Mexican Quinoa (FodMap Friendly)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 bunch of green onions chopped white & green parts seperated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 chipotle chili, chopped
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup diced tomato
1 handful cilantro, chopped

Directions
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
Add the white and light green parts of the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the garlic, chili powder and chipotle and saute until fragrant about a minute.
Add the quinoa, broth, oregano, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the the quinoa is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir in tomato and green part of onions.
Serve garnished with cilantro.

White Chicken Enchiladas (FodMap Friendly Version)

This is a great money saving meal. Last time I made these my husband calculated the cost to be about $.50 - $.75 per serving. I've made a few minor adjustments to make them FodMap friendly. These can be made in a large pan to feed the whole family or if your family is smaller, like ours, in individual pans. I like to use mini loaf pans and put two enchilladas in each pan. Then I freeze them and can pull out just one pan at a time. I serve them with rice and beans so one enchillada a piece is suficiant for my husband and I. Disposable mini loaf pans are available in the baking section at the supermarket or you can invest in a permanent set like I did. My favorite are the William Sonoma Goldtouch.

Ingredients 

• 2-1/2 cups Cooked, Shredded Chicken 
• 2 cups Reserved Broth From Chicken 
• 3 Tablespoons Canola Oil 
• 12 whole Corn Tortillas 
• One bunch green onions (about 5) Diced 
• 3 whole 4 Oz Cans Whole Green Chilies, Diced 
• 3 Tablespoons Jalapeno Finely Diced or one whole fresh Jalapeno
• 2 Chiplote peppers in adobe sauce diced 
• 1 teaspoon Paprika 
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream 
• 2 Tablespoons Butter 
• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch 
• 1 cup Sour Cream 
• 2-1/2 cups Grated Mexican Cheese 
• Salt And Pepper, to taste 

Instructions:
Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a large towel or stack of paper towels to drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add chicken, half of the green chilies, chipolte peppers and sauce and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside.

In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in cornstarch. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Slowly whisk in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 1/2 cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up.

Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish or two each in mini loaf pans.

Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you'd like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. If you choose to freeze the individual servings they will reheat at 350 for 30-45 minutes as well.

Serve with rice & beans for a complete Mexican meal.

FodMap Friendly Strawberry Jam OR Strawberry Jam without Pectin or Corn Syrup

Due to  a medical condition my husband was recently told that he need to start following the FodMap diet. Which, actually, is less a diet and more a complete lifestyle change. On the FodMap there is an abundance of items that you cannot eat. Some of which are surprising as you traditionally think they are good for you, i.e. apples. However, people who need to follow the FodMap diet do not have the ability to digest these items. Needless to say this has been a learning curve in both our cooking and shopping.  For example, even though strawberries are allowed strawberry jam from the supermarket is not okay due to having fruit pectin (from apples) and corn syrup. So I'm back to making jam from scratch but without the usual thickener. Strawberries aren't in season and even when they are they can be very expensive so I bought frozen strawberries in bulk which saved about 50%. 

What you need

• 2lbs of strawberries
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp of reserved strawberry juice or water
• 2 tbsp of tapioca flour

What to do

I used frozen strawberries and reserved some of the juice as they thawed. Place the strawberries into a heavy bottomed pan with the sugar.  Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer until it has reduced by about a third to around 3 cups. In a small bowl, stir the tapioca and strawberry juice or water together before adding that to the berry mixture until it thickens. This won’t take long so be careful not to overcook. Spoon your freshly made jam into a couple of sterilised jam jars and allow to cool before storing them in the fridge. Or freeze if you do not plan to use immediately. 

Dressed Up Baked Beans

Baked beans are a staple side at when barbecuing but the ones from the can are predictably dull. Next time you are barbecuing try making these sweet and spice dressed up baked beans. They easily cook on the cooler side of the grill while you have the meat going on the hot side. They develop a nice smoky flavor by cooking on the grill rather than the oven.

1 can baked beans
2 T diced jalapeno
1 T jalapeno juice
1 T brown mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup ham cubed  (used leftovers from a pineapple orange glazed ham we made for Easter, yummy)
1 T butter cut into tiny pieces
2 T brown sugar.

Mix all but the last two ingredients together put into ceramic or cast-iron pan (grill safe) place butter pieces over top of beans and sprinkle with brown sugar.  Place on the cool side of your grill for 45 minutes to an hour. Stir and enjoy

Pot Roast Stew with Stilton Crust

One of the best pot roast recipes ever!

