Cucumber Watermelon Salsa

Cucumber Watermelon Salsa is my new go-to summer salsa recipe, utilizing fresh produce from my garden and the farmer's market. Watermelon and cucumber are balanced out by jalapeno and cilantro, making it a perfectly balanced sweet and spicy salsa. Serve with tortilla chips or on top of grilled chicken.


What's your favorite salsa recipe?


Click here for recipe from Iowa Girl Eats

Skinny Queso Dip

                            

This Skinny Queso Dip is zesty and creamy. It tastes delicious, so you won't be able to tell that it's "skinny."

I made two modifications to this recipe. I used pepper jack cheese instead of cheddar, for a zestier flavor. I also didn't have access to poblano peppers, so I omitted.


Click here for recipe from Skinny Taste

Hot Corn Dip

Hot Corn Dip is a cheesy and spicy dip that's perfect for football party season. You can easily adjust the level of heat in this dish by putting in more or less chipotle peppers. I made this unique dip a few weeks ago and it was a hit.

What's your favorite dip for football party season?


Click here for recipe from Gina Marie's Kitchen

Potato Oles - Taco John's Copycat

If you are familiar with Taco John's, you are going to love this copycat recipe for Taco John's Potato Oles. If you are not familiar with Taco John's, I'm sorry - but you'll still enjoy this recipe! Having this recipe has been dangerous knowledge and I have to share it with you. This recipe comes with warnings...

• You may be inclined to eat the entire batch with homemade cheese sauce.
• You may be inclined to turn the recipe into a batch of Tot-chos
• You may never be able to eat tater tots the same again.

Potato Oles - Taco John’s Copycat

Ingredients:
·4 tsp Lawry’s seasoning salt
·2 tsp paprika
·1 tsp cumin
·1 tsp cayenne pepper
·Tater tots

Directions:
Mix together seasoning ingredients. Sprinkle on tater tots and stir together in a large bowl. Spread seasoned tater tots out on a baking sheet and bake according to package directions.

Hot Caprese Dip

Hot Caprese Dip combines 3 ingredients - creamy mozzarella, juicy tomatoes, and sweet basil - that's perfect with tortilla chips. The flavor of this dip was incredibly fresh, but it was watery and hard to dip. The fresh tomatoes get even juicier when baked, which resulted in a watery dip. The fresh mozzarella I used molded together when melted, making it impossible to dip. No worries, with my love of caprese, I had no problem eating this dip with a spoon.

Click here for recipe from How Sweet Eats

Cucumber and Avocado Summer Rolls with a Savory Sauce

I love spring rolls, but they can be frustrating to make. I haven't found a way to easily work with rice paper wrappers or a trick to rolling them tight. If you have any tips - PLEASE send them my way. :)

These Cucumber and Avocado Summer Rolls are incredibly fresh. Rich avocado is paired with juicy cucumber, crisp carrots, and fragment fresh basil. I grew the cucumber and basil in my garden this year, and never would have thought to combine their flavors until this dish. The dipping sauce is savory featuring tart vinegar and lime juice, salty soy sauce, spicy Sirarcha and brown mustard, and sweet brown sugar. When this dish is all pulled together it tastes like a fresh, handheld salad. Yum!

Cucumber and Avocado Summer Rolls with a Savory Sauce
Adapted from Williams Sonoma

Savory Sauce Ingredients:

·Juice from 1/2 lime

·1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

·½ TBS rice vinegar

·¼ tsp spicy brown mustard

·¼ tsp Sirarcha

·½ tsp brown sugar

·Dash of gluten free soy sauce

Summer Roll Ingredients: 

·1 Hass avocado

·10 rice paper rounds

·6 large fresh basil leaves

·5 baby carrots, thinly sliced

·¼ cucumber, cut into thin strips

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together the savory sauce ingredients. When sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Halve, pit, and peel the avocado. Slice into ½-inch wide strips. 

