Tasty, Tangy and Tantalizing ...

Our theme for the month of May will be an informal "T"

Hosted by Theresa ...

"I will be serving hot and cold teas but you are totally encouraged not to limit yourself to tea party fare (ex. finger sandwiches, scones, etc.). Here's an opportunity to tempt everyone with your most treasured recipe."


The only "Taste Tempter" requirement for your "T" dish is that it's tasty, tangy, and/or tantalizing" ...

Strawberry-goat cheese Bruschetta

Prepared By Karen

Strawberry-goat cheese Bruschetta

(Recipe from: Better Homes & Garden)

Ingredients:

• 1 8-oz. baguette
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 4-oz. log goat cheese (chevre)
• 1-1/2 cups sliced strawberries
• 1/2 cup arugula
• Olive oil
• Sea salt or coarse salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Snipped fresh herbs

Directions:

Heat broiler. Halve baguette crosswise, then lengthwise. Place cut sides up on large baking sheet. Brush with the 1 tablespoon oil. Broil, 3 to 4 inches from heat, for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Slice and divide cheese among toasts. Top with sliced berries. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese and berries soften. Remove from broiler; top with arugula. Drizzle additional oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and herbs.

Makes 4 servings.

Baked Cucumber & Cheese Squares

Prepared By Cathy

Baked Cucumber & Cheese Squares
aka Cucumber & Cheese Things (CCT) :)

Ingredients:

• One loaf appetizer square bread (Artisan Section) – rye or pumpernickel (I used pumpernickel)
• 1- 2 Large seedless cucumber (it is okay to use w/ seeds) – sliced approx. ¼ inch thick
• 3 cups of White Sharp Cheddar Cheese (Shredded in bag)
• 1 cup Mayonnaise (approx. – may need more/less) – I used light Mayo
• Minced Onion to taste (I used dry)
• Paprika (Optional)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients except bread and cucumber slices in a bowl (like the consistency of tuna salad)
2. Line baking sheet with slices of bread
3. Place one cucumber slice on each piece of bread
4. Spoon a generous amount of cheese mixture on each piece covering cucumber slice
5. Sprinkle lightly w/ paprika (optional)
6. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese has melted and golden brown (apx. 5-8 minutes)

NOTE: The first time I spooned too much on each and had enough mixture for half of the loaf, so this should be enough for almost the entire loaf. You may only need half of the second cucumber depending on how thick you slice them. Be sure not to slice the cucumbers to thin. Enjoy!

Vidalia Onion Dip

Prepared by Debbie

Vidalia Onion Dip - "New Recipe"

(Vidalia onion dip is recipe I've made for years. Here is a recipe for this dip that includes water chestnuts and wine ... I found this recipe at diprecipes.org).

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 3 large Vidalia onions coarsely chopped
• 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 225gm tin sliced water chestnuts drained and chopped
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions:

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add onion, and saute 10 minutes or until tender. Stir together shredded Swiss cheese and next five ingredients; stir in onion, blending well.

Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes, and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with corn chips or crackers.

Vidalia Onion Dip - "Original Recipe"

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Vidalia onions coarsely chopped
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Swiss cheese
• 1-2 cups mayonnaise

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in an oven safe bowl and bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve with crackers or pita bread wedges.

Crunchy Turkey Salad

Prepared By Kelly

Crunchy Turkey Salad

(Recipe from: Family Circle Magazine - June 2009)

Ingredients:

• 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
• 3 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
• 3 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Poppy Seeds
• 1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
• 1 Large head Bibb Lettuce, washed
• 2 Cups diced cooked turkey or cooked chicken (about 3/4 lb.)
• 3 Scallions, sliced (I may put this on the side for people to add their own)
• 1 Cup sliced almonds
• 1 Cup chow mein noodles ( such as La Choy)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds and pepper; set aside
2. Chop lettuce; you should have about 8 cups. Transfer to a medium size bowl and add turkey, scallions, almonds and noodles. Toss with dressing and serve immediately.

