Christmas Traditions, New and Old

Hello friends!  I know I've been MIA here lately and have neglected my blog.  I haven't been gone, as you know if any of you follow me on Instagram, @savoringtime.  

I wanted to pop in before Christmas to share two of my Christmas traditions...one new that will definitely be repeated in Christmas to come, and the other, an oldie but goodie that I've been making for a VERY long time.  

First, this riff on the Christmas cheese ball.  A Cheesy Christmas Tree!  If you need a very quick and easy appetizer to bring to a party this weekend, this is it!  This is not my invention, but one I discovered on Instagram.  This started out as an idea made from a traditional home-made cheese ball to become a very quick and easy one made from a package of Boursin cheese.  You don't have to make a thing!  Simple assembly.  I've included the directions below.  

Boursin Cheese Christmas Tree Appetizer

Purchase a package of Boursin cheese. I used Garlic and Herb. Or, use 3 to make a mini tree forest :)

Buy some fresh parsley, a yellow bell pepper, sliced almonds or any other edible decor you'd like such as pomegranite arils.

Rinse, dry and chop parlsey finely. Lay out on paper toweling dry thoroughly.

Toast sliced almonds in a 350 oven for about 6 minutes until lightly browned. Cool.

Unwrap the cheese but keep the base on the bottom.

Place the cheese on a large sheet of plastic wrap and bring it upward. 

Shape cheese into a pyramid/tree by pressing or rolling gently along the sides to bring cheese upward.
Twist top of plastic wrap and freeze cheese for about 10-15 minutes.

Remove cheese from freezer and upwrap. Roll in chopped parsley all around and press to adhere.

Stick in toasted almonds all around and top with a star made from the yellow pepper.

Serve with crackers and slices of yellow pepper or other veggies.  

Done!  A cute and festive addition to a cheese or charcuterie platter.  

The Oldie but Goodie tradition in my family are these Candy Cane Cookies.  I've been making for more years than I can remember and are from an old Betty Crocker cookbook where I've found many gems! Betty Crocker's All Time Favorites.  We have already had one family Christmas celebration and this was my cookie platter.  

The recipe for the Candy Cane cookies can be found here:  Candy Cane Cookies

The recipe for my Sugar Cut Out cookies can be found here:  Celebration Christmas Cookies

(sometimes I'll roll the dough into logs and drizzle with melted chocolate). 

The recipe for my (mild) Gingerbread Cookies can be found here:  Gingerbread Cookies, My Way

May those of you who celebrate all have a safe and blessed Christmas and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year! 

Fondly, Susan

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Cherry Tomato Mini Tarts

Oh my gosh, how did it get to be the second week of September already?  The last time I posted was July 20!  In the past few weeks my husband and I have tried to fit in as many summer activities as we could with family and friends.

August was a beautiful, fun, food-filled month and it flew by far too quickly. The weather here was finally gorgeous and we enjoyed many al fresco dinners on the patio. One of our daughters stayed overnight with with us twice and had dinner with us every single night for one of those weeks while her boyfriend and his father went on their annual fishing trip to Canada.  We made dinners together and had a great time hosting our other daughter and our grandsons.  We also scheduled other individual play dates with our grandsons, held our last Family Swim of the summer, and we played golf with some great friends with dinners here afterward. The weather on every date scheduled was perfection.  I was grateful to unplug and enjoy that beautiful month and have some great memories!

During that warm, sunny month of August, my tomatoes finally started ripening and it's been a bountiful harvest ever since!  One of my favorite new recipes I made with my cherry tomato harvest were these cherry tomato mini tarts.  They make a delicious appetizer and my husband and I have also eaten them for dinner.  Filled with tomatoes and lots of cheese, they are oh, so good and, who doesn't love puff pastry?!

They come together quickly and take less than 30 minutes to bake so you have have these ready in no time at all.  A little drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar and some chopped, fresh basil, are my favorite additions. I hope you try these before tomato season is over, they are delightful!

