Tag Archives: appetizer

Asparagus Involtini

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When we spied this asparagus recipe in our latest issue of Food & Wine, we knew we had to get it on our short list. An elegant alternative to bacon-wrapped asparagus, these prosciutto-wrapped spears are a delightful combination and perfect for springtime.

Asparagus is quickly blanched and shocked to preserve its bright green color and crisp-tender texture. When paired with nutty Montasio cheese (named after the Montasio plateau in Italy, this rich, semi-hard cheese is made from cow’s milk and has a nutty, slightly fruity flavor). Montasio cheese is difficult to source in our area, so Asiago makes a good substitute.

Wrapped in salty prosciutto, these asparagus involtini—the Italian word for “rolls”—make for a great party appetizer or vegetable side dish. Serve these prosciutto-wrapped asparagus warm, accompanied by a fresh salad, or as part of an antipasto platter.

Asparagus typically takes about three to four minutes to blanch in boiling salted water. To keep the asparagus extra green and crisp before it finishes cooking in the pan, blanch it for just two to three minutes.

The wrapping process is a bit tricky, so keep your patience and perhaps buy a few extra slices of prosciutto. If you don’t need to use the extras, they make a mighty fine nibble. Since there was just two of us for dinner, we halved the recipe and still had leftovers.

TIP: Chilling the prosciutto in the refrigerator for a few minutes before rolling will help keep it together as you work it around the asparagus; when the prosciutto is too warm it can tear while rolling. 

Have a party coming up? Rolled and uncooked prosciutto and asparagus wraps can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

Asparagus Involtini

  • Servings: 4-8
  • Difficulty: moderately easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
  • 8 oz. Montasio or Asiago cheese, chilled (about 4 cups)
  • 16 thin slices of prosciutto (preferably prosciutto di Parma)
  • 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter 
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • Black pepper and torn basil leaves, for garnish

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add asparagus to boiling water; cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain asparagus and immediately place in ice bath; let stand until thoroughly chilled, about 2 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
  2. Shave long strips of cheese using a vegetable peeler. Place 1 slice of prosciutto on a clean work surface. Place a small cheese slice (about 1/2 ounce) over prosciutto. Place 2 asparagus spears over cheese at the short end of the prosciutto slice. Tightly roll prosciutto around asparagus spears, spiraling upward. Repeat process with remaining prosciutto, cheese, and asparagus.
  3. Heat butter and oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium until butter melts and begins to foam. Add 4 or 5 asparagus rolls to skillet, seam side down, and cook until prosciutto is crisp and cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining asparagus rolls. Transfer to a platter; sprinkle with black pepper and basil. Serve warm.

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Recipe by Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson for Food & Wine

Shrimp Saganaki

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Attending a Greek dinner party, we were tasked with supplying an appetizer to go with the theme. After a bit of a search, we decided on the Shrimp in a Skillet with Feta and Tomatoes from our “My Greek Table” cookbook by Diane Kochilas.

This Greek recipe is a taverna classic and beloved all over Greece, AND in Greek restaurants all over the world, too. It’s also very easy to prepare at home and can be served as a meze or as a main course. It’s delicious over rice or pasta, too.

There were a total of 10 guests at the party so we decided to double the recipe which required cooking the shrimp in two batches. Lucky for us, there were some leftovers which we served atop a bed of orzo for dinner a couple of days later.

Shrimp Saganaki

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 ½ lbs. large shrimp cleaned, with heads and tails intact
  • 6 Tbsp. ouzo
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon, strained
  • 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large red onion finely chopped
  • 1 large garlic clove minced
  • 1 green chile pepper (such as Anaheim), seeded and finely chopped
  • 2 cups chopped or grated fresh tomatoes, or diced canned tomatoes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
  • 2/3 cup Greek feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

