Cookie Dough Dip

Cookie Dough Dip

Inspired by this awesome recipe.

■1 1/2 cups chickpeas (1 can, drained) (250g)
■1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
■tiny bit over 1/8 tsp baking soda
■2 tsp pure vanilla extract
■1/4 cup nut butter (You can get away with using only 3 T. If you use peanut butter, it’ll have a very-slight “pb cookie dough” taste, so if you don’t want this, you can sub oil.)
■up to 1/4 cup nondairy milk (Start with 1 T, and add more as needed)
■Sweetener (see note below, for amount)
■1/3 cup chocolate chips
■2 to 3 T oats (or flaxmeal) (You can omit, but also omit the milk if you do)
Add all ingredients (except for chocolate chips) to a blender or food processor, and blend until very smooth. Then mix in the chocolate chips.

See the following link for a Sugar-Free Version.

Sweetener Notes: I used 2/3 cup brown sugar when I first made this for the party. Liquid sweeteners (agave, maple, etc.) are fine as well. You can easily get away with less sugar– some people will be perfectly fine with just 3 T for the whole recipe! And if you don’t want any sugar, be sure to check out the “no-sugar” version linked above. (You can also use stevia, if you like the taste of stevia-sweetened desserts. Try 2-3 packets of NuNaturals stevia, and add more sweetener if needed. I wouldn’t recommend serving an all-stevia version to party guests, though.)

Fudge

"Mom" Fudge:

4 1/2 cups sugar
1 12-oz can Pet Carnation Evaporated milk (NOT sweet condensed)
2 sticks butter

Put above ingredients in large pan and cook 8 minutes AFTER it comes to a boil (the secret to the smooth consistency)

Add 2 12-oz packages semi-sweet chocolate chips, an @8-oz jar of marshmallow creme, 1 tsp. vanilla

Stir quickly until all this is mixed; pour into a 9X13 (greased or sprayed) glass pan, let cool

S'MORE Cobbler

Ingredients

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 cup whole milk
1 5oz chocolate pudding (cook&serve)
1/2 cup butter
6 whole graham crackers
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
40 large marshmallows

1Combine milk and pudding mix and place into greased 13x9 baking dish
2Place graham crackers (broken in half) on top of pudding mixture with space in between each one
3Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
4Spread DRY cake mix over top and place the butter by tablespoons on top of dry mixture.
5Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Mix slightly so there isn't large areas of dry ingredients.
6Add marshmallows and bake for 8-10 minutes and if needed 1-2 minutes undner a high broiler to brown.

Brown Sugar Pecans

Ingredients
16 ounces pecan halves
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Arrange pecan halves in an aluminum foil lined 13x 9 baking dish ~ Reynolds Release foil works great here ~ set pan aside.
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat and add brown sugar, vanilla, salt.
Stir one minute and remove from heat.
Continue stirring until brown sugar dissolves.
Pour over pecans, stirring to coat.
Bake at 325º for 25 to 25 minutes; stirring every 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread on wax paper to cool.
Store in an airtight container.

7 Up Biscuits

7UP Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7-up
1/4 cup melted butter

Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, add 7-Up. Makes a very soft dough.
Sprinkle additional biscuit mix on board or table and pat dough out. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 9 inch square pan. Place cut biscuits in pan and bake at 450 degrees until golden brown.

Shrimp and Grits

3 cups chicken broth
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Preparation

Bring chicken broth to a boil over medium-high heat; stir in grits. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in salt and next 3 ingredients. Set aside, and keep warm.
Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until crisp; remove bacon from pan.
Cook shrimp in same pan over medium-high heat 3 minutes or until almost pink, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice and next 4 ingredients, and cook 3 minutes. Stir in bacon.
Spoon grits onto individual plates or into shallow bowls; top with shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.

Jambalya

Emeril's Chicken, Andouille, and Shrimp Jambalaya

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 (3-1/2 to 4 pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning, plus more for seasoning chicken and shrimp

1 1/2 pounds andouille sausage, cut into 1/2 moons

2 large onions, finely chopped

4 medium ribs celery, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped

1 bunch scallions, tops separated from bottoms, both chopped

6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chiles, drained

1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Generous amount of freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce, or to taste

5 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

3 cups long grain rice

1 pound small shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a very large, heavy Dutch oven or stovetop casserole, heat the oil over high heat. Season the chicken with the Creole Seasoning on all sides. Add the chicken pieces to the hot pan, in batches if necessary, and sauté until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken pieces to a large bowl and set aside. Add the sausage to the drippings in the pan, reduce the heat to medium high, and sauté, stirring frequently, until sausage is browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and transfer to the bowl with the chicken. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, chopped scallion bottoms, and garlic and sauté over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Return the chicken and sausage to the pan, along with the 1 1/2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning, tomato paste, canned chiles, thyme, bay leaf, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, hot sauce, stock and tomatoes and bring to a simmer, stirring well to mix. Cover pan, reduce heat to low, and cook for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender and the broth has absorbed the flavors of the sausage and seasonings.



Increase the heat to high and add the rice and chopped green onion tops. Stir well and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked and has absorbed all the liquid.



Season the shrimp with Creole Seasoning. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat, taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove the bay leaves and gently stir in the seasoned shrimp and parsley. Let stand for 15 minutes, covered, before serving.

Waht's for Dinner Tonight? Fiesta Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas

Fiesta Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno, minced
3 fresh cloves garlic, minced
10 oz bag baby spinach leaves, chopped
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
1 10 oz can Mild Rotel diced tomatoes with Green Chilies
1 lb (Lg family size can) cream of chicken soup
1 Cup red enchilada sauce
8 oz sour cream
1/2 Cup milk
Pinch of salt
Corn Tortillas
2 Cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oil into a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion and jalaepeno until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add chopped spinach and cook until wilted down. Stir in chicken, salt, pepper, garlic salt, cumin and diced tomatoes. Reduce heat to low and simmer.
2. Place soup, enchilada sauce, sour cream, milk and salt into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir until warmed though.
3. Ladle a small amount of sauce into the bottom of a large 9×13 inch baking dish (or bigger if you have one), just enough to cover the bottom. Place a spoonful of chicken mixture inside of corn tortillas, roll and place seam side down. Fill tortillas until chicken filling is used up. Top evenly with sauce and shredded cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Mozzarella Stuffed Homemade Meatballs

Mozzarella Stuffed Homemade Meatballs
(I left out onions for the kids)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large egg
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce, like Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Ten 1-inch Mozzarella balls
1. Preheat oven to 35o degrees F. and grease 9×13-inch baking dish with oil.
2. Place beef, egg, onion, bread crumbs, Parmesan, milk, garlic, Worcestershire, mustard, hot sauce, salt, pepper and garlic salt into a large mixing bowl, stirring until just combined. Take 1/4 cup beef mixture and press into center with your thumb to make room for cheese ball. Place cheese in middle then with hands enclose the cheese with the beef, making sure the cheese is completely covered. Place meatballs into prepared baking dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until cooked through.
3. Serve over top your favorite pasta or inside a warm roll for delicious meatball sandwich.

New Twist to a Yummy Recipe

Made the Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos tonight and changed it up a bit---used FLOUR tortillas instead. YUMMY!!!! They were fabulous...more like flautas. Had to reduce bake time to around 10 min--and flipped them after 5.

Dipped in sourcream and green salsa!