Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Asparagus Puff Pastry Spirals

It seems everyone is looking for that one great party snack. That perfect hors d’oeuvres that achieves the impossible. It has to be tasty – a real crowd pleaser. It must look impressive; some might say kind of fancy. Oh, and it has to be easy. The ability to make-ahead would be nice too. As the requirements grow, the list of possible options shrink. I get it – high dazzle, minimum effort. Story of my life.

Well, you can stop your searching because I've found some seasonal dazzle for you!

Easy to prepare, but oh so elegant...these tempting appetizers feature asparagus spears individually wrapped with prosciutto, garlic &  cheese and flaky puff pastry. We made them as a part of our Easter Sunday appetizers and they were a huge hit.

Prosciutto wrapped Asparagus in Puff Pastry

Yields 24 hors d’oeurves

2 dozen fresh asparagus spears, rinsed and tough ends trimmed from bottoms
1 sheet puff pastry (thawed)
6 oz. Sliced Prosciutto (12 slices, cut in half to yield 24 pieces)
1 large egg
1 TB water Garlic powder
pepper ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, bring 1” water to a boil; add asparagus. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer asparagus to a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process. Once cool, drain the asparagus and pat dry.

Roll a piece of prosciutto around the middle of each asparagus spear. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Prepare an egg wash by whisking the egg with 1 TB water in a small bowl. Set aside.

On a lightly floured board, roll puff pastry to about 1/8” thick. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush egg wash over entire surface of puff pastry.

Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder, black pepper, and some of the parmesan cheese. Go over once lightly with the rolling pin to help seasonings adhere to pastry.

Using a pizza or rotary cutter, cut puff pastry into ½” strip.

Roll pastry strip around asparagus spear and set on parchment lined baking sheet, tucking loose ends under.

Brush each pastry wrapped spear lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

If you plan to serve immediately, bake spears for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

If preparing the hors d’oeurves for a party in advance, par-bake for only 15 minutes. Once cooled, they can be refrigerated overnight and baked for 8-10 minutes at 400 (till golden brown) just before serving. 

A St. Patrick's Day Feast

Last night Paul and I hosted our annual St. Patrick's Day dinner. We generally plan a menu that is based upon colour/theme rather than traditional Irish fare. I remember a friend from Ireland being scandalized at the thought of serving corned beef for guests. In her mind it was the sort of thing equated with a poor meal at home rather than a celebration. I imagine that there isn't a darn thing traditional about green beer either! Funny how we take traditional holidays and make them all our own in North America!

We had the house cleaned, the table set, and all of the prep work done by 1:30. There was plenty of time for a nap and relaxation until people arrived at 6:00.

The table was set and decorated with a green and white theme.

Each place setting had a 'Pot o'Gold' and some St. Patrick's Day treats.

Mom's spot had this wonderful 'Irish Princess' tiara which she promptly put on as soon as she saw it and wore it all night!

like a princess, she arrived unfashionably late. She was supposed to be here at 6:00 and at 6:10 when I called her she was still at home. By the time she arrived things were a wee bit more cooked than one might normally desire. You'll see in the pictures that things are a wee bit more golden than usual. SIGH

It had been a cool and foggy day so we had been debating our plan to have drinks and appetizers out on the terrace. Fortunately the sun came out and things warmed up so out we went!

The cheese board was a mixed thing - some Irish cheddar, Spanish almonds, carrot jam we had bought in Italy, and other assorted cheeses that we had in the refrigerator.

The real hit was the drink - a Green Lantern. This may seem a titch strange - it's made with 1 cup of parsley - but it really was soooo good. I can see myself sipping this on a hot summer day . . . or trying it with other combinations of herbs.

In addition to the cheese platter I had made the Reuben Dip that we learned how to make in a cooking class a few years ago. This is one of those simple things that causes everyone to ohh and ahh and no one knows how little work you actually did! Hot, goeey, and with all of the flavour so the traditional Reuben sandwich, this is always a hit.

See what I mean about it being a tad more 'golden' than you might normally desire. SIGH

Anyway. I shall move on.

We served pieces of marble rye bread, pretzel crisps, and trarelli with the dip.

