Bagel Skins

There's a bar/restaurant (it actually calls itself a Saloon, which I love!) near my house that I never get to go to. On the rare occasion the husband and I do go out we don't go there because they don't serve chicken wings and my husband won't go anywhere they don't serve chicken wings. Weirdo.

Anyways, my absolute favorite item on the menu there is their bagel skins. Like a potato skin, sans potato! They serve them with Caesar Salad and they are just the most perfect, yummy lunch food/snack I can think of. Since I never get to go there (I may be a wee bit bitter about this) I have been making them at home for some time now. Great for a light lunch or even a Superbowl Snack, these cheesy, garlicky, doughy bites will have you looking at bagels in a whole new light.... move over cream cheese!

Print this recipe

Bagel Skins

1 everything bagel, cut in half and hollowed out slightly

1 tbsp garlic butter, melted

2 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

1 scallion, diced

1/2 cup shredded cheese (I like to use 1/4 c marble cheddar and 1/4 c mozzarella)

salsa (optional)

sour cream (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cut the bagel in 1/2 like you would to toast it. Using a sharp knife remove some of the dough to form a shell (you can dry the dough and make bagel croutons!)

2. Brush the inside of the bagel halves with the melted garlic butter and place under the broiler until lightly browned.

3. Remove from the over and stuff each half with the bacon, scallions and cheese.

4. Return to the broiler and heat until the cheese has melted.

5. Serve with salsa and sour cream

Print this recipe

Caesar Salad with Scallop Croutons

 Most of my recipes are homey, stick to your ribs, "the kids will love it" recipes. But every now and then I like to fancy it up. Ya know, get out the good china (that's not chipped from "helpful" kids loading and unloading the dishwasher) and silverware and eat in the company of other adults.

I had this salad at a restaurant over 10 years ago and it has stuck in my mind ever since. I've been wanting to try to make it for years but it never crossed my mind when I was actually planning dinner parties. A couple weeks ago it popped back into my brain and right then I emailed my friend Laurie and asked her if she wanted to come over for lunch the following week, I wanted to use her as a guinea pig. To my amazement she said yes! I think she said yes because she knows I'm not a seafood fan and couldn't believe I wanted to make something with scallops, and just had to see me eating them with her own two eyes to believe it. I'm a complex gal.

So Laurie came over and helped me prepare this yummy, hearty salad for lunch. The bay scallops are breaded in panko and fried (how can that NOT be good?) and placed atop a caesar salad made with homemade dressing and act as the crunchy croutons... with a soft, slightly sweet centre.

This recipe would make 8 appetizer size salads or 4 meal size salads, and would be an elegant addition to your next dinner party.

 Caesar Salad with Scallop Croutons

dressing

1 egg

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 c. oil, vegetable or canola olive oil really changes the taste

1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

scallop "croutons"

1 lb bay scallops  (the wee ones)

1/4 c flour

2 eggs

2 c panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

salt & pepper
oil

salad

1 head romaine hearts

1 small container mixed baby greens

6 strips bacon, fried crisp and chopped

parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions:

1. In a food processor or blender, pulse egg and lemon juice until combined.

2. Lightly mince your garlic and add to the egg and lemon.

3. With blade spinning, slowly stream in the oil and allow to continue blending for 1-2 minutes.

4. While the mixture is blending add the vinegar and cheese and salt and pepper.

5. Transfer to a bowl or pitcher and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (1-2 hours is better) so the dressing has a chance to set and thicken and the flavours to develop.

6. In the meantime, fry the bacon until crisp and allow to drain on paper towels. Chop  into 1/2" pieces.

7. Set up a breading station by putting flour (seasoned with salt and pepper), eggs and panko in separate shallow dishes.
8. Rinse the scallops and dry on paper towels.
9. Dredge the scallops through the flour, then eggs then roll in the panko to coat thoroughly.
10. Heat oil to 365˚F. Carefully drop the scallops into the hot oil making sure not to over crowd. Cook until scallops are golden brown.
11. Drain excess oil off by removing scallops and placing on paper towels.
12. Rinse and dry the lettuce and tear into bite size pieces. Toss with bacon, dressing, parmesan and the scallops and serve.

