Nancy's Cheese Ball

I love a good cheese ball...and this one is one of my all time favorites!

2, 8oz packages cream cheese

3 stalks green onions

1Tbs Bon Apetit (or if you can't find Bon Apetit like me you can use equal parts celery salt and onion powder, so 1/2 Tbs of each)

1 Tbs Miracle Whip

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1/2 tsp mustard (you can use whatever kind you like best.  My favorite is spicy brown)

Mix together well with an electric mixer.  Make into one large ball or two smaller ones.  I line a small glass bowl with saran wrap and pack the cheese mix into it.  After it chills it's easy to lift the saran wrap out and turn the "ball" over onto a serving tray.  Can also roll balls in choppped pecans.  Refrigerate overnight for the flavors to blend (or if pressed for time, just put it in the freezer for an hour or two so it sets).  Serve with any kind of crackers (especially good with wheat thins and ritz).

To make into an eyeball for Halloween, mix 1/4 cup ketchup with 2 tsp chili powder.  Put mixture into a small ziplock bag and clip a tiny piece of one corner off.  Squeeze mix in a vein design. Cut a spinach leaf into a circle for the middle of the eyeball and use half of a large olive as the pupil. 

 

Pumpkin Donut Muffins

These are seriously TO DIE for!!! they're fluffy and delicious- and best warm, but still good the next day!! They make about 12 big muffins, we doubled it and made 18 big muffins and 24 tiny muffins. We liked the tiny muffins the best.

INGREDIENTS

For the batter

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (from a 15-ounce can)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs

For the sugar coating

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

• DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups. Make batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.(until it changes color to a white-ish color) Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture, and beat to combine.
      WATCH: Sugared Pumpkin Muffins
  2. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup and bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Let muffins cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Working with one at a time, remove muffins from pan, brush all over with butter, then toss to coat in sugar mixture. Let muffins cool completely on a wire rack.
     
     
     http://www.marthastewart.com/331754/pumpkin-doughnut-muffins

Fish Tacos, Slaw and Coconut Rice

For the Slaw:
whisk together, toss with:

2 T fresh lemon juice
1 t. olive oil
1 t. sugar
1/2 C green cabbage, shredded
1/2 C carrot, shredded
1/4 C red onion, sliced
1/4 C granny smith apple cut into matchsticks
1/2 jalapeño, seeded, thinly sliced
salt to taste

For the Tartar Sauce:

1/2 C mayo
2 T sweet pickle relish
1 T capers
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 t. prepared horseradish
1 t. lemon zest, minced

For the Fish:

6 oz tilapia or cod cut into 8 long pieces

1/2 C all purpose flour
1 t. table salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 C club soda
1 T. tabasco
1 C panko bread crumbs

whisk flour, salt and baking powder together for the fish. Add club soda and tabasco (whisk, it will be a little lumpy). Spread panko in shallow dish.

Heat oil to 375 in skillet (you can also use this oil for the tortillas if you want them fried)

Dip fish in batter then dredge in panko. Fry 1-2 min.

Coconut Mango Rice

1/2 C long grain white rice
1/2 C water
1/2 C coconut milk
1 T sugar
pinch of salt

After cooking for 15-20 min stir in:
Mango, peeled and pitted, diced
2 T fresh cilantro
juice of 1/2 lime