This week we are finishing the series with a trio of recipes from Todd English.  These three appetizers offer a little bit of something for every nibbler:  fish, produce, cheese.  All of these dishes are simple to make but still will add a touch of sophistication to your evening.

Recipes courtesy of Todd English, author of Cooking in Everyday English: The ABCs of Great Flavor at Home

Catalan-Style Bruschetta

6 slices country bread, 3⁄4-inch
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, halved
1 medium tomato, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat grill to 350 degrees to 400 degrees (medium-high) heat. Brush both sides of bread with oil. Grill, covered with grill lid, 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until toasted. Rub toast slices on 1 side with cut sides of garlic halves. Rub tomato halves over garlic on bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. 6 servings

Tuscan Style: Rub toast slices with fresh mint sprigs after rubbing with garlic. (You’ll need about 10 fresh mint sprigs.) Proceed as directed in recipe.

Gorgonzola: Top each toast slice with about 1 Tbsp. Gorgonzola cheese after sprinkling with salt and pepper.

Tuna and Green Olive: Gently stir together 1 (5-oz.) can chunk light tuna packed in oil, drained and flaked; 1 cup coarsely chopped pitted Spanish olives; 1⁄3 cup mayonnaise; and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice in a medium bowl. Rub tomato halves over garlic on bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon 2 tablespoon tuna mixture onto each toast. Sprinkle tuna mixture with chopped fresh parsley.

Red Snapper and Melon Ceviche

1⁄3 cup fresh lemon juice
1⁄3 cup fresh orange juice
1⁄3 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tb. red onion, finely diced
1 Tb. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 Tb. green onions, chopped
1 Tb. extra virgin olive oil
1 small  jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 lb. American red snapper, cut into 1⁄4-inch cubes
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cantaloupe, finely diced chilled
2 cups Avocado Crema (page 29)
Garnish: lime wedges

Combine first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add snapper, and toss gently. Cover and chill 30 minutes or until fish appears thoroughly cooked. Stir in salt and pepper; add cantaloupe, and toss gently.

Spoon about 1⁄2 cup ceviche into each of 6 martini glasses. Top each with 1⁄3 cup Avocado Crema. Garnish, if desired. Serve immediately. 6 servings

Goat Cheese Fondue

6 Tb. unsalted butter,
6 Tb. all-purpose flour
2 Tb. shallots, chopped
2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. olive oil
1⁄4 cup dry white wine
3 cups heavy cream
20 oz.  goat cheese, crumbled
3⁄8 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 cup fresh chives, thin diagonal slices
Dippers: toasted bread cubes, dried fig slices, dried date slices, Fuji apple slices

Melt butter in a small heavy skillet over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes or until mixture is light brown and has a nutty fragrance. Remove from heat.

Sauté shallots and garlic in olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat 3 minutes or until tender. (Do not brown.) Gradually add wine, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of pan. Gradually stir in cream and cheese. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute or until cheese melts. Stir in flour mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes or until smooth and thick. Remove from heat. Stir in salt and pepper.

Transfer fondue to a fondue pot. Sprinkle with chives. Serve with bread cubes, figs, dates, and apple slices. 6 cups (about 12 servings)

Note: A creamy Gorgonzola or Cambozola makes a great alternative to goat cheese.

Today I have two more tasty recipes to share.  Conveniently, one is a cold appetizer that can be prepared in advance, leaving you free to make other preparations or making it a great dish to bring.  The other appetizer is hot and should be served immediately after cooking.  However, it is a fairly simple recipe that could be made while conversing with a couple guests.

Sweet & Spicy Deviled Eggs

Chef Dale Talde of soon to open Talde in Brooklyn, New York

12 dozen eggs
4 oz. Annie Chun’s Gochujang Sauce
4 oz. mayonnaise
1 bunch of scallions, sliced
2 limes, juiced
Annie Chun’s Wasabi Roasted Seaweed Snacks, cut thin

Bring eggs to a boil, then drop to a simmer. Cook for 8 minutes. Cool the eggs, then peel and cut in half the long way.

