Posts filed under 'Amuse Bouche Made Easy'
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.
October 14th, 2009
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.
Smoked Trout Rilettes
2 boneless smoked trout, skin removed
7 Tbsp. creme fraiche
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
freshly ground black pepper
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.
August 30th, 2009
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.
June 11th, 2009
If you are looking for a totally delish cheese for New Year’s celebrations, give Silvery Moon Creamery cheeses a try. All of the varieties are produced with milk from Smiling Hill Farm. Several of Silvery Moon’s cheeses have been award winning: Creme Fraiche, Tuscan Herbed Curd, Tally-Ho with Peppercorns.
Currently, these cheeses are available in New England locations. Our favorite, Westbrook White, is a soft cow’s milk cheese perfect for spreading on crackers and topping with thin slices of dried figs or fruit pastes. It has not won any official awards, but it wins the people’s choice award everytime we serve it to guests. If you are a flavorista, who is a fan of all things cheese, you can order Silvery Moon cheeses from their website.
December 29th, 2008
I first discovered Lima Bean Skordalia at Market Hall in Rockridge. This delightful, light green schmootz is made by The Pasta Shop. It is very garlicky and wonderful. Serve it with Pita crisps.
Lima Bean Puree
Make up two two days ahead, bring to room temperature before serving.
1 lb frozen baby lima beans
5 Tbsp. fresh lemon Juice
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
¾ cup very good quality EVOO
1/2 tsp. salt, more to taste
1/4 tsp. black pepper, more to taste
1. Refresh lima beans in boiling water for about 1 minute.
2. Remove them from the water and allow to cool.
3. Place in a food processor with the lemon juice and chopped garlic.
4. With the machine running, add the olive oil.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
This lovely spread can also be used on grilled mayonnaise or served on crostini. Try it on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise.
December 23rd, 2008
As the Queen of Schmootz, I highly recommend that you try making this Cashew Hummus. I was intrigued by the technique that raw foodies have for soaking their nuts for 24 hours. In the case of the cashew, it actually starts to sprout! This is a divine surprise and although it is technically not a hummus (there is no tahini), it makes it somewhat identifieable to those in doubt. This recipe was inspired by Raw, written by Roxanne Klein and Charlie Trotter.
Start with 2 cups raw cashews covered in clean cold water and left overnight.
Rinse and drain them a few times.
Place them in work bowl of a food processor with 1 clove garlic, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil and salt and pepper. Puree until smooth, adding more water to achieve a smooth consistency.
The variation in the photo was made with 1 Tbsp. of Capitol Hill Seasoning fromThe Savory Spice Shop. I kept one 1 cup of the cashews out and added them after I processed the first cup with ingredients to a smooth consistencyy. By pulsing the extra cup of cashews into the smooth puree, I got a really wonderful texture. This batch was served with pappadams and garnished with a few cashews so that anyone with a nut allergy would know not to eat. it.
December 21st, 2008
This recipe for poached pears is one of my favorites to have around the holidays. Once you make the pears, they are so versatile. You can slice them into salads or use them as an hors d’oeuvre in a cheese plate. Once you taste them, you’ll start thinking of all kinds of creative possibilities. I know Kimberly loves poached pears for dessert with really good vanilla ice cream or thick yogurt.
Make six pears of each variety and keep them in their syrup in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. You can use them in salads, wrap them in puff pastry or put them into stuffing. They are also wonderful in clafouti or even pancakes. While you can poach them peeled and whole, I think it is so much easier to slice them into quarters. This year, I didn’t have star anise or cinnamon sticks, so I used my favorite Chai blend from Teaism. Now, I want to try a Jasmine Pearl Green Tea poached pears. Get creative.
