It’s outrageous how intense food whispering is at times! Last night mama and I were looking in my cookbook and talking about recipes and again today at church my mind kept returning to Squash Fritters with syrup. For lunch. Nothing to do then but beat it to the market after church and cross my fingers that they still had yellow squash in the produce section. My efforts were rewarded as the squash was all I needed for stirring up a batch of these tasty treats; everything else is found readily on hand. If you are out of Bisquick baking mix, use all-purpose flour instead. Some cooks also add grated onion to the mix but I prefer just the flavor of the raw crook neck squash.
The grated squash goes right into the batter with the eggs and the dry ingredients; do allow the batter to breathe for 10 minutes so it thickens before you begin frying the fritters. Heat your oil briefly then fry in the hot oil for a few minutes per side, drain, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and do not forget to give them a good splash of maple syrup before serving. I am certainly satisfied now, until the next whisper that is.
Squash Fritters
1/2 to 2/3 cups Bisquick baking mix
1/4 cup Parmesan or Cheddar cheese, freshly grated
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups raw yellow squash, grated
Cooking oil for frying
Powdered sugar and maple syrup, optional
Directions In large shallow bowl, combine all ingredients except the oil, stir well to blend. Allow the batter to rest for ten minutes then drop the mixture by tablespoons into preheated oil over medium heat. Cook fritters 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar; serve warm with maple syrup if desired.
This recipe from my cookbook is the one that Susie uses for her ham rolls. If you are planning on fixing just one appetizer for Super Bowl viewing, this one will get you a win-win! Made with King’s Hawaiian Rolls and seasoned with mustard, poppy seed, Worcestershire, and melted butter, these delectable slider sandwiches have the best of both worlds going on: ham and Swiss cheese, and a tangy sauce poured over for spiced flavor. These go down so easy that your gang might forget about the chips and dip! Serve warm with something really cold to drink. Put out a few bowls of spiced pretzels too if you have them. That recipe is here on my blog.
I halved this recipe also today but if you are having several people in for the game you will want to make 24 rolls. They will be all be eaten and appreciated I assure you. Let the Big Game begin, y’all!
Ham & Swiss Sliders
24 slices of deli honey ham
6 slices of Swiss cheese, cut into fourths
1 T. poppy seeds
1-1/2 T. Dijon mustard
1/2 cups butter melted
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 packages (12 pc.) King’s Original Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls
Directions Preheat oven to 350.Slice through rolls as one large piece. Place a slice or two of ham and a slice of Swiss cheese on bottom of each roll. Replace the top of the rolls and bunch them closely together into a baking dish. Prepare the sauce by combining the poppy seeds, mustard, butter, and the Worcestershire; whisk well, and microwave mixture until hot. Pour sauce over the rolls, covering just the tops. Cover with foil and let sit for 10 minutes.
Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for additional 2 minutes until tops are slightly browned and crisp. Serve warm from the oven.
Super Bowl viewing requires something a little heavier than just dip and chips, and this bread bake, stuffed with bacon and cheese is a good place to start for a heartier appetizer. The outside of the bread bakes seasoned with the tang of dry Ranch mix and melted butter and the inside softens with slices of sharp Cheddar and bacon. An easy prep, only five minutes frying the bacon halfway then layering it into the bread along with the cheddar slices, and just 25 minutes in the oven and you’ve got a hearty appetizer on the table, ready for sharing. The bacon will get crisper as the bread bakes and it is a sublime little bite you get along with buttery seasoning and the sharp melted cheddar.
Today I halved the recipe as given in my cookbook because I bought only a small loaf of sourdough but do use a pound loaf to feed a hungry and appreciative bunch. Serve it up warm, add a few cold beverages and you’ve got ‘game on’ here!
Preheat oven to 350. Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until halfway cooked, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels; cut crosswise into 1/2-inch wide strips. Cut slits halfway through bread in two directions creating a checkerboard pattern. Slip Cheddar cheese slices and bacon pieces into the slits.Mix butter and ranch dressing mix in a small bowl; pour over bread, allowing to drip into the slits. Wrap entire loaf in a sheet of aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Unwrap bread and return to baking sheet; bake until cheese is melted and bacon crisped, about 10 minutes more.
Direction Preheat oven to 350. Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until halfway cooked, about 5 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels; cut crosswise into 1/2-inch wide strips. Cut slits halfway through bread in two directions creating a checkerboard pattern. Slip Cheddar cheese slices and bacon pieces into the slits.Mix butter and ranch dressing mix in a small bowl; pour over bread, allowing to drip into the slits. Wrap entire loaf in a sheet of aluminum foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Unwrap bread and return to baking sheet; bake until cheese is melted and bacon crisp, about 10 minutes more.
