OVEN ROASTED PLUM TOMATOES

This recipe was presented on the Food Network Channel, thanks to Ina.

oven roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil

INGREDIENTS:

plum tomatoes, cut in halves and seeded

2 cloves garlic, sliced

olive oil

salt and pepper

splash of balsamic vinegar

fresh sliced mozzarella

fresh basil, cut chiffonade

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Place tomato halves on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic.  Season with the garlic, salt and pepper. 

Roast for 2 hours.

When the tomatoes are cool, layer on a serving platter with alternating slices of fresh mozzarella.

Sprinkle with the fresh basil strips.  Drizzle on some additional balsamic vinegar.

deliciously served with fresh baked sliced baguettes



MY NEW FAVORITE SPICE

I purchase mine from Penzeys

Za'atar (zaatar)  OR Zatar, is a mixture of sumac, sesame seed and herbs frequently used in the Middle East and Mediterranean areas.

It is often mixed with olive oil and spread on bread; sometimes this is done at the table, other times the mix is spread on the bread rounds which are then baked. Za'atar also serves as a seasoning to sprinkle on vegetables, salads or kebabs.  Each country has a distinctive style of Za'atar, and each family develops its own special blend.

My neighbor served this with a fresh baked baguette, and 2 dipping bowls, one for the olive oil, the second for the Zatar.  I, in turn, had company and served the same.  Makes a great appetizer!


PISTACHIO PESTO

delicious pistachio pesto served on triscuits

also good on:  bruschetta, baked pita chips,

crudites, steamed baby artichokes and poached shrimp

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup shelled unsalted roasted pistachios

24 large basil leaves, torn

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup Vegan Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp. sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

In a food processor, grind the garlic until finely minced.  Add the nuts, basil and parsley and pulse several times until finely chopped.

I process all the dry at one time.  Next add

liquids and process.  quick and easy!

Add the Vegan Parmesan and pulse just until combined. 

Add the olive oil, water, lemon juice, and salt.  Process just until the pesto is well combined.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. 

This pesto can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.  Cover and refrigerate.  Remove from the refrigerator 45 minutes before serving.

The pesto also freezes well; Place in a container with a tight fitting lid and freeze for up to 2 months.  Thaw in the refrigerator.

makes a nice rich appetizer for the holidays...

from a lovely little book:  Skinny Dips / Diane Morgan



MARINATED GOAT CHEESE

slices of goat cheese marinate in

oil and spices for 1 week

I used a blend of fresh and dried herbs

INGREDIENTS:

This is NOT an exact science, feel free to play.  Here's what I used:

4 small logs of goat cheese (next time I'll try mozzarella)

4 garlic cloves, sliced

3 sprigs rosemary

3 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp. black peppercorns

fresh lemon rind

2 tsp. capers, drained

Virgin olive oil to fill the jar

DIRECTIONS:

Carefully cut the goat-cheese logs into rounds.  This is easier to do when the cheese is cold.

Place half the herbs, spices and garlic in the jar.  Carefully add the cheese rounds, alternating with the remaining herbs and spices.

Fill the jar completely with olive oil.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 week.

To serve, bring the goat cheese to room temperature.  Serve with crackers or even better yet, spooned over warm bread.

tip:  assemble the ingredients while the cheese stays cold

also, brush a bit of oil on each slice so they don't stick together in the jar

GREEN AND RED SALSA

I used a combination of red cherry tomatoes and large green tomatoes

I found a basic salsa recipe and made changes to accommodate my garden's harvest and my taste buds.  I'm now using this as a dip as well as substituting this salsa for a more unhealthy salad dressing.  Just pour this over your salad...great flavor and texture!

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. firm tomatoes, core and eighth the green ones, cut cherry tomatoes in half
1 medium Vadallia onion, peel and coarsely chop
3/4 of a dried ANCHO Chili Pepper, chopped small and rehydrate in a bit of water
1 small can of chopped green chilies, mild, use the liquid too (since I eliminated all oil)
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
3 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. lime zest
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Agave nectar
1/3 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

the dried Ancho Chili Pepper, I get mine from Penzeys Spices

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the tomatoes, onion, chili pepper, chilies, garlic, salt, cumin and water in a stock pot.  Bring to a boil and cook covered on a medium-low heat burner for approximately ten minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add more water only if needed to maintain the most minimal broth.

Stir in and simmer for an additional five minutes, the lime zest, lemon juice, Agave and cilantro.  Taste the mixture and adjust the seasoning, if needed, by adding more lemon juice and/or salt to taste.

Use an emulsion blender to obtain the desired "chunky" consistency.

salsa at the beginning of the cooking process

yield was this jar full and 1 pt. container for the freezer

contains some small and large chunks, great

as dip or used as a salad dressing

salsa atop a garden salad

GARDEN INSPIRED APPETIZERS

My challenge was to create snacks using the abundance from my garden. 

