Make It or Fake It and Take It .....

Sometimes there's just a need to fake it!! ...

Karen came up with a great theme for our January TT outing. Make It, Fake It and Take It - recipes for those that need to bring a dish to pass but you just don't have the time to make something from scratch. At a previous TT outing, Karen had a crazy day but still wanted to come for our dinner so she faked us out with her famous "SC Salsa". So she gave us all the opportunity to fake it. Some faked it, some made it, some even had thier spouse make it.

It was a fun night with our usual group and some brought our husbands along too. One hubby won the Silver Spoon for his Extraodinaire Delived Eggs !! :)

We all made sure to "take" in the great food and fun. Thanks Karen for bringing out the Left Center Right dice game!

SC Salsa
Prepared by Karen at a previous TT outing ...

1. Go to Sam's Club for the special ingredients

2. Show membership card at door.

3. Wander over to the food counter for a slice of pizza.

4. Walk around the store and search out the free food samples.

5. Find the fresh salsa in a container over by the meats, fish and cheeses.

6. Buy it.

7. Come home and put it in a pretty pottery bowl so everyone thinks you made it.

PS - This also works for red potato salad as well as other items.

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Pete's Deviled Eggs Extraordinaire


Prepared by Theresa's husband, Pete ...







Ingredients:

1 ½ doz. Hard-cooked eggs, peeled
½ to ¾ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup each of sour cream and cream cheese
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. cider vinegar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ - ½ tsp. (or to taste) cayenne pepper
Paprika and olives for garnish

Directions:

Cut cooked eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks, set whites aside. In a small bowl, mash yolks. Add the mayo, sour cream, cream cheese and seasonings; mix well. Stuff or pipe into egg whites. Garnish with paprika and/or olives. Refrigerate until serving.

Yield: 36 halves.

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Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic, Gorgonzola and Herbs
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008


Prepared by Kelly







Show: Giada at HomeEpisode: A Day of Indulgence

Prep Time: 5 min, Inactive Prep Time: 15 min, Cook Time: 25 min

Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

12 Roma tomatoes, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs (I will be using my "Magic Powder" breadcrumbs)
3/4 cup finely crumbled Gorgonzola or grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Using a teaspoon or grapefruit spoon, remove the seeds from the tomatoes. Place the tomato halves, cut side down, on paper towels to drain, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Using clean hands, gently toss the drained tomato halves in the oil mixture until coated. Marinate the tomatoes for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and Gorgonzola cheese.

Place the marinated tomato halves, cut side up, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Fill each tomato half with the bread crumb filling. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until slightly softened and the underside of the tomatoes are brown.

Arrange the cooked tomatoes on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

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Shrimp Dip


Prepared by Cathy






Ingredients:

2 - 8 oz cream cheese (slightly softened)
2 - 8 or 9 oz jars of horseradish
14 med-jumbo shrimp (cut up 11 of the pcs)
ketchup
wax paper
bowl - dome shaped or round
crackers
garnish

Directions:
1. Soften cream cheese and mix w/ 6-8 oz of horseradish (more/less- to taste)
2. Blend in pieces of shrimp
3. Line bowl w/ wax paper and pack mixture in the bowl and wrap the excess wax paper over top
4. Refrigerate for a few hours
5. Garnish plate w/ greens
6. Turn bowl over on greens and peel off the paper
7. Garnish w/ 3 pcs of shrimp and pour cocktail sauce over the mold

NOTE: Mix ketchup and horseradish to make your own cocktail sauce - just keep adding until you enjoy the taste.

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Hot Clam Bread Dip


Prepared by Debbie







Ingredients:

1 (20 ounce) loaf round French bread
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons grated onion
2 tablespoons beer
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, drained
Extra bread for dipping (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
2. Cut off top of bread and set aside. Hollow loaf, leaving 1 1/2 to 2 inch shell. Reserve the bread that you pull out of the loaf.
3. In a medium-size bowl, combine cream cheese, onion, beer, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, hot pepper sauce, and salt. Beat well. Fold clams into the mixture. Pour clam mixture into the hollowed out bread bowl, cover the bread bowl with the bread top. Wrap the loaf in aluminum foil.
4. Bake at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) for 2 hours. Use the leftover bread torn from inside the loaf to make bread cubes to dip with. Toast bread cubes with dip during last 5 minutes of baking time.

If you don't have time to make this, stop by your grocery store and pickup a container of premade chipped beef dip!!


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Chili Cheese Dip


Prepared by Kathi-Anne's husband, Tim







Ingredients:

1 brick cream cheese
1 cup of Tim's famous Chili
1/4 cup of salsa1 cup shredded cheese

Spread the cream cheese over the bottom of a pie plate, it’s a bit easier to do if it’s not straight out of the fridge. Spread the chili on top, you can use homemade chili if you have leftovers. Top with salsa and then with the cheese. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F, or until the edges are bubbly. Serve warm with chips.

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Cheese & Crackers












Thanks for the fun night Karen!!

February's theme is Breakfast at Patty's house! See you then.