Simple Chili Bean Dip

photo and recipe from Love Grows Wild

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

15 ounce can Hormel chili

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. evenly spread the softened cream cheese into the bottom of an ungreased glass pie pan or other round baking dish. Spread chili over the cream cheese. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
2. Microwave on high for 4 minutes. Check the dip to see if cheese is melted and microwave 1-2 minutes more until cheese is completely melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Skinny Black Bean and Corn Quesadilla

prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Serving  size: 1 Quesadilla

Ingredients:
15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen yellow corn
1/2 cup reduced-fat Mexican cheese, shredded
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped and divided
1 cup tomato salsa, divided
4-9" La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low Carb, High Fiver Tortillas
1 ripe avocado, diced
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

*Optional toppings
jalapenos
lime wedges
tomatoes, diced

Instructions:

1. Combine beans, corn, cheese, 1/4 cup cilantro, and 1/4 cup salsa in bowl
2. Place tortillas on a large baking sheet or platter
3. Spread filling on half of each tortilla (a little more than 1/3 cup on each).
4. Fold tortillas in half, pressing to flatten
5. Add oil to large frying pan and brown tortillas on medium-low heat until cheese is melted, flipping once, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
6. Or grill on T-fal OptiGrill o the sandwich setting
7. Repeat until all tortillas are golden brown and cheese is melted
8. Slice in halves and top with remaining fresh salsa, cilantro, avocado, and any other toppings of your choice.

I

Oreo truffles

1 package Oreo cookies

8 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature

melted chocolate

crush Oreos an mix with the cream cheese until completely combined.  Chill for one hour.  roll into small balls and dip in chocolate.  Enjoy!   

Sara's granola dough

1  cup dry oatmeal

2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes

½ cup peanut butter

½ cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ

½ cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

Stir all ingredient together until thoroughly combined. Let chill in refrigerator for half an hour.

Roll into balls. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Pavlova with Lemon Curd Pudding and Berries-Elysianna Ashcraft

 Low Carb Lemon Chiffon

Ingredients
3 eggs, separated
3 oz Splenda, Stevia, etc
juice of 1 lemon
grated rind of ¹/₂ lemon
Beat the egg yolks and Splenda together until creamy, then gradually add the lemon juice and rind. Heat gently in a thick-based pan or the top of a double boiler, stirring all the time, until the mixture thickens - do not overheat or it will curdle.
Allow to cool. Whisk the egg whites stiffly and fold into the lemon cream mixture. Pile into individual glasses and chill before serving. Eat the same day.
Instead of adding egg whites, I added heavy whipped cream, whipped with 1/3 c powdered sugar. It helped a lot with the bitter aftertaste of the Stevia.

MERINGUE NESTS:

 1 teaspoon vanilla extract OR 1 vanilla bean (seeds only)
juice of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cups sugar
6 ounces egg white, about 5-6 large eggs

I did 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup Stevia, to cut down a little on the carbs. :)

Divide the egg whites from the yolks. Save the yolks for a later use, such as Citrus Curd or another favorite recipe that requires egg yolks. Bring the egg whites to room temperature for 30 minutes before beginning the recipe.
Prepare by preheating your oven to 250 degrees F and lining a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Whisk the cornstarch and sugar together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, turn the speed on to low. Mix for 1 minute, then gradually increase the speed to medium-low.
Continue to beat at medium-low for another minute, then increase mixer's speed to medium. Continue until the mixture has small bubbles and soft peaks start to develop, about 2 minutes.
Slowly add the sugar mixture into the bowl as the mixture continues to beat. Increase the speed to medium-high. Beat for 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla and lemon juice. Increase the speed to high and beat for an additional 2-3 minutes. It is ready when the meringue is shiny and has developed stiff peaks.
For individual pavlovas, you can spoon little nests (6-8 total) of meringue onto the prepared baking sheet. Then, bake at 250 degrees F for 45 – 65 minutes. Rotate the pan(s) halfway through baking.
Finished meringue should be crisp and dry, but not cracked. The insides will have a marshmallow-like consistency. Cool baked meringue on a wire rack.
Tip: Form a dip in the center of each pavlova with the back of the spoon before baking to act as a dish to hold the lemon curd and berries.
After pavlova has cooled, top with lemon curd and fresh berries. Best served immediately. If you assemble the dessert too soon then the lemon curd with begin to dissolve the meringue.

Sweetened Ricotta with Berries

Ricotta:
8 cups milk (any kind)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup lemon juice

Dessert:
1 cup fresh black berries
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven, heat milk and cream to 180° over low heat, stirring constantly. Stir in lemon juice. Remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes (milk and whey will separate).
2. Line a large strainer with four layers of cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Pour milk mixture into prepared strainer; strain for 1 hour or until most of the liquid is strained. Discard liquid. Wrap ricotta with edges of cheesecloth. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Squeeze out any liquid; remove cheesecloth and discard liquid from bowl.
3. In a small bowl, combine berries and sugar; set aside. Place ricotta in a food processor. Add honey and salt; cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add cream in a steady stream; process until creamy. Serve with berries.

