Crunchy Romaine Strawberry Salad

This salad is so absolutely wonderful.  Truly.  And don't be scared of the soy sauce - it doesn't taste at all like soy sauce.  Don't skip anything at all because they're all important in this recipe.
I got this recipe from Simple and Delicious.

Crunchy Romaine Strawberry Salad

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

Ingredients

• 1 package (3 ounces) ramen noodles
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 8 cups torn romaine
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Directions

• 1. Discard seasoning packet from ramen noodle. Break noodles into small pieces. In a large skillet, cook noodles and walnuts in butter over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until medium brown; cool.
• 2. For dressing, in a small bowl, whisk the sugar, oil, vinegar and soy sauce. Just before serving combine the romaine, onions, strawberries and noodle mixture in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss gently. Yield: 12 servings. 

Caribbean Shrimp and Avocado Salad

I changed the dressing in this salad up because Jeremy didn't think the original had much flavor.  The shrimp is so yummy in it!

Caribbean Shrimp and Avocado Salad

TOTAL TIME: Prep/Total Time: 25 min. YIELD:4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 5 cups romaine lettuce
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed and heated
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper (use frozen and then defrost so it’s soft)
• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and thinly sliced

• CILANTRO DRESSING:
• 7 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
• ½ avocado
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 small garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• 1. In a large skillet, cook the shrimp, garlic, chili powder, salt and cumin in oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink; set aside.
• 2. In a large bowl, combine the romaine, corn, peas and red pepper; divide among four serving plates. Top each with shrimp and avocado.
• 3. In a small blender, puree the avocado, salt, pepper, sugar, lime juice, garlic cloves and olive oil.   Whisk in the cilantro and serve drizzled over salad.

Sweet & (not) Spicy Chicken Bacon Wraps

I was also going to make these for the Super Bowl party but I decided not to.  So we had them for dinner tonight.  They're really good and they aren't spicy at all, in my opinion.  Tiernan and Mia chowed down on them and didn't complain about spiciness so that's a pretty good indication that they're not. : )
Jeff gives these 4 1/2 stars (out of 5) and Mia gives them one million stars!  So there you have it!

SWEET AND SPICY CHICKEN BACON WRAPS

 

PREP TIME

25 mins

COOK TIME

35 mins

TOTAL TIME

1 hour

A great finger food for that “bring a dish” party. What could go wrong with bacon, sugar and spices? Nothing. Cubes of chicken wrapped with bacon and coated with brown sugar, chili powder and cumin. Baked until crispy. A skill level of 3/10 (easy). Plus it is easy to double or triple if needed.

Author: Dan Mikesell

Recipe type: Party

Cuisine: American

Serves: 15 servings

INGREDIENTS

• about 1¼ pounds skinless boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1pound bacon
• ⅔ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 T chili powder
• ½ t cumin

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a large mixing bowl, combine ⅔ cup dark brown sugar, 2 T chili powder and ½ t cumin. Mix well.
2. Clean and trim about 1¼ pounds of skinless boneless chicken breast. Cut into approx. 1 inch cubes.
3. If using thick bacon, thin out with the back edge of a chef knife. Cut the bacon in half, roll around the chicken cubes and secure with a tooth pick. This is the point to cover and refrigerate for better timing, if necessary.
4. Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a cooling or baking rack on top.  Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
5. Roll the pieces in the brown sugar mixture, making sure to coat evenly. Place on the rack.
6. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes.   Serve immediately or cover with foil on heavy dish to keep warm until served.

Recipe very slightly altered from http://www.101cookingfortwo.com/sweet-and-spicy-chicken-bacon-wraps/

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

I made these for the Super Bowl party this weekend.  While the outcome of the game was not what we wanted, these were a hit.  And as long as you remove the seeds/membranes from the jalapenos, they're not spicy.  They're so good!  (They were called Bacon-Wrapped Cheesy Stuffed Jalapenos but I decided to simplify the name a little. I hate long names for recipes.)  : )

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

If you like spicy, you will love these! Halved jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese, shredded cheese, paprika, and garlic and wrapped up with crispy bacon. Absolutely incredible!
Yield: 24 stuffed jalapeño halves

total time: 45 MINUTES

Ingredients:

• 12 fresh jalapeño peppers
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese*
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 12 slices bacon, cut in half
• 24 toothpicks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (best for clean-up) or a silicone baking mat. Place a baking rack on top of the baking sheet. Set aside.

