Author: Ginger the Mom

Minted Lamb Puffs

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Here at Vi Highlands Ranch Colorado we have an excellent chef so not many residents cook their own dinner.  However, we do like to get together before going to dinner and have a sip and a small bite.  Some really tasty hors d’oeuvres are discovered.  We share!
Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 3 green onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 c minced fresh mint leaves
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 dash ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 of a package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets(1 sheet),thawed
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • plain yogurt/or mango chutney (optional)

Directions:

  1. Stir the lamb, green onions, mint and garlic in a medium bowl and season with the black pepper.
  2. Sprinkle the work surface with the flour.
  3. Unfold the pastry sheet on the floured surface.
  4. Roll the pastry sheet into a 12 x 10-inch rectangle.
  5. Cut the rectangle crosswise into 3 (10 x 4-inch) strips.
  6. Brush the pastry strips with the egg.
  7. Spoon 1/3 of the lamb mixture lengthwise down the center of each pastry strip.
  8. Fold the long sides of each pastry over the filling, overlapping slightly, and press to seal.
  9. Place the pastry rolls seam-side down on a baking sheet.
  10. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until the pastry rolls are firm.
  11. Heat the oven to 425°.
  12. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  13. Cut each pastry roll crosswise into 8 pieces, making 24 pieces in all.
  14. Place the pastries onto the prepared baking sheet.
  15. Brush the pastries with the egg.
  16. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown.
  17. Serve the pastries with the yogurt for dipping, if desired.

Serves: 24

Source:  Carl Faulkner, Vi Highlands Ranch – Bon Appetit

Christmas Cream Cheese

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It is embarrassing to write this recipe down!  Red jelly and green jelly for Christmas, but raspberry, apricot or peach work anytime.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
  • 1 jar Red Pepper Jelly or Jalapeño Pepper Jelly

Instructions:

  1. Place block of cream cheese on serving plate.
  2. Pour Pepper Jelly over cream cheese.
  3. Serve as a spread for bagels or crackers.

Serves:    I don’t know – what else is on the table?

Source:  tabasco.com

Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Torte

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This can be made up to three days in advance.  Added secret bonus – Mix all the leftover stuff together for a tasty dip.
Ingredients:

  • 3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened (To soften the cream cheese, remove the food wrapper and microwave on Medium (50%) for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 container (7 oz) refrigerated basil pesto
  • 1 jar (8 oz) minced oil packed sun-dried tomatoes, well drained
  • basil sprigs
  • toasted pine nuts
  • Baguette slices

Instructions:

  1. In food processor, place cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and garlic.
  2. Cover and process until blended.
  3. Divide into thirds (about 1 cup each).
  4. Line 5-cup mold or 8×4-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap. (It helps to spray with a little oil first.)
  5. Spoon one-third of the cheese mixture in bottom of mold.
  6.  Smooth top with spatula.
  7. Spoon pesto evenly over cheese layer.
  8. Spoon one-third of the cheese mixture over pesto layer.
  9. Smooth top with spatula.
  10. Spoon tomatoes evenly over second cheese layer.
  11. Spoon remaining cheese mixture over tomatoes.
  12. Strike filled mold on counter to pack down.
  13. Cover and refrigerate at least 24 hours.
  14. When ready to serve, turn mold upside down onto serving platter.
  15. Remove plastic wrap.
  16. Garnish with basil sprigs and toasted pine nuts.
  17. Serve torte with baguette slices.

Serve: 40

Source:  bettycrocker.com

Shrimp & Scallop Salad

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Nourishing and cooling, perfect for the hot summer days!  Add a yummy muffin and a glass of Viognier – great lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb frozen pre-cooked bay shrimp, defrosted, dried
  • 1 lb bay scallops, cooked in boiling water for about 3 minutes
  • 1 large cucumbers, peeled, diced
  • 2 large tomatoes, peeled, diced (dip in boiling water to peel)
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/3 cup red onion, diced
  • 1 whole avocado, diced
  • 10 c romaine
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette

Directions:  

