Category: Appetizers

Appetizers, Recipes

Snacky-Snack! | Balsamic Roasted Chickpeas

Sarah

So, I love snacking. I think I prefer eating a little bit of this and a little bit of that to eating full meals. While I don’t snack as much as I did while in college [tacos at midnight, anyone?], I still do my fair share of snacking, especially when I’m relaxing at home on the weekends. Some of my favorite simple snacks include peanut butter toast, hummus and veggies, crackers and cheese, and fruit. Sometimes though, I’m in the mood for something a little more complex, with a little extra something to it. Something a little more adult, ya know?

Balsamic Roasted Chickpeas | thepajamachef.com Featuring the classic combos of herbs and spices and oil and vinegar, these Balsamic Roast Chickpeas are just the ticket to a satisfying grown up snack.

I cannot take credit for the recipe [we can all thank Diana at The Chic Life for that], but I just had to share it with you all. These chickpeas are really simple to make–the prep time is less than 5 minutes, and they bake in 30 minutes. Perfect to whip up before a movie or your favorite TV show, light enough to not spoil your dinner, and tasty enough to enjoy! My mom even made them for a party. They were a huge hit–just be sure to make a double or triple batch, because once you start digging in, you can’t stop! Trust me! 🙂

Balsamic Roasted Chickpeas

  • Servings: 4
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from The Chic Life

Ingredients:

  • 1 can chickpeas [garbanzo] beans, drained
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
  • 1/4 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon thyme
  • dash garlic powder
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • sprinkle salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chickpeas in a medium size bowl. In a measuring cup, combine olive oil and herbs/spices and whisk together. Pour over chickpeas, stirring gently to coat. Spread chickpeas on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, flipping after 15 minutes or so.

Question of the Day: What’s the best snack you’ve been enjoying lately?

Appetizers, One Tablespoon Testosterone, Recipes

OTT: Buffalo Ranch Chicken Dip

Sarah

This is a guest post from my husband, Ben. Periodically, he has agreed to share some of his favorite recipes with you in a guest post column entitled One Tablespoon Testosterone, or OTT for short. Enjoy!

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Buffalo Ranch Chicken Dip | thepajamachef.com #appetizers #dips
Close-up view of the roiling seas of buffalo and ranch. The chicken didn’t stand a chance as wave after wave of flavor crashed upon it, permanently embedding itself in the already tasty fowl.

It’s time to celebrate.  To celebrate a rich tradition that is as old as time; perhaps older.  That’s right, it’s football season again.  And to kick off the first big game of the season, you need a recipe that can lead you to victory.  Put away the vegetable tray, it’s time for a real snack:  buffalo ranch chicken dip.

Now I’d like to preface this by stating something that many of you may find borderline offensive.  In my opinion, ranch dressing rates very high on my most overrated food list (Equally offensive:  peanut butter is on there too.  Now this isn’t to say that I dislike peanut butter, I’m just not buying the hype.  I don’t need a spoonful right out of the jar.  I don’t need it every single day of my life.  I don’t want all my sweets to taste strongly of it.  And ranch, I don’t need to dip every savory appetizer or finger food in you.  So many people make these two items out to be the epitome all of that is delicious, and that just rubs me the wrong way.  They taste just fine, but they are significantly overrated.  Also worth noting, the worst offense regarding these two items is the following:  I actually knew someone who ate peanut butter and ranch sandwiches.  Seriously.  It’s exactly how it sounds.  PB & J – the J + ranch.  I shall say no more.).  But this dish opened my taste buds to what ranch used properly can do.  And it is glorious.  Without further ado, the recipe.

Buffalo Ranch Chicken Dip

  • Servings: ~10
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from Sarah’s friend Kelly

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 16 oz cream cheese (or Neufchatel!!!)
  • 1 c ranch dressing
  • 3/4 c hot sauce (I like Frank’s)
  • 1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:  Poach your chicken breast.  You can cut it up into smaller pieces prior to poaching so it’ll cook faster, or you can just cut it up after it’s cooked (my method).  Heat the cooked chicken and hot sauce on the stove until heated through.  Stir in the cream cheese and ranch dressing.  Mix in half the shredded cheese.  Transfer to a slow cooker (the cream cheese does not need to be fully melted at this point).  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, cover, and cook on low until bubbly.  Serve with tortilla chips and Ohio State football games.  Yields not nearly enough servings (for this hungry football fan, anyway).

The chips, eager to bathe in the incarnate awesomeness, surround the bowl in dipping formation.
The chips, eager to bathe in the incarnate awesomeness, surround the bowl in dipping formation.

What do you think are the most overrated foods?

