This cheesy pizza dip went over well when I made it the other night.  It’s pretty simple to make and was a nice addition to supper.

Ingredients

• 1 lb (16 oz) of Velveeta cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 20 pepperoni slices, chopped (I used my Slap Chop)

Directions

1. Combine ingredients into microwaveable bowl.
2. Microwave for 4-5 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted, stirring every two minutes.
3. Serve with breadsticks, pizza bread, or cut up fresh vegetables.

You can also drizzle it over hot baked potatoes, cooked pasta, or rice for a easy cheese sauce.

Source: Kraft Foods: Busy Family Recipes

Ingredients

• 4 heads broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 1 whole onion, diced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 cups half-and-half
• Pinch nutmeg
• 3 cups grated cheese (mild Cheddar, sharp Cheddar, Jack, etc.), plus more for garnish, optional
• 1 cup chicken broth, optional

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Remove 2 cups of the broccoli florets, cut in half, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet cut-side down and bake until the florets begin to crisp and turn slightly brown, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on top. Stir to combine and cook until the flour is absorbed and smells lightly toasted, 1 minute or so. Add the milk and half-and half. Add the nutmeg, then the broccoli, a small dash of salt and plenty of black pepper. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the broccoli is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the cheese and allow to melt.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve the soup as is, mash with a potato masher to break up the broccoli a bit, or transfer to a blender in two batches and puree completely. (If you puree in a blender, return the soup to the heat to heat back up. Splash in some chicken broth if needed for thinning.) Garnish with the toasted broccoli or grated cheese and serve.

This went over very well with the family…

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, basil, chives or other herb
• 4 bone-in chicken breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil as needed
• Lemon wedges for serving.

Directions

1. Prepare charcoal or gas grill; heat should be medium-high and rack about 6 inches from fire; keep part of grill cool for indirect cooking. In a small bowl, use a spoon or fork to combine butter and herbs, or use a mini food processor.
2. With sharp-bladed knife, cut a 2- to 3-inch slit in deepest part of chicken. Fill with as much herb butter as possible; rub some under skin as well. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and brush with oil.
3. When grill is ready, put chicken skin-side up on cool side of grill. After some fat has been rendered, turn chicken; if it flares up, move to an even cooler part of fire or turn so skin side is up again. When skin has lost its raw look and most of the fat has been rendered, after 20 minutes or so, move chicken directly over fire. Cook, turning now and then, until both sides are browned and flesh is firm and cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.

Source: The New York Times

From the New York Times

The simplest way to keep breast meat moist and make it flavorful is to put fat and flavor inside — to stuff it. At its simplest, this means cutting a slit in bone-in chicken breasts and spreading a little butter or drizzling a little olive in the incision, an undemanding task that improves the meat’s flavor and texture immensely. When you mix the butter with fresh tarragon, basil, chives, roasted garlic or whatever other flavoring you like, you upgrade the results significantly.

I made this recipe last night while my brother-in-law was over for supper.  It was a big hit and I thought I would post it here.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of top round steak
• 2 tbsp lemon juice.
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp oil
• butter for spreading
• 10 slices toasted bread
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced.  Have a little oil on hand as well.
• Steak sauce of choice.

Directions

1. Cut the steak into 4 or 5 pieces and pound with a meal mallet unti thin.  Place in a non-metallic container.  Mix the lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and oil together and pour over the steaks.  Turn to coat both sides and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator.
2. Soften the butter and spread and spread a think coating on both sides of the bread if desired, mix a little garlic into the butter.
3. Heat barbecue and grilling rack until hot.  Place onions on a griddle, toss and drizzle with a little oil as they cook.  When beginning to soften, push to one side and turn occasionally with tongs.  Place toast on hotplate and cook until golden on both sides.  Place steaks on grilled rack and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
4. Assemble sandwiches while food cooks: place steak and ions on one slice of toast.  Top with a squirt of steak sauce and close with a second slice of toast.

Variation

You can also adapt this recipe to make a good Philly Cheesesteak sandwich.  Grill equal amounts of mushrooms, green bell peppers and tomatoes with onions.  Then combine vegetables with grilled meat.  Spit a fresh Italian roll and fill with the mixture, topping steak with American or provolone cheese and garnish with pizza sauce instead of steak sauce), hot or sweet peppers or pickles.

Source: Now You’re Cookin’: Barbecue

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups (500 mL) cooked potatoes, diced
• 1½ cups (375 mL) cheddar cheese, shredded
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 12inch (30 cm) pizza crust

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
• In a medium skillet, cook the diced bacon over medium heat just until the fat begins to melt. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crisp and browned and the onion is golden — about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the diced potatoes and cook, stirring, for another minute or two. Season to taste with salt and pepper, remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Sprinkle about half of the shredded cheese over the pizza crust. Spread the potato mixture evenly over the cheese, then sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the potatoes.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned on the bottom, the cheese is melted, and the potatoes are sizzling.

