Snacks | MJ's Kitchen

Snacks RSS feed for this section

Thai Tea Apricot Smoothie

by mj on April 16, 2013

Now that it’s spring I’m really focused on getting last year’s produce out of the freezer to make room for this year’s. A couple of weeks ago I used some of the corn and a roasted bell pepper in my Braised Red Chile Chicken and Vegetables, and then finished off the roasted bell peppers in the Roasted Bell Pepper Cheese Spread. For several weeks I’ve been working on the abundance of frozen apricots from last year’s prolific crop. One of the things I’ve been making is the smoothie: apricot smoothies, apricot banana smoothies, apricot peach smoothies and my favorite – Thai Tea Apricot Mango Smoothie.

Several weeks ago I came across a simply delicious Thai Iced Tea recipe over at my friend’s blog – Wok with Ray. I immediately ran out and bought a one pound bag of Thai tea, the smallest size bag the Asian market sold. With all that tea Bobby and I have been able to mix up our afternoon tea time with Chai tea and Thai tea as well as play around with other uses for Thai tea. When developing this smoothie, I went with the orange color of Thai tea and selected apricots and mango as the fruits. What a delicious way to get your vitamins and morning caffeine all in one drink.

Continue Reading →

Comments { 42 }

Green Chile Pecan Cheese Spread

by mj on April 11, 2013

If you enjoyed the Roasted Bell Pepper Cheese Spread from a few days ago but wanted something with more of a kick, you’re going to love this Green Chile Cheese Spread. It is as easy to make, if not easier, and it’s just as delicious. So for all of you lovers of spicy foods, this one is for you! No fancy ingredients except for maybe the green chile which may not be available to some of you, but never fear – in the Kitchen Notes I provide some suggestions for alternative chiles. The cheese is cream cheese so nothing fancy there.

Just like the bell pepper cheese spread this green chile cheese spread can be served with bagel chips, pita chips, or any chips for that matter. You could also spread it on a flour tortilla, roll the tortilla, and cut into little bite size snacks. Just be sure to refrigerate for an hour before cutting. It will make the cutting process much easier. This morning I just spread it on half a bagel and had it for breakfast with a cup of tea. No matter how you dish it up, you’re going to love it!

Continue Reading →

Comments { 43 }

Roasted Bell Pepper Cheese Spread

by mj on April 7, 2013

Figuring out what to have for breakfast and supper is easy, but I do have a hard time sometimes with lunch. If we don’t have any leftovers, then we’ll either have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or I’ll throw together a snack type lunch like my Cucumber Crostini. This week I’ll be sharing two more of our lunchtime snacks – this Roasted Bell Pepper Almond Spread and another one that is a bit more spicy – a Green Chile Pecan Cheese Spread. I have had several readers mention that they can’t handle spicy foods very well, so this one is for you.

This bell pepper spread is a little sweet but that’s due only to the sweetness of the roasted bell pepper. The cheese is capricho de cabra – a Spanish goat cheese produced with the milk from Murciana goats. This goat cheese is different from what I normally buy. Instead of being crumbly, capricho de cabra is creamy and can be stirred into a buttery spread. You really don’t have to add anything to it, but it works as a great complement to the roasted bell pepper. Add a little olive brine for acid and chopped almonds for another layer of flavor and texture and you have a tasty spread for bagels, pita chips, your favorite crackers or apple slices. Have it for lunch or share with friends as an appetizer or party dip.

Continue Reading →

Comments { 61 }

Black-eyed Pea Chipotle Dip

by mj on January 18, 2013

Whenever I think of black-eyed peas I remember the time, way back when in grade school, when me and my three older siblings had to shell 5 bushels of black-eyed peas that we had picked at my granddaddy’s farm. Do you know how many peas are in 5 bushels? A lot! By the time we got to the last bushel we were so giddy that we started shooting peas at each other and having contests to see who could shoot a pea from its pod the farthest. Needless to say, the kitchen floor soon became covered with peas. When our mother came into the kitchen, let’s just say she wasn’t too happy, but we sure were having fun!

