Goat Cheese and Tomato Bruschetta

This recipe was prepared by Alicia's boyfriend Jim and was one of my favorite dishes. I am not a fan of goat cheese, bit it seemed to work well on this dish and it makes an awesome presenting on a platter. Jim used a wonderful sour dough baguette from Trader Joe's, but a French one will do. The goat cheese he used also came from Trader Joe's and was, I believe, a garlic herb concoction. Use what you like, but if you do go with a plain goat cheese,l rub the bread with garlic after toasting. Since I don't have exact proportions I will write the recipe as I saw Jim prepare it.

Goat Cheese and Tomato Bruschetta

Take 1 baguette and slice about 1/2 an inch or less, brush one side with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Place under broiler and watch closely so you don't burn the bread. When golden brown remove from oven and spread with goat cheese. Top each piece with sliced tomato and sprinkle with fresh chopped basil. Place on a platter and serve.

Ricotta & Honey Bruschetta

If you want an easy party appetizer or a good pre-dinner treat, this is the recipe. I prepared this recently at my friend Alicia's Oscar party and it was a hit. I came across this recipe at food52.com and was glad I did. There are some slight changes to the original recipe, but I feel that is what makes cooking so fun, being able to adapt a recipe and make it your own.

Ricotta & Honey Bruschetta

1 loaf French baguette
extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, cut in half
2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
Sea salt
Honey
2 lemons
fresh chopped basil

Cut bread into 1/2 inch slices, brush one side with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Place under broiler, watching carefully, remove when golden brown. Rub bread slices with cut garlic. Smear with ricotta and place on a serving platter. Sprinkle with salt, drizzle with honey and using a microplane, grate lemon zest over the top. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Avocado and Cilantro Hummus

Recently, we were in Phoenix staying with our friend Alicia and as usual we had a day of cooking. This cooking day coincided with a Oscar party, so we worked on dishes that were party friendly. I came across this recipe on cleananddelicious.com and was pleased with the results. I actually added extra cilantro to mine and then sprinkled some on top for presentation. Use as little or much as you like. I used olive oil in my recipe but you can use tahini if you prefer. Add more water or oil if you want a smoother dip.

Avocado and Cilantro Hummus

1 15oz can Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 large avocado
3 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro, plus extra for topping
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp water
1 1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Combine everything but oil in the bowl of food processor and with machine running, drizzle olive oil into bowl, until well blended. Serve in a bowl topped with fresh chopped cilantro.

Fresh Ricotta

I made cheese!! Okay it's a bad picture, but I made cheese! And it was easy. Thanks to my favorite cooking couple, Gabriele Corcos and his wife Debi Mazar on The Cooking Channel's Extra Virgin, I have made cheese. This is a wonderful , fun recipe that is so good served warm on toasted bread with lemon zest, a drizzle of olive oil and some cracked black pepper. I imagine that this will become a staple in our house. I just used a thin dish towel that was folded over instead of using cheesecloth, but do what you are most comfortable with.

Fresh Ricotta

4 cups whole milk

3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus the zest of 1 lemon

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 baguette, sliced and toasted

Extra-Virgin olive oil for serving

Lay 3 layers of cheesecloth over a colander.

Add the milk to a large heavy pot and place over medium high heat. Stir in lemon juice and salt and heat until an instant read thermometer reaches 175 degrees. The milk will just begin to bubble and steam. At this temperature you will see the curds separate from the whey. Do not over stir while the curds are forming, you don't want the ricotta to become stiff. Let sit for 5 minutes undisturbed.

Gently remove curds from the pot to the colander. Tie the cloth using butcher's twine and let drain for 5 to 10 minutes. I hung mine from the faucet. Remove from cloth and place in a bowl. Serve warm on toasted bread with lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil.

Refrigerate leftover in a covered container for up to 5 days.

