Labneh (yogurt cheese)

Labneh is a Middle Eastern yogurt cheese, flavored with just about anything you like. It is very easy to make, but you do have to start it a day in advance. By pouring some yogurt into a cheese cloth and letting it strain overnight, you will end up with thick yogurt that looks like a creamy cheese. Add the flavoring, spread it on crackers or bread and enjoy.

Yogurt, with the liquid drained

Cumin

Labneh
Serving Size = About 1/2 cup

• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds, crushed in mortar pestle
• 1/8 teaspoon or so of freshly grated ginger
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chili pepper/garlic oil to taste

How to make the chili/garlic oil

• 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 1/8 cup oil

1. In a saucepan, heat everything together. Once it gets hot, shut it off and leave it until it goes back to room temperature. Remove the garlic and serve.

1. For the Labneh, line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth (a couple of layers), place over a bowl (the strainer cannot touch the bottom of the bowl, make sure it's a few inches away), and pour in the yogurt. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 
2. The next day, there should be liquid (whey) in the bowl (save to add to bread, in the place of milk) and the yogurt will be thick. If you need to, you can gently squeeze out some more liquid from the yogurt. It depends how thick you want it to be.
3. Add all of the ingredients (oil, cumin, etc) to taste. Mix gently. Serve with toasted bread or crackers.

You can add any type of flavoring you want. If you prefer garlic and dill, add that instead, or possibly make it sweet instead of savory. The possibilities are endless.

Two Jalapeno Popper Dips - Regular and Low Calorie

This is the original version, it makes a smooth cheese topping

I found this recipe over at Mrs Happy Homemaker. You can also find her link under my "Blogs I Adore" page at the top. Yes, I adore her blog, so check it out. :) Anyway, as soon as I saw the title of this dip I knew I would have to try it. We're big jalapeno popper fans in this house. I actually made this dip two different ways. One was a low calorie way (my additions) and the other one was the original full fat version (Mrs Happy Homemaker recipe). So you can choose either one. Both were delicious. The full fat version was richer and had more oil, the low fat version had a tangy flavor and less oil. The low calorie one has a crisp crust and the original has a smooth, cheesy crust. Again, both were yummy.

I actually came up with the low calorie one because, as you can guess, I need to lose some of my pregnancy weight. Yikes. And yikes again.

Jalapeno Popper Dip - Original Version
Serving Size = Almost 2-quarts (About 8 - 12 people)
Original Recipe - Mrs Happy Homemaker

• 2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 8-oz diced green chiles
• 2-oz canned jalapenos, chopped (I doubled this for medium-hot --- see note below)
• Parmesan cheese, shredded/grated, roughly 1/4 cup (I used my micrograter)

Note: I've used pickled jalapenos and fresh jalapenos. Both were great, just remember to cut the fresh jalapeno into very small pieces.

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. Combined everything but the Parmesan cheese and place into a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.
3. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned a bit.

Low calorie version uses sour cream and panko bread crumbs

This is cooked. The lower fat version makes a crispier crust with the cheese

Jalapeno Popper Dip - Lower Calorie Version
Serving Size = Almost 2-quarts (About 8 - 12 people)

• 2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 8-oz diced green chiles
• 2-oz canned jalapenos, chopped (I doubled this for medium-hot --- see note below)
• Parmesan cheese, shredded/grated, roughly 1/4 cup (I used my micrograter)
• Roughly 1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs (just eye it)

Note: I've used pickled jalapenos and fresh jalapenos. Both were great, just remember to cut the fresh jalapeno into very small pieces.

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
2. Combined everything but the Parmesan cheese and place into a 2 quart casserole dish.
3. Mix together the Parmesan and the breadcrumbs and sprinkle over the top.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned a bit.

Linking to: Gallery of Favorites, Foodie Friday

Cheesecake Dip (Very Easy!)

If you're looking for a dip that's quick, easy, and loved by all then here it is folks. It's creamy and not too rich or too sweet. Even though it's a dessert dip it doesn't feel heavy, especially since you can serve it with fruit. I think people that are not fans of baking will especially love this recipe. You can mix it up in minutes and then serve it with several varieties of fruit or graham crackers. Super simple but still attractive when you bring it to the table.

