Spunky Spinach Dip

Great for holiday parties as an appetizer! Whether served with colorful tortilla chips, fresh veggies or bread cubes, it's irresistible.

2 c. salsa
2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened and cubed
10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 c. pitted black olives, chopped

Mix all ingredients together; stir well. Place in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave on medium setting until heated through. Serves about 10.

Rocky Road Fudge Brownies

Delicious Warm! You can follow this recipe as is or if you are in a hurry, buy a box of brownies (and even buy the hot fudge sauce instead of making it homemade), bake, and add topping as listed. Although, I must say that making all of this homemade makes it taste EVEN better. These are absolutely scrumptious!

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. baking cocoa
1/4 c. oil
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
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Topping:
1 c. chopped pecans
1 c. butterscotch chips
2 c. mini marshmallows
Combine & mix well

(Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe below)

Combine first 3 ingredients in small saucepan; heat til melted and smooth, sturring often. Remove from heat; set aside. Blend eggs in large mixing bowl 'til light and fluffy; mix in cocoa mixture and next 3 ingredients. Spread in a greased 13" x 9" baking pan (or pour in 2 8"x8" pans and share one with a neighbor); bake at 350 degrees 'til brownies pull away from sides of pan~ about 25 minutes. Sprinkle topping evenly on top and drizzle with hot fudge sauce. Continue baking 5 minutes; cool. Cut into bars to serve. Makes about 15 bars.

Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe (can even split recipe in half since it's so rich, if you want to):
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. cocoa
2 TBSP. flour
2 TBSP. butter
3/4 c. water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Vanilla (added later)

In a saucepan- mix dry ingredients. Add butter and water. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 7-10 minutes, or slightly longer. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Drizzle sauce over topping on brownies. (This recipe can also be served over ice cream)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

From Donna McCoy

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

THESE MUFFINS ARE SO MOIST AND FILLED WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND CRUNCHY ALMONDS. THEY ARE JUST AS GOOD WITHOUT THE NUTS.

½ cup sliced unbalanced almonds

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

1 Tbl. Pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

2 large eggs

1 cup plain pumpkin

½ cup butter, melted (1 stick)

1 cup semi- sweet chocolate chips


Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put almonds on baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Cool.


Grease muffin pans or use paper baking cups. Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.


Break eggs into another bowl. Add pumpkin and butter and whisk until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds. Pour over dry ingredients and fold in until dry ingredients are moistened.


Scoop batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and springy to the touch in the center. Turn out onto a rack to cool. Wrap in a plastic bag and keep for up to two days. Reheat before serving. Can be frozen.

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

This recipe was on the Oprah show when Jessica Seinfeld, Jerry's wife, introduced her new cookbook with recipes that had vegetable purees created at home in the recipes. I made these bars today and they are absolutely fantastic. You would never know there was spinach in them. And Hunter ate them up too! What a great way to get your vegetables in for the day. I think I'm going to get the cookbook now too!

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars
(with Spinach)
Created by Jessica Seinfeld
From the book Deceptively Delicious
Makes 12 bars


Printer-Friendly Version Review This Recipe

Crunchy and sweet, but full of spinach! Let the bars cool completely before serving so that the taste of the spinach has a chance to disappear completely.


INGREDIENTS
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup Balance trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread, chilled
1 cup low-sugar blueberry preserves
1/2 cup spinach puree

Preheat oven to 375°. Coat an 8" x 8" baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and vanilla and stir to mix well.

Add the margarine and cut it quickly into dry ingredients with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal and is no longer powdery. Do not overmix—bits of margarine will still be visible.

Set aside about half of the oat mixture; press the rest firmly into the pan. Bake until lightly browned at the edges (but not fully baked), 13 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the preserves with the spinach puree in a small bowl.

Spread blueberry mixture over the partially baked oat layer, then sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake until topping is slightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Set the pan on a rack to cool completely before cutting into 12 bars.

Raspberry Icing

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon seedless raspberry preserves

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring until smooth.

Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 (6 oz.) package Hershey's Premier Baking Pieces Dark Chocolate Filled with Raspberry Creme
Raspberry Icing (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electic mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.

In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking powder; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in baking pieces. Drop cookies by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

Remove to wire racks to cool. Once cool, drizzle with Raspberry Icing.

Enchilada Casserole

From Paula Dean's cooking magazine March/April 2006
Makes 8-10 servings

2 pounds ground chuck
1 medium onion, chopped
2/3 cup water
1 (1.25 oz.) package taco seasoning
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained
1 (15.25 oz.) can corn, drained
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (19 oz.) can enchilada sauce
20 (5 1/2 inch) corn tortillas
2 (8 oz.) packages shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9x2 inch baking dish.

In a large skillet, cook ground chuck and onion over medium heat until meat is browned and crumbles; drain. Add 2/3 cupwater and taco seasoning; cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans, corn, chilies, tomatoes, and enchilada sauce. Remove from heat.

Tear corn tortillas into bite-sized pieces. Place half of tortillas into bottom of prepared baking dish. Spoon half of meat micture evenly over tortillas. Sprinkle with half of cheese. Repeat layers. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.