Bacon Wrapped Dates

My little sister served a mission in Spain and introduced us to several Spanish tapas (appetizers)  at a new favorite restaurant in Las Vegas named Firefly.  This is a knockoff of just one of their amazing dishes!

1 package of dates
1 package bacon
blue cheese
almonds
toothpicks

Make a slit in the date.  Stuff the inside with blue cheese and almonds (I use almond slivers).  Wrap the entire date with either 1/2 or 1/3 of a strip of bacon and secure with a toothpick.  Put on a baking sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes.  Turn the dates over at 20 minutes to cook evenly.  

*You can also stuff with a whole almond and leave the blue cheese sprinkled over the entire dish, which is then picked up with the tooothpick and eaten all together.  I prefer the cheese on the inside.

* This can also be served with a red wine reduction drizzled over the serving dish.

Crispy Snacks

from the kitchen of Anna Sokol

Lettuce
Wontons
Mozzarella String Cheese Stick

Cut the wonton in strips and fry in oil.  Cut the cheese into 1/4" sections.  Put ingredients on a plate in this order: wonton, lettuce, then cheese. 

Corn Salad with Queso Fresco

from the kitchen of Kristin Sokol from Our Best Bites adapted from Better homes & Gardens Mexican
A Link to Our Best Bites with pictures

4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
8 ounces queso fresco or cotija cheese
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (and seeded if desired)
1/2 recipe (about 6 ounces) Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
1 large avocado, pitted, peeled, and cubed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Optional: For an easy one-dish meal, add leftover rotisserie chicken

Instructions:
Bring about 1 inch of water to a boil in a large stock pot. When the water boils, add the corn and cook for 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse and then add to a large bowl. Toss together the corn, red bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno pepper, and crumbled cheese. Toss with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette. Chill until ready to serve. Right before serving, gently toss in the avocado and season with salt and pepper. Serves 10-12.

Avocado Pomegranate Salsa

From the kitchen of Whitney Bell, Hayley's friend from Iowa

1 pomegranate
3 avocados, cubed
3 Tbsp lime juice
2 tsp jalapeno, minced and seeded
1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced

Combine all ingredients and serve with tortilla chips.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Recipe adapted from Allrecipes by Our Best Bites

I had these at a friends house this weekend while we watched the BYU basketball game...Yummy! Great for your Super Bowl Party!

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened (light works great)

1 c. mayonnaise (light also works here, but DON’T use Miracle Whip!)

1 c. Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced

1 4-oz. can fire roasted green chilies

1/2-1 4-oz. can diced jalapeno peppers*, drained
optional: 8oz bacon, cooked and crumbled

1-2 sourdough baguettes, sliced, and/or crackers

*1/2 can is mild with a little bite, a whole can is definitely on the spicy side, but if you’ve got taste buds of steel, you might prefer a 7-oz. can. 4 ounces definitely pushes the limit for my husband and I and our kids won’t touch it.

Preheat oven to 350. If using bacon, reserve 2-3 Tbs and sprinkle on top of dip before baking.  Combine cream cheese, mayo, parmesan, and garlic and stir until smooth.  Add jalapenons and green chilies.  If using bacon, stir in remaining bacon.  Spread dip into a 9″ pie plate or a small baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining bacon if using.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until dip is bubbly and golden brown.

Balsmanic Tomatoes Pizza

from the kitchen of Alisa Chytraus

Start by macerating chopped tomatoes in balsamic vinegar, evoo, & s&p

Dough:

2 T. Flour

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 T. Honey

1 pkg. Yeast

Combine & let sit for 15 min.

Gradually add:

4-5 cups flour

1/2 t. Salt

Let rise 1 1/2-2 hours. Bake on stone in oven at the highest temp it will go.

Topped with caramelized onions cooked in olive oil & butter with a handful of sugar, add extra evoo if needed to pizza, some italian seasoning, & mozzarella cheese

Put tomatoes on top after it gets out of the oven.