  1. Place the shrimp, 3 tablespoons of the ouzo and the lemon juice in a bowl. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
  2. In a large, deep skillet, heat two tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and chile and cook, stirring until wilted, about 8 minutes. Stir in half the garlic. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook for 15 minutes, until most of the watery liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated.
  3. In a separate large skillet. heat the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and remaining garlic, toss to combine and cook until the shrimp turn pink. Carefully spritz with the remaining 3 tablespoons ouzo; it may flame up a bit.
  4. Add the shrimp and pan juices to the tomato sauce. Stir in the lemon zest and feta. When the feta starts to melt, gently stir in the oregano and parsley. Remove from the heat and serve.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Diane Kochilas

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

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These dry-rubbed spicy chicken wings are the bomb—and not greasy! Deep frying is just not in our wheel house for health reasons, so baking them is a great alternative. The secret to real crispy chicken (other than deep frying) lies in the fact that the wings are patted very dry and that baking powder is used.

Incorporating one tablespoon of the stuff into the rub mixture tossed with the wings before baking yields chicken skin that is uniformly browned and crunchy. Baking the chicken on a wire rack, sprayed with cooking spray, set in a sheet pan helps a lot—it helps to keep hot air circulating around the wings, which crisps them more evenly without having to flip them halfway through. 

If you are starting with the full wings, you’ll need to break them down into drumettes, flats and tips. Either discard the tips or save and freeze them until such time you are ready to make homemade chicken stock. Then lay out the other pieces on doubled sheets of paper towels, top and bottom, pressing firmly as you go. If there is time, roll up the paper towels full of wing pieces and let sit to extract as much more moisture as possible.

The original recipe called for 1/2 cup brown sugar and a tablespoon or two of granulated white sugar. We totally eliminated the white sugar and reduced the brown sugar by half. In the end, we decided we thought the amount of sugar was still too much, and that one or two tablespoons of brown sugar would be plenty. You can also increase or decrease any of the spices to address your personal preferences.

Crispy Baked Chicken Wings

  • Servings: 2-4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken wings, separated into drumettes and flats
  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, or less
  • 2 Tbsp. kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp. butcher’s grind cracked black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder, OR chipotle powder (for a touch of smoky flavor)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • Pinch of celery seeds

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a double layer of foil, then set a wire rack (sprayed with cooking spray) over foil. That wire rack ensures that hot air can circulate all around the wings, which helps to get them super-crispy.
  2. Mix all dry rub ingredients (baking powder through celery seeds) in a large bowl.
  3. Pat chicken wings dry with paper towels—as dry as you can!—and add to bowl with spice mixture. Toss with your hands until evenly coated.
  4. Arrange wings on prepared rack, spacing evenly apart. Don’t crowd them. If you’re doubling or tripling this recipe, you’re going to need separate racks for all of them.
  5. Bake wings 25 minutes; until bubbly and golden. When the wings are crispy enough, take them out and allow them to rest for 5 minutes so they cool slightly, which will allow the skin to crisp up even more.
  6.  Serve with hot sauce, blue cheese dressing, or your favorite chicken wing dip.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Rub recipe adapted from a Memphis rub by Michael Symon; while technique is a combo of other online sources.

Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

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Need an easy and elegant party snack that can be assembled ahead of time? These sausage stuffed mushrooms caps are filled with Italian sausage, herbs and three kinds of cheese, then baked to golden brown perfection. Perfecto!

The first time we had these was at a house party we hosted. One of our guests was asked to bring an appetizer and she brought these delectable morsels—much to our culinary delight! Now she had made a few substitutions such as the particular cheeses, as did we when we got around to making them for another dinner party shortly thereafter.

One of the goals is to get mushrooms all of the same size, or at least as close as possible. And it is particularly imperative to make sure that the bread topping gets crisp enough. If it does not toward the end of the baking period, give them a shot of intense heat under a broiler for a minute or two.

The lowdown? These sausage stuffed mushrooms start with mushroom caps. Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems by popping them out of the mushrooms with your fingers. Next, melt butter in a pan or skillet and cook the onion and garlic. Remove the vegetables and place the sausage in the pan. Cook the meat and break it into small crumbles. Place the onion, garlic, sausage, cream cheese, parmesan cheese and some parsley in a bowl and mix them together. Fill the mushroom caps with the sausage mixture.

