Creamy Baked Corn Dip

This weekend is Memorial Day, and people will be celebrating the long weekend with barbecues, pool parties, cold beverages, and potlucks.  If you're my family, you'd be celebrating with a pool volleyball tournament gone rogue that we lovingly call ManBall.  ManBall is a two-day long tournament complete with a trophy and bragging rights for the winning team Captain.  Nicknames are born during ManBall--it's why my father's twitter handle is @JoeTheMasher and why most of his colleagues call him Masher instead of Joe.  There is plenty of sun and sports and trash talking and even more food.

Unfortunately I can't make it this year, but if I were going, I'd wear a lot of sunscreen, secure a spot in a deck chair next to the pool (I don't play ManBall.  I'm what they call a buoy.) and I would bring this creamy baked corn dip with plenty of fritos.  

If you find yourself attending a party this weekend, be it of the pool volleyball variety or otherwise, you should bring this dish.  It's definitely a crowd pleaser and a cinch to throw together.

Gather your ingredients!

Frozen corn (or fresh if you can find it!), shredded cheese, stewed tomatoes with green chilies, lime, jalapeño, half an onion, cream cheese, your favorite hot sauce, and not pictured, sour cream.

Chop up the onion and add it to medium oven safe dish.  Next add 2 cups of frozen corn.

Drain the stewed tomatoes and green chilies and add it to the mixture.  Add the chopped and seeded jalapeño and then chopped cilantro.  Cut half a block of cream cheese (about 4 ounces) into small pieces and add it to the vegetables.

Next add sour cream and gently mix together.  Add a few dashes of hot sauce and lime juice, then season with salt and pepper.

Gently mix that together then top with shredded cheese in a nice even layer.  

Into a 350 degree oven it goes for about 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is perfectly melted and the dip below is bubbly.

Serve hot with corn chips, which if you were me, would be fritos scoops.  Regular tortilla chips work too, I guess.

The cream cheese and sour cream melt into the corn and other vegetables creating a creamy, warm dip that is completely satisfying.  I brought this to a cinco de mayo party and it was gone within 30 minutes.  I'm pretty sure it was dinner for some guests.

Creamy Baked Corn Dip is a perfect appetizer for a potluck.  It can feed a crowd and it's ideal for those guests who want a bite on the way to the drink table.  Oh, and it couldn't be easier to make.

Have a happy and safe Memorial Day Weekend, friends.  For those affected by the heartbreak and devastation caused by the tornadoes in Oklahoma, this weekend will be spent rebuilding and recovering.  If you want to know more about what you can do to help, native Oklahoman Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman, has a great post that lists multiple resources and ways you can contribute.  

Here's the recipe!

Creamy Baked Corn Dip

Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 16-ounce can stewed tomatoes and green chilies, drained well
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, lightly packed and chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 4 ounces cream cheese, cut into smaller pieces
• 1 cup sour cream
• A couple of dashes of hot sauce (your preference!)
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese

Method 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium sized oven-safe baking dish, add chopped onion, corn, drained tomatoes and green chilies, chopped jalapeño, cilantro and lime juice.  Stir together.  Add cream cheese and sour cream and gently mix until well incorporated.  The cream cheese will melt in the oven so it's OK if it doesn't completely break up.  Season with salt and pepper and add hot sauce.  Cover with shredded cheese.
2. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the corn mixture is bubbly.  
3. Best served warm with tortilla chips but if it cools on the potluck table, people will still eat it, promise.

Enjoy!

Chili Lime Roasted Shrimp

It's that time of year where meals should be quick, enjoyed outside, and made with minimal ingredients and maximum flavor.

It's that time of year where if you live in a place that boasts about how few sunny days there are, when it is sunny you get outside, no matter what.  Even if that means you ride the bike you didn't really want to buy in the first place.

It's that time of year where you ignore that the pool opens in a week, you ignore your pale legs, and instead rejoice that for the first time since September you actually feel hot.  Like, temperature hot.  Not looks-hot.  You should feel that way all the time because you are good-lookin my friend!

(I'll bribe you with compliments all day long since you're here to read about shrimp.  That's how I show my appreciation).

