Pots and Pins

Cheese-Filled Puff Pastries with Fresh Herbs...

I know no one in their right mind would even consider turning on their ovens in 95 degree heat but that's exactly what I did because I wanted something delicious to nibble while the mercury soared.  Cheese, herbs and toasted pine nuts, surrounded by puff pastry...worth heating up the kitchen.  Worth the calories.  Worth tiny beads of sweat on my brow.  Just worth it all.

 

Edges of pastry sealed with melted butter and then a bit more butter is brushed on top, because what's a little more butter during a heat wave?  You could use phyllo dough instead of puff pastry, and I considered it but decided I wanted these to be a bit more substantial; phyllo dough would make these more compact, not enough pastry for me.

Our Sunday feast had a Spanish theme (Paella was our main course) so these cheese-filled puffs fit right in.  These are called borek, but are also known as empanadas, pittas, pastillas, boregi, briouats, briks - small turnovers from the countries surrounding the Mediterranean.  The recipe comes from a cookbook that was gifted to me (thank you Lisa Sharp!) From Tapas to Meze, it's filled delicious recipes for "small plates from the Mediterranean."  I learned that borek is a generic term for a whole range of Turkish pastries and they are very adaptable, so use whatever herbs and/or cheese filling you want!  These make great appetizers or serve with soup and salad for lunch or dinner and they make a darn fine late night snack as well!

I personally love the flavors of this - chives, dill, parsley and mint, real tastes of summer and then there are the pine nuts, well, who doesn't love them?  The recipe called for kefalotyri cheese but suggested Parmigiano as a good substitute so that's what I used.

Cheese-Filled Puff Pastries with Fresh Herbs - Adapted from the cookbook From Tapas to Meze by Joanne Weir

6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

4 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

4 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 package (2 pieces included) puff pastry, thawed according to package directions

6 tablespoons butter, melted

To make the filling:  mash together the feta, Parmesan, nutmeg, chives, dill, mint, parsley, and pine nuts.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.  Unwrap thawed puff pastry and roll out one piece to be 12-inches square.  Cut into three strips and cut those strips into 3 pieces, so you'll have 9 squares.  

Preheat over to 375 degrees.   Scoop a shy tablespoon of the cheese mixture onto each square of puff pastry.  Using your finger, dip it into the melted butter and run it along two sides of the pasty so when you fold the pastry over, the butter will help seal the edges.  Fold the pastry over, opposite corner to corner, seal with finger and or fold edges up and over each other.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining pastry sheet, making a total of 18 pieces, 9 from each sheet.  With remaining butter, lightly brush the tops of the pastries before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Serve hot from the oven, warm or at room temperature.  Makes 18, serves 6 to 9.

 

 

Mexican Street Corn Flatbread...

You know what's great about Mexican street corn?  Everything.  Until everything ends up in your lap.  All of that wonderful corn and spicy goodness, the onions, lime juice and queso fresco eventually drips down onto your white tee-shirt or your linen pants.  Truth.  I know of what I speak!  So how does one get the experience, the taste, the unbridled joy of Mexican street corn without drip humiliation and dry cleaner fees?  One makes Mexican street corn flatbread. 

I don't know who the first person was to come up with this recipe but they should win some sort of badge and they should wear it with pride.  Mexican street corn flatbread has sort of become our quarantine meal.  It's so easy to make, and it reheats great - the perfect thing to grab in between episodes of The Crown.  That's our latest TV binge and we are loving it.  Thank Heavens for Netflix!!!  Can you imagine what kind of state we would all be in if Rona had arrived say in 1990???  No cell phones, no computers (at least not in our house) and nothing but network TV and basic cable.  OH THE HORROR!!  We have so much to be thankful for - and I'm thankful for computers and Netflix and wifi and Mexican street corn flatbread!

