Bruschetta

For our Tuscan party this year, we tried this concept for the first time. It was so easy and fun! We went with a bruschetta bar concept.

Click here for the Wikipedia definition of Bruschetta.

To Prepare the Bruschetta:

You can use any type of bread, however, the most commonly used italian or french baguettes sliced on a bias. Ciabatta bread is also used often. Take the slices of bread, brush with extra virgin olive oil. Then take a head of garlic, and slice on its side (you can also use a single clove). Rub the garlic on the top of the bread and toast (or grill) until golden.

Olive Mazza - Tapenade

INGREDIENTS
1 small jar kalamata olives
1/2 jar green olives
(you can also get 2 cups of olive mix from your store's olive bar, pitted)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsps pine nuts
sundried tomatoes (optional)
extra virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Blend all ingredients in food processor or mini-prep until the consistency of a tapenade. Add olive oil until the proper consistency. Serve on bruschetta.

Sundried tomatoes and roasted garlic

INGREDIENTS
1 cup sundried tomatoes
3 tbsps of roasted garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
First, roast the garlic. If roasting the garlic in the head, slice the head in half horizontally, drizzle with olive oil and wrap with tin foil. Roast in a preheated oven of 400 F for 30-35 minutes. Click here for a detailed recipe on how to roast garlic. If roasting the garlic using peeled cloves, layer the cloves on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until soft and golden.

In your food processor, combine the tomatoes and roasted garlic until a spreadable consistency. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve on bruschetta.

Goat Cheese Spread

INGREDIENTS
1 pkg plain goat cheese
2 tbsp capers
2 tbsp marscapone
fresh basil, thinly chopped chiffonade-style

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients until blended. Serve on bruschetta.

Tomatoes and Carmelized Onions

INGREDIENTS
3 roma or vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
2 medium vedalia onions, chopped
fresh basil, thinly sliced chiffonade-style
dash of sugar
balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
cumin (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Sautee the onions on low to medium heat, in the olive oil and butter combination, until they turn a caramel color. Sugar and drizzle of balsamic is optional. Mix diced tomatoes, fresh basil and carmelized onions. Salt and pepper to taste. Add cumin to taste, if desired. Serve on bruschetta.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese - the Easiest and Tastiest Microwave Recipe

After trying several recipes and variations, the following recipe is my favorite homemade mac and cheese. Incidentally, it's also the easiest and fastest recipe, because it is mostly made in the microwave. The original recipe is here.


To me, it tastes the most like the boxed version, but reheats much better. Enjoy!


INGREDIENTS
1 cup elbow macaroni (or other similar pasta)
1 cup milk
3 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (extra sharp is the best)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


DIRECTIONS
To cook the pasta: In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add elbow macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.


To cook cheese sauce: In a large microwave-safe bowl, mix milk and flour with a dash of salt and pepper. Whisk until smooth and there are no lumps. Add butter and cheese and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove from microwave and whisk until smooth. Return to microwave for an additional 3 to 5 minutes and again whisk until smooth. Add cooked macaroni to bowl. Stir until coated and serve with fresh pepper.

VARIATIONS
If a cheesy crust is desired, after the mixture is combined, sprinkle another 1/3 cup of Cheddar on top of oven-safe dish, broil until cheese is golden-brown and bubbly. Serve.


You can also add ham or salami, chopped or diced roma tomatoes. Add at the same time as pasta. Be sure to watch the mixture as it microwaves and whisk thoroughly. Do not over-microwave.


(You will love this easy recipe).

My sister Patricia's Shepherd's Pie

I will never make Shepherd's Pie without this recipe again. It is by far my favorite recipe for this dish. Not surprisingly, it comes from my sister whose mother-in-law is English. I am making this dish tonight!

Shepherd's Pie

INGREDIENTS
1 lbs starchy potatoes, diced
2 tbsps canola oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
10 oz. ground lamb or beef
2 tbsps mild curry paste
4 oz hot beef broth
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsps corn starch
1/4 cup frozen peas
2 tomatoes, cubed
cheddar cheese (for top)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to medium broil. Cook potatoes and mash. See directions below. Heat oil in large pan. Saute onion, garlic, carrot and beef until well browned. Stir in curry past, beef stock, ketchup, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Mix corn starch with warm water until paste and stir into mixure. Stir in tomatoes and peas. Continue to stir until slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into glass pie dish or casserole dish. Spread mashed potatoes on top. Fork a crisscross pattern on potatoes. Place dish in oven uncovered. About 20-30 minutes, until gold and bubbly. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top about 3 minutes before you are done. Cook until cheese is melted. Serve.













MASHED POTATOES
Boil potatoes in water. Add a piece of onion or garlic in water for extra flavor. Add salt to water. Potatoes will be cooked when you can stick a fork through a piece and it falls apart. Drain potatoes and return to pot. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup of milk. You can substitute cream for milk or sour cream. Mash until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley if desired.