Place warm water in a shallow bowl. Lay a large clean plate next to the bowl and a clean kitchen tea towel. Dip 1 rice paper round into the water for a few seconds to soften, then lay flat on the plate. Quickly dip a second round into the water and lay it directly on top of the first one. Quickly pat dry using the towel.

Place a basil leaf, some avocado, carrots, and cucumber on top of the stacked rice papers - starting about one third from the edge facing you. Be careful not to overstuff the rolls, as I did. :) Lift the bottom edge of the rice paper up over the filling and then roll once to form a tight cylinder. Set aside, seam down. Repeat with remaining rice paper and filling ingredients to make 5 rolls.

Cut each roll in half crosswise and serve with savory sauce immediately.

Cucumber Salsa

This Cucumber Salsa is ridiculous! It's light, fresh, and packs a ton of flavor with a little bit of heat. I have so many cucumbers growing in my garden, I don't know what to do with them all. I do know one thing - I'm going to be making this salsa a lot; it's that good.

 

Cucumber Salsa is truly garden fresh as almost all of the ingredients came from our garden (cucumber, tomato, jalapeño, and parsley). It's also healthy, as the original poster claims there is only 16 calories per 1/4 cup!

 

 

What's your favorite way to enjoy cucumbers?

 

 

Click here for recipe - The only change I made was substituting Greek yogurt for sour cream.

Pickle Wrap Dip

Pickle Wrap Dip takes all of the ingredients in the popular pickle-ham wraps and combines into an easy, tasty dip. This appetizer is much easier than making the wraps and it tastes just as good as the wraps. I made this in May for my niece’s birthday party and it was a huge hit.

The only ingredients you need for this dip are 16oz. softened cream cheese, 12oz. chopped deli ham, 16oz. of diced baby dill pickles, and crackers to serve. I served the dip chilled with Glutino Gluten Free Table Crackers.

Click here for recipe from Game Day

Parmesan Roasted Zucchini

Parmesan Roasted Zucchini is the BEST way to prepare zucchini! I loved it so much that I ate the entire plate. By myself. In one sitting. It's that good. The zucchini is tender, juicy, cheesy, and flavorful.


Click here for recipe from Budget Savvy Diva

Cucumber Boats

This quick snack consists of fresh cucumber, filled with a mixture of cottage cheese, basil, and cilantro. Adding the herbs to the creamy cottage cheese makes this snack incredibly fresh and flavorful.


Click here for recipe from Susie Freaking Homemaker

Caprese Skewers

These healthy little bites disappear quickly! Caprese Skewers are fresh and flavorful, making for a quick appetizer.

If you are wondering where the balsamic drizzle is at...it's a hard, sticky mess in my sink. I assume I let it boil too long. I love anything Caprese, so I didn't miss it.


Click here for detailed steps for preparing Caprese Skewers

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

I made Loaded Baked Potato Dip for a 4th of July cookout. It was delicious and didn't look this pretty by the time our friends arrived, as I couldn't resist trying it. Once I started "trying it", it was hard to stop devouring it! This is one of my new favorite appetizers. It's addictive and requires only 4 ingredients and minutes to prepare.

What's your favorite appetizer this summer?

Click here for Loaded Baked Potato Dip recipe

Homemade Hummus

Homemade Hummus comes together simply in a matter of minutes, making it a healthy and tasty snack. With homemade hummus, I can control what ingredients go into it and mix up whatever flavor varieties my little heart desires. I thoroughly enjoyed it with Blue Diamond Nut Thins.

Ever since I discovered became addicted to hummus this spring, I've been pinning homemade hummus recipes to try. I decided to start with a basic hummus recipe that doesn't use tahini. Why? Because it's not an ingredient I ever have on hand, and I'm too cheap to buy it just for hummus. And, I didn't even miss it in this homemade hummus recipe.

What's your favorite hummus variety?


Click here for Hummus recipe


I've also shared this recipe on: Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Mom's Mango Avocado Salsa

I am in L-O-V-E with this Mango Avocado Salsa. It's fresh and incredibly flavorful. The mango adds a nice level of sweetness and pairs well with the avocado and red onion.

