Carrabba’s Bread Dip

I wonder how many loaves of bread I could eat at Carrabba’s, if I had their bread dip in front of me? I could make a meal out of that! I found this recipe on Pinterest, and it’s pretty good! It’s a little spicier than the dip at Carrabba’s, but it tastes pretty darn close to what they serve. It’s weird, Liam said his wasn’t spicy at all. I looked on Pinterest and there are several different recipes for this out there, so I might try another one and see how it compares. But in the meantime, “welcome to Carrabba’s!”

rating: 9

Carrabba’s Bread Dip
adapted from Chef 2 Chef

1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp crushed black pepper
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried rosemary
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt

In a to-go container, combine all the ingredients together. Store mixture in the refrigerator until needed.

Put 1 Tbsp of mixture per person in a small saucer with raised edges. Pour extra-virgin olive oil over the mixture, and dip warm sourdough or French bread into the mixture.

 

No-Guilt Caesar Salad

And no taste, either. Well, it does have a little bit of taste because it’s really spicy! I had to double-check the recipe and see if I added the right amount of Dijon! It was so spicy that I had to add a little more tofu to despicify it. Did you see what I did right there? This was bland and boring, and nothing like a caesar dressing should be.

rating: 3

No-Guilt Caesar Salad
(Alton Brown)

time needed: 10 min.
makes 1 cup
Ingredients:

2 ounces cubed Parmesan
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
11/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
11/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (I used a veggie version)
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 cup silken soft tofu
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:

Starting on the lowest speed, chop the cheese cubes in the blender jar until it settles into the bottom of the jar, gradually increasing the speed. Add the garlic down the chute and chop until minced.

Next, add the mustard, white wine vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, and tofu to the blender and blend until smooth. While the blender is running, drizzle olive oil down the middle of the vortex that has formed. Add more or less of the olive oil and blend until it reaches salad dressing consistency.

 

Asparagus & Cheese Tart

I have a love/hate relationship with puff pastry. I love to eat it, but I hate trying to bake with it. I either don’t thaw it out enough and it’s too stiff to roll out, and I thaw it out too much and it’s mush. That’s what happened last night. The two sheets of pastry that you get in the box kind of blended into each other (I did get that divider piece of paper out, though!). That why, in the pic, you see a weird odd piece sticking out- that’s because I had to do a lot of patching and mending holes. SIGH. But, it still tastes the same, and this was good! I did make two substitutions: I couldn’t find vegetarian fontina cheese, so I used smoked Provolone. I am not sure if that was anything like fontina or not, but it actually tasted good on the tart, so…And then I used half-and-half in place of the whole milk. I happened to have some on hand that needed to get used up. These wasn’t too hard to pull together, and the end result is really kind of fabulous and impressive. Liam didn’t like his “pizza”, but Toby ate two big pieces.

rating: 8.9

Asparagus & Cheese Tart
(Food Network Magazine, April 2012)

active time: 20 min.
total time needed: 50 min.
serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (about 1/2 pound), thawed
All-purpose flour, for dusting
1 cup grated fontina cheese (about 3 ounces) (I used grated smoked provolone)
1 cup grated comte or gruyere cheese (about 3 ounces)
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons whole milk (I used half-and-half)
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions:

Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a large skillet. Add the asparagus; cook until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus. Drain and transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking; drain and pat dry. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll out the puff pastry into a 10-by-16-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Bake until light golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet.

Meanwhile, mix the fontina, comte, shallot, egg yolks, milk, nutmeg and a pinch each of salt and pepper in a bowl until combined. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides. Toss the asparagus with the olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Arrange the asparagus on the tart and bake until the cheese mixture is slightly puffy, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the lemon zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Baked Feta

This recipe is so versatile. You can really throw just about anything in with the feta and it will be good. I made three little squares of aluminum foil for each of us. I gave Toby and myself larger blocks of feta, and Liam got his own little small block (the boy loves feta). For me and Toby, I loaded on the red onion, capers, black pepper, garlic, and sprigs of oregano. I left Liam’s plain. I think this would also be good with some basil and diced tomatoes! 15 minutes was all it needed to get all hot and gooey, and I just put the whole package on each plate with some toasted sourdough bread and olives. Really good!

rating: 9.3

Baked Feta
(Oprah, March 2012)

Ingredients:

blocks of feta cheese
fresh oregano
thinly sliced red onion
diced tomato
capers
thinly sliced garlic
olive oil
black pepper
red pepper flakes
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine blocks of feta and other ingredients (in whatever proportions seem delicious to you) on squares of aluminum foil. Seal packets tightly and place on a sheet tray; bake 15 minutes. Carefully open packets, transfer mixture to plates, and serve with baguette slices.

