Buchart New Year Chip Dip

So if you eat black eye peas on new years - it is supposed to bring you financial prosperity in the new year.  Here is the recipe for the super delicious dip that Becca made for our New Year's party.


For a big bowl

avocados & tomatoes  at a 3:1 ratio (I did 7 or 8 avocados and 3 tomatoes I think)

1 bunch of green onions

cilantro (1 bunch, chopped)

lime juice

1 pkg. of black-eyed peas cooked (or 2 cans, rinsed & drained)

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 c. olive oil

1/4 c. cider vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

Healthy Tomato Basil Soup

This one is worth the work!  I love Tomato Basil Soup but since I am needing to work off the holiday weight, I needed a recipe that was non-pure-cream (is that a word!) and that I could make and freeze some for later. I adapted it from two peas and their pod website.

Ingredients:
5 tomatoes, cut in half if romas, sliced if larger -
4 TBS olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup freshly chopped basil (can do with dried basil - use a lot less & do it to taste)

 - see my tricky fresh basil from Peggy in the picture above. Just freeze fresh basil in water in an ice cube tray.  Then transfer the basil cubes to a freezer bag.  This is how to have fresh basil all year long.
Dash of red pepper flakes
1 (15 ounce) can of diced tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste (don't need if you don't ice cube your basil)
4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

Step one: preheat oven to 400.  Spread the tomatoes on a pam sprayed baking sheet and drizzle with 2 TBS of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and roast for 45 minutes.  I did two trays at a time (for when I made several batches at once) and rotated half way through and they turned out great.

Step two: in a large stockpot, heat 2 TBS of olive oil over medium.  Cook the onions until clear.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes.  Cook for 2-3 minutes longer - depending on how much garlic you use.

Step three: add canned tomatoes (juice and all), basil, and broth.

Step four: add the roasted tomatoes.  Cook for 30 minutes plus over medium to low heat.

Step five: use an immersion blender or blender and smooth soup.  Voila!  You are done!

Peppermint Fudge Cookie Sandwiches

Wonder what to do with your left over candy canes?  Here is an awesome recipe for you - of course it is from my friend Beka's kitchen.  Or really pretty holiday treats.  Use up the left over Halloween peppermint patties with the festive candy canes and you have utilized junk from two holidays!  Don't say I never gave you a great idea!  Lol!

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 candy canes or 8-10 mini-peppermint hard candies
1/4 cup white or semi sweet chocolate morsels (only because I don't like white)
10-12 mini foil-wrapped peppermint patty candies unwrapped

Step one: preheat oven to 375
Step two: parchment paper on cookie sheet
Step three: combine chocolate morsels and butter; microwave on high for 40-60 seconds or until smooth
Step four: add sugar and egg and mix till well blended
Step five: add flour
Step six: drop 20 level scoops of batter 1 inch apart onto pan, bake for 9 -11 minutes or until edges are set (do not over bake)
Step seven: crush candy cane
Step eight: melt white chocolate and stir until smooth and add the candy cane
Step nine: turn over 1/2 of the cookies and top with the peppermint patties.  Turn them into sandwiches with one cookie on top and one cookie on bottom.  Drizzle the chocolate with the chocolate with the candy canes.

Avocado Salsa Cup

6 (11 inch) flour tortillas
1 TBS vegetable oi
2 small plum tomatoes
2 small avocados
2 TBS chopped fresh cilantro
2 TBS garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream

Step one: preheat oven to 350
Step two: trim tortillas to 6 inch squares, cut each square into quarters for a total of 24, 3 inch squares
Step three: brush both sides of each tortillas with oil and press square into a mini-muffin pan
Step four: bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp
Step five: for the filling: dice tomatoes, dice avocados, chop cilantro, press garlic and add sour cream

Sarah's Cranberry Salsa

Got this from Sarah Erwin on New Year's Eve.  SOOO yummy and easy.  I also liked it mixed with other salsas and toppings!


Large 12 or 16 oz bag of cranberries
About 1 cup of sugar
1 - 2 green onions chopped up
Juice of one or two limes

Mix in a blender (you can decide how chunky you want it) and eat!

Bloomin' Hot Ham and Cheese Bread

Inspired by several different blogs that do this recipe just with cheese or with pizza ingredients.

I unsliced round loaf of sourdough bread (I use my artisan rosemary salt dough bread)
12-16 ounces mozzarella, provolone, or swiss cheese thinly sliced
1 package of ham lunch meat

Directions:
Step one: preheat oven to 350 degrees
Step two: cut the bread lengthwise and widthwise without cutting through the bottom crust.
Step three: place bread on a foil lined baking sheet and insert cheese and ham in every insert (freeze after this step - to use defrost in fridge and then continue on to step four)
Step four: wrap completely with foil and bake for 10 minutes
Step five: unwrap and bake for 10 more minutes or until the cheese is melted and the ham is a little bit crispy

Add butter, garlic powder, and Italian seasonings for cheese bread
Add pepperoni for pizza bread (with marinara sauce for dipping)
Add pineapple and Canadian bacon for Hawaiian pizza bread

Cupcakes: Coconut Snowballs

I made these for Kelby's shower back in May and I am still having people ask me for this recipe

Makes 18 - 20 cupcakes
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 18 - 22 minutes
Assembly time: 10 - 15 minutes (depends on how good you are at using a big icing tip)

Ingredients:
20 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 12/ inch size) - I used purple tulip ones for her shower
1 pkg (18.25 ounces) plain white cake mix (or for the diehards - your favorite from scratch dry ingredients
      of your white cake recipe)
1 1/3 cups of coconut milk (can sub whole milk if you are in a pinch - just increase the coconut flavoring)
      you can find it by the Thai ingredients in the grocery store
2 TBS vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 tsp coconut flavoring
white frosting
     I use this recipe from Our Best Bites = Perfect Cupcake Frosting
I bag 7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut

Step one: place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350. Line 20 cupcake cups with paper liners.  Set the pans aside

Step two: prepare the cupcake batter: place the cake mix, coconut milk, oil, eggs and coconut flavoring in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with an electric mixer until well blended.

Step three: spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full.  Remove any empty liners

Step four: bake the cupcakes until they are lightly golden, nicely domed, and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, around 18 to 22 minutes.  Remove the pans from oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes.  Remove them and put them on wire rack to cool at least 15 more minutes before frosting. (I actually do up to here the night before)

Step five: prepare frosting

Step six: place a big swirl of frosting on each cupcake and then dust with coconut