Friday, January 25, 2013

Rotel Dip!

With the Super Bowl quickly approaching, I wanted to share one of my most favorite dips that I make for parties. It's extremely simple and can be all made in a crock pot, if you choose to do a meatless version. Rotel dip is full of cheesy goodness! I've used several different cheeses when making this. Sometimes I want a spicy cheese dip while other times I want something a little simple and that is for everyone, regardless of taste buds.


Ingredients:
  • Italian ground turkey
  • 2 cans of medium Rotel
  • 4lb block of Velveeta 
  • 2lb block of colby & monterrey jack blend
  • 1/2 cup of shredded smoked guoda
  • 1 4oz bag of shredded mozzarella
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 cup of chopped red onion
  • cilantro



Turn your crock pot on high so that it begins to warm. Cut your block of Velveeta and Colby & Monterrey blend into 2 inch cubes to help speed the cooking process. Add them to the crock pot along with both cans of Rotel, milk, and your shredded cheeses.


While your cheeses are starting melt in the crock pot, begin warming your skillet. I like to cook my onions first. Add 1tbsp of evoo to your skillet. Once hot enough, add your cup of chopped red onion. Before they get too tender, add your ground turkey (or meat of your option). Season accordingly with black pepper, cayenne pepper and a touch of salt. I find ground turkey to be a naturally salty meat, so I tend to not add much whenever using it. Lastly, once your meat is thoroughly cooked and no longer pink, add it all to the crock pot. The grease from the meat and onions adds a wonderful flavor to the dip. Mix all of the ingredients evenly and top off with cilantro. If using fresh cilantro, you'll only need about 2tbsp; dried will need more, depending on how much you like cilantro. When everything is evenly mixed, you can now dig in! Serve over your favorite tortilla chips and enjoy!


It's Almost Super Bowl Party Time!!!

Those who know me, know that I am not an avid football watcher. However, whenever Super Bowl comes around, I'm looking for a good party to attend! This year is extra special because my Morehouse Brother and cousin Ramon Harewood, along with his Ravens teammates, are going to the Super Bowl!!! WHOO HOO! In this post you will find different dishes you can supply for your own party or to take to another. Whenever hosting a large party and it's not a formal gathering, really look for foods that can be stretched to feed large groups. Here are a few dishes and ideas that can help your party go to the next level!

Multiple TVs: Some people want to watch the game because they are serious football fanatics. While others, like myself, enjoy the half time shows. If children are going to be present, having a gaming system such as Wii, PS3, etc, can provide entertainment for them as well.

Entertainment: Card games like Spades and Bid Whist can keep those not really interested in football occupied with their own tourney. Another great game that will match the length of the Super Bowl is Monopoly. That game can truly go on forever. Other games to look into are UNO, Trouble, and Taboo.

Foods: Dips are great because you can make them in bulk and they stretch! Some of my favorites are 7 layer dip, Rotel dip, and Chili cheese dip. Of course, no party, in my opinion, is complete without some type of fried chicken. Having fried or buffalo party wings are always a hit. If you don't have time to prepare them yourself, or you don't want your home to smell like grease, try your local grocery store. Some other options include chili, meatballs, and pasta salad. Though I made full versions of these before, mini versions of these Cajun Fried & Mesquite Turkey & Smoked Gouda sandwiches can be made.  Snacks to have available can be local chips and popcorn. Being from St. Louis, we will have plenty of Red Hot Riplets to enjoy. For dessert this year, we're doing DIY cupcakes. I'll provide lemon, chocolate and vanilla cupcakes and have icings and sprinkles that reflect the teams in the Super Bowl. Everyone will get a chance to be creative and see who comes up with the best cupcake! And lastly, depending on your crowd, having a few spirits around can definitely boost your shindig. Why not try this Spiced Apple Cider recipe?!

Also, for more treats, check out my girls Dyanna and Gina over at The High Life Suite!

Good luck with your parties and dishes! AND GO, RAVENS!!!

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Candied Carrots!

I have never been a fan of cooked carrots. But eating them raw and with a side of Hidden Valley Ranch is one of my favorite snacks in the world! Granted, I could do without the ranch, or the ingredients of candied carrots, but I still like to believe that I'm getting some type of nutritional value by eating carrots. This is something that goes well with almost any dish. When cooked properly, they add a sweet, but not overbearing, flavor to your plate. These carrots compliment chicken, fish and beef dishes wonderfully. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb of mini peeled carrots
  • evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
  • brown sugar
  • nutmeg
  • vanilla extract
  • water









Let's get started!

