Bean Salsa

BEAN SALSA

1 can black-eyed beans (drained)
1 can shoepeg corn (drained)
I medium jar chopped pimentos
1 finely chopped green bell pepper
1 finely chopped medium onion
1 chopped avocado- add last

Marinade:

1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 TBS Tiger sauce (found near Tabasco sauce)

Make Marinade. Add first 5 salsa ingredients to marinade and let sit for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, drain marinade and add chopped avocado.  Serve with pita or tortilla chips.

Pizza Logs

Pizza Logs

Source: Emily Bites Original

Ingredients:

8 egg roll wrappers (larger than wonton wrappers)

8 teaspoons store-bought pizza sauce

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

24 turkey pepperoni slice (I used Hormel)

4 light Mozzarella string cheese sticks, each cut in half horizontally to make two shorter sticks (I used Weight Watchers brand – recommended!)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly mist a large baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Pour some water into a small dish and set aside. On a flat surface, place an egg roll wrapper, corner facing toward you (like a diamond) and spread a teaspoon of pizza sauce horizontally across the center of the wrapper, leaving ½ inch or so of space on each side. Sprinkle a pinch of Italian seasoning across the sauce and add a row of 3 pepperoni slices over the sauce. Place half a cheese stick on top of the pepperoni. Fold the bottom corner closest to you up over the ingredients and give it a 90 degree roll. Fold the side corners in and tuck them as you give the filled section another 90 degree roll. Dip your finger in the dish or reserved water and lightly wet the edges of the remaining top corner of the wrapper. Finish rolling the filled pizza log over the wet corner so that it adheres. Place wrapped pizza log onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

3. When all of the pizza logs are wrapped and on the baking sheets, mist the tops with cooking spray. Bake for 10-14 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the wrappers are golden brown. 

Serving suggestion: Serve with additional pizza sauce for dipping if desired (not included in nutrition calculations)

Yields 8 pizza logs. WW P+:  2 per pizza log (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)

Nutrition Information per egg roll from myfitnesspal.com: 97 calories, 13 g carbs, 2 g fat, 7 g protein, 1 g fiber

Red Pepper Jam

I had this recipe at a baby shower and have been on the hunt for it ever since. I LOVE this. You spread this jam on top of a block of cream cheese and dig in with crackers. So good and worth the effort!!!

2 cups chopped up red peppers (take the seeds out first)
1 cup vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp chili powder
3/4 tsp lemon juice
5 1/2 cups sugar
1 pouch certo (pectin) - 1/2 cup

Chop peppers fine. You can use a chopper or food processor. Measure 2 cups peppers and juice in a large pot. Add vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered 10 minutes until tender. Stir in the sugar, return to a rolling boil and boil, uncovered for 1 minute. Make sure you do not let it foam up. Just get the sugar to dissolve. Otherwise, the sugar will caramelize. Remove from heat and immediately stir in Certo. Stir for 5 minutes to blend. Pour jelly into sterilized jars and seal. I used the Ziploc containers. Serve over cream cheese with crackers. Yum!

Popcorn Chex Mix

Thank you Mattie and Aubree for introducing me to this yummy chex mix. I love it and so does everyone else.

1 box Chex (rice or corn)
1 bag popped popcorn (Try to get all the kernels out!)
1 cup slivered almonds (optional but I recommend even more!)
1 cup whole pecans (optional but I recommend chopped up and more!)
Put in a Big bowl and mix around

In a sauce pan boil:
4 sticks of butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup corn syrup
Bring to a boil for 5 minutes

After being boiled, dump over mixture and place on large cookie sheet. Bake at 225 for one hour. I only do it for about 40 minutes becasue I like it softer.

After baking, put it back in the bowl and stir every 15 minutes so you don't get huge chunks.

Nicole’s Favorite Cheese Ball

2 small packages of cream cheese
2 tsp finely chopped green onions
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup green peppers
2 tsp seasoned salt
1 can crushed pineapple (well drained)
Crushed nuts

Combine all these ingredients well and then roll into a ball. After it has firmed up, roll it in your favorite nuts. This is best served with Wheat thin crackers.