TIPS
I vary this recipe by using olive oil instead of canola oil, some tomato paste mixed with a little brown sugar (or sweet wine) instead of the ketchup and I add frozen corn or other veggies depending on what I have on hand. Some people use brown gravy mix instead of the beef broth. If you do, use 6 to 8 ounces of brown gravy and eliminate the beef broth and corn starch mixture. You can also use beef consomme instead of gravy. I would add about half of the corn starch when using consomme.

My Famous Salmon Mousse

For about two years, one of the dishes I make for parties that is most requested is my famous salmon mousse. But, in fact, this recipe is from the food channel and Paula Dean, in particular. Click here for the recipe on the food channel's website.

EQUIPMENT
You'll need a fish mold to really make this dish attractive.


TIPS
Paula Dean's recipe comes with a Dill sauce for the side. I usually omit the dill sauce and serve this dish with melba toasts or pita chips. I also use the poached salmon version rather than the smoked.

Fried Rice

I needed to use my left-over rice from my lamb curry... so, here's the recipe I made tonight:

Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS
1 cup cooked basmati or jasmine rice (substitute brown or white)
1 leek chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 handful flat leaf parsley chopped
1/2 teaspoon butter
1 egg
soy sauce
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
dash lime juice
olive oil

DIRECTIONS
In wok, heat on stove to medium. In small bowl, beat egg with fork and add salt and pepper to taste. Add butter to wok (do not let brown), add egg and cook to medium. Remove wok from flame and set aside egg back in bowl. Return wok to stove and add about 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Sautee leek and red pepper until cooked. Add cooked rice. Cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through. Add soy sauce to taste. Add back the egg. Mix until blended. Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste and dash in lime juice. Cook until the bottom starts to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Serve.

TIPS
When washing and chopping leek, set aside a clear bowl with cold water. Chop leek and fill bowl. Any dirt from the leek will fall to the bottom of the bowl.
Cooking the egg in butter rather than oil gives it a better flavor, but oil can also be used.

To add meat, choose a meat (chicken, beef, pork) and thinly slice or cube. Add to wok after leek and peppers. Brown and continue with recipe.

Caprese

Variations of the caprese salad pop up in dinners I serve, or in spreads at parties I throw. You can pretty much do anything with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil and make it into something caprese. Here are a few examples:

Traditional Caprese Salad

INGREDIENTS
2 beefsteak or hot house tomatoes sliced
1 buffalo fresh mozzarella ball sliced
a couple bunches of basil chopped
cerignola olives
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar (optional)
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Cascade the slices of various colors of heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella on your serving platter. Sprinkle chopped basil on slices. Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over platter. Add olives. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Grape Caprese Salad

This is a recipe that is extremely easy to make and keeps well during a party.

INGREDIENTS
1 quart of grape tomatoes washed
1 quart container of bocconcini (bite-size balls of fresh mozzarella)
1 bunch of red seedless grapes
1 bunch of green seedless grapes
8 ounces of kalamata olives pitted
3 bunches fresh basil chopped
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar (optional)
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Clean and place all ingredients in a big tupperware container with lid. Shake gently. Pour into serving platter and serve.

Tuscan Heirloom Tomato Caprese Salad

INGREDIENTS
various colors of heirloom tomatoes sliced
1 buffalo fresh mozzarella ball sliced
a couple bunches of basil chopped
toasted bruschetta bread drizzled with olive oil and ripped
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar (optional)
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Cascade the slices of tomatoes and mozzarella on your serving platter. Sprinkle chopped basil on slices. Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over platter. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Serve.


VARIATIONS TO ABOVE RECIPES
Try replacing the tomatoes with fruit, such as strawberries. True Caprese salad does not call for olives, or balsamic. Those are optional but delicious.

Prosciutto and Mozzarella

This is my friend Melissa's variation to caprese that has become a party favorite.

INGREDIENTS
prosciutto di parma, sliced
fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
Place the slices of mozzarella in the middle of the serving platter. Layer the slices of prosciutto along the sides. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt only on the mozzarella portion of the platter. Serve.

Curry Lamb Chops

I made this recipe tonight and it was fantastic. I figured I better blog it or I'd forget it.

CURRY LAMB CHOPS

INGREDIENTS

4 (3 oz) lamb chops seasoned (see seasoning below)
1 medium onion chopped
1 red pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 handful fresh flatleaf parsley chopped
1 sweet potato/yam diced
1 small roma tomato diced or handful grape tomatoes diced
1 1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon red curry paste or more for spiciness
2 cups of basmati or jasmine rice cooked

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large frying pan or skillet, sautee the onion, red pepper and garlic on medium-low in oil. When carmelized or translucent, add seasoned lamb chops. Brown chops on both sides. Add potatoes, tomatoes and parsley. Add curry, cumin, salt, pepper and red curry paste. Mix until spices dissolve in mixure. Add water. Mix until combined with pan drippings and spices are now dissolved in water.
2. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until meat is tender. Serve lamb, vegetables and sauce with rice if desired.

LAMB RUB

salt and fresh ground pepper
herbes de provence or like substitute (thyme is a good herb with lamb)
paprika

Rub lamb meat with above spices and let sit approximately 5 to 10 minutes prior to adding to skillet.


This recipe is delicious!