The other dish we enjoyed on the terrace was an amazing cheddar and stout fondue. Stout is a dark beer so the fondue takes on an odd colour that some might find unappetizing. I guarantee that as soon as they dip their first bit of veggie into the mixture they'll be past the colour and looking for a spoon to really dig away!

The fondue was served with par-cooked baby potatoes, brussels sprouts, cauliflower florets, and wedges of apples.

As soon as the sun went down it quickly got quite cool. We gathered everything up and raced inside. Paul promptly put on the fire.

We moved into the dining room for the rest of our meal.

Next up was a cheddar soup served with cheddar coins. This course was inspired by our visit to Prince Edward County last December. The inn we stayed at (the Waring House) is famous for their cheddar soup. I found the recipe online and made it with some 8 year old cheddar from the Black River Cheese Company. The cider we used was from the County Cider company. The cheddar coins were bought in the Waring House store - essentially they are cheddar shortbread cookies with a wonderful hit of Cayenne pepper. YUM

For the main course we switched things up a bit. I think we have made everything the same for the past 8 years! The only thing that was the same on the menu this year was the corned beef with a cider/mustard/horseradish glaze and mom's famous Irish soda bread. On the side we served colcannon (a wonderful mixture of mashed potatoes, cabbage, and onions), honey roasted carrots with pistachios, and maple roasted brussels sprouts with chopped hazelnuts.

When I asked Paul what he wanted for dessert he promptly said a key lime cheesecake . . . I'm not sure where that request came from since we're not big cheesecake eaters OR makers and I doubt he'd ever had a key lime version at a restaurant. Anyway, thanks to my good friend google I found this recipe on the epicurious site.

Even though there were a number of steps involvrf they were easy to follow and resulted in a delicious cheesecake that wasn't as heavy as some baked cheesecakes can be. The final result looks impressive with the four layers (graham cracker crust, lime curd, lime cheesecake, and sour cream topping). Happily it tasted great too!

Grilled Figs with Gorgonzola and Prosciutto

First of all, let me apologize from the onset for the crappy photos of this dish - I had no intentions of blogging about it so I wasn't too concerned about the picture. Then Rome Roams commented yesterday and asked me to post the recipe.

This is one of my 'go to' appetizers . . . easy to make, ingredients one can readily get, quick to prepare, and everyone goes overboard with the ohhhsss and ahhhs. I posted a recipe for a similar dish back in 2008 but truth be told, this was much better!

So, with apologies for the crap photo . . . this one is for you Rome Roams . . .

Grilled Figs with Gorgonzola and Prosciutto

12 large fresh black Mission figs, trimmed, and cut in half
4 ounces gorgonzola cheese, cut into 24 slices
12 thin slices of prosciutto, cut in half length-wise (strips)
1 sprig of rosemary 
balsamic glaze (I bring this home from Italy but you can easily make your own)

Set the figs skin side down. Place 1 pieceof cheeseon the cut side of each fig; gently push it inside. Sprinkle 2 or 3 fresh rosemary leaves on top of the cheese. Wrap one piece of prosciutto around each fig so that the cheese is covered. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to help the prosciutto adhere to the figs.

Preheat grill.

Place figs on; grill 6 minutes or until prosciutto is crisp.

Drizzle each fig with balsamic syrup.

Hello Spring . . .

It seems crazy - the same weekend that tens of thousands head south to warmer temperatures for spring break we were graced with well above normal temperatures here in the Toronto area.  So warm that records weren't just broken . . . they were shattered. The 'cynic in me' is prepared for a late March or April snowfall - especially since we really haven't had a good dumping of snow all winter. The 'glass is half full dammit guy' felt the heat of the sun on his skin and smiled.

I moved the chairs outside and sat in the sun reading.

I listened to the birds.

I mentally made a note of what needed doing in the garden. 'Tis a loooooong list!

Mom came over for dinner so we went for  a nice walk in the forest. We fed the ducks.

I grilled some gorgonzola stuffed figs wrapped in prosciutto.

We sat on the terrace and enjoyed coctails and appetizers.

Ahhhh . . . spring. ;-)

 

Beef and Gorgonzola Toasts with Herb-Garlic Cream

This edition of the Cooking Light Supper Club has been more challenging then most. For starters two members of the group had to resign - life just got too busy for blogging - we'll miss Jamie and Mary Anne.

