Baked Brie with a Brown Sugar Brandy Sauce

Baked Brie is a pretty amazing holiday party appetizer. If there isn't some of this melted cheese at a party, it's a real shame.  Bring this EASY appetizer recipe to your next get-together. It's only a few minutes hands-on time to make the sauce, drizzle on the brie and then bake.  If you're bringing it to a party you can make the sauce beforehand and just bake once you get to there.  Here are a few more easy holiday appetizers. 

Ingredients: 

-1 cup brandy

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1 wheel of brie

optional garnishes: 

-nuts such as pine nuts, pecans, or walnuts

-earthy herbs such as lavender flowers, rosemary or sage

Summer's End Fresh Basil Pesto

A freshly made jar of pesto hardly compares to anything you can buy in the grocery stores.  If you grow sweet basil or know where to buy it, now is the time to start using the bountiful harvest.  A few other fresh ingredients and you will have a versatile pasta sauce, sandwich spread or as an appetizer on crispy crostinis. 

Ingredients:

-2 handfuls (about 2 cups packed) fresh basil leaves

-2-3 cloves garlic (depending on how much you like/love raw garlic)

-1/4 cup whole pine nuts

-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

-juice from 1 lemon

-1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

-1 tsp sea salt

-1/4 tsp pepper

Cilantro Marinated Beef Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce

Flank steak is one of my favorite cuts of meat.  It's lean and you barely have to cook it and it's done.  I usually broil the flank steak, but this time we threw it on the grill (or grill pan inside) to sear it on a stick.  Blake and I love peanut sauces so I developed a recipe from the guidance of a few others I found on the web.  This would make a great appetizer or even a main protein for dinner. 

Marinade Ingredients:

-1 pkg flank steak

-1/3 cup olive oil

-1/4 soy sauce

-3 Tbsp fish sauce

-1/2 shallot, minced

-juice of 2 limes

-2 Tbsp minced ginger

-1 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp pepper

-3 cloves of garlic

-1 bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped

Peanut Sauce Ingredients:

-3 Tbsp water

-1 clove garlic, minced

-1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts

-4 Tbsp coconut milk

-juice 1/2 lime

-2 Tbsp sesame oil (or peanut oil)

-1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

-1 tsp sriracha 

-1 Tbsp soy sauce

-1 tsp minced ginger

Quinoa Tabbouleh

My last recipe was Easy Hummus with Cavender's which can't be made without Tabbouleh in my opinion.  I love layering a pita chip with a little hummus and a scoop of tabbouleh to top it off.  This can also be made as a fresh summer side dish.  This specific recipe is made quinoa, an ancient power grain.  If you want to check out another quinoa recipe look at my Light Mexican Quinoa with Tomatoes and Black Beans. 

Ingredients

-2 cups quinoa
-2-3 garlic cloves, minced
-zest of 1 lemon
-juice of 1 lemon
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 pkg grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
-1 smal bunch green onions, chopped
-1 large handful of cilantro, chopped
-1 large cucumber, diced
-salt and pepper

Easy Hummus with Cavender's

One of the easiest and most versatile dips is hummus — and it's good for you! It's packed with protein from the garbanzo beans, aka chickpeas.  A Mediterranean dip now popular in the US can be used with regular tortilla chips, pita bread, pita chips, cucumbers or in a wrap.  I love having a double batch on hand for when I get late night cravings and know ice cream isn't the best choice.  This is an easy recipe with a little bit of a kick from the famous all-purpose Greek seasoning: Cavender's which is blended in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas. 

Ingredients:

-1 can garbanzo beans, drained

-juice of 1 lemon

-1.5 Tbsp Tahini

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1/2 tsp salt

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-1 Tbsp Cavender's Greek Seasoning

Beer Cheese Dip

This is made in the microwave! Had to get that out there first.  My roommate has made this a few times out of an ancient Junior League Cookbook, Denver Cache.  It's seriously circa 1980's but has some great classics.  Annie (my roommate) has bumped up some of the measurements and tweaked it over the years. We've used a variety of beers in this recipe so feel free to be creative.  We've use dark lagers, amber beers, and basically anything that is darker than a Bud Light.  Please don't use a "college beer" in this recipe.  Splurge a little bit and buy a $2 bottle of beer; it will be worth it.  We serve this with crusty bread or veggies such as carrots and broccoli.  Basically, anything you can dip in beer-flavored-cheese.


Ingredient:


-1 block (8oz) light cream cheese
-6 oz cheddar cheese, grated
-2 green onions, chopped
-1/2 cup dark beer (about 1/2 bottle)
-1 Tbsp horseradish
-1 tsp dry mustard

Healthy Chicken Nuggets with Sriracha Ketchup

One of our favorite spots to watch the Kansas games in Denver, CO is at Stoney's.   Their array of dipping sauces is a large part that I keep going back.  My favorite is sriracha ketchup which I find myself putting on anything I can get my hands on.  I wanted to make a lighter version of chicken nuggets to go with sweet but spicy sauce.  These are incredibly easy and miraculously good for not being deep fried in batter.  Instead they are baked to a light crunchiness and inner juiciness! 