My mom made this Mango Avocado Salsa when I was home last month. It is so good that it disappeared quickly and we made another batch. I'm addicted to this salsa, so I've been making it a lot over the past month (usually as a double batch). It's great for a quick snack, or to take as an appetizer to a cookout.

Mango Avocado Salsa
Ingredients:
·1 avocado, diced
·½ mango, diced
·½ red onion, chopped
·Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
·Juice from 1 lime

Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a bowl; stir. Serve with tortilla chips.

Notes: Can also add chopped green onion and/or corn kernels.


I've also shared this recipe on: Gluten Free Wednesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Kale Chips

Kale Chips are one of my new favorite snacks. They are crunchy, healthy, and simple to prepare.

I've been making a few batches a week for the past month, using my friend Jamie's recipe - which you can find here.

What are your favorite ways to eat kale? So far, I only like it as Kale Chips.

Crockpot Refried Beans and Warm Bean Dip

Last week I made these easy and delicious Crockpot Refried Beans from my friend Jamie's blog. They taste great and make a ton. I froze a good portion of the recipe to incorporate into future meals. We enjoyed Crockpot Refried Beans as a side dish and I incorporated them into this delicious Warm Bean Dip...

 

Warm Bean Dip
Adapted from Life as a Lofthouse

Ingredients:
·4 oz. Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
·½ cup sour cream
·1½ cups Crockpot Refried Beans
·½ batch Homemade Taco Seasoning
·2 cups shredded cheese (Mexican blend, Cheddar, or Colby Jack)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350˚. Mix together cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl. Stir in refried beans and taco seasoning until combined.

Spread mixture evenly into the bottom of a greased 8x8 baking dish. Sprinkle the top with cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Serve with tortilla chips.

Asparagus Tart

This tasty vegetarian dish consists of perfectly cooked asparagus on top of a flaky, buttery tart that has been sprinkled with cheese.

When I served this for dinner last week, my husband asked "Is this it? Are there any other sauces or flavors that go on top?" I asked him to just eat it and tell me how it was. Well, it was so good that he had seconds without adding any other sauces or flavors (ahem, ketchup his go-to flavoring for everything). This Asparagus Tart is surprisingly filling and the buttery gluten free tart crust is amazing!

Asparagus Tart
GF Pastry Tart Crust Ingredients:
·1½ cup GF all-purpose flour
·¾ tsp xanthan gum
·1 TBS sugar
·½ tsp salt
·½ cup butter
·2 TBS milk
·1 TBS vodka
·2 tsp minced garlic liquid
Topping Ingredients:
·1½ cups shredded parmesan cheese
·1 lb asparagus
·1 TBS extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
·Salt and pepper

Directions:
Sift together flour, xanthan gum, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Transfer dry ingredients to a food processor. Cut butter into tablespoon sized slices and place in the food processor with desired flavor. Pulse ingredients in the food processor, gradually adding milk and vodka, until a well-mixed dough is formed. Roll dough out on an ungreased baking sheet. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375˚. Bake tart crust for 15 minutes. Remove tart crust from the oven and sprinkle with cheese. Trim the ends of the asparagus spears to fit in a single layer over the cheese, alternating ends and tips. Brush with the EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 more minutes, until tart crust is golden brown and asparagus is tender.

Yield: 4


Recipe inspired by Everyday Food from Martha Stewart

Buffalo Chicken 3 Ways

This past weekend I had a Buffalo Chicken Extravaganza! I made my Healthier Buffalo Chicken Dip for friends on Saturday night, and then I made Buffalo Chicken 3 Ways on Sunday. My Buffalo Chicken Extravaganza all started with this recipe for Crockpot Buffalo Chicken I found on Pinterest.

The only changes I made to the recipe were that I cut it in half and I used fresh, 100% natural chicken breasts. I can already tell this is going to be one of my new favorite recipes. The crockpot does all of the work in providing you with a wonderful Buffalo Chicken base to be used in a variety of recipes, including the 3 Ways I used it....

