Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Football season is back and so are delicious recipes you need for snacks during the game.... I just made this on Sunday and it was great.  If you have ever had the spinach dip at Houston's/Hillstone, you will definitely like this Chicago style spinach artichoke dip.

1/3 cup half & half or heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated romano cheese
1 cup grated mozarella
2 garlic cloves, crushed
10 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained VERY well)
1 6oz jar of artichokes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the first 6 ingredients into a food processor and pulse until everything has been blended.

 

Add half of the artichokes and the spinach. Make sure to blot the spinach dry with paper towels to ensure that all of the water is gone.

 Pulse until fully incorporated. Add the last half of the artichokes and stir until incorporated.

 Spray a glass baking dish and add the dip into the baking dish.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until bubbling.  Serve with chips and salsa..
Thyme 2 taste.... enjoy the game!

Shrimp Scampi

Good friends of ours gave us some shrimp they brought back from Alaska.  It was some of the best shrimp I have ever seen.  I didn't want to over do it, so I made a basic shrimp scampi.  This is great to make for guests that are coming over for dinner or even on top of some rice for a main course.  I made it as an appetizer for dinner guests.

 
Ingredients;
12 shrimps, peeled and cleaned
2 Tbsp butter
5 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup wine
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
1-2 tsp lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

 I use the white wine from whole foods that is about $4 a bottle.  It's fine for cooking!

 Sprinkle salt and pepper on the shrimp, place a butter in a pan on high heat.

 

Melt butter, add garlic and saute for about a minute or 2.  Do not burn the garlic.

 Add the shrimp.

 Add the wine and squeeze a little lemon juice in the pan.

 Let them simmer for a few minutes

 Add the chopped parsley.

 Don't overcook the shrimp.  The total cooking time should be between 6-8 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp.  You're finished!

Thyme 2 Taste.... serve with lemon wedges.

Spicy Greek Yogurt Marinated Chicken

I am constantly printing out recipes that I intend to make and then they get lost in my book of cut-outs.  So from time to time I go through my book and find something fun that I want to make.  I then realize I either don't have an ingredient or I just don' want to use some of the ingredients in the recipe.  With this recipe, I tried it first following the recipe and then I just modified it according to my taste.  The other day I brought this to a BBQ and it was completely different from when I originally started.  But hey, if it's good and everyone loves it, what's the harm in that?

Ingredients;
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek style yogurt
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tsp dried crushed red pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 lemon, thinly sliced
2 lbs chicken thighs or breasts

Mix the first 7 ingredients into a small bowl.

 Pour into a bowl with chicken and add the lemon slices on top.

 Mix to coat the chicken.  Marinate overnight or for a few hours.

 Place on the grill for 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken.  If you're not sure if it's done yet, cut into the thickest part of the chicken to be sure it's ready.

Serve with some fun sides....

Thyme 2 Taste...