Crispy Rosemary Hummus {Lightened Up}

Looking for a healthy, protein packed snack? I’ve got the thing for you! This isn’t your typical hummus but still ends up delicious and is much better for the hips. It’s lightened up with the use of greek yogurt rather than the traditional tahini and it also uses less olive oil.

Another twist on this hummus is flash fried rosemary which infuses the olive oil and adds an awesome crunch throughout the hummus. I think the addition of the rosemary helps with mask the missing nutty flavor of the tahini.

Crispy Rosemary Hummus
recipe from A Spicy Perspective

2 15 oz. cans garbanzo beans, drained
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
2 ½ Tb. olive oil
3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 tsp, lemon juice
1 large garlic clove
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste

1. Place the oil in a small skillet over high heat. Once smoking, flash-fry the rosemary sprigs for 30 seconds per side. Remove and place on a paper towel, reserving the olive oil.

2. Place the garbanzo beans in the food processor with the yogurt, rosemary-infused oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Puree to desired consistency.

3. Pull the crispy rosemary leaves off the stems and place them in the food processor (save a few for garnish if you wish). Pulse until the rosemary has worked through the hummus.

Superbowl Roundup 2013

Looking for some yummy treats to whip up for the Super Bowl? Well, you are in luck because I have compiled a list of delicious appetizers, main dishes and desserts that would be perfect for the big game.

Crispy Baked Asian Wings – they take a little extra work but they are well worth it. Make sure to cook a huge batch because they will disappear fast. Mix up the flavors with bbq, honey mustard and buffalo.

Cheesy Bread – This is simple to throw together and always a huge crowd pleaser. How could you go wrong with bread and cheese?

Extra Crispy Spicy Fried Chicken – I don’t think anything needs to be said for this one.

Easy Stromboli – When I think of Super Bowl food, pizza automatically pops into my head. Stromboli is easy to make for a crowd and super portable.

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps – Super Bowl food is typically high in calories (ie delicious) so these are a great alternative and healthy option.

Blue Moon Cupcakes – Beer, cupcakes, football. Yep.

Chocolate Guinness Cupakes – Just in case you prefer your beer with chocolate!

Football Brownie Bites – Obviously these are perfect for the game. So fun and festive!

Crispy Baked Asian Wings

When I served these for dinner recently, Joel asked me if I fried them….that’s how crispy they are after being baked in the oven! The recipe for these wings is from Alton Brown’s show Good Eats. I am not really into science so I don’t watch it too often but I happened to catch the episode where he made these wings and I knew I had to try them.

The trick is steaming them first, thoroughly drying them and then baking them at a high temperature. They turned out unbelievably crispy so I will be cooking wings this way always.

I usually go for traditional buffalo sauce  but Joel isn’t a big fan of spicy foods so I try to change it up occasionally so I don’t have to hear his whining. We both like Asian inspired sauces so I searched for a copycat of the Asian Zing sauce from Buffalo Wild Wings and it was pretty good. The sauce is not as spicy so that’s something to consider if you like things hot. If I were making these just for me, I would add in a good amount of red pepper flakes to bump up the spice factor.

Crispy Baked Wings in Asian Sauce
recipe from Alton Brown

24 whole chicken wings
1 sauce recipe, follows

1. Place a 6-quart saucepan with a steamer basket and 1-inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.

2. Remove the tips of the wings and discard or save for making stock. Using kitchen shears, or a knife, separate the wings at the joint. Place the wings into the steamer basket, cover, reduce the heat to medium and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the basket and carefully pat dry. Lay the wings out on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

4. Replace the paper towels with parchment paper or liberally spray the baking sheet with non-stick spray. Roast on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook another 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown.

5. While wings are roasting, make sauce recipe below.

Asian Sauce 
recipe from Food.com

2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced

1. Dissolve corn starch in rice wine vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.

2. In a small sauce pan combine remaining ingredients.

3. Add corn starch and rice wine vinegar mixture and stir well.

4. Heat mixture on low/medium heat, stirring often until sauce reaches a boil and thickens.

Quinoa Mac-n-Cheese Bites

I have been bringing you all lots of yummy, delectable football snacks (spinach dip, potato skins, peanut butter pretzel bites) but they have been belly busters to say the least so I thought today I would bring you something lighter for this week’s game. The original recipe was simply for quinoa mac-n-cheese but I thought it would be way more fun, portable and snackable in bite size form. Plus, I always love the crispy edges of baked mac-n-cheese so this way there is more crispy surface area. They are filling, cheesy and packed with protein. I made up a big batch of these then layered them in a crockpot kept on the warm setting. And what’s best is you don’t have to feel guilty for enjoying a couple of these babies!

