Foodie Friday: Some Like it Hot Popper Dip

Do you like jalapeno poppers? We do.  What’s not to like? Jalapenos, cream cheese, and bacon, baked to perfection. Simple and simply good.  I know not everyone shares my love of jalapenos.  My upper GI fights back when I wolf down my favorite jalapeno-laden burger, and I pay dearly for the occasional indulgence.

Even that can’t put a permanent damper on my love of jalapenos.  But I should say my warm feelings started out less-than-warm:  in fact, until just a few years ago, I routinely picked them off our pizzas and nachos.  I liked the residual heat but not the tongue-searing encounters with those little green slices.  But over time, my heart grew fonder, and now I will fight for the last pepper on the nachos, and eat them with abandon on just about anything.

This recipe can be adjusted for your personal preferences.  If you are like the former me, you can scale back the number of peppers in this recipe, and seed them to keep it mild.  If you like it hot, the more the merrier.

First things first, I want to give credit where it’s due; I stumbled over the original recipe here.  I adapted it and served it for our football view-a-thon over the New Year’s holidays. We tackled a lot of the dish when it first came out of the oven, and then more over the next day or two.  I wish I had gotten a picture–I used my new Fiesta pie plate, since a pie wasn’t in my short-term menu plans.

So here’s my adapted version, in time for you to add it to your Super Bowl food starting lineup…it’ll be on ours.

Hot Popper Dip

Ingredients:
4-6 fresh whole jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced (I used 6 and seeded half of them before I diced them up; I’d say it was moderately spicy)
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
6 slices thick-cut bacon, diced into 1/2 inch pieces and cooked (I microwaved it for about 3 minutes until crispy, then drained on paper towels)
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup diced green onions including tops

Topping:
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup butter, melted
Dash paprika
Dash coarse-ground pepper

Directions:
Heat oven to 350.  Tip:  To keep those stinging capsacins off your fingertips, use food service gloves to handle them.  Or be sure to use only one hand to touch the cut peppers. (Use the other to cut them up. This is REALLY important if you need to remove contact lenses the same day you make this dip! Ask me how I know

Combine all dip ingredients. Spray a shallow dish (Quiche pan, pie pan, 9-inch glass baking dish, etc.) with cooking spray and spread dip evenly.  Top with crackers and Parmesan cheese; drizzle with butter and sprinkle with a bit of paprika and pepper.  Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly.  Serve warm with Ritz crackers or corn chips (Fritos or tortilla chips.) Enjoy!

This dip can also be mixed up in advance and refrigerated, then baked just before serving.  If you do that, allow your dish sit on a counter while preheating the oven to avoid putting a cold stoneware or glass dish directly from refrigerator into a hot oven.

Happy popping,
Terry

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Foodie Friday: Grilled Pepper Steak

A while back, I posted an old family favorite recipe for pepper steak. But I think I might have hit upon a recipe that will soon take its place in my menu lineup.  It’s a little more work to marinate and prepare the steak separately, but the end result is a flavorful and juicy steak, instead of gray overcooked meat.  This version features a marinated flat iron steak and  I used this teriyaki recipe for the marinade.

I grilled the steak indoors using a cast-iron griddle like this one: I grilled it five minutes on each side, then slid the griddle off the stove to let the steak rest before slicing.  (I could have removed it from the griddle, but it was still hot and medium-rare when I sliced it 15 minutes later.)  Okay, enough prefacing, here’s my new favorite recipe: 

Grilled Beef Pepper Steak

Ingredients:
1 flat-iron steak (1.5-2 pounds)
1/2 cup soy sauce (low sodium is recommended)
2 tablespoons sherry or rice vinegar
1/4 cup sesame or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon dried mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha or other hot chili sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Vegetables for stir-fry:
1/2 pound sliced button mushrooms
1 or 2 bell peppers, sliced and quartered
4 scallions, sliced thin (optional additions or substitutions include fresh asparagus snapped into 2-inch lengths; broccoli florets, julienned carrots, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, cherry tomatoes)
1/4 cup broth (vegetable, beef or chicken – preferably homemade or at least low-sodium)
1-2 tablespoons butter
1-2 tablespoons oil (peanut, olive or vegetable)

3 cups cooked rice (white or brown)

Directions:
In advance, mix marinade ingredients together and place steak and marinade in a bag.  Allow to marinate at least 1 hour at room temperature, or 3-6 hours refrigerated.

