Zucchini Bites

We made these today and were pleasantly surprised that everyone liked them. It made a great afternoon snack and had no sugar in it. Wahoo! I think I'd go ahead and double this batch next time just to have a bunch to eat.

Recipe adapted: The Naptime Chef

yields: 24 mini muffins

2  cups zucchini, grated (frozen and thawed works great!)
2 egg
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup cheese (cheddar or Parmesan work the best) (I used some smoked cheddar and it was great!)
1/2 cup bread crumbs - I used Italian style
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray, set aside.
2. Grate the zucchini and then place in a dish towel to squeeze out the excess water- like when using frozen spinach; if you skip this part, the middle of the zucchini tots will be really soggy while the outside gets crispy and no one wants that.
3. In a bowl combine, the egg, onion, cheese, bread crumbs, zucchini, salt and pepper.
4. Using a spoon or a cookie scoop, fill the muffin cups to the top. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the top is browned and set.

Roasted Eggplant Spread

Finally a way I actually like to eat eggplant!

Recipe lightly adapted from Ina Garten (taken from OurBestBites.com)

1 medium eggplant
2 red bell peppers
1 medium red onion
3-4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste or pureed oven-roasted tomatoes

Preheat oven to 400 and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside. Chop eggplant, peppers, and onion into 1″ cubes. Smash the garlic. Toss together the vegetables and then drizzle them in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat the vegetables and then spread them over the prepared baking sheet. Place the pan in the oven and roast the vegetables for 20 minutes. Flip/stir the vegetables with a spatula and then roast for another 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and browning. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Place the roasted vegetables along with the tomato paste or roasted tomatoes into a blender or food processor and pulse until the desired consistency is reached. Serve warm with slices of sourdough bread, pita chips, flatbread, or Rosemary Focaccia. You can also toss this sauce with hot pasta for a light vegetarian meal.

Cheesy baked dip

•8 oz. sour cream
•8 oz. cream cheese
•16 oz. cheddar cheese, grated (sharp or mild)
•4 oz. chopped green chilies
•Green onion (suit your own taste)
•1 c. chopped ham
•1/2 pound chopped bacon
•1 round bread loaf, hollowed out
Method:


Mix first seven ingredients together and put into the hollowed out bread loaf. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for one hour. Serve with leftover bread or chips.

Double tomato bruschetta

6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 French baguette
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
1.Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
2.In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
3.Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
4.Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
5.Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Pear and Gorgonzola Tarte

•1 pkg. (17 oz) puff pastry sheets, thawed
•2 red onions, thinly sliced
•2 T. butter or olive oil
•1 tsp. kosher salt
•3 D’Anjou pears
•1 ½ - 2 cups crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
Method:


Place the two sheets of pastry on parchment lined baking sheet. Crimp the edges of each pastry square to form 2 separate tarts, set aside.
Sauté the red onions in butter or olive oil with kosher salt, for 5-8 minutes on low heat until soft and caramelized. Cool to room temperature.

Cut the pears vertically into 1/8” thick slices, removing any seeds. Spread the onions on the pastry evenly, top each pastry square with the thinly sliced pears in a single layer, sprinkle on the cheese and bake in preheated 425 degree oven (middle shelf) for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and cool slightly before cutting into serving pieces. Serves 8.

Garlic Shrimp Crostini

This is both beautiful and delicious. It's a great appetizer to serve as a host.

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 C. mayo
5 cloves garlic, minced and divided
1 Tbsp. minced green onion
1/4 C. butter
1 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
24 med. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
24 toasted french bread rounds
Garnish: halved cherry tomatoes, fresh parsley leaves

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo, 2 cloves garlic and a green onion. Set aside.

In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. Add remaining 3 cloves of garlic and minced parsley. Cook for 3 min. Add shrimp and cook until pink and firm, about 3-4 min.

Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over french bread roudns. Top each with 1 shrimp. Garnish with tomato halves and parsley leaves.

Southwestern Egg Rolls

1 C. chopped chicken
1/2 Tbsp. parsley
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
dash cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped red bell pepper

Combine those ingredients and cook. When chicken is fully cooked, add:

2Tbsp. gren onion, chopped
1/2 C. corn
1/4 C. black beans
2 Tbsp. chopped spinach
1 Tbsp. jalapeno, chopped

Cook until warm, then add:

3/4 C. cheese


Cut a raw flour tortilla in half. Place a spoonful of filling near the straight cut. Fold in the sides and roll it closed. Repeat until chicken mixture is gone.
Place rolls on baking sheet sprayed with Pam

Bake at 350 for 20-30 min. Turn them over halfway through the baking time.

Dressing:
Favorite ranch dressing
A couple tomatillos
small bunch of cilantro
lime juice

Blend together and dip rolls in. Yum!