  1. Make dressing.
  2. Dice, dice, dice!
  3. Put lettuce in a large bowl.
  4. Add all the diced stuff.
  5. Toss.
  6. Make a choice:  Add dressing and toss.  Or, add shrimp and scallops and toss with dressing.  Or, toss salad with dressing, plate, top with shrimp and scallops.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tab honey
  • 1 Tab Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly crushed black pepper finely ground
  • 1 large garlic clove minced
  • 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 c extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

  1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, balsamic, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic.
  2. Add the oil and whisk thoroughly to combine.
  3. Continue whisking until the dressing is fully emulsified.
  4. Store in a jar with a lid and refrigerate.
  5. Shake well before serving.
  6.  If you choose to make this in the blender this will be a thicker dressing.

Serves: 3/4 cup
Source:  barefeetinthekitchen.com

Serves:   8 as main, 12 as salad
Source:   My imagination ran away with the list of ingredients from the KOA shopping list

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This entry was posted in Salads and tagged .

Brie in Brioche

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Many cooks, famous and not so famous, offer Julia Child’s Brioche or Brie in Brioche recipes – with a change or two they choose to make.  This is MY take on the topic!

The recipe suggested to start the brioche at least 24 hours or up to 36 hours ahead. Brioche dough requires intensive mixing, literally beating the dough to submission, in order to develop its smooth fine texture.

While most brioche dough calls for cool butter, this recipe stands out in using melted butter. With the melted butter, you gain in convenience of mixing all the ingredients in the stand mixer all at once. This recipe is bread-machine friendly and among the easiest to make.

Check out Brie Basics on this blog for more than you will ever need to know about brie.

Ingredients:

  • 1 T  active dry yeast. (I used instant yeast)
  • 3 T non-fat dry milk
  • 3 T sugar
  • 1 1/2 t salt
  • 3 1/4 c all-purpose flour
  • 2 sticks of unsalted butter – softened or almost melted – a microwave thing
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/3 c water
  • 3 large onions
  • 1 large egg for the egg wash
  • 1 round  wheel ripe Brie (unpeeled, although no recipe indicated peeled vs unpeeled the photos appeared with the rind intact.)

Directions:

Start with the onions.

  1. To caramelize onions in the oven, heat the oven to 400°.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (or foil).
  3. Toss a big pile of thinly sliced onions with olive oil and a splash of water (which will help them to steam and soften).
  4. Season with salt.
  5. Roast until golden-brown and shrunken, stirring every 10 minutes or so, for 40–50 minutes.

Now the dough.

  1. Pre heat the oven 425°.
  2. Place brioche ingredients in the large bowl of a stand mixer –  1T active dry yeast (1 package), 3T nonfat dry milk, 3T sugar, 1 1/2 t salt, 3 1/4 C all-purpose flour, 2 sticks of unsalted butter, 3 large eggs and 1/3 C water.  (If you put the eggs and water in first and mix with a fork it is faster,)
  3. Mix on low until combined. (Use a paddle not the dough hook.)  No recipe told me how long to mix on high in order to “beat it into submission”.  I was ready to move on after about 10 – 15 minutes.
  4. Put in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator 12 – 14 hours.
  5. Take the dough from the refrigerator at least 4 hours before you want to serve it.
  6. Turn the cold brioche dough on to a lightly floured surface.
  7. Roll into a large cylinder and cut into 3 parts .
  8. Roll a piece into a 12-inch diameter circle, assuming a large brie wheel.
  9. Fit the dough into the bottom of the pan covering the sides about 1 inch around. Use a pan an inch larger than the brie.
  10. Halved the brie wheel horizontally.
  11. Put the brie half in the middle and pour the cooled onions on top of the cheese. Leave enough room around for the top and bottom dough to connect
  12. Roll the second dough  12-inch diameter and cover the cheese.
  13. Pinch around to connect to the bottom dough.
  14. Roll the remaining dough into 30 by 3 inches rectangular strip. Make 2 cuts along the length trying not to separate the top end.
  15. Braid the dough. (A joke!! It is veery stretchy so just try to plate it as best you can.  I might try just a twist next time.)
  16. Put the braid around the  pan in the space between the brie and the edge dough.
  17. Let it rise at room temperature for  40 min – 1 hour. (Mine didn’t look like it rose at all but we baked it anyway – turned out beautiful!)
  18. Place the pan in the pre heated oven.
  19. Bake the brioche for 15 minutes.
  20. Then lower the temperature to 375°.
  21. Bake for another 30 minutes.  If you need to, tent it with a foil to prevent it from browning too fast.
  22. Cool for 30 minutes before serving.  (You’re kidding!  No one will wait that long!  We served slices on a plate with a fork.  There is enough bread around the brie to eliminate the need for crackers.)

