Feta Walnut Dip

Dips are one of those things that I think pretty much everyone likes.  Sure, you may not love them all, but I’m betting you have a favorite.  Spinach artichoke?  Sour cream and onion?  Black bean?  There are just so many good choices – which would explain why I have about 20 different dip recipes waiting to be tried.  And to tell you the truth, there should be several more dip posts on this site.  I’ve made some delicious recipes that I couldn’t wait to tell you about – only I didn’t take the pictures fast enough, and the dips disappeared before I could get the final shots.  I’m going to have to work on that.  It’s all in the planning… and in the hiding of the dip until the pictures have been taken.

When we lived in Cleveland a few years back, this Feta Walnut Dip was my favorite.  It was kind of my signature dip, if you can have such a thing.  I made it when people came over, and I was often asked to bring it to other people’s houses for parties and dinners.  It was my thing.  I made it so often I kind of got tired of it, and I haven’t made it for a few years.  However, I decided it was time to bring it back for New Year’s.  And I’m glad I did, because it went over big.

This dip is big on flavor and small on effort.  All you have to do is toast some walnuts and then toss all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor.  A minute or two later, and you are ready to dig in.  The feta is the star of the show, giving the dip a creamy texture, while the toasted walnuts add richness and a subtle nutty flavor.  A few crushed red pepper flakes help make the dip as spicy (or not) as you want, and a few sprigs of fresh parsley keep things light and fresh.  Blended together, the ingredients in this recipe combine to form the perfect dip for pita bread, crackers or veggies.  It would make a great sandwich spread too.  Give it a try.  It might just become your new “signature” dip.

Cheesy Chicken and Corn Stuffed Peppers

So… hello.  It’s been awhile.  I know I’ve said that before when I’ve disappeared for a week or two - you know, for moving, a dead computer, mono… those sorts of things.  Dropping out of the blogosphere for over a month, however, is pretty much unheard of for me.  I feel like I owe you an explanation.  I don’t normally share super-personal stuff here because, well, it’s super-personal.  But you’ve stuck around.  You kept coming back even when I wasn’t posting.  You didn’t give up on me.  And I appreciate that.  I really do.  So I have a story for you… 

This story starts about 2 and a half months ago, over Labor Day weekend.  While you were out (hopefully) enjoying the long weekend, I was in the hospital having surgery.  Fortunately, everything went well with the surgery.  Unfortunately, I ended up being allergic to the antibiotic they gave me at the hospital.  That one fateful dose resulted in approximately six weeks of allergic reactions.  We’re talking hives, rashes, swollen joints, swollen eye... and that’s in addition to the surgery recovery.  I was a hot mess.  I was also pretty much at a cooking standstill as I wasn’t allowed to bend, lift anything, etc. 

Over the past few weeks, I have returned to the living – and the kitchen.  I am so glad to be back and able to share recipes with you.  Like today’s recipe for Cheesy Chicken and Corn Stuffed Peppers, one of the first things I made when I got back in the kitchen.  These peppers are ridiculously good.  Filled with chicken, corn, cream cheese, salsa, mild green chiles, fresh jalapeno, and two more kinds of cheese, these stuffed peppers are jam-packed with flavor.  They also have great texture from the creamy cheeses, crunchy corn and peppers, and chewy chicken.  And like most of my favorite meals, these stuffed peppers are quick and easy to make.  These peppers welcomed me back into the kitchen, and I’m sure they would be a welcome addition to your table any night of the week.

French Dip Sandwiches au Jus

Like many couples, Stan and I have different ideas about what makes a good meal.  I take more of the foodie approach.  I like variety; I want different flavors and colors and textures.  I like to try new things – even when they take a long time to make and turn our kitchen into a disaster.  I like the process almost as much as the eating.  I also think vegetables are a necessary component of every (non-breakfast) meal. 

Stan, on the other hand, is more of a stereotypical man.  He sees food as fuel.  To him, trying new recipes and experimenting in the kitchen merely delays getting food on the table – and leaves more dishes to wash.  He most certainly does not consider vegetables a necessary part of any meal.  Stan likes meat.  With a side of meat.  And some potatoes.  And ideally, some bread for dipping. 

Considering our different approaches to eating, I feel pretty lucky that Stan will eat pretty much anything I put in front of him, including vegetables.  Since he eats kale, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, and other assorted green food on a regular basis, I like to “reward” him from time to time with a “man meal”.  Like French Dip Sandwiches au Jus. 