 

Fried Green Beans

I like green beans, and especially when they are fried! I know, I know, anything fried is unhealthy, but dang, these were good! I didn’t use the FOUR CUPS OF OIL the recipe calls for, so I think that’s why my green beans clumped together. But they still tasted great! The dipping sauce that is also in this recipe is really spicy, so I made another sauce for those of us that don’t like the heat. I mixed up some mayo, minced garlic, and some parsley. I wish fried food like this kept overnight, because I certainly would be eating the leftovers for lunch, but I know it would be a soggy mess.

rating: 9

Fried Green Beans
(Country Living, July/Aug. 2011)
serves 4
working time: 25 min.
total time: 40 min.
Ingredients:

1/2 cup Dijon Mustard
1/4 cup Honey
2 teaspoons Hot Sauce (I omitted)
1 1/2 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
1 pinch Dry Mustard
4 cups Canola Oil, for frying
2 large Egg Whites
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 1/4 cups Club Soda
1 pound Green Beans, ends trimmed
Salt, to taste
Directions:

In a medium saucepan over low heat, whisk first 5 ingredients until warmed. Transfer sauce to a small bowl; let cool.
In a medium Dutch oven fitted with a thermometer over medium-high heat, heat oil to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Whisk in flour and club soda.
Working in batches, dip beans in batter, then lower into oil. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels; sprinkle with salt. Serve with dipping sauce.

calories per serving: 302

 

Smoky Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches

I hadn’t made pimiento cheese in a while, and I kind of had a craving for it. I looked online and read some reviews of this recipe, and everyone seemed to love it. I couldn’t find smoked Cheddar, so I used sharp Cheddar. Also, like one reviewer mentioned, I added a little more mayo at the end, just to make it spread a little easier. This turned out plenty smoky without the smoked Cheddar. Oh, I did leave out the sun-dried tomatoes. I know, I know, there’s no bits of red in there, so I guess this is just officially “Smoky Cheese”, but I just feel like I really don’t need sun-dried tomatoes in my life. Toby ate 3 sandwiches, and Liam preferred his with crackers.

rating: 9

Smoky Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches
(Southern Living, Oct. 2009)

time needed: 15 min.
makes 7 servings

Ingredients:

1 (3-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded smoked Cheddar cheese (I used sharp Cheddar)
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded smoked Gouda cheese
1/2 (8.5-oz.) jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (I omitted)
14 bread slices (sourdough and dark wheat)

Preparation:

1. Stir together cream cheese and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl until blended. Stir in shredded cheeses and sun-dried tomatoes until combined.
2. Spread cheese mixture on half of bread slices (about 1/3 cup on each); top with remaining bread slices.

 

Crescent Dogs

I know you have all probably made these before, but for me, this was something new. I LOVE crescent rolls, so I thought this would be just awesome. Hmm. Well, I found out I don’t like cheese with my hotdog! Liam liked these a lot, and even ate another one the next day. These were pretty easy to make, and you can just pick the whole thing up with one hand and dip it into ketchup or mustard, if you like. I will say that these are great for kids. For me, no.

rating: 8 (for Liam)

Crescent Dogs
(www.pillsbury.com)

Prep Time: 10 Min
Total Time: 25 Min
INGREDIENTS:
8 hot dogs (I used veggie dogs)
4 slices (3/4 oz each) American cheese, each cut into 6 strips
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 375°F. Slit hot dogs to within 1/2 inch of ends; insert 3 strips of cheese into each slit.
Separate dough into triangles. Wrap dough triangle around each hot dog. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, cheese side up.
Bake at 375°F. for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Black Bean Cakes

These black bean cakes turned out SO crispy and good, I couldn’t stop raving about it. I told Toby precisely HOW they got to be so crispy and good several times, not that he cared. The secret, I think, is in the “double dipping”. And maybe in the panko? These were good on their own, but we decided they needed a little sauce of some kind. I whipped up a quick dip of light sour cream and a sprinkling of adobo seasoning. Yum! I bet these would be good on some kind of bread, too.