Take yolks from eggs and combine with mayonnaise, Annie Chun’s GoChuJang sauce, and lime juice. Purée until smooth, then add scallions and fill back in to the egg white halves. Crumble seaweed on top. Serve.

Crispy Oyster and Potato Pockets with Spinach, Iberico Ham, and Champagne Hollandaise

Courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Ray

12 medium size oysters on half shell
1 medium size yukon gold potato
1 cup blanched spinach
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 slices Iberico ham or prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 cup champagne hollandaise, recipe follows

Take the oysters out of the shells and place them on a paper kitchen towel. Keep the shells for presentation.  Peel the potato and slice very thinly with deli slicer or kitchen mandolin.  Place the potatoes on a clean surface, place an oyster meat on every potato slice, fold in half and seal with a toothpick.  Deep fry until potatoes turns golden brown in a deep fryer. Remove them from the fryer, place them on a clean paper kitchen towel, gently remove the toothpicks, and set them aside on a warm place.

Sauté the garlic and ham with a knob of butter in a nonstick frying pan. Add the spinach; keep stirring until spinach warm through. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Divide the spinach between the shells; place the potato and oyster pockets on it. Serve the hollandaise on the side in a dipping bowl.

Champagne Hollandaise

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed
2 large egg yolks
2 Tb. champagne vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Fill a blender with hot water; set aside. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Remove pan from heat. Drain blender and dry well. Put egg yolks and 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar in blender; cover and blend to combine. Working quickly and with blender running, remove lid insert and slowly pour hot butter into blender in a thin stream of droplets, discarding the milk solids in bottom of the saucepan. Blend until creamy sauce forms. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The trickier part of this recipe was deciding what would be the simmering liquid.  While I could have baked the meatballs right before dinner, I love the tenderness and additional flavor that simmering produces.  Plus, it makes the house smell delicious and feel warmer. A combination of chicken stock and apple cider worked quite well and kept the meal light.

Although apple in a meatball may sound a little different, it delivers a nice hint of sweetness and is well worth trying.

Pork & Apple Meatballs

1/2 Tb. olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 piece pita bread
1 lb. ground pork
1 apple, peeled, cored, & shredded
1 Tb. fresh sage, minced
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add onion, and sauté for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Place pita bread in a blender and purée to create bread crumbs.

In a large bowl combine pork, apple, sage, cinnamon, cooled onion, and pita bread crumbs.  Mix well.  Form into small balls, and place on a rimmed baking tray.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked.

Serve or simmer.  If simmering, place meatballs in a medium pot.  Combine equal amounts of chicken stock and apple cider, enough to cover meatballs.  Cover and place over a low heat until ready to serve.

I find that a mixture of hot and cold appetizers is the best way to plan a menu.  Most cold appetizers can be made in advance and just need to be set out when you’re ready.  While the hot appetizers may take some last minute work, they usually are the first snacks to disappear.

Today we have three different appetizer recipes that have a sophisticated look and taste but are simple to make.  All three of them have been graciously provided by Chef Jason McClure of Sazerac Restaurant in Seattle.

Garlic Sherry Mushrooms
Serves 2-4 as an appetizer

8 oz. small button mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tb. butter
½ cup good quality sherry wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
1Tb. minced chives

Start with 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium hot sauté pan. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and allow to sauté for 2 – 3 minutes until the mushrooms start to caramelize. At this point, add the minced garlic and continue to cook another minute or so until the garlic is toasty brown but not burned. Remove the pan from the stove. Add the sherry (Be careful, it could ignite over open flame), allow the alcohol to burn off and the sherry to reduce to just a tablespoon or so of liquid. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, finish with the chives, check seasoning and adjust the salt if necessary, serve immediately. This dish will need a loaf of your favorite rustic bread to soak up all the mushroom sherry goodness at the bottom of the bowl.

