easy app: baked brie stuffed with fennel-blood orange tapenade

'Tis the season when you may be entertaining, asked to bring an appetizer to a friend's home...or just looking for something decadent to nibble on while decorating your tree. Here is one of my cold weather go-to apps that is so, so easy.

Baked Stuffed Brie

round of your favorite soft cheese (brie, Camembert, you choose the variety & size)

a jam or tapenade to layer inside

nuts to sprinkle on top (optional)

your favorite crackers

Slice the round cheese horizontally, so you end up with two disks. In an ovenproof dish, place the first disk of cheese down and smother with your choice of jam or tapenade. Place second disk of cheese on top, and dollop more of the jam or tapenade on top of that. Bake at 350 until the cheese is melted through and starting to ooze out the sides. If you would like, sprinkle with nuts for the last few minutes of warming...careful not to put them on too early or they might burn. Serve with a selection your favorite crackers.

I am a particular fan of The Gracious Gourmet's fennel-blood orange tapenade, because it lends just the right of zip to the creamy brie. Around us, I know Walter Stewart's and Whole Food's Darien store both carry this line. Here's a link to find a retailer near you.

So, at this point, I popped it in the oven for....I'd say it was about 15 minutes.

Once the cheese was soft and starting to bubble around the edges of the baking dish, I sprinkled some roasted pepitas (the inside pumpkin seeds, found at Trader Joe's in the nut aisle) on top, then popped it back into the oven for another 3 minutes or so, just so the nuts warmed a bit. I like adding some sort of nut-- or in this case, seed-- as a contrast to the creamy consistency of the cheese, but this is certainly optional. We served ours with two of our favorite crackers: Akmak and Trader Joe's Rosemary-Raisin Crisps.

Have a wonderful weekend ahead!

two easy summer apps

There is nothing worse than inviting friends over and putting out a spread of appetizers that suddenly go soggy before your eyes on a humid summer evening. Well, ok, there could be a lot worse things, but still, it's disappointing when you're the happy hostess. My winter go-to's like Trader Joe's Tempura Shrimp or phyllo shell tartlets like this or this flop in humidity. So when summer rolls around I have other go-to's which I realized yesterday I haven't shared yet. I made both of these to bring along to a little gathering last night. They are quick & easy, and everyone loved them.

Soy Chorizo in Cucumber Cups

(makes about 30 cucumber cups)

4-5 English (seedless) cucumbers

olive oil

1/2 a medium onion, finely chopped

1 pkg soy chorizo (usually found in the produce section, by other soy "meat" products)

1 brick cream cheese (regular, low-fat or fat-free, your choice)

To make the cucumber cups: peel the cucumber, if you'd like, then cut into 1" rounds. Using a melon baller, or teaspoon, scoop out the inside about 3/4 of the way down. This will make a little cup. Place on a paper towel for 1/2 hour, or so, to let some of the water from the cucumber drain. Then fill with soy chorizo mixture, or any favorite dip or spread.

To make the soy chorizo filling: in a medium pan, saute the onion and soy chorizo in a bit of olive oil until lightly browned. Add cream cheese and lower heat, stirring until cream cheese is melted. Set aside until ready to stuff cucumber cups. May be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a few days. (Extra soy chorizo mixture makes a delicious addition to omelets.)

Endive Spears Stuffed with Parmesan-Walnut Pesto

(makes about 3 dozen)

4 medium heads of endive

1 cup Parmesan

1 cup walnuts

3 lemons, zested and juiced

1/2 cup fresh parsley

2 Tablespoons mayo (optional)

To make endive spears: simply cut the base of endive and carefully remove the spears.

To make Parmesan-Walnut pesto: in a Cuisinart, pulse Parmesan, walnuts, lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley until desired consistency. (Adding mayo will help to bind the pesto.) Extra pesto is delicious tossed with whole wheat pasta, or broiled over a crusty piece of bread.

easiest "sausage" dip ever

For those looking for a super simple, creamy, guy-pleasing appetizer for tonight's big game, here's a go-to dip of mine. Originally brought to a book club couples gathering by my friend, Lynne, I now make this all the time because it's so easy and everyone loves it. My version is vegetarian, but most carnivores who try it have no idea. You could, of course, make it with good old Jimmy Dean....but I don't know, I am kind of skeeved out by real sausage. So, here's my take:

"Sausage" Dip

1 onion, diced
1 tube of Gimme Lean Soy "Sausage" or Soy Chorizo*
1 brick of cream cheese (regular, low-fat or non-fat, your choice)
1 jar of salsa (mild, medium, spicy, chipotle, your choice)

In a large fry pan, saute the onion and soy sausage in a bit on olive oil, breaking up the sausage into small chunks. Once the onion and sausage and softened and lightly browned, add the cream cheese and salsa. Stir over medium heat until everything melts together into creamy deliciousness.