Quinoa Mac-n-Cheese Bites
recipe from Moni Meals

2 tsp olive oil
1 med. leek white and pale green parts halved and sliced (1 cup)-OR chives are fine too
1/2 cup diced tomato or red/green pepper (or any veggie really, I used finely chopped broccoli)
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained (OR you can just use pre-cooked and cut back on the water and cooking time)
good pinch of salt
a few grinds of seasoning salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups of water (or stock)
2 large eggs
1 cup skim milk, or milk of choice
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, more for sprinkling NOTE: (You may find you need more cheese, BUT I use this amount to still keep the dish ‘lighter’ yet very flavorful.)

1. Heat oil in med. saucepan over med. heat. Add leek and tomatoes (or bell peppers-or any veggies you want really); cover and cook 5 mins or until tender. Stir in quinoa and garlic, and cook, uncovered, 3-4 mins, or until grains start to turn opaque (they will not fully be cooked yet).

2. Add 3 cups water (or stock) and season with salt and the seasoning salt. Cover and reduce heat to med-low and simmer 15-20 mins or more, (depends and also what kind of quinoa you use) or until most liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand 5 mins.

3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Liberally coat two 12 cup muffin pans with cooking spray. Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese (if you feel you need more cheese, add here.) Stir very well and let some of the cheese melt. (Will seem a little “soupy,” do not worry, it will all mold together.)

4. Transfer to prepared muffin cups and if using Panko crumbs or Bread crumbs, add now. You can also sprinkle a bit more cheese on now if you prefer for topping. Bake 25-35 mins, (or until browned around edges).

Loaded Potato Skins

This is a pretty basic, straightforward recipe for potato skins but they are crispy, cheesy and delicious. Not to mention they are perfect for football season. Around my house, this is a very important requirement this time of year. I spend way too much time considering the menu for football games. These would be wonderful served with sloppy joes or shredded french dips!

Potato Skins

3 large russet potatoes, baked
4-6 strips bacon, cooked and finely crumbled (or a few tablespoons of bacon bits)
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
Green onions, thinly sliced
Sour cream or ranch for dipping
Vegetable or peanut oil for frying

1. Preheat oil to 350 degrees F. Once the potatoes have cooled, slice them in half then slice each half into fourths. Scoop out pulp of potato leaving about 1/4-inch with the potato skin. Turn your oven on to broil.

2. Fry the skins in batches until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with kosher salt.

3. Place skins on a baking sheet then top each one with 1 tablespoon of cheese then sprinkle with bacon. Place under broiler for 1-2 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

4. Remove from oven and sprinkle with green onions. Serve with sour cream.

Baked Spinach Dip

Besides cucumber dip, this is my absolute favorite dip/appetizer EVER. And it’s obviously healthy since cream cheese, bacon, mayo, cheddar cheese, spinach is such a prominent ingredient. Duh. How could you go wrong with that list of ingredients? It’s really one of those things you indulge in rarely, but when you do it’s totally worth every.single.calorie.

You can bake this dip in a bread bowl or baking dish or you can throw it in the crock pot on low a few hours before serving. I have made it all three ways and I have to say my favorite is when it’s just in a baking dish. It seems to get more melty and gooey that way which is always a good thing in my opinion. If I am making this for a party where people will be eating over the course of a few hours, I either put it in the crock pot after all the ingredients have been mixed up (like stated above) or bake it in a dish then put it in the crock pot on warm.

This dip almost always graces our football gatherings…it’s kind of become a requirement and expectation.

Spinach Dip
recipe from Taste of Home The New Appetizer Cookbook

2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened (I use 1/3 less fat)
1 cup mayonnaise (I use the reduced fat olive oil kind)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry*
1 cup (4 0z.) shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. dill weed
1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 round loaf (1 lb.) unsliced sourdough bread
Assorted fresh vegetables
Tortilla chips

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and may until blended (I sometimes use my food processor for this to make quicker work of it). Stir in spinach, cheese, bacon, onion, dill and garlic; set aside. This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until it’s time to bake.