In a small bowl mix together panko breadcrumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top, then place the mushrooms in a baking dish or on sheet pan. Bake them until they’re tender and browned. Add a sprinkle of parsley, then serve and enjoy!

Don’t want, or care for parsley? Try chives, thyme or green onions instead.

NOTES: You can buy bulk sausage, or simply remove the casings from the sausage before you cook it. Use a medium skillet or a large skillet to give you room to break up the sausage. You can break up the sausage with a the back of a wooden spoon or use a meat masher.

Sausage and Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

  • Servings: 18 mushrooms
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 18 mushrooms stems removed
  • 3 Tbsp. butter divided use
  • 1/2 cup onion finely diced
  • 1 tsp. garlic minced
  • 8 oz. mild Italian sausage casings removed
  • 4 oz. cream cheese softened
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese shredded
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley divided use
  • 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • cooking spray

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray and arrange the mushrooms on the pan.
  2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Remove the onion mixture from the pan.
  3. Add the sausage to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, using a spatula to break up the meat into smaller pieces.
  4. Place the sausage, onion mixture, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and 3 tablespoons of parsley in a bowl. Stir to combine.
  5. Spoon the sausage mixture evenly into the mushroom caps.
  6. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave and stir in the panko breadcrumbs to coat.
  7. Sprinkle the panko over the mushrooms.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes or until tops are browned and mushrooms are cooked through. Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Sara Welch for Dinner at the Zoo

Cream of Celery Root and Apple Soup

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This delicious soup was a perfect first course for a Winter braised main dish. Not too heavy, and chock-full of flavor, amped up with texture from some homemade seasoned croutons and a light garnish of thyme leaves, it was instantly a fan favorite.

Celeriac, or celery root, is one of the unsung heroes of the root vegetable world. It can be eaten raw or cooked, is a terrific substitution for potatoes in many applications and is very healthy. If you’ve never used celery root, it is a relative of celery and is a very common ingredient in French or German kitchens.

In this recipe, it is combined with apple and leek to take advantage of the flavor of this ugliest of roots. Don’t be put off by its gnarly exterior. It has a mild celery flavor with a refreshing crunch and a little bitterness when raw, and a subtle undertone of sweetness when cooked. We often make a celery root and potato mash that is heavenly!

To finish, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and garnish with croutons and thyme leaves, if desired.

Cream of Celery Root and Apple Soup

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 8 oz. celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 large leek, white and light green part only
  • 2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 oz. dry vermouth or white wine
  • 1 cups heavy cream
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • Table salt, to taste
  • 1 pinch ground nutmeg
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil
  • Garnish with croutons and thyme leaves

Directions

  1. Cut the white and light green part of the leek in half lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Place in a colander and wash thoroughly to insure removal of any sand.
  2. Add the butter to a large pot and heat it over medium until the butter melts and begins to foam. Add the leek and sauté until it becomes soft and lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the celery root and apple to the pot along with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes longer
  3. Add the wine or hard cider, cover the pot, and cook another 5 minutes. Add the vegetable broth, place the cover on the pot and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until the celery root and the apple are very tender.
  4. Puree the mixture using an immersion blender or a stand blender.
  5. Add the cream, the nutmeg, and more salt and pepper to taste Cook a few minutes more over medium-low heat until the soup is hot and serve.
  6. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and garnish with croutons and thyme leaves, if desired.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from ElPais.com

Cheesy Pork and Tomatillo Skillet

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Trust me on this one, if you’re gonna cheat, this is the babe you should be doing it with! Calories aside, it’s worth cutting back earlier in the day to imbibe in this decadent cheesy concoction.

If you are looking for a reason to make a meaty, cheesy, saucy skillet dip for dinner, look no further. Great when eaten with tortilla chips but just as great scooped into a bowl and devoured with a spoon, this one-pan dish comes together in around 45 minutes. Serve up to four as a main course, or just let your guests have at it as an appetizer.

