Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

  • 4-6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 14 oz can artichoke hearts, chopped
  • 1 lb frozen cut leaf spinach, thawed and drained
  • 8 oz fancy mixed Italian cheeses
  • 1 T salt
  • 1/4 - 1 ts cayenne pepper

Procedure

  1. Sauté garlic in olive oil until golden; immediately remove from heat and add cream cheese to the pot. Stir until melted, then add artichoke, spinach, and Italian cheeses. Salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning as needed.
  2. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

Serving suggestions

Serve with carrot and celery sticks if you are naughty, chips or crostini if you are nice. Top with buttered panko and parmesan and broil for a few minutes at the end if you're exceptionally awesome.

Mongolian Beef

Ingredients

  • 1/4 C corn starch
  • 1 lb beef, sliced thinly
  • 2 T oil
  • 2 T ginger, grated
  • 2 T garlic, minced
  • 1/4 C tamari
  • 1/4 C water
  • 1/4 C brown sugar
  • oil for frying
  • 1/4 C San-J Szechuan sauce
  • 1/4 C water
  • 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
  • 1-2 ribs celery, sliced
  • 2-3 napa cabbage leaves, chopped into 1" squares
  • 1/2 of a yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 bunch of green onions, chopped into 1" long pieces
  • 1 T salt
  • cornstarch

Procedure

  1. Toss gently together to coat beef and cornstarch.
  2. Heat oil; add garlic and ginger and sauté until garlic is golden. Immediately add tamari, water, and brown sugar. Stir and bring to a brisk boil; reduce heat and simmer the brown sauce for a few minutes to thicken.
  3. In a wok, heat an inch of oil. Fry beef in small batches until crisp and browned on the edges; add to a bowl containing Szechuan sauce to marinate once cooked.
  4. Remove wok from heat and discard oil. Return the wok to heat and add 1/4 C of water to deglaze. Using a metal spoon, scrape up the fond from the bottom of the wok.
  5. Add vegetables to the wok and cook until carrots begin to soften, 5-7 minutes.
  6. Add back to the wok the beef, the Szechuan sauce marinade, and the brown sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Add salt to taste. If the sauce needs additional thickening, use a few teaspoons of a cornstarch and water slurry.