Cut the jalapeño peppers in half lengthwise; remove seeds and center membrane. Set aside.

Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic, and paprika together until combined. You could also do this by hand using a rubber spatula. Salt to taste - I add just a pinch. Spoon filling equally among all 24 jalapeño halves.

Wrap each stuffed jalapeño with a half slice of bacon and stick a toothpick through the center to assure the bacon stays in place. Place each on the baking rack and bake for 25-28 minutes or until the bacon is crisp to your liking. I like to turn the oven to broil for the last minute or two to get things extra crispy.  Serve immediately. Cover leftovers and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

MAKE AHEAD/FREEZE: jalapeño peppers may be stuffed and wrapped 1 day in advance. Refrigerate until ready to bake. You may also assemble and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed.

*Mexican style or pepper jack shredded cheese is also tasty.

Recipe from http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2014/09/25/bacon-wrapped-cheesy-stuffed-jalapenos/

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

These are similar to the stuffed mushrooms at Maggiano's and they're super delicious.  I made them for our anniversary and we had so much filling left we made them again the next week so I've increased the amount of mushrooms needed in the recipe.  It makes a lot so it's good for a party!

I reduced the fat in this recipe by about half so it's better for you but it's still in the "once in awhile category"!  ;)

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms 

16-20 oz mushrooms for stuffing (depending on size of mushrooms)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Olive oil

1/2 tsp minced garlic  

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 C shredded Fontina or Havarti cheese

1/2 C butter, softened

1/4 tsp garlic powder 

1/4 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil 

1/2 tsp parsley 

1 1/2 C panko bread crumbs

Paprika

Lemon

Heat oven to 350.  Remove stems from mushrooms and wash mushroom caps.  Place caps in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and stir gently to coat.  Place mushrooms on baking sheet gill side up and roast for 15 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly then turn over and allow juice to drain. 

In a mixing bowl, combine minced garlic, spinach and cheese; mix well.  Set aside. 

In another mixing bowl, combine butter, garlic powder, oregano, basil, parsley and panko bread crumbs.    Mix thoroughly.  

Fill each mushroom cap with spinach mixture then top with panko mixture.  Sprinkle with paprika.  Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.  

Garnish with fresh lemon.

Altered from a recipe on food.com.

Banana Oat Muffins

Josh gave these muffins 4.99 stars.  He said that they would've been 5-star muffins if I'd made them bigger.  

Banana Oat Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup white sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg 3/4 cup milk 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup mashed bananas

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt.
2.	In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper bake cups, and divide the batter among them.
3.	Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 18 to 20 minutes. Recipe from allrecipes.com

So we do our annual Christmas-Eve-Eve dinner and the last two years' dinners were based on movies (Elf and the Grinch).  I was totally going to go all Dickens this year and do a dinner based on A Chrimstmas Carol, but that's a pretty typical holiday meal first of all, and Christmas pudding has tons of alcohol in it so that was out.  So I was trying to figure out what to do and Jeff suggested fondue.  OK!  We did the meat, cheese and dessert.  And we made 2 dipping sauces for the chicken...this is supposedly the actual recipe for Benihana's ginger sauce.  It was gooooood.   We all highly recommend it.  Not just for fondue....any time you want to dip chicken into a bowl of gingery-goodness.  :)

Benihana's Ginger Sauce

1 yellow onion
2 Tbsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
1/2 C. white vinegar
1 C. soy sauce

Chop onion.  Grate ginger on a fine cheese grater or preferably a micro plane.  Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until well blended.  Serve with chicken and/or veggies and enjoy!