After yesterday’s post I could hear the little voices.

“Did she really just post a recipe for sour cream and cheese?”

“Um, yeah, I’m going to put that out right next to the wine glasses. Classy. Real classy, Angie Pangie.”

And, yes, it is possible that I  am losing my mind, but I kept hearing imaginary critics talking about how strange it is that I would suggest they serve simplistic sour cream and shredded cheese to their guests.

I’ve been trying very hard to ignore those voices. I love yesterday’s recipe. Plus I didn’t want to get off the couch and also because I already worry too much about what other people think . . . wait, never mind. Sometimes there really is a limit to what you should blog about. I’m still learning that lesson.

Anyhow. I agree, yesterday’s recipe – while very wonderful tasting – isn’t exactly a ‘high-end’ recipe.

It’s simple and yummy, yes.

Is it showy and classy?Not so much.

It’s all about priorities I figure. I want to read my book and lay on the couch, not spend all day cooking for my friends. But, still the voices (is it my inner critic I wonder?) wouldn’t stop and so here I go . . .

*Angie Pangie flops her book on the table and moves into the kitchen*

Today, I give you a pretty recipe that you can throw together in a matter of minutes. Thus allowing you to quickly move thyself out of the kitchen and back to the couch with your book this weekend. Or, to the picnic table with your friends. Or, to the swimming pool with your kids. Wherever you want to be.

Marinated Mozzarella

1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon creshed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon minced chives
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes

Start by cutting your cubes into 1 inch pieces.  I’ve used a skim version of mozzarella here. I do think the “fully loaded” mozz has a better flavor, but I really like what the scales say when I skip the whole milk fat.

In a quart sized zippered bag, combine the first 7 ingredients.

You’ll want to cut the tomatoes, parsley and chives into small pieces. You don’t want big chunks, and you’ll thank me later when you don’t have that parsley stuck between your teeth as you talk to your neighbor’s slightly stand-offish husband.

I know you think this is about to be a McCormick’s commercial, don’t you? I guess it could be, but it’s not. It’s just a picture. I like pictures.

Add the cheese cubes, seal the bag and turn the bag to coat the cheese.

Refrigerate for a minimum of 30 minutes. I like to leave it in the fridge a day or two, if possible. This lets the flavors really meld.

When you do take this out of the fridge, let the bag sit on the counter for 30 minutes or more.  This cheese is better served at room temperature and letting it sit out will let any olive oil that turned solid in the fridge to warm up and become liquid again.

Transfer the cheese cubes to a serving dish and serve with toothpicks.

I’ve been struggling over the last couple of weeks with whether or not to entertain some friends over the holiday weekend. It’s not that I don’t enjoy my friends, or that I don’t enjoy having my friends over. The problem actually has more to do with “Ugh! I really don’t want to have to clean the house! Weed the garden! Mow the grass!”

I want to be selfish lazy and enjoy my holiday weekend by lounging. But, when it got right down to it I knew that there was no way a 4th of July could come and go without seeing some of our friends.

Unfortunately, waiting until the last minute didn’t leave a lot of time for menu planning, shopping for gourmet ingredients, or any extensive party planning.  I have a few recipes that are perfect for this type of situation. You know, the scenario where I wait until the very last minute before saying “Shhhhure! Come on over, I’ll make some goodies and we’ll have a Margarita or two!”

This dip is one of them since it fits into all of the following categories:

Simple

Fast

Tasty

Crowd Pleaser

Start with a cup of sour cream. It’s o.k. to use a low calorie or low fat version. I’ve been trying to trim a few inches off my hips, so this is “Light Sour Cream”

Then, grate and mix in 4 ounces of white cheddar cheese. Extra sharp is very good in this recipe, but other versions will work too. This, by the way, is not “Light Cheddar Cheese”.

Once I’ve shredded this, 4 ounces works out to just under a loosely packed cup. Perhaps shredding it made the calories jump out. Hmm. I know, not likely.

