This past autumn, my friend Megan introduced me to an incredible new appetizer — bacon-wrapped blue cheese stuffed dates.

They call for a whopping 3 ingredients, are super-easy to assemble, and are completely irresistible.  I made them for our extended family over the holidays for appetizers, and every single one disappeared before the main course was served.  Delish!

You can of course substitute in your favorite soft cheese, but I thought the tangy blue cheese was perfect.  And to be honest, I’m not really a “dates” kind of girl, but their subtle sweetness paired perfectly with the salty bacon and cheese.  Definitely a fun recipe everyone seems to love.

Give it a go!

Bacon-Wrapped Blue Cheese Stuffed Dates Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 (8 oz.) package of dried, pitted dates (about 30 dates)
• 1 (4 oz.) container crumbled blue cheese
• 1 (12 oz.) package bacon, with the slices cut into thirds

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Slice the dates along the side so that they open flat for stuffing.  Fill the date with about a teaspoon (more or less) of blue cheese, then wrap it with a slice of bacon so that the blue cheese opening is completely sealed and the bacon overlaps underneath.  Seal the stuffed date with a toothpick, and place on the baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining dates.

Bake for 15-25 minutes, or until the bacon is cooked and the cheese is lightly browned.  Remove and serve warm.

Ali’s Tip:

Some other variations you can try with this recipe include:

• Sprinkling the bacon with additional brown sugar
• Stuffing the dates with smoked almonds (as well as the cheese)
• Substituting in goat cheese, feta, gorgonzola, or smoked gouda cheese
• Serving the stuffed dates with a red wine reduction for dipping

A few weeks ago, my friends Christin, James and I were sitting around brainstorming what to cook for the big game this year.  And when I asked James’ advice, thinking that I already had a decently complete selection of game day recipes on the site, the conversation went about like this:

James: “Do you have a recipe for chicken nachos?”
Me: “Mmmm, I have apple nachos!  But no, not so much on the chicken…”
James: “Bean dip?”
Me: “Mmmm, no.”
James: “Potato skins?  Sliders?  Wings?”
Me: “I’m beginning to think my recipes are kind of girly.  What do guys like?!?”
James: “Two words: BUFFALO CHICKEN.”
Me: “Noted.”  :)

So behold…my first buffalo chicken recipe on the site.  And actually, after tasting these little guys, I’m pretty sure it won’t be my last.  These crispy little wonton cups are simply filled with buffalo chicken, topped with some blue cheese and green onions.  Easy peasy, and super addictive.  I actually recommend making a double batch, because these will disappear at your party pronto.

What are your favorite game day apps?  Any more advice for this “girly” little food blogger for some dude food?  ;)

Buffalo Chicken Cups Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 24 wonton wrappers
• 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/2 cup cayenne hot sauce (I recommend Frank’s “Red Hot”)
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 3 scallions, sliced thinly

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Brush chicken breasts with olive oil, and then sprinkle evenly with the smoked paprika and chili powder.  Place in a baking dish and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the center is no longer pink and the juices run clear.  Remove chicken and let cool, then shred.

Meanwhile, fit a wonton wrapper into each of 24 mini baking cups, pressing the wrappers carefully but firmly into sides of cups.  (Be careful to keep the corners of each wonton wrapper open; otherwise you will not be able to fill them!)  Bake for 5 minutes or until very lightly browned. Keep wontons in baking cups.

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the melted butter and hot sauce.  Add the chicken and stir until well coated.  Then fill each wonton cup with a tablespoon or two of chicken, and then top with a pinch of blue cheese.  Return wonton cups to oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is soft and melty.  Remove and top with sliced scallions, and serve warm.  These are best served immediately.

Ali’s Tip:

If you’d like to save a step, you can easily substitute a rotisserie chicken for this recipe.  Just shred it, and follow the steps to mix it with the hot sauce, etc.

Anyone looking for a fun new appetizer (or even main course!) for the big game this week?

These saucy Asian meatballs are some of my favorites!!!

I first made them a few months ago when I was experimenting with multiple meatball recipes to serve for a fundraiser.  And when my friends graciously “helped me out” with some taste testing, these little guys were the clear winner!  My friend’s 1-yr-old son was even crazy about them as well.  ;)

Definitely easy, quick, and bursting with yummy flavor.  And everyone commented on how they’re a nice twist from traditional marinara meatballs.  Give them a try!

Saucy Asian Meatballs Recipe

Ingredients:

Meatball Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. ground pork or ground beef
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 cup Panko or breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 eggs
• 3 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions
• optional garnish: toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions

Asian Sauce Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. ground ginger

Method:

Preheat oven to 400.

