Guacamole and Hummus

Guacamole
Combine the following In a blender:

3-4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
flesh of 2 avocados
8 Tbsp (1/2 cup) good olive oil
6 Tbsp lemon juice – best to use bottled lemon juice – sometimes fresh lemon juice is too acidic and the mixture won’t blend well.

Blend everything until very smooth – scraping down the sides of the blender frequently. If too thick, blend in more olive oil a little at a time, or use avocado oil for truly decadent richness!

Hummus
Warning: this is NOT a diet dish!

Place the following in a food processor:

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained
garlic to taste – I use lots (10-12 cloves) because I love it! You may want to start with 3-4 and work your way up…
1/2 cup good olive oil (extra virgin, first cold press is best – this is important for the overall taste)
1/2 cup orange juice
3 Tbsp tahini *
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp tamari **

Heaping 1/4 tsp of each of the following:

ground corriander
ground cumin
ground ginger
paprika
ground mustard
ground tumerric
1/8 tsp garam masala or 5-spice powder (be careful with this stuff – it can overpower everything easily)

Blend all of the ingredients very well, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container occasionally. Try to make the mixture as smooth as possible… you can add more olive oil as you mix – drizzle it in through the top opening of the container as the processor is running.

Pour the mixture into a plastic tub, cover and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to firm up a little. Or not… it’s okay if you’re in a hurry and don’t have time for this.

To serve, place in a flat bowl. Decorate with lots of pitted calamata olives and crumbled Feta cheese, and drizzle lots of olive oil over everything. Serve with pita bread wedges, pita chips, or other firm crackers, and encourage guests to scoop up the olive oil, olives and cheese in the process!

* Tahini is sesame seed “butter” – usually found with other nut butters in natural food sections. It can also be found in the Jewish or Mediterranean sections.

** Tamari is good quality soy sauce – much richer and stronger than ordinary soy sauce.

❤ Shelley Nordine

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 (10 oz) cans chunk chicken, drained and shredded
• 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup ranch dressing
• 1/3 to 3/4 cup hot pepper sauce (I use Frank’s Red Hot, and about 1/2 a cup)
• 1 and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing until cream cheese is melted. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheddar cheese, and transfer the mixture to a crock pot. Sprinkle wit the remaining shredded cheese, cover, and cook on low until hot and bubbly.

Serve with crackers, celery, or tortilla chips. Enjoy! =) ❤ Kristen Neely

Homemade Bisquick

• 5 cups flour
• 1/4 cup baking powder
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine

1. Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.

2. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 weeks or in the freezer for longer storage.

This makes approx 6 cups.

To make Biscuits :
Mix together 1/3 cups of milk for every 1 cup of mix.  Drop onto un-greased cookie sheets and bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes

** Add any additional ingredients you wish such as cheese, chocolate chips, blueberries or herbs before adding the milk.

** 1 cup of mix will yield about 6 biscuits

To make pancakes:
Mix 2 cups of mix with 1 cup of milk and 2 eggs.  Cook on hot griddle.

*as with the biscuits you may add any flavoring or other ingredient you like

This is not my recipe for mix but I have used it and now prefer to use it over purchasing it in the store and the whole family loves the additional recipes posted which too are not mine.  Here is the link for the website.. http://kitchensimplicity.com/homemade-bisquick-mix/ enjoy it!!! ❤ Jaime Nasdeo

Leanne’s Spicy Compound Butter

Okay, so if you’ve grilled your corn, then I have a recipe for a compound butter you’ve just gotta try! It’s the BEST thing going… absolutely LOVE it!

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder

In a small bowl, whip together all ingredients using an electric beater or do it by hand. Once everything is well combined, place it in a sealed container and keep in the fridge till ready to use. Using a knife, rub a big blob on your corn and dig in! You won’t need any salt or anything, just this delectable butter, yum!

Makes enough for about 8 ears of corn.

❤ Shelley Nordine

Skinny Taco Dip

8 oz 1/3 fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese (or any reduced fat cream cheese)
8 oz reduced fat Sour Cream (Daisy makes a good Light sour Cream)
16 oz jar mild or hot salsa (we use hot; plus the more spice the more you burn later!)
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
2 cups iceberg lettuce (I use half Iceberg, half romaine)
2 large tomatoes diced
1 cup reduced fat shredded cheese (cheddar)
Chopped olives to preference

In large bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, and taco seasoning, mix well, (I use my kitchen Aid). Spread in the bottom of a 9×13. Top with lettuce (shredded), tomatoes, shredded cheese, and olives, serve with tortilla chips (or pita chips!)

❤ Frances Abderhalden