Appetizers – Page 4 – The Pajama Chef

Layered Asian Dip

July 21, 2014July 25, 2014 Sarah

This layered dip is chock full of crunchy vegetables and chicken drenched in a yummy Asian-inspired sauce. The creamy peanut butter base adds a fun twist! Enjoy with crackers at your next party!

There’s nothing like a good appetizer to get the party started, right? I have a confession to make: I am terrible at appetizers. Most seem so finicky. If I’m hosting, I can totally make some hot little bites in the oven. But as things have it, in this stage of life, I rarely host [even though I’d love to]. We’re usually tasked with bringing x, y, or z to a gathering…and it’s just a pain to try to transport a hot dish, and sometimes those cute little bites just get gross if they sit for awhile. So cold dips are my go-to appetizers. Hummus, guacamole, salsa, I love them all. But they aren’t very fancy.

This Layered Asian Dip takes a normal dip up a notch! It’s a play off of Mexican Seven Layer Dip, even though it’s only a three layer dip. But it’s three layers of awesome: a creamy base of peanut butter and cream cheese; a wonderful medley of chicken, carrots, peanuts, cilantro, scallions, and aromatics like ginger and garlic; and last but not least–a slightly sweet, slightly spicy Asian dressing on top. This dressing is really what makes the dip, imo. Sure, chicken and peanut butter are staples of my diet, but the sauce brings everything together in a nice package. It’s tangy and delicious!

This dip is perfect for a party because you can make all the components ahead of time and chill them in the fridge, then go get ready, and then assemble at the last minute. I love it when things work out that way so I don’t have to worry about the dish losing its beauty while we’re waiting for things to get started. This dip is best enjoyed the day it is made, but the leftovers are still tasty the next day. By the way, you’ll have some extra sauce leftover–it’s perfect for tossing with some plain white rice and cooked veggies [I love those bags of frozen Asian vegetables] for a quick side dish during the week. Enjoy!

one year ago: Grandma’s Banana Nut Bread
two years ago: Jamaican Jerk Chicken & Pineapple Black Bean Rice
four years ago: Butterscotch and Chocolate Yellow Cake

Layered Asian Dip

Servings: 8
Time: 2-4 hours but only about 20 minutes active time
Print

from The Sweets Life

Ingredients:

for sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons rice wine or white vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 drops hot sauce [like Sriracha]

for topping

3/4 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
2-3 sliced scallions
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced

for base

8 ounces softened cream cheese
2-4 ounces creamy peanut butter [depending on how strong of a peanut butter flavor you like]
2-3 tablespoons milk
crackers for serving

Directions:

First, prepare sauce. Whisk brown sugar and cornstarch together in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Pour in water, ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Cook for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens. Transfer to a small bowl to cool. When cool, cover and refrigerate to further thicken for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours in advance.

Next, stir together all topping ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Just before serving, beat together cream cheese, peanut butter, and just enough milk to make mixture smooth. Spread on the bottom of a 10 inch pie pan or serving dish. Sprinkle topping over cream cheese mixture, then drizzle 1/2 cup sauce [there will be leftovers] on top.

Serve with crackers immediately.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Appetizers, Recipes

Italian Tortilla Rollups, and a Bridal Shower

May 23, 2014May 18, 2014 Sarah

Did I tell you guys that I catered a bridal shower about a month ago? Well, I did. 🙂 And it was super fun. The shower was for the niece of one of my coworkers, and I was SO honored to be asked to cater!!

The bride is a healthy foodie like me so we decided to have plenty of fresh fruits and veggies at this shower! It was quite the colorful shower. 🙂 I made three tried and true recipes, and three new ones that I am thrilled to share with y’all! So, what did I make?

Here’s the menu, with amounts for 20-25 guests:

Honey-Lime Fruit Salad: made with strawberries, navel oranges, kiwifruit, and cantaloupe. I made the dressing with my immersion blender so that the mint leaves were chopped VERY fine…and it turned out perfectly! I tripled the recipe.

