Spicy Red Pepper Oil

About four years ago I found a kitchen store that was going out of business. I found these little glass oil bottles, with the poorer on the top. I bought three of them convinced I would make my own flavored oils. Well since then, I have graduated, finished my masters, gotten married, bought a house and found out that I am going to be a father. All this off the bucket list and not a single drop of flavored oil have I created. Well this weekend was the weekend it was going to happen. I scoured the net for some recipes and I put together this little number myself. I hope you all enjoy. It has a great flavor and has just the right amount of heat.

Ingredients:

1 cup of olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 slices ginger about 1/4 inch thick
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Place all the ingredients in a pot that can be placed in the oven with a lid.

3. Put in the oven for a hour.

4. strain the oil with a coffee filter into a oil jar. Let cool down and your ready to go.

5. cross off flavored oil from your bucket list. If not on the list, place on bucket list and go to step six.

6. Now cross off flavored oil from your bucket list.

Try with bread it’s delicious.

Roasted Red Pepper Cheese Ball

A delicious combination of cheeses highlighted by the sweet and spicy flavor of roasted red pepper. I promise you’ll love it! Roll in chopped nuts if you do not prefer parsley.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) package finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1  1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup jarred roasted red pepper, drained and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or chopped nuts.

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and Worcestershire sauce. I use a hand mixer. Stir in the roasted red peppers last. Spoon the mixture onto plastic wrap, and cover with another piece of plastic wrap. Shape into a ball, and roll in parsley or nuts to coat. Refrigerate until serving.

Mango and Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced medium.
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced medium.
1 small red onion, diced small.
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves.
1/2 to 1 habanero or (no seeds no ribs jalapeno chile if you don’t like to much heat) chile.
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt.

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Makes 3 cups.

Port Wine Blue Cheese Ball

Solid Starter: With a unique blend of cheese and a little spice, guest will realize this isn’t their grandmother’s cheese ball.

Note: I have only made this when I halved the recipe. The ingredients below are for the full recipe. Choose what you are making it for. When I halved it was great for a smaller party of people and we still had left overs.

Ingredients:
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon port wine
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped fine.

Your favorite crackers or toasted slices of crusty bread are good with this cheese ball.

Instructions:

1.  Process all of the ingredients (except the pecans) in a food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 1 minute. Transfer the cheese mixture to the center of a large sheet of plastic wrap.

2. Seal the cheese in the wrap and shape into a rough ball (the mixture will be somewhat loose). Refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours. (The cheese ball can be refrigerated for up to 2 days). Once the cheese ball is firm, reshape it as necessary into a smooth sphere. Unwrap the cheese ball and roll it in the pecans. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 15 – 20 people.

Spicy-Sweet Pretzel Mix

Ingredients:

2 cups thin pretzel sticks

1 cup natural almonds

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (easy cleanup) In a large bowl, toss together pretzels and almonds.

2. In a small saucepan, bring butter, sugar, cayenne pepper and 1 tablespoon water to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour over pretzel mixture in a bowl; gently toss to combine.

3. Spread pretzel mixture in a single layer on prepared sheet. Bake until almonds are crisp, about 20 minutes, tossing occasionally. Cool on sheet before serving. (To store keep at room temperature, up to 5 days.)

Curried Hummus

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans chick peas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 teaspoons curry powder
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• Salt, to taste
• Hot sauce, to taste

ASPARAGUS GRUYERE TART

From Great Food Fast, the great little cookbook from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living. Try to find asparagus of uniform width. Makes one tart that serves 4-6 people for lunch, with a side salad or bowl of soup.

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
2 cups (approx. 5-1/2 oz) gruyere, Emmental or swiss cheese, shredded
1-1/2 pounds medium asparagus
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F. On a floured surface, roll pastry into a 16 x 10 inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place the pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife score the dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce the dough inside the markings at half-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

Remove the pastry shell from the oven, and sprinkle with cheese. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over the cheese, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Iowa Salsa

Now here is Mr. Matera favorite salsa.

1 can black beans drained
1 can white shoepeg corn drained
1/2 red onion chopped into small pieces

Hominy Bean Dip

This recipe is a good one to make a lot of dip that will get eaten up no prob.
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Smokey Hummus

Gorgonzola with Pear

This is a very easy but great recipe. Its mixture of
sweat with salt is a perfect balance.

Mix Gorgonzola cheese with Soy sauce

Take pita bread or other small breads. and place cheese
mixture on top.

Then take very thin slices of pear and place on top.

Best Guacamole

3 Haas avocados, halved, seeded and peeled

1 lime, juiced

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 medium onion, diced

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime
juice, toss to coat. Drain, and reserve the lime juice
after all of the avocados have been coated.

Using a potato masher add the salt, cumin, and cayenne
and mash. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro,
and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved lime
juice. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour and then
serve.

Italian Apple Mix

This is an excellent little healthy
dessert or sack! I am sure your whole family will
love it.

Serves: 6

Time: 20-30 min

4 Granny Smith Apples pealed and diced semi small
(placed in bowl)

3/4 of a block of sharp cheddar cheese (this should be
sharp because it will cut the sweetness) cut into small
pieces and place in same bowl.

1 to 1 and half depending on taste bag of chopped nuts
(I have used almonds, pecans, walnuts all were good)

~3/4 – 1 cup raisins

~ 2 table spoons honey

A few dashes of cinnamon

Mix together in a bowl and enjoy!