Sarah's Cowboy Caviar

SERVES: 12 (as an appetizer/side)

PREP TIME: 20 min

*Adapted from selfproclaimedfoodie.com.

INGREDIENTS

15oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)

15oz can black eyed peas (drained and rinsed)

2 medium tomatoes (seeds removed, diced) - about 1 cup once chopped

15 oz can corn (drained, can use 1-2 cups of fresh or frozen instead if available)

1 avocado (pit removed, peeled, chopped)

1 red bell pepper (seeds and stem removed, diced)

1/2 medium red onion (diced)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro (minced)

15 oz can olives, optional

CAVIAR

1/4 cup lime juice

1 Tbsp raw honey

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp kosher salt, or more if desired

1/3 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the salad: Combine all ingredients except for those designated for the dressing in a very large bowl. Toss to combine.

2. Make the dressing: Combine all of the remaining ingredients except for the olive oil. While whisking, slowly pour a thin stream of olive oil in, whisking constantly, until it all has been added. Continue to whisk until fully emulsified.

3. Combine and serve: Add dressing to the salad and toss to coat. Transfer to a clean bowl for serving, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate to serve later. Best if served same day. If you want to make ahead, omit the avocado and keep dressing separate until you're ready to serve. Enjoy!

Easy Crostini

Crusty French baguette slices for serving with dips or in making bruschetta.

INGREDIENTS
French baguette, sliced into 1/4" slices
olive oil
salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lay slices flat, covering the surface of a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 5 minutes, or until bread is lightly browned around edges and crispy.

Copy Cat Maggiano's Chop Salad

*Adapted from Food.com.

Prep: 30 minutes
Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, in 1/2" dice
1 head romaine lettuce, in 1/2" dice
2 plum tomatoes, in 1/2" dice
1/2 cup danish blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup prosciutto, pan fried until crispy and chopped
1 avocado, small dice
Italian dressing: (makes approx. 2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup white vinegar
salt, to taste
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 tsp pepper, freshly ground
1/4 tsp fresh oregano (or 3/4 tsp dried oregano)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine mustard, sugar, water, garlic, red and white vinegar and salt in food processor. Mix until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the oils, continue to blend. Add remaining ingredients and blend until well mixed. Recipe can be doubled with remaining stored in sealed container in refrigerator for up to a week.
2. Place lettuce in large mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients except garnish and mix well. Add dressing and mix well.
3. Serve, topping each portion with garnish.

Optional: Add grilled chicken for an entree salad.

Tzatziki

*Adapted from Design Mom. Watch her kids make it here.

Serves: 10 (about 2 1/2 cups total)
Prep: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 large English cucumber
8 oz plain Greek yogurt
8 oz sour cream
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS
Peel and grate cucumber. Squeeze the cucumber between paper towels or a clean tea towel to remove as much liquid as possible. (Don't skip this step or the tzatziki will be watery.) Combine all ingredients.

Serve on Slow Cooker Greek Gyros.

Jan's Ham & Cheese Sliders

*My aunt Jan shared this recipe with me and it's similar to this recipe by Kraft.

Serves: 12 (2 sliders each)
Prep:

INGREDIENTS
24 dinner rolls
24 pieces of honey ham (cut to fit rolls)
24 slices of swiss or Provolone cheese (cut to fit rolls)
mayo
Poppy Seed Sauce
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 1/2 Tbsp yellow mustard
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 Tbsp minced onion

DIRECTIONS
1. Spread mayo on both sides of rolls. Place ham and cheese inside each roll. Close rolls and place them close together in a large baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together all the ingredients for the poppy seed sauce. Pour sauce (or use pastry brush--Jan's preference) over rolls. Be sure to cover tops and sides of sandwiches well. Let sit 10 minutes until butter sets slightly.
3. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Uncover and cook 2 more minutes or until tops are slightly brown. Best served warm, but good anytime!

Note: Someone suggested a sassier version with roast beef and cheddar here.

Southwestern Corn & Black Bean Salad

*Adapted from skinnytaste.

