Caprese Pizza Dip - from Susan

Susan brought this wonderful dip to our Sunday School get-together this weekend!  We decided we liked it with tortilla chips, and it's best if it can be kept warm.  This would be a great appetizer for a Greek dinner, and the tomatoes make it perfect for summer-time!

(Photo from us-masala.blogspot.com)

Caprese Pizza Dip

Ingredients:

1 pint/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temp
10 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup + 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup basil leaves, chopped roughly
Salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of dried oregano

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.   Place tomato halves on top.  Drizzle with 2 tsp olive oil and salt, then bake for 12 – 17 minutes.  Take out of the oven and set aside.  While tomatoes are roasting, mix softened cream cheese with mozzarella and ¼ cup parmesan.  Stir in fresh basil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper – mixing well to combine.  Place the tomatoes at the bottom of a baking dish, top it with the cheese mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining parmesan, drizzle 1 tbsp oil on top.  Bake for 20 – 22 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly.  Serve immediately with crackers, chips, or toasted crusty bread.

Hot Corn Dip - from BLC

My friend, BLC, of The Company She Keeps has made this recipe several of the times we've gotten together recently.  It's so good and always goes really fast!  This is a perfect appetizer to take to parties - so delicious!

 

Photo from bakedbree.com

 

Hot Corn Dip

(from Bakedbree.com)

 Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon jalapeno, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
• 3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• tomatoes
• green onions
• cilantro
• tortilla chips

Instructions

1. Put the cream cheese, jalapeno, garlic powder, chipotle powder, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix together until well combined. Add the corn. Mix until everything is combined. Add 2 cups of the cheese and stir until combined.
2. Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Pour corn into pan and top with remaining cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and it is hot all the way through. Top with chopped tomatoes, sliced green onions, and cilantro. Serve with chips.

Sun-dried Tomato and Kalamata Olive Bruschetta

I found this recipe on Pinterest and tried it recently when I hosted a girls' night at my house.  It was a big hit, and I'll definitely be making it again!  It's the perfect appetizer for any dinner party.  I had a lot of extra tapenade left over - so it could definitely be used as a dip, too.

 

(Photo from: garnishwithlemon.com)

 

 

Sun-dried Tomato and Kalamata Olive Bruschetta

(from:  garnishwithlemon.com)

Ingredients

• 1 loaf French bread
• 4 oz. Crumbled Feta cheese
• 4 oz. Light cream cheese softened
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 oz. Kalamata olives coarsely chopped
• 1- 7 ounce jar julienne sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 10 basil leaves chopped

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Slice the bread into ½ inch slices and toast in oven until lightly browned (about 9 minutes). Rub the bread with one of the garlic cloves after you remove it from the oven. Can be made two days ahead, put in air tight container once it has cooled.
3. Combine Feta and cream cheese until smooth.
4. Put remaining garlic cloves, olives and sun-dried tomatoes in bowl of food processor. Pulse until coarsley chopped but not pureed. Slice basil in ribbons and stir into tapenade.
5. Right before serving, spread crostini with cream cheese mixture and top with olive tomato tapenade.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Sriracha Aioli

In the last year or so I've gotten really into brussels sprouts and have been looking for different ways to cook them.  I have roasted them before but have never tried them with a sauce.  This is a super easy recipe and can even be used as an appetizer.  Be careful, though, the sauce is really spicy!! 

Photo from Authentic Suburban Gourmet

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Sriracha Aioli
(From Authentic Suburban Gourmet)1 Lb. Brussels Sprouts, trim ends only and leave whole
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350

In a baking dish add the Brussels sprouts and toss with olive oil until well coated and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, so the Brussels are still firm. Serve with dipping sauce as a main dish or appetizer.

Sriracha Aioli
4 T. Mayonnaise
1 to 2 T. Sriracha (add more or less depending how hot you like it)

Mix the ingredients in a small bowl and let sit in refrigerator until ready to use.

