Ambitious or Insane: Seasoned Goldfish Crackers

I never thought I would be sharing a recipe for Goldfish Crackers. In fact, I can’t recall the last time I had one prior to making this. This recipe is a fun way to make a common cracker a little fancier, and yes, there is a reason why I did it myself!

In early December, my niece turned one-year old. My sister planned a “Brown Bear” themed birthday party for her, based on the popular children’s picture book. Per usual, I was assigned to bring the hors d'oeuvres to the party. One week ago my sister and I shared the backseat of her car, as our husbands sat up front and drove us on a mini-road trip to attend our cousin’s wedding. With cooking magazines piled on our laps, I asked for her input on what I should make for the birthday party. Understanding how busy and chaotic my job has been lately, she advised me to do whatever would be easy (as long as I brought my layered taco dip). We continued talking and looking at recipes, and an idea was born! I grabbed a scratch piece of paper, found a pen in the glove box, and we started formulating a menu. We decided that in keeping with the party theme, I could make one appetizer for each corresponding color used in the story.


The list came together easier than we thought it would. There were some items my sister recommended I just buy from the store, to make my life easier (which I, of course, didn't do). One of her suggestions was to just put out a bowl of plain Goldfish Crackers.


Once we returned home from the wedding, I had five days to plan, shop, and prepare all of the hors d'oeuvres. I did whatever I could ahead of time, and got started early on Saturday morning. I was excited about this creative approach, and felt ambitious to be trying so many new recipes (only one was a personal repeat). I was about three-quarters of the way done when I started running out of time. I realized that I was leaning more towards insane than ambitious. With the clock ticking, it was like my own Iron Chef episode, however the version where the chef is also trying to do laundry and get dressed for a party.

When my last item came out of the oven, we dashed over to my sister’s house and arrived on time (although not early like she had asked). The guests were waiting and they were hungry. (Only one person asked where my layered taco dip was, and I suspect that he may have been prompted to do so!) The hors d'oeuvres were inhaled, and I was ready for a nap! (This recipe makes a ton!)

Seasoned Goldfish Crackers
Ingredients
18 ounces cheddar cheese goldfish crackers
1 ounce powdered ranch dressing mix
3 teaspoons dill weed
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2/3 cup olive oil

Directions
Place crackers in a large bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients. Drizzle over crackers and toss to coat evenly. Transfer to a large baking pan. Bake at 250°F for about 15 - 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Toothsome Turkish: Carrots and Lentils (Zeytinyagli Havuç)

This is a recipe that I flagged in a recent edition of Cooking Light. It looked like an interesting vegetarian entrée. Lentils have a high-level of protein and are worthy component of a vegetarian diet.

When I set out to make this recipe, I did not have any Aleppo pepper on hand. I do have an expansive spice shop near my work, but I was cooking this on a weekend and came up with a substitute. I instead used a combination of some Ancho chili pepper, Paprika, and Cumin. The recipe as it is written hardly cooks the carrots and they maintain their crunch. I’d personally prefer it with a softer carrot, and next time I’ll add them at the same time as the onion. After you get it started, this recipe basically cooks itself. It’s tasty, healthy, and the ingredients are inexpensive. It’s a good entrée option for a vegetarian, but it could also be served as a side dish next to a piece of meat.

Turkish Carrots and Lentils (Zeytinyagli Havuç)
(From Cooking Light, October, 2009)
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground Aleppo pepper
1 pound carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt, divided
3 cups water
1 cup uncooked dried green lentils
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Greek-style yogurt (such as Fage)
Fresh dill sprigs (optional)

Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion (and carrot, for a softer carrot); cook 9 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and Aleppo pepper; cook 30 seconds. Stir in carrots and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Combine 3 cups water and lentils in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and stir in onion mixture; cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with a kitchen towel, and cool to room temperature. Serve with yogurt. Garnish with dill, if desired.