super bowl appetizers Archives - 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Posted by Keelin Hollenbeck on January 31, 2014

Southwest Wontons

Here we are- just a few days from Super Bowl Sunday! Are you ready for your party? What appetizer or snacks are you going to be bringing or sharing? Meagh and I have plenty of recipes to share. Have you tried our:

Just a few ideas in case you haven’t been thinking about it 24/7 like some of us (ehhmm.)

I saw this recipe for Southwest Wontons a year ago and have been dying to make it ever since! It’s taken me a year because I was looking for a good opportunity to post about them. I should have made them sooner because they are so good! I actually made them twice because my first photo shoot was too dark. These wontons could be good dipped in just sour cream, but I went ahead and created my own chipotle lime dipping sauce that pairs perfectly with the wontons (if I do say so myself!)

As I have said before, I hate frying food- not even for health reasons, but because I am clumsy and how it makes the whole house smell like fried food. I wasn’t offended by this frying though because I only used about 1/2 inch of oil in my pan. Each wonton only fries for about a minute a side too so it’s really quick! I made the filling and dip ahead, then put the wontons together and fried them right before we were ready to eat them.

Southwest Wontons with Chipotle Lime Dipping Sauce

Southwest Wontons

Ingredients

1 cup frozen corn, thawed
½ red pepper, seeded, ribbed and chopped
½ poblano pepper, seeded, ribbed and chopped
½ small yellow onion
1 block reduced fat cream cheese (8 oz), at room temperature
kosher salt, to taste
fresh cracked pepper, to taste
30-40 wonton wrappers
Canola oil, for frying

Instructions

In a medium bowl mix together the first 5 ingredients. Add in salt and pepper to taste.
Heat a skillet with about ½ inch of canola oil on medium-medium-high heat, depending on your stovetop (mine runs a bit slower to heat up then others).
Take wonton papers and spoon about 1-2 tsp of filling in the middle of the wonton. Moisten the edges of the wonton by running you finger lightly moistened by dipping in water along the edges of the wonton. Fold the wonton in half so that opposite corners are meeting and press edges together. Your first wonton with be the determent of how much filling you should be using, just enough to fill but not too much it is overflowing. Make sure wontons are sealed completely or they are going to splash oil all over the place!
Once all wontons are filled, line a couple plates with paper towels. To determine if the oil is ready to fry, stick the edge of a toothpick in the oil tosee if it sizzles. Fry the wonton in groups of 4-5 so they are not touching. Flip after about 1 minute. Cook other side for another minute until golden brown, remove from oil to paper towels. Repeat for remaining wontons.

Southwest Wontons and dip

Chipotle Lime Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
1 cup light sour cream
¼ cup light mayonnaise
Juice from 1 lime
¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

In the bowl of a food processor add all the ingredients. Process for about 30-45 second until all ingredients are combined. Place dipping sauce in a airtight bowl and let chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Source- Wontons adapted from Shared Appetite and Chipotle Lime Dipping Sauce is a 2s2c original

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Posted by Keelin Hollenbeck on January 30, 2014

Hummus

When I first started out working in New York City, I lived in Hoboken, NJ with one of my college roommates. I had grown up on homemade hummus, but my food processor at the time was one of those mini-prep food processors handed down from my mom. Making hummus in this mini-prep was impossible and messy! We started to buy Sabra hummus and Stacy’s pita chips at the grocery store because of the ease and we soon became addicted! We would eat an entire container for dinner some nights.

Pita Chip Dipped in Hummus

Before Christmas, my boyfriend Matt returned from a business trip in Israel, he too has discovered the love for hummus and pita chips. When we went to visit my family, my mom had made homemade hummus and whole wheat pita chips. With a mouthful of hummus and pita chips Matt asked, “why haven’t you ever made this for me?” Truthfully, I forgotten about how delicious and easy to make homemade hummus was. Now that I had a large-sized food processor there were no more excuses.

I have been making a batch of hummus and pita chips every weekend since we have come home. The first batch I made was too garlicky, the second batch was a little too dry, but by the third batch I had perfected the recipe. Here it is to share!