First, Jalapeño Buffalo Chicken Mac & Cheese was my favorite way to enjoy the Crockpot Buffalo Chicken. I made my Revolutionary GF Mac & Cheese, substituting Colby Jack cheese for the Cheddar cheese. I sauteed chopped green onions, chopped pickled jalapeños, and diced celery in olive oil. Then, I stirred in the veggies and a good portion of the prepared Buffalo Chicken to the Mac & Cheese. Which was then topped with more jalapeños and cornflakes. It was sensory overload and absolutely, positively, a-maz-ing!

Up next, was my husband's favorite variety, Buffalo Chicken Nachos. This easy to prepare dish is very satisfying. In an oven safe dish, top corn tortilla chips with buffalo chicken and shredded colby jack cheese. Place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, until cheese is melted. Top with diced celery and jalapeños. It's a fantastic accompaniment for lazy weekends watching sports games.

Lastly, was a classic way to enjoy Buffalo Chicken as a Hot Buffalo Chicken and Cheddar Sandwich. I placed two spoonfuls of Buffalo Chicken and a slice of Cheddar cheese between two buttered (and terribly unevenly cut) pieces of homemade Gluten Free Sandwich Bread. Then, I cooked over medium heat in a skillet. This is a delicious twist on a classic grilled cheese that also makes for a simple and quick lunch.

We thoroughly enjoyed my Buffalo Chicken all 3 ways. Mike and I loved it so much, that I'm sure it won't be long until another extravaganza. What are your favorite ways to enjoy Buffalo Chicken?

Lauren

I've also shared this post on: Slightly Indulgent Tuesday

Chili Cheese Dip

Chili Cheese Dip is a quick and delicious way to enjoy leftover chili. It's one of my favorite appetizers (and, I swear only occasionally, meals) for fall and winter!

There are no measurements for this recipe - just use enough of each ingredient to your liking. You'll definitely want to fill your baking dish to the top, as this appetizer quickly vanishes!

Chili Cheese Dip
Ingredients:
·Neufchâtel Cream Cheese
·Cooked chili (I used leftovers from Mike's 20-Ingredient Chili)
·Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Spread cream cheese across the bottom of a microwave safe dish. Spoon chili over the top of the cream cheese layer, then sprinkle the top with cheddar cheese. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chili is bubbling.

Serve with gluten-free crackers (I used Blue Diamond Nut Thins) or tortilla chips.

Black Eye Pea Salsa

This simple dip is addicting! It's uniquely delicious and surprisingly healthy.

Black Eye Pea Salsa has been one of my family's favorite dips for over a decade. I absolutely love it and could easily eat half of the bowl in one sitting. I made it a few weekends ago as an appetizer for watching college football. Mike tried Black Eye Pea Salsa years ago and didn't like it. Needless to say, he was skeptical of it this go-around. A recap of our taste testing is funny...

Mike: "What are you making?"
Lauren: "Black Eye Pea Salsa. You tried it a few years ago and didn't like it."
Mike: "And you're making it for the football party tonight?"
Lauren: "Just try it."
Mike (while shoveling chip and dip into his mouth): "Hmmm."
Lauren: "You don't like it? Is it bad?"
Mike (with a huge smirk on his face): "Nope, I didn't like it. (insert dramatic pause here) No, it's really good."
(We both sample the dip, assuring, of course, that it's edible for others)
Mike: "I'm so glad my taste buds changed. It's addicting. Okay, just one more chip for the both of us, then we have to put it away until tonight."

The dip made it to the party and it was delicious and enjoyed by all!

Black Eye Pea Salsa

Ingredients:

·2 cans black eye peas, drained

·2 cans Rotel tomatoes and green chilies, drained

·1 can shoepeg corn, drained

·1 green pepper, chopped

·1 bunch green onions, chopped

·Olive oil

·Italian dressing

Directions:

Mix ingredients in a large bowl. Using a 2:1 ratio (Italian dressing to olive oil), add enough liquid to coat the vegetables. Taste frequently and adjust liquids as necessary. Serve with tortilla chips.