Beer and Bacon Jam

Beer. Bacon. Jam. I know what you're thinking, but this is a family site and I can't repeat it. Don't let the name throw you, jam is a loose description of this amazing bacon "spread". I first heard of it while watching FoodNetwork's show Eat St. A food truck's most popular burger had bacon jam on it. My ears perked up and I hit Google.

I found some recipes and picked the one from Not Quite Nigella's site (LOVE that blog name) to work from. I was going to make her recipe as is, but I was lacking some ingredients and it was pouring out... and I was in my sweats...  and didn't feel like going to the store. Wow, I'm just full of all kinds of excuses. Anyways, some simple substitutions (like beer!) from my pantry and fridge later and I had an amazing tangy, slightly spicy and totally delicious bacon and beer purée.

We tried it on sliders and it was soooo good. I can't wait to try it on a toasted bagel with a fried egg, or on crostini with goat cheese and arugula.

Print this recipe

Beer and Bacon Jam

500g (1 pkg) smoked bacon

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1 tbsp fancy molasses

1 chili in adobo sauce, diced

1 tbsp adobo sauce
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 cup brewed coffee

1 bottle of beer

1/4 cup maple syrup

Black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cut the bacon into 1" pieces and fry over medium heat in a dutch oven or deep pot until browned but not crisp.

2. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain all but 1 tbsp of the bacon grease.

3. Fry the onion and garlic in the bacon fat until soft.

4. Add the chili, adobo sauce, cooked bacon, paprika and molasses and stir.

5. Add the coffee, 1 cup of the beer, maple syrup and freshly ground black pepper.

6. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours. As the liquid boils away add more beer a bit at a time to keep the mixture from drying out.

7. Allow the mixture to cool a bit and then purée until smooth with a bit of texture.

Print this recipe   

Chex Mex Munch

Celiac disease, which is an intolerance to Gluten, affects more than 330,000 Canadians. More than 73,000 of those that suffer are children. While I'm very fortunate that no one in my house struggles with this, I have friends that do. From talking to them I understand how frustrating it has been in the past to find gluten-free foods that taste great, are easily attainable to the general public, and don't cost a small fortune.

When I learned that General Mills Canada (GMC) was going to start offering Gluten Free Rice Chex and Gluten Free Honey Nut Chex I was so excited! You can get them in any grocery store (I live in the middle of nowhere and our little grocery store has them!) and they cost the same as any other cereal. GMC sent me a box to try and I have to say, they taste exactly like regular Chex. For families that have to deal with the daily reality of cutting out gluten (it's in everything! I can't even imagine how vigilant a parent has to be) having a product like Gluten Free Chex that they don't have to worry about, and that kids love to eat, must be such a relief.

I'm the only real "bowl of cereal" eater at my house so I wanted to try using my GF Chex in a recipe or two so my family would try them. First I made Muddy Buddies, GF Chex mixed with chocolate, peanut butter, butter and icing sugar... hello! They were so good they disappeared before I could take pictures! But my husband is more of a savoury than sweet guy so I knew I'd have to come up with something for him. I took GF Rice Chex, butter, Old El Paso Taco seasoning, seasoned salt and mixed nuts and baked them until everything was toasty. What a yummy muchy snack! And on a hot, sunny patio, nothing goes better with a Corona.

Check out lifemadedelicious.ca for more great Gluten Free recipes using Gluten Free Chex!

Chex Mex Munch

4 c Gluten Free Rice Chex

1/4 c butter or margarine, melted

3 tbsp Old el Paso Taco Seasoning

2 tsp seasoned salt

1 c mixed nuts (I used a premium blend that had cashews, Brazil nuts, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds)

Instructions:

1. Mix the cereal and nuts together in a bowl.

2. Pour the melted butter over top and mix to coat.

3. Sprinkle on the taco seasoning and salt and mix again until evenly coated.

4. Spread out on a cookie sheet and bake at 350˚F for 15 minutes until toasted.

5. Allow to cool and serve.

please see my disclosure page for information on my Life Made Delicious Partnership.

Potato Skin Nachos

Don't you just love when two of your favourite foods join forces to become a super-awesome ninja snack? Last week I wrote an article for amotherworld.com (<-- click the link when you're done reading here!) about how we're feeding our kids crap. This recipe may seem like total hypocrisy when you read it, all I can say in my defense is: don't share this with your kids! In fact, don't share this with anyone! Eat it all yourself! Muh ah ah ah!