This recipe came about because we spent the entire day working on the house. I wanted my evening sweets but I didn't want to make something complicated or that would dirty 50 thousand dishes. So far we've managed to put up more trim, fix the countertops, did a massive amount of cleaning, and completely re-organized my entire dish collection. I can walk into the kitchen and find the bowl I want instead of pulling everything out of the cabinets, getting frustrated, and then calling my husband in to finish the search. I'm kind of a baby some times. :) I'm 39 weeks pregnant so time is running out. I really want this house in order before Emmett arrives. Fingers crossed!

Cheesecake Dip
Serving Size = About 1 cup
Original Recipe

• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 4 oz cream cheese softened
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (could also use almond extract, but I went with vanilla)
• 1 tablespoon of milk
• 2 - 3 tablespoons powdered sugar (I went with 3)

1. Mix everything together with a hand mixer until smooth and serve. It's best to refrigerate for an hour or so until it firms up more.
2. I served mine with grapes, apples and graham crackers.

Linking to: Hearth and Soul, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Mangia Mondays, Savvy Homemade Monday, Cast Party Wednesday

Salsa I, Jalapeno Kitchen Tips, and Baby Dreams

I've been interested in homemade salsa lately. This is a very basic recipe, but I want to explore and find different types to play with and post later. What started this whole interest was when I went on vacation to TN (remember? I bought a million dollars worth of clay pottery. hehe). We went to a Mexican restaurant where the food was amazing, the restaurant was colorful, family friendly, and we just had a great time. The salsa was actually pretty plain but I LOVED it. The reason it was so delicious was because it was fresh. You could taste that it was made THAT day. They didn't need a lot of spices or fancy ingredients, it was simply fresh. I wanted to recreate that experience. While this isn't exactly the same, it's still pretty darn good. I made ours super hot (as in burn your stomach hot) by chopping up 2 whole jalapenos with seeds. Use 1 jalapeno and no seeds to keep things mild.

Kitchen Tip: I do not touch jalapenos and I never remember to buy gloves. When I use them, I simply get a pair of very sharp scissors and while holding the stem, I cut them lengthwise into as many pieces as I can (stopping right before the seeds if I plan to leave them out), and then while still holding the stem I cut the pepper crosswise to make little pieces. Once I'm done, I pitch the stem and the scissors go into the dishwasher. Now when I take my contacts out at night, my eyes will not burn for several minutes. Woohoo!

Expect more salsa posts in the future and please share your recipes with me as well!

Salsa I
Serving Size = About 2 cups

• 1/4 cup or so of cilantro
• 4 - 6 large roma tomatoes (mine were abnormally large)
• 1 very small onion, chopped (and my onion was abnormally small)
• 1 - 2 jalapenos, chopped
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 tablespoon vinegar (apple cider is fine)
• 1 garlic clove, grated (I just use a microplane)
• 1 teaspoon or so of ground cumin, to taste

1. Place everything into a food processor and pulse for a few seconds until it reaches desired consistency. Or chop everything up by hand and mix. Let is sit out at room temperature for an hour, mix and then refrigerate.

Baby update! --- Dreaming of Baby

I'm feeling better about the names. I'm pretty sure we're going with the name Emmett because I had a dream about it. I know, silly, but it's true. I dreamt that I was looking out the window while Mimi and our baby boy were playing (they were running around their playground set -- Mimi first, baby boy following) and I yelled at them, "Mimi, Emmett, it's time to come in." And both of them came running. He was adorable with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and his skin was a tiny bit darker than Mimi's. He was also a little bit chunky. He was wearing jeans and a dark brown, zip-up, heavy knitted sweater (it was autumn, apparently).... very adorable. :) And what's interesting is that the dream was before I even seriously considered the name Emmett. I was actually leaning towards Eliot, so it seems like I would dream of that name, but I didn't. Another thing that's interesting is that I had a big and pregnant belly in my dream. Baby number 3???? haha!

Spicy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Goodness, I have been a busy person lately. Nothing too exciting to report though. The weather has been stunning/beautiful/amazing/perfect so my toddler and I kept the front door open and sat on the porch listening to the golden oldies and eating snacks (daily). My daughter now has a new favorite toy, which is Winnie the Pooh with an oversized head. She packs him everywhere, including outside, so he joined us on the porch every day. Of course, now he's filthy and I have to figure out how to wash him. I'm not sure he'll fit in the washing machine, hmmm.....

