Pan Fried Onion Dip

It's CANASTA night & that means munchies. And what better munchies than chips & dip? But we're not talking about the onion dip you buy from the dairy case (which I still enjoy sometimes). This recipe is a step above that & so easy to make. It's a thick dip, so you'll need to serve it with chips that can stand up to it - I usually go with kettle chips.


PAN FRIED ONION DIP
Ina Garten/Barefoot Contessa

2 Large Yellow Onions
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter*
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil*
1 Teaspoon salt
½ Teaspoon pepper
½ Teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 oz. Cream Cheese (room temperature)
½ cup Sour Cream
½ cup Mayonnaise

Heat butter & vegetable oil over medium heat in large skillet. Cut onions into half rings (you will have about 3 cups of onion). Add to skillet, add salt & pepper. Sauté 10 minutes; reduce to low heat & cook 20 minutes, stirring often, until onions are caramelized. Once caramelized, drain on paper towels. Mix cream cheese, mayo & sour cream until smooth. Add onions. Add more salt & black pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*The original recipe calls for 4 Tablespoons of both butter & oil but 3 Tablespoons of each works just fine.

Panini-Style Reubens

I am usually not a fan of canned meat products, but canned corned beef makes a delicious Reuben sandwich. We had these for dinner tonight, fixed panini-style on my double burner grill pan. The inside has a velvety texture that plays wonderfully against the crispy, toasted outside. The secret to this is combining the corned beef & sauerkraut before assembling the sandwiches. Mike likes his with Thousand Island dressing, but I prefer mine without.

Panini-Style Reubens
2 tablespoons butter
8 slices rye bread
1 can corned beef (Hormel)
8 slices Swiss cheese
1 cup sauerkraut, drained
2 tablespoons Thousand Island dressing

In a small saucepan, combine corned beef & sauerkraut. Break corned beef apart with a fork as it heats. Heat through.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat while lightly buttering one side of bread slices. Spread non-buttered sides with Thousand Island dressing. Top 4 pieces with 1 slice swiss cheese, 1/4 corned beef mixture & second slice of cheese. Top with remaining bread slices, buttered side out. Grill sandwiches until both sides are golden brown, about 5-7 minutes per side, pressing down firmly with spatula. Serve hot.

Easy Sticky Buns

When you're in the mood for sticky buns & don't really have the time to make a yeast dough from scratch, crescent dough works pretty well. I wanted to make a quick treat for Mike to have when he got home from work yesterday & he loved these. He didn't even mind the raisins I snuck in.

Easy Sticky Buns
Inspired by 2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

The Topping
1 stick butter at room temperature
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/3 to 1/2 cup pecans, broken into medium size pieces

The Rest of the Story...
2 cans "one sheet" crescent dough*
2 tablespoons butter, melted & cooled
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Place muffin tin on foil lined baking sheet.

With a fork, mash butter and brown sugar together until smooth. Divide evenly among 12 cup muffin tin. Top with pecan pieces.

Roll out 1st sheet of crescent dough, pressing together any seams. Spread with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle with half the brown sugar, cinnamon & raisins. Roll up jelly-roll style. Trim ends and cut into 6 equal pieces. Place in muffin tins. Repeat with other sheet of crescent dough to make 12 sticky buns. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until baked completely through in center. Remove from oven & let cool for 5 minutes. Invert on parchment paper.

*If the "one sheet" crescent dough is more expensive, pass on it & buy the regular dough. Both of my one sheet rolls still had 2 or 3 seams each.



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Captain Crunch French Toast

Mike & I caught an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives a few weeks ago that featured The Blue Moon Cafe in Baltimore, MD. Once we saw the french toast they were serving up, we were ready for a road trip. Of course, we couldn't really just pack up & go, so I did a little searching and found a similar recipe on Recipezaar.com. We had it this morning with sausage links & orange juice and our overnight guests really enjoyed it. Crispy & crunchy on the outside with a soft & chewy center, it's a delicious & indulgent Sunday morning breakfast.

***I cut this recipe in half, allowing 1 1/2 pieces for each of us.***

Captain Crunch French Toast
6 large eggs
5 tablespoon sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Butter
1 (16 ounce) box Captain Crunch cereal
1 loaf French bread, sliced 1" thick

Pour cereal into a gallon-size ziplock bag and crush to a course meal -- make sure there are a few good size pieces in the mix. Pour into a 9x13 pan in order to dredge properly. Combine eggs, sugar, cream, vanilla, and spices in a large bowl. It will have the consistency of custard. Soak each slice of bread in wet ingredients, 30 seconds each side. Be sure the edges are moist, too. Dredge in Cap'n Crunch, lightly press onto each side, and around the crust. Place on parchment paper until all slices are coated. Heat 1 tbs. butter in large skillet, then gently place slices in pan; two at a time. Cook three minutes per side. Place on parchment covered baking pan in a warm oven. Serve plain or with maple syrup.

Laura's Lean Beef Giveaway

My friends at Laura's Lean Beef are offering two of my readers a chance to win $20 each worth of coupons for their products. It's beef you can feel good about eating because the cattle are raised without the use of growth hormones or antibiotics & fed a diet of natural grains and grasses, which goes along with their belief that healthier beef is leaner beef.

To enter, leave a comment on this entry, along with a valid email address. Want a 2nd chance to win? Post about this contest on your blog, including a link back to this entry, then send me an email at Toniacooks@verizon.net. You'll then be entered twice! Winners will be chosen at random. The contest ends Sunday, March 15th.

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Healthier Meatloaf

One of my favorite comfort dinners is meatloaf & mashed potatoes. Not exactly a healthy meal, but I still love it. To make my meatloaf healthier, I've started using Laura's Lean Beef - 96% lean ground round. I still use my tried & true Martha Stewart recipe and the meatloaf turns out perfectly. And the most appealing thing for me is there is practically no grease to drain off. Meatloaf can be a quick weeknight meal too. I mixed today's meatloaf up last night & Mike popped it in the oven when he got home from work this afternoon. And we have plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow. For my recipe, click here.

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I absolutely love roasted brussels sprouts. Admittedly not as much as I love them soft, mushy & coated with butter, but they are still incredibly delicious from the oven. And much healthier. Which is what we're all trying to be, right? This recipe uses balsamic vinegar, which gives the sprouts a nice caramelized finish with a sweet & nutty flavor. Delicious! My sister came in this evening as I was taking them from the oven & we stood there eating them right off the baking sheet. I'm kind of glad Mike doesn't like them...more for me.

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 pound fresh brussels sprouts, cut in half lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 450 F. Put sprouts in mixing bowl and toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, season with salt & pepper. Cover roasting pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Arrange sprouts in a single layer on roasting pan,cut side up and roast 10-12 minutes. Flip with a spatula, then roast anouther 10 minutes until golden brown.