Smoked Salmon Pinwheels

Remember Jimmy? Well after I made Jimmy so many apple pies this past autumn, he graciously gave me a whole (huge!) smoked salmon that his son caught in a local lake as "payment" for a belly full of pie.

I absolutely love smoked salmon which is weird because I'm not a huge salmon lover. But that flaky smoked fish is just so delectable...I usually just eat it straight out of the freezer bag. I was just more then grateful that Jimmy was nice enough to give me this fish...I've been munching on it ever since.

So when New Years Eve came around and we had our annual office party, I really wanted to make something that incorporated the smoked salmon so Jimmy and the rest of the fish-lovers that work with me would be able to enjoy it as much as I have over the past few months. After searching around online I found a few recipes for Smoked Salmon Pinwheels and sort of combined two recipes to make my own version.

These were just delicious. When I say they went like hotcakes I mean it. One batch was gone before I had time to slice up another. My co workers were totally impressed and just raved over them. These were a delicious little appetizer that are sure to wow your guests.

Ingredients
Adapted from: Betty Crocker & Taste of Home

1 8oz package reduced fat cream cheese
2 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
2 green onions, chopped
aprox. 1 cup smoked salmon
1/2 cup fresh spinach, rinsed and dried
6 8" flour tortillas
Juice of half a lemon (don't get every bit of juice out of the lemon, just a slight squeeze will do)
1 tbsp (aprox. 3 springs) fresh dill weed, chopped
kosher salt
freshly ground peppper

Directions
Soften cream cheese in microwave on 30 second intervals until soft and easy to stir. Add sour cream, green onions, lemon juice, dill weed and salt and pepper to taste. Spread about 1/4 cup cream cheese mixture on each tortilla. Over the cream cheese, sprinkle on a generous layer of smoked salmon. Over that, spread spinach leaves. Roll tortilla tightly and, if necessary, use more cream cheese mixture to secure edges. Wrap tortilla "roll" in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours but no more then 24 hours. When ready to serve, cut tortilla into aprox. 1 inch pieces and serve on a tray, cut side up.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

My husband loves buffalo chicken bites, but I've never made them for him before! So one night I decided to take a crack at it and found a Rachel Ray recipe that looked good. I was intrigued that it called for pancake mix for the breading portion.

My husband and I both loved these. They were super easy to make and tasted great. I thought they had plenty of heat, but my husband said if I were making them just for him he'd like to add more hot sauce since he likes things more spicy then I do. We've made these twice so far and really love them. A perfect addition to our Friday night pizza!

Ingredients
Source: Rachel Ray

Vegetable oil (11/2 quarts), for frying
2 1/2 cups plain pancake mix
1 1/4 cups water
8 teaspoons hot sauce, such as Tabasco
11/4 pounds chicken tenders or skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt
2 scallions, finely chopped (I omitted)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper (one-third palmful)
1 cup good-quality refrigerated blue cheese dressing, such as Marie’s brand
Store-bought celery sticks (I omitted)

Directions

In a deep skillet, heat 11/2 inches of oil over medium heat.

While the oil is heating, make the batter: In a wide mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of the pancake mix, the water and 6 teaspoons of hot sauce. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of pancake mix in another wide mixing bowl. Arrange the batter and the bowl of pancake mix near the stove. Line a plate with a few paper towels and keep within reach.

Once the oil is heated, toss the chicken pieces with the remaining 2 teaspoons of hot sauce, then toss them in the dry pancake mix, coat evenly and shake off the excess. (The dry pancake mix will help the batter stick to the chicken pieces.) Add some of the chicken to the batter (you’re going to batter and fry in 3 to 4 batches) and toss with your fingers or a fork. Remove the first batch from the batter, shaking off the excess, and carefully add the chicken to the hot oil. Fry the chicken for 2 minutes on each side, flipping once, until deep golden brown. Remove the fried chicken from the oil and drain on the paper towel–lined plate, then season with salt. Repeat until all the popcorn chicken bites are fried.

Stir the chopped scallions and pepper into the blue cheese dressing. Serve the chicken immediately with the dressing on the side. Garnish the platter with the celery sticks.

Tomato & Goat Cheese Tart

This tart exudes summer. The freshness of the tomato and basil is balanced by the rich puff pastry shell and the goat cheese works perfectly with all the flavors described. In addition, the caramelized onions add a wonderful smoothness. This tart would be the perfect addition to any summer party. My husband and I both enjoyed this tart very much, and I will definitely be making it again!

Ingredients
Source: Ina Garten

1 package (17.3 ounces/2 sheets) puff pastry, defrosted
Good olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced yellow onions (2 large onions)
3 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dry white wine
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves (I used herbs de Provence instead)
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan, plus 2 ounces shaved with a vegetable peeler
4 ounces garlic-and-herb goat cheese (recommended: Montrachet) (I used plain goat cheese)
1 large tomato, cut into 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices
3 tablespoons julienned basil leaves

Directions

Unfold a sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and roll it lightly to an 11 by 11-inch square. Using a 6-inch wide saucer or other round object as a guide, cut 2 circles from the sheet of puff pastry, discarding the scraps. Repeat with the second pastry sheet to make 4 circles in all. Place the pastry circles on 2 sheet pans lined with parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium to low heat and add the onions and garlic. Saute for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are limp and there is almost no moisture remaining in the skillet. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, the wine, and thyme and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until the onions are lightly browned. Remove from the heat.