For the filling:

7 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb button mushrooms, quartered
2 cups frozen pearl onions, thawed
Salt & pepper to taste
3 lb beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup all-purpose flour
24 oz Yankee Pot Roast Braising Base
1 lb carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 lb Yukon Gold Potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice

For the Stilton Pastry:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
16 Tbsp cold butter cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 to 1/2 cup ice water
4 ox Stilton cheese, crumbled

1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water

To make the filling:

In a 5 1/2 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat warm 1 Tbsp of the Olive Oil.
Add the mushrooms, onions, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
Season the beef with salt & pepper.
Dredge the beef in the flour, shaking off the excess.
In the Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbsp of the olive oil.
Add one-third of the beef and brown on all sides (about 7 minutes total) - Transfer to separate bowl
Add 1/2 cup water to the pot, stirring to scrap up the browned bits. Pour the liquid into a separate bowl.
Repeat the process 2 more times

Return the pot to medium-high heat, Add the beef, liquid, mushrooms, onions and braising base. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, cove & simmer, stirring occasionally for 3 hours adding the potatoes and carrots after 1 1/2 hours of cooking.

To make the Stilton pastry:

In a food processor combine flour, salt & sugar and pulse until blended (about 5 pulses).
Add the butter & process until mixture resembles coarse meal (about 10 pulses)
Add 1/3 cup ice water & pulse 2 or 3 times. The dough should hold together when squeezed with your fingers but not be sticky. If it is crumbly add water 1 Tbsp at a time.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface & shape into a disk
Wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate for 1 hour
Let dough stand at room temperature for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the top with flour
Place on lightly floured parchment & roll out into 12-by-16-inch rectangle.
Sprinkle the cheese over half the dough, then fold the other half over the cheese. Roll out into a 16-inch square
Refrigerate about 10 minutes

Preheat an oven to 400

Brush the rim of the pot with water
Lay the pastry over the top, allowing it to droop into the filling. Trim the dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang and crimp to seal.
Brush pastry with egg mixture  and cut 4 slits in the top
Bake for 30 minutes
Let rest 15 minutes before serving

serves 8-10

Copy-Cat WS Yankee Pot Roast Braising Base

When I was first married I found an amazing recipe for Pot Roast Stew with Stilton Crust. It sounded delicious  and we wanted to serve it to some friends of our from England. However it called for a jar of "Yankee Pot Roast Braising Base" from William Sonoma. Even though I was working there at the time, there was no way I was paying $16 for a jar of sauce! So, I checked the ingredient  list and improvised the following recipe myself. It probably took me twice as long to make the pot roast since I had to first make the sauce then the roast but it was delicious and our friends were impressed. Not bad for a new bride. If you want to save some time on the day you plan to serve the pot roast, make up a large batch of this sauce in advance and freeze it.


1 Onion
1 cup red wine
8 oz white mushrooms,
8 oz cremini mushrooms,
4 oz wild mushrooms
2 sticks celery,
2 carrots,
1 small can tomato paste,
2 cups beef stock
2 Tbps red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic,
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil,
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp thyme,
2 tsp rosemary,
2 bay leaves.


Chop all dry ingredients except bay leaves very fine in food processor. Combine in large stock pot on stove with bay leaves and wet ingredients The mix should be very thick but not dry, add more beef stock if necessary. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and continue to simmer up to two hours (the longer it simmers the more flavor develops.) Use as a base for "Pot Roast Stew"

Homemade Lemonade for Two

This is an amazing "special treat" lemonade. Great for a special dinner for two or a reward for the kids. Or, when lemons are on sale, increase the amounts for a dinner treat.

Simple Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2-3 sprigs fresh mint

Combine in saucepan on stove, making sure to crush the mint a bit for full flavor. Cook until sugar is fully dissolved  set aside to cool while you make the lemonade.

Lemonade for Two

Fill a 4 cup measure with ice
Juice 4 lemons directly into the 4 cup measure
Add simple syrup
Fill to 4 cup line with water.

Caramel

This is is the best caramel ever and absolutely fail proof.  Far superior to store bought caramel it is excellent over ice cream, spread between cake layers, drizzled over apple cider, or for dipping your pretzels or apples into.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup Heavy Cream
1 Vanilla bean, split
1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Water
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 Tablespoons Light corn syrup
3/4 teaspoons Lemon Juice
4 Tablespoons Butter

In a saucepan combine Cream, Vanilla bean & extract.  Place over medium high heat and bring to just under a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

In large heavy bottomed pan, combine sugar, water, salt, and corn syrup. 

