Guacamole (the Girl Who Ate Everything)

4 ripe avocados

1/2 cup red onion, diced finely

2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced finely

1/4 - 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped finely

1 lime, juiced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

(optional) 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced finely

Cut avocados in half and remove pit. Scoop out flesh of avocado and coarsely chop it. Place in a large bowl and slightly mash with a fork. I like mine on the chunky side. Add the diced onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic and toss together with the avocados. If you like your guacamole on the spicy side add some diced jalapeno here.

Add the lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Chill until serving. If not serving right away place saran wrap directly against the guacamole so that it does not oxidize and turn brown. Serve with tortilla chips.

Toasted Whole Grain Apple Cheddar Panini (Picky Palate)

Ingredients:

2 slices Whole Grain Wheat Bread, lightly buttered on 1 side each (Love the Alpine Valley Loaf from Costco)

1/2 Gala apple, sliced almost paper thin, see pic of apples above

1/4 Cup shredded cheddar cheese, Tillamook works wonders here

Side of Dijon Mustard for dipping

1.  Heat a small skillet or grill pan to get the panini look over medium heat.  Place buttered side of bread #1 down in hot skillet.  Layer bread with half the cheese, the apples then the remaining cheese.  Top with bread #2, buttered side up.  Grill for 1- 1 1/2 minutes per side pressing on sandwich (to get grill marks) until golden brown on each side.  Remove, slice, dip in Dijon and EAT!

1 serving

Garlic Toasted Balsamic Chicken Bruschetta Sandwich (Picky Palate)

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts from http://lovetocookagain.blogspot.com/2011/08/balsamic-grilled-bruschetta-chicken.html
Pinch of salt
¼ Cup balsamic vinegar
¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil

4 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
8 fresh basil leaves, stacked, rolled and thinly sliced into chiffonade
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
Pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

8 thin slices fresh mozzarella
4 ciabatta rolls, or other rolls of choice

1. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Spray with cooking spray. Combine balsamic and olive oil in a bowl. Season both sides of chicken with pinches of salt and place on grill. Brush top sides of chicken with balsamic mixture. Cook for 4-5 minutes and flip chicken. Brush with additional balsamic and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked through.

2. In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, basil garlic, salt and balsamic. Toss gently to combine. Set aside.

3. Preheat same grill pan over medium heat and spray with additional cooking spray. Place 2 slices of cheese on bottom rolls then layer with chicken breasts, spoonfuls of tomato mixture and 2 more slices of cheese. Place top rolls to close sandwich and grill both sides on hot grill pan until toasty and warm. Serve warm.

Balsamic Grilled Bruschetta Chicken (Picky Palate)

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed (I use the big Costco bag)
Pinch of salt
¼ Cup balsamic vinegar
¼ Cup extra virgin olive oil
8 slices fresh mozzarella cheese

4 Roma Tomatoes, seeded and diced
8 fresh basil leaves, stacked, rolled and thinly sliced into chiffonade
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
Pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Spray with cooking spray. Combine balsamic and olive oil in a bowl. Season both sides of chicken with pinches of salt and place on grill. Brush top sides of chicken with balsamic mixture. Cook for 4-5 minutes and flip chicken. Brush with additional balsamic and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. During the last 2 minutes of grilling place 2 slices of cheese over top each chicken to melt.

2. In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, basil garlic, salt and balsamic. Toss gently to combine. Place chicken breasts on a serving plate and top with tomato mixture. Serve warm.

Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Closet Cooking)

Servings: makes 1 sandwich

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup cooked shredded chicken, warm
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon mayo (optional)
• 1 tablespoon carrot, grated
• 1 tablespoon celery, sliced
• 1 tablespoon green or red onion, sliced or diced
• 1 tablespoon blue cheese, room temperature, crumbled
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, room temperature, grated
• 1 tablespoon butter.

Directions

1. Mix the chicken, hot sauce, mayo, carrot, celery and onion in a small bowl.
2. Assemble sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Mocha Ice Cream Cupcakes (Rachel Ray)

Thanks Brenna for sharing! This looks so good. :)

 Ingredients

• One 12-count box sugar ice cream cones
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
• One 3-ounce bar semisweet chocolate, plus more for shavings
• 3 cups coffee ice cream, softened
• 1/2 cup chocolate-covered espresso beans, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

Get ahead
Freeze these mini cakes for up to three days.

Directions:

1. Using a food processor, grind the ice cream cones into fine crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the butter. Divide the crumb mixture among the cups of a 6-cup jumbo muffin pan and press about three-quarters of the way up the sides of each cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon almonds into each cup.
2. In a small, microwaveable bowl, melt 3 ounces chocolate at medium power in intervals, stirring occasionally. Top the almonds with the melted chocolate to cover. Freeze for 10 minutes.
3. Spoon about 2 tablespoons ice cream into each muffin cup. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon chopped espresso beans onto the ice cream and flatten with the back of a spoon. Add another 2 tablespoons ice cream and the remaining almonds and flatten again. Add the remaining ice cream and espresso beans, and flatten. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
4. Whip the cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form.
5. Run a knife around the edges of the muffin cups to remove from the pan. Top the cakes with the whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

• 
  Toast nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat to bring out their flavor.
• 
  Use your fingers to press the crumb mixture up the sides of the muffin pan.
   
• 
  Gently release the cupcakes from the pan with a kitchen knife.
   
• 
  Shave the chocolate with a vegetable peeler.

Pizza Dip (Closet Cooking)

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
• 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
• 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 2 ounces pepperoni, sliced
• 2 tablespoons green pepper, sliced
• 2 tablespoons black olives, sliced

Directions

1. Mix the cream cheese, sour cream mayonnaise, mozzarella and parmigiano reggiano and spread it across the bottom of a pie plate.
2. Spread the pizza sauce on top and sprinkle on the cheese, pepperoni, green pepper and olives.
3. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the cheese has melted, bubbling and golden brown, about 20 minutes.