So let me tell you just how easy this is - you buy the Naan, the flatbread, at your local grocery store.  It is an essential item.  And you use canned corn.  Oh sure, go ahead and laugh but when time is of the essence and the clock is ticking, you have to be quick!  One doesn't have time to roast fresh corn and then let it cool and then cut it off the cob.  One doesn't have time to thaw frozen corn either.  One only has time to let the dog out, go potty, assemble ingredients on top of flatbread and put in oven to bake so one can rush back to watch the preview of the upcoming episode.  Timing, as they say, is everything.   

Just feast your eyes upon that for a moment.  Dang delicious.  And it really is easy.  You can make it for lunch, for your afternoon snack, for dinner, for your after-dinner snack...it's perfect for any time of the day, including breakfast!  Reheat a slice and top it with a fried egg and you've got yourself a designer breakfast as the mister said!  

 

You can spice this up as much or as little as you want.  I tend to like it more spicy than the mister so I make one flat bread that is spicy and one that is not.  If you don't like cilantro, then don't add it, but definitely give it a squeeze of lime before you take your first bite - it's the clincher!

Mexican Street Corn Flatbread - Adapted From Midwest Foodie Blog

2 flat breads (store bought Naan or pita)

1/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced

zest of 1 lime

Juice of 1 lime (about 1 tablespoon)

pinch of cayenne pepper or to taste

1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained

4 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese

1/3 cup crumbled cotija or queso fresco'

Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon chili powder, optional

 

For serving:

Fresh chopped cilantro

lime wedges

crumbled cotija

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  In a small bowl combine sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, zest, juice of 1 lime, cayenne pepper and a couple of large pinches of kosher salt.  Place flat breads on a baking sheet.  Divide sauce between the two, spreading it in an even layer, reserving 2 to 3 tablespoons of sauce for topping the flat breads after baking.  Divide shredded cheese evenly between the flat breads, spreading in an even layer.  Divide corn evenly between the flat breads.  Top both flat breads with crumbled cotija or queso fresco.  Sprinkle with chili powder and another couple of pinches of kosher salt.  Bake for 14 to 16 minutes.  Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly and is beginning to brown.  Remove from oven and drizzle with remaining sauce, garnish with chopped cilantro and more crumbled cotija.  Cut into slices (or serve whole, who's counting calories these days?!?)  Serves 2.

 

Deviled Strawberries...

It's no secret that I don't eat eggs - unless they are baked in a cake or cookie.  I don't remember ever eating an egg either (four words in one sentence that all begin with the letter E, how about that!)  This time of year, when eggs become the stars of brunch, lunch and hunts, I try to find other things I can eat while my family devours deviled eggs, hard-boiled eggs, egg salad sandwiches, etc., etc.  May I please introduce you to my new favorite Easter egg...deviled strawberries!

Last year for Easter we went to our friends home for a feast and I took all the ingredients for a deviled egg bar.  I wish I had snapped a picture because it was beautiful!  Deviled eggs were surrounded with bacon bits, capers, chopped red peppers, cheese, chives, green onions, various olives, and I don't remember what else but everyone could top their eggs with whatever they wanted and they all seemed happy about that.  Everyone but me!  Because I don't eat those stinkin' eggs!  So this year I'm going to have my own eggs to eat and I'm betting they will be wanting to eat my eggs, too!

As you can probably guess, these eggs are super easy to make.  Once the ingredients are blended together and put into a plastic Zip-lock style bag, the mixture is piped onto a half of a large strawberry.  Creamy and delicious and it's not too sweet either so it's the perfect match for the beautiful spring strawberries in the store right now.  You won't find any toilet paper but there are plenty of strawberries!  

Now, as pretty as they are, these deviled strawberries aren't complete.  The last step is to sprinkle graham cracker crumbs over the tops OR you could sprinkle Oreo crumbs or whatever your favorite cookie is - even shaved chocolate would be good!

