Bacon and Avocado Dip

Shindigz welcomes Mark Carboni and his collection of recipes to our party family:  

Mark T. Carboni shares his Cookin With Carbo party recipes with Shindigz

Growing up Carbo, I have found the greatest joy being surrounded by great family and friends. Whether it’s a small gathering, or more extravagant themed party, I know that the food and drink you serve will set the tone just as much as the decor.

The best way to make an acquaintance a friend is through amazing food, fun and the ability to be honest and true. Honesty and truth, a mighty powerful combination just like the combination of bacon and avocado. Join me as I open my kitchen, to you, as I share food coupled with fun and a recipe from the Cookin’ with Carbo collection.

This Bacon Avacado Dip will be the hit of your next party!

Bacon and Avocado Dip

3 ripe avocados
1 clove of garlic – minced
1 small lime – juiced
6 slices of bacon – cooked and diced
3 T of fresh chopped cilantro
Heavy dash of salt and pepper

Slice the avocados from top to bottom and around to the top. Hold avocado in your hand and turn one side left and one side right and it will open. Remove the core and keep (just one).
Scoop the avocado from the shell and place in large bowl. Add garlic, lime, salt and pepper. With the back of a spoon. Smush the avocado against the bowl. It should be somewhat chunky. Next mix circular to incorporate all the ingredients. Drop in the bacon and cilantro and mix again.
Place the core in the center, place in refrigerate and serve within an hour of making for best flavors. (Wrap tightly or spray the top with a non stick spray to prevent discoloration).

The passion for cooking was inherited through Carbo’s maternal grandmother who inspired Mark T. Carboni (Carbo) to bring joy to friends and family through the act of preparing food and celebrations. Carbo and his partner travel to sample and learn regional and cultural differences in food. The experiences allow him to make new and exciting recipes that can be reproduce in your own home using every day products and equipment in a short amount of time. Carbo provides private cooking lessons, authored his first cookbook and keeps a highly interactive Facebook page that showcases food-talk and fun. www.facebook.com/carbocooks.

Tea Sandwiches for Mom

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

There are only a handful of things that we have in complete common with our fellow man. One of them being we all have a mother. Now the definition of mother varies from person to person. There are step-moms, mother-in-laws, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, friends; all can be mothers.

Mothers’s Day is the one special day is taken out of the entire year to pay homage to Mom. They take care of us, protect us, scold us and groom us. Mold and direct us. Dislikes some of the things we do and love us anyway.  Maybe we should actually take all 365 days to honor such a role.

Here is a tasty little treat you can make for the Moms in your life for Mother’s Day or any day this summer. The weather has been beautiful, and a nice light lunch out in the sunshine with good conversation would make mom super thrilled that she can say she raised such a fine child.

Create One, or All Three of These Delicious Tea Sandwiches

Tea Sandwiches – Three Ways

The following recipes have no measurements, only ingredients. How much you use per “sandwich” is really up to you. Because foods such as these can be readily found and easily interchanged, the final outcome only is surpassed by your culinary imagination.

Smoked Salmon & Crisps (open-faced)

Smoked Salmon
Thin Sliced cucumber
34 Degree Natural Crispbread
Crème Fraiche
Snipped Chives

Apple, Brie & Bacon

9 Grain bread, toasted
Djionaisse
Granny Smith Apple, sliced thin
Brie, sliced thin
Bacon, cooked to your liking

Asparagus & Goat Cheese

French Bread, sliced thin and toasted, rubbed with a garlic clove
Goat Cheese
Grilled or Roasted Asparagus
Hard Boiled Egg
Salt & Pepper

By the way, thanks Mom for giving me my wings.

We bet you can’t choose just one of these delightful Tea Sandwich creations!

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Chicken Enchilada Meatballs

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

Happy Cinco de Mayo! One of the tastiest food holidays ever. Ever ever. So many delicious tastes! Tacos and burritos and taquitos. Fresh salsa and guacamole. And margaritasssssss! Sigh. I love it all. And much to Jeff’s dismay, I could eat Mexican food every day of my life. For now he concedes on twice a week. I am working on increasing that.

These Chicken Enchilada Meatballs came about as we were planning a Cinco de Mayo party. I wanted simple finger foods (no dinner time assembly required like tacos) but I also wanted all the flavor of some of my favorite elaborate meals. The Enchilada meatball was born.

This is simple but does require some prep work. Grind your own chicken if you can, and get a good quality enchilada sauce. You can make your own and we usually do but we make a half gallon at a time. I wanted easy for this recipe.