Okay, that's out of my system. Thin, crispy-fried potato rounds are smothered in cheese and bacon and are served with a spicy ranch sour cream dip. I have no idea where I got this idea but it's been bouncing around inside my head for a while. After I made it the first time I did a little research and found some restaurants that serve versions of this. Mine are better. Trust me. (I have nothing but women's intuition and my taste buds to base that claim on, let's just go with it.) These pop-in-your-mouth potato skin treats are an awesome Saturday-afternoon-watching-the-game kind of snack. It comes together quickly and is satisfying without being too heavy or filling.

Print this recipe

Potato Skin Nachos

4 medium potatoes, washed, dried and sliced into 1/8"-1/4" rounds
1 tsp seasoned salt
5 strips bacon, cooked
1 c shredded marble cheddar
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 c grape tomatoes, quartered

Spicy Ranch Sour Cream

1/4 c sour cream (I use light)
1/4 c ranch dressing
1/8 - 1/4 tsp smoked chipotle powder (depends on how spicy you like it)


Instructions:

1. Preheat oil (any kind except Olive oil) to 200˚F.
2. Deep fry the potatoes for 2 minutes and then remove from the oil. Increase the oil temperature to 375˚F and return the potatoes to the oil. Cook until golden brown and crispy.
3. while potatoes are frying, mix together the sour cream, ranch dressing and chipotle powder in a bowl.
4. Remove the potatoes from the oil and spread out on a few sheets of paper towels to drain the excess oil. Sprinkle with the seasoned salt.
5. Arrange the fried potatoes on a baking sheet and sprinkle on 3/4 of the cheese. Top with the bacon and the remaining cheese.
6. Place under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
7. Top with chopped scallions and grape tomatoes and a side of the ranch sour cream dip.

Print this recipe 

enjoy!

Amanda's Chunky Chicken Quesadilla

I lurvvvvvvvvve Mexican food. The spiciness, the smokiness, the flavour explosion! I could eat refried beans and enchiladas every day. I guess technically it's tex-Mex, but whatever you want to call it it's freakin' delish!

A lot of people have a dish that they judge restaurants by. My husband's is chicken wings. If a restaurant can rock the chicken wings they have his repeat business and he'll try out the rest of the menu. But if their wings leave a bad taste in his mouth, we never go back. My dish is the quesadilla. If it's too greasy, too bland, not enough veggies, or I'm paying an extra $4 for 3 tiny pieces of chicken I'm not a happy chica.

I've taken all the best elements of all the best quesadillas I've ever had and combined them into one totally delicious tex-mex meal. Make this on a couple of 6" flour tortillas for a quick, light lunch, or on 12" flour tortillas for dinner with a side of Mexican rice or a salad.

Start by roasting some red, green and yellow peppers, and some onions in a bit of olive oil and chopping up some cooked chicken.

On top of a flour tortilla (this one is a 6") put a slice of jalapeno havarti or pepper jack cheese and top with a generous amount of the veggies and chicken

top the chicken and veggie mixture with shredded marble cheddar

top with another flour tortilla. Drizzle a wee bit of olive oil on top and sprinkle on a dash of seasoned salt and cajun seasoning. Bake at 350˚F for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

deeeeelish!

Print this recipe

Amanda's Chunky Chicken Quesadilla
serves 4

2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1/2 green pepper, cut into strips
1/2 red pepper, cut into strips
1/2 yellow pepper, cut into strips
1 onion, cut into strips
8 6" flour tortillas
4 slices (1-2oz) jalapeno havarti or pepper jack cheese
2 c marble cheddar, shredded
1 tsp olive oil
3/4 tsp seasoned salt
2 tsp cajun seasoning

Instructions:

1. Slice peppers and onions and toss with a bit of olive oil and roast in a 450˚F oven for 15 minutes.
2. Slice a chicken breast and set aside.
3. Lay the flour tortillas on a cookie sheet and top with a slice of jalapeno havarti or pepper jack cheese and a generous amount of the veggies and chicken.
4. Top with shredded cheddar and another flour tortilla.
5. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt and cajun seasoning.
6. Bake at 350˚F for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
7. Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole

Print this recipe

enjoy,

Ranch Style Deviled Eggs

Yeah, I could have put the yolks into a piping bag and made it look pretty, but who has time for that?

