Bacon Water Chestnut Wraps

Submitted by Sarah Terry

INGREDIENTS
1 pound sliced bacon
2 (8 ounce) cans whole water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup chili sauce

DIRECTIONS
Cut bacon strips in half. In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until almost crisp; drain. Wrap each bacon piece around a water chestnut and secure with a toothpick. Place in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish.
Combine the brown sugar, mayonnaise and chili sauce; pour over water chestnuts. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Hot Onion Souffle’ Dip

Submitted by Heather Sheehan

1 large yellow onion, chopped.
2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. mayonnaise
2- 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened.
Best if spread on something firm such as crackers, bagel chips, or fresh veggies.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients well in large bowl.
Pour into 2-quart souffle’ or casserole dish.
Bake 25-30 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned on top.
Allow to cool on stove top 10-15 minutes before serving.

Healthy Food Night

March's meeting was a bit smaller, due to Spring break scheduling conflicts, but we still had fun late into the night.

The theme was Healthy Food, and we started off the night with a real treat brought by Tricia. She blended us up some smoothies that were quite tasty, and she shared some tips on making your smoothies healthier; such as using honey or juice to sweeten, instead of sugar.

Next Heather shared with us a quick and easy recipe for her bean pico salsa that we could not stop eating all night. When feeling especially healthy, she even makes her own tortilla chips, by cutting tortillas into wedges, spraying with "I can't believe it's not butter" and a little salt, and baking in the oven until crisp. A truly yummy substitute for store bought, deep fried chips.

JoDee made a fresh strawberry vinaigrette, and shared some tips on jazzing up salads. She likes to focus on colors as well as flavors to make a plain jane salad more appealing. In addition to your usual vegetable additions to a salad, try adding dried cranberries, fresh fruit, nuts, chunks of cheese, avocado, or fresh pepper to a salad to spruce up the appearance and flavor. Look through your pantry and you'll be surprised how many things you have on hand that taste great in a salad.

Fresh Pico De Gallo

Submitted by Heather Sheehan

Chop finely:

1 Red onion
2-3 tomatoes (avoid using Steak tomatoes-little flavor.)
1 c. Cilantro
2 ripe but firm avocados
1 c. mango, peaches, or pineapple; any one. (Canned may be used if fresh is not available. Strain the juice.)


Add:

1 can of corn
1 can black beans (strained and rinsed.)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. lime juice

For more of a kick, finely dice 1 Jalapeno pepper. Remove the seeds and membrane to avoid too much heat, unless that's your desire!

Strawberry Vinegrette

Submitted by JoDee Leahy

1 package (16 oz) frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed
6 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/8 tsp poppy seeds

Place the strawberries in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Add lemon juice and sugar. While processing, gradually add vinegar and oil in a steady stream; process until thickened. Stir in poppy seeds. Transfer to a bowl or jar; cover and store in the refrigerator. Yield: 2 1/2 cups

Smoothies

Submitted by Tricia Schroeder

recipe pending

Seafood Night Tips

This months cooking club was a great success. We had seafood night at Heather Sheehan's home. The ambiance was very nautical with lighthouse plates, and a very cute sand and seashell centerpiece. Heather made us "Sand in your pants" frozen drinks while we all feasted on coconut shrimp, clam chowder, cheese garlic biscuits, and rolled our own sushi. Then to top it all off, there were cute fish cookies for dessert. We had fun learning how to make new dishes, and just chatting away into the night while enjoying great food.

Heather shared with us some tips on cooking seafood. She said the biggest mistake people make is to cook seafood too long. Unlike chicken and pork which we tend to cook long to avoid food poisoning; seafood cooks very quickly and should NOT be overcooked. Good fish, like a good steak, does not have to be fully charred to be "safe" as can be seen with many sushi which may contain completely raw fish. In fact, most people who say they don't like seafood is simply because what they have tried was most likely overdone. Shrimp and other shellfish is pink raw, and should be cooked just until plump. Cook it too long and it becomes rubbery and tough. Fish fillets should be cooked just until opaque and flaky.

Thank you, Heather, for hosting; and we're looking forward to a night of "Healthy Dinners" at Melissa McRae's home next month. We hope to see a lot of you there!