Week 38: Recipe #4--Neely's Pigs in a Blanket with a Tangy Dipping Sauce

These were great, and the kids gobbled them up!  I found this recipe on the Food Network website (see link below).  They were the perfect size for the kids and my husband loved them, too.  Not the healthiest menu option, but it was a fun dinner night.  I did serve these with baked veggies and fresh fruit, so all in all--great meal.  These would make great appetizers, too!  Makes 24 mini pigs.

Photo from foodnetwork.com

You'll Need:

• 1 (8 oz.) can original crescent dough
• 1/4 c. dijon mustard
• 20 mini hot dogs or cocktail franks
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• poppy seeds or sesame seeds (I used sesame)
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise
• 3 Tblsp. dijon mustard
• 1 Tblsp. whole-grain mustard

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cut each triangle of crescent roll dough into thirds lengthwise, making 3 small strips from each roll.
3. Brush the dough strips lightly with dijon mustard.  Put the mini dogs on one end of the dough and roll up.
4. Arrange them, seam side down, on a greased cookie sheet.  Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds.  Bake until golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.  Serve warm with the dipping sauce.
5. For the tangy dipping sauce, mix the last 4 ingredients (sour cream to whole-grain mustard) in a bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.  Can be made a day ahead.

Recipe and link:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/patrick-and-gina-neely/neelys-pigs-in-a-blanket-recipe/index.html

Week 32: Bonus Appetizer Recipe--Skinny Asparagus and Gruyere Tart

This tart is AMAZING.  I found it on a site called What's Gaby Cooking (see link below) and made it as an appetizer for Easter.  It was super easy to make and looks (and tastes) much fancier than it is.  It was so delicious; I'll definitely be making this again (soon!).  Makes 6 servings.

Photo from What's Gaby Cooking

You'll Need:

• 1 sheet puff pastry (I used store-bought Pepperidge Farm, located in the freezer section near pies)
• 1/2 c. gruyere, shredded
• 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 bundle skinny asparagus
• 1 Tblsp. olive oil
• sea salt
• crushed black pepper

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Thaw the puff pastry either by placing it in the fridge overnight or by laying it on the counter, on a piece of parchment paper, for about an hour.
3. Trim the ends of the asparagus by 1 inch to get rid of the woody stalk.
4. Once thawed unfold the flap and slightly roll out the dough to get rid of the seams.  (I skipped that step--turned out fine.)  Transfer the puff pastry dough while still on the parchment paper to a baking sheet.  Sprinkle half the gruyere and parmesan on the puff pastry.  Line the asparagus on top of the cheese.  Scatter the rest of the cheese on top of the asparagus and drizzle with the olive oil.  Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry dough has puffed and the asparagus is roasted and cooked through.  
5. Sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper before serving.

Recipe and link:  http://whatsgabycooking.com/skinny-asparagus-and-gruyere-tart/

Week 32: Recipe #3--Saucy Asian Meatballs

These are technically an appetizer, but I thought I'd make these for dinner and serve them over rice.  They were pretty tasty!  I found these on a site called Gimme Some Oven (see link below).  They were super easy to make, and I already had everything in my pantry/fridge, except for the green onions, which I left out.  I'd like to try them next time, but the meatballs were still really good.  I served these over rice with green beans and applesauce.   Makes about 35-40 meatballs.

Photo from www.gimmesomeoven.com

You'll Need:

For the meatballs:

• 2 lbs. ground pork or ground beef
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 c. Panko or breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 eggs
• 3 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 c. thinly-sliced green onions
• optional garnish:  toasted sesame seeds, sliced scallions

For the Asian sauce:

• 2/3 c. hoisin sauce
• 1/4 c. rice vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tblsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. ground ginger

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together meatball ingredients until well-combined.  Shape into balls (about 1 to 1 1/2 inches) and place on a greased baking sheet or in a 9 x 13 baking dish (I found they fit better on a baking sheet).  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until meatballs are golden on the outside and no longer pink on the inside.
3. While the meatballs are baking, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients until blended.  Once meatballs have finished cooking, you can either dip each meatball individually (using a toothpic) in the sauce mixture.  Or you can pour the sauce over the meatballs and gently stir them until covered. (I did the latter, and then served them over rice--yum!)

Recipe and link:  http://gimmesomeoven.com/saucy-asian-meatballs/

Week 29: Recipe #4--Slow Cooker Sweet and Tangy Meatballs

This is a SUPER easy recipe--it doesn't get much easier than this.  These meatballs would be good to have as an appetizer, but they also worked for us over some rice with a side of veggies.  I found these on the website Six Sisters Stuff (see link below).  They smelled wonderful cooking in the crockpot, and they tasted great.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Photo from Six Sisters Stuff

You'll Need:

• 1 jar (12 oz.) chili sauce
• 1 jar grape jelly
• 1 pkg. frozen meatballs (I used Trader Joe's turkey meatballs, and I used 1 1/2 bags, which turned out to be 20 meatballs)

Preparation:

1. Combine jelly and chili sauce in a crockpot and stir until smooth.  Heat the mixture if need to combine.  
2. Add meatballs and set temperature to low.  Cook for 2-5 hours on low.  
3. Serve over rice or with toothpicks!

Recipe and link:  http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/06/slow-cooker-sweet-and-tangy-meatballs.html

Bonus: The BEST Parmesan Dip

Many people have been asking me for this recipe, so I will post it here.  I am not kidding you when I say this is the BEST.  I got this recipe from my mother-in-law a few years back, and I always make it when I have to bring something for a potluck.  It's always a hit!  The recipe I'm posting is doubled from the original my mother-in-law gave me, so you could half it, but why?  That would mean less spinach-parmesan goodness, and that's just not right.  I have served this with tortilla chips and/or veggies, but my favorite thing to serve it with is cut up tandoori naan bread.  Mmmmm..........

You'll Need:

• 2 pkgs. (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach
• 2 2/3 cups grated parmesan cheese (I use Kraft in the green container)
• 1 large onion (this is in the original recipe, but when I double it, I don't double the onion...if halving the recipe, use 1/2 an onion)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped (I always use more because I LOVE garlic.  I always at least use 3, but any more than that is up to your personal preference)
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup mayonnaise (the original recipe called for one cup--when I double, I don't double the mayo...you could do up to 1/2 cup more if you'd like; any more and it gets too greasy)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• paprika

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Defrost and squeeze dry the spinach.  Mix together 2 1/3 cups of parmesan cheese, the chopped spinach, onion, garlic, cream cheese, and mayo.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  
3. Place in a greased casserole dish and top with the remaining 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese, and sprinkle with paprika.  Bake until hot and bubbly (about 20 minutes).  Serve immediately.

***Freezes well, both before and after baking.