In a large bowl, mix together meatball ingredients until well-combined.  Shape into balls (I made mine about 1.5 inches, which yielded about 35 meatballs, but 1 inch is probably standard), and place on a greased baking sheet or in a 9×13 baking dish.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until meatballs are golden on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.

While the meatballs are baking, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until blended.  Once meatballs have finished cooking, you can either dip each meatball individually (using a toothpick) in the sauce mixture.  Or you can pour the sauce over the meatballs and gently stir them until covered.

Serve warm, and sprinkle with additional garnish if desired.

Ali’s Tip:

You can also keep these warm (after cooking) in the crockpot on a low setting!

Even food bloggers have little kitchen disasters.  :)

Recently on a day off, I decided to make a recipe I have been wanting to try forever — s’mores pie.  Love s’mores.  Love pie.  Brilliant idea.  Right?

Well, I made the chocolate part of the pie, which was a breeze (and ridiculously delicious when I sampled the batter).  Then afterwards I laid out all of the marshmallows beautifully on top, and stuck the pie under the broiler tand set the timer for the allotted two minutes to give them that golden “toasted” look.  After about 45 seconds though, I turned around to take a peek at the pie and saw flames!  HUGE flames!

You know how when you stand over a campfire a marshmallow can go from soft and white to a flaming fireball in a matter of seconds?  Yeah, multiply that by about 20!  The entire pie was engulfed!!  My roommate happened to be in the kitchen at the time, and after we both stood frozen for a second in disbelief, she ran for the fire extinguisher, and I ended up filling up the mixing bowl quickly with water and then dousing the entire oven!  Thankfully, the fire went out right away, but the house smelled like a campfire (for at least a day) and the pie was…well…you’ll have to see the picture below.

Of course my roommate’s husband returned home an hour later, excited about the pie we had promised him, and I sadly apologized for the charred mess.  To which, without missing a beat, he immediately asks if the chocolate part was still ok.  I told him I imagined it was, but there was at least an inch of charred-to-a-crisp marshmallow layer on top!  He responded that we girls must have “never lived in a frat house”.  So sure enough, being the surgeon (and guy!) that he is, he spent the next ten minutes carefully flaking off the top layer until the beautiful chocolate part shone through.  He then topped it with some new marshmallows, and voila — not only was it salvaged, it was incredible!!!

I did end up making another round of the pie to photograph all lovely and golden for you all, of course watching it like a hawk this time under the broiler!  (It definitely can be done successfully, although you can also just bake it or use a kitchen torch.)  And it was fantastic.  All of that rich chocolate, the graham cracker crust, and toasted (not charred!) marshmallows made for the perfect dessert that’s a definite crowd-pleaser.

Live and learn!  And then eat pie.  :)

S’mores Pie Recipe

Ingredients:

Crust Ingredients:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Filling Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup milk
• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 20-30 large marshmallows

Method:

To Make Crust:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C).

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until evenly coated. Press mixture into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

To Make Pie:

In a medium saucepan, whisk together cream and milk. Warm over medium-low heat. Add in chocolate and stir until chocolate has completely melted and is smooth. Slowly add in vanilla and whisked eggs, and whisk until smooth.

Pour chocolate filling into baked pie crust. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until chocolate filling is set and does not jiggle when pie is lightly shaken. Remove from oven.

Using a kitchen shears or a knife, cut marshmallows in half. Place halves in concentric circles over the top of the pie until covered.

Lower oven rack to the middle position, and set oven to the lowest broil setting. Place pie on the rack and lightly toast the marshmallows.  (I recommend pulling them out the second you see them beginning to turn slightly golden.)  You can also use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallows instead.

Chill pie in the refrigerator to set for 2-3 hours.  Or it can also be served slightly warm.  Drizzle with chocolate sauce if desired.

Ali’s Tip:

To give your graham cracker crusts an extra kick, I recommend using the cinnamon graham crackers.  A little extra flavor, and a little extra sweet!

Source:

Slightly adapted from The Pastry Affair

And a glimpse into Round One…

I am very picky about black bean soup.

I mean, really picky.

If a soup is going to have a bland (albeit, fiberful) magical fruit as its main ingredient, it had better have some rockin’ good flavors to go along with it.  And of course, all the better when it’s a little on the spicy side too!

So of course, I’m here to announce that I think I finally have my own favorite recipe tweaked and ready to share with le blogosphere.  If I do say so myself, I think it’s a good one.  Like, I-might-have-gone-back-for-thirds-”good”.  :)

But to those of you who get a little anxious about the word “spicy” even being in the title, have no fear.  You can easily add in the jalapeno and cayenne gradually to taste.  But for those of you who like a little kick, this one will bring it.  And, it can also happily be made vegetarian or vegan.

