Spicy Cheddar-Sausage Balls

Cookbook: The Southern Entertainer's Cookbook by Courtney Dial Whitmore with Phronsie Dial

So easy!

2 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix

1 lb hot or spicy ground pork sausage

4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated

1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine ingredients in a large bowl. Form into 1-inch bowls and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The dough will be sticky, so use a little flour or Bisquick on your hands to help form the balls. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes.

Baked Cheesy Corn Dip

 Another Sunday Funday recipe!

Cookbook: The Southern Entertainer's Cookbook by Courtney Dial Whitmore with Phronsie Dial

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese

4 cups corn

4 ounces dices green chiles

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

1 t paprika

8 slices crispy cooked bacon, crumbled

4 green onions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together softened cream cheese with sour cream, grated cheeses, corn green chiles, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika. 

3. Spread into a casserole dish and bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and top with crumbled bacon and diced green onions.

Fig Jam & Prosciutto Crostini

 Cookbook: The Southern Entertainer's Cookbook by Courtney Dial Whitmore with Phronsie Dial

Fig Jam

2 cups figs, stems removed and sliced in half

2 cups sugar

1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeds removed

1/4 cup Grand Marnier

1. Wash figs in cold water and drain. Place in a large sauce pan and cover with sugar. Allow figs to sit overnight.

2. Add lemon slices to the fig pan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir often. 

3. After mixture beings to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring often. Remove from stove and allow to cool to room temperature.

4. Add fig mixture to blender and blend until pureed. Stir in Grand Marnier and pour fig jam into sterilized jars with tops. Keep refrigerated.

Crostini

24 slices baguette

2 T olive oil

Sea Salt

8 ounces soft goat cheese

Fig jam

12 slices prosciutto

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.

3. Spread each slice with goat cheese. Top each with a generous spread of fig jam. Cut each slice of prosciutto in half and fold one on top of each crostini.

Nashville Hot Chicken Biscuits

 Ray picked out a cookbook for Nana for Christmas and I love it so much I am writing these recipes down. 

Cookbook: The Southern Entertainer's Cookbook by Courtney Dial Whitmore with Phronsie Dial

This sounds like a Sunday Funday recipe!

Nashville Hot Chicken Biscuits

Peanut Oil for frying

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 T hot sauce

1 cup flour

Salt and Pepper

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 T cayenne pepper

1/2 t garlic powder

1 t paprika

1 t brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

24 prepared mini biscuits

8 baby gherkin pickles

1. In a Dutch oven, heat 2-3 inches of peanut oil to 350 degrees. 

2. In a shallow bowl, whick together buttermilk with eggs and hot sauce.

3. In a second shallow bowl, combine flour salt and black pepper.

4. Cut chicken into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Coat each chicken piece in flour mixture, dip into egg mixture, and then back again in flour mixture. 

5. Fry chicken in batches (2-3 minutes on each side), being careful not to overcrowd the pan, until lightly golden. Place fried chicken pieces onto a rack to cool.

6. In a small mixing bowl, combine cayenne pepper, garlic powder, paprika, brown sugar and melted butter. Brush mixture on each fried chicken piece. 

7. Place fried chicken pieces inside biscuits and top with a pickle slice. 

Candied Bourbon Bacon

Delicious and easy and very messy to make. But worth it.

3/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup bourbon/whisky (I used Jack Daniels the first time I made it)
2 lbs. thick cut pepper bacon

1. Heat over to 375 degrees.

2. Whisk together sugar, syrup and bourbon.

3. Cut the bacon strip in half. Add the bacon to the bourbon mixture and toss until coated.

4. Place bacon on wire rack placed on top cookie sheet and cook for 18 minutes. Flip and brush with remaining maple bourbon glaze. Cook for additional 18 minutes.

Note: Bacon will harden as it comes to room temperature.

Vietnamese Meatballs with Chili Sauce

These are some serious flavor bombs!

Meatballs

2 eggs

3 T fish sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T finely grated ginger

1/4 t crushed red peppers

3 scallions, finely chopped plus more for serving

2 t lime zest from 2 limes

3 T chopped cilantro, plus more for serving

3 T chopped fresh mint, plus more for serving

3/4 lb ground beef

3/4 lb ground pork

1 cup panko

1/2 cup chopped peanuts, for serving

Sauce

2 T Asian chili sauce, such as Sambal Oelek

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 T fish sauce

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Combine eggs through mint in a large bowl. Add beef, pork and pinko.  Using hands, mix until evenly combined. Roll mixture into golf ball sized balls and arrange on baking sheets. Bake for 25 minutes flipping once half way through the cooking time. 

