Layered Taco Dip

This is always a summer favorite!

1 container of sour cream

1 stick of cream cheese

1 package of taco seasoning

1 can of re-fried beans

2 avocados

2 cloves of garlic; minced

2 limes

handful of fresh cilantro

1 1/2 cups of diced tomato

shredded lettuce; optional

olives; optional

jalapenos; optional

salsa; optional

Mix together sour cream, cream cheese and a packet of taco seasoning.

Guac:  Mix avocados, minced garlic, cilantro, the juice of 1 -2 lemons and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Layer 1:  Re-Fried Beans

Layer 2:  Sour cream/cream cheese mixture

Layer 3:  Guacamole

Layer 4:  Fresh Diced Tomatoes

Layer 5:  Sharp Cheddar cheese

Fresh Zucchini and Summer Squash Lasagna

My garden is exploding with fresh delicious vegetables and I know it's August because the rain doesn't stop, so tonight is lasagna night!

Ingredients:

1 zucchini; thinly sliced

1 summer squash ; thinly sliced

10-15 fresh leaves of basil

 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

4 cups Tomato Sauce

1 large can of tomato sauce; I used homemade sauce I pulled out from the freezer..YUM!

Alfredo sauce

No-Boil Lasagna Noodles (I love the Wegmans brand no-boil noodles, it turns out perfect every time!)

Alfredo Sauce:

1 1/2 cups milk

2 TB butter

2 TB flour

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in pan once browned, add flour to make a rue.  Add milk, simmer, once thickened, add cheese.

Pre-Heat Oven to 350 degrees.

Assemble Lasagna:

1 or 2 ladles of sauce on bottom of pan

place lasagna noodles on top

thin layer of Alfredo sauce and mozzarella cheese

layer of summer squash

layer of lasagna noodles (lay the opposite direction as the first layer)

1 or 2 ladles of sauce

layer of zucchini

fresh basil

layer of lasagna noodles

Pour the rest of the Alfredo sauce over the noodles

top with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheeses

Bake for 1 1/2 hours with foil.  Take foil off the last 20 minutes to brown up! 

Enjoy :)

Tomato and Basil Pizza

With so many fresh tomatoes in the garden, of course a pizza is on the menu!  A few weeks ago, I was at the Rochester's farmers market I bought homemade bread dough for only 1 or 2 dollars (great deal!) and froze it.  I used it for this pizza and it was delicious!  I highly recommend not only checking out the fruits and veggies at the public market!

1 pizza dough

2 medium tomatoes; thinly sliced

1 small fresh mozzarella ball; thinly sliced

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

handful of fresh basil leaves

2 cloves of garlic minced

1/4 cup of EVOO

salt and pepper

Pre-Heat oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl mix olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Microwave for 30 seconds to marinate flavors!  Roll out dough.  Baste dough with olive oil/garlic mixture.  Layer pizza with tomatoes, basil then mozzarella. Remember, if you put the basil on top, it may burn.  Top with fresh Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until browned on top and bottom!

Enjoy with your favorite glass of vino :)

Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 corn
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup Ranch dressing
• 1/4 cup BBQ sauce

homemade BBQ sauce recipe under: BBQ Ribs Recipe

Marinate chicken breasts in Italian dressing for at least 3 hours for a moist chicken breast!
Directions:

1. Preheat the grill for high heat.
2. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the grill, and cook 6 minutes per side, or until juices run clear. Remove from heat, cool, and slice.
3. In a large bowl, mix the lettuce, tomato, cilantro, corn, and avocado. Top with the grilled chicken slices.
4. In a small bowl, mix the Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce. Serve on the side as a dipping sauce, or toss with the salad to coat.

Enjoy :)

Lava Shrimp With Honey Chipotle Lime Sauce

This recipe reminds me of the flavors in Bang Bang Shrimp, spicy savory and delicious!

Recipe courtesy Guy Fieri

Ingredients

Honey Chipotle Lime Sauce:

• 1 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup lime juice (about 1 1/2 limes)
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• Pinch red chile flakes
• Pinch chile powder
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 chipotles in adobo

Rock Shrimp:

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 12 ounces rock shrimp (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Canola oil, for frying
• 1 cup cooked rice noodles, optional, for garnish
• 6 lime wheels, optional, for garnish
• 1 pinch chile threads, optional, for garnish
• Lotus chips, optional, for garnish
• 2 lime wedges, for service

Directions

For the honey chipotle lime sauce: In a food processor, puree all the ingredients until combined and add to a saucepan to heat through over medium heat.

For the shrimp: While the sauce is reducing, combine the flour with the salt, pepper, cayenne and chili powder and stir to combine. Add the shrimp in batches to the flour and toss gently to coat evenly. 

Preheat a couple inches canola oil to 350 degrees F in a deep skillet and add the shrimp. Cook until golden brown, turning as needed, 3 to 4 minutes. Work in batches to avoid crowding. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Saute a head of broccoli in oil to cook through.

Divide and add the rice noodles to the bottom of 2 martini glasses. Top the noodles with 3 lime wheels each and set aside until service.

Add the shrimp and broccoli to the reduced sauce and toss gently to coat evenly. Remove from the sauce with a slotted spoon or tongs and place in the prepared martini glasses. Serve immediately.

• Enjoy :)

BBQ RIBS!

Here is my ultimate favorite meal since the first grade! YUM!

Adapted from The Neelys

Sauce:

• 8 ounces ketchup
• 4 ounces water
• 2 ounces brown sugar
• 1 ounce white sugar
• 1/4 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 14 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/4 tablespoon dry mustard powder
• 1/2 ounces lemon juice
• 1/2 ounces Worcestershire sauce
• 2 ounces apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 ounces light corn syrup
• 2 pounds baby back ribs
• 1/2 ounces Neely's Seasoning Mix, recipe follows

Directions

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a stockpot or large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Reduce temperature to low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, trim the spare ribs, removing the upper brisket bone and any excess fat; this will produce a St. Louis-style rib. Rinse the ribs and season with Neely's Seasoning, and then cover and refrigerate for 4 to 12 hours.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees 


Rub the ribs, paying special attention to the meaty side, with 1/2 cup of the sauce. Lay meat side up on cookie sheet.  Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake until the meat begins to pull away from the ends of the bones and the ribs are just tender, about 2 1/2 hours.

Neely's Seasoning Mix:

• 4 ounces paprika
• 2 ounces sugar
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

BBQ Ribs with sauteed zucchini and mint fresh from the garden!