CAPRESE BRUSCHETTA RECIPE

 

 RECIPE FOR

CAPRESE BRUSCHETTA

Turning a Salad into a Tidbit!

I love Caprese Salads with their lovely fresh tomatoes, basil and all that nice creamy cheese.  But you know me, I had to turn it into a TINY food!  So I took it off the salad plate, supercharged it with heirloom tomatoes and goat cheese then plopped it onto a nice little piece of toasted baguette!

INGREDIENTS

Mini Heirloom Tomatoes

Roasted Garlic

Goat Cheese, Crumbled

Fresh Basil, Chiffonade

EVOO ( Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Balsamic Vinegar

Toasted Baguette Slices

DIRECTIONS

• Break down a bulb of garlic, clean the cloves. Coat cloves in olive oil, season liberally with salt and roast in a 400 degree oven until caramelized and tender.
• Toast your baguette slices under the broiler until golden brown.
• Remove the baguette slices and spread a little of roasted garlic on top. Save the rest of the garlic for other recipes.
• Spoon some crumbed goat cheese on the baguette slices.
• Top the cheese with several slices of mini heirloom tomatoes.
• Layer on some of the basil chiffonade.
• Drizzle with EVOO and Balsamic Vinegar.

BTW, if you like, you can toast the brushcettas again after you've added the cheese or after you've added the tomatoes.

Serve up with my Caprese Martinis! 

Bon Appetweeto!
 

Tweet
Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
Pinterest Me!

HERE'S WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER RIBEYE STEAK

I went out to dinner last night and had a great ribeye steak. It was huge, so course, I took home a doggy bag. The only problem with leftover steak is there isn't very much of it , but I had enough to slice it up and make myself a snack!

Here's what I came up with:

ROSEMARY RIBEYE CROSTINI

Thinly Sliced Rare Ribeye
Small Baguette Slices, Lightly Toasted
1/ 3 C. Sour Cream
1 Tsp. Horseradish Sauce
1 Tsp. Fresh Rosemary, Chopped
Sea Salt and White Pepper; to taste
Clove of Garlic, Peeled
Tbsp. Steak Sauce
Few Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary

Toast some baguette slices in the oven until lightly browned.
Slice your steak fairly thin, set aside.
Combine the sour cream, horseradish, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl, set aside.
When the baguettes are toasted, remove from the oven and rub the top quickly with a clove of garlic.
Top each baguette with a few slices of the ribeye, then place back in the oven for a few minutes to warm the steak.
Top each crostini with a dollop of the sour cream mixture.
Place the crostini on your serving plate, add a streak of some steak sauce for dipping, then garnish with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary.

It's like a steak sandwich, only classier!

EASY HOMEMADE KETTLE CORN RECIPE for Caramel Popcorn Day!

HOMEMADE KETTLE CORN

for Caramel Popcorn Day!

 I love caramel popcorn but it's such a pain to make so when I get a craving I make this Homemade Kettle Corn instead!  Kettle Corn is that great sweet and salty popcorn that you find at county fairs all over the country that's sold for as much as $5 for a small bag.  

I love the stuff and I found a way to make it at home for a fraction of the cost! Plus it's as easy as making regular popcorn if you do it right!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 C. Coconut Oil

1/2 C. Popcorn Kernels

1/3 C. Sugar

Salt to Taste

DIRECTIONS

• Melt the coconut oil in a large lidded pot over medium-high heat.
• Drop in 3 kernels of corn, when they pop you oil is ready.
• Remove the 3 kernels of test corn.
• Add the sugar and the popcorn kernels and give the pot a quick stir then cover.
• Shake the pot every few seconds until the popping slows down, about 3 - 4 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat and immediately pour the Kettle Corn into a large bowl.
• Sprinkle with salt and serve.

To aid in cleaning your pot, fill the pot completely with water and let this set to dissolve any leftover caramelized sugar. By the time you finish your popcorn you should be able to easily clean the pot with soap and water!

Enjoy & Happy Caramel Popcorn Day!

 Tweet

Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
Pinterest Me!

ROASTED ASPARAGUS BROCCOLI SOUP & Roasted Shrimp Appetizer

   Roasted Asparagus and Broccoli Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds of Asparagus, Ends Trimmed, Stems Peeled
1 Pound of Broccoli, Stems Peeled, Florets Removed
5 Yukon Gold Potatoes, Peeled & Cubed
1 Bunch of Scallions (Green Onions)
1 White Onion
2 Tablespoons of Roasted Garlic
Juice from One Lemon
6 C. Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1 C. Half & Half
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
Toss the broccoli stems in olive oil, salt, pepper and some garlic powder. Place in the oven at 450 degrees for about 15 minutes.
Toss the asparagus in the left over olive oil mixture and add those to the baking sheet in the oven, stir and roast all for an additional 10 - 15 minutes.

