appetizer

Easy Fresh Homemade Salsa

/ Jodi / 32 Comments

Easy Fresh Homemade Salsa.

I LOVE salsa!

And this time of year when tomato plants in our gardens are overflowing with more tomatoes than we can eat, it is the perfect time to make fresh salsa.

It is so easy to make and so healthy and versatile for snacking or cooking.  I love dipping tortilla chips in it for snack.  It is also my favorite baked potato topping.  Skip the butter and sour cream for me, and pile on the salsa!  Throw frozen skinless, boneless chicken breasts in a crockpot on low, top with a pint of salsa, and ignore it for 8 hours.  Return for a delicious, nutritous main course of Salsa Chicken.

There are gajillion ways to make salsa.  You can add corn and black beans for a heartier twist.  You can add chopped peaches or mango for a sweeter twist.  You can add jalapenos or your favorite spicy, hot peppers if heat is your style!

What are your favorite ways to enjoy salsa?

Here is how I made it this past weekend.

Fresh Homemade Salsa

  • Servings: approx. 6 cups
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 4-6 Ripe Tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 10 oz. can Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chiles
  • 1/2 Large Vidalia Sweet Onion, quartered
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
  • Fresh Cilantro (or dried) to taste
  • 3 green onions, cut into pieces
  • Juice of a fresh Lime
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp cumin
  • 1 Tbsp Maldon Sea Salt Flakes or your favorite salt

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor.  Pulse several times until desired chopped consistency.  Serve immediately or store in a jar or airtight container in refrigerator for up to several weeks.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Baked Brie with Candied Bacon

/ Jodi / 45 Comments

Baked Brie with Candied Bacon.

Need I say more?

Gooey, buttery, melted baked brie smothered with smokey bacon candied with brown sugar and maple syrup and balanced out with tangy rice vinegar, coarse black pepper and a few shakes of hot sauce.

This heavenly appetizer recipe really puts the crack in cracker.

If you are looking for the next must-have appetizer to make or take to a picnic or party, look no further.  I can pretty much guarantee this will be a winner! It sure was with my family this past weekend.

Here is how I made it, adapted from a recipe found here.

Baked Brie with Candied Bacon

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz wheel of brie cheese
  • 8 slices thick bacon, diced
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 heaping Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • 4-5 drops Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (or your fave)
  • 1 box water crackers (or your fave)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook diced bacon in a hot skillet until just crispy.

While bacon is cooking, stir together brown sugar, maple syrup, rice vinegar, black pepper and hot sauce in a small bowl.

Drain grease from bacon, and add sauce.  Simmer for 3-4 minutes until thick and bubbly.

Place brie in small stoneware casserole or baking pan.  Top with candied bacon.  Bake 10 minutes or until brie is warm and gooey inside.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes or so.  Serve with water crackers or your favorite cracker.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Cranberry Jalapeno Holiday Dip

/ Jodi / 36 Comments

Cranberry Jalapeno Holiday Dip.

When I was asked to bring an appetizer to my new Daughter-in-Law, Liz’s family Thanksgiving, I knew I had to make this after being told by my BFF, Jill that everyone was “jonesing it” when she made it for a party.

First I had to laugh at our 50+ year old selves using urban slang, then I had to make it and see if it was so!

Well – Yep!  It was a hit! One sister asked if the recipe was on the blog, because she wanted it (here it is Laura!), and another said she normally doesn’t like salsas, but she really liked it.

It is sweet, and it is spicy. It is crunchy, and it is creamy. All of this in a bite!

Thumbs up from all, except for hubby, who said it was… meh… He preferred the other appetizer I made – Pumpkin Pecan Baked Brie – which was pretty amazing too!

But will you make this and let me know and prove him wrong? <wink>

So secret revealed here.  I did not take pictures of the batch I made for Thanksgiving, so I made it again this past week just to get pictures <whistles and rolls eyes… not owning up to the fact that I ate a quarter of it for lunch one day…..>

And guess what else I did with it this week?  I made a leftover cold turkey sandwich and slathered some of this on the Smart Bun first.  YUM!  Who knew it would make a great turkey sandwich spread too??!!

This will be a hit at any holiday gathering, and it is so easy and pretty!  Here is the recipe as I slightly tweaked from a recipe I found through Pinterest:

Cranberry Jalapeno Holiday Dip

Ingredients:1 12oz. bag fresh cranberries

  • 1/3 cup sliced green onions
  • 1/4 cup sliced jalapeno pepper slices in a jar (or 1-2 fresh if you like it HOT!)
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
  • Juice of 1 fresh lemon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 16 oz. cream cheese, softened

Directions:

Chop cranberries (I used the Pampered Chef Food Chopper, and it worked wonderfully, but you can also chop by hand.  Do not put in a food processor as they will become too mushy), and place in a medium bowl.  Add chopped green onions, jalapenos, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and sugar, and stir gently, but well.

Cover, and let refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve, strain or squeeze liquid from cranberry relish.

Spread cream cheese in bottom of a pie plate or serving dish.  Top with cranberry relish mixture.

Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, pita chips, celery sticks, or your favorite “dipper.”