More important than ever, since reading the NY Times article sent to me by brother Bill.  Eating dirt?  A good thing?  Hug a farmer?  Give up the germ killing wipes?  Read more:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/opinion/lets-add-a-little-dirt-to-our-diet.html?_r=2&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y


For my late afternoon cocktail hour, I finally decided on:

sweet cherry tomatoes with 2 dipping sauces, fresh basil pesto and tzatziki,

baba ganoush with crackers for dipping and

dressed fresh tomato slices with sliced mozzarella and whole basil leaves

both tomatoes and basil from my garden

cherry tomatoes from the garden served with

tzatziki and homemade basil pesto

baba ganoush with dipping crackers

TOMATO PEACH SALSA

cherry tomatoes from the garden

INGREDIENTS:

2 ripe peaches, diced

1 1/2 to 2 pints cherry tomatoes, cut into 1/4s

1/2 large red onion, minced

1 yellow sweet pepper, diced

cilantro to taste

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp. white vinegar

1 Tbsp. agave nectar

1/4 to 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 limes, juiced

DIRECTIONS:

In a food processor, puree about 3/4 cup of the whole baby tomatoes. 

Mix together the peaches, the blended tomatoes, the diced tomatoes, red onion and pepper.  Season with the cilantro, salt and pepper.

Add the vinegar, agave nectar, oil and lime juice.  Stir all together and let sit a bit to blend the flavors.



serve as a salsa or as a cold soup / gazpacho

LAST MINUTE CHIPS

after preparing a large bowl of fresh guacamole; I was faced with NO crackers or pita bread

I substituted whole wheat tortillas for the recipe below

PITA CHIPS

INGREDIENTS:

4 whole wheat pita pockets
1/2 cup olive oil, more if needed or desired
1 - 2 tsp. granulated garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut the pitas carefully in half so that you have 8 thin pita circles.  Cut each circle into 8 pizza-like wedges.

us a pizza cutter for even cuts

Arrange on foil lined baking sheet.

In small bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Use a grill or pastry brush to lightly brush the seasoned oil evenly over each pita wedge.

Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes.  Keep an eye on the chips because they can get extra crispy very quickly.

Remove from the oven and serve with your favorite dip or eat alone as a snack.  Yield: 64 chips

to my oil, I added some taco seasoning with the garlic, salt and pepper

makes a good last minute dipper

TORTELLINI CAPRESE BITES

INGREDIENTS:

1 (9oz.) pkg. refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
cups grape tomatoes
3 (8oz) containers fresh small mozzarella cheese balls
roasted garlic cloves
pitted Greek Kalamata olives
pepper
wooden skewers ( I used the 4 inch)
Basil Vinaigrette

VINAIGRETTE:

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

Prepare tortellini according to package directions.  Rinse under cold running water.  Pat dry.

Prepare to assemble the KABOBS.  Vary what you put on each one.  Some will have an olive, some will have cheese.  Mix it up.  With the four inch skewer you should be able to fit 4 or 5 items on it IF you are using a roasted garlic clove as a kabob item.  Thread the food items onto the skewers.

Place skewers in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish.  Pour the vinaigrette over the skewers, turning to coat.  Cover and chill 2 hrs.

Transfer skewers to serving platter, and sprinkle with pepper to taste.  Discard the extra vinaigrette.

assembled and awaiting the marinade

using different combos to appeal to different tastes

ready to serve

PIZZA HUMMUS

another low fat hummus - PIZZA!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
3 cloves garlic
3 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 1/2 cup liquid reserved
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. 

Add the tomato paste, oregano, and basil and cook until slightly toasted, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the tomato paste mixture to a food processor. 

Add the garlic, chickpeas, chickpea liquid, tahini, lemon juice and 1 tsp. salt. 

Puree until smooth and creamy.

MY NEW FAVORITE CRACKER

wafer thin and extra crisp

nice size for appetizers

While visiting with friends in Tampa, I was introduced to a great new cracker.  I searched to find these crispy little gems only to find them nearby in Publix AND everywhere via the net. 

This Denver, CO company, 34 degrees, bills this cracker as "flat out" good.  I buy the whole wheat version (4 others are available)  and love making breakfast sandwiches with two crackers surrounding almond butter and nutella.  YUM!  The company suggests Cheddar and Gouda, nut butters and also sliced avocado and sea salt.  Whatever you choose, these thin and crisp crackers are totally addictive.

