BAKED SAUSAGE STUFFED BACON WRAPPED JALAPENO POPPERS and BAKED BUFFALO WINGS WITH BLUE CHEESE SAUCE

Happy Super Bowl Sunday 

BAKED SAUSAGE STUFFED BACON WRAPPED JALAPENO POPPERS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound of Italian sausage, casings removed
36 jalapeños
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
36 slices of bacon (I used center cut)

Heat oven to 450F.
In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high (I used cooking spray in place of the olive oil). Brown the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, about 7 minutes. Drain on a paper towel.
Slice off and discard the stem ends of the jalapeños, remove the ribs and seeds (I sliced down one side to open them up, remove the seeds and stuff with the cheese-sausage mixture).
In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, parmesan and sour cream until well combined. Stir in the  cooled sausage. Using a small spoon, stuff the jalapeños with the cream cheese mixture. Wrap each pepper with a piece of bacon.
Place peppers on a baking sheet covered in foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the cheese is melted.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray, October 2013
www.rachaelray.com/‎

BAKED BUFFALO WINGS WITH BLUE CHEESE SAUCE

2 pounds of chicken wings (tips removed and separated at the joints - although we neglected this step)
1/2 cup hot sauce
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey
2 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar (divided use)
2 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
celery sticks for serving

Heat oven to 450F. Line two baking sheets with parchment papaer and arrange wings, in a single layer, skin side down. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden on the bottom, turn and bake 5 minutes more.
Meanwhile combine hot sauce, butter, honey and 1/2 teaspoon vinegar in a large bowl and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix blue cheese, remaining vinegar, buttermilk, sour cream, sugar salt and pepper.
Toss the warm wings with the hot sauce mixture until well coated. Transfer to a platter, serve with blue cheese sauce and celery sticks.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Shape, January/February 2013
www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes‎

CRACKER SPOONS WITH CREAMY PIMIENTO CHEESE and LAVENDER GIN GOAT CHEESE COOKIES and CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT BARS

A dear lady and lovely friend hosted a gathering at her home, a farewell party for a colleague of her husbands. I offered to make and deliver some tasty tidbits to help her out a little with the refreshments. 


CRACKER SPOONS WITH CREAMY PIMIENTO CHEESE

1 1/2 package of refrigerated piecrusts
1 egg white, beaten
3/4 teaspoon salt
creamy pimiento cheese (recipe to follow)

Heat oven to 400F.
Unroll pie crusts, brush with egg white and sprinkle with salt.
Cut dough into rounds, or spoon shapes. Place cutouts onto baking sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until lightly browned and crisp.
Remove from baking sheets to a wire rack, and cool completely (about 20 minutes).
Spoon creamy pimiento cheese into a zip-top plastic freezer bag, snip one corner of the bag to make a small hole. Pipe pimiento cheese onto end of each spoon.

CREAMY PIMIENTO CHEESE
Beat 10 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 (4 ounce) jar of diced pimiento, drained, 1 teaspoon grated onion, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/4 taspoon ground red pepper, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce at medium speed with a heavy duty electric stand mixer 1 minute or until creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Southern Living, April 2012
www.southernliving.com/food/‎




LAVENDER GIN GOAT CHEESE COOKIES

3 sticks of butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon gin
3 1/2 cups flour
3 teaspoons dried lavender
generous pinch of salt
2 to 3 egg yolks, beaten
6 ounces of goat cheese

Mix the butter, sugar and gin together until thoroughly blended. Mix in the flour, lavender and salt until it gets doughy. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Freeze for 10 minutes.
Roll the dough into about 24 little balls and dunk them in the beaten egg yolks. Put the balls on a silicone baking mat on a baking sheet and smash them with your thumb to make craters. Put some goat cheese in each crater. Bake until lightly golden on the edges, about 10 minutes.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Food Network
www.foodnetwork.com › Recipes › Baking‎


CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT BARS

CRUST
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts, toasted
CARAMEL AND CHOCOLATE
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels

Heat the oven to 350F.
Grease a 13 by 9 inch baking pan.
To prepare the crust, combine flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process about 10 seconds to combine thoroughly. Add butter and process until mixture is crumbly, about 30 seconds. Trtansfer mixture to prepared pan and press firmly. Scatter nuts evenly over crust and press them in firmly.
To prepare the caramel layer, melt the butter in a heavy medium sized saucepan over low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir well until thoroughly combined and smooth. Increase heat to medium high and cook, stirring constantly, until entire surface of caramel is bubbly. Immediately pour hot caramel over nuts and spread evenly. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until caramel is bubbly.
Remove pan from oven. Wait 1 minute, sprinkle chocolate morsels evenly over caramel. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes for chocolate to melt. Spread chocolate evenly. Cool completely, then refrigerate 30 minutes to set. Cut into bars with a sharp knife.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Relish Magazine
relish.com/recipes/‎

GRILLED SHRIMP AVOCADO BOATS

I recently read a fascinating article on comfort food, and consequently during a lunch with well-read friends, over our Grilled Shrimp and Avocado, our conversation flowed to that very subject. A common thread throughout both discussions was that comfort food, a term first used in 1977, and defined as "food prepared in a traditional style, having a usually nostalgic or sentimental appeal"(www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comfort%20food‎) is an individual preference, and predominantly determined by childhood experiences. The formative encounters, perhaps being the most powerful, and having a greater impact than experiences later in life. So if you grew up eating and enjoying meatloaf, pumpkin soup, pierogi or spotted dick, that is the food you will most likely turn to when you are seeking to soothe yourself through food. Which of course makes me worry what my children will desire, as I barely ever make the same thing twice.
Interestingly, studies of American preferences show males and females differed in reasons for choosing comfort food and the types they chose. Men preferred warm, hearty, meal-type fare, generally triggered by positive emotions, whereas women, choosing snack type foods such as chocolate and ice cream, tend to gravitate toward those foods when they are experiencing negative emotions.
Food consumed as a response to emotional stress or in order to increase positive feelings, may be a key contributor to the obesity epidemic, currently facing many parts of the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comfort_food#Russia)
A hotel I stayed in recently, advertised a "Comfort Food Night", alongside their "Managers Toast Night" and "BBQ" night. Their comfort offerings were a baked potato, cheese burger and a salad.
Whatever your comfort food may be, please indulge responsibly.

GRILLED SHRIMP AVOCADO BOATS

Peel one pound of jumbo shrimp, leaving tails on.
Marinate in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of minced ginger, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of fresh dill, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Cut 2 avocados in half and twist to separate. Remove pits. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, salt and lemon juice. Cover, set aside.
Drain shrimp. Swirl a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan, cook shrimp for 2 minutes, turn over and cook for 2 minutes longer.
Arrange avocado halves on arugula. Fill avocados with shrimp.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Arkansas Democrat Gazette, August 2005
www.arkansasonline.com/news/features/food/‎