Beef and Celery Dumplings

SOOOO excited...my Lightscoop came in the mail a few days ago, and now I can finally take some decent pictures in my kitchen. There are no windows in the kitchen of our small apartment, so the 'scoop has saved my life!  This means that I can do process shots, and I don't need to put my dinner in the craft room light tent before eating it :)

Once again, this is a recipe that I threw together with no directions...dumplings are awesome because you can just make them to taste, and throw in whatever you'd like.

Ingredients:
1 lb of ground meat - we used all beef, but Dave wants to throw in some pork next time. (I'll allow it)
3 cloves of garlic
4 (ish) scallions
1 1/2 or 2 celery stalks (depending on how big they are)
ginger (not sure how much - we were out of fresh ginger so I tossed in a bit of ground. Buuuut you should use fresh)
6 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tbs sesame oil
Package of dumpling wrappers or wonton wrappers (we used wonton, which is why we have square dumplings)
1 egg, beaten (optional)


Directions:

1. Finely mince the garlic, celery, scallions and ginger.
2. Combine the minced garlic, celery, scallions and ginger with the ground meat.  
3. Add the soy sauce and sesame oil
4. Mix - by hand works best!
5. Place a small amount (see pic below) of the meat mixture onto one of the wrappers.
6. If using a round dumpling wrapper, fold in half and seal along the edges.  If using square wonton wrappers, bring all four corners to the center and seal the edges.  You can seal the edges with either water or a bit of beaten egg.
7. At this point, you can cook or freeze these to make later!  We did a bit of both :)
8. To Steam:  Place in a steaming basket over a bit of boiling water and steam until the meat is cooked through.  This took about 5 minutes for us, and will take a few extra minutes if your dumplings are frozen.
9. To Pan Sear, potsticker-style: Heat up a bit of oil in a skillet, and add a layer of dumplings.  Cook until the bottom is browned nicely, then add some water to the pan and cover.  Reduce the heat slightly and cook for about 4 minutes (again, it will take longer if your dumplings are frozen)

These were totally awesome!

I couldn't decide if I preferred the above pic or the one below...so you get both! :)

You can use about this much (or slightly more) filling in each dumpling

 Aww...check out these guys all ready to freeze!  I froze them on the sheet first, then put them all in a Ziploc bag (yep...we used the brand-name! hehe)

Steamy goodness.....

Yum yum yum!

Homemade Ricotta Cheese

I have learned that this is not an official ricotta because of the way it is prepared, but it is similar and tastes incredible.  It was so easy, that I can't wait to make it again, with a slight adjustment (see below)

Ingredients (for one large cup of ricotta):
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (**or 1 1/2 tbs lemon juice + 1 1/2 tbs white vinegar, see note)

Directions:

1. Pour the milk, cream and salt into a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan, and attach a candy or deep-fry thermometer. 
2. Heat the milk to 190°F, stirring it occasionally to keep it from scorching on the bottom. 
3. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice, then stir it once or twice, gently and slowly. 
4. Let the pot sit undisturbed for 5 minutes.  While you wait, line a colander with a few layers of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl (to catch the whey). I did not have cheesecloth, so I lined the colander with a coffee filter. 
5. Pour the curds and whey into the colander and let the curds strain for at least an hour. I let mine strain for about 3 hours. (It will firm as it cools, so do not judge its final texture by what you have in your cheesecloth.)  You can discard the whey, or use it for something else.
6. Place ricotta in an airtight container, and refrigerate until ready to use.

**Note: Using pure lemon juice as my only acid did impart a fresh hint of lemony flavor.  I did some research and found that cutting back some of the lemon and replacing it with vinegar will give you a more neutral flavor. I think I'll try that one next time, then report back! The lemon tasted delicious in the ricotta, but you might not always want that flavor, ya know?

I put some ricotta on a cracker with freshly cracked black pepper and a dollop of olive oil.  I also just ate it by itself with a spoon :)  In addition, you can spread it onto a crostini and drizzle on a bit of honey.  OR if you are really cool, make some cannoli crepes. Dude, the possibilities are endless.

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Whipped Feta and Roasted Red Pepper Dip

A nice and simple little dip :)

Ingredients
10 oz feta
2 roasted red bell pepper, skin peeled
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic (I think I did a little less)
1 tsp Tabasco garlic red pepper sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Add the feta, roasted red bell pepper, olive oil, garlic, Tabasco, and red pepper flakes to a food processor. 
2. Pulse for about 60 seconds and taste. Season with salt as needed
3.  Serve with toasted pita chips or celery and enjoy!

Recipe from What's Gaby Cooking

Coconut Chicken Salad

Yep....another coconut recipe. Dave and I really don't use coconut all that much, but when I find a new recipe that does, I'm always tempted to try it.