*both types of soy sausage are found in the produce section of most markets

Can be made ahead and stored in the fridge. Serve room temp, or warm, with tortilla or corn chips.

I made a big batch of it last night for a charity paddle party I was catering. That version for a large crowd was made with: 2 yellow onions, 1 tube each of Gimme Lean + Soy Chorizo, 2 jars of Trader Joe's Chipotle Salsa, 1 brick of fat free cream cheese and 1 brick of regular cream cheese.

Cheers!

It will be a few more days before I really get back to writing, but I wanted to take a moment to wish you a fresh and happy start to your New Year.

Over the break, I read cookbooks like they were juicy novels and tore countless pages out of magazines. So many new ideas for simple, healthful meals to share with you! I cannot wait. After we've had our fill of sledding, movies, good books and my children return to school, I'll get back into a writing rhythm.

In the meantime, for those who may be asked to bring an appetizer to a gathering this winter weekend, I gave that pesto torta a whirl on Christmas and it was delish. I highly recommend it for a crowd (though the leftovers are fabulous too spread on hearty bread). To make it look less Christmas-y you could substitute a kalamata olive paste for one of the two layers, making it purple/green or red/purple, your choice.

Simple (and totally decadent) Baked Brie

And as you cozy up inside with friends and family, you can not go wrong with a simple round of triple creme brie sliced horizontally and filled with caramelized onion confit (which I found in the gourmet section of our market) + blueberry jam + topped with some pistachios and baked at 350 until it melts into a gooey, decadent appetizer.

May your year ahead be filled with balance, dear friends, fresh air, simple healthful meals with your family...

a little adventure, and plenty of laughter.

Cheers!

Easy Appetizer Idea: Pesto Torta

Today I did something totally decadent. In between loads of laundry, I lit a fire and addressed my Christmas cards and weeded through my "to do" pile in the warmth of our living room. Once those two things were done I sheepishly grabbed a stack of magazines from my bedside table (that dated back to the last 6 months), and trotted back in to the fire. I can safely say that today might be one of the only weekdays I have spent in our living room, and I might make a happy habit of it. Had my little one not been home with a cold, I might have been out zipping from town to town on pre-holiday errands. Being forced to stay home ended up being wonderful.

Anyway, one of the magazines I perused had that photo above from an advertisement for California Sun Dry products. The photo caught my eye because it reminded me of an appetizer my mom always made. I tore their recipe for "Sun-Dried Tomato Holiday Torte" out and then went searching for my mom's recipe since the whole idea of rolling cream cheese out sounded a bit messy, though their presentation is nice. The Sun-Dried-Pesto Torta recipe on Epicurious seemed to come close to what I remembered since my mom always made it in a bowl. Still, I can't imagine my mom whipping butter and cream cheese together so here's my take on this holiday appetizer that I look forward to whipping up next week:

Pesto-Sundried Tomato-Goat Cheese Torta

1 tub of basil pesto, drained of excess oil
1 jar sun-dried tomato pesto, drained of excess oil
2 bricks of cream cheese, room temperature

small log of goat cheese (about 8 oz), room temperature
1 tube of sun-dried tomato paste (they carry Amore brand at our local market), to decorate
Toasted pine nuts, to decorate
Baguette slices or crackers

Make sure the basil pesto and sun-dried tomato pesto are well drained of excess oil. To do this, I'll leave them in two fine mesh sieves over the sink for an hour or so, while I am doing other things.

For the cream cheese-goat cheese mixture: using a hand mixer, beat the two bricks of cream cheese and the goat cheese until fluffy. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble: line a 6-cup (or so) bowl or souffle dish with plastic wrap, extending plastic over sides. Spread a 1" layer of the cream cheese-goat cheese mixture evenly over bottom of prepared dish. Top with a 1/2" layer of the basil pesto, then another inch of the cream cheese-goat cheese mixture, then a 1/2" layer of the sun-dried tomato pesto. Repeat layering between the cream cheese-goat cheese mixture, and remaining pestos, ending with a layer of the cream cheese-goat cheese mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

When ready to serve, invert torta onto platter. Peel off plastic. Garnish with a squiggle design of sun-dried tomato paste and sprinkles of pine nuts (good part of party prep for the kids to do). Serve with baguette slices or crackers.

