Doritos Nacho Platter

Doritos Nacho Platter
Serves 4-6

This recipe grew out of a frustration to cook something that we didn't have the typical ingredients for. As I continued to stare into the abyss of our pantry, I started to have certain items jump out at me and I realized I could attempt to make these nontraditional nachos.

Ingredients

• 1 bag Doritos Taco Flavored Tortilla Chips
• 1 10oz can of Ro-Tel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilis
• 1 15.25oz can of Whole Kernel Sweet Corn
• 1 15oz can of Goya Black Bean Soup
• 1 15oz can of Hormel Chili with Beans
• 3/4 cup Cheez Whiz
• Sour Cream
• Taco Sauce
• Black Olives
• Jalapeno slices

Directions

1. Over medium heat in a medium pot, mix the corn (strained) , Ro-Tel with liquid, and Black Beans with liquid.
2. In a bowl, mix the can of Hormel Chili with the the Cheez Whiz. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Heat again for another minute. Stir. Repeat until heated through.
3. On 4-6 plates, pile on the chips. Then spread the Cheez Whiz mixture. Use a slotted spoon to spread the tomato/corn/bean mixture. Drain the liquid before putting them on the chips.
4. Add sour cream, sliced black olives, taco sauce, and jalapenos on top. Serve!

Zucchini Mini Margharita Pizzas

Zucchini Mini Margharita Pizzas
I had to use tiny zucchini based on availability at my grocery store, but it still works out just fine. You just get small pizzas.

Ingredients

•     2 small zucchini
•     1 medium tomato diced tiny
•     1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
•     1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
•     1 1/2 TBSP minced garlic
•     Tomato pizza sauce

Instructions

1.     Slice the zucchini into 1/4 in pieces.
2.     Grill or broil the zucchini on a rack for 15 minutes on Hi (if broiling).
3.     Preheat oven to 400F.
4.     Dice the tomato.
5.     When the zucchini is finished cooking, transfer to a cookie sheet or baking tray.Make sure there is space between the zucchini slices.
6.     I recommend using a tomato sauce in a squirt bottle and put one drop on each zucchini.
7.     Follow up with a little bit of garlic on each.
8.     Then take the mozzarella and sprinkle a bit on each, pushing down to spread the garlic and sauce.
9.     Now put a pinch of grated Parmesan on each.
10.     Top off each of the zucchini pieces with a tiny piece of tomato.
11.     Put in the oven until the cheese is melted. About 10-15 minutes.
12.     Season with salt and pepper as desired and serve.

Turkey Bacon and Cheese Crescents

Turkey Bacon and Cheese Crescents

Ingredients

• 1 package of Crescent Rolls
• 9 slices of Jennie-O Turkey Bacon
• 2 Cups Reduced-Fat Sargento Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese
• Oregano
• Montreal Steak Seasoning

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Unroll the crescent rolls and peal apart the first triangle.
3. Lay one slice of turkey bacon on the triangle.
4. Then sprinkle a good helping of cheese from the larger part to the smaller part. 
5. Sprinkle a little Oregano in the middle, if you want a little seasoning.
6. Roll the crescent from the larger to the smaller.
7. Repeat for the rest of the rolls. Once slice of turkey bacon per crescent. 
8. Sprinkle a little Montreal Steak Seasoning on top before baking.
9. Cook until golden brown.

Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad

Cucumber, Onion, and Tomato Salad
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 3 Vine Ripe Tomatoes
• 1 large Cucumber
• 1 large Red or Vidalia onion
• 1.5 cups Zesty Italian Dressing
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions

1. Wash your tomatoes and cucumber. Then skin the cucumber and cut into chunky slices. Then quarter the slices and put into a larger seal-able bowl. 
2. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and remove the seeds. Then cut each quarter in half and cut each section into three pieces. Put into bowl with cucumber.
3. Cut and peel onion and cut each half into quarter inch slices, then halve the slices (so you have a quartered onion with each section cut into quarter inch slices). Add to bowl with cucumber and tomatoes.
4. Add 1.5 cups Zesty Italian Dressing to the bowl. Add a little sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cover and shake the container to mix. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Put into refrigerator to chill. Best served the same day. Not as good after 2 days.