Mediterrane Orzo Pasta Salad

Prepared By Jill

Dressing Preparation:

In a bowl whisk together:

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1-2 garlic gloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp oregano

Salad Preparation:

1. Cook and drain 16oz. Orzo pasta, rinse and drain well
2. Cut and dice: 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, 1 sweet onion, 3 carrots
3. Toss with pasta
4. Add sliced black olives (as much as you like, I omit all together!)
5. Add dressing, and just prior to serving top with 4 oz. crumbled Feta cheese.

This salad is not supposed to be chilled prior to serving. Just make the pasta and rinse with cold water so it cools down, then add chopped veggies, dressing, top with Feta, and you're ready to serve!

ENJOY!!

Crustless Crab Quiche

Prepared By Kathy

Crustless Carb Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb Fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 4 Scallioins, chopped
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Cup Sour Cream
• 1 Cup Cottage Cheese (Do not use low fat or fat free)
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 4 Drops bottled hot sauce
• 1/2 lb Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
• 6 oz Crabmeat

Directions:

1. Saute mushrooms and onions in butter, drain off excess liquid.
2. In blender of food processor, blend eggs, sour cream, Parmesan, flour, salt and peppr
3. Pour into large bowl.
4. Stir in mushrooms and onions, Monterey jack cheese, and crabmeat.
5. Pour into a lightly buttered 1 inch pie plate or shallow casserole dish.
6. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
7. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Great served at any temperature.

Easy Fruit Tarts

Prepared By Patty

Easy Fruit Tarts





Ingredients:

• 16 frozen tart shells (from your grocer), thawed and baked*
• 3 cups vanilla pudding
• 3 cups assorted fruit
• 2 cups strawberry or raspberry gelatin, slightly thickened but not set
• Whipped cream, optional

Directions:

1. Spoon the pudding into the bottom third of the tart shells.
2. Decoratively arrange the fruit on top.
3. Pour gelatin over the fruit and chill.
4. Top with whipped cream, if desired.

Makes 16 tarts.

Notes:

Try using mini tart shells, if you like. As long as they're not too small they'll work well for traditionally small tea-party fare.

Think about adding a sprig of mint or pecan half, to your fruit tart arrangement.

Tasty Lemon Blueberry Trifle

Tasty Lemon Blueberry Trifle

Ingredients:

• 1 Light and Easy Vanilla Cake, cut in cubes (see recipe below)
• 2 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 container (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
• 2 packages (3.4 ounces each) lemon instant pudding and pie filling
• 1 pint fresh blueberries (about 2 cups)
• 1 square (1 ounce) white chocolate for baking

Trifle Preparation:

Prepare and bake Light and Easy Vanilla cake. Cool. (You may substitute this cake with store bought angel food cake or 1 160z frozen pound cake, such as Sara Lee).

1. Cut cake into 1-inch cubes; place in large colander bowl. Using a lemon zester, make several lengthwise scores in one lemon, top to bottom; slice into 6 slices. Cut each slice in half and set aside for garnish. Zest remaining lemon using short strokes; set aside. Juice lemon. Sprinkle lemon juice over cake; toss .
2. In a bowl, combine milk, sour cream, half of the whipped topping and reserved lemon zest; whisk until smooth. Add pudding mix; whisk until mixture begins to thicken.
3. Set aside 12 blueberries for garnish. To assemble trifle, place 1/3 of the cake cubes into bottom of chilled bowl. Top with 1/3 of the blueberries. Grate 1/4 of the chocolate over blueberries. Top with of the pudding mixture, pressing lightly. Repeat layers 2 more times, reserving the remaining grated chocolate for garnish. Spread remaining pudding over entire top of trifle, creating a smooth surface.
4. Attach open star tip to a decorator; fill with remaining whipped topping. Decorate by piping 12 rosettes around edge of bowl. Place one lemon slice between rosettes and one reserved blueberry on each rosette. Grate remaining chocolate in center.