Whipping up Pea Dip while waiting for the repairman...

The washing machine repairman was supposed to come between 8am and noon. I'll let you guess when he came. One upside of feeling like a caged animal on the first non-rainy day in what seems like too many, is that I crossed a few things off my to-do list, including making an appetizer for book club tonight. (Holy run on sentence!!)

Most of my mom friend reading this are thinking (with a smile), "ah right 'book club'". Oh, how I love my book clubs (yes, plural)-- a child-free night, a glass or two of something delicious, some smart conversation, and always some lovely nibbles that we pass off as dinner since no one cares if there's a meat and two veggies when we're at book club.

Anyway, the point of this post is not what I whipped up, but in general having a few go-to recipes up your sleeve. If you have some go to's then making an appetizer, or dinner, on the fly is totally doable.

Based upon what I had on hand this morning, I made my (super easy and always crowd-pleasing) pea dip with frozen peas, parmesan, pine nuts and some fresh mint. Pair the bright green dip with pita chips and I'm ready to go. My other go-to appetizer? Those of you who have been reading a while know that it's filling little phyllo shells with something special be it pestos or Feta and figs, to name just two of the many options. I love trying new recipes out, but it's comforting to have a handful of tried and true ones that I can make with my eyes closed.

p.s. As an added bonus for getting the dip made early in the day, my kids enjoyed a fabulous after school snack.

Two (more) versions of Edamame Hummus...before I turn of the computer for a week

I am going to try to unplug for a week. We'll see if I can do it? And why does this seem like such a big deal? Hmmm, this must be why I am making myself truly unplug.

But, before I actually turn my computer off, I promised to share the quick recipe for Edamame Hummus with a friend. When I originally posted my recipe for Edamame Hummus, I was really trying to bump up the protein and I'd added tofu. But depending upon the day I make it, what I have in the house, and whether my kids are going to be bringing it to school/camp (in which case it needs to be nut free) the recipe changes a bit. The basics are the same though: edamame + olive oil + lemon juice + kosher salt. It is delicious (and so quick and easy) no matter how you make it.

The edamame hummus pictured above (which is the one I served up this week) is simply:

Super Quick (Nut-Free) Edamame Hummus

Edamame (cooked according to the package)
Lemon juice (to taste, I like a lot of lemon juice)
Olive Oil
Kosher salt
Dash of cumin
Pop everything into your Cuisinart and pulse until desired consistency, thinning with a bit of water if necesary.

Another Day's Version of Super Quick Edamame Hummus (with nuts)

Edamame (cooked according to the package)

Walnuts

Fresh Mint
Lemon juice (to taste, I like a lot of lemon juice)
Olive Oil
Kosher salt
Pop everything into your Cuisinart and pulse until desired consistency, thinning with a bit of water if necesary.

This is one of those recipes that kids can help make...I mean, what child doesn't love to be the Cuisinart button pusher?

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Many more good ones to come...have a great week.

Bright Green Pea Dip (that can multi-task as a sandwich spread and veggie side for the kids)

I love a recipe that multi-tasks. And, with the fun but action-packed days of summer, I need a couple of recipes up my sleeve that I can pull together with a moments notice-- with ingredients I have on hand. I made this dip yesterday and it was a hit. Today I plan to serve it for lunch on some crusty bread. And I made such a large quantity that early this coming week, my children will probably see it on their dinner plates as a veggie side, accompanied by some whole wheat pita chips to dip. Originally torn out of a Mark Bittman column in the New York Times' food section, I modified it based upon what I had on hand (or didn't as the case was, so no mint). Note to self: the omission of fresh mint probably made it more kid-friendly, so add it or not, depending upon your audience.

Bright Green Pea Dip
(adapted from Mark Bittman)

1 bag of organic frozen peas
1 box of organic veggie broth (you'll probably use about 1 cup)
3-4 cubes Dorot frozen garlic (or 2 fresh cloves)
handful of shredded parmesan cheese
handful of pine nuts (optional)
fresh mint, chopped (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste

Put the frozen peas into a saucepan or fry pan with just enough veggie broth to cover the peas. Heavy simmer for a few minutes, until the peas are bright green. Try one to make sure they're tender. Drain the peas, reserving the cooking liquid.

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of the cooked peas, the shredded Parmesan, and pine nuts and mint if you're including them. (I did add pine nuts, but left the mint out because I didn't have any.)

In a Cuisinart, puree the remainder of the peas and garlic until smooth (see above). You may add some of the cooking liquid if you'd like to make it really smooth. (I simply pureed the peas, and didn't add anything so there was no need for me to save the cooking broth.)

