chipotle chicken skewers with creamy dipping sauce. {winner!}

photo credit

Chipotle Chicken Skewers With Creamy Dipping Sauce from Randi:

via Mels Kitchen Cafe

Chicken Skewers

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, minced

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced (to reduce spiciness, scrape out seeds prior to mincing)

2 tsp adobo sauce

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

12 bamboo or metal skewers

Creamy Dipping Sauce

3/4 cup lowfat sour cream

1/4 cup lowfat mayonnaise or Greek yogurt

1/4 cup lime juice

1/8 tsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp cilantro leaves, minced

2 green onions, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Slice the chicken breasts into long, thin strips, about 1/2-inch thick. You should have right around 30 strips. In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cilantro, chipotle chile, adobo sauce, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Toss the chicken with the brown sugar mixture coating all the pieces evenly. Cover the chicken (or place in a ziploc bag) and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

For the dipping sauce, in a bowl, stir all the ingredients together. Cover the mixture and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes until the flavors combine. Alternately, you can make the dipping sauce in advance and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Be sure to season the dipping sauce with additional lime juice, salt and pepper to taste before serving.

30 minutes before grilling, cover the bamboo skewers with water and soak. Skip this step if using metal skewers.

Preheat an oven broiler or grill. Weave two strips of chicken onto each skewer. Broil or grill the chicken for 5-8 minutes until cooked through, using nonstick cooking spray on a foil-lined pan if you are broiling. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

gingerbread made with sour cream.

photo credit

Gingerbread Made With Sour Cream from Jenn:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup molasses
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp fine salt
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9-inch square pan. Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in molasses, lemon zest, then beat in eggs 1 at a time. Sift in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt, stirring until blended. Stir in sour cream, then boiling water. Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake for 20 minutes, before turning out on a cooling rack to cool completely. Then enjoy some sweetened cream, a lemon or vanilla glaze.

lemon sour cream pound cake.

photo credit

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake from Ashley:

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cups sour cream

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

juice and zest of one small lemon

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp milk

juice and zest from 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar. Mix in eggs, sour cream, vanilla and lemon juice/zest. Slowly mix in the soda and flour until smooth. Pour better into a greased or parchment paper lined bread pan and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. When cake has cooled whisk together glaze ingredients and drizzle over the top.

caramelized onion dip.

photo credit

Caramelized Onion Dip from Lauren:

1-2 large sweet onions - diced

2 T butter

1 pkg. Lipton Onion Soup Mix

1 16 oz tub of sour cream (light is fine)

Sweat the diced onions over medium low heat in the butter until they are soft. Cool completely. Stir in the soup mix and sour cream. Serve with potato chips, of course!

creamy pasta salad with marinated veggies.

photo credit

Creamy Pasta Salad with Marinated Veggies from Michelle:

1/2 cup Italian Dressing (I like Girhard's)

2 cup cherry tomato halves

1 cup sliced cucumber

1 cup sliced mushroom

1/4 lb salami or pepperoni cut into thin strips

3/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup (1 oz) grated romano (or parmesan)

1/4 cup sliced green onion

2 cups wide egg noodles (or 4 cups if more salad is needed)

Pour dressing over tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, pepperoni and marinate over night. Combine sour cream, cheese and onions-pour over noodles. May combine or leave separately (putting noddles on plate and then spooning marinade mixture over the top.)

banana bars with cream cheese frosting

photo credit

Banana Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting from Shalee:
via allrecipes.com

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas

Frosting:
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter. Finally mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting with teh cream cheese frosting.

strawberry flowers.

photo credit

Strawberry Flowers from Brittany:

2 lbs fresh strawberries, medium to large work best
2 (3 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
1/4 cup powdered sugar - add more if not sweet enough
4 oz. sour cream
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Wash strawberries. Cut stem end off to lay flat. Cut opposite end into quarters, don't cut all the way through. Set aside.

In a small bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream , powdered sugar, lemon juice and extracts. Beat on medium speed of mixer until fluffy. Spoon mixture into pastry bag with a star tip. Squeeze the mixture into the middle of the strawberry. Repeat. Chill for at least one hour.

*You can also dip the tips in white chocolate