Lynn Bretz

This is an interesting dip that is a great way to use an overabundance of tomatoes. Good on crackers, tortilla chips, or toasted garlic bread slices.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Monterrey Jack Shredded Cheese
• 1 small can diced chili’s
• 1 small can chopped black olives
• 3 green onions chopped
• 3 fresh tomatoes chopped
• 1 package Good Season’s Italian dressing mixed according to directions

Mix all ingredients. Chill and eat.

The Akers

(from the Five a Day Kids Cookbook)

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 3/4 cp chopped white onion
• 3/4 cp shredded carrots
• 3/4 cp chopped red or green pepper
• 2 cp chopped zucchini
• 1-1/2 cp shredded spinach
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 6tbs low fat cream cheese
• 6 whole wheat tortillas

1. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and peppers and cook for 3 minutes.

2. Stir in zucchini and cook 3 more minutes. Add spinach and season with pepper. Remove from heat.

3. Spread one tablespoon of cream cheese on each tortilla. Add veggies, roll tight, and cut each wrap in half.

Serves 6. 200 calories per wrap. 6 grams total fat, 1 mg cholesterol, 256 mg sodium, 395 mg potassium, 30 gm total carbs

Melinda Campbell

• 1 c. Red Grapes (chopped)
• 1 c. Green Grapes (chopped)
• 1 c. Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
• 1/2 c. Scallions or 3-4 green onions (chopped)
• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro
• 2 T. Olive Oil
• 2 T. Fresh Lime Juice
• 4t Jalepeno Pepper (finely chopped and seeded)
• 2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. Hot Pepper Sauce

Combine all ingredients and chill for 1 hour then enjoy! I won a salsa contest with this at Margarita Night! Loved by all, but takes lots of time to chop everything!

Melinda Campbell

• 1 1/2 c. Mayo
• 1 c. shredded parmesan (refrigerated)
• 1/2 c. Mozzarella Shreds
• 1 10z Frozen Chopped Spinach (drained/thawed)
• 1 can Artichoke Hearts (chopped and drained)
• 1/2 c Sour Cream
• Red Onions chopped to taste
• Garlic Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together and chill for 4-6 hours… bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 or until bubbly… this is requested by my everytime we have a bunco get-together! Serve hot with Tostitos Scoops or Pita Chips…

Lori Polterock

This is the bomb ceviche! I serve with those ‘scoops’ tortilla chips. And there is no raw fish in it which grosses me out.

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 generous pound unpeeled smallish shrimp (I prefer the ones that are 41/50 count to a pound)
• 1/2 medium white onion, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus several sprigs for garnish
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 to 2 tablespoons vinegary Mexican bottled hot sauce (such as Tamazula, Valentina or Bufalo, the latter being on the sweet side)
• About 2 tablespoons olive oil, preferably extra-virgin (optional, but recommended to smooth out sharpness)
• 1 cup diced peeled cucumber or jicama (or 1/2 cup of each)
• 1 small ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
• Salt
• Several lime slices for garnish
• Tostadas or tortilla chips, store-bought or homemade or saltine crackers for serving

1. Cooking and Marinating the Shrimp.

Bring 1 quart salted water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of the lime juice. Scoop in the shrimp, cover and let the water return to the boil. Immediately remove from the heat, set the lid askew and pour off all the liquid. Replace the cover and let the shrimp steam off the heat for 10 minutes. Spread out the shrimp in a large glass or stainless steel bowl to cool completely. Peel and devein the shrimp if you wish: One by one lay the shrimp on your work surface, make a shallow incision down the back and scrape out the (usually) dark intestinal tract. Toss the shrimp with the remaining 1/2 lime juice, cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

2. The flavorings.

In a small strainer, rinse the onion under cold water, then shake off the excess liquid. Add to the shrimp bowl along with the cilantro, ketchup, hot sauce, optional olive oil, cucumber and/or jicama and avocado. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1/2 teaspoon. Cover and refrigerate if not serving immediately.

3. Serving the ceviche.

Spoon the ceviche into sundae glasses, martini glasses, or small bowls: garnish with sprigs of cilantro and slices of lime. Serve with tostadas, tortilla chips or saltines to enjoy alongside.

Working Ahead:

The ceviche is best made the day it is served. The flavorings can be added to the shrimp a few hours in advance.

Donna Holman

• 1 bunch fresh spinach
• 2 C. plain yogurt
• ½ C. mayonnaise
• 2T. instant minced onions
• 1/2t.salt
• ½ t. dry mustard
• ¼ t. each pepper, nutmeg, and tarragon

Wash and chop spinach fine.  Place in a bowl and mix with other ingredients.  Makes 3 cups.

Rosemary Fritzjunker

Ingredients:  Asparagus, cream cheese, shaved deli ham.

Cook asparagus al dente’ (5 to 7 minutes)

Immediately drop in ice water so asparagus stays green. Dry spears.

Spread very thin deli ham with softened cream cheese.

Roll on to asparagus spears.  Cool and serve as appetizer.

*It will be gone and everyone will want the recipe.

[Editor Ryan: I make a variation on this that I call “white trash pickles,” which just substitutes a cut pickle spear for the asparagus.  Buy some of the triangle-wedged pickle spears.  Then spread cream cheese on ham slices.  Wrap the pickle with the cheese-coated ham slice.  Cut into one-inch pieces and stick toothpicks in.  It’s always the first dish to go at parties.]