Mexican Inspired Chicken Enchilada Meatballs are perfect for a Fiesta anytime!

Chicken Enchilada Meatballs

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 4 scallions minced
• 1 teaspoon whole chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup Mexican cerveza
• 2 hand fulls of corn chips, crushed fine
• Mexican Quesadilla cheese (not fresh crumbling cheese, melting cheese)
• Red enchilada sauce (we used Frontera brand which is really good.)
• Cooking oil (olive, canola, vegetable or corn)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes. Roll into 1″ balls.

Preheat oven to 400°

In a heavy bottomed pan add about 2 Tablespoons of oil and heat till hot. Add the meatballs in 2 batches (This is so you do not over crowd the meatballs and steam them instead of browning them.) and cook till browned on all sides.

Move the meatballs to a 9 x 9 pan and pour the enchilada sauce over them. Top with 6 oz of shredded cheese and bake for 25 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Be sure and check back Friday for a special “It’s 5 o’clock somewhere” recipe just in time for The Kentucky Derby!

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the  duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Habanero Bacon Cheddar Cheeseball

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

Happy Cheeseball Day!

Maybe, just maybe you have never heard of cheeseball day before. And you are thinking to yourself “you know there are plenty of other holidays we could be celebrating why the cheeseball?” Hmm… like tax day? Pfffft!

It is a day worth celebrating! Have you ever HAD a cheeseball? I don’t mean the small crispy cheeseballs that make a great after-school snack. (Or after work snack, or beer snack, or stuck on a train for 3 hours snack…) I mean the tasty cheesy smear on a cracker or on a stalk of celery snack that if you think back, you had once or twice, loved it but never thought you could do it for yourself because let’s face it, they are magical.

I am here to show you the cheeseball light! In a few simple steps you will be the easy cheesy hero at your next gathering with this Habanero Bacon Cheddar Cheeseball.

Yummy Cinco de Mayo party appetizer – a Habanero Bacon Cheddar Cheeseball

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1  4 oz. jar diced pimentos, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 Serrano seeded and diced
• 1 Habanero seeded and diced
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 8 slices of thick cut bacon, diced

In a large bowl or in the bowl of your mixer add the cream cheese and mayo and whip till well blended.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix till well combined.

Pour out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Wrap the plastic around the cheese mixture and form a ball. Twist end tightly.

Refrigerate for 4 hours.
Cook up the bacon in a large skillet till crispy. Drain and cool. Crumble.

Remove cheese ball from refrigerator and roll in bacon crumbles.

Serve immediately with crackers, celery, apples or whatever else you like.

NEXT WEEK: Zucchini Carrot Squash Bread

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the  duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Pear, Pecan, Bacon & Brie Bites

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

It’s National Pecan Day on April 14th! And where some may celebrate it with pecan pie or pecan sandies or even one of my favorites, the praline, my absolute preference is to celebrate the pecan with bacon.

These will disappear quick from your table, no matter what the occasion!

This bite sized snack is super easy to throw together in no time and always receives rave reviews. Well. When they actually make it to the table and not just in your belly. (Yep. THAT good!)

Pear, Pecan, Bacon & Brie Bites

(Makes 24)

• 24 Frozen Filo Dough Shells (You can also make your own with filo dough shells with filo sheets and spray oil)
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 4 slices of bacon, cut into thin strips, fried & drained
• 1 pear quartered and sliced thin
• 12 oz of brie cheese, rind removed & cut into 24 .5 oz cubes.
• Honey

Preheat your oven to 350°.

In each shell, layer a cube of cheese, 2 pear slices on 2 sides of the cheese cube, pecans and then bacon.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from heat, move each tart to a rack to cool slightly and drizzle with honey.

Serve immediately.

Next week: Cheese Balls to celebrate National Cheese Ball Day & Tax Day!

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the  duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Sweet & Sticky Honey Soy Chicken Wings

Heather Jurczyk from HeCooksSheCooks.com shares her recipes with Shindigz

On the off-chance you are one of the unaware, March Madness spills over into April. The Final Four teams have solidified their spot for the NCAA Championship and there is a very good chance someone you know (or maybe even you) are making plans for a sweet get together for the big games. Since you will be competing with the TV at this event, you want to make sure whatever it is you make outshines squeaky shoes on a wooden court and big orange dimpled balls. If you’re looking for an excuse to fire up the grill and satisfy your basketball fans, these wings will do the trick.