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.

Than cook without stirring until mixture is amber colored. Mine is a little darker because my husband likes the stronger flavor, any more than this and it tastes burnt. Remove from heat.

Add the cream to the sugar syrup. It will boil up at first but them simmer down. Whisk smooth. Add the lemon juice. 

Let cool for about 10 minutes  then add the butter in chunks and stir until all combined.

Store in glass jars. Enjoy!

Spicy Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

This dressing is amazing over taco salad or drizzled over top of tacos. If you just want plain buttermilk ranch dressing leave off the last 4 ingredients for an amazingly better than store-bought ranch dressing.

1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
3/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Dry Mustard Powder
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Paprika
1/8 tsp Garlic Powder
2 Tbsp chopped chives
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Tbsp Diced Chiles
1/4 tsp Chile Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne

1. Whisk together buttermilk and sour cream until smooth
2. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, dry mustard powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika
3. Stir in chopped chives - At this point you have a tasty, homemade buttermilk ranch dressing
4. Add the final four ingredients and stir to combine
5. Refrigerate for at least an hour before using.

This can be made a few days ahead of time.

Mom's Curry Yogurt Marinade

This marinade give chicken or turkey for curry that extra depth of flavor

that you usually only find in an authentic Indian restaurant. This make enough for about 1-2 pounds of meat. It also freezes well so you can make extra & store it in a gallon zippered freezer bag. When you are ready to use just take it out of the freezer, let it thaw then add the meat right into the bag to marinade. 

1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 yellow onion  or 2-3 green "Florida onions"; chopped
2 cloves roasted garlic crushed
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
juice of 2 lemons
5 Tbsp olive oil
5 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp white or red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp ground ginger (or fresh grated if you have it)
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in large bowl then pour over poultry in a large zippered gallon bag & let marinate for  2 hours up-to over night.

Aunt Ann's Chicken Curry

For best results marinade the chicken or turkey in "Mom's Curry Yogurt Marinade" for 2 hours up-to over night then grill.

1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped peeled apple
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon curry powder
3/4 cup cold cooked chicken or turkey broth
2 cups coconut milk
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey
1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder

1. In saucepan melt butter
2. Add apple, celery, onion & garlic - Cook until onion is tender
3. Combine cornstarch, curry, salt & broth - Stir into onion mixture
4. Add Coconut milk - Cook & stir until mixture thickens and boils
5. Stir in chicken & mushrooms. Heat through.
6. Serve hot over rice 

Suggested toppings:

raisins, shredded coconut,  chopped peanuts and chutney, rita

Healthy Eggplant Parm

 Eggplant and I have had our run-ins in the past. Its taste, texture, the fact that it absorbs so much oil when you fry it...all these and more have contributed to my aversion to cooking it. Once, many years ago, I was served a sumptuous Eggplant Parmesan that rocked my preconceived notions about this vegetable. However, every recipe I have attempted has failed so miserably that for years I have been content not to butt heads with eggplant again. Until this week. We joined a CSA and our first weeks box contained not just one but two of my vegetable nemesis. Determined to succeed  at last I searched for recipes to make this eggplant a palatable success. Not finding a single one to my liking I decided to combine what I felt were the best elements of several and set out to conquer  the eggplant.   

Ingredients: 

1 egg
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
salt & pepper to taste
1 eggplant peeled & sliced into 1/2 inch slices

Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt over the eggplant and set in a colander to drain. Not much water comes out but it helps draw out the bitter flavor of the eggplant.

Set up a dredging station, I found bread-pans worked great for this. 

In the first pan whisk one egg with a tablespoon of water. In the second pan combine Breadcrumbs, Parmesan, herbs and salt and pepper.

Dip eggplant slices into egg mix then into breadcrumb mix and place on parchment coated pans. Sorry, no picture of this step, way to hard to use a camera when your hands are covered in egg and breadcrumbs!

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes then flip and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Top slices of eggplant with your favorite marinara sauce and a slice of Parmesan cheese. Here is a couple slices already to go in my lunch box. Yummy!

I had this for lunch everyday this week and it was delish! Finally a successful eggplant recipe. 

