Friday Foodday!

Hey lovebugs! It's back, Friday Foodday! Have an absolutely fabulous weekend!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dip

c/o Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 8oz. package cream cheese
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, plus more for topping
1/2 tub Cool Whip

Directions

1- In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously, until the brown sugar dissolves.
2- Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla.
3- Beat the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar for 1 minute.
4- Stir in the cooled butter mixture and beat again for another minute.
5- Stir in the chocolate chips. 
6- Fold in the Cool Whip until evenly dispersed. 
7- Pour into a bowl. Top with additional chocolate chips, if desired.
8- Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Remove from fridge at least 15 minutes before serving.
9- Serve with assorted small cookies (Nilla Wafers, Teddy Grahams, animal crackers, etc.)

 

Summer Tomatoes, Corn, Crab and Avocado Salad

c/o Skinny Taste

 Ingredients 

12 oz lump crab meat 

1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half 

1 hass avocado, diced 

2 hot peppers such as serrano or jalapeños, diced fine (seeds removed for mild) 

1 1/2 cups roasted corn kernels 

1/3 cup chopped red onion 

2 limes, juice of (or more to taste) 

1 tsp olive oil 

2 tbsp chopped cilantro 

salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions
In a small bowl combine red onion, lime juice, olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper. Let them marinate at least 5 minutes to mellow the flavor of the onion.  In a large bowl combine chopped crab meat, avocado, tomatoes, hot pepper and corn. Combine all the ingredients together, add cilantro and gently toss. Adjust lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

c/o Great Eats with Petes

Ingredients

for meatballs

3 pounds ground beef

1/2 cup Italian Breadcrumbs

1 onion, finely diced

4 cloved garlic, finely minced

1 egg

Salt

Pepper

1 tablespoon parsley, minced

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce

Olive Oil for frying

for sauce

1 can gelled cranberry

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

2 cans of chunked pineapples,  juice reserved

1 tablespoon Chinese mustard

1 tablespoon sweet and sour/duck sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 1/2 cups water

1 red pepper,  sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

cornstarch, if needed

Directions

for meatballs

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, salt and peppering to taste.  If the mixture feels too wet add more breadcrumbs. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan. I usually use my electric frying pan for this recipe because it holds so much more at once and this way I do not have to make the meatballs in separate batches. 

Make a small patty out of the meat. Place in frying pan. Fry patty on both sides until cooked through. Taste patty to see if it is well seasoned, adjust seasoning accordingly (I usually need to add more salt). When you are happy with seasoning roll the rest of the meat into balls. Fry until almost cooked through (they will continue to cook in the sauce). I then place them on brown paper bags or paper towels to soak up the excess oil. Once cooked remove from pan leaving some grease in the pan for the sauce.

for sauce

With the pan still greasy from the meatballs add gelled cranberry, barbecue sauce, juice from the pineapple cans, mustard, suck sauce, and soy sauce. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add water.

Return meatballs to the pan. Add peppers. Cover and cook for 45 minutes. If the sauce appears to be very thin add cornstartch to thicken. Add pineapple chunks and cook for 15 minutes. 

Serve over rice or noodles.  Enjoy!