3. Make the sauce by whisking the ingredients together in a medium ball.

4. Serve the balls drizzled with sauce and sprinkled with scallions, cilantro, mint and peanuts. 

Baba Ganoush

2 medium eggplants
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 T tahini
Salt and pepper
3 T olive oil, divided
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t chili powder

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Cut eggplants lengthwise and season with salt. Brush eggplants with 2 T olive oil. Place eggplants cut side down on the baking sheet.

3. Roast eggplants for 35 - 40 minutes. Remove from oven. Let them cool.

4. Scoop eggplant flesh with a spoon. Discard the skin. Place eggplant flesh in a sieve over a bowl. Leave in sieve for ten minutes, stirring to release moisture.

5. Discard drippings. Place eggplant in food processor and process until smooth. Add the garlic, lemon juice, remaining 1 T of olive oil and mix well. Add tahini and mix until well incorporated. Add cumin, chili powder.

Guacamole with Fish Sauce

2 ripe avocados
1 T lime juice
1 t fish sauce
Salt and Pepper
Cilantro

Mash all ingredients to desired consistency.

Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 8 oz block of cream cheese
1 8 oz tub sour cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 T red wine vinegar
Black pepper
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for at least two hours, probably more.

Stuffed Potato Skins

I was told these were better than Bennigan’s version from the 1980s.

1-2 lbs russet potatoes
1 lb bacon
Stick butter
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sliced green onions
Sour cream

1. Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

2. Leave oven on at 400. Remove potatoes and let them cool.

3. While cooling potatoes, bake the bacon on sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Turn every 6-8 minutes until crispy. Remove bacon and reserve bacon grease in a bowl.

4. Slice potatoes in half lengwise and scoop out the middle. Reserve for later mashed potatoes or hash browns.

5. On same pan that you cooked the bacon, place Skins face down on pan. Brush with reserved bacon grease. Bake for 20 minutes. Repeat as necessary.

6. Allow Skins to cool. Once cooled, place on pan face side up. Fill each with sliced butter, bacon, and cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 400.

7. Serve with sliced green onions and sour cream.

Roasted Poblano Pepper Hummus

Roasted poblano peppers (or any other roasted pepper, I had a mixed bag of half dozen peppers roasted at the farmers market over the weekend. The mixture was amazing!)

2 or 3 cans chick peas, drained
3 garlic cloves
2 T tahini
Zest and juice of one lemon
Salt
1 t cumin
Olive oil
Liquid from canned chick peas

Roast peppers and remove skins. Remove seeds and roughly shop peppers.

Mix all ingredients except chick pea juice in food processor and mix up. Add chick pea juice until desired consistency.

Thai Peanut Hummus

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
3 T natural Jif peanut butter
2-3 T Sriracha
Ground ginger
2 cloves garlic
1/2 T honey
Salt and pepper
1 T olive oil
3-4 T ice water
Chopped roasted peanuts
Green onion, chopped
Cilantro
Lime juice

1. Add chickpeas, peanut butter, Sriracha, ginger, garlic, honey, salt and pepper to food processor and process until broken up.

2. With processor running, drizzle in olive oil and ice water. Mix in some peanuts, green onions, cilantro and lime juice with a spoon.

3. Scoop into bowl and make it pretty. Garnish with peanuts, onions and cilantro.

My Version of Tortilla Factory Salsa

This joint in Herndon, Virginia had the best salsa I have ever had. Insane in the membrane good. Need to have it sober, drunk, hungover, football days good. It will make you happy good. I miss you, Tortilla Factory. I added serranos and adapted from versions I found on the internet.

My Version of Tortilla Factory Salsa

28 oz can crushed tomatoes
Medium onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 serranos, seeded and chopped
2 tsp Mexican Oregano
1 T crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
1bunch cilantro leaves, stems removed
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Throw in food processor and mix until smooth. Wow.

My Version of Queso

I am making this up and haven't tried it yet. But I loved and miss the Fancy Mexican place in Fort Myers and their Queso. I am determined to figure this out.

