Wholesome Wednesday (Zucchini Chips)

First, let me apologize for neglecting the blog the last few days.  I have been trying to recover from an awful sinus and ear infection.  Now onto the topic at hand, zucchini chips. 

I love zucchini any which way, but not everyone feels the same.  In my house, I typically can get my husband to eat it sauteed or fried.  So here is an easy way to "fry" zucchini, without the fat and calories.   The ingredients are probably already in your pantry and is a wonderful side dish to any meal.

recipe (4 servings)

2 medium zucchinis
1/4 c. skim milk
1/2 c. seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Take a cooling rack and fit it on top of a cookie sheet then spray with non-stick spray.  Then slice zucchini in about 1/4 inch slices.  Place milk in small bowl and in another bowl, combine bread crumbs and cheese.  Dip the zucchini slices into the milk and coat in bread crumb mixture.  Place onto cookie sheet and bake in oven for 15 to 18 minutes.  The zucchini should be golden brown and tender, but not mushy.  Serve with your favorite marina sauce as a dipper.

These would also be a good appetizer course to any meal or party!

Wholesome Wednesday (Cinnamon Soft Pretzel)

One of my children's favorite treats is a cinnamon sugar pretzel from the famous pretzel shop in the mall.  Recently we made our trip to the mall (about an hour away) and all the boys, Jay included, feasted on this treat.  On the way home that day, I told the family I would try to find a recipe to make those at home. 

Fast forward to last evening, I was looking through my Taste of Home Cookbook, and found a pretzel recipe that looked easy.  In the past, all the recipes involved making the dough, cooking them in boiling water, and then baking. I really didn't want to go through that much trouble. This particular recipe had you make the dough, dip it in hot tap water, then bake.  I was in! I made the dough just before dinner, allowed it to rise for 30 minutes, and then baked them. The whole process was easy and a bit fun. Rolling the pretzels reminds me of playing with Play Doh.

The reason I chose this for Wholesome Wednesday is the dough itself has no egg, oil, or butter making it low cholesterol.  The topping is the treat part, but the whole recipe (which yields 14 pretzels) only uses 3 tablespoons of butter and 3/4 cups of sugar.  You could probably use a sugar substitute and reduce the sugar. I had left over cinnamon sugar topping after coating all the pretzels.

recipe for dough

1 package active dry  yeast
1 1/2 cups of warm water (110 to 115 degrees, really hot tap water)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cake flour
2 to 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour


In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and add sugar. Wait a few minutes for yeast to proof. Then add cake flour and salt, stir well.  Add all purpose flour until a soft dough forms. On a floured surface turn dough out and knead for about 6 to 8 minutes. Dough will become smooth and elastic.  Place in a greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise for about 30 minutes.  Divide into 14 balls. Roll each ball into a 15 inch rope.

In a bowl, add 2 cups hot water (120 to 130 degrees) and 2 tablespoons of baking soda.  Dip each rope into the water and lay on paper towels to drain.  Shape into pretzel and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven, until golden brown.

Topping

3 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and set aside. Brush each pretzel with melted butter and roll into sugar mixture.  Allow to cool on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for several days.

Easy Chicken Wing Dip

It's Sunday and at our house, if the husband is off of work, normally it's a day of football watching.  Well today, his plans are being hijacked, as we have a Halloween Party to go to.  I am working at the party, so Jay is on kid patrol.  To make up for it, I made him chicken wing dip.

As a native Buffalonian, I have had many different prepartations of chicken wing dip. I have made them with bleu cheese or ranch dressing, but my absolute favorite is the one I enjoyed at my sister-in-law's house.  I asked her for the recipe and have been making it ever since.  I may have made a few changes to the original recipe, but the same flavor is there.

What I like about this recipe is the creamy texture of the cheese and the spicy nature of the hot sauce.  Mind you this recipe verges on the med to hot side, so if you like it a bit milder, use only 1/2 cup of hot sauce. I always make a full or double batch, and freeze it in smaller containers.

recipe

2 8oz packages of softened cream cheese
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of hot sauce (I use Frank's)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken ( I use canned chicken breast)
1 tsp season salt

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy with a mixer.

