Lamb Kabobs

We were having some pretty nice weather around here circa Thanksgiving and I thought it'd be fun to do something different than the usual burgers or more turkey leftovers!! This is great to prep the night ahead or right when you get home because .:*the lamb needs to marinate for a minimum of 2-3 hours*:.

Beth's Grilled Lamb Kabobs

1 lb ground lamb
1/2 a sweet onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
a pinch of kosher salt and some fresh ground pepper
skewers
Combine everything in medium bowl and cover in plastic wrap, refrigerate 2-3 hours.
Form long patties that are equal in thickness. Oil the grill surface so the lamb does not stick. Grill over medium heat about 4-5 minutes each side, flipping once with a spatula or plastic tongs (don't pull them by the stick!).

Serve with warm pita bread and hummus~

Hummus
1 15 oz garbanzo beans (1/2 the liquid set aside) drained & rinsed
1 Tbsp tahini paste
Squeeze 1/2 a lemon (about 2 Tbsp) lemon juice
Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp olive oil

Combine all in the food processor, add reserve garbanzo bean juice to achieve desired texture. Refrigerate, covered with saran wrap at least 1 hour before serving.

Also yummy with my Cucumber Salad

Swampy Spinach Dip~ Halloween Party Recipes

This was another Halloween party treat, there is no real slime involved! This is a very basic recipe for a cold spinach dip, with a little green food dye, helping to bring a little veggie love to the fiesta. I served this with bread, carrots, celery and red bell peppers... I would make this again with out the dye (swampyness) because it was a really great dip!! I know this is a few weeks late, but I'm feeling pretty productive getting it up before Thanksgiving! More Halloween fun to come!!

This recipe is courtesy of All Recipes, click the link for the original recipe.

Here's my "Swampy Party" version...
Serves 30-40
1 1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 16 oz. container sour cream
2 1.8 oz) package dry leek soup mix
1 8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
Fresh cracked black pepper (just a bit to taste)
Green food dye- for swampy spookieness

Mix all of the above ingredients in a large bowl and add the food dye until it is the desired color of swampy green. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours to overnight. Serve with chopped Italian bread & veggies like celery, carrots & bell peppers~

Cheesy Bacon Artichoke Party Dip

College football season is officially underway and I am sure by the time I get this posted the NFL season will be in full swing as well. We love football, weather at the Coliseum enjoying our fifth season of USC season tickets, or watching the NFL with friends all Sunday long. I especially love football because it's one of those things that is all about eating, yelling and togetherness!!
We made our way over to a friends house to watch the first USC game of the season at the end of August and I brought this dip (last time I brought the CRACK DIP, and this went just as fast and was very, very yummy.)

I did also make a super simple salad (with cucumber, tomato and loads of avocado so I wasn't just bringing something totally awful health wise).



This was for a group of 8-10
Cheesy Bacon Artichoke Dip~
2 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened to room temperature.
1/2 cup mayo
1 1/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4-5 finely chopped green onions
10 pieces of bacon
1 6.5 ounce jar of artichoke hearts, drained chopped (use a few paper towels to really press/ remove the moisture/oil)
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
black pepper, to taste
a pinch of cayenne pepper
Ritz Crackers (buy a WHOLE box- you're gonna use them!)

Spread a piece of foil over a cookie sheet, place the bacon on the cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until crisp but not burnt...remove cooked bacon to a plate covered in paper towel and cover with more paper towel to remove as much grease as possible- let cool then crumble/ chop into bits for use in the dip.

Using a hand mixer blend the cream cheese and mayo until smooth. Add the shredded cheeses, onions, bacon, artichoke, garlic, cayenne and pepper. Stir all with a spatula or the hand mixer until well combined. Spread in a corning wear or other baking/serving dish and top generously with crushed Ritz crackers.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
(this can also be made a day before, put the mix in baking dish, DO NOT top with crackers, cover and refrigerate) Top with crackers before baking and add about 15-20 additional minutes to baking time.