Garlic Parmesan Edamame

I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it along with the sushi bowl recipe that I'll also be posting.  So easy and so yummy!!  If you generally like edamame, you'll love this!

Picture from: Keeping up with the Joneses

Garlic Parmesan Edamame

(recipe from Keeping up with the Joneses)

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) pkg frozen edamame in shell
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Steam edamame in microwave until slightly warm and not frozen. The kind I buy at Sam's comes in microwave steaming bags, but 28 cooks says you can throw the edamame in a ziploc bag with about a tbsp of water, seal it, leaving a small opening for steam, and heat it on high for 2 minutes (*I acutally tried this, and it works!). Drain and set aside.

In a small food processor or blender, combine olive oil and garlic. Process until well-combined. Heat a wok over medium high heat. Add edamame and toss for a few seconds. Add garlic oil and saute for a minute or two, stirring constantly. Add breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and salt and toss until well coated. Serve immediately. Eat like regular edamame, eating the pods and leaving the shell.

Potstickers

Obviously, I've been on an Asian food kick lately!  I've had a few recipes that I wanted to try, so last week I finally got around to it.  These potstickers are amazing!  But, they're also pretty time-consuming, so just be prepared.  I didn't use the bok choy, so I can't say for sure how that would turn out.  The wonton wrappers were pretty easy to use - you can find them in the produce section usually.  Mine were square, so I ended up with triangles instead of semi-circles like in the picture.  The first night we made them, we followed this recipe, but I will say that I was very worried about the frying and steaming in the same pan - so be VERY careful if you try to do this.  We went ahead and made all of the potstickers and kept half in the fridge overnight.  The next night we didn't fry them, we just steamed them in a large pot with a steamer tray.  This seemed much safer - but of course this makes them more like dumplings and less like potstickers, but they still have the same flavor.  I found the sauce recipe on a different website and definitely recommend making it to serve with the potstickers.


Photo from: blogs.babble.com

Potstickers from: blogs.babble.com
Ingredients:
1 cup finely shredded bok choy or napa cabbage (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lb. lean ground pork
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. soy sauce (or to taste)
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 pkg. wonton or gyoza wrappers, thawed if frozen
canola oil
chicken or veggie stock, or water

If you’re using it, toss the cabbage with salt in a medium bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Pick it up in your hand and squeeze out the excess liquid, draining it as well as you can. Add the pork, green onions, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar and sesame oil and mix it all up with your hands.

To fill wontons, place a small spoonful of filling in the middle of each wrapper; moisten the edges with water (just use your finger) and fold over, pressing the edge tightly to seal. Place seam side up on a cookie sheet, pressing lightly to flatten the bottom. Cover with a tea towel to prevent them from drying out. (Dumplings can be prepared up to this point, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours or frozen.)

When you’re ready to cook the potstickers, heat a drizzle of canola oil in a largeish skillet set over medium-high heat. Place half the dumplings at a time in the skillet and cook for a minute or two, until deep golden brown on the bottom, shaking the pan a few times to keep them from sticking. Don’t crowd the pan too much.

Pour about 1/4 cup stock or water into the pan. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes – this will allow them to steam, cooking them through.

Makes 2 – 3 dozen potstickers.

Each: 45 calories, 1 g total fat (0.2 g saturated fat, 0.4 g monounsaturated fat, 0.3 g polyunsaturated fat), 3 g protein, 5.9 g carbohydrate, 5.2 mg cholesterol, 0.4 g fiber. 20% calories from fat.

Potsticker Dipping Sauce
From: goodcheapeats.com

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon fresh minced ginger (I buy this is a tube so I always have some)
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 Tablespoons sugar

Combine all ingredients in glass dish.  Serve with potstickers.

Bang Bang Shrimp

Bang Bang Shrimp is the name of a great appetizer at Bonefish Grill.  I was a little leery when I saw this recipe because generally copy-cat recipes aren't nearly as good as the original.  But, I have to say that I can't tell a difference between these and the ones served at the restaurant!  They are so good!  I followed these directions exactly, and they turned out perfectly.  We generally keep a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer, and they worked great for this.  Warning: the sauce can be really hot, so use sparingly until you're sure you like it!


