May 2011 Dashing Dishes

Bleu Cheese Deviled Dogs

8 all beef hot dogs

½ c. mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

1 Tbsp. Sriracha (Oriental/Thai hot sauce)

8 hot dog buns, split, toasted

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled & chopped

½ c. crumbled bleu cheese

2 medium green onions, sliced

Heat gas or charcoal grill.Place hot dogs on grill over medium heat. Cook 10 to 15 minutes, turning frequently, until hot.Stir together mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce; spread about 1 tablespoon mayonnaise mixture on each toasted bun. Place hot dogs on buns. Top with eggs, blue cheese and onions.Makes 8 servings

Blueberry Lemon Tart

1 ½ c. vanilla wafer crumbs

1 egg white, beaten

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

1 ¼ c. fat-free (skim) milk

1 pkg. (4-serving size) lemon instant

pudding and pie filling mix

1 ½ tsp. grated lemon peel

1 c. fat-free whipped topping, thawed

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. cornstarch

3 Tbsp. water

1 ½ c. fresh or frozen blueberries

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. In small bowl, mix crushed cookies, egg white and butter until crumbly. Press in bottom and up side of tart pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown; cool.In a medium bowl, beat milk, pudding mix and lemon peel with electric mixer on low speed about 2 minutes or until smooth. Refrigerate 5-10 minutes.Fold whipped topping into pudding mixture. Spread over crust. Cover; refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. For sauce topping, mix sugar, cornstarch and water in a saucepan. Stir in 1/2 cup of the blueberries. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Stir in lemon juice; remove from heat. Cool 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 cup blueberries. Cover; refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.Serve tart with blueberry topping. Store in refrigerator. Makes 12 servings.

Creamed Spinach

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for pan

½ red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. red chili flakes

1 ¾ c. heavy cream

1 c. shredded Parmesan

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

½ c. sour cream

2 pkg. (10 oz each) frozen chopped

spinach, thawed & squeezed dry

½ c. French’s fried onions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8x8-in. baking dish. Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and red chili flakes and sauté for 2 more minutes. Add heavy cream, Parmesan, and nutmeg. Heat until cream begins to bubble, stirring often. Turn the burner off and stir in sour cream and spinach. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the top evenly with fried onions. Bake until golden and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

Strawberry Hot Fudge Cheesecake

1 ½ c. graham cracker crumbs

¼ c. sugar

1/3 c. butter or margarine, melted

¾ c. hot fudge sauce

4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened

1 1/3 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

1/3 c. strawberry preserves, melted

Heat oven to 325ºF. Mix cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and the butter. Press evenly in bottom and 2 inches up side of spring-form pan. Bake 5 minutes.Microwave hot fudge sauce as directed on jar until hot. Pour hot fudge sauce over crust; spread evenly.In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in 1 1/3 cups sugar and the vanilla until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Pour over hot fudge sauce.Bake cheesecake 55 to 65 minutes or until set; cool 15 minutes. Run metal spatula along side of cheesecake to loosen. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours. Spread melted strawberry preserves over cheesecake. Cover and refrigerate any remaining cheesecake.Makes 16 servings.

Fajita Lasagna

1 lb. bag frozen stir-fry peppers & onions,

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 can (29 oz.) tomato sauce

1 pkg. (1.4 oz.) fajita seasoning mix

12 no-boil lasagna noodles

3 c. shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray bottom and sides of 13x9x2 pan with cooking spray. Drain thawed bell pepper mixture on several layers of paper towels; set aside. Cook beef in skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Stir in tomato sauce and seasoning mix; heat to boiling. Spread 1/2 cup sauce mixture in baking dish. Arrange 4 noodles crosswise, slightly overlapping, on sauce. Spread 1 1/2 cups sauce over noodles, completely covering noodles. Spread pepper mixture evenly over sauce; sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese. Repeat layers 3 times.Spray piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray. Tightly cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down. Bake about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.

Makes 8 servings.

Chicken & Asparagus Stir-Fry

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 lb chicken breast strips for stir-frying

1 lb asparagus spears, cut in 2-in. pieces

1 medium onion, cut into ½ -in. wedges

1 pkg. (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms

¼ c. water

½ c. stir-fry sauce

¼ c. oyster sauce

In a wok or 10-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken strips; stir-fry 5 to 6 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Remove chicken from wok and set aside. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to wok. Add asparagus and onion; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; stir-fry 3 minutes longer. Add water; cover and steam 2 to 3 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix stir-fry sauce and oyster sauce. Add sauce mixture and return chicken to wok; stir-fry about 1 minute longer or until hot. Serve over hot white rice. Makes 4 servings.