Serves:  10-12

Source:  Research and luck.

 

Gougeres (French cheese puffs)

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Gougères (pronounced goo-zhair) are French cheese puffs made with a simple pate a choux dough. Serve them plain like a roll or cut them open and fill for an appetizer.  Don’t tell anyone how easy they are to make.  “Oh, they are FRENCH you know!”

Ingredients:

  • 1 c water
  • 6 Tab butter cut into pieces
  • ½ tsp  salt
  • ⅛ tsp pepper
  • pinch nutmeg
  • 1 c all purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 c cheese, grated (Gruyère, Comté or Emmentaler, Swiss, cheddar, etc.)
  • 1 large egg

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or butter it generously.
  3. In a heavy bottom pan, bring water, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg to a boil.
  4. When butter is melted and water is boiling, remove from heat.
    With a wooden spoon stir in flour.
  5. Cook over medium high heat for 1-2 minutes. The dough should leave the side of the pan clean and a slight film on the bottom.
  6. Remove from heat.
  7. Some recipes suggest moving the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer and adding the eggs with a paddle attachment.  You can also leave it in the pan and beat it with a hand mixer.
  8. Make a well in the center of the dough.
  9. Add one egg.
  10. Beat in egg until incorporated.
  11. Repeat with three more eggs, stirring each one in completely before adding the next.
  12. Stir the cheese into the warm dough.
  13. Place dough in a pastry bag (or plastic bag with a corner cut out) or use a soup spoon to make 1 inch diameter and 1 inch high mounds (optional: for a true Julia Child touch, make a small peak on the top of the mound).  We use a cookie press with a die with a 1/2 inch hole.  Use scissors to cut the dough off the press.
  14. Drop the dough on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the mounds.
  15. SECRET – don’t tell: At this point you can put the cookie sheet in the freezer.  When the little treasures are frozen about one hour, slide them into a bag and, voila!, you have gougeres instantly – day or night.  Keep Champagne in the fridge and you have a party.
  16. In a small bowl combine remaining egg and ½ teaspoon of water. Brush the egg mixture lightly on top of the puffs without letting it drip all the way to the parchment paper. This will prevent the puffs from rising.
  17. Bake the Gougères for 10 minutes at 450°.
  18. Then turn the oven down to 350° and bake for an additional 17-23 minutes, until they are nicely golden brown and feel firm when tapped.
  19. Let the Gougères cool slightly on a wire rack before serving. (The Gougères are best served warm.)
  20. They also freeze (unbaked) incredibly well.

Serves:  25-30 gougeres

Source: thatrecipe.com/blog/gougeres-french-cheese-puffs-a-la-julia-child-ourfamilytable and several others

Julia Child’s Broiled Stuffed Mushrooms

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These lovely stuffed mushrooms come from an episode of Julia Child’s first cooking show: The French Chef. Simple and delicious, they make a great appetizer or side dish, and are lovely served as an hors d’ oeuvre or with anything from steak, to pasta, to risotto.

Ingredients:

  • 8-10 Button Mushrooms (I had 2 boxes of baby bellas)
  • 3-4 shallots or 1 large leek, finely minced
  • 2 Tab butter
  • 1/2 – 1 Tab flour
  • 1/4 – 1/2 c cream
  • Grated Swiss cheese

Directions:

  1. Wash mushrooms.
  2. Trim the stems, and remove them from the mushroom caps.
  3. Chop up the stems very finely.
  4. Squeeze juices out with a tea towel into a bowl.
  5. Saute stems in butter.
  6. Add the minced shallot (or leek).
  7. Saute approximately 4-5 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent and the mushrooms separate from each other.
  8. Add a half Tab or so of  flour.
  9. Cook 1-2 minutes.
  10. Add enough cream so that after it has cooked for a minute, it is a fairly thick mass, about 1/4 cup.
  11. Season with salt & pepper and some fresh parsley.
  12. Rub the mushroom caps in butter.
  13. Fill them with the sauce,
  14. Add some grated Swiss cheese on top.
  15. Brown them under broiler for approximately 5 minutes (5-6 inches from broiler).
  16. For a nice effect, serve them in a Chinese soup spoon.  They are a little messy.

