January 2007—Shower Eats

Harvest Cracker Dip
Elizabeth

Take whipped cream cheese and place in the bottom of a Pyrex. Pour the mixed grilled vegetable bruschetta mix from Trader Joe's on top of the cheese. Place in oven at 350 till it begins to bubble. Take out of oven and place crackers near it and warn people that the dish is hot! That's it

A wonderful variation on this is with cream cheese, crab meat, and cocktail sauce. Heated the same way except put the cheese and crabmeat in to warm and then pour the cocktail sauce on as it comes out of the oven.


Roasted Eggplant Spread
Nanette

1 medium eggplant, peeled
2 red bell peppers, seeded
1 red onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp good olive oil
1 1/2 kosher salt
3/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp tomato paste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking. Cool slightly.

Place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste, and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve alongside hummus, pita bread, Greek olives, feta cheese, or stuffed grape leaves


Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
Nanette
(from Barefoot Contessa)
Makes 2 cups

This takes virtually a minute to make and can be served with crackers, chips, and fresh vegetables.

1/4 cup Sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup good mayonnaise
10 dashes Tabasco Sauce
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)

Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Tabasco sauce, salt, and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 6-8


Tomato Mozzarella Skewers With Balsamic Glaze

Cherry tomatoes
Mini Mozzarella balls
10 Fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp sugar
Salt & pepper

Using toothpicks or longer skewers place one mozzarella ball and one cherry tomato on stick. To prepare dressing, in blender combine 5 basil leaves, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, parmesan cheese, sugar, and salt & pepper to taste. Blend until smooth. Pour over skewers and top with thinly-cut basil.


Chicken Chutney Salad
Nanci

1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup green onion, chopped
1/4 cup cashews, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Major Grey Chutney, chopped
1/2 tsp curry powder
3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced or shredded
Croissants, or pita breads with red leaf lettuce

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. I added more chutney to make it moister. Serve on croissants or pitas.

4 Servings


Pesto Macaroni Salad

3 cups elbow macaroni
5 oz (about 1 cup) fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 lb. small fresh mozzarella balls, drained and sliced in half
1-7 oz. container purchased refrigerated basil pesto sauce
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain, rinse with cold water, rinse again.

In a saucepan cook beans, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water for about 10 min or until crisp tender.

Drain, rinse in cold water, drain again.

In large bowl combine macaroni, green beans, mozzarella, and pesto. Stir in basil and salt. Chill up to two hours before serving. Makes 14 side dish servings (3/4 cup each)


Pomegranate and Poppy Seed Salad
Lindsay

Salad
2 heads or romaine lettuce torn into bite-size pieces
1 medium red onion, sliced
2 cups pomegranate Seeds (if you can't find pomegranates, you can use 1 cup dried cranberries or sour cherries)

Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 Tbsp poppy seeds

In a large bowl mix all salad ingredients

In a small bowl, mix all dressing ingredients until well blended. Pour over salad; toss to coat. Serve immediately.


Frittata with Feta Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, and Basil
Luci
(from Epicurious)

10 large eggs
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese (about 6 ounces)
10 drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped 4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat broiler. Whisk eggs and cream in large bowl to blend. Stir in feta cheese, tomatoes, onions, basil, salt, and pepper. Melt butter in large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add egg mixture; do not stir. Cook until eggs start to firm and sides and bottom begin to brown, lifting sides occasionally to let uncooked egg run underneath, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with olives and Parmesan cheese. Transfer skillet to broiler and cook until eggs start to puff and brown, about 2 minutes. Using flexible spatula, loosen edges and bottom of frittata. Slide out onto plate. Slice frittata into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.


Cheese Puffs

3 ounces cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp fresh chives
Dash pepper
1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
3 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, crumbled
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
Milk

Mix first five ingredients until nearly smooth. Stir in cheese and bacon.

Roll out pastry sheet to 12-inch square. Cut into sixteen 3-inch squares. Divide filling among squares. Brush edges with milk and fold in half diagonally. Seal edges by pressing with a fork or fingers. (If desired, cover and chill for up to 4 hours before baking.) Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 16 puffs.


