Over the Thanksgiving holiday, we visited dear friends in Virginia. Flavorista Mary-Jo had picked up a copy of the Food Network’s magazine and it featured a Jamie Oliver recipe for Baked Camembert Pasta which sounded lovely but we were not feeling like pasta. Instead, we followed the first few steps of the recipe and slathered the rosemary & garlic infused camembert onto slices of baguette.
Seriously easy, seriously impressive… With the Superbowl approaching, think of it as upscale game day fare.
1 (8-oz) box of camembert cheese
2 cloves of garlic, peeled, sliced or minced
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, pick the leaves off the woody stalk
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp.extra virgin olive oil
1 baguette, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap the cheese and place it back into the wooden box (or place it into an oven-safe bowl). Use a paring knife to cut away the top of the cheese making a small well in the center of the cheese (see first pic above). Place the prepped cheese onto a baking sheet.
Lay the garlic slices on top of the cheese, sprinkle some pepper and drizzle the olive oil. Scatter the rosemary leaves over the top and gently pat with your fingers to coat them in the oil. Bake the cheese in a for about 25 minutes, until golden, melted and poofed.
The recent issue of Holiday Entertaining by Cook’s Illustrated has a recipe for potted shrimp. I compared it to the one I’ve had for years and used frequently over the holidays. I prefer the recipe below as the whipped cream cheese gives it a light consistency. With its origins in England, Potted Shrimp is classic holiday fare. I love it because it is a make-ahead recipe and a nice alternative to classic shrimp cocktail.
The Cook’s Illustrated recipe uses just butter. Make sure to use a good quality sherry like Lastau Los Arcos; even Dry Sack will do. Serve with homemade crostini or thin crisp crackers (see below).
Potted Shrimp Makes 1 1/2 cups
1/2 cup finely diced shallots
1 bay leaf
6 Tbsp. butter at room temperature
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 Tbsp. dry sherry
4 ounces whipped cream cheese ( about 1/2 a cup)
2 Tbsp. minced chives (you can substitute scallions but use just the green parts thinly sliced)
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Heat 1 Tbsp. of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bay leaf and the shrimp, season with some salt and pepper and cook until shrimp are nice and pink. Add the sherry and boil until the liquid is almost evaporated. Cool mixture and remove bay leaf.
Transfer shrimp to a cutting board and chop finely. Whip the remaining butter and cream cheese together. Add the shrimp, herbs and lemon juice and mix until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve with crostini or thin, crisp crackers like Finn Crisps.
PS from Kimberly: What a perfect appetizer to bring to a holiday party!
Part of what makes having a food blog so much fun is not only sharing our recipes but also featuring people, businesses and products we love. The Organic Dish is one of my Boulder faves.
When I first heard about Beckie’s business I was really intrigued. Making partially prepared meals that are easy, creative and healthy is not what you might think. Oh, did I mention her business is zero waste? She also features locally grown meat, vegetables and gluten-free pasta from Pasta Bozza. I have been so impressed by Beckie’s creativity as well as her commitment to our community and the environment. We have all enjoyed some outstanding meals from the Organic Dish.
Beckie’s green pea "hummus" is the perfect schmootz for spring and summer but now I make it whenever I entertain as it’s easy to adapt to other flavors and it is so beautiful.
Place all ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Stacy’s Pita Crips, Triscuit Thin Crisps, Mary Gone Crackers or sliced red bell peppers and cucumbers and celery.
With cool, fall temperatures upon us, I have been hearing the call of all things cranberry and this lead me to my pantry for something I have been saving for "the right recipe."
Pepper jellies are a handy thing to keep on hand for quick, flavorful dishes. New England Cranberry has brilliantly enhanced pepper jelly by adding cranberries and it makes total culinary sense; tart cranberries, sweet peppers and a little spice. Delish.
For an easy party starter, give these quesadillas a try. With crunchy pecans, creamy havarti and piquant cranberry pepper jelly, no additional salsas or dipping sauces are needed because all the flavor you need is in the toasty quesadilla.
Pecan, Havarti and Pepper Jelly Quesadillas
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped, divided
1 cup grated havarti cheese, divided
1/4 cup pepper jelly (cranberry, spicy or sweet), divided
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Brush one side of a tortilla with butter and place butter side down into pan. Sprinkle half of the pecans and half of the cheese over the tortilla. Spread 2 Tbsp. of pepper jelly onto a tortilla and place on top of the cheese, jelly side down. Brush the top of the tortilla with butter.
Cook on both sides until golden brown and cheese is melted. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Let quesadilla cool for a minute or two and slice into 8 wedges. Serve immediately.
This is a lovely way to serve smoked trout as an appetizer. It takes minutes to prepare and has only 5 ingredients, including the crackers. I only use creme fraiche. It is not as sour as American sour cream and it has a better consistency so don’t substitute. If you must, then mix cream cheese and sour cream together (25/75% blend).
While these are technically not true rilettes the consistency is similar and the results are wonderful. This schmootz does double duty as an omelette filling.
With your fingers, gently shred the trout meat into small pieces. Add the creme fraiche and with a fork, gently mix into the trout. Add the chives and pepper and then blend with the fork again. Serve with crostini or any cracker of your choice.
There were some beautiful, small apricots at our local grocery store, just perfect for one of my favorite middle eastern inspired desserts. Quick and easy, these are also wonderful as hors d’oeuvres during the summer. With only four ingredients and no cooking needed, this is a great recipe for children in the kitchen.
Simply take 1/2 cup of mascarpone cheese (Italian cream cheese) and mix in some mild honey to taste. I used about 1 tablespoon. Place into a pastry bag or zip lock baggie and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Pull the apricots apart and remove the pits. Place them on a plate. Pipe or spoon a bit of the mascarpone mixture into the center and then place a roasted pistaschio in the center. Enjoy!
PS from Kimberly: YUM! I am going to make these apricot dandies with some ricotta and almonds that I happen to have leftover from recipe testing. Mmmmmmm.