Serves:  Good guess – they are really good.

Source:  west-east-south-north.blogspot.com

Bruschetta Recipe From the Movie Julie & Julia

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This dialogue is too fun not to include.

The Julia Child Bruschetta recipe that’s so good it brought my guests to tears. Olive Oil fried rustic bread topped with marinated tomatoes and basil.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to cook, you know the satisfaction you get from serving someone food and having them smile at the end of eating it. If they actually mumble out a “Soooo goood” as they’re eating it even better. Betty does that all the time when I feed her, (but she doesn’t count because she makes the same sounds eating a TV dinner or a pistachio she swept up from behind the fridge.)
So the MMMMMMmmmmmm sounds are good, but the Holy Grail of feeding someone is bringing them to tears. Reducing a human being to a quaking, sobbing mess whose greatest fear in life is no longer death … but the thought of never eating this delicious food again.
On August 22nd, 2014 such a miracle occurred in my kitchen. And then it happened again.
I thought it was just a fluke, like when people see Jesus in their Cream of Wheat, but when it happened a second time I knew I’d stumbled upon something pretty spectacular. Definitely more spectacular than a hairy fridge pistachio.
Do you want to know what this miracle food was? Bruschetta. But you knew that already if you read the title of this post
This isn’t just any bruschetta though, it’s bruschetta inspired by the movie Julie & Julia which if you don’t know, it’s a movie based on Julie Powell’s blog in which she chronicled her (successful) attempt to recreate every recipe in Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking“. GREAT premise for a blog.
In the movie the bruschetta looked and sounded so goooood. And if you watch the scene from the movie, Julie’s husband does exactly what you want people to do when they eat your cooking. He says, “This is  GOOOOD!”
The Bruschetta Recipe
So you want to learn how to make this bruschetta? Want to learn how to bring someone to tears with your food? Here we go.
First of all a few tips:
1. Use fresh, crusty bread.  Whole slices!  Not a baguette.
2.  FRY in olive oil.  I mean it.  You fry it.
3.  Don’t even attempt this if it isn’t summer and you don’t have fresh tomatoes.
Let’s get started …  You need bread, olive oil, tomatoes, basil and salt.  Dice a few fresh, local tomatoes. Extra points for heirloom and homegrown. Even if the home wasn’t yours.  Tear up a handful of fresh basil and add it.  Add lots if you love basil, little if you don’t. I used this sized bunch for around 5 small-medium tomatoes.
I  know you’re alarmed that there’s no fresh garlic in this recipe but there isn’t. I’m not going to second guess Julia Child. It’s is 100% delicious without the overpowering flavour of garlic. If you want to add garlic you can but I BEG you to try it without first.
Drizzle the tomatoes and basil with a good amount of olive oil and let stand for 30-45 minutes.  After 30 minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper (I actually don’t use pepper but go nuts if you’re a pepper person) let sit for another 10 minutes or so.
Cover the bottom of a pan with olive oil until it’s approximately 3mm deep.  Just glug it in there.  Heat pan over medium/low.  Not too hot or your bread will burn, not too low or it’ll just soak up a bunch of oil and get gross.
To test if your oil is hot enough to fry place the end of a wooden spoon in the oil. If the tip forms bubbles right away, it’s at the right temperature to fry.
While the pan is heating, slice your crusty bread.  I make my own bread using the master recipe from this cookbook, The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day but you don’t have to make your own bread. Just use a fresh, dense, crusty loaf.
Fry bread slices in oil until browned or your tongue falls out of your mouth. Whichever comes first.  Remove bread from the pan and generously spoon the tomato mixture over the top.  But first, maybe, just look at the golden brown, toasty, olive oil drenched goodness.  Smell it. Love it.  O.K., NOW you can top it with your tomatoes and basil.  Just spoon it right on there.  Lots of it.
And now you eat it.
If you’ve watched the movie Julie & Julia you no doubt noticed the bruschetta love scene. I’m not sure anything in a movie has ever looked so delicious.  This is that recipe.