Pizza and Breadsticks

This recipe makes great  pizza crust and breadsticks

Base Recipe:

1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 cup warm water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Optional Ingrediants:

1 Tablespoon Pizza Seasoning (Italian Seasoning makes an acceptable substitute if you don't have Pizza Seasoning)
2 Tablespoons Cheese Powder
 

 Mix all ingredients together until dough is pulling away from side of bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the dough rise in a draft-free place for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Place on baking sheet covered in parchment. Press gently until it starts to pull back. Cover with Plastic wrap and let it rest.

After a rest of 20-30 minutes press it again until it shrinks back. Repeat until you reach the edge of the tray.

Now it is ready to become Pizza or Breadsticks!

For Breadsticks:

Melt 1 stick butter
Add 1 glove minced garlic 
1 Tablespoon fresh Pasley
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan 

Brush the butter mix on the dough and slice about 1/2 inch thick with a pizza cutter. Separate slightly and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Serve with your favorite marinara.

Or you can make it into a pizza with any of your favorite toppings. I choose a Greek Pizza since it combines all our favorite flavors

For Greek Pizza:

Bake the crust for 5 minutes at 425. Then top with
Marinara
Sliced Tomatos
Cucumbers
Kalamata Olives
Sliced Artichoke Hearts
Parmasan Cheese
Fresh Basil Leaves
Cubed Chicken 

Bake for 15 minutes at 425.

Homemade Greek Yogurt

Did you know you can make your own yogurt in the crockpot? It is relatively simple and the health factor is much higher than store bought because you control the ingredients. I started doing this a few months ago and my very picky husband has declared this yogurt far superior to any other he has tried. I also have other family members who put in standing orders for their portion of my weekly batch. One has lost quite a bit a weight due to swapping out her normal breakfast for a cup of this yogurt and some fruit each morning. Because of the high protein content it keeps her full until the next meal but the minimal fat contact also works in her favor. 

Choose a day when you will be home most of the time to make this. It takes minimal effort but timing is important.

To get started you will need:

1 cup yogurt starter (I love Stonyfield organic whole milk yogurt)
1 gallon milk (I use 2% lactose free since we are lactose intolerant) 
Crockpot
Small whisk and Bowl
Sieve and large bowl that it will fit over
Cheesecloth or coffee filters
Containers to hold yogurt when finished

Note: This recipe will yield about 1/2 gallon yogurt. You can half the amount if you don't need this much

Directions:

Pour milk into crockpot and turn on low for two and a half hours.
Turn the crockpot off and let it sit for 3 hours
Spoon a few cups of the warmish milk into your small bowl and add the yogurt starter
Whisk together
Then add back into your crockpot and give a stir to make sure it is fully combined
Put lid back on crockpot and then wrap your crockpot in two beach towels
Allow it to sit for 8 hours
Line your sieve with cheesecloth or large coffee filter and place over your bowl
Fill the sieve with yogurt and let sit until it reaches your desired consistency, I usually let it go over night but as little as two hours will produce a thick Greek yogurt.
Transfer to your containers and refrigerate.

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

After trying three different recipes for bland and tasteless Pumpkin Zucchini bread I decided to develop my own recipe. After several attempts, serving my husband slices of bread and asking "what else does this need?" I finally came up with this winner.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 Tablespoon almond extract
• 12 oz pumpkin puree
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 cup butter melted
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon Lemon zest
• 1 cup chopped or ground walnuts, almonds, currants, raisins, coconut (optional)

---

Preparation Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Canola cooking oil spray two bread loaf pans (or 5-6 mini pans).
3. Mix eggs, sugar and vanilla in a bowl.
4. Stir in pumpkin puree and butter
5. Mix flour, baking soda, and spices in a separate bowl.
6. Stir dry ingredients into the first bowl containing the egg mixture.
7. Stir in the shredded zucchini.
8. Stir in nuts and other optionals, if you are using them.
9. Divide the batter into the bread loaf pans.
10. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 45 to 50 minutes.
11. Test bread with a knife or a toothpick to see if it is done. Insert the knife into the bread. If it doesn't come out clean, bake for an additional 5 minutes and re-test.
12. Remove the bread from the oven and let set for ten minutes.
13. Remove the bread from the pan, and place on a wire rack to cool

1 Recipe, 5 Base Ingredients, 7 Different Cookies

For this year's Christmas cookies I didn't have a lot of time, so I choose my most popular recipe and adjusted the flavors so that I would have a variety without having to buy a lot of additional ingredients. Each night I made one batch of cookies and after a week I had a great variety of Christmas cookies. They were such a huge hit that I was recruited to make another collection of them for the ladies tea party in April.  The texture of these cookies - ultra tender, ethereally light, melt-in-your mouth-is unlike anything you can get from a traditional cookie recipe.  The secret is over 200 years old - baker's ammonia. My base recipe is from the 1800's when baker's ammonia was a traditional ingredient in cookies.  