When I told Stan I was going to be making French Dip Sandwiches for dinner, he actually got excited about food.  (This is rare unless we’re talking about Doritos.)  When he came home the next night and I was shredding the beef, I actually had to kick him out of the kitchen so he wouldn’t eat all of it before I had a chance to turn it into sandwiches.  (I felt a little guilty about that since I couldn’t stop snacking on the meat myself.)  And then the sandwiches were ready - crusty bread filled with tender, salty, savory beef and sliced provolone cheese with a cup of jus (the beef’s cooking liquid) for dipping.  I even made roasted potatoes to go with the sandwiches. Stan was a happy man.  So happy he didn’t even mind the kale salad.

Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole

I don’t know about you, but after a rough day, I crave comfort food. And when it comes to comfort food, I like it as carb-y and cheesy as possible. Not exactly healthy, I know. But that’s why it’s comfort food, right? I mean come on, who ever wanted carrot sticks and bean sprouts after a hard day? Unless maybe they were tossed in an Asian-inspired dish and smothered in peanut sauce. In which case, sign me up.

But what if comfort food could be healthy(ish) and comforting at the same time? What if you could still satisfy the craving for carbs and cheese and stick-to-your-ribs casseroles without completely destroying your waistline? That would be a good thing right?

I thought so. And so I tried today’s recipe. One, because it looked ridiculously good. And two, because it wasn’t nearly as unhealthy as it would appear at first glance. This casserole is full of good things. Chicken and brown rice and chiles and black beans and corn and salsa. All healthy. Sour cream (I used reduced-fat) makes it a little creamy, and just a little cheese makes it gooey. All you have to do is stir everything together and bake until bubbly.

One bite and I was in love. This Tex-Mex Chicken and Rice Casserole is complete comfort food, but it doesn’t have to be a guilty pleasure. Serve it up with a salad on the side and you’ve got a meal that will comfort your belly… and your conscience.

Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons

In Dayton, Ohio, where I grew up, there’s a well-known steakhouse.  I’ve never actually had a steak from there, but every once in awhile, when we got really lucky, my dad would pick up their burgers on the way home from work.  As I’m sure you can imagine, burgers from a steakhouse are pretty darn good.  However, the burgers weren’t my favorite part of the takeout order. 

What I looked forward to (and often ordered double servings of) were the stewed tomatoes.  They were warm, a little sweet, and a little tangy.  They were also topped with cubes of toasted bread that were crunchy on top and a little soggy where they touched the tomatoes.  Those stewed tomatoes rocked my world.

Unfortunately, I haven’t found anything similar since I moved away.  Surprisingly, it never occurred to me to try to make stewed tomatoes myself.  It wasn’t until I came across today’s recipe for Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons that my cooking wheels started turning.  And then my friend and I made the recipe for lunch one day.  And I nearly fainted – in a good way.

These Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons are warm and bubbly.  The tomatoes are sweet and savory and a little tangy.  The homemade croutons add fantastic texture and crunch.  The Parmesan cheese, while not a part of the tomatoes of my youth, adds a lovely (and I think, optional) richness.  All in all, I’m in love with this recipe.  It reminds me of childhood and takeout burger nights with my family.  It’s a good thing.

Greek-Style Stuffed Peppers

I know stuffed peppers don’t exactly scream summertime, but with fresh peppers being so abundant at my local farmers markets, I think it’s ok to buck tradition a little. And that’s a good thing, because these Greek-Style stuffed peppers aren’t exactly traditional (at least not based on what I grew up with).

Like many of their peers, these peppers are stuffed with ground beef.  (You can also use turkey.)  Unlike their peers, these peppers are also stuffed with lots of veggies, including fresh, grated zucchini, chopped spinach, garlic, and onions.  Instead of rice, wheat bulgur acts as the binder.  (If you’re not familiar, bulgur is the grain used to make tabbouli.)  On top of the peppers, canned stewed tomatoes make an easy, slightly sweet, and savory sauce.  Crumbles of feta top everything off and add a salty, creamy component to the dish.  Like I said, they may not be traditional, but they are delicious.  They’re even good enough to make me consider turning on my oven in the middle of August.

Caprese Pasta Salad with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette

There are many things I love about summer in Nashville.  (The heat is not one of them.)  I love going to the drive-in and seeing two new-release movies for $7.00.  I love driving downtown to get milkshakes on weeknights.  I love Friday night happy hour on the patio at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  I love seeing sunshine past 5 pm.  And I LOVE the Amish produce sold at the farm stand a few blocks away from our house.