Then there was a wee problem with my recipe. Ok. Let me clarify - the recipe was fine. I made this a few weeks ago and we LOVED it. Unfortunately I deleted the picture before I could blog about it.

Porca Miseria

I had a Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club crisis of extraordinary proportions on my hands! Happily I had the ingredients on hand to make the recipe again so that was exactly what I did. You know it was good if I whipped it together twice in a 2 week period!

The theme this time out was selected by Sandi - she picked Holiday hors d'Oeuvres - perfect for this time of the year. I picked a recipe that I thought would be perfect for holiday entertaining - simple to make, impressive to look at (and taste), and much of it could be made in advance. we loved the way this came together in no time and tasted amazing (both times that I made it)!

Beef and Gorgonzola Toasts with Herb-Garlic Cream

1 (1 1/4-pound) beef tenderloin, trimmed
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
30 (1/4-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette, toasted
10 tablespoon Herb-Garlic Cream (see below
30 baby spinach leaves
5 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Preheat oven to 475°.

Place tenderloin on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 475° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 425° (do not remove tenderloin from oven); bake an additional 20 minutes or until thermometer registers 145° (medium-rare) to 160° (medium) or until desired degree of doneness. Cover tenderloin with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Cut tenderloin across grain into very thin slices.

Spread each baguette slice with 1 teaspoon Herb-Garlic Cream; top each with 1 spinach leaf. Divide beef evenly among bread slices; sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon cheese.

Herb-Garlic Cream

2/3 cup fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; cover and chill.

Fresh Tomato and Ricotta Tart

The tomatoes this summer have been amazing. The flavour has been so pronounced that they don't need much adornment at all. A few weeks ago I was rooting through the fridge and found some ricotta that needed to be eaten up. his sent me to google to see if I could find some sort of tomato ricotta tart. Happily this recipe from the Washington Post popped onto the browser.

Using prepared puff pastry sheets, this tart takes only 10 minutes to assemble. Wonderfully versatile, the tart can serve as an hors d'oeuvre, appetizer, lunch entree or even a side dish (we ate it for dinner with a salad  . . . although someone, who shall remain nameless, might have had three pieces). Look for really red tomatoes or colourful heirloom tomatoes: the more vibrant the color, the more attractive the tart.

The taste is fresh and delicious - a perfect showcase for the fresh tomatoes that sadly will be disappearing from the markets hereabouts shortly.

 
Fresh Tomato and Ricotta Tart

2 sheets (about 1 pound) puff pastry (each 9- to 10-inch-square)
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, beaten
Freshly ground pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
2 large (about 1 pound) tomatoes, cut in half and sliced 1/4 inch thick

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and place a puff pastry sheet on each piece of parchment. Using a small knife, form a 1-inch "frame" around the edge of the pastry by cutting a row of diagonal marks in the dough. Do not cut all the way through. Use a fork to prick the area inside the frame every 2 or 3 inches. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 1/2 cup of Parmesan and the egg. Add pepper and nutmeg to taste and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the pastry, keeping it inside the frame. Cover the ricotta with the slices of one tomato, overlapping the slices slightly, like shingles on a roof. Sprinkle half of the remaining Parmesan over the tomatoes. Repeat with the remaining ricotta mixture, tomato slices and Parmesan. Bake until the pastry has puffed and browned, about 20 minutes. Let it rest 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers

A month has flown by and it is time for another Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club - a greta opportunity to get together with a great group of folks and enjoy good food and fun. This month's theme has us heading to the beach for a Beachcomber Picnic. Everyone is bringing something to enjoy while hanging out at the beach. I assumed that there would be a BBQ at the beach so my contribution is these jalapeno poppers.

I've always looked askance at jalapeno poppers when I have seen others order them at a restaurant - stuffed with cheese, breaded, and fried these so-called treats are no treat for your waistline! A serving generally packs more than 600 calories and a weeks worth of fat. This version from Cooking Light has less than 100 calories per serving - the problem is that they taste so darn good that I defy you to only eat a normal serving.

