Warmed Blue Cheese and Apricot Crostini with an Arugula Drizzle

Memories are an incredible thing. Some come through as snapshots, quick glimpses back in time, others play out like a movie, every detail captured. Some though surface as feelings, the details of events foggy, but the emotions real and present. I find that most often these types of memories are triggered by a scent or a taste.

I was very fortunate to travel to Italy when I was a little girl. My memories are scattered from this trip, I have quick snapshots of bright, beautiful flowers cascading from the trellis' of the home across from the hotel we stayed in, the funny tour guide we had in Assisi, pizza adorned with peas-the strangest thing I surely had eaten at that time. I remember the scent of my mothers perfume, and the smell of the roses warmed by the sun in the rose garden. My most vivid memory however, not surprisingly, is of our breakfast each morning. The hotel we stayed at had a limited offering- Melba Toast, or something very similar, and apricot nectar. I was not a fan of either. Today though, whenever I enjoy the sweet deliciousness of apricot jam I am brought back to Italy, and I smile at the idea of sipping on apricot nectar in such a beautiful place.

I Can't Believe It's Not Butter invited me to enter their Toast Ambassador competition -a contest where bloggers create and submit original recipes utilizing toast as a main component and an I Can't Believe It's Not Butter product as an ingredient. Toast, to me, more often than not, means crostini, which means "little toasts" in Italian. As I considered my entry for this contest, I thought that it would be perfect opportunity to pay tribute to my childhood journey to Italy.


Warmed Blue Cheese and Apricot Crostini with an Arugula Drizzle


Arugula Drizzle
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp walnuts
1 cup arugula, washed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper


Blue Cheese and Apricot Blend
1/3 cup apricot jam
1/3 cup blue cheese
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped


8-10 slices of French Baguette 1/4 inches thick
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray with Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Preheat the oven to 375.

In a food processor, combine the garlic, walnuts, arugula, and pinches of salt and pepper, pulse to blend, adding the olive oil gradually until pureed. Set aside.

In small bowl combine the cheese and jam-using a fork to break up the cheese, and blend it with the jam. Fold in the walnuts.

Place the bread slices on a cookie sheet, and spray each liberally with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray. Bake for about 10 minutes, monitor so you remove them from the oven when they are browned. Flip the slices over, spray the non browned side with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray. Spread the cheese and jam on to the bread, and place back into the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt.

Remove the crostini from the oven, place onto a serving platter, drizzle with the arugula purée. Serve immediately, or at room temperature.

These make a perfect light bite for a party or gathering. The combination of blue cheese is cut beautifully with the sweetness of the apricots, and the arugula purée brings a brightness and a bit of relief from the dense spread. The walnuts do add a nice texture change, but can be easily omitted for those with allergies.  I loved using the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray with Extra Virgin Olive Oil to coat the crostini.  The spray evenly coated the bread, getting into each crevice, and allowed the slices to toast up perfectly, creating a golden brown outside, a lovely crunch, and a moist inside.  The taste of the spray was just a little salty, but with a natural Olive Oil flavor that really rounded out the other flavors of the dish.  Together, the salty and sweet, combined with the wonderful indulgence of the spray and the brightness of the arugula really became a beautiful bite.

Truffled Mushroom Rosemary Bruschetta

I owe you all a rather large apology.  My posts as of late have not been a bit scarce over the past week or so.  I moved last week, and with all of the hectic-ness of that, I was sorely lacking kitchen time.  However, now I am settled into my fabulous new apartment, it is basically set up (aside from some wall hanging concerns) and I have christened my kitchen with it's first all day use.  I set out this past Sunday to make far too much food, and I accomplished my goal. 

Inspired by the lovely Mushroom Bruschetta from Bin 26 a few weeks ago, I decided to start my "meal" with my own take of this great appetite wetter.

1- 1 1/2 tsp butter
1 tblsp minced roasted garlic
1/4 cup roughly chopped onions
1 tblsp chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
3/4 cup sliced shitaki mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped portobello mushrooms
2 tblsp chopped fresh parsley, divided
1 loaf fresh French Bread
Fontina Cheese
Black Truffle Oil (optional)

In a large sautee pan, melt the butter over medium low heat, and then add the garlic, onions and rosemary.  Sautee until the onions are translucent, and the garlic and rosemary are fragrant.  Add the mushrooms, cook through.  Add half the parsley 1-2 minutes before the mushrooms are done.  Transfer the mixture to a food processor, add the remainder of the parsley, and, if you choose, a teaspoon or two of the black truffle oil.  The oil has a very strong flavor so remember that a little goes a long way!  Cover the processor and pulse to blend until the mushrooms look slight grainy, and the parsley is combined.  You don't want a complete paste with the mushrooms, be sure to keep a little texture to them.