Deviled Strawberries - Adapted from Instrupix

18 to 24 large strawberries, stems remove if desired - I left mine on because I thought it looked prettier

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup sour cream

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (or other cookie crumbs)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Zest from half a lemon

Prep the strawberries by cutting them in half.  If you're not using an "egg dish" which will hold the eggs up straight, then make a very small slit on the back of each strawberry so they will sit straight on your serving plate.  Place the softened cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in a medium sized mixing bowl.  (Do NOT add the whipping cream.)  Beat with an electric mixer until smooth.  In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.  Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well incorporated.  Fill a piping bag or a Zip-lock style plastic bag with the mixture and snip the end so you can "pipe" the filling onto the strawberries.  (I didn't use a decorating tip but a nice star tip would be pretty.)  Pipe a small amount onto the top of each strawberry and finish with a sprinkle of graham cracker crumbs.  Makes 3 dozen or so strawberries.  Recipe can be halved and the filling can be made the day ahead.

These deviled strawberries are perfect for your Easter feast or Mother's Day or 4th of July or really, anytime you want something pretty and yummy to eat!  

Mom's Red Pepper Jelly...

My mom is something of a miracle.  She is in constant pain from Rheumatoid Arthritis in her spine, along with several back fusions that have now failed, and she pretty much lives on morphine and various other prescribed medications to give her some quality of life.  She needs crutches or a walker to help her walk and she really only has so many steps she can take in a day.  I'm not painting a pretty picture, but here's the thing, she would work you or me or anyone else under the table, even in her condition!  She is always up for anything, willing to go, do, try and when it comes to seeing her grandkids or great-grands - fohgettaboutit!  She's there!  So when mom says she wants to make her red pepper jelly, I just get out of her way! 

If you've never had red pepper jelly then you might be wondering what to do with it...everything!  Most people I know pour red pepper jelly over a brick of cream cheese and serve it with crackers as an appetizer.  I love it that way, too, but really it's good with any cheese and crackers or with chips or poured over chicken, pork or even fish.  My favorite way to use it is to pour it over meatloaf...Heavenly!  Once you taste it you'll spend more time than you'll want to admit thinking up new ways to use it so you'll have an excuse to open another jar! 

Mom doesn't have a food processor but she does have a little gadget that whirls around and chops things pretty quickly.  If you have a food processor, use it, if not, use whatever gadget or knife you have to chop your peppers into very small pieces.  And then let those pieces drain.

Even though it's blurry you can see how much liquid came out of those peppers!  You want to make sure you remove as much as you can.  Mom likes to use an assortment of peppers, it makes for a prettier jelly.  She uses sweet red bell peppers, green bell peppers, yellow bell peppers and 2 jalapeno peppers.  If you want more heat in your jelly, you can add in another jalapeno.  This pepper jelly is not hot, it has only a teensy-tiny little kick so you make yours as hot as you like!

Mom is going to be mad at me for posting this - she's in her pajamas but look how cute she is!!!  She is 85 and still as pretty as ever!  Mom adds a few drops of red food coloring to her jelly - if you decide not to add it your jelly will have a more golden-brown color - we think the red is best.

Not all of the peppers were pulverized into tiny bits - some larger pieces were left, they were about 1/2-inch in diameter and we think that adds to the jelly.  If you want to leave larger pieces, do...or process them until they are all the same size.

We processed the pepper jelly for 10 minutes in a water bath, now it will keep in the pantry for a year!  If you don't process the jelly, you can store it in the refrigerator for one week...sadly, it doesn't last nearly as long as it should!

We were able to put up 20 half-pints of red pepper jelly.  Mom insisted that I bring half of them home with me...my bag was tagged as "heavy" and TSA opened my bag, unwrapped each jar from the bubble wrap but didn't bother rewrapping them...luckily all of them made it home with breaking! 

Mom's Red Pepper Jelly - From Carol Wagner, My Sweet Mom!

8 large red bell peppers

4 large green bell peppers

2 large yellow bell peppers

2 medium jalapeno peppers

12 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups cider vinegar

2 teaspoons butter

Pectin:  If you want a saucy-runny jelly, use two packages of Pectin.  If you want a true jelly, use 3 packages.