Then add hot sauce and season salt, mix until creamy.  It will look like frosting.

Then with a spatula, fold in chicken and cheddar cheese. Sprinle top of dip with a little more cheddar cheese. Transfer to an oven safe baking dish. (At this point,  I make smaller portions to freeze.)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes, until hot and bubbly.  Enjoy with chips, crackers, or celery sticks.

One Cheese Three Ways

I really should be dusting the bedrooms, grocery shopping, or better yet exercising.  Instead, I'm blogging for a few minutes. Then I'll resume to the before mentioned tasks.

Last weekend, we went to Fly Creek Cider Mill and while we were there I bought some cheese. I always go for the cheddar that is aged in Howe's Caverns (so yummy), but I also bought the garlic herb cheddar spread.  My original thought while buying it, was I would enjoy it on crackers as a snack.  Then my brain started thinking, how else could I use this wonderful soft cheese????  So I started experimenting and came up with three different uses. While most people won't be going to Fly Creek for this cheese, you can find other soft herb cheddar cheeses right in the grocery store. There are many brands that are delicious, just look for it the speciality cheese case in a tub about 4 oz.

Recipe numero uno:

Chicken sandwiches with garlic herb cheese spread.  This one is super easy, just grill a 4 oz chicken breast. Then instead of mayo, use the cheese as a spread on a toasted bun. The warmth of the bun will melt to cheese to a sauce consistency. Then top with lettuce and tomato. 

Recipe two:

Cheesey Orzo.  To make this wonderful side dish, prepare 1 cup dry orzo according to package instructions. (orzo is a small rice shaped pasta, found in the pasta aisle). Then drain and put back into hot pot with 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, 1 tsp pepper, and 2 Tbsp. cheese spread. Let the heat of the pasta melt the cheese and serve as a side dish. The orzo and cheese is so creamy and tastes really decadent and so so easy to make.

Last but not least recipe #3:

Stuffed Mushrooms. Take about ten button mushrooms and wipe clean with a paper towel. Remove and finely chop the stems. In a bowl mix the stems, 3 tbsp season breadcrumbs and 4 tbsp of cheese spread until combined. Spoon filling in mushroom caps and place on cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. I served this as a side to my cheeseburger, but would make easy appetizer.

Well, now that I have shared my three ways to use one terrific cheese spread, I must go on with my chores. Come back soon and see what else is cooking.

p.s. I will have instructions for a spook-tacular wreath coming up....start saving used dryer sheets!

Easy Garlic Knots

On the menu last night for dinner was homemade pizza. Simple enough, I prepared the dough in the afternoon, using Amy Z's recipe (a friend who is very talented and I'm trying to talk her into writing her own blog).  I pulled off a hunk of dough, that I normally split into two small calzones for the freezer. I decided to try garlic knots instead.


When we moved to Oneonta last year, I discovered a pizzeria called Mamma Nina's.  The pizza is New York City style, thin flat slices and very delicious.  They also have an item on the menu called garlic knots.  Apparently, this is popular menu item for central New York.  Jay and I fell in love with these garlic cheesy morsels.  We have tried them from other pizzerias, but Mamma Nina's in my opinion has the recipe down pat.


Moving ahead to my little experiment, I thought how hard can this be? My first job in life was working in an Italian restaurant as a line cook, so I had some skills. For my version of the garlic knots this is how I did it:

• Pinch off a golf ball size of your favorite pizza dough (if you don't make homemade then use a refrigerated brand or ask your local pizzeria if you can purchase a round of dough)
• Then start rolling a snake about 5 inches long (this brings back days of making playdough snakes)
• Tie the dough into a knot and place on an un-greased baking sheet
• Brush the the knot with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, garlic powder and mozzarella cheese
• Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown
• When they come out of the oven brush with melted butter

You can substitute Parmesan cheese for mozzarella and use garlic infused olive oil instead of garlic powder.  Experiment and be creative. We also dip them into marina. YUMMY!!

Check out the Places To Go page for information about the Crayola Crayon Factory!