White Bean and Feta Dip by Rachel

Another dip from me!  I know I've been lagging behind in the recipes, but Heather is about to embark on a journey to Japan for the next couple weeks so I'll be taking that time to catch up! :)  In the meantime, enjoy!

Ingredients

1 can of cannellini beans
2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Special Ingredient: Sweet Pea and Roasted Garlic Dip by Rachel

I'm so behind!

I've been doing a lot of cooking, but I've been bad about sharing them with you.  Sorry!

So I had some friends over for dinner this weekend and in thinking about what to make with the bag of peas that I had, I thought to make a dip.  It was a hit!

Ingredients:
10oz of good, frozen peas
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sugar
salt, to taste

Shrimp Cakes by Rachel

I was inspired to make Thai food the other night and one thing that I love at Thai restaurants are the fish cakes, or "tod mun pla."  I didn't have fish, but I did have shrimp so I ad libbed and they dish came out great.  My shrimp cakes were gone in a matter of minutes.  They were really easy to make, too!

Ingredients (makes about 10-12 small cakes)
10 medium to large size shrimp, raw
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
2 pinches of salt (you can add an extra pinch if you're skipping the Sriracha sauce)
1/2 tsp white pepper
Oil, for frying

Baked Potato Chips by Rachel

Yes, potato chips are generally not the healthiest snack choice, but I think that if you make them at home and control the amount of salt you use, they are definitely a lot healthier than store-bought ones!  My version of potato chips are made from real potatoes that I hand-cut, baked in the oven (not fried!) and lightly salted.  Real potato chips actually don't need much seasoning because fresh potatoes have more flavor, in my opinion.

Anyway, here's the very easy recipe!

Ingredients

Russet Potatoes, as many as you want, but it only takes about 1 potato per person 

Olive Oil

Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Pancetta and Cheese Gougères by Rachel

Choux (pronouced "shoo") pastry can seem like a daunting thing to make (because it's all french and fancy), but it's actually really easy and if you've made it right once, you can make it right every time after that.  Choux pastry is what is used to make cream puffs and eclairs.  I had a hankering for the light and fluffy pastry, but I wanted a savory version, so I went for a smoky cheddar and pancetta version.  Hence, the gougère.

I think I might have overdone it with the cheese (though can one every really overdo it with cheese?), so they didn't puff as much as other times I've made them, but I made them to go with soup, so they turned out to be just the right consistency for me.

Ingredients
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs (though you may not need all of the eggs)
3/4 cup smoked cheddar
1 tbsp chives diced
3 slices of pancetta, diced

Kale Crisps by Rachel

Kale is a deliciously hearty vegetable that can be used in juices, salads, as a side dish...the list goes on!  Something else that's great about kale is that it can be toasted to become the perfect thing to fulfill your craving for a crispy snack!

I'm totally guilty of wanting to snack all the time and, despite the efforts of the snack world to create healthy chips, they aren't always as "healthy" as they say they are.  Kale crisps, on the other hand, are a healthy snack that you can make at home and it takes very little time.

Ingredients:
As much kale as you want!
1 tbsp of olive oil per cup of kale
Salt, to taste

Optional: Parmesan cheese, Old Bay Seasoning, Paprika, etc