Add a tablespoon of grated Parmesan. I keep a blend of Parmesan, Asagio and Romano in the fridge, so that’s what I use.

Add some kosher salt. I skipped this step once – I wouldn’t recommend that you skip it. I mean, feel free to skip it if you like totally bland food, but otherwise add the salt.  Add some black pepper

. . . and

That’s IT! Seriously!! Store it in the fridge for up to two days.

One of the other great things about this dip is that it is FANTASTIC on lots of stuff! Of course you’ll want to eat it with crackers and the normal dipping veggies. But, one of my favorite uses for this dip is to plop some right on top of my baked potato. I mean, afterall, it is just cheese and sour cream, right? But, for some reason this particular combination of cheeses and sour cream are outstanding. Don’t forget the butter!

Hubba hubba. So much for trimming up my hips, eh?

[Saturday Sides is a weekly feature I run to help you combat the side dish blahs. Check here Saturdays to see what’s new and different you can add to your dinner table. Or, you can subscribe here so that you never miss a Saturday Sides Recipe.]

Some of you may remember from a while back with my grape tomatoes when I mentioned that sometimes I let my produce go a little past it’s prime. I don’t necessarily do it on purpose, but especially at this time of the year, I just get caught up in the freedom of not having a strict schedule and before I know it Tuesday night’s dinner plan has been moved to . . . oh, I don’t know, Saturday night’s dinner. Usually because I haven’t cooked since last Monday. But that’s another story for another day.

That’s what happened with these sad mushrooms. They were on sale for $1 and I couldn’t not buy them when they were only$1, but I kept not using them. Of course, many folks would toss them. But, that’s not my style.

Instead, I think I’ll just cook ‘em and eat ‘em.

Today’s recipe is especially nice if your mushrooms aren’t really looking great for your salad, but are still fresh enough to eat (don’t try to cook anything slimy, that would not be a good thing.) I like to cook them on the grill in a little makeshift pan I make out of aluminum foil, but they also are great mixed in with kabobs or alone on kabobs or you can even roast them in the oven – if you feel so inclined.

Here is my little makeshift pan. I know they sell nice pans for this, but I don’t have one of those. If you have one, by all means, use it. If you don’t, just make a pan out of foil like I have. Personally, I’d like to have a pan, but I want a lot of stuff and sometimes you just gotta make tough choices, ya know? Anyhow. Moving right along.

Grilled Ranch Mushrooms

Adapted from the Hidden Valley Ranch People

1 pound fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1 envelope or 3 tablespoons of ranch seasoning

Start out by cleaning your mushrooms. A lot of folks say you shouldn’t wash mushrooms, but just use a brush to knock off the dirt. Personally, I wash mine.

Mainly you aren’t supposed to wash mushrooms because they are somewhat absorbant and since you don’t want them to absorb the water you are washing them in, you’re told not to wash them at all. Makes perfect sense . . . or not. Just wash them and dry them off. They’re under water for such a short period of time that there really isn’t a big risk of them soaking up anything significant. Nor will washing with water affect the taste of this recipe (and most others).

Now, if you want to slice some mushrooms for a salad you might want to skip the washing part because they can turn brown pretty quickly after you wash them. Again, I’m not eating a fungus that hasn’t been washed, but that’s up to you. Anyhow, clean your mushrooms and place them in a zippered bag.

Add the oil, water, balsamic vinegar and ranch seasoning to the bag and close the top. Give the bag a real good shake or two and put it in the fridge for 30 minutes or so. Now we want them to absorb stuff.

After 30 minutes have past, warm the grill to medium, put your pan on the grill and let it warm up. Dump everything from the bag into the pan and shut the grill lid.

After about 3 or 4 minutes, check the mushrooms. They usually take about 10-12 minutes to cook, but you should push them around a bit every few minutes to keep them from sticking while cooking.

When the mushrooms are starting to brown and get slightly soft remove them with tongs. Discard the leftover marinade after it has cooled off.