Slice the French Bread into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices, and place in a single layer on a lined cookie sheet.  Drizzle Olive Oil, or, as I did, spray a little "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray, over one side of the bread, and place in a 400 degree oven until the tops are slightly browned.  Remove from the oven, flip the slices over, spread the mushroom mix onto to non browned side, top with fontina cheese and return to the oven until the cheese melts.  Remove the bruschetta from the oven, drizzle lightly with more truffle oil and serve!

I loved the flavor combination here.  The woodiness of the rosemary played well with the sweetness from the roasted garlic, and the beautiful earthiness of the mushrooms and truffle oil.  I tried this with the cheese, and without, also with the truffle oil and without- and I have to say- the oil absolutely added something more luxurious and I think added to the beauty of the mushrooms.  The cheese absolutely made it more decadent- but wasn't necessary.  I've been eating the mushroom mixture just out of its storage container as well so I think that there is a lot of room to play with this recipe.  I'm already foreseeing some lovely mushroom raviolis in my future...

Spicy Hot Chicken Wings, with a Sweet and Smoky Glaze

It's that time again- time for playoff football.  My beloved Patriots suffered a very sad defeat last yesterday, but football continues until a final team is crowned Super Bowl champs.  Now football of course means a great game, long time rivalries, true competition, and some serious snacking! 

One of my favorite game time snacks is buffalo wings.  I love the spicy and tangy sauce resting on the crispy fried chicken, all cooled off with rich and creamy blue cheese dressing.  They are a perfect combination of flavors, and so much fun to eat since you really have to use your hands for them.  They are sort of primal in their own right I suppose.  I decided to make my own version to snack on for the game yesterday, full of spice and sweetness. 

I started by making a dry rub for the chicken wings to instill a lot spice into the meat.  Rubs are great because you can really customize them to your needs.  I wanted these to be really spicy so I started with about 2 tbsp of cayenne pepper.  I added to that smoked paprika, chili pepper, ground dried herbs, salt and my secret ingredient- cinnamon.  I love adding cinnamon to spice, I feel as though it really rounds out the other flavors, and adds great depth. Now, 2 tbsps of cayenne sounds like a lot.  It is a lot- I burned my tongue (several times) as I taste tested it- but that was the affect I was going for.  That's the beauty of the rub-try it out see how the flavors meld- if they taste good dry- they will impart great flavor into your meat.  Once the dry rub was complete, I rubbed it into the chicken and let the sit for a few hours.  When it was time to cook them up for kick off, I melted about three tbsps of butter, tossed the chicken in it, and then laid them out on a cookie sheet and baked them at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes. 

While they baked, I put together a nice glaze, because what would a wing be if not saucy and messy?  I combined honey, 4 tbsps or so, with the liquid from small can of chipotle peppers in adoboe sauce, a tsp of cinnamon and a tsp of tomato vinegar.  I whisked them together and when the wings were fully cooked, I tossed them into it. 

The final step was make a creamy sauce to pair with the spicy and sweet wings.  In a small bowl I combined 1/4 cup of sour cream, two tbsps of chopped chipotle peppers and two tbsps of chopped chives, and a pinch of salt. 

The result?  Smoky sweet wings, spicy enough to make your nose run and your eyes water, with a delightfully cool dipping sauce to dull out the heat. Honestly these little doozies were a great way to mask some tears of disappointment when the Pats lost last night.  And they nicely satisfied my craving for a delicious and hot treat. I see these getting made a lot- wings go with basketball and baseball too right?

Salsa Verde

I am a chip and dip girl.  I cannot deny it- I love the combination!  A salty crispy chip, maybe a little greasy, plunged into a bowl of delicious dip-is there anything better?  I love how many types of dips there are too!  There are creamy, acidic, spicy, good for you, BAD for you, cheesy, creative and old stand by's.  As much as I love every combination of the above types, there is one that always towers above the rest for me.  It's light texture, pretty color, unique acidity, and inherent spice picks me up and shoots me into rapture with every bite.  What is this heavenly dip you ask?  Salsa Verde, of course!