Core and stem all of the peppers, removing all of the seeds and membranes.  Cut into chunks and put in food processor and process until very small.  It's okay to leave a few larger pieces.  Work in batches until all of the peppers have been processed.  Put peppers into a colander and drain over the sink or over a large bowl, until all of the excess liquid is removed.  Put peppers into a large pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add in sugar and cider vinegar and butter.  Bring to a boil, skim off any foam.  (The butter is supposed to prevent foam from happening but if there is any you can remove it if you want.)   Boil for 4 minutes, then add pectin and boil for 4 more minutes.  Pour into hot, sterilized jars. add hot lids and rims and process 10 minutes in a hot water bath.   Remove from bath and let sit for 24 hours - now mom will tell you to not even think about touching those jars!  You don't want to do anything that will make them not seal!  So hands off!   Makes 20 half-pints.  If any of the jars don't seal, keep in refrigerator.   After 24 hours, store in a dark, cool place for up to one year. 

 

I think the steam in the kitchen made it to the lens of my camera!  It was about 90 degrees outside that day and probably 85 in the kitchen by the time we were done!  This jelly is truly a treat - make it while the peppers are fresh at the market!  And let me know if you do!

 

 

Cauliflower Buffalo Bites...

The mister is a weekend warrior.  He basically sits around all week but come Saturday he dons his raggedy t-shirt, way-too-short-shorts and heads out into the jungle yard on a search and destroy mission.  No weed is safe, no blade of grass is left untouched, no errant tree branch can escape...with his mighty tools in hand, he attacks them all.  This summer he added a new project to go along with his weekend jobs, he wanted to reseal the deck...first he pressure washed it.  It should be noted that he managed to do that without injury, a first!  Next up, he applied a new sealer...using the old can of sealer in the garage.  He was sure he had enough.  Nope.  Half way through he ran out so off to Home Depot he went to buy a new can...only he didn't purchase the exact same color...

 How could he not have noticed the difference in color?!?!?  He just kept putting it on...oblivious.  Oy vey...when he finally realized what he had done he came inside and asked me to come out and see if I noticed anything...he was hoping I'd say no, it looks great!!!

If you look closely you'll notice that a lot more of the deck was stained but he has already removed some of it...Now after work, instead of assuming his position in the chaise on the deck, the mister heads outside, fires up his trusty pressure washer, and goes over and over and over one little area to remove the obvious red stain.  I watch from the safety of my lounge chair, on the opposite side of the deck, and do my best not to laugh...but it is SO hard!

Want to know what else is hard?  Not eating an entire batch of cauliflower buffalo bites.  Because I could, they are dang good, and even, dare I say (?) good for you!!

 Make the sauce and do your best not to taste it - I mean, definitely taste it but that's it, just one taste, don't be sticking your spoon back into the pot over and over again and don't even think about putting a straw in there!  

 This is the cure for all that ails you.  This appetizer will fly off the plate - I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't love this stuff!  Take it to your next BBQ, it will impress even the die-hards and feel free to give them the recipe, they will most definitely ask!

 Cauliflower Buffalo Bites - Pots and Pins

2 large heads of cauliflower, washed, dried and cut into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup Frank's Red-Hot Wings Sauce (or another Buffalo Sauce.)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 stick butter, melted

1/4 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Blue cheese dressing, celery sticks and baby carrots, for serving, optional

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment or foil.  In a large bowl, toss cauliflower with olive oil and salt.  Spread on prepared baking sheets; set the empty bowl aside.  Roast the cauliflower until it starts to soften and brown a bit on the bottom, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in the bowl, combine the Wings Sauce, brown sugar, melted butter, ketchup, onion powder, garlic and mix well.  Add in the roasted cauliflower pieces and toss well to coat.  Spread out cauliflower pieces, once again, on the baking sheets and bake in oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until starting to char just a bit.  Remove and serve hot or at room temperature.  Serve with your favorite Blue cheese dressing.  Serves 8.

Blistered Olives...