Serve with crackers and sourdough bread

Grilled Lamb Pita Pockets & Garlic Yogurt Sauce

This summer we drove up to Lake Tahoe for a weekend away and to celebrate a good friends birthday. While we were there we spent nearly 3 hours floating in tubes down the Truckee River and drinking beer in the sun. It was glorious. One of those days that you think couldn't possibly get any better. Then, we got to dinner. A fabulous local had recommended we hit up THE RIVER GRILL, and we were SO glad we listened!! Not only was it a beautiful night out on the patio with the river we'd just floated down moving slowly by, the food was exceptional. I ordered the lamb, which was one of their specials that night and it was the best lamb I'd ever had. A week after we got home I was still craving it, and decided I was going to make something lamb-tastic, even though I'd never cooked lamb before.
Nate picked out these chops and I improvised a marinade and crossed my fingers. We were both happy with how this turned out and look forward to making it again and marinating it longer (we only had time to do about an hour).
Nate also wants to do homemade pita bread the next time we make this- so stay tuned!



Grilled Lamb Chops
1 package of lamb chops
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp/cloves chopped garlic
2-3 T olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp thyme


Mix the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin and thyme in a medium bowl.
Place the lamb on a large plate (or baking pyrex)and massage the spice mixture all over it. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator at least one hour and up to 8 hours.

Over medium heat, grill the marinated lamb chops 3 minutes then flip it, grill another 3 minutes and remove from heat. (for medium rare)

Let sit 3-5 minutes before slicing up.




Garlic Yogurt Sauce
1/2 of a large container of fat-free plain yogurt
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 T olive oil
3 tsp raw sesame seeds
Kosher salt (about 1 tsp)
1 Tbsp Dill

In a small skillet over medium low heat cook the oil and seeds, stirring pretty constantly for about 5-6 minutes (until golden brown but not burnt) add the garlic and satuee 2 more minutes. Place the yogurt in a medium saucepan over medium low heat and add the salt and dill, stir in the garlic, seeds and oil, whisking/ stirring until smooth and well combined. Remove from heat and let cool serve room temp or refrigerated.

Weenie Update.... and a photoless dip

(two weenies ready to go on their first bike ride!)

SO, in addition to our new addition, we have more good weenie news!!

Leela has been accepted to Race in the Weiner Dog Nationals at the Los Alamitos Race Track on Saturday July 19, 2008 WOOOOOHOOOO!! GO LEELA!!!
Click HERE for more information on the races!

Here is a little bit about our new addition; Arthur.
We adopted Arthur from a rescue organization called Dachshund Paws Rescue. He is about 2 years old and from what we can tell, and very lucky to be rescued by the organization! He is working on some pretty intense fear issues (like the terror when the a/c kicks on and makes a noise) but he has made some pretty big progress since joining us last Saturday!
We are very proud of him! He and Leela are getting along very, very well! They like chewing on chewies together, playing chase (Leela's favorite game, which always involves her being chased, not chasing him)and soon we'll take our first family trip to the beach...Just this past weekend we went for our first group bike ride! (See the top photo above, that's their trailer that Nate pulls along the bike trail)



That's about it, they are both good at sitting just outside the kitchen and watching Nate and I cook and bake, so stay tuned for more (food related) updates soon!



Photo-less Dip (so this post is still somewhat food related...)

1 8oz block of light cream cheese, softened (room temp)
1 small container of light sour cream
1 15oz can of black beans drained & rinsed
1 15oz can of sweet corn, drained & rinsed
2 handfuls of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 small jar of medium heat salsa
Seasoning to taste with black pepper, cayenne, and a few dashes of hot sauce!

Combine the cream cheese, sour cream, spices and salsa in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer until well combined. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir in the beans, then the corn, then the shredded cheese. Serve with chips, crackers, carrots, or whatever! It is super easy and super yummy!!!

Buffalo Chicken Strips

I've been looking forward to making these for a loooooong time! I first saw this brilliant twist on boneless buffalo goodness on Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations last year. I am still dying to try the blue cheese orzo she made as a side dish, because it sounds INCREDIBLE!!! As mentioned in previous posts and in everyday conversation when ever I get a chance to work it in there, I LOVE BUFFALO WINGS!!!! Seriously. I think I could be in a wing-eating contest and seriously put some LARGE MEN to shame. Nate and I have been working on keeping our weeknight eating on the healthy tip as much as possible, and I was thrilled when I got home from the gym last week and realized I had all the ingredients to make this SUPER EASY, and mucho delicious dinner, full of buffalo-y-goodness!!!

