Vegan Chipotle Cheddar Cheese Sauce

The theme for this potluck at work was dips & spreads & at the time, I was completely clueless as to what to make or bring. My coworker had tried this recipe & used it as a sauce & said it was really good. Only I found out after, she made hers a little different. The flavor was good, it just looks a little funky. I'm not sure if I'll make this version again but I'm up for trying other vegan versions again.

Vegan Chipotle Cheddar Cheese Sauce (Pinterest) (8 servings):

2 c peeled & chopped Yukon gold potatoes
1 c peeled & chopped carrots
1/2 c raw cashews
1 c unsweetened almond milk
1/2 c nutritional yeast
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Pepper, to taste

Bring med pot of water to boil, place potatoes, carrots & cashews in once boiling. Simmer for about 20 min, or until fork-tender. Drain and transfer to a high-speed blender. Add remaining ingredients into blender and blend until completely smooth. Serve with favorite crackers and veggies as a dip or use as a cheese sauce.




Enjoy!...

S'mores Dip

This recipe was also originally on Facebook and once again I was tagged, along with my friend Dana and my friend Jeremiah's little sister Nicole. Those were the girls who I made the S'mores bars with too. This one was really easy to make and only involved 3 ingredients. It tasted really good and was super rich. This would be fun to make again for a holiday party. Not sure where the original recipe came from but you can find it all over Pinterest and on the web.

S'mores Dip (4-6 servings):

1 bag of semisweet chocolate chips (or any flavor you prefer)
1 bag of marshmallows, cut in half
Graham crackers, for dipping

Pour the bag of chocolate chips in the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish. Top with the halved marshmallows (you may not need all of them, just make sure that the chocolate is well covered). Place in a 350 degree oven until the marshmallows get brown and toasted, about 20-30 min. Carefully dip in your graham crackers and enjoy!

Cream Cheese Chili Dip

My cousin used to bring the ingredients to make this dip a lot for our family get togethers. Super easy and super tasty. I make it every so often now just as something to snack on. I rarely make the large batch that I'm posting-usually I only use about 1/4 c of the cream cheese if I'm just making it for myself. And if you make too much and can't eat it all, just put some tinfoil over the plate and stick it in the fridge. Tastes pretty good the next day too! I've also learned that it's really important to place something over the plate-like a pan lid-to keep the cheese from splattering all over your microwave!!!

Cream Cheese Chili Dip (8-10 servings):

1 can of chili (I use the beanless kind since it's easier to spread without all the big lumps of beans!)
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 (8 oz) pkg of shredded cheddar cheese (any kind of cheddar)
Tortilla chips of your choice

Place cream cheese on a large platter and microwave about 20 seconds to soften it. Using a spatula or the back of a large spoon, spread the cream cheese around on the plate to make a thin spread. Top the cream cheese with however much chili you want, also using a spatula or large spoon to evenly spread it over the cream cheese. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Microwave about 1 minute 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Serve hot with chips...Enjoy!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

This is another recipe that I brought to my uncle's for our family potluck. I had made this recipe a lot several years ago and it was always a hit but I lost the recipe. I found it again on www.kraft.com and decided to make it again. Once again, it was a hit and there wasn't anything left of it by the time I left. Actually it was gone within the hour lol. I added some extra cheese on top and served it with Hawaiian rolls. Now that I have the recipe again, I'll keep making it!

Spinach Artichoke Dip (4-6 servings) (Kraft):

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 (12 oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1 (10 oz) pkg frozen spinach, thawed, well drained
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, more for topping
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese, more for topping
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Hawaiian rolls
Assorted crackers

Heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients until well blended. Spoon into a shallow ovenproof square dish. Sprinkle with additional cheese on top, if desired. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through. Enjoy!




Ready to be baked...






Enjoy!...

Guacamole

While the girls were up at the cabin over the summer, one of my friends, Julie, made up some guacamole and it was so good! I've never really tried to make guacamole before but she showed us how easy it was. She said she and her husband always have the ingredients on hand and make it on a regular basis. So once I got home, I thought I'd try it myself. And of course it was super easy. Not sure if I'll be making it as often as she does, but I'll definitely make my own now instead of buying it pre-made in the store. I'm guessing on the measurements, since you can add whatever ingredients you want and to your taste.

Guacamole:

2 avocados, pitted and mashed with a fork
1/4 c minced white onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
1-2 tbsp minced cilantro
1/4 c halved cherry tomatoes
Lime juice, to taste

Mix all ingredients together and serve with chips or veggies. Store in the fridge. Enjoy!