Mascarpone-Chive Dip

Here is a simple dip with a few ingredients that is fast to put together. I felt like it was better the second day after the flavors melded together. The recipe comes from Giada De Laurentiis and she serves it with home made pita chips. I used it with veggie chips and also used it as a spread on a turkey sandwich. I have to say that I preferred it as a spread. Either way it's quick and simple, you gotta love it.

Mascarpone-Chive Dip

4 strips bacon, cooked until crisp, finely chopped

1 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl combine bacon, mascarpone, sour cream and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Jan's Original Cheese Ball

This is another one of mom's cheese ball recipes. She has served this at holiday gatherings for ever.

Jan's Original Cheese Ball


2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 small can crushed pineapple, well drained
1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup chopped pecans

Mix first 5 ingredients and roll into a ball. Roll in chopped nuts and serve with crackers.

Jan's Tasty Cheese Ball

I have been going through my piles of recipes and trying to get the ones posted that I have tried. This is one of my mom's cheese ball recipes.

Jan's Tasty Cheese Ball


1 stick butter, softened
1 8-oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup finely chopped green olive
1/4 cup finely chopped black olive
1/4 cup canned dried onions
1 cup shredded mild cheddar

Mix butter, cream cheese, olives and onions. Form into a ball and roll in shredded cheese.

Arugula and Fava-Bean Crostini

This is another recipe that we prepared in Phoenix. it's a light and fresh meal starter and is simple to prepare. The recipe calls for fresh fava beans, which we could not find. We did, however, find some precooked ones at Trader Joe's. The recipe says that you can substitute frozen edamame for the favas. We tried this, this past weekend and the flavor was not as good.

Arugula and Fava-Bean Crostini

1 cup shelled fresh fava beans or shelled fresh or frozen edamame
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided plus additional for drizzling
1 1/2 cups packed baby arugula, divided
3 Tbsp. grated Pecorino Toscano
1/4 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 baguette
1 garlic clove, halved crosswise

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook fava beans (ours were pre-cooked) in boiling water, uncovered, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently peel off skins ( if using edamame do not peel).
Pulse fava beans in processor until coarsely chopped, then transfer 1/2 of mixture to a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup oil, 1/2 cup arugula, cheese, lemon juice and zest, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper to remaining beans in processor and puree until smooth. Add to bowl. Coarsely chop remaining arugula and gently fold into fava mixture.
Cut 16 diagonal slices (1/3 inch thick) from baguette and put onto 4 sided sheet pan. Brush with remaining tablespoon of oil. Bake until pale golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Rub with cut side of garlic.
Spoon bean mixture onto bread and drizzle with olive oil.

Mushroom Carpaccio with Pecorino Toscano

A few weeks ago, we spent a long weekend in Phoenix with our friends, Alicia and Shazam. The day before we flew out, my May 2009 edition of Gourmet came in the mail, so I threw it in my backpack for something to break up the monotony of the book I was reading. There was a great section on Tuscan inspired recipes and I thought they would be fun to try in Phoenix. After going to Trader Joe's, AJ's, Safeway and LeeLee Market, we had all of the ingredients to create a great dinner. We all took part in the prep and cooking, which is a great way to spend time with friends. Here is one of the recipes we tried out. Alicia and I liked it, Dan and Shazam were not so fond of it. It did make a pretty plate, though.

Mushroom Carpaccio with Pecorino Toscano

1/2 lb. large white mushrooms
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 lb. Pecorino Toscano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup celery leaves

Slice mushrooms lengthwise as thinly as possible. Spread them out on a large platter and drizzle with lemon juice. Using a vegetable peeler, shave some of the cheese over the top. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with celery leaves.

Italian Stuffed Jalapenos

As soon as I saw Guy Fieri make these on TV, I just had to make them myself. The recipe is very simple, if not a little time consuming ( cleaning out the peppers), but they are very tasty. I made them for Superbowl Sunday and my family loved them. They are not all that spicy, so use a spicy sausage or add some crushed red pepper if you want them hot. I changed the recipe a little bit after reading some of the comments on the food TV website and will post my recipe. If you can't find large peppers, add more because you'll have leftover stuffing.