Prepare rice according to package directions.  Heat grill.  Reserve marinade and place steak on grill and allow to cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes on each side (a little longer if you want it closer to medium instead of medium rare.)  Remove from heat and allow to set while you prepare the vegetables.

Heat a wok or large shallow skillet over medium heat.  Add butter and oil (less for fewer vegetables; more for more.)  Add mushrooms first and allow to brown for several minutes.  Add peppers, scallions and/or any other vegetables you are adding.  Allow to cook until crisp-tender (you may want to cover for a few minutes to hasten the softening.)  Add half of the reserved marinade and broth to the vegetables; allow to cook until it has reduced by half.  Slice steak thinly and arrange on a bed of prepared rice.  Place vegetables over steak along with sauce reduction and serve immediately.  Makes 4-5 servings.

Final note:s:  Marinades are often discarded after the meat is removed, and should not be used uncooked to season food.  In this recipe, the cooking time of the reserved marinade makes it safe to eat; however, if you’d prefer you can always mix up another half-recipe of marinade and set it aside to cook with the vegetables and discard the marinade used on the meat.

Happy cooking,
Terry

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Foodie Friday: Glazed Apricot Bars

These bars were a bona fide hit over the holidays.  Sweet, but not too sweet. Moist, but firm.  Easy to make a large pan of them….and they freeze well.  They’re not really a Christmas cookie, but they were special enough to add to my holiday plate of cookies and sweets:

The original recipe was in metric measurements, but don’t worry – I’ve converted it for those of us who don’t measure our butter or flour in grams or our temperature in Centigrade (and if you want to try the original recipe, note that 180C is 350 F, not 250!).  I also doubled the recipe to make a full jelly roll size pan.  And finally, I opted for a family favorite apricot glaze instead of the plain glaze it called for. Love.

Glazed Apricot Bars

Ingredients:
1 1 /2 cups butter, slightly softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup dried flaked coconut
16 ounces dried apricots, diced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Spray jelly roll (12×17 or 11×18) pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper; spray again.  In large bowl, cream butter and sugar at low speed until well-blended. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add all remaining ingredients until combined. Pour into pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Once cooled, frost with a glaze.

Apricot Glaze

Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons softened butter

Directions:
Combine in mixing bowl and beat until well-blended. Spread over bars.  It will become tacky, but never completely harden.

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If the eyes are a window to the soul…

…then your favorite recipes are a glimpse into your gustatory system.  (Now there’s a term you don’t hear everyday, right?  Okay, let’s just call it your “tastes.”)

After a holiday pinning binge (pingeing?)  on Pinterest, I realized I have amassed 3,000 pins.  Not all are recipes, but a lot of them are because Pinterest is a great way to keep track of recipes I want to try without creating a stack of printed recipes and hand-scratched scribbled notes.

That’s my Pinterest story and I’m sticking to it.

Seriously, I won’t pin anything that I don’t plan to actually make, and I have un-pinned recipes that we tried and rejected.

I am simultaneously adventuresome AND particular about recipes I will even consider.  As a result my family has collectively “raised the bar” over the years, snubbing most pre-processed and fast food in favor of dishes made with fresh, wholesome ingredients in an array of colors, textures, and flavors.

And so I am often surprised (and saddened) when I find a much-hyped recipe (“This is the best thing I’ve ever made!!!!”) is bland or poorly seasoned, or the food consistency is mushy, hard or otherwise blech.  It’s not inedible; it just isn’t good.

