Category Archives: Appetizers

Ham, Apple and Brie Quesadilla

07 Wednesday Sep 2016

Posted by in Appetizers, Dinner, Lunch, Quick and Easy

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Ham, Apple and Brie Quesadilla

Who doesn’t love a good quesadilla?  To me, the combo of gooey cheese and a crispy tortilla is the ultimate comfort food!  This spin on the classic food makes the perfect lunch or dinner!

Ham, Apple and Brie Quesadilla
Yield:  1 serving
Time: 15-20 minutes total

1 large flour tortilla
1½ tbsp. strawberry jam
1 oz. brie, thinly sliced
1 oz. shredded Gouda
1 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
4 slices of deli ham, diced up
½ tsp. dried rosemary
¼ of an apple, very thinly sliced (I used a Honeycrisp, but use whatever you like!)

  1. Spread the strawberry jam over the entire top surface of the tortilla.  Arrange the slices of brie and shredded pepper jack across half of the tortilla.  Top with the slices of apple and deli ham.  Sprinkle with rosemary and Gouda.
  2. Transfer the tortilla, still open (with toppings covering half of it) to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, then fold the tortilla in half.  Continue cooking over medium heat until the bottom of the tortilla begins to get golden brown and slightly crispy (about 3-4 minutes).  Flip the quesadilla over to brown the other side of the tortilla.  Once both sides are golden brown, remove from the skillet and cut into thirds.
  3. Enjoy!

PDF to Print Recipe for Ham, Apple and Brie Quesadilla

Whipped Blue Cheese and Poached Pear Toasts

09 Wednesday Mar 2016

Posted by in Appetizers, Boozy, Bread, Fruit, Vegetarian

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Whipped Blue Cheese Pear Toasts

This looks and tastes like a fancy schmancy appetizer, but I promise you it’s very simple to make.  It pairs especially well with dessert wine, which is exactly how I discovered it!  My friend Courtney recently suggested this recipe to me after I told her I planned to crack open a bottle of Far Niente’s dessert wine Dolce with my hubby that evening.  I highly recommend these elegant toasts, whether you’re simultaneously toasting with dessert wine or not!

Whipped Blue Cheese and Poached Pear Toasts
Yield:  8 appetizer servings
Time:  30 minutes

For the whipped blue cheese:
6 oz. blue cheese
4 oz. cream cheese (or Neufchâtel)
¾ tsp. red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup whipped cream

For the poached pears:
8 cups water
2½ cup sugar
6 cinnamon sticks
5 strips of fresh ginger (remove the outer skin from the ginger root, then create strips using a vegetable peeler)
4 Bosc pears (Bartlett or Anjou work too!)

Other:
1 baguette or loaf of other French bread
freshly cracked pepper
4 tbsp. honey

  1. Thinly slice the baguette and lightly toast until golden brown (about 5-8 minutes at 375ºF).
  2. To poach the pears, combine the water, sugar, cinnamon and ginger in a small saucepan.  Simmer over medium heat until gently boiling.  Keeping the stems of the pears intact, peel off the outer skin.  Submerge the pears into the boiling poaching liquid and continue to simmer over medium heat until the pears are softened, about 10 minutes.  Remove the pears from the liquid and allow to cool to room temperature.  Slice into quarters, remove the core, and thinly slice each quarter into about 5 slices.
  3. In the meantime, mash together the blue cheese, cream cheese, vinegar and salt.  Gently fold in the whipped cream and mix until well blended.
  4. Spread 1 tbsp. of the cheese mixture over each toasted baguette slice.  Place two slices of poached pear on top of the cheese mixture.  Lightly drizzle with honey and garnish with fresh cracked pepper.

Note:  The poaching liquid can be kept refrigerated for up to one week to poach additional pears and/or to be used as a pear-cinnamon-ginger simple syrup for cocktails.

PDF to Print Recipe for Whipped Blue Cheese and Poached Pear Toasts

This recipe was inspired by Far Niente’s recipe, which is available at: http://www.dolcewine.com/recipes/blue-cheese-mousse-with-vanilla-poached-pear-canape/?utm_source=Winery+Customers&utm_campaign=f52bc20046-DEC%2BDFNS%2BRecipe%2B2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_42c452f99d-f52bc20046-229092593

Grape Rosemary Flatbreads

10 Tuesday Nov 2015

Posted by in Appetizers, Fruit, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

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Grape Rosemary Flatbread

These flatbreads are one of my go-to appetizers for dinner parties because:
1)  you can prep everything ahead of time (grate the cheese, chop the rosemary, slice the grapes), then quickly assemble and pop them in the oven right before your guests arrive
2)  they’re a great filling vegetarian option in case you may be expecting guests who don’t eat meat
3)  they’re perfect for any time of the year–the rosemary works well in the fall and winter, and the freshness of the grapes makes them appropriate in the spring and summer
4)  they’re delicious and always a crowd pleaser!