Whoever coined the phrase "necessity is the mother of invention" must have been familiar with my kitchen! I often start recipes only to discover I'm missing 1, or 2, or 7 of the ingredients. That's when I hop in my car and make the mad dash to the grocery store, where I invariably still manage to forget an ingredient. (Note to self: get checked out for Alzheimer's)

This past weekend was Easter and we always gather at my sister-in-law's for a big family dinner with my husband's side. Everyone brings something and this year we supplied the turkey and I made my famous Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. But Easter Sunday morning I woke up with a craving (I'm pregnant yo!) for eggs, deviled eggs. So a dozen eggs went into a pot of water on the stove and I went to get ready.

When I went to assemble the eggs I discovered that not one, but BOTH of the kinds of mayo I keep on hand were empty! Argh! I had only minutes before J lost his mind cause I was taking too long and he wanted to get on the road, so I scanned my fridge. I could scrape out about 1 tbsp of mayo but it wasn't enough, and that's when I had what Oprah calls a light bulb moment. Ranch dressing! It's white, and creamy... did I dare?

Oh mylanta, those were some tasty deviled eggs! I ate two before anyone else even got there and then heaped my plate at dinner time. All 24 of those tasty little treats were gone before the call for seconds was made.

Give these a try for your next BBQ, picnic or shower!

Print this recipe

Ranch Style Deviled Eggs

12 large eggs, boiled hard, peeled and halved
1 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp. Ranch Dressing
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tbsp. chives, minced

Instructions:

1. Boil your eggs in lightly salted water (it helps with the peeling) until hard, 10 minutes, and then allow to cool or immerse in cold water.
2. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and scoop the yolks out into a bowl.
3. Mash the yolks and add the mayo, dressing, salt, 1/2 tsp of the paprika and the chives.
4. Stir the mixture until thoroughly combined. If the mixture is a little dry, add a bit more dressing at a time until it is smooth and creamy.
5. Fill the egg whites with an equal amount of the yolk mixture and sprinkle with the remaning paprika and diced chives.

Print this recipe

enjoy!

Amanda

Sausage & Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos

If you read my previous post (does anyone actually read them or does everyone skip down to the recipe?) you'd know I'm whipping up snackies for my husband's annual Superbowl par-tay. Every year he can expect the same staples: Chili, meatballs, nachos, and something with bacon. I wanted to make something no one had ever had before! Some new! Something exciting! Something with so many calories it just HAD to be the greatest superbowl snack ever!

Enter the Sausage & Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno. I was cruising allrecipes.com looking for inspiration and came across this recipe and it jumped off the screen at me. I had intended on making it as per the posted recipe but upon tasting the sausage mixture I made some adjustments and the result was deliciousness in my mouth (as you can see from the picture below)!


A little tip on working with jalapenos: WEAR GLOVES! I live in a cold dry climate in the winter and my hands get cracked from all the hand washing and dishes I do, jalapeno juice and cracks/cuts do not mix! WEAR GLOVES when seeding and deveining the jalapenos and wash your hands thoroughly after too just in case. That jalapeno oil is lethal stuff!

Print Recipe

Sausage & Cheese Stuffed Jalapenos adapted from allrecipes.com

1 lb (5) ground mild Italian Pork Sausage, removed from casing
1 (8 oz.) pkg. Cream Cheese, softened
1 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 lb large fresh Jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
1/4 c. Ranch Dressing
1 tbsp. Clubhouse Roasted Garlic & Peppers seasoning mix
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Instructions:

1. Crumble sausage in a skillet and cook over medium heat until evenly brown. Drain grease.
2. In a bowl, mix the sausage, cream cheese, ranch dressing, seasoning and Parmesan cheese.
3. Spoon about 1 tablespoon sausage mixture into each jalapeno half. Arrange stuffed halves on a cookie sheet.
4. Bake 20 minutes in a 425˚F oven, until bubbly and lightly browned. Serve with Ranch dressing.

Print Recipe

enjoy!
Amanda

One Bite Potato Skins

It's Superbowl Weekend! Yippee. Can you feel my enthusiasm? I am a girlie girl, football does not appeal to me in the least. (I know, men with nice rears in tight pants, I get it, still not watching.) My husband goes to a party every year at a friend's house (Thank Jeebus!) so I'm spared the day long analyzing about a game that hasn't even happened yet on the sports channels, the belching and the cloud of testosterone that fills the air on days such as these. But like a dutiful wife, and also cause I feel for the poor woman who does have to put up with the aforementioned items, I send along some snacks to keep the men-folk from rioting when their team is tanking.