5 sets of sheets and 8 towels, the remains of our houseguests.  After the first load was done, I noticed the rug on the floor was wet.  I yelled to the mister and told him there was water on the floor.  He walked into the laundry room, saw the wet rug and puddle of water and said it was normal.  Normal?!?!?  Godfrey!  I reminded him that HIM saying all was well and normal did not make it so!  The washer has never leaked before and it's only a year old so this was definitely NOT normal!  I pulled the washer and dryer away from the wall and saw more water...the dirty towels waiting to be washed in a heap on the floor, were spread about and the water was sopped up.  The mister, who had left the laundry room so as not to be involved in the sopping,  returned with some pliers and tightened up the hoses in back - said all was good to go.  I picked up the dripping wet towels and hung them up to dry - waiting till morning to do more laundry seemed like a good idea.  In the light of day, the mister decided to have another look at the washer - he thought he would tighten up those hoses one more time, just to make sure all was well.  I heard him rattling about then I heard water spraying and the mister yelled for help!  Luckily the boy was here and he ran into the laundry room and the two of them set about spraying each other and the walls and everything else until they finally got the water turned off - a true father-son-bonding moment.   The 8 dry towels went back on the floor, along with 5 more.  The boy went to Home Depot.  They mister went back to bed.   I sat myself down to calculate how many loads of laundry I have waiting for me!

Let's talk olives.  Blistered olives.  If you're an olive fan then this will be welcome news...blistered olives are elevated olives.  Their flavor is enhanced, bolder and served warm they are Happy Hour's best friend. 

Start with a jar of olives, any kind...stuffed, un-stuffed, green, Kalamata, even black!  This is easy, takes 5 minutes and will rock your olive-lovin'-world!

Fry everything together in a bit of olive oil...the olives will begin to sizzle and blister a bit - let them get blistered/browned and then it's time to party!  These my friends, will put the Happy in Happy Hour, even if you're just sipping mocktails!

Blistered Olives - From A Foodie's Diet For Me

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 jar green olives

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon red chili flakes (or less, depending on how much heat you want)

zest of 1 lemon

In a frying pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until hot.  Add remaining ingredients, stirring to coat the olives.  Saute olives for about 5 minutes or so until just starting to get brown, blistering them a bit.  Remove and serve warm, at room temperature or cold. 

 

Stuffed Frickles...

Stuffed Frickles, as in stuffed and fried pickles...how does that grab you?   What if I told you these Stuffed Frickles are filled with cream cheese, bacon, cheddar cheese and green onion, then covered in a wonton wrapper and deep fried into the best pickles ever?  Do I have your attention now?  I guarandamtee, if you're a pickle lover, these will be the best pickles you've ever tasted.   The mister thinks so and so does the boy.  They love them.  After tasting for the first time the mister asked, "This is great, can you make these and sell enough of them so I can retire?"   Retire?  What a jokester he is!  That would be a big, fat NO.  No. No. NO.  The mister can never retire.  Never.  I just can't allow that!  Now, I'm not being cruel here, IF the mister had a hobby, something to occupy his time, then I would definitely tell him to retire...but he doesn't...he would have nothing to do but follow me around and then I would become his hobby and that ain't happening!   I almost feel like I have to go wash my hands after typing that...no, the mister cannot retire, he just can't.  But he sure has been squawking about it lately...he's tired of the commute and the traffic.  I tell him to pretend he's in an auto parade and to wave at his fellow motorists and enjoy his  time in the car!  After all, he gets to drive over a floating bridge twice a day, how can that not be fun??  (Never mind that I'm terrified of that same bridge and can barely bring myself to go over it, the mister likes bridges so if traffic is bad he gets to spend more time on the bridge, that should make him happy, right?)  He also gets to argue with the guy on the radio, hit the dashboard, slam on his brakes, weave in and out of traffic at will, and strategically try to hit every puddle!  Pot-holes be damned!  ]

 

When the mister calls to tell me he is on his way home from work, I rush to the kitchen to whip up something yummy for him - something to calm his frazzled nerves, to help him relax his middle finger from the workout he gives it on the drive home!  This is one of his favorites - he can pick one up, bite through the crispy, fried exterior into the fresh snap of the pickle, hit the creamy-cheesy center and almost instantly all is right in his world and if you apply the Trickle-Down-Theory, then all is right in mine. 

