Category Archives: Appetizers

Chorizo and Manchego Gougeres

11 Wednesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Appetizers, Winter

≈ 4 Comments

chorizo, cheese puffs, manchego cheese puffs, manchego, gougeres

Gougères, a fancy name for cheese puffs, make a simple, yet elegant and delicious party appetizer. Classic gougères are made with Gruyère cheese, but I love the pairing of chorizo with manchego cheese, so when came across this version on food52 I thought it would be fun to try. If you’ve never had a fresh gougère before you are in for a treat – they are light as you pick them up, and feel almost hollow. The outside shell is slightly crispy while the inside is airy, slightly eggy, and awesomely cheesy.

chorizo, cheese puffs, manchego cheese, gougeres, gougere, chorizo and manchego cheese puffs, appetizers, elegant appetizers, party appetizersIngredients:

  • 3/4 cups chorizo, finely diced
  • 3/4 cups manchego cheese, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 1/4 cup sea salt

Preheat oven to 375°. In a bowl, combine chorizo, cheese, and scallions. Set aside. In a heavy saucepan, bring water, 1/4 tsp. salt, and butter to a boil until butter is melted. Remove from heat and add flour. Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together. Return the saucepan to medium heat and stir with the wooden spoon until a film develops on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. Transfer dough to an electric mixer. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue to beat the dough for 5 minutes. Stir in the chorizo mixture. Transfer to a pastry bag (or ziploc bag with a tip cut at the end). Pipe dough into 1-inch balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. While the puffs are cooking, combine paprika and sea salt. Remove puffs from the oven and immediately sprinkle with paprika mixture (there probably will be left-over seasoned salt). Serve warm.

chorizo, cheese puffs, manchego, chorizo and manchego cheese puffs, gougeres

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Vietnamese Summer Rolls

12 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by in Appetizers, Asian, Healthy, Summer, Vegetables

≈ 3 Comments

Vietmamese Summer Rolls, summer rolls, vietnamese spring rolls, vietnamese foodThere is something about these perfect little packages that make me so happy. They are the epitome of fresh flavor, and guilt-free appetizing. What’s also great about them is you can vary the filling to whatever your taste-buds desire. Any combination of protein, herbs, and vegetables can be stuffed into rice paper and dipped into either a sweet or savory sauce. Vietmamese Summer Rolls, summer rolls, vietnamese spring rolls, vietnamese food

Traditionally, rice vermicelli is the noodle component, but here I made it even easier by using kelp noodles – which are eaten raw. I used pantry staples to mix up a peanut-flavored dipping sauce. I eye-balled the ingredients, so forgive me for not providing the proportions. Again, you can use any combination of vegetables you’d like – I used mango to add a little sweetness which was an unexpected delight!

Vietmamese Summer Rolls, summer rolls, vietnamese spring rolls, vietnamese food

Ingredients:

  • Cooked shrimp, cut in half lengthwiseVietmamese Summer Rolls, summer rolls, vietnamese spring rolls, vietnamese food
  • Fresh baby lettuce, or microgreens
  • Persian cucumbers, sliced lengthwise
  • Mango cut into long matchsticks
  • Mint or cilantro
  • Kelp noodles
  • Rice paper sheets

Dipping Sauce:

  • Peanut butter
  • Seasoned rice vinegar
  • Fresh lime juice
  • Chili garlic sauce
  • Fresh ginger, grated
  • Soy sauce

Directions:

Fill a 10-inch pie plate with warm water. Have all of your fillings sliced and ready to go. Place 2 rice paper sheets in the pie plate, and soak in the water for about 20 seconds until soft and pliable. Remove the wrapper from the water and place on a work surface. Arrange 3 pieces of shrimp in the middle of the wrapper, outer-side down. Arrange the herbs, vegetables, and mango sticks on top the shrimp. Fold the bottom edge of the wrapper up over the filling, then fold the right and left sides over the center. Carefully roll up to the top edge as tightly as possible. The starch in the rice paper wrapper should seal the roll. Place seam side down on a serving platter and cover with a damp towel to keep moist while you make the remainder of the rolls.

Potato and Leek Flatbread

02 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by in Appetizers, Mains, Vegetable Mains

≈ 7 Comments

Potato and Leek Flatbread Pizza, flatbread pizza, pizza, potato pizza, potato flatbreadI love a simple, easy weeknight meal. Thanks to store-bought pizza dough, the options are endless. Topped with thinly sliced potatoes, leeks, thyme, and Jarlsberg cheese, this flatbread is bursting with flavor. The potatoes cook on top of the dough in the oven, and become creamy yet crispy on the edges. Potato and Leek Flatbread Pizza, flatbread pizza, pizza, potato pizza, potato flatbreadNutty Jarlsberg cheese adds an earthy, wholesome flavor to round out the sweetness from the leeks. This flatbread is great for dinner with a salad, but also would make an easy appetizer. It works well served at room temperature, but also re-heats nicely in a hot oven.