Definitely a keeper!

Spicy Black Bean Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red or orange bell pepper, cored and chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• half a jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 2 (15 oz.) cans black beans
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. chipotle powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• optional garnish: sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped bell peppers, shredded cheese, crumbled tortilla chips, diced avocados

Method:

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add onion and cook for 3 minutes.  Add bell pepper, carrot, garlic and jalapeno, and continue cooking another 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.  Add remaining eight ingredients (chicken broth through cayenne), and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let soup simmer for at least 10 minutes.

You can either serve this soup as is, or use an immersion blender or a traditional blender (blending in small batches) to puree the soup.  Serve warm, and garnish with suggested ingredients if desired.

Ali’s Tip:

You could also make this in a slow-cooker!

Growing up, my family absolutely loved cranberry-orange bread.  All of the goodness of sweet cranberries, paired with that yummy citrus zest and loads of glorious carbs — it was always a definite crowd-pleaser!  The only tiny downside was that this deliciousness came from (ahem) a box mix.

So when I had a cranberry-orange craving last week, decided to make some cranberry-orange muffins from scratch!  Sure enough, found a quick recipe online that didn’t even require me to pull out the mixer.  It was a basic muffin recipe with a handful of cranberries plus lots of delicious orange zest thrown in.  And then (the best part) you dip the muffins once they have baked in a fabulous sweet orange glaze.

Honestly, these required little more time together than the box mix.  So quick and easy!  And my friends agreed that they were super tasty!!  Definitely a fantastic recipe for a small loaf of bread, or a dozen quick muffins.  Look forward to making this old favorite with the new recipe again soon!

Cranberry Orange Muffins Recipe

Ingredients:

Muffin Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup (half stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Glaze Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
• 1/4 orange juice (freshly squeezed from the orange you zested, if you would like)

Method:

To Make The Muffins:

Preheat the oven 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan or prepare with baking cups; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg until combined, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar and whisk until the mixture is thick and thoroughly combined. Stir in the orange zest until evenly distributed. Slowly whisk the vanilla and butter into the mixture until combined. Add half the sour cream, whisking until just combined, repeat with the remaining sour cream.

Add the flour to the sour cream mixture and fold with a spatula until the batter comes together. Add the cranberries (and nuts, if using) and continue folding the mixture until the berries are evenly distributed.  Do not overmix.

Evenly divide the batter in between the cups of the muffin pan (about 3 tablespoons of batter per cup). Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until light golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes before glazing.

To Make The Glaze:

While the muffins are baking, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and orange zest in a bowl until the zest is evenly distributed; set aside.

In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the remaining sugar (1/4 cup) and the orange juice, bring to a simmer. Stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar and continue simmering until the mixture becomes syrupy.

Generously, brush the tops of the muffins with the orange glaze. Once all of the muffins are glazed, dip the top of each muffin into the orange sugar, being sure to cover the top of each muffin. Serve warm.

Ali’s Tip:

These are heavenly when also paired with my favorite Crustless Spinach Quiche!

Source:

Adapted slightly from Bakingdom.

Over the holidays, my good friend Ally hosted a huge Thanksgiving dinner for friends, including a bunch of foodies).  But amongst all of the amazing dishes, the one I returned to for seconds (ok, then maybe thirds…) was this lovely salad.

I have to admit, I’m typically a must-include-at-least-five-different-food-groups-in-my-salad kind of girl.  But this beautiful, simple salad was perfect. Just baby arugula, fresh blackberries, and gorgonzola (or any soft cheese) topped with a fresh, light, citrusy vinaigrette that Ally made with blood orange juice.  It was heavenly.

I of course immediately went to the store to track down some blood oranges and made my own version at home, and have loved this salad ever since.  You can of course sub in any other berries, cheeses, or even different citrus juices in the vinaigrette, but I will tell you right now that this combination is a guaranteed success.  Cheers to recipes from good friends, and delicious, simple salads!

Blackberry Arugula Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

• baby arugula leaves
• fresh blackberries
• crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
• citrus vinaigrette (recipe below)

Citrus Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup good-quality olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange, lemon, or lime juice (I used blood orange juice)
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Whisk together all vinagrette ingredients until well-blended.  Toss with arugula and blackberries, and then serve topped with crumbled cheese.

Ali’s Tip:

This would also be great with different berries or fruits.

Source:

My friend, Ally.