Ingredients:

-2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

-2 eggs, egg whites only

-1/2-3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

-1 tsp garlic powder

-1 tsp dried oregano

-1/2 tsp smoked paprika

-1 tsp Italian seasoning blend (or a mix of dried basil, thyme, sage)

-1/4 cup ketchup (4 Tbsp)

-1-3 Tbsp sriracha

Super Bowl Recipes - Lightened Up

Super Bowl is this weekend for those of you that don't know.  If you're like me food is your favorite part of the day.  This year why not take things to a "lighter" level instead of getting sick off heavy beer and deep fried wings.  Below are some of my recipes that will have you full yet not comatose.  Let me know if you try any of them and how they worked for your party!

Smoked Salmon Spread

I've been on a Smoked Salmon kick recently. I have a Cameron's Stove-Top Smoker and smoked a couple fillets with Alder Chips for this recipe.  Don't have a smoker?  Did you know you can smoke fish using a Wok and some foil.  Genius! I was looking for an appetizer to bring to a party, but didn't want some typical cheese dip.  I loved it even more the next morning spread on a bagel for breakfast.  It's hard to beat with thinly sliced red onions and capers.

My favorite salmon to smoke at home is Scottish Salmon. You can order it online at Chef's Fresh Fish.

Ingredients: 

-12 ounces smoked salmon, roughly torn into pieces
-8 ounces light cream cheese
-3 Tbsp light sour cream
-2 Tbsp light mayo
-2 dashes Tabasco sauce
-2 cloves garlic
-1 bunch green onions, chopped
-1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
-juice from 1/2 lemon
-1 tsp horseradish
-1 Tbsp tomato paste

Serve with sliced English cucumber or crackers

Light Ranch Dressing from Cottage Cheese

A fellow friend and food blogger, Hannah from Never Fail to Impress showed me a new and revolutionary way to make my all-time-favorite dressing: Ranch.  I love ranch out of the bottle, but even better is homemade buttermilk ranch.  This is a "skinnier" version than the regular ranch dressing recipe.  People either love or hate cottage cheese, but when blended in this recipe, you'll never even notice it's there!  I served it as a dip with an array of veggies for a fabulously light appetizer.

Ingredients:


-1 packet of dry ranch dressing seasoning packet
-2 cups of low-fat cottage cheese
-1/4 - 1/2 cup of water

Gadgets Needed:


-Food Processor or Blender

Light Romesco Sauce

Please don't be shocked...this recipe is from Skinny Dips. I promise I'll stop, but it's hard.  They're just so yummy and light! I made this dip to go with the Zucchini Fries. My roommate liked the dip so much that she stopped eating zucchini fries and just took a spoon to the sauce. No joke! I should have warned her of the garlic abundance because she was on her way to a wedding...oops. Sorry, Lee, but you'll miss me when I'm gone! :)

Ingredients: 

-2 medium ancho chiles

-4 large garlic cloves

-1 large roasted red bell pepper

-1 cup almonds, toasted

-1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained

-2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

-1 1/4 tsp sea salt

-1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika

-1/4 tsp sugar

-1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

-2 Tbsp olive oil

Light Pepperoncini Dip

Are you sick of light dip recipes from Diane Morgan's Skinny Dips? Good! Me neither! As I'm sure you all know by now, chips and dip are my weakness.  This cookbook has become my life saver.  If you don't like the taste or texture of cottage cheese this dip may not be for you.  I think it's awesome though...creamy and a bit spicy from the pepperoncini!

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup light sour cream

-2 oz light cream cheese (1/4 of a bar)

-1 container (16 oz) reduced-fat cottage cheese

-1/2 cup drained, stemmed and finely chopped pepperoncini

-2 Tbsp minced flat leaf/Italian parsley

-grated zest of 1/2 lemon

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

-1/2 tsp sea salt

Skinny Hot Artichoke Dip

Once again, another recipe I had to try from Skinny Dips by Diane Morgan. I told you I loved chips and dip so when I heard of these light alternatives to my favs, I couldn't stop cooking!!  This is a great recipe for a party to serve a crowd!

Ingredients:

-1 large shallot, halved

-2 cans (13.75 oz) artichoke hearts in water, drained

-1/2 cup light mayo

-1/2 cup light sour cream

-1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

-1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

-1/3 cup bread crumbs

-1 1/2 finely minced fresh oregano

-2 tsp olive oil

Creamy Avocado Dip

This is another recipe from Diane Morgan's cookbook, Skinny Dips.  It may be my favorite recipe thus far!  It was so quick and easy to make.  It honestly took me 5 minutes before I had to be out the door for a dinner party.  I brought it over to my friend Erin's house and the girls loved it.  It was light, fluffy and creamy.  A fabulous appetizer. 

