CANOLI DIP

 

CANOLI DIP

This is a delicious, quick and easy dessert that everyone loves.  

Just 4 ingredients that I usually always have on hand.  This dip is great with any cookies or pastry but we love to dip strawberries the most!  This is sure to be a big hit at your next get together!!

Ingredients:

1 - 8 oz block of cream cheese (softened)

1 - 16 oz container of whole milk ricotta cheese

2 cups of confectioners sugar

1 cup of mini chocolate chips

Preparation:

Whip cream cheese and ricotta cheese together until fluffy.  Next add confectioners sugar one cup at a time until fully incorporated.  Lastly, fold in mini chocolate chips.  top with a sprinkle of more mini chocolate chips and a little more confectioners sugar to serve.  Pair with your favorite cookies and fruit!

Potato Latkes

 HAPPY HANUKKAH 

You can not have Hanukkah without Potato Latkes!  We only make these once a year and they are so delicious.  Super easy to make, just a little time consuming but definitely worth the time.

Ingredients:

5 lb bag of Yukon Gold Potatoes

2 large onions

1 Tablespoon salt

1/4 cup Matzoh meal (you can also use flour)

Preparation:

Using a food processor with both the bottom blade and top grater attachment on 

grate two large onions and transfer grated onion to a large bowl.  Next using the same attachments process 1/2 the potatoes and transfer to the same bowl with the onion.  Lastly remove the bottom blade from inside the food processor and just use the top grater attachment to process the rest of the potatoes.  You will now have 1/2 the potatoes as "mush" and half the potatoes shredded.  In a large bowl add all the potatoes, onions and the rest of the ingredients and mix until well blended.

Heat a large skillet with about 1/2 inch of vegetable oil. (If you have more than one large frying pan you may want to use two to make the frying of the latkes go faster).  I like to take spoonfuls of the potato mixture and squeeze out the extra liquid using my hands and place mounds of the potatoes into the hot oil pressing down lightly with the back of the spoon.  Let potatoes get nice and golden brown on one side and then flip them over to brown on the second side.  Once both sides are golden brown remove with spatula and place on paper towels to drain.  Repeat this until all the potato mixture is used up.  Serve hot!

You can store these in the refrigerator and reheat in the oven or air fryer.  Latkes also freeze really well.  Freeze in a single layer and then you can store in a ziplock bag in the freezer and just take out a few at a time and reheat in the oven or air fryer.

Cripsy Pasta Chips

This is a MUST try.  So super easy and a really surprising yummy and satisfying snack.  We saw this on Tiktok and couldn't resist giving this a try.   I'm adding this to a charcuterie board that I am making for friends and I know it will be a hit.

Ingredients:

8 oz cooked pasta (any shape)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Teaspoons garlic powder

2 Teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/3 Cup parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Drain pasta well and add all ingredients to cooked pasta and stir to coat.  Feel free to go heavier or lighter on seasoning as you see fit.  Place a small amount of pasta in a single layer in the basket of your air fryer.  Air fry for 10 min or until your chips are golden brown.  Check around the 8 min mark until you can see how long you may need for your specific air fryer.  Enjoy 

 

Spinach Basil Pesto

 

This is a new staple in my house.  I make fresh batches every other day so it is always in a jar in my fridge.  My kids literally put this on EVERYTHING.  My oldest daughter's favorite way to eat this is spread on a piece of crusty bread with a drizzle of balsamic glaze!  Soooo super good and this is really so simple to make if you have a small food processor or blender.

Ingredients:

4 big cloves of garlic

1 1/2 Cups  baby spinach

1 Cup fresh basil

1 Tablespoon pine nuts (omit this if anyone has an allergy to nuts)

1/3 Cup grated parmesan cheese

5 Tablespoons olive oil (more or less to your taste)

Preparation:

Place the garlic cloves whole into your food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped.  Now add spinach, basil and pine nuts and blend until broken down.  Next add your parmesan plus 1-2 tablespoons of oil.  Blend again until pesto starts to come together.  Add more olive oil until desired consistency.  You can service immediately or cover and refrigerate and store up to a week but it won't last that long!!

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

 This recipe is so super simple.  It's a great way to use up your avocados before they go bad.  I'm so tired of throwing avocados when no one eats them.  This recipe is perfect because you can use them right when they get a little too soft to eat them and I always have all of these ingredients on hand in my pantry.  It's also awesome because you throw everything into a blender or food processor and it literally takes less than 5 minutes to make.  It's a super smooth and dark chocolatey dessert!

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 Almond milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

pinch of ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

Preparation:

Add all ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Spoon into a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to set up.  Enjoy!

Honey Comb Candy

 

I got really into candy making a few months back. Out of all the recipes I tried, my favorite recipe to make was honey comb. Its looks really impressive but it is super simple to make. You can make it plain or dip it into melted chocolate. I have also added chopped nuts to create a honey comb nut brittle (although if you add nuts you do deflate the honey comb a bit). Anyway you make it, it is a real crowd pleaser. At least my work friends think so. I found this particular recipe while searching through Pinterest. The only addition I made was a pinch of salt. You can find the recipe here. 

Ingredients: 

1 Cup White Granulated Sugar 

1/4 Cup Light Corn Syrup 

2 Tablespoon Honey 

1/2 Cup Water 

2 Teaspoon Baking Soda 

Pinch of coarse salt (optional)

Preparation: Line and 8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper In a large pot on the stove top, over medium-high heat, add the sugar in an even layer to the bottom of the pan. Pour the corn syrup and honey over the sugar and then pour the water to moisten all the sugar. Do not Stir! Cook mixture until the temperature reaches 300-degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. Remove the pot from the stove and whisk in the baking soda for a few seconds, until mixture stops foaming up. Pour mixture immediately into prepared pan. Let honeycomb set for at least an hour, or until completely hardened, before breaking into pieces (I used my hands). Option: Coat honeycomb candy in chocolate. Store candy in an airtight container. Candy stays fresh and crunchy for 3-4 days.

Fried Deviled Eggs

\

These are such a delicious appetizer! If you love Deviled Eggs, you will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these!

Ingredients:

 

For egg yolk mixture:

6 hardboiled eggs, cooled

2 Tablespoons mayonaise

1 Teaspoon yellow mustard

1 1/2 Teaspoons of sweet relish

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Paprika for garnish

For frying egg whites:

1/2 cup flour

1 egg

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper 

oil for frying

Preparation:

Separate the yolks from the whites and place yolks in a small bowl.  Add mayo, mustard, relish, salt and pepper and mash and mix together until yolk mixture is nice and smooth and set aside.  

In 3 shallow bowls add flour in one, a beaten egg in another and panko bread crumbs in the 3rd.  Season all 3 bowls with salt and pepper.   In a large shallow frying pan add about 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and heat on med/high heat.  Take egg whites and first dip in flour, then in egg and last dip in panko.  Once all egg whites are coasted place in hot oil and fry until both sides of egg white are brown.  Remove and let drain on paper towels.

Once all egg whites are fried and cooled slightly you can add your yolk mixture into the center of each egg white.  You can do this with two spoons or you can also add the yolk mixture into a plastic sandwich bag or piping bag and cut off the tip and pipe the egg yolk mixture into the egg white.  It's all a matter of preference.  Sprinkle the top of each egg with a little paprika for color.  You can serve these warm or cooled.