Bright and acidic tomatillos are the star here; often sold in their papery husks, this tart fruit softens and gets sweeter as it cooks, adding freshness to the otherwise rich and oozy skillet (thank you, melty pepper Jack cheese).

Pork is a natural friend to green chiles and cumin, but feel free to use any ground meat—or meat substitute—you have on hand. If the contents of this skillet doesn’t disappear in the first go around, thank your lucky stars there will be leftovers.

Cheesy Pork and Tomatillo Skillet

  • Servings: 4-8
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground pork
  • 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 large poblano chile, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced
  • 3 medium tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, coarsely chopped
  • 2 4-oz. cans diced green chiles
  • 8 oz. pepper Jack cheese, coarsely grated
  • Cilantro leaves with tender stems and tortilla chips (for serving)

Directions

  1. Place 1 lb. ground pork in a medium bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. ground cumin, and 1 tsp. smoked paprika. Using your hands, gently mix to incorporate.
  2. Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook pork mixture, undisturbed, until browned and beginning to crisp underneath, about 3 minutes. Break up meat into ½” pieces with a wooden spoon and continue to cook, stirring often, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a small bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving fat behind; set aside.
  3. Add 1 small red onion, thinly sliced, and 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, to same skillet; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is slightly softened and garlic is starting to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Add 1 large poblano chile, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced, and 3 medium tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, coarsely chopped; cook, stirring occasionally, until poblano is golden in spots, about 1 minute. Add two 4-oz. cans diced green chiles and 1 cup water and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits, until almost all liquid is evaporated and tomatillos are mostly softened, 7–9 minutes. Remove from heat.
  4. Heat broiler. Add reserved pork mixture to skillet and stir to combine. Top evenly with 8 oz. pepper Jack cheese, coarsely grated. Broil until cheese is melted and starting to blister in spots, about 3 minutes. Let cool slightly.
  5. Top with cilantro leaves with tender stems. Serve with tortilla chips.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe by Kendra Vaculan for Bon Appétit

Dry-Rub Chicken Wings with Creamy Gorgonzola Dip

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Pair these baked chicken wings coated in a mouth-watering dry rub with a creamy gorgonzola dipping sauce and they’ll be the hit of the party! And indeed they were. Luckily we doubled the recipe. We bought the fresh chicken wings, and The Hubs chopped off the tips (saved for a later batch of chicken stock), and separated the drumettes from the wingettes.

The dry rub is epic and can be used on chicken pork or even veggies to impart full flavor and a decidedly delicious taste. The chicken is crispy on the outside and not greasy like they tend to be when fried. Since there are quite a few ingredients, make a triple batch so that you have some already made for the next time.

I was so excited to serve them that I completely forgot to take a photo of the finished dish… oh well, there will certainly be a next time…

Dry-Rub Chicken Wings with Creamy Gorgonzola Dip

  • Servings: 6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 Tbsp. ancho chile pepper 
  • 1/2 Tbsp. smoked paprika 
  • 1/2 Tbsp. onion powder 
  • 1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt 
  • 3/4 Tbsp. light brown sugar, packed 
  • 3/4 tsp. chili powder 
  • 3/4 tsp. paprika 
  • 3/4 tsp. cumin 
  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 
  • 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (less if you’re worried about the heat level) 
  • 1/2 tsp. dried mustard powder 
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper 
  • 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 
  • 1/4 tsp. dried ground thyme
  • 4 lbs. chicken wings, thawed completely if using a frozen bag 
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil

Directions

  1. Fire up your grill.   
  2. Combine all dry rub ingredients in a small mixing bowl, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add chicken wings and vegetable oil.  Use a rubber spatula to toss gently to coat. 
  3. Sprinkle in about half to 2/3 of the dry rub mixture and use your hands to massage it into all of the chicken wings, coating evenly. Feel free to use all the dry rub, but for a coating like in the photos, 1/2-2/3 of the mixture does just fine. 
  4. Add chicken wings to the flat cooktop. Cook for ten to fifteen minutes on each side. Until juices are clear when poked with a fork.