Hummus and Whole Wheat Pita Chips

Hummus

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Ingredients

2 cloves of garlic, inside green stem removed*
4 tbsp. chickpea water (the liquid from the chickpea can)
2 cans of chickpeas, rinsed thoroughly
⅓ cup tahini
6 tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed (about 2 lemons)
2 tsp. Kosher salt
10 splashed of hot sauce (I used Franks, so if using a more concentrated hot sauce start with less)

*When you slice a piece of garlic in half lengthwise, you will see a green stemlike thing. Pull it out and throw it away. I always thought that this was some sort of kitchen myth so I stopped doing it awhile ago. I learned from David Lebovitz taste test post that if you aren't cooking the garlic, the green germ inside makes your dish bitter. Since we aren't cooking this garlic get those green centers out. Batches 1 and 2 of my hummus had the centers in them ,and the third batch did not. I could taste the difference!

Instructions

Cut garlic in half to remove the green centers.
Next cut the cloves into even sized pieces and throw them into the bowl of your food processor. Turn the food processor on and break the garlic up into smaller pieces.
Add chickpeas, 2 tbsp of chick pea water, tahini, lemon juice, salt, and hot sauce. Process for about 30 seconds, add in additional 2 tbsp of water, food process again until desired thickness.

Hummus and Pita Chips

Whole Wheat Pita Chips

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Ingredients

Whole wheat pocket pitas
2-4 tbsp olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with non-stick silicone mats or parchment paper.
With a bread or serrated knife take a pita and cut into 8 equal triangles (like a pizza.) Take each triangle and peel into two pieces (using pocket pitas). Repeat for all pitas.
Starting with 2 tbsp. of olive oil in a small bowl use a pastry brush to brush each side of the pita with olive oil. Use additional olive oil as needed.
Spread the pitas out on two baking sheets and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Bake 1 sheet at a time for 8 minutes, turning pitas halfway through and baking an additional 4-5 minutes until golden brown
Repeat for second batch, let pitas cool and store in a airtight container until serving.

Source- Both Hummus and Pitas are adapted from Ina Garten

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Posted by Keelin Hollenbeck on January 29, 2014

Pretzels Dogs

I am a huge fan of both hot dogs and homemade pretzels. Although I have never ordered a pretzel dog from Auntie Anne’s, they have always intrigued me. A football classic around this house is hot dogs cut into fourths and wrapped in crescent rolls, i.e. pigs in a blanket. When I saw recipes for pretzels dogs on a few blogs, I knew trying out mini pretzel dogs was in order.

Wrap Dough around Hot Dog

These mini pretzel dogs are made with Nathan’s Skinless Beef Franks wrapped in a perfect homemade pretzel. I prefer Nathan’s hot dogs because they taste great. Plus, they are from New York so it always makes me happy to see them over here in California. I added some cheese to the insides of half the pretzel dogs to test it out. The results were amazing! To do this, I made a lengthwise slit in the hot dog and folded some pieces of of deli American cheese in there.

Cheese Dogs

I had got the idea to add cheese from a dinner that we made on occasion growing up (and one that I still dream about!) My mom made us homemade meals practically every night so she absolutely hates when we rave about the “Crescent Roll hot dog” dinners we used to have. Her eyes are probably rolling right now as she reads this. A Crescent Roll Hot Dog is when you take a full hot dog, make a lengthwise slit in the middle, stuff a folded half piece of American cheese, roll it in crescent roll dough and bake it together. It’s very similar to how I make pigs in a blankets nowadays, except with a whole hot dog and the addition of cheese. What can I say- it was the 80’s and early 90’s!

Cheesy Mini Pretzel Dogs

These pretzel dogs were so good! I served them warm with deli mustard to dip. Although these are best fresh from the oven, I froze the other half of them for Superbowl Sunday and I am going to reheat them at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes until they are heated up again.