The farm stand is the primary source my summer culinary inspiration.  It’s where I purchase squash and eggplant and peppers and tomatoes.  And oh, let me tell you about the tomatoes.  They are insanely good.  There are many varieties, but I like the heirlooms the best.  They come in colors I never saw growing up.  Last weekend I bought orange tomatoes, purple and green swirl tomatoes, and I even got one that was yellow with green and red swirls.  Not only are they beautiful, the heirlooms taste amazing – sweet and juicy and nothing like the tomatoes found in supermarkets in the middle of winter.  Needless to say, I’ve been buying and eating a lot of tomatoes.  The season doesn’t last long, so I’m taking full advantage while I can.

Since I have a lot of tomatoes to use up, I’ve been trying out all kinds of new recipes.  Last night, I made this Caprese Pasta Salad with Sundried Tomato Vinaigrette.  In it, campanelle pasta (or whatever kind you like) is coated with a thick, rich, and tangy dressing flavored with sundried tomatoes, capers, and garlic.  The pasta is then tossed with cubes of fresh mozzarella, juicy fresh tomatoes, salty olives, and ribbons of basil (or arugula, if like me, your basil isn’t looking so hot).  It looks and sounds like a lot, but the whole recipe comes together in barely more time than it takes to cook the pasta.  And it is good – rich and savory, but still light and fresh.  We ate the pasta salad as a light entrée, but I couldn’t help thinking it would make a great side dish alongside some grilled chicken.  Either way, it’s certainly a dish I will be making again and again – as long as I have my farm-fresh tomatoes at the ready.

Tomato Pie

Before moving to the South, I thought I knew all about pie.  On the sweet side, you have your fruit pies, your chocolate and coconut cream pies, your lemon meringue pies, and your pecan pies.  On the savory side, you've got what some people call pizza pies.  (I just call them pizzas.)

One pie I’d never heard of, however, was the tomato pie.  When I first came across recipes for this Southern-style summer pie, all I could think was, “Is it pizza?”  To those of you wondering the same thing, let me clear up the confusion.  Tomato pie is definitely not the same thing as pizza.

Tomato pie is pie crust filled with fresh chopped tomatoes, sweet caramelized onions, and ribbons of fresh basil.  That alone would be plenty delicious.  But this is a Southern dish, so of course it needs a little richness.  That richness comes in the form of a thick topping made of shredded cheese, mayonnaise, and hot sauce.  Sounds weird I know, but go with it.  (If you’re familiar with pimento cheese, another Southern favorite, that’s essentially what we’re talking about here.)  The cheese gets browned and bubbly and seals in the tomato filling like a top pie crust.

All together, this pie tastes like summer.  It is fresh and juicy and rich and decadent.  It’s certainly not healthy, but it’s a delicious treat and a great way to use some of summer’s best produce.

Queso Chicken Pasta

Let’s talk guilty pleasures.  We all have them.  Those embarrassing little things that we secretly love and crave even though we know we shouldn’t.  Maybe it’s rich desserts, trashy reality shows, or teeny bopper pop music.  Maybe it’s all three.  (And if it is, don’t be embarrassed.  I’m with you on two of the three.  Which two, though, I’m keeping secret.) 

I am, however, willing to tell you about my new guilty pleasure.  Its name is queso.  Yup, queso, as in the melty, cheesy, gooey dip you get at Mexican restaurants and consume with obscene amounts of tortilla chips.  The one I never craved or desired before a new Mexican restaurant opened nearby.  A restaurant that has a great happy hour with delicious, cheap margaritas.  And what are you supposed to eat with those margaritas?  Chips and queso, of course. 

The problem here is that we like this restaurant a lot.  It’s in one of our favorite neighborhoods, it has a nice patio, and like I said before, they have good, cheap margaritas.  Needless to say, we go there fairly often.  And I eat an unreasonable amount of chips dipped in queso.  And then I feel guilty.  But I still crave more.  See?  Guilty pleasure.

Today’s recipe got me all fired up because it combines my all-time love, pasta, with my new-found love, queso.  It tastes just like it sounds: pasta mixed with queso.  And if that doesn’t sound good to you, just trust me.  Imagine tender pasta baked with a creamy (yet still somehow light-tasting) cheese sauce flecked with onion and chile.  The addition of shredded chicken ups the protein and makes the dish a complete meal.  Served up with some veggies (cause a little green is a good thing), this Queso Chicken Pasta is a winner – and one that I feel slightly less guilty about since it doesn’t involve multiple baskets of chips. That being said, I gotta know, what are your guilty pleasures??

