Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is pure amazing!

Ingredients:
*8 oz cream cheese (softened)
*6 oz Frank's Hot Sauce
*6 oz Blue Cheese dressing
*shredded mozzarella cheese (thin layer across top)
*4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
*chips for dipping (Frito Scoops or tortilla chips)

Directions:
1) boil chicken in water for 25-30 minutes until cooked
2) preheat oven to 425 degrees F
3) dice/shred chicken into small pieces
4) spread softened cream cheese into a 9x13 pan
5) mix chicken, blue cheese dressing & hot sauce
6) pour mixture over cream cheese base
7) top with mozzarella cheese
8) back for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted
9) serve with chips

Enjoy!

Salmon Pesto Pasta

Salmon Pesto Pasta

source The Way the Cookie Crumbles

• 8 ounces pasta (I used penne)
• 12 ounces salmon
• salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 5 ounces evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup pesto (recipe below)
• grated Parmesan, for serving

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. When water is boiling, add a teaspoon of salt and the pasta; stir to separate. Cook pasta until al dente; drain. Pour evaporated milk into empty pot and simmer over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup. Add cooked pasta to pot and stir to combine.
2. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler. Line a baking sheet or pan with aluminum foil. Season skinless side of salmon liberally with salt and pepper, sprinkle with zest, then rub with olive oil. Broil until salmon is no longer translucent and if firm when pressed, about 10 minutes. Remove from broiler and sprinkle with lemon juice. Use fork to flake into bite-sized pieces. Skin will stick to foil and can be discarded.
3. Add salmon to pasta mixture and stir over medium heat until hot. Remove from heat and stir in pesto. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Pesto

For my recipe I used prepared pesto. However, if you want to make your own the recipe is below.

Makes 1/2 cup

• 1/4 cup pine nuts toasted
• 5 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed thoroughly
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, Italian (optional)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 ounce) finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Toast pine nuts in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just golden and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the nuts to bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade.
2. Add the unpeeled garlic to empty skillet and toast until fragrant, shaking the pan occasionally, and the color of the cloves deepens slightly, about 7 minutes. Let the garlic cool, then peel and add to food processor bowl.
3. Place basil and parsley in heavy-duty, quart-size, zipper-lock bag; pound with flat side of meat pounder until all leaves are bruised.
4. Process nuts and garlic until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients except cheese; process until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down with flexible spatula.
5. Transfer mixture to small bowl, stir in cheese and adjust salt. (Can be covered with a sheet of plastic wrap and placed directly over the surface or filmed with oil and refrigerated up to 5 days.)

Notes: I used a pound of salmon. We really like salmon, so the more the better. As mentioned above, I used prepared pesto. Oh, and I always add more cheese than the recipe says. I just can't get enough of it.

Rhubarb Cake

"Tis the season"!
I seen my first sighting of fresh, locally grown rhubarb at the farmers market this weekend and couldn't wait to whip up some sweet yummy rhubarb dessert!

1/2 cup butter (softened)
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (1 tbsp white vinegar with milk equally 1 cup)
3 cups chopped rhubarb
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup cold butter
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda and salt - set aside.
In a large bowl cream soft butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add buttermilk/sour milk. Slowly add dry ingredients, mix well.
Toss chopped rhubarb with the 1 tbsp of flour and fold into batter.
Pour mixture into greased and floured 9 x 13 baking pan.
Cut cold butter into brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle mixture evenly over batter.
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Serve with ice cream..........delicious!