Yield: 10 servings or 20 sample servings

Light & Easy Vanilla Cake

Ingredients:
1 (18 1/2 oz) package white cake mix
1 2/3 cup water
3 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp imitation butter flavor

Directions:
In a large bowl, blend cake mix, water, egg whites, vanilla extract, butter flavor on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter into lightly greased and floured 13x9-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

This cake is great served with whip cream or cool whip and fresh berries. Or use in a trifle (see Tasty Lemon Blueberry Trifle recipe above).

Note: This recipe is from Jenny Craig.com

Cinco de Mayo

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, we'd like to share our recipes from Mexican Night at Kathy's in April. The combination of foods and Kathy's Mexican decor made it feel like we were sitting in a delightful Mexican restaurant. You will find our Mexican Night recipes in the following posts. Enjoy!

Sangria

Pepared by Kathy

I found several Mexican Sangria recipes. The one thing they all have in common was that they used orange juice. Some used triple sac, some did not. Some added sugar, some did not. This Sangria does not need to sit over night or several hours.

Here is the recipe I used:

Wow, I’m looking at that and just realized that I did not follow this recipe correctly at all… oh well, it was still good.

2 cups Pinot Grigo (I used 1 cup Pinot Niero)
1 cup Merlot (I used 2 cups Merlot)
1 cup triple sac (got this part right)
1 cup OJ (got this part right too)

Ice, Oranges, Lemons, Limes

I combined the liquids in the morning, added the fruit and ice about 30 minutes before anyone arrived

NOTE: It’s ok not to follow this recipe correctly

Layred Taco Dip

Prepared by Karen

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) container nonfat sour cream
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1/4 head iceberg lettuce - rinsed, dried, and shredded
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 3 chopped tomatoes
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (2.25 ounce) can black olives, drained

Directions:

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine sour cream and taco seasoning. Spread this mixture in a 9-inch (or a little larger) round serving dish. Top the mixture with lettuce, Cheddar cheese, tomatoes, bell pepper and black olives.

Tostones - Twice Fried Green Plantains

Prepared by Debbie

Ingredients:

2 green Plantains
Vegetable oil for frying
Salt

Directions:

1. Heat the oil to 375 degrees.
2. While the oil is heating up, peel the green plantains and then cut them into 3/4 inch slices.
3. Fry the slices in the hot oil for 3 minutes. They should be a light golden color and semi-soft.
4. Remove the plantain slices with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
5. When the plantain slices are cool enough to handle (about 1 minute), smash them into flat rounds.
6. Fry the rounds in the hot oil for 3 minutes. They will turn crisp and golden brown.
7. Remove the Tostones with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Salt to taste.

Serve Tostones with various dipping sauces ..

Tostones Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup Sour cream
1 Tbsp. Lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Lime juice
1 tsp Chipotle pepper

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients. Place in a serving bowl and serve with Tostones.

Albondigas Soup Recipe

Prepared by Kelly

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup of tomato sauce
• 3 quarts of chicken stock or beef stock OR water OR a mixture of both (we usually use half stock half water as the meatballs will create their own stock)
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 1/2 lb of string beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/3 cup of raw white rice
• 1 raw egg
• 1/2 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves and/or parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cup of frozen or fresh peas
• Dried oregano, crumbled
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

• Heat oil in large (5 qt) heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and minced garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and broth mixture. Bring to boil and simmer. Add carrots and string beans.
• Prepare meatballs. Mix rice into meat, adding mint land parsley leaves, salt and pepper. Add raw egg. Form beef into 1-inch meatballs.
• Return soup to gentle simmer. Add meatballs to soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add peas towards the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish soup with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serves 6-8.