During August, my dahlias also started to bloom and, right now, they are the highlight of the garden and are providing me with some beautiful bouquets.

The begonias are so lush right now also that it's hard to believe fall is just two weeks away!  I'll enjoy the last hurrah in the garden and hope to harvest tomatoes as long as I possibly can :)  We actually have some summery weather in the forecast for the next few days.  Fingers crossed for a beautiful fall!  

Now, I'm glad to be back and sharing this tasty recipe with you and hope to get caught up with the rest of my blogging friends soon!

Cherry Tomato Mini Tarts

Printable Recipe

Makes 18 tarts but can easily be halved to make 9 using 1 sheet of puff pastry.

1 (17.3-oz.) pkg. frozen puff pastry sheets, partially thawed

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Small pinch of red pepper flakes

10 ounce sharp Cheddar cheese, finely shredded (2 1/2 cups)

4 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese

11 ounces multicolored cherry tomatoes (about 3 cups), halved and allowed to drain for 30 minutes on paper toweling

Garnish:

2 tablespoons torn fresh basil

Aged Balsamic

Preheat oven to 400°F. Gently unfold both pastry sheets and roll out to a 12 x 12 inch (approx) square. Spread 1/8 cup mayonnaise evenly on each pastry sheet; sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper and small pinch of red pepper flakes.

Cut each pastry sheet into thirds both from the top and side making 9 (4 x 4 inch) squares. Gently press squares into 2 lightly greased muffin pans. Divide cheeses and tomatoes among tarts, alternating tomatoes/cheese/tomatoes/cheese.

Bake in preheated oven until pastry is golden brown, about 20-25 minutes until tops are browned and filling is bubbly. Let cool in pans on a wire rack 5 minutes.

Serve immediately topped with torn fresh basil and drizzle with aged balsamic.

Do ahead tips:  Prepare the muffin pans with the puff pastry ahead of time and keep covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator until ready to fill.  Measure and mix the cheeses and keep covered in the refrigerator.  An hour ahead, the cherry tomatoes can be cut and placed on a plate with paper toweling under and over them and covered with plastic wrap until ready to assemble.  

Adapted, with my changes, from Southern Living

Mini Reuben Party Sandwiches

The Big Game is coming up and these mini Reuben appetizers could be the hit of your Superbowl party.  Reuben sandwiches have been around for a long time but, if you're like me, you tend to forget about them until St. Patrick's Day.  We enjoyed these at a New Year's Eve party at the home of good friends and we loved them so much that they were fresh in my mind.  The home-baked corned beef makes these very special!  If you don't like corned beef, you could try using smoked turkey breast instead.

The beauty of these Mini Reubens is that the corned beef can be made a day or two ahead of time and the sandwiches can be assembled early in the day and popped under the broiler for a minute or two just before serving.   Who doesn't love melted cheese on game day!?!

We've been trying to enjoy the remainder of winter as much as possible, especially with our grandsons.  Here in Wisconsin, you need to find as much outdoor fun as possible!  Overall, it's been a pretty dry winter, snow-wise, so the local ski hills have had to use snow machines.  Recently, we took our middle grandson snow-tubing at a near-by ski hill where we learned how to ski with our daughters when they were his age!  After more than just a few trips down the tubing slide he enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate in the lodge. Great way to chase away the winter blues!  

Baked Corned Beef Brisket

Printable Recipe

Time to cook - about 4 - 4-1/2 hours 

3-4 lb corned beef brisket, I like to trim just a little of the fat layer away if it's really thick. 

1 spice flavor packet included with corned beef

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika 

1 teaspoon garlic powder 

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 275°

Remove the corned beef from the package, discarding the brine solution. Pat dry. 

Combine the flavor packet with the rest of the ingredients. 

Place corned beef into a Dutch oven with cover, fat side up. I used an enameled cast iron oval Dutch oven, or use a 9 x 13 baking dish tightly covered with foil. 

Sprinkle meat with seasonings and pat into the brisket. Add 1/3 cup of water to the bottom of the pan and cover.

