Roasted Red Pepper & Swiss Dip

As a blogger, I am supposed to follow these silly guidelines on how to promote my blog.  {In 1950's announcer voice} "You too can be a popular blogger if you just follow these simple rules..."  It's really overwhelming and annoying, in my opinion.  I am going to eat some Roasted Red Pepper & Swiss Dip while I contemplate it. (See, I followed one of the rules - "make sure you put the name of your recipe in the first paragraph so search engines ping it).

For example, I'm supposed to comment on a bunch of blogs in order to get my name out there.  Forget it. Ain't nobody got time for dat! As much as I love reading my favorite blogs, most have so many security settings that it takes as long to enter the random letters and numbers as it does to read the actual blog post.

As far as my Facebook page goes, I refuse to inundate everyone's news feed with blog promos.

I realize I'm going to offend some people with this next opinion.  I apologize in advance.  I can't stand link-ups.  I understand why people do it, for sure.  I know it's a good way to "get your name out there."  I am just absolutely annoyed to death by link-ups of any kind, and ignore any link that comes from a link-up. Those kinds of things feel so self-serving (I know, that's the point) that I just can't bring myself to participate.

Yes, I sound like a bitter, grumpy old lady.  I'll just grab my tea cup, set it on my doily, and have a little bit of this rich and decadent Roasted Red Pepper & Swiss Dip while I watch Golden Girls.

Roasted Red Pepper & Swiss Dip

12 oz. (3 cups) Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 T. Dijon mustard
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
12 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
chives for garnish (optional)
Crackers, sliced bread, toast points for serving

Pre-heat oven to 400º.

Mix 2 cups Swiss cheese and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl.  Place in baking dish (fits in 8x8 inch dish or smaller).  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

This Cheesy Skillet Bread is a sort of combination of stuffing and cheesy bread pudding.  It's crunchy on the top and bottom (the best parts!) and the middle is cheesy and gooey and custard-y like bread pudding.  It's a great snack to munch during a football game.

Cheesy Skillet Bread

1 lb. baguette, cubed to 1/2 " pieces
2-2/3 c. chicken or vegetable broth
2 eggs
5 T. butter, divided
8 scallions, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Pre-heat oven to 450° and set oven rack to upper-middle.

Place bread cubes on sheet pan and bake until light golden brown, 12-15 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Whisk broth and eggs in a large bowl.  Add bread cubes and gently fold in until mixed well.  Set aside and fold over occasionally.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 12-inch non-stick oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.  Add scallions and cook 5 minutes. Season to taste.  Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.  Stir green onion mixture into bread mixture.  Mix in shredded cheese.

Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in same skillet over low heat.  Add bread mixture to skillet, pressing down with a spatula.  Cook until bottom of bread is lightly browned.  Transfer skillet to oven and bake until center is hot and the top is golden and crunchy, 20-30 minutes.  Rotate skillet half-way thru baking.  Cool 10 minutes and serve.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Chipotle Buttermilk Dip

As many of you know, I have a garden full of tomatoes.  Like totally full.  I planted 32 tomato plants and found many rogue ones sprouting up as well.  It's a jungle in there.  Since I got a late start planting, as many of us did due to heavy rains and cool weather, I didn't have any freshly ripened red tomatoes by mid-July as I normally do.  Seeing these huge tomato tentacles with a million unripe tomatoes on them, screaming na-na-na-na-boo-boo, made me mad.  What did I do?  I fought back.

I marched my tush out into their territory and, with fists on hips, (silently) said a little, "Forget you.  I'm going to eat you now.  Even though you're not ready, I am."  I plucked a few of those big, hard, green orbs in a huff and turned on my heel and stormed back inside.  And with the acquired enemy material, I set off to make some Fried Green Tomatoes with Chipotle Buttermilk Dip.

My husband had never eaten fried green tomatoes until that night.  The poor soul grew up in California so had never experienced this southern delight.  Truth be told, we northerners didn't partake either, but I had at least eaten them before.  Each time I had consumed these gems, I liked them but knew they could be better.

