Beer Cheese Dip

Beer Cheese Dip (slightly adapted from Kraft Recipes, Servings: 15, Total Time: 3 hours, 5 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 pkg. (8 oz.) Neufchatel cream cheese, softened

·         ¼ cup ranch dressing

·         1 cup shredded taco/nacho cheese

·         ¼ cup beer

·         2 green onions, chopped (white parts only)

Directions

1.)    Beat cream cheese and dressing in medium bowl until well-blended.

2.)    Stir in remaining ingredients.

3.)    Refrigerate until chilled.

I was a little hesitant to try this recipe after reading some of the reviews, but I’m glad that I took the plunge.  It was delicious!  I normally would have used fat-free or light ranch dressing, but I didn’t want to mess up the recipe, so I stayed with full-fat.  I also used taco/nacho cheese instead of shredded, I thought that a little Mexican-flavor couldn’t fail.  Finally, I used Yuengling Light beer to keep the dip from being overpowered by a beer taste.  In the future, I’ll probably stick with this, although I’d be tempted to try something else a little more full-bodied (maybe regular Yuengling or an Amber Lager).

The taste was mostly ranchy Mexican – a little hint of spice, a lot of cheese, and a good bite of ranch.  I couldn’t taste the beer, but it did make it very creamy and easy to spread on crackers.  I chopped the onions very small and I think that added just a hint of onion flavor – I don’t even think that I’d notice them if I hadn’t made the dip.

This went over really well with my party attendees. My mom even asked for the recipe!  Awesome!  Unfortunately, there were no leftovers.

Herbed Quinoa

Herbed Quinoa (slightly adapted from Food Network, Servings: 4, Total Time: 25 minutes)

Ingredients

·         Quinoa

o   2 ¾ cups vegetable stock

o   ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

o   1 ½ cups dry quinoa

·         Dressing

o   ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

o   ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

o   ¾ cup chopped fresh basil leaves

o   ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

o   1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

o   2 tsp. lemon zest

o   Salt and pepper

Directions

1.)    In a medium saucepan, add the vegetable stock, lemon juice and quinoa. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan and cook until all the liquid is absorbed, about 12 to 15 minutes.

2.)    While the quinoa is cooking, in a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, parsley, thyme, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

3.)    Pour the dressing over the quinoa and toss until all the ingredients are coated. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

I’ll start off by saying that I am not a fan of lemon; however, I had this dish at a work lunch and learn and really liked it, so I thought I’d give it a shot.  The only change that I made was using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock (which shouldn't have affected the lemon flavor).  I also added some chopped tomatoes to add a little color.  Unfortunately, my preparation did not come out as nicely as the one that I had at work.  It tasted very much like lemons, even after I let it sit overnight to allow the dressing to really seep into the quinoa.  It was not to my liking at all. I expected the herbs to balance out the lemon taste, but that just didn't work.

Fortunately, I had a party the next day and served it there.  The people who tried it (I think that a lot of people are still scared of quinoa), seemed to like it.  Note to self – go with your instincts when you think that there is too much lemon in a recipe!

Feta and Vegetable Rotini Salad

Feta and Vegetable Rotini Salad (slightly adapted from Kraft Recipes, Servings: 8, Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes)

Ingredients

·         3 cups wheat rotini pasta, cooked, cooled
·         1 cup crumbled Feta cheese
·         1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
·         1 cup chopped cucumbers
·         ½ cup Zesty Italian dressing
·         ¼ cup finely chopped red onions

Directions

1.)    Combine all ingredients.  Refrigerate 1 hour.  Stir just prior to serving.

This one was a big hit at a recent party that I hosted.  I only had one serving left over, which my husband promptly at the next day.  I have used both regular and tri-colored rotini with this recipe.  The tri-colored gives it a little more color, but I prefer the regular wheat pasta.  I omitted the black olives from the original recipe, but feel free to add them back in if you want.

The cucumbers and onions add a nice crunch to the soft, chewy pasta (I cook to al dente).  The Feta imparts a slightly salty flavor, but makes a major impact on taste – with its cheesiness filling each bite.  I like the Italian dressing with this dish, as opposed to a Greek, probably because I started eating salad with Italian dressing when I was younger.  The Zesty Italian adds a little kick of spices that a regular Italian dressing does not.  It works nicely with the Feta and the mild cucumbers.

Fresh Vegetable Salad

Fresh Vegetable Salad (from Kraft Recipes, Servings: 6, Total Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes)

Ingredients

·         1 cup chopped broccoli
·         1 cup chopped carrots
·         1 cup chopped red pepper
·         1 cup chopped zucchini
·         ½ cup Red Wine Vinaigrette

Directions

1.)    Mix all ingredients together.  Refrigerate for 3 hours.  Stir just prior to serving.

This is a simple and easier side dish – I made it a few years ago for a picnic and this time for a party.  The veggies really soak up the vinaigrette, so there is not a huge puddle at the bottom of your bowl (although, there is a small one).  The veggies stay crisp and fresh and the Red Wine Vinaigrette adds a sweet flavor to them.  I use shredded carrots in this recipe rather than chopped ones – it just makes this simple recipe a bit faster to put together. 