MAKE GORGONZOLA SAUCE:

  •  To your food processor or blender, add mayo, buttermilk, sour cream, 1.5 oz of the gorgonzola cheese, garlic, lemon juice, pepper and salt.  Process until smooth.  
  •  Transfer to serving bowl and stir in remaining gorgonzola cheese.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

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Original recipe from The Chunky Chef

Baked Mushroom Crostini

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In Italian, this appetizer is known as Crostini di Funghi al Forno. Our first time making this lovely dish was for a small dinner party. Everyone loved it, so a few days later when attending another dinner party, we were tasked with bringing an appetizer and made the same thing. No disappointments.

One of my favorite melting cheeses is fontina. Incredibly rich and creamy, the flavors of this cheese are sweet and pungent, unveiling tones of butter and roasted nuts as it lingers on your palate. Traditionally made from unpasteurized milk, the texture is semi-hard, smooth and adorned with small holes in the body.

Fontina is not just limited to Italy, there are versions of Danish and Swedish characterized by their waxed rinds and sweet savory flavor. A suitable substitute is Gruyère which produces a rich and creamy sauce similar to that of Fontina.

Baked Mushroom Crostini

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
  • 1 lb. mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced (cremini, button, shiitake, oyster, chanterelle)
  • 4 fresh sage leaves, chopped
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 8 slices country bread, very lightly toasted
  • 1 cup grated Italian fontina
  • ½ cup freshly grated Grana Padano

Direction

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic cloves. Once the garlic is sizzling, add the mushrooms and sage, and cook, without stirring, until browned on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir, and brown the other side. Season with the salt, cover, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover, remove the garlic, stir in the parsley, and set aside.
  3. On a baking sheet, brush the lightly toasted bread on both sides with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. In a medium bowl, toss together the grated cheeses. Stir half of the cheese mixture into the mushrooms.
  4. Spread the mushroom mixture on the toasts, and sprinkle with the remaining grated-cheese mixture. Bake until the tops are browned and the cheese is bubbly, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Lidia Bastianich

Slow-Cooker Sweet and Savory Meatballs

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Very similar to the “retro meatballs” of yore, this sauce goes beyond just grape jelly and chili sauce. With the additional ingredients, the depth of flavor is slightly more pronounced.

If you grew up with go-go boots, hot pants, princess phones, and avocado green kitchens, you probably remember when saucy meatballs first became the rage at neighborhood parties in the ‘burbs. The secret ingredient was (drumroll, please)… grape jelly!

According to Southern Living, it’s still the secret ingredient, bringing a sweetness to the heat and spice of companion ingredients like chili sauce and barbecue sauce. And we still love those sweet-tangy-saucy little bites. They’re always crowd pleasers in the South (hey, in the North too), and they’re strictly a dump-and-stir proposition, leaving plenty of time to attend to other party chores.

Our preferences lean toward savory as opposed to sweet, so we upped the chili sauce by 25%. The recipe is easily finessed to appeal to your personal preferences. For instance, you could reduce the amount of grape jelly to lower the sweetness factor even more; double the mustard to 2 teaspoons; and/or use a tangier BBQ sauce. Another change we made was to the quantity of meatballs. The original recipe called for two pounds and we used three-and-a-quarter pounds, but did not increase the other ingredients.

Easy-Peasy, just whisk together the sauce and give your slow cooker a spritz of cooking spray. In go the meatballs, in goes the sauce. Toss. Cook. Done.

Sprinkle chives on top before serving. Actually, you don’t even have to serve them. Just place a container of toothpicks next to your slow cooker, and guests can serve themselves. Try them and find out why this groovy appetizer from back in the day is once again a hit.