Prep: 15 minutes
Serves: 12 (1/2-cup servings)

INGREDIENTS
15.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
9 oz cooked corn, fresh or frozen (thawed if frozen)
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
1 1/2 - 2 limes, juice of
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
salt & pepper
1 medium hass avocado, diced
1 jalapeno, finely diced (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients except avocado. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Add avocado right before serving.

Note: This would also be good with a seeded and diced cucumber.

Caprese Salad with Balsamic Reduction

*Adapted from here.

Prep: 20 minutes
Serves: 2 entrees or 4 appetizers

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup honey
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices
8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS
1. Stir balsamic vinegar and honey together in a small saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the vinegar mixture has reduced by half and is desired consistency, about 10 minutes. Set the balsamic reduction aside to cool.
2. Arrange alternate slices of tomato and mozzarella on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper, spread fresh basil over the salad, and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic reduction.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

*Adapted from this allrecipes.com recipe.

Serves: 6
Prep: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
16 oz pkg frozen broccoli, thawed and chopped
2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth
1/2 Velveeta cheese loaf, cubed
1 cup milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup cornstarch

DIRECTIONS
1. In a stockpot, saute onion and carrot in butter until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add broccoli and 1 1/2 cans of chicken broth. Simmer until broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to low, stir in cheese cubes until melted. Mix in milk and garlic powder.
4. Add cornstarch to 1/2 can of broth, stir until combined and then add mixture to soup. Raise heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently until soup thickens. (Reduce heat immediately if cheese begins to stick to the bottom of the pot.)

Notes: You can use an immersion blender before adding the cheese if you prefer your soup to be smoother. I like broccoli cheese soup to have larger pieces of veggies, so I finely chopped half of the broccoli and coarsely chopped the other half for variety. You could also use vegetable stock if you want this to be vegetarian.

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

*Adapted from here and here.

Serves: 3-4
Prep: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup green salsa
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced; or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp sliced green onions
2 cups shredded cooked chicken*
1 cup shredded Mexican-flavored cheese
small flour tortillas (10-12)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic. Once combined, stir in cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.
3. Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two damp paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (20-30 seconds). Spoon 2-3 Tbsp of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can. Place the rolled tortilla seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone. Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.
4. Bake 15-20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Serve with guacamole, salsa, or sour cream.

*Recipe for taco-flavored chicken adapted from here:
1 lb. chicken breasts or thighs
lime juice from 2 limes
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a sealable plastic bag. Marinate for 4-8 hours, turning occasionally to coat. Grill or broil.

**To freeze: Before baking, freeze the taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes, then place in a labeled freezer bag and store up to 3 months. To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes.

BLT Pinwheels

*From here.

Serves: 3

INGREDIENTS
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 - 1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, finely chopped
6 slices of crisp bacon, crumbled
3 tomato-flavored wrap-style tortillas
1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
sliced deli turkey meat (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayo, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir in bacon.
2. Spread mayo mixture evenly over tortillas. Top with deli meat, if using, and lettuce and tomatoes.
3. To serve as pinwheels, roll the tortilla up tightly and wrap the roll in plastic wrap. Refrigerate one hour, then use a serrated knife and cut each roll into 1-inch-thick slices. To serve immediately, fold in sides and roll into a wrap (burrito-style).

Caprese Salad

*Adapted from For the Love of Cooking.

Prep: 10 minutes
Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS
1 cup of yellow and/or red grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 cup mozzarella balls, diced
2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Add all ingredients in a bowl and toss together to mix. (Note: add the basil just before serving)

Romaine Salad with Tomatoes and Bacon

*Adapted from realsimple.com.

Serves: 4 (side servings)
Prep: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS
4 slices bacon
1 head romaine lettuce (6 cups, cut up)
1 cup grape tomatoes
4 scallions, sliced (optional)
crumbled Gorgonzola or grated Parmesan cheese
4-6 Tbsp creamy Parmesan dressing, Caesar dressing, or Brianna's French Vinaigrette dressing

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook the bacon until crisp; allow to cool and then crumble.
2. Combine all ingredients and toss with dressing.

Hummus

SERVES: about 2.75 cups
PREP: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
3 garlic cloves
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
6 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
5 Tbsp. water or liquid from the chickpeas
1 Tbsp. olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
Mince garlic in a food processor or blender. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until the hummus is smooth. Serve chilled or at room temperature with toasted pita bread/chips, fresh veggies, or on a sandwich.