Enjoy!...

Texas Caviar Rice & Beans

This was one of the dishes I made for my weekend with a bunch of girlfriends at the cabin this past weekend. We had planned meals that were easy to eat off of all weekend and this recipe sounded perfect. I had to use 3 serrano chile peppers since Lund's didn't have poblano peppers. It was a little too spicy but all in all it tasted really good. I didn't roast the peppers and it tasted just fine to me. I also have an aversion to pre-cooked rice pouches-I can't stand the taste, so I cooked up some dry basmati rice according to the pkg directions. When I make this again, which I definitely will, I plan to use only one chile pepper and I will make it into a salad. The recipe says to use the leftover dressing as a side but I poured mine over the rice and the rest of the ingredients to add more flavor and it definitely worked.

Texas Caviar Rice & Beans (4-6 servings) (Southern Living):

1 (15.8 oz) can black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 c finely chopped roasted red bell peppers
1/4 c finely chopped poblano pepper (here I used the 3 serrano chile peppers)
Texas Vinaigrette, divided
2 (8.8 oz) pouches fully cooked basmati rice
1 1/4 c halved grape tomatoes
1 c shredded pepper jack cheese
3/4 c loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
2/3 c thinly sliced celery
1/3 c thinly sliced green onions
Tortilla Chips
Garnishes: Sliced pickled jalapeno peppers

*Texas Vinaigrette (1 cup): Whisk together 1/2 c olive oil; 1/4 c fresh lime juice; 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro; 1 tbsp hot sauce; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1/2 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp ground cumin. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir together the first 4 ingredients and 1/4 c Texas Vinaigrette in a microwave-safe glass bowl; let stand 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Microwave at high 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring at 30-second intervals.

Heat rice according to pkg directions; fluff with a fork. On a large platter, layer the caviar as follows: celery, rice, tomatoes, bean mixture, cilantro, cheese and pickled jalapeno slices. Drizzle the dressing over the rice and other ingredients on the platter. Serve with tortilla chips.




Bean mixture soaking in marinade...






Enjoy!...

Sticky Rice with Spicy Tomato Relish

Like I said in my previous post, I've been on a major sticky rice kick lately. And I was getting bored with eating it with just soy sauce. I'll be making another stir-fry soon now that I have all the regular ingredients but then I remembered this tomato relish that my best friend made several years ago. Super easy to make and very little ingredients yet very tasty. I thought I had the recipe written down but apparently I didn't so I asked her for it again. I think I used too much cilantro since the relish turned a little green but it tasted okay. It was missing something though-maybe salt. I added a little garlic powder to mine and some soy sauce and it tasted much better.

I've included pictures of the way I make my sticky rice but if you don't have the proper pieces I'm sure you can google how to make sticky rice in a ricer cooker or in a regular pan. I got all my stuff from an Asian store and my best friend went with me to help. The base is a metal pot-you fill it with water and heat it to boiling. The basket is shaped kind of like a funnel so that goes into the pot (without touching the water) so the rice gets steamed. The pan lid on top helps trap most of the steam. I cook my rice for 20 min and it comes out perfect every time. But an important thing to remember..no matter how you cook your rice, make sure you soak the rice in water at least 1 hour before you cook it or it will come out harder than a rock and not good to eat. I always soak my rice overnight just to be safe.

Again, I don't have an actual recipe..I just kinda went by general instructions from my friend and how I like it. According to her, for the cilantro, you should have half the amount of tomatoes and green onions should be half the amount of cilantro. So I'll try to put down what I used.

Sticky Rice with Spicy Tomato Relish:

25 grape tomatoes, halved
4-6 green onions, sliced (I used 6 only because my green onions were tiny)
1/2 c cilantro
1 Thai chili pepper, sliced

Using a mortar and pestle, grind the cilantro and chili pepper until dark green and mushy looking; transfer to a bowl. Boil the tomatoes and green onions until potatoes can be mashed down, about 5 min. In small batches, add the tomatoes and green onions to mortar and mash down. Once mashed, add it to the bowl. Once everything is added, mix it up well. This is when I added some garlic powder and soy sauce to taste.




Rice in the basket...






Steamer basket for the rice...






What I use to make my stick rice...






Sticky rice done...






Ready to be boiled...






Thai chile pepper and some of the cilantro being grinded...






Tomatoes & green onions after they've been boiled...






Everything all mashed together...






Sticky Rice dipped in relish...