This one was really quite simple, and tastes great. (Sorry for the horrendous photo- we had no natural light and my photoshopping skills couldn't quite fix the coloring this time)

Ingredients:
6 (about 12 oz) chicken tenderloins
6 tbsp shredded coconut
1/4 cup panko crumbs
2 tbsp crushed cornflake crumbs (we used Corn Chex)
1/3 cup egg substitute or egg whites (we used 1 whole egg with a splash of milk)
pinch salt
olive oil spray (we used Pam)
6 cups mixed baby greens
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 large tomato, sliced (omitted)
1 small cucumber, sliced (didn't use- the cuke we bought tasted funny!)

Vinaigrette
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard

Directions:
1. Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375°.
3. Combine coconut flakes, panko, cornflake crumbs and salt in a bowl. Put egg whites or egg beaters in another bowl. (NOTE: We toasted our coconut in the oven at 350 for 6 minutes before combining with panko and cereal crumbs. It made it extra crunchy)
4. Lightly season chicken with salt. Dip the chicken in the egg (and milk mixture), then in the coconut crumb mixture. Place chicken on a cookie sheet lined with parchment for easy cleanup. 5. Lightly spray with olive oil spray and bake for 30 minutes turning halfway, or until chicken is cooked through.
6. Place 2 cups baby greens on each plate. Divide carrots, cucumber, tomato evenly between each plate.
7. When chicken is ready slice on the diagonal and place on top of greens.
8. Heat dressing in the microwave a few seconds and divide equally between each salad; a little over 1 tbsp each.

*We also added some fresh mango...it tasted great with the chicken, but not so great with the vinaigrette!

Recipe (and a better photo!) from Skinny Taste

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Melissa made this tasty dip for Christmas Eve. Mom's lack of food processor resulted in a more rustic dip, which Melissa and Matt preferred. A perfect party appetizer!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 (9-ounce) package artichoke hearts, defrosted, rinsed and dried (Melissa used canned)
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, excess liquid squeezed out.
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat cream cheese)
• 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) shredded part-skim mozzerella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• Parmesan cheese (for sprinkling on top)
• Pita wedges or crudites, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions are light golden but not browned. Remove from heat and cool.

In the bowl of a food processor combine artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, Neufchatel, mozzarella and salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Add cooled onion-garlic mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Transfer mixture into an 8-inch glass square baking dish or 9-inch glass pie plate which has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and broil briefly to brown the top. Serve with pita wedges or crudites.

Makes 12 servings

Recipe from Ellie Kreiger

Apple Chutney

Here's a recipe for a great appetizer that Melissa and I made for Jen and Dave when they were at our house for New Year's Eve last year. It was originally inspired by an appetizer we had at a restaurant called The Lost Dog Cafe in Binghamton, NY. We like to serve this apple chutney with baked brie and toasted French bread.

Ingredients:

• 3 tart apples - peeled, cored, and finely chopped

• 1/4 yellow onion, quartered

• 5/8 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger root, peeled

• 3 tablespoons and 1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon and 1-3/4 teaspoons white sugar

• 1 tablespoon and 1-3/4 teaspoons brown sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, mix the apples, onion, ginger, vinegar, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, white pepper, cardamom, and nutmeg.


2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover.


3. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the apples are tender.


4. Mix in some water if necessary to keep the ingredients moist.


5. Remove the onion and ginger, and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com. The ingredient amounts shown here are drastically reduced to make a more manageable amount of chutney.

Baked Spinach Crepes

I've noticed that so far, most of the recipes we have posted are not healthy...and this one is no exception! I know- it says "spinach"- but with the cream and cheese I'm sure it isn't something to eat often. It is a little time consuming, but completely worth it- it is delicious!

To make Crepes...
Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 1/2 c milk
1 c flour
1 tbs cooking oil
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
1. Beat eggs, and combine with other ingredients
2. Heat a lightly greased 6 inch skillet, then remove from heat. Spoon in 2 tbs batter, lift and tilt skillet to spread batter. Return to heat, and brown on one side only.
3. Invert over paper towels, remove crepe.
4. Repeat with remaining batter, greasing skillet occasionally
Makes 18 Crepes

for Baked Spinach Crepes...
Ingredients:
12 6 inch crepes (following recipe above)
2 beaten eggs
2 cups ricotta cheese (15 oz)
1 1/2 c shredded swiss cheese (6 oz)
1 10oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 1/2 c soft bread crumbs (from 3 slices bread)
1 c grated Parmesan cheese (separated into 1/2 c and 1/2 c)
1/4 tsp black pepper
Dash of garlic powder
1/2 c butter or margarine
1 c whipping cream

Directions:
1. Prepare crepes. In a bowl, combine eggs, ricotta, Swiss cheese, drained spinach, bread crumbs, 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix well.
2. Spoon about 1/3 cup filling into center of each crepe; roll up.
3. Cut each rolled crepe crosswise into thirds. Place the pieces, cut side up, in a 2 quart baking dish (placing pieces close together will help them remain upright).
4. In a small saucepan melt butter; stir in cream and the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens slightly. Pour sauce over crepes.
5. Bake in a 400F oven for 18-20 min or until heated through.

Makes 36 appetizers, or 6 main-dish servings.