NOTE: Do Not eat the raw dough of these cookies. The ammonia cooks off during the cooking. You may smell a strong ammonia odor while these cookies are baking but never fear - by the time they come out of the oven the odor will be gone. Can they be made without the bakers ammonia? Sure, substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder. Just be aware that the texture will not be nearly as good. Bakers ammonia is available at the local pharmacy or via mail order from King Arthur Flour. It is well worth getting for the texture of these cookies.

Base Ingredients

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baker's ammonia

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 300. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In medium bowl beat together sugar, butter, salt, flavoring. Add flour & any dry flavoring and baker's ammonia and beat until the dough almost comes together. The dough will seem quite dry at first, but keep beating, eventually it will clump up and become cohesive. This could take up to five minutes.
• Squeeze the dough together, gather it into a ball, and scoop out pieces the size of a large gumball. Roll the pieces into a ball, then roll them in the coating ingredient.  Place them on the baking sheet and use the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar to flatten the balls to about 1/4 inch thick.
• Bake the cookies for 25 to 30 minutes until they are light golden brown around the edges.

Vanilla Dreams

Add

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons almond extract

Coating:

• Coarse sugar

Almond Dreams

Add:

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons almond extract

Substitute:

• 1/4 cup almond flour for 1/4 of base flour

Coating:

Crushed almonds mixed with course sugar

Lemon Dreams

Add

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon extract

• 2 Tablespoons lemon zest

Coating:

• Coarse sugar

Chocolate Dreams

Add:

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons almond extract

Substitute:

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder  for 1/4 of base flour

Coating:

• Crushed almonds mixed with course sugar

• For Christmas use crushed almonds mixed with Christmas sprinkles for a festive touch

Coconut Dreams

Add:

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 teaspoons coconut extract

Substitute:

• 1 cup coconut  for 1/4 of base flour

Coating:

• Coconut  mixed with course sugar

Orange Dreams

Add

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 teaspoons orange extract

• 2 Tablespoons orange zest

Coating:

• Coarse sugar

Mint Chocolate Dreams

Add:

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 2 Tablespoons mint extract

Coating:

• Dip half the cookie in high quality melted chocolate and set on cooling rack to harden
• For a festive touch at Christmas - sprinkle Christmas sprinkles over melted chocolate before it cools. 

Bruschetta with Black Olive Pesto, Ricotta and Basil

This is the final recipe in my Bruschetta series. Enjoy.

Bruschetta with Black Olive Pesto, Ricotta and Basil                           

Serves 8 to 10 as an appetizer.                          
Use only a high-quality whole-milk ricotta for this recipe
                           
Ingredients                           

1    medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
2    1/2    cup pitted kalamata olives
1/4    cup artichoke hearts
2    Tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan                       
2    Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for serving               
1    small shallot , minced (about 2 tablespoons)                       
1 1/2    teaspoons juice from 1 lemon                       
1 1/2    cups whole-milk ricotta cheese (see note)                       
    Table salt and ground black pepper           
4    tablespoons fresh basil leaves , finely shredded/divided                 

Instructions                           

Process garlic, olives, artichokes, grated Parmesan, olive oil, shallot, and lemon juice in food processor until uniform paste forms, about 10 seconds, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once during processing. Combine ricotta with salt and pepper (to taste) and 2 tablespoons shredded basil in small bowl and spread to edges. Divide olive pesto among toasts and carefully spread over ricotta. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with reserved basil, and serve.    




I hope you have enjoyed this series of Brushetta recipes and perhaps even gotten inspired to try some other flavor combinations.  New tasty appetizers are always so useful for parties. I'd love to hear about your favorite.

Disappearing Artichoke Bruschetta

This was the biggest hit of all the different Bruschetta recipes I tested.   It literally disappeared. As an appetizer, latecomers didn't even have a chance to taste it! Better make extra. 