The primary ingredient for Salsa Verde is the Tomatillo- a funny looking fruit, in the same family as the tomato, but a personality all it's own!  I'm sure you've seen tomatillos in the store- they may look a little alien with their brown flaky husks covering their bright green skin.  These guys, a staple in Mexican cooking, sit, all stacked together, like a fruit from a different land, and very often have been abandoned by a less than attentive store clerk and bear no indicator as to their identity.  Fear not though, select a few of these fun fruits and a delicious salsa can be yours in moments.

1 lb Tomatillos (husks removed, washed and quartered)
3-4 cloves of garlic (roughly chopped)
3 jalapenos (tops discarded and bodies sliced into thirds)
1 small yellow onion (quartered or eighth ed)
Olive Oil
Cilantro
Cayenne Pepper
Smoked Paprika
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a lipped baking dish with tin foil.  place the Tomatillos, garlic, onion, and jalapenos on the dish, in a single layer.  Drizzle olive oil over the top, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.  Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the Tomatillos are soft and the ingredients fragrant. 

Transfer the contents of the pan, including any drippings (not including the tin foil) to a food processor.  Add a handful of fresh cilantro, a pinch of cayenne and a pinch of paprika, blend until all of the chunks have been pureed.  Taste, season to your liking with more spices, cilantro, salt or pepper.  Blend, taste and add until the flavor is perfect for you- to me this is bright, acidic, spicy and garlicky all at once. 

Serve with your favorite tortilla chips, or as a topping for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and omelets.

Holiday Party Dips- AND a Give Away- a REALLY good one!

I love dip.  Its a weird infatuation that I have.  Creamy dips, cheesy dips, salsa, guacamole- if I can use it to enhance a chip or a carrot stick-I'm all for it. So when Frito Lay asked me to come up with a few dips that could be served during holiday parties this season, and to be paired with their tasty chip creations- I jumped at the chance! 

I put together two different dips, one cheesy and toasty warm- perfect way to warm up from the chilly air outside, the other creamy, and spicy, bringing a whole different kind of heat to your parties! 

Frito Lay sponsored my dip creations by sending a long a very helpful gift card for me to use in purchasing my ingredients, and they'd like to do the same for you!  So, do you have a party coming up?  Perhaps to kick off the new year?  Post a comment on this post about your favorite dip, or party food, and the folks at Frito Lay will select a random winner, and send them a $100.00 gift card and a few bags of some tasty chips to help out with a perfect holiday shindig!  Sounds pretty great right? Get those tasty party creations in- winner will be selected on December 27th, 2010!



Warm cheesy dip straight from the oven!

 "Easier than Pie!" Cheesy Herb Dip

12 oz low fat ricotta cheese
2-3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
olive oil
salt
1 medium sized tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup shredded, low fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

In your food processor, or a small bowl with an immersion blender (my preferred method), combine Ricotta, garlic, basil, and parsley, slowly adding olive oil until the ricotta takes on a "whipped" consistency, smooth, with all of the ingredients fully combined.  Add salt to taste. Stir in tomato and 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese.  Spoon into ramekins, or one baking dish, top with remainder of cheese and bake at 400 degrees until the cheese melts (about 10 minutes, maybe longer depending on the depth of your baking dish). 

Pair with Frito-Lay Frito Scoops! or Lay's Original Potato chips for a great dip pairing!

Low Fat Creamy Salsa Dip

1 can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
6 tsp chopped cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1/2 an avocado
1 lime (juice of)
Olive Oil
Salt
1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen and defrosted)
1/2 cup chopped and seeded tomato
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion

Combine beans, cilantro, garlic, avocado, and lime juice in a food processor, slowly adding olive oil to form a creamy paste- about a tablespoon to a tablespoon and a half.  Salt to taste.  Transfer the blend into a bowl and add corn, tomato, jalapeno, and red onion.  Stir to combine.  

Serve with Tostito's Scoops! (I like the multi grain variety) and Frito Scoops!  to be sure that each bite has lots of chunky salsa goodness!

So now that I've gotten the ball rolling- what are your favorite dip and party creations??  

Ricotta Parsley Lime Dip- a uniquely refreshing and creamy dip!

I love dip.  I mean I really really love it.  Whether I'm scooping it up with celery sticks, pita chips, or using it to form tuna or chicken into salads-I think the stuff is awesome.  Creating new dips is right up there in the love fest with actually eating them, and I wanted to share with you all one that I've been making for the past few months, but have neglected to write about here.  Maybe I wanted to keep it to myself, maybe I thought it was too delicious to share.  Either way- I am begrudgingly handing over my recipe.  Use it wisely....