I’m not a food snob….truly I’m not. In my pantry are some sodium- and fat-laced foods that would make true foodies cringe. Things like cream-of-something soup.  Powdered soup mixes.  The occasional ready-to-make rice or pasta dish.  Velveeta.  Onion and garlic powders. Quick oats. The list goes on.

In certain dishes, these ingredients have a role to play.  Not every dish needs to be totally scratch-made from just-plucked farm-fresh foods and gourmet seasonings in order to taste good. The trick (in my humble opinion) is to know when to use a short-cut and when to not short-change your dish.  And that knowledge comes through a lot of trial-and-error.

You don’t have to dirty every pot and pan to create a great weeknight dinner, either.   In case you hadn’t noticed, I really love my crockpot.  Crockpots and slowcookers are true kitchen workhorses.  And like any good workhorse, they are great for some things, and  disastrous for others.  Case in point:  I tried recipes for crockpot oatmeal and hash brown casserole over the holidays.  The oatmeal suffered from my inattentiveness when I mixed it together.  (Using a smaller second container as an insert and creating a water bath is a good idea.  But use good steel-cut oats, NOT quick oats.  Trust me.)  A hash brown casserole can be made the night before and baked in the morning with good results, but it is not a good dish for cooking overnight.  I should have known better, but I tried it because there were so many glowing comments.  Which makes me wonder if those blessed souls have ever had a really good hash brown casserole.

Yesterday I made a “forgotten chicken” casserole and stuck it in to bake before we headed to worship.  The result?  It has potential, but to those who raved on the original recipe….really?  It was bland, even though I used a wild rice and mushroom pilaf mix.  I can’t imagine a 3-hour baking would do anything good to the minute rice in the original recipe.  I will try it again, with some serious alterations and adjustments, because three hours at 275 yielded reasonably tender, moist chicken breasts.  There is hope for the concept, but the ingredients need a tweaking, and maybe a complete overhaul.

I realize that every family’s tastes and sensibilities will vary wildly.  But if I could wish for one thing, it would be that families everywhere would stop settling for overcooked and badly seasoned food; if the reviews on recipe sites are any indication, there’s far too much of that going on.  Home-cooked food should be anything but greasy, dry, tasteless, bland or mushy.

Trust me, anyone can learn to recognize high-potential recipes and then modify them to suit their tastes; when you do, cooking can become a very fun adventure.  If your family is in an eating rut, slowly introduce more contrasts in flavor and texture.  Not every food has to be an all-out assault on your “gustatory senses,” but stop settling for bad or same ‘ol, same ‘ol food every day.

Happy Monday…and happy cooking,
Terry

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Foodie Friday Recipe: Mushroom Beef Tips over Pappardelle Noodles

The original recipe for this dish was in a recent issue of Cuisine at Home; I’ve modified it gently to suit my pantry and our tastes.  It is a gussied up version of beef stroganoff, but other than fussing with the mushrooms, it isn’t difficult to make, and the little extra effort is so worth it.  Wide pappardelle noodles can be found in most grocers with hand-crafted pasta, including World Market and Trader Joe’s.  Or you could make your own (but that definitely moves it from “weeknight” meal to something extra-special, at least for my typical dinner prep time and effort.)  The lemon and parsley on the noodles cuts through the heaviness of the mushroom cream sauce.  Give it a try…you might win praises from your family (as I did from mine), and even tuck it away as a company’s coming recipe that will please most any palate.

