Homemade Pesto

This worked a lot better once I realized my Magic Bullet had both a blender blade and a food processor blade. Blending blade = fail. My verdict is MORE GARLIC. Always more garlic! I also added some extra cheese. Tastes rather "green" the day it's made, but is fantastic after that.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

METHOD
1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.
2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This shit is insanely addictive. I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, who made it for my bridal shower. There are no definite amounts for the ingredients in this recipe, I just throw them together in whatever way strikes my fancy that day.

Ingredients

Two 12 oz cans of white chicken breast

One package of cream cheese

One package of shredded cheddar cheese

One bottle of ranch dressing

One bottle of Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Preparation

In a large skillet, cook the chicken over low-medium heat until it starts to fall apart. Add the cream cheese, ranch, hot sauce, and shredded cheese, as much or as little as you want of each. Simmer until everything is melty goodness.

Serve with tortilla chips, vegetables, chunks of bread, etc. Also great for sandwiches.