Recipes I've Made or Talked About

Snacks

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small download pdf buttonCheesy Beer and Spinach Dip

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring beer to a boil. Lower heat. Slowly stir in Monterey Jack cheese and flour. Cook and stir until cheese is melted but not bubbly. Mix spinach, cilantro, salt and pepper into the beer mixture. Serve warm.

Sweetnicks' Notes: Next time, I'd use half Cheddar/half Jack cheese for more of a flavor impact.



small download pdf buttonFalafel-Spiced Pecans

Toasting nuts briefly in the oven makes them crispy but tossing them with falafel mix first makes them even crunchier. You can substitute walnuts in place of the pecans here.

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, toss the pecans with the melted butter until evenly coated. In a small bowl, combine the falafel mix with the sugar and cayenne. Pour the spice mix over the pecans and toss to coat. Spread the spiced nuts on a lightly greased baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and toast for about 9 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden. Let cool. The pecans can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Sweetnicks Notes: Source - Food & Wine magazine. Excellent and addicting. First made in July 2005.



small download pdf buttonLoaded Nachos

Preheat oven to 375°. Cook meat in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in the next 5 ingredients (through garlic), and cook for 8 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan and drain the sauce. Place separate pan coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add beans, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and 2 tablespoons green onions; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. (This can also be done in the microwave) Place chips on a large serving platter; spread warm bean mixture over each chip. Spoon meat mixture over bean mixture; top with cheese. Bake at 375° for 9 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; top with sour cream, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and 2 tablespoons onions. Serve immediately.

Source: Cooking Light recipe with Sweetnicks' modifications



small download pdf buttonOrange and Cinnamon Crusted Pecans
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

In a deep saucepan, combine the sugar, water, orange zest, and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Add the pecans and simmer, stirring, as the water evaporates. The glaze will be shiny and transparent at first, then turn opaque, and crystallize as the water cooks away. When the nuts are completely coated with sugar crystals, they are done. Spread them out on a sheet pan to cool. (To wash the saucepan, soak it overnight.)

Sweetnicks Notes: These are great as a garnish or to enjoy with drinks. You can use different nuts and different spices if you want to experiment.



small download pdf buttonRoasted Olives

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a small roasting pan, mix together the olives, rosemary, and garlic. Slice the orange in quarters and squeeze the juice over the olives; toss in the rinds. Pour over the olive oil and vinegar and give it a good stir. Bake for about 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sweetnicks' Notes: Excellent and easy, from Tyler Florence.



small download pdf buttonSPICY TORTILLA STRIPS
Gourmet Last Touch September 2004

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly brush 2 large baking pans with oil. Whisk 1/4 cup oil with spices and salt and brush 1 side of each tortilla with it. Make 3 (4-tortilla) stacks and cut stacks into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Arrange strips in 1 layer in baking pans. Bake, switching position of pans halfway through baking, until golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and cool completely in pans. Makes about 6 cups.



small download pdf buttonSweetnicks Rustic Frizzled Ham and Goat Cheese Pizza

Decidely delicious. I used Pillsbury Ready Made Pie Crust, since I had an extra one in the fridge already, and laid it out on a cookie sheet. I sprinkled it with salt and pepper and then covered the bottom, leaving a border, with thinly sliced tomatoes. Then, I caramelized some onions and added those. After the onions were done, I threw some soppresata strips into the pan and crisped them up, and added that to the pizza, along with crumbled goat cheese, julienned fresh basil and more salt and pepper. Lastly, I drizzled olive oil over the top. Turned up the corners all around and baked it for about 20 minutes. It doesn't get much better than this. First made in July 2005.



small download pdf buttonTomato and Mozzarella Quesadillas with Basil
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Real Simple, SEPTEMBER 2005

Heat grill to medium. Arrange 4 of the tortillas on a cutting board. Arrange the mozzarella and tomatoes on the tortillas, leaving a 1-inch border empty. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper and top with the remaining tortillas. In a medium bowl, combine the basil, pine nuts, oil, and the remaining salt; set aside. Cook the quesadillas around the perimeter of the grill until the cheese melts and the tortillas are crisp and golden, about 2 minutes per side. Immediately cut the quesadillas into wedges and serve with the basil salad.

Sweetnicks' Notes: Instead of grilling these, I put them in a frying pan with a little olive oil and cooked both sides until golden brown. They could also be baked on a greased baking sheet as well. Also, I excluded the pine nuts and just put the basil inside the quesadillas. Nicholas ate half a quesadilla by himself. Yummy stuff.



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