Mushroom Beef Tips over Pappardelle Noodles

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound lean beef tips (preferably tenderloin…it’s worth the extra $$$)
1 tablespoon black pepper
salt to taste
1 pound sliced button mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped shallots or 1 tablespoon dried shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic (one clove, minced)
1/2 cup dry Marsala or chicken broth
1/4 cup sour cream
1-2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons fresh minced thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

8 ounces dry pappardelle noodles
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat parsley
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rinse and pat dry tenderloion tips (they should be in 1/2 to 1-inch cubes.)  Sprinkle with pepper.  Heat a large heavy skillet until water skitters around and forms a single “marble”. Wipe dry; add oil.In large, heavy skillet, add oil and beef tips in a single layer.  Sear until brown on all sides – about 3-5 minutes, and remove from pan.  Return pan to heat, add mushrooms and cover and cook over high heat until they release their moisture.  Remove cover and continue cooking until mushrooms brown and liquid evaporates, about 7-9 minutes.

If using fresh shallots, add them and the garlic and cook until fragrant (1-2 minutes.)  Deglaze skillet with Marsala or chicken broth.  (If using dried shallots, add liquid at the same time as the dried shallots and garlic.)  Reduce liquid by half and add back beef tips.  Reduce heat to medium and stir in mustard and lemon juice.  Adjust to taste.  Remove from heat and add sour cream (make sure it is not boiling when you do to avoid curdling the sour cream.)

While the beef tips are cooking, you can prepare the noodles.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a teaspoon of salt.  Add noodle and cook according to package directions.  Toss with butter, parsley and lemon zest; season with salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange noodles in the bottom of a large serving platter and top with beef tips and cream sauce. Garnish with more parsley if desired.  SErve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

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Tweaking the schedule

For quite a while I posted a weekly recipe on Wednesday.  Every Wednesday.

But then one Wednesday, I didn’t post a recipe.  Same thing happened the next Wednesday.

And the next.  The next thing I knew, I hadn’t posted a recipe in several months.

It’s not that I don’t have recipes to share…I do. I just couldn’t seem to get a post written on Wednesday.

I figured it was time to figure this thing out.  And so I did.  Starting this week, look for a weekly recipe to appear on Friday.  Hopefully, EVERY Friday.

Happy Wednesday!
Terry

P.S. For 2013, I’m doing the One-year Bible Chronological Study…I hope you’ll join me!  Regardless of your faith, it’s a book worth reading.

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Wednesday’s Recipe: Pork Barbecue Chili

I stumbled over this recipe several years ago in my beloved Southern Living magazine.

Initially, I was skeptical:  barbeque….chili?  But I gave it a whirl and I’m glad I did.  While I typically like to make my own pulled pork, in a pinch, I admit I’ve snagged a tub of pulled pork (preferably plain or  vinegar-sauce) from a local BBQ joint or even the grocer’s refrigerator section.

I’ve adapted the original recipe slightly and cut it in half, which is still enough to feed 4.  It’s fast, easy and makes an quick and tasty meat topping for dinner baked potatoes.  One word of warning:  the spice mix makes enough for 3-4 recipes, so cut it down or plan to store the remainder for future use.

Barbeque Chili

Ingredients:

1 pound pulled pork (plain or preferably with a vinegar sauce; if it comes with a tomato-based sauce, scale back the tomato sauce and barbeque sauce to taste)
1 can diced tomatoes with green peppers, celery and onion
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 to 3/4  cup barbeque sauce (your choice, but I like something sweet with a bit of kick….like Sticky Fingers‘ Memphis Original)
1/4 cup chili seasoning mix (recipe follows)

Directions:
Stir together all ingredients in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan (a 3-quart works well).  Over medium-high heat bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve over baked potatoes, or place on a bed of cheese grits, spaghetti noodles, or serve as a bowl of soup with all your favorite toppings: Fritos, sour cream, shredded cheese, diced onions, jalapenos, etc.

Recipe can be doubled and reheats well.

Versatile Chili Seasoning Mix:
3/4 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
2 tablespoons seasoned salt (Lawry’s Original or Penzy’s works well)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons dried minced garlic

Stir together and store in an airtight canister for up to four months at room temperature.
Happy cooking,
Terry

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