While your broccoli and asparagus are roasting:
Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to your stock pot and turn burner to medium.
Dice your onions and chop your green onions and add these to your stock pot, reduce heat to medium low until lightly caramelized.
Add the stock, the potatoes, un-roasted broccoli and the garlic, bring to a boil on high. If necessary, add enough more stock or water to cover the potatoes and broccoli.
Reduce heat to medium and cook until the potatoes and broccoli are fork tender.
Add your roasted broccoli and asparagus and cook until completely tender.
Once your soup is cooked blend with an immersion blender OR transfer, in batches if necessary, to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
Return to the stove on medium until reheated then add the half & half and the lemon juice.
Add salt & Pepper to taste.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and/or some dry sherry.    HOW DID I TURN THIS INTO AN APPETIZER?

  Easy, I simply added a nice grilled shrimp to the mix! The soup is already a great pureed sauce so....

GRILLED SHRIMP IN A SEA OF GREEN

INGREDIENTS
1 Pound of Large (31 - 35 Count) Raw Shrimp in Shells
(I buy mine cleaned & deveined, saves time)
Leftover Roasted Asparagus Broccoli Soup
Olive Oil
Roasted Garlic, Smashed Up
Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute
Pinch of Saffron & a few threads for garnish
Salt & Pepper

TOOLS
Baking Sheet

DIRECTIONS
Toss some cleaned, deveined shrimp - in the shell - with olive oil, roasted garlic, Saffron, salt, and pepper.
Roast at 400 degrees for about 6 - 8 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.
Set these aside.
Spoon some warm Asparagus Broccoli Soup into a serving spoon.
Top with one warm shrimp.
Garnish with a sprinkle of the Trader Joe's Seasoning Salute and a few threads of saffron.
Serve warm or cold.   I served these up with my Heirloom Tomato Martinis - nice pairing!   Bon Appetit!
Tweet
Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
Pinterest Me!

SWEET POTATO LATKES - For Easter and Passover!

Instead of that tired old sweet potato casserole

how about some

SWEET POTATO LATKES

this year?

My mom was full blooded Czech so potato pancakes, aka latkes, were a staple in my house growing up.  Being Protestants and/or Catholics, however, we did not call them latkes but latkes they were indeed!

Little nuggets of shredded potatoes, mixed up with some flour, egg, seasonings and fried to a delicious, crispy nosh to die for.  Mom always served hers up with homemade applesauce which made them even better.

I didn't learn they were also "latkes" until many years later when I was working as an advertising artist in New York and the owner of the agency, also my amour at the time, took me "home to Mama" and she served up....Potato Pancakes!!  Hers came with a little dollop of sour cream and a bit of caviar so it was a new taste experience for my childhood potato pancakes, one that I enjoyed greatly, thank you very much!

Here is my version of these classic Passover - Easter snacks with a little bit of Diva twist, I used sweet potatoes and served them up with some spicy Cherry Salsa!

SWEET POTATO LATKES

with Sour Cream and Cherry Salsa

INGREDIENTS
3 Pounds of Sweet Potatoes, Shredded
3 Eggs
1/3 C. Flour
3 Scallions (Green Onions), Sliced 1/4"
Kosher Salt & Pepper to Taste
Peanut Oil
Optional: 1/2 T. each of Ginger, Cardamom
Serving: Sour Cream, Micro Greens, Sauce

TOOLS
Shredder
Large Mixing Bowl
Large Skillet
Ice Cream Scoop
Spatula
Wire Racked Baking Sheet
Paper Towels

DIRECTIONS
Shred your sweet potato(es) by hand or in your food processor.
Dry them by wrapping in a towel.
Mix the eggs, flour and scallions in the large bowl.
Stir in the shredded potatoes.
Add about 1/2" of peanut oil to your skillet on medium and bring it almost to smoking point.
Scoop out the mixture carefully into the hot oil, flatten slightly with the spatula.
Fry 2 to 3 minutes per side or until GBD (golden brown delicious), don't crowd the pan, repeat with the remaining batter.
Remove onto the wire rack on top of the paper towel lined cooking sheet.

BAKING OPTION: Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray or line with a silpat and bake for 25 minutes on one side then an additional 15 minutes on the other side.

Freezing: Place the latkes in a lidded container or a Ziploc bag by stacking the latkes one layer thick, separating each layer with wax paper or parchment paper.