This meal is for this time of year.  It's thrown together in no time at all, it's zippy and a little spicy and actually pretty good for you.  Serve it along side some pasta that is heavy on the greens and light on the carbs and you're doing mid-May right.

These shrimp are almost too easy to make.  Think of this recipe as more of a guideline--you can dress these up or down as much as you want.

Start with a baking sheet, a drizzle of olive oil, and some giant shrimp.  I got these tiger prawns because they were large and on sale, but any large--think 15-20 count--shrimp will do.  If they aren't already, peel and devein them.

Lay the shrimp in an even layer on the baking sheet.  Drizzle with a little more olive oil, then season with salt, pepper, and red chili flakes.

Squeeze the juice of one lime over the top and stir them around so that each shrimp is coated in olive oil, seasoning, and lime.

Into the oven they go, at 400 degrees, for 10 minutes or so, or until they are firm and pink all over.  My oven is hot so I didn't let them go that long, you'll just want to keep an eye on them.

Meanwhile, I whipped up this pasta dish that features my absolute favorite green, arugula, in a big way.  It's angel hair so it cooks in like 2 minutes, which is perfect for the quick-cooking shrimp.  You'll get dinner on the table, or out on the patio-stoop-deck-front yard-balcony in no time.

The shrimp are Summer, if that makes any sense.  They are so simple yet so delicious; the lime gives them an extra kick, while the chili and simple seasonings flavor them just slightly.  Really this is all about shrimp, so you'll want to get good ones.

Roasting concentrates the flavors so something as simple as shrimp and lime becomes a really special dish.  If you have a grill you could do the same treatment, just marinate them in the lime and chili for about 10 minutes before skewering and grilling them.

The simplest recipes for the sunniest days.  That's my new formula for the season.

Here's the recipe!

Chili Lime Roasted Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 lime

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Drizzle olive oil onto a baking sheet then lay shrimp down in a single layer.  Drizzle on more olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and red chili flakes.  Squeeze the juice of one lime over the top, then toss so that the shrimp is evenly coated in all the ingredients.
2. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, turning once.  Watch them carefully-you just want them to cook until they are pink and firm but no longer.  
3. Serve immediately with your favorite pasta dish, salad, potato, or rice.  Or whip up a cilantro-lime dipping sauce and call it an appetizer.  Food this simple should be celebrated in as many ways as possible!

Enjoy!

{Signed and Sealed Part 2} Homemade Peanut Buttery Dog Bisquits

Let's talk animals.

I grew up with animals.  The first time I lived without an animal in the house was when I moved into the dorms in college.  I was fine, for a while, but then this adorable, loud, creature showed up under my car one day, I fed him a can of tuna, named him after the first thing I saw, which was tuna, and I remembered why I've always lived with animals.

Then I moved to Boston and found myself surrounded by animals that weren't mine, but whose livelihood I was in charge of.  I loved them, they all--two dogs and three cats--all slept with me--and it was just about the only part of that job at which I was good.

Then I moved to my own place and one day, after having a pretty brutal day at work, I decided to stop by the local animal shelter.  Here's something I've learned: if you are an animal lover, and are subconsciously harboring the intent to someday own an animal, don't stop by an animal shelter if you're not completely, 100% ready to take home an animal.  Because a giant black cat with a wonky ear will climb up into your lap, wrap his little arms around your neck, and you'll realize that he's your cat and you just didn't even know it.  Not to mention you have a tiny studio apartment and no cat supplies.  Not to mention you can't afford vet bills.  Not to mention you fell completely in love.

So when I sent my friend Anna a treat in the mail, I couldn't leave her dog, Gus, out.  I'm absolutely crazy, clearly.  I also spent a year with this puppy and he's pretty great.  I mean he's got character.  He's such a little man.

Anna sent me a picture when she got her present; a picture of the almonds, and a picture of the dog treats complete with Gus' nose stuck all the way in the jar.  Anna said he wouldn't even look up long enough to take a picture.  How great is that?!

Let's make dog biscuits!

Ingredients: very simple.  Peanut butter, a little canola oil, eggs, whole wheat flour, a little brown sugar (not pictured) and chicken stock.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt.  Mix well until combined.

Add 3 eggs, a cup of peanut butter, some canola oil, and a cup of chicken stock.  Mix until just combined.  You can add more chicken stock if the mixture looks a little dry.