P.F. Changs Lettuce Wraps

This uses a lot of random ingredients, but once you buy them you will have them for next time! These take a lot of time but are definitely worth it. If you are having it as a meal alone, double the recipe.

3 Tbsp oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water chestnuts
2/3 cup mushrooms
3 Tbsp chopped onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce
Special Sauce:
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp sesame oil

Stir Fry Sauce:
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp rice wine vinegar

Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil. Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you’re ready to serve.

Bring oil to high heat in a wok (or large frying pan). Sauté chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done. Remove chicken from the pan and cool. Keep oil in pan and keep it hot.

As chicken cools, mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.

Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.

When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.

With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan. Add the stir-fry sauce to the pan and sauté the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it with the lettuce cups. Top with the special sauce. *** I usually end up just mixing some of the special sauce in with the stir fry instead of pouring it on the lettuce wrap itself.***

If you want some spice, you can add a mixture of: 1 Tbsp hot mustard, 2 tsp water, and 1-2 tsp garlic and red chili paste.

Kim Jensen's Salsa

I am not a huge salsa fan so I LOVED this variation!

3 cups finely grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 can chopped olives
1 can green chilies
2-3 Roma tomatoes chopped
1/3 cup cilantro chopped (optional)
4 green onions chopped
1 package good seasoning Italian dressing mix

Mix Italian dressing according to the directions on the envelope.
Pour over the rest of the ingredients.
Refrigerate overnight.
Serve with chips and Enjoy!

Apple Brickle Dip

This is the most requested recipe after I make it. Enjoy!!!

1 8oz package of cream cheese
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¾ package English Toffee Bits or Heath Bar Bits.
Mix all that together and dip with tart apples.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

After trying many of these recipes, this is my favorite.

1 can chopped artichoke hearts
2/3 cup steamed chopped spinach
¾ cup mayo
½ cup Romano cheese
½ cup Parmesan cheese
1 clove minced garlic
1 bar of cream cheese
1 can diced chilies
salt/pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Serve with chips, crackers, or bread.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

My friend had this on her blog and so I had to try it. We did it for our Labor Day appetizer and it was a huge hit! Especially with the men. Thanks Megan!!!

2 - 10 oz. cans of chunk chicken, drained
2 - 8 oz pkg of cream cheese, softened1 cup ranch dressing
3/4 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce (this is buffalo wing sauce. I am sure others would work)
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch of celery, sliced into sticks
tortilla chips

Heat chicken, hot sauce, cream cheese and ranch dressing over medium heat, stirring until well blended. Add 1/2 cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Transfer into a crock pot and top with remaining cheese. Cook on low heat and serve with celery and tortilla chips.

RECIPES OF THE WEEK

I have decided to add my recipes to my "posts" so they will be easier to find later. If you want my recipes from before: Pepperoni Pan Pizza, Costa Vida Chicken/Pork, Costa Vida Lime Rice, or Lime Chicken then let me know and I will email them to you.

I have 2 favorites this week.
Thank you Carrie Law and Meagan Atwood for recommending these- I LOVED them!

ONION STRAWS

1 large onion
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 scant tablespoon salt
Lots of black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
Cayenne Pepper
Canola Oil

Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish and cover with buttermilk for at least one hour.Combine dry ingredients and set aside.Heat oil to 375 degrees.

Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tab to shake off excess, and PLUNGE into hot oil.Fry for a few minutes and remove as soon as golden brown.Repeat until onions are gone.

GARLIC CHICKEN FARFALLE

16 oz. Farfalle pasta
1 c. heavy whipping cream
3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed OR garlic salt(I do a spoonful of crushed garlic)
1 Tbsp. pepper*
1/2 c. butter1 lb. bacon, crumpled**
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice

*Seems like a lot of pepper, but it has a wonderful flavor when everything mixes together. If you're apprehensive, do less pepper. You can always add more.

**We like to cook our bacon in the oven (400 degrees, convection). Way less messy. And it's crispy every time. Time varies, so you just have to watch it. I think it's usually around 30 minutes. Allow to cool and then crumple (I totally wear disposable gloves for this part - surprise, surprise).

Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred (I pull it apart). Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.