Baked Buffalo Chicken Strips
Adapted from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations (see link above)
Measurements are approximate

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 c bread crumbs
2-3 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
pinch of Kosher Salt
Black pepper to taste
1 bottle FRANK'S RED HOT Hot sauce

Place the chicken strips in a large freezer bag and cover liberally with hot sauce.
Marinate in the refrigerator 1-4 hours. In a medium bowl mix the bread crumbs, cayenne, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Pre-heat oven to 425.
Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Using a fork, remove the strips from the hot sauce one at a time and coat with the bread crumb and spice mix. Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes flipping half way through. I didn't have enough hot sauce left to coat the strips after baking, but I drizzled a bit over them. I love dunking my wings in blue cheese or ranch dressing, but that kind of kills the purpose of making a healthier version of these buffalo goodies. So, I like to use 1/2-3/4 c. of either non-fat plain yogurt or non-fat sour cream (which ever is on hand) and mix in 1-2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese, a pinch of salt, a little black pepper, and a dash of the Franks red-hot sauce This makes a slightly "lighter" dipping sauce :)

Fresh Salsa & Guacamole

I love dips, especially when planing a menu for entertaining. Most are usually pretty quick and easy to make and are always a fantastic addition to the other munchies you're making. These are pretty much my usual go-to salsa & guacamole recipes that I've been using for a long time. I made these for a party so they are scaled for a group of 15+, but can be made in lil batches too.

Party Salsa
8 large firm Roma tomatoes
1 large sweet onion
about 1/4 of a bunch of cilantro
1 large jalapeno (seeds & most of membrane removed, leave a little for some heat)
1-2 chopped cloves of garlic
1/2-1 tsp Kosher salt
Juice of 1 lime
a dash or two of hot sauce

Chop tomato, onion, cilantro, jalapeno and place in a large bowl. Add garlic, salt and lime juice. Stir well and refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.



Guacamole
8 ripe avocados, cut into small pieces
1/2 chopped sweet white onion
1 jalapeno, most of membrane & seeds removed, finely chopped
1 tsp hot sauce
salt to taste
lemon juice from 1 lemon
1/4 of a bunch of cilantro chopped

Place avocados, onion, hot sauce, 1/2 lemon juice, cilantro, hot sauce and salt into a bowl. Mix with a potato masher until well combined, add a little more lemon juice but don't let the guac get too mushy. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

These are soooo delicious, and yet another reason why the crock pot is so fantastic. This is an old recipe that comes from my mom's favorite crock pot cookbook Crock It, By:Barbara Murray I'm looking forward to trying more recipes from this book, but I don't own it yet, I just call my mom and have her read me recipes. ;) It is on my "purchase ASAP list". We had these yummy French Dip Sandwiches at my mom's house not too long ago, I had been thinking about making them ever since, especially because this recipe is much better in a 5.5 qt crock pot than in the 2.5 qt crock pot I rocked until this Christmas ;)



Crock pot French Dip Sandwiches
Source : Crock It Cookbook by Barbara Murray
Serves 4-6

3 lb boneless beef chuck roast
1 pkg Mushroom/onion soup mix
1 10oz can of beef broth + 1 can of H2O
French rolls or sour dough bread

In a medium bowl whisk together the broth, water and soup mix. Trim any excess fat off of the meat. Add meat to crock pot, then pour broth & soup over it.
Cook on low 6-8 hours. Remove meat to a large bowl or plate using a slotted spoon. Use two forks to shred up the meat & remove any excess fat. Toast the bread and make sandwiches with the beef (we added some horseradish to them) serve with a bowl of the au jus from the crock pot for dippin'.

Eliza's Pork & Apples~ Two Ways...

Pork, apples, sweet onion, honey mustard...this is one yummy dish! A special thanks to Eliza, who hooked up this recipe. Which, to be honest is a Crock Pot recipe that I ended up making in the oven this time! Hence, "two ways" this can be made in the crock pot or in a corning ware in the oven.

