Caramel Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and water over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, without stirring. If necessary, use a wet pastry brush to wash down any crystals on the side of the pan. Boil until the syrup is a deep amber color (I look for the first hint of smoke and remove the pan from the heat immediately) -- about 5 to 6 minutes.
2. Remove the sugar from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble. Stir in the unsalted butter, and salt. Transfer the caramel to a dish and cool.

Based on a recipe I found at http://m.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/kelsey-nixon/salted-caramel-sauce.html

Mini Cheese Cake with Caramel Topping

(I forgot to take a photo with the caramel on top.)

Ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
• ⅔ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt (I couldn't get fat free Greek yogurt, so I used regular)
• 12 ounces ⅓-less-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• Caramel Sauce (here: http://www.foodiefunk.com/2014/10/caramel-sauce.html)

Instructions

Instead of the 12-cup muffin tin, I used a 6-cup jumbo muffin tin. There was still enough cracker crust mix and cheese cake mix to make about four more cakes. 

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, combine the melted butter, 1 tbsp sugar and graham cracker crumbs until evenly wet.
3. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin well with cooking spray. Spoon about 1 packed tablespoon crumb mixture into each muffin cup; press crumbs firmly into bottom. Bake at 300° for 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; cool.
4. Place brown sugar, yogurt, and cream cheese in processor, mixer or blender; process until smooth. Add vanilla, table salt, and eggs; process until smooth.
5. Spoon about 3 tablespoons batter into each muffin cup.
6. Bake at 300° for 18 minutes or until centers of cheesecakes barely move when pan is touched. Remove pan from oven; cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Cover pan; refrigerate cheesecakes 3 hours or until well chilled.
7. Run a thin knife around outside edge of each cheesecake. Carefully remove cheesecakes from pan; place on a platter. Chill cheesecakes until ready to serve.
8. In a double boiler, melt the caramel squares and milk, stirring occasionally.
9. Spoon about 1 tablespoon caramel over each cheesecake.

Based on a recipe I found at http://www.mysanfranciscokitchen.com/mini-salted-caramel-cheesecakes/

Bacon wrapped, bleu cheese filled, pitted dates

Ingredients:
1 lb bacon
40 pitted dates
2/3 c crumbled blue cheese

Instructions.

Preheat oven to  400°

1. Cut bacon strips into halves (you may need more than a pound if its think cut - you need twenty full length bacon strips total.) In a large skillet, cook bacon in batches over medium heat until partially cooked but not crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; keep warm.

2. Carefully cut a slit in the center of each date; fill with blue cheese. Wrap a bacon piece around each stuffed date; secure with wooden toothpicks.

3. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until bacon is crisp. 

Yield: 40 pieces

I had these first at a local restaurant, the Federal Taphouse. They call them, "Devil on Horseback". I call them better than sex.

Blackberry Simple Syrup

Ingredients:
4c fresh blackberries
4c white sugar
4c water

Instructions.
Put all ingredients in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. 

Stir continuously mashing the fruit as you stir. Use a potato masher to help breakdown the fruit. (The idea here is to extract the juice from the pulp and seeds.)
Heat until mixture begins to just boil and remove from heat.
Set aside and allow to cool.
Pour through a fine strainer to separate pulp and seeds from syrup.
Put the syrup in a quart (or two pints) and refrigerate for up to three weeks or freeze in a muffin tin for longer storage.

Ready for the freezer.

Cheese, Onion & Sweet Pepper Cornbread

Ingredients:

Topping
1 c onion - diced into 1/4" pieces
1 c sweet green pepper - diced into 1/4" pieces
olive oil for sautéing

Cornbread - see recipe here. Replace black beans with onion & pepper topping.

Instructions. Topping instructions
1. heat a skillet on high heat. When hot add a coating of olive oil.
2. Immediately add onions & peppers
3. Saute on high until onions begin to brown and peppers are softened.
4. Remove from heat.

Follow corn bread recipe instructions using onions & peppers in place of black beans.

Serve with pico de gallo, salsa, guacamole, or fajita filling.

Red Pepper Hummus

Ingredients:

• 2 red bell peppers (roasted, skinned and diced)
• 1.5 cups (one 15 oz. can) cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained if canned (equals 1/2 c dry beans soaked overnight and cooked for 45-90 minutes)
• 2-3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/4 cup raw tahini (sesame paste)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sea salt (or less if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions.

