bFeedme

Cooking, Recipe and Food Blog

Bacon and Tomato Dip

By

Bacon and tomato dip is the ultimate cheesy dip which is perfect for parties or lazy days in front of the television. It is similar to rotel, but with bacon. The garlic and onions are meant to neutralize the cheesy flavor, but if you are a big fan of cheese you can do without it.

 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sour cream

4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped white onions

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tomato, seeded and diced

6 slices bacon

 

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Fry the bacon strips for two to three minutes or until crisp. Transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels to drain the excess oil. After, crumble it into small pieces. Set aside.

Combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, cream cheese, Cheddar cheese, garlic, onions and tomato in a bowl. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Add the bacon before serving so that it remains crunchy. Serve with bruschetta or chips.

 

Image from ilovememphis

Sumptuous Strawberries

By

Strawberries are the most famous berries in the world. Their vibrant color livens up any dish and their shape is similar to heart. This is why it is often associated to Valentines. Here are some treats you can prepare using strawberries. You can give it as gifts or you can simply have it for dessert. Enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Ingredients:

1 ounce semisweet chocolate

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon corn syrup

1 tablespoon rum, optional

1 pint strawberries

In a double boiler over medium low fire, combine butter, chocolate, corn syrup and rum. Whisk until all the ingredients melt. Remove from heat.

Dip strawberries into the chocolate mixture. Place the dipped strawberries on wax paper and let them cool. Refrigerate until serving.

Cream Cheese Stuffed Strawberries

Ingredients:

32 fresh whole strawberries, large

11 to 12 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons semisweet or milk chocolate, grated

To let the berries stand upright on a flattened end, cut a thin part of the stem. Place the berries on a serving platter, with the cut side down. Carefully cut the strawberries into 4 wedges to allow it to fan slightly. Do not cut through the bottom.

In bowl, whisk together confectioners

sugar, almond extract and cream cheese until it becomes light and fluffy. Fold in the grated chocolate. Place the filling in a pastry bag with a large open star tip. Pipe the cream into the strawberries. Sprinkle more grated chocolate if desired. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Photo Courtesy Of: Manchester-Monkey

Slathering on some Cream Cheese

By

For the past few days, all my local stores, supermarkets and groceries have been out of cream cheese. And by that I mean those regular blocks, not that “whipped” or onion and chive-flavored stuff. I can only attribute this to the fact that Christmas will be here in four days (!), which apparently has sent everyone on a cheesecake-making frenzy.

Now, cheesecake doesn’t figure in my home-based bakeshop repertoire, but I do buy loads of the gorgeous white stuff- many times to make my perfect cream cheese frosting, but mostly just to slather on a slice of bread and go.

Which brings me to today’s recipe, which takes the cream-cheese-on-a-piece-of-toast idea a step further. And what a step it is. Once you’ve made this for your family’s breakfast, be warned: they will beg you for it over and over again. Since it’s so easy to make (it’s done overnight!), that won’t be a problem, of course:

Overnight Cream Cheese French Toast

4 thick slices bread, cubed
1 8oz. package cream cheese, cubed
6 large eggs, beaten
1 cup whole or skim milk
8 teaspoons real maple syrup (pancake syrup will do in a pinch, really)
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional if you like nuts)

Liberally butter a 9″x13″ casserole dish. Place a layer of half of the bread cubes in the bottom. Over this, scatter all the cream cheese cubes- then add the other half of bread cubes on top.

In a measuring cup, combine eggs, milk and maple syrup. Mix well. Pour over the casserole. Cover well and place in the refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, preheat your oven to 350. Sprinkle the casserole with nuts (if using), and bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until it looks nice and lightly golden.

Serve with more maple syrup, and some good butter.