Little Brioche Aged Cheddar Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Serves 2-4 as an appetizer

1 loaf of brioche bread
Aged cheddar, sliced
Mostrada*

Cut the loaf lengthwise into ½ inch slices and place slices of the aged cheddar in between, building two large grilled cheese sandwiches. Place the sandwiches directly into a panini press or side by side in a large non-stick pan. The bread has enough butter that you won’t need to butter it. Toast on both sides over medium-low heat, until bread is golden and cheese starts to ooze. Place sandwiches on a cutting board and cut into smaller pieces. Smear the tops of the sandwiches with Mostrada and serve!

*Sweet-savory dried fruit compote or chutney flavored with savory spices can be purchased at many specialty food stores.

Rustic Baked Feta
Serves 2-4 as an appetizer

Large slice of feta cheese
2-3 cups of rustic tomato sauce*
Chopped Moroccan olives (or substitute with cherry tomatoes)
1 Tb. parsley or dill to garnish
Loaf of your favorite bread for dipping

Simply put the sauce in an oven-proof container, place a nice thick slice of Feta on top of the sauce and bake at 400 degrees until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is slightly browned. Garnish with chopped Moroccan olives and flat leaf parsley and a drizzle of really good extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy with a loaf of your favorite bread.

*If you have extra time, the tomatoes can be roasted in the oven.  Low on time you could substitute with a good, quality store-bought marinara.

The ravioli really could act as an appetizer or as a dessert depending on how you serve it and the palates of your diners.  The filling is comprised of cream cheese and an apple/vinegar mixture, which gives it a savory taste.  I served it with a cider reduction for a hint of sweetness.  If you want this to be a dessert, simply serve more of the reduction.

The hardest part of making the ravioli is closing them.  You need to make sure the edges are sealed firmly so that you don’t have your filling leaking onto the baking tray.  Any filling on the tray means less for you to enjoy!  Additionally, the wonton wrappers are fairly small, so you can’t fit too much filling in each one.  If you add too much, the diced apple has a tendency to poke holes in the wonton wrapper.  However, they really are delightful little bites, quite worthy of a few minutes of work.

Apple Ravioli

1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 Tb. brown sugar
1 apple, peeled, cored, diced
1 cup apple cider
1 tsp. cinnamon
12 wonton wrappers
1-2 Tb. cream cheese, softened
1 egg white, whisked

Preheat oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl combine vinegar and brown sugar.  Add diced apple, mix, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

In a small pot combine cider and cinnamon.  Simmer over low heat until thickened.  The liquid should reduce to approximately a quarter cup.  As the cider reduces, it is important to watch it carefully.  It can change quickly from delicious syrup to burned syrup.  Depending on how sweet you want this dish to be, you may have leftovers.

The finished ravioli will be shaped like triangles.  Place one wonton wrapper on work surface and spread a small amount (less than a teaspoon) of cream cheese on one half, leaving a 1/4-inch edge.  Top with a small amount (again, less than a teaspoon) of well-drained apple mixture.  Brush edges of wonton with egg white.  Fold top half of wonton onto filling, and crimp all edges.  Place on parchment-lined tray.  Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers.  Bake for 8 minutes.

To serve:  Using a teaspoon, swipe cider reduction on plate.  Place two ravioli atop the reduction and enjoy!

Today, I have two great recipes to share.  One is a Goat Cheese Soufflé, and the other is a Roasted Beet Salad.  Both will add a celebratory flair to your evening without too much effort on your behalf.

Goat Cheese Soufflé

Lynn Sheehan of Sand Rock Farm, Aptos, CA

3 Tb. butter
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
3 Tb. cake flour
1 cup milk
10 oz. goat cheese
3 egg yolks
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup egg whites (about 7)

Preheat oven 325

Butter 12 5-ounce ramekins or standard muffin tin, fill with breadcrumbs and turn out.

Melt butter in stainless saucepan over medium heat. Whisking constantly, add flour. Whisk in the milk and cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, until mixture has thickened like a thin pudding.

Crumble 3/4 of the goat cheese into a large bowl, reserving the remainder. Pour the hot milk mixture over the cheese, and mix well. Add the egg yolks and mix; season with salt and pepper.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/2 whites onto the cheese to lighten, then fold in remaining whites.