Photo from: fakeginger.com (and they really do turn out like this!)

Bang Bang Shrimp
from: fakeginger.com
Yield: 2 – 4 as appetizer
Ingredients:
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4-5 teaspoons chili garlic sauce, such as Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

For the egg mixture:
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk

For the breading mixture:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

For frying:
8 to 12 cups vegetable oil

Instructions:
1.Combine beaten egg with milk in shallow bowl; set aside.
2.Combine flour, panko, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and basil in another shallow bowl; set aside.
3.Bread the shrimp by first coating each with the breading mixture. Dip breaded shrimp into the egg and milk mixture, and then back into the breading. Arrange the coated shrimp on a plate and pop them into the fridge for at least 20 minutes. This step will help the breading to stick on the shrimp when they are frying.
4.While you're waiting on the shrimp, combine all ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl; cover and set aside.

5.Heat oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees F. Use amount of oil required by your fryer.
6.When oil is hot, fry shrimp 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on rack or paper towels.
7.When all shrimp has been fried, drop the shrimp into a large bowl. Spoon about 1/4 cup of sauce over shrimp and stir gently to coat.

Sun-dried Tomato Spread

Last night I got together with some of my favorite friends for a clothing swap!  Several times a year we all go through our closets and gather clothes that we don't wear very much - then we get together and swap them around.  It's a great way to clean our closets and add new things at the same time!  My friend, BLC, from The Company She Keeps is always one of the hostesses with me.  Check out her blog The Clothes She Kept to see more pieces from her closet. 

Since I'm on Spring Break, I decided to try making a few new dishes.  This is one that I found on Pinterest from the Taste of Home website.  There's a lot of mayonnaise in the recipe; since I'm not a big mayo fan, I only used half as much as was called for in the recipe.  It was a big hit - and it makes TONS, so it's great for a big party!

Sun-dried Tomato Spread
Ingredients:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened (I used one regular and one fat free)
2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar (7 ounces) oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
2/3 cup chopped roasted sweet red peppers
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
Assorted crackers

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, onion and garlic until blended. Stir in tomatoes and red peppers. Stir in the mozzarella cheese, Italian cheese blend and 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until edges are bubbly and lightly browned. Serve with crackers. Yield: 28 servings (1/4 cup each).

Waldorf Salad

This salad gets its name from its origination at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in NYC and was first published in 1896.  Waldorf Salad is such an easy appetizer to make and take.  My parents make it nearly every year as a side dish for our family's Thanksgiving gathering, but it's perfect for any time of year!

Waldorf Salad
Ingredients:
4 Red Delicious Apples, cubed
1 1/2 cups celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Lemon juice
Mayo

Directions:
Cube the apples. Toss them in lemon juice to keep them fresh. Mix all of the ingredients together without mayo. Then add mayo to your taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Shrimp and Avocado Salad on Endive Leaves

This is another recipe from my church's Christmas Countdown event.  This was my favorite dish from the event, and I'm excited about trying it soon.  I think this recipe would be perfect for Spring and Summer gatherings.  It has such good flavor - the sesame seeds and scallions give it an Asian feel, so it would be perfect with sushi! 

Shrimp and Avocado Salad on Endive Leaves
(from Martha Stewart Living)  makes 24
Ingredients:
20 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 3 limes)
2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions (plus more for garnish)
1 jalapeno chile, stem, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 firm, ripe Hass avocado, pitted and peeled
2 to 3 small Belgian endives
Black sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add shrimp, and cook until opaque, about 1 minute. Let cool, cut
into 1/4 inch pieces.

Transfer shrimp to a medium bowl. Add lime juice, chopped scallions, jalapeno, and salt. Stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.  Just before serving, cut avocado into 1/4 inch cubes, and fold into shrimp mixture. Separate endive leaves, and arrange 24 on a platter. Spoon about 1 teaspoon shrimp salad on each leaf. Garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds, if desired.