Shaved Summer Squash Salad

Last night I tried a new salad recipe.  It rocked my world.  It was so good I’m making it again tonight.  In fact, I might make it every night for the rest of the summer.  Ok, perhaps not every night, but definitely often.  Because this salad is summer in a bowl (or on a plate).  It combines some of my absolute favorite flavors and tosses them all together in one glorious heap.  It’s fast, fresh, and seasonal.  And man, oh man, it is so delicious.

This Shaved Summer Squash Salad combines thin ribbons of fresh, raw zucchini and yellow squash with a bright, lemony dressing.  Bitter arugula, sharp Pecorino cheese, and crunchy toasted almonds add flavor and texture.  The recipe makes four servings, but Stan and I polished off the entire bowl.  In fact, I had to fight him for seconds – he liked this salad so much he wanted three servings.  Considering he’s a serious meat and potatoes kind of guy, I think that’s just about the highest praise there is.

Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

When it comes to weeknight cooking, fast, easy, and delicious are my favorite buzzwords.  Are you with me on this one?  If so, you are going to love today’s recipe with a capital L.  Asparagus with Balsamic Tomatoes and Goat Cheese – what’s not to like?  Just the name has my mouth watering.  (If you haven’t noticed, I kind of have a thing for goat cheese.)

This recipe uses fresh asparagus – plentiful, inexpensive, and in-season at this time of year.  The asparagus gets a quick cook (we’re talking 2 to 3 minutes) in boiling water before getting an incredibly flavorful topping.  To make the topping, halved grape tomatoes are quickly cooked with a little garlic and balsamic vinegar.  That sounds simple enough, but the flavor produced is anything but.  As the tomatoes cook, they get soft and sweet and a little tangy from the vinegar.  After a couple of minutes, the tomatoes take on an almost jam-like consistency.  It is “lick the pan” good.  And it takes about 5 minutes.  The fact that creamy goat cheese tops every off is the icing on the cake. 

A few notes: this recipe originally called for using whole asparagus spears.  I had intended to prepare mine that way as well, but my asparagus was on its way out the door, and the tips weren’t looking so hot.  I decided to trim them off and go for bite-sized pieces instead.  Not as pretty, perhaps, but nice and easy to eat.  Also, while this recipe is delicious made with asparagus, I think it would be equally delicious using any number of vegetables, especially green beans, spinach, or roasted broccoli.  The balsamic tomatoes and goat cheese would also make an amazing topping for bruschetta, polenta, or even pasta.  However you tweak it (or make it as it), this recipe is a spring and summer weeknight winner.

Artichoke Heart Stuffed Shells with Lemon Ricotta Sauce

When I went back to work full-time a little over a month ago, I had no energy to cook.  For the first few weeks, we ate takeout, frozen meals, cereal, and the most basic homemade food possible.  Stan was okay with it, but I was less than thrilled with the lackluster options gracing our table.  Fortunately, after a few weeks, I got my energy and my cooking mojo back.  I’m still all about easy, quick-cooking meals during the week, but on the weekends, I like to take the time to have a little fun in the kitchen. 

Last weekend, my culinary project was these Artichoke Heart Stuffed Shells with Lemon Ricotta Sauce.  This recipe is a great one for the weekend because it has a few more steps than I imagine most of us have time for during the week – you have to cook the pasta, make the filling, and make the sauce.  However, the steps are easy, and the end result is so worth the effort.  Tender pasta shells are stuffed with a flavorful mixture of artichoke hearts, onions and two kinds of cheese.  They are bathed in a light and creamy white sauce made with ricotta cheese and fresh lemon.  The final product is incredibly delicious – and is a much lighter take on stuffed shells than the more traditional red sauce-smothered, cheese-laden variety. 

To be honest with you, I was afraid these shells would be a little too light for Stan.  They are meatless and full of (in his opinion) girly ingredients.  However, much to my surprise, Stan loved these stuffed shells.  Seriously, I had to take the pan and hide it in the kitchen so he wouldn’t eat the entire batch in one night.  And he actually pouted a little.  Over girly food.  If that doesn’t convince you to try this recipe, I don’t know what will.

Strawberries with Cannoli Cream Dip

I don’t know about you, but after last week’s hearty, Mexican-inspired recipes, I’m in the mood for something a little lighter.  A little more Spring-like.  Something containing fruit.  Something like today’s recipe for Strawberries with Cannoli Cream Dip.