Fruit Kabob Centerpiece

INGREDIENTS:
3 cantelopes

1 honeydew melon

3 pineapples

3 lbs. strawberries

1/2 lb. red grapes

1/2 lb. green grapes

60 bamboo skewers

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse grapes and strawberries and set on a paper towel to dry. Cut the honeydew melon, cantelopes, and 2 of the pineapples into pieces approximately 1" pieces. Choose a pattern to skewer the fruit and leave about 3" on each end of the skewer (the sharp end will enter a pineapple and the blunt end will be used to serve). A recommended pattern: strawberry, cantelope, green grape, pineapple, red grape, honeydew. Skewer the fruit and set aside until ready to serve. When ready to serve/display, slice off the bottom of the third pineapple so it sits securely on a sturdy platter. Then insert the skewers, spacing about 1" apart, moving around the bottom and working upward toward the top of the pineapple.

Easy Cream Cheese Appetizer

Lots of sauces poured over a block of cream cheese make a great pairing with crackers for a super-easy appetizer.

Some of my favorite sauces:
Fischer Wieser Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
Fischer Wieser Blueberry Chipotle Sauce
Jalapeno Jelly

My favorite crackers to serve this appetizer with are Wheat Thins.

Enjoy!

Sweet & Tangy Meatballs

INGREDIENTS
30-40 meatballs (homestyle, not Italian-flavored)
1 jar grape jelly
1 jar chili sauce

DIRECTIONS
Place meatballs in a crock pot and pour jelly and chili sauce over the top. Heat on HIGH for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to LOW for another 30 minutes, then maintain on LOW or WARM while serving.

These are a delicious, easy appetizer for parties!

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

SERVES: 8
PREP: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz tub of cream cheese spread
16 slices of wheat, rye, or white bread
2 cucumbers, skinned and sliced very thinly

FLAVOR OPTIONS:
-use chive and onion cream cheese, or
-finely chop 1/4 cup fresh mint and mix with plain cream cheese, or
-finely chop 1/4 cup fresh dill and mix with plain cream cheese (this is my personal favorite)

DIRECTIONS:
Spread a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture of your choice on each slice of bread. Evenly distribute cucumber slices (1-2 thick) on 8 slices of bread. Use the other 8 slices of bread to complete the sandwiches, then slice off the crusts and cut each sandwich diagonally. Keep sandwiches chilled, but dry, and serve within 4-6 hours.

Rock Star Salad

INGREDIENTS:
1. baby spinach OR spring mix lettuce
2. strawberries, cut up
3. craisins OR dried cherries
4. walnuts (crumbled by hand into smaller pieces or bought already crumbled, don't send them through your chopper b/c they'll be too small)
5. crumbled feta cheese
6. Brianna's "BlushWine vinaigrette" (pic of a strawberry on the bottle) OR "real French vinaigrette" (pic of an artichoke on the bottle) salad dressing -- you can see pics here: http://www.briannassaladdressing.com/products.html

DIRECTIONS:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and drizzle dressing on top right before serving. Toss a few times to make sure there's enough dressing and that it's mixed in well.

Any combination of the above ingredients, and you're going to have guests raving!

Chuy's (Copy Cat) Creamy Jalapeno Dip

Prep: 5-10 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup chopped jalapenos (can buy in a jar, then drain the amount you need)
1/3 cup green chilies (1 sm. can)
1/4 cup cilantro leaf
1 (1 oz.) packet dry ranch dressing mix

DIRECTIONS
Mix ingredients in a blender or food processor, until smooth. If time permits, chill in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours to allow flavors to meld.
Serve with tortilla chips.

Jenn's Bacon Appetizer Crescents

*adapted from Kraft Foods

INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg (8oz.) low fat cream cheese, softened
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup onion, minced
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 Tbsp. milk
2 cans (8 oz. each) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients, except crescent rolls, until well blended; set aside.
2. Separate each can of dough into four rectangles; firmly press perforations together to seal. Spread each rectangle with 2 rounded tablespoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture. Cut the dough lengthwise into 4 equal pieces. Roll up and place on baking sheet.
3. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.