Add the pureed peas to the mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste. And voila, a bright green pea dip that is quick, healthy and a little different in a delicious way.

Last night I served the pea dip surrounded by a couple different varieties of pita chips (not photographed in the bowl yet, since it's so humid here). But, the Bright Green Pea Dip can do double duty as a sandwich spread, and since it's made with peas, some cheese and nuts, it's a kid-friendly veggie side as far as I am concerned!

Picky Tip (since I know a few of you have kiddos bummed out by lumps and bumps in their food): This should be a hit since kids love to dip...But, if your child isn't going to like the chunky consistency then try pureeing all of the peas, along with the cheese (and mint and garlic if you're including them) and omitting the pine nuts and non-pureed peas. You can add some of the cooking broth or some olive oil to make it as smooth as you wish. You'll still have a bright green dip that is healthy and quick.

Enjoy!

Easy Appetizer - Savory Christmas Tartlets

I love going to parties. But as a guest, knowing how much planning and effort goes into hosting, I like to contribute an appetizer or some treats. Here’s my holiday take on that easy appetizer I shared a couple months back. It’s a hit.

Christmas Tartlet Appetizers

Phyllo shells (found in the freezer section of most supermarkets)
Cream cheeseFeta
Parmesan
Pesto (I used Bear Pond Farm’s “Lemon Pesto” from Walter Stewart’s Market)
Sun-dried Tomato Paste
Pine Nuts

Preheat oven to 350. Pop the frozen shells out of the plastic tray and onto a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake them for 3 minutes, just so they crisp up.

While they are cooling, in a small bowl, blend the block of cream cheese, tub of Feta, and handful of shredded Parmesan (using a hand mixer to make it easy).* Fill each little phyllo cup with a dollop of the cheese mixture, then a dab of sun-dried tomato pesto (mine came in a tube which made this part super easy...found in the pasta/sauce aisle of Walter Stewart’s), and a dab of pesto, sprinkle with a couple of pine nuts. Then I popped it back into the oven for 5 minutes so the cheese melted a bit.

These were served room temp, and were delish.

*Again, I knew this would make a ton of the cheese mixture. So, we had some in our veggie frittata the next morning, and I plan to enjoy it spread on Wave Hill bread this week.

Dinner Party Idea - An Oktoberfest Feast

Is there anything better than being invited over to friend’s home for a dinner party? It’s such a relaxing way to spend a weekend evening. But, is it as much fun to be the host? So many friends tell me they are hesitant to throw a dinner party because “they can’t cook” or “it’s too much work”. And so, when I can find some blips of free time, I am going to suggest a couple of menus to make entertaining easy…and yes, fun to host.

When planning a dinner party there are two things to keep in mind. First, a dinner party need not be fancy. No need to pull out the china and crystal. What’s important is that you’re gathering with friends over good food whether it be filet or grandma's casserole recipe. And second, it will be much more fun for you, the host, if you do the cooking ahead of time. This way, you get to actually enjoy the company of friends.

One of my go-to dinner parties I love to do in the fall is around the Savory Pumpkin Cannelloni I make each year. One weekend I’ll set aside time to make this rich, comforting dish, and I’ll make enough for a couple of gatherings, popping the dishes in the freezer. Serve it with a green salad and dinner is done…and wow, do the guests swoon. I'll have to post that recipe while we're all still thinking pumkin.

On a recent drizzly weekend, I made an Oktoberfest-themed dinner for a group of friends. I will admit that I spent several hours cooking on Friday, not because the recipes were laborious, but because I was actually reading recipes this go round (instead of cooking based upon what I have on hand, or relying on my own sense of flavors and textures). I had memories of German food from my time in Europe as an AFS exchange student, but I’d never actually prepared these foods. When planning the menu, I knew I would make one of my go-to fall recipes: Balsamic Braised Cabbage as a side, but the rest of these recipes I got by simply doing a google search for Oktoberfest recipes. I’ve linked to all of the recipes I made, in case you want to cook up your own Oktoberfest-themed feast. I considered it another fabulous evening, since everyone could relax over good food, and all of the recipes could be made in advance (including grilling the sausages), and then warmed in a low temp oven, or taken out of the fridge at mealtime.

“Oktoberfest” Dinner Party Menu

Trader Joe’s Cheese Puffs

Brown Sugar Bacon

Bavarian Cheese Spread on thinly sliced dark rye bread*

Trader Joe’s Pumpernickel Pretzels

*I wasn't so sure of this cheese spread when I first made it (shown above, before being "mushed") but it was actually pretty good. It's definitely a strong taste because of the brie, blue cheese, onions and beer but everyone enjoyed it...