Slow-Cooker Sweet and Savory Meatballs

  • Servings: 104 meatballs
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups grape jelly, such as Smucker’s
  • 12 oz. bottle of chili sauce, such as Heinz
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
  • 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp. black pepper
  • Cooking spray
  • 3 1/4 lbs. frozen meatballs (about 104)
  • 2 Tbsp. finely chopped chives
Directions
  1. Whisk together grape jelly, chili sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, Sriracha, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Lightly coat slow cooker with cooking spray.
  2. Place frozen meatballs in slow cooker. Pour jelly sauce over meatballs, and toss to coat. Cover and cook on HIGH until sauce is thickened, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring halfway through.
  3. Top with chives, and serve immediately.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe for Southern Living

Savory Mushroom and Leek Galette

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Made with pie crust and a handful of fresh ingredients, this Savory Mushroom Galette with Leeks is a delicious vegetarian dish that’s perfect served for dinner (with your favorite salad) or as an appetizer for a small crowd. Making this savory galette is super simple and requires no pie pan or any special equipment.

While you can use any type of mushrooms for this galette, baby portobello and cremini are two great choices—and it was what we used. If you can, add more than one type of mushroom for a depth in flavor. And if you are feeling a bit adventurous, feel free to switch up the filling by adding some caramelized onions, spinach, kale, or even small broccoli florets. Personally, we thought it was great as is!

When folding the crust over, remember that you’re just creating a little edge and the center filling should be visible. With the filling on the pie dough, be sure to leave an edge of 1″ or so without any filling, to later fold the dough over. Be sure to spread the filling evenly as well for better baking.

Nutritional yeast was new to me (but not The Hubs). It, affectionately called “nooch” is a deactivated form of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly known as baker’s or brewer’s yeast. The key word here is deactivated. Don’t try putting nutritional yeast in your next loaf of bread—it won’t make it rise! This funky, flaky yellow powder seems like a totally out-there ingredient, but today, it is used for making “cheesy” vegan sauces and dips, punching up popcorn, and adding savory flavor to soups, scrambles, and more. Who knew?

But the reasons to eat nooch go beyond its health benefits. Its flavor is nutty and savory, making it a delicious addition to all sorts of dishes. Most often, it’s used to add cheesy flavor to plant-based recipes like Vegan Mac and Cheese, creating the umami that Parmesan or cheddar cheese would add.

Between the two of us, we ate 3/4 of the galette with a side salad for dinner. If going to make as an appetizer, we suggest cutting the filling ingredients in half, otherwise it will be a bit wonky to try to eat.

Savory Mushroom and Leek Galette

  • Servings: 3-4 (6-8 as an appetizer)
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large leek (or two medium leeks, white parts only, finely chopped, about 3 cups)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • ½ tsp. dried red pepper flakes
  • 1 lb. mushrooms (any kind, stemmed, cleaned, and roughly chopped, about 7 cups)
  • 3 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves only
  • ⅓ cup frozen peas
  • 9-inch pie dough round (store bought is fine)
  • 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
  • 1 large egg (whisked)
  • Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, combine 3 tablespoon of olive oil, the leeks, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are soft, about 4 minutes.
  3. Push the leeks to the perimeter of the pan, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms have given off their juices and then shriveled, about 10 minutes, leaving the leeks on the perimeter.
  4. Stir in the thyme and peas and cook another minute, folding in the leeks.
  5. Place the pie dough on the prepared sheet pan and sprinkle the nutritional yeast all over it, pressing the flakes into the dough with your fingers or a rolling pin
  6. Spoon the mushroom-leek filling into the center, spreading it in an even layer and leaving a 1-inch border, then folding the edges over the filling, overlapping aa sou work your way around the perimeter.
  7. Brush the dough with the whisked egg and sprinkle with the sea salt.
  8. Bake in the heated oven until the crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes.
  9. Let cool about 5 minutes and then cut into 8 slices. Serve immediately.

