Tequila Jalapeno Crab Dip

I'm so so sorry to those of you who are kind enough to check back for new postings. I know I've been M.I.A. I'm teaching high school again and while I love it, planning and grading occupy most of my time. This little delicious dip has been waiting to be posted for the last three weeks.

I made this tequila jalapeno crab dip for my first Pinterest party. Everyone had to bring some grub and something crafty to make that they had pinned. I've had this dip pinned for awhile and finally pulled the trigger. Result = pure deliciousness!

I made a few changes to the original recipe. I'm not a fan of mayo, so I used sour cream instead. I also added some red bell pepper, doubled the garlic, and used green salsa instead of the Tabasco. It ended up being so damn tasty! My Pinterest craft of bedazzling my iPhone charger however... a bust. You win some, you lose some.

I might consider nixing the sugar next time. The crab meat is sweet and the red bell pepper added an additional sweetness. I'm not sure the sugar is necessary...either way this dip is too good to pass up. Kick ass really.

To make the dip, start by seeding the peppers. Throw some jalapeno, Anaheim, red bell pepper, roma tomato, onion, and garlic into the food processor.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

Do they look incredibly pretty? No. In fact, they kind of look like giant cocoons. But don't let their sad and frumpy appearance fool you. These zucchini blossoms, filled with a creamy mixture of goat cheese, cream cheese and herbs, are rich and delicious!

Ryan and I like to go to the local farmer's market in Chico as often as we can. Our most recent visit resulted in a bag of zucchini blossoms, some purple Chinese long beans, and a purple basil plant. The basil is now growing at warp speed in my back yard, waiting to be used for purple pesto (so cool). The Chinese long beans shriveled in the veggie drawer of my fridge before I could think of a way to use them. That's a dollar I'll never get back. And the zucchini blossoms...well we decided to stuff 'em with  cheese and fry 'em.

We decided to try out Giada De Laurentiis' recipe. A few things we did differently: we used herb flavored goat cheese instead of plain, we used milk instead of cream, and we left out the green onions (only because they were forgotten on the grocery list).

They went from delicate flowers to little deep-fried torpedoes of gooey goat cheese. The marinara was the perfect compliment for me. Ryan mixed up some olive oil and balsamic vinegar for his dip of choice.

Parmesan Coated Goat Cheese with Basil Oil

Oh goat cheese, how I love thee. I wish others shared my enthusiasm. I'm not sure what it is that makes folks shy away from goat cheese. Maybe it's the word goat that's not so appetizing. Personally, I fell in love with goat cheese while I was studying abroad in France five years ago. At parties, they would serve small bites of goat cheese with all sorts of fresh herbs sprinkled on top. To my amazement, I found similar bite size goat cheese with herbs at Costco. They are delicious! The perfect snack or appetizer.

Now for this little beauty...

I came across this recipe and couldn't wait to try it. Ryan liked it, but me, I was giddy with how delicious it was. The tanginess of the goat cheese, the bite of the raw garlic, the crispness of the fresh basil, all piled on top of freshly baked buttery bread...it's almost too much to handle. So good! And the presentation, look at that beautiful green color. If you love goat cheese or you're feeling brave, you've gotta try this recipe. You won't be sorry. Although, I can't guarantee that you won't ruin your dinner by finishing off this "appetizer" in one sitting, it's that good.

I did a few things differently from Annie's version. Annie's version calls for plain goat cheese, but I used an herb-flavored goat cheese from Trader Joe's. I also used 5 oz. of cheese, instead of 4 oz. She recommends running the oil through a sieve, but I didn't have one and I liked the basil leaves left in the oil. 

Start by blending parmesan cheese and panko in a food processor to form a crumb coating.

Then mix together goat cheese, garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper.

Form the cheese mixture into a ball, then roll around to coat with panko mixture. Chill in the fridge.

Blanch basil leaves, then mince in food processor with garlic. Add the olive oil. 

Pour the basil olive oil onto a plate. Place goat cheese in the center and garnish with basil leaves. 

Hot Spinach Dip

This is an easy dip to throw together if you have friends coming over (especially if you're like me and always have a huge bag of spinach in your fridge). What I love about it...no mayonnaise! I'm certainly not mayo's biggest fan. And it always seems like dips are packed full of mayo. Not this one. It's got so much flavor, from the sweetness of the sautéed onions to the tanginess of the cream cheese, and at the end of each bite there's a hint of heat from the paprika. I set this dip out for folks to snack on while I was making white chicken chili and I couldn't stop eating it! Dice some onions...bite of spinach dip...cook some chicken...bite of spinach dip...add green chilies to the pot...bite of spinach dip. I just couldn't help myself. Test your willpower and try it for yourself!

Hot Spinach Dip

• olive oil
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb. fresh spinach, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dashes hot sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

Drizzle a little olive oil in a pot, then heat to medium heat. Add spinach and cook until completely wilted. Drain the liquid from the spinach using a colander, press to ensure all excess liquid is drained.

Mouth-watering Jalapeno Popper Dip

It's cheesy, it's gooey, it's tangy, it's spicy. Everybody loves this dip! And I mean everyone. Even my friends who don't like spicy food, overcome their aversion to peppers, in order to eat it. It's love at first taste for most. I can't even count how many times I've been asked for the recipe.

This dip incorporates all that is delightful about a jalapeno popper : the creaminess of the cheese, the toasted breadcrumbs, and the heat from the peppers. You can easily adjust the spiciness to your liking. No matter what, this dip aims to please. It's a real guilty pleasure. 

With football season rolling around, this is a handy little recipe, easy to whip up, in a hungry-group-of-football-fans kind of emergency. 

I always serve this dip with toasted baguette slices. The crunch and flavor of the fresh bread is unbeatable. In a pinch, tortilla or pita chips would suffice.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

I always double this recipe and use a 9"x13" Pyrex. Reason: it goes fast and you don't want to deal with hungry friends when the popper dip runs out. Not pretty. And if by some miracle there are leftovers, this dip tastes even better the second time around.

• 2 (8 oz.) packages of Neufchâtel cheese (labeled as: 1/3 less fat cream cheese), softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
• 1 (4 oz.) can diced jalapenos
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
• breadcrumbs (I like to use the garlic and herb flavored crumbs)
• freshly ground black pepper
• baguette
• olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a hand mixer, beat together cream cheese and sour cream. Stir in the diced green chilies and jalapenos. Mix in 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese and add freshly ground black pepper, to taste.