This black-eyed pea dip is one of those pleasant little surprises you get when you throw a few things together and end up with something very special. Last week I had some black-eyed peas that I had set aside before making Skippin’ Jenny. On a whim, I threw some of the peas into a blender, added a few other ingredients and pureed it into this dip. It was so tasty! I ate some with chips and saved the rest for the next day for Bobby. Well, you know how soups are better the next day? Well, so is this dip! I no longer tasted black-eyed peas with chipotle. All of the ingredients had blended together to provide a very unique and delicious flavor. It was so good that I used the rest of the peas to make another batch. I can’t wait to take this dip to a party! But in the meantime, I’m sharing it with you.

It’s easy, it’s quite different, and it is absolutely delicious!
Continue Reading →

Comments { 77 }

Pinon Biscotti

by mj on November 11, 2012

I made cookies!! Biscotti no less – pinon biscotti to be exact. This may not seem like a big deal but for me, it is a big deal. I can count on one hand the number of times I have made cookies in the past 25 years!

I was inspired to not only make cookies, but to develop a cookie recipe when Anne of From My Sweet Heart invited me to take part in a very special event called Pass the Plate. Sharon & Denise of Be Betsy, were inspired by Kitchenaid’s Cook for the Cure^® to join the fight against breast cancer. They purchased a plate specially designed by Jacques Pepin. The plate is filled with cookies and literally passed from blogger to blogger. Each time the plate reaches a new destination, Kitchenaid donates $5 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure^®. Last week I became the proud recipient of these absolutely delicious Ginger Chili Caramel Cookies that Anne made just for me (although I did share a few with Bobby). Sweet and spicy – one of my favorite flavor combinations! Thank you Anne for the perfect cookie!
Continue Reading →

Comments { 86 }

Watermelon Rind Candies

by mj on September 23, 2012

In my watermelon post a while back I mentioned that my mother saved the watermelon rind and made watermelon rind preserves. After we all finished off the watermelon, she would cut away any remaining pink from the rind, peel the rind, then slice it into spears. All of the rind spears were transferred to a big pot and layered with sugar, then left to sit overnight. The next day she cooked them down “until done”. After they cooked I helped her pack the spears lengthwise into sterilized mason jars and then seal the jars. By fall we had enough watermelon rind preserves to last the winter and then some.

Eating her watermelon rind preserves was like eating a crunchy, sweet stick of candy. It didn’t really have a watermelon flavor, but it had a clean, sweet taste that is very hard to describe. All I know is those preserves were really, really good, very, very sweet, and hard to stop eating. A couple of years ago I decided to come up with my own way to preserve watermelon rind but in smaller pieces and less sweet, if possible. My efforts paid off! These little candies turned out exactly like I wanted – small, crispy bites of sweetness with a touch of anise flavor. So good, so addicting! (I made a jar of these before the remodel, so I thought I better get a picture before they were all gone and get it posted before all the watermelon disappeared from the markets.)
Continue Reading →

Comments { 68 }

Spring Rolls with Soba Noodles and Cucumber by With a glass

by mj on September 13, 2012

Due to a kitchen remodel I’ll be without a kitchen for a few weeks, so I’ve asked some friends to keep my virtual kitchen going with some of their fabulous recipes. This week Sissi of With a Glass dropped by and brought some delicious spring rolls!

I can’t remember how long I’ve been visiting Sissi’s blog, but I do remember that the first time I landed there I knew that I would be back again and again and again – and I have! Sissi never fails to WOW me. She can make just about anything and does! Her recipes range from homemade ketchup to Hungarian stew, Kumquat Vodka to Easy Shrimp Dumplings . One of the things I love most about Sissi’s recipes is that they are not intimidating. Anyone can make them and they all look delicious! So when you head over to Sissi’s site, be prepared to spend some time there, because once you start surfing, you won’t be able to stop.

It’s all yours Sissi!

Continue Reading →

Comments { 68 }

Masala Chex Mix by Ramona

by mj on August 29, 2012

Due to a kitchen remodel I’ll be without a kitchen for a few weeks, so I’ve asked some friends to keep my virtual kitchen going with some of their fabulous recipes. This week Ramona from Curry and Comfort dropped by and brought me a batch of nostalgia; however, as Ramona always does, she added her signature seasonings and made it extra special.

If you don’t know Ramona, then you need to change that! I’ve been following her blog for quite a while and have made several of her dishes – all of which were wonderful! One of the best things I love about Ramona, is that she is fun! You can read it in her writing and see it in her food – she’s having fun and just loves spoiling us all with her wonderful recipes!