Turn the dough out and form into a ball.  Wrap that in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes or more.

When the dough is rested, turn out unto a clean surface and roll out until the dough is about 1/2 inch thick, then slice to 1 inch by 1 inch squares.

Stack the extra dough and roll it out again and repeat.

You can also cut the biscuits with a dog shaped cookie cutter if you want!  I didn't have one, so I did squares and used a fork to put little dots in them.

Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place the biscuits on there.  They don't spread at all so you don't need to place them far apart.  Bake them for 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees or until very hard.  Store them in an air tight container until your dog eats them all.  It won't take long.

Since I was sending these across the country and was robbed (ugh! mail!) of instant gratification, I walked a sample over to a friends house who has two very hungry bulldogs in order to test them.

Above is Honeybun, below is Tex.  They were excited I walked in, because dogs get excited when a person walks in.  So imagine how excited they were when a person walks in that they don't know with treats.  I mean, how would you react?

Comfortable that they were dog-approved, I sent them along to Gus Gus.  However, this recipe makes a heck of a lot of dog treats so I also gave some to coworkers who have dogs.  It was a good day for dogs in PA.

These are basically peanut butter cookies, but don't eat them because, well, they're dog treats.  I guess they are all made with people food, but to me, chicken stock and peanut butter don't mix.  Up to you.  Oh, and you should know that this not to say they don't smell good enough to eat, because they do.  K walked in while making these and thought he was getting cookies.  He was not too happy.

Easy to make, cheaper than buying store-bought treats, and it makes a ton.  Do you have a dog?  Do this.

Here's the recipe!

Homemade Peanut Buttery Dog Biscuits

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 cup chicken stock

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a mixer combine flour, brown sugar, and salt and mix.  Add eggs and peanut butter then mix.  Add canola oil slowly.  The dough at this point should look like wet sand.  Slowly add the cup of chicken stock until the dough comes together.  That was enough liquid for me but if it still looks at all dry, add more chicken stock, 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Turn the dough out and wrap it in plastic wrap.  Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes.  When finished, roll the dough out to 1/2 inch thick and cut into desired shapes, or squares decorated with fork tines, like I did.  Roll extra dough out and repeat.
4. Place formed biscuits onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, until very hard.  For me, that was right at 20 minutes, but it will depend on your oven.  Let biscuits cool completely then store in an air-tight container.
5. Serve to your favorite pooch, and hopefully they'll love them as much as Gus did!

{Signed and Sealed Part 1} Spicy Salty Caramel Almonds

Signed and sealed time!  Mailed treats time!  Decorating labels with gold tape and mason jars so I can put all of that Pinterest time to good use...time!  It's the best time of the month, and as you can see, I'm excited.

It's also called Part 1 because of that jar up there that says, very plainly and clearly so that there can be no mistake, "THIS IS DOG FOOD."  More on those treats to come.  I'll give you a bit longer to wonder just how much of an animal freak I am.

This month, which was last month, the treat went to my good friend and college roommate Anna and her little Westie, Gus.  Some of my favorite, favorite moments have been with Anna.  She's all laughs and kindness and sincerity.  While I have to make New Year's resolutions to be a better friend, Anna just is a good friend.  She calls, texts, and emails just to catch up.  She gives me updates on her life because she knows, correctly, that I want to know.  She's a great friend and deserves lots and lots of treats in the mail, not just this one.

Our senior year she came home with a tiny little ball of white named Gus, who I fell madly in love with.  Gus learned how to be a dog from my cat, Tuna.  Tuna climbed on the back of couches, Gus climbed on the back of couches.  Tuna put his face through the blinds to look out the windows, Gus put his considerably furrier and larger face through the blinds to look out the windows.  He waited patiently every morning for Tuna to come out of my room then chased him around the rug for a good 5 minutes every single morning.  Tuna was unimpressed.  Gus is a character, for sure, and if Anna gets a treat, Gus gets one too!

I'm admittedly obsessed with anything that contains the words salted and caramel.  This month I decided to make some salted caramel almonds but spice them up a little with, well, spice.  Mostly sweet, slightly salty, with just a hint of spice at the end--these were crunchy and perfect.