rating: 9.4

Black Bean Cakes
(Wegmans Menu magazine, Summer 2011)

2 cans (15.5 oz each) Food You Feel Good About Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp Wegmans Pure Olive Oil
6 Tbsp finely minced sweet mini peppers (about 6) – I omitted
1 small white onion, peeled, finely minced (about 1/3 cup)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 Wegmans Large Eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 cup Food You Feel Good About All-Purpose Flour
2 cups Wegmans Panko Bread Crumbs (Grocery Dept)
2 cups Wegmans Vegetable Oil
Cilantro for garnish

You’ll Need: Potato masher, large baking sheet, parchment paper, candy thermometer

Directions:
Mash drained beans with potato masher in mixing bowl. (Beans will not be entirely smooth.) Set aside.

Heat olive oil, peppers, and onions in large skillet on MEDIUM. Cook, stirring, about 5 min, until vegetables are soft and cooked through. Fold pepper and onion mixture into mashed beans. Wipe out skillet.

Divide mixture into 6 equal portions. Form into 3-inch patties; place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet and place in freezer (uncovered) 30 min.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk eggs and milk together in shallow bowl. Put flour and panko in 2 separate shallow bowls. Arrange in an “assembly line”: flour, egg mixture, panko.

Place each bean cake in flour bowl, coating well. Dip in egg mixture until well-coated, then dredge in panko until completely coated. Return cakes to egg mixture and dredge in panko a second time. Place cakes on work surface until all cakes are prepared for frying.

Heat vegetable oil in large skillet to 350 degrees on MEDIUM (check with candy thermometer).

Add cakes to pan; cook 3-4 min or until golden brown. Carefully turn over; cook other side 3-4 min, until golden brown. Drain on double thickness of paper towels.

Place cooked cakes on baking sheet; bake 10-12 min or until heated thoroughly. Garnish with cilantro.

Nutrition Info: Each serving (1 cake) contains 370 calories, 38 g carbohydrate, (8 g fiber), 15 g protein, 18 g fat, (3 g saturated fat), 90 mg cholesterol, and 760 mg sodium.

 

Cheese Wafers

My mom used to make these cheese wafers around the holidays, and I don’t know what made me think of them, but I emailed her and asked her for the recipe. These are so easy! And let me tell you, if you can get hold of some of these while they are still warm….oh. Just OH. So good. I made this recipe as is, and I got about 4 dozen. This was the perfect amount to take to 4 neighbors today! I am going to make more next week for Toby to take to his office party. TRY THESE!

rating: 9.7

Cheese Wafers
(from my mom, not sure where she got the recipe)

1 cup of soft butter or margarine (I used 2 sticks of butter)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sharp grated cheese
1/4 teaspoon red pepper (optional)
pecan halves

 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 cooking sheets with cooking spray. Mix together all ingredients (except pecans). Roll into little balls, about the size of a gumball. Line up all of the “gumballs” on your cookie sheets, then press with a fork to flatten them. Add one pecan half to the top. Bake for 10-15 minutes until they just start to brown.

 

Bean Taquitos

This recipe is easy. Almost too easy. And it’s really good! I am normally not a fan of corn tortillas, but these have won me over. Once I had spread the beans on them, and then added the cheese, they didn’t “resemble cigars”. Well, maybe really fat cigars. That have been stepped on. I used the pepperjack cheese on Toby’s and regular shredded cheddar on mine and Liam’s. I also did not add the lemon peel and juice to my sour cream, but instead used a bit of Adobo seasoning. These were so good. Simple, fast, but different. I served them with some saffron rice.

rating: 9

Bean Taquitos
(Everyday with Rachael Ray, Nov. 2010)

Grated peel and juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup sour cream
12 small corn tortillas
One 16-ounce can spicy refried beans
1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack cheese

Stir the lemon peel into the sour cream.

Heat a large skillet over low heat. Soften each tortilla in the skillet for about 15 seconds on each side. Place the tortillas on a work surface and spread each with 2 tablespoons refried beans; sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons cheese. Roll up the tortillas to resemble cigars.

Using the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Working in 3 batches and using the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, fry the taquitos, turning, until crisp and browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve the taquitos with the lemony sour cream.