Asian Peanut Veggie Dip, served in little cups with red, yellow, and green bell peppers, baby carrots, and celery. I tripled the recipe but should have made even more. I purchased 8 bell peppers, 3 pounds of baby carrots, and 2 bunches of celery.

Deviled Eggs: I didn’t take great photos, so I wasn’t going to share the recipe separately. However, I make the filling for my deviled eggs with the following measurements for every six hard boiled eggs: 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1.5 teaspoons whole grain dijon mustard, 1.5 teaspoons yellow mustard, 1.5 teaspoons white vinegar, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Obviously mix those ingredients with the mashed yolks! I put the filling into a ziploc bag, cut the tip off, and pipe it into the whites. I topped half with paprika as usual and the other half with chopped bacon crumbles and scallions. I made two dozen eggs [48 deviled egg halves].

Kale Quinoa Salad: will be sharing the recipe soon!

Dark Chocolate Double Coconut Macaroons: will be sharing the recipe soon!

Italian Tortilla Rollups: last, but certainly not least… and the recipe of the day! I made one batch as reflected below.

I chose to share this recipe first because I heard it was the star of the shower… especially with the kiddos. And I tried one that fell apart and let me tell you, the flavors were AWESOME! Pesto and sun-dried tomatoes are meant to be BFFs, and when paired with cream cheese in a tortilla you have a super addictive ‘lil snack bite.

Since the bride is a healthy foodie, I decided to try the Greek yogurt cream cheese and was pleasantly surprised to find that the cost was the same as for regular cream cheese. Score! I couldn’t tell a difference in flavor between the two, but the Greek yogurt cream cheese was definitely healthier and just as creamy as the original stuff is. So use that if you can, but no worries if you decide to use normal cream cheese. These little bites had so much flavor, but really. Can you go wrong with cheese, basil, and tomatoes? I think not. I’ll definitely be bringing these bites parties in the future and hope you will too.

And while we’re on the subject of weddings… I just wanted to make a shoutout to Ben. We’ve been married for FIVE YEARS today! We’re going to spend the day celebrating [so glad I could get the day off work]. I’m so thankful for Ben and love him more now than the day we got married. I wouldn’t have wanted to move to Nashville with anyone else. 🙂 Excited to see what the future holds. I love you!

one year ago: Taco Pizza
two years ago: Triple Chip Coconut Cookies

Italian Tortilla Rollups
click to print

Ingredients:

8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, chopped [I used the ones that are just dried, but oil/water packed works too–just drain and pat dry]
8 ounces prepared pesto
fresh chopped basil, optional
chopped olives, optional
Parmesan cheese, optional
8 ounces whipped cream cheese [I used the Greek yogurt kind]
freshly ground black pepper
10 burrito-size tortillas

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, and any of the optional toppings and set aside.

Microwave tortilla for a minute to soften, then spread a tortilla evenly with cream cheese, leaving an inch border around the edges, and top with a spoonful of the sun-dried tomato mixture. Top with a little bit of black pepper, then roll tightly. Cut in half, then cut off tortilla ends [where there’s no filling]. Cut each half into thirds [making six pieces total, not including the ends that were cut off]. Place seam side down on a plate or baking dish.

Repeat with remaining ingredients, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours before serving.

Time: 30 minutes active + refrigeration time.
Yield: 60 slices.

Appetizers, Recipes

Mystery Dish: Chili Lime Popcorn

April 29, 2014April 28, 2014 Sarah

I can’t believe it’s time for another Mystery Dish post! This month, Jen from Yummy Healthy Easy is our host, and she gave us the following ingredients to work with: garbanzo beans, eggs, flaxseed, cilantro, potatoes, bread, quinoa, lime, popcorn, dark chocolate, ground turkey, and asparagus. So many yummy things in that list! And healthy things. And easy ingredients. Hmmm, appropriate ingredients. 🙂

I had a really hard time deciding what to make, because I’m a huge fan of everything on this list. I seriously considered making brownies with garbanzo beans, kind of like a baked version of this cookie dough dip, but then I had to go with the classic cilantro lime combination. Instead of cilantro lime rice or quinoa, I wondered what those flavors would be like on popcorn. After this coconut curry popcorn, I’ve been daydreaming about other popcorn flavors. I may not need to daydream anymore… this Chili Lime Popcorn is superb!

