Spice up your Labor Day
If you are like many Americans, your Labor Day celebration will include good food as well as family and friends. If the people in your life prefer food on the zesty side, spice it up a bit for the holiday.
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Buffalo Chicken Dip
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup pepper sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot
1 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and hot pepper sauce until well blended. Mix in the Ranch dressing, chicken and Cheddar cheese. Spread into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips. Makes 16 servings.
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Spicy Grilled Shrimp
1 large clove garlic
1 tablespoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 wedges lemon, optional
Preheat grill for medium heat. In a small bowl, crush the garlic with the salt. Mix in cayenne pepper and paprika, and then stir in olive oil and lemon juice to form a paste. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with garlic paste until evenly coated. Cook shrimp until opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with lemon wedges if desired. Makes 6 servings.
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Spicy Butter Bars
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup butterscotch chips, divided
1 large egg
1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, coffee granules, and ginger; set aside. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt butter and 2/3 cup butterscotch chips. Remove from the heat. Stir in the dry ingredients and egg; mix well.
Spread into an ungreased 15x10-inch. Sprinkle with peanuts and remaining chips. Bake until lightly browned, about 25 to 30 minutes. Immediately cut into bars and remove from pan. Cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 3 dozen bars.
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Pantry Pointers
It is best to buy most spices in small quantities, especially those used infrequently, because they lose their flavor over time. If you are in doubt of the quality of a spice, give it a good sniff before using it. Spices without an aroma likely won’t have much flavor either.
The Practical Pantry ©2006 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com
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