Bruschetta

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This bruschetta always reminds me of that scene in the movie Julie & Julia. You know the one, at the beginning of the movie when she is thinking about starting a blog. Anyway, every time I see that scene my mouth waters and I have to make some. Even if it’s not tomato season.

It’s usually a summer kinda dish so when I crave in the cold seasons, I just warm up the tomato mixture slightly before serving it on the bread. Enjoy!

Serves 2          Difficulty Level: pretty easy and quick

  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped red onion
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup chiffonade basil leaves – click here to watch a video on how to chiffonade
  • 4 1″-1.5″-thick slices of baguette or French bread
  • 3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Since the tomatoes are the main attraction in this dish, choose ones that are juicy and flavorful, like heirloom, or vine-ripened ones. Cherry tomatoes also work.

In a small bowl, mix the chopped tomatoes, garlic, and onion. Add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Stir in the basil. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. It’s best to let it sit for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day ahead, but most of the times I am not that patient. When I make this dish it’s because I have a craving and I need to have it ASAP!

Bruschetta

Heat about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a medium pan. Add the sliced bread and fry on both sides until lightly brown and crunchy.

Place two pieces on each plate. Divide the tomato mixture into four portions and place on top of the bread slices. Enjoy with a knife and fork or devour by picking it up with your hands. Guess which one is my favorite way to eat it?

Variations:

  • Make it lighter by toasting the bread with no oil instead of frying it.
  • Make it lighter by not adding any olive oil to the tomato mixture.
  • In a pinch, and if you are absolutely desperate, for example if you are stranded on a deserted island, you can use chopped canned tomatoes. Let the juice drain completely.
  • Serve it slightly warm – but not cooked – if it’s chilly outside.

Do Ahead:

  • The tomato mixture can be made up to 1 day ahead.
  • The baguette can be fried one day ahead and heated in the toaster when ready to serve. But only if you are serving this to company and don’t want to spend your time in the kitchen while they are there. It’s really at it’s best when it’s made fresh.

 

 

Edamame & Kale Quiche

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When you mention quiche, most people probably think brunch or tea party. Personally, I like to eat quiche any time of day. Breakfast? Of course. Lunch? Yum. Dinner? You got it. Snack? Bring it on! It’s also great for picnics and potlucks. You can even cut it into bite-sized pieces and serve as an appetizer. Is there anything a quiche can’t do? I think not!

Technically you should blind bake the dough partially, but oops! I forgot when I was doing my video. I was going to remake it and redo the video, but when I baked it, it was still pretty great! The egg part wasn’t overcooked even after letting the dough get nice and brown.

I still say for a perfect quiche – like if you were entering into a quiche-making contest or something – blind bake the dough partially. But I’ll leave it up to you. I wonder what I will do next time I bake one…

Serves 4-6          Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 cups edamame
  • 1.5 cups kale, chopped and blanched (Click here to see a video on how to blanch)
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups half & half
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt for vegetable mixture, 1 teaspoon for egg mixture
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper for each mixture
  • 8 ounces goat cheese
  • 1 pie dough for 9” pie, homemade or store bought
  • sour cream or yogurt for garnish – optional

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Cook the edamame until it’s soft, but still has some texture or is al dente.

Blanch the chopped kale until bright green, about 30-40 seconds. Drain and Mix with the edamade and tarragon in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the half & half. Mix in the goat cheese, until combined but not complete incorporated. Leave some chunky pieces. Season with salt and pepper.

Roll out the pie dough to fit your pie dish. Make sure it’s large enough to come up the sides as well. Spread the edamame mixture evenly at the bottom of the dough. Then gently pour the egg mixture on top.

Bake until the crust is golden brown and the center is only slightly giggly, about one hour to one hour and 15 minutes.

Let cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting. You can serve it warm, at room temperature, or even cold. I wouldn’t necessarily plan to serve it cold, but if you came home from work late and are starving, you can grab a piece right out of the fridge and devour.