Reheating: Place the frozen latkes on a wire rack on a baking sheet and heat at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (unfrozen latkes at 350) for 10 minutes (unfrozen for 5 - 8).

Top off with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with a few micro greens and serve with applesauce or another favorite sauce.  I served with some Cherry Pepper Salsa (from Benjamin Twiggs.)

Mazel Tov & Dobrou chuť!

Happy Easter & Passover!

Tweet
Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
Pinterest Me!

BERNIE'S BOURBON PECAN PRALINES for National Pecan Day!

 MY MOM'S BOURBON PECAN PRALINES

for 

NATIONAL PECAN DAY

 

My mother could make a mean praline.  It was a treat we looked forward to but it was one of those recipes she only did occasionally.  They weren't traditional for any holiday and we didn't get them often but, every once in a while, there she was standing over a pan with a candy thermometer and we knew we had pralines coming!

I also remember stopping at a Stuckey's on nearly every road trip and getting a praline there too.  I think my Mom had a fondness for pralines.  But Mom put bourbon in hers and that gave hers a definite edge over Stuckey's!

I've had her recipe forever but I was never able to master it until one day a few years ago. I have no idea what I was doing wrong before that or what I did right then, but now I've got it - and I'm not letting it go!  Maybe it was the pan, I did get a copper pan!  I'm not letting that go either.....

BERNIE'S BOURBON PECAN PRALINES

INGREDIENTS

4 C. Toasted Pecan Halves
2-1/2 C. Sugar
1-1/2 C. Brown Sugar
1 Tsp. Baking Soda
1-1/2 C. Heavy Cream
4 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Kentucky Bourbon
Pinch of Kosher Salt

TOOLS
2 Large Baking Sheets
Parchment Paper
Large Copper Pan
Whisk
Candy Thermometer
Wooden Spoon

DIRECTIONS

• Prep your baking sheets by lining with the parchment paper.
• Mix both sugars and the baking soda in your saucepan.
• Stir in the cream.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the candy thermometer reads 235 Fahrenheit.
• Immediately whisk in the butter until it is all melted.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the bourbon until blended.
• Add the nuts and switch to your wooden spoon.
• Stir the mixture vigorously until it thickens, about 4 or 5 minutes.
• Immediately start dropping by spoonfuls (my wooden spoon is a heaping tablespoon) onto the parchment lined baking sheets.
• Allow to set until dry to the touch - about 30 minutes.
• Wrap in individual candy wrappers and store in a sealed container.

You can keep these at room temperature and they'll stay fresh for a week.  You can also freeze these for a month or two.

Box up and give as gifts or just eat the whole freaking bunch yourself!  But don't blame me if you can't fit into your skinny jeans later......

Happy National Pecan Day!!

P.S. There's a BUNCH of great Pecan Cocktails and my recipe for Candied Pecan Liqueur over at The Martini Diva Blog today too!

Tweet

Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
Pinterest Me!

SMOKY BACON & EGG SALAD - Easter Egg Recipe for Leftovers

In a week everyone who celebrates Easter is going to have a TON of boiled eggs to deal with.  After all the family fun of coloring, hiding and finding Easter Eggs, Mom is left with the quandary of what to do with all the boiled eggs nobody really wants to eat.

So it's Deviled Eggs, Egg Salad, Spinach Salad garnished with Egg and so forth, ad naseum.  Yes, this is yet another recipe for Egg Salad but this one isn't just any old Egg Salad, this one has BACON and sour cream!  Try this one, Mom - you'll be a hero and you won't be wasting any of those Easter Eggs this year! I'll also bet you might be asked to make it other times of the year....

SMOKY BACON & EGG SALAD

4 Lg. Boiled Eggs, Diced Small
4 Slices Cooked Bacon, Crisp & Crumbled
1/4 C. Sour Cream
1 Tbsp. Chopped Chives
2 Tbsp. Best Foods (Hellman's) Mayonnaise
2 Tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 Tsp. Smoked Paprika
Pinch of Marjoram
1/8 Tsp. Smoked Sea Salt
1/4 Tsp. Black Pepper

Mix everything, except the bacon, together and chill for at least an hour. Fold the bacon into the egg salad just before serving to keep it from getting soggy, then serve as a sandwich on 12 grain bread (or any grain bread with a slight sweetness to it.) Garnish with potato chips and slivers of dill pickle.

Happy Easter & Happy Easter Egg Eating!

  Tweet

Follow me on Twitter
Friend me on Facebook
Pinterest Me!