Karottesalat (Carrot Salad)

Gurkensalat (Cucumber Salad)

Sausages**

Balsamic Braised Red Cabbage with Apricots (pictured above, before cooking)

Turnip Potato Gratin (pictured above before getting a heavy dose of cream and cheese)

Grainy Mustard

**Bratwurst, Knackwurst, Weisswurst…Walter Stewart’s carries the full line of Schaller and Weber sausages.

Trader Joe’s Apple Strudels (in the frozen dessert section of the market)

Ginger, Cinnamon or Vanilla Ice Cream

And of course, a hearty selection of German beers to go along with the feast. (I found this wide selection at Stew Leonard’s Spirits in Norwalk.)

Appetizer Ideas - Cheese Pairings

Cooking is easy once you understand what flavors and ingredients go together, and are able to balance the texture of a dish. The app I made last night worked because the textures went well together (crisp shell, creamy cheese and a little showiness of the dried fig) and the flavors complimented one another (salty Feta and sweet fig).

The October 2009 issue of Health Magazine has a great one page article (page 146) on cheese pairings that I thought I’d share if you’re looking for other filling ideas, or to put out as a stand alone appetizer.

Gorgonzola + Honey
Feta + Figs (great minds think alike!)
Cheddar + Mango Chutney
Goat Cheese + Dark Chocolate
Camembert + Grapes
Stilton + Port
Manchengo + Membrillo (quince paste, often sold at cheese shops or gourmet stores)

Easy App - Feta Fig Tartlets

Those of you who follow Full Plate on Facebook, you already know that I was going to try to figure out my appetizer for last night’s preschool mom’s night out with what I had on hand since the thought of grocery marketing with two boys sounded less than fun. Plus, that would have meant tearing ourselves away from the heavy construction that was providing an afternoon of entertainment. Anyway, the appetizer turned out great and was super easy. Since we’re probably all going to some social thing in the next couple months, keep a box (or three) of those phyllo shells in your freezer so you too can whip up an appetizer with what you have on hand. Here’s one idea:

Feta Fig Tartlets

Phyllo shells (found in the freezer section of most supermarkets)
Cream cheese
Feta
Dried Figs (from Trader Joe’s)

Preheat oven to 350. Pop the shells out of the plastic tray and onto a rimmed cookie sheet and put them in the oven for 3 minutes, just so they crisp up. Then I let them cool while I bathed the kids and got them ready for bed. In a small bowl, I blended the tub of Feta with the block of cream cheese (using a hand mixer to make it easy).*

* This made a TON of the cheese mixture. So, I used the extra in scrambled eggs this morning and I still had a bunch leftover, so I put the cheese mixture + thinly sliced cucumbers in a whole wheat pita for lunch today.

Scoop a little blob (for lack of a better word) into each phyllo shell, and top with a slice of dried fig. Baked them for about 10 minutes, just so they were warm and a little golden brown. Then off to the party I went!

My hostess gift? A bag of my Homemade Granola from earlier in the afternoon.

Cowboy Caviar

Here’s an appetizer idea for everyone gearing up for Labor Day weekend get-togethers. It was originally from our family friend, Gitti, who passed it along to my mom, who passed it along to me. Isn’t that the way most of the best recipes make it into our homes? It’s very simple to make, and a nice alternative to guacamole. Tonight, my mom and I are bringing it to the Wood River Valley Women’s Charitable Foundation’s Margarita Mixer. (I encourage my mom and women friends to read about the organization, as it’s a great concept that does so much good locally…)

Cowboy Caviar

15 oz can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
15 oz can show peg corn, rinsed and drained
2 avocados, finely chopped
½ cup tomatoes, finely chopped
1 bunch of green onions, white parts finely chopped
1 bunch cilantro, leaves rough chopped

Then for the dressing, in a blender or separate bowl you combine:

¼ cup olive oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp of cumin
dash of salt and pepper

Combine everything and serve with the tortilla chips that are shaped like mini bowls. Ole!

Note: that’s the original recipe above, but we realized we didn’t have red wine vinegar so I mixed half cider vinegar and half white wine vinegar this go round. Equally delicious. Also, for color, I think I’d add ½ a can to 1 full can of black beans. It’s scrumptious as is, but this addition would make it more colorful and would also add fiber and additional texture. So, if you have them on hand, toss them in too.