Bake for 3-1/2 hours.

Remove the cover from the Dutch oven and cook for an addition 30-60 minutes, basting with the pan juices occasionally making sure the juices don't cook away completely. Add a little more water, if necessary. Baking time is about 1-1/5 hours per pound. 

Continue baking until the brisket is fork tender. It may take additional time depending on the thickness of the brisket.

Allow the meat to rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing, then against the grain. 

If using for Reuben sandwiches, the meat is much easier to cut if the brisket can be refrigerated overnight with any remaining pan juices poured over the top. Cover with plastic wrap.

Adapted from Genius Kitchen

Mini Corned Beef Sandwich Appetizers

Printable Recipe

1 package cocktail rye bread.  I used Rubschlager brand

Sliced, baked corned beef

Fresh sauerkraut.  I used a fresh Bavarian Sauerkraut found in the meat department of my store.

Thousand Island Dressing, such as Marie's or Marzetti's

Swiss cheese slices, divided into 4ths

If desired, you may garnish with chopped chives or green onion.  

Place an oven rack about 4-5 inches beneath the broiler then heat the broiler to medium.

On a baking sheet, arrange single slices of cocktail rye bread. Top with a tablespoon of fresh sauerkraut followed by a dollop of dressing. Add about 2 quarters of Swiss Cheese or as much as desired.

Note: The Reubens can be assembled up to this point, cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to broil.  

Broil Reubens on the baking sheet until the cheese begins to melt and bubble.  Remove from oven to a platter and serve immediately.  Extra dressing may be served on the side.  

Great with mini Gherkin pickles! 

Cherry Tomato and Burrata Bruschetta

Before tomato season is a thing of the past,  I hope you can try this simple and delightful appetizer.  It is a perfect way to use all of those cherry tomatoes growing like crazy in your garden. Right now, my cherry tomatoes are ripening so quickly that we can barely eat them all.  Sweet Million and Sun Sugar have been very prolific varieties for me here in SE Wisconsin.  Don't worry if you only have regular tomatoes either!  Just cut them into small pieces and let the seeds and juice drain before using.

There are endless versions of bruschetta with tomatoes on the internet but this recipe (or more of a technique) was passed along to me by a good friend and we have enjoyed it several times in the past few weeks. This is not original or unique - just delicious!

All you need is some really good, ripe tomatoes, a sliced and toasted baguette and a ball of burrata cheese, which is a type of soft cheese made with mozzarella and cream.  It's so good! My grocery store sells the BelGioioso brand.

If you don't grow tomatoes yourself, perhaps you can find some good, locally grown tomatoes at the farmers' market nearby.  Slice the tomatoes into small pieces and squeeze out as much of the juice as you can.  Add a little aged balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and toss.

Let your guests help themselves and add as much cheese and tomatoes as they like! Our whole family loves it - even the young grandsons, although their favorite part is the baguette toasts and cheese ;)

Bon appetit!

Cherry Tomato Bruschetta with Burrata

Printable Recipe

Makes about 18-20 Bruschetta, depending on how large a baguette you are using.  Adjust the amount of tomatoes accordingly.

1 large French Baguette (I like Costco's baguettes)

About 2 pints of cherry (or 2-3 large) tomatoes

1 ball of Burrata cheese

Fresh basil leaves

Aged Balsamic

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the oven broiler to low (or set oven to 375).  Slice the baguette diagonally into between 1/4 and 1/2 inch pieces.  Arrange on a baking sheet. Brush slices on both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with finely grown pepper on one side. Toast in the oven for about 3-5 minutes per side, depending on your oven.  Watch carefully, so they don't burn, especially if you are using the broiler.  Allow to cool.  The baguette toasts can be made ahead.

Slice tomatoes into small pieces and remove as much of the seeds and juice as you can. A little juice and seeds left is fine. Place them into a small bowl and drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar and salt & pepper to taste.  Add some sliced basil before serving.  

On a serving platter, arrange the baguette slices, around the outside, and place the tomatoes and Burrata cheese in the center. Allow your guests to serve themselves.

