Pinterest Picks

Sorry for the lack of blog posts! Not too much going on around here!

I figured since Lauren posted some of her favorite pinterest recipes (here), I would post some of my favorites too!

Appetizers

Bacon Pinwheels

BBQ Chicken Dip

BLT Bites

Main Dishes

Garlic Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Ground Beef, Caramelized Onion, and Spinach Lasagna

Honey Cashew Chicken with Rice

Key West Grilled Chicken

Foil Baked Fish with Black Beans and Corn

New-Orleans Style Shrimp and Rice

Mustard-Glazed Pork Chops

Easy Crunchy Mustard-Baked Salmon

And for Dessert - Cookies!

Pumpkin Toffee Cookies with Salted Caramel Glaze

Momofuku's Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies

Phyllo Shells-The Way to Make an Easy Appetizer

I love to use phyllo shells when making appetizers! Just whip up something to go in them, stick them in the oven, and you have a hit! Here are two appetizers involving phyllo shells that have been huge hits! Please excuse the different fonts - I don't know what is going on!

Red's Tomato Tarts

- 1 can (10oz) Rotel tomatoes, very well drained

- 1 cup mayo

- 1 (3 oz.) pkg. real bacon pieces (I used Oscar Mayer because they were "real" and came n a 3 oz. pkg.)

- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

- 3 packages mini phyllo shells 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine first 4 ingredients.  Fill shells and bake for 10 - 15 minutes. 

Aunt Reen's BLT Cups (not a clue who Aunt Reen is, but I saw these on the Today Show) 

- 3 packages mini phyllo shells

- 3/4 lb. applewood smoked bacon

- 1 1/2 cups romaine, fine chiffonade

- 3/4 cup plum tomato, seeded and diced small

- 6 tablespoons mayo

- 3/8 teaspoon lemon zest

- 1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper

- 3 teaspoons finely chopped parsley

Preheat over to 350. Remove phyllo shells from package, place on baking sheet, and bake 5-7 minutes. Mix mayo, lemon zest, cracked pepper, and parsley together in a small bowl and place in the refrigerator, covered. Either cook bacon in a skillet until desired crunchiness or bake on small baking sheet for about 15 minutes in preheated 350-degree oven. Let bacon cool and break up, and then dice into very small dice. Slice romaine lengthwise along rib. Place both halves on top of each other and slice crosswise into thin ribbons (chiffonade). Cut romaine into small enough pieces to fit in the phyllo shells. In a medium bowl, mix diced bacon, chiffonaded romaine, and diced tomato with a some of the mayo just until it glistens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place a spoonful of mixture into the phyllo shell. Serve and enjoy!

Toasted Pecan Goat Cheese

As you can tell, I really love my new cookbook Southern My Way by Gena Knox. This little appetizer was one of the easiest things I have ever made, and it was absolutely tasty!

Toasted Pecan Goat Cheese with Tupelo Honey
- 1 (11-ounce) log goat cheese, softened (Once again, my Albany grocery store didn't have something I was looking for; however, since I couldn't find the log of goat cheese, I just bought the crumbled goat cheese and let it soften on the way home from the grocery, and it worked just fine)
- 3/4 cup pecan halves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons tupelo honey (Couldn't find the tupelo, but regular honey tasted good to me!)
- Fresh baguette, sliced for serving (I served the baguette, along with Wheat Thins and Triscuits, and I think I like the crackers better than the bread)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut goat cheese log in half. Using hands, shape each half into a round disk and place on parchment paper. Place pecans on baking sheet and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toast until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove pecans from oven and transfer to wax paper to cool. Once cooled, finely chop in a food processor or by hand. Roll each goat cheese round in pecans until coated on all sides, pressing pecans into cheese as needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Place goat cheese on serving dish. Drizzle with honey, and serve with baguette slices. Soften goat cheese at room temperature before serving.