I decided to flavor this popcorn with a chili lime butter to avoid the soggy popcorn you get when you flavor popcorn with any sort of liquid. I made the butter with a bit of garlic powder, chili powder, and onion powder, along with lime juice… and I could have just as easily eaten this butter on a baked potato or some hearty bread instead of popcorn. But when this slightly spicy, tangy butter is melted on crunchy popcorn it is awesome. Of course I had to add some cilantro to complete the flavor combo I was going for… and I also tossed in some lime zest for an extra zing. This fancy popcorn is addictive and wonderful, and totally worth the extra few minutes of work. I hope you give it a try… it is SO good.

Oh, I almost forgot! When I make popcorn, I use a Whirly Pop. It’s so cool. Usually, I pop my kernels with a bit of canola oil, but I recently read that using coconut oil is more movie theatre authentic so I gave it a shot. So, what’s the verdict? Well, it was definitely different. I’m not sure it was authentic. There was no chemical taste, which is good. 🙂 It’s yummy though! Btw… be sure to check out what else my Mystery Dish pals came up with for this month. All the recipes are bound to be excellent!

one year ago: Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
two years ago: Royal Berry Coffee Cake

Chili Lime Popcorn
click to print

Ingredients:

2/3 cup unpopped popcorn to make 4 quarts plain popcorn [pop in coconut oil if possible]
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
freshly ground black pepper
juice of half a lime
zest of one lime
1/2 cup minced cilantro, loosely packed
salt

Directions:

Pop popcorn according to preferred method, using coconut oil if possible. In a small bowl, stir together butter, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, and a little freshly ground black pepper. Add lime juice and stir as well as possible [not all liquid will be incorporated].

Melt butter in microwave and then pour over popped popcorn. Toss in lime zest and cilantro, and mix well. Add salt to taste. Enjoy immediately.

TIme: 10 minutes.
Yield: 4 quarts popcorn.

1. Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake by Culinary Couture
2. Pineapple Cashew Quinoa “Fried Rice” by Blahnik Baker
3. Chili Lime Popcorn by The Pajama Chef
4. Cilantro Lime Hummus by The Weary Chef
5. Gluten Free White Bean Brownies by Yummy Healthy Easy
6. Homemade Popcorn with Cilantro Lime Butter by The Well Floured Kitchen
7. Tex-Mex Chickpea Salad by Joyful Healthy Eats
8. Quinoa Salad with Asparagus and Tomato by Chez Catey Lou
9. Key Lime Pie Popcorn by I Dig Pinterest
10. Turkey Sausage Breakfast Casserole by I Want Crazy
11. Frozen Pineapple Cilantro Mojito by Baking a Moment
12. Pretzel Caramel Crunch by The Dessert Chronicles

Appetizers, Recipes

SRC: Coconut Curry Popcorn

April 6, 2014August 28, 2014 Sarah

Hello and welcome to another edition of the Secret Recipe Club! For the month of April, I was assigned Leandra’s blog, Love & Flour. Leandra lives in Charlotte, and claims to have a dual affiliation for/affliction of the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Florida Gators. My husband says this is absolutely impossible, but he is a diehard Buckeye so that’s to be expected I suppose. 🙂 I’ve long admired Leandra’s blog because of her lovely photography and creative recipes, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to make something from her blog! I was quite torn between many delicious dishes like this unique Popcorn Bread, a lovely Sparkling Rosemary Grapefruit Soda, or a scrumptious-looking White Texas Sheet Cake. In the end, I went with ease and simplicity, but just because this recipe came together in about five minutes flat does NOT mean it is lacking in any way.