Pistachio and Olive Tapenade

Do you love olives? Here is a recipe that I have been making for years and years.  When I looked through my archives, I was surprised that I hadn't shared it here yet.  This version of the classic tapenade does not include capers or anchovies but instead has an abundance of pistachios for crunch and delightful flavor. 

Made with both green olives with pimento and Kalamata olives, you can see the bits of pimento and pistachio in each bite.  Cilantro, garlic, lemon juice and black pepper season the mixture along with a little olive oil to hold it all together. 

This tapenade is so quick and easy to make (if you have a food processor) and can be made several days in advance, which is always a good thing when you entertain.  It's been a hit whenever I've served it.  This weekend, we host our gourmet group of 10 and this will be a little 'nibbler' I will put out with the cocktails before the first course is served. 

The original recipe comes from another Junior League cookbook, Colorado Collage.  I loved the comments that I received about other Junior League cookbooks that were recommended after a recent post and have since ordered a couple of them!  You may wonder what my fascination with Colorado cookbooks might be, being a Midwestern lady, but it's because our family would take ski trips to Colorado when our daughters still lived at home.  The cookbooks were purchased during those trips, which make them even more cherished.  They have become lost-lasting favorites. 

Summer has been wonderful and I can't believe tomorrow is August 1st!  Our oldest grandson, the almost-six-year-old-Ninja, has just begun taking soccer lessons.  The youngest, who is three, loves his Papa, Dusty Crophopper and Lightening McQueen. Evenings on the patio have been so glorious after a cool start to summer.  We love watching the deer and her fawns eat my hostas (they only eat the lighter green hostas that you see in the photo - none of the others), and the garden is offering an abundance of cut flowers to brighten our tables.

Pistachio and Olive Tapenade

Adapted from Colorado Collage Printable Recipe Makes about 2 cups of tapenade  Note:  My recipe uses less cilantro and garlic than the original recipe.  I you really love both, use more. Also, the original uses regular green olives without pimento, but I enjoy the added flavor of the pimento-stuffed green olives. 3/4 cup shelled pistachios 1 cup pimento-stuffed green olives (any size) 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives 2 cloves (about 2 teaspoons) minced, fresh garlic 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro leaves 1-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4-1/3 cup olive oil In a food processor, pulse everything except the olive oil until coarsely chopped. Add the smallest amount of olive oil first and blend with a few pulses, being careful not to turn the tapenade into a pasty consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Chill until ready to serve. Can be made two to three days in advance. Tip - When buying fresh cilantro, don't throw out rest of the bunch when you only need a small amount for a recipe. Snip off all of the leaves, place in a colander or salad spinner, rinse or spin and dry on paper toweling. Put the clean, dry leaves in a plastic zipper bag and store in the freezer. Fresh cilantro, any time!

Cheese and Herb-Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers Appetizer

We have many wonderful restaurants in the Milwaukee area, and have several that specialize in the current 'Small Plates' trend.  Hate it or love it?  Lots of people must love it because you can't get a table at the most popular of these restaurants unless you make a reservation at least two weeks in advance. I think it is fun to sample several different things during the meal.  

One of these restaurants used to serve a goat-cheese stuffed mini bell pepper dish on its menu, and, while I am not a fan of goat cheese in general, they were delicious. However, I do like feta cheese, since it is made with at least 70% sheep's milk. Who knows why our taste buds prefer some things and not others?

I tried to re-create the recipe at home using a couple of different cheeses and some freshly cut herbs from my garden containers.  If you have a big yard, a window sill, or tiny 5th-story porch, I highly recommend growing a couple of containers of herbs. They make everything taste better!

Begin by cutting the peppers in half lengthwise, trying to cut the stem in half also as the stem makes a nice 'handle' with which to eat them.  Scrape out the seeds and any white membrane, then wash and dry them on paper toweling.  If your pepper halves are 'wobbly', simply slice a thin, flat strip off the bottom, lengthwise.  