I used some leftovers to top salad greens – the ready-made marinated vegetables were almost enough to not have to add extra salad dressing.

The New Buckley's Tavern - Greenville, DE

A renovated Buckley’s Tavern opened in Fall 2012; however, my husband and I did not make a visit until a warm weekend in June.  We sat outside, but had the opportunity to see some of the indoor renovations.  The restaurant is much brighter now, more inviting.  It is a welcome change from the Buckley’s of the past.  Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the food.  I ordered the Vegetable Wrap with Sweet Potato Fries – something fresh and (hopefully) tasty on a warm day.  Well, all I can really say is that it was just OK.  The wrap consisted of grilled seasonal vegetables with pesto and snow pea shoots.  It wasn’t really anything to write home about.  The taste was just kind of bland – maybe it needed more pesto.  The sweet potato fries were standard – lightly salted.

Although I was not impressed with the food, I do plan on going back for dinner – the Macaroni and Cheese (and the Caramelized Onion and Fontina Flatbread) were calling my name.  Maybe I just chose the wrong entrée!

Blue Bird Inn (Lebanon, PA)

http://www.bluebirdinn.com/

My husband and I met his family for Father’s Day dinner at Blue Bird Inn in Lebanon.  I have been there once before and remembered the food being alright.  This time, we had to sit inside because of impending thunderstorms.  The front of the restaurant is bright, with big windows, ample seating, and a large bar. The back portion, where we sat, was dark and looked a little aged. 

There were a few vegetarian options on the menu, but I decided to go for the Sangria Basil Chicken (sans chicken, of course).  Mistake!  I was excited because it was Roasted Garlic & Asiago ravioli tossed with sautéed shallots, mushrooms, and baby spinach topped in a Sangria Tomato Basil Sauce.  Reading the description, I expected a flavor explosion!  Unfortunately, I didn’t get one.  It was actually really bland.  The ravioli was cooked alright, maybe a little too tough.  I couldn’t taste any sangria or basil in the sauce or any roasted garlic in the ravioli.  Overall, it was a pretty big letdown.  My husband’s father really likes this restaurant, so chances are I’ll be going again.  Next time, no Sangria Basil pasta for me.

Summery Risotto With Corn, Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Oil

Summery Risotto With Corn, Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Oil (from Herbivoracious.com, Servings: 6, Total Time: 45 minutes)

Ingredients for the tomato oil:

•  6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• handful of flavorful cherry tomatoes (or ¼ cup diced ripe tomato)
• ¼ tsp. salt

Ingredients for the risotto:

• 6 cups mildly flavored vegetable broth
• 4 Tbsp. olive oil
• ¼ cup minced onion
• 2 cups arborio rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 tsp. salt
• corn kernels from 1 and 1/2 ears, reserve the cobs (apparently they give it a more corny flavor)
• 2 small zucchini, fine dice
• ½ cup or more grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese plus more for serving

Directions

1. Bring the broth to a simmer, and add the corn cobs (if using).
2. Prepare the tomato oil by pureeing all ingredients in a mini-food processor.  Allow to steep for half an hour if possible and refrigerate if not using soon.
3. Heat 4 Tbps. olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot. Sauté the onion for a couple of minutes until softened but not browned. Add the rice and sauté for a minute or two until it turns slightly translucent.
4. Add the wine and salt stir until absorbed.
5. Add the broth, one ladle at a time, stirring very frequently. Continuously isn't necessary. When the rice begins to dry out, add another ladle.
6. After approx.. 16 minutes, begin to check a grain every minute. When there is a slight white pinhead that is a bit tough inside, add the vegetables. If you have used up all of the broth, you can start using water. Add more salt if needed.
7. Within 10 minutes, the rice should be tender. Take it off of the heat right away and stir in the cheese.
8. Serve in individual bowls. Add a good squeeze of the tomato oil around the edge, and top with more cheese.

This risotto recipe is fairly easy, which I always like.  I used a vegetable bouillon mix to make the 6 cups of broth needed.  I also used the white wine that we had in our wine cabinet, which was more of a semi-sweet than dry (it added some nice sweetness to the flavor, though).  I also used frozen corn instead of corn on the cob (so, I obviously did not add cobs to the brother, either).  As I said, this was an easy recipe and it turned out pretty delicious.  It was slightly salty, so you may want to consider cutting back to 1 ½ tsp. in the risotto.  I was a little hesitant about the tomato oil – but it does add a little bit of an olive oil/salt flavor, but I cannot really taste the tomatoes, which would have been nice.  It does add a nice color component to the dish though – then you have red, yellow, white and green! 

The zucchini and corn stayed crisp even when cooking for 10 minutes with the risotto.  It was a nice texture component paired with the creamy risotto.  And I will give that to this risotto – it is creamy, even when reheating for leftovers!  My husband and I both liked it a lot (and I didn’t even add the extra cheese on top!) and I do plan on making it again.  I just had some for leftovers and my mouth is already watering for it again!