These Stuffed Pickles make great appetizers for a rainy Saturday of watching basketball or football on TV.  But I think I can guess what you're really wanting to know...are they Super Bowl worthy?  Absoposilutely!!!  The only way to improve the half-time show on Super Bowl Sunday is to watch it with a big plate of these Stuffed Pickles! 

 

We don't have the Seahawks to cheer for this year, or the mister's childhood team, the Washington Redskins.  Nor do we have the Kansas City Chiefs to root on, they are mi familia's team.  So we'll be rooting for the Falcons, the boy's team or the Vikings, since we used to live in MinneSNOWta and were big Viking fans until we became 12's.  We really don't care who wins, as long as it's not the Patriots!

Stuffed Pickles - Pots and Pins

4 large whole pickles (Claussens refrigerated pickles is what I use.  Don't buy huge pickles or the wonton wrapper won't fit.)

1/4 cup softened cream cheese

1/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

4 slices bacon, fried until crisp

2 green onions, finely chopped

oil for frying

1 package wonton wrappers (usually in the refrigerated section of the grocery store)

Cut pickles in half the long way.  Using a small spoon, scoop out the centers of each pickle just a little bit, leaving 1/8" around the edges.  (The centers can now be enjoyed by the maker!  Or, if you want, cut up the centers into small pieces and mix in with the cheeses.)  Repeat with remaining pickles.  Set on paper toweling upside down to dry/drain a bit.  In a small bowl, combine softened cream cheese and cheddar cheese.  Crumble fried bacon and add to cheese mixture.  Add green onion and mix well.  Using a small spoon, scoop 1/4 of the mixture into the centers of each half of the pickle, piling up in the center.  Put halves together, forming a whole pickle and gently press so cheese mixture spreads out a bit.  Place pickle on wonton wrapper diagonally.  Wrap wonton around pickle and seal the edges by dipping your finger into water and running over the wonton.  Repeat with remaining pickles. 

Heat 1/2 to 1-inch of oil in small skillet over medium-high heat.  When oil is hot, put wonton-wrapped pickle in oil and cook until brown on one side, about 3 minutes, then turn and cook on the other side until evenly browned.  Remove to clean paper toweling to cool a bit.  Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before cutting each Frickle in half. Serve warm or at room temperature.  Makes 8 half Frickles/appetizers.

 

 

Goat Cheese and Grape Salsa...

I realize that a few of you might have already turned your noses up at the title of this post...but give me just half a minute to tell you that this salsa/dip, is not only different, but refreshing, bright, creamy, with nothing but flavor in every bite!  When Stella served this to us at our book club, (thanks Stella!) she described it as, "Just a fun dip!"  She wasn't kidding, it IS fun...so fun that you'll want to double the recipe...so fun you'll want to serve this tomorrow, so your guests can whet their appetites while the bird is finishing browning in the oven...so fun that you'll want to serve this on Saturday while your caveman is watching college football; he'll reach for a chip, stick it in the dip, put it in his mouth and pull a face because he was expecting something else, something less fun, and then he'll eat every drop and go for more.  Yes, even the mister, king of all things bland, thoroughly enjoyed every grape and pepper filled bite!

Did your mom make pepper jelly?  Mine did, we always seemed to have some in the pantry - or if mom didn't make it then one of our neighbors did, it was kind of a staple at our house.  The day after I made this for the first time, mom called to tell me she had just made pepper jelly...oh to have had a jar of hers!   So this starts with pepper jelly, but I was fresh out so I bought this Tabasco brand at Safeway, it is delish and not at all hot or spicy like you might think!  The pepper jelly is combined with lime juice, cilantro, green onion, bell pepper, and grapes!

