Vegetarian

Maple-Chipotle Peanuts

I’ve had so many people say to me lately, “Can you believe it’s almost Thanksgiving?” I don’t know what’s surprising about it to people but it’s no shock to me.  Maybe it’s that I think about food all the time and have been thinking about what I want to make for Thanksgiving since the calendar changed to November.  Either way, yes, Thanksgiving is this Thursday so I hope everyone is ready.  It’ll be low key for me, just me and my cousin, so I have no stress in making a ton of food.  But if you have a bunch of people coming by and wonder how you’ll get everything done, consider making these Maple-Chipotle Peanuts if you need a quick and easy, no stress, no fuss appetizer that can be made ahead of time.

Maple syrup and chipotle chile pepper are simmered together until slightly thickened and then mixed with dry-roasted peanuts.  Once cooled, the result is sweet, salty, and spicy peanuts that are seriously addictive.  Once the peanuts cool, the peanuts become ooey and gooey and it’s hard to not want to shove your face into these.  Once they’ve cooled overnight, the syrup hardens, the gooeyness is gone and the peanuts become candied.  Whichever way you prefer, these are amazing.  The smell of these peanuts reminded me of being at a carnival or my county fair as a kid for some reason.  I realized that if I continued to eat these peanuts at the rapid rate I was, there was a good chance I would have devoured an entire container of peanuts in two days.  So consider yourself warned.  If you have a lot of guests coming, you might want to make two batches.  And if you have any leftover, throw a handful on top of some pumpkin ice cream.  Yum!

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The ingredients:

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Simmer 1/3 cup maple syrup with 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder in a saucepan until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

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Stir in 2 cups salted dry-roasted peanuts.

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Pour onto a lightly oiled pan and let cool.

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Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Food Network magazine

Easy Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce

I have to be honest.  I’ve been trying to watch my carbs lately.  It’s a pattern with me.  I get mad at myself so I torture myself by watching my carbs and end up getting mad at myself even more.  So, straight up I’ll tell you that I made this recipe for Easy Cherry Tomato Pasta Sauce a while ago.  I wish I could say I made it recently but sadly, no.  Would I give my left arm for some of this now WITH the pasta underneath it? Probably.

Cherry or grape tomatoes are added to olive oil, garlic and red pepper flake and heated until they open up and become juicy (if they don’t open on their own, use a wooden spoon and get some delight in popping them open against the side of the pan – it’s kind of like popping bubble wrap).  Once heated through and the juices flow, remove from the heat and add fresh basil.  Literally, that is it.  When the title of this recipe says “Easy”, it means it.  And not only is this easy to make but it truly is so fresh tasting that my first bite made me think of what fresh restaurant pasta sauce tastes like.  The only thing I have to say is that I used A LOT less olive oil that it called for.  I used 1/4 cup (as opposed to 1/2 cup) and my sauce was plenty oily.  Next time, I’ll use even less.  So use your own judgment when it comes to the oil.  You want the tomatoes to be the star and trust me, if I stick to this low-carb thing much longer, I’m not too proud to make this sauce and just eat it with a spoon.  Seriously.

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The ingredients:

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Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper; cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes.

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Add tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes. (If tomatoes stay whole during cooking, pierce each one with the tip of a knife to release juices; cook 1 or 2 more minutes.)

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Remove from heat; stir in basil.

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Divide pasta among serving bowls; top with tomato sauce, cheese, pine nuts, and additional black pepper, if desired.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:

  • Pine nuts

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Coastal Living magazine

Roasted Red Pepper Dip

I think I have found my most favorite dip I’ve ever made.  Ever.  I have to admit that when I first saw the recipe for this Roasted Red Pepper Dip, I didn’t really have high expectations.  I like roasted red peppers and think they provide a fantastically bold flavor to dishes but the thought of an entire roasted red pepper dip didn’t really shake me in my shoes.  The simplicity of this dish was what drew me to it and since I’ve been sucked into catching up on Game of Thrones from the very beginning, I didn’t want anything to take me away from my iPad and another episode featuring Jon Snow.  But this dip left me standing in my kitchen chowing down scoop after scoop of this awesome dip.

Jarred roasted red peppers are blended in a food processor with toasted almonds, garlic, sherry vinegar, grated Parmesan cheese, and a little olive oil.  A small piece of whole wheat bread adds a thickening consistency and a dab of smoked paprika (my favorite spice EVER) gives the whole dip a smoky little hug.  I ate this dip with these amazing multigrain tortilla chips but this dip would be just as great with, well, anything.  Chips, pretzels, cucumbers, carrots…I even think this would be a perfect sauce for some pasta and veggies, it’s really so good.  You might already have the ingredients on hand (if you don’t have sherry vinegar, red wine vinegar can be substituted) so next time you are at the store, pick up a jar of roasted red peppers and make this when you need a quick snack or appetizer.  You won’t be disappointed.

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The ingredients:

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Place bell peppers, almonds, bread, garlic clove, olive oil, vinegar, grated ­Parmesan, water, and paprika in a food processor; process until smooth.

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Serve with multigrain chips or sliced veggies.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light magazine

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