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Variations:

  • Skip the dough and make it a frittata. You don’t need to bake it as long, about 30-40, but still look for the slightly giggly texture in the middle. Let it cool down for the same amount of time, 15 minutes.
  • Use any combination of vegetables you like. Just stay away from things like tomatoes. It might make it too soggy. Unless you seed the tomatoes. (Click here for a video on how to peel and seed tomatoes.
  • If you are not concerned about keeping it vegetarian, add some cooked chicken, bacon, or sautéed pancetta. Yum!
  • Use different herbs like parsley, thyme, or chives or a combination.
  • For a little crunch and extra added fiber, protein, and magnesium, when your quiche (or frittata) is halfway cooked, sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on top.
  • Use other kinds of cheese like Gruyere, Brie, Parmigiano Reggiano, feta, Gouda, or Havarti.
  • Cut into bite-sized pieces and serve as an appetizer.

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 Do Ahead:

  • The fully cooked quiche can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • If making the dough yourself, you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • The vegetables can be cooked/blanched up to 3 days ahead.
  • The egg mixture, along with the vegetables, can be made a day ahead.

Caesar Salad In a Glass – No Forks Needed!

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Makes 1 cup of dressing          Difficulty Level: Easy +

Dressing

  • ½ teaspoon anchovy paste – can be found at grocery stores, usually in the canned tuna isle
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-2 tablespoon mayonnaise
  • ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ¾ cup olive oil

Salad

  • Romaine lettuce hearts – see below notes for amount
  • 1/3 of a Baguette
  • olive oil for brushing
  • 1 clove of garlic, cut in half
  • Parmigiano Reggiano, about 2 ounces or 1/3 cup

Notes:

  • You typically will use more dressing if making individual servings. If making a full salad in a bowl, you most likely will not use all the dressing.
  • The same is true with romaine lettuce. You will need about 3-4 hearts to make about 6-8 individual servings because you will use just the smaller leaves in the center. If making a full salad in a bowl, about 2 romaine hearts will serve 3-4 people as a side salad.
  • Classic Caesar dressing is made with anchovy filets, mashed with a fork. It also does not have mayonnaise. The creaminess comes from a raw egg yolk.

Caesar salad at Amy's

Instructions:

Put all ingredients except the olive oil in a small bowl and whisk together until well combined. Drizzle the olive oil in a steady but slow stream while whisking constantly. This will help emulsify the dressing.

Alternatively, put all ingredients in a mason jar, cover with the lid and shake vigorously until all ingredients are combined.

Wash and separate the lettuce leave, using only the smaller leaves that will fit in your individual serving dish.

Slice the baguette in exaggerated bias cuts. Brush one side with a little olive oil and toast in the toaster until crunchy. Alternatively, toast them in a 375° oven for about 3-4 minutes.

Once cool enough to handle, rub the oiled side of each slice with the glove of garlic. Remember, don’t go crazy! You just need to 2-3 strokes.

To assemble your individual salads, place about 1 tablespoon of dressing on the bottom. Pick 2-3 of the best leaves for each serving dish and dip the bottom in the dressing.

Put one slice of toasted baguette in each dish, and finish with some grated or shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

Variations:

  • As mentioned before, you can use this recipe and make a full salad in a bowl. You can still make the “croutons” the same way as described above and just crumble them into pieces in your salad
  • Add a cut piece of grilled chicken breast for each serving.

Do Ahead:

  • The dressing can be made up to 7-8 days ahead. In fact, when you are making it, why not make a double batch. That way you have fresh salad dressing all week.
  • The lettuce can be washed, and leaves separated one day ahead. To keep them crisp, loosely wrap the leaves in a damp paper towel, put in a plastic bag and keep in the fridge. Do not close the top of the bag. Give the lettuce a chance to breathe.
  • The croutons can be made up to one day ahead. If they get stale, pop them in the toaster to reheat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crudité Platter Upgraded!