 Everything is combined in one bowl - it's so colorful!  Really truly, this one is a keeper and worth FIVE dangs on the ol' Dang Meter - it will amaze you because it's got everything goin' on...crunchy, crispy, fresh, cool, peppery and then...then there's the creaminess of goat cheese!

The goat cheese is crumbled and added to the mix but it won't stay in pieces for long - it will melt into the most creamy of concoctions, combining with the juices, and this is when this salsa goes from ordinary to extraordinary.  If you don't like goat cheese, I suppose you could use Feta...or Gorgonzola...but I'm not suggesting either will taste as good...when it comes to this recipe, I'm sticking with the original, tinker if you must but I'm not budging when it comes to goat cheese!

Goat Cheese and Grape Salsa - Recipe from Southern Living, October 2012, via Stella Jones

This recipe makes about 1 1/4 cups, do yourself and everyone at your house a favor and double it!

2 tablespoons pepper jelly (homemade or store bought)

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 cup quartered seedless red grapes

1/4 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper

2 tablespoons finely diced green onions

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 (4-oz.) package crumbled goat cheese

In a medium bowl, whisk together pepper jelly and lime juice.  Stir in grapes, bell pepper, green onions and cilantro.  Add goat cheese crumbles and stir, the cheese will begin to liquefy, with some pieces remaining.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.  Serve with crackers, baguette slices, chips, whatever flutters your heart.  Serves 4 to 6.

 

Grape, Blue Cheese and Thyme Naan...

The mister is a simple man when it comes to food, he is truly happy when his plate is filled with his all of his favorites...boiled chicken, mashed potatoes, canned green beans and buttered Wonder Bread.  All lightly sprinkled with salt...no pepper, no sauce, no gravy, no flavor.  Feel free to saw ewwwwwwwww.  When I put this appetizer on his plate you would have thought I had slapped him - his head spun around in horror!  What is this crap?!?  He's such a smooth talker.  I explained to him that this was one of the best appetizers I had ever tasted and that he would love it and then the door bell rang and I left the mister in the kitchen brooding over his strange food.  When I walked back into the kitchen not only was his portion of the appetizer gone but mine as well! 

This is deceptively delicious.  I say deceptive because everyone I have served this to has asked what it was, being unable to tell by just looking.  When I told them, usually one of their eyebrows would go up as if to say, reeeeeally?!?  Could cooked Concord grapes with blue cheese on top be that good?? 

That would be a resounding YES!  Grapes cooked with Turbinado sugar, lemon peel, and a pinch of spices make the most delicious concoction!  The grapes are spread onto toasted store-bought Naan (or you could use toasted and buttered baguette slices) and Bleu cheese is crumbled over the top, along with fresh thyme...Mmmmmm, Mmmmmm good!!

This appetizer will kick off our T-Day feast, and when we go around the table to say what we're thankful for, I'll make sure I've got a huge bite of this in my mouth when I say I'm  thankful for delicious food.  Because I am and it seems to me it would be rude to say how thankful I am for food without having something delicious in my mouth!  Just so you know, Thanksgiving is the only time when one is allowed to talk with their mouth full since it is a day of non-stop eating. This is the perfect bite of Fall, for the entire Thankful Season really, and it can be served warm, at room temperature or even cold, straight from the fridge.  This one is dang good, worthy of company...just make sure your company is worthy of this!

Grape, Blue Cheese and Thyme Naan - Adapted From The New York Times

(The New York Times recipe included making the Naan from scratch - who has time for that?!?  Also, I reduced the water that was called for and upped the grapes from 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. because it just seemed like a good idea, and it was.)

1 package store-bought Naan (usually comes with 6 pieces)

 

For the topping:

2 lbs. seedless Concord black grapes

1 teaspoon ground star anise (I borrowed this from my neighbor who had it on hand but you can find it in Asian grocery stores)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Freshly cut zest of 1 lemon, in strips, as big as you can make them

2 tablespoons raw, demerara or turbinado sugar (or you can use brown sugar)

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 cup Blue cheese crumbles

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

In a medium pan over medium-high heat, combine the grapes, star anise, cinnamon, 3/4 cup water, the lemon zest and sugar.  Cook for 13 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently and gently smashing the grapes with the back of a spatula until the consistency is jammy and the grapes have softened and begin to burst. Discard the lemon zest.  Remove a couple of tablespoons of liquid from the pan into a small ramekin, stir in the cornstarch until smooth, then add the cornstarch mixture back to the pan and mix well.  Remove mixture from heat and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. 

