Category: appetizers

English Muffin Pizzas

I always loved making English Muffin pizzas as a kid. Actually, they are still fun to make!

My sister really came up with this concept for the party. First, we put a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce on each muffin half, and then sprinkled on some mozzarella cheese. The pizza faces were given olive eyes, a carrot nose, a green bean mouth, and mushroom eyebrows. We baked them at 350-400F for about 15 minutes, and a kid friendly lunch was served. But I saw plenty of adults grabbing for these as well!

Cabot Bean Cheese Spirals

This was a meal that was easy to make and so much fun to eat! But first, thanks to Cabot Cheese for sponsoring a seminar on children’s nutrition which I recently attended. I learned a lot, but one of the key messages is never to assume that a child won’t like a particular food, or a certain flavor. Kids really do like variety, and they need repeated exposure to become comfortable with new foods.

As a participant in the seminar, I received a coupon for Cabot Cheese, which I used to purchase my favorite 75% reduced fat cheddar. It is one of the best reduced fat cheeses out there, and yes, it melts! I also turned to the Cabot recipes for some new ideas, and saw these adorable Bean Cheese Spirals.

OK, so mine aren’t quite as cute as the ones pictured on the website, but they were still great and made a fun ‘appetizer-style’ dinner. You are never too old to enjoy eating with your fingers. Have a great weekend!

Zucchini with Cashew Sauce

The recipe that inspired this one is both vegan and raw, and could be considered a zucchini alfredo. Gena’s recipes are fantastic, but I altered this one to fit my craving for a warm meal and the ingredients I had on hand. The final product was neither vegan nor raw, but you could easily leave the cheese out to make it vegan. For me, the addition of the Parmesan and Italian seasoning really made the dish stand out.

This was perfect for a light dinner with a piece of Italian bread, but would also make a nice first course for a larger meal. It’s a modern twist on classic Italian. Oh, and you can find raw cashews in the bulk bin of Whole Foods and other stores.

1 c. raw cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours and drained

1/3 c. lemon juice

1/3 c. water

1 T Parmesan cheese
1 t sea salt

1 t Italian seasoning

2 large zucchini, sliced thinly and steamed lightly

Place cashews, lemon juice, water, Parmesan cheese, salt, and Italian seasoning in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Spoon sauce over zucchini, and add freshly ground black pepper if desired.

Patatas Bravas

My cooking club theme this month was Spanish Tapas, and what a fabulous meal we had! Chorizo braised in red wine, Spanish tortilla, a lovely orange salad, Manchego cheese, and an orange almond cake. Oh, and sangria of course! Only one problem: I forgot my camera, and my Iphone pictures just don’t do the food justice.

My contribution was patatas bravas, made with this recipe from Fat Free Vegan. The recipe starts with roasted potatoes, which I cooked with a generous drizzle of olive oil. But what makes the potatoes ‘bravas’ is the spicy tomato sauce made with red onion, tomatoes, paprika, and cayenne pepper. I am not sure if my spices are particularly strong, but the sauce was a little too hot for our tastes. In this case, a very little bit of sauce went a loooong way.

I am still happy I tried this recipe, but would need to tone it down significantly if I make it again. But if you’re a fan of spicy food, I would recommend this one for your next tapas party.

Zucchini Appetizers

My family has been making these zucchini appetizers for years. When zucchini is plentiful, these are easy to make and can either be served as an appetizer, or side dish, or even for breakfast! I found a lot of sources for the recipe, but am going to send you to good ‘ol Betty Crocker. We like to bake this in an 11×7 pan instead of a 13×9 so they are thicker.

No Bisquick in the house? No problem. Mix 1 c. flour, 1 1/2 t baking powder, and 1/4 t salt. Most Bisquick substitute also contain some source of fat, but since this recipe already contains oil, you don’t need it here.

These are somewhere between a bread and a quiche, but they really are delicious. Feel free to make your family nervous by perching them perilously on the deck to snap a picture before serving. Happy Labor Day!

Homemade Crackers, Bandit Wine, and the Beach

This post includes a recipe, a product review, and a picnic at the beach. It was an action packed day!

The Crackers

You might ask the question – why make homemade crackers? When I told people about this project, just about everyone gave me a funny look. I like store-bought crackers as much as the next person, but even the healthiest options have some less than desirable ingredients. Plus, they can be rather expensive, while these crackers cost very little to make. And there’s a certain satisfaction in enjoying food you’ve made yourself. At the very least, you might file this recipe away for a day (VERY far away) when you’re snowed in without any crackers in the house, and need something crunchy for happy hour!

My Mom spotted this recipe from Smitten Kitchen which requires only a few ingredients, and purchased the spelt flour from the bulk bin of a natural foods store. I don’t think the type of flour you use is important – the key here is the toppings. We used sea salt (not pictured) and sesame seeds.