• 1. If you are anal, skin the chickpeas. It will take a while. You might start to curse, or give up altogether.
  2. Roast red peppers directly over burner on stove until blackened on all sides. Put in a paper bag for 10 minutes. Peel off skin, dice into 1/8" pieces
  3. In a food processor, blend the garbanzo beans and garlic cloves very well. Add the tahini, lemon juice, salt, broth and oil and process until fully emulsified and creamy. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to ten days. For best results, allow to warm to room temperature before serving.
  4. Add 1/2 of the peppers to the food processor and blend (peppers should still be visible.)
  5. Serve hummus in a bowl and garnish on top with the other 1/2 of the peppers.

Hasselback Salami

 





Ingredients
1 lg salami

2 c orange marmalade
1 1/2 c Dijon mustard
4 T bourbon

3 T molasses
4 T ketchup

1 T ground Cayene pepper

Preheat oven to 350° F

Slice salami on a bias into 1/8" cuts leaving about 1/4" on the bottom (or set between two chopsticks and use them to stop each cut.)

In a sauce pan, mix remaining ingredients, whisking until well blended. Allow to come to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove sauce from heat and allow to cool.

Place salami in an oven-safe casserole dish. Pour sauce over top, slowly working in between each cut. Drizzle remainder over the whole salami coating all exposed surfaces.

Bake in oven for 45 minutes, basting every 10-15 minutes with pan juices/sauce.

Decant leftover sauce into a dish to serve along with assorted crackers & cheeses.

Based on recipe from http://www.busyinbrooklyn.com/drunken-hassleback-salami/

Alevropita (two variations: with and without Spinach)

Ingredients
4 T extra-virgin olive oil
4 tsp. vodka
2 egg
2 c water
2 1/2 c white flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking powder
1 lb feta, crumbled
1/2 c chopped Spinach
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided into small pieces and softened

Preheat oven to 500 degree F
You will need two 13x18 jelly roll pans (1" rim)

For the first variation, I put 1/2 lb feta and Spinach in a food processor and pulse until spinach and feta are combined into a fine gravel texture. Place mixture in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the second variation, just use the 1/2 lb of crumbled feta alone.

1. To mix the batter, put the dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking powder) in a large bowl and sift together. In a separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients (olive oil, vodka, eggs and water) until well blended. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until well blended.

2. Place both pans in the hot oven for 10 minutes. Remove and immediately brush on a liberal amount of olive oil on the bottom and sides. Put 1/2 of the batter in each pan and spread evenly with a silicone spatula (rubber might melt on the hot pan.) Distribute the spinach-feta mixture on one and just feta on the other. Distribute 1/2 of the butter onto the batter in each pan evenly as well.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pans after 10 minutes. Batter should be crispy, cheese should be bubbly and browned slightly.

Serve traditionally with sweet mint tea.

Cheddar Bacon Dip

24 oz (2 bottles) dark beer
8 oz neufchatel cheese diced in 1/2" cubes
24 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded
1 bunch green onions
12 oz bacon cooked and diced
6 T cornstarch

Clean onions, dice white parts and keep separate. Dice firm part of greens and keep separate.  Saute white parts until translucent.

Put a few tablespoons of chopped bacon aside with diced green onion for garnish. 

Put remaining bacon, sauteed onion and grated cheese in a large bowl and mix thoroughly with cornstarch. Add diced Neufchatel and coat completely.

In a large saucepan heat beer just below boiling. Slowly add cheese mixture, whisking to melt and blend thoroughly before adding the next batch of cheese. Whisk constantly. When all cheese us added heat and whisk creamy.  Serve with crackers and/or bread in a warmed dish with garnish on top.

Black Bean and Cheddar Cornbread (Gluten Free)

4 c corn flour

3 T + 1 t baking powder

1 t salt

3 c milk

2 T molasses

3 T olive oil

1 T cilantro

2 t cumin

2 large eggs

1 1/2 c + 1 c grated cheddar cheese

1 c cooked black beans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease one low rimmed jelly roll pan with shortening.

1. Sift together dry ingredients in mixing bowl

2. In a separate bowl, whisk milk, eggs, molasses and oil.

3. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients all at once.

4. Beat thoroughly.

5. Hand fold in 1 c grated cheese and beans.

6. Pour batter onto pan, spreading evenly.

7. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 c grated cheese over the top of the batter evenly.

8. Bake 15-20 minutes until surface begins to get golden.

Serve with Salsa, Sour Cream and Re-fried Black Beans.