Baby Twice-Baked Potatoes

I was inspired by a recipe I saw through the Baby Bullet Facebook page and I could not wait to make them for my daughter. Then I realized they would make great little dinner party appetizers or little sporting event snacks, etc.

What I also thought was that if I made these for adults, I would not blend the mixture as much and make it more chunky, use different cheese and be more adult-taste-bud-friendly. You know your audience and can adjust as you see fit.

Baby Twice-Baked Potatoes
Serving: 1 (12m old baby)

Ingredients

• 4 baby red potatoes
• 3 small stocks of already cooked broccoli
• 2 baby carrots
• 2 TBSP freshly shredded Asiago cheese (half for sprinkling before baking)
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Wash your potatoes, poke them, and put them on a baking sheet in the oven. Cook until tender.
2. Carefully cut in half and scoop out the middle. I stress carefully, because the skin might peel off. Don't panic, just keep going.
3. Put the scooped out middles, broccoli, baby carrots, vegetable broth, and 1/2 the cheese into a food processor (or bullet blender) and mix to a smooth consistency (for baby).
4. Refill the skins with the mixture and sprinkle the leftover cheese on top. Put back into over and bake until cooked through.
5. Let cool and serve.

Pineapple Risotto

Pineapple Risotto
Serves 4
Roughly 248 Calories per serving

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped into small bits
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1 cup Barefoot Chardonnay
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup crushed pineapple

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, cook the chopped onions with the butter until the onions are tender.
2. Add the arborio rice and coat well. Cook for about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the Chardonnay and cook down.
4. Add the pineapple juice and cook down.
5. Heat the chicken broth in either a pan or in the microwave and add.
6. Cook the risotto down until tender and soft. A little give in the middle is alright, but cook to taste. Add more broth as needed until cooked down.
7. Finally, add the pineapple and mix thoroughly. Then add in the cheese and mix until fully combined.
8. Taste for seasoning (salt or pepper).

Crab Egg Rolls

Crab Egg Rolls

This recipe was inspired by one from Emeril Lagasse on foodnetwork.com. My store did not have any wonton wraps, so I used egg roll wraps instead, which turned it into an egg roll, instead of a Fresh Crab Spring Roll. These turned out beyond delicious and I would definitely make them again.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Chinese cellophane or glass noodles, cooked
• Sesame oil
• Soy Sauce
• 1 bunch of green onions, chopped into strips
• 8 egg roll wrappers (or just a package, depending on how much you fill them)
• 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat (imitation works well, too)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 teaspoons chili paste
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup julienne carrots
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
• Sweet Chili Sauce (for dipping)
• Vegetable Oil (or preferred frying oil)

Instructions

1. Cook the cellophane noodles by directions. It should say boil water, then remove from heat and let noodles sit in water until ready. Should only take 5-10 minutes, depending on how firm you want your noodles.
2. Once the noodles are done, spread them on a cookie sheet to dry and drain off as much water as possible. They will still retain moisture, which is ok. Spread 1 TBSP of Sesame Oil and 1 TBSP of Soy Sauce over the noodles and let them continue to sit.
3. Fill a high pot with enough oil to cover your egg rolls (so about 3-5 inches). Heat on almost high (so 8-9 on the nob) until a test piece of egg roll covering crisps.
4. In a bowl, mix the crab, mayonnaise, chili paste, and salt and pepper. It should be a thin coating on the crab.
5. Make sure your carrots of thin and the proper length of the egg roll. Then cut thin strips of the green onions so that they fit in the egg roll. Halve the green tops, quarter the whiter bottoms.
6. Form an assembly line of your ingredients. First the cellophane noodles, then the crab, then the carrots and onions and lastly some of the parsley (just add as is to the roll).
7. Have your egg roll wrapper face you like a diamond. About an inch from the corner closest to you, lay some of the cellophane noodles, then 1 tsp or 1.5 tsp of the crab mixture, then layer or vegetables and herbs. Take the corner closest to you and roll/fold it over the mixture. Then fold in the left and right sides and roll to the other corner. Use a little dip of water to close the flap if just rolling it does not.
8. Test the oil with an imperfect piece of egg roll. When ready, put 1-2 egg rolls in at a time and watch them. Cook for about 5 minutes or until a deep golden brown on all sides. 
9. Take out and put on a paper towel to soak up any leftover oil. 
10. Serve with a dipping sauce of your choice. A Peanut Sauce or a Sweet Thai Chili Sauce.