Ingredients:

-2 large, ripe HASS avocados

-1/2 cup light sour cream

-2 Tbsp finely minced shallots

-1.5 Tbsp seeded and minced jalapeño

-1.5 Tbsp fresh lime juice

-1/2 tsp minced garlic

-1 tsp kosher or sea salt

Light, Fiery Black Bean, Roasted Corn and Jicama Salsa

This another recipe from new favorite cookbook, Skinny Dips. I was afraid to use the seeds and ribs from the serrano chile because I had a bad experience once.  In hindsight it probably could have used the full kick of the entire chile.  I guess I should have listened to Diane :)  This is a great light and fresh dip for chips or a topper for turkey burgers.  That's what I did with the leftovers! 

Ingredients:

-1 large (or 2 medium) ear of fresh corn, husk on

-2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

-1 1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt

-freshly ground pepper

-juice of 2 limes

-1 tsp ground cumin

-1 tsp ground coriander

-2 tsp packed brown sugar

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

-3/4 cups peeled and diced jicama

-1/4 cup diced red onion

-1 serrano chile, including seeds and ribs, finely minced

-2 green onions, sliced

-1/3 cup chopped cilantro

Light Caramelized Sweet Onion Dip

You know that french onion dip you buy at the grocery store and just can't get enough of?  Especially when there's a bag of Ruffles Potato Chips sitting next to it?  Well, this is a homemade LIGHT version of the dip with velvety bits of caramelized onions and fresh chives.  I made this recipe from my new favorite cookbook, Skinny Dips by Diane Morgan.  To keep this recipe "light" avoid the bag of potato chips.  Instead use baked chips or veggies. 

Ingredients:

-1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

-2 medium Vidalia, Walla Walla or other sweet onions, finely chopped (about 1 lb)

-2 tsp kosher or sea salt

-1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

-1 1/4  cups reduced-fat or "light" sour cream

-2 oz low-fat cream cheese at room temperature (1/4 block)

-2 tsp white wine vinegar

-1/4 cup finely snipped fresh chives (plus a few more for garnish)

Crab Rangoon Dip

I thought everyone and their mother knew what Crab Rangoon was.  I was wrong! How did people grow up not eating cheap Chinese food? If you are one those who unfortunately escaped this part of their childhood, this is a Crab Rangoon: HERE. It's basically crab, cream cheese, green onions (aka yumminess) in a fried pocket! This recipe is for a dip that tastes like the stuffing of crab rangoon.  The best way to serve this would be with fried wonton chips from a local Chinese restaurant..if not, chips will work. Want to take it a step further and actually MAKE mini crab rangoons?  Just another easy step and you have a great finger-food recipe! 

Ingredients:

-2 cans crab meat

-16 oz. cream cheese (2 blocks)

-1/2 cup sour cream

-4 green onions, chopped

-1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

-2 Tbsp powdered sugar

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

-1/2 tsp lemon juice

Superbowl Series - Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach Artichoke Dip is one of my favorite appetizers to order at a restaurant.  My mom made this recipe growing up and it's fabulous! It's the one item that the rest of my family requests SHE brings to each gathering.  This is one of my staples.  And the coolest thing? It cooks in the microwave!

Ingredients:

2 blocks of frozen spinach

2 jars of artichokes hearts (liquid reserved)

1 package of shredded monterry jack cheese

4 Tbsp of chopped white onion

2 Tbsp of butter

2 Tbsp of garlic powder

2 Tbsp of lemon pepper

2 Tbsp of mayo

4 Tbsp of sour cream

Superbowl Series - White Queso Dip

This is what I call "My White Cheese Dip" but if you ask my best friend, Erica, she will say it is "Her White Cheese Dip"...because it is.  I somehow convinced her that it should be "mine" in my zip code and "her's" in her zip code.  I didn't get her drunk.  She's just that nice!

This cheese dip is so much better than it looks in the picture.  So much better that it is the ONE dish that my family requires I bring to every gathering.  

Ingredients:

2 blocks of cream cheese

1/2 cup of chopped onions (can be frozen)

1/2 cup of mayo

1 (16 ounce) package of shredded monterrey jack cheese - about 2 cups

1 (16 ounce )package of shredded parmesan cheese - about 2 cups

Salsa with a Kick!

Some people love chocolate.  I love chips and dip.  So when I ran out of my last liter of homemade salsa I knew it was time to make another double batch and "can" it.  Watch for my my next post for instructions on the canning process.


Ingredients:


4 large cans of whole tomatoes
1 bunch of green onions
1 medium-sized onion
1 bunch of cilantro
3 cloves of garlic
2 limes
1 lemon
1/2 jar of sliced jalapeños and some juice
handful of salt
handful of pepper
handful of sugar
chips to eat

suggested tools: immersion blender or food processor