Alternate serving ideas - see this link.

Polenta, Camerbert and Thyme Hor D'Oeurves

6 c water
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
2 c coarse cornmeal
Extra Virgin Olive oil
8 oz Camembert Cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons thyme 

1. Lightly oil 2 baking sheets. Combine 6 cups water and salt in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil. Gradually add cornmeal, whisking until smooth. Reduce heat to low. Blend in grated parmesan cheese. Cover and cook until polenta is thick and creamy, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes.
   
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
   
3. Spoon warm polenta out onto wet work surface. Roll out polenta with wet rolling pin to 3/16" thickness. Cool completely. Using wet 1 3/4- to- 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out polenta rounds. Discard polenta scraps.
   
4. Transfer rounds to baking sheets. Lightly brush polenta with oil. Bake polenta 25 minutes. Turn polenta rounds over. Lightly brush with oil and bake until polenta is slightly puffed and pale golden, about 15 minutes longer.
   
5. Slice Camembert cheese into 1/8" wedges. Place a wedge on each polenta round as you place them on a platter. Sprinkle with thyme and serve.

Based on a recipe from Bon Appétit, March 2000

Two-Cheese Gourgeres

1 ½ c plus 2 T water

½ c whole milk

8 T unsalted butter

1 t salt

120 g white rice flour

150 g gluten-free corn flour* (Bob’s Red Mill)

2 t mustard powder

1 ½ t minced rosemary

½ t freshly ground black pepper

6 eggs plus 2 egg whites (room temperature)

80 g strongly flavored bleu cheese, crumbled

140 g extra sharp cheddar, grated

Preheat oven to 425º F with a rack in the middle position.

Spray two sheet pans with cooking spray, then cover with parchment paper.

1.     Combine water, milk, butter and salt in a 2 quart heavy saucepan. Heat on medium-low, and bring the mixture to a boil. (The butter should melt before it boils.)

2.     Meanwhile whisk the flours, mustard powder, rosemary, and pepper for about 30 seconds to aerate and break up any clumps. Set aside. In a glass measure whisk the eggs to blend. Set aside.

3.     Once the water mixture has just started to boil, dump all of the flour mixture in at once. Stir the mixture with a heat proof spatula until the flour is mostly incorporated. Use the spatula to smear the mixture across the bottom of the pan in a stirring fashion, continuously for 3 to 4 minutes. A thin film of flour will have build up on the bottom of the pan.

4.     Transfer the dough to the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process for 15 to 20 seconds to cool slightly. With the processor running add the eggs through the feed tube in a stream over about 15 seconds. Stop the processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the cheese. Process for about 45 seconds, until cheese is fully incorporated and the dough has formed a smooth paste.

5.     Transfer the paste to a piping bag, with a ½-inch diameter round nozzle. Pipe the dough into 1 ¼-inch circles about ¾-inch high, making sure to leave about 1 inch between gougeres. Use a dampened spoon or fingertip to smooth out the peaks to prevent burning.

6.     Bake 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375º F and bake an additional 18 to 20 minutes. The puffs should be a very deep golden brown, or they will deflate upon cooling. Turn oven off. Use a wooden spoon to hold oven door open a crack. Wait 20 to 25 minutes to allow puffs to dry a bit, then serve warm.

Serve with Hot Mustard

Cheese Fondue

1/2 lb Gruyere Cheese
1/2 lb Swiss Cheese
2 T corn starch
2 c Dry Chardonnay wine
1/2 t white pepper
2 cloves fresh garlic

Shred cheeses.  Mix together with cornstarch to coat.  Set aside.

Peel and half garlic cloves.  Rub thoroughly over bottom and sides of a large saucepan.  Leave garlic in pan and add wine.  Heat over medium heat until wine just begins to bubble.  Remove garlic cloves.

Whisk in cheese about 1 cup at a time, waiting between to allow to melt and blend into warm mixture. When all of the cheese is mixed in, add white pepper and blend well.

Pour into fondue pot or small crock pot on low.

Yields about 2 quarts.

This fondue refrigerates well and can be warmed for serving in a microwave later.

Rueben Dip

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing
16 ounces sauerkraut, rinsed and squeezed dry
8 ounces shredded corned beef
16 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and dressing.
2. Spread sauerkraut into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer corned beef, Swiss cheese, and the mayonnaise-dressing mixture on top of the sauerkraut.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.