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I received this recipe from my boss at work, who made it for a potluck for one of our staff meetings. It makes a lot and it is super spicy but it was really good. So I decided to make it for my family xmas party. And it seemed to be a hit..I had left overs but it wasn't that much. It can easily be halved, which I may do next time.

Ingredients:

16 oz Ranch dressing
1 bottle hot sauce (12 oz.)
2 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 cups Mozzarella cheese, divided
5 cups shredded cooked chicken.

Heat ranch dressing, hot sauce, cream cheese and 1 cup Mozzarella cheese in a saucepan. Make sure the cream cheese is really soft, otherwise, it can take a while to melt down-I was in a bit of a hurry when I made mine, so there were some chunks.

At this point, you can either place all the ingredients, including the chicken, into an oven safe dish or place it in a slow cooker, which is what I did. Top with the 2 cups of Mozzarella cheese and heat until melted.

Serve with taco chips or bread. Enjoy!

Roasted Red Pepper Spread

I found this recipe in an old Weight Watcher's magazine. I hosted book club at my place last weekend with the girls' and thought this would be a good dip to make...and it tasted pretty darn good!

Ingredients:

1 (7 oz.) bottle roasted red bell peppers, drained & finely chopped
1/3 cup tub-style light cream cheese
2 tsp bottled minced garlic
2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients, stirring well.




I served the dip with pita chips....

Betty's Delicious Dip

I received this recipe from my best friend's exboyfriend's mother (does that make sense??). She made it for a party and I loved it. It's oh so bad for you but oh so good! And super easy!

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Chives & Onions cream cheese
1 pkg. Garden Veggies cream cheese
1 pkg. thin pastrami, chopped up
2/3 cup pimentos (or more if you would like)

Mix it all together and serve with crackers. I personally like Wheat Thins :)

Pork Egg Rolls & Peanut Sauce

I received this recipe from my best friend Mandi and try to make them often, as they are addicting! It's a pretty simple recipe but a little time consuming...but oh so worth it! I found some of these ingredients at my favorite Asian store-Shuang-Hur Oriental in Uptown.

Egg Roll Ingredients:
1 pgk. egg roll wrappers. Below is the image of what I like to use:



Vermicelli-cellophane noodles-image below of what I use

2 pgks. of Cole Slaw mix with lettuce, cabbage and carrots
1 bundle cilantro (minced or chopped finely)
5-6 stems of green onion (minced or chopped finely)
5-6 eggs
1 lb. ground pork (or whatever meat you would like to use)
Salt & pepper to taste
Vegetable oil (enough to fill up a pot half way)

Peanut Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup mashed or finely chopped peanuts
1/2 cup or more Fish Sauce-found in most supermarkets in the Asian isle
1-2 limes
2-3 pieces Thai Chilis (more or less depending on how hot you want the sauce to be) finely chopped-below is an image


Soak the vermicelli in hot water for 4-5 minutes or until soft. Strain and cut the strands in half. Mix noodles, cole slaw mix, cilantro, green onion, ground pork, salt and pepper and 4 eggs in a large mixing bowl (it works best if you mix it with your hands). You may need more eggs, depending on how dry the egg roll mix is. You want the mix to be soft, not too runny from the eggs. If need be, you may need to add more cole slaw mix. Your mix should resemble something like this:


Put the frozen pkg. of egg roll wrappers (unopened) in hot water for 2-3 minutes until soft and pliable. Crack the last egg and empty the egg white into the egg roll mix. Set aside the yolk in a small bowl.

Peel an individual wrap and set a handful of mix on one of the corners. Wrap by rolling diagonally half-way, and folding in side corners. Continue wrapping to opposite corner and seal shut using the set-aside egg yolk.


Heat oil in a non-stick pot. Deep-fry in veggie oil in 1-layer batches. I usually cook between 3-4 at a time.


The egg rolls are ready when the outside of the wrap is light-golden.


Place cooked egg rolls in a strainer to drain excess oil.


Normally, I would cook one egg roll to test the oil and to test if there is enough salt & pepper before I would wrap the rest of the batch.


For the sauce:

Place chopped peanuts and Thai chilis in a medium bowl. Add enough Fish sauce to coat the peanuts. Add the lime juice to taste. It should resemble a soup-like texture. Dip and enjoy!


The batch makes about 40-50 egg rolls. Leftovers can be stored in the freezer or fridge. To reheat, put in oven to warm or heat in microwave. Store the sauce in the fridge. If the sauce dries out at all, add more fish sauce and lime juice.