Italian Stuffed Jalapenos

15 large jalapenos, cut in 1/2, seeded and deveined

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 cup minced shallot

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 to 1.25 lbs. bulk Italian sausage

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Place jalapenos on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Heat oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and sausage and cook until sausage is browned, stirring. Remove and place in a large bowl. Cool to room temperature and add cream cheese and Parmesan. Mix thoroughly and add salt and pepper to taste.

Place about 1 tablespoon of mixture in each pepper half and top with 1/2 teaspoon of mozzarella cheese.

Place stuffed peppers back into oven and broil until cheese is melted and golden brown.

Balsamic Bean Dip

This recipe was in one of the many magazines I receive, but I don't remember which one, Bon Appetit, I think. Anyway, the dip is good but the one from Giada, White Bean Dip, is much better. I did add garlic to my version, the magazine recipe seemed to need it. Serve it with fresh veggies or pita chips. When I drizzled the top of mine with the oil and vinegar, I ended up with a little too much vinegar, so I used a knife and ran it through the dip to disperse it a little.

Balsamic Bean Dip

1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained
1 clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar plus extra for drizzling
Oil from jar of sun-dried tomatoes
salt and pepper

Puree beans, garlic, olive oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar in processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with tomato oil and a few drops of vinegar.

Dan's Chex Party Mix

Dan has been trying to make his mom's Chex mix just a little different, something he can call his own. This is the recipe that he has come up with and it's really good.

Dan's Chex Party Mix

Preheat oven to 250 degrees

6 Tbsp. butter, melted
4 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
6 cups Chex cereal (wheat and rice work well)
1/2 cup lightly salted peanuts
1/2 cup lightly salted cashews

Pour melted butter onto shallow baking pan. Stir in Worcestershire, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Add cereal and nuts, stir to coat all. Heat in oven 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.

Toasted Cecchi, Almonds and Pistachios

I was looking for a different type of nut mix to serve at our house on Saturday and found this one at www.foodtv.com. Since it was a Giada DeLaurentiss recipe, I figured I couldn't go wrong. The flavor was good, but the texture was a little strange. The garbanzo beans, although toasted, stay soft. Plus, if you serve it warm, the nuts are stale tasting. The mix is much better served at room temperature. This would be an excellent mix if you left out the garbanzos and added some other nut.

Toasted Cecchi, Almonds and Pistachios

1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tbsp. olive oil, + 3 Tbsp.
1 cup shelled pistachios
1 cup raw almonds
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Place the garbanzo beans on a foil-lined baking sheet. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and spread the beans in a single layer. Place in oven and bake until golden, about 30 minutes.
Remove the beans. Add remaining ingredients and carefully stir to coat beans and nuts. Spread mixture into single layer. Bake for 10 more minutes. Let cool and serve.

Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

This is a great dip for chips or veggies. This is another recipe that I will be serving Saturday along with Dan's Mexican Corn Dip, Easy Cheese Ball and White Bean Dip .


Sun-Dried Tomato Dip


1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (about 8)
8 oz. 1/3 less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup lite sour cream
1/2 cup lite Miracle Whip
10 to 20 dashes hot red pepper sauce
1 tsp. Pickapeppa sauce
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, thinly sliced, green and white parts

Combine all ingredients in food processor, except for green onion. Puree until smooth. Place into a bowl and stir in onion. Garnish with a chopped sun-dried tomato if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Classic Gaucamole

While we were in San Miguel, Dan and I took a cooking class at Sazon. Sazon is a beautiful shop located in an old casa just off the main plaza in San Miguel. We just happened to walk in minutes before the class started and even though they were full, they made room for us. The class was a demonstration not an actual hands on experience, but very informative. We got to eat the food that was prepared and it was all very good. At $600 pesos ( around $60 American) a person, the class wasn't cheap, but there was a lot of food and it was a great way to spend 2 hours. Sazon is located at Correo #22, Centro-San Miguel de Allende-Gto, Mexico 37700, you can visit their website at http://www.sazon.com/ .