My Version of Fancy Queso

Vegetable oil
1/2 lb Spicy ground sausage
Half red onion, chopped
2 jalapeños, chopped
Velveeta cheese
Monterey Jack cheese, shredded.
A little beer

1. In a skillet, heat oil and add the onion and jalapeno and cook for 5 minutes. Add the sausage and brown. Drain fat and place in crockpot.

2. Cut Velveeta into squares and add to crockpot along with shredded Monterey Jack cheese and about a quarter can of beer. Cook on low until melted and serve hot.

Caramelized Onion, Gruyere, and Bacon Dip

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Sweet onion, chopped
Approx. 2 oz. of Gruyere (plus 2 Tablespoons), shredded
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
1/3 cup canola mayo
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Salt, if you think necessary

1. Preheat oven to 425

2. Heat olive oil over medium heat and add onion. Saute 5 minutes, stirring frquntly. Reduce heat to low and cook until golden, about 20 minutes.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, stir in the 2 oz. of Gruyere, onion, 1 Tablespoon of chives, mayo, sour cream, pepper and bacon (and salt, if necessary).

4. Transfer micture to baking dish (I use French Onion soup bowls). Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons of Gruyere.

5. Bake for 20 minutes then sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon of chives.

Based on this recipe: Cooking Light

Black Bean Hummus

Also based on this Cooking Light recipe...

Black Bean Hummus

1 15 oz. can reduced salt black beans, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tablespoons tahini
2 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
A dash of salt (not a lot)
2 garlic clove
2 jalapenos, seeded
1/8 teaspoon of Cumin

1. Throw everything in a food processor and mix it all up.

Cilantro and Garlic Chicken with Tomato-Raisin Sauce

E found this tasty little number here. It fit in perfectly with the rest of the our tapas menu.

Cilantro and Garlic Chicken with Tomato-Raisin Sauce

For the chicken:

3 T cilantro, minced
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper
Salt to taste
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2 in. chunks
Olive oil

For the Tomato-Raisin Sauce:

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup tomato sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 T cider vinegar
1/2 cup raisins

To serve:

Lemon juice
Shaved parmesan

1. Mix cilantro, pepper and 4-5 cloves of garlic together and rub over chicken. Sprinkle a little olive oil over the top. Place chicken pieces on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

2. Pre-heat oven to 500 degrees. Bake chicken for about 20 minutes.

3. In a food processor, process 2 cloves of garlic, tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar and raisins, until smooth.

4. Serve chicken covered with sauce and sprinkle with lemon juice and some shaved parmesan.

Shrimp with Garlic and Chilis

For our tapas party, we made this shrimp dish. It has a good kick and tastes awesome. From bite-sized Spain, p. 31.

Shrimp with Garlic and Chilis
Olive oil to coat pan
4-5 Garlic cloves
1 red chili, deseeded and chopped
1 lb. shrimp, peeled
2-3 Tablespoons chopped parsley
Sea salt
Lemon wedges
Country bread

Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add the garlic and chili, cook for about 1-2 minutes. Add the shrimp and sea salt to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes, shaking the dishes frquently. Stir in the parsley. Serve while hot with lemon wedges and bread to mop up the juices.

A Night After Thanksgiving Tapas Party

Attendees: Mitch, E, Ray, Chay, Nana, Papa, Uncle Tim, Aunt Mary, and Grace

For a change of pace and to break in the new house, E and I decided to have family over for a tapas party. I had always wanted to throw one, and the night after Thanksgiving seemed like a perfect chance to break up the big holiday meals. The party was supposed to actually happen the night before Thanksgiving, but Ray broke her arm. Friday night worked out better, though, because Grace was able to join us!

The Menu
Salted Almonds
Spanish Marinated Olives
Goat Cheese and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto with Crackers
1905 Salad
Pancetta Wrapped Asparagus with Shaved Parmesan
Shrimp with Garlic and Chilis
Cilantro and Garlic Chicken with Tomato-Raisin Sauce
Sangria

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Our neighbor in Fort Myers, Meghan, made this dip for all of her parties. It makes an entire crock pot full of gooey, spicy goodness.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 stick Philly cream cheese
1 bottle Texas Pete's Buffalo Sauce
1 regular bottle of Ranch dressing
4 chicken breasts (boil the chicken in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes, flipping halfway, shred and throw in the crock pot)