I have fond memories of grapefruit breakfasts growing up.  Every year, the kids in the youth group at church would have a “fruit sale”, and my mom was always that parent you could count on for a fantastic order of grapefruit.  Our family loved it!!  I remember flying down the stairs many a morning before school, and seeing my dad or mom standing there segmenting out a grapefruit for me to enjoy.  (I know, I know, I was a spoiled grapefruit eater!)  And then of course, squeeeeezing out every last bit of delicious juice after all of the slices had disappeared.  Mmmmm….

Nowadays, of course, I have to segment my own grapefruit!  But I still love it, and love experimenting with different ways to enjoy it!  Without a doubt, broiled grapefruit is one of my favorite go-to breakfasts.  It literally just takes a second to slice the grapefruit, sprinkle on some brown sugar (or some other add-ins I’ve mentioned below, if you want to get fancy!), and then pop it in the broiler or toaster oven for a few minutes.  And then a heavenly, warm, and wonderful sweet but tart grapefruit is yours to enjoy.

Healthy, quick, and delicious.

My kind of breakfast or snack anytime!  :)

Sugar-Broiled Grapefruit Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 grapefruit, sliced in half
• 1-3 tsp. brown sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to “broil”, with the rack on the top shelf (so that the grapefruit will be about 1.5 – 2 inches from the heat).

Arrange grapefruit halves, cut side up, in a broil-safe pan.  (You may need to use a knife to slice a small part off the bottom of each half to make sure they are sitting level in the pan.)  Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar.

Broil for 5-10 minutes, or until the sugar is melted and the edges begin to brown.  Remove and then use a knife to segment the grapefruit slices.  Serve at room temperature.

Ali’s Tip:

Some other ingredients you can mix with the brown sugar include:

• crystallized or ground ginger
• vanilla extract
• cinnamon or other spices
• agave nectar

I once heard that just about any good salad can be turned into a pizza.  So I decided to give it a try!

I took some of my favorite greens (arugula), and paired them with two of my favorite P’s (prosciutto and pears), added in some red onions (which in my opinion are a “must” on just about any salad or pizza), and sprinkled on some oh-so-heavenly gorgonzola (or you could sub in blue or feta cheese).

My kind of ingredients for a good salad.

And now, definitely my kind of ingredients for a good pizza!!!

Oh my goodness.  This one was heavenly.  The ingredients of course paired perfectly together.  But I especially loved all of the great textures (especially the cooked, sweet pears) on the pizza!  I made mine sans sauce, with just some olive oil brushed on, which was also delightful.

I definitely recommend it!  Or would also encourage you to experiement on your own and try converting one of your favorite salads to pizza.  You might be pleasantly surprised!  :)

Prosciutto, Arugula & Gorgonzola Pizza Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 medium prepared pizza crust, homemade or storebought
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup Mozzarella cheese
• 1 ripe pear (any variety), cored and sliced very thin
• 6 thin slices prosciutto, torn into smaller pieces
• half a red onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola
• 2 cups baby arugula

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).  Brush the pizza crust with the olive oil.  Sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the crust.  Then layer with pear slices, prosciutto, red onion and gorgonzola.

Bake pizza for 10-12 minutes (or according to package instructions), until crust is slightly golden and the Mozzarella is melted and the gorgonzola is slightly golden.  Remove from oven, then toss the arugula on top.  Slice pizza and serve immediately.

Ali’s Tip:

If you did happen to make this into a salad, it would wonderful with an Italian or white wine vinaigrette!

Happy New Year, everyone!!!

After a month of tons of amazing giveaways, I’m so excited to get back to sharing some great favorite with you!  And this first recipe definitely falls in that category.

For lack of a better name, this is pretty much my family’s favorite salad.  (And coming from a family of cooks who are far more talented than me, that means a lot!)  I absolutely love it.

What’s more, it’s one of those family recipes that immediately brings back fun memories — from my aunt serving it to our extended family every Christmas Eve, to my mom making it upon special request for my band in college whenever we’d swing through town, to now, great times shared whenever I make the salad for my friends.  It is definitely my version of comfort food.  And since it seems like everyone is currently in healthy-eating-resolution-season, there’s an added bonus that this comfort food happens to be a fresh salad!!

So read on to find out all of the “secret” family ingredients.  And cheers to a delicious new year ahead!

Our Family’s Favorite Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

• 1 head red-leaf lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 (4 oz.) jar pimientos, drained
• 2 (14 oz.) jars artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• optional: extra grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 package Kraft Good Seasons “Zesty Italian” dressing mix (**family tradition, but you can see see a homemade alternative below**)
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

Toss together first five ingredients with the dressing just before serving.  Garnish with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

Ali’s Tip:

If you would like to make a similar seasoning mix “homemade”, here is a great mix:

• 1 Tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp. cajun seasoning
• 2 tsp. garlic salt
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• pinch of celery salt

Source:

My mom!