Last winter I was looking for a dip that would pair nicely with spicy homemade pita chips.  I wanted something cooling, a bit creamy, and something refreshing. I often find that creamy dips don't really provide any refreshment-they are just cream-heavy and indulgent.  I had some fat free ricotta in my fridge that was ready to be used for the last time, a lime, parsley, and garlic.  I thought that I would throw them together and hope for the best.  I started by zesting a bit of the lime into the bottom of my food processor with a single clove of garlic roughly chopped.  Then I added a handful...and a half of fresh parsley, no chopping needed, and a cup to a cup and a half of the ricotta.  I turned on the food processor, and gradually added a small stream of olive oil as it blended.  Total I probably added a tablespoon and a half or so.  The result was tangy and citrusy-adding that wonderful element of refreshment combined with the beauty of whipped ricotta blended to perfection with cooling and fragrant parsley.  

I fell in love with this dip, and since have made it numerous times, including this past weekend.  This weekend I ended up using fresh, beautiful ricotta from Maria's Mercato.  The texture, consistency and flavor was so much better than the fat free grocery store kind, but it absolutely changed the dip so I ended up playing a lot with the ratios of juice to parsley to ricotta.  I think that this is one of those delightful recipes though that asks to be played with, to find the balance of flavors that is right to you.  Definitely give it a shot- it might sound strange, but I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

Thanksgiving Meatballs with Pan Dripping Gravy

I thought that I would begin detailing out the different items that I made for the Fall Party over the weekend with the one that made the biggest splash, and the one that was the easiest to make.  It should come as no surprise that I love turkey meat. This is evidenced here, here, here, here, and here! It is lean, it is tasty, it takes on other flavors really very nicely, and it's a cinch to prepare!  With all of this in mind, and since Thanksgiving (my very favorite holiday) is just around the corner, I thought that Thanksgiving Meatballs would be a really fun and easy hors d'ouerve.

I used 93/7 lean turkey meat. The 93/7 refers to the lean vs fat ration in the package-so here I had 93% lean meat mixed with just 7% fat.  The fat definitely adds a little moisture and a lot of flavor to the meat, so I think that a little is just fine.

1 lb ground turkey meat
1 1/2 tbsp dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 small apple, chopped
2 tsp chopped garlic (or to your liking)
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp fennel seed
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
1 egg
1 -2 cups breadcrumbs

Gravy Dipping Sauce
1 tbsp butter
1-2 tbsp flour
chicken stock
dried sage
ground garlic powder
salt and pepper


In small bowl combine the dry ingredients for the meat balls listed above, with the chopped fruits and garlic.  In a separate plastic container, place the turkey meat, and crack the egg into this container.  Add the bread crumb mixture a little at a time, combining as you go until the turkey meat is the right consistency. It should still be somewhat wet, able to hold shape, but with enough visible breadcrumbs.  

Once the breadcrumbs are fully incorporated into the meat, form small balls, about an inch in diameter between your hands.  Heat a large non stick skillet pan with a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom.  Add the turkey meatballs to the skillet, and turn to brown on each side.  I finished these off in a 400 degree oven once they were equally browned on each side, for a faster cooking process.

Remove the meatballs from the pan, set the pan back over medium heat, and de glaze the plan with the butter.  While the butter melts, use a wooden or rubber utensil to scrape up the leftover particles from the meatball cooking process.  What remains on the bottom of the pan are bits of apple and garlic that will add fantastic flavor to your gravy.  Once the butter is completely melted and the bottom of the pan clean, start to add your flour to the pan.  Add only a little at a time, and whisk while doing so to cover all of the flour particles with the grease.  Continue to add flour until the roux reaches the consistency you desire- it shouldn't be so thick that it stands in peaks like little mountains in the bottom of your pan, but it shouldn't be lakes of runny liquid either.  Once it reaches that in between stage-start to add the chicken stock.  Continue using your whisk to blend the roux with the stock, again until the desired consistency of gravy.  Do so slowly, it's much more difficult to make the gravy thicker, but easier to continue to thin it.  Once it's reached the right consistency, flavor with the herbs and spices to your liking.  (Please excuse the lack of photos here- while it isn't hard work- it did take both of my hands and photos were neglected) 

These little babies were totally delicious.  They had great flavor and texture from the cranberries and apples, and the pan dripping gravy dipping sauce really brought it all home.  The best part is that the meatballs, ok without the gravy, were actually really quite good for you, and just the gravy added that decadence of Thanksgiving.  I might have to whip up a batch or two of these just to mow down on during a Football game during the next couple of weeks!  Perfect noshing food!