Corn and Cheese Soufflé
Elizabeth
(Blackmarket Bakery)

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
4 egg yolks, room temp.
1 tsp Cajun Spice
5 oz grated cheese (approx. 1 cup)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup canned corn kernels, drained
6 egg whites, whisked to soft peaks


NEED: stand mixer with whisk, 1 1/2 qt. soufflé mold, pastry brush, saucepan

Preheat the oven to 375 . Prepare the mold. Brushing the inside with soft butter then coat the inside with breadcrumbs.

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth and hot. Remove the pot from the heat and add the egg yolks and cheese. Stir with a spatula until the cheese is melted, returning the pot to the heat if needed.

Add the salt and pepper and seasoning. Stir in the corn.

Carefully fold the whisked egg whites in to the base, one third at a time.

Spoon the soufflé mixture into the mold. Bake for 20-24 minutes in the preheated oven. Serve immediately.

To make ahead, prepare the batter and place in the mold. Place the unbaked soufflé in the refrigerator for up to 4 hours before baking. Bake for 5-10 minutes longer to account for the colder temp.


Saffron Risotto with Butternut Squash
Angela
(From Barefoot Contessa Family Style)

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 Tbsp olive oil
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 oz pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp saffron threads
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash on a sheet pan and toss it with olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once until very tender. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a small covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Off the heat, add the roasted squash cubes and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and serve.


Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Panini
Amber
(The Bon Apetit Cookbook)
Makes 4

*This is yummy with a panini press, grilled or in a skillet

1/2 c. olive oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
8 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
10 oz thinly sliced whole-milk mozzarella
12 slices tomato
12 large fresh basil leaves
1 -16 oz ciabatta bread, focaccia, or sourdough

Prepare barbeque, pre-heat skillet/panini press. Whisk olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in small bowl to blend; season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. layer prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato and basil over bottom of bread. Drizzle lightly with dressing, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Press top of bread over. Cut bread into 4 sandwiches after grilling.


Basil-Turkey Mini Focaccia Sandwiches
Malinda

Focaccia
1 can (13.S oz) Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust
1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (1 oz)

(Or purchased focaccia bread...it is just usually round, so number of sandwiches will vary).

Filling
1 container (6.5 oz) herb-and-garlic spreadable cheese, softened
2 medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 package (1 oz) fresh basil leaves, stems removed
1/2 oz thinly sliced smoked deli turkey

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease large cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray. Unroll pizza crust dough; press into 12x8-inch rectangle on cookie sheet. With end of handle of wooden spoon, press indentations in tip, about 1 inch apart. Brush dough with oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.

Bake 10-13 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 30 minutes; cut in half horizontally.

Spread cut side of bottom of focaccia with spreadable cheese. Top with single layer of tomatoes and basil. Layer turkey evenly over basil. Place top of focaccia cut side down, over turkey, press down. Pierce through all layers with toothpicks placing them every 1 1/2 inches over focaccia. With long serrated knife, cut between toothpicks into squares.

40 mini sandwiches.


Pear, Leek and Gruyere Turnovers

Offer these as a starter or as a light lunch with a salad of greens tossed in vinaigrette.

2 Tbsp (1/4 stick) butter
1 1/2 cups chopped leeks
1 6- to 7-oz firm but ripe pear, peeled, cored, chopped
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3/4 cup (packed) grated Gruyere cheese (about 3 ounces)
1 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 17.3-oz package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks; stir 1 minute. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until leeks begin to brown, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Stir in pear and sugar. Increase heat to medium; sauté uncovered until any liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl; cool. Stir in cheese and chives.

Place puff pastry sheets on work surface. Using 4 1/2-inch-diameter tartlet-pan rim or bowl as aid, cut out 4 rounds from each pastry sheet. Roll out each pastry round to 5-inch circle. Place leek mixture on half of each pastry round, dividing equally. Brush pastry edges with egg glaze. Fold pastry over filling, pressing to adhere. Press edges with fork to seal. Brush turnovers with egg glaze. Pierce pastry in several places with toothpick. Place on baking sheet. Chill 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake turnovers until puffed and golden, about 18 minutes. Serve warm.

Makes 8 first course servings.

