Black-Eyed Pea Dip

I’d love to call this hummus but really it's not. Whatever it is, it is truly very yummy and not so bad for you either. It would be great on a sandwich too.

Ingredients:

• Fresh Black-eyed Peas
• Garlic
• Green Onion
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper
• Dash of Cumin
• Sprinkle of Paprika
• 1 tsp Red Pepper flakes
• 6 ozs of plain homemade Yogurt (can substitute with store bought if you must)

Directions:

• Boil Peas until they are tender.
• Combine all ingredients, except the yogurt, in a food process and blend until creamy.
• Add more oil if you think it is still too thick.
• When it's the consistency you like, add the yogurt and blend until fully combined.

Stuffed Mushrooms

It’s been quite a bit of time since I last posted for Barefoot Bloggers. Barefoot Bloggers are a community of bloggers that twice monthly make, taste, review and post about Ina Garten recipes. Michelle of Welcome to the Club selected this month’s recipe. Michelle picked Stuffed Mushrooms. I have been making stuffed mushroom for a long time so I decided to do my best to following Ina’s directions and break out of my comfort zone.
At first glace the recipe seems to have a lot of unnecessary fat added. I don’t “normally” add sausage or mascarpone cheese (Italian sour cream). I joined the Barefoot community to expand my cooking mind so… I basically stuck to the recipe.

My review? Well... I will go back to my regular recipe. I do think that Ina’s were delicious but I still think you can get the same flavor without all the extra calories. If you don’t mind the extra calories nor have a recipe you love, give these a try. They are Yummy!

Ina Garten recipe

Ingredients

Any changes I made will be in red.nocoupons

• 16 extra-large white mushrooms (I used smaller mushrooms so the kids eat them easier)
• 5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium sherry(I used Vigne Nuove Italian wine)
• 3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from the casings
• 6 scallions, white and green parts, minced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2/3 cup panko crumbs
• 5 ounces mascarpone cheese, preferably from Italy
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and chop them finely. Set aside. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and Marsala. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, crumbling it with the back of a wooden spoon. Cook the sausage for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it's completely browned. Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes. Stir in the scallions and garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine evenly with all the other ingredients. Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the sausage mixture creamy. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season with salt and pepper, to taste, Cool slightly.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture. Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer. Bake until the 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

Carrot Prosciutto Wraps

This is my husband’s favorite appetizer and I love to make them this time of year. The hardest step is standing in line at the deli counter in Central Market.

Ingredients:

• Thinly Sliced Imported Prosciutto
• Carrots
• Balsamic Vinegar
  

Directions:

• Shred carrots.
• Mix carrots with vinegar until the carrots are well coated but not saturated.
• Place a stack of shredded carrots on the end of a slice of prosciutto and roll it up.