Enjoy, and let me know if you and your friends are jonesing it too!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Cheesy Bacon Ranch “Crack” Dip

/ Jodi / 43 Comments

Cheesy Bacon Ranch “Crack” Dip.

It’s party food time of year!

Time for dips and spreads, puffs and cups, hors d’oeuvres and crudites, balls and logs… Time for bits and bites in every color and shape and flavor.

When you are looking for an easy, crazy addictive, crowd-pleasing recipe, give this warm, cheesy, bacony, ranchy dip a go.

It’s sure to be a hit!

Cheesy Bacon Ranch Crack Dip

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 Less Fat)
  • 16 oz. sour cream (I used Light)
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1 lb. bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions (reserve a few for garnish)
  • 2 Tbsp. (or one 1oz. envelope) Ranch Dressing mix

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in bowl, reserving a bit of cheddar cheese and a few green onion slices for garnish.

Transfer dip to a pretty oven-proof serving bowl, fand back 20-25 minutes, uncovered until browned and bubbly.

Remove from oven, and immediately garnish with reserved shredded cheddar cheese and green onions.

Serve warm with tortilla chips, pretzel sticks, carrot or celery sticks, crackers, or your favorite dipper.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

 

Easter & Spring Carrot Vegetable Tray

/ Jodi / 30 Comments

Easter & Spring Carrot Vegetable Tray.

It’s not always that hard to be creative and fun with your food for holidays and special occasions.

For our Easter celebration this year, I made a veggie tray in the shape of a carrot with carrots and other vegetables.  A meat serving platter is a great shaped tray for creating this “design.”

We dipped our veggies in hummus.

You could also make a ranch or dill or spinach dip or whatever you like, but have fun with your food and make it a little festive with quick and easy simple touches like this!

My favorite is the sugar snap peas.  What is your favorite crudite?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

 

Pineapple Blueberry Salsa

/ Jodi / 50 Comments

Pineapply Blueberry Salsa

It was HOT here in Mars this past weekend, so Sunday supper called for something light and fresh.  I rarely make fish as Hubby is a bit skeptical about it, but I had some frozen Hake loin filets in the freezer that needed to be used.

Pineapple Blueberry Salsa on Whole GrainTostitos Scoop

I was still OOGLING the amazing Fish Tacos I had the night before at Breakneck Tavern – O M G – and thought I’d try some type of version at home.

Pineapply Blueberry Salsa 2

So I made this super yummy, bright, fresh, fruity and savory (with just a touch of heat) Pineapple Blueberry Salsa to accompany the fish, but it also tastes AMAZING on tortilla chips.  I had some Tostitos Wholegrain Scoops, and they were just the ticket to balance out the flavors and allow for a healthy scoop of fruit and veggies in every bite!

This salsa and chips would be a great company or party snack to go with white wine spritzers or some white sangria (and everything goes with Gin and Tonics in the summertime!).

Here is the recipe.  Hope you’ll give it a try, and let me know what you think.

Pineapple Blueberry Salsa*

  • Servings: approx. 4 cups
  • Print

Ingredients:Pineapply Blueberry Salsa

  • 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup chopped sweet red and/or orange peppers
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 fresh lime, juiced (or lemon)
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped or 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (for a bit of heat)
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1/4 tsp cumin

Combine all ingredients and serve with tortilla chips (especially yummy with Frito Lay Whole Grain Tostitos Scoops, or alongside chicken or fish for a fresh and light, summery accompaniment.

Tastes bests when chilled for several hours to allow flavors to fully blend.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*slightly adapted from Jen @ CarlsbadCravings

Thank You Berry (Salsa) Much

/ Jodi / 9 Comments

thank you berry much

Thank you cards might be my favorite cards to make and send.  There is something so heartwarming about putting to art and words your feelings of gratitude and sharing it with the person you are thankful to.

So when one of my co-workers did something especially nice and helpful (which is a regular occurrence from her – lucky me – eh?!), I had this little card I had made a while back when I was practicing water color painting where I had laid out some fruit and mint leaves and tried to create it.  I was goofing around with making it a (not sure of the term?) combination of words and “art.”  (Anybody know the technical name for this or is there even such a thing?)  Need to work on my handwriting, but thought it was fun… or maybe I ruined it??

Nonetheless, I used this, along with a little batch of my Fresh Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies as a way to thank my friend and co-worker.  (Thank you Judy!!)

And while we are talking about the wonderful fruits of summer and berries, it brought to mind a favorite recipe I used to make and demonstrate from Pampered Chef years ago when I was a “Pampered Chef Lady” that I thought I’d share with you here today.  Only, I kicked it up a notch by adding fresh red raspberries too!  I’ve got to make this again soon!

Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Photo courtesy of myreciperoundup.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
2 Medium Granny Smith Apples, chopped
1 Cup Strawberries, hulled and chopped
1 Kiwi, peeled and chopped
1 Cup Red Raspberries
1 Medium Orange, juiced and zested
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Apple Jelly
4 Large Tortillas
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon

Directions:

Gently mix together first seven ingredients in a bowl.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.  Brush tortillas with water using a pastry brush.  Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over tortillas.  Cut each tortilla into eight wedges, and place on a baking stone (or cookie sheet).  Bake 5-7 minutes until golden brown and crisp.  Remove to cooling rack, then place in a bowl or basket alongside the salsa, and ENJOY!