Bon Appetit
Flavors of the World
March 2000


Easy Party Drinks
Malinda

Frozen White Grape, Peach Juice concentrate and sprite to taste (about 1 can juice to 1/3 of a 2-liter bottle Sprite

(For Suzi’s shower I made the White Grape and Peach drink with Sprite but added a bunch of crushed ice and fresh raspberries. It was really yummy. I bet it would be great with frozen raspberries as well...maybe even frozen peaches)

Cranberry juice and Sprite

Apple juice and Fresca or Gingerale


Pineapple Surprise Drink

1 container of pineapple juice
2 liters of Sprite
Juice of one orange
Slices of orange

Mix pineapple juice, Sprite, and orange juice. Float orange slices on top! Easy and refreshing!


Key Lime Bars
Hillary
(Cooks Illustrated July 2006)

If you cannot find fresh key limes, use regular Persian limes. Do not use bottled lime juice. Grate the zest from the limes before juicing them, avoiding the bitter white pith that lies just beneath the outermost skin. The optional coconut garnish adds textural interest and tames the lime flavor for those who find it too intense. The recipe can be double and baked in a 9 x 13 glass dish—you should increase the baking times by a minute or two.

Crust
5 oz animal crackers
3 Tbsp packed light or dark brown sugar
Pinch table salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Filling
2 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 Tbsp grated lime zest, minced
Pinch table salt
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg yolk
1/2 cup Key lime or regular lime juice

Garnish (optional)
3/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut, toasted until golden and crisp

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray glass dish with non-stick cooking spray.

To make the crust: In work bowl of food processor, pulse animal crackers until broken down, about ten 1-second pulses; process crumbs until evenly fine, about 10 seconds (you should have about 1 1/4 cups crumbs). Add brown sugar and salt; process to combine, ten to twelve 1-second pulses (if larger sugar lumps remain, break them apart with fingers). Drizzle butter over crumbs and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened with butter, about ten 1-second pulses. Press crumbs evenly and firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until deep golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack while making filling. Do not turn off oven.

To make the filling: While crust cools, in medium bowl, stir cream cheese, zest and salt with rubber spatula until softened, creamy and thoroughly combined. Add sweetened condensed milk and whisk vigorously until incorporated and no lumps of cream cheese remain; whisk in egg yolk. Add lime juice and whisk gently until incorporated (mixture will thicken slightly).

To assemble and bake: Pour filling into crust; spread to corners and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Bake until set and edges begin to pull away slightly from sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack to room temperature, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours. Sprinkle with toasted coconut and serve. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.


Brownie Bites
Malinda

1 Box brownie mix (your favorite…mine in Triple Chunk, Hershey’s)

1 1/2 pkg. (8 oz pkg) cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cup cool whip

Fresh raspberries or strawberry slices

Grease 2 mini muffin pans. Make brownie mix according to package. Fill muffin cups 3/4-full. Bake 19-23 min at temperature indicated on box. Brownies are done when toothpick come out mostly clean. As soon as brownies come out of oven, press in the center with the end of ice cream scoop (or similar). Remove from pans and let cool completely on cooling rack.

Filling: Mix 1 1/2 cubes cream cheese (just barely soft) with 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 cup cool whip (about one of the small containers). Mix until well blended. Using an accent decorator fill brownie cups with cream mixture. (You could also probably use a sandwich bag with the corner cut off).

Place a raspberry on top or a slice of strawberry. You may also dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Makes 48 mini brownie bites.


Chocolate Pavlova with Fresh Fruit
Julia
(from Shauna Rasmussen)

4 large egg whites, room temperature
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
3/4 oz (1/4 cup) unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup cream
2 Tbsp powdered sugar (or to taste)
Vanilla
1 1/2 cup fresh fruit, sliced if necessary
Sifted powdered sugar

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Cut a piece of parchment so that it fits flat on a baking sheet and draw a 9-inch circle in the center. Line the baking sheet with the parchment (pencil side facing down).

Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add 3/4 cup of the sugar and then the cornstarch and vinegar and beat until the whites hold stiff peaks. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with the sifted cocoa powder and gently fold into the meringue mixture by hand, using a rubber spatula until well combined and no streaks of white remain. Pile meringue inside the circle on the parchment and spread evenly in the circle. Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake until the meringue has puffed and cracked around its edges. About 45 to 50 minutes. Turn off the oven, prop the oven door open and leave the meringue in the oven to cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes.

Just before serving, put the meringue on a serving platter. Beat the cream with sugar and vanilla to taste and pile the cream on the meringue, top with fruit and dust with sifted powdered sugar. Slice into wedges and serve. Makes eight servings.