Fondue Dipping Sauces - Main Dish

I've got more recipes than this, but these are my favorites!

Blue Cheese Sauce
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Salt & pepper to taste
Mis all ingredients & chill until ready to serve.

Curry Powder Sauce
1t curry powder
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Mix well & chill until ready to serve.

Currant-Chutney Sauce
3/4 cup red currant jelly
1/3 cup chopped chutney
1 T lemon juice
Pinch of salt
Heat jelly on top of stove. Add remaining ingredients. Stir occasionally. Serve warm.

Garlic Butter Sauce
1/2 cup softened butter
1-2 cloves minced garlic
Mix well. Serve room temperature.

Horseradish Sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 T prepared horseradish
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix well & chill until ready to serve.

Dill Sauce
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 t prepared horseradish
1/2 t red onion, finely chopped
1 t fresh dill, chopped
Pinch of salt
1 t lemon juice
1/2 t sugar
Mix well & chill until ready to serve.

Here are my favorite foods to dip in the above sauces:
Blue Cheese - grilled bell peppers
Curry Powder - chicken
Currant-Chutney - beef
Garlic Butter - grilled mushrooms
Horseradish - sausage
Dill - salmon

Pork Chops Stuffed with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentis.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 sun-dried tomatoes, diced
• 1 (10-ounce) bag of frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat cream cheese
• 4 (4-ounce) center-cut pork chops
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 lemon, zested
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Warm the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until combined, about 2 more minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Add the goat cheese and the cream cheese. Stir to combine and set aside.

Use a sharp knife to cut a pocket into the thickest portion of the pork chop. Stuff each pocket with 1/4 of the spinach and sun-dried tomato mixture and close the pork around the stuffing. Season the outside of the pork with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl combine the chicken broth, lemon zest, lemon juice, and mustard.

Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add the pork. Cook until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to a side dish and tent with foil to keep warm. Add the chicken broth mixture to the skillet over medium-high heat. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan as the chicken broth simmers. Reduce the broth by half to make a light sauce, about 8 minutes. Spoon some sauce over the pork before serving.

Hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe is complements of Campbell's. Not only is it delicious, but it is a one dish recipe!

• vegetable cooking spray
• 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast , cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
  
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice
• 1 can (11 ounces) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• Crisp Tortilla Strips (optional)
  

Spray a 6-quart saucepot with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken to the saucepot. Cook until it's browned, stirring often.

Stir in the broth, cumin and rice. Heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Stir in the corn, salsa, cilantro and lime juice. Cook until the rice is tender. Top each serving of soup with Crisp Tortilla Strips.

Crisp Tortilla Strips: Heat the oven to 425°F. Cut 4 corn tortillas into thin strips and place them on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden.

Gooey Butters

These are so good. Make sure you have someone to share with so you don't eat the entire pan!

1 yellow cake mix (other flavors can be used)
1/2 cup butter or margarine
4 eggs
8 oz cream cheese
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 lb powdered sugar (1 box or 3 3/4 cups)
Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar

Beat cake mix, melted butter and 2 eggs (batter will be stiff). Spread in 9 x 13 pan. Beat 2 eggs, cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Pour over first layer. Bake at 350E for 15 minutes, sprinkle reserved powdered sugar over top, then bake 20 to 30 minutes more. Best when allowed to sit overnight.

Aebleskivers

A couple months ago I had brunch with some friends, and Jenny brought Aebleskivers and served them with homemade buttermilk syrup. What a treat!

2 cups flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
3 eggs - separated

Sift together flour, salt, & baking soda. Add buttermilk & egg yolks. Beat egg whites until light & fluffy (soft peaks). Gently fold egg whites into batter. Heat Aebleskivers pan on medium heat. Grease each cup (with oil or cooking spray). Fill each cup 2/3 full. Cook until golden brown, turn with a toothpick.

Buttermilk Syrup

I could seriously drink this syrup.

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 t baking soda
1 T corn syrup
1 t vanilla

Mix all ingredients except vanilla. Bring to a boil (it will be frothy) for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla.

Basalmic-Rosemary Marinade

Jen told me about this marinade on the Williams-Sonoma website, and it's delish! My steak was amazing.

2/3 cup basalmic vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
2 T soy sauce
4 1/2 t firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 t freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh rosemary (can use dried too, just use less!)
5 garlic cloves, chopped

In a food processor, combine the vinegar, olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, and pepper and pulse until blended. With the motor running, drop the rosemary & garlic through the feed tube and continue to process until fairly smooth.

Pun

I've held off on posting this recipe because I have no exact amounts, but it's so good, and it's the perfect summer food, that I decided to post it with some guesstimations... you might want to modify it to taste!

I'm guessing that most of you haven't heard of pun, but it is a type of Asian lettuce wrap. Enjoy!

Large romaine lettuce leaves
Ground turkey or pork, seasoned to taste (I use Johnnys)
Cooked rice noodles - I like the thick ones... you can find these at any Asian store (they look like thick, white spaghetti noodles)
Tomatoes, chopped
Cilantro
Lime Wedges

Sauce: (Here's where the amounts are just guesses)
Sweet Chili Sauce (I use about 1/2 - 3/4 of a 31.4 oz. bottle)
2-3 quarts water
A few tablespoons of sugar
Juice of 1-2 limes
Minced ginger, to taste
Shredded carrots - maybe 1/4 of a carrot (optional)

Slightly warm all sauce ingredients in a 4 quart pot. Build your wrap with lettuce, meat, noodles, and desired toppings. Dip wrap in sauce and enjoy! Note: This can get a little messy so have napkins on hand... I usually end up eating one lettuce wrap, and then making a kind of "pun soup" by just adding all the ingredients to my sauce bowl and eating it with a spoon :-)

Breakfast Fruit Pastry

I found a recipe posted on foodnetwork.com by Giada De Laurentis for Breakfast Pizza. I adapted it a bit and made it for a brunch this morning. I thought it was delicious!