The tartness of the unripe tomato comes out warm and silky after frying.  The contrast in textures is unreal - the creamy tomatoes paired with the crunch of the coating is to die for.  Add a spicy chipotle buttermilk dip and you're set for an evening of pure southern deliciousness.

So for those of you who still have green tomatoes mocking you from your garden, or are salivating so greatly at the thought that you're planning on donning a ghillie suit and raiding your neighbor's garden, try this out. You won't be disappointed.

Fried Green Tomatoes with Chipotle Buttermilk Dip
Serves 2 for a meal ~or~ 4 for a side

1-1/2 lbs. green tomatoes (4-5 large)
2/3 c. cornmeal
1/3 c. flour
1-1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
2/3 c. buttermilk
1 egg
2 c. vegetable or peanut oil
3 large chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
1 t. buttermilk
1/2 c. sour cream
pinch Kosher salt

Slice tomatoes 1/4" thick.  Place flat on a paper towel-lined baking sheet.  Cover with another layer of paper towels and let sit 20 minutes.  Pat dry.

Meanwhile, zip 1/3 cup cornmeal in a food processor until ground finely.  Mix ground cornmeal, cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a shallow dish.  In another shallow dish, whisk 2/3 cup buttermilk and egg.

One at a time, dip a tomato slice in the buttermilk mixture, then in the cornmeal mixture, pressing to adhere. Place on clean baking sheet as you continue with the rest.

Heat oil in large skillet to 350*.  Fry the tomato slices in the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan.  They will fry about 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown.  Place on a rack set inside baking sheet.  Feel free to place in a warm 200* oven while you fry the rest.

Mix the chipotles, buttermilk, sour cream, and pinch of salt in a small bowl.  Thin with additional buttermilk if you'd like.

Recipe adapted from Cook's Country 

Tabouleh

Also known as Tabbouleh and Tabouli, this is a super-refreshing Arab dish.  It's typically eaten as part of a mezze, which is sort of like a tapas thing served in a spread of several small dishes.

Changing an original recipe could be looked at as either amazingly awesome or incredibly blasphemous.  On one hand, we are not limited by conventional "must do it like this" ways and are free to tweak and twist ingredients and foods to fit our own likes and dislikes.  However, there is definitely something to be said for preserving the history of hundreds of years of culinary tradition.

Either way, Tabouleh is a really yummy salad or side or main dish.  It's especially good in the summertime when the tomatoes and cucumbers and parsley are so good it makes me want to slap my Granny.  (I don't really want to slap my Grandma.  For those of you who have not heard that expression, it's a southern thing).

Here's the thing - you can change so many of these ingredients to suit your own palette, it can only be delicious to you.  Some people use green onions instead of red.  You can also leave the mint out if that's too strange to you.  There are recipes that have more of a parsley base and the grain is the addition, but I prefer the grain as the base.  If you don't like Quinoa, you can use the traditional bulgar, or even couscous.

For this batch, I found I was nearly out of Quinoa so I supplemented with some whole-grain couscous.  Play around and let me know what you like the best!


Tabouleh

1 c. quinoa
2 c. water
3/4 c. small diced red onion, or about 1/2 a medium onion
1/4 c. lemon juice, or juice from 1 lemon
1 cucumber, peeled and small diced
4 roma tomatoes, seeded and small diced
3/4 c. fresh minced parsley
1/4 c. fresh minced mint leaves
4 T. olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix the red onion and lemon juice.  Allow to sit (the lemon juice helps to cut the sting of the onion) while you prepare the rest.

Bring quinoa and water to a boil.  Turn down heat and simmer on low, covered, for 15 minutes.  Stir and re-cover, and set aside off heat for 5 minutes.  Bring to room temperature and fluff with a fork.

Mix all ingredients, including the onion/lemon juice mixture and cooled quinoa.  Serve as a side dish, or with pita bread, or in a toasted pita half.