Appetizers, Recipes, Sides, Vegetables

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Sweet & Spicy Garlic Dip

Sarah

Sweet potato fries are all the rage lately [but is the phrase “all the rage” really all the rage? Or is it way outdated?]. We eat these as a side dish or a snack, and I even eat them as a meal sometimes [just like one of my roomies used to!]. But Ben prefers some meat with his meals… oh boys, whatcha gonna do with them! 🙂 I have seen them on the menu at so many restaurants, chains and local places alike. I’ve ordered them a few places only to be disappointed that they are actual fries–fried in a fryer–not the baked, soft, crispy, sweet potato goodness of these fries. Annnnnd since they are baked, you get all the taste [and health benefits… shhhh!] of sweet potatoes, with the crunchy satisfaction of fries, without all the grease, salt, fat, and other bad stuff. Though traditional fries do taste so good sometimes! Also, for those who are concerned and do not like Thanksgiving sweet potatoes… these bear no resemblance, so have no fear. These are goodies that should make an appearance many times a year!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Sweet & Spicy Garlic Dip

  • Servings: 2
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Sweet potato fries and dipping sauce.

for sweet potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound sweet potatoes, roughly peeled and chopped into 1/4″ sticks or wedges
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
  • cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place prepared potatoes in a large bowl. Add oil, salt, and pepper and toss to coat. Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray, and then spread potato slices in an even layer across the surface of the pan. Try to keep the slices in a single layer to regulate baking; use a second baking sheet or bake in 2 batches if necessary. Bake potatoes for 30 minutes, using a spatula to flip the fries every 10 minutes. Fries will be done when light brown and crisp to the touch.

Notes:

I often am impatient while cutting the potatoes and end up making the fries larger than 1/4″, so I have to cook them longer, for a total of about 40-50  minutes, so feel free to experiment with your oven and personal preferences. Also, this is just a basic recipe. Sometimes I will add 1/2 teaspoon of basil and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, or other herbs and/or spices to the fries. Feel free to experiment with your favorite flavors! I do find that I prefer plainer fries with the following dip.

for dip

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
  • 1/2 cup Miracle Whip [I have never tried this with mayonnaise, but imagine the taste would be similar.]
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Mexican-style chili powder [I prefer this one but any should work.]

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients. Adjust spices to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for best taste. Keeps up to one week in the fridge.

Note:

If you are sensitive to spicy foods, use a milder chili powder or reduce amount. This sauce is also excellent in a panini, and I bet it would be good with pita or bagel chips, though I have yet to try it.

Appetizers, Recipes

Bite Size Big Thumbs Up Soft Pretzels

Sarah

Some foods have the ability to conjure up different expectations for different folks. I believe that pretzels are one such food. In my youth [as if 25 is soooo old and decrepit], I only ate pretzels that came in a bag. Why? I’m not sure, except to say that my mom sometimes purchased said pretzels [fascinating, I know :)]. And truth be told, I didn’t even really like them… especially after building a log cabin in 5th grade out of cheez-wiz and pretzel rods… blech!

Bite Size Soft Pretzels - they're super easy & always taste great via thepajamachef.com

However, my husband is of a different breed. He loves the shopping mall classic: hot, soft pretzels, complete with gooey cheese, spicy marinara, and/or rich frosting for his dipping pleasure. My frugal self gasps at the outrageous prices of those mall establishments, and my desire to keep Ben healthy also cringes at the caloric and fat content of those babies as well. So one day I set out to make a healthier homemade version to take to our small group with others from our church. Ben even helped! We brought home an empty plate, and my husband couldn’t stop “sampling” them… and I even had a few myself! This recipe is great. We served them with nacho cheese sauce, but they are also great plain. Enjoy!

Ben mixing pretzel dough.... in his pajamas!

Bite Size Soft Pretzels

  • Servings: 8-10
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slightly adapted from a Food Network Magazine recipe
bite size soft pretzels | thepajamachef.comIngredients:

  • 1 cup skim milk
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons [=1 package] active dry yeast
  • 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • Crisco for greasing [butter or cooking spray should work too]
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/3 cup baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons Kosher salt

Directions:

Warm the milk in a saucepan until it reaches about 110 degrees. A candy thermometer can be used to measure this, or the warm milk can be tested on the inside of the wrist as with a baby bottle. Pour milk into a large bowl and slowly add the yeast. Let the milk and yeast rest for about 2 minutes, then stir in the flour and brown sugar with a wooden spoon. Dice 2 tablespoons butter, add to the flour mixture. Mix in remaining 1 1/4 cups flour and the fine salt. Dough should be sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface [we used the counter], and knead dough until it is smooth but still tacky. This should take about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, add to a greased bowl and cover with Saran wrap and a dish towel. Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, approximately an hour. My kitchen isn’t the warmest spot, so I left it resting in a sink full of warm water.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450 degrees and grease a large baking sheet. A hot oven is essential for proper baking of these pretzels. After dough has doubled, punch the dough to deflate [Ben enjoyed this part!]. My dough was fine, but if the dough is “tight,” cover and let rest for a few minutes until it relaxes. Divide the dough into 6 pieces so it is easier to work with, and roll and stretch each piece into logs that are approximately 1 inch in diameter. Using your fingers or a butter  knife, section off the logs into about five or six pretzels each.

Dissolve the baking soda in 3 cups warm water in a shallow bowl. Dip each pretzel into the mixture, turning on all sides to coat thoroughly. Arrange 2 inches apart on baking sheet, and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Bake until slightly crisp  yet still golden, about 10 minutes or so. Pretzels will darken somewhat as they cool.

Serve the pretzels warm or room temperature. For best results, serve within 2 days. If serving the day after, reheat in a 300 degree oven for a few minutes.