Homemade Salsa - from Susan

My friend, Susan, makes wonderful homemade salsa - she even grows all of these ingredients in her garden!  She brought me a copy of the recipe this week, and I couldn't wait to share it! 

Homemade Salsa
Ingredients:
4 medium tomatoes
1 medium onion
1 jalapeno
Cilantro to taste
Juice of half a lime
2 tsp. minced garlic (or more)
Salt (lots to taste)

Directions:
Combine all indredients in food processor and serve.

It's (one of) the most wonderful times of the year...

Birmingham Restaurant Week!

Where are you going to eat this week??  We've already been to The Silvertron Cafe and have friends heading to Highlands and Ocean.  So many great options...  Enjoy!

Baked Honey and Jam Brie - from Lacey

My friend, Lacey, recently made this wonderful appetizer!  I asked her to share the recipe and wanted to pass it on.  It's great for parties and get-togethers!  If you like Brie, you'll definitely like baked Brie!  Enjoy...


Baked Honey and Jam Brie
Ingredients:
Phyllo dough (in the freezer section - also spelled "filo" or "fillo")
Large slice of Brie
Honey (local honeys bought at farmer's markets are always good!)
Jam (any flavor)
Butter, melted
Pecans or Walnuts

Directions:
Lay 7-10 phyllo dough layers alternately turned with melted butter brushed in between layers on a surface and pour about 1/4 cup honey in center of dough. Place the wedge of Brie over honey. Spread jam (any flavor) over top of Brie. Top with pecans or walnuts. Then pour additional honey to cover nuts. Wrap phyllo dough around Brie and then place additional layer on top to have a smooth wrap. Place on cookie sheet and put in oven for 5 min at 350. Keep an eye on it so the cheese won't run out.

Gnocchi Mac & Cheese

Okay.  So, let me just start by saying that I will never even come close to describing how amazing this dish is!  It's definitely the best thing I've made all year.  Basically, I'm saying that you MUST try this recipe - and if you like cheese at all, you will be blown away!  After trying the Rocky Road Brownies that I posted in June from the blog, Plain Chicken, I decided that I needed to try some of her other recipes.  This is the only one I've made so far, but it's divine!  I purchased the gnocchi at the store (it takes forever to make!) and it worked wonderfully.  We love using gnocchi in pasta dishes (it's a pasta made from potatoes).  Besides the gnocchi and cheese of course, the white pepper in this recipe really makes the difference.  This dish has so many great flavors - I hope you like it as much as we do!  And, don't even attempt to count the calories - trust me, it's worth every single one!

Gnocchi Mac and Cheese
(from: Cuisine at Home via Plain Chicken)

Ingredients:

1 pound purchased or homemade gnocchi
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup shredded fontina cheese
1 tsp basil

Salt and white pepper to taste
1/3 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and place gnocchi in a single-layer in a 1-1/2 quart shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and Dijon. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.

Combine Gruyere and fontina, then add by the handful to milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding the next handful. Once all cheese is melted, add basil, salt and pepper.

Pour sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano over top. Bake gnocchi until they puff and cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let gnocchi rest for 5 minutes before serving.