Raspberry Cheese Dip

I got this recipe from my friend Marlo who always has the best recipes. And it has been urgently requested by my hungry pregnant friend, Olivia. :) It is delicious!

2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded montery jack cheese
6-10 chopped green onions
1 cups chopped pecans
6 Tablespoons Mayo
Combine. Put it into a pie plate lined with saran wrap and chill. Tip over onto serving plate and top with seeded raspberry jam or preserves. And serve with crackers. (I like wheat thins for this).

Mango Salsa

1/2 red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 mango, cubed
1/2 - 1 bunch cilantro (use how much you like. I say the more the better, i love the stuff).
sometimes I will also add a chopped jalapeno, just depends on the crowd.

Combine ingredients and sprinkle with some lime juice to taste. You can serve it with chips, or as a topping for breaded chicken, or with quesadillas. This is just what i use it for, but the options are endless!

That's Right, I Can Make Sushi!

My friend, Ruth, taught me how to make sushi! It is way easier than you think. This is one of those things that I never even really thought about attempting to make. I just sort of thought that regular people couldn't make sushi. But we can! Here's how you do it:
what you will need: (by the way, i got all of these ingredients in the Asian food section at my grocery store)
a package of seaweed wraps for sushi
Calrose Rice
Rice vinegar
Pickled Sushi Ginger
Wasabi
Soy Sauce

possible insides:(usually use 3 ingredients for the insides)
cucumber (peeled and take the seeds out)
avocado (peeled and sprinkled with lemon juice to avoid browning)
carrot (peeled)
crab meat or imitation
smoked salmon
scrambled eggs
or whatever else you like!

so, cook the rice. 1 1/2 cups rice, 3 cups water, 20 minutes. Cut your filling into long strips. Mix the cooked rice with:
1 Tblspn water
1 Tblspn sugar
2 Tblspns rice vinegar

Lay out a piece of seaweed on a cutting board. Spread a thinnish layer of rice on the seaweed paper. Lay your ingredients in a vertical line on top of the rice down the length of the paper. Close to the left edge of the paper, but not too close. Place your fingers on the filling, and pick up the bottom of the seaweed paper with your thumbs. Roll it tightly until you reach the end. I let it sit for about 5 minutes before i cut into pieces. Use a sharp knife.
Serve with pickled ginger (yum!)(pink stuff in the picture)
Wasabi (i bought wasabi mayo, you can get it straight-up, but it's pretty spicy)
Soy Sauce
I hope I described this well. I am a visual learner, so it is hard for me to write written instructions! If you like Sushi, please dare to try these california rolls. They are so yummy, and the best part is you can have as much as you want! Whenever I get sushi at restaurants, I'm always wishing for more, but don't want to spend more $. This way, you can have as much as you want, and you can make it just how you like it!

Lettuce Wraps

I've tried some other recipes that claim to be PF Chang lettuce wraps, but none of them have come as close as this one.

Lettuce Wraps
Condiments:
1 T hot mustard
1 tsp red chili paste

Sauce:
1/4 C water (boiling)
1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ginger (grated)

Stir Fry:
3 tbsp canola oil
4 chicken breasts (skinless, boneless)
1 C water chestnuts (5 oz dry weight tin, diced)
1/2 C straw mushrooms (diced)
1/3 C green onions (diced)
2 tsp garlic, (minced)
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 C rice noodles (optional)
10 iceberg lettuce leaves

Place condiments in separate serving dish. Combine sauce ingredients well, then set aside. Stir fry chicken in oil, 4 minutes each side. Remove. Chop chicken into dime-size pieces, return to pan along with remaining ingredients (which I dice pretty finely in a chopper) and stir fry until heated through. Spoon into lettuce cups and drizzle with sauce. Hot mustard and red chili paste can be added to the sauce according to taste.

Zesty Spinach Artichoke Dip

Zesty Spinach Artichoke Dip

2 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 small onion, chopped
1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 10 oz cans rotel, drained
2 tsps cumin
2 tsps chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder

Combine and place in a greased 2-½ quart baking dish. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
A couple of notes about this recipe…it makes quite a bit, so if you are making it for a smaller crowd, I would consider halving it. Also, for the artichoke hearts, I like to get the marinated ones, but non-marinated works fine, too. I got this recipe from my friend Marlo, who is a great cook! I usually change recipes when I make them, but this one does not need a bit of tweaking, it is perfect just how it is!

Sweet Tomatillo Salsa

I don't know if any of you remember a Mexican restaurant in Provo called Rosa's....anyway, they had the most fabulous tomatillo salsa. In fact, loved it so much, that when Jared proposed to me, he brought this salsa. So, I've been trying to recreate it, and here's what I've come up with. Pretty good if I do say so myself!

10 tomatillos, husked
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small can diced green chiles
1/4 - 1/2 cup cilantro (depending on how much you like cilantro, i love it and say,the more the better)
2 tsps lime juice
3-4 tblspns brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like things, and again, for me, the more the better)
2 tsps white sugar
salt to taste

Place tomatillos in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to boil. Simmer until tomatillos soften and begin to burst, about 10 minutes.
Drain tomatillos and place in a food processor or blender. Add back to saucepan with remaining ingredients, except cilantro. Cook a short time, just until it boils. Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.
I like it on chips, on tacos, burritos, etc.