Mini Pretzels Dogs and Mustard

Mini Pretzel Dogs

Ingredients

For Pretzel Dough

1½ cups warm water (110-115 degrees F)
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
2¼ tsp. active dry yeast (or one packet)
22 oz. AP flour (about 4½ cups)
2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter, melted and brought back to room temperature

For Boiling Mixture

14 cups of water
1 cup baking soda

For Assembly

8 pack of hot dogs, cut into fourths for 32 hot dog pieces
1 large egg beaten with 1 tsp. water
Pretzel salt or course salt
4 slices of American Cheese (optional)

Instructions

In the bowl of your mixer (with dough hook attachment) add warm water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the the water and let sit for 5 minutes.
Once the yeast is foamy, add in the flour,salt, and melted butter. Mix on low until the dough is combined. Take the speed up to around medium and mix the dough until it is smooth and easily pulls away from the sides of the mixer bowl. Knead for an additional 4 minutes at medium speed.
Coat a separate large bowl with some canola oil. Take dough ball from mixer bowl, scraping dough off the sides of the bowl if needed and place in oiled bowl. Turn to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set bowl in a warm draft free place for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. If using parchment paper spray with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Once the dough has risen, turn out on a lightly oiled surface. Divide dough evenly into 32 pieces. This is done easily if you divide dough in half and then divide each half into halves, continuing until there is 32 equal sized pieces.
Take one dough ball and roll out 12-18 inch piece rope. Take hot dog piece and starting at the end of the hot dog, wrap the dough around the hot dog so that it is completely covered in dough (like a cocoon or mummy). Make sure to seal ends and where ever the dough is touching so that it stays connected and completely sealed during baking. Unlike Pigs in a Blanket you are covering the entire hot dog with dough. Repeat for all dough and hot dog pieces.
*to add cheese- take hot dog pieces before wrapping and make a slit lengthwise making sure to not cut through the hot dog all they way. Take a piece of American cheese and divide it up into 8 pieces. Take one of the pieces and gently fold it so it is around the same size as the slit made in the hot dog. Stuff the cheese into the slit and then wrap hot dog piece with dough like above directions.
In a large pot add 14 cups of water and 1 cup of baking soda. Bring to a boil.
Once the water comes to a boil, gently drop a few wrapped hot dogs into the pot and let cook for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and line up on baking sheet, leaving about one inch in between each. Repeat for all wrapped hot dogs.
Take the egg beaten with 1 tsp. of water and gently brush boiled pretzels with the egg mixture. Top with course salt.
Bake each cookie sheet separately for about 12-14 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Source- slightly adapted from Joy The Baker

Mini Pretzel Dogs

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Posted by Keelin Hollenbeck on January 23, 2014

Mexican Pinwheels Dipped in Salsa

With the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks and it being award season, it is most certainly appetizer time! We had a chance for both the San Francisco and the New England football teams to play in the Super Bowl for another Sister City Super Bowl showdown, but that didn’t happen this year.

If you thought my spinach artichoke dip was easy, wait until you try this one. My mom made these for us growing up a few times and when I moved off on my own, it was one of the recipes she typed up for me. I have a college binder with all the original recipes I used when I first started cooking on my own. Every time I would come home to visit my mom she would give me another collections of recipes that I loved growing up or that I needed to try. Luckily now that we all follow blogs and have similar cookbooks, we share recipes all the time. I still keep these recipes in the original binder even though I have switched over to fancier Martha Stewart binders for my other recipe collections.

Mexican Pinwheels

There are only five ingredients in this recipe: flour tortillas, cream cheese, a can of chopped black olives, a can of chopped green chiles, and chopped onion. Also, the only thing you really need to do is chop an onion because you can buy the olives and green chiles pre-chopped! Oh yeah, oh yeah! The perfect dipping sauce for this? Salsa! I basically live off of Tostitos Salsa in medium heat. I put it on everything from baked potatoes to scrambled egg whites. These probably would also pair well with sour cream or guacamole!

Pinwheels

What do you need to do to make them? Follow the easy recipe below!