Eliza's Crock Pot Pork w/ Apples & Beth's oven version

2 large apples peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1 large sweet onion
2-3 lb boneless rolled pork roast or pork tri-tip
honey mustard (Beaver Honey Mustard is highly recommended!!)
salt pepper
1 T cornstarch
2 T water

In the crockpot lay down the cut apples and chopped onions. Cover the roast in honey mustard and salt and pepper to your liking. Place the roast on top of the apples and onions and cook on low for 7-8 hours. When roast is finished, in a pot, wisk together the cornstarch and water. Remove the roast from the crockpot and keep warm. Add apples, onions, and all juices to the cornstarch and water and stir over medium flame until it boils and thickens.
Slice the pork roast and cover with the thickened sauce.

I used 3 apples (2 golden delicious and one honeycrisp and left the peels on, and used a pork tenderloin because it was what I had on hand, and of course 'round here the only honey mustard we use is the BEAVER. I placed the apples & onions in a corningwear and the tenderloin on top, covered in mustard and baked at 350 for about 45 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 160 (med-well) to 170 (well). Then removed the tenderloin onto a plate, poured the corningwear contents into a sauce pot and followed sauce thickening directions above.




We served it with a steamed artichoke and homemade applesauce for desert. For artichoke Dippin I mixed 2 spoonfulls of mayo with 2 spoonfulls of light sour cream and 1 spoonfull of crushed roasted garlic (from a jar- don't tell Nate! :) It was delicious and I can't wait to make it again! I'll post the recipe followed propperly/ the crock pot method next time!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I have been dying to try this ever since I saw the recipe over a month ago. It's also known as "Crack Dip" because it is truly addictive!
I am a wing-girl, I LOVE buffalo wings! AND I love cheese, so there was really no going wrong here.
It was even better than I imagined and a huge hit at a friends house for the USC game yesterday. I can't wait to make it again. YUM!
Here is the link to the recipe on the What's Cooking Blog

1 lb Boiled Chicken (I used boneless skinless chicken breast chopped up into little bits then boiled & drained)
8 oz (1 cup) Franks Original Red Hot Sauce
8 oz (1 cup) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
8 oz crumbled Blue Cheese
8 oz Shredded Cheddar cheese (I used Tillamook Medium Cheddar)
16 oz softened cream cheese

Prepare Chicken. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl mix all ingredients until well blended. Pour into a corning wear or other medium sized baking dish, cover and bake for 40 minutes. Serve Warm with tortilla chips and celery!

Turkey Fajitas & Guac

This week we went to our local farmers market for the first time. It was still open when we got home from work Tuesday night so we walked over there with Leela and scoped it out. I still had red bell peppers and a maui sweet onion from our excursion so I thought fajitas would be good. I found this recipe on Foodnetwork.com and modified it only slightly.
I also made some brown rice and guacamole and our friends brougt over chips & beans and it was really good!
Food Network Recipe





3 tablespoons canola oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound skinless, boneless turkey breast, cut into thin strips
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 dashes cayenne pepper
6 large red leaf lettuce leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
4 ounces shredded Colby Jack cheese, Monterey Jack, or Cheddar
1/4 cup sour cream
Equipment: toothpicks
Heat the oil in large skillet over high heat. Add the onion, peppers, and garlic and cook, stirring, until slightly softened. Add the turkey, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.
Spoon a couple tablespoons of the turkey mixture on the inside of a lettuce leaf, top with a tablespoon of cheese and a dollop of sour cream, and roll up like a burrito. Close with toothpicks. Repeat to make 6 wraps total.
Serve with salsa picante and guacamole, if desired.

*here's what I changed;
(first I noticed they include cilantro as an ingredient then...never mention it in the instruction...anyhow...)
I used Olive Oil and sauteed the onions, bell peppers (I used 2 red instead of 1 red one green), cilantro and garlic- then set aside and covered.
Then satueed turkey and spcies (using Misto Olive Oil sprtizer a bit while stirring)
I served it with warm tortillias (instead of lettuce wraps)topped with guacamole and sour cream with refried beans and brown rice & chips on the side.





Guacamole- winged it;
3 ripe avacados
1/4 chopped maui sweet onion
Lemon juice (squeezed most of the juice of one small-med lemon)
1 finely chopped jalapeno
a few pinches of chopped cilantro
pinch of kosher salt
dash (or two)hot sauce
spoonfull of sour cream

Mix & serve... (and usually cover an refridgerate about an hour befoer serving, but we ate it right away)