Storage: a Tupperware or other airtight container. Keeps for about 5 days.

Balsamic Tomato and Mozzarella Bruschetta

Balsamic Tomato and Mozzarella Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 1 Baguette sliced into 1/4-1/3 in pieces at an angle
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
• Tiny Mozzarella Balls (Mozzarella Pearls)
• Cherry Tomatoes

Instructions

1. Slice your cherry tomatoes in half. You should have 3-4 per slice of baguette, depending on how long each slice is.  Put them in a bowl with enough Balsamic Vinaigrette to cover them. Mix them, then cover the bowl and put them in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
2. After the tomatoes have marinated, Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
3. Slice your baguette into 1/4-1/3 inch pieces at an angle.
4. Brush the slices with olive oil on both sides. Put onto a baking sheet and put into the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. Watch them so that they don't burn. These shouldn't be too crunchy. You want a little bit of softness still in the middle. When done, let cool.
5. Get your bowl of cherry tomatoes and the mozzarella balls. Make sure you put the mozzarella balls on a paper towel before adding to the bruschetta if they were immersed in liquid. You should have a 1-to-1 ratio of tomato halves and mozzarella balls. Line them up in alternating order on the bread. Then drizzle with leftover Balsamic Vinaigrette.

If you want to add fresh Basil, that would be brilliant. Just make sure to layer or chop the fresh basil and make it a garnish on the bruschetta. These were absolutely delicious and were a great appetizer with our Sausage-and-Rice Timbale.

Garlic Bread Soup

I got this from marthastewart.com and it just looked so delicious! We had it as an accompaniment to the stuffed peppers. It turned out ok and was VERY garlicy. So be prepared.

Garlic Bread Soup
Makes 5 cups; serves 4

Use a high-quality olive oil for the best flavor in this rustic soup. If you don't have stale bread on hand, lightly toast fresh bread, and tear it into small pieces.

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 40 minutes

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Spanish
2 TBSP garlic paste
2 cups bite-size pieces stale crusty bread (4 ounces)
5 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
3 large eggs, beaten

Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until hot but not smoking. Add garlic paste; cook, stirring occasionally, until very fragrant but not browned, about 10 minutes.

Add bread, and stir to coat. Stir in stock and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.

Discard bay leaf. Stir in eggs. Cook, stirring occasionally to break up eggs, about 10 minutes. Serve soup garnished with parsley leaves.

Breaded Eggplant

Breaded Eggplant
(serves 2)

1 large eggplants, cut into round slices ¼ in thick (roughly)
salt
flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp Tabasco Sauce
1 tsp Worchester Sauce
3 cups fine bread crumbs
½ cup extra virgin olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of your pan)

Spread out the eggplant slices on a flat surface and sprinkle with salt. Leave them untouched for about 20 minutes in order to drain off excess water. Dry the slices and dust them with flour. Beat eggs, Tabasco and Worchester sauce. Dip the slices in the eggs and then in bread crumbs. Heat up oil in a frying pan and fry the eggplant in hot oil. Only for about 30 seconds on each side (or until crispy brown). Blot on absorbent paper towels. Adjust the salt and serve hot.