Creamy Crab Dip - Irish Pub style

Ingredients:

2 blocks of cream cheese, softened
about 1/2 cup mayo
about 1/4 cup sour cream
large splash of lemon juice
splash of worcestershire sauce
1 T prepared horseradish
1 T prepared mustard (dijon or stoneground preferred)

1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano, plus a few tablespoons more for sprinkling

1 can (16 oz) crab meat - claw meat is fine

Mix the ingredients above, then spread in a casserole dish.    Sprinkle w/ cheese, then bake at 350 until hot and bubbly - about 40 minutes.    (nothing raw, so you're just heating/melting - so oven temperature is flexible if you're also heating something else)

Savory Rosemary Shortbread

A successful experiment today!   I wanted to make a savory rosemary shortbread to accompany the cheese tray for tomorrow (Thanksgiving). 

Preheat oven to 300.   Line baking pan w/ parchment paper.  (13 x 9 or 8 x 8)

In food processor, (double it, processing in two batches for a 13 x 9 pan, or just this for a 8x8 one):

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
leaves only from a few sprigs of rosemary
some fresh thyme
1T minced toasted onion
1/2 cup sugar

then after that is well blended (maybe a minute?), add:

2 sticks butter

pulse until blended.   Dump into prepared pan.

Repeat all ingredients again, in same order, if making a 13 x 9 pan.     Press into pan, and then use parchment paper to gently round the edges back onto the dough (vs having bits of dough stuck to the parchment).     Bake for approximately 75 minutes of spectacular scent.  Cool about ten minutes and then use the parchment paper to pull the shortbread out onto a cutting board - cut while still warm.  

Leftovers: reheating meat

Want to reheating leftover pork loin or beef roast?   For a crowd?  Without making beef jerky?  Try this.

Slice the roast as thinly as you can, and place the slices in a glass pie plan.  Add some type of fearful liquid (broth, gravy, stock, au ju, etc).  If you happen to have some sauteed mushrooms, carmelized onions or the like, even better.  

Cover tightly with foil and place in a low or warm oven.  (anything 400 or lower - throw it in while you cook something else if appropriate).   Heat until warm.

Your leftovers just might be better than the first serving!

Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies

I wanted to develop a quick, high nutrient, HIGH PROTEIN and whole grain breakfast cookie for those busy mornings ... note this isn't a diet item, but more of a trying to eat something to stick with me on days I really don't feel like eating / don't have time.  



Cream together until much lighter in color:

1 pound (2 cups) Jif creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar

add:  5 large eggs, mix well


then add:

1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup whey protein powder (unsweetened)


When well mixed, add:

3 cups rolled oats


then:

1 cup chocolate chip cookies
1 cup peanut butter chips


Scoop with a one ounce (2 Tbsp) scoop onto parchment paper - I put 8-9 each on a half sheet pan, but apparently they could have been spaced a bit closer.     Bake at 35- for about 12 minutes.   



I got 52 cookies with the one ounce scoop - nutrition info per cookie:   165 calories, 9g fat, 8g protein, 16 g carbs, 2g fiber