Check out the other flavors and serving ideas at their web site.

http://34-degrees.com/entertain.php


THE BEST NEWS:  9 crackers adds up to a mere 35 calories.  0 fat, 0 cholesterol, 7 grams carbs,
1 gram fiber, 0 sugars, 1 gram protein



BRO BILL'S ROASTED VEGGIE SPREAD

You can play around with the ingredients with this recipe BUT this is MY version.  Initially I serve this one as an appetizer spread.  Great on some thin crackers.  The next day or two, a wonderful omelet addition OR serve over pasta.  YUM!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

INGREDIENTS:

2  medium white sweet onions, cut into chunks
1 medium red onion, cut into chunks
6 large peppers, 1 green, 2 yellow, 2 red, 1 orange
5 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bulb fennel, cut into chunks
1 medium zucchini, cubed
salt
pepper
olive oil (about 1/4 cup)
balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS:

To a large roasting pan, add the onions, peppers, garlic, fennel, salt, pepper and olive oil to moisten all. Toss.
Bake about 30 minutes then add the zucchini, stir together and continue to roast.

Total cooking time is approximately 1 1/2 hr. to 2 1/2 hr.  Stir occasionally.  The vegetables will shrink down, thicken,  and start to turn dark - caramelize.

When finished, remove from the heat and splash balsamic vinegar over.  Mix.

I cook this in a large roasting pan and it cooks down so much that I serve it in a 10 inch quiche dish.

in the process of roasting in the oven

the finished recipe / serve as an appetizer for dipping, omelet ingredient OR over pasta

SAVORY CREAM PUFFS

this savory cream puff makes a great appetizer OR treat it as a bread course

years ago, I used to push a small piece of olive into the dough before cooking so that each puff held a surprise

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup water

1/3 cup oleo

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

4 eggs

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 small Bermuda onion

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Heat water and oleo to rolling boil.

Stir in flour, salt and garlic powder.

Stir vigorously, until mix forms a ball.

Beat in eggs until smooth (whisk).

Stir in cheese and onion.

Drop 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake until puffed and golden 20 to 25 minutes.

CHRISTMAS BEACH PICNIC

self-portrait

is it lunch time yet?

appetizers for lunch:

steamed shrimp with horseradish cocktail sauce, savory cream puffs, spinach bites,

Swiss cheese cubes with yellow mustard

cheese, this time the REAL thing!  what a treat

the BEST part of lunch / Graham Beck sparkling white wine

even a Santa sighting

A BLACK BEAN HUMMUS

a combo of two different beans with fresh lime juice

INGREDIENTS:

1 can chick peas, rinse and drain

1 can black beans, rinse and drain

1/4 cup water

2 whole limes, juiced

1/4 cup tahini

3 cloves garlic

1 1/2 tsp. cumin

2 Tbsp. cilantro (or to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

In a powerful blender OR food processor, add chick peas, black beans, lime juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, and cilantro.

Refrigerate overnight for optimum flavor melding.

Serve with veggies, crackers, or pitas OR use as a sandwich spread.

BUFFALO WING HUMMUS

takes minutes to combine ingredients in the food processor

buffalo wing hummus

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 1/2 cup liquid reserved

2 to 3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. smoky paprika

2 Tbsp. barbecue sauce

cayenne hot sauce, to taste

1 Tbsp. distilled white vinegar

kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

Put the chickpeas, chick pea liquid, garlic tahini, lemon juice, paprika, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, vinegar and 1 1/2 tsp. salt in a food processor.

Puree until smooth and creamy.

Serving = 2 Tbsp.

calories =     39

fat =               1g

saturated=     0

cholesterol=     0

sodium=      138 mg

carbs=             5g

fiber=               1g

protein=            2g

SEITAN SMART WINGS

found these at Publix

 

takes 4 to 5 minutes to prepare

really very very good

I like to dip these in a (low fat) yogurt blue cheese dressing

I eat these as a main dish but they would be great served as an appetizer or sandwich ingredient.

about seitan and recipes:  http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjseitan.htm

SOUR CREAM AND ONION HUMMUS

recipe makes about 4 cups

I found this recipe in the Food Network Magazine.  This gem comes from the The Desert Cafe in Baltimore.  This restaurant has a rotating menu of more than 175 versions of hummus including sushi and banana split.

Don't be fooled by the name - this recipe contains NO oil or sour cream!  The nutritional breakdown:

Per 2 Tbsp. serving:

38 calories

1 g. fat  (saturated 0 )

0 cholesterol

67 mg. sodium

5 g. carbohydrate

1 g. fiber

2 g. protein

INGREDIENTS:

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed, 1/2 cup liquid reserved

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup tahini

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. dried minced onion

1 1/2 tsp. onion powder

1 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS:

Put the chickpeas, chickpea liquid, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, dried onion, onion powder, granulated garlic and 1 tsp. salt in a food processor.

Puree until smooth and creamy.