Place 4 pieces of Naan onto two rimmed baking sheets, two on each sheet.  Spoon the grape mixture onto the center of each Naan, leaving about a 1/2-inch clear around the edges.  Brush the edges with olive oil.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until crisp and browned.  Remove from the oven and immediately scatter the blue cheese evenly over the top (a couple of tablespoons per Naan or to taste) so it starts to melt. Sprinkle with the thyme and let cool 10 minutes.  Transfer to a cutting board and cut into wedges.  Makes 8 servings.  Serve warm (preferably) or at room temperature.

 

Aussie Sausage Rolls...

My Aussie friend loves lamb and mint jelly, shrimp on the barbie and meat pies; she will drive for an hour to buy authentic Aussie meat pies, that's how much she loves them!  When I saw this recipe for Aussie Sausage Rolls and told my friend they were supposed to be authentic, straight from the Outback or Sydney Harbour or Perth, she replied, "Yummm."  But she also licked her lips as she said yummm and sighed just a teensy bit...and while she's not normally a gal of few words, a lip lick and a sigh spoke volumes!! 

What makes these so good, aside from the sausage,  onions and fresh herbs, is puff pastry.  Puff pastry makes everything better!  These sausage rolls are perfect appetizers or game day food or we like them with soup or salad and they are delicious for an afternoon snack, or a late night snack!  So I think we can also check the versatile box for these as well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you can pinch yourself, (or better yet, someone else, someone who drives you nuts, someone who asked if he could just have a plate [translation:  vat] of cooked sausage and not the pastry because he was trying to lose weight; in his world sausage is a diet food), then you can make these!  After the sausage mixture is cooked, it's spread onto 1/3 of a pastry sheet, then your pinching skills will be put to use, pinching the edges together to form a roll.  Sliced and sprinkled with paprika, they are ready for the oven where they bake into the tastiest little golden brown pillows! 

Don't worry if some of the sausage mixture falls out, it's already cooked so just pick it up and eat it and move on, consider it a cook's bonus.   While the Aussie's wouldn't typically eat these dipped into anything, we like to dip them in a spicy brown mustard.  Although now that I think about it, I can  hear my Aussie friend saying she would dip them in toe-mahw-toe sauce, which is ketchup to us and that would be good, too, or you can just toss them into your mouth naked...the sausage rolls being naked, not you, but then if that's your thing, eating sausage rolls naked, who am I to suggest otherwise?!

Aussie Sausage Rolls - Adapted From Melissa Landon, Port Charlotte, Florida, via Taste of Home

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 lb. bulk pork sausage

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

2 teaspoons minced fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 teaspoons paprika, divided

1 package (17.3 oz.) frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil until hot, then add pork sausage.  Using a wooden spoon, break up sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and almost done, about 6 minutes.  Add onions to the sausage and cook for additional 5 to 6 minutes or until onions are just beginning to soften.  Stir in chives, basil, garlic, salt, pepper and 1-1/2 teaspoons of the paprika and cook for one minute more.  Remove from heat.  

On a lightly floured surface, roll each pastry sheet into an 11x10-1/2 inch rectangle.  Cut lengthwise into 3 strips.  Spread approximately 1/2 cup of the sausage mixture down the center of each strip.  Fold over sides, pinching edges to seal, forming a sausage log.  (I didn't have any trouble getting the edges to seal but if they won't stick, dip your fingers in water and that will do the trick.)  Cut each log into 6 pieces.  On a parchment lined , rimmed baking sheet, place sausage rolls, seam side down .  Sprinkle tops of rolls with remaining paprika.  Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Makes 3 dozen.