2. Cut a 1 1/2-in. slice off top of bread; set aside. Carefully hollow out bottom, leaving a 1/2-in. shell. Cube removed bread and place on a baking sheet. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown; set aside.

3. Fill bread shell with spinach dip; replace top. Place any dip that doesn’t fit in the shell in a greased baking dish. Wrap bread in a large piece of foil. Place on a baking sheet.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until dip is heated through. Cover and bake additional dip for 40-50 minutes or until heated through. Open foil carefully. Serve dip warm with veggies, reserved bread cubes and tortilla chips.

*Make sure it is really dry! After it is thawed, I put it in a kitchen towel and squeeze the heck out of it until no more liquid drips through the towel (sometimes I go through two towels). I didn’t dry it enough once and a weird green liquid collected on the top of the dip. It tasted fine but looked quite unappetizing.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

Man do I have the perfect football food for you today! It combines two football favorites, buffalo sauce and meatballs! I don’t think it could get much better! We are Husker fans around here so every Saturday we get together with our Nebraska friends to watch the game. When we host a game I always over do it when it comes to the food. Surprise, surprise. Luckily, these meatballs come together quickly and can be made a few hours ahead of time then placed in the crock pot on warm. That gives me more time to make other food…wait, maybe it’s not a good thing that these are so easy. Somehow I always seem to make things more difficult than they need to be.

Anyway, make these meatballs for your next football gathering either as an appetizer or sandwiches. Your guest will totally love you!

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs
recipe from The Stir

Meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken
1 small egg
3/4 cup breadcrumbs (depending on the size egg you use you may need to add a bit more)
2 Tbsp. wing sauce
1 Tbsp. milk
Couple dashes of salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Pub Sauce:
12 oz or 1 1/2 cups of your favorite wing sauce
3/4 cup (more or less to taste) blue cheese or ranch dressing

1. Place ground chicken in a large bowl, add in egg, breadcrumbs, wing sauce, milk, salt, pepper, and blue cheese if using. Mix it all up well with your hands.

2. Form into balls (not too big) and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large pot combine wing sauce and blue cheese or ranch dressing, heat it through, stirring often.

3. Once meatballs are out of the oven add them gently to the sauce and heat through for a bit. Serve alone or with a roll for a sandwich and enjoy!!

Scallops with Dill Sauce

This was my first attempt at making scallops and I will be totally honest that I was very concerned about how they would turn out. I was making them for our anniversary dinner along with filet mignon, twice baked potatoes and caesar salad. Since I had a lot of other things going, I wanted to find a simple recipe that I hopefully wouldn’t screw up.

I started with a quick search through my cookbooks and found the perfect recipe almost immediately. When I saw Scallops with Dill Sauce I stopped my search because we are huge dill lovers around here and I happen to be growing some dill in my herb pots on the deck right now. This recipe really could not have been easier or tastier. I whipped up the dill sauce during nap time so that the flavors could mingle. Then all I had to do was brush the scallops with the seasoned butter and throw them under the broiler.

I watched the scallops very closely since it was my first attempt and I really didn’t want to overcook them. While the recipe states 8-10 minutes, mine only took about 7 minutes to cook to perfection. They were unbelievably sweet and tender. The dill sauce, though simple, was really bright and delicious.

We are traveling to Naples, FL for a family vacation in just a few weeks so I have a strong feeling that this was just a little taste of what is to come for that seafood loving man of mine.

Scallops with Dill Sauce
recipe from New Cookbook (Better Homes and Gardens)

1 lb. fresh or frozen sea scallops
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. paprika

For Dill Sauce:
2/3 cup mayonaisse (I used the light olive oil kind and it tasted just fine to us)
1 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. snipped fresh dill or 1/2 tsp. dried dill

1. If time permits, mix dill sauce ingredients together a few hours before serving. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. Thaw scallops, if frozen. Rinse scallops; pat dry with paper towels. Halve any large scallops. Thread scallops onto four 8- to 10-inch skewers, leaving a 1/4-inch space between pieces. (I skipped this step and just placed them on a baking sheet). Preheat broiler. Place skewers on the greased unheated rack of a broiler pan.

3. In a small bowl stir together melted butter, pepper and paprika. Brush half the mixture over the scallops. Broil about 4 inches form the heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until scallops are opaque, turning and brushing with the remaining melted butter halfway through broiling (mine only took about 3 1/2 minutes per side). Serve scallops with dill sauce.