Bruschetta with Artichoke Hearts and Parmesan                            

Serves 8 to 10 as an appetizer.  
                          

Ingredients                          

14 ounces artichoke hearts , rinsed and patted dry with paper towels                      
2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemon                      
1 medium garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)                      
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil , plus extra for serving                      
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves , finely shredded                      
 Table salt and ground black pepper                      
2 ounces Parmesan cheese , 1 ounce finely grated (about 1/2 cup), 1 ounce shaved into strips with vegetable peeler                      
                      

Instructions                          

Pulse artichoke hearts, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in food processor until coarse puree forms, about six 1-second pulses, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula once during processing. Add grated Parmesan and pulse to combine, about two 1-second pulses. Divide artichoke mixture among toasts and spread to edges. Top with shaved Parmesan. Sprinkle with black pepper to taste, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.                      

Classic Bruschetta

The first in my series of Bruschetta recipes.

Bruschetta with Tomatoes and Basil             

Makes 8 large slices.             

This is the classic bruschetta, although you can substitute other herbs. Decrease the quantity of stronger herbs, such as thyme or oregano.    
                     
                    
 Ingredients                 

4          medium tomatoes , ripe, (about 1 2/3 pounds), cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice     
1/3       cup shredded fresh basil leaves         
1 1/2    tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
2          tablespoons balsamic vinegar 
1          loaf country bread (approximately a 12-by-5-inch loaf), sliced crosswise into 1-inch thick pieces, ends removed         
3          large clove garlic , peeled       
7          tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil                                           
2          medium red onions (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved lengthwise and diced very fine                                       
1 1/2    tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves                                    
                                                           
                                                          
 Instructions                                                    

Heat 3 1/2 tablespoons of the oil in large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add onions and 2 cloves of garlic; sauté, stirring often, until softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue to cook, stirring often, until onions are sweet and tender, 7 to 8 minutes longer. Stir in mint and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set onion mixture aside. (Can be covered and refrigerated up to 1 week.)                                      

Mix tomatoes, basil, and salt and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Set aside.                                             

Heat broiler or light grill fire.                                     

Broil or grill bread until golden brown on both sides. Place toast slices on large platter, rub garlic over tops, then brush with oil.                                    

When the onion mix has cooled mix together with the tomato mix

Use slotted spoon to divide tomato mixture among toast slices. Serve immediately.

Really Good Bruschetta; Techniques

I was recently invited to an Italian themed party.  Well when I think Italian food, I think "There goes my diet"  But I don't want that to happen, and I can't not go to this party. So, since it was a pot luck, I signed up to bring "something w/veggies" (i.e. something I can eat even everything else is pasta) and started trying to find a truly Italian vegetable.  Well of course I thought of the tomato, but all alone that is kind of boring, and I've done the tomato, basil, mozzarella salad so many times I'm bored with it. So my next thought was Bruschetta. YUMMY! but still a little plain. So, I decided to "dress it up". I also needed to find out how to make it “transportable” for a party without having it go soggy or all the toppings falling off.  In my research I found the following information about the science of

Really Good Bruschetta!

There’s a whole lot more to bruschetta than chopped tomatoes and basil. I wanted smart flavor combinations that didn’t require a bib.

The Problem

The ingredients in modern bruschetta—toasted bread, tomatoes, and basil—may be an appealing combination, but in reality, the tomatoes usually lack flavor, excess liquid results in soggy bread, and precariously stacked toppings often end up on your shirt.

The Goal

I wanted my bruschetta to be full of flavor, easy to eat, and substantial enough to serve as either an appetizer or light entree.

The Solution

Aside from deciding on the ingredients, my biggest challenge was figuring out how to contain the toppings on my toasts so that they were easy to pick up and eat, even when drizzled with the standard vinaigrette.

I realized early on that to make the whole package structurally sound from crust to crown, I needed a “glue” to anchor the toppings to the bread. I discovered that the solution didn’t lie in a condiment, but in a technique.

By pulsing one of the topping ingredients in the food processor until it formed a rough paste, not only did I achieve the stable base I needed for the other toppings, but I provided contrasting textures. And to make sure it could offer optimum crunch with each bite, I toasted the bread and brushed it with fresh garlic butter right before topping it. I also discovered that while the individual toppings can be mixed up in advance, you want to assemble them right before you are ready to eat to avoid the toast going soggy.

 Check back again soon for a sampling of some of the recipes I made.