Smoky Cheddar Cornbread Poppers

These Smoky Cheddar Cornbread Poppers were a huge hit at a recent cook-out we hosted.  And it wasn't  just because everyone was starving.  They are a great alternative for those who do not eat meat (moi) or who do not like cream cheese (my cousin Chad).

If you're a loyal reader, you know about Chaddy Choo Choo.  If not, you can learn about Chad (and see photos!) here.  He's like my brother, really.  We look alike, we laugh alike, we think alike, and we eat alike.  And he is one of only a small handful of people who can send me into a painful, ugly, breath-stealing belly laugh.  He's truly one of my very best friends in the world.  I think it's really saying something when you would still be friends with the people in your family even if you weren't related to them.

At the cook-out (or "barbecue" as they say here in the south, even if it doesn't involve any sort of slow cooked animal or coleslaw), I made poppers from a recipe I found thru Pinterest.  It is on a site called Oh Bite It.  Here's a link to her original recipe.  Chad and I found them to be pretty but really bland, so we experimented until we found what we think is a perfect balance of sweet heat, corn, and spice.

In this recipe, I've listed a boxed cornbread mix as an "ingredient," but feel free to make your own from scratch.  I use Krusteaz brand, and it is (I think) a 15 oz box.  I prefer the regular cornbread mix but you can use the honey cornbread flavor if you like sweet heat.

Smoky Cheddar Cornbread Poppers
Makes 30-40 appetizers

15-20 jalapenos (depending on the size)
1 box cornbread mix (I use Krusteaz)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ancho chili powder
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1-1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 400*.

Halve jalapenos lengthwise.  Taking a small spoon (or even a grapefruit spoon), carefully scrape out the seeds and ribs.  Don't touch your eyes before washing your hands well or you'll be screaming bloody murder from the pain.

Make the cornbread mix according to boxed directions.  Add garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, and salt and whisk.  Stir in corn and 1 cup cheddar.

Fill each pepper half with cornbread mixture, paying attention not to overflow.  Place on sheet pan coated with cooking spray. (You may need 2 pans)

Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until cooked through.  Top with remaining cheddar cheese and broil until melted.

Baba Ghanoush with Cumin Chips

Last weekend, we went to a 40th birthday party for our good friend.  I went shopping for a cute shirt to wear to the party.

I put on these super cute black heels I've only worn once, and that was to a wedding in which I was the matron of honor, so my feet hurt regardless.

Ready to go.  I follow my husband out into the garage, catch my heel on the step, fall, and land on my bum.

I fell straight on my hiney, meanwhile twisting and turning my legs like one of those sticky octopus we used to throw on a window and watch crawl down.  It hurt badly.  And I have a black bruise the size of a softball on my tush to show for it.

Baba Ghanoush is a roasted eggplant dip that even those who don't like eggplant enjoy.  It's easy to make if you have a food processor.  It keeps well too, so feel free to make ahead (just toast the chips before serving).

Baba Ghanoush with Cumin Chips

Dip:
2 eggplant
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 T. olive oil
Handful parsley leaves
Salt & pepper

Cumin Chips:
2 packages pita bread
Olive oil
Ground cumin
Kosher salt

Pre-heat oven to 400*.  Prick eggplant all over with a fork and place on sheet pan covered in foil. Roast for 30-45 minutes, flipping once, until very soft and slightly browned.  Let cool a bit.

When cool enough to handle, trim stem end off and peel eggplant like a banana.  Roughly chop and place in food processor.

Add lemon juice, tahini, and garlic and puree until the consistency you like (smooth or chunky). Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in olive oil.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, cut pita bread into wedges like a pizza.  Place on sheet pans and toss with olive oil. You will need 2 sheet pans for 2 packages of pita bread.  Sprinkle with cumin and salt to taste (we like a lot of cumin so I probably use 3-4 tablespoons total).  Spread in one layer. bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden.

To serve:  Drizzle baba ghanoush with additional olive oil and serve with cumin chips.