Recipe linked to Mangia Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday and Cast Party Wednesday.

Pork and Ginger Potstickers with Honey Soy Dipping Sauce

I adore potstickers and have to order them whenever I see them on a menu. So when I was creating my Top 100, I knew they had to be on the list since they are one of my favorite appetizers and I had never made them before. I browsed around the internet for the perfect recipe and I’m pretty sure I found it. I was feeling a bit lazy after a crazy, busy day and decided to use wonton wrappers instead of making the homemade dough indicated in the recipe. If you are feeling ambitious, the link below provides the dough recipe.

These were deliciously crispy on one side and steamed to perfection on the other! The pork was moist and tender while the cabbage kept a bit of its crunch. Rather than dipping them in regular ‘ole soy sauce, I mixed up the Honey Soy Dipping Sauce below and am glad I did! I find soy sauce salty and just too much on its own so the honey really helped mellow it out and the red pepper flakes added a nice zing.

They were surprisingly easy to throw together and with Joel’s help only took about 5 minutes to fill and seal. I made a double batch and froze half for another time. I’m assuming (and hoping) I can cook them in the same manner from the freezer. I will update you once I find out!

Pork and Ginger Potstickers
recipe adapted from Food Network

1 cups chopped Napa cabbage
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 pound ground pork
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons thin soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 egg
1 to 2 cups chicken stock or water
Wonton wrappers

1. Sprinkle cabbage with the 1/2 tablespoon of salt and let stand for 30 minutes. Place the cabbage on a clean dishtowel or cheesecloth and squeeze out any water. The dryer the cabbage the better. In a large bowl thoroughly mix the cabbage with all of the other ingredients, except the chicken stock.

2. Place a small mound of filling in the middle of the wrapper. (Be very careful not to touch the edges with the filling as this will impede proper sealing of the dumplings. Nothing is worse than dumplings breaking during cooking.) Fold the wrapper in half to form a triangle shape. Wet inside edges with water then press closed tightly. Rest the dumplings with the folded edges straight up.

3. In a hot saute pan coated well with oil, place pot stickers flat side down and cook until the bottom is browned. Have pan cover ready and add 1 cup of chicken stock, cover immediately. Be careful, the liquid will splatter! The stock will steam the potstickers. Check them in 5 minutes as more stock may be needed. The trick here is that once the dumplings are firm and fully cooked the stock will evaporate and the bottoms will crisp-up again.

Honey Soy Dipping Sauce
recipe from Food Network

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons orange blossom honey
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together soy sauce, honey, ginger, sesame oil and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Just before serving stir in sesame seeds.

Cucumber Dip

This is by far my absolute favorite dip EVER! And I mean it! It’s actually one of my favorite foods/dishes ever. It’s cool, refreshing, creamy and to die for slathered on a cracked pepper and olive oil triscuit. It is always my go to dip when I need a quick and easy crowd pleasing appetizer. I could totally eat this whole recipe on my own and have gotten close on more than one occasion. Not that there are leftovers all that often but this dip does last quite a few days for your snacking pleasure.

We always have this around on holidays since we don’t usually have lunch and if you know my family you know we are snackers. I have been known to wake up on such holidays and perphaps have cucumber dip with triscuits for breakfast. Please don’t judge me. You will understand once you make it. It’s so good that you have to start your morning off with it (and I have never been a huge fan of breakfast food).

Want to know another thing that makes this dip even better? I use reduced fat mayo and cream cheese and it still tastes just as good as when it’s made with the full fat versions. So it’s not so bad when I eat the whole darn bowl.

And please forgive me for the football crackers here. When I snapped the photos it was football season and somehow I totally forgot to blog about this glorious dip. It’s the perfect summer dish to bring to picnics or barbeques (just make sure you put the bowl on ice if it’s going to be out for awhile).

Cucumber Dip

1 English cucumber, or 2 regular cucumbers (peeled, seeds removed and chopped into small chunks)
1 pkg. (8oz.) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup reduced fat mayo (I like the olive oil kind)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. dried dill weed
1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne

Place all ingredients but the cucumbers in a food processor mix until smooth and combined. Stir in cucumbers. Best if made the night before. Serve with crackers.

Recipe linked to Mangia Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, What I Whipped Up Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday and These Chicks Cooked.