Wanting to try this recipe today for another Super Bowl party appetizer, but knowing that my local market doesn’t carry prepared hummus, I decided to make my own. It isn’t difficult and you need very few ingredients: chickpeas, olive oil, garlic, sea salt and water. Since I was already committed to making the hummus, I decided that a roasted red pepper version would fill the bill nicely. Off to the market for two cans of chickpeas then and a nice looking red pepper. And, yes, I did took the time to pinch the itty bitty skins off of the chickpeas, and, yes, that is a LOT of pea-picking, time, but I can’t imagine putting all those skins into the hummus itself; just a personal preference, but because it was a nice day for standing at the kitchen sink watching the clouds shift, I went on and did the pinching! Once the hummus is chilling in the fridge there is plenty of time for preparing the roasted pepper. Make sure that you allow the skin to char well as this insures an easy time removing it. For today’s recipe, the last thing needed was preparing the tortilla chips and that takes just a few minutes. Cut them into strips and place on a rimmed baking sheet then add the olive oil and seasonings and toss well to coat thoroughly before baking. All this pinching and roasting resulted in a creamy hummus perfect for spreading or dipping with the spiced chips and you have texture and flavor that definitely rock!
One reason I chose this recipe is because I knew I could buy the hummus at a larger market and even though it didn’t turn out that way for me because I wasn’t at that market, if YOU want to cut your kitchen time in half, buy the hummus; larger grocery stores carry several versions already prepared; if you do so, then all you need do for this recipe is prepare the tortilla chips the day before and store them in an airtight container. On game day, just plate your hummus and set out the chips and settle in for a little football fun. And accept the compliments graciously of course! =)
Spiced Tortilla Chips & Hummus
Tortilla Chips – Recipe
Ingredients
4-8”inch flour tortillas, cut into 2-inch strips
2 T. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 t. sesame seeds
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. dried oregano
Sea salt and black pepper
Hummus and paprika, for serving
Heat oven to 425° F. On a rimmed baking sheets, toss the tortilla strips with the oil, sesame seeds, thyme, oregano, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bake until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly. Store airtight.
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus – Recipe
Ingredients
2 cans chickpeas
1 clove garlic
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Approximately ½ cup water
½ teaspoon sea salt
Directions: Remove the skins from the chickpeas by gently pinching them until the skin comes off. Discard the skins and reserve the chickpeas. Drain the chickpeas then roast them in the oven in a shallow pan with a little olive oil, the garlic clove, and a dash of cumin, 400 degrees, for 20 minutes. Cool slightly then place all in a blender or food processor with garlic, olive oil, ¼ cup water, and salt. Blend and puree until very smooth. If the mixture remains sticky, add more of the water, a tablespoon at a time, until smooth. Add more olive oil if needed to achieve a creamy texture. Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate, covered. Before serving, dust with paprika and drizzle with more olive oil.
To roast the pepper, core it and remove seeds and membranes, cut into large flat pieces; roast it under the broiler with your pan about 5” from the broiler element. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Allow the skin to become very charred. Remove from oven and place in a sealed Ziplock bag for 15 minutes. The skin will then slide off easily. For red pepper hummus, mince the de-skinned pepper and make a well in the hummus; fill with the roasted pepper.
My plan was to not cook today, and I almost didn’t, but, I was thinking about dips and appetizers for setting out at Super Bowl Viewing 2015 on Sunday afternoon, (NOT at my house because there is no television in my house and football is something I really don’t get). Knowing many folks will be watching the game gave me the idea to hunt up recipes for some dips and appetizers for considering in the next few days. I have no complaints at all with today’s Caramelized Onion Spinach Dip so things were just a little cooking and a lot okay!
The dip is a winner if you are desirous of a little ‘away from the stove’ time as you need only to give 10-12 minutes to caramelizing the onions and the cooking is done! Do use your cast iron skillet, and be vigilant so you don’t burn them; you want them soft and golden brown, not burned! And use a large wooden spoon to stir and scrape up the browned bits stuck to the skillet and mix those in with the onions for they are the sweet bite in this recipe. The sour cream provides the dip’s smoothness and the vinegar just a desirable hint of tang. When the football fans in your kitchen taste the onions’ sweet pop of burnt sugar released through their caramelization, those fans will be cheering more than just the game! Win-Win!
Thaw your spinach well before beginning, then caramelize the onions, and prepare your veggies only when you are ready to serve. With almost 3 cups of dip, you will get mileage out of this for a party with several people, as an appetizer. I did enjoy some of this with vegetables and crackers when I first prepared it, at lunch, but liked it much more this evening with my supper. It is definitely a “day ahead dish’ and perfect for having one more thing checked off your list. Cover tightly, sit in the fridge overnight, allowing the flavors to mellow and marry and the dip itself to thicken. When you are ready for serving, arrange your veggies and crackers, and the game is ON, baby!
Caramelized Onion Spinach Dip
Ingredients
3 T. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper
1- 16 oz. container sour cream
1-10 oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
1 T. white wine vinegar
Prepared raw vegetables or toasted crackers, for serving
Directions
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and let cool 15 minutes. Add the sour cream, spinach, vinegar, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the onions and mix to combine. Serve with the vegetables and crackers.