The three-cheese filling is a delicious complement for the spicy peppers. You can also use a milder chile, such as a cherry pepper (but why would you want to? *smile*).  If you're worried about the heat be sure to both seed AND devein the peppers as this is where most of the pepper's heat is found.

Grilled Jalapeno Poppers

1/2 cup (4 ounces) soft goat cheese
1/2 cup (4 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
16 jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

 Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Spoon about 2 teaspoons cheese mixture into each pepper half. Place pepper halves, cheese side up, on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill peppers 5 minutes or until bottoms of peppers are charred and cheese mixture is lightly browned. Carefully place peppers on a serving platter. Sprinkle with cilantro.

To see what the rest of the gang brought for supper you can visit their pages here:

Roz of La Bella Vita 's panzannella with tomato, bacon, and basil salad.

Val from More Than Burnt Toast lightened up fried chicken with this  oven fried chicken.

Sandi of The Whistlestop Cafe served up orange flavored couscous.

Jamie of Mom's Cooking Club brought along a second salad - spinach pasta salad.

Mary Ann of Meet Me in the Kitchen rounds out the meal with a Lemonade Layer Cake.

What a feast. If I could eat like this I might go to the beach a bit more! *smile*

White Bean and Garlic Scapes Dip

For the past couple of years food bloggers have been blathering on about garlic scapes during the late spring. Until last week I had never seen them but when I was at the market there they were - 5 bunches for $ 5. of course the food craziness hit me and I bought 5 bunches. I had no idea if I liked them or had a clue what I was going to do with them but dammit, I had to have them.

Garlic scapes are the green, Medusa-haired offspring of garlic plants. I’m not sure how much you all know about garlic but it’s planted in the fall. There are two main kinds, softneck and hardneck garlic. Hardneck garlic usually shoot up flower stalks in late spring. These stalks are also known as garlic scapes. They are generally cut off so that the garlic bulbs will get plumper & fatter. Imagine the punch of garlic mixed with a little whiff of freshly mown green grass. 

The season for garlic scapes is short so high-tail it to your local farmer’s market before you miss it.

With a milder garlic flavor and a satisfying crunch, garlic scapes are delicious cut up for salads or stir-fries. Another suggestion is to puree them into a soup with green garlic, potato and thyme (search nytimes.com for“Double Garlic Soup” for the recipe).

This recipe is one I found online - also from the NY Times. This dip is super easy to make, and it's delicious! Some folks online have complained about the strong-garlic taste - I figure that they must have been using mutant scapes because I didn't find this to be excessively garlicky at all.

 White Bean and Garlic Scapes Dip

1/3 cup sliced garlic scapes (3 to 4)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt, more to taste
Ground black pepper to taste
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more for drizzling.

In a food processor, process garlic scapes with lemon juice, salt and pepper until finely chopped. Add cannellini beans and process to a rough purée.

With motor running, slowly drizzle olive oil through feed tube and process until fairly smooth. Pulse in 2 or 3 tablespoons water, or more, until mixture is the consistency of a dip. Add more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, if desired.

Spread out dip on a plate, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with more salt.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups.

Jimtown Store Fig and Olive Tapenade

With my trip to California less than a month away I've been researching wineries to visit when I head up to Sonoma before the conference starts. Part of this research has involved revisiting our pictures taken on previous trips. This picture of the famous foodie haunt ' the Jimtown Store was taken in the fall of 2005 when we rented a cabin in the Russian River and spend a week touring Sonoma.

The picture triggered all sorts of memories of a brilliant day. The Jimtown store is a quaint country store and cafe; a Sonoma County landmark nestled in the vineyards of the Alexander Valley, one of Northern California’s premium wine appellations. Quaint & well organized, the Jimtown store is a nice spot to stop and browse.  They have a great patio in the back and plenty of cute antiques - as well as a friendly tomcat who will not let you stop petting him. You couldn't ask for a better spot to pick up snacks while touring the wineries.

One of the things that we LOVED about visiting the Jimtown Store was their amazing fig and black olive tapenade. Now some might think that this is a combination that wouldn't work - they would be wrong . . . wrong . . . wrong. This spread is golden. Revisiting the store through this picture had me hankering for the tapenade.

Happily I had a recipe!

Tomorrow we've having fig and olive tapenade, proscuitto, blue cheese, and arugula on a baguette with a drizzle of premium olive oil.