I’ve had this recipe saved to try for about a year.  A big sale on strawberries last week gave me the excuse I’d been waiting for to try it out.  Of course, like so many recipes I tell you about, after just one bite, I kicked myself for not trying this one sooner.

Imagine all of the creamy, slightly sweet flavor of traditional cannoli filling paired with juicy, ripe strawberries instead of the typical cookie wrapper.  Heavenly – as good as the original with a springtime twist.  If you’re not a fan of strawberries, this dip would also be amazing as a dip for cookies or graham crackers, spread on top of brownies, or even as a topper for cupcakes.  It’s even good straight out of the bowl.  Not that I would eat dip right from the bowl or anything… Just sayin’.

Ground Beef Enchiladas

If you’ve been a reader for a while, you might remember a post I did quite awhile back for Tex-Mex Stuffed Shells.  That recipe took a Tex-Mex flavored ground beef filling and stuffed it into jumbo pasta shells.  What you ended up with was an Italian-looking recipe that tasted decidedly South of the border.  A weird fusion, I know, but extremely delicious.

Today’s Ground Beef Enchiladas are a spin-off of those Tex-Mex Stuffed Shells.  I took the ground beef filling we loved in the shells and rolled it into whole wheat tortillas – something we have on hand much more frequently than jumbo shells.  The result? Recipe adaptation awesomeness.  The flavorful meat filling and the easy, homemade enchilada sauce worked just as well with tortillas as with pasta.  If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing, crowd-feeding recipe for your Cinco de Mayo festivities, look no further than these ground beef enchiladas.

P.S. Please do not be alarmed by the extremely shiny cheese topping my enchiladas.  I was experimenting with a new brand of reduced-fat cheese.  While the cheese did actually taste okay, it formed that lovely, shiny, rubbery layer that low-fat cheeses tend to do.  Lesson learned.

Smoky Pork Tinga Tacos

Today I was planning to share a side dish recipe with you guys.  It has vegetables and cheese and a crunchy breadcrumb topping.  I made it last night, and it rocked.  But then I got to thinking…  Cinco de Mayo is coming up next week, and I have a whole lot of Mexican recipes in the backlog waiting to be posted.  Seems like the perfect time to share them with you, no?  (Let’s just agree to ignore the fact that I completely ignored posting holiday recipes for Passover and Easter.)

To kick things off right, today’s recipe comes from Mexican food and Top Chef Master Rick Bayless.  If you’re not already a Rick Bayless fan, let me tell you - he’s kind of awesome.  He takes traditional, authentic Mexican recipes and makes them accessible.  And incredibly delicious.  Like that recipe for Jalapeno-Baked Fish with Roasted Tomatoes and Potatoes I told you about a couple weeks ago.

Or today’s recipe for Smoky Pork Tinga Tacos.  Tacos which are good.  So very good.  And so very, very easy – because you make the filling for the tacos in a slow cooker.  Bet you didn’t see that one coming, did you?  Authentic Mexican food coming out of the slow cooker at the end of a long workday?  Yes, please.  Especially if that food tastes like this – soft corn tortillas filled with tender, smoky chunks of pork and cubes of potatoes steeped in the meat juices.  Topped off with cubes of creamy avocado and fresh cheese, these tacos take slow cooker food to another level. 

Buffalo Chicken Fingers with Gorgonzola Dip

Today’s recipe is one I’ve been thinking about ever since I made those crazy good Barbecue Chicken Fingers a while back. That juicy, crunchy, oven-baked chicken was so delicious bathed in barbecue sauce, I knew I had to try it Buffalo-style.

These Buffalo Chicken Fingers taste like the boneless wings you get at sports bars – minus all the fat that comes from deep-frying and butter-laden sauces. But don’t worry. Taking away a lot of the fat doesn’t take away a lot of the flavor. These chicken fingers are spicy, tangy, crispy, and pretty much addictive. They make a fun party food, game day snack, or weeknight dinner.

And since you might need a little help taming the heat (if, say, you go overboard with the hot sauce), there’s the homemade gorgonzola dipping sauce. Your mouth will appreciate the relief – and the rich and creamy flavor. And I’ll let you in on a secret – this gorgonzola dip is way healthier than any blue cheese dressing you’d find at a bar or restaurant. Not that you’d ever know. Because it is goooood. And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t particularly like gorgonzola or other blue cheeses.