Wine Poached Pears
White Wine Syrup
3 cups dry white wine
1 cup sugar
8 strips of lemon zest
1 vanilla bean split lengthwise
6 firm but ripe Anjou pears, peeled, halved and cored
Place first 4 ingredients in a large non-reactive pot and bring to a simmer. Add the prepared pears and cover. Simmer, turning them occasionally for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let the pears cool in the poaching liquid. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Red Wine Syrup
3 cups dry red wine
1 cup orange juice
2/3 cup Sugar
½ cup fresh lemon juice
2 sticks of cinnamon
4 star anise
6 Bosc pears, peeled, cored and quartered.
Combine the first 5 ingredients into a very large non-reactive pot. Bring to a simmer and make sure sugar dissolves. Add the pears and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool in poaching liquid.
*Both of the poaching liquids can be reduced into a fine sauce to serve over the pears. Simply remove the pears and pour into a large pan and allow to reduce over a low heat until the mixtures turns into a syrup. This can be used with the pears for a lovely dessert or use it once the pears are gone as a basting syrup for poultry.
December 15th, 2008
As we get closer to the holidays, we would like to offer up some recipes to those folks who are not hosting Thanksgiving. The holidays present a great opportunity to try some new things in the kitchen in an effort to recognize the host of the event that you are attending.
Today’s recipe (Curried Apples) is a personal favorite that I aquired from Allison Rodman of the now defunct Food Talk Catering in San Francisco. Allison was an incredibly creative, patient teacher and mentor to me.
Curried Apples
These apples are not only attractive but also serve as a wonderful refreshing bite that is sweet, sour, salty and spicy at different moments. Great with a dressed up chesse plate or as a condiment on the buffet table. This recipe is easy and requires no cooking. It does however need to marinate overnight.
4 large green apples, sliced into quarters, cored, then thinly sliced 1/4 inch
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice( believe it or not canned Dole is best used here)
1 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
1 Tbsp. chili pepper flakes (I like to use Ancho)
3 Tbsp. lightly toasted curry powder
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (optional)
Place the liquids into a large non-reactive dish. Whisk in the salt, chili pepper and curry powder. Add the sliced apples. Cover and refrigerate overnight. You can use the juice over again if you want to make more. It should stay fresh for about 5 days. Remove apple slices and place on a plate or in a decorative bowl. Garnishing the apples with some bright pomegranate seeds is also a nice touch.
November 21st, 2008
I love to include marinated goat cheese on my cheese plates. Haystack Mountain Goat Dairy here in Boulder makes an exceptional one but it is a little pricey (with good reason as the ingredients are very high quality). The good news is that marinated goat cheese is remarkably easy to make. It only takes a few days for the cheese to take on the marinade flavors and any leftover cheese can be used in salads. The leftover oil can be used in salad dressings. For a fancy salad, pair roasted beets, baby greens and marinated goat cheese. The flavors are made for each other!
Marinated Goat Cheese
Be sure to choose a deep glass container or jar so that all the cheese is submerged into the marinade.
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2/3 cup walnut oil
1 cup toasted walnuts
1 (6 ounce) bag of sundried tomatoes (optional)
1 sprig fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
1 (16 ounce) log of good quality goat cheese
Pour all the ingredients, except the cheese into a large, deep glass container. Slice the goat cheese into rounds, about 1/4 inch thick, if the cheese is very dry, it will be crumbly so go slowly. Gently nestle the cheese into the marinade. Cover and allow to marinate for at least 2 days. To serve, remove a few pieces from the marinade and place into a small bowl along side the rest of your cheese plate. Yum.
The left over oil can be used for salad dressings. The cheese is also stellar crumbled into salads and is particularly great with cooked beets.
October 24th, 2008
"And don’t forget the crackers" – as Wallace of Wallace and Gromit will remind you. While I stand by my Triscuit Thins Crisps, I like to combine them with these other amazing crackers.
34 Degrees Crispbread are attractive, thin crackers that are wonderful for soft cheeses (and schmootz’s).
Mary’s Gone Crackers are gluten free but don’t let that scare you away. They have a great, crunchy consistency and creative flavors, like caraway, black pepper and onion. I munch on them like chips.
Simply, I have to agree with Wallace.
October 21st, 2008
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