In a saucepan, add 3/4cup of water. Once boiling, add your carrots, 2tbsp of evoo, 3tbsp of brown sugar, 1tspn of vanilla extract, and 2 tspn of nutmeg. Stir all of your ingredients and keep on a high boil. Once the water begins to become sticky, reduce heat to medium and cook until the water turns into a glaze. Add to your meal and enjoy! Also, if you have leftovers, I enjoy these carrots cold as well. Enjoy!

                     

Friday, January 11, 2013

Honey Mustard Roasted Chicken & Potatoes!

Well known fact about me: I LOVE CHICKEN! You can fry it, grill it, BBQ it, bake it...whatever! With that being said, I could easily eat chicken everyday. Since that could easily get boring, I try to come up with creative ways to serve chicken. While talking with my Granny recently, I started talking about honey mustard and chicken; two of my favorite things, especially together! I thought, "hmm...what would chicken, potatoes, red onions and honey mustard taste like altogether?" Now, for some, this may seem like a lot going into one dish, but it was really good! 



Ingredients:

  • skinless chicken breasts
  • medium red potatoes
  • mushrooms
  • red onion
  • fresh garlic
  • evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
  • honey mustard



Let's get started! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. After cleaning your chicken breasts, place them on a cutting board and pat them dry with a paper towel. After cutting your chicken and red potatoes into 1/2 inch chunks, place both in a mixing bowl. Add 1tbsp of freshly chopped garlic, 2tbsp of evoo, 2/3cup of chopped red onion, and 1cup of sliced mushrooms. Season accordingly with black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper. Use your hands and thoroughly mix all ingredients in your bowl. Once evenly seasoned, add 1.5cups of honey mustard. Feel free to buy a store brand, or use the recipe I posted here. In a small to medium sized baking dish, lightly grease the bottom with cooking spray and pour in all of your ingredients. Bake covered for 30 min. Uncover your dish, stir and allow it to finish roasting at 375 degrees for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from the stove and serve with your favorite veggies. I try to have a nice proportion of veggies with every dinner. So we had a side of roasted peppers & onions and candied carrots :) I hope you enjoy it :)



How To Make Your Own Honey Mustard!

This post will be short and to the point! Anyone who knows me, will tell you that my favorite condiment is honey mustard! I prefer a sauce that still has the undertone of yellow mustard but the savory and sweet goodness of honey as well. So when I usually buy bottled honey mustard from the grocery store, it can be hit or miss when pairing with something. Additionally, there are usually so many ingredients in those bottles that it alters the taste of food. So while thinking about dinner for the week, I decided that I wanted honey mustard roasted chicken and potatoes! Like most of the dishes I create, I'd never had it before but it sounded divine in theory. Now that I have a basic honey mustard mastered, I'm excited to start exploring this with other types of mustard and expanding my tastes buds!

Ingredients:
  • yellow mustard
  • honey
  • brown sugar
In a small mixing bowl combine 1/2cup of yellow mustard, 4tbsp of honey and 4tbsp of brown sugar. *Note: depending on how you like your honey mustard, you can change the amount of brown sugar and honey to suit your personal taste.* Beat with until all ingredients are blended. Serve as a dipping sauce or use as a marinade! Enjoy :)


Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Turkey & Smoked Gouda Sandwiches!

Hey everyone and Happy New Year! I hope that the new year is going well for you so far. I've been busy expanding my craft and learning in every way I can so that I can share delicious recipes and treats with you. Since relocating back home, cooking for my family has become my classroom! My brother is a growing 5'10" 14 year and my mom has never really been a "cook" lol. But growing up, I never missed any meals! With that being said, Royce came home from volleyball practice yesterday and was hungry! I needed to whip up something quick and filling for all of us. Also, I was not in the mood to run to the grocery store. So, I opened that fridge, pulled out some items and ended up with a VERY yummy dinner. You can choose to add whatever sides you like. We had sweet potato fries and steamed broccoli with shredded cheese :)

Ingredients:

  • onion sandwich buns
  • sliced smoked gouda
  • honey mustard
  • red onion
  • cajun fried turkey
  • honey baked turkey
**I used my griddle to prepare everything; it saved on dishes at the end!**

On a lightly greased griddle, add equal parts of shredded turkey. While the turkey is browning, toast your buns and grill your onions simultaneously.  Place a slice of smoked gouda on top of the turkey and allow it melt. Remove your buns and add honey mustard to each one. Remove the turkey and cheese, top with your onions and boom! There you have it!