Don't forget to enter my Le Creuset give away!  A roasting pan valued at $150.00! 

New Years Eve 2009- Mussels, Steak Croutons, Grapefruit Salad, Mini Pizzas, Sugar Snap Peas with dipping sauces

2009 is finally upon us, and I wanted to celebrate this dawning of this new year to its fullest extent. So previous to spending the latter half of the evening bowling, I had a few friends over to gear up for the challenging night. Of course to me, having people over means cooking as much as possible- and so I did. Since Ill be leaving on vacation shortly, I wanted to keep things somewhat light, but have some decadence around as well.

I started off by making a simple salad of grapefruit and fennel. This was incredibly easy,as well as tasty and beautiful looking. I simply removed the wedges of the fruit from the rind and the peel, and then finely chopped the bulb of a fennel plant. I mixed the two together, and then dressed it with a small amount of honey as well as a scotch bonnet sherry that I was given as a Christmas present. The result of the dressing mixture was just a hint of sweet and heat that really complimented the tartness of the grapefruit and the nice anise flavor of the fennel. A few sprigs of the fennel frawn and the salad had beautiful contrasting colors as well. I think Ill be making a lot more of this salad over the next week.

To continue on the "light" theme I very easily steamed up some sugar snap peas and then immediately dropped them into some cold water to stop the cooking process once they got to the desired texture. I lightly salted them, and then made three dipping sauces for them. The first was a simple combination of mayonnaise, horseradish and Dijon mustard. I use this combo a lot on steak sandwiches and just really love the spicy/creamy flavors. The second sauce was to be Asian inspired, so I mixed the all time favorite ginger puree, soy sauce, a bit of terryaki sauce, chili paste and green onions together. The result was sweet, spicy and salty- a beautiful sauce. I'll definitely make it again, I think it might be tasty on fish. Finally the third was a honey based sauce that I added cider and Cayenne pepper to, as well as some cilantro and half of a Serrano pepper. The result was a nice mix of sweet and spicy with a great Mexican vibe.

To appeal to the "beefier" side of my guests I re created my steak croutons from a few months ago. I toasted up a wheat baguette (a mistake when I purchased it, but I ended up really enjoying the nutty flavor of the wheat), and then spread it with a fromage blanc that I was finally able to find. The only one my local store had was flavored with lavender and honey which I was slightly concerned about. I then layered that with a little parsley and fresh black pepper, and then thinly sliced steak on to the top. The result was far better than the first time I had made it. The cheese had a really beautiful, lightly sweet flavor to it that served as a wonderful contrast to the nutty bread, and the hearty steak. The parsley adds a brightness both in color contrast and in taste. These are definitely be a cocktail party go to for me.

As I sometimes feel as though my taste in food can be a little bit out there, I wanted a sure fire hit with my guests. I can think of nothing more that people love than pizza, so I chose to make some mini pizzas. Now, for some reason, my oven and I are in a slight disagreement at the moment. It appears that I want it to work, and it has no desire. No matter, I was able to score some grands biscuits, and toasted them on my grill pan, once flipped, I added some sauce and some cheese, allowed the cheese to melt, and then added some parsley to the top. I kept wishing that the cheese had melted more, but they received rave reviews from the crowd. In a pinch- they will do.

Finally, as I know that many of my guests are just as obsessed with mussels as I am, I had to make a batch. I made a nice broth of garlic, salt pepper, turkey anadouille sausage and fresh thyme, with a good 3/4 of a bottle of white wine. After reducing, I added the mussels for them to steam. I topped off with a nice combination of Asiago, Parmesan and Fontina cheeses, and the mussels were served. Unfortunately, I hadn't purchased a very nice wine for the sauce, and so the flavor of that was somewhat lacking, however the rest was quite tasty. The turkey sausage had great heat to it, and was a delicious, low fat compliment to the mussels.

As always, I found several things that I could have done differently, but all of my guests seemed pleased with the variety and the taste. I cant really ask for more than that.

Happy 2009 to all, I hope it finds you eating well.