1 sheet puff pastry
2 T butter, melted
4 T cinnamon sugar, divided
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1 T heavy cream
1 1/2 T lemon juice
1/2 - 1 t lemon zest
2 cups mixed berries

Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 40 minutes or until easy to handle. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer pastry sheet to the lined baking sheet and brush the pastry with the melted butter. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool the pastry on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the cheese, cream, lemon juice, and zest.

Spread the cheese mixture over the cooled* crust. Top with mixed berries (I used strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries), sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar, and serve.

* Make sure the pastry is completely cooled so the cheese doesn't melt!

Spinach-Cheese Swirls

I got this recipe off the back of the Pepperidge Farm puff pastry box... these spinach-cheese swirls were a hit at a brunch I went to this morning!

1 sheet of puff pastry
1 egg
1 T water
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 green onion, chopped
1/8 t garlic powder
1 pkg. (about 10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & well drained*

Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 40 minutes or until easy to handle. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Stir egg and water in small bowl. In medium bowl, stir Monterey Jack cheese, Parmesan cheese, green onion, and garlic powder.

Unfold pastry sheet on lightly floured surface. Brush with egg mixture. Top with cheese mixture and spinach. Starting at short side closest to you, roll up like a jelly roll. Cut into 1/2" slices and place on baking sheet. Brush with egg mixture. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or at room temperature.

* Somewhere a couple years ago, I saw a cool trick for draining frozen spinach... once it is thawed, wrap the spinach in a lightweight towel and then ring out all the excess water. It works like a charm! Just make sure to use a towel you wouldn't mind turning green :-)

Almond Tart

1 and 2/3 cups flour
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2T almond extract
1/4t salt
2 1/2 oz. sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, sugar, butter, eggs, almond extract, and salt. Spray two 9" pie pans with cooking spray, and divide batter evenly between the two pans. Sprinkle almonds over the top of each pan. Bake until edges are golden brown, or about 30 minutes. Serve with whipped cream and strawberries (as pictured above).

Coconut Lime Chicken Soup

I made this soup last night and it was SOOO good! I put my own spin on a combination of a recipe from my friend Diana and a recipe I found online, and I think it's definitely a keeper!

1 small deli-roasted chicken
14-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup lime juice (2 medium limes)
1 T soy sauce
carrots, chopped
ginger, minced
shitake mushrooms, chopped
green onions, chopped
fresh basil, shredded
cilantro

1. Remove and discard skin and bones from chicken. Shred chicken.
2. In a large saucepan, combine shredded chicken with coconut milk, chicken stock, lime juice, carrots, ginger, mushrooms, green onions, and soy sauce.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender.
4. To serve, ladle into bowls. Top with shredded basil and cilantro.

One recipe called for 2t Thai seasoning blend. I couldn't find this at the store last night, but think it would make an excellent addition if you have some.

Special K Bars

Lisa shared this recipe with us in college, and it immediately became one of my favorites. I always keep everything on hand to make this quick and easy recipe.

In a double boiler, melt:
1 cup sugar
1 cup karo syrup
add...
1 1/2 cups peanut butter

Heat until smooth. Pour over 6 cups Special K cereal. Press cereal mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. In a double boiler, melt 1 bag chocolate chips and 1 bag butterscotch chips. Spread over cereal. Put in fridge until set.

Tortellini Salad

A bright, colorful, yummy salad! This recipe makes a LOT of food, so it's great for company.

2 bags frozen tortellini, cooked
3 bunches broccoli, cut and separated
12 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
12 oz. black olives, sliced
16 oz. each garbanzo beans/kidney beans/lima beans, drained and rinsed
2 red onions, chopped
1 bottle creamy Italian dressing

Just before serving add:
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
2 avocados, chopped
40 grape tomatoes, sliced
1/2 lb salami, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped

Minestrone Soup

This recipe isn't super exact - just add to taste! Thanks Jami for the recipe!

5-6 cups tomatoes, pureed (I puree tomatoes from my summer garden and freeze in ziplocks)
2 cans chicken broth
1-2 cans beans (your choice!)
2 cans Italian seasoned tomatoes
celery, chopped
carrots, chopped
zucchini, chopped
1 T garlic
fresh basil

Simmer for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Add fresh spinach and simmer for additional 10-15 minutes.

BBQ Sauce

This sauce is excellent for barbecue sandwiches.

Saute:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T butter

Add:
1 cup ketchup
2 T vinegar
2 T brown sugar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t chili powder
1 t dry mustard
1 t salt

Add to 2# shredded roast meat and serve on hamburger buns.

Apple Dip

My friend Jen gave me this recipe, and now I'm totally addicted. It's so easy and so delicious. Perfect for a quick snack!

8 oz. package of cream cheese (if you double it, you can use a regular cream cheese and a low fat, but if you are doing a single batch, make sure you use full fat cream cheese)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 T vanilla

Mix until smooth.