Divide 1/2 of the soufflé mixture among the ramekins. Crumble the remaining goat cheese among the ramekins, then top with the remaining soufflé mixture. Place the ramekins in a large baking pan and pour in boiling water to come
halfway up the ramekins. Bake for 25 minutes or until the soufflés are golden. Remove from the oven and let stand, still in the water for 15 minutes.

Using a towel to hold the ramekins, run a knife around the inside rim to loosen. Turn out soufflés onto baking sheet. The soufflés may be held at room temperature for up to 6 hours before the final baking or individually wrapped and refrigerated for 3 days. If refrigerated, bring the soufflés out to temper 30 minutes prior to baking.

When ready to serve, bake the soufflés in a 425 oven for 4-5 minutes or until a deep golden brown.

Makes 12 soufflés.

Roasted Beet Salad

Chef Micah Wexler of Mezze

3 baby red beets
3 baby gold beets
3 baby striped beets
1 Haloumi cheese
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp. mint, dried
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
Sea salt, to taste

Trim the beets of their leaves and stems. Place each type of beet in a separate foil packet with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon of sherry vinegar, and some salt. Place the three packets on a roasting pan and roast at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until tender.

Remove beets from oven and allow to cool. Using a dish towel, rub the beets to remove the skin and discard the skin. Cut the beets in halves and marinate in a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar.

Cut the haloumi into cubes and fry in a pan with oil until golden. Mix the yogurt with the lemon juice, dried mint, salt, and a quarter cup of extra virgin olive oil.

To dress, place the marinated beets in a bowl, and garnish with the yogurt dressing and fried haloumi.

With only two of our four children with us for Thanksgiving Day, we decided to try something different and created our own Iron Chef competition.  The details were simple: each person would choose the meal he/she would be cooking(out of a hat) and would need to use the secret ingredient for all the meals, which was apple.  In order to have a kitchen that was stocked appropriately for each chef, we chose our meals a day advance.

The rules were also simple.  Create the designated meal, using apple in as many forms as desired.  Four servings would need to be created within an hour of cooking time.  The three judges would critique each meal on its taste, creativity, and plating.  At the end of the day, all votes would be tallied, and a winner would be chosen.

With four delicious meals (breakfast, appetizers, dinner, and dessert), it was an enjoyable way to spend the holiday.  Every meal was appealing to the senses, and all of the chefs seemed to enjoy the planning, preparing, and presenting of meals.  I think that this could become an event that occurs on different holidays throughout the year.

My meal was the appetizer/lunch course.  To keep the eating light, I decided to turn my apples into a trio of tapas dishes:  Baked Brie with Apple Chutney, Apple & Cream Cheese Ravioli, and Apple Skins.  Each one of these munchies was preferred by one of the judges, which seemed to reflect their individual taste preferences.

Apple Skins

1/4 cup pecans*

3 apples, cored and quartered

1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded

Preheat oven to 400.  Place pecans on a cookie sheet, and bake for 10 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool.  Chop finely.

Turn oven to broil.  Place apples, skin side down, on the same cookie sheet (once cooled).  Sprinkle each apple with cheddar cheese.  Place pan about 3 inches from heat, and broil for 1 or 2 minutes, just until cheese is melted.  Top each apple with chopped pecans.

*I used pecans to add crunch.  If desired, cooked bacon could be used in place of the pecans.

Yes, I know that a 15 year old boy would prefer a bag of chips, but that wasn’t going to work for two reasons.  One, he had already consumed a fair amount of junk food throughout the afternoon.  Two, wrestling season was three days away, and he needed to start thinking about eating a healthier diet than Pringles and candy corn.

So, I was left to consider what could be an alternative to chips or french fries that would be appealing to both of us.  My typical go-to is something roasted.  With a little seasoning and the use of heat, vegetables become more snack-like.

