Poblano Pimento Cheese

Ingredients

2 poblano chile
 

1 cup cup sharp yellow cheddar cheese
 

3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise
 

2 tablespoons minced onion
 

1 teaspoon green hot sauce
 

Salt

Pepper

Roast the poblanos directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning occasionally, until charred all over, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let cool. Peel, stem, and seed the chile. 

Finely chop chile and place in large mixing bowl.  Add the cheese, mayonnaise, onion, and hot sauce, and mix until blended. Season with salt and pepper, then serve. 

Seven Layer Taco DIp

Ingredients

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

1 (16 ounce) can refried beans

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (16 ounce) container sour cream

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 bunch chopped green onions

1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded

1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions

In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and refried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large serving platter.

Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Spread over the refried beans.

Top with a layer of tomato, green bell pepper, green onions and lettuce. 

Next add Cheddar cheese. Garnish with black olives and cilantro.  Serve immediately.

Shrimp Salad Stuffed Endive

250 grams salad shrimp 

2 green onions, thinly sliced 

1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper 

1/4 cup finely chopped celery 

1/4 cup light mayonnaise 

1 tsp. chopped fresh dill, plus small sprigs for garnish 

Splashes lemon juice, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce 

Salt to taste 

18–22 Belgian endive leaves (about 2–3 medium Belgian endive)

Place all ingredients, except endive and garnish, in a bowl and mix to combine. Cut out the core from each Belgian endive and separate into individual leaves. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the shrimp mixture into each endive leaf and set on a platter. (You may not need all the leaves; save any leftover ones and use in a salad.) Cover and refrigerate the endive until needed. When ready to serve, garnish each with a dill sprig and enjoy.

Guacamole

Ingredients

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice, after all of the avocados have been coated. Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the onions, jalapeno, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then serve.

Sausage Stuffed Jalapenos

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Sausage
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 cup grated parmesan
1 lb (approx 15 large) jalapenos, stems cut off, halved and cleaned of seeds.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).  Spray baking dish.
2. Place sausage in a skillet over medium heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain g
   rease.
3. In a bowl, mix the sausage, cream cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Spoon about 1 tablespoon sausage mixture into each jalapeno half. Arrange stuffed halves in baking dishes.
4. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned. Serve with Ranch dressing.
5. Can be made ahead of time and refridgerated until ready to bake.

BLT Roll-Up Appetizers

what you need

4

oz.  (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/4

cup  KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise

8

slices  cooked OSCAR MAYER Bacon, crumbled

1/2

cup  chopped tomatoes

2

 flour tortillas (8 inch)

1/2

cup  shredded romaine lettuce

make it

MIX cream cheese and mayo in medium bowl. Add bacon and tomatoes; mix well.

SPREAD onto tortillas; top with lettuce. Roll up tightly.

CUT each into 7 diagonal slices.

Hawaiian Sweet Roll Ham Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pkg of 12 Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
• 1 onion, minced or grated
• 1 stick of butter
• 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/2 pound shaved ham
• 8 slices of swiss cheese

DIRECTIONS

• 1
  Melt butter in small skillet and add onions. Combine mustard, worcestershire sauce, and poppy seeds into onions and butter. Simmer for several minutes.
• 2
  Slice rolls as a group length wise and place bottoms in an aluminum foil lined 13“ x 9” pan
• 3
  Spead 3/4 of onion mixture on rolls bottoms, followed by the ham and cheese slices
• 4
  Top with the roll tops. Spread the remaining onion mixture over the top. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate till ready to bake
• 5
  Bake covered with foil for 20 minutes on 350 degrees

Rotel Cups

Ingredients:

2 pkg. filo pastry cups – thawed

1 Can rotel drained (almost all the way)

1 bag hormel bacon bits

1 cup shredded swiss

1 cup Mayo (I prefer Dukes)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350

2.  Mix all ingredients together and spoon into cups.

3.  Bake for 15 minutes, until cups are browning.

Enjoy!

Mixture can also be made ahead of time and spooned into cups when ready to eat.

Crescent Pepperoni Roll-ups

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
40 slices pepperoni

4 pieces of mozzarella string cheese, cut in half

garlic powder

oregano 

pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 375.