Mexican Pinwheels

Ingredients

2 blocks of reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1- 4 oz. can of chopped green chilies, drained
1- 4 oz. can of chopped black olives, drained
½ onion, finely chopped
12-14 flour tortillas

Instructions

In a medium sized bowl, mix together cream cheese, green chilies, black olives, and onion. Stir it all together so that it is all mixed together and evenly distributed.
Take a pile of flour tortillas and place them between 2 paper towels. Microwave them for about 20 seconds, to soften them so they are easier to roll.
Take a tortillas and spread about 3-4 tbsp. of the cream cheese mixture on the tortillas. Roll the tortillas up like a jelly roll, tight enough so there isn't any gaps but not too right that you are squeezing the cream cheese out.
Once rolled set seam side down on some laid out plastic wrap. Continue for the rest of tortillas until you use up all of the filling. When done rolling the tortillas, tightly wrap up the rolls in the plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours or more.
Once chilled, take tortilla rolls out and slice them in ½-3/4 inch slices, tossing out the ends (or eating.) Continue with remaining tortillas.
Serve with salsa.

Looking for more game day recipes? Check out our 2013 Super Bowl Recipe Round-Up and the appetizer section of the 2S2C Recipe Index! We’ll also be sharing a few more favorite game day appetizer recipes over the next week!

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Posted by Keelin Hollenbeck on January 14, 2014

Spinach Artichoke Dip

It is football playoff season and you know what that means…appetizers! I have several great recipes for appetizers to share with you this month leading up to Super Bowl weekend. Matt and I have been toughing it out for you the last couple of weekends and have had a few meals of just appetizers so I could share these with you. It’s been real tough… you’re welcome! We are going to start this Superbowl party off with one of my all-time favorite dips, the spinach artichoke dip.

Chips and Spinach Dip

There was a time period that this was one of those appetizers I would always order off a restaurant’s menu. In college, two of our local bars had the most amazing spinach artichokes dips. They both had a cream cheese base with big chunks of artichoke hearts and not too much spinach. Served with either slices of toasted french bread or tortilla chips, I could not get enough of these dips!

I have played around with several recipes over the years trying to recreate the creaminess and thickness that the dip had from those bars. I think I have come really close with this recipe. I have brought this dip to several different parties and it is always gone within minutes.

Creamy Spinach Artichoke Dip

The best part about this dip (besides the dip itself!) is that it is so easy to put together and it can be done ahead of time. I am one of those people who goes frantic an hour before I am hosting a party so I have learned to serve things I can make ahead. This helps me actually enjoy the party I am throwing. It can be put together the day before and once it is constructed, you just cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it.

When I am making the dip for just Matt and myself, I either make half the recipe or split the dip into two dishes and freeze one. The leftover dip can be reheated and enjoyed again. It is a very forgivable dish. Serve it with tortilla chips, toasted French bread slices, crostini, pita chips, and or veggies. Goooo football teams to be determined and even more so, bring on the appetizers!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

½ cup light sour cream
½ cup light mayonnaise
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 -14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1- 10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 -8 oz. packages ⅓ less fat cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl combine sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, pepper, artichokes, spinach, and cream cheese.
Add in 1½ cup of the shredded mozzarella and ¼ cup of the shredded Parmesan to the dip mixture.
Take dip mixture and spread out into an oven-safe 1½-quart casserole pan or baking dish.
Sprinkle with remained mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Serve with tortilla chips, toasted French bread slices, crostini, pita chips, and/or veggies.

Source– Adapted from Cooking Light

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Posted by Keelin Hollenbeck on March 5, 2013

Lighter Jalapeno Poppers

Have I ever mentioned that I love jalapeño poppers? I absolutely love this jalapeño popper stuffed chicken recipe and make it all the time. My love for jalapeño poppers started with the frozen ones you get at the grocery store. I have an older post with a link to my favorite recipe for jalapeño poppers, but I realized the other day when I was trying to get the recipe that the link was broken. I guess it’s the perfect time for my recipe redo! I even spiffed up the recipe with the addition of turkey bacon… Mmmmm.

