Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Jalapeño Popper Dip



It's that time of the year again- Super Bowl time! The one day a year where sports enthusiasts and people that don't know the difference between a football and a futbol gather together to watch the game, halftime show and eat lots of delicious food! This year I'm even more excited for the Super Bowl because the Niners are finally back in it!! I can't wait to see Harbaugh vs Harbaugh, Kaepernick vs Flacco and to eat this dip. This dip makes me happy, maybe a little too happy because I absolutely can not stop eating it! You should make some too!

Jalapeño Popper Dip
Yield: 2 cups
Serve with your favorite beer and tortilla chips! I love Juanita's chips from Hood River!

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Best Foods/Hellmans)
1/2 cup sour cream 
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar
1/4 cup grated Pepperjack
5 slices cooked and crumbled bacon
4 jalapeños, roasted, skins & seeds removed, diced into 1/4 inch pieces
1 teaspoon garlic powder

To roast jalapeños, place on a baking tray and broil about 5 minutes each side until skin is dark and brown. Remove from oven and place in a brown paper bag and close. After 10 minutes, remove jalapeños and the skins should come right off. De-stem and seed jalapeños.


Mix jalapeños with all other ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. Spread dip into a baking dish. I like to use a small rectangular 5x7 Pyrex dish. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until top is brown and bubbly. Serve immediately!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Brunch Eggs with Green Chilies


I don't believe in diets, or fads, or deprivation. I believe in eating healthy, fresh, food as much as possible, making the right choices, not keeping junk food in my pantry and in portion control. However, I love food. I mean, I really, really, love it. So we eat burgers, pepperoni pizza, jalapeño popper dip, I cook with butter, and I have even been known to (gasp) buy my kids a happy meal from that big evil restaurant that starts with an "M". I do realize there is an obesity epidemic in this country, but there is also a laziness problem as well. My family and I are not overweight, we keep health issues like cholesterol under control, we exercise, and  we make responsible choices when it comes to food. That being said, I don't want to be told what to eat or how to eat. If your diet works for you, and you love it, great, but please quit acting like it's your religion and freaking out about every little thing.

If  you see me at the store with a loaf of wheat bread, tomatoes, bacon, chocolate ice cream, and a gallon of milk- please do not ask me any of the following questions: 1. "Are you buying/is it organic?" 2. "Do I know where that pig came from?" 3. " Does the ice cream contain corn syrup?" 4. "Do I know how bad grains are for me, my digestion, etc?" and 5. " Do I know how much sugar milk has and then reference some soy/nut/goat substitute" The basic answer to all of these questions is: I may or may not know, but it is really none of your business, so quit talking to me about my diet. I am going home to make the best meal ever, BLTS with chocolate shakes and I'm sorry that you'll never enjoy it." ( I would never really say something like that to someone but I want to, oh man, I want to.) Maybe because I live in Portlandia these questions/conversations are more abundant in my everyday life, maybe it's just my pet peeve of late, but I'm tired of it.  I am not saying that I am not concerned about where my food comes from, what goes into my body or whether or not my kids are eating nutritionally, I am simply saying enough is enough.

 Lately I've been reading a lot of blogs, restaurant reviews, etc that either apologize for the unhealthiness of a recipe or downgrade a restaurant not based on taste or service, but on the caloric content of their menu. For example, a local burger place has a few bad reviews because " while the burgers are delicious, our family could not make this a weekly dining option because of the high calories, so three stars." SERIOUSLY? Why did you take your family to a place called Killer Burger and then order a quarter pound cheeseburger with bacon and onion rings?!

Why am I telling you about/ranting about this you may ask? I am talking about this because I don't want to have to include a warning label with every recipe that I post. Caution: high fat content, high calories,  MAY MAKE YOU FAT!! That kind of thing just takes away the joy out of cooking for me. Would you want to go have a beer and have the bartender serve it to you with a note that read: " Full of carbs. Empty Calories. Have more than two and you may get a headache." Would you enjoy your beer after that? You are smart people. I have faith that you can figure out when to substitute for lower fat, when to only have one slice, etc. So from now on I am not going to say any of these things, besides what the serving size should be. Let Freedom Ring!

My mom made this recipe for Christmas breakfast in a casserole dish. She got the recipe from a co-worker, but there are similar versions all over the internet. I cut this recipe in half and baked it in a 9 inch quiche pan. If you choose to double it, just use a square 9x13 inch baking dish!

Brunch Eggs with Green Chilies
Serves 5-6 

 5 eggs
 1/4 cup flour 
1 cup cottage cheese
 1 cup shredded Pepperjack cheese
 1 4 oz can diced New Mexican green chilies (like Ortega, Trader Joes) 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 1/4 cup unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in baking dish in oven. In a large bowl, beat eggs until "lemony" (all mixed together a lemon yellow color). Add flour, baking powder, salt, shredded cheeses, cottage cheese and chilies. Mix together and pour into baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes or until set. Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Smoked Salmon Mousse


Procrastination, Holidays, travel, children.... Pick your excuse, but I meant to post about this addicting mousse BEFORE Christmas and New Years Eve as an appetizer idea. I was going to scrap it for another time and then realized this appetizer would be perfect for Valentine's Day. The mousse is pink after all, and to be festive, you could cut out the puff pastry into little hearts instead of just boring old squares. Don't worry about only cooking for two people either, the mousse will keep for up to 5 days and I really don't think you will end up with much leftover anyhow. One Saturday, while our hubbies were off doing something very manly in the wilderness,like shooting at cans or trying to catch fish; a girlfriend and I ate a whole batch between us! And no,we did not save them any! To be fair, they didn't bring us back anything to eat either.... Serve with something not overly dry and not overly sweet, like a Spanish Cava (Segura Viudas). This mousse is also delicious piped on endive spears as well! Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Mousse on Puff Pastry
Makes about 24, recipe is easily doubled

This mousse can be made the day before, which makes it an easy party appetizer! I reccomend using Trader Joes Artisan puff pastry, it's my favorite!

1 package puff pastry, thawed

1/4 # or 4 oz lox (cold, wild smoked salmon)
1/4 cup organic sour cream
1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill
1/4 # or 4 ounces softened cream cheese

Blend everything but cream cheese in a food processor until smooth. Add cream cheese. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. If making ahead, refrigerate mousse at this point.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay out puff pastry on work surface. Cut sheet into 3 inch squares or into shapes, like stars, hearts, etc. brush the edges lightly with water. Refrigerate puff pastry on baking sheet for 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and bake 15 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Put a few tablespoons of mousse on each square. Serve immediately!