Balsamic Vinegar Reduction - from Jeff

Jeff made a wonderful balsamic vinegar reduction last year for a Christmas party, and I thought it would make a great last-minute Christmas recipe since it only requires a few ingredients.  I've always loved balsamic vinegar, but I'm not sure that I'd had a reduction before.  The consistency is  more like a syrup.  He used it as a topping for slices of brie - it was amazing! 

Balsamic Vinegar Reduction
Ingredients:
1 bottle of balsamic vinegar (the better the vinegar, the better the reduction)
Powdered sugar to taste

Directions:
Heat the vinegar in a sauce pan on high.  As soon as it starts to boil, turn down the heat to medium.  Stir and watch closely as the vinegar cooks (some recipes say to whisk the entire time it cooks).  It should cook down to 1/3 of its original size and become much thicker.  Be careful that you don't burn the vinegar on the bottom of the pan!  Once it gets to the right size/consistency, add a little powdered sugar to taste.  Jeff says that you may want to stop cooking it just before you think it's actually thick enough as it will continue to firm as it cools (if it firms too much, reheat it for a minute and add a small bit of water).

The reduction can be served on fruit, caprese salads (tomato/mozzarella/basil), or on cheeses.  If served with cheese, it would be easiest to serve the reduction in something that pours easily (think creamer or gravy boat) next to your block of brie or other cheese.  If you prepour the reduction, it may get too sticky.

Guacamole Bruschetta

I know this may not be a traditional Christmas recipe, but the green and red can make it work!  This is one of my new favorite recipes, and I think it's perfect for any time of the year.  I made this a few weeks ago for a party.  The main problem I had was finding good tomatoes this time of year.  I really couldn't find any that looked great, so I substituted the fresh tomatoes with sundried tomatoes instead.  They still turned out great!

Photo from justataste.com

Guacamole Bruschetta

Yield: 12-15 servings
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 6 min

Ingredients:
½ loaf French bread
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 tomatoes, medium chopped
2 avocados, medium chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Slice the French bread on the diagonal into ½" rounds and place on a baking sheet.
Toast the sliced bread in the oven for 3 minutes, then flip each piece over and toast an additional 3 minutes.
Remove the toasted bread from the oven and immediately rub with the clove of garlic (it works best to first cut a small tip off the garlic clove so that the oils will seep out).
Brush the tops of the garlic-rubbed toasts with olive oil and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, avocado, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix together gently making sure the avocado is well coated in the lime juice.
Spoon a portion of the mixture onto each of the garlic toasts and serve.

From: Justataste.com

Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Torta

This is a recipe from my church's annual Christmas Countdown event.  This year's food was just as good as always!  I really liked this appetizer, and the colors make it perfect for Christmas.

Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Torta
(from Southern Lady Magazine)
Ingredients:
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup toasted pine nuts
1 (3-ounce) jar prepared pesto
Garnish: chopped sun-dried tomatoes

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, feta cheese, and garlic powder. Beat
at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Divide cream cheese mixture in half.
Combine one-half cheese mixture and spinach; set aside. combine other half with sun-dried tomatoes.
Line an 8 inch cake pan with plastic wrap. Spread spinach mixture in bottom of pan. Top with sun-dried
tomato mixture; refrigerate for 1 hour.
Invert onto serving dish and remove from pan. Carefully remove plastic wrap. Cover sides of torta with
pine nuts. Spread pesto on top of torta. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with sundried
tomatoes. Serve with crackers.

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom & Gruyere Tartlets

I made this amazing appetizer for a party a few weeks ago.  These tartlets were a big hit!  They take a little bit of time but aren't too difficult to make.  The flavor is so great - I wish I had some right now!