I find the hardest part about this recipe is taking the seeds and ribs out of the jalapeño. I have been burned by jalapeños before so I am very cautious when working with them now. Other than that, the filling and baking is real easy and make a great appetizer! They come out crisp on the outside and gooey and delicious on the inside. I didn’t make a dip to go with them this time because I don’t think they need anything. But if you insist on having a dip, chop up some scallions, mix it with some light sour cream, and add a little salt and pepper to taste. Dip away! Not only are these lighter jalapeño poppers healthier then the store-bought kind, they put them to shame in the taste department.

Gooey Jalapeño Poppers

Recipe Redo- Lighter Jalapeño Poppers

Author: 2 Sisters 2 Cities

Recipe type: Appetizer

Ingredients

6 jalapeños, halved, seeds and ribs removed
½ cup reduced fat shredded cheddar
4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
4 scallions, finely chopped
2 pieces crisp cooked turkey bacon, crumbled
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup panko bread crumbs
3 egg whites

Instructions

Preheat broiler to high. Place a wire rack on a foil covered baking sheet. Place jalapeños, opening side down on wire rack. Broil for 2 minute until they begin to char. Let cool as you put together filling
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix together cheddar, cream cheese, scallions, and turkey bacon. Fill cooled jalapeños with filling.
Place egg whites in a bowl and whisk until foamy. In two separate bowls add bread crumbs and whole wheat flour.
Dip jalapeños in whole wheat flour and shake off excess flour. Then dip jalapeño in egg whites and then panko crumbs. Place opening side up on wire rack. Be careful not to lose filling. Repeat for all 12 halves.
Bake for 20 minutes and then let cool a few minutes before serving.

Jalapeño Popper

Source– Adapted from Rocco DiSpirito’s Now Eat This! 150 of America’s Favorite Comfort Foods
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Posted by 2 Sisters 2 Cities on January 29, 2013

Are you starting to think about game day recipes for this upcoming weekend? I know I am! I could go for some Buffalo Wings right about now! I wanted to share some of our favorite recipes that we have posted in the past. Here are 10 game day recipe ideas in case you are starting to plan your game day menu now.

Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip: I have made this cheese dip countless times since I first tried it at our Fourth of July family reunion last year. Don’t let the weird name fool you- it’s amazing, especially with tortilla chips. While it’s definitely not the healthiest thing you could make for the game, the Super Bowl only comes once a year! If you have any leftovers (which I doubt you will), this cheese dip makes an awesome hamburger topping.

$Tex-Mex-Pimiento-Cheese-Dip-Close-up_thumb.jpg$

Mediterranean Dip with Pita Chips: If you are looking for a healthier dip option, I highly recommend this Mediterranean Dip. It’s really quick to pull together if you use pre-made hummus, olive tapenade, and pesto (although you can step up the wow factor by making these yourself.)

Baked Potato Dip: While the prior two dips are good with tortilla chips and pita chips, this dip is a bit more versatile. You could serve it with potato chips, pretzels, or vegetable crudités.

Baked Potato Dip with veggies, chips, and pretzels

Goat Cheese with Basil Oil: Do you have more of the wine and cheese types coming to your Super Bowl party? Have no fear- this goat cheese dip with basil oil served with baguettes is easy to pull together ahead of time and would go perfectly with a crisp white wine.

goat cheese with basil oil

Chicken Chili with Corn Muffin Croutons: No Super Bowl party would be complete without a big pot of chili for guests to serve themselves out of. This chicken chili recipe is one of my all-time favorites.

Chicken Chili with Corn Muffin Croutons

Turkey, White Bean, and Pumpkin Chili: If you are short on recipe prep time, I highly recommend this slow-cooker turkey chili. On Sunday morning, it takes less than 10 minutes to prep all the ingredients and throw them in the crockpot. Allow it to cook on low for eight hours and it will be ready to go for kick-off.

Turkey White Bean and Pumpkin Chili

Red Wine Sangria: While football and beer often go hand-in-hand, try serving up a pitcher of red wine sangria at your football viewing party. If I wasn’t pregnant, I would definitively be making a batch of this sangria recipe for Sunday!

red_wine_sangria

Do you have a favorite recipe you plan on making for the Super Bowl this weekend?

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