No, actually this Coconut Curry Popcorn has big flavor and has absolutely revolutionized my popcorn habit. Normally I’m a butter ‘n salt girl. I pin all sorts of popcorn recipes but haven’t ever made any of them. So making this popcorn seasoning was a step of faith… and truth be told, I was kind of SCARED to try it.

How ridiculous is that? I love coconut and I love curry, but I think I was just terrified that I’d ruin a perfectly good batch of popcorn with a weird seasoning. To be fair, I have curried myself out in the past but I haven’t had any in awhile so I figured I’d be safe now. But Leandra described this popcorn in such a way that I absolutely HAD to give it a try. And I’m so glad I did. It’s everything good at once… salty, sweet, spicy. This seasoning certainly has a little bit of kick to it, but the sweetness and warmth from the sugar, coconut, cinnamon, and ginger provide an awesome balance that is way too addictive for my taste. I’m glad this recipe makes a lot [even after I cut it down from the original] so I can keep some in the cupboard for easy access every time a craving strikes.

Thanks for the great recipe, Leandra! Enjoy! 🙂

one year ago: Dark Chocolate Crumb Bars
two years ago: Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing
three years ago: Chicken Pot Pie

Coconut Curry Popcorn [from Love & Flour]
click to print

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut flakes
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
popped plain popcorn

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except popcorn in a food processor, then pulse until coconut flakes are broken down. Toss over popcorn, then store remaining seasoning in an airtight container.

Time: 5 minutes.
Yield: 1/2 cup popcorn seasoning.

Be sure to check out all the other SRC recipes for the month at the link below!

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck.

Appetizers, Main Dishes, Pork, Recipes

Sweet Potato Pork Quesadillas

February 5, 2014February 5, 2016 Sarah

Apparently February is National Sweet Potato Month! Who knew?! I know no better way to celebrate than with these awesome Sweet Potato Pork Quesadillas!

Please forgive my less than stellar photos. I am so over this winter weather, it’s really killing my photos! But anyway–these quesadillas are ridiculously good. Though they require a few extra steps than a usual quesadilla, since you have to cook the ground pork and saute some jalapenos, they are well worth it! These quesadillas are the perfect combination of sweet and spicy goodness. We’ve made them for dinner a couple times, but I can definitely see them as a wonderful party appetizer too. As you can see, I served them with quite a bit of sour cream and some sauteed jalapenos. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

one year ago: Chewy Peanut Butter Brownies
two years ago: Caramel S’more Cups
three years ago: Bacon-Wrapped Feta & Almond Stuffed Dates

Sweet Potato Pork Quesadillas

Servings: 4 meal-size servings, 8 appetizer servings
Time: 30 minutes
Print

from Food Network Magazine
Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato
1/2 pound ground pork [chorizo would also be a great substitute]
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder [ancho chili powder or chipotle chili powder also works well–but scale back depending on your tolerance of spice]
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
butter or oil, for cooking
4 burrito-size flour tortillas
2 cups cheese [cheddar, jack, Mexican blend, etc.]
sour cream, for topping
sliced pickled jalapenos [or saute a few fresh jalapenos]

Directions:

Prick a medium sweet potato all over with a fork and microwave until soft, about 8-10 minutes. When sweet potato is cooked, let cool for a few minutes and then remove the skin. Gently mash sweet potato with a fork, then set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and cook pork with chili powder, breaking up with a wooden spoon until browned. Add garlic, green onions, and cooked sweet potato to skillet and stir together. Cook for a minute or so, then remove to a bowl. Stir in cilantro.

Wipe out the skillet and add about 1 teaspoon of butter or oil to the skillet. After a minute or so, add tortilla to skillet. Evenly top tortilla with 1/2 cup cheese and 1/4 of the pork mixture. Reduce heat to low. After cheese is melted, fold the tortilla in half over the filling and cook until tortilla is golden brown. Remove from pan and cut into four wedges. Repeat to make an additional 3 quesadillas. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a few slices of jalapenos, if desired.