I used half feta and half cream cheese (Philadelphia style soft, mild cheese).  A little salt and pepper, a small clove of garlic, a dash of Tabasco and 1-2 teaspoons of chopped oregano, thyme, tarragon and basil, and blended it all together until smooth with a fork and then filled the mini pepper halves.

After they were baked, I drizzled them with a tiny bit of Tuscan-flavored olive oil and then sprinkled chopped fresh parsley over the top. A quick, easy and delicious appetizer for summer entertaining!  My husband and I loved them!  These would also be great with Boursin or any soft cheese that you enjoy. 

Cheese and Herb-Stuffed Mini Peppers Appetizer

Printable Recipe

Serves 4 as an appetizer - Makes approximately 16 pieces

8 Mini bell peppers of various colors
1/2 cup feta cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup Philadelphia-style cream cheese, room temperature
1 small clove garlic, minced
Dash of Tabasco hot sauce (or you may use a pinch of red pepper flakes)
1-2 teaspoons of chopped, fresh basil,
1-2 teaspoons of chopped, fresh oregano
1-2 teaspoons of chopped, fresh tarragon
1-2 teaspoons of chopped, fresh thyme
Pinch of salt and a good pinch of freshly ground pepper, to taste

Tuscan-flavored or plain olive oil and freshly chopped parsley for garnish - optional.

Preheat oven to 350F

Place each pepper lengthwise on a cutting board and with a sharp, serrated knife, cut in half from the bottom of the pepper up to the stem, trying to cut through the stem evenly, if possible. Remove seeds and any white membrane, wash and place on paper toweling to dry. If the pepper doesn't lie flat, cut a very thin flat strip off the bottom, lengthwise.

Combine the cheese, garlic, Tabasco, herbs and salt and pepper in a bowl. You may soften the cheese in a microwave for about 20 seconds if it isn't soft enough to mix. Blend everything until thoroughly combined.

Fill pepper halves with cheese mixture (don't overstuff) and place on a baking sheet, cheese side up, and bake for 10 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender. Remove from oven and change oven to broiler. When ready, broil peppers for about 1 minute, watching carefully, until just golden on top.

Sprinkle with olive oil, if desired and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley for garnish.

Savory Flower Bread

You may have seen various forms of shaped bread "art" with one braided and twisted bread even lovelier than the next.  There is a beautiful sweet version here on Monique's blog La Table de Nana.  She made a  nutella-filled braided brioche bread which is gorgeous.  

 

Then, I saw a savory version of a twisted bread that looks like a big sunflower on Juliana's blog Color Your Recipes.  She had found it on Passionate ABout Baking but was originally seen on At Down Under. I know that a lot of links but I've been to each one to try and learn how to make this and thought you might appreciate seeing them and the lovely photos too  :)

This bread is a savory version of Hungargian Kalács which is a sweet bread eaten during Easter.  The word Kalács means 'round' or 'wheel'.  

The dough itself is delicious with garlic and Parmesan cheese mixed in.  Then, I filled it with chopped green onions, Greek yogurt, grated Jarlsberg and Parmesan cheeses mixed with spicy horseradish mustard, red pepper flakes, and Penzey's Pizza Seasoning (which is a blend of oregano and other herbs).  I can imagine this bread made with chopped, cured meats and other cheeses and seasonings. You could use any kind of seed or even pine nuts in the center.  Let your imagination and taste buds be your muse!

 
I used Passionate About Baking's adaptation of the dough recipe which I found easy to make and work with.  Color Your Recipes has a great, detailed tutorial on how to do the shaping of the bread.   

This would make a delicious Easter appetizer/finger food and the flower shape makes it perfect for spring time. Happy Spring and Enjoy!