Dirty, icky, Winnie the Pooh

Anyway, because of the beautiful weather, and because I didn't want the house to get hot, which would lead to air conditioning, I did lots of BBQing. But I did cook one thing in the house. Yummy, ooey-gooey, spicy and delicious warm spinach and artichoke dip. My favorite thing about this recipe is that it's super easy to make and takes only a few minutes. It's perfect for any gathering you might go to, or just general snacking around the house. Feel free to use fresh artichokes instead of canned. I just didn't want to spend the money on fresh for a dip.

Spicy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Serving Size = Roughly 4 - 6

• 1 package frozen spinach, or 1 can of spinach (About 14 oz. I used frozen, I've never used canned spinach, but you would probably want to drain it as well)
• 1 14-oz can plain artichoke hearts, drained
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I will add a bit more next time)
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I added more, but my pepper flakes lack heat)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Dash of pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Drain the artichokes and chop them up, place into a medium saucepan. Add the spinach and boil the mixture for about 5 minutes (my frozen spinach added enough liquid, but feel free to add a bit of water if necessary). Drain the mixture well and add the spices, Parmesan and cream cheese. Mix well, taste and adjust seasonings.
3. Turn out into a nice (something to serve in), oven safe bowl (I sprinkled on additional pepper flakes) and bake for 10 - 15 minutes, until bubbly (this also thickens it a bit more).
4. Serve warm, with plain or toasted bread.

Linking to: Foodie Friday

Buffalo Wings and Blue Cheese Dip

A few of my favorite things in life:

1. The colors red, burnt orange, plum/eggplant and pink
2. Tom Petty
3. My purple cast iron stock pot
4. My red kitchenaid mixer (especially now that it doesn't shake all over the place)
5. And Buffalo Wings with Blue Cheese Dip

I love Buffalo wings and I'm proud to say I've made by husband an addict as well. We ate them two nights in a row. No, they weren't leftovers. I went through the trouble of making them twice. We both have an obsession and we need help. I'm not sure we'll ever eat anything else again. I'll just have to keep re-posting this on my blog. ;)

Here is my purple stockpot. I know, I have a red one as well. Why do I need two? Because it's purple of course! hehehe

Ok, here are the recipes. I'm really proud with how the chicken fried ---- very beautiful color, moist inside, not oily, and a nice crunch. And the blue cheese dip is wow. I couldn't find a better recipe, so I sulked a bit and went with this one and it is THE one. So very, very good, trust me.

Heat the oil to 375F.

Mix together the flour and seasonings.

After cooking for 15 minutes, this is what you have.

Tabasco sauce. 

Simmer the butter, Tabasco, garlic powder and some salt. 

Set it aside until you are ready to coat the chicken.

Buffalo Wings

Original Recipe

Serving Size = 10 wings

• Oil for deep frying (the wings should be covered)
• 1/4 cup butter (I used unsalted)
• 1/4 cup hot sauce (I used Tabasco, but I will attempt making my own in the future)
• 1 dash ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon plus 1 dash of garlic powder
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 chicken wings, cut up with tips removed

1. Mix together the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Drop the wings in the flour mixture and mix until coated. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours (I refrigerated mine for 1/2 an hour). 
2. Heat some oil in a large stockpot and using a thermometer heat the oil to 375F. Drop the chicken in, but do not over crowd. Cook them for 10 - 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and place on a plate with a paper towel to absorb the oil. Keep doing this until all of the chicken is cooked.
3. While cooking the chicken, start the sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, place the butter, hot sauce, dash of garlic powder and salt to taste. Simmer until combined (it will combine as soon as it comes to a simmer almost). Mix well and set aside.
4. When the chicken is done, stir the sauce and pour over the chicken, mix well and serve.

Blue cheese dip.

Blue Cheese Dip
Original Recipe
Serving Size = 2 1/2 cups (you will want to cut this in half, or more, if you are only making 10 wings)

• 3/4 cup sour cream (plain yogurt works as a replacement)
• 1 1/3 cups mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (I didn't measure, I just crumbled as much as I wanted)

1. In a large bowl, mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise and Worcestershire. 
2. Mix in the spices and blue cheese. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. I didn't refrigerate mine for 24 hours. I served mine immediately, and it was still tasty. I honestly didn't notice much of a difference after 24 hours.

Linking to: Tuesday Night Supper Club, Hearth and Soul