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Adapted from a recipe by Suzy Karadsheh

Navy Bean and Artichoke Dip

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Perfect party pleaser. Looking for something healthy, yet tasty, to serve your guests or bring to a party? The secret behind this creamy and complex tasting bean dip is to pair a starchy bean with a lighter legume or vegetable. By using a combination, you avoid the pastiness of dips that use only beans. To further freshen the dips, add creamy Greek-style yogurt, a healthy dose of lemon juice, and a full ¼ cup of herbs.

Navy Bean and Artichoke Dip

  • Servings: Yields 2 cups
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tsp. grated lemon zest plus 2 Tbsp. juice
  • 1 cup frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry
  • 1 15-oz. can navy beans, 2 Tbsp. liquid reserved, beans rinsed
  • 1 scallion, white and light-green parts cut into 1/2-inch pieces, green part sliced thin on bias
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley
  • ¼ tsp. ground fennel seeds
  • ¾ tsp.
  • Salt
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • ¼ cup plain Greek-style yogurt
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Directions

  1. Combine garlic and lemon zest and juice in small bowl; set aside for at least 15 minutes. Measure out 2 tablespoons artichoke hearts, chop coarsely, and set aside for garnish.
  2. Pulse beans, reserved bean liquid, remaining artichoke hearts, scallion whites and light greens, parsley, ground fennel, ¾ teaspoon salt, cayenne, and lemon juice mixture in food processor until fully ground, 5 to 10 pulses. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula.
  3. Continue to process until uniform paste forms, about 1 minute, scraping down bowl twice. Add yogurt and continue to process until smooth and homogeneous, about 15 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed.
  4. Transfer to serving bowl, cover, and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. (Dip can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Let refrigerated dip stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.)
  5. Season with salt to taste. Sprinkle with reserved artichoke hearts and scallion greens. Drizzle with oil and serve.

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Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen

Vegan Crispy Spiced Chickpeas

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When cooking chickpeas, most recipes call for roasting them in the oven, but they never really crispen up enough. And when you crave a crunchy snack, roasting just won’t do the trick.

Switching to the stovetop and frying the chickpeas in olive oil provides the big crunch factor. A quick toss in a sweet-and-savory mixture of sugar and smoked paprika makes the chickpeas incredibly addictive.

To begin with, make sure to dry the chickpeas thoroughly with paper towels before placing them in the oil. In order to get crisp chickpeas, it’s important to keep the heat high enough to ensure the oil is simmering the entire time.

After about 12 minutes, test for doneness by removing a few chickpeas and placing them on a paper towel to cool slightly before tasting. If they are not quite crisp yet, continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, checking occasionally for doneness.

Once I tasted them, I could hardly stop. What a great flavorful snack to munch on!

Vegan Crispy Spiced Chickpeas

  • Servings: Yields 2 cups
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. organic sugar
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry

Directions

  1. Combine paprika, sugar, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Heat oil in Dutch oven over high heat until just smoking. Add chickpeas and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.
  2. Using slotted spoon, transfer chickpeas to paper towel–lined baking sheet to drain briefly, then toss in bowl with spice mix. Serve. (Chickpeas can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours.)

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Recipe from America’s Test Kitchen

Florentine Dip

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NYTimes Cooking writes “A good dip transcends time — especially one with fresh herbs, which makes this 1959 recipe from Craig Claiborne stand out amid other recipes from the convenience food era of the 1940s and ’50s. Studded with capers, garlic and anchovies, the dip comes together quickly, then sits in the refrigerator, ready to buy you time when your guests arrive.”

Although the title is a bit of a misnomer in the fact that Florentine recipes usually include spinach as an ingredient. But I won’t quibble over the title because it was a fabulous dip! And if you are squeamish about anchovies, they are mashed up and assist the other ingredients in bringing out a true depth of flavor.

However if you’re adamantly opposed to anchovies, try fish sauce. Don’t be put off by the name. It does not taste fishy. As a fellow anchovy hater however, I have come around to using them mashed up in small amounts as here, where they give an indefinable flavor boost.

BTW, America’s Test Kitchen has a great recipe for an anchovy substitute involving miso and nori. It works beautifully in most recipes that call for anchovies or anchovy paste.