Using a sharp paring knife, score a 1/4-inch-wide border around each pastry circle. Prick the pastry inside the score lines with the tines of a fork and sprinkle a tablespoon of grated Parmesan on each round, staying inside the scored border.

Place 1/4 of the onion mixture on each circle, again staying within the scored edge. Crumble 1 ounce of goat cheese on top of the onions. Place a slice of tomato in the center of each tart. Brush the tomato lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with basil, salt, and pepper. Finally, scatter 4 or 5 shards of Parmesan on each tart.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. The bottom sheet pan may need an extra few minutes in the oven. Serve hot or warm.

Taco Dip

This is a recipe I learned from my favorite aunt, who makes it for every family function! Let me just say that this is always a huge hit. You will find that you have to start doubling the recipe just to keep people happy! It's perfect for making ahead of time (which is always important for big gatherings) and it's really quite addicting!!! This appetizer is delicious and crowd pleasing!

Ingredients
Source: My favorite Aunt

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened ( you can use reduced fat)
1 16 oz. container sour cream (you can use light)
1 lb. ground beef
1 package of taco seasoning
1 small jar of taco sauce (whatever heat you want)
1 bag of Mexican shredded cheese
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
tortilla chips

Directions
In a medium skillet, cook ground beef over medium high heat until cooked through and thoroughly crumbled. Add taco seasoning packet with the amount of water directed on the back of the package. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, add sour cream and cream cheese. Blend together thoroughly (I find that using the whisk attachment on your Kitchen Aid mixer works the best).

Spread cream cheese/sour cream mixture on the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish or pan. Spread taco sauce over that, and the ground beef mixture over that, creating even layers. Top with shredded cheese, then lettuce then tomatoes. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!

Spinach Artichoke Bites

As soon as I saw this recipe appear on Colleen's blog Cooking This and That, I bookmarked it right away to use at my next gathering. So when my in laws came over last weekend, I knew I had to try these!

In my opinion, these are the perfect little appetizer. Most people love spinach artichoke dip and these are presented so conveniently so your guests can take them and walk around and not be tied to the dip bowl! The only issue I had was that I could not find won-ton wrappers anywhere! I scowered my whole grocery store and even asked 2 separate employees who could not track them down for me. Any idea where I can find these in my store? Well either way, I improvised and used Fillo Dough. I got the pre-made shells and also made my own, and both were great. I also made the filling the night before and refridgerated it so all I had to do on the day of my gathering was fill them and bake!

Ingredients
Adapted from Cooking this and That
Originally from Daily Deliciousness

30 wonton wrappers (I used Fillo dough/cups)
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (I used about 3/4 of the box)

4 ounces marinated artichokes, drained and chopped (I used almost a whole can)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup mayo
1/2 shallot, minced(I added this)
2-3 garlic cloves, minced (I added this)
1-2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil (I added this)
salt to taste
pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat mini-muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a small skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, garlic and shallots and cook just until garlic is fragrant and shallots are sofetened, about 3-5 minutes.

Mix cream cheese, spinach, artichokes, shredded cheese, mayo, garlic, shallots, salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl.

Line mini-muffin pan with wonton wrappers (or fillo dough), lightly pressing into place to form a cup. Using a small spoon, fill each cup with mixture almost to the top.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are browned and crisp and the filling is hot and melty.
Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

This has always been a favorite of me and my husband, so for New Years I made it for the girls at work for our little lunch get-together (there's only 3 of us!). I wanted something fast because I had to cook it on a weeknight, so I used Alton Brown's recipe. It was super simple and very good! I have since made a few changes to make it just to my liking and it is always a hit! It also makes just a little more then what my crock pot little dipper will hold, which is the perfect amount for me!

Ingredients
Adapted from Alton Brown

1 can Artichoke hearts, rinsed and chopped
1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach
6 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, chopped finely
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil.
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Optional:
1/4 cup mayonnaise (the original recipe called for this and I made it with the mayonnaise the first time and the dip was very good. But the second time I made this dip I totally forgot about the mayo and the dip turned out perfect....if not better! So I figure, why add the extra calories?!)

Directions
Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup of water until tender (about 10 minutes) and drain in a fine meshed strainer. "Push out" as much water as you can with a spoon. Discard liquid. Melt cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute - 1 minute 30 seconds until hot and soft. Stir in the spinach, artichokes, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, mayo (if using), salt and pepper. Then in a small skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and onions and cook until the onions are tender. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Make sure the onions/garlic don't caramelize too much. Add the cooked onion/garlic mixture to the rest of the ingredients and serve hot. Tastes great on crackers or tortilla chips.