Quick and easy treats
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The other week, the two Country Marts and the Price Chopper held a Holiday Open House, and it was a real treat.
Santa Claus was available at each store to hear requests from young and old, and there were tons of foods, beverages and recipes to try.
At Country Mart North, the First United Methodist Church’s women’s group came and did the food sampling. The FUMC hand bell choir performed at the North store, while the Sacred Heart choir was at the South store. Members of the Logan Avenue PTO served at the South store.
Price Chopper had the “Voices of Chase County,” which consisted of members of the high school choir performing seasonal music. They also featured members of the Admire PTO, who were conducting a fundraiser for their school. All of these organizations received a donation from the stores for their involvement to support their charitable activities.
Nancy Garcia gave me some of the recipes they presented at the Country Mart North, so I decided to share them with those of you who couldn’t make it. The best part is knowing the store will have all the ingredients right there.
Nancy says the deli carries the Gourmet Boutique crab cakes from time to time, especially during the holidays. They are “heat and eat”, saving on at least an hour’s worth of labor, and another thirty minutes of cooking. You can dress them up with a quick flavored mayonnaise (lemon pepper?) or spiced yogurt (cumin and chili pepper?) and everyone will think you’re Paula Deen or Bobby Flay. I tried them, and the crab flavor is delicate, while the cake part is flavorful and filling.
On the tables there were trays of summer sausages alternating with cheese slices. There were barbecued meatballs, which can be purchased in the deli or you can make your own by grabbing a bag of Armour meatballs back in the frozen meats section and combining them with the sauce of your choice. I saw crab dips, pumpkin dips and cheese dips galore.
Currently, the north Country Mart is carrying three kinds of brie, at least two goat cheeses (chevre), an havarti, a special aged cheese called Dubliner and the standard gouda and edam. In addition to the summer sausages, they have a kind of cured ham called prosciutto, which is fantastic with cheese or fruit. Plus, if you really want to save time, there is the Rotolla brand of mozzarella and prosciutto rolled together, ready to slice into little pinwheels.
Country Mart had samples of their many deli pies, plus they also carry the “made in Kansas” Marcon pies. There were dips and candies and cheese balls all over the place!
Here are some of the great recipes Nancy shared with me. “These dishes are real quick and simple because that’s how our lives are anymore!” Nancy said. This spread actually came from a Taste of Home circular.
RUEBEN SPREAD
2 1/2 cups corned beef, cooked, cubed
1 (16-oz.) jar sauerkraut, rinsed, well drained
2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup mayonnaise
Snack rye bread
In a 3-quart slow cooker, combine everything except the bread. Cover and cook on low for three hours, stirring occasionally. Serve warm with rye bread.
Just when you thought artichoke dip couldn’t get any better, this recipe pops up from the Reese artichoke people. I think I’d have to use more Romano, myself, and Kristi Mohn swears by including diced jalapenos.
THREE CHEESE
ARTICHOKE DIP
1 (14-oz.) can Reese artichoke hearts, drained
1 (10-oz.) package frozen spinach
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 Tbsp. Romano cheese, freshly grated
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Transfer to a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
Serve with crackers, raw vegetables, French bread slices and so forth.
Dickinson’s is a brand anyone who has been to the Taste of Home cooking school is familiar with. While any quality jelly or relish can hold up to just about any recipe, since they provided the recipe and they tested it in their kitchens, I’m going to just mention their name here.
ZESTY PEPPER & ONION DIP
1 jar Dickinson’s Sweet’n’Hot Pepper & Onion Relish
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
Beat cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Gradually add in the relish. Spoon into a decorative bowl and chill for at least one hour. Serve with crackers. Alternatively, you can place the unwrapped block of cheese on a plate and pour the relish over it. Use a pate knife to spread it onto crackers.
That same recipe would make a good base for tortilla roll-ups. Just spread across a tortilla, add some shredded cheddar or diced ham, roll it up and cut into one-inch pieces.
Karen Ann Bland of Gove, Kansas, shared this interesting cheese ball with Nancy. The salt and texture of the sunflower seeds is great!
SUNFLOWER
CHEESE BALL
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup black olives, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced
1/2 cup salted sunflower kernels
In a small mixing bowl, beat cream and mustard together until smooth. Add garlic powder. Stir in the cheese, olives and parsley.
Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes, then shape into a ball. Roll it in the sunflower seed kernels to coat, and serve with assorted crackers. Yum!
Cheese is a common denominator of many holiday hors d’ouevres. Nancy had a pepper jack cheese ball, a pineapple cheese ball and an apricot and almond cheese log. Wow! Cream cheese was also used in this sweet dip recipe.
APPLE DIP
1 (8-oz.) package of cream cheese
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4 tsp. water, divided
Put everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add two more teaspoons of water and blend again for dippable consistency. Cut apples in wedges for dipping. A firm pear would work, too.
“We can be your one stop for fast, easy, quick holiday appetizers or desserts.” Nancy said. When you are in a pinch, in a hurry and out of ideas, this is a great way to solve your problems.
Merry, merry everybody! Next week we’ll have some marvelous popcorn recipes for these long winter nights. Let’s Get Cooking!