Photo from browneyedbaker.com

Caramelized Onion, Mushroom & Gruyere Tartlets
Yield: 16 3-inch tartlets
Prep Time: 1 hour
Bake Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
16 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup white wine (can substitute chicken or vegetable broth)
2 sheets puff pastry (thawed according to directions on package)
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (can substitute any variety of Swiss cheese)
1 egg + 1 tablespoon water, beaten together (for the egg wash)
Handful of parsley, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize, about 20 minutes.
3. Add the butter to the pan. Once melted, add the mushrooms and saute, stirring occasionally, until they are completely soft and all of the liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and the thyme and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to pull up all of the browned bits, and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat.
6. Unfold the thawed sheets of puff pastry and cut out circles from the dough, placing them evenly spaced on the baking sheets. Using a very sharp knife, make four small scores around the perimeter of the dough, about ¼ to ½-inch from the edge.
7. Top the rounds of puff pastry with a small spoonful of the onion and mushroom mixture, trying to keep the filling within the score marks. Top with the shredded Gruyere cheese. Brush the edges of the dough rounds with the egg wash.
8. Bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 15 to 25 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

From: Brown Eyed Baker

Baked Brie Bites

Photo from: Plain Chicken

I finally had some time to try some new recipes recently!  This is one of my favorites - not only is it really tasty, but it's also REALLY easy!!  I found it on pinterest, and it was originally posted on Plain Chicken.  It's easy to throw together right before you have people over because it doesn't take much prep work.  This is a great way to serve cheese because you don't need a knife or crackers.  And, since it's sweet, you could definitely serve it as a mini-dessert!

Baked Brie Bites (from Plain Chicken)
Ingredients:
mini phyllo tarts (from the freezer section)
Ile de France brie, cubed
brown sugar
chopped pecans
honey

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Place a cube of brie in each phyllo tart. Sprinkle each tart with approximately 1/2 tsp brown sugar. Top with approximately 1/2 tsp chopped pecans and a dollop of honey. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until brie is melted. (use more or less of each ingredient according to your preference)

Pomegranate Hummus - from Gretchen



Photo from: Ask in Your Face

 Like the last two years, I'd like to devote all of the posts in December to recipes that are particularly great during the Christmas season.  Gretchen was gracious enough to share this recipe from her husband's aunt.  It's a festive way of serving hummus.  You can find many hummus recipes on the internet or buy it from your local store.  Gretchen mixes her hummus with a can of chick peas and cumin.  Once it's mixed, she tops it with the arils of one fresh pomegranate.  Sometimes, you can find the arils at the grocery store.  But, if not, you can pick them out of a pomegranate.  This video gives great instruction on how to easily get the arils out of a pomegranate.  This dish makes a beautiful presentation for holiday parties.  Gretchen serves her hummus with pita chips from a local Greek restaurant, but these can be purchased at the grocery store as well.

*Christmas Recipes from 2010 or 2009.

Warm Crab Dip - from Gretchen

My friend, Gretchen, made this dish recently to bring to a cookout.  It was such a big hit - everyone kept going back for more (especially me!).  It makes a great appetizer for any meal and would be a wonderful dish for a late Fall football party.

Warm Crab Dip
Ingredients:
2 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup mayo
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1 chopped green onion
1 lb flaked crab meat

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.  In a bowl, mix cream cheese, mayo, mustard, lemon juice, and 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese until smooth (I usually add more cheddar.)  Stir in the green onion and crab meat. Pour into the casserole dish and top with the remaining cheddar.... (again, I add more).  Bake in oven for 30 minutes.  Serve with crackers.

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.

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.

Spicy Crackers - from Sarah L.

Sarah brought these crackers to a party recently, and they were so good!  They made the perfect appetizer.  They would be great for the holidays or any time of year - and they are super quick.  You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already.  Some of the guys mentioned these would be great with raw or baked oysters, also.  These crackers looked great on the table.  We definitely devoured them!

Spicy Crackers
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 ranch dressing seasoning packet
2 tbs garlic powder
1 tbs crushed red pepper seasoning
1 box saltines

Directions:
Mix the first 4 ingredients.  Then pour the mixture over a whole box of saltine crackers in a big zip lock bag and mix it around to coat the crackers. They are better the next day.