Florentine Dip

  • Servings: Yields 1 1⁄2 cups
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 Tbsp. mashed or finely chopped anchovies
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 3 Tbsp. chopped chives
  • 2 tsp. chopped capers
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • ½ garlic clove, minced
  •  Salt and black pepper to taste
  •  Sliced vegetables and/or sturdy potato chips, for serving

Directions

  1. Using a wooden spoon, blend the cream cheese and anchovy paste together in a medium bowl.
  2. Add the sour cream, parsley, chives, capers, lemon juice and garlic, season with salt and pepper, then stir until well blended.
  3. Place in the refrigerator for several hours to season.
  4. Spoon the dip into a bowl and serve with sliced vegetables or chips, or both.

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Adapted from a recipe by Craig Clairborn for NYTimes Cooking

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs with Goat Cheese and Honey

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These addictive fig bites from Fat Rice chef Abraham Conlon are very simple, so it’s crucial to use the best ingredients, from true Spanish ham to ripe, juicy figs, crunchy marcona almonds (a fave of mine) and best-quality olive oil.

Unable to source jamón ibérico or serrano, we had to resort to prosciutto. And the original recipe indicated a whole almond should be place on top as a finish. But we decided that was not practical. How would the nut stay adhered to the piece? Instead, we placed the almond on top of the goat cheese, then wrapped each piece in a slice of the prosciutto with a mint leaf as garnish.

Or better yet, crush the almonds and mix them into the goat cheese mixture. Quite a decadent little bite!

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs with Goat Cheese and Honey

  • Servings: 16 pieces
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 8 fresh figs, stemmed and halved lengthwise
  • 1/4 cup ruby port
  • Black pepper
  • 4 ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
  • 4 ounces thinly sliced dry-cured ham, such as jamón ibérico, serrano or prosciutto torn into 16 long strips
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 16 Marcona almonds, lightly crushed
  • Small mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

  1. Arrange the figs cut side up on a plate. Drizzle with the port and season with black pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, using a fork, blend the goat cheese with the honey, scallion, crushed almonds and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
  3. Dollop small spoonfuls of the goat cheese on the fig halves. Wrap each cheese-topped fig half in a strip of ham and transfer to a platter. Drizzle the figs with olive oil, top with the mint and sea salt and serve.

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Adapted from a recipe by Abraham Conlon for Food and Wine

Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs with Goat Cheese and Honey

Uncategorized, , ,

These addictive fig bites are very simple, but it’s crucial to use the best ingredients, from true Spanish ham to ripe, juicy figs, crunchy marcona almonds and best-quality olive oil. That being said, we couldn’t parse any Spanish dry-cured ham, such as jamon iberico or serrano and therefore opted for prosciutto. If you can locate the Spanish types, by all means use that.

The original recipe directs you to place the almonds on top of the ham-wrapped figs and goat cheese mixture. However, we didn’t think they’d stay atop the figs once encased, so we put the almond on top of the goat cheese and then wrapped it all in the thin slices of ham.

Just a word to the wise, let your guests know that there is a nut inside, so they aren’t surprised and think it’s a pit (as one of our guests thought)!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Figs with Goat Cheese and Honey

  • Servings: Yields 16 pieces
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

  • 8 fresh figs, stemmed and halved lengthwise
  • 1/4 cup ruby port
  • Black pepper
  • 4 oz. fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced
  • Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
  • 4 oz. very thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 16 long strips
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • 16 marcona or roasted almonds
  • Small mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

  1. Arrange the figs cut side up on a plate. Drizzle with the port and season with black pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, using a fork, blend the goat cheese with the honey, scallion and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
  3. Dollop small spoonfuls of the goat cheese on the fig halves. Wrap each cheese-topped fig half in a strip of ham and transfer to a platter. Drizzle the figs with olive oil, top with the almonds, mint and sea salt and serve.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Adapted from a recipe by Abraham Conlon for Food & Wine