To think that I used to be happy pulling the car through the McDonalds drive through . . .

Jimtown Store Fig and Olive Tapenade

1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) stemmed & quartered, dried Black Mission figs
3/4 cups water
1 cup black olives; Nicoise, Lyon, or Greek, rinsed and pitted
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1/2 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
black pepper and salt, if necessary

In a medium-sized saucepan, simmer the figs in the water for about 30 minutes, until very tender. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the liquid.

If using a food processor, pulse the pitted olives, drained figs, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, capers, and fresh rosemary to create a thick paste. Pulse in the olive oil until you've achieved a chunky-smooth paste. Season with black pepper and salt, if necessary. (The spread can be thinned with a bit of the reserved fig poaching liquid.)

 If using a mortar and pestle, mash the olives with the garlic, capers, and fresh rosemary. Pound in the drained figs (I like the way that sounds!). Once they are broken up, add the olive oil and season with black pepper, fig poaching liquid, and salt, if necessary.

Serve this tapenade with slices of baguette that have been lightly brushed with olive oil and toasted in the oven, or smear a layer of it on a sandwich with goat cheese, juicy-ripe summer tomatoes, and lightly dressed arugula.

Twice Baked Maytag Blue Cheese Soufflé

Yesterday you read about the best thing that I ate all of last year.

I must confess to being sad on the flight home form Vegas. It had nothing to do with the results of our gambling as our wallets were a tad fatter than when we arrived (of course, all of our shopping was on Visa LOL) Instead I was sad because I had eaten the best.damn.thing.ever. and it was a 4 hour flight from home. That was a long stretch for a soufflé . . . even for me.

So I did what any self-respecting foodie would do - when I got home I turned to the card catalogue for the cooking library known as the internet - google - and searched for the recipe.

Sure enough, in an April 2008 ABC report on View by the Bay I scored! I printed it off and immediately added this course to our New Year's Day feast.

I had never made a soufflé before - worried perhaps that it would be too challenging for me. I need not have worried for the recipe is well written and the steps easy to execute. Now, in fairness, it isn't a short romp through the kitchen - you have to be methodical, working your way through each step. Patient.

If you want nothing but a quick romp through the kitchen buy a microwave and a frozen meal in a tray.

I'm not normally patient at all but when there is a food payoff at the other end I can manage.

I knew from my Vegas taste that this was payoff indeed!

I also whipped up a pear and ginger compote with Moscato Di Asti wine - providing for the perfect blue cheese and pear combination that I adore.

Twice Baked Maytag Blue Cheese Soufflé

By Chef Bradley Ogden

Makes six 4-ounce soufflés

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup cold milk
5 ounces Maytag Blue Cheese, crumbled - room temperature
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Extra flour, for molds
1 tablespoon butter, for molds
Parchment paper
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. If using a convection oven, preheat to 250 degrees. Butter and dust six 4-ounce soufflé molds.

In a 1-quart stainless steel saucepan, add the 2 tablespoons of butter and place over a moderate heat to melt the butter. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring often. Incorporate the cold milk, whisking very slowly to make a thick cream sauce. Once the milk is added, continue to for 10 minutes over a slow heat. Pour the cream sauce into an electric mixing bowl. Add the crumbled Maytag Blue Cheese, using the whisk attachment. Turn the machine on low to blend in the sauce and cheese.

Let the mixture cool slightly, turn to a high speed and add one egg yolk at a time. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the mixture to another bowl and let cool completely. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and fold into the cheese. Fill molds to the top with the mixture. Bake in a water bath at 300 degrees for 40 minutes; until lightly brown on top. Remove from the oven; let cool almost completely. Unmold onto buttered parchment paper, with browned top side up. Refrigerate until needed.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour ¾ cup of heavy cream into a non corrosive 10-inch sauté pan. Add the soufflés, top side up, and place over a high heat. Bring liquid to one boil then place in the oven and bake for 8 minutes or until the soufflés have absorbed most of the cream. Remove from the oven. With a metal spatula gently remove the soufflés from the sauté pan. Serve with the Mache salad. Garnish with toasted walnuts and crumbled Maytag Blue Cheese