Recipe from The Pampered Chef (modified)

Cheers & Hugs & Thank You BERRY Much for Visiting LifeinBetween.me,
Jodi

Bacon-Wrapped Dates Stuffed with Blue Cheese

/ Jodi / 27 Comments

bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates

Are you looking for the ULTIMATE easy and amazingly delicious party appetizer?

bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates 2

Well – look no further!  This might sound unusual, but do not doubt that EVERY guest will love this recipe!

bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates 3

Not only do these taste AMAZING… they are actually SUPER SIMPLE too.

And even people that THINK they don’t like dates or blue cheese….

(because EVERYbody loves bacon – right?!)

will LOVE these.

bacon wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates 4

I took these to our “best ever book club” party this weekend, and I can tell you they didn’t last long.

Give this YUMmy recipe a try.  (And I will accept your “thank you’s” later!)   🙂

Bacon Wrapped Dates stuffed with Blue Cheese

Ingredients:

Pitted Dates
Danish Blue Cheese
Bacon

Directions:
Slit date. Stuff as much high quality blue cheese into the date as you can fit. Squeeze together. Wrap with a half of a slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.

With party season upon us, add this to your file of must-do gotta-love recipes!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Soft Pretzels stuffed with Bacon, Spinach & Artichoke Dip

/ Jodi / 17 Comments

stuffed soft pretzels

Imagine if steamy, fresh baked, salty soft pretzels had a love child with ooey gooey, creamy, cheesy bacon spinach artichoke dip…….

stuffed soft pretzels 3 filling

Can you E V E N imagine the gloriousness?

And then maybe kick up that pretzel bread dough with just enough beer to make it magical…

Look no further!  Here is the most amazing appetizer/snack/meal in a pretzel ever created!  Are you ready for the deliciousness?

stuffed soft pretzels 4

Though this is not a difficult recipe, it is definitely a bit time consuming.   But….  It is so worth it!

stuffed soft pretzels 5

If you are looking for a WOW factor treat to make and share, look no further.   Get your apron on and get ready to rock your socks!

stuffed soft pretzels 6

My son, Nick, originally found this recipe on an amazing food blog, Half Baked Harvest, and asked if I was up for “attempting these.”  Are you kidding?!?!  I live for this stuff!

Thank you Tieghan for sharing!  I tweaked it up just a bit – you know…. maybe just a bit more bacon (have you ever heard of using only two slices of bacon?!?) and always more garlic!  🙂 , but this is pretty true to Tieghan’s amazing recipe.

stuffed soft pretzels 2

Oh…. and besides going amazing well with a great draft beer, these go amazingly well with (yep – you guessed it…. a great red wine!)  🙂

Soft Pretzels Stuffed with Bacon, Spinach & Artichoke Dip

  • Servings: 8 Giant Stuffed Pretzels
  • Print

Pretzel Dough Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup warm waterstuffed soft pretzels
  • 2 Tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) active dry yeast
  • 1 cup beer
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2/3 cup baking soda (for boiling pretzels)
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Coarse sea salt

Spinach and Artichoke Dip Filling Ingredients:

  • 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 Tbsp flour
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 oz. cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 1 8 oz. can marinated artichoke hearts, chopped

Instructions:

Pretzel dough:  Combine water, brown sugar and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Add melted butter, beer, salt, and flour to the mixture.  Mix on low speed until combined. Increase to medium speed and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl, about 3 – 4 mins.  Remove dough from bowl and knead into a ball with your hands.

Coat a large bowl with oil, add dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size.

In the meantime, make the filling:  Fry bacon until crispy.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  In the same skillet, melt  butter, add garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes. Whisk in flour until it makes a paste. Cook over medium-low heat for 1-2 mins, then pour in milk. Stir and cook 1 more minute.

Add cream cheese, mozzarella, Parmesan and black pepper. Stir until cheeses are melted. Stir in yogurt until smooth. Add chopped artichokes, spinach, and bacon, and stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

When pretzel dough has doubled, punch down and divide into 8 equal balls.  Roll each out into a 11×3 inch rectangle.  Spread about 2 Tbsp dip filling along the length of each piece. Roll the dough up into a log, enclosing the filling inside. Pinch the seams together and then very gently roll the dough with your hands to form an even cylinder and fully enclose the filling.  Form into a pretzel shape, and press to seal.

Slowly add the baking soda to the boiling water. Boil the pretzels in the water solution, 2 at a time for 1 minute, splashing the tops with the warmed water using a spoon. Remove with a large flat slotted spatula.

Place pretzels on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.  Brush tops with beaten egg and season liberally with sea salt.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until pretzels are golden brown.

Remove pretzels from oven and let cool five minutes.

If made ahead, you can reheat the pretzels at 350 degrees F. for 15 minutes or until warm.  (But they are BEST fresh out of the oven!)

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi