Cinnamon Toasted Almonds

(from Taste of Home)

Ingredients

2 egg whites 

(However, 2 eggs is too many. 1 - 1.5 would be plenty, and i added less vanilla and more cinnamon.)

6 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups unblanched Daily Chef All Natural Whole Almonds

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat egg whites until frothy; beat in vanilla. Add
• almonds; stir gently to coat. Combine the sugars, salt and cinnamon;
• add to nut mixture and stir gently to coat.

• Spread evenly into two greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pans.
• Bake at 300° for 25-30 minutes or until almonds are crisp,
• stirring once. Cool. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 4
• cups.
   

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

A bunch of tomatoes, any variety (I usually use Roma)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
a bunch of garlic cloves


Preheat oven to 325.

Cut your tomatoes. If you’re using small romas, just cut them in half. Anything larger, quarter them. Put tomatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil (enough to coat everything) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lightly toss together, coating everything.

Arrange tomatoes in a single layer, skins down, on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Mince garlic and sprinkle over tomatoes being careful to let most of it drop directly on the tomatoes. Give it one more generous drizzle of olive oil. 

Place in oven and cook for about 3 hours or so (the larger the tomatoes the longer they will take--if you cut them smaller they will cook faster).  They are done when they start to get black around the edges and are dried up, but are still soft.  In a pinch I have upped the oven temp to 425 and cooked them in an hour as well.

So good for snacking---I always eat a ton right out of the oven.  I will use them as a substitute for anything that calls for sun-dried tomatoes or puree them in a tomato sauce, throw them in some pasta, you get the idea.  They are SO good and smell heavenly!

Phyllo Wrapped Aspargus

Ingredients

·         8 or 9 asparagus spears, depending on size

·         1/2 (16-ounce) package frozen phyllo dough sheets, thawed

·         1/4 cup butter, melted

·         1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. Unwrap the phyllo and cut the stack in half lengthwise. Reserve 1 stack for later use. Cover the phyllo with a damp towel to keep it from drying out. Take 1 sheet of phyllo and brush lightly with some melted butter. Sprinkle with some Parmesan. Place 2 to 3 asparagus spears on the short end of the sheet. Roll up, jelly-roll style. Place each piece, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Brush with more melted butter and sprinkle with more Parmesan. Then sprinkle salt and pepper. Repeat until all the asparagus spears are used up. Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

Maple-Glazed Meatballs

1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 cup maple syrup or maple flavored syrup
1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs quick cooking tapioca
1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp dry mustard
2 pkg (16 oz each) frozen fully cooked meatballs, partially thawed
1 can pineapple chunks in juice, drained

Combine Ketchup, maple syrup, soy sauce , tapioca, allspice and mustard in slow cooker.
Carefully stir meatballs and pineapple chunks into ketchup mixture.
Cover; cook on Low 5-6 hours. Stir before serving. Serve warm; insert cocktail picks, if desired.

Yummy Fruit Dip

1 pint real whipping cream whipped
1 large pkg jello vanilla pudding mix
8 oz raspberry yogurt
2 Tbs raspberry jelly

Combine all ingredients. Serve with your favorite fruit.

Savory Pesto Cheescake

(picture & recipe courtesy of confessions of a bake-a-holic)

I brought this to recipe club this week. Because there was some confusion, it should be noted that while it is a cheescake, you serve it and eat it more like you would a cheesball---spreading it on crackers. I think this would be a great appetizer for Easter dinner!


1 cup crushed sesame crackers (I like Keebler Toasteds)
6 T melted butter
1 cup ricotta cheese
4 oz crumbled feta cheese (look for a sun-dried tomato or Mediterranean herb flavor)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1/3 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom and 1 1/2 inches up the sides of a 9 1/2 inch spring-form pan. Combine all cheeses and beat until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in pesto and sour cream. Pour into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top starts to brown and the center is almost set. Let cool on wire rack for 30 minutes. Loosen sides of pan with a knife and cool completely (about one hour). Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least four hours to set. Get out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving. Serve at room temperature with crackers.

Tomato Basil Squares

1 (10 ounce) package pizza crust
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) Parmesan cheese grated
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, snipped, or 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 plum tomatoes thinly sliced

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll out pizza crust on Rectangle Baking Stone to within 1 inch of edge of Stone. Sprinkle crust with one cup of the mozzarella cheese; set aside.

In 1-quart batter Bowl, combine the remaining mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, basil and mayonnaise, mix well. Press garlic over cheese mixture. mix well.

Thinly slice tomatoes, arrange in single layer over mozzarella cheese on crust.

Using medium stainless steel scoop place mozzarella cheese mixture over tomatoes spread to cover evenly. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbly.

Natalie's salsa

2 cans whole tomatoes (if using fresh, use romas)
1/2white onion
jalapenos (quantity depends on how spicy they are, when you smell them if they smell spicy, then they are med to hot if they don't, they taste like bell peppers, so add more)
cilantro if available, to taste
garlic salt
salt

I use my food processor to make salsa. I put jalapenos in first with a cup of the tomato juice from the canned tomatoes (I never add additional cans of tomato juice because I like my salsa chunky). I pulse/chop them several times, then I add the onion. I press the pulse/chop button several more times. I empty the chopped jalapeno and onions in a bowl. Then I place the whole tomatoes in the food processor and I only press pulse a few times just until they look a little more than diced. Add tomatoes to the onion and jalapenos and season with salt and garlic salt. If you are not using a food processor then dice the jalapenos finely, dice the onions and tomatoes.
I use the number 10 can of whole tomatoes that are sold at Costco or Sam's, they are $2 and I just freeze the remaining tomatoes for stew or taco soup or I make a dish that week that uses tomatoes.

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

FRUIT SALSA AND CINNAMON CHIPS
Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 10 min Ready in : 45 min

Ingredients
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
1 pound strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar

1. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, white sugar, brown sugar and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Coat one side of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Spray again with cooking spray.
4. Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.