Gameday Dip

So my boyfriend gave me a great recipe for a dip that's to die for. It's perfect for Football (American Football) Parties and Tailgates. The best part is that this dip is very inexpensive to make. Sorry, I didn't get a good picture of it!

Ingredients:
3 frozen Cream of Spinach (microwavable frozen veggie side dish)
1 lb hot roll spicy sausage (I use Tennessee Pride)
Grated Parmesan Romano cheese, to taste

Materials:
1 medium sized casserole pan
Tablespoon
Knive


Microwave the 3 frozen cream of spinach, separately using the cook time as directed on the box.
Put one layer of cream of spinach on the bottom of the medium sized casserole pan, then put enough circles of sausage on that layer. Repeat this step for the next two layers. 
Sprinkle grated Parmesan on top. 
Cook for 20-30 minutes at 400 °F until sausage is cooked.

Serve with Pita chips.

Salmon Salad

I have to say that Salmon is one of my favorite dishes. I was telling my boyfriend how I wanted to make some recipes that would be perfect for tailgating for Football (American Football) Season. This recipe is by Barefoot Contessa. I will have to say that the recipe takes a long time if you  cook the salmon yourself, which is what I did (you're looking at about 3 and a half hours because you have to cook, cool, and chill the salmon).  However, it is completely worth the wait. The best part is there is no mayo in this recipe, so it's really healthy.  You can eat it either on top of a salad or make it more of a gourmet sandwich using baguette bread or a nice roll.

How to cook the Salmon: 

I baked the salmon, which I coated in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and topped with sea salt and ground black pepper, in the oven at 400 °F  for 35 mins. I let it cool for 30 minutes before I cut it up into chunks (removing any skin and bones) and placed it into a large mixing bowl, which I refrigerated for an hour. 

Ingredients:

2 pounds of salmon, chilled

1 cup small- diced celery (3 stalks)

1/2 cup small- diced red onion (1 small red onion)

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

2 tablespoons capers, drained

2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Materials:

Large mixing Bowl

Tablespoons/teaspoons

Measuring Cup

Large Wooden spoon to mix everything together

Cutting board

Serrated knife

Sharp Knife

Break the salmon into very large flakes, removing any skin and bones, and place the salmon in a bowl. Add the celery, red onion, dill, capers, raspberry vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Season, to taste.  Mix well and serve cold or at room temperature. 

A Taste of Fall....Pumpkin Bread

Lately, I've been wanting or craving everything to do with Fall: College Football (American Football), Riding Boots (which may include Cowboy Boots if you live in the Southern Region of the United States), Scarves, Leggings, Hayrides, Halloween, Pumpkins, and Pumpkin Spice flavors in cooking. Lucky for us, Fall is right around the corner, which is why I'm going to have you one step ahead of the game for your tailgate, Halloween party, Thanksgiving meal, or Fall outing. Today's recipe will be for Pumpkin Bread. 

Be sure to check back on Thursday for my Sangria Recipe.

Yields: 1 large loaf or 4 mini loaves

Ingredients: 

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (fresh)

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup canned pure pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup buttermilk

Materials:

Large Mixing Bowl

Medium Mixing Bowl

Electric Mixer

Whisk

Spatula 

Measuring Cups/Spoons

Tooth Pick

Cooling Rack

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Butter a 9x5x3 in. loaf pan or 4 mini loaf pans.

Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt, & baking soda in medium bowl to blend.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup of sugar, beating until blended.

Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.

Beat in pumpkin, then vanilla.

Beat in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk starting and ending with the buttermilk.

Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about an hour 10 mins for large loaf and 24-36 mins for mini loaves.