Potato and Leek Flatbread Pizza, flatbread pizza, pizza, potato pizza, potato flatbread

Ingredients:

(makes 2 large flatbread pizzas)
  • 1-lb store bought pizza doughPotato and Leek Flatbread Pizza, flatbread pizza, pizza, potato pizza, potato flatbread
  • 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 1 leek
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 cups grated Jarlsberg cheese
  • olive oil
  • flour
  • salt, pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 500. Cut the pizza dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough halves out to a large square. Place each half on a separate oiled baking sheet, or a baking sheet topped with parchment paper.

Peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler, and slice as thinly as possible width-wise. Sprinkle with salt, and place in a bowl of very cold water for 30 minutes. Slice the leeks width-wise as well, and separate into rings with your fingers. Place in a bowl of water for a few minutes to let the dirt settle to the bottom. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan, and cook the leeks for just one minute until they are bright green and slightly softened. Season them with a pinch of salt.

Assemble the flatbreads: Top the dough with the potato slices (slightly overlapping), the leeks, and the grated Jarlsberg. Sprinkle with the fresh thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Drizzle the entire flatbread with olive oil, and place on the bottom rack of the oven for 15-17 minutes. Slice and serve immediately, or at room temperature.

Potato and Leek Flatbread Pizza, flatbread pizza, pizza, potato pizza, potato flatbread

Nordic Flatbread Pizza

10 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in Appetizers, Mains

≈ 3 Comments

smoked salmon, smoked salmon pizza, salmon pizza, flatbread pizza, flatbread, snofriskHow do you like your smoked salmon? With cream cheese on a bagel? With sour cream or crème fraiche on a bilini? With horseradish on a cucumber round? Should I keep going? I’d place a friendly bet you’ve never had it with Snofrisk on a flatbread pizza.smoked salmon, smoked salmon pizza, salmon pizza, flatbread pizza, flatbread, snofriskSnofrisk is a Norwegian spreadable cheese – it is similar to cream cheese but made with goat’s milk. It has a subtle, mild chevre flavor that pairs so nicely with creamy smoked salmon, lemon, and delicate herbs. Snofrisk also comes in a semi-hard form, which I’ve planed and added as contrasting texture to the spreadable cheese. The wonderfully mild goat flavor of the firm cheese works in conjunction with the spreadable Snofrisk to make an elegant, simple, and noteworthy flatbread pizza that is definitely a keeper for the recipe file.

smoked salmon, smoked salmon pizza, salmon pizza, flatbread pizza, flatbread, snofriskIngredients:

(Makes 4 personal-sized flatbreads)
  • 1/3 lb smoked salmon
  • 1 package Snofrisk (4.4oz), softened at room temperature
  • 2 oz hard Snofrisk, planed
  • 3 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tblsp fresh dill, divided
  • 1 tblsp chives, chopped
  • 1 tblsp capers
  • store-bought pizza dough
  • salt, pepper to taste

Start by making the flatbread. Preheat the oven to 450. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions, and roll into balls onto a lightly floured surface. One by one,  stretch the dough into a circular shape, leaving a slightly thicker outside edge. Drizzle the flatbread with olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Cook each flatbread on an oiled baking sheet, for about 7-10 minutes until the bottom is browned and the top begins to brown as well. Let cool on a wire cooling rack.

In a small bowl,  mix the softened Snofrisk with the lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, chives, and black pepper. Spread the mixture thinly across the 4 cooled flatbreads. Top with radish slices, planed Snofrisk, and the smoked salmon. Garnish with remaining dill and the capers, serve immediately.

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Potato and (Jarlsberg) Cheese Soup

25 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by in Appetizers, Mains, Soups, Vegetables, Winter

≈ 13 Comments

soup2

On a cold, blustery winter day, what tastes better than a bowl of hot soup? Rich, hearty, and creamy potato soup comes to mind when the temperature dips, and it sure does hit the spot. Here I’ve combined the elements of a basic potato soup with the decadence of nutty Jarlsberg cheese, a delicious pale ale, and of course – bacon – because it makes everything better.

Ingredients:

  • 4 slices of baconsoup4
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 large russet potatoes, unpeeled and chopped
  • 12-oz beer, pale or amber ale
  • 3 cups chicken stock 
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1.5 cups grated Jarlsberg cheese
  • 3 tbsp chopped parsley, save 1 tbsp for garnish
  • salt, pepper to taste

Directions

In a large stock pot, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. When cool, break into small pieces and set aside to use as garnish. Add the onion, carrot, and celery to the bacon drippings in the pan and sauté until softened. Add the beer and cook until the liquid is reduced to about half. Add the potatoes, season the vegetables with salt and pepper, then add the chicken stock. Simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, add the parsley and then purée the soup using an immersion blender. Now stir in the cheese until melted. Stir in the milk – heat the soup if necessary but do not boil. Garnish with crisp bacon bits and parsley.

soup1

Crab Deviled Eggs

15 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by in Appetizers

≈ 3 Comments

eggs1Deviled eggs – you either love ’em or hate ’em. Maybe it’s the smell, maybe its the texture, or maybe you are a wimp and have never even tried them. I don’t think I can change anyone’s mind on this one, so here is a not-so-classic deviled egg recipe for all you egg-lovers. And for the haters – just look at this post for its aesthetic value.