Ingredients

• 4 Havarti cheese slices
• 4 Swiss cheese slices
• 4 Sourdough bread slices (1/2 inch thick)
• 2 tbsp. Butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp. Finely chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/8 tsp., 0.5 mL, dried, crushed)
• Cayenne pepper, sprinkle
• Salt, sprinkle
• Pepper, sprinkle
• 2 tbsp. Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Arrange havarti and Swiss cheese on 2 bread slices. Cover with remaining bread slices.
2. Combine next 5 ingredients in small bowl. Brush 1 tbsp. over tops of sandwiches.
3. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese. Press down lightly. Preheat barbecue to medium. Place sandwiches on greased grill, cheese-side down. Place a baking sheet with bricks or heavy weights over sandwiches. Close lid. Cook for about 3 minutes until golden. Brush tops of sandwiches with remaining butter mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Press down lightly. Turn. Place baking sheet with weight over sandwiches. Close lid. Cook for about 3 minutes until cheese is melted and bread is golden. Transfer to cutting board. Cut each sandwich in half. Makes 4 panini.

Source: Everyday Barbecuing by Jean Pare

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Garlic clove, minced.
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 large red pepper, quartered
• 1 large yellow pepper, quartered
• 1 medium red onion, quartered
• 4 Whole-wheat flour tortillas
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1/4 chopped green onion

Directions

1. Preheat gas barbecue to medium-high.  Combine first six ingredients in small bowl.
2. Arrange next four ingredients on greased grill.  Brush with olive oil mixture.  Cook for about 12 minutes, turning occasionally and brushing with remaining oil mixture, until peppers and onions are softened and internal temperature of chicken reaches 170 degrees Celsius.  Transfer to plate.  Cover with foil and let stand for 5 minutes.  Cut chicken, peppers, and onions into strips.  Transfer to bowl.
3. Arrange chicken and vegetables down center of each tortilla.  Add remaining three ingredients.  Fold up bottoms.  Fold in sides, leave top ends open.  Serves 4.

Source: 30 Minute Diabetic Cooking by Jean Pare

• 1 pkg of yeast
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 c. cottage cheese.
• 2 t. dill seed
• 2 t. salt
• 1/4 t soda
• 1 egg unbeaten
• 1 T. butter, melted
• 1/2 T. onion minced
• 2 T. sugar

Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside.  Combine the remainder in a mixing bowl and then add yeast mixture.  Stir well to combine.  Let rise in greased bowl to double in size.  Punch down.  Put into two 7 x 3 or one 9 x 5 greased bread pans.  Let rise again, about 45-50 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees F. about 30 minutes.  Remove from pans and brush with melted butter.

Source: Tasty Treasures from the Beach

I got word this week that The Cooking Blog is a nominee for the 2010 Canadian Weblog Awards in the Food and Drink category.  I am up against some tough competition but thanks to my nominator and I appreciate the honor.  Who knows, I may actually become the second person in this household to win one (Jordon has won a few times before).

• 1 cup of refried beans
• 1//2 package of  cream cheese
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese (grated)
• 1/2 plum tomato, seeded and chopped.
• 2 green onions thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro or parsley

1. In an 8 x 8 inch pan, lay the refried beans on the bottom.  In a bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning and garlic.  Spread over refried beans.  Top with grated cheese.  Bake for 15-20 minutes (melt the cheese).  Remove from oven and top with tomato, onion, and cilantro.  Use as a dip with nachos and crackers.

An undercover grilled cheese dealership operating out of an apartment in New York.

You know how this game is played.

Meet in a crowded public place. Read the paper, pull your fedora down and wait for your contact to arrive. And then—the handoff.

An unmarked brown paper bag, filled with 2¼ ounces of... pure grilled cheese.

Welcome to Bread.Butter.Cheese., a covert grilled cheese dealership operating out of an apartment and making drops in the tiny East Village park on First and First, starting today.

This is awesome.  Something like this in Saskatoon (or wherever you live) would be a lot of fun.

Dressing

• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1/3 c. water
• 1 t. curry powder
• 1 l. Worcestershire sauce

Salad

• 1 had of lettuce
• 1/2 c. cashews
• 1/2 raisins
• 2 Granny Smith apples
• 3 stalks celery
• 2 cooked chicken breasts

Mix up dressing and then make salad.  Serve with dressing poured over salad.

Source: Tasty Treasures from the Beach