This year my husband picked potato skins. I made them a couple of years ago and the guys loved them. The only complaint was that they were very filling (I made them using gigantic potatoes cause as we all know in man-world, bigger is better, right?) and with all the food that everyone brings, half of them were left behind cause they wanted a little bit of everything.

This year I got smart. I made tasty little one bite skins that they can pop into their mouths between spoonfuls of chili and mouthfuls of nachos. These work great for your little football fans too. Cheesy, bacony (is that a word?), and crispy, these will be a hit at your Superbowl party, or with a chick flick, which is what I'll be watching at kickoff time!

Print Recipe

One Bite Potato Skins

1 lb. Petite/Mini/Baby potatoes (I used yukon gold, but russet or white would be fine)
1 tsp olive oil
8 strips bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
4 tbsp. light cream cheese
2 tbsp. half and half or milk
1/2 c. shredded cheese (I use marble cheddar)
2 green onions, diced
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Prick the potatoes and arrange in a single layer of paper towel in the microwave and cook on high for approximately 3 minutes or until fork tender.
2. Cut potatoes in half length wise and scoop out inside leaving a bit to give the skins some stability.
3. Place hollowed out skins on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Place in a 350˚F oven for 10 minutes.
4. In a bowl, mix the potato, cream cheese, cream and salt & pepper until combined and smooth.
5. Stir in the cheese, bacon and onion and combine.
6. Remove the skins form the oven and fill each one with the potato mixture.
7. Return to the oven for 10 minutes or until potatoe mixture is heated through and cheese has melted.

Serve with sour cream, salsa or ranch dressing to dip in.

Print Recipe

enjoy!
Amanda

Cheesy & Pizza Puffs

Cheesy Puffs

I love entertaining over the holidays. Every year my parents have a big Christmas Eve party and friends and family stop by for drinks, and food, and catching up. It's always a lot of fun. I can't make it home this year so I plan to throw a little party here for just my little family, but with all the same elements, food, drinks and catching up (I forget my husband's name some days!) with the people I love most.

This little appetizer is sure to make an appearance on Christmas Eve. My cousin Kelly made them for us when she visited 2 summers ago and I fell in love with them! Made with Pillsbury Cresent dough, these tender little, buttery bites have a wonderful cheesy-garlic flavour. I decided to play around and made one batch with pizza sauce and finely diced pepperoni and cheese and the result was delish!

Great on their own or dipped in marinara or pizza sauce, these little appetizers are sure to be a hit at your next holiday party!

Cheesy Puffs

1 pkg. Pillsbury Cresent rolls (1 tube makes 18 puffs)
2 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp grated cheese (I use marble cheddar)
1 egg white
1/4 tsp italian seasoning

Instructions:

1. Open cresent roll tube and unroll the dough.
2. Press together the pieces to form a square.
3. Sprinkle the garlic powder over the rolled out dough and top with the cheese.
4. Roll up the dough starting at one end to form a log.
5. Slice into 1/2" rounds (pinwheels)
6. Place rounds onto a cookie sheet and brush tops with egg white.
7. Sprinkle tops with a bit of italian seasoning.
8. Bake at 375˚F for about 10 minutes or until the edges are golden.
9. Serve warm right from the oven.

Pizza Puffs

Pizza Puffs

1 pkg. Pillsbury Cresent rolls (1 tube makes 18 puffs)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp pizza sauce
2 tbsp finely diced pepperoni
3 tbsp grated cheese (I use marble cheddar)
1 egg white
1/4 tsp italian seasoning

Instructions:

1. Open cresent roll tube and unroll the dough.
2. Press together the pieces to form a square.
3. Spread pizza sauce over the dough leaving about 1" at one end.
4. Sprinkle the pepperoni over the pizza sauce and top with the garlic powder and then the cheese.
5. Roll up the dough starting at the end opposite the end without pizza sauce to form a log.
6. Slice into 1/2" rounds (pinwheels)
7. Place rounds onto a cookie sheet and brush tops with egg white.
8. Sprinkle tops with a bit of italian seasoning.
9. Bake at 375˚F for about 10 minutes or until the edges are golden.
10. Serve warm right from the oven.


enjoy!

Amanda