Untitled_Panorama1Ingredients

  • one dozen eggs, hard-boiled and cut in half
  • 1/2 lb lump crab meat
  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 1 tblsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tblsp horseradish cream
  • salt, pepper
  • sweet paprika for garnish

Separate yolks from egg white halves and put in a large bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork. Add the mayo, mustard, horseradish cream, salt and pepper, and continue to mash until yolks are creamy and well blended. Fold in the crab meat, breaking it up slightly with the fork. Using a spoon, fill the egg white shells with the yolk mixture, and sprinkle the tops with paprika.

eggs2

Korean Dumplings

12 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by in Appetizers, Asian, Healthy, Mains

≈ 1 Comment

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If it’s stuffed/wrapped/bundled with dough – I’m all over it. I’ve never met a dumpling, pierogi, ravioli, or shumai I didn’t like. This is embarrassing, but I don’t allow myself to buy pierogies (Mrs. T’s are my guilty pleasure), because I will eat the entire box in one or two sittings. The last time I got dumplings from my favorite spot in Chinatown, I ate two orders straight to my face. Get the picture?

dumplngs1

These are Korean dumplings – they are filled with pork, tofu and kimchi. Don’t let the insidekimchi scare you, when cooked the pungent flavor mellows and becomes mild. You can cook these any way you like, but I found the combination of steaming and pan frying provides the best texture. If you want to go a healthier route, they are still delicious just steamed.

dumplings4
Ingredients 
 
  • 4 scallions, green parts only, chopped 
  • 1 tblsp minced ginger
  • 3/4 block firm tofu
  • 1/2 lb ground pork
  • 1/2 cup vermicelli noodles, broken into small pieces then cooked
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup kimchi, chopped finely and slightly drained
  • a few squeezes of sriracha hot sauce
  • 1 package wonton or gyoza wrappers
  • salt
  • vegetable or canola oil for frying

Using a cheesecloth or paper towels, squeeze out as much moisture as possible from the tofu. In a large bowl combine the scallions, ginger, tofu, pork, noodles, egg, kimchi, sriracha, and a few small pinches of salt. Use your hands to form a small ball of the mixture, about a teaspoon, and place it in the center of the wonton wrapper. Have a small bowl of water at your workspace and wet the outside edges of the wrapper with your finger. Bring the four corners of the wrapper together and pinch the dumpling tightly closed. Keep the filled dumplings covered with a damp paper towel or cloth as you are making them.

dumplingsHeat a steamer or use a pot of boiling water with a steamer insert and a lid. Steam the dumpling for 5-7 minutes. Have a non-stick pan hot, coated with one tablespoon of oil. From the steamer, use tongs to place the dumplings flat side down in the pan and cook until the bottoms are nicely browned and crisp.

Dipping Sauce
For the dipping sauce I just used ingredients I had on hand: Soy sauce, a dash of hoisin, seasoned rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, sriracha, chinese chili garlic sauce, chopped scallions.
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Swiss Chard Tart

23 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in Appetizers, Fall, Mains, Vegetables

≈ 6 Comments

Swiss chard is by far my favorite leafy green vegetable. Growing up in an Italian household with a backyard garden, swiss chard picked and cooked the same day was a common occurrence – lucky me! I love its earthy flavor, especially this time of year when the leaves and stems are particularly sweet and tender. This tart is a warm fall treat served alone as an appetizer, or as a simple supper alongside roasted beets and a small salad. Oh, and of course with a glass of wine!

Ingredients:
*Serves 6 for an appetizer, 4 as small side
  • 1 small bunch rainbow swiss chard, stems and leaves finely chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tblsp butter
  • ½ tsp grated nutmeg
  • 2 whole eggs, 1 egg yolk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup grated fontina cheese
  • 1 sheet of frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
  • Salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 425º. Place the sheet of puff pastry dough into a tart pan, pressing the dough up the sides. Cover and chill until ready to fill.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook until translucent and soft but not browned. Add the swiss chard and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Season the mixture with the grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and cream. Add the cooled onion and swiss chard mixture, and half of the grated cheese. Pour the mixture over the puff pastry in the tart pan and top with the remaining cheese. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350º and cook 15 minutes longer until the filling is set and slightly browned on top. Bon appétit!