Taco Meatball Ring

Prepared by Theresa

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 to 4 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1/2 medium head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced ripe olives
• Sour cream and salsa, optional

Directions:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup cheese, water and taco seasoning. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 16 balls.
• Place meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 12 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Drain meatballs on paper towels. Reduce heat to 375°.
• Arrange crescent rolls on a greased 15-in. pizza pan, forming a ring with pointed ends facing the outer edge of the pan and wide ends overlapping.
• Place a meatball on each roll; fold point over meatball and tuck under wide end of roll (meatball will be visible). Repeat. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
• Transfer to a serving platter. Fill the center of the ring with lettuce, tomato, onions, olives, jalapenos, remaining cheese, and sour cream and salsa if desired.
  

Yield: 16 servings.

Serrano Ham And Poblano Corn Pudding

Prepared by Kathy

Ingredients:

• 2 Large Poblano chilies
• 2 cups fresh corn or frozen, thawed, divided
• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp salt
• large pinch of baking powder
• 1 cup sour cream
• ½ cup instant corn masa mix (Maseca)
• 4 oz ¼ in thick slice Serrano Ham or prosciutto, cut into ¼ in clubes
• 1 cup coarsely grated Manchego cheese (4.5 oz)
  

Directions:

• Char chilies over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in a paper bag 15 minutes. Peel and seed chiles, then cut lengthwise into ¼ in strips.
• Preheat oven to 350. Spray 13 x 9 x 2 with pam. Combine 1 ½ cups of the corn, eggs, butter, salt and baking powder in a blender until almost smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Add sour cream and Maseca, stir to blend. Add ham, cheese, chiles, and remaining ½ cup corn, and blend again. Pour into baking dish. Bake until pudding is puffed and golden brown in sports, about 40 minutes.

Notes: Masa mix can be found at Wegmans. Serrano Ham is very expensive, I used prosciutto. Manchego cheese can be found at Wegmans, they will shred it for you, and it’s really really good.

Chile Relleno Casserole With Enchilada Sauce

Prepared by Debbie

Ingredients:

8 to 10 poblano chiles, roasted, seeded and peeled and stemmed
3 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese, or a mixture of colby and jack
1 can Enchilada sauce

Note: See tutorial on how to roast poblano peppers. (I will post this later).

Directions:

To make casserole: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stuff each chili pepper with half the cheese. In a lightly oiled casserole dish, spread a 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce on the bottom of dish. Layer the stuffed chiles on top of enchilada sauce. (You may layer the peppers with the cheese rather than stuffing each pepper). Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the peppers. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This is great served with Spanish Rice.

Spanish Rice

Prepared by Debbie

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (can use up to 1/4 cup)
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice
• 3 cups* chicken stock (or vegetable stock if vegetarian)
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 fresh tomato, seeded and diced
• Pinch of oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt

Note: Check the instructions on the rice package for the proportions of liquid to rice. They can range from 1:1 to 2:1. If your rice calls for 2 cups of water for every cup of rice, then for this recipe, use 4 cups of stock for 2 cups of rice.

Directions:

• In a large skillet brown rice in olive oil, medium/high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook onion rice mixture, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes, or until onions are softened.
• In a separate sauce pan bring stock to a simmer. Add tomato sauce, tomato, oregano, and salt. Add rice to broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Lower heat and cook 15-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6.

Fresh Fruit & Dips

Mexican Fruit Dip:

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 jar (7 oz size) marshmallow cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons rum -- optional
• Fruit such as pineapple -- strawberries, banana

Directions: In small bowl of a mixer, beat the cream cheese until it's soft and smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until well blended. Add the sour cream, marshmallow cream, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon and rum. Blend just until well combined. Place the mixture in serving bowl, cover and chill several hours before serving with fruit.

Easy Chocolate Fruit Dip: Ingredients:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
• 1 jar marshmallow cream (7 0unces)

Directions: In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and chocolate syrup with a mixer until well blended. Then fold in the marshmallow cream. Place the mixture in a serving bowl, chill several hours before serving with fruit.