Savory Braided Flower Bread

Adapted from At Down Under and Passionate About Baking
Printable Recipe

Dough:
2-1/2 cups (325g) all purpose flour
1/4 cup-packed (25g) grated Parmesan cheese

2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1-3/4 cup (200g) milk, lukewarm
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon (15ml) plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
3 Tablespoons (40 ml) extra virgin olive oil

Filling: (The filling is very versatile so use any cheese and seasonings/herbs of your choice, including chopped, cured meat such as pancetta or bacon)

3 Tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
8 ounces of shredded cheese or your choice (I used Jarlsberg and Parmesan)
3 small green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons spicy horseradish mustard or Dijon
1 teaspoon Penzey's Pizza seasoning (or a combination of dried oregano, basil and marjoram)
Salt and Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 beaten egg yolk plus 1 tablespoon water, for wash
2 tablespoons seeds for decor in center of bread

Place the flour, Parmesan cheese, yeast and salt in the bowl of food processor and pulse on high speed to mix. Add the milk, cloves, garlic and yogurt and pulse to blend. Remove dough from food processor and knead on a floured surface to a smooth dough - about 5 minutes.

Cover with a piece of plastic wrap or dish towel and let rest for 15-20 minutes, then knead in the olive oil. Place the dough in a well oiled bowl, seal with plastic wrap and allow to double in rise in a warm place.

Assembly:

Once the dough has doubled, preheat the oven to 390F (200C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl, mix together the filling ingredients.

Divide the dough into two equal pieces. On the lightly floured surface, roll one half into an 12″ circle. Transfer the circle to the baking sheet and roll out the other piece of dough to the same size. Spread the filling ingredients on the baking sheet dough and then cover with the second circle of dough and press down gently, trying as best you can to fit them together evenly.

Place a small glass in the center and press down gently (I used the cover to a small round butter dish). Using a sharp knife, cut the dough around the glass evenly into 4 sections, then cut each section into another 4 sections. You should have 16 sections.

Gently lift each spoke and twist it 3 times. Brush over with milk gently and sprinkle melon seeds over the center. {You can always brush with a beaten egg to get a beautiful glow. I wanted to keep the bread vegetarian}.

Remove the glass in the center and brush the top of the dough with the egg wash. Arrange sunflower seeds in the center where the glass was.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until light golden brown.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack. Serve warm or room temperature.

Caramelized Onion Pasta with Madeira

Here's a simple last minute suggestion if you're interested in a Valentine's Day dinner idea that will really wow your sweetie without having to break the piggy bank! You may even have everything you need in your pantry already.

When I first saw this recipe on Food 52 I knew I had to try it.  Being an avid fan of caramelized onion anything, I was on board!  All you need is 1.5 pounds of regular yellow onions, some pasta, Parmesan cheese and a little fortified wine such as Madeira, but dry Sherry would work.  I used Madeira that I found for $5.99 a bottle at the liquor store.  

The onions are first caramelized in butter for an hour.  No, that is not a typo - One Hour.  Low and slow in the key to delicious, jammy caramelized onions. James Beard's original recipe calls for TWO sticks of butter.  Food 52's version has 10 Tablespoons of butter.  I used 8 Tablespoons and I think you could even reduce that to 6 Tablespoons.  The onions in the photo above have already cooked for one hour.  The pan was almost full of onions when I started so you can see how much they soften.  

At the end of an hour, a splash of Madeira and a good dose of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and you have a swoon-worthy first course or side dish.  I served mine as a meatless meal with some braised kale but this would be scrumptious with almost any kind of meat, poultry or seafood.  

The first time I made it I used sweet onions and found the pasta tasted just a little too sweet with the Madeira.  The next time, I used regular yellow onions and reduced the amount of Madeira.  Just right!  I really had a hard time keeping my fork out of the pan while I was taking these photos!  It’s so delicious!

Caramelized Onion Pasta

Adapted from Food 52 and James Beard

Printable Recipe

Serves 4 to 6 (small first-course portions)

6-8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 pounds regular yellow (not sweet) onions, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt
2 Tablespoons Madeira (original recipe calls for 1/4 cup), can also use dry sherry
3/4 pound hot cooked pasta (I used fettuccine but papparadelle is also recommended)
Sea salt, for serving (if needed)
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Note:  Save a little of the pasta cooking water in case the sauce needs a little more liquid.

Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are soft and translucent, being careful not to burn them.  Reduce the heat to low and stir in the sugar and a pinch of salt. Continue cooking the onions slowly for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. They should be dark, caramelized and gooey. 

Add the Madeira to the onions and cook for a few more minutes, then add the cooked and drained pasta to the pan.  Add a few tablespoons of grated Parmesan, and toss the pasta with the sauce until mixed together. Add just a little pasta cooking water, if desired.

Serve with additional grated Parmesan and some sea salt, if needed.

Cherry Tomato, Herb and Smoked Gouda Bruschetta

Here is such a delicious and interesting twist on the well-loved appetizer, bruschetta.  Browsing through Food and Wine recently, I came upon this 'salsa' recipe which I decided would make delicious version of bruschetta.  The recipe incorporates smoked Gouda cheese. Since Gouda is a mild cheese, you'll hardly know it's there as it doesn't overpower the tomatoes, it just gives the recipe a rich, full flavor!  The first time I ever used smoked gouda in a recipe was this eggplant parmigiana and the results were delicious!

I know fresh tomato season is over for some of you, but I have quite an abundance right now. We've been enjoying many of our favorites, such as BLATs (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado and Tomato Sandwiches), fresh tomato pasta and tomato salads lately :)  I will be harvesting the last of the tomatoes in the next couple of weeks and I plan on enjoying them as much as possible! My herb pots are still supplying me with all the fresh herbs I need for hopefully another month also.

For my husband and myself, this could easily be dinner.  For the two of us, I lightly toasted the baguette slices in the toaster and then brushed them with extra-virgin olive oil and a few grinds of fresh pepper.  For more servings, it would be best to toast them in the oven on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and pepper before toasting in the oven.

If you still have fresh tomatoes or access to a farmers' market, I hope you give these a try! DE-licious!

Cherry Tomato, Herb and Smoked Gouda Bruschetta

Adapted from Food and Wine
Printable Recipe

2 cups mixed yellow and red cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup finely diced smoked Gouda, or any mild, smoked cheese (2 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons shredded basil
2 tablespoons snipped chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper

A French Baguette, sliced on the diagonal into 1/4 to 1/2" slices Extra Virgin Olive Oil for brushing on bread slices Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 (or use your toaster, set on low).

In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with the cheese, parsley, basil and chives. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and set aside.

To toast the baguette slices:

If toasting the bread slices in the oven, place them on a baking sheet.  Brush lightly with olive oil and give each a sprinkle of ground black pepper.  Toast in the preheated oven for about 5-6 minutes.  Watch carefully, you don't want them hard - just a light golden color.  This will make them easier to bite into without the toasts breaking in your mouth.  If you are making a smaller amount and use a toaster, also watch carefully for the same reason.  Brush toaster-made slices with olive oil right after coming out of the toaster and sprinkle with a little ground black pepper. 

Top toasted baguette slices with the tomato, herb and cheese mixture and enjoy immediately!

Cheesy Puff Pastry Pinwheels with Power Greens

I can't believe it's already August and two weeks from my last post!  We have gone from a cool, rainy spring and early summer, and are still stuck in a cooler-than-normal weather pattern here in the Midwest, but we are trying to enjoy as many mid to late summer activities as we can possibly can with friends and family. 

These tasty little morsels were created just after making the roasted tomato tarts from my last post.  I had a good sized portion of puff pastry dough left and hated to throw it away so I looked on the puff pastry box for inspiration and saw a recipe for spinach pinwheels using thawed, frozen spinach.  I didn't have frozen spinach but what I did have in the frig was several ounces of organic power greens that were going to be thrown out if I didn't use them quickly.  I also had some mozzarella and shredded Parmesan in the freezer.  A sprinkle of dried red bell pepper flakes, hot red pepper flakes, and a sprinkle of ground pepper.  Ready, set, roll!

I didn't measure anything but I think I used about...