Sage's Cheese Ball

From the kitchen of Sage Hoopiiaina

8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cube butter
1 T. minced onion
1 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp paprika
green onions (3-4)
McCormick "Bon Appetit" seasoning salt to taste (this really makes it)
grated carrots

Roll in chopped pecans

Serve with sundried tomato wheat thins.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Karen Sokol

1/2 c. (1 stick) margarine

1/4 c. chopped or grated onion

1 lb. spinach, steamed and well drained

1 (14 0z.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (8 oz.) Pkg. Cream cheese

1 (8 oz.) Pkg. Sour cream

1 c. shredded Jack cheese

1 c. Parmesan cheese

1 T. Pepper sauce (optional)

Crackers or sliced french bread

Melt margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in cooked spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, sour cream, 3/4 c. jack cheese, 3/4 c. Parmesan cheese, pepper sauce, and salt. Stir until well blended and heated through. Pour mixture into a 1/2-quart casserole dish and top with remaining jack and Parmesan cheeses. Bake in a 350-degree oven until cheese starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Makes about 4 cups.

Spicy Jalepeno Sliders

Hayley Sokol Bahr

I make these for New Year's Eve. The recipe is from Aaron McCargo Jr., Food Network Star 2008.

1 lb. ground beef

2 jalapenos, seeded and diced fine, plus whole or sliced, for serving

2 shallots, chopped fine

1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs

1/4 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. grated spicy Monterey Jack cheese

Pinch garlic powder

1 T. kosher salt, plus pinch

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 c. crème fraiche or cream cheese

1/4 c. store-bought salsa Verde

12 mini dinner rolls (Dan's Food has slider buns)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, add ground beef, jalapenos, shallots, panko, heavy cream, cheese, garlic powder, 1 T salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Mix together well. Form into small patties and place in oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl, add crème fraiche or cream cheese, salsa verde, pinch of salt and pepper, mix together. Refrigerate until ready to serve with your sliders.

Lightly spread above mixture on both sides of buns. Place burgers in middle and pick it with a jalapeno.

Grilled Corn and Peach Salsa

Hayley Sokol Bahr

4 cobs fresh corn or 1 can corn
2 jalapenos, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. cumin
1 T. canola oil
2 large peaches, diced
3 medium tomatoes
1/2 c. chopped cilantro
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. lime juice
1/2 tsp. pepper

Cut corn off cobs or open can. Heat oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Add corn, diced onions and garlic to pan and cook 4-5 minutes. Add cumin for last minutes of cooking to release flavors.
Combine remaining ingredients with cooked corn mixture and chill for 1 hour.

Can be served over salad, grilled chicken or with chips!

Feta Cilantro Dip

Hana Sokol

1 bunch cilantro (leaves only)

1/2 tsp. crushed garlic

1 jalapeño pepper

2 juiced lemons

1/3 c. olive oil

1 c. pecans

10 oz. feta

1/3 c. cold water

Add everything slowly to food processor to chop and mix well

This is a large recipe, I usually half it.

Crab Dip

Joia Sokol Thompson (Charlie’s sister)

1½ c. mayonnaise

1¼ c. crabmeat, Joia uses one 6½ oz. can

1/2 c. cheddar cheese (grated fine)

1 tsp. horseradish

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. French dressing

Mix all ingredients together and dip with crackers.

Cheese Fondue

Karen Sokol

2 T. Butter or margarine

3 T. Flour

2½ c. milk

1 lb. cheese, grated

(We usually use l c. Swiss, 1/2 c. smoked Gouda, and 1 c. pepper jack) Any combination of cheeses works.

Melt butter, stir in flour making a roux. Add milk and stir until thickened. Add grated cheeses and stir until melted on low. Pour into fondue pot and serve with crusty French bread cubes.

Bean Dip Platter

Karen Sokol

1 can bean dip or refried beans

2 avocados, mashed

1 T. lime or lemon juice

Salt and pepper

1/2 c. sour cream

1/2 package taco seasoning mix

1/4 c. chopped green onions

1/2 lb. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 large can sliced ripe olives

1 small can diced green chili peppers

Layer on a large platter and serve with corn chips

Avocado Salsa

Karen Sokol, from the kitchen of El Cholo.

2 medium-sized avocados (preferably Hass)

1/2 red bell pepper (stemmed, seeded and finely diced)

1/2 medium white onion (peeled and finely sliced

1 T. fresh cilantro (chopped)

1 ripe tomato (stemmed and finely diced)

1 Serrano chili (stemmed, seeded and finely diced; be careful to wash hands after preparation to avoid burning eyes and skin)

Juice of 1/3 lime

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Cut the avocados in half, removing the pits, and cut into fine dices. Place in a bowl and fold in the remaining ingredients. Taste and correct the seasonings if necessary.

If you are not going to use this immediately, film top with olive oil and cover with plastic wrap. It will store at room temperature for an hour or two. Pour off the oil before serving. Serves 4.