. Spin them in a decent teriyaki sauce after they are done baking.
Mediterranean/Italian wings: marinate in balsamic vinegar, red wine, olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, basil, and oregano. Divide the marinade in half and keep the second half for the wings when they are done baking. Add parmesan cheese to the second half of the marinade.
And the list goes on and on. These are also good cooked on a grill and then spun in sauce.
If anyone comes up with any combinations they like, please feel free to post them in the comments!
Most people fry their wings, but I prefer to marinate them, then bake at around 400 degrees for ten minutes, flip them and go for another ten minutes. Then I throw them into a sauce of choice and back into the oven to broil (not bake) for another five minutes. The high heat makes the skins nice and crispy, and the sauces make them taste wonderful.
Here are some of my favorite marinades - unfortunately, I don't measure these out, so feel free to play around with the proportions. Marinate them overnight for the best flavor.
Buffalo Wings: marinate in buttermilk, garlic salt, and a couple dashes of hot sauce. Once you bake them, spin them in melted butter and Louisiana hot sauce. I dip them again after they come out from under the broiler.
Asian wings: marinate in 1/2 a can of good ginger ale and a couple tablespoons of soy sauce. Spin them in a decent teriyaki sauce after they are done baking.
Mediterranean/Italian wings: marinate in balsamic vinegar, red wine, olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, basil, and oregano. Divide the marinade in half and keep the second half for the wings when they are done baking. Add parmesan cheese to the second half of the marinade.
And the list goes on and on. These are also good cooked on a grill and then spun in sauce.
If anyone comes up with any combinations they like, please feel free to post them in the comments!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