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium tomatoes heirloom and a variety of colours if you can get them.
  • 3 large stems basil
  • 1/2 c olive oil good quality
  • salt
  • 4 slices bread hearty, crusty bread is best.

Instructions:

  1. Dice tomatoes.  I seeded them too.
  2. Shred basil leaves.
  3. Mix tomatoes and basil in bowl with 1/4 of olive oil, reserving other 1/4 cup for frying.
  4. Let this mixture sit for 30 minutes.
  5. When the 30 minutes is up, add a generous sprinkling of salt to the mixture and let it sit for another 10 minutes.
  6. Now is when you can heat up 1/4 cup of olive oil (your goal is to have 3mm of oil in the pan) over medium/low heat.
  7. Once hot, fry your slices of bread until golden.
  8. Remove bread from pan and top with tomato mixture.
  9. Serve the bruschetta HOT.  With a box of Kleenex.

Notes:
You can cut the calories in this recipe by using less oil to fry the bread. It won’t be *quite* as good, but the snack will have far less guilt associated it.
To test your oil to make sure it’s hot enough, dip the end of a wooden spoon into the oil. If bubbles quickly form around the wood, it’s the right temperature.  If they take a while to bubble, it isn’t hot enough.  If the oil bubbles and spurts crazily, the pan is too hot.

 Servings: 2

Source: theartofdoingstuff.com by Larem

Sweet Peas with Bacon and Onion

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Tired of boring vegetables?  Peas are  fantastic as the star of a side dish. When you combine sweet, delicious peas with bacon, onion and then finish it off a little fresh basil, you have an absolutely amazing side dish. You could even do everything but zapping the peas earlier in the day.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (16 oz) package frozen peas
  • 3 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 c chopped onion (about 1/2 of a medium onion)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 Tab fresh basil, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Place peas in a microwave safe dish.
  2. Add a splash of water.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap.
  4. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  5. Drain liquid from the peas.
  6. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a medium sized skillet until crispy, over medium heat.
  7. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel.
  8. Discard all but 2 Tab of the the bacon fat.
  9. Add onion to pan and cook for about 5 minutes, until onion is tender.
  10. Add peas to skillet, stirring to mix with the onion and coat with the bacon fat.
  11. Stir in salt, pepper and the cooked bacon.
  12. Remove from heat and sprinkle the chopped basil over the top.Serves:  6
    Source: lisasdinnertimedish.com

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies

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Want to take your brownies from hum drum to WOW? All it takes is a simple caramel sauce and a sprinkle of  Sea Salt added to your favorite boxed brownie mix. The caramel sauce is just three ingredients. There are many caramel sauces but there were no caramels in the house.  Wonder why??

Ingredients: 

  • 1 package fudge brownie mix
  • Eggs
  • Vegetable oil
  • Water or coffee (coffee is better!)

Directions:

  1. Heat oven and prepare brownie mix as instructed on the box.
  2. After placing brownie mix in an 8 x 8 baking pan, set aside, unbaked.
  3. Make caramel sauce as instructed below.
  4. Drizzle half the sauce on top of brownie batter.
  5. Bake brownie batter as instructed on package.
  6. Remove brownies from oven.
  7. Sprinkle with Sea Salt.
  8. Cool brownies before cutting.

Serves:  16 brownies
Source: allrecipes.com

Oh-So-Easy Caramel Sauce

Ingredients: 

  • 1 c packed brown sugar
  • ½ c butter
  • ¼ c milk (I used sour cream – no milk in the house!))
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

  • Bring brown sugar, butter, and milk to a gentle boil.
  • Cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Add vanilla extract.

Serves:   8   1 cup

Source:  allrecipes.com – Barb Maxwell