1/2 sheet of thawed frozen puff pastry, rolled on a floured surface into a rectangle
2 cups of bagged or boxed organic salad greens (kale, spinach, baby chard)
2 teaspoons of dried red bell pepper flakes (love that stuff)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Pinch of salt - optional as the cheeses are salty
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

1 egg, whisked with a teaspoon of water to seal the puff pastry and egg wash for the pinwheels

I layered everything on my puff pastry, rolled it up tightly, lengthwise - brushing the last 1 inch edge of puff pastry with the egg wash to seal it together.  Then, I cut it the roll into approximately 1-1/2 inch slices and placed them on a silicon-mat-lined baking sheet and brushed each slice with additional egg wash.

375 oven - 15/20 minutes or until golden and voila!

If you're looking for quick, easy and delicious appetizer for your busy summer, give this a try.  They are delicious! Be daring and adapt them to whatever you have on hand :)

Spicy Shrimp (or Lobster) Remoulade on Molasses-Butter Toast

Have I mentioned our Gourmet Group?  Just once or twice, I'm sure :)  There are 10 of us - five couples.  We rotate hosting and creating the menu for our 'turn'.  One recipe is assigned to each non-hosting couple to prepare. This past weekend, one of the other couples hosted and my husband and I were assigned this appetizer recipe.

This recipe was supposed to be Spicy Shrimp Remoulade.  However, our host is an avid fisherman in the Florida Keys and recently brought back these small lobster tails from his friend, a lobster fisherman, with whom he fishes. They offered them to us to use for the recipe.  Thus, the recipe became Spicy lobster Remoulade!

Finding the Wesphalian-style pumpernickel bread was the biggest challenge.  I found it at a store called Woodmans which is only in Wisconsin and Illinois but I would guess that Whole Foods or other well-stocked grocery stores would sell it also.  The brand I found (Rubschlager) came very thinly sliced in a perfectly square package.  The dense bread was delicious toasted with the molasses-butter-chili powder mixture and a perfect pairing to the spicy lobster remoulade.

Everyone at the dinner party that evening loved them!  Well worth the effort if you looking for a special appetizer.  The wonderful thing about the recipe is that absolutely everything can either be prepared the day before or in the morning of serving them. My husband and I did a 'test run' of our recipe the week before using shrimp and I would say the shrimp have a little more flavor but the lobster was a very close runner-up.

Spicy Shrimp (or Lobster) Remoulade on Molasses-Butter Toast

Adapted from Epicurious

Printable Recipe

Serves 4 (the original recipes says it serves 8 but if you truly want 8 generous servings double everything - especially if serving men)

Ingredients:

For the molasses butter:

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons light molasses
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

For the remoulade sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons finely chopped celery
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 1/2 teaspoons drained prepared white horseradish
2 teaspoons minced shallot
2 teaspoons ketchup
2 teaspoons whole grain Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon paprika
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

12-16 1 1/2-inch rounds or squares cut from Westphalian-style pumpernickel bread slices. (I cut off the crusts and cut each square into fourths)

8 ounces cooked peeled medium shrimp, or small lobsters, coarsely chopped  - I use this recipe to boil the shrimp/lobster
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives for garnish

To PrepareThe molasses butter:

Using fork, mix all ingredients in small bowl to blend.  The molasses butter can be prepared a day ahead and allowed to soften for spreading.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread molasses butter lightly over bread; arrange in single layer on baking sheet. Bake until bread begins to firm up, about 10 minutes. Cool. (I found the toasts took longer that the stated time to become crispy.  If undercooked, they will be tough and hard to chew. I baked mine for 12-13 minutes. I prepared the toasts in the morning and kept them in a covered container after cooling.)

The remoulade sauce:

Mix first 12 ingredients in medium bowl. The remoulade can also be made a day ahead and this also allows the flavors to blend. 

When ready to serve, mix the shrimp into remoulade sauce. (I preferred to add the remoulade to the shrimp/lobster to make sure it was not overly coated with dressing.) Top toasts with shrimp mixture. Arrange on a serving dish, sprinkle with chives and serve.