Yield: 7 servings.

Basbousa Semolina Cake

Basbousa Semolina Cake with Lime Syrup and Lime Curd

Basbousa cake is a not-too-sweet semolina confection soaked in lime syrup, often hawked on the streets of Egypt. Cut in rounds, this version is topped with lime curd, whipped cream, and berries.
Recipe created by Susan Feniger

Recipe created by Susan Fenige

Servings: Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup lime juice (3 limes)
• 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) butter , melted
• 2 eggs

• 1 cup and 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 6 Tbsp. lime juice (2 to 3 limes)

• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 12 Tbsp. (1 1/2 sticks) butter , melted
• 1 Tbsp. lime zest
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups semolina semolina flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Whipped cream , for garnish
• Fresh Fresh berries , for garnish

Directions

Note: The lime curd and lime syrup can both be made ahead and refrigerated.

To make lime curd: Fill a medium pot with 1 1/2 inches water; bring to a simmer. In a medium, heatproof bowl, whisk together sugar, lime juice, butter, and eggs for 1 minute. Arrange bowl over simmering water and stir mixture constantly until thick, 8 to 10 minutes; let cool 20 minutes; cover and refrigerate.

To make lime syrup: Combine 2 cups water, sugar, and lime juice in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook gently until reduced to approximately 2 cups syrup, about 20 minutes; set aside.

To make cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9" square cake pan with cooking spray; set aside. Whisk together buttermilk, butter, lime zest, and vanilla in a large bowl. In a second large bowl, stir together semolina flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined. Transfer to prepared pan and smooth the batter. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. While cake is hot, pour lime syrup evenly over surface.

Serve cake warm or at room temperature, topped with spoonfuls of lime curd, berries, and whipped cream.

Lemon Meringue Dip with 7-UP Dippers

Lemon Meringue Dip

Cook time: 5 Min  Prep time: 10 Min  Serves: 12-18 servings

Ingredients

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

3 large eggs, separated

1/2 c fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp corn syrup, light

a pinch cream of tartar

Directions

1. Whisk egg yolks and juice over medium heat in small saucepan, heat and stir until custard like, about 5 minutes. Place this mixture in the refrigerator to chill.

2. In a mixer bowl whisk egg whites, corn syrup, and cream of tartar on high until stiff peak form. set aside.

3. Remove yolk mixture from fridge and whisk in the sweetened condensed milk. Blend well. Pour into a 9x13 inch baking dish (suitable for serving at buffet table). Heap and spread meringue on top of lemon sauce. Place in oven and broil 1 to 2 minutes until meringue is slightly browned. Refrigerate to chill. Make sure dish can go from hot to cold, so it does not break.Corning or pyrex is fine, or metal. Serve with 7-UP Pie Crust Dippers

- UP Pie Crust Dippers

Cook time: 5 Min  Prep time: 10 Min  Serves: amount depends on size of cutters

Ingredients

1 1/2 c all purpose flour-exact measure

1/2 Tbsp salt

1/2 c crisco- regular or butter flavor-exact measure

5 Tbsp ice cold 7-up or other soda pop

Directions

1. Stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Do not over work pastry.

2. Add the ice cold soda pop gradually to the flour mixture, then blend together until moist. Place pastry in plastic wrap, flatten slightly. Chill 30 minutes.

3. Remove from fridge and roll out like making pie crust on a flour dusted surface or between 2 pieces of waxed paper (i do it this way) to about 1/8 inch thickness. Using your favorite small cookie cutter or just cut into circles or strips 4 x 1 inch.

4. Place on parchment covered cookie sheet brush with melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar and bake for bout 5 minutes or until golden. Cool completely before using so that they are crisp. These work great for appetizers too!

Mine took longer than 5 minutes to bake, but I think I didn't roll them thin enough.

Onion Dip

2 cups diced sweet onion
2 cups mayonnaise
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

mix all ingredients together and bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until edges are golden.  Serve with corn chips or hot, buttery crackers.

Marshmallow Dressing

Ingredients

2 cup sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup hot water
2 egg whites
dash of salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
2-4 tablespoons orange concentrate (to taste) (straight from the can before water is added to make juice)

Directions

In heavy pan, combine sugar, corn syrup, hot water.  Heat slowly, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Then boil without stirring to firm ball or thread stage. (248° F.)  Beat egg whites with salt.  When stiff gradually beat in the hot syrup, beating until thick and fluffy. Add vanilla and fold in mayonnaise, orange rind and orange concentrate.

Makes 3-1/2 cups.  (I store it in a quart jar)

Serve with fruit

J'Deanne Rackham (originally called Nut Tree Marshmallow Dressing - but adapted with a couple of slight changes) now a holiday tradition in the Larry Rackham household!