Rolling out the dough is a little tricky. My Mom is more adept with a rolling pin, so she was elected for this task. We could almost hear my grandmother saying “patience, patience” as it took several minutes of rolling to get the dough thin enough to cover the cookie sheet. But finally, the crackers were ready to go in the oven.

The final result? They were definitely crunchy, but tasted very plain. You really have to go all out on the toppings, and next time we’ll use some dried herbs as well. The basic concept gets high marks, we just need to execute it a bit differently.

The Product Review

My sister purchased this Bandit wine before the summer even started, but somehow did not get around to drinking it. I am pretty sure she picked it up for the convenience; the carton makes it easy to toss in your bag and go, but the packaging is also environmentally friendly. And most importantly, the wine was good. I can’t claim to be a wine expert, but if you’re looking for an easy way to enjoy wine in the great outdoors, this is a great option. (Don’t worry – I’ll replace the carton I stole!)

The Beach

The crackers and wine were put to good use for happy hour at the beach. It is so quiet there in the early evening; you can just sit back and relax and watch the waves roll in.

Eggplant with Gremolata and Antipasto

Our next course was Eggplant with Gremolata. According to Wikipedia, and many recipes out there, gremolata refers to a condiment made of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. The gremolata itself was good, but to be honest we could have happily eaten the eggplant right off the grill. The garlic paste really provided a great flavor which easily stood on it’s own. I would make gremolata again, but perhaps use it as a stuffing rather than a garnish.

2 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced

Olive Oil

Garlic Paste (such as this one by Amore)

1 c. chopped fresh parsley

2 t minced garlic

Zest of one lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/3 c. whole wheat breadcrumbs

Dip eggplant in a mixture of olive oil and garlic paste, and place on a hot grill. Cook on each side, until the eggplant is golden brown. Mix parsley through breadcrumbs, and sprinkle the mixture on the eggplant slices to serve.

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The third course of our meal was an Antipasto Salad, prepared entirely by my sister (Kelly P.) She served a large bowl of field greens with cucumbers and tomatoes, and made a tray full of Italian good stuff – cheeses, meats, roasted red peppers, artichokes, olives, and breadsticks. It was like Christmas in August! My Mom loves ‘stinky cheese’ and this dish was certainly a hit.

Tomato, Red Onion, and Basil Bruschetta

My family got together this weekend to celebrate my Mom’s birthday, and we decided to cook a series of small plates throughout the afternoon and evening. This allowed us to enjoy a variety of dishes, and yet still have plenty of time for activities in between each course.

To set the stage for the meal, the marketing branch of the family printed the menu on beautiful beach themed cards. The cards were a nice touch, but don’t be misled into thinking this was a fancy affair. The attire was shorts and flip flops, and in between cooking we took a stroll to the beach. If you can’t read the menu, don’t worry, I’ll be sharing each recipe this week.

The first course was an incredible tomato, red onion, and basil bruschetta. This one was packed with both red and yellow tomatoes, and had to be eaten over a plate to catch any tomatoes that escaped. The topping can be made in advance, which makes it an easy first course. You can heat up the bread while you’re opening a bottle of wine, and get the party started quickly after a day in the sun.

1 pint red cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 pint yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 small red onion, chopped

2 T olive oil

1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

1 t minced garlic

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 pan focaccia bread (Hartford area readers, we used the bread from First and Last)

Mix tomatoes through balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Heat bread in the broiler, and then top with tomato mixture.

-Adapted from Epicurious

Unfried Green Tomatoes

When I saw this recipe for unfried green tomatoes, I was fascinated. (I told you I am meant to be Southern!) And then on my first visit to Wilson Farm last weekend, I saw a big basket of green tomatoes and remembered the recipe. So I just had to buy one and give it a try.

The recipe is fairly straightforward. You slice the tomatoes, dip them in milk, and then press them with a mixture of flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper. They should be baked in a hot oven until they’re nice and brown. Here’s the raw tomato, and the breaded slices just before cooking.

My kitchen got awfully hot, but finally, the tomatoes were ready. They were excellent! The tomato slices stayed fairly firm, and the outsides were crispy. I didn’t have time to make the tomato gravy mentioned in the original recipe, so I used good ‘ol ketchup. Anything breaded and ‘unfried’ is generally a hit, but I would make these again, especially while tomatoes are in season.

White Bean & Basil Spread

I’ve posted plenty of bean dips and spreads in the past – black beans with avocado, white beans with avocado, white beans with walnuts, and white beans and sun dried tomatoes. I am a fan of these because they are fast and easy to make, and you can either scoop them up with crackers or vegetables, or use them on a sandwich or wrap. So here is one more to add to the list, inspired by the basil which seems to be just about everywhere right now! The photo is from a wrap I made very early one morning, and I looked forward to lunch all day.

1 (15 oz.) can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
Large handful fresh basil leaves, washed
Salt and Pepper

Blend all ingredients in a food processor.