Classic Guacamole

4 large ripe avocados
1 small white onion, minced
4 serrano chiles, minced
1 small tomato, diced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced (in the class she added around 1 teaspoon)
Salt to taste

Cut avocados in half lengthwise, remove pits and scoop out flesh with spoon. Place in a mixing bowl and mash with fork, an old fashioned potato masher or use a molcajete. You want the avocados to be lumpy. Add onion, chiles, cilantro and lime juice. Save some onion and cilantro for garnish. Mix in tomatoes and season with salt. Place in a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro and onion. Serve with chips.

Zan's Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is the perfect football season dip. My neighbor, Zan, brought this to a party and it was sooo good. It's one of those dips that people can't stop eating. I am going to reproduce the recipe just as she gave it to me. She uses a hot sauce called Frank's and it is really hot, but very good.


Zan's Buffalo Chicken Dip

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Zan uses a rotisserie chicken)
1 block cream cheese, softened
2 cups Mozzarella cheese
1 small container blue cheese crumbles
12 oz. bottle of Red Hot
1/2 stick butter

Cut chicken in strips and boil for 20 minutes, cool and shred. Spread cream cheese in bottom of casserole dish. (8x8 or 9x9). In skillet, melt butter; add hot sauce and chicken. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and stir until melted. Pour chicken mixture over cream cheese. Add blue cheese and top it with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 -25 minutes. Serve hot.

Guacamole

I make guacamole anytime I find good avocados at good prices. It's easy too make and always a crowd pleaser. My sister Gina has been waiting for this recipe, she really likes it. The trick is finding the right avocados. You want them to have some give, but not be too soft. I typically use whatever onion I have on hand, but green onions or shallots are my favorite.

Guacamole

3 ripe avocados( about 1 1/2 lbs), peeled and pitted
2 plum tomatoes, seeded
1 jalapeno, seeded
3 green onions, chopped (1 shallot, minced)
juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Mash avocados to desired consistency with a fork( I prefer mine a little chunky). Add the rest of
the ingredients and mix well. Serve with tortilla chips. If you need to refrigerate, place plastic wrap over and push down to make a film over guacamole.

White Bean Dip

This is one of the easiest things to throw together and there is never any leftover. This is another one of Giada's recipes that have been using since her first book Everyday Italian came out. I prepared this last week when Dan and Larry came over. These are ingredients that I always have on hand, so it makes the prep work a little easier. Giada makes her own pita chips, I did at first, but our stores carry a great chip called Yummys that taste great.

White Bean Dip

1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 (loosely packed) flat leaf Italian parsley leaves
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 large garlic clove
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

In the bowl of a food processor, combine all the ingredients, except for the oil. Pulse off and on until coarsely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and process until creamy. Season with more salt and pepper if need. Serve with pita chips. This can be made 1 day ahead.

Poppers

These are one of those impulse items that I typically do not buy. They were on the end of the frozen food section on special and I thought "why not?". Actually, they were pretty tasty for a cheap frozen food item. They are made by Heinz and are simply called Poppers. This box was the Cream Cheese Jalapeno flavor, there may have been different types. You just place them in a 450 degree oven for 6 minutes, turn them over and wait another 5 minutes and they are ready. They come out very crispy with a creamy center. They are very mild, almost too mild, but you can dip them in a spicy salsa to make up for that. 3 pieces have 220 calories, so they are not great for a diet. But what the heck, diets are meant for breaking anyway, right?!?

Dan's Mexican Corn Dip

This is every body's favorite dip at every party. Whenever you serve this dip, everyone will ask for the recipe.

Dan's Mexican Corn Dip

2 (12 oz.) cans Mexicorn, drained
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup Miracle Whip
3 green onions, chopped
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilis
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and chopped

Drain the corn and combine the ingredients. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.