Let's caramel some almonds!

Gather ingredients: butter, brown sugar, light corn syrup, vanilla extract, baking soda, salt and cayenne pepper.  And almonds, obviously.

Start by spreading 2 cups of unsalted almonds on a baking dish.  Roast them at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until deeply fragrant.

When those have been roasting for 10 minutes, start the caramel sauce.  In a medium sauce pan, add 1 stick of butter, 1 cup of brown sugar, and some light corn syrup.  Melt those all together over low heat and let boil gently for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove the mixture from the heat and add vanilla, a pinch of cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.  This will cause the mixture to bubble pretty violently, but just keep stirring and it will calm down.  Pour the roasted almonds in the caramel and stir until they are completely coated.

Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with foil.  Pour the caramel almonds in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Lower the oven heat to 250 and bake the almonds for 15 minutes, then remove and stir, and bake for 15  minutes more.  The mixture will bubble up again because of the baking soda, but that's what makes the caramel harden later.  It's important.

Once the almonds have baked for 30 minutes, lay some parchment paper out and pour the almonds over, separating them as much as possible.

Salt them while they are still warm, then let them completely cool until they are very crunchy.

When they are cool, break them up.  I chose to leave a some in clumps and some as single almonds, but you can do as you wish.  I'm not the boss of you.

Now they're ready to store.  Put them in an air-tight container and snack away.  Because this is {Signed and Sealed} I, of course, got crafty with my mason jars.

I made labels out of card stock, felt tip pen, and washi tape, then I tied them around the jars with twine.

Into a box they went bound for Texas.  I had an extra set so I also sent some to my brother and his wife in Ohio because they have 2 of my favorite puppies ever and I also like them too.

The almonds, though, the almonds.  They're crunchy and have this wonderfully nutty roasted flavor.  The caramel is sweet but tempered by the slight salty touch and subtle spice.  The salt is necessary because the caramel would be too sweet without it.  However, the spice isn't necessary.  But please don't be afraid of the spice, it's very subtle and really only nudges you at the end.  It's great contrast.  Don't skip it.

I'll warn you though, you'll want to give these away.  Maybe to a friend with a cute scruffy white dog!  Or to a neighbor.  I say this because while these were cooling I snuck so many nibbles I called it lunch instead of the sensible salad I had planned.

However, the best part about these almonds is that I got to send them to a sweet friend.  The picture she sent me made my whole day.  You'll hear more about that later.

If you want a sweet treat for yourself or to send to someone who's on your mind, this is it.

Spicy Salty Caramel Almonds (Adapted from Dine and Dish)

Ingredients

• 2 cups unsalted almonds
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling later
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with foil and set aside.  
2. Spread almonds on baking sheet in single layer.  Roast for 15 minutes.  When done, set aside.
3. Meanwhile, combine butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup until melted over medium low heat.  Cook, stirring constantly, boiling gently, for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cayenne pepper, and baking soda.  The mixture will bubble up for a second, this is normal.
4. Add roasted almonds and stir to coat.  Reduce oven heat to 250 and spread caramel almonds on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer.  Bake for 30 minutes, removing and stirring once at the 15 minute mark.  
5. When almonds are done, spread parchment paper out and add almonds in a single layer.  Let cool completely, until completely hard.  Break almonds into clumps and single almonds, or any combination you would like.
6. Store in an air tight container for up to a month!

Enjoy!

Shredded Seasoned Chicken Tostadas

Did you celebrate Cinco de Mayo?  Did you eat lots of tacos and burritos and nachos and other versions of tortilla-meat-cheese?  I did!  And I did so wearing a pretty sundress and obnoxiously oversized hat, because I celebrated both the Derby and Cinco de Mayo together.  If you were wondering how to throw a fun party, large hats, a little gambling, and Mexican food are the way to go.

My horse did not win, even though based on my highly scientific betting system of choosing what name sounds like a winner, it should have.  But man did I eat.  There were dips upon dips upon dips, one of which is coming your way soon, and a taco bar that I frequented more than twice.

