Black Bean and Onion Dip

1 tbsp olive oil

2 med chopped onions

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tbsp chopped parsley

Heat oil over medium heat and saute onions until golden.

Put all ingredients in to a food processor or blender, process until smooth.

Eat.

Coconut Crab and Shrimp Salad

1/2 pound medium shrimp, cooked and coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup diced peeled avocado
1/2 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed (I use imitation)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
6 cups torn Boston lettuce (I use Romaine)
1/3 cup flaked sweetened coconut, toasted

Combine corn, onion, cilantro, avocado, crabmeat, and jalapeno in a medium bowl. Gently stir in the shrimp. Combine juice, oil, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle juice mixture over shrimp mixture, toss gently to coat. Divide lettuce among each of 4 plates, top with shrimp mixture. Sprinkle evenly with toasted coconut.

From Cooking Light.

Sauerkraut Balls

Filling:
1 cup pork sausage
1/4 cup minced onions
1 pound can of sauerkraut, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Coating:
1/4 cup flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup breadcrumbs

Brown the pork sausage and minced onions on the stovetop until meat is cooked. Drain, then combine with remaining filling ingredients. Refrigerate until cool.

When you're ready to work, divide the mixture into two batches. Keep one bowl in the fridge, then when the batch you're working with has gotten too warm to form proper balls, switch them out and use the cooler portion.

Prepare three small bowls: 1) flour, 2) eggs and milk, and 3) breadcrumbs.

Form into small balls, roll in flour, then eggs and milk, then breadcrumbs. Deep fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving.

Cowboy Caviar

1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (up to 2 teaspoons, to taste)
1 medium avocado, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup scallions (both white and green parts), sliced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
11 ounces cooked corn kernels, drained
15 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained

Place the red wine vinegar, hot sauce, olive oil, garlic, and black pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Set the dressing aside.

Place the black beans, corn, avocado, tomatoes, scallions, and cilantro in a large mixing bowl and gently stir to combine. Pour the dressing on top and stir just enough to coat.

Spoon the salsa into a glass, plastic, or stainless steel serving bowl and refrigerate, covered ,until ready to serve.

Monkey Bars

1/2 cup raisins
1 1/2 Tbsp dark rum or apple juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup mashed ripe bananas
3 tablespoons low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
Cooking spray
1 tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the raisins and rum in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at high for 1 minute, and set aside. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, level with a knife. Combine flour and the next 3 ingredients (flour through salt) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Set aside.

Combine brown sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add banana and next 3 ingredients (banana through egg whites), beating well. Add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in raising mixture and walnuts.

Spread the batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden. Cool the bars completely on a wire rack. After bars have cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

From Cooking Light

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

My friend Mindy Amberg gave me this recipe. These cookies are ridiculously good.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups quick cooking oats

6 tbsp. butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup smooth peanut butter
5 tbsp. cream or milk

In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter, 1 cup peanut butter, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add eggs and beat well.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir. Add oatmeal and stir.

Depending on the size of the cookies you want, drop by teaspoons or rounded tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. (I use tablespoons.) Press each mound down with a fork to form 1/4-inch thick cookies. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes (or less for softer cookies), until they are a light brown.

Cream 6 tbsp. butter with the confectioners' sugar, 1 cup peanut butter, and the cream. Spread filling onto half of the cooled cookies, then top with the other half to form sandwiches.

Homemade Oreos

This recipe is from Smitten Kitchen, which features glorious food photographs and a witty narrator.

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies

For the chocolate wafers:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar (to taste: less sugar = more like real oreos)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

Pastry-Wrapped Brie with Raspberries

1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1/4 cup fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed
1 13.2 ounce Baby Brie cheese (about 6 to 7 inches in diameter)
1 large egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir preserves, berries, and rosemary in small bowl to blend. Season berry mixture with black pepper to taste.

Roll out pastry on lightly floured surface to 12-inch square. Cut top rind off cheese; discard rind (or, as I do, eat it). Place cheese, rindless side up, in center of pastry. Spoon raspberry mixture onto cheese. Fold pastry on two opposites sides over cheese. Brush remaining two sides of pastry with glaze. Fold over cheese; press seams to seal. Brush pastry with glaze; place on baking sheet.

Bake cheese until pastry is deep golden brown (top of pastry may split open), about 30 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes. Serve with crackers, baguette slices, and grapes.

From Bon Appetit, March 2001

Blue Cheese Ball

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, softened
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
small can of sliced black olives, drained

Mix together and chill for an hour. Divide in half and form each portion into a ball. Roll them in chopped walnuts. I like to serve this with Triscuits Thin Crisps.

Asian Noodle Salad

Salad:
1 pound coleslaw mix (pre-shredded cabbage and carrots; available in packaged salad aisle)
1 package ramen noodles, crushed
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Dressing:
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup oil
ramen noodle seasoning packet
1 Tbsp green onions
1/2 cup sugar

Roast sunflower seeds and almonds and combine in medium bowl with coleslaw mix and crushed ramen noodles. In small bowl, combine vinegar, oil, seasoning packet, green onions, and sugar. Immediately before serving, pour dressing over salad and mix well. You can lighten this up by substituting Splenda - no one will know the difference.

Broccoli Salad

Salad:
4 cups broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup onions, chopped
8 slices bacon, crumbled
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Dressing:
3/4 cup mayonnaise (I use Miracle Whip)
2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Mix salad ingredients and dressing in separate bowls and combine just before serving. You can lighten it up by substituting turkey bacon, reduced-fat cheese, light Miracle Whip, and Splenda.

Cinnamon Stewed Apples

6 cups chopped peeled Granny Smith Apples (about 2 lbs)

1/4 cup apple juice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients in a large, heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat 45 minutes or until apple is tender, stirring occasionally. Let stand 5 minutes.

Beer Bread

3 cups flour

3 tbsp sugar

4 tbsp active dry yeast

2 12oz beers

oil or nonstick cooking spray

loaf pan

Combine flour, sugar, and yeast. drink half of one beer, pour the remaining beer and a half into the flour mixture and mix well. coat loaf pan with oil or nonstick spray, dump dough into pan. place pan onto stove top or in a warm location. set oven to 350 degrees.  after twenty minutes place loaf pan into oven and bake bread for 40-45 minutes. when finished baking, cool loaf in pan.

Bruschetta

2 large tomatoes (6 roma tomatoes)

6-8 fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Seed and finely chop tomatoes.  Finely chop basil and garlic, combine with tomatoes.  Add oil and vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.  Serve on or with toasted bread.  

Tapenade

2 cups Kalamata Olives

2 tbsp capers

2 chopped cloves garlic

Pit olives, or buy pitted (but double check them, I have found pits the hard way)

Dump into food processor.  

Add capers and garlic, process until a consistency you like.