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Whether you are hosting a party or are invited to bring a dish to a gathering, it’s so easy to go the same old stuff you know or can pick up at a store. But aren’t you tired of the same old unimaginative stuff you see at all parties? Well, here is an idea! Put down that package of Knorr Vegetable Soup Mix and take something ordinary – like a crudité platter – and make it into something extraordinary that will WOW everyone. Here are some tips:

Crudite Cucumber Cups

When I make a vegetable platter, I try not to use the same old carrots, cauliflower, celery, blah, blah, blah, boring. Or if I use common vegetables, I cut them in a different shape or use individual containers to make it look more interesting. For example, instead of just slicing cucumbers into rounds, I cut them lengthwise into quarters. (This works best with smaller cucumbers like the Persian variety.)

crudite

Some of the vegetables I like to use are jicama, blanched asparagus or green beans, endives, lettuce leaves, radishes, different colored bell peppers, and sliced fennel. If I use carrots, I get the multi-colored variety and cut them lengthwise. It’s all about the ingredients you use and how it’s presented.

endives with Dip

I hope you get inspired by these photos and make your own amazingly fabulous crudité platter. And please take pictures of your creation and share them with me in the comment section below. I would love to see them.

Crudite in a cup

Now go get your creative juices flowing!

Note: For the individual cucumber crudité in the second picture, I hollowed the cucumber and put the dip on the bottom.

Variations:

The possibilities are endless. go wild!

Do Ahead:

Most vegetables can be cut/sliced one day ahead.

Eggplant Parmesan Crisps

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Eggplant Parmesan Crisps

My inspiration for this recipe came from a Martha Stewart original. Except hers took 5,043 steps including growing your own tomatoes and eggplants, and probably making your own compost and generating your own heat. Whatever Martha!* So I just took the fried eggplant rounds from that recipe and made it into this beautiful appetizer.

The good news: this is an appetizer that is delicious and is sure to impress your guests, especially the vegetarians in the group.

The bad news: it needs to be assembled at the last minute. See below for do ahead tips.

*Write a comment below if you remember the show Whatever Martha. It was hilarious.

Makes 20 crisps

  • 6 ounces finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • 1 medium Japanese eggplant, peeled and sliced in ¼ inch slices
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1-2 cups panko bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup Marinara sauce – use your favorite homemade or store-bought sauce
  • 6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives for garnish

 

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees.

For the parmesan crisps, using a tablespoon measure, place cheese in mounds onto a nonstick silicone pad or greased parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Flatten the mounds with the back of a spoon, making sure they are at least 4″ apart. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes or until golden. Set aside. Turn up the oven to 375 degrees.

Generously season the eggplant slices with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge the slices in the flour, tapping off excess, then dip in the beaten egg, and finally in the panko to coat on all sides.

In a medium non-stick pan, heat ½ of the oil. Working in batches, fry the eggplant until golden brown on both sides. Add more oil if necessary as you start each batch. Drain the eggplant on paper towels.

Place all the eggplant slices on a sheet pan. Add about ½ teaspoon of tomato sauce on top of each slice, and top with a small amount of mozzarella cheese. Place in oven until the cheese melts, about 3 minutes. Let cool for 3-5 minutes.

To assemble, carefully place each eggplant stack on top of a parmesan crisp and garnish with chopped chives. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Variations:

  • Use regular mozzarella cheese if you don’t like smoked.
  • Use zucchini, or any other squash instead of eggplants.
  • How about pesto sauce instead of Marinara?
  • Feel free to add your suggestions in the comment section below.
  • For a lighter version, grill the eggplant rounds with a little olive oil instead of breading and frying them.

Do Ahead:

  • You can make the parmesan crisps and the fried eggplants 4-6 hours ahead of time. Leave at room temperature.
  • Although not ideal, you can make the eggplant stacks with the cheese and sauce, but don’t fully assemble them until ready to serve. This may make the eggplants soggy. But if you absolutely need to, go for it.

 

Questions? Ask me in the comment section below.