Sweet & Sticky Honey Soy Chicken Wings

15 whole wings (or 15 drumettes and 15 wingettes)

• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 2” of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated.
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and grated.
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
• ¼ cup lemon or lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ teasppoon cayenne powder
• ½ cup canola oil

1. Rinse and pat wings dry.
2. In a heavy bottom sauce pan, heat honey till it is thin. Add soy sauce till well combined. Remove from heat.
3. Add the ginger thru the cayenne powder. Mix to blend well. Allow to cool completely.
4. Add the canola oil and wisk to blend well but do not emulsify.
5. Put the wings in a 2 gallon bag and pour the marinade over the wings. Push the air out of the bag and seal. Rock bag back and forth and massage wings to coat evenly with the marinade.
6. Place in the refrigerator and let sit overnight, turning the bag over a few times to mix up the marinade and the wings.
7. The next day, start your grill and bring it to 350-400. (Make sure your grate is clean and oiled.)
8. Take the wings out of the bag and transfer the marinade to a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Bring marinade to a vigorous boil for a minimum of 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
9. Lay the wings on the oiled grill grate in a single layer. Grill the wings over medium heat. Turn and baste with marinade at 15 minutes in and then again at 30 minutes. Remove at 45 minutes. Serve.

 

Optional: Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds or thinly diced scallions.

Next weeks recipe is going to be Pecan Pear & Bacon Bites.

Recipe by Heather Jurczyk, the sassy half of the  duo that make up the cooking team of He Cooks She Cooks. They have a weakness for feel good, down to earth, amazingly tasty eats that almost always include the addition of beer.

From growing their own tomatoes to brewing their own beer, they like to cook from scratch as much as possible. They know what’s important. Love. Food. Beer. Visit He Cooks She Cooks for more recipes.

Spicy Chicken Kabobs

INGREDIENTS

• 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 red bell pepper cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 medium yellow onion cut into 1 inch chunks
• Bamboo wood skewers
• Olive oil, salt, black pepper
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce
• 5-6+ drops of Sriracha Hot Sauce –To taste. Some like it hot.
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak your bamboo wood skewers in water for about 15 minutes so that they don’t burn on the grill.
2. Season the chicken and veggies with salt and pepper to taste, then drizzle with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Skewer the chicken, then skewer the red peppers and onions.
3. Pre-heat your grill or grill pan to medium high heat then add the chicken and veggies to the pan. Rotate the meat and veggies every couple of minutes so that everything cooks evenly. When the veggies are tender, remove them from the grill.
4. While the chicken is cooking, in a small bowl combine mayo with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce and Sriracha Hot Sauce. Whisk it together until smooth.
5. When the chicken is almost completely cooked through (after about 10-12 minutes), use a brush to spread the sauce over the chicken. Rotate the chicken and brush the other side with the sauce. Remove from grill and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Almond Dip

Ingredients

• 5 slices bacon
• 1 1/2 cups whole almonds, raw
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon chopped green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon whole pine nuts (optional)
• crackers

Directions

1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees Celsius).
3. Arrange almonds on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, watching carefully and stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.
4. In a bowl, mix together softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, green onions, dill weed, and black pepper until well blended. Form mixture into a pinecone shape, and carefully place on a serving dish.
5. Beginning at the top of the “pinecone” with the points facing upward, press cooled almonds gently into cheese, each point slightly overlapping the bottom of the almond above. If desired, press a few pine nuts randomly between some of the almonds. Serve with crackers for spreading.

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 quart vegetable oil for frying
• 32 peeled and deveined medium shrimp, tail-on
• 1 (4 ounce) can pickled jalapeno peppers, cut into slivers
• 16 slices bacon, cut in half
• 32 toothpicks

Directions

1. Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cut the shrimp along the back, nearly through to the front. Stuff each shrimp with a sliver of jalapeno, then wrap with half a slice of bacon. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
3. Cook the shrimp in batches in the hot oil until the bacon is crispy and golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate before serving.

Pizza Appetizers

Ingredients

• 1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
• 1/4 pound Genoa salami, thinly sliced
• 1/4 pound pepperoni sausage, sliced
• 1/4 pound provolone cheese, sliced
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
2. Roll pizza crust dough into an approximately 10×14 inch rectangle on the baking sheet. Layer with Genoa salami, pepperoni and provolone cheese. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese to within 1/2 inch from edges of the dough. Roll jelly roll style. Seal the edge with a fork.
3. Bake in the preheated oven 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Slice into 1 inch pieces to serve.