What were the results of this experiment?  I loved the garbanzo beans.  I thought they had a nice amount of crunch and that the Old Bay seasoning added a nice amount of saltiness and savoriness.  My son, who is not as big a fan of garbanzo beans, thought this was a better way to enjoy them than plain.  When our 13 year old daughter came home and found extras, she grabbed a handful.  She also found them to be an interesting, crunchy treat.

Make a batch, place a bowl of them on the counter, and see what response you get.

Roasted Garbanzo Beans

1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained

2 tsp. olive oil

Old Bay seasoning*

Preheat oven to 400.

Rinse beans in a colander and drain well.  Transfer beans to a large bowl, and add oil.  Toss well, then sprinkle with seasoning to taste.  (It is better to go lightly and add more once done roasting.)  Place seasoned beans on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes, then stir.  Bake for an additional 10 minutes.  Check for doneness; they should be slightly crunchy but not hard.  If still soft on the outside, bake for an additional 5 minutes.  Taste and add more seasoning, if needed.

*Old Bay can be replaced with salt and pepper or seasoned salt.

While I didn’t enjoy missing these amenities, the outage gave us a chance to spend more family time.  Instead of Tapas Monday, we had a candlelight dinner with the kids.  After dinner, our evenings were spent playing board games and card games.  (As a side note, trying to determine if a card is blue or green in Uno is quite hard via candlelight.)  Of course, when the power returned on Wednesday afternoon, we were excited to have normalcy back.  To celebrate its return, I made a pumpkin cake for everyone and scheduled a dinner of Tapas Wednesday for my husband and me.

A simple tapas dinner seemed the best plan, especially with a slice of pumpkin cake as the finale.  With vegetables from our weekend trip to the farm stand that withstood the power outage nicely, I had the basis for different dishes:  cheesy poblano peppers and sweet potato latkes.  Not only did my husband and I enjoy the latkes, but so did our daughter.  This recipe made quite a few, and she was able to sample a few as a leftover a couple nights later.  Although she usually prefers a white potato to a sweet potato, she enjoyed the latkes, even asking for seconds.

Sweet Potato Latkes

2 sweet potatoes, peeled

2 Tb. whole wheat flour

2 scallions, chopped

salt & pepper

1 Tb. olive oil

Shred sweet potatoes using a coarse setting.  In a large bowl, combine shredded potato, flour, and scallions.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Scoop a heaping tablespoon of potato mixture, and form into a patty using your hands.  Place in frying pan, repeat with remaining mixture, until your pan is full but not crowded (about 6 latkes).  Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.*  Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, and transfer to a serving plate.  Repeat forming and cooking latkes until all mixture is used.  Serve immediately with sour cream or ketchup.

*Flip carefully, as these latkes can fall apart easily.  Also, resist checking too often, as that will interfere will a golden crust forming. 

On a late afternoon such as this, the menu consists of appetizers.  In addition to the natural tendency of munchies to be fun food, they are even more fun because each diner chooses an item.  This afternoon the menu consisted of espinaca, buffalo chicken sliders, stuffed mushrooms, and a fruit tray.  There were tasty options for everyone, and it was an easy menu after the shopping trip.

Stuffed mushrooms were chosen by my husband, so the filling ingredients would be decided by him.  I have both ordered and made stuffed mushrooms in numerous ways; the options seem endless.  My husband opted to go with a simple and light filling of veggies and cheese.  That made it doubly useful, as our vegetarian was able to give them a try.

Of course, your stuffed mushrooms can be made differently.  Please feel free to share your filling ingredients with me.  I’m always looking for new ideas.

Stuffed Mushrooms

15 white mushrooms

1/2 cup frozen spinach, defrosted and well drained

2 Tb. flax seed

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 tsp. garlic salt

Preheat oven to 375.

Clean mushrooms with a damp cloth, and remove stems.  Reserve 7 or 8 stems.  Using a small spoon, scrape some of the flesh out of the mushroom cap to make more room for the filling.

Dice reserved stems.  In a large bowl combine diced stems, spinach, flax seed, 1/4 cup parmesan, and garlic salt.  Fill each mushroom cap with a spoonful of the spinach mixture.  Top each filled mushroom with addition parmesan cheese.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.