Unroll crescent rolls and separate into 8 triangles.  Spoon a small amount of sauce on triangle.  Sprinkle with garlic powder and oregano.  Place 5 slices of pepperoni on each crescent roll.  Top pepperoni with string cheese half and roll up.  Place rolls on baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve with a side of warm pizza sauce.

Antipasto Squares

Ingredients
2 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1/4 pound thinly sliced boiled ham
1/4 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
1/4 pound thinly sliced Swiss cheese
1/4 pound thinly sliced Genoa salami
1/4 pound thinly sliced pepperoni sausage
1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained, cut into thin strips
1 egg
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
Unroll one package of crescent roll dough, and cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Layer the ham, provolone cheese, Swiss cheese, salami, pepperoni, some of the parmesan cheese, and red peppers, on top of the dough.
In a bowl, beat the egg lightly, and stir in the black pepper. Unroll the second package of dough, and place over the top of the peppers. Brush with the egg mixture and sprinkle with the rest of the parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove foil, and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, or until dough is fluffy and golden brown. Cut into squares. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 1 small container plain Greek Yogurt (or sour cream)
• 2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
• 2 tbsp. white vinegar
• 1/2 onion, diced
• salt/pepper, to taste
  
• dill, to taste
  
• cayenne pepper (or crushed red pepper flakes), to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Tuna Tartare

I got this recipe from the new cookbook i got over Christmas - The Food You Want to Eat by Ted Allen.  It was a big hit at the New Year's Eve party.

Don't add the tuna until you are ready to serve the tartare, otherwise it will start to cook in the lemon juice.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

3/4 teaspoon wasabi paste

1 pound sushi-grade tuna, cut into 1/4 inch diced pieces

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 scallion, green part only, finely chopped

Juice of 1/2 lemon, or more as needed.

In a medium bolw, comine the oils, soy sauce, and wasabi, and stir to dissolve the wasabi.  Add the tuna, cilantrol, scallion, and lemon juice.  Toss gently to combine.

Taste and add a little more lemon juice if you want a sharper flavor.

When you're ready to serve, arrange spoons on a lined platter.  Carefully fill each spoon with the tartare.  Refrigerate remaining tartare.  Serve immediately.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp with Orange Marmalade

Ingredients

1/4 cup orange marmalade

4 teaspoons soy sauce

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 scallions, finely chopped

1 pound of shrimp, deveined

12 thin slices of prosciutto (about 4 ounces)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a bowl, mix the marmalade, soy sauce, lemon juice, ginger, garlic and scallions. Add the shrimp and toss to coat.  Let marinate 1-2 hrs.

Once marinated, lay a slice of prosciutto on a work surface and fold it in half lengthwise. Wrap the prosciutto around the middle third of 1 of the shrimp. Repeat with the remaining shrimp and prosciutto. 

In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the shrimp and cook over moderate heat, turning once or twice, until golden and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and serve warm or at room temperature.

Bacon Wrapped Dates with Chorizo or Goat Cheese

Ingredients

1 small Spanish chorizo sausage (about 2 ounces), casing removed, cooked

1/4 lb goat cheese

24 Medjool dates, pitted

12 slices of bacon, halved crosswise

Slice the chorizo crosswise in thirds. Halve each piece lengthwise, then cut each half into 2 lengthwise strips to make a total of 12 small sticks.

Slice the goat cheese into 12 small "logs" as well.

Tuck a piece of chorizo into 12 of the dates and pinch the dates closed.  Tuck a piece of goat cheese in the other 12 dates and pinch the dates closed.

Wrap a strip of bacon around each date and secure with a toothpick.

Place the wrapped dates in a large skillet, seam sides down, and sauté, turning, until the bacon is browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Ricotta, Chive Puree and Prosciutto Crostini

Ingredients

1/2 cup snipped chives

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons marcona almonds

1/4  teaspoon Salt

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

24   baguette diagonal slices, toasted

12 thin slices prosciutto (about 4 ounces), cut into 3-inch-wide strips

In a blender, combine the chives, olive oil, almonds and a pinch of salt and pulse to a coarse puree.

In a small bowl, lightly season the ricotta with salt and spread about 1 teaspoon onto each baguette slice. Carefully spoon a small dollop of the chive puree on top of each slice and garnish each with a loosely rolled up slice of prosciutto. Transfer the appetizers to a platter and serve.