After such a big weekend of indulgence, you'd think I'd want to eat anything but Mexican food.  But if you think that then you don't know me at all, because on Monday night I did it again.  This time, I made tostadas with spiced shredded chicken, crunchy lettuce, creamy avocado, homemade salsa, and a lot of lime.  I think I could eat some version of that every single day and be happy.

Tostadas are basically just flat crunchy tacos.  They're part finger food, part salad, part cheesy deliciousness and all perfect.

Let's make tostadas!

Start by making shredded chicken.  My preferred way is as follows.  I lay a couple of sheets of foil on a baking sheet.  Boneless skinless chicken breasts go on top and then are seasoned with whatever you'd like.  For this recipe I used taco seasoning and salt and pepper, but if you are just wanting to make something more basic like a chicken salad, salt and pepper would work fine.

Wrap the foil over the chicken in a packet by bringing the long sides together and rolling them up, then folding in the ends.  It goes in a 375 degree oven for 35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  The juices stay in the packet so the chicken doesn't get dry, and after a couple of minutes of rest time, it's easily shredded with two forks!

After you shred your chicken, add it to a large skillet with some olive oil and 1 medium onion, diced.  Add some of the juices from the foil packet as well.  Add 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning and stir to coat, then cook over medium low heat until the onions are slightly soft and the chicken is nice and juicy and seasoned.

Meanwhile, make your tostadas.  You can buy tostadas pre-made, but I decided to use up two of the 379 corn tortillas that are currently hanging out in my refrigerator and make my own.  I lightly oiled a baking sheet and placed the tortillas on top, then drizzled some more oil on top of them.  They went into the same 375 degree oven and are baked until nice and crisp.

When they are crisp, take them out of the oven, top with some shredded cheese, and throw them back in the oven until the cheese is melted.

That's the base.  Once the cheese is melted, you're ready to top the tostadas.  I started with the shredded chicken and onions.

On top of that I added some shredded iceberg lettuce that had been generously dressed with lime juice, some cubed avocado, a dollop of sour cream, and some homemade salsa.   I squeezed some extra lime juice on top for an extra zing.

K chose to have his Mexican food in a more traditional taco vehicle, so those two tostadas were all mine.  They are obviously quite tall, so I ate them with a combination of fork and fingers.

As the weather gets warmer, I find myself craving simple and flavorful dishes like this.  The lime juice is what I think it boils down to--bracingly acidic food to me means sun and warm weather and outdoor eating.  I like all of those things.

Tostadas are easy to make and even easier to eat, if easy to eat means that it's so good you don't mind that it's a little messy.  Messy food is good food.  Make a batch of these tonight and eat them outside.  It's Friday.  You deserve this.

Here's the recipe!

Shredded Seasoned Chicken Tostadas 

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup taco seasoning, divided
• salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• corn tortillas
• 1/4 cup shredded cheese (for 2 tostadas--if making more than that, adjust accordingly)
• 1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, chopped
• 2 limes, plus more lime wedges for serving
• Avocados, cubed
• Homemade Salsa or your personal favorite!
• Sour cream 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  On a baking sheet, overlap 3 sheets of tin foil and add chicken breasts.  Season with 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning and salt and pepper.  Fold the sides of the foil over the chicken, creating a packet.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then carefully open the packet and shred the chicken with 2 forks.
2. In a large skillet, add olive oil over medium low heat.  Add onion and shredded chicken, along with some of the juices from the foil packet.  Season with the rest of the taco seasoning and stir to coat.  Allow to simmer on low for 10 minutes.  
3. Meanwhile, lightly oil a baking sheet and place corn tortillas on top in a single layer.  Drizzle oil on top and put in the oven until toasted and very crisp, about 10-15 minutes.  Once it is crisp, take out of the oven and top with shredded cheese.  Put back into the oven for a couple of minutes, just to melt the cheese.
4. While the tostadas are crisping up, dress the iceberg lettuce with the juice of one lime.  Stir to combine and let sit.  Cube the avocado and add lime juice, salt and pepper.  Stir gently.  Get the rest of your toppings ready, including extra lime wedges for serving.
5. When the cheese is melted, top with chicken.  To that, add LOTS of chopped lettuce, avocado, a dollop of sour cream, and as much salsa as you like.  
6. Eat with whatever utensils you'd like, there is no wrong answer!

Enjoy!