While I typically make them as an appetizer, they could absolutely work as a main dish if you served them alongside a salad or bowl of soup.

Grape Rosemary Flatbreads
Yield:  12 pieces
Time:  17 minutes total

2 flatbreads (I use Damascus Bakeries Roll Up Wraps, available at Costco)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
20 red seedless grapes, each sliced in half

  1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
  2. Place the flatbreads on a lightly greased baking sheet.
  3. Evenly distribute the grated cheese across the flatbreads, covering all the way to the edges.
  4. Sprinkle with fresh rosemary and grape halves.
  5. Heat at 425ºF for roughly 12 minutes, until cheese begins to turn golden brown.
  6. Cut into six pieces.  Serve warm.

PDF to Print Recipe for Grape Rosemary Flatbread

Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups

02 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by in Appetizers, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

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Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups

I’ve always been a fan of spinach artichoke dip, but it can get really messy, sliding off pita chips and other dippers en route to my mouth!  I wanted a bite-sized version of the classic favorite while simultaneously removing some of the excess creaminess of the traditional recipe.  Many recipes for Spinach Artichoke Dip contain cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, and/or melted cheese.  The only dairy in this recipe is feta cheese, providing a nice flavor while eliminating loads of unnecessary fat and calories.

Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups
Yield:  24 bites
Time:  15 minutes active;  30 minutes total

10 oz. canned artichokes
6 oz. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
16 oz. frozen chopped spinach (thawed and excess water drained and squeezed out)
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
8 oz. package Pillsbury crescent rolls

1.  Dice the artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces and place in a mixing bowl.  Drizzle in 1-2 tbsp. of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes.  Stir in the spinach and feta.  Stir ingredients together to combine.

Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups

2.  Preheat the oven to 375ºF.  Lightly grease the wells of a mini muffin pan.  Set aside.

3.  Unroll the sheet of crescent rolls and gently press together any perforations, creating one large rectangle.  Cut into 24 squares and gently press each square into the prepared wells of the mini muffin pan, allowing the edges to overhang the well slightly.  Fill each well with the spinach-artichoke-feta filling.  Bake at 375ºF for about 15 minutes, until edges of crescent begin to turn golden brown.

Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups

PDF to Print Recipe for Mini Spinach Arichoke Cups

 

Recipe adapted from http://www.pillsbury.com

Curried Carrot Soup

20 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by in Appetizers, Dinner, Healthy, Quick and Easy, Soup, Vegetarian

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Curried Carrot Soup

What’s better than a bowl of creamy, hot soup on a cold winter night?  How about one that doesn’t contain a drop of cream, packs a ton of flavor, is under 200 calories per serving and will fill you up?  Now we’re talking!

Curried Carrot Soup
Yield:  8 servings
Time:  20 minutes hands-on;  45 minutes total

3 tbsp. butter, cut into 1 tbsp. pieces
2 onions, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. ground ginger
1½ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. ground pepper
8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth if making vegetarian)
5 lbs. carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch thick slices
1 tbsp. lemon juice
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1.  Place the butter in a very large stock pot or Dutch oven (8-12 quart).  Melt over medium heat.  Once the butter begins to foam, add the onions and pepper.  Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, until onions and peppers begin to soften.  Stir in the curry, ginger, salt and pepper.  Cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2.  Add the carrots.  Pour in the broth.  Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil.  Once boiling for one minute, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover.  Simmer for 25 minutes until the carrots are tender.  Stir in lemon juice.

3.  Working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender, filling the blender no more than half full each time.  Puree until smooth.  (Be sure not to overfill the blender, as the hot soup will expand as it is blended.  Also, to allow steam to escape vent the lid and cover with a dish towel while blending.)

4.  Serve hot and garnish with chopped cilantro to serve.

PDF to Print Recipe for Curried Carrot Soup

Recipe adapted from Great Food Fast, Everyday Food from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart Living